Every person has an inner spiritual yearning for G‑dliness. Since his soul is an actual part of G‑d, he has a natural desire to bond with his source.1 Simultaneously, every person is motivated by a drive to achieve, to leave an imprint on the world at large.
The festivals of Rosh HaShanah and Yom Kippur are characterized by an inward thrust. Each one of us reaches deep into his core, seeking to tap the point in his soul that is one with G‑d. However, after these Days of Awe pass, a Jew’s spiritual momentum turns outward. As the maamar below explains, this transition is reflected in the mitzvos of the Sukkos holiday: dwelling in the sukkah, taking the four species, and offering the festive sacrifices.
The first stage is the mitzvah of sukkah. On one hand, the sukkah is a revelation of the service of Rosh HaShanah and Yom Kippur, revealing the essential dimension of G‑dliness that is entirely above the framework of creation. Nevertheless, instead of the inward focus of the Days of Awe, on Sukkos, this essential, transcendent dimension radiates outward. Accordingly, it brings out the essential dimension possessed by all Jews, eclipsing the particular differences that exist between them. Thus, our Sages state,2 “All the Jewish people are worthy of dwelling in one sukkah.”
A second phase is reflected in the mitzvah of the four species. Here as well, the emphasis is on unity, but unity of a different nature, a oneness born out of multiplicity, as reflected by the fact that species that are distinct from each other become joined in a single mitzvah. In the human sphere, it highlights the unique nature of every individual, that a “willow Jew” is just as important as an “esrog Jew,” for both are equally necessary for the fulfillment of the mitzvah. Every person has his unique importance.

Man’s Power of Achievement

Another aspect of the mitzvah of the four species is that it is intended to affect all humanity, to serve as a sign – even to non-Jews – that the Jews emerged triumphant in the judgment of Rosh HaShanah. This theme is further underscored by the sacrifices brought during the holiday that included the seventy bulls, recalling the seventy nations of the world. These sacrifices were intended to motivate the nations to praise G‑d – because “His kindness has overwhelmed us,”3 i.e., the non-Jewish nations praise G‑d for showing us overwhelming kindness.
The fact that the non-Jewish nations praise G‑d because He shows overwhelming kindness to the Jewish people surpasses – in one aspect – the revelation of the essential spark of G‑dliness present within the Jewish people. For through it, the ultimate Divine intent in creation – that the Holy One, blessed be He, desired a dwelling in the lowest of realms – is fulfilled. The revelation of the Jew’s innate Divine potential is not a novel development, for that potential is an ever-present reality. The transformation of the non-Jewish nations into peoples who praise G‑d, by contrast, does represent a novel development, which runs contrary to their natural tendencies.
On this basis, we can understand the sequence of the holidays: On Rosh HaShanah and Yom Kippur, the Jews tap the essential G‑dly power they possess. On Sukkos, that essential power is converted into a dynamic potential, transforming the non-Jewish nations. As such, it anticipates the Ultimate Redemption, when “I will transform the peoples… so that they all will call upon the name of G‑d and serve Him with one purpose.”4