Ushpizin: Abraham Enters Your Sukkah First | Around The Jewish Year - Illustrated by AI

There is a special moment every year. The moment when we leave our permanent home and enter the suka. We leave the strong walls, the secure ceiling and enter a simple temporary dwelling covered with thatch. From the outside, it may look like a temporary structure, but our sages teach that inside the suka, we don't sit alone. On each of the days of the Sukkot holiday, a special guest comes to us, one of the seven Ushbisen. The first guest is none other than our forefather Abraham. This is no ordinary guest. Abraham's the man who lit up the world with faith while the entire world was steeped in spiritual darkness. He was the first to teach humanity that there is a creator of the world, that there is one who leads everything and that every person was created to do good and perform acts of kindness. But to understand why Abraham specifically is the first to enter our suka, we must go back to the beginning of his journey. Abraham was born into a world where everyone worshiped idols. People believed that the sun was God. Others bowed down to the moon, to trees, or to statues, the work of human hands. Even in the house of his father, Terara, there were many idols. But Abraham was not satisfied with what everyone else was doing. He was a man who searched for truth. He looked at the sky, at the stars, at the sunrise, and the sunset, and asked himself a simple question. Who created all this? Is it possible that this entire wonderful world is run without a leader? Our sages tell us that in this way through deep observation of creation, Abraham came to the realization that there is one creator of the world. He understood that there is one hand that leads everything even if no one around him believed it yet. This faith did not remain only in his heart. It became a way of life. The midridge tells that when his father left him to guard the idol shop, Abraham took a stick and broke all the idols except for the largest one. When his father returned and asked, "Who did this?" Abraham replied that the large idol broke them all. Terara laughed and said, "How can you say such a thing? After all, idols can't do anything." Then Abraham replied to him with the sentence that shook his entire worldview. If so, why do you worship him? From that moment, Abraham became a man willing to stand against the whole world for the truth. Even when they threw him into the fiery furnace, he did not give up his faith. And the holy one, blessed be he, saved him in an open miracle. But if there is one trait that made Abraham such a special figure, it is the attribute of kindness. The Torah describes one of the most moving moments in his life. This is the third day after his circumcision. He is old, weak, and in pain. And the heat outside is especially heavy. Supposedly, this is the time to rest. But Abraham sits at the tent entrance looking for one thing. Maybe a guest will pass by that he can help. Suddenly, he notices three men approaching from a distance. Instead of waiting for them to arrive, the tourist says, "And he ran to meet them." He runs. He does not walk. He runs. He invites them in, brings water to wash their feet, asks Sarah to prepare fresh bread, runs to the cattle to pick the finest calf, and serves them a honorable meal. All this while he himself is still recovering from the circumcision. This is the hospitality of Abraham. Our sages say Abraham's tent was open on all four sides. So from whichever direction a person came, there was always an open entrance. There was no need to walk around and look for the door. Anyone who was hungry, thirsty, or tired found a place with Abraham. And here we begin to understand the connection to the holiday of Sukkot and the ushisan today. The suka is also an open house. For seven days, we leave our private homes and enter a place that reminds us to open our hearts. The suka is not just a commandment to sit. It is an invitation to host, to gladden, to share with others, and to feel that every Jew is at home. The Zohar calls the suka sila demonuta, the shadow of faith. When we sit under the thatch, we do not rely on concrete and iron, but on the providence of the holy one. Blessed be he. Just as Abraham trusted in God in every situation, we too learn to feel that true security is in the hands of the creator of the world. This is also the reason why Abraham is the first of the peisan. According to the teachings of Cabala, each of the seven ushisen expresses one of the higher attributes. Abraham represents the attribute of kindness, love, giving, open in the heart and the ability to see the other. But it is important to understand that true kindness as Abraham taught is not just giving food or drink. After he would feed his guests, he would ask them to thank the Holy One, blessed be He. He wanted not only their bodies to be full, but also their souls to recognize the one who gave them everything. He gave people both bread for the body and light for the soul. During his life, Abraham faced 10 very difficult trials. He left his home, faced famine, was forced to fight four kings, and ultimately faced the greatest trial of all, the binding of Isaac. In each of these trials, he chose to believe even when the path was not clear. So when we invite Abraham, our father, into the suka on the night of Sukkot and say, "Enter exalted guests," we are not just remembering a historical figure. We are asking to bring his virtues into our home so that our suka will be a place of faith, of kindness, of giving, and of love for others. Perhaps this is the greatest gift that Abraham leaves for us. He teaches us that faith does not remain in the synagogue alone. It is evident in the way we speak, in the way we host, in our ability to see another person and run toward them, just as he ran toward those three guests. And so every time we sit in the suka, open the door to a guest, serve a drink, or invite someone to the holiday table, we are continuing the path of Abraham, our father. The suka is much more than four walls and a thatched roof. It is a house of faith, a house of kindness. And on the first day of the holiday, the one who leads us on this path is the first guest, Abraham, our father.