The Holy Martyrs of Nova and the Surrounding Lights of Sukkot

What is the Connection Between the Sukkah and the Clouds of Glory?

Why do we build a Sukkah specifically in Tishrei if the clouds returned in Nissan? And what is the connection between the Cherubim, the holiday of Sukkot, and... Simchat Torah? Things that seem simple on the surface are revealed as deep secrets of Divine leadership, tikkun (rectification), and Makifim (surrounding lights). In the following Chizuk (spiritual strengthening), our teacher, the holy Gaon and Tzaddik Rabbi Eliezer Berland shlit"a, unfolds a complete picture: from Rosh Hashanah to the fire in Kochav Yaakov, from the Makifim of Sukkot to the secret of the souls of Israel.

The Daily Chizuk from the Gaon and Tzaddik Rabbi Eliezer Berland shlit"a - Published on Thursday, 14th of Tammuz, 5785

"G-d of Abraham, G-d of Isaac, and G-d of Jacob"—these are the lower Makifim (surrounding lights), three times "G-d," "G-d," "G-d." Because now, on the night of Rosh Hashanah, we draw down all the Makifim, and on Sukkot, we draw down all the Makifim. The entire essence of the Sukkah is all the Makifim, because in Shuvu Banim, we make Sukkot (in Tishrei).

The Rav shlit"a asks one of the students: "When do you make Sukkot? In which month?"

"Tishrei!"

"Tishrei? I thought you were normal, but it is written, 'And it was on that very day that Hashem took the Children of Israel out of the land of Egypt by their ranks' (Exodus 12:51), and it is written, 'And it was when Pharaoh sent the people' (ibid 13:17), and 'Pharaoh... was traveling after them' (ibid 14:19)."

"'And Hashem went before them by day in a pillar of cloud to lead them on the way, and by night in a pillar of fire' (ibid 13:21). When was this? On the 15th of Nissan! That is when the Ananei HaKavod (Clouds of Glory) began. So, you should make Sukkot on the 15th of Nissan! Why do you make it in Tishrei? You are making a Sukkah in Tishrei instead of Nissan."

The Netivot (Rabbi Yaakov Lorberbaum of Lissa) asks why we make Sukkot in Tishrei. We should do Sukkot and Matzah together—either make Sukkot with Matzah in Nissan on the 15th of Nissan, or make Matzah with Sukkot on the 15th of Tishrei. Why don't we do it in Tishrei?

Rather, it is because one cannot enter the Sukkah until all sins are forgiven. For the entire concept of the Sukkah is learned from the Keruvim (Cherubim). The Keruvim would "cover (sochechim) with their wings" (Exodus 25:20) ten tefachim (handbreadths) above the Kaporet (Ark cover); we learn all of this from the Keruvim. When a person enters the Sukkah, he is under the Keruvim. Every time a person enters the Sukkah, he is under the Keruvim; the Keruvim are "covering" (sochechim) over him. One must sleep in the Sukkah and eat in the Sukkah, because the Sukkah protects him from galuyot (exiles).

Simchat Torah is already the eighth day, we already leave the Sukkah. We see that people simply wanted to feel the Simchat Yom Tov (joy of the holiday) [at the Nova festival]; they wanted to feel the true joy. Hashem took them Above. These are the greatest Tzaddikim and the greatest Tzaddikus (righteous women), the purest, most refined girls—these are the girls who were taken on Simchat Torah. Hashem gathered them to Himself because they are the most righteous, the purest, the most refined. We wanted them to stay here.

Now (at the time of the class), a woman was burned to ashes in Kochav Yaakov. It was because of electric bicycles; there was a short circuit in the bicycles that burned the whole house. It was impossible to leave the house because the bicycles were standing at the entrance and blocked the way.

These are terrible things; it is unbelievable. From today, everyone should sell their electric bicycles so that there won't be a short circuit and the house won't go up in flames. The house went up in flames and the woman turned to ashes—the most righteous woman.

For every woman can bring a thousand girls back in teshuvah (repentance). She can be a principal, she can be everything; she knows how to state the Halachot (laws). When a woman gives classes, she can bring a thousand girls back in teshuvah. A thousand girls times a thousand is a million people. When girls do teshuvah, then in one second, it's finished—all of the People of Israel [are redeemed]...