Three Joys of Sukkos and Israel's Mission

איתא במדרשות כי בסוכות כתיב ג' שמחות ושמחת בחגך ושמחתם לפני ה' אלקיכם והיית אך שמח.

It is brought in the Midrashim that regarding Sukkos three [expressions of] joy are written: "and you shall rejoice in your festival" (Devarim 16:14), "and you shall rejoice before Hashem your God" (Vayikra 23:40), and "and you shall be only joyful (ach sameach)" (Devarim 16:15).

The Sefas Emes notes that the Torah commands simchah three separate times in connection with Sukkos, unlike the other festivals.

ובפסח לא כתיב שמחה לפי שנא' בנפול אויבך אל תשמח ע"ש.

And regarding Pesach, joy is not written, because it is said: "When your enemy falls, do not rejoice" (Mishlei 24:17) — see there.

Pesach is not called a time of joy because the Egyptians drowned then, and "do not rejoice when your enemy falls."

כי בפסח זמן חרותנו שהבדילנו השי"ת מן התועים.

For Pesach is "the time of our freedom (zman cheiruseinu)," when Hashem separated us from those who stray.

Pesach marks the moment Hashem set Bnei Yisrael apart from the nations who had gone astray — a stage of separation, not yet completion.

ואח"כ זמן [מתן] תורתנו.

And afterward, "the time of the giving of our Torah (zman matan Toraseinu)" [Shavuos].

The next stage is Shavuos, when Bnei Yisrael received the Torah.

ואח"כ בכח התורה צריכין בנ"י לתקן ולקרב גם כל האומות.

And afterward, by the power of the Torah, Bnei Yisrael must rectify and draw close also all the nations.

The final stage is Bnei Yisrael's mission to use the Torah's power to repair the world and bring even the nations closer to Hashem.

ולכן בסוכות ע' פרים.

And therefore on Sukkos there are seventy bulls (parim).

The seventy bulls offered over Sukkos correspond to the seventy nations — an avodah on their behalf, expressing this mission of drawing the nations close.

ולכן סוכות זמן שמחה כדאיתא במד' בפסוק ישמח ה' במעשיו לשון עתיד שבעוה"ז כביכול אין השמחה בשלימות.

And therefore Sukkos is "the time of joy (zman simchaseinu)," as it is brought in the Midrash on the verse "May Hashem rejoice in His works" (Tehillim 104:31) — in the future tense — for in this world, as it were, the joy is not complete.

The verse speaks of Hashem's joy in the future, because in the present, unredeemed world His joy is not yet whole — it awaits the completion of the world's tikkun.

ועיקר השמחה לפניו ית"ש כשמתוקנים הנפשות כדאיתא במד' כל חפצי אעשה שחפץ להצדיק בריותיו כמ"ש ה' חפץ למען צדקו.

And the essence of joy before Him, Yisborach, is when the souls are rectified, as it is brought in the Midrash: "all My desire I will fulfill" (Yeshayahu 46:10) — that He desires to make His creatures righteous, as it is written: "Hashem desires, for the sake of his righteousness" (Yeshayahu 42:21).

Hashem's true joy comes from the refinement of souls — His deepest desire is to bring His creations to righteousness.

ולכן כשבנ"י נטהרו ביוה"כ נעשה זמן שמחה לפניו.

And therefore, when Bnei Yisrael were purified on Yom Kippur, it became a time of joy before Him.

Because the cleansing of Yom Kippur is exactly the rectification of souls He desires, the Sukkos that follows becomes a genuine time of joy before Hashem.

אבל עתידין בנ"י לזכות את כל העולם.

But Bnei Yisrael are destined to bring merit to the entire world.

The full joy is yet ahead, when Bnei Yisrael will draw all the world into righteousness.

כי הם יצאו מן הכלל ללמד על הכלל כולו.

For they "came out of the general category to teach about the whole" (a hermeneutical principle: davar she'yatza min ha'klal).

Like a detail singled out from a general rule that then illuminates the entire rule, Bnei Yisrael were set apart in order to elevate all of humanity.

ולכן נק' בנ"י ישורון פועל יוצא דלא כ' ישרים רק ישורון שהם (מתיישרים) [*מיישרים] לכל העולם ויתקנו כל העקמומיות וקלקולים שנעשה בעולם.

And therefore Bnei Yisrael are called "Yeshurun" — a transitive form (po'al yotzei) — for it does not write "yesharim" (the upright) but "Yeshurun," because they straighten (meyashrim) the whole world and will rectify all the crookedness and damage that has been done in the world.

The name "Yeshurun" is active and outward-directed: not merely that Bnei Yisrael are upright, but that they straighten others, repairing the world's distortions.

וג' שמות יעקב וישראל וישורון הם מול הג' רגלים.

And the three names — Yaakov, Yisrael, and Yeshurun — correspond to the three regalim (pilgrimage festivals).

Each of the nation's three names aligns with one of the three festivals, marking three stages of spiritual ascent.

זמן חרותנו בחי' יעקב.

"The time of our freedom" [Pesach] is the aspect of Yaakov.

Pesach corresponds to the name Yaakov — the initial, lower stage of the nation, just emerging into freedom.

ומתן תורתנו ישראל כי התורה מיוחד לבנ"י ונק' ראשית לי ראש.

And "the giving of our Torah" [Shavuos] is Yisrael, for the Torah is unique to Bnei Yisrael, and [Yisrael] is called "reishis" — "li rosh" (Mine is the head).

Shavuos corresponds to the elevated name Yisrael (which contains the letters of "li rosh"), reflecting the special bond with Torah and their stature as the "first."

וישורון זמן שמחתנו שיעשו השליחות בשלימות ויתוקן כל העולם על ידם.

And Yeshurun is "the time of our joy" [Sukkos], when they will fulfill the shlichus (mission) in completeness, and the whole world will be rectified through them.

Sukkos corresponds to Yeshurun — the final stage, when Bnei Yisrael complete their mission of straightening and repairing the entire world.

לכן נק' השולמית.

Therefore she is called "the Shulamis" (Shir HaShirim 7:1).

The name "Shulamis" (from shaleim, complete/peace) hints at this final state of completion and wholeness brought about through Bnei Yisrael.

וחג הסוכות רומז לזה התיקון שיהיה לעתיד בשלימות.

And the festival of Sukkos alludes to this tikkun (rectification) that will be complete in the future.

Sukkos points toward the final, complete repair of the world that will be realized in the future geulah.

וג' שמחות הנ"ל הם בחי' עולם שנה נפש.

And the three [expressions of] joy mentioned above correspond to the aspects of olam, shanah, nefesh (space, time, and soul).

The three commands of simchah map onto the three dimensions of creation.

בחגך הוא בחי' שנה.

"In your festival" is the aspect of shanah (time).

"Rejoice in your festival" relates to time, since a chag is a fixed point in the calendar.

ושמחתם לפני ה' במקדש בחי' עולם ומקום.

And "you shall rejoice before Hashem," in the Mikdash, is the aspect of olam (space/place).

"Before Hashem" refers to rejoicing in the Bais Hamikdash — the dimension of place.

וגם עתה ע"י הסוכה שהוא מקום ודירה מיוחדת לבנ"י שחל שם שמים על הסוכה.

And even now, through the sukkah, which is a place and a dwelling set apart for Bnei Yisrael, upon which the Name of Heaven rests.

In the absence of the Mikdash, the sukkah itself supplies the dimension of holy place — a dwelling upon which Hashem's Name rests.

והיית אך שמח הוא השמחה בנפשות בנ"י בעצם:

And "you shall be only joyful" is the joy within the very souls of Bnei Yisrael themselves.

The third joy, "ach sameach," is the aspect of nefesh — an intrinsic joy rooted in the very souls of Bnei Yisrael.

Summary: The Sefas Emes explains the three expressions of simchah on Sukkos as corresponding to the three dimensions of olam, shanah, nefesh (place, time, soul). The festivals mark three stages: Pesach (Yaakov) — freedom and separation from the nations; Shavuos (Yisrael) — receiving the Torah; and Sukkos (Yeshurun) — the mission to "straighten" and rectify the whole world, hinted at by the seventy bulls. Hashem's true joy is the refinement of souls, begun at the Yom Kippur purification, and Sukkos points toward the complete future tikkun, when Bnei Yisrael — Yeshurun, the Shulamis — will bring the entire world to righteousness.