Kommentar zu Wajikra 23:42

האזרח THE NATIVE — Since this word means native-born, the word בישראל, ANYONE IN ISRAEL, serves to include the proselytes (cf. Sifra, Emor, Chapter 17 9).

ALL ‘HA’EZRACH’ (THAT ARE NATIVE) IN ISRAEL SHALL DWELL IN BOOTHS. “Ezrach means native-born. Ha’ezrach [literally: ‘the’ native-born], this is to exclude women [from the obligation of dwelling in the booth, since the definite article denotes an exclusion. It was necessary that this exclusion be stated] so that you should not deduce from a similarity of expressions of the fifteenth day stated with reference to the Festival of Unleavened Bread,⁴⁸⁶Above, Verse 6. that women are obliged to dwell in a booth just as they are obliged to eat unleavened bread [on the night of Passover]. In Israel, this includes proselytes” [that they are obliged to dwell in a booth]. This is Rashi’s language. And in the Torath Kohanim it is stated:⁴⁸⁷Torath Kohanim, Emor 17:9. “Ezrach, this is the native-born. Ha’ezrach, this is intended to exclude women. ‘All’ that are home-born, this is to include the proselytes and liberated slaves.” And in line with the plain meaning of Scripture, by way of tradition [there is no need for a special source in Scripture here to include proselytes]. For since Scripture has stated, ye shall have one law,⁴⁸⁸Numbers 15:29. both for the stranger, and for him that is born in the Land,⁴⁸⁹Ibid., 9:14. and it is further said, as ye are, so shall the stranger be before the Eternal,⁴⁹⁰Ibid., 15:15. there is no need to mention again in every place: “all that are native-born and the stranger.” Therefore He says all that are native in Israel, meaning all who are of Israel, from the greatest of them even to the least of them,⁴⁹¹Jonah 3:5. [to teach] that it is not sufficient that one of a household should dwell in a booth and the rest dwell in homes, but they should all dwell in booths. It is possible that the verse [uses the word ezrach] to teach that all who are like a leafy tree in its native soil⁴⁹²Psalms 37:35. in their homes [are obliged to dwell in booths], except for those who are on a sea voyage, and those who travel on the road [who are exempt from dwelling in a booth].

כל האזרח, even those who own houses must move to the huts and dwell in them during the festival.

כל האזרח, “every native of the land of Israel;” according to Rashi the expression אזרח excludes women while including proselytes. [Rashi reads this into the letter ה at the beginning of the word האזרח, reasoning that if the Torah had only written אזרח, without adding the word בישראל, the proselytes would have been excluded. This would make sense seeing that the commandment commemorates an event in the desert, something that the proselytes’ parents were not part of. Ed.] Nachmanides writes that it seems to him that the plain meaning of our verse is that proselytes are included in the requirement to dwell in huts on Sukkot, as the Torah has more than once stated that it applies both to the native born Israelite as well as the proselyte. (Exodus 12,49; Leviticus 7,7; Numbers 15,16, 16,29) The reason that the Torah wrote the words כל האזרח, is to teach that just as native born Israelites are to perform this commandment including their minors, so the proselytes, if they have children who are minors, are to do the same. The commandment cannot be fulfilled by a single representative of the household, the others simply saying “Amen,” such as when the father recites the “kiddush,” or similar, but each male member of the family is to dwell in these huts for seven days. [Women do not need to be excluded by a special verse or letter, as they are not obligated to perform positive commandments tied to a specific time frame. Ed.] Another possible reason for the word האזרח may be anyone who is “native” in the sense that he is at home permanently in the land, excluding mariners, traveling salesmen, etc., whose livelihood makes it difficult for them to choose when their ships are at anchor, or for whom it is a great hardship to rearrange their schedules. [This makes no sense at the time when the Temple stood and every male was duty bound to be in Jerusalem at such times. Ed.]

This is the native-born. I.e., an Israelite, because Scripture writes האזרח (lit. the citizen) with the definitive article of ה"א, this implies the highest form of citizen, namely a [native born] Israelite. But if so why does the verse write “Israelite”? Perforce it is to include [the fact that] converts [are considered] like Israelites.

בסוכות תשבו שבעות ימים, “you are to dwell in huts for seven days.” This is to remind us that in the desert our forefathers relied on the clouds of G-d’s glory to protect them against nature and its inclemency, instead of relying on a man made roof. (Talmud Sukkah folio 11)

כל האזרח בישראל ישבו בסוכות, “all homeborn Israelites are to dwell in such huts.” The Torah did not need to remind the convert to do so as that was the only “home” he knew, not having one to move out of. Homeborn Israelites, however, who owned not only one house, but palaces and summer and winter homes, are commanded to vacate those during seven days of this festival. In light of the fact that the season of this festival was to be immediately after ingathering of all the harvests had been completed, the farmers were reminded by this symbolic act not to feel secure that no harm could befall them during the six months until Passover, i.e. that they had to rely on the Lord’s goodwill on a daily basis. By complying with the instructions to move out of their homes for seven days, these Israelites demonstrated their faith in the Lord, and their loyalty to His Torah. There is no more practical gesture that they could make of the fact that they did not take credit for their successful farming methods, but gave credit to the Lord’s benevolent supervision of nature for their benefit.