The Sukkah embraces, enwraps and contains us. In Kabbalah, this is referred to as the ‘encompassing light’. But even through our simple experience, we can sense how the Sukkah gently draws us near. Even the law regarding the construction of the Sukkah requires us to have 2 panels and a Tefach (a small amount). This represents the shape of an embracing arm, made up of the upper arm, lower arm and the hand.
There’s a big connection between a Sukkah and a mother. King David says, “You Covered Me (T’sukeini) in My Mother's Womb”, the use of the root verb s-k-c, gives us some insight about our role as mothers.
Motherhood is all about preparing a place to accommodate her family members. The mother surrounds, protects, covers and mostly embraces with warmth.
A mother accepts her children with all their feelings and provides them with the space they need. A mother embraces.
Sitting under the shade of the Sukkah fills us with joy, as it says, “the mother of children is happy” (Psalms, 113:9). It is within her power to help all the members of her household attain spiritual fulfillment. The state of mind in which the mother is in, is projected onto the whole family. This is why the woman is referred to as Akeret Bayit as in, the Ikar (main aspect) of the household, as she can greatly affect the atmosphere in the home.
The above words are not meant to strengthen our qualms about all that we are NOT. Rather, to revive our desire to materialize the great merit we have in our maternal role. When sitting in the Sukkah, we might bring ourselves back to our fetal stage, sense the pleasure and tranquility of sitting in our mother’s ‘lap’, and gather the strength to fulfill our ever so special destiny of being mothers.