The Mitzvah of Living in a Sukkah:
1. For the entire seven days, both in day and night, a person is commanded by the Torah to eat, sleep, and spend his time in the Sukkah in the same way that he does in the house during the year. (it’s good to maximize one’s time there)
2. Women aren’t obligated to live/sit in the Sukkah. However, a woman who sits in the Sukkah fulfills a Torah Mitzvah.
3. Women should preferably light the Shabbos and Yom Tov candles in the Sukkah, since the main Mitzvah is to enjoy the lights during the meal. However, if there is a concern that they may be extinguished by the wind, or they may be a fire risk [especially when there are little children in the Sukkah], she should light them in the house (if possible, they should be placed near a window/glass door that faces the Sukkah)
4. Boys from the age of five or six should be trained to fulfill the Mitzvah of living in the Sukkah, but are not obligated.
5. Ideally, one should minimize mundane talk while in the Sukkah. Nevertheless, if a person needs to discuss business matters [only on Chol Hamoed] with a friend, he may do so and should not leave the Sukkah.
Eating in the Sukkah:
1. Only meals must be eaten in the Sukkah (not snacks/drinks). But it’s praiseworthy to eat/drink inside the Sukkah.
2. A meal consists of eating bread that is larger than the volume of a Halachik egg, which is: between 2 – 3 ½ ounces [or 58-100 cc]. A meal could also consist of 1-1 ¾ ounces [or 29-50 cc.] of bread accompanied with other food.
3. mezonos foods are equated with bread. One should not eat outside of the Sukkah a piece of Mezonos larger than the volume of a Halachik egg. [rice is excluded from this Mezonos rule.]
4. If a person is eating a meal in the Sukkah, everything he eats is considered to be part of the meal. Therefore, he is forbidden to have any food or drink outside of the Sukkah during that meal.
Sleeping in the Sukkah:
1. During the week of Sukkos one is obligated to sleep in the Sukkah.
2. There are two reasons why people may be lenient and sleep in the house:
• In many countries, the weather is cold at this time of year, and sleeping in the Sukkah would cause much discomfort.
• if a married man would sleep in the Sukkah leaving his wife alone in the house, this may cause him and her distress.
3. If the temperature is so cold in the Sukkah, to the degree that he would not sleep in his house as well, one should not sleep in the Sukkah. (it is praiseworthy to heat the Sukkah in order to be able to perform this important Mitzvah)
4. A healthy single or married man during the day or if a wife does not mind her husband sleeping in the Sukkah at night AND the weather is favourable – should sleep in the Sukkah.
5. One should preferably eat and sleep in the Sukkah with nothing intervening between him and the S’chach (ceiling). However, if necessary, it is permitted to sleep under a table.
The First Night of Sukkos:
1. The 1st night of Sukkos men are obligated to eat in the Sukkah. The rest of Sukkos, they are obligated to eat in the Sukkah only if they want to eat a meal. (One should preferably eat a piece of bread the size of a Halachik egg. If this is difficult, one can eat ½ of that amount. But make sure the bread is eaten within a span of between 2-4 minutes)
2. There is a similar obligation on the second night for Jews living outside of Eretz Yisroel.
3. One may not eat this bread before nightfall. (in 2007, Kiddush is said no earlier than 7:50 pm)
4. When eating this first piece of bread, you should think of the following: a) fulfilling the Mitzvah to sit in the Sukkah;
b) the Sukkah is a reminder of the exodus from Egypt & the clouds of glory that protected the Jews in the desert
The Blessing for the Sukkah:
1. The blessing for the Sukkah is “Baruch…Asher Kidishanu Bemitzsvosav Ve’Tzivanu Leisheiv BaSukkah.”
2. The blessing is recited under the following conditions:
• When eating bread that is the amount of larger than a Halachik egg.
• When eating Mezonos that is the amount of larger than a Halachik egg.
• When eating Mezonos that is ½ the amount of a Halachik egg at Kiddush on Shabbos or Yom Tov.
3. When eating bread or Mezonos, the blessing of the food is recited before the blessing for the Sukkah (then EAT!)
4. When Kiddush is said, the blessing is included in the Kiddush (at the daytime meal there are two customs. Some
include the blessing for the Sukkah in the Kiddush; some recite it with the blessing of Hamotzi. Both are acceptable.
5. Although Havdalah is made in the Sukkah, we do not make a blessing for the Sukkah during Havdalah. It would be ideal to eat bread or Mezonos after Havdalah and make the blessing for the Sukkah with the blessing for the food.
6. If a person forgot to say the blessing and began the meal, he should still say the blessing as soon as he remembers and eat some more.
7. If the person didn’t remember until after saying the after-blessing, he may still say it if he intends to remain a while.
8. If a person remains in the Sukkah all day or leaves for a short break, he does not repeat the blessing even at his next meal. If he leaves for a significant break, he should repeat the blessing the next time he eats bread or Mezonos.
9. A significant break would be: going to pray Shacharis, leaving for two hours, leaving due to heavy rain.
10. According to Ashkenazic tradition, women say the blessing in the same situations that men do.
11. The blessing is said sitting. If Kiddush is recited standing, some have the custom to remain standing; others sit)
12. One says the Shehechiyanu blessing the first time one eats in the Sukkah. This is included in Kiddush.
Rain:
1. One is not obligated to eat in the Sukkah if it is raining heavily ([except the 1st night); One is if it’s raining lightly.
2. Raining heavily = rain coming through the S’chach into the Sukkah to the extent that if this would be happening in the house, he would leave the room. (A sensitive person who is disturbed even by light rain can leave the Sukkah)
3. If a person is sleeping in the Sukkah, he is permitted to leave even if it is raining lightly, as this disturbs his sleep.
4. If the sky is overcast and it is certain to rain soon, one is obligated to eat and sleep in the Sukkah until it actually rains. Alternatively, one can wait to eat and sleep until it rains, and then begin eating and sleeping in the house.
5. If it is raining to the degree that one is exempt from the Mitzvah, then he should leave. One who remains in the Sukkah at this point is acting foolishly and receives no reward. It is forbidden to make a blessing for the Sukkah!
6. If the rain stops, and you have not yet sat down to eat in the house, you must go back and eat in the Sukkah, even if you originally left the Sukkah in the middle of the meal. If you are in the middle of eating in the house, you may remain there until the end of the meal. (It is praiseworthy to return to the Sukkah immediately)
7. When a person returns to the Sukkah after the rain stops, the previous blessing is no longer valid. Therefore, one should repeat the blessing when you eat bread or Mezonos again.
8. If it has stopped raining, but it is still dripping in the Sukkah, you may remain in the house.
Rain on the First Two Nights of Sukkos:
1. If it’s raining on the 1st night, one should preferably wait an hour for the rain to stop to fulfill the Mitzvah properly.
2. If the family cannot wait so long or has invited guests who are hungry and wish to eat immediately, he should make Kiddush in the Sukkah omitting the blessing for Sukkah, wash hands, say Hamotzi and eat ½ the size of a Halachik egg of bread in the Sukkah, eat the rest of the meal in the house and say the after blessing in the house.
3. Under these conditions, women are not required to be in the Sukkah at all. However, they must fulfill the Mitzvah of Kiddush in the house and not in the Sukkah. Therefore, if the Sukkah is adjacent to the house, the women should listen to Kiddush from the house. [They should remember to say the Shehechiyanu blessing for the Sukkah when they eat the first meal there, unless they recited it when lighting candles there.]
4. If the rain stops during the meal, the men should return to the Sukkah, say the blessing for the Sukkah, eat another piece of bread larger than a Halachik egg and say the after blessing in the Sukkah. The women may do as they wish.
5. If the rain only stops after one has finished his entire meal and said the after blessing in the house, the men are still required to fulfill the Mitzvah of Sukkah. They should wash again, say the Hamotzi and the blessing on the Sukkah and eat a piece of bread larger than a Halachik egg.
6. If the rain continues, a person should wait as long as he is able to. But if he is very tired, he may go to sleep.
7. If it rains on the 2nd night, a person should wait a little while in the house in the hope that the rain will stop. If it continues, he should make Kiddush and begin the meal in the house. At the end of the meal, he should go to the Sukkah, eat a piece of bread that is ½ the size of a Halachik egg and say the after blessing there. The blessing for the Sukkah should not be recited. If the rain stops during or after the meal, see points 4 and 5.
Special Exemptions:
1. A person is exempt from the Mitzvah of Sukkah if they are in discomfort. (ie. In the same circumstances he would leave the house) There is no Mitzvah to remain in the Sukkah if you are exempt due to discomfort. It is praiseworthy to try to make the Sukkah comfortable in order to be able to remain there. Common Examples:
• The Sukkah is too hot or too cold. [If one can easily dress warmly or heat the Sukkah, he should do so.]
• There is an unpleasant smell.
• There are many insects in the Sukkah.
• There is noise that is causing much disturbance.
• Leaves or twigs are falling into the food and he is very disturbed by this.
• If the lights accidentally go out in the Sukkah on Friday night,
(Discomfort doesn’t exempt a person on the 1st night. He must make Kiddush and eat at least ½ the size of a halachik egg of bread in the Sukkah before moving into the house, but he doesn’t make the blessing for the Sukkah.)
2. A person is exempt from the Mitzvah of Sukkah if they are in sick (ie. needs to be in bed, or a person who has a pain and will feel more comfortable in the house than in the Sukkah [e.g. headache, pain in the eyes, etc.]) A person who has a tendency to catch a cold due to sleeping in the Sukkah, is permitted to sleep in the house. (ex. children)
3. A person is exempt from the Mitzvah of Sukkah if they are preoccupied with other Mitzvos.
4. A person is exempt from the Mitzvah of Sukkah if they traveling and may eat freely while traveling, unless he can easily find a Sukkah along the way. However, it is highly recommended to arrange one’s schedule in a way so that one not is traveling on Sukkos. It is forbidden to eat or sleep outside of a Sukkah if one is traveling only for pleasure.
The Laws of The Four Species
The Mitzvah of the Four Species
1. The Torah says: "On the first day…you shall take...the beautiful fruit (Esrog), a palm frond (Lulav), myrtle twigs and willow branches of the stream." (Leviticus 23:40). The Talmud deduces from a second source that there is a mitzvah to take the 4 species in the Temple for the rest of succos. The rabbis extended that mitzvah to everywhere else.
2. On the 1st & 2nd days of Succos, a person can only fulfill the mitzvah with a set that he owns or gets as a gift..
3. It is a mitzvah and custom to tie the species together with a piece of lulav: the lulav should be in the center with it’s spine facing the person, the three hadassim are to the right and two aravos are to the left. The lulav should be approx. 8cm above the tips of the hadassim, which should be extend slightly over the tips of the aravos. (remember: tying a double knot on shabbos/yom tov is prohibited - if you have to, just wind the tie around the species & tuck it in)
4. The main custom is to “take” the 4 species in shul immediately before Hallel (others take them before shul).
(except on shabbos as they are muktzah) One should remove their rings before doing this mitzvah.
5. The bundle of lulav-aravos-hadassim should be picked up in the right hand, with their tips pointing up and the spine of the lulav facing the person. The esrog should be picked up in the left hand, with it’s top facing down.
6. The blessing “al ni-tilas lulav" (see pg. 630) is recited (and on the first day the shehechiyanu is added).
7. The 4 species are waved & shaken in 6 directions, 2 times: front, right, back, left, up, down. (others differ)
8. Be careful not to turn your body or point the 4 species downwards.
9. The species are also waved during Hallel and Hoshanos procession (see instructions on pg. 638,640)
10. This mitzvah should be performed during the daytime, each of the seven days of Sukkot (except for Shabbat).
11. To keep them fresh, the species may be put in water if they were already in water at the start of Yom Tov. Water may be added but not changed on Yom Tov. Some wrap them in wet cloth or put them in Ziplocs in the fridge.
The Laws of the Esrog (citron)
1. The esrog should come with a hechsher certifying that it’s not orlah, tevel or a result of grafting
2. The esrog should preferably be turning yellow rather than green.
3. If even a tiny part of the green/yellow layer of the esrog is missing, it’s not kosher.
4. If the stem (below) falls off, the esrog is not kosher; if the stem hole remains fully covered, it’s still kosher.
(a bracha may be said over an incomplete esrog from the 2nd day of Succos onwards, if only a tiny amount is missing)
5. If the esrog grew with a protruding stem (above, called a pitom), then that stem cannot be broken off. (However, if the pitom fell off during it’s natural growth process, it is still kosher.)
6. The peel cannot be overly soft, cracked, dry or peeled.
7. Even a small black, white or dark green/brown dot on the upper part invalidates the esrog. (cream/beige is ok!)
8. The shape should preferably be like a tower - wider at the bottom and narrow at the top, symmetrical and bumpy.
The Laws of the Hadasim (myrtle)
1. Three myrtle branches should all be covered by sets of three leaves growing out of it along its whole breadth.
(a kosher hadas must have this pattern repeated over at least half the length of the branch)
2. The branch cannot be dried out to the extent that it has lost its color. (this is extremely uncommon)
3. Each branch should be at least 11 inches (29 cm.) long.
The Laws of the Aravos (willow)
1. Two willo w branches are used and have 3 characteristic features:
a) The stem should preferably be red (some might be green but will turn red soon)
b) The leaves should be oblong (long and narrow), not round in shape. (and a majority of them must remain)
c) The leaves should have a smooth edge (although they may be slightly serrated)
2. The stem should be at least 11 inches (29 cm.) long and the top should not be cut off.
The Laws of the Lulav (palm frond)
1. The leaves should preferably lie flat on the spine. (a sign of a “canary” is blue-green leaves that are short)
2. Make sure that the center-most leaf (“teyomes”) at the top is not split, but rather is closed (at least half-way down).
(but one may make a blessing over a lulav with an unkosher teyomes on Chol HaMoed)
3. If a majority of the leaves are split (at least half-way down) the lulav is not kosher.
4. A lulav missing any part (usually the top) is not kosher and may not be used for the duration of Succos.
5. The branch cannot be dried out (ie. when it becomes white; but a brownish covering is common and kosher)
6. The lulav should be at least 16 inches (39 cm.) long.
The Laws of Building the Succah
The Building
1. One should preferably begin building the succah on Motzei Yom Kippur and finish the day after Yom Kippur.
(one may even build a succah on Chol HaMoed Succos)
2. It is preferable to be personally involved in the building of the succah and the placing of the s’chach.
3. A succah must be built under the sky, with nothing intervening - therefore, don’t build a succah under:
a) a roof
b) an overhanging balcony
c) a tree
4. If a section of the succah is covered, as long as the uncovered section has the minimum dimensions the succah is kosher. It must be remembered that one may only eat under that uncovered section
5. Ideally, If the succah is built over grass, the grass should be covered since it is hard to avoid spilling liquids.
The Size of a Succah
1. The minimum size of a succah (smallest area in which a person could sit) is 70cm x 70cm. (there is no maximum)
2. The minimum height of a succah is 100cm, but it is kosher if it measures 80cm. (maximum is approx. 10 meters)
3. A succah must have at least 2 ½ walls, but the custom is to have 4 walls to avoid needless halachic issues.
4. The walls may be made with any sturdy material (but don’t need to touch the ground or the s’chach necessarily).
The S’chach
1. The Torah requires one to use a material that satisfies these three conditions:
a) It’s Vegetation (planks of wood must be less than 5cm wide; otherwise it would look too much like a house)
b) It’s Detached From the Ground (ie. branches are preferable - but they may not be stolen!!)
c) It’s Incapable of Becoming Tamei (ie. it was never once a usable vessel or furniture, etc.)
2. One must use enough s’chach to cover a majority of the area of the roof (area covered > area uncovered!) but still enough space to see some stars at night.
3. The walls of the succah must be built before the s’chach is put in place.
4. All decorations should hang within 32 cm of the s’chach
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