יום הכפורים א

Section 1 After Yom Kippur — when one has merited the seal of the holy covenant [chosam bris kodesh], the bechina of tikun habris and rectification of prayer, as stated — one immediately thereafter begins to engage with the sukkah. For the sukkah depends upon tikun habris — for the sukkah is the bechina of the Clouds of Glory [ananay kavod]. And those who were blemished in the covenant, the cloud would expel them — as it is written: "and it struck the stragglers at your rear" [vayezanev becha kol hanechashalim acharecha] — as is cited. And this is: "And you were faint and weary and did not fear G‑d" — the opposite of tikun habris, which is the bechina of "a woman who fears Hashem" — which is holy kingship [malchus d'kedushah], as stated — which is the bechina of the rectification of prayer, the bechina of "a woman who fears Hashem, she shall be praised." And therefore the sukkah — which is the bechina of the Clouds of Glory — one cannot merit the sukkah except through tikun habris, as stated.

Student of Rabbi Moshe Breslover o.b.m. Student of Rabbi Yisrael Karduner o.b.m. And therefore the sukkah is the bechina of Yaakov — as is cited — as it is written: "And Yaakov traveled to Sukkos," etc. For Yaakov is the bechina of fear [yirah] — and therefore the essential rectification of prayer is through him, as it is written regarding Yaakov: "How awesome is this place — it is none other than the house of G‑d" — which is the bechina of the perfection of the ascent of prayer to the bechina of bayis [house/home], through the bechina of fear (as cited in the words of Rabbainu — see there). And all of this he merited through guarding his covenant exceedingly, and his bed was complete [mitaso shleimah]. And therefore he merited the bechina of sukkah, as stated. For the sukkah is the bechina of great da'as, the bechina of the holy spirit [ruach hakodesh], the bechina of makifim — which one cannot merit except through guarding the covenant (as stated many times above).

And this is what Rabbainu, may his light shine, wrote in the teaching of the Makifim (§21) beginning "Atika timir v'satim" (chapter 3 of Sifra d'Tzniusa): that one cannot merit the bechina of sukkah — the bechina of makifim — except through sanctifying the seven lamps [shivas hanerot], which are the seven orifices of the brain — namely, the eyes, ears, mouth, and nostrils — the sanctity of all of which depends upon the sanctity of the covenant, as is known. And therefore a sukkah that is less than seven by seven tefachim is invalid — for it must be at least seven tefachim [in each dimension] corresponding to the seven lamps cited above, which one must sanctify, through which the sukkah is made, as stated. For the walls [dafnos] and partitions of the sukkah indicate the boundary of holiness [gevul hakedushah] — and into that boundary one must bring all one's utensils, eating, drinking, sleeping, and all other needs — all must be within the sukkah specifically, namely within the boundary of holiness, and they must not go outside the boundary of holiness — namely the bechina of outside the sukkah [chutz lasukkah].

Student of Rabbi Nussun of Breslov o.b.m. And the essential point is that the sukkah be at least seven tefachim — corresponding to the seven lamps cited above — so that one can bring them all inside the sukkah, inside the boundary of holiness, and they should not go outside, G‑d forbid. (And these seven lamps — which are the light of the face [or hapanim] dependent upon the sanctity of the covenant — are in the bechina of tefachim, in the bechina of "and he struck his face" [v'tafach lo al panav] — which are tefachim that must be sanctified through the sanctity of the covenant. And this is the bechina of the sukkah of seven tefachim cited above — see in the words of Rabbainu beginning "the secret intention of circumcision" in §63.) For the essential [thing] depends upon these leading organs and senses — and all other organs are drawn after them. And this is what our Sages of blessed memory said: that it must be large enough — seven tefachim — in order to bring inside it one's head, most of one's body, and one's table. For these seven orifices of the brain cited above are one's head and most of one's body, and all the desires depend upon them. And the essential [point] is that one bring them inside the boundary of holiness through the sanctity of the covenant, as stated.

Student of the holy master

But there is no upper limit [for the sukkah's size] — for on the contrary, the more it expands in order to widen the boundary of holiness and bring inside it all of one's body completely, all one's needs, all one's utensils and all manner of pleasures — all should be there within the sukkah, within the partitions of the sukkah, and should not go outside, G‑d forbid, as stated. And then, when one builds walls and partitions of at least the measure cited above — namely at least seven tefachim as stated — they are then fit for a sukkah: namely to lay the sechach [roofing] upon them. Which is the essential name of sukkah — as Rashi explained — namely, to merit the bechina of the enveloping covering [chafifas sechiyas] of the holy spirit, the bechina of the makifim cited above. For one cannot merit this bechina except through the sanctity of the seven lamps — which are the bechina of the partitions of seven tefachim, as stated.

Rabbi Nachman of Breslov

Section 2 And this is what our Sages of blessed memory said (Sukkah 2): a sukkah that is taller than twenty amos is invalid. For these [twenty] correspond to two yuds — which are the two intellects [sichliyos], namely inner intellect [sechel pnimi] and encircling intellect [sechel makif]. For intellect is the bechina of yud (as cited in the words of Rabbainu). And above these twenty amos — namely above the makif — the eye has no dominion there, and it is forbidden to enter within its partition to gaze there. And therefore it is forbidden to raise the sechach above twenty — for "in what is too wondrous for you, do not inquire" — for one can only gaze at the makif that is close to oneself, as stated. And one who enters within its partition goes outside the boundary of holiness. And therefore a sukkah that is higher than twenty is entirely invalid — because one makes one's dwelling a permanent dwelling [dirat keva], as stated.

Na Nach Nachma Nachman Me'uman

And this is what our Sages of blessed memory said: above twenty amos, a person does not make a temporary dwelling but a permanent one — and we need a sukkah as a temporary dwelling [dirat arai]. For the sukkah — which is the bechina of the makifim — must specifically be a temporary dwelling — namely, that one should not err, G‑d forbid, thinking one has already attained complete da'as merely because one has merited some level of comprehension. For "one higher than the high one watches" etc. — and His greatness is beyond all reckoning. And therefore it is forbidden to make a permanent dwelling in this sukkah — rather it must be a temporary dwelling for the moment, and one must strive and toil in the service of Hashem to merit another comprehension, to go out from sukkah to sukkah. For the ultimate [level] of knowledge is to know that we do not know — and one who holds to this ultimate principle, one's sukkah — that is, one's comprehension — is always a temporary dwelling, for one always toils to comprehend more, as stated. And upon this depends that one does not presumptuously ascend to Hashem — entering within its partition — since one is lowly in one's own estimation and holds to the ultimate principle of knowing nothing. How would one come to gaze even further above oneself? Rather one toils to grasp the level closest to oneself — and upon this depends the preservation of one's da'as, for this is the essential ultimate principle, as stated. And one thereby merits to attain new comprehensions always.

Arranged by Simcha Nanach

But one who wishes to gaze above one's own partition — which is because one thinks one already knows His comprehension, blessed be He, to the point of boasting that one is permitted to enter within — then certainly one's dwelling is a permanent dwelling. For one is not toiling to go out from sukkah to sukkah, as stated — and then it is a complete corruption of da'as. For whoever thinks he knows anything about comprehending Him, blessed be He, knows nothing at all. And through entering within one's partition one completely destroys one's da'as — for one goes outside the boundary of holiness, as stated. And therefore a sukkah that is taller than twenty is invalid — because one makes a permanent dwelling, as stated. And this is the bechina of the blemish of the covenant — through which the sukkah is blemished, as stated: the bechina of the blemish of the amah of six tefachim by which the sukkah and all the partitions of holiness are measured — which is in the bechina of revealing a tefach and covering a tefach — see all of this in the teaching cited above beginning "the secret intention of circumcision." And as I understood from his holy mouth — that this depends on that: when one thinks one knows something about comprehending Him, blessed be His name, through this one presumptuously ascends to Hashem — and so too the reverse (see there carefully). But up to twenty amos the sukkah is valid — for even though the sukkah is above the yud — namely above one's intellect — nonetheless the eye has dominion over it, for one can gaze there since it is the bechina of the makif that is close to one's intellect. For on the contrary — this is the essential mitzvah of sukkah: "so that they shall know" — as it is written: "so that your generations shall know," etc. As our Sages of blessed memory interpreted: a person must know that one is sitting in the sukkah — namely that one's eyes and da'as should always be gazing and looking toward the sechach, which is the bechina of the makif — in order to merit making the makif into inner [consciousness] and going from sukkah to sukkah, from makif to makif, as stated. And even if one builds the sukkah very large — namely that one sanctifies oneself greatly — and even raises it up toward the sechach — nonetheless, since one still stands below and the sechach is more than twenty amos above — the sukkah is invalid. For one cannot attain beyond one's own level — beyond twenty amos from the place where one stands at whatever level one is — unless one makes a platform [itzteiva] — that is, one rises to a higher level and goes from rung to rung — then one can raise the sukkah from there up to twenty amos — namely to comprehend from there up to the makif appropriate to that level. (See in the Shulchan Aruch these halachos.) Section 3 And in any case it must not be less than ten tefachim. For one cannot merit the bechina of sukkah cited above except by raising one's partitions of holiness up to yud — namely, that one should merit a level in the sanctity of the covenant such that the holiness ascends to yud, which is the bechina of intellect that one merits through the sanctity of the covenant, as stated. And in any case it must be at least the height of yud [ten] tefachim. For the tefach is the smallest measurement mentioned in the Torah by which the holy measures are measured. For the essential [dimension] of guarding the covenant is the bechina of vav — the bechina of an amah of six tefachim (as Rabbainu wrote there). When the bechina of this vav — which is the bechina of the amah cited above — ascends and is included within ten — namely the da'as, as stated — then the partition is ten amos high: the bechina of "ten amos the length of the boards" [eser amos orech hakerash] — which are the partitions of holiness in their appropriate perfection. And when one merits the bechina of ten amos cited above, then there is also da'as of the makif — in the bechina of ten amos. And this is the bechina of twenty amos — the maximum height of a valid sukkah from which it may not be higher, for it is forbidden to ascend above this, as stated. And this is the bechina of alef — which one merits to be called adam [human being] through the sanctity of the covenant. And "there is no adam without an alef" — through the sanctity of the bechina of the amah of six tefachim, through this one merits the two yuds cited above — which are the bechina of inner intellect and encircling intellect. (And this is the bechina of sukkah, which is the bechina of the combination of the two names YaKDWNKY [a mystical combination of the divine names].) But there are two bechinot in the sanctity of the covenant: the bechina of [marital] union from Shabbos to Shabbos, and the bechina of the lesser [level] whose union is on weekdays — and even so they must sanctify themselves as is proper according to the Torah (as cited in the teaching "Ani Hashem hu shemi" in §11). And the bechina of the sanctity of weekdays is the bechina of a sixth-portion of the sanctity of Shabbos — for Shabbos encompasses all six weekdays, as is known. And therefore the lesser level of the sanctity of the covenant is the bechina of one tefach — for it is the smallest measure by which the holy measures are measured. And it is the bechina of a sixth-portion of an amah of six tefachim — which is the bechina of the covenant's sanctity as it ought to be, in the bechina of holiness from Shabbos to Shabbos, as stated. And then — when one's holiness is the bechina of one tefach, namely the lesser level — even when it ascends to the da'as and is included within yud as stated, it is also only the bechina of yud [ten] tefachim — and this is the minimum valid measure for a sukkah, as stated. But below ten tefachim — where one has left the category of holiness even at the lesser level — then it is certainly no sukkah at all. For the essential sukkah depends upon the sanctity of the covenant, as stated. And this is what our Sages of blessed memory said: below ten [tefachim] is a foul dwelling [dirah serucha] and no person dwells there, etc. A foul dwelling literally — namely the blemish of the covenant, which is the essential foulness [sirachon], the opposite of guarding the covenant — which is the bechina of fragrance [rei'ach] — as Rabbainu wrote in the teaching "Emor el hakohanim" (§2). And this is the bechina of "a fire-offering of pleasing fragrance" [isheh rei'ach nichochi] — through the bechina of "a woman who fears Hashem", holy kingship, guarding the covenant — one raises a pleasing fragrance to Hashem, as stated. And this is the precise statement: "and no person [adam] dwells in a foul dwelling" — for certainly one who is an adam [a person, one possessing divine intellect] does not dwell there. Only one who is likened to an animal [kivehaimah nidmah] — for one who blemishes the covenant is compared to an animal, as it is written: "Be not like the horse or the mule that have no understanding." For the height of ten tefachim is the minimum measure of a private domain [reshus hayachid] for Shabbos — which is the bechina of the sign of the covenant [os bris]. And below it is the public domain [reshus harabim] — which is a harlot woman [ishah zonah], an evil maidservant [shifchah beisha], a blemish of the covenant — as is cited. Section 4 And therefore all the partitions of the sukkah are equal in their laws to the partitions of Shabbos. For they are one bechina — the bechina of reshus hayachid, as stated. And this is why it is ruled that a partition that permits [carrying] on Shabbos also permits [the use of the structure as] a sukkah on the Shabbos that falls within the festival — even if they do not have the proper qualification of a sukkah (see in the Shulchan Aruch). For since it is a reshus hayachid for Shabbos — which is the bechina of the sign [os], as stated — it thereby qualifies the sukkah as well, since the entire essence of sukkah is the bechina of guarding the sign of the covenant, as stated. Section 5 And therefore during Sukkos one merits the seven shepherds [shivas haro'im] who come within the sukkah. For the sukkah is the bechina of makifim — which one merits, as stated. And the makif is the bechina of nishma [hearing/receiving] — as cited in the teaching of the Seals (§22): that there is the bechina of na'aseh v'nishma [we will do and we will hear]. And nishma is the bechina of what one does not yet understand — which is the bechina of makif. And it is the bechina of prayer, the bechina of fear [yirah], the bechina of Beraishis — [one who] fears Shabbos, fears shame [boshes] — all of which is the bechina of sukkah. For the sukkah is the bechina of makif, the bechina of fear — for it is the bechina of Yaakov, as stated. And it is the bechina of prayer, as stated. And it is also the bechina of Shabbos — the bechina of Beraishis, fearing Shabbos, as stated. And the bechina of na'aseh v'nishma is the bechina of joy [simchah] — as is explained there, see there. And this is the bechina of the joy of the festival [simchas hechag]. And through this we merit the seven shepherds — who are the totality of holiness (as explained there). And therefore through the sukkah the seven shepherds cited above come, as stated. (For the sukkah is the bechina of nishma — the bechina of "listen and hear, O Israel" [haskes ushma Yisrael].) And at the conclusion of Sukkos we observe Hoshana Rabbah — when the outer seal [chosam hachitzon] is made: the seal of the hands [chosam hayadayim], the bechina of faith [emunah]. For it is made through the sukkah — through which one comes to the seven shepherds cited above, through whom one merits faith — the bechina of the outer seal cited above (as is explained there — see there). And therefore between Yom Kippur and Hoshana Rabbah one observes Sukkos — for on Yom Kippur the essential inner seal is made. And in order to make the outer seal — which is the bechina of faith — to guard the inner seal so it should not be damaged, therefore one observes Sukkos, through which one merits faith. And then at the conclusion of Sukkos the outer seal is made on Hoshana Rabbah. [Belongs to the above] Section 6 And therefore even if the partitions do not reach the sechach — as long as the partitions are ten [tefachim] high — it is valid. For the airspace of a private domain [avir reshus hayachid] ascends all the way to the heavens. For above ten [tefachim] there is no domain of the public there — for the public domain only extends up to ten. Therefore since one has made below partitions ten [tefachim] high in order to nullify the public domain and merit the bechina of private domain — the holiness then continues upward even where there are no partitions. For above ten [tefachim] the dominion of the public domain has no power. This halacha forms a direct continuation from the Yom Kippur teachings — beginning with the words "after Yom Kippur." The inner arc: Yom Kippur produces the inner seal (chosam pnimi) through tikun habris; Sukkos then produces the outer seal (chosam chitzon) on Hoshana Rabbah through the sukkah's cultivation of emunah — with the sukkah itself serving as the bridge. The sukkah is decoded throughout as the bechina of makifim — encircling divine consciousness that surrounds a person but has not yet been absorbed inward. The sukkah's measurements are all given spiritual interpretations drawn from Rabbainu's teachings in §§21, 22, and 63: Minimum 7×7 tefachim — the seven lamps of the brain (eyes, ears, nostrils, mouth); all holiness of the senses depends on the covenant; all must be brought within the boundary of holiness. Minimum height 10 tefachim — the letter yud (=10), corresponding to intellect; the amah of 6 tefachim (vav = the covenant) must ascend to the yud of intellect. Below 10 is the public domain — spiritual promiscuity, covenant-blemish. Maximum height 20 amos — two yuds = inner intellect + encircling intellect; the makif that is still within one's reach. Above this is forbidden — one who thinks one can grasp more than one's level makes a "permanent dwelling" and destroys one's da'as. The sukkah must be a dirat arai (temporary dwelling) — always reaching toward the next level, never claiming to have arrived. Sukkah walls = Shabbos walls — both are the sign of the covenant, both define reshus hayachid. Seven shepherds — Avraham, Yitzchak, Yaakov, Moshe, Aharon, Yosef, and David — the totality of holiness — enter the sukkah because the sukkah is the bechina of nishma, of receiving what one does not yet understand: faith, prayer, awe.