7 and 8

7 and 8 are very important numbers in Jewish thought. To grossly oversimplify, the Maharal held that 7 represents Teva (Nature), while 8 represents that which is beyond nature. I'd like to extend the Maharal here.

Before I start, I want to introduce a concept from geometry known as a projection. If one were to pass a sphere through a flat plane, for example, the sphere would first be a dot, then become an increasingly large circle, then an increasingly smaller circle, then a dot again, and then disappear.

That is a projection.

Now most people, when asked how many directions there are in this world, would say 6: up, down, left, right, front, and back. However, there are 7: we go forward in time. The difference is that we have free will in choosing which of the 6 spatial dimensions to move in, while we all move through time at the same rate. Therefore, the 6 spatial dimensions correspond to the 6 weekdays, while time corresponds to the Sabbath.

Indeed, 7 comes up frequently with time-based Mitzvahs (Commandments). 7 days of the week, 7 weeks of Counting the Omer, the seventh month is Rosh haShanah, seven years make a Sh'mittah (fallow year), seven Sh'mittah's make a Yovel (Jubilee).

8, however, is identified with a fifth dimension (no, not the people who sing the Age of Aquarius (:=)) which Hashem uses to control Teva. We have some, but not much connection to this: Shmini Atzeres, Bris Mila (circumcision), the Sh'moneh B'gadim (the 8 garments of the High Priest).

Now, I hold that the Sukkahs we build for the Holiday of Succos become, by our efforts, a 4 dimensional projection of this supernatural fifth dimension into our world. Think about it: a Sukkah has no Holiness before or after the Holiday. However, once inside a Sukkah on Succos, we wave the lulav and esrog in the six spatial dimension. The net effect of that is that we nullify our free will before Hashem, thus sanctifying our free will. After doing the work, we are then privileged at the Atzeres (Culmination) of connecting, however slightly, with the special dimension of pure Holiness.

I don't think it a coincidence that this is also the day for "finishing" and "restarting" our Torah readings (Simchas Torah).