Sukkot - Mishkan and Mikdash

The Gemara in Sucah daf yud aleph discusses a machlokes between Reb Eliezer and Robbi Akiva if the sukkos that we live in on Sukkos  are to remind us of the Ananei Kavod that surrounded the Bnei Yisrael in the Midbar or to remind of actual Sukkos that they used.

The obvious kasha is why according to Robbi Akiva that says that the pasuk “KI BASUKOS HOSHAVTI ES BNEI YISRAEL” refers to Sukkos mamash, do we need a reminder and what is the nes that we are commemorating?

The Aruch Hashulchan asks this question and answers that it is to remind of Hashem’s hashgacha during the time in the MIDBAR.

I would like to explain that TEIRUTZ a little.

The Gemara in Eiruvin daf Bais says “MIKDUSH IKRI MISHKAN UMISHKAN IKRI MIKDUSH” meaning that in the Torah we find sometimes that the mishkan is call the “mikdush” and sometimes we find that mikdush” is called the “mishkun”.

Rav Dessler in “MICHTAV ME’ELIYAHU’ asks that the word “MISHKAN” is mi’lashon “SHCHINA’ which refers to Hashems dwelling with Yisrael on this earth and the Mishkan was the place of that dwelling, however, “MIKDASH” is milashon “KUYDESH” which would seemingly refer to hashem’s being “Mufrash” or separated and above us. These are seemingly two contradictory terms.

I would like to explain the Gemara in Eiruvin by saying that although mishkan and mikdash seem like two different and opposite concepts they are really the same concept.

They both reflect different aspects of our relationship with Hashem. The Mishkan reflects Hashems ultimate hashgacha and his shchina dwelling among us. The Mikdash reflects our effort to bring the schechina down to this world. The KEDUSHA that the mikdash is reffering to  is not the kedusha of Hashem but our kedusha and our efforts in being mekudash. As we see that when Klal Yisrael does aveiros the shchina leaves the Bais Hamikdash.

The Shechina in the Bais Hamikdash is a reflection on our kedusha. And the gemara in Eiruvin is saying that the mishkan is the same thing “MIKDUSH IKRI MISHKAN UMISHKAN IKRI MIKDASH”. The mikdash and the mishkan are the same thing but from two different perspectives. The mishkan is Hashem’s perspective and the mikdash is our perspective.

I think that what Robbi Akiva in saying “SUKKOS MAMASH’  is also referring to the same hashgacha that Robbi Eliezer is referring to. We are remembering the fact of “LECHTECH ACHARAI BE’ERETZ LO ZARUA”  and the fact that Klal Yisrael lived in such a dangerous place living only in succos which endeared klal yisrael to hashem which  brought about the hashgaca of annanei hakavod.

The succah represents the concept of “MIKDASH and the “ANNANEI HAKAVOD” represent the concept of  “MISHKAN”

This might help explain the gemara in erchin daf lamed beis. The gemara brings a pasuk in Nechemia which says that the bnei yisrael did not build or live in  sukkos from the time of Yehoshua (when they came to Eretz Yisrael) until they came back from Galus Bavel in the beginning of Bayis Sheini. The Gemara asks “Efshar Bah Dovid Veloh Asu Sukkos?” How can it be that all that time they didn’t build succos. How can it be that Dovid Hamelech reigned and the bnei Yisrael didn’t build sukkos.

The Maharsha asks, why does the gemara ask only from Dovid Hamelech. Why did Yehoshua and all that came after him allow it? It seems like this didn’t bother the Gemara. The only thing that bothered the Gemara was how did Dovid Hamelech allow Bnei Yisrael to not build and live in succos.

Maybe the explanation is that as long as the bnei Yisrael had a mishkan which was representative of the annanei hakavod and the presence of the Shechina, the bnei yisrael didn’t have the concept yet of the “Mikdash” However  Dovid Hamelech  who wanted to build the Bais Hamikdash, and as it was called “Mikdash Dovid” understood that we need to be mikadesh ourselves to be able to maintain the presence of the shechina even in Eretz Yisrael or the shechina would leave us must have realized that we need to build sukkos to remind us of the sukkos that we lived in the Midbar.

That is why when the Bnei Yisrael came back from Galus they all realized that if we don’t maintain our side of the deal to keep the shechina from leaving…. It will leave as it did by the churban bayis rishon, the question is how is it that Dovid Hamelech didn’t realize it. 

Interesting questions

Why is it that we say "Suma Cashuv Kemes" a blind man is considered as dead while we don't consider a deaf person to be so severely handicapped while on the other hand the Gemara in Bava Kama states that if one deafans someone he must compensate him for his full value while if one blinds somebody he just has to compensate him for his eye. (Rav Hutner in Pachad Yitzchak, Yom Kippur)

Tzipita Liyeshua

The Gemara in Shabbos 31A mentions that when we leave this world and are judged before God we are asked a number of questions. The fourth question we are asked is "Tsipita Liyeshuah"? or "Did you long for redemption". The concept of redemption and why believing in the forthcoming redemption is one of the tenets of the Jewish faith is a major issue that has to be addressed. The question here is, even if that question is resolved why is it so important to long for redemption that it is one of the first questions man is asked when his time for judgement comes forth? If his life was fine or he made do with little or he learned much Torah does he necessarily have to long for redemption to the extent that if he doesn't he will almost certainly fail at time of judgement?

The answer is emphatically YES. One cannot go through this life on this earth here and see the "Sheker" that exists all around him within his family, his community, his city, his country, and universally and remain unperturbed without a deep seated yearning and longing for change, drastic change. This situation cannot be permanent. God cannot create this kind of world and allow it to go on forever. The Sheker is too strong. Bad wins over good constantly. Power and money permeate everything including everything that is dear to us. Religion and God and Nationalism and Torah and Chesed are all corrupted to the point where one who sees the truth for what it should be cannot believe that those concepts are even Godly concepts. The cry of GOD SAVE THIS WORLD! must erupt from the soul of every man that has a modicum of decency within him.

If a person does not go through life with an attitude of "Tsipisah Liyeshua" he is not a person that can possibly gain access to the next world, he is a person so steeped in this world and its inherent "Sheker" that he will be denied access to the "Olam Hae'emes" even before his worldy deeds are dissected.