The Gemorah in Mesechta Avodah Zora relates, that after Onkelos became a ger, the Roman emperor sent legions of soldiers to seize him and imprison him. As they were removing him, he related to them about the Yidden traveling in the desert and having been led and directed by the special clouds- the ananei hakavod. When hearing this, they immediately changed course, joined Onkelos and became geirim. What was it that captivated them and caused that astounding about-face? Why did Onkelos spotlight the miracle of the clouds more than any other miracles performed for the Yidden? The splitting of the sea was documented as having terrified all the nations of the world. Certainly that tale would have been more gripping!

Additionally, in Parshas Shlach, Moshe Rabeinu davened to spare Klal Yisroel following the sin of the meraglim and claimed, “All of the nations heard of your intense love for the Yidden and of the tremendous miracles you performed on their behalf; you enveloped them in those special clouds etc.” Why was the miracle of the clouds singled out?

Rav Dessler shlit”a explains that the uniqueness of the ananei hakavod was not the miraculous protection that it afforded to the Yidden. The ananei hakavod represents an unbreakable attachment to Hashem that Klal Yisroel possesses as He envelopes us in the ananim. Hakadosh Baruch Hu maintains a grasp on us even in the darkest times. The clouds provide us with an infusion of kedushah that catapults us to the loftiest levels of ruchnius. This is the greatness of the ananei hakavod.

Moshe Rabeinu selected the clouds as a demonstration of Hashem’s tremendous, unbreakable bond with His people.

The Sukkah represents these clouds. When we enter the Sukkah, we are reentering Hashem’s embrace, tightly encompassing us. This is an opportune time to reach out and beseech Him as our loving Father cradles us in His grasp.

Eating fallen fruits on Yom Tov

It is forbidden to eat or move fruits which were attached to a tree at the onset of Shabbos or Yom Tov. This prohibition, known as peiros shenoshru, is mid’rabonon and applies even when melacha was not done to detach the fruit (e.g. it fell off by itself or a non-Jew picked it for his own use). Chazal were concerned that if people were allowed to eat such fruit, they might end up picking fruit off trees. In addition, fruit that is attached to a tree at the onset of Shabbos and Yom Tov is muktzeh. Even a fruit that was detached before Shabbos but was perched upon the branches would be forbidden to eat if it fell off the tree. Although the first reason does not apply, the fruits would still be muktzeh because it is forbidden to remove anything from a tree.

[47שו"ע תקטו, ב, ומשנ"ב כג; ביאורים ומוספים דרשו]

Using freshly cut arovos on the second day of Yom Tov

If a fruit was permissibly removed from a tree on Shabbos or Yom Tov, some poskim maintain that the decree of peiros shenoshru does not apply. An example would be a situation in which fruits were picked for a person suffering from a life-threatening illness. Based on this concept, some poskim allow a resident of chutz l’aretz (who is in Eretz Yisroel) to use arovos that were picked on the second day of Yom Tov. Since the arovos were permitted to be cut (by a resident of Eretz Yisroel), the edict of peiros shenoshru would not apply. The arovos would also not be muktzeh, since it was known at the onset of Yom Tov Sheini that they were going to be harvested. In addition, there are some opinions that hold that the original decree only applies to edible plants and not to inedible branches such as arovos. Other poskim are stringent and do not allow using such arovos unless there are no other arovos available.

47 ביאורים ומוספים דרשו תקטו

Eating fresh bread on Shabbos

Generally, a Jew may benefit from a melacha that a non-Jew performed on his own behalf. There are a number of exceptions to this rule, which include: 1) fruits that he picked on Yom Tov (see above), 2) any food which is muktzeh, such as an animal which he captured on Yom Tov, and 3) foods that are exceedingly tasty, such as freshly baked bread. If one were to eat such bread, he might come to ask the non-Jew to bake on his behalf in the future.