Following his 180 day feast for all his international subjects, which ended a day earlier, King Achashverosh began a seven-day feast for his subjects living in Shushan, his capital. This feast ended with the death of his queen, Vashti.
Link: Esther ch. 1
R. Aryeh Levin, known as the “tzaddik [saint] of Jerusalem,” was legendary for his selfless dedication in assisting his fellow Jews, whether the sick, the poor, or those suffering under the British regime during the Mandate of Palestine (1920–1948).
Links: The Man Who Mistook His Wife’s Foot for His Own; The Value of Stories
In today's "Nasi" reading (see "Nasi of the Day" in Nissan 1), we read of the gift bought by the nasi of the tribe of Benjamin, Avidan ben Gidoni, for the inauguration of the Mishkan.
Rabbi Jonah said, “The prophet Jonah ben Amitai was just another pilgrim to the Temple. He walked into the Sukkot celebration, the divine spirit rested upon him, and he became a prophet.”
The Magid of Mezritch taught:
Joy is the path to the divine.
And Sukkot is a time for joy.
A joy that can lift everyone to the highest heights, regardless of where they stand right now.