Our Gemara on Amud Aleph discusses the minimum number of walls required for a kosher Succah:

"There must be two walls in their standard sense, completely closing each of those two sides, and a third wall, which, based on a halakha transmitted to Moses from Sinai, may measure even as little as one handbreadth."

Sefer Daf al Daf quotes two interesting pieces of derush regarding this Halacha. The Alshich (Vayikra 23:33) explains that all the benefits of the world fit into three categories: children, life itself, and sustenance. The Gemara (Menachos 29b) states that the world was created with the letter “Hay.” The Alshich notes that the letter “Hay” is shaped like a Succah, with two full walls and one partial wall (the leg of the letter). The Succah serves as a reminder that our engagement in the material world in these three spheres must be in that proportion. The two full walls represent our need for life and children, which we should pursue with proper effort and prayer. Sustenance, however, is symbolized by the third, partial wall, signifying that our pursuit of financial and material success should be more restrained and limited.

Sefer Daf al Daf also quotes the Ollelos Ephraim, who offers a different symbolic interpretation of the Succah walls. He identifies four domains of human competency and striving: wisdom, character, physical strength, and material assets. The first two, wisdom and character, must be sought in full measure, just like the two full walls of the Succah. The third domain, physical strength, is necessary at times but should be pursued in moderation, represented by the third small wall. Regarding the fourth domain, material wealth, the lesson of the Succah is that it is an illusion. This concept is symbolized by the fictional and invisible fourth wall of the Succah.

The Ollelos Ephraim’s interpretation draws a powerful lesson about the nature of wealth. Unlike physical strength, which, though dependent on God’s grace, is located within one’s own person, material wealth is entirely external and fragile. It can disappear at any moment. The Succah’s open side represents the illusory and transient nature of financial security. We might believe that money grants us stability, but in truth, it is more elusive and impermanent than physical strength. Just as the fourth wall of the Succah is nonexistent, so too is the perceived constancy of material wealth. This serves as a profound reminder to prioritize pursuits of lasting value and not place excessive trust in the fleeting illusion of financial security.

Translations Courtesy of Sefaria, except when, sometimes, I disagree with the translation

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