11
votes
Accepted
Can an igloo be a valid succah?
Regarding #1:
If it is likely to melt, I assume it would be a problem using this to begin with, as the walls are not steady.
Not sure what you mean here. If the walls don't sway in the wind, then ...
- 42.1k
11
votes
Sukkah: Why not tough it out?
As the Mishnah Berurah there explains, it’s because of תשבו כעין תדורו - one lives in the sukkah as he would in his house.
You would leave your house if it was causing you significant discomfort, so ...
- 38.5k
10
votes
Can too many decorations render a sukkah invalid?
Even if there's a decoration that completely covers the schach, if it's placed there merely for decoration, than it isn't a problem, provided that the decorations are within 4 tefachim of the schach (...
- 21.5k
10
votes
Accepted
Vilna Gaon's gematria for the number of kosher & non-kosher sukkot in Masechet Sukkah
It's apparently an oral tradition relating to one of the students of the Vilna Gaon, Rabbi Yisrael of Shklov. The more complete story is recounted here in Hebrew. It begins like this:
הגאון רבי ...
- 12.4k
9
votes
Can the entire succah be constructed by a Gentile?
The Bavli (Sukkah 8b) explicitly permits a gentile's hut if it was made for shade, and that is the accepted Halakha (OC 635).
This is consistent with Beit Hillel's opinion (ibid. 9a) that a Sukkah ...
- 95.6k
8
votes
Accepted
How far does dofen akuma stretch?
The Shulchan Aruch in סימן תרלב - דברים הפוסלים בסכך says:
א סְכָךְ פָּסוּל, פּוֹסֵל בָּאֶמְצַע בְּד' טְפָחִים; אֲבָל פָּחוֹת מִד', כְּשֵׁרָה, וּמֻתָּר לִישַׁן תַּחְתָּיו מִן הַצַּד אֵינוֹ פּוֹסֵל ...
- 42.1k
8
votes
Accepted
Can you build a succah on Sukkot?
This is a Machloket in the Talmud (Sukkah 27b, see OC 637) and the Halacha follows the Sages that one can start building a Sukkah on Chol HaMoed. Even R Eliezer who argued there agreed that if one's ...
- 95.6k
8
votes
Sukkah: Why not tough it out?
I would like to potentially challenge the premise of the question. You assume that the threshold of "someone who is in pain" only applies to the mitzvah of succah. However, R. Joseph Messas has a ...
- 48k
8
votes
Halachic approaches to marital relations in a Succah
The Kitzur Shulchan Aruch 135:2 writes that it is permissible.
אבל תשמיש המיטה מותר בסוכה, שהרי עיקר מצוותה איש ואשתו. (...)
But marital relations are permitted in the sukkah, for the underlying ...
- 39.8k
8
votes
Who said the "sukkot" were really "clouds of glory"?
This is simply understood as a dispute in girsaos. In terms of historically who said what, how could we know?
In terms of halacha, the Aruch LaNer ad. loc., and in his Bikkurei Yaakov 625:2, says that ...
- 18.5k
7
votes
Accepted
Can a Sukkah be covered with paper?
According to this Star-K article written by Rabbi Moshe Heineman, paper cannot be used for Schach:
Stems that are used for schach must be in their original state and cannot be subject to further ...
- 31.4k
7
votes
Accepted
Can one drink a beer outside the Sukkah?
"And it is permitted to drink water and wine and eat fruit [even if he established himself on them- REMA's own opinion] outside of the Sukkah. And he who is stringent upon himself, and will not drink ...
- 10.4k
6
votes
Sukkah floor ideas?
I have never actually used it as my sukka is built on cement, but you can get Campsite flooring (For example, maybe in a different color or a different option).
Many of these camp mats dry quickly, ...
- 511
6
votes
Not sitting in the Sukkah on Shemini Atzeres
To answer the first question: yes. Because of 'sfeika deyoma', one should sit in the sukkah even on Shemini Atzeres just as one would on the other days of Sukkos. The Gemara Sukkah 47a (as we have it) ...
- 21.5k
6
votes
Simple Sukkah plans using dimensional lumber from Home Depot?
FOUR tips [OK, 5]:
I used pressure-treated 4x4xs in the corners -- eliminates "rhombus" concern.
I used 5/16"ths instead of 1/4" bolts -- increases durability of threads over years of successful re-...
- 61
6
votes
How to select the spot for my Sukkah
I've generally found concrete to be a little nicer than grass or loose stones, but with most models the difference is negligible. Build it where you want.
Avoid wind tunnels. Our sukkah was blown ...
- 22.8k
6
votes
How to select the spot for my Sukkah
In my experience, the following are factors to consider:
1) Flat, solid surface - build the sukkah on as even of a surface as possible. Grass is the worst, for setting a table and chairs down and ...
- 57.5k
6
votes
Accepted
Is sitting in a succah normal succos time?
The way I understood the Tur is that its not about the weather. The weather in Tishrai and Nissan are around the same. The issue is the BUILDING of the Sukka. People generally do not buy patio ...
- 470
6
votes
How do I build a cheap metal pole sukkah?
I doubt that it's possible to recreate a kit-like metal sukka frame without spending hundreds of dollars, at least not without creative sourcing of the materials (e.g. finding them in a junk yard, or ...
- 46.9k
6
votes
Does a succah need to be built from the bottom up?
The Rama (OC 635) rules that at least 1 Tefach (height) of the walls must precede the Sekhakh. Otherwise it would invalid because of "Taaseh veLo Min heAsui" (having the item come into being, not ...
- 95.6k
6
votes
What is Rebbi Yehuda's source for allowing a succah to be above 20 amos?
I think you are misunderstanding the line of דאורייתא תני פסולה מבוי דרבנן תני תקנתא.
Here is the passage in context:
Succah 2a
תנן התם מבוי שהוא גבוה מעשרים אמה ימעט רבי יהודה אומר אינו צריך מאי
...
- 48k
6
votes
Building a Succah one suffers from in the first place?
This issue is addressed by R. Yechiel Michel Epstein. He begins by saying that the exemption of mitztaer (one who is suffering discomfort) only applies to a discomfort that happens to occur after the ...
- 48k
6
votes
Accepted
A place with illustrations of Gemara Sukkah?
Check out the Peirush Chai on Masechta Succah here - it is a really helpful sefer to best illustrate the cases that come throughout the masechta.
- 20.6k
5
votes
Lubavitch not sleeping in a Sukka?
I am a Lubavitcher Chassisd myself that learns in a Lithuanian yeshiva. Before Sukkos one year, during a Halacha class, my rebbe was speaking about this topic of sleeping in the sukkah, and I ...
- 51
5
votes
Plans for building a sukkah shlock
I made a sukkah with hard wooden covers like the top of a cardboard box:
Either the schach must be wholly within the walls, or the shlak has be affixed to protrusions at each upper corner (yellow) so ...
- 6,434
5
votes
Is Building a Succah a mitzva?
The Yerushalmi (Sukka 1:2) and Tosefta (Brachos 6:9) write that one should make a bracha on 'the mitzvah of building a sukkah'. However, the Bavli (Sukka daf 46a and see Rosh there) disagrees.
The ...
- 21.5k
5
votes
Accepted
How much of a gap in schach is acceptable?
Sukka 17a Mishnah:
הרחיק את הסיכוך מן הדפנות שלשה טפחים פסולה בית שנפחת וסיכך על גביו אם יש מן הכותל לסיכוך ארבע אמות פסולה
If the s'chach is distanced more than 3 handsbreadths from the walls then ...
- 57.5k
5
votes
Accepted
Putting a mezuzah on a sukkah
This is a Machloket in the Talmud (Yoma 10) and the Halakha (ShA YD 286:11) follows the Chakhamim there that a Sukkah is exempt as it is a temporary dwelling.
The Arukh haShulchan (YD 286:27) writes ...
- 95.6k
5
votes
Kiddush written on the sukkah
See Mishnah Brurah s.k. 4 that only uses that nullify its kedushah are prohibited.
(In addition, I think that the rule of mitzvos lav lehanos nitnu - pleasure of a mitzvah is not considered pleasure -...
- 6,384
5
votes
Can a sukka be partially under a roof?
Only the part under the sky (not under the roof) is valid. If the part outside the roof has three walls and valid schach, it is treated as if that is the succah and the part under the roof does not ...
- 42k
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