Eating in the Sukkah: Difference between revisions

Based on the pesukim in the Torah which read -בַּסֻּכֹּת תֵּשְׁבוּ, שִׁבְעַת יָמִים; כָּל-הָאֶזְרָח, בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל, יֵשְׁבוּ, בַּסֻּכֹּת. לְמַעַן, יֵדְעוּ דֹרֹתֵיכֶם, כִּי בַסֻּכּוֹת הוֹשַׁבְתִּי אֶת-בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל, בְּהוֹצִיאִי אוֹתָם מֵאֶרֶץ מִצְרָיִם:  אֲנִי, ה אֱלֹקיכֶם.- "For a seven day period you shall live in booths. Every resident among the Israelites shall live in booths, in order that your [ensuing] generations should know that I had the children of Israel live in booths when I took them out of the land of Egypt. I am the Lord, your God." <ref> Vayikra (23:42-43)</ref> there is a positive commandment to sit in the Sukkah for the 7 days of Sukkot. <ref> Rambam (Sefer HaMitzvot, Aseh #168), Chinuch Mitzva 325. The Tur 625 explains that the reason we were commanded to do this specifically in tishrei and not in nissan is to make it clear that we aren't doing it for the shade it provides but rather because it is Hashem's command as this is a time that people normally move indoors and we move outdoors for this time.  </ref>

# There’s an obligation to eat a [[Kezayit]] of bread in the Sukkah on the first night of Sukkot. <Ref> Rambam Hilchot Succa 6:7, S”A 639:3, Chazon Ovadyah pg 132 </ref> During the remaining days there is no obligation to eat in the succa because you can just eat fruits or vegetables but there is still a mitzva to eat bread in the succa every day. <ref> Mishna Berura 639:24 </ref>

# While sitting in the Sukkah, one should have intent that one will fulfill the mitzvah, and that Hashem commanded us to sit in Sukkot in order to remember the exodus from Egypt (Yetsiat Mitzrayim) and that the Sukkot are in commemoration for the clouds of glory. <ref> There is a dispute in Gemara Sukkah 11b whether the Sukkot that Jews sit in are in commemoration of actual sukkot that Bnei Yisrael sat in in the desert or the Ananei Hakavod (clouds of glory) that God gave us for protection. The Tur 625:1 writes that the Sukkot are in commemoration of the Ananei Hakavod and the Jews sit in the Succa specifically in the winter (instead of when Bnei Yisrael left Eygpt) to show that even though the norm is to move back into your house for the winter, we move outside to fulfill G-d’s will. The Bach 625:1 s.v. BaSukkot says that the fact that the Tur wrote this indicates that one hasn't fulfilled one's mitzva completely if while sitting in the Sukkah one didn’t remember the exodus from Egypt (Yetsiyat Mitzrayim) since the pasuk states explicitly that the mitzvah of Sukkot is to remind us of the exodus. The Mishna Brurah 625:1 writes that one should have the intent that Hashem commanded us to sit in Sukkot in order to remember the exodus from Egypt (Yetsiat Mitzrayim) and that the Sukkat are in commemoration for the clouds of glory. </ref>According to most authorities, after the fact, if one didn't have these intentions then one fulfills the mitzvah as long as one had intention to fulfill the mitzvah. <ref> The Pri Megadim (A"A Intro to Siman 625) writes that this is only in order to do the mitzvah in it's best way, however, after the fact even without the intent one has still fulfilled one's obligation as long as one had the intent to fulfill the mitzvah (as part of the concept that mitzvot need kavana). Chazon Ovadyah (Sukkot pg 97) and Mishna Berura (625:1) agree with the Pri Megadim, unlike the Bikkurei Yaakov (625:3) who holds that one doesn't fulfill one's obligation at all without the proper intent. Rav Shternbach in Moadim UZmanim (vol 1 pg 169) writes that although lacking the Kavanna doesn’t take away the mitzvah, however, one still looses the separate mitzvah of having kavanah.</ref>

# One should wait to do Kiddish until after [[Tzet HaKochavim]]. However, after the fact if one made Kiddish during [[Ben HaShemashot]] and ate a [[Kezayit]] of bread one should make sure to have another [[Kezayit]] after [[Tzet HaKochavim]] but one doesn’t need to make another Bracha of LeShev BaSukkah. <ref>Rama 639:3 writes that one make sure not to eat until nighttime. Mishna Brurah 639:25 explains that this is based on the connection between [[Pesach]] and Sukkot and by Matzah one may only eat at night as it says in the פסוק. Mishna Brurah continues that after the fact if one ate one should eat another [[Kezayit]] but not make another LeShev BaSukkah because of Safek Brachot LeHakel. Natai Gavriel (Sukkot 38:12) extends the Rama to not even making Kiddish before nighttime. Yalkut Yosef (Moadim pg 138) agrees with the above halachot. </ref>

# If one didn’t make a [[Shehecheyanu]] on the first night of Sukkot, one can make it the rest of days and nights of Sukkot. <Ref>Magan Avraham 643:1, Mishna Brurah 643:2, Chazon Ovadyah (pg 95) </ref>

===If it rains the first night of Sukkot===

# If it rains the first night of Sukkot,  

# If on the first night of Sukkot one had the required [[Kezayit]] of bread and in benching one forgot to say Yaale VeYavo

# If one forgot Yaale VeYavo in benching any other day or night of Sukkot  

==Eating or sleeping in the Sukkah before Sukkot==

# It’s permissible to eat in the Sukkah before Sukkot (erev Sukkot) and it’s not an issue of Bal Tosif. <Ref> Chazon Ovadyah pg 481 holds that’s there no issue of Bal Tosif before the mitzvah was done. </ref>

# If one usually does Havdalah at home during Sukkot one should do it in the Sukkah. However, those who listen to Havdalah in the shul can do so also on Sukkot. <ref>Mishna Brurah 639:30, Shaar HaTzion 639:57, Kaf HaChaim 639:66. </ref> If one does it in the succah there is a discussion if you should recite the beracha. <ref> Shevet ha-Levi 6:42 says no beracha of leshev basuccah is recited because it isn't a keviat seuda, see above. However, Chazon Ish quoted in Rivevos Efrayim 1:428 and 3:424 rules that since it is wine for havdala it elevates the level of drinking to keviat seuda, and therefore would require the beracha. Rav Elyashiv in Succas Chayim page 202 rules that this applies only to wine and not to grape juice. The steipler in Orchos Rabbeinu 2: page 228 as well as Shemirat Shabbat Kehilchita 58:22 recommend eating bread immediately after havdala to avoid any doubts, and recite leseh basuccah Shemirat Shabbat kihilchita recommends reciting the leshev basuccah before the boreh pri hagefen. </ref>