The first place that God calls for Sukkot, or the Feast of Tabernacles (Booths), to be observed is in Leviticus 23:33f.
39 “On the fifteenth day of the seventh month, when you have gathered in the produce of the land, you shall celebrate the feast of the Lord seven days. On the first day shall be a solemn rest, and on the eighth day shall be a solemn rest. 40 And you shall take on the first day the fruit of splendid trees, branches of palm trees and boughs of leafy trees and willows of the brook, and you shall rejoice before the Lord your God seven days. 41 You shall celebrate it as a feast to the Lord for seven days in the year. It is a statute forever throughout your generations; you shall celebrate it in the seventh month. 42 You shall dwell in booths for seven days. All native Israelites shall dwell in booths, 43 that your generations may know that I made the people of Israel dwell in booths when I brought them out of the land of Egypt: I am the Lord your God.”
In the parallel passage in Deuteronomy 16, the people are commanded to "rejoice in your feast... so that you will be altogether joyful" (vs. 14-15). Here we also are told that this was one of three "pilgrim" feasts, that is, for which they were to go up to Jerusalem.
Lastly, listen to what God commands with regard to his Word and this Feast in Deuteronomy 31. This is one of the last things Moses shares with them before it is his time to depart:
9 Then Moses wrote this law and gave it to the priests, the sons of Levi, who carried the ark of the covenant of the Lord, and to all the elders of Israel. 10 And Moses commanded them, “At the end of every seven years, at the set time in the year of release, at the Feast of Booths, 11 when all Israel comes to appear before the Lord your God at the place that he will choose, you shall read this law before all Israel in their hearing. 12 Assemble the people, men, women, and little ones, and the sojourner within your towns, that they may hear and learn to fear the Lord your God, and be careful to do all the words of this law, 13 and that their children, who have not known it, may hear and learn to fear the Lord your God, as long as you live in the land that you are going over the Jordan to possess.”
So we have themes of rejoicing in the goodness and provision of the Lord, of remembering the transitoriness of the wilderness wandering and our current journey, and of all God's people gathered in Jerusalem to hear all the words of Torah...
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