Sukkah completes Hashem's bond with Yisrael

ענין סוכה כמו חופה שגומרת הקנין אשה לבעלה.

The matter of the sukkah is like a chuppah, which completes the acquisition of a wife to her husband.

The Sefas Emes compares the sukkah to a wedding canopy: just as the chuppah finalizes the bond between husband and wife, the sukkah finalizes the bond between Hashem and Bnei Yisrael.

בסוכות הושבתי.

"In sukkos I caused them to dwell."

The verse recalls how Hashem settled Bnei Yisrael in sukkos after the Exodus, an act expressing His claim upon them.

כי ביציאת מצרים נתקדשו בנ"י להשי"ת כמ"ש אני ה' מקדשכם המוציא אתכם כו'.

For at yetzias Mitzrayim, Bnei Yisrael were sanctified to Hashem, as it is written, "I am Hashem who sanctifies you, who brought you out…"

The Exodus was an act of kiddushin — a betrothal in which Hashem consecrated Bnei Yisrael to Himself as His own.

ועל זה יש קטרוג שיהיו בנ"י מבוררין להיות קנין להשי"ת יותר מכל הברואים.

And concerning this there is an accusation — that Bnei Yisrael should be set apart to be an acquisition of Hashem more than all other creatures.

The notion that Bnei Yisrael are singled out as Hashem's special "acquisition" above all creation arouses an opposing accusation, a kitrug.

וע"ז כתיב ולמקנהו עשה סוכות.

And concerning this it is written, "and for his livestock (mikneihu) he made sukkos."

The Sefas Emes reads "mikneihu" (his acquisition) as a hint: for His "acquisition" — Bnei Yisrael — Hashem made the protective sukkos.

וכ' הפורס סוכת שלום פריסה לשון פרס וחלק כמ"ש חלק ה' עמו שבחר לו השי"ת חלק מהנבראים.

And it is written, "who spreads (haporeis) the sukkah of peace" — "perisah" is an expression of "peras" and portion, as it is written, "the portion of Hashem is His people," that Hashem chose for Himself a portion from among the creatures.

The word "poreis" is linked to "peras," a portion or half: Hashem took for Himself a "portion" of creation — Bnei Yisrael — as His chosen share, as in "chelek Hashem amo."

[כמ"ש בתנא דב"א עשיר ושמח בחלקו ע"ש ובפי' ישועת יעקב] והשי"ת לו השלימות ולמה בחר לו חצי דבר.

[As is written in the Tanna d'Vei Eliyahu, "wealthy and rejoicing in his portion" — see there, and in the commentary Yeshuos Yaakov.] Now, Hashem possesses all completeness — so why did He choose for Himself a "half" thing?

This raises a question: Hashem is utterly complete and whole, so why would He single out a mere "portion" or "half" — something seemingly partial — as His own?

אך כתיב אשכון את דכא כו' וכ' בזוה"ק כי זה השלימות מה שאדם נשבר לבו ע"ש פרשת אמור.

But it is written, "I dwell with the contrite (daka)…" and it is written in the Zohar that this is the completeness — that a person's heart is broken (see there, parashas Emor).

The answer: Hashem dwells specifically with the broken-hearted; true שלימות (wholeness), paradoxically, is found in a heart that is broken and humbled before Him.

ואדרבא זה שבחו ית' כי בכל מקום שהוא שורה הוא שלימות והוא עושה מחצי דבר דבר שלם.

And on the contrary, this is His praise — that in every place where He rests, there is completeness, and He makes from a "half" thing a whole thing.

It is precisely Hashem's greatness that wherever His presence rests, wholeness appears; He transforms what is partial and "broken" into something complete.

וזה הפורס סוכת שלום.

And this is "who spreads the sukkah of peace."

Spreading the "sukkah of peace" means Hashem rests upon His chosen "portion" and thereby makes it whole and at peace.

כי באמת הנקודה פנימיות שבכל מקום הוא השלימות.

For in truth, the inner point that is in every place is the completeness.

The hidden inner point within everything is itself the locus of true wholeness, even where the exterior seems partial.

וכן בנ"י מתוך כל הנבראים.

And so too Bnei Yisrael from among all the creatures.

Bnei Yisrael are that "inner point" within creation as a whole — the portion through which all of it attains completeness.

והנה בסוכות ע' פרים נגד האומות.

Now, on Sukkos there are seventy bulls, corresponding to the nations.

The seventy bulls offered over Sukkos correspond to the seventy nations of the world, brought as offerings on their behalf.

וניסוך המים כדאיתא בגמ' כי בנ"י צריכין לבקש שיתפשט מלכותו ית' על כל הבריאה.

And the nisuch hamayim (water libation), as is taught in the Gemara — for Bnei Yisrael must request that His kingship spread over all of Creation.

The seventy bulls and the water libation express Bnei Yisrael's role: to pray and strive that Hashem's malchus extend over all of creation, not only over themselves.

כענין שאמרו אל תהיו כעבדים ע"מ לקבל פרס.

Like the matter of what they said, "Do not be like servants who serve in order to receive a reward (peras)."

This selfless concern for all creation reflects serving Hashem not for one's own "peras" (reward) but for the sake of His kingship alone.

וע' מ"ש עוד לקמן:

And see what is written further on, below.

The Sefas Emes refers the reader to his continued discussion of this theme in a later piece.

Summary: The sukkah is like a chuppah that completes the bond between Hashem and Bnei Yisrael, who were betrothed and sanctified to Him at yetzias Mitzrayim as His chosen "portion" of creation. Though Hashem is wholly complete, He chooses this seeming "half" — for He dwells with the broken-hearted and makes whatever He rests upon complete; the inner point within everything, and Bnei Yisrael within creation, is the true place of wholeness. This is "who spreads the sukkah of peace." And through the seventy bulls and the water libation of Sukkos, Bnei Yisrael selflessly pray that Hashem's kingship spread over all of creation — serving Him not for reward but for His sake alone.