Sukkos as Aharon's chesed after judgment

סוכות הוא מדת אהרן דענני כבוד בזכותו.

Sukkos is the attribute (middah) of Aharon, for the Ananei HaKavod (clouds of glory) were in his merit.

Sukkos corresponds to Aharon HaKohen, since the protective clouds of glory that surrounded Bnei Yisrael in the wilderness came on account of his merit.

והענין הוא כמ"ש ויהי בשלח כו' שע"י שיצאו קודם הזמן לכן הוצרכו להסב דרך המדבר פן ינחם כו'.

And the matter is as it is written: "And it was, when Pharaoh sent out..." (Shemos 13:17) — that because they left before the appointed time, they therefore needed to be led around by way of the wilderness, lest the people reconsider.

Because Bnei Yisrael left Mitzrayim ahead of the designated time, Hashem had to route them through the desert rather than the direct path, lest they grow fearful and wish to return.

דאם הי' הגאולה כמאמר הקב"ה למשה רע"ה הי' גאולה שלימה.

For had the redemption come exactly as Hashem had told Moshe Rabbeinu, peace be upon him, it would have been a complete redemption (geulah sheleimah).

Had the Exodus unfolded precisely on the originally appointed schedule, it would have been a perfect, total geulah.

אך בנ"י לא הי' בכחם לסבול הגלות.

But Bnei Yisrael did not have the strength to bear the galus (any longer).

The people could no longer endure the suffering of exile, so the redemption had to be hastened ahead of time.

ולכן שיתף משה רע"ה את אהרן להיות הגאולה בחסד ה' אפילו קודם הזמן בחפזון.

Therefore Moshe Rabbeinu, peace be upon him, joined Aharon with him, so that the redemption would come through the chesed of Hashem even before the time, in haste (chipazon).

To make an early redemption possible, the attribute of Aharon — chesed — was brought in alongside Moshe, so that the geulah could come hurriedly, as an act of divine kindness rather than strict merit.

וז"ש ואשא אתכם על כנפי נשרים כמ"ש רש"י שם.

And this is the meaning of "and I carried you on the wings of eagles" (Shemos 19:4), as Rashi explains there.

Hashem swept Bnei Yisrael out "on eagles' wings" — swiftly and with protective love — gathering them up before they were ready on their own.

וע"ז כתיב למען ידעו כו' כי בסוכות הושבתי שהי' בחסד עליון.

And concerning this it is written: "so that your generations may know that I caused Bnei Yisrael to dwell in sukkos" (Vayikra 23:43) — that it was through supernal chesed.

The mitzvah of Sukkah commemorates that Hashem sheltered Bnei Yisrael through pure chesed, protecting them with the clouds of glory when they could not yet stand on their own merit.

וכן הוא אחר ר"ה ויוהכ"פ שהם ימי דין.

And so it is after Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, which are days of judgment (din).

The same pattern repeats each year: Sukkos follows immediately upon the awesome days of judgment.

והשי"ת משתף מדת החסד והרחמים ומגין עלינו בחג הסוכות בחסדו הגדול:

And Hashem joins the attribute of chesed and rachamim (mercy) and shields us on the festival of Sukkos through His great kindness.

Just as chesed was added to bring the early redemption, after the strict judgment of the Yamim Noraim Hashem brings in His chesed and rachamim and shelters us in the Sukkah out of His great love.

Summary: Sukkos is the middah of Aharon, in whose merit the Ananei HaKavod sheltered Bnei Yisrael. Because the people could not endure galus any longer, they left Mitzrayim before the appointed time, so a complete redemption by strict merit was not possible; instead Aharon's attribute of chesed was joined to Moshe so the geulah could come early, in haste, carried "on eagles' wings." The Sukkah commemorates this supernal kindness — and the very same pattern recurs each year, when after the din of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur Hashem joins chesed and rachamim and shields us in the Sukkah out of His great love.