The sukkah as revealed providence and emunah

איתא בזוה"ק דבעי לאחזאה גרמי' דיתיב בצלא דמהמנותא.

It is taught in the holy Zohar that one must show himself as sitting in the "shade of faith" (tzila dimheimnusa).

The Zohar describes the sukkah as the "shade of emunah" — a person must consciously present himself as dwelling within Hashem's protective shade of faith.

כי סוכה מלשון הסתכלות דכ' ובמדבר אשר ראית אשר נשאך ה' אלקיך.

For "sukkah" is an expression of looking/seeing, as it is written, "and in the wilderness that you saw, where Hashem your God carried you" (Devarim 1:31).

The Sefas Emes connects "sukkah" to "sechi'ah" (seeing/perceiving), tying it to the verse in which Bnei Yisrael "saw" Hashem's carrying them through the desert.

פרשנו שם כי באמת לעולם השגחת הקב"ה על בנ"י ביחוד.

We explained there that in truth Hashem's hashgachah (providence) over Bnei Yisrael is always individual and particular.

Hashem's providential care for Bnei Yisrael is constant and personally directed at all times, not only in the desert.

אבל במדבר הי' חיבה יתירה שראו עין בעין השגחת הבורא ית' עליהם.

But in the wilderness there was an extra affection, in that they saw with their own eyes the providence of the Creator, may He be blessed, over them.

The desert generation was shown special love, for they perceived Hashem's hashgachah openly and tangibly, eye to eye.

וכתיב וה' הולך לפניהם כו' וה' הוא ובית דינו שזכו במעשיהם לפי שנמשכו אחריו בארץ לא זרועה.

And it is written, "and Hashem went before them" (Shemos 13:21) — "and Hashem" means He and His heavenly court — for they merited this by their deeds, since they followed after Him into an unsown land.

Because Bnei Yisrael trustingly followed Hashem into a barren wilderness, they earned this revealed providence, "Hashem and His court" leading them.

ולכן ראו בעין ישועת ה' דמאן דאכיל דלאו דילי' בהית לאסתכולי באפי'.

Therefore they saw with their eyes the salvation of Hashem — for "one who eats that which is not his own is ashamed to look him in the face."

Since they took nothing through their own effort but received everything as Hashem's gift, they were unashamed to gaze directly at His salvation — the bread of shame did not apply, for they earned it through emunah.

ומעין זה סוכה זכר למדבר וענני כבוד לפי שזוכין בנ"י בדין בימים הנוראים ניתן להם אח"כ מצות סוכה:

And akin to this, the sukkah is a remembrance of the wilderness and the Clouds of Glory, for since Bnei Yisrael are vindicated in the judgment of the Yamim Nora'im, they are afterward given the mitzvah of sukkah.

The sukkah recalls the desert and the Ananei HaKavod; having been found meritorious in the awesome days of judgment, Bnei Yisrael are then granted the sukkah, where they once again sit in the revealed shade of Hashem's providence.

Summary: The Zohar calls the sukkah the "shade of emunah," and the Sefas Emes links "sukkah" to seeing — recalling how Bnei Yisrael "saw" Hashem carrying them in the desert. Though Hashem's individual providence over Bnei Yisrael is constant, in the wilderness it was revealed openly out of extra affection, earned by their following Him trustingly into an unsown land, so they could gaze unashamed at His salvation. Likewise, having been vindicated in the judgment of the Yamim Nora'im, Bnei Yisrael are afterward given the sukkah, sitting once more in the revealed shade of Hashem's hashgachah.