Building the Sukkah

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Building the Sukkah

  1. One should try to begin building the sukkah immediately after Yom Kippur so that he goes one from one mitzvah to another. [1]
  2. One should try to personally be involved in the construction of his sukkah. [2] If one is unable to build a Sukkah on their own and has someone else do it for them, it is proper to have the one building it to at least leave off a small amount of Schach for the owner of the Sukkah to put up by himself. [3]
  3. Although it is permitted for any person to place the schach [4], it is preferable to be stringent and have an adult Jewish male place it on the sukkah. [5]
  4. When one appoints someone else to build their Sukkah, it is proper to say to them "You are my messenger to do this Mitzvah of putting up my Sukkah and Schach for the Mitzvah [6]

Number of walls of the Sukkah

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  1. The minimum number of walls necessary for a Sukkah is 3 of length 7 Tefachim. [7] It's possible to build the third wall without having to complete it but see footnote for details. [8]
  2. The minimum measure of a Sukkah is 7 Tefachim in length by 7 Tefachim in width and 10 Tefachim in height. [9]
  3. If the walls of the sukkah are 10 tefachim tall, but they do not reach up to the sechach, the sukkah is kosher as long as the walls are lined up with the roof or within 3 tefachim, based on the principle of gud asik mechitzta.[10] According to most poskim, it is permitted to make a sukkah in different shapes as long as a sukkah of 7 x 7 tefachim is able to fit inside it.[11]
  4. Walls of the sukkah that are made by placing poles within 3 tefachim of each other are kosher walls because of the principle of lavud. This is true whether the poles are placed horizontally or vertically.[12]
  5. A sukkah must be at least ten tefachim tall.[13]
  6. There is no maximum width or length but the maximum height is 20 Amot. [14]
  7. If the walls are made of poles or strings only in the horizontal direction or only in the vertical direction then one must have 4 wall complete walls, however, if there are 3 walls and a Tefach for the fourth wall it's a doubt whether it's acceptable. [15]
  8. The walls must be built within 3 Tefachim of the ground. [16]

Arrangement of the walls

  1. If one has two walls facing one another and the third is four Tefachim it must be within 3 Tefachim of one side and within 3 of the other or at least have a tzurat hapetach to the second side. [17]
  2. If there are 3 walls of 7 tefachim, the schach that extends beyond the third wall is valid and included in the sukkah.[18]
  3. If the third wall is a complete wall of 7 tefachim the sukkah is valid even if it far from the other walls.[19]

Building a Sukkah in the street

  1. If there's no room on private property to build a Sukkah and the city leaders (mayor) give permission, it's permissible to build it in the public street however one should make sure that the Sukkah doesn't to block walkers (traffic). [20]

Materials for walls of Sukkah

  1. All materials are permissible to be for the walls of a Sukkah (see next halacha). Some say that that a pious person should preferably only use materials that aren't Biblically unfit for S'chach. [21]
  2. Many authorities hold that plastic curtains (tarp, canvas) are unfit for walls of a Sukkah, while others permit. [This is not because of an issue with the material itself but because of an issue with it blowing in the wind.] [22]

When should one build the Sukkah?

  1. The pious are careful to build to begin building the Sukkah on Motzei Yom Kippur and finish it the next day in order to go from one mitzvah (Yom Kippur) to another (Sukkot). [23]
  2. If there is a shabbat between Yom Kippur and Sukkot some poskim say that there is an obligation to build it before that shabbat. Avnei Nezer 459 writes that this obligation isn't just because of zrizin makdimin limitzvot and therefore it is an obligation. However, the Minchat Elazar 4:55 writes that this is not an obligation but just the preferred option, and this is the conclusion of Yalkut Yosef page 118 and Chazon Ovadia Sukkot page 99. </ref>
  3. Preferably, one should build it for himself, but if this isn't possible he should appoint an agent to do it for him and strive to at least take part in the building in some form even if this means missing out on more learning time. [24]
  4. If a Sukkah was set up with the S'chach from before 30 days before sukkot and it wasn't made for the purpose of the mitzvah of Sukkot one must change or improve one thing (such as putting down S'chach) of an area a Tefach by a Tefach or the whole width even if it's of minimal length (or vice versa). However, if it was made within 30 days of Sukkot or was made for the express purpose of Sukkot it's fit even without any change. However, if the Sukkah was originally built for Sukkot and stands unchanged year to year it requires some change the each year. This is only if the S'chach was put in advance but if just the walls were putup in advance and not the S'chach there's no issue. [25]
  5. If one forgot intentionally or unintentionally to build a Sukkah before Sukkot one can build it on chol hamoed. One may, however, not build it or fix it on Yom Tov. [26]
    1. If one builds a Sukkah on Chol HaMoed, one should recite a Shehechiyanu the first time one sits in the newly built Sukkah. [27]

Decorations of the Sukkah

  1. It is a mitzvah to decorate and beautify the sukkah. [28]
  2. On Shabbat and Yom Tov one must ensure not to move any of the sukkah decorations because they are muktzah.[29]
  3. The decorations of the Sukkah are forbidden from benefit from the first day of Sukkot until after Simchat Torah unless one stipulates before Yom Tov that I want to be able to eat and get benefit from these decorations at any time during the holiday. [30] This is true about decorations on the walls as well. [31]
  4. If the decorations fell on Chol HaMoed one may move them and put them back up. However, one may not benefit from it (if it's food one may not eat it) unless one stipulated as above. [32]
  5. One should make sure to keep the decorations hanging from the S'chach within 4 Tefachim of the S'chach.[33] Some say that the decorations only need to begin within 4 Tefachim of the S'chach.[34]
  6. One who makes colored paper chains as a decoration of the Sukkah should make sure that it is within 4 Tefachim of the S'chach. After the fact, it is, nonetheless, fit to sit, eat, and sleep under. [35]
  7. If the decorations fell on Yom Tov they are muktzah and can not be moved. [36]
  8. If one needs to remove a decoration because of fear of rain or thieves on Shabbat or Yom Tov preferably one should stipulate (as above). Nonetheless, if one forgot then he may remove them. [37] On Chol Ha'moed the decorations may always be removed even without a stipulation. [38]
  9. If one places an artistic covering underneath his schach within four tefachim of the schach and his intention is to beautify the sukkah the sukkah is kosher. However, if the covering is placed above the schach or if it isn’t to beautify the sukkah, the sukkah is invalid. [39]
  10. One must avoid writing any pesukim for the sole purpose of decorating his sukkah because it is forbidden to write pesukim unless it is a whole sefer.[40] Nonetheless, one may purchase printed pesukim to hang in his sukkah.[41]

Miscellaneous

  1. A sukkah built for sukkot is exempt from a mezuza since it is a temporary structure. [42]
  2. A sukkah built on a wagon, car, ship, etc. is kosher, and one who sits in it can recite the beracha of leshev basukkah even while it is moving. [43]
  3. Throughout the entire holiday, it is Biblically forbidden to derive benefit from any of the essential materials used in building the sukkah. Regarding these materials, a stipulation will not permit one to derive benefit from them. [44]

Covering the Sukkah in case of rain

  1. It's permissible to cover the Sukkah on Shabbat and Yom Tov with a plastic tarp to prevent it from getting wet if one places the tarp directly above the Schach and not a tefach above the Schach and one has in mind to remove the tarp when one next uses the Sukkah for the mitzvah. [45]

Sources

  1. ↑ Rama 624:5 and 625:1
  2. ↑ Rav Reuven Margolis in Nefesh Chaya 625:1 writes that even one who cannot sit in the Sukkah for whatever reason and has no male family members that are required to sit in the Sukkah, still should have a Sukkah built to at least perform the mitzvah of "Building" a Sukkah. He cites the Gemara Makkot 8a, Shvuot 29a, and Yerushalmi Berachot 9:3 that a beracha is recited on the construction of a sukkah.
  3. ↑ Kaf HaChaim 625:11. see also Rabbi Eli Mansour's Dailyhalacha for a longer discussion
  4. ↑ Shulchan Aruch 635:1
  5. ↑ Kaf Hachayim 635:8, Chida in Sefer Kaf Achat 24:2
  6. ↑ Kaf HaChaim 625:11
  7. ↑ The Mishna Sukkah 2a states that a sukkah requires only three walls. The Gemara (Sukkah 6b) quotes a Tosefta (Sukkah 1:9) which records a dispute about how many walls are needed for a sukkah. The Rabbis hold that a sukkah requires two full walls and a third wall of at least a tefach, while Rabbi Shimon holds that a sukkah requires three full walls and a fourth wall of at least a tefach. The Shulchan Aruch 630:2 rules in accordance with the Rabbis. The Chaye Adam (146:3) writes that it is preferable to construct a sukkah of four complete walls, however, he agrees that this is not required.
  8. ↑ S"A 630:2 according to the explanation of the Mishna Brurah 630:6 the third wall doesn't have to be a full wall of 7 Tefachim but must still look like a wall and so it's permissible to build two walls next to each other (say one is from southwest to southeast and the other is southeast to northeast) and then a third wall (from northeast to northwest) constructed with a wall which is more than one Tefach thick within 3 Tefachim to one of the two other walls (within 3 Tefachim of the northeast corner) and also a pole at the end of 7 Tefachim (7 Tefachim from the northeast corner) and a pole on top of the more than one tefach wall and the pole at the end of 7 Tefachim. See picture.
     
  9. ↑ S"A 633:8, 634:1, Chazon Ovadia sukkot page 9.
  10. ↑ Chazon Ovadia Sukkot pg. 12.
    The Gemara (3a) records three opinions regarding the minimum area of a sukkah. Rebbe believes that the minimum area is four amot by four amot. Beit Hillel maintains that a sukkah only needs to fit one’s head and body, which is estimated to be about six by six tefachim. Beit Shammai rules that the sukkah must also be able to fit a small table, and thus must be at least seven by seven tefachim. The gemara rules in accordance with Beit Shamai, and this is codified in the S”A 634:1. See Tosfot 3a s.v. di’amar for a list of cases where halacha accords with Beit Shammai.
  11. ↑ The achronim discuss whether a sukkah that is longer than seven tefachim but narrower than seven (e.g. 5 by 8) is valid. The Mishna Brurah 634:1 writes that most achronim agree that this sukkah is invalid. Chazon Ovadia p. 11 agrees. Shulchan Aruch 634:2 writes that one may construct a sukkah of other shapes, such as a circle, as long as a sukkah of seven tefachim by seven tefachim can fit inside it.
  12. ↑ Chazon Ovadia Sukkot pg. 5-6
  13. ↑ Mishna (Sukkah 2a), Rambam Hilchot Sukkah 4:1, Tur and Shulchan Aruch 633:8
  14. ↑ S"A 633:1, 634:1
  15. ↑ Rav Shlomo Zalman Auerbach in Halichot Shlomo (7:2, p. 98)
  16. ↑ Shulchan Aruch 630:9, Rav Shlomo Zalman Auerbach in Halichot Shlomo (7:5, p. 100), Chazon Ovadia Sukkot pg. 12
  17. ↑ S"A 630:3
  18. ↑ S”A 631:7, Mishna Brurah 631:15
  19. ↑ Chut Shani (Sukkah p. 225), cf. Rama 630:3
  20. ↑ Rav Shlomo Zalman Auerbach in Halichot Shlomo (7:11, pg 109)
  21. ↑ S"A 630:1 rules that all materials are permissible. Beiur Halacha s.v. Kol quotes two reasons that a pious person should be strict only to use materials that are not unfit biblically for S'chach based on the Bach siman 630, but quotes others who reject this stringency. See Chazon Ovadia Sukkot 1-2 for a list of poskim as well even though he allows the use of these materials.
  22. ↑ Rav Ovadiah Yosef in Chazon Ovadyah (pg 1-5), Yabia Omer OC 9:59, and Yechave Daat 3:46, Rav Menashe Klein Mishnah Halachot 512, rav chaim zonnenfeld in salmat chaim 254 and Rav Shlomo Zalman Auerbach in Halichot Shlomo (Sukkah 7:1 pg 97) hold that plastic curtains that sway in the wind even slightly are unfit for walls of a Sukkah. However, Rav Moshe Feinstein in Sh”t Iggerot Moshe 5:40 permits if the curtains are thick and there are poles. Rav Hershel Schachter (min 72-80) explains that even though the Chazon Ish (hilchot eruvin 13:6) was lenient most poskim are strict. Rav Schachter leaves an absolute guideline unclear but in a situation of extreme need one could rely on the Chazon Ish.
  23. ↑ Rama 624:5, Mishna Brurah 624:19, Yalkut Yosef Moadim page 118, Chazon Ovadia Sukkot page 99
  24. ↑ Yalkut Yosef Moadim page 199, Chazon Ovadia Sukkot page 99
  25. ↑ S"A 636:1, Mishna Brurah 636:1, 5-7. Mishna Brurah 636:4 also points out that this is only the preferable course of action (but after the fact isn't absolutely necessary).
  26. ↑ S"A 637:1, Mishna Brurah 637:1. See Rabbi Shay Schachter in a shiur on yutorah.org who discusses the opinion of Rabbi Eliezer who wouldn't allow building a Sukkah on Chol HaMoed.
  27. ↑ Yalkut Yosef 637:1
  28. ↑ Gemara Shabbat 133b, Chazon Ovadyah (Sukkot pg 74). Mishna Brurah 638:11 writes that it's a mitzvah to decorate the sukkah with important fruit and clothes, however, one should not hang nice fruit if one has children and one knows that the children will rip them down and eat them. The concept of hidur mitzva, beautification of mitzvot is brought down in Shabbat 133b based on the pasuk “Zeh Eli VeAnvehu” - “This is my God and I will Beautify His Mitzvot”. The Raavad (cited in Chidushei Anshei Shem, Brachos 38a, no. 2) suggests that Hiddur Mitzvah is a biblical commandment, whereas the Ritva (Sukkah 11b s.v. Vi’ee) holds that it is only rabbinic.
  29. ↑ Rama 638:2
  30. ↑ S"A 638:2, Chazon Ovadyah (Sukkot pg 77) , mishna brura 638:2
  31. ↑ Although the S"A 638:2 writes that anything “hanging in the sukkah” is forbidden to derive benefit from, the Mishna Brurah 638:10 writes that this status also extends to other decorations hanging from the walls of the sukkah.
  32. ↑ Mishna Brurah 638:14, Chazon Ovadyah (Sukkot pg 83)
  33. ↑ Rama 627:4
  34. ↑ Chazon Ovadyah (Sukkot pg 76) writes that it's only lechatchila to have the decorations within 4 tefachim of the s'chach. Then he says perhaps it only needs to start within 4 tefachim of the s'chach. Rav Yacov Kamenetsky in Emet LeYacov Shulchan Aruch 627 writes that the beginning of the decoration has to be within 4 tefachim of the s'chach.
  35. ↑ Chazon Ovadyah (Sukkot pg 76)
  36. ↑ Rama 638:2, Chazon Ovadyah (Sukkot pg 83)
  37. ↑ Mishna Brurah 638:24, Chazon Ovadyah (Sukkot pg 92), Shalmei Moed (pg 107)
  38. ↑ Piskei Tshuvot page 361
  39. ↑ S"A 627:4. Chazon Ovadia p. 84 writes that if one’s intention is to both beautify the sukkah and to protect oneself from the sun and rain the sukkah is kosher.
  40. ↑ S”A 638:2
  41. ↑ Piskei Teshuvot p. 363
  42. ↑ Chazon Ovadia Sukkot page 94, Shulchan Aruch YD 286:11 based on Yoma 10b.
  43. ↑ Yalkut Yosef Moadim page 121, Yechave Daat 3:47, Chazon Ovadia Sukkot page 169.
  44. ↑ Mishna Brurah 638:1 explaining S"A there. See Tosfot (Sukkah 9a s.v. minayin). The Rama 638:1 notes that the essential materials of the sukkah can’t be used even if makes a stipulation that they should not be designated for a mitzvah.
  45. ↑ Sh"t Igrot Moshe 5:39(4) writes that it's permissible to cover the Sukkah with a plastic sheet on Shabbat and Yom Tov without an issue of Boneh by making an Ohel nor the issue of muktzeh.
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