Parasha Thoughts
By Rabbi Shlomo Zargari
Shalom to all and ×©× ×” טובה ומבורכת !
The Torah commands us to dwell in a Sukkah for seven days (Vayikra 23,42). Our sages teach us that the Sukkah is a reminder of the “Clouds Of Glory” which HaShem placed around us when He took us out of Egypt. The commentators try to explain why we only have a reminder for this miracle and not the miracle of The Well, the miracle of The Manna, or the miracle of the birds that came down for us to eat?
One of the favorite answers is that we make reminders for miracles that show HaShem’s love to us. Food and water are essential for our existence and we trusted HaShem and went into the desert without that much preparation; from those miracles you don’t necessarily see a special love.
“The Clouds ” protected us from the extreme heat, cold, and animals of all types. They leveled the ground for easier travel, did laundry and the list goes on. Certainly the Clouds of Glory show a special love and closeness. We remind ourselves of this right after we are sealed for a great year and dwell in the Sukkah as a reminder and appreciation of this special miracle.
If we look further, says Harav Yehuda Sadgha זצ״ל Rosh Hayeshiva of Porat Yosef, it’s not a wonder that The Almighty performs miracles. A father must feed his children at least the essentials, but when you are going through a desert, you can’t really be picky about the accommodations. You wouldn’t expect a five star resort; you would be content resting in a simple tent or a hut. When The Almighty surrounds us with The Clouds Of Glory ,” that is what they are, they show how much he wants to glorify us and how much he loves us. From this we need to learn how important we are as the children of The Almighty, and we are not just celebrating the “Clouds ” but also “The Glory “!
חג כשר ושמח!