Sukkah

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Main article: Sukkot
For the tractate of the Talmud, see Sukkah (Talmud).
Sukkahs in Jerusalem.
Sukkahs in Jerusalem.

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

Contents

[edit] Structure

Sukkot on apartment balconies in Jerusalem. Apartment buildings in Israel are often designed so that sukkot may be built under the open sky.
Sukkot on apartment balconies in Jerusalem. Apartment buildings in Israel are often designed so that sukkot may be built under the open sky.

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.) 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 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).

A sukkah in Herzliya
A sukkah in Herzliya

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.

[edit] S'chach

Different types of kosher s'chach serve as roofs for sukkahs: woven bamboo mats (far left and right); palm leaves (center).
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 and wood, as well as many other types of organic material, could 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.

[edit] Decorations

A sukkah with palm leaves forming an entryway.
A sukkah with palm leaves forming an entryway.

Many people hang decorations such as dried or plastic fruit, streamers, shiny ornaments, and pictures from the interior walls and ceiling beams of a sukkah. Families may 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]

[edit] What is done in the Sukkah?

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. 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.

Sukkah built on an apartment balcony in Jerusalem.
Sukkah built on an apartment balcony in Jerusalem.

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 an sukkah for their guests to eat in. Lubavitcher and Belzer[2] Hasidim differ from other Orthodox Jews in that they don't sleep in the sukkah due to its intrinsic holiness.[3]

Though one need not eat or sleep in the sukkah if it is raining, Lubavitcher Hasidim will still eat there.

[edit] Symbolism

Although 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.

[edit] Ushpizin

Not to be confused with Ushpizin, a movie.

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":

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.[4]

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.[5]

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.

[edit] References

  1. ^ How To Build Your Sukkah
  2. ^ Nitei Gavriel, Hilchos Rosh Hashanah Ch. 29 note 9 (5754 Edition)
  3. ^ The Sukkah and Sleeplessness
  4. ^ Cf. Mayonei HaYeshua.
  5. ^ about ushpizot