Kosher Sukkah
The upcoming holiday of Sukkot, which commemorates G-d sheltering our ancestors in protective clouds when he liberated them from Egypt, is alluded to in this week's Torah portion. The opening verses of the song of Haazinu describe the kindness that G-d displayed toward the Jewish people:
He found them in a desert land, and in a desolate, howling wasteland. He encompassed them and bestowed understanding upon them; He protected them as the pupil of His eye.
Rashi explains that this verse refers to the Sukkah:
He encompassed them: There {in the desert}, {God} encompassed {Israel}, surrounding them by {protective} clouds.
There are many intricate laws regulating the Schach (the covering of the Sukkah); these laws are discussed at length in the Talmud tractate Sukkah. The following Mishnah formulates the general criteria of Kosher Schach: (1) the material must be something that grows from the ground, yet it must be detached from the ground. (2) In addition, it cannot be susceptible to ritual impurity, meaning it can not be formed into a man-made utensil or receptacle. As the following Mishnah explains:
If one trellised climbing plants such as a grapevine, or gourd plant, or ivy, over a sukka while they were still attached to the ground, and then added roofing atop them, the sukka is unfit... This is the principle with regard to the roofing of a sukka: Anything that is susceptible to ritual impurity, e.g., vessels, or its growth is not from the ground, e.g., animal hides, one may not roof his sukka with it. And anything that is not susceptible to ritual impurity and its growth is from the ground, one may roof his sukka with it.
The experience of dwelling in the Sukkah reminds us that our protection and security comes not from the homes we build and the possessions we amass, but rather from G-d's protection. That is why we leave our home and sit in a temporary dwelling that does not offer adequate shelter from the elements, symbolizing that our sense of security comes from G-d's embrace. When we sit in the Sukkah, we express that our trust is not in the power of nature nor in the brilliance of man; but rather, it is in the protection of G-d himself.
This general idea is expressed in the specific laws of the Schach. The first primary principle is that the vegetation fit for Sechah must be severed from the ground, the source of its sustenance and nourishment. This symbolizes that we do not find shelter in the vigor of nature. The second primary principle is that the Schach may not be crafted into an artificial tool or utensil; this symbolizes that we place our trust not in the ingenuity and creativity of man but rather in the loving embrace of G-d himself.
(Adapted from Rabbi S.R. Hirsh)