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Rabbi Eliezer Zalmanov

The Sukkah Hop

Think about how we often go out of our way to make someone feel comfortable. Maybe you’ve picked up coffee for a coworker, even though you were running late yourself. Or perhaps you’ve given up your seat on the bus to someone who needed it more. These small acts of kindness, which may seem insignificant at the moment, can actually have lasting effects—not just on the people you help, but on you as well.


Now, let’s take that idea of a simple, generous act and look at it through the lens of the mitzvah of the sukkah. According to a Midrash, the reason the Jewish people were given the mitzvah of dwelling in a sukkah during Sukkot was because of something our forefather Abraham did. When three angels visited him disguised as travelers, Abraham invited them to rest under the shade of a tree. In return for offering them this shade, G-d rewarded Abraham’s descendants with the mitzvah of sitting in the sukkah, which provides us with shade.


But this isn’t just about a tree and some shade. The sages add another layer to this teaching, saying that those who sit in the sukkah today will one day merit to sit in a mystical future sukkah made from the skin of the Leviathan, a mythical sea creature, in the World to Come.


There are three sukkahs being referenced here: The tree under which Abraham offered the angels shade; the sukkah we sit in during Sukkot today; and the future sukkah of the Leviathan that we’ll sit in during the Messianic era. These three sukkahs represent different stages of how we connect with G-d through mitzvahs.


First, there’s the mitzvah of Abraham’s time. The patriarchs like Abraham performed mitzvahs before the Torah was given. They weren’t commanded to do so; they did it out of their own sense of righteousness and connection to G-d. But because they acted on their own initiative, their spiritual accomplishments were limited by their human capacity. This is symbolized by the tree. No matter how large a tree grows, it’s always rooted in the ground, tethered to the limitations of the earth.


Then we have the mitzvah of sukkah as we perform it today, after the Torah was given. The mitzvahs we do now carry a special divine power because they come from G-d’s command. This gives them an added strength that lifts us beyond what we could achieve on our own. That’s why the sukkah we sit in during Sukkot has specific rules: its roof has to be made from something that’s no longer attached to the ground, and it has to be elevated above the earth. These details symbolize how, through mitzvahs, we can rise above our natural limitations and connect to something much greater than ourselves.


Finally, there’s the future sukkah of the Leviathan. In the Messianic era, we’ll experience a connection with G-d that is completely unbroken, without any sense of separation. Right now, when we perform mitzvahs, we’re still very aware of our individual selves—we have our own lives, concerns, and distractions, which can make it hard to feel fully connected to G-d all the time. But in the future, that sense of self won’t get in the way anymore, and we’ll experience a deep, direct connection with G-d. The Leviathan, a creature that lives in the purity of water, represents this future state of complete attachment to G-d.


These three sukkahs mirror our own spiritual journey and growth.


We all start by doing good deeds in the same way Abraham offered shade to the angels—out of a natural instinct to help others or because it feels like the right thing to do. It’s a great start, but our efforts are limited by our human capacity, just like the tree can’t rise above the ground.


As we grow spiritually, we begin to realize that there’s something bigger than us. The mitzvahs we do are not just about what we want, but about connecting with something higher. We’re following G-d’s commandments, and that connection helps us break through our personal limitations. This is represented by the sukkah we sit in today, with its roof that symbolizes lifting ourselves above the mundane and connecting to the divine.


But the journey doesn’t stop there. We’re also striving for a future where our connection to G-d will be complete, where we’ll no longer be held back by ego, fear, or distraction. Every time we sit in the sukkah today, we’re preparing ourselves for that ultimate spiritual connection in the future—represented by the Leviathan’s sukkah.


In today’s world, where there’s so much uncertainty, the sukkah is a powerful reminder that G-d is watching over us and that our small actions have a much bigger impact than we realize. The sukkah itself is a temporary, fragile structure, yet it symbolizes the strong, lasting relationship between us and G-d. We might feel vulnerable or unsure in our day-to-day lives, but by performing the mitzvah of sukkah, we’re reaffirming our faith in G-d’s protection and the promise of a better future.


So next time you sit in the sukkah, think of it as more than just a ritual. It’s a moment to reflect on where you are in your spiritual journey—whether you’re at the stage of doing good just because it feels right, or you’re actively trying to connect with something greater, or you’re looking ahead to a future of complete connection with G-d. Each stage is valuable, and each one brings us closer to that ultimate sukkah of the Leviathan, where our relationship with G-d will be fully realized.

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