Sukkah (plural Sukkot) refers to the 'hut"/booth/tabernacle constructed by each Israelite family for shelter from the sun when they when they went out of Egypt into the desert.
The festival of Sukkot is celebrated for seven days, with families building their own version of the biblical sukkah in commemoration of the period in the desert. Of matching importance to the actual Sukkah in this festival, is the taking and waving of four species: etrog, lulav, hadass and arova (citron, palm branch, myrtle and willow twig). The physical attributes of these four species are interpreted homiletically as representing the inner nature of four types of man-a view moving from outer to inner. (See for example http://
www.aish.com/h/su/wt4s/48970641.html)
It seems to me we can reverse the process for the inanimate sukkah by going from the inner to the outer. The inner face of the sukkah is what is presented to its visitors. What is not so clearly revealed or obvious is the outer view of the sukkah where the sukkah has the chance to express its real personality.
I have tried to understand these less obvious outer personalities of sukkot in the Ramat Beit Shemesh area of Israel. The titles represent my humble thoughts on this matter.
