Sukkos: chesed, din, and divine gift

כתיב הראני ה' חסדך הוא בחי' הסוכה כמ"ש עין בעין נראה אתה ה' ועננך עומד.

It is written: "Show me, Hashem, Your kindness" (Tehillim 85:8) — this is the aspect of the Sukkah, as it is said: "eye to eye it is seen that You, Hashem, are present, and Your cloud stands over them" (cf. Bamidbar 14:14).

The Sukkah embodies the revealed chesed (kindness) of Hashem, recalling the Ananei HaKavod (clouds of glory) in which His presence was openly visible to Bnei Yisrael.

והוא בחי' חסד לאברהם.

And this is the aspect of "chesed to Avraham" (Michah 7:20).

The Sukkah corresponds to the middah of chesed, the attribute of Avraham Avinu.

וישעך תתן לנו הוא בחי' יצחק אבינו כמ"ש ויתן לך האלקים פי' במדרש אם תזכה.

"And grant us Your salvation" (Tehillim 85:8) — this is the aspect of Yitzchak Avinu, as it is written "and may God give you" (Bereishis 27:28), which the Midrash explains: "if you are worthy."

The salvation we ask for corresponds to Yitzchak and the attribute of din (judgment); Yitzchak's blessing was conditional — given "if you are worthy," in accordance with strict justice.

ואעפ"כ כתיב יתן והוא ישועה אמיתית אשר הקב"ה נותן שיזכו בנ"י גם עפ"י הדין כי הוא כל יכול.

And nevertheless it is written "He shall give" — and this is a true salvation, that Hashem grants Bnei Yisrael to be worthy even according to the strict law, for He is all-powerful.

Even within the framework of din, Hashem in His omnipotence enables Bnei Yisrael to genuinely merit the blessing — a salvation that holds up even under judgment.

וזה מתקיים בזה החג אחר ימי המשפט ובנ"י נוצחין דינא זה עיקר הישועה.

And this is fulfilled on this festival (Sukkos), after the days of judgment, when Bnei Yisrael are victorious in judgment — this is the essence of the salvation.

Sukkos comes right after the Yamim Noraim; having prevailed in the din of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, Bnei Yisrael now experience the true salvation of having merited even under judgment.

וזה בחי' הד' מינים כמ"ש ולקחתם לכם.

And this is the aspect of the Arba Minim (four species), as it is written: "and you shall take for yourselves" (Vayikra 23:40).

The taking of the four species expresses this victory — Bnei Yisrael "take" the sign that they have prevailed in judgment.

הוא ברכת אבינו יצחק ויתן לך האלקים דרשו יתן לך אלקותו.

This is the blessing of our father Yitzchak, "and may God give you" — which they expounded: He will give you His Godliness (Elokuso).

Yitzchak's blessing is reread as a gift of Hashem's own divinity; the salvation of Sukkos is that Hashem gives us a share in His Elokus.

וכן איתא במדרש [תרומה] בפסוק לקח טוב נתתי המוכר נמכר עמו ע"ש.

And so it is stated in the Midrash [Terumah] on the verse "for I have given you a good acquisition (lekach tov)" (Mishlei 4:2): the seller is sold along with it. See there.

When Hashem gives the Torah, He gives Himself along with it — "the seller is sold with the merchandise" — so that the gift contains the Giver Himself.

וכן דרשו בזו הלקיחה פרי עץ זה הקב"ה כפות תמרים הקב"ה ע"ש במדרש:

And so they expounded regarding this "taking" (of the Arba Minim): "the fruit of a beautiful tree" — this is the Holy One, blessed is He; "branches of date palms" — the Holy One, blessed is He. See there in the Midrash.

The Midrash reads the four species as alluding to Hashem Himself, so that in taking them on Sukkos we are, as it were, taking hold of Hashem — receiving His own Elokus.

Summary: The Sukkah expresses Hashem's revealed chesed, the attribute of Avraham, while the salvation we seek corresponds to Yitzchak and din. Through His omnipotence, Hashem lets Bnei Yisrael merit His blessing even under strict judgment — the true salvation realized on Sukkos, after prevailing in the Yamim Noraim. The Arba Minim embody this victory and Yitzchak's blessing "He will give you His Godliness," for just as the Giver is given along with the Torah, taking the four species means taking hold of Hashem Himself.