Detailed Halachot of Building a Sukkah

Rabbi Shay Tahan

1. Walls of the Sukkah:

   - Minimum Requirement: The sukkah must have at least two full walls and part of a third wall. The two full walls should be at least 7 tefachim wide (approximately 56-70 cm), and the third wall should be at least 1 tefach (about 8-10 cm). The forth side can be completely open.

   - Materials: The walls can be made from any material sturdy enough to withstand a normal wind. They should be solid and stable. Walls that move back and forth in a regular wind, such as sheets, are invalid and should be avoided.

   - Height: The walls must be at least 10 tefachim high (about 80-100 cm). If they are too low, they do not count as valid walls.

   - Gaps: The walls must not have significant gaps. A gap of less than 3 tefachim is permitted at the bottom, known as lavud. Gaps larger than this invalidate the sukkah.

 - order: Care should be taken not to place the schach before the walls are set up. For example, if one hangs the schach on the frame of the sukkah before putting up the walls, this is invalid.

2. The Schach:

   - Material: The schach must come from something that grows from the ground but is detached (e.g., branches, bamboo, wooden slats). It must not be made from something that is susceptible to impurity (e.g., metal, finished products). Natural growth like overhanging tree branches cannot be used as schach. The beams of the schach should not be 4 tefachim wide (approximately 32 cm), as this resembles sitting in a permanent house and detracts from the temporary nature of the sukkah.

   - Coverage: The schach must provide more shade than sunlight. A sukkah with too many open spaces where sunlight dominates is not valid. The spaces between the branches should not be large enough to allow more sun than shade inside the sukkah.

   - Positioning: The schach must be placed intentionally, with the purpose of creating a kosher sukkah or for shade.

Schach may be placed by a non-Jew as long as it is put there for the purpose of providing shade. However, it is preferable, if possible, for a Jew to place the schach, or at least to shake or adjust it after the non-Jew has placed it.

   - Support: The schach may rest on the sukkah's walls or on a frame. Many refrain from supporting the schach with metal poles or vinyl strings, which are not valid for schach, unless the schach can hold well without them and they are used solely for extra support.

3. Height of the Sukkah:

   - Minimum Height: As mentioned above, the walls must be at least 10 tefachim high, but even if they meet this requirement, care should be taken when placing the schach to ensure that there remains a space of at least 10 tefachim underneath it. The schach should not hang below this height.

   - Maximum Height: The sukkah must not be taller than 20 amot (approximately 10 meters or 32 feet). A sukkah higher than this is not valid because it is too far from the human experience of sitting in a Sukkah.

4. Open Air and Overhanging Objects:

   - Open Air: The sukkah should be built under open skies, without any overhanging objects like tree branches, roofs, or pergolas. If such an object casts shade, the sukkah may be invalidated, as it interferes with the mitzvah of dwelling under the schach.

   - Partial Overhang: If only part of the sukkah is shaded by overhanging branches or structures, the area directly under the overhang cannot be used for fulfilling the mitzvah, though the rest of the sukkah may still be valid. If branches hang over a wall of the sukkah, that wall may become invalid, potentially reducing the number of valid walls required for the sukkah, which can invalidate the sukkah altogether.

5. Dimensions:

   - Minimum Size: The sukkah must be large enough to hold most of a person's body, a table, and the food being eaten. The minimum dimension for the floor space is 7x7 tefachim (about 56-70 cm²).

   - Large Sukkot: There is no maximum size limit for the floor area of the sukkah as long as it remains temporary and retains the basic structure of three walls and schach.

Summary of the Halachot of Using the Sukkah

1. Eating in the sukkah:

   - It is a Torah obligation to eat meals in the sukkah during the entire Chag of Sukkot.

   - Bread and Mezonot: Any meal that includes bread or foods made from grains (Mezonot) that are a larger than the size of k’beitza (about 2 ounce) must be eaten in the sukkah.

   - Other Foods: Foods like fruits, vegetables, and drinks may be eaten outside the sukkah, but it is praiseworthy to eat everything in the sukkah. Also rice may be eaten outside the sukkah, although the bracha for it is mezonot.

   - Kiddush: Kiddush should be recited in the sukkah before beginning a meal.

2. Sleeping in the sukkah:

   - Men are obligated to sleep in the sukkah, whether for a nap or overnight. However, in places where it is very cold or difficult to sleep, or unsafe one may be lenient.

   - Women are exempt from the mitzvah of sleeping in the sukkah, but they may do so if they wish.

3. Living in the sukkah:

   - One should treat the sukkah as their primary dwelling for the duration of the holiday, spending as much time as possible in it, including relaxing, studying, and socializing.

   - Activities typically done in a home should, ideally, be done in the sukkah to fulfill the commandment of teshvu ke’ein taduru (dwelling in the sukkah as one dwells in their home).

4. When exempt from the sukkah:

   - If it rains hard enough that it would spoil your food, you are exempt from eating in the sukkah. However, very light rain does not exempt one from eating in the sukkah.

   - If conditions in the sukkah make it uncomfortable (e.g., cold, extreme heat, insects), one is not obligated to stay, as the mitzvah is to dwell comfortably, just as you would in your home.

   - A person who is sick or uncomfortable, or caring for someone who is sick, is exempt from the sukkah.

5. Decorating the sukkah:

   - It is customary to decorate the sukkah with beautiful items to enhance the mitzvah. These decorations are considered part of the sukkah and must not be removed or used for personal benefit during the holiday.

6. Order of blessings:

   - Before eating a meal in the sukkah, the blessing "Leishev BaSukkah" is recited. According to Sephardim, the obligation applies only to meals that include bread, while Ashkenazim say the blessing applies to Mezonot as well if eaten in a quantity greater than k’beitza, such as cakes, cookies, and crackers.

   - On the first two night (outside of Israel), the Shehechiyanu blessing is also recited in addition to the blessing for the sukkah and Kiddush.