Tafsiran Imamat 23:42: Deuteronomy, Rashi, Kli Yakar & Ramban

Look out for yourself lest you forget Adonoy, your God, to not guard His commandments, His laws, and His statutes that I am commanding you today.

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).

“Every native Israelite shall dwell in booths.” The Torah specifically uses the term native [ezrach], which implies a resident, because at the time of gathering produce from the field, each person wants to go from the field into their house to dwell there permanently. The Torah was concerned that perhaps through permanent dwelling one’s heart would become haughty because their hand has found much wealth, and they will grow fat and kick. Therefore it states, Every native — one who wishes to be like a resident in this world and not like a temporary dweller — to them God commands to leave their permanent dwelling for a temporary dwelling, so that they will recognize their lowly status, that they are not a permanent resident in this world but rather a stranger, like one who lives in temporary lodgings. Through this, they will not trust in the shadow of their roof, but rather in the shadow of the Almighty they will dwell, just as the Israelites did when they left Egypt — they did not dwell in elegant, important houses, but rather within the encirclement of the seven clouds of glory in which God’s presence dwelled. This is in the shadow of the Almighty and not in the shadow of the cedar beams of their houses. This is the meaning of For in booths I made the children of Israel dwell, etc. For one cannot say that it refers to ordinary booths of travelers, because then it should have said For in booths the children of Israel dwelled. What does I made them dwell imply? It means that the Holy One, Blessed be He, Himself in His glory made them dwell in booths, and this can only refer to the encirclement of the seven clouds of glory, which God spread as a cloud for a screen over them. For indeed they came under the shadow of the Almighty, blessed be He.