The Eschatological Drama of Sukkot (Part One)

The Eschatological Drama of Sukkot
Part One: Avodah Zarah 2a -3b

Rav Chaninah bar Papa (and some say Rav Simlai) told the following drash:

In the World to Come, the Kadosh Baruch Hu will bring a Torah scroll and set it in his lap and say: “Let everyone who busied himself with Torah come and take his reward.” Immediately, all the nations of the world will assemble and come before Hashem in confusion. Hashem will say to them: “Do not enter before me in confusion; rather, each nation should enter one by one, together with their scribes.”

Rome will enter first, and Hashem will say to them: “With what have you busied yourselves in this world?” They will answer Him: “Master of the Universe, we established many marketplaces, and built many bathhouses. And we accumulated much gold and silver. And we only did all of this so that Israel could busy themselves with Torah.”

Hashem will say to them: “Fools! Everything you made was done for yourselves. You made marketplaces so you could place houses of ill repute there, and bathhouses to make yourselves beautiful. And the gold and silver is mine [as it says in Chagai 2:8, "Mine is the silver and Mine is the gold said the Lord of Hosts"]. Are there none of you who speak the words of Torah?” And they departed from Him in rejection.

The Kingdom of Persia will enter after Rome, and Hashem will say to them: “With what have you busied yourselves?” They will say to Him: “We built many bridges. We conquered many cities. We fought many wars. And we only did this so Israel could busy themselves with Torah.”

Hashem will say to them: “Everything you made was done for yourselves. You made bridges so that you could collect tolls, and cities so that you could impose forced labour. And I am responsible for war, as it says, “Hashem is a Man of War” (Shemot 15:3). Are there none of you who speak words of Torah?” And they departed from Him in rejection.

The same thing will occur with every single nation. And the nations will say to Hashem: “Master of the Universe, did we ever accept Torah and not fulfill it? We were never given the chance to partake in Torah!” Hashem will answer them: “Those seven commandments (the Noahite Laws) that you did accept, did you ever fulfill them?”

They will say to Him: “Master of the Universe, Israel, who accepted the Torah, did they fulfill it?” Hashem will answer them: “I testify for Israel that they fulfilled Torah!” They will say to Him: “Master of the Universe, can a father testify for his son, for Israel is Your firstborn?” Hashem will say to them: “Let heaven and earth come and testify for Israel that they fulfilled the entire Torah.” They will say to Him: “Heaven and earth are not impartial witnesses, as it says, If I had not established my eternal covenant, I would not have fashioned heaven and earth.”

Hashem will say to them: “Let those among YOU come and testify for Israel that they fulfilled the entire Torah! Let Nimrod come and testify for Abraham that he was never suspected of idolatry. Let Laban the Aramean come and testify for Jacob that he was never suspected of stealing. Let the wife of Potiphar come and testify for Joseph that he was never suspected of sin. Let Darius come and testify for Daniel that he never neglected prayer. Let Nebuchadnezzar come and testify for Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah that they never bowed to the idol. Let Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite, Zophar the Naamathite, and Elihu ben Barachel the Buzite testify for Israel that they fulfilled the entire Torah.”

They said to Him: “Give it to us anew, that we made do it.” Hashem will say to them: “Complete fools! He who has prepared on the eve of Shabbos will eat on Shabbos, but he who did not prepare, how will he eat? Nevertheless, I have a simple precept for you, which is called the sukkah. Go and do it.”

Straightaway each and every one made a sukkah on the roof of his house, and Hashem made the sun blaze upon them in the summer. It became so hot that every nation kicked in their sukkot. And the Kadosh Baruch Hu will sit and laugh.