Sukkos, the well, and creation's purpose

עוד לענין הנ"ל דכתיב בשירת הבאר וממדבר מתנה.

Further on the above matter: it is written in the Song of the Well, "and from the wilderness, a gift (mattanah)" (Bamidbar 21:18).

Continuing the theme of the well, the verse hints that the Torah was given as a "gift" precisely through the wilderness — through self-nullification.

ולכן ע"י מצות הסוכה שהיא כענין לכתך אחרי במדבר.

And therefore, through the mitzvah of sukkah, which is of the nature of "your going after Me in the wilderness" (Yirmiyahu 2:2),

The sukkah re-enacts following Hashem into the desert — leaving security behind to go after Him.

עי"ז זוכין לפתוח פי הבאר ולתורה.

through this one merits to open the mouth of the well and [to attain] the Torah.

This desert-like surrender of the sukkah opens the well of Torah, the gift earned through the wilderness.

ולכן היא זמן שנידונין בו על המים כדי שיגין זכותן של ישראל כנ"ל.

And therefore it is the time when judgment is rendered concerning water, so that the merit of Yisrael should protect [them], as above.

Sukkos is the season of judgment over water because the merit of opening the Torah's well shields Bnei Yisrael in that judgment.

ואיתא בגמ' ביום הגשמים הכל שמחים ע"ש.

And it is brought in the Gemara that "on the day of rains, all rejoice" — see there (Taanis 7a).

Rain brings universal joy, linking the season of water to the season of rejoicing.

ובודאי בכל הג' מועדות נפתחין מעיינות התורה דכ' וידבר משה את מועדי ה' אל בנ"י ומתרגמינן ואלפינון לבני ישראל.

And certainly on all three festivals the wellsprings of Torah are opened, for it is written, "And Moshe spoke (vayedaber) the appointed times of Hashem to Bnei Yisrael" (Vayikra 23:44), which Targum renders, "and he taught them (ve'alfinun) to Bnei Yisrael."

The Targum reads Moshe "speaking" the festivals as Moshe "teaching" them — each Regel opens the springs of Torah.

כי דיבור הוא לשון הנהגה.

For "speech" (dibbur) is a term of leadership/governance (hanhagah).

"Dibbur" connotes leading and directing, as in "yadber amim tachteinu" — Moshe's speaking established a guiding force.

שמרע"ה נתן הכח בהמועדות שהם ינהגו וימשיכו נפשות בנ"י לעבודת ה'.

For Moshe Rabbeinu placed the power within the festivals that they should lead and draw the souls of Bnei Yisrael toward the service of Hashem.

Moshe invested the Yamim Tovim with the power to draw Jewish souls upward into avodas Hashem in every generation.

ומועד הסוכות גדול מכולם.

And the festival of Sukkos is the greatest of them all.

Among the three, Sukkos is supreme.

דמצינו ביצחק ג' בארות עשק שטנה רחובות.

For we find by Yitzchak three wells: Eisek, Sitnah, and Rechovos (Bereishis 26:20-22).

Yitzchak dug three wells with these three names, which the Sefas Emes maps onto the three festivals.

ויתכן לרמוז על הג' מועדות.

And it may be hinted that they allude to the three festivals.

The three wells correspond to Pesach, Shavuos, and Sukkos.

כי פסח יציאת מצרים הוא התעשקות להנצל מידי הרשעים.

For Pesach, the Exodus from Mitzrayim, is a "contending" (his'askus) to be saved from the hands of the wicked — corresponding to "Eisek" (contention).

The well "Eisek" (from "his'asku" — they quarreled) matches Pesach, the struggle to escape the wicked Egyptians.

וכן שבועות במתן תורה בסיני דרשו חז"ל שבו ירדה שנאה לאוה"ע ונק' שטנה.

And likewise Shavuos, the giving of the Torah at Sinai, regarding which Chazal expounded that at it hatred descended upon the nations of the world — corresponding to "Sitnah" (enmity/Satan).

The well "Sitnah" matches Shavuos, when Sinai brought down "sinah" (hatred) of the nations toward Torah-keeping Yisrael.

אבל בסוכות מקריבין ע' פרים גם על האומות לכן ולא רבו עלי' ונק' רחובות.

But on Sukkos we offer seventy bulls, also on behalf of the nations; therefore "they did not quarrel over it" — and it is called "Rechovos" (wide expanses).

The well "Rechovos," over which there was no strife, matches Sukkos, whose seventy bulls bring atonement even for the seventy nations — a festival of expansive universal peace.

וחג הזה הוא פרנסה וקיום העולם כמ"ש לעיל.

And this festival is sustenance and the survival of the world, as we wrote above.

Sukkos is the festival of parnasah and the world's continued existence, as explained in the prior piece.

בפסוק הנה נתתי כו'.

On the pasuk "Behold, I have given..." (Bereishis 1:29).

This ties to the verse where Hashem gives sustenance to all creatures.

דכל בריאת שמים וארץ הי' כדי שיטיב הקב"ה עם הנבראים כי חפץ חסד הוא.

For the entire creation of heaven and earth was so that HaKadosh Baruch Hu would bestow good upon the created beings, for "He desires kindness" (Michah 7:18).

The whole purpose of creation was for Hashem to do good — He is by nature One who delights in chessed.

וכל החפץ של הקב"ה הי' שיהי' מי שיקבל השפע.

And the entire desire of HaKadosh Baruch Hu was that there be someone to receive the flow (shefa).

Hashem created the world precisely so there would be recipients upon whom to bestow His goodness.

ולכן הנה נתתי הוא מאמר האחרון מהעשרה מאמרות.

And therefore "Behold, I have given" is the last of the Ten Utterances [of creation].

The final creative utterance — providing food for all — is the climax of creation, its very purpose.

וע"ז כתיב אח"כ וירא כו' את כל אשר עשה והנה טוב מאוד.

And concerning this it is written afterward, "And [Hashem] saw all that He had made, and behold, it was very good" (Bereishis 1:31).

Only once there was a recipient of His bounty could creation be declared "very good."

שזה הי' כל רצונו ית'.

For this was His entire will.

Bestowing good upon recipients was the sum of Hashem's ratzon in creating.

לכן הוא זמן שמחה במרום כנ"ל:

Therefore it is a time of joy on high, as above.

Since Sukkos realizes the very purpose of creation — Hashem giving and creatures receiving — it is a time of joy in the heavens.

Summary: The Torah is "a gift from the wilderness," and the sukkah re-enacts following Hashem into the desert, opening the well of Torah and shielding Yisrael in the judgment over water. Moshe invested each festival with power to draw souls to avodas Hashem, and Sukkos is greatest of all — corresponding to Yitzchak's well "Rechovos," the festival of universal peace whose seventy bulls embrace even the nations. As the festival of sustenance, Sukkos fulfills the very purpose of creation — that Hashem, who desires chessed, have recipients for His bounty — and so it is a time of joy on high.