Laws Dealing With the Sukkah.

A) It is a mitzva to start building the sukkah immediately after Yom Kippur. Every person should be involved in the building of the sukkah. You should decorate it with different decorations and spreads (according to the custom).

B) The walls of the sukkah should be four strong walls that won’t be damaged by a strong wind. And it’s better to make a roof with hinges this way if it rains the sechach (covering) will remain dry.

C) It is a custom to cover the sukkah with branches of trees or with reeds also know as sechach. You should not cover the sukkah with anything that is as big as a fist, no wood or if you have a light fixture then you should not sit under the light fixture.

D) You must put enough sechach so that there is more shade then sun, you should leave space in order to be able to see the stars.

E) You should not build a sukkah underneath tree braches. The sechach should be placed after the walls have been completed.

F) You should try to buy the sechach that you will use for you sukkah, and you are permitted to build a sukkah during chol hamoed. You are not allowed to use the wood or the sechach of the sukkah until after Simchat Torah (even a splinter).

G) On erev Sukkot (the day before) you should not have a big lunch so that you will eat at night in the sukkah with an appetite. You should also give a lot of charity on the day before.

H) It is written “For seven days teishvu in sukkot” which means “you must dwell” in the sukkah. Telling us that we should make it our home for 7 days. You should bring your fine china, and elegant tablecloths. You should eat and drink, study spend your leisure time, and sleep in the sukkah. We go and live in the sukkah to remind us of when the Jews were leaving Egypt. However, that was during the time of Passover, so why don’t we celebrate Sukkot and dwell in a sukkah during Passover? Passover is in the spring and many nations of the world camp out in that season, so we do it when it’s cold and the beginning if a rainy season to show the other nations that we are doing what Hashem wants from us and not just “camping out“.

I) You should not bring in pots into the sukkah or any vessel that seems undignified. You should not say the beracha of “Leishiev basukkah” until all these vessels are removed. You should not wash dishes in the sukkah but it’s permitted to rinse the kiddush cup. It is forbidden to urinate in the sukkah, but marital relationships are allowed in the sukkah.

J) It is obligated to eat in a sukkah the first night, unless it rains. If it rains then its best to say kiddush and wash for bread in the sukkah and then go inside and have the meal. But have in mind when washing that you will be eating inside. And if it stops raining before you are finished with your meal then you should go outside and say the beracha of “leishev basukkah” and then say the grace after meal in the sukkah.

K) If there are many families in one sukkah and each family says their own kiddush then they should not say it at one time but take turns. Ashkenazim only have to eat in the sukkah the first night, but Sephardim can’t eat bread unless they are in a sukkah during the entire 7 days. Unless it rains then they can eat inside. Woman and children are not obligated to eat in a sukkah.

L) For the holiday of sukkot, men should buy four species: lulav, etrog, hadasim, aravot. And they should be shown to a rabbi in order to determine that they are kosher. There are many halachot that apply with the species, so there usually is a rabbi where they sell it, ask them.

M) Men use the species in shul, they say the blessings on them and then shake them in certain ways during the morning prayers. Sephardim women are not allowed to say the blessing over the species.

P.S. If you have any questions feel free to email: sitzhaki02@sprintpcs.com

Hag Kasher V'Sameach!!!