Wikipedia

Sukkah

For the tractate of the Talmud, seeSukkah (Talmud).
Main article:Sukkot

Asukkahorsuccah(/ˈsʊkə/;Hebrew:סוכה[suˈka];plural,סוכות[suˈkot]sukkotorsukkosorsukkoth,often translated as "booth" ) is a temporary hut constructed for use during the week-longJewishfestival ofSukkot.It is topped with branches and often well decorated with autumnal, harvest or Judaic themes.

Canvas-sided sukkah on a roof, topped with palm branches and bamboos'chach
Sukkah with walls made of cardboard signs inOakland,California

The book of Vayikra (Leviticus) describes it as a symbolicwildernessshelter, commemorating the time God provided for the Israelites in the wilderness they inhabited after they were freed from slavery in Egypt.[1]It is common for Jews to eat, sleep and otherwise spend time in thesukkah.In Judaism, Sukkot is considered a joyous occasion and is referred to in Hebrew asZ'man Simchateinu(the time of our rejoicing), and the sukkah itself symbolizes the fragility and transience of life and one's dependence on God.[2]

Associated activities

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A street-side sukkah inParis,France

Thehalakharequires eating and traditionally sleeping in the sukkah. However, Jews are not expected to remain in the sukkah if they would be very uncomfortable there.[3]For this reason, Jews living at northern latitudes will generally not sleep in the sukkah due to the low temperatures of autumn nights. Some Jews in these locales will spend some time in the sukkah eating and rela xing but go indoors to sleep.

When rain falls on the sukkah, one is not required to stay inside. TheMishnain Sukkah 28b compares rain falling on a sukkah to a master who receives a drink from his servant and then throws it back in the servant's face. The analogy is that through the rainfall, God is showing displeasure with the performance of the mitzvah by not allowing the Jews to fulfill their obligation of sitting in the sukkah.[4]

In Israel and other temperate climates (such asFlorida,Australia,Texas,andSouthern California), observant Jews will often conduct all their eating, studying, and sleeping activities in the sukkah. Many Jews will not eat or drink anything outside the sukkah. Others will drink or eat fruit outside the sukkah.

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

AllLubavitcherHasidim[5]and someBelzerHasidim[6](especially outside Israel) do not sleep in the sukkah due to its intrinsic holiness. Though thehalakhadoesn't obligate one to eat or sleep in thesukkahif it is raining, Lubavitcher Hasidim will still eat there.

A popular social activity which involves people visiting each other's Sukkot has become known as "Sukkah hopping". Food is laid out so that participants will be able to recite the various required blessings.[7]

Structure

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Sukkot on graded apartment balconies in Jerusalem
Porch sukkot inBnei Brak

According tohalakha,a sukkah is a structure consisting of a roof made oforganicmaterial which has been disconnected from the ground for the purpose of the commandment (thes'chach). A sukkah must have three 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 iskosher.) Most authorities require its floor area to be at least 16 squarecubits.

In practice, the walls of a sukkah can be constructed from any material that will withstand a normally anticipated terrestrial wind. If the material is not rigid and therefore will sway in the wind, the sukkah is not kosher (Talmud, Sukkah 24b). Accordingly, there is a discussion among contemporary halakhic authorities whether canvas may be used for walls: Some, such as R. Ovadiah Yosef (Shu "t Yechaveh Da'at 3:46) hold that even the slightest degree of swaying in the wind will disqualify the sukkah walls, and thus canvas cannot realistically be employed. Others, such as the Chazon Ish, permit motion to and fro of less than three handbreadths, thereby facilitating the usage of canvas walls which are anchored at all sides. The specific details of what constitutes a wall, the minimum and maximum wall heights, whether there can be spaces between the walls and the roof, and the exact material required for thes'chach(roofing) can be found in variousexegeticaltexts.

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 sukkot made of a collapsible metal frame and cloth walls have recently become available for those who have little space, or for those who are traveling (in order to have a place to eat one's meals).

Roof covering

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The roof covering, known ass'chach(סכך inHebrew), must consist of something that grew from the earth but is currently disconnected from it.Palm leaves,bamboo sticks,pinebranches,woodand the like can all be used fors'chach,unless they were processed previously for a different use.[8]

Jewish family in a sukkah

There must be enoughs'chachthat inside the sukkah there should be more shade than sun. However, there should ideally be sufficient gaps between the pieces ofs'chachso that one can see the sun or stars.

Decorations

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Many people hang decorations such as streamers, shiny ornaments, and pictures from the interior walls and ceiling beams of a sukkah. Fresh, dried orplastic fruit—includingetrogsand the seven species for which Israel is praised (wheat, barley, grapes, figs, pomegranates, olives and dates; seeDeuteronomy8:8)—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. TheChabadcustom is not to decorate the sukkah, as the sukkah itself is considered to be an object of beauty.[9]

  • 19th century sukkah from Austria with a painting of Jerusalem -Musée d'Art et d'Histoire du Judaïsme
  • Different types of koshers'chachserve as roofs for sukkot: wovenbamboomats (far left and right);palmleaves (center)
  • Safra SquareSukkah, Jerusalem, 2009
  • 1657 engraving
  • 1740 illumination.
  • 1699 engraving
  • "Scheunenviertel", Berlin, 1933

Associated prayers

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Blessing

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According to Jewish law, one must recite the following blessing when using the sukkah. The blessing is normally recited after the blessing made on food, such as on bread or cake:

Hebrew Transliteration English
ברוך אתהה'א‑לוהינו,מלך העולם, אשר קדשנו במצותיו וצונו לישב בסכה.‎
 Barukh ata Adonai E-loheinu, melekh ha'olam, asher kid'shanu b'mitzvotav v'tzivanu leishev ba'sukah. Blessed are You, LORDour God, King of the universe, Who has sanctified us with His commandments and commanded us to dwell in the sukkah.

Ushpizin

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A Sukkot Prayer- Seder Ushpizin

During the holiday, some Jews recite theushpizinprayer which symbolizes the welcoming of seven "exalted guests" into the sukkah. Theseushpizin,or guests, represent the seven shepherds of Israel:Abraham,Isaac,Jacob,Moses,Aaron,JosephandDavid.According to tradition, each night a different guest enters the sukkah followed by the other six. Each of theushpizinparallels the spiritual focus of the day on which they visit.

In Chabad tradition, an additional set of corresponding "chasidic" ushpizin enter the sukkah, beginning with theBaal Shem Tovand theMaggid of Mezeritchand continuing with the consecutiverebbesof theChabadHasidic dynasty.[10]

Notable examples

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Drive-through

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In 2010,Bet Shira Congregationin Miami, Florida, erected a tent as a drive-through Sukkah, dubbed "McBet Shira Sukkah", in the parking lot of the synagogue.[11][12][13]

Sukkah City

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Sukkah Citywas a public art and architecture competition planned forNew York City'sUnion Square Park.The winning design was chosen as the City Sukkah, to stand, starting on September 22, 2010, for the requisite seven days of the harvest holiday. A committee of art critics and celebrated architects selected the 12 finalists from a field of entries.[14]

Pedi-Sukkah

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Pedi-Sukkahs see the normally stationary build of a Sukkah placed on the back of a mobilevehicle,usually a 3-wheeledbicycle.[15]The pedi-Sukkah was introduced by Levi Duchman in 2009[16]and has since spread to at least 15 states and 5 countries.[17]

Samaritan sukkahs

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ASamaritansukkah atKiryat Luza,Mount Gerizim

InSamaritanism,sukkahs are built indoors using fruit instead of wood. According toSamaritanhistorian Benyamim Tsedaka, Samaritans initially constructed sukkahs outside of their homes, as Jews do. However, during theByzantine period,theSamaritans faced persecutionsand began to construct them inside instead. This custom has remained ever since.[18]

See also

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References

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  1. ^"Live in sukkot for seven days, so your descendants will remember that I [the Lord] had the Israelites live in wilderness shelters when I brought them out of Egypt." Vayikra (Leviticus) 23:42-43
  2. ^Gottlieb, David; Tatz, Akiva (15 October 2005)."Shelter of Faith".Retrieved8 October2018.
  3. ^Shulchan Aruch 640:4
  4. ^Silverberg, Rav David."Sukkot".Archived fromthe originalon 17 April 2012.Retrieved8 October2018.
  5. ^"The Sukkah and Sleeplessness".TheRebbe.org.Retrieved8 October2018.
  6. ^Nitei Gavriel, Hilchos Rosh Hashanah Ch. 29 note 9 (5754 Edition)
  7. ^"A Sukkah Meditation".AscentOfSafed. Archived fromthe originalon 10 October 2007.Retrieved8 October2018.
  8. ^"KKL Preparing for Distribution of" Schach "".24 September 2009.Retrieved8 October2018.
  9. ^"How to Build Your Sukkah: What Materials Do I Need?".Chabad.org.Archived fromthe originalon 8 July 2007.Retrieved8 October2018.
  10. ^Cf.Mayonei HaYeshua.
  11. ^"A Drive-Thru Sukkah? Yes, Indeed".Matzav.2 October 2009.Retrieved8 October2018.
  12. ^"Watercooler Stories".UPI. 5 October 2009.Retrieved8 October2018.
  13. ^"JUDAISM: Pinecrest temple has drive-through 'sukkah'".Miami Herald.2 October 2009.Retrieved8 October2018.
  14. ^Gruber, Samuel D. (23 June 2010)."A Sukkah Bound For New York".Forward.Retrieved8 October2018.
  15. ^"Three wheels and three walls: New York's tricycle sukkahs".Jewish Telegraphic Agency.2014-10-08.Retrieved2020-09-30.
  16. ^"Chabad ASU goes mobile with Sukkah on wheels".The Arizona State Press.Retrieved2020-09-30.
  17. ^"Three wheels and three walls: New York's tricycle sukkahs".Jewish Telegraphic Agency.2014-10-08.Retrieved2020-09-30.
  18. ^Lieber, Dov; Luzi, Iacopo."Inside the Samaritan high priest's fruity sukkah, literally".timesofisrael.Retrieved2022-08-27.
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