While it is in the Torah (both written and oral) that we spend time in these temporary dwellings (our sukkot), inviting guests into these sukkot are not to be found in the written Torah or Tanakh, nor even the oral Torah of the Mishnah or Talmud. Rather, we are inspired by the mystics who introduced us to our special guests in the Zohar. The Zohar is a difficult text to understand and was published by Moses de León in Spain in the 13th century. Moses de León said that Shimon bar Yochai--one of the earliest rabbinic figures post-Second Temple destruction had authored the work, apparently while hiding in a cave. While there are those that dispute that authorship, there is something to be said about the mystical quality of the work that connects to the Kabbalistic/sod part of the Torah--that which lays beneath in a world that we're not often privy to.
(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...
(ט) ...כִּי הָא דְּרַב הַמְנוּנָא סָבָא, כַּד הֲוָה עָיֵיל לַסּוּכָּה הֲוָה חַדֵּי, וְקָאִים עַל פִּתְחָא לַסּוּכָּה מִלְּגָאו, וְאָמַר נְזַמֵּן לְאוּשְׁפִּיזִין.
8) Come and see, at the time when a person comes to dwell in the shade of the sukkah, which is the shade of faith, the Divine Presence spreads Her wings over him from above and Abraham and five other tzadikim and David make their dwelling with him...
9) And this is borne out by the custom of Rav Hamnuna Saba: When he entered the sukkah he would say, "The guests are invited to enter..."
While the text above refers to male prophets/guests that visit the Sukkah for seven days, there are traditions that invite female prophets (ushpizot), human rights activists, children, honored leaders, cherished family members, each associated with an admirable trait or quality associated with them.
First day: Abraham / Sarah
Chesed (חסד, "loving-kindness")
Sarah/Sarai is the wife of Abraham and mother of Isaac, who is the reason for her husband's prosperity and who has a sense of humor when she hears that she is going to have a son. While she is quick to speak to what she wants, Sarah is paired with her husband as an exemplar of loving-kindness, welcoming everyone into her family's open tent.
Second day: Isaac / Miriam –
Gevurah (גבורה, "restraint and personal strength")
Miriam first appears in Exodus as the unnamed sister of baby Moses who stays to keep watch, ensuring his safety and adoption into a family that lets his birthmother enter into the picture unharmed. She is one of the only female prophets named within the Torah itself and was known as giving sustenance to the community through song, dance, and water, the source of life.
Third day: Jacob / Deborah –
Tiferet (תפארת, "splendor," beauty, truth')
Deborah is the Bible's only female judge and the only judge to be called a prophet--a woman whose military leader would not go out into the field without her leadership. As the leader of the Israelites, Deborah plays a critical role in the Israelites' victory over the Caananites led by King Jabin and his general, Sisera, while maintaining peace and order among her people.
Fourth day: Moses / Hannah –
Netzach (נצח, "eternity")
Hannah begins her story as a barren wife of her somewhat oblivious husband Elkanah. Taking matters into her own hand, Hannah goes to the temple at Shilo and prays to become pregnant with a son, promising that this son will be given in service to God. God takes note of Hannah and she conceives, giving birth to Samuel, one of the first major prophets in the Bible. With joy, Hannah sings triumphantly, showing her gratitude for God's power and her success.
Fifth day: Aaron / Abigail –
Hod (הוד, "glory," empathy and receptivity to divine splendor)
Avigail's hospitality and receptivity is shared through her story when she brings the erev-King David gifts of food and drink when he visits the area. The wife of a wealthy husband Nabal who refused King David, Avigail ends up pleading for her husband's life. When she tells her husband what she's done, Nabal is struck down by an act of God. Avigail's kindness is not forgotten though, and David takes her as his second wife.
Sixth day: Joseph / Hulda –
Yesod (יסוד, "spiritual foundation")
Huldah was the first prophet to authentically declare a writing as Holy Scripture, validating a scroll found in the Temple when Josiah sends his ministers to her for validation. Huldah's authentication legitimizes that the written text matched the words said by God, beginning a history of prophetic statements and validation.
Seventh day: David / Esther –
Malchut (מלכות, "sovereignty")
Esther is brought into Ahasuerus' harem as a replacement for Queen Vashti, a woman who was banished due to her desire to take claim over her own body. While Esther originally hid her Jewish identity, she took part in Jewish ritual (fasting) and took public ownership of her Judaism when the Jews were in perilous danger due to Haman's hatred.
(ו) גְּדוֹלָה תוֹרָה יוֹתֵר מִן הַכְּהֻנָּה וּמִן הַמַּלְכוּת, שֶׁהַמַּלְכוּת נִקְנֵית בִּשְׁלֹשִׁים מַעֲלוֹת, וְהַכְּהֻנָּה בְּעֶשְׂרִים וְאַרְבַּע, וְהַתּוֹרָה נִקְנֵית בְּאַרְבָּעִים וּשְׁמֹנָה דְבָרִים. וְאֵלוּ הֵן, בְּתַלְמוּד, בִּשְׁמִיעַת הָאֹזֶן, בַּעֲרִיכַת שְׂפָתַיִם, בְּבִינַת הַלֵּב, בְּשִׂכְלוּת הַלֵּב, בְּאֵימָה, בְּיִרְאָה, בַּעֲנָוָה, בְּשִׂמְחָה, בְּטָהֳרָה, בְּשִׁמּוּשׁ חֲכָמִים, בְּדִקְדּוּק חֲבֵרִים, וּבְפִלְפּוּל הַתַּלְמִידִים, בְּיִשּׁוּב, בַּמִּקְרָא, בַּמִּשְׁנָה, בְּמִעוּט סְחוֹרָה, בְּמִעוּט דֶּרֶךְ אֶרֶץ, בְּמִעוּט תַּעֲנוּג, בְּמִעוּט שֵׁינָה, בְּמִעוּט שִׂיחָה, בְּמִעוּט שְׂחוֹק, בְּאֶרֶךְ אַפַּיִם, בְּלֵב טוֹב, בֶּאֱמוּנַת חֲכָמִים, וּבְקַבָּלַת הַיִּסּוּרִין, הַמַּכִּיר אֶת מְקוֹמוֹ, וְהַשָּׂמֵחַ בְּחֶלְקוֹ, וְהָעוֹשֶׂה סְיָג לִדְבָרָיו, וְאֵינוֹ מַחֲזִיק טוֹבָה לְעַצְמוֹ, אָהוּב, אוֹהֵב אֶת הַמָּקוֹם, אוֹהֵב אֶת הַבְּרִיּוֹת, אוֹהֵב אֶת הַצְּדָקוֹת, אוֹהֵב אֶת הַמֵּישָׁרִים, אוֹהֵב אֶת הַתּוֹכָחוֹת, מִתְרַחֵק מִן הַכָּבוֹד, וְלֹא מֵגִיס לִבּוֹ בְתַלְמוּדוֹ, וְאֵינוֹ שָׂמֵחַ בְּהוֹרָאָה, נוֹשֵׂא בְעֹל עִם חֲבֵרוֹ, מַכְרִיעוֹ לְכַף זְכוּת, מַעֲמִידוֹ עַל הָאֱמֶת, וּמַעֲמִידוֹ עַל הַשָּׁלוֹם, מִתְיַשֵּׁב לִבּוֹ בְתַלְמוּדוֹ, שׁוֹאֵל וּמֵשִׁיב, שׁוֹמֵעַ וּמוֹסִיף, הַלּוֹמֵד עַל מְנָת לְלַמֵּד וְהַלּוֹמֵד עַל מְנָת לַעֲשׂוֹת, הַמַּחְכִּים אֶת רַבּוֹ, וְהַמְכַוֵּן אֶת שְׁמוּעָתוֹ, וְהָאוֹמֵר דָּבָר בְּשֵׁם אוֹמְרוֹ, הָא לָמַדְתָּ שֶׁכָּל הָאוֹמֵר דָּבָר בְּשֵׁם אוֹמְרוֹ מֵבִיא גְאֻלָּה לָעוֹלָם, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (אסתר ב) וַתֹּאמֶר אֶסְתֵּר לַמֶּלֶךְ בְּשֵׁם מָרְדֳּכָי:
(6) Greater is learning Torah than the priesthood and than royalty, for royalty is acquired by thirty stages, and the priesthood by twenty-four, but the Torah by forty-eight things. By study, Attentive listening, Proper speech, By an understanding heart, By an intelligent heart, By awe, By fear, By humility, By joy, By attending to the sages, By critical give and take with friends, By fine argumentation with disciples, By clear thinking, By study of Scripture, By study of mishnah, By a minimum of sleep, By a minimum of chatter, By a minimum of pleasure, By a minimum of frivolity, By a minimum of preoccupation with worldly matters, By long-suffering, By generosity, By faith in the sages, By acceptance of suffering. [Learning of Torah is also acquired by one] Who recognizes his place, Who rejoices in his portion, Who makes a fence about his words, Who takes no credit for himself, Who is loved, Who loves God, Who loves [his fellow] creatures, Who loves righteous ways, Who loves reproof, Who loves uprightness, Who keeps himself far from honors, Who does not let his heart become swelled on account of his learning, Who does not delight in giving legal decisions, Who shares in the bearing of a burden with his colleague, Who judges with the scales weighted in his favor, Who leads him on to truth, Who leads him on to peace, Who composes himself at his study, Who asks and answers, Who listens [to others], and [himself] adds [to his knowledge], Who learns in order to teach, Who learns in order to practice, Who makes his teacher wiser, Who is exact in what he has learned, And who says a thing in the name of him who said it. Thus you have learned: everyone who says a thing in the name of him who said it, brings deliverance into the world, as it is said: “And Esther told the king in Mordecai’s name” (Esther 2:22).