(ח) תָּא חֲזֵי, בְּשַׁעֲתָא דְּבַר נָשׁ יָתִיב בְּמָדוֹרָא דָּא, צִלָּא דִּמְהֵימְנוּתָא, שְׁכִינְתָּא פַּרְסָא גַּדְפָהָא עָלֵיהּ מִלְּעֵילָּא, וְאַבְרָהָם וַחֲמִשָּׁה צַדִּיקַיָּיא אָחֳרָנִין שַׁוְיָין מָדוֹרֵיהוֹן עִמֵּיהּ. אָמַר רִבִּי אַבָּא, אַבְרָהָם וַחֲמִשָּׁה צַדִּיקַיָּיא, וְדָוִד מַלְכָּא, שַׁוְיָין מָדוֹרֵיהוֹן עִמֵּיהּ. הֲדָא הוּא דִּכְתִּיב, בַּסֻּכּוֹת תֵּשְׁבוּ שִׁבְעַת יָמִים. שִׁבְעַת יָמִים כְּתִיב, וְלָא בְּשִׁבְעַת יָמִים. כְּגַוְונָא דָּא כְּתִיב, (שמות לא) כִּי שֵׁשֶׁת יָמִים עָשָׂה יְיָ' אֶת הַשָּׁמַיִם וְגוֹ'. וּבָעֵי בַּר נָשׁ לְמֶחְדֵּי בְּכָל יוֹמָא וְיוֹמָא, בְּאַנְפִּין נְהִירִין, בְּאוּשְׁפִּיזִין אִלֵּין דְּשַׁרְיָין עִמֵּיהּ.
(ט) וְאָמַר רִבִּי אַבָּא, כְּתִיב בַּסֻּכּוֹת תֵּשְׁבוּ שִׁבְעַת יָמִים, וּלְבָתַר יֵשְׁבוּ בַּסֻּכּוֹת. בְּקַדְמִיתָא תֵּשְׁבוּ, וּלְבָתַר יֵשְׁבוּ. אֶלָּא, קַדְמָאָה לְאוּשְׁפִּיזֵי. תִּנְיָינָא, לִבְנֵי עָלְמָא. קַדְמָאָה לְאוּשְׁפִּיזֵי, כִּי הָא דְּרַב הַמְנוּנָא סָבָא, כַּד הֲוָה עָיֵיל לַסּוּכָּה הֲוָה חַדֵּי, וְקָאִים עַל פִּתְחָא לַסּוּכָּה מִלְּגָאו, וְאָמַר נְזַמֵּן לְאוּשְׁפִּיזִין. מְסַדֵּר (נ''א נסדר) פָּתוֹרָא, וְקָאִים עַל רַגְלוֹהִי, וּמְבָרֵךְ, וְאוֹמֵר בַּסֻּכּוֹת תֵּשְׁבוּ שִׁבְעַת יָמִים. תִּיבוּ אוּשְׁפִּיזִין עִלָּאִין, תִּיבוּ. תִּיבוּ אוּשְׁפִּיזֵי מְהֵימְנוּתָא, תִּיבוּ. אָרִים (ס''א אסחי) יְדוֹי, וְחַדֵּי, וְאָמַר זַכָּאָה חוּלָּקָנָא, זַכָּאָה חוּלָקֵיהוֹן דְּיִשְׂרָאֵל, דִּכְתִּיב, (דברים לב) כִּי חֵלֶק יְיָ' עַמּוֹ וְגוֹ', וַהֲוָה יָתִיב.
"Come and see: When one sits in this dwelling, the shade of faith, Shekhinah spreads Her wings over him from above, Abraham and five other righteous heroes come to dwell with him!"
Rabbi Abba said "Abraham, five righteous heroes, and King David dwell with him! As it is written: 'Seven Days dwell in sukkot.' 'Seven days' it says, not 'For seven days.' Similarly it is written: 'Six Days YHVH made heaven (Exodus 31:17). Day after day, one should rejoice with a radiant face along with these guests who abide with him."
And Rabbi Abba said "It is written: 'Seven days dwell in sukkot'; then, 'shall dwell in sukkot.' First, 'dwell'; then, 'shall dwell.' The first is for the guests; the second, for human beings.
(Trans. Daniel Matt, Zohar: the Book of Enlightenment, p. 149)
According to the Zohar, we are not alone when we sit in the Sukkah.
Whose presence do we feel in the Sukkah? Why might we feel thepresence of these unseen visitors?
According to Rabbi Abba, what practice is inextricably bound up with dwelling in the Sukkah? Why do you think Rabbi Abba makes this connection.
אֲזַמִין לִסְעוּדָתִי אוּשְׁפִּיזִין עִילָאִין אַבְרָהָם יִצְחָק יַעֲקב משֶׁה אַהֲרן יוסֵף וְדָּוִד:
בְּמָטֵי מִינָךְ אַבְרָהָם אוּשְׁפִּיזִי עִילָאִי דְיַתְבֵי עִמִּי וְעִמָּךְ כָּל אוּשְׁפִּיזֵי עִילָאִי יִצְחָק יַעֲקב משֶׁה אַהֲרן יוסֵף וְדָּוִד:
Traditional Ushpizin for the First Night
“I invite to my meal the exalted guests, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob,, Moses, Aaron, Joseph and David. May it please you, Abraham, my exalted guest, that all the other exalted guests dwell with me and with you – Isaac, Jacob, Moses, Aaron, , Joseph and David.”
Who are the guests traditionally invited to the Sukkah? Why do you think they were chosen?
First day: Abraham – Chesed (חסד, "loving-kindness")
Second day: Isaac – Gevurah (גבורה, "strength")
Third day: Jacob – Tiferet (תפארת, "splendor')
Fourth day: Moses – Netzach (נצח, "eternity")
Fifth day: Aaron – Hod (הוד, "glory")
Sixth day: Joseph – Yesod (יסוד, "foundation")
Seventh day: David – Malchut (מלכות, "sovereignty")
Why do you think the rabbis associated each of the guests with their particular characteristic? Are these characteristics we would want to emulate? If not, is there another characteristic of this person we might want to emulate?
אָמַר רִבִּי אֶלְעָזָר (בגין כך) אוֹרַיְיתָא לָא אַטְרַח עָלֵיהּ דְּבַר נָשׁ יַתִּיר, אֶלָּא כְּמָה דְּיָכִיל, דִּכְתִּיב, (דברים טז) אִישׁ כְּמַתְּנַת יָדוֹ וְגוֹ'. וְלָא לֵימָא אִינִישׁ אֱכוּל וְאֶשְׂבַּע וְאַרְוִוי בְּקַדְמִיתָא, וּמַה דְּיִשְׁתְּאַר אֶתֵּן לְמִסְכְּנֵי, אֶלָּא רֵישָׁא דְּכֹלָּא דְּאוּשְׁפִּיזִין הוּא, וְאִי חַדֵּי לְאוּשְׁפִּיזִין וְרַוִּי לוֹן, קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא חַדֵּי עִמֵּיהּ,
Zohar 104a
"One must also gladden the poor, and the portion [that would otherwise have been set aside for these Ushpizin] guests should go to the poor. For if a person sits in the shadow of faith and invites those guests and does not give their portion [to the poor], they all remain distant from him...
One should not say "I will first satisfy myself with food and drink, and I shall give the leftovers to the poor." Rather, the first of everything must be for one's guests. If one gladdens his guests and satisfies them, God rejoices over him. Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and the others shower him..."
Translated by Rabbi Joel Padowitz
What is the connection between Ushpizin and giving tzedakah? How might we put this into practice today?
From MyJewishLearning
What does it mean for us to invite guests who were once uprooted in their lives into our Sukkah?
In recent years, there have been many versions of the Ushpizin ritual that have been revised to include women. Which seven women from the Bible would you choose to invite to your Sukkah? What quality does each possess that we might want to emulate?