Rejoicing in Hashem, not the garden

בפסוק תודיעני אורח חיים כו' ע"ש במד' על ולקחתם לכם פרי עץ כו'.

On the verse "You will make known to me the path of life…" — see the Midrash there on "And you shall take for yourselves the fruit of a beautiful tree…"

The Sefas Emes connects "the path of life" (Tehillim 16:11) with the Midrash on taking the four species, hinting that the mitzvah of lulav is itself the "path of life."

כי הנה סוכה הוא רומז לעולם הבא וגן עדן.

For behold, the sukkah alludes to Olam Haba (the World to Come) and Gan Eden.

The sukkah is a symbol of the future world and the Garden of Eden — a taste of the ultimate dwelling in Hashem's presence.

לכן אומרים כך נזכה לישב בסוכת של לויתן.

Therefore we say, "So may we merit to sit in the sukkah of the Leviasan."

Our prayer upon leaving the sukkah — to sit in the "sukkah of the Leviasan's skin" — expresses that the sukkah foreshadows the reward of the World to Come.

אעפ"כ יש בגן הרבה דרכים ובעל הגן יודע אורח חיים שבגן.

Even so, there are many paths in the garden, and the Owner of the garden knows the "path of life" within the garden.

Within this "garden" of Gan Eden there are many possible paths, but only Hashem, its Master, knows the one true "path of life" that leads to Him.

והוא מצות לולב כמ"ש חז"ל לו לב.

And it is the mitzvah of lulav, as Chazal expounded: "lulav" — "lo lev" (to him a heart).

That "path of life" is the mitzvah of lulav, which Chazal read as "lo lev" — pointing the heart toward Hashem.

פי' שמי שהוא בר דעת אין לו לשמוח בכל מיני אילנות ובשמים שבגן המלך.

Meaning: one who has daas (true understanding) should not rejoice in all the varieties of trees and spices in the King's garden.

A person of real understanding will not let himself be captivated merely by the delights of the "garden" — its trees and fragrances.

רק לתת לב אל המלך שזכה להתארח בגן המלך.

But rather to give his heart to the King, that he has merited to be a guest in the King's garden.

Instead, his joy should be directed to the King Himself — that he has been granted the privilege of being a guest in the King's garden — not to the pleasures of the garden.

וז"ש הביאני המלך חדריו נגילה ונשמחה בך דייקא.

And this is what is said: "The King has brought me into His chambers, we will be glad and rejoice in You" — specifically "in You."

Shir HaShirim stresses rejoicing "in You" — in Hashem Himself — not in the chambers or their treasures. The gift is the Giver.

כדאיתא במד' שיה"ש אין לי חפץ טוב ממך.

As it is stated in the Midrash on Shir HaShirim: "I have no delight better than You."

The Midrash voices Bnei Yisrael's response: nothing in the garden is more precious to them than Hashem Himself.

וע"י מצות לולב מקבל האדם הארת הסוכה בלבו.

And through the mitzvah of lulav a person receives the illumination of the sukkah into his heart.

Taking the lulav internalizes the sukkah's light: the "lo lev" turns the heart so that the holiness surrounding one outside is absorbed within.

כי הקב"ה נתן מצות סוכה לבנ"י לאשר הסט"א רודף אחר בנ"י במה שזכו בדין בר"ה ויוהכ"פ.

For HaKadosh Baruch Hu gave the mitzvah of sukkah to Bnei Yisrael because the sitra achra (the "other side," the forces of impurity) pursues Bnei Yisrael over what they merited in the judgment of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur.

After the merits Bnei Yisrael won in the Days of Awe, the forces of impurity seek to challenge them; the sukkah is given as a protection.

לכן הקב"ה מציל אותנו ע"י צילא דמהמנותא.

Therefore HaKadosh Baruch Hu saves us by means of the tzila dimheimnusa (the "shade of faith").

The sukkah is called the "shade of emunah" — under its shelter Hashem rescues us from those pursuing forces.

אבל בנ"י שמחין בצל הזה יותר מהצלה שניצלו עי"ז.

But Bnei Yisrael rejoice in this shade itself more than in the rescue that comes through it.

The deeper joy is not in being saved, but in dwelling in the "shade of emunah" — in being close to Hashem — for that nearness is itself the goal.

וזה ענין ולקחתם לכם כו' אף שכוונת המקום ב"ה להצילנו.

And this is the meaning of "And you shall take for yourselves…" — even though the intent of HaMakom (the Omnipresent) is to save us.

"And you shall take for yourselves" hints that, although Hashem's purpose in the mitzvah is to protect us, there is something more that we ourselves are to take.

רק בנ"י מעצמם יש להם ליקח הארת הסוכה ולשמוח לפני הקב"ה:

Rather, Bnei Yisrael, on their own, are to take the illumination of the sukkah and to rejoice before HaKadosh Baruch Hu.

"Take for yourselves" calls Bnei Yisrael to actively seize the inner light of the sukkah and rejoice in the closeness to Hashem itself — going beyond the mere benefit of being protected.

Summary: The sukkah is a foretaste of Gan Eden and the World to Come, the "shade of emunah" by which Hashem shields us after the judgment of the Days of Awe. But a person of true daas does not rejoice in the "garden" or even merely in being rescued; the mitzvah of lulav ("lo lev") turns the heart to take in the sukkah's inner light and to rejoice in Hashem Himself — "we will be glad and rejoice in You."