What if the Passover Seder was held in our Sukkah?

The Exodus isn't just a story—it's the operating system of Jewish practice.

Most of us were taught that the reason we sit in a sukkah for a full week is to commemorate the booths that the Children of Israel lived in during their forty years in the desert. We might even quote the verse in Leviticus that makes this claim — the only agricultural holiday that the Torah itself re-purposes.

The problem is… not only modern scholars, but all the classical rabbinic commentators either don’t take that explanation literally or find it riddled with problems. Over and over again, the Torah describes the Israelites living in tents, not harvest booths.

If Sukkot really commemorates the Exodus, why don’t we hold the Passover seder inside a sukkah? And while we’re at it — what crops did the Israelites grow in the desert that could justify a harvest festival at all?

Rashi turns the booths into clouds of glory. Rashbam turns them into a moral test of humility and gratitude. Ibn Ezra points to cold desert nights, while Rabbeinu Bahya imagines caravans bringing the necessary organic, plant-based roofing materials (Schach) from afar. Everyone, it seems, is trying to solve a puzzle.

And that puzzle leads to a deeper question:

Why does the Torah — and later Judaism — weave “Remembering the Exodus from Egypt” (zecher l’tziat Mitzrayim) into every corner of Jewish life? Into holidays that have nothing to do with Egypt, into Shabbat, even into the laws of interest and weights and measures.

As we finish the Five Books of Moses, we marvel at how the Exodus became Judaism’s Operating System.

Key Takeaways

1. The Torah itself repurposed Sukkot to commemorate the Exodus, sparking centuries of discussion.
2. Rabbinic commentators struggled to reconcile agricultural roots with historical significance.
3. Sukkot exemplifies how the Exodus narrative became the "operating system" of Jewish practice.

Timestamps

• 00:00 Exploring the Connection Between Sukkot and the Exodus
• 00:59 Transitioning from High Holidays to Sukkot
• 02:04 The Agricultural and Historical Significance of Sukkot
• 06:08 Rashi's Interpretation: Clouds of Glory vs. Literal Booths
• 13:29 Modern Academic Perspectives on Sukkot
• 24:12 The Broader Impact of the Exodus on Jewish Tradition
• 30:06 Jonah's Booth and the Connection to Yom Kippur
• 32:05 Conclusion and Reflections

Links & Learnings

Sign up for free and get more from our weekly newsletter https://madlik.com/

Sefaria Source Sheet: https://www.sefaria.org/sheets/680496
Transcript here: https://madlik.substack.com/