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Ramchal and many others teach that every moed/festival/zman has a certain energy that it brings down with it, and every year we can access that particular force to serve Hashem in the relevant way.

The verse (Emor 23 43) says "Basukkot hoshavti et Bnei Yisrael" which is referring to right after leaving Egypt, in the month of Nissan. It would seem, then, that we ought to celebrate Sukkot in Nissan, yet we celebrate it in Tishrei.

The Tur (Orach Chaim 625) and the Aruch HaShulchan (Orach Chaim 625 5) both ask the question about celebrating Sukkot in the wrong month, and they give different answers. The Tur says that if we celebrated it in Nisan, which is in spring, nobody would recognise it as a mitzvah, because everyone goes out in the spring. Therefore we celebrate it in Tishrei, the autumn, to make it apparent that we are doing it for the sake of the mitzvah. The Aruch HaShulchan answers that since Sukkot is a festival of tremendous joy, the most appropriate time to celebrate it would be after Yom Kippur, when we are cleansed from our sins, and Hashem can shower us with love.

Neither of these answers addresses the point of every festival having an energy uniquely associated with that specific time.

My question:
What unique energy does Tishrei have, that would make it appropriate to celebrate Sukkot then instead of in Nissan? Please bring sources.

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  • I don't understand the question. Why is the energy not in Tishrei?
    – Double AA ♦
    Jun 11, 2014 at 20:34
  • Because the Torah says they sat in Sukkot in Nissan @DoubleAA
    – AKayser
    Jun 11, 2014 at 20:35
  • What does that have to do with the energy? Isn't the energy whenever the holiday is?
    – Double AA ♦
    Jun 11, 2014 at 20:35
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    @AKayser They sat in sukkos the whole year, for a while....
    – MTL
    Jun 11, 2014 at 20:36
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    I think the question needs to be reframed as, "What is the unique energy of Tishrei that corresponds to Sukkoth?" This way, those who know what you're talking about will be drawn to the question, and those who don't won't be confused by it. I'm making the appropriate edit; feel free to revert if you disagree, but please understand that the question as written is currently very confusing to the point of being almost irrelevant - if not unanswerable.
    – Seth J
    Jun 11, 2014 at 20:53

2 Answers 2

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I've heard that after the sin of the Golden Calf, the Clouds of Glory were taken away. After Yom Kippur, Moshe told the Jews to start donating for the Mishkan. On Sukkos, all the necessary materials were obtained, and the Clouds of Glory returned.

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    I just found this online, which is a very thorough answer to the question dafyomi.co.il/parsha/sukkot4.htm
    – AKayser
    Jun 11, 2014 at 20:55
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    תשרי could be translated as an imperative feminine form of rest or dwell, I think. A command to the שכינה to return to the nation, perhaps? +1
    – Baby Seal
    Jun 12, 2014 at 16:54
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There is a mashal that I am giving from memory.

A king was warned that the queen would have a daughter who would die unless the first man that she saw would be at her wedding. He built a castle and the queen gave birth to the daughter there. The castle was staffed only with women and the queen often visited, telling the king how beautiful and accomplished she was. Of course, rumors grew up around the daughter and when it came time for her to marry very few of the nobles were willing to take the risk. One of the nobles was willing to marry her and did so. Some months later, he came to the king and asked to be allowed to have a massive celebration of his marriage. He explained that even though he had trusted the king, it was only now after some months of marriage that he appreciated how beautiful and intelligent a wife he had.

Similarly, it is only some time later after studying the Torah and being involved in it that we can appreciate what we have and actually feel the simcha of the gift that Hashem has given us.

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