Rabbi Explains Why Holy Guests Are Welcomed in Sukkot Booths, Not Passover Seders

Rabbi Yisrael Reider addresses a question posed by Rabbi Chaim of Sanz regarding the timing of inviting the "Ushpizin," or holy guests, traditionally welcomed during the Sukkot holiday. The Rabbi of Sanz questioned why these esteemed guests are invited to the Sukkah, a temporary booth often with simple furnishings, rather than to Passover, a holiday typically associated with more elaborate preparations and comfortable settings.

Rabbi Reider explains that the timing of Sukkot, immediately following Yom Kippur (the Day of Atonement), is significant. After undergoing a process of repentance, forgiveness, and atonement, individuals are considered purified and cleansed of sin. It is at this point of spiritual purity that the Ushpizin are invited into the Sukkah.

This perspective, according to Rabbi Reider, fosters immense joy. Participants enter Sukkot not with apprehension from a recent judgment, but as individuals who have completed a process of spiritual renewal. This cleansed state allows them to better fulfill the commandment to "rejoice in your festival and be only happy."