Diemazz

Sukkahs in Jerusalem.

A sukkah is a temporary dwelling that Jews use during the holiday of Sukkot.

Structure

Sukkahs on apartment balconies in Jerusalem.

According to halakha, a sukkah is a structure consisting of a roof made of organic material which has been disconnected from the ground (the s'chach). A sukkah must have at least 2-1/2 walls. It should be at least three feet tall, and be positioned so that all or part of its roof is open to the sky (only the part which is under the sky is kosher.)

In practice, the walls of a sukkah can be constructed from anything ranging from wood to canvas to aluminium. The walls may also be part of a house or fence. The specific details of what constitutes a wall, how short/tall a wall can be, whether there can be spaces between the walls and the roof, and the exact material required for the s'chach (roofing) can be found in various exegetical texts.

Sukkah built on an apartment balcony in Jerusalem.

A sukkah can be built on the ground or on an open porch or balcony. Indeed, many observant Jews who design their home's porch or deck will do so in a fashion that aligns with their sukkah building needs. Portable sukkahs made of a collapsible metal frame and cloth walls have recently become available for those who have little space, or for those who are travelling (in order to have a place to eat one's meals).

S'chach

Different types of kosher s'chach serve as roofs for sukkahs: woven bamboo mats (far left and right); palm leaves (center).

S'chach is the Hebrew name for the material used as a roof for a sukkah. S'chach must be something that grew from the ground but is currently disconnected from it. Palm leaves, bamboo sticks, pine branches, wood and the like can all be used for s'chach, unless they were processed for a different use.

The s'chach must be placed such that there is more shade than sun. However, there must be sufficient gaps between the pieces of s'chach so that rain can come through.

Decorations

A Moroccan etrog hanging in a sukkah.

Many people hang decorations such as streamers, shiny ornaments, and pictures from the interior walls and ceiling beams of a sukkah. Fresh, dried or plastic fruit — including etrogs and the seven species for which Israel is praised (wheat, barley, grapes, figs, pomegranates, olives and dates; see Deuteronomy 8:8) — are popular decorations.

Some families also line the interior walls with white sheeting, in order to recall the "Clouds of Glory" that surrounded the Jewish nation during their wanderings in the desert. The Chabad custom is not to decorate the sukkah, as the sukkah itself is considered to be an object of beauty.^[1]

What is done in the sukkah?

A sukkah in Herzliya.

The basic requirements of halakha are that eating of meals and sleeping should be conducted in the sukkah. However, one is not expected to remain in the sukkah if he would be very uncomfortable there^[2]. For this reason, Jews living at northern latitudes will generally not sleep in the sukkah due to the cold temperatures of autumn nights. Some Jews in these locales will spend some time in the sukkah eating and relaxing but go indoors to sleep.

In Israel and other temperate climates (such as Florida, Australia, and Southern California), observant Jews will often conduct all their eating, studying, and sleeping activities in the sukkah. Many Jews will not eat anything except water or fruit outside the sukkah.

In Israel, it is common practice for hotels, restaurants, snack shops, and outdoor tourist attractions (such as zoos) to provide a sukkah for customers to dine in.

Lubavitcher and Belzer^[3] Hasidim differ from other Orthodox Jews in that they do not sleep in the sukkah due to its intrinsic holiness.^[4] Though one need not eat or sleep in the sukkah if it is raining, Lubavitcher Hasidim will still eat there.

Traditional blessings upon entering a Sukkah

According to Jewish law, it is customary to recite the following blessing when entering the sukkah. This blessing is normally recited after having made a blessing on food, such as on bread or cake and then the following is recited:

ברוך אתה ה' א‑לוהינו מלך העולם, אשר קדשנו במצותיו וצונו לישב בסכה.‏

Transliteration: Barukh ata Adonai Eloheinu melekh ha‑olam, asher kid'shanu b'mitzvotav v'tzivanu leishev ba‑sukah.

Translation: "Blessed are You, LORD, our God, King of the universe, who has sanctified us with His commandments and commanded us to dwell in the sukkah."

Ushpizin

A sukkah in Herzliya with palm leaves forming an entryway.

During the holiday, Jews invite seven spiritual "guests" (known as ushpizin in Aramaic) to be with them in the sukkah. These ushpizin are the "Seven Shepherds of Israel":

• Abraham
• Isaac
• Jacob
• Moses (the most influential of the Hebrew prophets)
• Aaron (Moses's brother, the first Kohen Gadol, or High Priest)
• Joseph (the three Patriarchs and Jacob's most famous son)
• David (a very significant king of Israel, the messiah is said to be a descendant of David)

According to tradition, each night a different one of the ushpizin enters the sukkah first and the other six follow. Some people say a special prayer welcoming them to the sukkah in the order in which they come. Each of the ushpizin has a unique lesson to teach us that parallels the spiritual focus of the day on which they visit.

According to Chabad tradition, another set of ushpizin come along with those listed above. There is a unique connection between the two ushpizin that visit each night, particularly as explained in the works of Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson.^[5]

• Avraham Avinu - Rabbi Yisroel Baal Shem Tov
• Yitzchak Avinu - Rabbi DovBer, Maggid of Mezeritch
• Yaakov Avinu - Alter Rebbe (Rabbi Shneur Zalman of Liadi)
• Moshe Rabbeinu - Mitteler Rebbe (Rabbi DovBer)
• Aharon HaKohen - Tzemach Tzedek (Rabbi Menachem Mendel)
• Yosef Hatzadik - Rebbe Maharash (Rabbi Shmuel Schneersohn)
• Dovid HaMelech - Rebbe Rashab (Rabbi Sholom Dovber Schneersohn)

In recent times, some Jews add seven spiritual women, or ushpizot, to enter their sukkah. These are the biblical Sarah, Miriam, Deborah, Hannah, Huldah, Abigail, and Esther.^[6]

The custom of inviting guests to the sukkah extends to living guests as well. Many people invite family, friends, neighbours, or people who are alone to join them for a snack or a meal. Anyone, including non-Jews, are more than welcome inside a sukkah.

Symbolism

While the festival of Sukkot is a joyous occasion, and is referred to in Hebrew as Yom Simchateinu (the day of our rejoicing) or Z'man Simchateinu, (the season of our rejoicing), the sukkah itself symbolises the frailty and transience of life. It also reminds its dwellers that true security comes from faith in God, rather than from money or possessions.^[7]

Sukkah hopping

Main article: Sukkah hopping

Sukkah hopping, while not a requirement of the religious laws of the Sukkah, has become a popular social custom within some Jewish communities, particularly those assocaited with Modern Orthodox Judaism. It refers to groups of children, and sometimes young adults, doing the rounds in their neighborhoods and visiting each others' Sukkot.

External links

• Sukkah Guide
• A Simple Sukkah How-to Guide from Neohasid.org
• A Kabbalistic Liturgy for Inviting the Ushpizin and Ushpizata from Neohasid.org - an egalitarian text in Aramaic and English!

• Shiurim on Sukkot, at Yeshiva.org.il

• Q&A on Sukkah, at Yeshiva.org.il

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