The Paradox of Sukkos
A new understanding of Sukkos from the perspective of Koheles
Sukkos is a time of Simcha. Coming on the heels of the Yemei HaDin and marking our deep bonds with Hashem, we celebrate. One of the unique events that would take place over Sukkos was Hakhel. This only happened every seven years, on the Sukkos following Shemitta. Everyone would gather at the Beis haMikdash and the king of Israel would read Sefer Devarim from the Sefer Torah of Moshe Rabbeinu.
Hakhel's purpose was not only to teach the content of the Torah, but to cause Bnei Yisrael to internalize its words.
The experience of standing in awe as the king recites the words of Hashem, of trembling in fear as the holy words reach one's ears, will ultimately bring the participant to fear Hashem - a feeling which is meant to last for the next seven years.
Targum1 teaches us, and this is echoed in the meforshim2 that during Hakhel, Shlomo HaMelech had a prophecy. He saw that one day, there will be no Hakhel ceremony. The Jewish people will not be in their land. We will no longer have the Beis HaMikdash. There will be no king to read the Sefer, and the Sefer Torah itself will be hidden. Therefore, Shlomo wrote Megillas Koheles, for the future generations to read on Sukkos. Thus, the Jewish people will be able to have their own version of Hakhel3.
Where Sefer Devarim is an exhortation to follow in the ways of Hashem and the Torah, Koheles is a largely pessimistic view of life -in light of death. It is an expression of the phases of life as mere frivolities overshadowed by death, with which everything will puff away.
This is a far cry from what would be typically described as joy. Why then do we take the time to read Megillas Koheles on Shabbos Chol Hamoed Sukkos, a time described as Zman Simchaseinu? Indeed, aside from the logistics, why did Hakhel take place on Sukkos and not a few days earlier on Yom Kippur?
As much as Sukkos is a time of joy, and a time to celebrate our deep connection to Hashem. Sukkos is also a time of transience. We step outside our homes into the Sukkah. We put ourselves into a vulnerable position, where we need to then put our faith in Hashem. Rav Jonathan Sacks wrote4 “Sukkos is the festival of insecurity. It is the festival of a people who know they will never be entirely safe, surrounded as they are by larger, stronger nations, assaulted as they have so often been for having the courage to be different. Sitting in the sukka, betzila demehemnuta, “under the shadow of faith”5, is all the security we need.”
Rav Joey Rosenfeld explains further that we go into the sukkah to symbolize our transition from the lofty, permanent space of spirituality, which we imbibed over Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, to a place lacking in permanence and filled with vulnerability and insecurity. The Sukkah is the hug from Hashem at the departure gate. Koheles is the plane letter from Hashem. Koheles helps us to focus on the here and now. To focus on where we are, and what we are doing at any given moment. With Koheles, we can embrace the transitory nature of life, without forgetting that above all the ups-and-downs, is our connection to Hashem, and the knowledge that while today may be a tough day, tomorrow will be a wonderful one.
We read Koheles on Sukkos to signify this transition. We are about to get back into day-to-day life. Let us make sure we have our priorities straight before starting Bereishis again. Let us make sure we do so this time, with the awareness of the bigger picture. Let us understand that our task in this world is not about all the hevelim, frivolities, but we are here to bring Malchus Hashem to this world.
This was the idea of Hakhel, and this is ultimately the idea of Koheles. Sukkos is a time of joy in the knowledge that Hashem is connected to us all the time. No matter what we are doing all year round, during any of the phases of life, we must remember that if not for our relationship with Hashem, it is all worthless.
May we be worthy of a lofty yet grounded year ahead.
Koheles 1;1
Sfas Emes - Vayelech. Ramdu - introduction to Koheles
Koheles and Hakhel come from the same root - Kehal.
Ceremony & Celebration p. 139
Zohar, Emor 103a