Parsha Paragraphs
Rabbi Naftali Kassorla
Sukkot 5778 תשע״ח
Part of the Family
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ר׳ אלחנן יעקב ז״ל בן מורי וחמי ר׳ שמואל פנחס
ר׳ אלחנן יעקב ז״ל בן מורי וחמי ר׳ שמואל פנחס
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“You shall dwell in Sukkot for a seven day period; כל אזרח בישראל (every citizen in Israel) shall sit in Sukkot” (Vayikra 23:42). The question is asked: seemingly the word בישראל is superfluous; what is it meant to include? Rashi noting this explains that it is written to teach us that converts are included, and thus obligated, in the mitzvah of Sukkah.
Rav Yaakov Kaminetzky זצ״ל asks: why is there a need for a special limmud (biblical exegesis) to tell us that a convert is included in the mitzvah of sitting in the Sukkah? Are converts not just like any other Jew? The need for a special limmud gives the impression that, if not for the drasha, a convert would not be obligated in the mitzvah of Sukkah! Why would this be so?
Rav Yaakov explains, the reason can be found in the very next verse: “So that your generations will know that I caused the Children of Israel to dwell in Sukkot when I took them from the land of Israel” (ibid. 43). The Sukkah stands as a reminder that G-d protected our ancestors in the Wilderness – a historical fact. If so, one might have thought that this applies only to those who were actually in the wilderness; but a convert, whose ancestors were not in the desert, may not be obligated. Thus, the need for a special drasha to tell us: even converts are included in the obligation, for they are equal to the rest of the nation.
In light of this, we can ask another question. We find in the Mishna in Bikkurim (1:4) that when the farmer brings the Bikkurim (the first fruits), he must recite the “פרשת הביכורים.” In this declaration, the farmer gives thanks to G-d for the fruit of the Land that “He [G-d] swore to our ancestors to give us.” The Mishna disqualifies a convert from this reading because in fact, the convert’s ancestors were not promised the land.*
Why is there no special drasha here to include a convert in the mitzvah of this recital of the פרשת הביכורים? Should this not be similar to the mitzvah of Sukkah, where despite the lack of converts’ ancestors’ presence in the desert, they are nonetheless included? Both mitzvot are seemingly stating a fact i.e. “my ancestors were present at the time of the mitzvah,” which is untrue of the convert. If so, what is distinct about the mitzvah of Sukkah, that the Torah goes out of its way to include converts, even when the statement seems inapplicable to them?
Perhaps the difference lies in what I believe to be a central message of Sukkot. The miracle of Sukkot in the desert was that G-d protected the Jewish people from all outside forces; as the prophet says, the Sukkot would serve “as a shade from heat in the daytime, as a protection and refuge from storm and from rain” (Yishayahu 4:6). The Jews, dwelling in utter isolation, were shielded by G-d Himself from the harsh weather and elements. But this protection was not a one-time occurrence. Rather, the care and love that He bestowed upon us exists for all times and generations. “למען ידעו דורותיכם” (So that your generations will know) – what Hashem did then, and what He will continue to do for us! By remembering the miracle He did then, we can know that we are able to rely on His protection always.
We see a difference in the statement made by Sukkot versus that of Bikkurim. With Bikkurim, the farmer is stating a historical fact - the focus is on what actually happened. It would be incorrect for a convert to make a statement such as this, which is false. Hashem did not promise the land to his ancestors. However, by the mitzvah of Sukkot, we see from the pasuk that the emphasis is not on what happened, but on the implications it has for our emunah in Hashem’s care for us. The message of G-d’s divine protection is something that is not only timeless, but universal as well; a love that crosses all genealogies and backgrounds. Of this love, a convert is surely part of the “family.”
Rabbeinu Chananel in the beginning of Masechet Sukkah (2b), in the context of explaining why the סכך of the sukkah needs to be visible (ie. Not above 20 Amot), says: “for the coming generations will see that we have built Sukkot and we have left our dwellings and we are sitting during the festival, and they ask ‘why are you doing this’ and you will recount to them the story of your forefathers in the land of Egypt.” My rebbe Rav Asher Arieli שליט״א referred to the give-and-take that Rabbeinu Chananel described, as the “Mah Nishtana of Sukkot.” This description highlights a perfect parallel between Sukkot and Pesach, in light of what we have said about the message of the holiday. For just as the recounting of the exodus from Egypt is meant to inculcate within us the story and message of the redemption, so too recounting sitting in the Sukkah is meant to pass on this message: G-d is our true shelter and salvation for all generations.
During the Neilah prayer in the piyut authored by Rav Yitzchak Ben Shmuel (also known as the Ri) we ask G-d: “יחביאנו צל ידו תחת כנפי השכינה” - “May He conceal us in the shelter of His hand beneath the wings of the Divine Presence.” Famously, the Vilna Gaon comments that the mitzvah of Sukkah is unique in that it involves a complete immersion of the whole body (as opposed to other mitzvot which only utilize a part of the body e.g. tefillin). Surely there is no fuller immersion in G-d’s divine presence than the mitzvah of Sukkah.
Trying to make sense of our world and the myriad of obligations and challenges it brings, there are many things which can “shake” our emunah and make us feel like we are not experiencing (or not worthy of) G-d’s care. It is at those times which we can find strength in connecting to the past – our own, and that of our collective history – to recall when we have seen G-d’s personal care for us. Every person in the nation, no matter his background, is included in the family of the Jewish people and needs to ingrain this message in himself so that he will never lose hope or faith.
Chag Sameach
*The Yerushalmi (ibid.) disagrees with this Mishna and cites the opinion of Rabbi Yehuda that any Ger can recite the Bikkurim text, as Avraham Avinu was “the father of all the nation (Bereishit 17:5), and hence as the father of all future Geirim. Thus, every Ger is included within that original oath to Avraham. The Rambam (Bikkurim 4:3) rules like the Yerushalmi.
