Chasidut su Cantico dei cantici 3:4
כִּמְעַט֙ שֶׁעָבַ֣רְתִּי מֵהֶ֔ם עַ֣ד שֶֽׁמָּצָ֔אתִי אֵ֥ת שֶׁאָהֲבָ֖ה נַפְשִׁ֑י אֲחַזְתִּיו֙ וְלֹ֣א אַרְפֶּ֔נּוּ עַד־שֶׁ֤הֲבֵיאתִיו֙ אֶל־בֵּ֣ית אִמִּ֔י וְאֶל־חֶ֖דֶר הוֹרָתִֽי׃
Se fossi scappato da loro, quando l'ho trovato che la mia anima ama: l'ho tenuto in braccio e non l'avrei lasciato andare fino a quando non l'avessi portato in mia madre's casa, e nella camera di lei che mi ha concepito.
Flames of Faith
On Yom Kippur each Jew discovers within himself a bit of his personal yechidah, and Sukkos is a continuation of Yom Kippur.242See further Horeb 23:170. Rabbi Hirsch points out that Yom Kippur has two qualities: kapparah (atonement) and taharah (purification). The day brings atonement—namely a defense against physical punishment due the sinner—and purification—spiritual cleansing of the soul that was sullied with sin. Sukkos and its concluding holiday of Shemini Atzeres emerge from these two qualities. Sukkos is a celebration of physical survival and completes kapparah; Shemini Atzeres is a celebration of spiritual survival and thus completes taharah.
See further the Vilna Gaon’s commentary to Song of Songs 1:4, s.v. ve-daled pesukim elu, and Avodas Ha-Gershuni on Song of Songs 3:4, s.v. ve-shamati mi-dodi ha-gaon he-chasid me-vilna. The Gaon answers the Tur’s question why the holiday of Sukkos, meant to commemorate the clouds of glory with which Israel exited Egypt, is observed during Tishrei and not Nisan, the time of the Exodus. He explains that the full exit from Egypt was when the Jews merited having the Divine presence (the Shechinah) among them. Initially they had the Divine presence, and the intimate relationship between Creator and His children was symbolized by Heavenly clouds that surrounded the people. However, once the nation worshipped the Golden Calf (on 17 Tammuz), Moses broke the stone tablets of the commandments, the Almighty distanced Himself, and the clouds disappeared. The people engaged in a massive teshuvah campaign that started on the first day of Elul. They prayed for thirty-nine days, and on the fortieth they fasted. God forgave them, and on the fortieth day Moses returned to the people with a second set of tablets. Ever since then, the fortieth day (Yom Kippur) became a day of fasting, prayer, and forgiveness (Pirkei de-Rabbi Eliezer). To complete the process of forgiveness and Divine reconciliation, on Yom Kippur Moses told the people that God had commanded the erection of a sanctuary. Its construction and inauguration would bring the Divine Presence into the camp for a permanent stay. On 11 Tishrei an appeal for gifts needed to construct the sanctuary was made. On the twelfth and thirteenth, the people brought all the raw materials necessary for the building. On the fourteenth, Moses announced that the community had donated sufficient materials and no further donations were needed, and he apportioned raw materials to different craftsmen. On the fifteenth, the construction began and the Divine presence returned. Thus, the fifteenth of Tishrei is the day when we celebrate the return of the clouds of glory. It emerges from this analysis that Sukkos is really a celebration of the completion of the forgiveness attained on Yom Kippur. See further Zeman Simchaseinu, Article 1. On Yom Kippur each Jew touches the depths of his or her heart (yechidah). On Sukkos, the apex of the yud is the heart of the Jew that joins the four species in completing God’s name.
See further the Vilna Gaon’s commentary to Song of Songs 1:4, s.v. ve-daled pesukim elu, and Avodas Ha-Gershuni on Song of Songs 3:4, s.v. ve-shamati mi-dodi ha-gaon he-chasid me-vilna. The Gaon answers the Tur’s question why the holiday of Sukkos, meant to commemorate the clouds of glory with which Israel exited Egypt, is observed during Tishrei and not Nisan, the time of the Exodus. He explains that the full exit from Egypt was when the Jews merited having the Divine presence (the Shechinah) among them. Initially they had the Divine presence, and the intimate relationship between Creator and His children was symbolized by Heavenly clouds that surrounded the people. However, once the nation worshipped the Golden Calf (on 17 Tammuz), Moses broke the stone tablets of the commandments, the Almighty distanced Himself, and the clouds disappeared. The people engaged in a massive teshuvah campaign that started on the first day of Elul. They prayed for thirty-nine days, and on the fortieth they fasted. God forgave them, and on the fortieth day Moses returned to the people with a second set of tablets. Ever since then, the fortieth day (Yom Kippur) became a day of fasting, prayer, and forgiveness (Pirkei de-Rabbi Eliezer). To complete the process of forgiveness and Divine reconciliation, on Yom Kippur Moses told the people that God had commanded the erection of a sanctuary. Its construction and inauguration would bring the Divine Presence into the camp for a permanent stay. On 11 Tishrei an appeal for gifts needed to construct the sanctuary was made. On the twelfth and thirteenth, the people brought all the raw materials necessary for the building. On the fourteenth, Moses announced that the community had donated sufficient materials and no further donations were needed, and he apportioned raw materials to different craftsmen. On the fifteenth, the construction began and the Divine presence returned. Thus, the fifteenth of Tishrei is the day when we celebrate the return of the clouds of glory. It emerges from this analysis that Sukkos is really a celebration of the completion of the forgiveness attained on Yom Kippur. See further Zeman Simchaseinu, Article 1. On Yom Kippur each Jew touches the depths of his or her heart (yechidah). On Sukkos, the apex of the yud is the heart of the Jew that joins the four species in completing God’s name.
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