What Kavana (intention) must a person have when he enters the Sukka during the holiday of Sukkot?
There are three basic intentions that one must have when fulfilling this Misva. First, one must have in mind that he fulfills the Torah obligation to live in the Sukka on Sukkot. Secondly, one must intend to commemorate Yesi’at Misrayim (the Exodus from Egypt) by living in the Sukka. In addition, one must have in mind to commemorate the "Sukkot" in which Beneh Yisrael resided during their sojourn through the wilderness. This refers either to the physical structures in which they lived, or the Ananeh Ha’kabod (clouds of glory) which encircled them throughout their travels in the desert.
The Misva of Sukka differs from other Misvot in that the Torah itself specifically stated the purpose it is intended to serve: "…in order that your [future] generations know that I had Beneh Yisrael reside in Sukkot when I took them from the land of Egypt" (Vayikra 23:43). Since the purpose of this Misva is to recall Beneh Yisrael’s travels through the wilderness, it is imperative to have this intention when living in the Sukka. We might compare Sukka in this respect to the Misva of Sisit, which, as the Torah says (Bamidbar 15:40), is intended to remind us about the Misvot: "…in order that you remember to perform all My commandments." The Sisit strings resemble a string that somebody ties around his finger to remind him of something. If he looks at the string and does not remember what it is supposed to remind him of, then the entire purpose of the string is undermined. Likewise, a person who fails to remember the Misvot when wearing Sisit has not fulfilled the essence of the Misva. By the same token, a person must have in mind that he commemorates the "Sukkot" of the wilderness when he sits in the Sukka on Sukkot. In fact, some authorities ruled that if a person does not have this intention when he eats in the Sukka on the first night of Sukkot, he must eat another Ke’zayit of bread. Although Halacha does not follow this view, it demonstrates the importance of having this intention when eating in the Sukka. This applies anytime one enters the Sukka throughout the seven days of Sukkot.
Summary: Whenever a person enters the Sukka during the Sukkot, he must have in mind to fulfill the Torah obligation to live in the Sukka during Sukkot, and that he commemorates the Exodus from Egypt and the conditions in which Beneh Yisrael lived as they traveled through the wilderness under God’s protection.
