Remembering our Bounty and Beginnings – From Arvot Yericho to the Etrog

The mitzvot of sitting in a sukkah and shaking the arba’a minim are intertwined to simultaneously express our agricultural and historical dependence on and gratitude for Hashem’s supervision. Sukkot remind us of our divinely protected journey in the wilderness and are also the practical means of dwelling in the fields during harvest season. The Ba’al HaRokeach teaches that these huts are also reminiscent of the military huts we camped in during our years of conquest in Eretz Yisrael, reminding us of the final stage of our journey as we fought for the Land. At the same time, Rashbam explains that the sukkot remind us of our nomadic years bereft of a Land. At a time of agricultural bounty, they prevent us from feeling arrogant, recalling our homeless past and helping us appreciate our homeland anew. 

A similar synthesis of agricultural and historical expression through the sukkah is found during the time of Shivat Tzion in Sefer Nechemia (8:15–17). As the nation gathered on the second day of Rosh Hashanah to hear the words of the Torah and the laws of Sukkot, they were told to collect branches of olive, wood, myrtle (hadas), palm (lulav), and willows (arava) to build their sukkot – ones that resemble the sukkot of the time of Yehoshua ben Nun! Prof. Yehuda Feliks understands the comparison as a botanical-historical phenomenon. Due to intense agriculture and population density during the time of the First Temple, there was a shortage of wood for building sukkot. “A drastic change overtook the countryside after the exile of the ten tribes and the destruction of the First Temple… plantations began to yield to the encroachment of forest trees and bushes… Indeed, not since the days of Joshua the son of Nun had the country enjoyed such an ample supply of building timber for the construction of the booths in fulfillment of the biblical injunction” (Yehuda Feliks, Nature & Man in the Bible). The sukkot remind us of the eras of entering and re-entering our Land!

The mitzvah of taking the four species also expresses agricultural and historical processes. Each species represents a topographical area of flora in Eretz Yisrael (lulav – valleys, etrog – irrigated fields, hadas – mountains, aravot – river banks) and each symbolizes a different stage of tree growth (lulav – bark, hadas – branches, aravot – leaves, etrog – fruit). Rambam, however, explains that the happiness associated with bringing these species is a historical reminder of leaving the barren wilderness bereft of water resources and fruit trees for the blossoming abundance in the Land of Israel!

At the same time of year wherein we harvest the last of our fruits and bring the last of our bikkurim from the seven fruit species of Israel accompanied by our historical proclamation of “Arami oved avi,” we also celebrate with the four species of Sukkot. A remarkable parallel can be drawn between the “Mikra Bikkurim” speech recounting our national past and journey to the Land and the symbolic “speech” of the four species. The lulav represents our first stage in the wilderness when we dwelled in palm-covered huts for shelter. Aravot remind us of the Jordan River crossing (“Arvot Yericho”), abundant with willows along the border to Israel. Hadassim are reminiscent of the wild flora during the time of Yehoshua ben Nun. And the etrog? Just like the fruits accompanying the recital of Mikra Bikkurim, the etrog is the culmination of our historical process – the expression of our G-d-granted fruit harvest (Nogah HaReuveni, Nature in our Biblical Heritage)!

One of the explanations for circling the mizbei’ach/bima each day of Sukkot with our species is to remember the miraculous victory after circling the walls of Yericho. Rav Yaakov Ettlinger explains that this is in fact the basis of our happiness, expressed on Sukkot through a complete Hallel. Although we are grateful on Pesach and Shavuot as we recount the miracles of Yetziat Mitzrayim and Har Sinai, the primary praise we offer Hashem is for the miracles performed in Israel, beginning with the victory of Yericho (Aruch LaNer, Sukkah 45b)!

This year, we will sit in our sukkot with empty chairs still awaiting return of hostages, crying for all those who were with us last year but are now sitting in the celestial sukkah above. We will relive our beginnings as we once again fight and pray for our Land. We will circle our bimot with the arba’a minim followed by dancing around them with sifrei Torah commemorating those who will not dance again. But we will also revisit our miraculous conquest of Yericho and the modern miracles of salvation in Israel. We will once again dance as we break down the walls of separation, removing the barriers between religious, social, and political factions, replacing our fissiparous communities with sukkot shel shalom. This Sukkot, let us celebrate our opportunity to revisit our national-historical beginnings, with reflection, introspection and gratitude for the past and present, and tefillah for sweet October rains and future fruits of salvation and redemption.

Rabbanit Shani Taragin is Educational Director of Mizrachi and the Director of the Mizrachi-TVA Lapidot Educators’ Program.