The Ins and Outs of the Clouds of Glory

It is taught: “I made the people of Israel reside in sukkot when I brought them out of the land of Egypt ..." [Leviticus 23:43]; (sukkot) were Clouds of Glory, says Rabbi Eliezer. Rabbi Akiva says: “They made themselves actual sukkot (huts).”     Babylonian Talmud, Sukka 11b

According to Rabbi Eliezer’s opinion, it is easy to understand the reason the Torah mandates sitting in sukkot. However, based upon Rabbi Akiva’s opinion, there is no apparent reason for the mitzva; after all, the Israelites were forced to provide themselves with some form of protection from the difficult conditions of the wilderness. Why then does the Torah consider this something worthy of annual commemoration?

Rabbi Simḥa B.Z.A. Rabinowitz, in his work Piskei Teshuvot, suggests that in fact there were two groups among the Israelites: those who observed mitzvot were protected by the Clouds of Glory, while the sinners were cast out of the Clouds of Glory [Rashi, Deuteronomy 25:18, based upon Midrash Lekaḥ Tov], and hence forced to make actual sukkot for themselves.

Based upon this suggestion, it is possible that Rabbi Akiva does not disagree with Rabbi Eliezer, rather, he adds that sitting in sukkot requires one to remember that the sinners of Israel, despite their sins, remain part of the Nation of Israel. (This is similar to our Sages’ comment about ḥelbana, the foul-smelling ingredient of the incense, which, when mixed the other ingredients gave the incense its outstanding aroma: “Any [public] fast which does not include the sinners of Israel is not a [valid] fast.” [Babylonian Talmud, Keritot 6b])           

We may add that this approach connects the two mitzvot of the “Festival of Ingathering.” [Exodus 34:22] One of the accepted explanations of the symbolic meaning of taking the four species is that they symbolize the entire spectrum of the Nation of Israel:

Of the four species used for the lulav two are fruit-bearing and two are not; those which bear fruits must be joined to those which bear no fruits and those which bear no fruits must be joined to those which bear fruits. And a man does not fulfill his obligation unless they are all bound in one band. And so it is with Israel's conciliation with God, (it is achieved) only when they are all in one band. Babylonian Talmud, Menaḥot 27a

Thus, each of the mitzvot of the holiday of Sukkot    teaches the great lesson of the ultimate importance of the unity of Israel.

Perhaps it is not surprising that it is specifically Rabbi Akiva, who sees sitting in the sukka as hinting of Israel’s unity, who taught:

“Love your neighbor as yourself” [Leviticus 19:18] – this is the great rule of Torah.    Midrash Sifra, Kedoshim 2:4