Sukkah's peace: near and far shalom

סוכה עמוד השלום.

The sukkah is the pillar of peace (amud hashalom).

The Sefas Emes opens by identifying the sukkah with the attribute of shalom — peace and wholeness.

והנה גם בשבת אומרים פורס סוכת שלום עלינו.

And indeed, on Shabbos too we say, "He spreads the sukkah of peace (sukkas shalom) over us."

This same theme appears in the Shabbos davening, where we ask Hashem to spread a "sukkah of peace" over us, linking the sukkah directly to shalom.

דכ' שלום שלום לרחוק ולקרוב.

For it is written, "Peace, peace, to the far and to the near." (Yeshayahu 57:19)

The posuk repeats "shalom" twice — once for the "far" and once for the "near" — indicating two distinct types of peace.

דיש שלום מקרוב והוא בחי' יוסף הצדיק.

For there is a peace "from near," which is the aspect of Yosef HaTzaddik.

The "near" peace corresponds to the tzaddik, exemplified by Yosef — one who is already close to Hashem.

פי' הגם שבעוה"ז חסר השלימות מ"מ הצדיק יכול למצוא קצת שלימות בעולם.

That is, even though in this world wholeness is lacking, nevertheless the tzaddik is able to find a measure of completeness within the world.

Though this world is inherently incomplete, the tzaddik, through his closeness, can discover and access a degree of shalom even here within creation.

ושלום מרחוק הוא בחי' בעלי תשובות שמושכין משלימות העליון.

And peace "from afar" is the aspect of baalei teshuvah, who draw from the supernal completeness.

The "far" peace corresponds to baalei teshuvah, who, having been distant, draw their shalom from a higher, supernal source of completeness beyond this world.

והוא בחי' סוכת שלום בסוכות.

And this is the aspect of the "sukkah of peace" on Sukkos.

The sukkah of Sukkos embodies this higher, "far" peace drawn from the supernal realm.

שהוא מעולם העליון ביותר ונק' מרחוק.

For it is from the most exalted upper world, and is therefore called "from afar."

The sukkah draws from the loftiest realm, which is precisely why its peace is termed "from afar" — it transcends this world entirely.

ועיין בזוה"ק בראשית (ה' סוף ע"ב) מזה.

And see in the Zohar HaKadosh, Bereishis (page 5, end of side 2) regarding this.

The Sefas Emes refers the reader to the Zohar for further discussion of this idea.

והנה על אהרן אמרו אוהב שלום ורודף שלום כי אהרן הי' בו ב' המדריגות צדיק ובעל תשובה כדאיתא במד' במדבר על אהרן אשרי שבחרו וקירבו ע"ש.

Now, regarding Aharon it was said, "loving peace and pursuing peace" (Avos 1:12), for Aharon possessed both levels — tzaddik and baal teshuvah — as it is brought in the Midrash Bamidbar regarding Aharon, "fortunate is the one whom He chose and drew near." See there.

Aharon uniquely embodied both forms of peace, being both a tzaddik (near) and a baal teshuvah (far), as the Midrash indicates with the dual language of being both "chosen" and "drawn near."

אוהב שלום בחי' מקרוב.

"Loving peace" is the aspect "from near."

Aharon's "loving peace" reflects the closeness of the tzaddik — the peace from near.

ורודף שלום מרחוק.

"And pursuing peace" is "from afar."

His "pursuing peace" — actively chasing after it from a distance — reflects the baal teshuvah's peace drawn from afar.

והוא בחי' הסוכה וענני כבוד שהיו בזכותו של אהרן ע"ה:

And this is the aspect of the sukkah and the Ananei HaKavod (Clouds of Glory), which existed in the merit of Aharon, peace be upon him.

Because Aharon embodied both forms of shalom, the sukkah and the protective Clouds of Glory — which the sukkah commemorates — came in his merit.

Summary: The sukkah is the "pillar of peace," and the posuk "Peace, peace, to the far and to the near" reveals two forms of shalom: the "near" peace of the tzaddik (Yosef), who finds completeness within this incomplete world, and the "far" peace of the baal teshuvah, who draws from the supernal completeness above. The sukkah of Sukkos embodies this higher, "far" peace from the most exalted realm. Aharon uniquely possessed both levels — "loving peace" (near) and "pursuing peace" (far) — which is why the sukkah and the Clouds of Glory came in his merit.