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 "Blessed are you, Hashem, who spreads the Sukkah of peace upon us upon all of his people and upon Jerusalem (Friday evening prayers)." Sukkot is the holiday of peace. This is true on a personal, national and international level. We have just finished the intense Yamim Noraim , the ten days of repentance where we seek to renew our relationships with G-d. In order to do so we must not only resolve conflicts with our fellow man but we must first and foremost be at peace with ourselves as those who are not at peace with themselves can not be at peace with others. The sukkah that we sit in symbolizes the clouds of glory that G-d used to protect us during our sojourn in the desert. These clouds of glory were in the merit of Aaron the high priest who was the Ohev Shalom Verodef Shalom , the lover of peace and the seeker of peace. It is most telling that when Aaron died and the clouds of glory departed the king of Arad attacked the Jewish people. Somehow the nations of the world understood that with Aaron dead the Jewish people were more vulnerable. While we often associate peace with resolving outstanding issues with our enemies our rabbis teach that Aaron's specialty, was in the area of marriage resolution. Without Shalom Bayit there is little hope that a true peace can be achieved with our adversaries. Thus the Sukkah which serves as a weeklong substitute for our regular home must be first and foremost a place of family cohesiveness.
The taking of the lulav, etrog, hadas and arava are not only an expression of gratitude for our many blessings, they also symbolize the unity of the Jewish people. Each of the four species has different character traits representing the diverse nature of the Jewish people. And the Halacha teaches that lulav tzarich eged, the species must be bound together or else the mitzvah is invalidated. While the etrog may be the species of beauty if the "lowly" arava is missing no mitzvah has been performed. Thus all Jews must be joined together in common cause lest the entire nation be ripped apart.
Sukkoth has an additional dimension. Over the course of the seven day holiday 70 bullocks are brought representing the 70 nations of the world. (It is the number 7 and multiples thereof that symbolize completeness in Judaism: i.e. the seven days of creation, the sabbatical and jubilee cycle, the seven days of the seven blessings of sheva berachot, the seven days of mourning, even the supreme court consisted of seventy scholars). We must never pray solely for Jewish interests but must always be cognizant of the needs of the world at large. As long as there is violence anywhere in the world our mission, our sukkah is incomplete.
The sukkah is a flimsy hut exposed to the elements offering little protection to its inhabitants. Yet if we work together ensuring that all of humanity follows the seven basic Noachite laws (banning such things as idolatry, adultery, murder or theft) then our sukkah will be one where G-d will shelter us and "join" us. But we must be sure to keep our goals in focus. According to Jewish law the roof of the sukkah, the S'chah must be open to the sky, any obstruction between the roof and the stars invalidates the sukkah. We must always be moving forward with our view always focused heavenly. Sukkot is zman simchatenu , the time of our rejoicing. Without peace our rejoicing is incomplete. Yet by ensuring peace within our homes, the true legacy of Aaron Hakohen we can make sure our sukkot, and our homes can handle the crisis thrown their way. By working towards infusing our communities and our people with a sense of common purpose we will help spread the canopy of peace far and wide. There can be no greater simcha. Chag Sameach!
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