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Why did Yaakov stay 18 months in Sukkos (סוכות), and why did he build a house for himself but sukkos for his animals? The shiur analyzes Bereishis 33:17 with the Midrash's chronology—six months in sukkos, six in a house, six back in sukkos—and explores the conceptual difference between temporary (ohel, sukkah) and permanent (bayis) dwellings. The question remains: what spiritual necessity required Yaakov to live specifically in sukkos for 12 of those 18 months?
The shiur opens with a careful reading of Bereishis 33:17: "Yaakov nasa sukkosa vayiven lo bayis ulmiknehu asah sukkos (סוכות)"—Yaakov traveled to Sukkos, built himself a house, made sukkos for his animals, and therefore called the place Sukkos. Rabbi Zweig notes the apparent paradox: why did the place receive its name from the sukkos made for the animals rather than the house built for people? The Midrash Rabbah provides a chronological framework that transforms the understanding of the verse. According to Rav Aba, Yaakov stayed in Sukkos for 18 months total: "sukkos ubayis v'sukkos"—six months in sukkos, six months in a house, and another six months in sukkos. This reading treats the word "sukkos" at the beginning of the verse not merely as a place name but as describing the actual dwelling situation.
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Bereishis 33:17
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