Succos Is Chuppah
A man marries a woman in two stages. The first step is Kiddushin, also called Erusin. This is described in the first Mishnah in Kiddushin – a woman is acquired with 3 ways: money, document, and physical intimacy. The woman becomes the man’s wife, but they are not yet living together. The second step of marriage is Nesuin, accomplished by methods such as chupah, and now the husband takes the wife into his house and is responsible for taking care of all her needs.
When Moses went up to Mount Sinai to get the 10 commandments, this was the first step of marriage – Kiddushin – between Hashem and the Jewish people. It was an extremely significant hallachic bond, but it was not Nesuin. When the Jews, unfortunately, worshipped the golden calf, Hashem got very angry about what His wife – the Jewish people – had done to betray their relationship. But it did not nullify the bond of marriage. Hashem’s anger was manifested by Moses breaking the tablets with the ten commandments.
Moses prayed that Hashem would forgive the Jewish people, to revive the health of the marriage. On the first of Elul, Moshe went up again to Mount Sinai and prayed for 40 days. Moses was successful, and then on Yom Kippur, Hashem forgave the Jewish people, refreshing the bond of Kiddushin. Then Moses came down from Mount Sinai to announce the good news, and five days later, on Succos, the Clouds of Glory returned, after having been dissipated after the sin of the golden calf.
On Succos, Hashem performed Nesuin with the Jewish people. Joyfully, Hashem and the Jewish people entered this second and complete stage of marriage. On this first day of Succos, the Jewish people sat under the Clouds of Glory, the Anenei Hacovid. This accomplished the Nesuin stage of marriage. The Clouds of Glory represented the actual Chupah, and the Nesuin stage of marriage between Hashem and the Jewish people began.
The Succah that we build on Succos represents this Chupah. Our entering the Succah represents how the Chupah accomplished the start of the Nesuin stage of marriage between Hashem and the Jewish people. The Jewish people were now living in Hashem’s house as husband and wife. The relationship between Hashem and the Jewish people was now just like a wife living in her husband’s house, with the husband completely taking care of his wife’s needs. Our living in a Succah for seven days represents the Jewish people’s first seven days of the Nesuin stage of marriage with Hashem
These seven days of Succos also represent the seven days of Sheva Brochas that happens after Nesuin. After Sheva Brochas, the husband and wife start the normal life of privacy and intimacy. We celebrate this glorious day on Shemini Atzeres. The joy and exultation of now being fully married with Hashem as husband and wife is celebrated by the exuberant dancing of Simchat Torah.
