Faith

The Meaning of "Sukkah of David that is Falling"

AA

Question

In the Birkat Hamazon (Grace After Meals), there is a section in the blessings "HaRachaman" for the festival of Sukkot that mentions the "Sukkah of David that is falling." What does this mean?

Answer

Greetings,
As the prophet Amos interprets in 9:11:
"In that day I will raise up the fallen Sukkah of David, and I will close up its breaches, and I will raise up its ruins, and I will rebuild it as in the days of old."
And the explanation is given by the Malbim:
(11) "In that day I will raise up the fallen Sukkah of David" - Initially, the house of David was built and reinforced in a fixed house, passed down through the generations of David. Later, there was no longer a permanent house, only a temporary Sukkah, which was the case in the Second Temple, when the authority of the house of David was nullified, and the Hasmoneans and Herod ruled. Nevertheless, there were still leaders from the seed of the house of David, which resembles a temporary Sukkah. Later, the Sukkah of David also fell because in exile, the leadership ceased, and there was no longer a remembrance or presidency from the seed of David. Then Hashem will raise the Sukkah of David, meaning a man from the seed of David will stand and lead the people as did the leaders of the past. It has already been explained (Ezekiel 34:23-24) that the sun will shine for the house of David in three levels, as it states He will shepherd them and I will be their God and My servant David will be a prince among them - initially, the man from the house of David will shepherd them, meaning he will lead them and compel them to do justice and righteousness, and through this, the Sukkah of David, which is the leadership from his line, will be established. But it will still be a Sukkah that is in ruin. However, later the people of Israel will accept the kingdom of heaven and accept His leadership willingly, and then he will shepherd them willingly. Therefore, it states "I will close up its breaches" - through the fact that the breaches of the generation will be closed through this, "and the ruins I will raise" - and the Sukkah will be complete and not in ruin, because they will accept him as their shepherd willingly. Then the kingdom of heaven will be revealed, as it states, "I will be their God," and then "My servant David will be a prince among them," meaning he will be the Messiah king, and then there will no longer be a temporary Sukkah, but a permanent structure, as it states, "and I will rebuild it as in the days of old" - that the kingdom will be permanent as it was before.
Sincerely,
Benjamin Shmueli


Tags:King DavidJewish wisdomfaith

Articles you might missed