320. That’s Different!: The obligation to bring an additional sacrifice on Succos

Just like on other Festivals, Succos has a special, additional sacrifice that is commanded here and described in parshas Pinchas (Numbers chapter 29). Succos is special because the sacrifice offered on each of its seven days is unique. For that reason, the full Hallel is recited on each of the seven days of Succos (which is not the case on Passover). It’s also the reason that the Musaf prayer service, recited nowadays in the absence of the actual sacrifice, is much more complicated than that of Pesach.

The total number of bulls offered on the seven days of Succos is 70, corresponding to the traditional 70 nations of the world on whose behalf they are offered. (The single bull offered on Shemini Atzeres represents Israel; we’ll come to that in Mitzvah #322.) The Talmud in Succah (55b) says that the nations of the world have no idea what they’re missing now that Israel can no longer offer these sacrifices to help atone for them.

The reason for musaf sacrifices is to highlight the special nature of the holiday – it even has an extra sacrifice all its own! In that case, Succos must be a very special day, indeed.

This mitzvah applied in Temple times. It is a mitzvah for the entire community but it was actually performed by the kohanim. It is discussed in the Talmud in tractate Succah on page 55b and is codified in the Mishneh Torah in the tenth chapter of Hilchos Tamidin. This mitzvah is #50 of the 248 positive mitzvos in the Rambam’s Sefer HaMitzvos.