(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 ל״א:י״ז) כִּי שֵׁשֶׁת יָמִים עָשָׂה ה'' 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 ל״ב:ט׳) כִּי חֵלֶק ה'' 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)
This text is from the Zohar, a complex book of mystical, kabbalistic writing and commentary on the Torah from the late 1200s. Scholars still debate the authorship and dating of the Zohar; it may have been primarily the work of Moses de Leon, or a compilation of medieval mystical texts.
The Zohar is notoriously difficult to understand and make sense of, even when we are reading an English translation of the original Aramaic. The idea of welcoming Ushpizin, guests from the past, originates with the Zohar.
There are seven days of Sukkot and each day traditionally corresponds to a different guest visiting the Sukkah. Each guest also has a theme or trait associated with them. The seven guests listed in the Zohar are all men from Jewish tradition, but many practices today include ushpizot (the female plural or ushpizin) and include women along with these male guests. The women ushpizot correspond to the seven women prophetesses named in the Talmud.
First day: Abraham / Sarah– Chesed (חסד, "loving-kindness")
Second day: Isaac / Miriam – Gevurah (גבורה, "restraint and personal strength")
Third day: Jacob / Deborah – Tiferet (תפארת, "splendor," beauty, truth')
Fourth day: Moses / Hannah – Netzach (נצח, "eternity")
Fifth day: Aaron / Abigail – Hod (הוד, "glory," empathy and receptivity to divine splendor)
Sixth day: Joseph / Hulda – Yesod (יסוד, "spiritual foundation")
Seventh day: David / Esther – Malchut (מלכות, "sovereignty")
https://www.wlcj.org/resources/resources-for-members-and-friends/seasonal-materials/ushpizot/
Discussion
Using the traits above as inspiration, who from your past would you like to invite to your Sukkah and why?
We talk about welcoming the stranger on Passover and Sukkot, yet it is difficult to truly open our homes to strangers. Why is it hard for us to open our homes? What gets in our way? Do you imagine it was easier or harder in ancient times for people to invite strangers into their homes?
(1) ה' appeared to him (Abraham) by the terebinths of Mamre; he was sitting at the entrance of the tent as the day grew hot. (2) Looking up, he saw three figures standing near him. Perceiving this, he ran from the entrance of the tent to greet them and, bowing to the ground, (3) he said, “My lords! If it please you, do not go on past your servant. (4) Let a little water be brought; bathe your feet and recline under the tree. (5) And let me fetch a morsel of bread that you may refresh yourselves; then go on—seeing that you have come your servant’s way.” They replied, “Do as you have said.” (6) Abraham hastened into the tent to Sarah, and said, “Quick, three seahs of choice flour! Knead and make cakes!” (7) Then Abraham ran to the herd, took a calf, tender and choice, and gave it to a servant-boy, who hastened to prepare it. (8) He took curds and milk and the calf that had been prepared and set these before them; and he waited on them under the tree as they ate. (9) They said to him, “Where is your wife Sarah?” And he replied, “There, in the tent.”
This story from Genesis is where we derive one of the Jewish values around hachnasat orchim, welcoming guests.
Discussion
How is this similar or different from the idea of welcoming guests (ushpizin/ushpizot) on Sukkot?
What do Abraham and Sarah do to welcome these guests?
What might we learn from them that is relevant for our lives today?