The Sukkot Guests and the Land

 

Rebbe Natan, the spiritual heir of Rebbe Naḥman of Breslov, presents a detailed exposition of his thesis that the special days of the month of Tishrei: Rosh haShana, the Ten Days of Penitence, Yom Kippur, Sukkot and Shemini Atzeret, are all focused on "revealing the sanctity of Eretz Yisrael, to allow us to merit coming to the Land."

The sukka, which commemorates the Clouds of Glory, symbolizes the journey to the Land of Israel, since the Clouds of Glory led the Nation of Israel into its Land.

Concerning the ushpizin, "the seven shepherds who enter the sukka," Rebbe Natan writes that it is through those seven righteous people; Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, our forefathers, Moses and Aaron, Joseph and King David that Israel merited Eretz Yisrael.

Abraham was the first to reveal the sanctity of the Land of Israel. When God instructed Abraham to leave his land, his birthplace and his father's home [Genesis 12:1], He revealed to him "that there is a Land which is holier than all other lands," and that one who aspires to know the Holy One, blessed be He, and to cling to Him must reach that holy Land.

Isaac and Jacob are the links of continuity in the chain created by Abraham, and each was promised that the Land would be given to him and to his descendants.

Though neither was privileged to enter the Land of Israel, Moses and Aaron led the Nation out of Egyptian slavery to be brought to the Land, in fulfillment of the purpose of the exodus.

Joseph held the Land of Israel dear and insisted that the Children of Israel bring his remains to burial within the Land, which Zohar teaches (Rebbe Natan does not cite the specific source) was instrumental in Israel's redemption.

King David "fought God's wars and liberated the Land of Israel in her entirety." It was only during the reigns of David and Solomon that the Land of Israel reached herideal borders, "From the Brook of Egypt to the great river, the River Euphrates." [Genesis 15:18]

Thus, each of the seven ushpizin had a share in revealing the sanctity of Eretz Yisrael and "these seven shepherds therefore enter the sukka, since it is through them that we merit entering the Land."

Beyond this, the ushpizin at the end of Sukkot, if you will, the pinnacle of the holiday, Hoshana Rabba, is King David, "since it was through him that we merited the complete conquest of the Land of Israel, and for this reason the sukka is named for King David, as Scripture states 'On that day I will restore David’s fallen sukka,' [Amos 9:11] and indeed the essence of the sukka is comparable to the conquest of the Land of Israel, which was accomplished by King David."