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The third function of the sukka is to remind us of the clouds of glory with which God enveloped us while we wandered in the wilderness. As we read, “The Lord’s cloud kept above them by day, as they moved on from camp” (Numbers 10:34). The clouds of glory were an expression of God’s love for us. Not only did He provide us with all our needs for forty years, but the Divine Presence also lived in our midst, providing us with shade and protection.
Clouds of glory simultaneously reveal and conceal. They reveal the Divine Presence but conceal some of the intense radiance, allowing us to absorb it gradually in accordance with our capabilities. The sekhakh of the sukka fulfills a similar role. It protects us from most of the sun’s rays and radiation but it does not block all the light. It allows enough to penetrate so we benefit from it. Thus, from a spiritual perspective, the sukka gives us the ability to absorb faith in the way most suited to us, as the clouds of glory did for our ancestors.
