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+{
+ "title": "Peninei Halakhah, Sukkot",
+ "language": "en",
+ "versionTitle": "merged",
+ "versionSource": "https://www.sefaria.org/Peninei_Halakhah,_Sukkot",
+ "text": {
+ "Introduction": [
+ "1 I am grateful to God for helping me complete this book on Sukkot, thus completing the unit of Shabbat and the Pilgrimage Festivals (Mo’adim). This follows Peninei Halakha: Zemanim on Rosh Ḥodesh and the Rabbinic holidays. All that remains is to complete a book on the Yamim Nora’im, the Days of Awe, and all the holidays will be covered. Originally, I thought I would deal with all the Tishrei holidays in one volume. However, when it became clear that I would not finish the Yamim Nora’im material this year (2013), I made particular efforts to at least publish a book on Sukkot. I hope that with the approach of next Rosh Ha-shana, I will have the privilege of publishing the Yamim Nora’im volume. Having an entire book devoted to them should allow me to discuss the laws of repentance in depth, covering both principles and details.",
+ "In the current book, I have written at some length about the laws pertaining to Temple commemorations. This is particularly fitting for Sukkot, as it is replete with such commemorations. They include taking the lulav beyond the first day of the festival (5:1), holding a Simhat Beit Ha-sho’eva (1:10-12), circling the bima with the lulav (5:9-10), and beating the aravot on Hoshana Rabba (6:2-3). Continuing this theme, I included a chapter on the mitzva of Hak’hel (ch. 8), another Temple practice, which in recent times has also been commemorated.",
+ "In addition to halakha, I address matters of faith. This focus is appropriate for Sukkot, about which the Torah states: “In order that future generations may know that I made the Israelites dwell in sukkot when I brought them out of the land of Egypt” (Vayikra 23:43). Furthermore, belief is linked with joy, which is a special emphasis of Sukkot. In this book, I write extensively about joy and how to achieve it.",
+ "2 As I did in earlier books, I start with general principles and go on to explain details. For example, after defining a sukka as a temporary residence (1:6), I spend the second chapter detailing the sukka’s laws. Starting from the general principle that we should reside in the sukka the way that we normally reside in our home (3:1), I go on to detail all the laws pertaining to sitting in the sukka (3:2-14). After establishing the five general disqualifications pertaining to the four species (4:4), I interpret the laws in light of the general principle that to be kosher, each of the species must retain its natural form.",
+ "3 This volume, like the earlier ones, has a supplemental volume (Harḥavot) with additional source material and halakhic explanations, particularly relating to anything novel. Earlier Harḥavot volumes were written reactively, in response to questions asked by Torah scholars who were studying Peninei Halakha in depth and requested more information about the sources and rationales presented. Therefore, the earlier Harḥavot were not methodical. Sometimes they contained extensive, in-depth explanations, and sometimes just short lists of sources on a subject. Sometimes philosophical elaborations were included as well.",
+ "4 In contrast, the Harḥavot volume for Peninei Halakha: Sukkot has a wonderful new feature. We were honored to have most of the supplemental material methodically written by a team of serious Torah scholars. With great care and precision, they deftly derive correct halakhic decisions from the raw source material. And, with God’s help, they are home-grown, products of our holy yeshiva in Har Bracha. I am referring primarily to Rav Maor Cayam, Rav Oren Dachbash, and Rav Bar’el Shevach. In earlier Harḥavot volumes, I needed to apologize for the supplemental material being less smooth than the main text; but this is no longer the case, thanks to the division of labor (cf. Sanhedrin 7b). Each writer takes responsibility for his own contribution, while Rav Maor Cayam serves as the overall editor for the supplemental material. This enables various subjects to be treated at length without delaying the next volumes of Peninei Halakha. The result is the glorification of the Torah.",
+ "5 Instead of beginning with my usual thanks, this time I will reprint the speech I gave in 2013 at the ceremony where I was awarded the Prize for a Torah Work (in memory of R. Zvi Yehuda Kook) by the Cathedra for Torah and Wisdom in Givat Shmuel:",
+ "“I wish to express my gratitude . . . (to the Cathedra for granting me the prize). This prize does not truly belong to me. It belongs to my parents – my father and teacher, my mother and teacher – and to Yeshivat Mercaz HaRav and its Rosh Yeshiva when I was there, R. Zvi Yehuda HaKohen Kook zt”l. I do my best to follow in their ways.",
+ "“It also belongs to the residents of the settlement where I have served as rabbi for twenty-five years. They have the privilege of guarding our nation and land in a front-line settlement at the top of Har Bracha. Their idealism-infused actions inspire me, while their questions challenge me. It is thanks to them that I have the opportunity to delve into the Torah in order to illuminate and provide guidance for life. The Peninei Halakha series is the fruit of our interactions.",
+ "“The prize belongs to all the students and teachers at the yeshiva as well. Studying with them regularly has allowed me to explore in breadth and depth the topics dealt with in Peninei Halakha. Therefore, with God’s help, I will donate the prize money to the yeshiva.",
+ "“I would like to mention those who have especially helped me: Rav Yonadav Zar, Rav Maor Cayam, Rav Eyal Moshe, Rav Oren Matza, Rav Oren Dachbash, Rav Bar’el Shevach, Rav Shlomi Badash, R. David Witzner, R. Maor Horowitz, R. Netanel Rosenstein, and all the other kollel and yeshiva students who provided helpful comments. I would like to thank my old friend Rav Ze’ev Sultanovitch, with whom I have had the honor to study and clarify complicated topics for the last thirty-five years. My thanks to all the rabbis of the yeshiva, who look after the yeshiva and its students, allowing me to devote myself to writing books.",
+ "“It is also a great privilege to thank the talented and industrious people who facilitate all of the yeshiva’s holy initiatives, not least of which is bringing these books to publication. They include: the yeshiva’s first administrator, former MK Yaakov Katz (Ketzaleh); the notable administrator, Dudu Sa’ada (who went on to run the Basheva newspaper); and the current administrator, Yaakov Weinberger. I would also like to thank board members Yechezkel Amber and Yoni Hayisraeli, as well as those responsible for publishing the books over the years: Shmuel Avital, Alon Ba’al Tzedaka, Yisrael Sa’adia, Shalev Cayam, Yogev Cohen, Yisrael Baum, and Keren Fogel.",
+ "“A special thanks to my in-laws R. Tuvia and Penina Katz, and to my dear wife Inbal. She encourages and helps me with my work in every possible way. This includes helping me clarify some fundamental topics, especially those that involve applying spiritual concepts to everyday life.",
+ "“I would also like to thank the readers of my books. In a certain sense, they are with me in my room when I learn Torah. They make comments and ask questions. They wrinkle their foreheads when the explanation is not clear enough, and their faces light up when issues are clarified. Often, they appear as specific friends, students, or acquaintances, who I know would definitely be bothered by a given topic. I try to discuss it with them and work it out for them. I do not always succeed, and sometimes the readers I conjure up remain unsatisfied. Yet I have no choice but to write the truth as I understand it.",
+ "“That little room is filled with the images of many people. There are ordinary people, who wake up early to face a full day of work, and who would like to know what their mission is in life. There are movers and shakers, who are engaged in developing the world, and who want the Torah to illuminate and elevate their lives. There are children and teens, who have open minds, and who want a clear understanding of the halakha, without complications. There are Torah scholars, who are looking for a central idea that they can trace, in a straight line, from the original sources through the later commentaries, right down to the halakha in practice. There are academics, some who are close to the Torah and some who are far, who want to understand the logic and harmony of the Torah. There are students in pre-army academies, who are searching for the ideals of the halakha and the reasons informing them. There are soldiers and others who are pressed for time, and who just want to know what is obligatory, what is optional, and what is the minimum required in pressing circumstances.",
+ "“Women who are trying to understand how halakha applies to them are also partners in these books. Most Torah books are directed at men, so women who study them are left wondering whether the laws apply to them or not. Sometimes I compose a paragraph and realize that women might find it offensive. So, I dig deeper, and often I discover that with a deeper understanding and a more precise formulation, the objections fade away. Sometimes, though, I do not have a good explanation. I imagine myself apologizing shamefacedly and adding, ‘I have no choice. This is what halakha says. We must strengthen our faith that the Torah’s ways are good and correct. What we do not currently understand, we hope to understand at some future point.’",
+ "“I also have in mind those truth-seekers among the nations of the world. This is especially relevant now that the books are being translated into many languages and are available to all on the internet. I try to ensure that I do not use formulations that will hurt them, while simultaneously making certain not to change any of the Torah’s truths. When I present the unique mission of the Jews, whom God chose as His special nation, I explain that this is not at the expense of non-Jews, but rather for their benefit.",
+ "“I will conclude with a personal note. It is natural that someone writing halakhic works is likely to feel pressure. On the one hand, some wish me to be lenient in order to make halakha fit better with the spirit of the times and the prevailing culture. On the other hand, others wish me to be stringent in accordance with every opinion mentioned in halakhic literature, even one held by only a single Torah scholar.",
+ "“There is pressure from those who want me to keep things very brief and deal only with generalities, and pressure from those who wish me to present endless details, as is often done in halakhic works. In my humble opinion, to withstand all this pressure and find the correct balance, it is necessary to have a safe space. Thank God, the residents of Har Bracha and my family members have provided me this safe space and given me maximal support. I do not know if I could have managed without it.",
+ "“May it be God’s will that we have the privilege to study His holy Torah in depth, and through it to continue building up the Land of Israel and Jerusalem. May we have the privilege of rebuilding the Temple and seeing the arrival of the redeemer, speedily in our days. May Torah go forth from Zion and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.”",
+ "6 I would like to take this opportunity to single out those who helped with this volume: Rav Maor Cayam, Rav Bar’el Shevach, and Rav Yonadav Zar. They are also credited in the Harḥavot, each one for the material he contributed. Thanks to R. Maor Horowitz for his help with editing and preparing the book for publication, and to R. Netanel Rosenstein for writing the index.",
+ "Eliezer Melamed",
+ "Av, 5773"
+ ],
+ "": [
+ [
+ [
+ "1. The Names and Foundations of the Festival",
+ "There are three names for the festival which begins on the fifteenth of Tishrei: 1) Ḥag Ha-Sukkot, the Festival of Booths, after its primary mitzva; 2) The Festival of Ingathering (Ḥag Ha-asif), as it falls during the time of year when the gathering in of the harvested grain and fruit is finished; 3) The Festival (He-ḥag), as it is the festival par excellence. It is sometimes referred to this way without any further elaboration, as we read, “At that time Shlomo kept the Festival (He-ḥag) for seven days” (2 Divrei Ha-yamim 7:8). This is because it is the most joyous and festive of the festivals; it has the added joy of dancing at the Simḥat Beit Ha-sho’eva celebration (Tosefot Yom Tov to m. Rosh Ha-shana 1:2; below, section 10), and Israel would offer more sacrifices on Sukkot than on the other festivals (Ha’amek Davar to Devarim 16:13). The special joy of Sukkot will be explained below (section 8).",
+ "There are three fundamental and interrelated elements of the festival of Sukkot: 1) The intrinsic holiness of the days (including Shemini Atzeret), which conclude the annual cycle of festivals, and during which we rejoice and give thanks to God for the year’s crops. This sanctity is expressed in the mitzva to refrain from melekhet avoda (occupational work; see Peninei Halakha: Mo’adim 11:1) on the first and eighth days, which are holidays, and in the partial abstention on the intermediate days of Ḥol Ha-mo’ed. The sanctity of these days is also expressed in the extra sacrifices that we are commanded to offer on this festival, as described in Bamidbar (29:12-34). 2) The mitzva of the arba’at ha-minim (four species), which adds to the joy of gathering in the year’s produce and of the repentance and atonement achieved during the Days of Awe. 3) The mitzva of sukka, which gives the festival its name, so that every generation knows that God redeemed Israel from Egypt and watches over His people. The sukka also alludes to a time in the future, when God will spread His sukka of peace over us, over all of Israel, and over the entire world.",
+ "These three elements are introduced in the section of the Torah that deals with the holidays (Vayikra 23:33-44). In contrast to other festivals, which are each described as a single unit, Sukkot is described in three stages. First: The Lord spoke to Moshe saying: Say to the Israelites: On the fifteenth day of this seventh month there shall be the Lord’s seven-day festival of Sukkot. The first day shall be a sacred occasion: you shall not work at your occupations; seven days you shall bring offerings by fire to the Lord. On the eighth day you shall observe a sacred occasion and bring an offering by fire to the Lord; it is a solemn gathering; you shall not work at your occupations. (33-38)",
+ "Second: Mark, on the fifteenth day of the seventh month, when you have gathered in the yield of your land, you shall observe the seven-day festival of the Lord; a complete rest on the first day, and a complete rest on the eighth day. On the first day you shall take the fruit of a hadar tree, branches of palm trees, boughs of dense-leaved trees, and willows of the brook, and you shall rejoice before the Lord your God seven days. (39-40)",
+ "Third: You shall observe it as a festival of the Lord for seven days in the year; you shall observe it in the seventh month as a law for all time, throughout the ages. You shall dwell in sukkot seven days; all citizens in Israel shall dwell in sukkot, in order that future generations may know that I made the Israelites dwell in sukkot when I brought them out of the land of Egypt, I the Lord your God. (Ibid. 41-43)"
+ ],
+ [
+ "2. The Festival of Ingathering",
+ "Sukkot is also called the Festival of Ingathering – “the Festival of Ingathering at the turn of the year” (Shemot 34:22) – because it occurs when the grain and other crops are gathered in from the fields and brought into homes and storehouses. Thus, the verse states: “Hold a seven-day festival of Sukkot when you gather in from your threshing floor and your winery” (Devarim 16:13, and similarly Vayikra 23:39).",
+ "The three pilgrimage festivals are connected to the agricultural seasons during which they occur, as the Torah states: Three times a year you shall hold a festival for Me: the Festival of Unleavened Bread…at the ordained time of the month of Aviv…. The Festival of the Harvest of the first fruits of your work, of what you sow in the field; and the Festival of Ingathering at the end of the year, when you gather your handiwork in from the field. (Shemot 23:14-16) Pesaḥ is in aviv (spring), when everything is beginning to bloom; Shavu’ot is at the end of the grain harvest and the beginning of the fruit harvest; and Sukkot is at the completion of the ingathering of the year’s yield. The mitzva of each festival is to rejoice and thank God for the bounty with which He has blessed us. Sukkot, when we finish gathering in the produce of the whole year, is therefore the most joyful of all (Peninei Halakha: Mo’adim 1:2; 13:4-5).",
+ "These natural processes of this world reflect the spiritual processes that occur in the supernal worlds. Pesaḥ is a time of beginning and renewal, so we left Egypt then and became a nation. Shavu’ot is a time when the growth process reaches maturity, so we received the Torah then. Sukkot is when we finish gathering the grain and fruit into the house, so spiritually, it is a time to collect the spiritual fruits that Israel gained during the Egyptian bondage and the wanderings in the desert – and bring them into the home, that is, into Eretz Yisrael, Israel’s home. As Abarbanel wrote (Devarim 16:13), the primary joy of Sukkot is inheriting the land of Israel. Thus, Pesaḥ celebrates the uniqueness of Israel revealed at the time of the Exodus; Shavu’ot celebrates the giving of the Torah; and Sukkot celebrates inheriting Eretz Yisrael.",
+ "Two cycles culminate with Sukkot. The longer cycle is that of the three pilgrimage festivals, which correspond to the agricultural cycles and seasons, and which will begin anew with the winter planting.",
+ "The second cycle is the repentance and atonement that we experience during the months of Elul and Tishrei. We do many wonderful things in the course of the year, but by our very nature, we are also prone to sin. In order to complete the year on the most positive note possible, we must repent, cleanse, and purify ourselves from any evil still clinging to us. This is our spiritual undertaking during Elul, Rosh Ha-shana, the Ten Days of Repentance, and Yom Kippur. By virtue of this repentance, atonement, and purification, the good we have absorbed during the course of the year is further refined, cleansed of the evil that has clung to it. This enables us to multiply our joy on Sukkot.",
+ "Rav Kook explains that although repentance is tremendously important, as it cleanses hearts and purifies disgraceful actions, it is also accompanied by pain, which causes the dulling of good will and saps vitality. Therefore, the season of repentance culminates with the joy of Sukkot, which restores our will to do good and our bold vitality (Orot Ha-teshuva 9:10)."
+ ],
+ [
+ "3. The Four Species",
+ "The mitzva of the four species is connected to the joy of Sukkot, as we read, “On the first day you shall take the fruit of a hadar tree, branches of palm trees, boughs of dense-leaved trees, and willows of the brook, and you shall rejoice before the Lord your God seven days” (Vayikra 23:40). The Sages explain that the joy in taking the lulav (which represents all four species) is related to both aspects of the Ingathering Festival – the material and the spiritual.",
+ "The material milestone celebrated is the end of the ingathering of all the year’s produce, when people experience abundant joy. To sanctify and connect this joy to recognizing the One Who created and sustains the world, we are commanded to take the four species as a symbol of our gratitude to God (Ramban on Vayikra 23:39; Sefer Ha-ḥinukh §324). The Sages ordained the shaking or waving of the four species upward, downward, and in all four directions, to express our faith in the Lord of the heavens, the earth, and everything in all four directions. It also conveys an implicit prayer for the upcoming year: May our crops flourish, and may God save us from harmful weather (Sukka 37b; below, 5:4).",
+ "The spiritual aspect of the celebration relates to our completion of the process of repentance for the past year’s sins. Waving the lulav is waving a banner to signify victory, for the success of our repentance and our drawing closer to God. The Sages compare this to two litigants who presented their cases in court. At the conclusion of the trial, no one knew who had won. Only after one of the litigants waved his sword did everyone know that he had won. Similarly, each year during the Days of Awe, the wicked of the world accuse Israel, claiming that they have not been fulfilling their mission, do not deserve to represent God in this world, and are not even worthy of preserving. The deliberations are tense, and no one knows whose claims prevailed – until Israel emerges holding their lulavim and etrogim, signifying that they prevailed, that they are God’s children and people. The nations of the world even celebrate with them, which is why we offered sacrifices on their behalf on Sukkot. This is why we were commanded, “On the first day you shall take” (based on Vayikra Rabba 30:2; Zohar I 221a).",
+ "The Sages also said that the four species tied together allude to the four types of Jews who must unite in serving God. Their unification sanctifies God’s name in the world (as elaborated in 4:2-3 below) and also leads to great joy. Thus, by taking the four species, we can rejoice before God for seven days."
+ ],
+ [
+ "4. The Sukka as Commemoration of the Booths in the Wilderness and the Clouds of Glory",
+ "The Torah explains the mitzva to dwell in the sukka for seven days: “In order that future generations may know that I made the Israelites dwell in sukkot when I brought them out of the land of Egypt, I the Lord your God” (Vayikra 23:43). There is a disagreement in the Mishna as to what is meant by “sukkot.” According to R. Eliezer, they refer to the clouds of glory (“ananei ha-kavod”) that sheltered Israel in the wilderness; according to R. Akiva, they refer to the actual booths in which the Israelites dwelt when they left Egypt (Sukka 11b). Both positions can be supported by the verses: Now when Pharaoh let the people go…they set out from Sukkot [i.e., they had built sukkot] and encamped at Etam, at the edge of the wilderness. The Lord went before them in a pillar of cloud by day, to guide them along the way, and in a pillar of fire by night, to give them light, that they might travel day and night. The pillar of cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night did not depart from before the people [i.e., they were protected by the clouds of glory]. (Shemot 13:17, 20-22)",
+ "In the opinion of R. Akiva, the mitzva of sukka commemorates the booths that Israel built to shelter themselves from sun and rain, reminding us of our humble beginnings, when God took us out of Egypt and led us from slavery to freedom, and when we wandered in the wilderness for forty years, sheltering in temporary booths to protect us from the sun and rain, without houses or inherited estates. By commemorating this, we will thank God for bringing us to the good and spacious land, a land where we could build homes and plant trees. Remembering our humble accommodations in booths helps ensure that the bounty of the good land will not cause us to become arrogant and forget God. Rather, we will recall that all is in His hands; He gave us the strength to conquer and settle the land, to eat its fruits and be satisfied by its bounty (Rashbam, Vayikra 23:43). This commemoration also redounds to the credit of Israel, who followed God into the uncultivated wilderness (Rabbeinu Baḥya ad loc.).",
+ "In the opinion of R. Eliezer, the mitzva of sukka commemorates the great miracle that God performed for Israel by providing clouds of glory to protect and guide them in the wilderness, as we read, “The Lord’s cloud kept above them by day, as they moved on from the camp” (Bamidbar 10:34). The clouds of glory expressed God’s love for us. Not only did He provide us with all our needs in the wilderness for forty years, with manna, quail, and the well, but His Shekhina also dwelt in our midst, and He covered us with clouds of glory, sheltering and protecting us (Ramban, Vayikra 23:43). The Sages state, “There were seven clouds of glory with Israel…one in each of the four directions, one above, one below, and one in front, clearing the way for them” (Mekhilta De-Rashbi, Shemot 13:21; Sifrei, Be-ha’alotekha 83). They further state that due to the merit accrued by Israel in following God into the wilderness, He enveloped them in clouds of glory (Zohar III 103b).",
+ "A cloud both reveals and conceals. On one hand, it is an expression of the Shekhina, but at the same time it conceals the intense divine illumination so that we can absorb it gradually. This is how God reveals Himself to us. First, He radiates a powerful illumination upon us, but since it is too powerful for us to comprehend, He masks it, so the light reaches us in accordance with our ability to absorb it. It is like the sun, which provides the world with energy, but since we cannot withstand its intensity, God created the atmosphere to protect us from its rays. This idea is alluded to in the verse (Tehilim 84:12), “For the Lord God is sun and shield.” (See Tanya, Sha’ar Ha-yiḥud Ve-ha’emuna, ch. 4.)",
+ "The sukka’s sekhakh also alludes to this. Physically, it protects us from most of the sun’s light, but it is not completely impenetrable, so that we can enjoy the light. Spiritually as well, the sekhakh protects us from most of the “enveloping light” (or makif) revealed on Sukkot, allowing us to absorb it according to our abilities (below, section 7)."
+ ],
+ [
+ "5. The Reason for the Mitzva of Sukka – Practical Ramifications",
+ "In addition to the reasons for sukka given above – commemorating the booths in the wilderness according to R. Akiva, and the clouds of glory according to R. Eliezer – residing in a sukka also reminds us of the Exodus from Egypt, as the verse states: “In order that future generations may know that I made the Israelites dwell in sukkot when I brought them out of the land of Egypt” (Vayikra 23:43). Not only Sukkot, but every Shabbat and holiday commemorates the Exodus from Egypt, as we acknowledge in kiddush and in our prayers. The Exodus is so important because the uniqueness of Israel, whom God chose as His treasured people and took out of Egypt, from bondage to freedom, was revealed through it. On a deeper level, He liberated our spirits from enslavement to materialism, for Egypt was a materialistic civilization. When we went free from Egypt, our spirits were freed from enslavement to the material, and we were free to accept the Torah (see Peninei Halakha: Pesaḥ 1:3).",
+ "It would seem that, if the sukka commemorates the Exodus, it should be built in the spring, the season when the Exodus took place. However, were we to build a sukka then, it would not be clear that it was to fulfill a mitzva, as during the spring there are people who sleep in booths or tents because they enjoy it. Therefore, we are commanded to reside in the sukka in the fall, to make it clear that we are doing so in order to fulfill a mitzva (Tur, OḤ 625).",
+ "Let us return to the debate between R. Eliezer and R. Akiva. The halakha follows R. Eliezer, which means that when we fulfill the mitzva, we must remember that the sukka is to commemorate the clouds of glory (SA 625:1). The Aḥaronim add that we must also keep in mind that the sukka is to commemorate the Exodus (MA; SAH; Pri Megadim; MB ad loc. 1). Some suggest that this is actually what R. Akiva meant – that we must remember the booths that Israel made when they left Egypt (Rabbeinu Ḥananel; Taz). Thus, if we recall both the clouds of glory and the Exodus, in practice we are following both opinions.",
+ "Although the reason for this mitzva is explicit in the Torah, as it states, “In order that future generations may know that I made the Israelites dwell in sukkot when I brought them out of the land of Egypt” (Vayikra 23:43), nevertheless, if one forgot to have in mind that the sukka commemorates the clouds of glory and the Exodus, he has fulfilled his obligation, as long as he intended to fulfill God’s commandment (Pri Megadim; MB 625:1; below, 3:3, we explain that this law pertains to the first night as well)."
+ ],
+ [
+ "6. A Temporary Residence",
+ "God wanted to bestow good upon us, so He chose us from among all the nations, brought us out of slavery, and gave us the Holy Land – a good and spacious land, a land flowing with milk and honey. So that we uphold the Torah and mitzvot in this land, we plant trees and build homes in it, eat of its fruit, and are satisfied by its bounty. In the land, we live our entire lives in holiness, thus fully revealing the divine, through body and soul, in all areas of life.",
+ "This is why we are commanded specifically during the festival of ingathering, when we celebrate all the produce that grew in our fields, to dwell in a sukka, a temporary residence. We are thus reminded of the fleeting nature of human life, of being slaves to Pharaoh in Egypt, and of the forty years we wandered in the wilderness and resided in makeshift booths (based on Rashbam to Vayikra 23:43).",
+ "Let us elaborate further. Comfortably living at home is likely to mislead a person to believe that the walls of his home can protect him from all trials and tribulations. However, in truth, one’s life in this world is temporary, and even the strongest and best homes cannot protect one from disease, natural disaster, and war. And even if someone survives all these and lives to a ripe old age, eventually his time runs out; it becomes clear that his stay in this world was temporary. And even during all the years when he was privileged to reside tranquilly in his secure home, the tranquility and protection were from God. One who does not live with this awareness is living a lie; he thinks that the more he invests in the frivolities of this world, the more stable and the better his life will be. The truth is that the more he connects his activities in this world to the Source of life and to eternal values, the more meaningful, good, and truly happy his life will be. (See section 9, below, about Kohelet.)",
+ "Leaving our secure homes and entering the sukka on Sukkot allows us to absorb all these foundational lessons. It is for this reason that the sukka is referred to as “the shade of faith” (tzila di-mehemnuta). The timing of Sukkot is precise. Just before the winter arrives, and just as we are about to return to our homes for protection from the cold, wind, and rain, we are commanded to sit in the sukka and remember that God is our true guard and protector. “Unless the Lord builds the house, its builders labor in vain on it; unless the Lord watches over the city, the watchman keeps vigil in vain” (Tehilim 127:1).",
+ "In the merit of our living in temporary residences which connect us to faith, God will allow His Shekhina to dwell in our midst. He will spread His canopy of peace over us and rebuild for all time the fallen sukka of David (the Davidic dynasty) and the Temple. We will live securely in permanent homes in the good land that God promised to our ancestors and to us, as we read: On that day, I will set up again the fallen booth of David, I will mend its breaches and set up its ruins anew. I will build it firm as in the days of old…when the mountains shall drip wine and all the hills shall wave [with grain]. I will restore My people Israel. They shall rebuild ruined cities and inhabit them; they shall plant vineyards and drink their wine; they shall till gardens and eat their fruits. And I will plant them upon their soil, nevermore to be uprooted from the soil I have given them – said the Lord your God. (Amos 9:11-15)"
+ ],
+ [
+ "7. The Sukka – an Enveloping Light",
+ "The mitzva to dwell in a sukka is special in that it sanctifies routine life. When one eats and drinks, converses and sleeps in a sukka, it exalts and sanctifies these mundane acts, turning them into a mitzva. The kabbalists allude to this when they explain that the light of the sukka is an “enveloping” or “surrounding” light (“or makif”), as contrasted with the light of most mitzvot (including the four species), which is an “inner light.” Let us explain further:",
+ "The light that radiates from God is above and beyond our capacity to absorb and contain. We can thus speak of two parts: inner light (“or penimi”) and enveloping light. Inner light is the less powerful part, which we can absorb through thought and emotion. The more powerful part, which is beyond our ability to absorb, becomes a light that envelops us; although we cannot contain it, it surrounds us and gives us inspiration that deeply affects our lives.",
+ "The inner light allows us to exalt and sanctify the more obviously spiritual aspects of our lives. It is revealed by means of Torah study, prayer, and primarily mitzvot between one and God, which connect people to that which is beyond the mundane; their sanctity is more apparent. From the perspective of the inner light, the more spiritual something is, the higher a level it is on, and in contrast, the more practical and routine something is, the lower a level it is on. The four species allude to this, as we take them solely to fulfill a mitzva (below, 4:2-3).",
+ "Through the much greater or makif, on the other hand, we can repair and elevate the material and routine parts of life as well. This great light is revealed when faith and Torah illuminate mundane life: eating, drinking, sleeping, family life, interpersonal relationships, work, commerce, and scientific research. This is the primary mission of the Jewish people: to reveal to the world that God is one, in heaven and on earth, and that even mundane matters are connected to holiness. The mitzva of sukka alludes to this, as everything we do inside the sukka is sanctified and transformed into a mitzva, thus revealing a profound secret of faith (Zohar II 186b).",
+ "In this way, the mitzva of sukka is similar to the mitzva of settling Eretz Yisrael. Both of these mitzvot envelop us. When we enter into their holy atmosphere, our mundane activities are sanctified. The Vilna Gaon (Kol Ha-tor 1:7) says that there is an allusion to this connection in the verse, “Salem became His abode (sukko); Zion, His den” (Tehilim 76:3). Similarly, as we said above (section 2), the primary joy of Sukkot is celebrating our inheriting the land (Abarbanel to Devarim 16:13). These two mitzvot in particular reveal the special qualities of Israel, for the unique aspect of Israel is revealing sanctity on earth (see Avoda Zara 3b).",
+ "These two mitzvot complement one another. The sukka commemorates the clouds of glory, through which the Shekhina was revealed in the wilderness, as we read, “They turned toward the wilderness, and there, in a cloud, appeared the glory of the Lord” (Shemot 16:10). Similarly, we read that at Mount Sinai there was “a dense cloud upon the mountain” (ibid. 19:16), and that when God revealed Himself to Moshe, “The Lord came down in a cloud; He stood with him there” (ibid. 34:5). The reason the Shekhina revealed itself in the wilderness in the thick of the cloud is because we had not yet merited entering the Holy Land, where everything is linked to holiness. After we entered the land, our job became revealing the Shekhina in the land, such that everything we do is infused with the Divine Presence. However, there is a risk that when we busy ourselves with the practicalities of daily life in Eretz Yisrael, we will forget to focus on the holy. God gave us Sukkot as a constant reminder of the clouds of glory, the presence of the Shekhina, and the sacred mission of the Jewish people to reveal holiness within the world of action.",
+ "Revealing the holiness of Sukkot and Eretz Yisrael will bring the world to its complete perfection, as it is written: “In all of My sacred mount nothing evil or vile shall be done; for the land shall be filled with devotion to the Lord as water covers the sea” (Yeshayahu 11:9). This will also lead to world peace, as we read, “The wolf shall dwell with the lamb, the leopard lie down with the kid” (ibid. 11:6). A similar sentiment is expressed in the chapter of Zechariah dealing with redemption and Sukkot: “And the Lord shall be king over all the earth; in that day there shall be one Lord with one name” (Zechariah 14:9). The nations of the world will ascend to Jerusalem and celebrate Sukkot with us. Even items which seem distant from holiness, like the bells of horses, will be designated “holy to God” (ibid. 14:20)."
+ ],
+ [
+ "8. The Joy of Sukkot – Unity and Peace",
+ "There is a mitzva to rejoice on all the festivals, as the Torah says, “You shall rejoice in your festival” (Devarim 16:14). On Sukkot, though, we are to be extra joyful. Therefore, the mitzva to rejoice on all the festivals was stated in context of Sukkot: After the ingathering from your threshing floor and your vat, you shall hold the seven-day festival of Sukkot. You shall rejoice in your festival, with your son and daughter, your male and female slave, the Levite, the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow in your communities. For seven days you shall hold a festival for the Lord your God, in the place that the Lord will choose; for the Lord your God will bless all your crops and all your undertakings, and you shall have nothing but joy. (Devarim 16:13-15) Similarly we read, “Mark, on the fifteenth day of the seventh month, when you have gathered in the yield of your land, you shall observe the seven-day festival of the Lord…and you shall rejoice before the Lord your God seven days” (Vayikra 23:39-40).",
+ "Joy is not explicitly mentioned in context of Pesaḥ. The Sages explain that this is because Pesaḥ is the time of judgment for the grain for the upcoming year. Additionally, since many Egyptians died then, our joy is incomplete. In reference to the festival of Shavu’ot, joy is mentioned once: “Then you shall observe the Festival of Weeks…and you shall rejoice before the Lord your God” (Devarim 16:10-11). By this point of the year, we already know that the grain has grown, and we are happy about it, but we are still worried about the rest of the produce. The word “joy” is not used in reference to Rosh Ha-shana, because it is a time of judgment for the entire world. But on Sukkot, after all the grain and fruits have been gathered in, and after we have repented and been atoned, we can truly and completely rejoice. This is why the verses speaking of Sukkot mention rejoicing three times (Pesikta De-Rav Kahana, Sukkot; Beit Yosef, OḤ 490:4; MB ad loc. 7).",
+ "The extra joy of Sukkot, then, is an end-of-year celebration, marking the ingathering of all the year’s produce – a material and spiritual ingathering of grain and fruits as well as of everything we learned and all the good things we did during the year. This ingathering is especially pure since it follows the season of repentance and atonement (as explained in section 2 above). The mitzva of taking the lulav also expresses the joy of the material and spiritual ingathering (section 3 above). Thus, we are elevated toward the Source of Life in ecstasy, and we gather to celebrate before the Lord our God. The sukka, surrounding us on all sides, symbolizes the ingathering of all the good things we did during the year. They all come together perfectly and envelop us, bathing us in divine light.",
+ "When we gather together every aspect and degree of goodness, even those which seem at first glance to be incompatible with one another, God spreads His canopy of peace over us, and Israel becomes cohesive and unified. For as long as each element stands on its own, there is no unity. But on the ingathering festival, all elements come together, revealing their unity. This is the meaning of the Sages’ statement: “All Jews can sit in one sukka” (Sukka 27b). Similarly, the four species hint at the different types of Jews who come together on Sukkot (below, 4:2-3).",
+ "Through the relative perfection that we attain on Sukkot in this world, we will reach the greater perfection in the messianic future, as the Sages said: “Of one who fulfills the mitzva of sukka in this world, the Holy One says, ‘He fulfilled the mitzva of sukka in this world; I will shelter him from the intense heat of the days to come’” (Pesikta De-Rav Kahana, Sukkot). This echoes a statement from the Gemara: There will be no Gehinnom in the future. Rather, God will remove the sun from its sheath and intensify its heat. The wicked will be brought to justice by it, and the righteous will be healed by it. The wicked will be brought to justice by it, as it is written: “For lo! That day is at hand, burning like an oven. All the arrogant and all the doers of evil shall be straw, and the day that is coming – said the Lord of Hosts – shall burn them to ashes…” (Malakhi 3:19-20). The righteous will be healed by it, as it is written: “But for you who revere My name, a sun of victory shall rise to bring healing” (ibid.). Moreover, they will delight in it, as it is written: “You shall go forth and stamp like stall-fed calves” (ibid.). (Avoda Zara 3b)",
+ "The Sages tell us that the mitzvot which we perform in this world become garments that will allow us to absorb the great light in the future (Zohar II 210a). The sukka expresses this in our world, as it is the mitzva and shield that allows us to absorb the great light in a manner that is appropriate for us. (See the end of section 4.)"
+ ],
+ [
+ "9. The Book of Kohelet",
+ "Many communities read the Book of Kohelet on Sukkot (Sofrim 14:1), as it teaches us how to celebrate truly. This is very important for people to learn, as we are naturally predisposed to find happiness in the trivialities and vanities of this world, thinking that the richer we are, the larger our homes, the fancier our clothes, the finer our food, the more expensive our drinks, the more exotic our gardens, and the more numerous our staff of servants, the happier we will be. In truth, all these things are merely instrumental; they can help us toward the ultimate objective, which is our spiritual stature, faith, and good character. But when material possessions become primary, it makes us forget our inner wellbeing and values, detaches us from the Source of Life, and leaves us hollowed out, empty, and joyless.",
+ "The idea of Sukkot is to experience true joy with all the produce that we gathered throughout the year. We achieve this by reinforcing our awareness that everything that we gathered was due to God’s kindness, and that its main purpose is to help us grow stronger in our faith and moral fiber and to give us the means and desire to help others and repair the world. We leave our secure, permanent homes for the temporary sukka, a place of mitzva and sanctity, and thus return to the foundations of the Jewish faith. We learn that our homes and possessions are tools to realize divine ideals.",
+ "This idea is expressed in Kohelet, which clarifies for us that wisdom, wealth, beauty, and other worldly virtues are trivial, “hevel.” Only one thing is important: “The sum of the matter, when all is said and done: Revere God and observe His mitzvot, for this is the entirety of humanity” (Kohelet 12:13). I heard a nice explanation of this from my uncle. “Hevel” means “nothing” or “zero,” while reverence of God is “one” – it is the first among virtues like one is the first number (Shabbat 31b). If reverence of God comes first and it is joined by wisdom, the 1 joined to the 0 makes 10. If wealth, which is also a 0, is added, we reach 100. If beauty, which is also a 0, is added, we reach 1000. And so on. However, if reverence for God does not lead off, then all the other virtues are meaningless, a big fat zero (R. Avraham Remer zt”l).",
+ "Kohelet teaches us that joy which is not connected to a mitzva or moral value is unworthy. About this, it is written, “Of merriment [I said], ‘What good is that?’” (Kohelet 2:2). But about the joy of a mitzva, it is written, “I therefore praised enjoyment. For the only good a man can have under the sun is to eat and drink and enjoy himself” (ibid. 8:15). The Sages expound: “The Shekhina does not dwell with someone who is feeling sad, lazy, frivolous, or silly, or who is speaking nonsense. Rather, it dwells with one who is feeling happy on account of a mitzva” (Shabbat 30b).",
+ "Some Ashkenazic communities follow the practice of reading Kohelet from a parchment and reciting the berakhot of “al mikra megilla” and She-heḥeyanu beforehand. This is the practice of the students of the Vilna Gaon. Most Ashkenazic communities, however, do not recite berakhot before reading Kohelet, nor are they meticulous about reading it from a parchment (Rema 490:9; MB 490:19; Peninei Halakha: Mo’adim 2:10).",
+ "Ashkenazic custom is to read the megilla at Shaḥarit of Shabbat Ḥol Ha-mo’ed, before the Torah reading. Most Sephardic communities do not read Kohelet on Sukkot. Yemenites read part of Kohelet before Minḥa on Shabbat Ḥol Ha-mo’ed, and the rest on the last day of Yom Tov. (See Peninei Halakha: Mo’adim 2:10.)"
+ ],
+ [
+ "10. Simḥat Beit Ha-sho’eva",
+ "When the Temple stood, a huge celebration, complete with music and dancing, was held in the Temple courtyard every night of Ḥol Ha-mo’ed Sukkot. This celebration was known as Simḥat Beit Ha-sho’eva. The Sages report: “Anyone who never witnessed the Simḥat Beit ha-sho’eva has never in his life witnessed simḥa” (m. Sukka 5:1). The celebration began after the afternoon tamid offering and continued all night long. As dawn approached, an official would make a declaration, and two kohanim standing at the upper gate would blow teki’a-teru’a-teki’a blasts on trumpets. They would lead everyone in a procession descending from the upper gate of the Temple. When the kohanim reached the tenth step, they blew teki’a-teru’a-teki’a blasts again. When they reached the women’s courtyard, they blew yet again. They continued blowing the trumpets until they arrived at the gate which exited the courtyard to the east. From there, the procession continued down to the Shilo’aḥ spring. There they drew water to be used for the libation that would accompany the morning tamid offering (Sukka 51b). When they ascended back to the Temple, they entered via the Water Gate, and the kohanim blew the trumpets once again. All of these blasts were celebratory, as we read (Yeshayahu 12:3), “Joyfully shall you draw water from the fountains of salvation” (Sukka 48a-b). The entire event was called the Simḥat Beit Ha-sho’eva (lit. “the Celebration of the Water-Drawing Place”) on account of this water-drawing procession. The Sages further report that the joy of this mitzva imbued Israel’s leaders with divine inspiration. This was an additional reason for the name – “for they ‘drew’ divine inspiration from there” (y. Sukka 5:1).",
+ "This joy rested on two foundations: the joy that typifies Sukkot, and the special mitzva of the water libation that took place only on Sukkot. During the year, all offerings, both individual and communal, were accompanied by a wine libation, which was poured on the altar. Only on Sukkot, at the morning tamid, was there a special mitzva of pouring water, in addition to wine, on the altar. They would fill two receptacles – one with wine and the other with the water brought from the Shilo’aḥ – and pour them out simultaneously into the Shitin, a natural hollow space under the Temple floor, through two adjacent holes in the surface of the altar. During the construction of the Temple, they built the altar above the Shitin and left a narrow opening between the altar and its ramp, so that the water libations could be poured into the Shitin (Sukka 49a). The Shitin was in place from the moment of creation, designated for use in this mitzva, to ensure that the water libations reach the very foundations of the earth; all other wine libations could simply be poured onto the altar (Maharsha, Sukka 3b).",
+ "The water libations express the uniqueness of Sukkot, in which the sanctity of natural life and existence is revealed – just as the mitzva of sukka transforms natural activities like sleeping and eating into mitzvot. All year long, only wine libations accompanied the offerings, because normally, only the special elevation to which wine alludes can reveal sanctity. But on Sukkot, after the observance of all the festivals and days of repentance, and after the gathering in all the year’s produce, sanctity is manifest in routine life as well, which is sustained by water. This is the greatest, most complete joy, as it incorporates all facets of life.",
+ "The Sages tell us that on Sukkot we are judged concerning water and that through the water libations, the incoming year’s rainfall is blessed (RH 16a). We must note that water alludes to God’s great kindness, which sustains everything, without exception: grass and trees, fruits and vegetables, fish and fowl, wild and domesticated animals, Israel and the nations of the world. Usually we are not worthy of ascending to the level of this great kindness, but on Sukkot, after we have completed the entire cycle of festivals and repentance, we become worthy of pouring water on the altar, thus connecting with the very foundations of the world’s existence and thereby opening the gates of blessing to all creatures. The joy that accompanies the drawing of the water is therefore very great indeed."
+ ],
+ [
+ "11. The Proceedings of the Simḥat Beit Ha-sho’eva",
+ "Large golden candelabra, atop poles fifty amot high, were erected in the Temple courtyard. Each candelabrum had four lamps, and four young kohanim were charged with lighting each candelabrum by climbing ladders to fill the lamps with enough oil to last all night and to kindle them. The wicks for the lamps were made from worn-out pants of kohanim. These lamps produced enough light to illuminate all the courtyards in Jerusalem (m. Sukka 5:3).",
+ "The celebration itself took place in the women’s courtyard, which was the outer courtyard of the Temple. Musicians stood on the fifteen steps that descended from the men’s courtyard to the women’s and played a variety of instruments: flutes, harps, trumpets, and cymbals (m. Sukka 5:4). Most of the musicians were Levites, but Israelites who knew how to play would join the orchestra.",
+ "The pious and virtuous would dance while juggling torches. Some could juggle four torches, and some could manage eight. They did not worry about their dignity. Rather, they danced, skipped, and jumped at the Simḥat Beit Ha-sho’eva, like King David, who danced and whirled with all his might before the Ark of God (2 Samuel 6:16). The Sages recount that when R. Shimon ben Gamliel (the Nasi) rejoiced at the Simḥat Beit Ha-sho’eva, he took eight torches in golden holders. He threw one and grabbed another, and they never collided with each other. He also bowed down, planting his thumbs in the earth and kissing the floor of the courtyard, then immediately straightening up. Those present sang songs and praises to God. The pious and virtuous would say, “Fortunate is our youth, which does not embarrass our old age,” while penitents would say, “Fortunate is our old age, which atones for our youth.” Both would say, “Fortunate is one who did not sin, and one who sinned can repent and be forgiven.” The joy of the sages led them to experience divine inspiration. It is said of the prophet Yona that he was inspired by the divine spirit and achieved prophecy as a result of his rejoicing at the Simḥat Beit Ha-sho’eva (Sukka 53a; y. Sukka 5:1, 4).",
+ "Not everyone who wanted was allowed to dance in the presence of the people. Rather, the greatest sages, yeshiva heads, the members of the Sanhedrin, the pious, the elders, and the virtuous danced and rejoiced in front of the people. Everyone else, men and women, came to watch them dance and hear the marvelous singing (MT, Laws of Shofar, Sukka, and Lulav 8:14). Presumably they could sing and dance in place a little bit.",
+ "Originally, the women would stand in the women’s courtyard, and the men stood further away, on the open area of the Temple Mount. When the Sages saw that this led to frivolity and mixing, they instructed that a balcony be built for the women to stand on, with the men standing below them. The dancing then took place in the middle of the courtyard (Sukka 51b).",
+ "R. Yehoshua ben Ḥananya was a Levite who was among those who sang while the sacrifices were being offered. He testified that during all of Ḥol Ha-mo’ed, the Levites did not sleep in their beds. They sang in the morning, while the morning tamid was offered, then they prayed Shaḥarit, then sang again during the musaf offering, and then prayed the Musaf prayer. From there they went to the beit midrash to study Torah until after noon, whereupon they ate a festive meal, prayed Minḥa, and sang in accompaniment of the afternoon tamid. Right after that, the Simḥat Beit Ha-sho’eva began and continued until dawn. When they grew tired, they would nod off a bit while resting their heads on their colleagues’ shoulders (Sukka 53a)."
+ ],
+ [
+ "12. The Simḥat Beit Ha-sho’eva Nowadays",
+ "It is customary to hold celebrations on Ḥol Ha-mo’ed, in commemoration of the Simḥat Beit Ha-sho’eva held in the Temple. Every celebration held during the festival is a mitzva, as we read, “You shall rejoice in your festival” (Devarim 16:14). These commemorative celebrations, also called “Simḥat Beit Ha-sho’eva,” fulfill an additional mitzva by invoking the Temple celebrations and thus hasten the Temple’s rebuilding (Sukka 41a).",
+ "This custom has become stronger in recent centuries, as Jews from all over the world began to gather in Eretz Yisrael, and the light of salvation began to glimmer. Originally, these celebrations were held only in Eretz Yisrael, but they spread to the Diaspora as well. As R. Ḥayim ibn Attar (the “Or Ha-Ḥayim”) wrote in a letter from Jerusalem in 5503 (1742): “On Ḥol Ha-mo’ed we had a Simḥat Beit Ha-sho’eva. I was the one who lit [the torches] one night, and we held a great celebration.” Elsewhere it is recounted that people would dance in circles, holding torches. Similarly, Ḥasidim who immigrated to Israel from Europe reported that a Simḥat Beit Ha-sho’eva with drums, dancing, and torches was held in Tzefat.",
+ "R. Yehosef Schwartz (d. 5625/1864) wrote a letter to his brother about the special celebrations that took place in Jerusalem. He described how in the Kahal Tziyon Synagogue they set up a special device that shot water upward during the celebration. R. Yehuda Leibish Orenstein (head of the Ḥasidei Yerushalayim rabbinical court) wrote (in 5633/1872) that the Sadigora Ḥasidim who immigrated to Jerusalem hired non-Jewish musicians to play every night of Ḥol Ha-mo’ed at their Simḥat Beit Ha-sho’eva (Responsa Moharil, p. 8). However, the general Ashkenazic custom was not to light torches (Ir Ha-kodesh Ve-hamikdash 3:25:8-9).",
+ "R. Ḥayim Abulafia instituted a Simḥat Beit Ha-sho’eva in the synagogue in Izmir, Turkey, to commemorate the Temple, in which they lit many candles in the synagogue and played hymns for about two hours, with dancing by elders and notables (Ḥayim Va-ḥesed 497:11). Similarly, the Rabbi of Tripoli in 5570/1810, R. Avraham Ḥayim Adadi, wrote that they customarily celebrated on Ḥol Ha-mo’ed nights, following the practice instituted by an emissary from Jerusalem. They sang and danced for two or three hours, with the sexton handing out candles to the dancers. Each dancer began by bowing in front of the holy ark (Vayikra Avraham, Kuntres Makom She-nahagu, p. 123). Some even permitted a mourner to play music at the Simḥat Beit Ha-sho’eva, since its joy is that of a mitzva and it commemorates the Temple (Zera Emet 2:157). Some sang selected liturgical poems of the Days of Awe during the Simḥat Beit Ha-sho’eva (Yesod Ve-shoresh Ha-avoda 11:14).",
+ "Even though there is no obligation to hold a Simḥat Beit Ha-sho’eva, having one is a mitzva. It is especially important to encourage those who are not studying Torah to participate in the celebration, rather than to waste their time (R. Yaakov Ettlinger, Bikurei Yaakov 661:3).",
+ "At the beginning of the celebration, some have a custom to recite the fifteen “Songs of Ascent” (“Shir Ha-ma’alot”; Tehilim 120-134), which have special power to increase water and blessing. The custom is based upon the story that when King David opened the Shitin, the waters of the deep threatened to rise and flood the earth. David wrote the Tetragrammaton on a potsherd and placed it upon the water. The water sank 16,000 amot, and the world became very dry. Then King David recited the fifteen “Shir Ha-ma’alot” psalms, and with each psalm, the water rose 1,000 amot, and the world was once again hydrated (Sukka 53a-b)."
+ ],
+ [
+ "13. The Jews and the Nations of the World",
+ "Sukkot is special in that the nations of the world also have a part in it. The Sages say that the seventy bulls that we are commanded to sacrifice during the seven days of Sukkot correspond to the seventy nations of the world (Sukka 55b). As we have already learned (section 7 above), on Sukkot it is revealed that nothing is not connected to sanctity, so the positive value of the world’s nations is illuminated as well. The order in which the sacrifices are offered is unusual. On the first day we offer thirteen bulls, on the second day twelve. The numbers continue to descend each day, until on the seventh day we offer seven bulls (Bamidbar 29:12-34). The idea is that on the inside, deep down, the root of every nation in the world is good, though sometimes their actions manifest terrible evil. It is therefore necessary to separate the good from the bad. By gradually decreasing the number of sacrificial bulls, the negative forces dissipate until, on the seventh day, we offer only seven, the number that is most suitable for revealing sanctity in this world, which was created in seven days (Ein Ayah on Shabbat 2:7).",
+ "The prophet Zechariah teaches us that in the future, Sukkot will serve as a litmus test for the nations of the world. Those who ascend to Jerusalem to worship God and to celebrate with the Jewish people will merit great blessing, as we read: All who survive of all those nations that came up against Jerusalem shall make a pilgrimage year by year to bow low to the King, Lord of Hosts, and to observe the festival of Sukkot. Any of the earth’s peoples that do not make the pilgrimage to Jerusalem to bow low to the King, Lord of Hosts, shall receive no rain. If the Egyptian people do not go up…the Lord will bring on them the plague He inflicts on the nations that do not go up to celebrate the festival of Sukkot. Such shall be the punishment of Egypt and of all other nations that do not come up to observe the festival of Sukkot…. (Zechariah 14:16-19)",
+ "Our relationship with non-Jews is complicated. Over the course of our long history, they have often treated us very badly; nevertheless, our basic attitude toward them is positive. The Sages tell us, “Woe to the non-Jews, who sustained a loss that they are not even aware of. During Temple times, the altar atoned for them. Now, what atones for them?” (Sukka 55b). A midrash makes a similar point. “Israel said: ‘Master of the world, we sacrifice seventy bulls on their behalf. By rights they should love us. Yet they hate us!’ The verse (Tehilim 109:4) attests to this, stating, ‘They repay my love with accusations, but I continue to pray’” (Bamidbar Rabba 21:24).",
+ "Zohar explains in many places that we offer seventy bulls for the seventy nations out of love, in order to increase abundance and blessing for them (Zohar I 221a; III 256a). Even if they hate us, by offering the bulls on their behalf, we ensure that they are too preoccupied with their bounty to torment us (ibid. I 64a; II 187a). Ultimately, though, if they are ingrates and still hate us out of wickedness, the abundance they receive will become a stumbling block for them. Mishlei (25:21-22) attests to this: “If your enemy is hungry, give him bread to eat; if he is thirsty, give him water to drink. You will be heaping live coals on his head, and the Lord will reward you” (Zohar III 259a and 24a-b).",
+ "The responsibility that we show for the entire world reveals more of Israel’s special qualities. These qualities find expression on Shemini Atzeret, when we experience the special love between God and Israel. For this reason, we offer only one bull then. In the words of our Sages (Sukka 55b), “Why do we offer only a single bull on Shemini Atzeret? It corresponds to a singular nation. This can be compared to a king of flesh and blood who told his servants, ‘Make me a big feast.’ Then on the last day of the celebration he said to his favorite, ‘Make me a small banquet, so that I can enjoy your company alone.’” (See 7:2 below.)"
+ ],
+ [
+ "14. The Custom of Ushpizin",
+ "As we have seen (Peninei Halakha: Mo’adim 1:11), the Torah commands us to include the poor and lonely in the festivities and to invite them to share our meals, as we read, “You shall rejoice in your festival, with your son and daughter, your male and female slave, the Levite, the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow in your communities” (Devarim 16:14). These are the guests (ushpizin) whom it is a mitzva to invite into the sukka. According to Zohar, it is also appropriate to invite “supernal guests” (“ushpizin ila’in”) into the sukka. These are the souls of seven righteous people, Avraham, Yitzḥak, Yaakov, Yosef, Moshe, Aharon, and David, whose light shines on Sukkot. On each day of the festival, the light of one of them shines brightest, and he enters the sukka first, accompanied by the other six.",
+ "Zohar on Parashat Emor tells of the practice of R. Hamnuna Saba. Entering the sukka made him happy, so he would stand in its doorway and say: “Sit down, supernal guests, sit down. Sit down, guests of faith, sit down.” He would then joyously raise his hands and exclaim: “Happy is our lot, happy is the lot of Israel, who sits in the sukka!” For everyone who has a share in the holy nation and the holy land is sitting in the shelter of faith and receiving the light of the seven righteous visitors. He will rejoice in this world and the next.",
+ "Nevertheless, one must make sure to bring joy to the poor, since the share of the seven righteous whom he invited to the sukka belongs to them. If one sits in the shelter of faith and invites supernal guests of faith but does not give their share to the poor, these righteous guests get up to leave. They are not interested in being hosted by a miser, as Scripture states: “Do not eat of a stingy man’s food; do not crave his dainties” (Mishlei 23:6-7). The table he set for the meal is his own table, not God’s table, and of him it is written: “I will strew dung upon your faces, the dung of your festival sacrifices” (Malakhi 2:3). Woe to this host when the supernal guests desert his table. When our patriarch Avraham – who spent his whole life standing at the crossroads inviting guests and setting the table for them – sees that this person has set his table without including the poor, he gets up and announces, “Move away from the tents of these wicked men” (Bamidbar 16:26). All the rest of the supernal guests then file out after him. On their way out, Yitzḥak says, “The belly of the wicked will be empty” (Mishlei 13:25), and Yaakov says, “The morsel you eat you will vomit” (ibid. 23:8). The rest of the righteous say, “For all tables are covered with vomit and filth without the Omnipresent” (Yeshayahu 28:8).",
+ "Zohar further states that one should not say, “First I will eat and drink to satiety, and then I will give what is left to the poor.” Rather, he should first give to the poor. If he acts properly, bringing joy to the poor and filling them to satiety, God delights in him. Avraham says of him, “Then you can seek the favor of the Lord. I will set you astride the heights of the earth” (Yeshayahu 58:14), and the rest of the righteous apply various positive verses to him. Happy is the person who merits this (Zohar III 103b-104a).",
+ "We must add that if someone gives charity to the poor before the festival in accordance with his means, he is also fulfilling the mitzva by making sure that they are included in the festival joy. Nevertheless, hosting them in his sukka is a greater mitzva. Nowadays it is particularly important to make a point of inviting people, as there are very few people today who are actually starving, but there are many people who are sad and lonely. It is a great mitzva to make efforts to invite them to join in the celebration.",
+ "Many siddurim include a formula for inviting the ushpizin ila’in each day. The traditional order is: Avraham, Yitzḥak, Yaakov, Moshe, Aharon, Yosef, David. This is the custom of Sephardim and Ḥasidim (Kaf Ha-ḥayim 639:8). In Ashkenazic custom, the order is Avraham, Yitzḥak, Yaakov, Yosef, Moshe, Aharon, David (Siddur Ha-Shlah). Some people make a point of having Torah discussions each day about that day’s guest. Some people, who share a name with one of the ushpizin, make a party in their sukka on the night of “their” supernal guest, setting out refreshments and wine for their human guests, and inviting Torah scholars to speak."
+ ]
+ ],
+ [
+ [
+ "1. A Temporary Residence",
+ "There is a mitzva to reside in a sukka throughout the seven days of the Sukkot festival, as the Torah says, “You shall dwell in sukkot seven days; all citizens in Israel shall dwell in sukkot, in order that future generations may know that I made the Israelites dwell in sukkot when I brought them out of the land of Egypt, I the Lord your God” (Vayikra 23:42-43). Similarly, it states, “After the ingathering from your threshing floor and your vat, you shall hold the seven-day festival of Sukkot” (Devarim 16:13).",
+ "The sukka that we are commanded to live in during the festival is defined as a “dirat ara’i” – a “temporary residence” (Sukka 2a). Thus, a sukka must meet these two basic conditions: 1) it must be temporary; 2) it must be habitable. ",
+ "Therefore, if a sukka is less than 10 tefaḥim (c. 80 cm) tall or less than 7 tefaḥim (c. 56 cm) wide, it is invalid, because it is too cramped even for one person to sit in it and eat. Even if a sukka is very long, if it is less than 7 tefaḥim wide, it is invalid (Sukka 2a; MB 634:1).",
+ "Since a sukka is a temporary residence, it does not need four walls. It is sufficient for it to have two walls plus a tefaḥ of a third. This partial third wall must be within 3 tefaḥim of one of the other walls (as we explain below in section 6).",
+ "If a sukka is more than 20 amot (c. 9 meters) tall, it is invalid, because a sukka must be a temporary residence, while sekhakh placed at such a height needs the support of a permanent structure. Note, however, that the main expression of the sukka’s impermanence is the sekhakh; the walls may be permanent, as long as this is not necessary to support the sekhakh. Thus, one may retract the roof in the home and place sekhakh instead of a ceiling; since the sekhakh is less than 20 amot high, it does not need the support of a permanent structure.1",
+ "A house with a wooden ceiling is invalid for use as a sukka, because sekhakh must be impermanent, whereas a ceiling is permanent. To make sure that people do not mistakenly permit wooden ceilings, the Sages ruled that lumber commonly used to make ceilings may not be used as sekhakh (as we will explain below in section 4).",
+ "Since a sukka is a temporary residence, it may be built on a wagon, motor vehicle, or boat, and it remains valid even during travel, as long as its walls and sekhakh can withstand an ordinary wind (SA 628:2; SHT ad loc. 11). As a temporary residence, a sukka does not require a mezuza (SA YD 286:11).",
+ "A sukka is invalid if its walls are unable to withstand an ordinary wind or if its sekhakh is made of leaves or greenery that will wither and fall during the course of the festival. In both of these cases, it is not even considered a temporary residence (SA 628:2; 629:12)."
+ ],
+ [
+ "2. What Materials May Be Used for Sekhakh?",
+ "The sekhakh is the primary component of the sukka; after all, it gives the sukka its name. Sekhakh must meet the following three requirements: 1) It must be made from plant matter. 2) It must be detached from its source. 3) It must not have been processed in a way that renders it susceptible to tum’a. Let us explain further.",
+ "The first requirement is that the sekhakh must be made from something that grew from the ground, that is, plant matter, like trees and shrubs. Metal, dirt, and plastic, though they originate in the ground, are invalid, as they do not grow. Animal skins are not considered to have grown from the ground, even though they are from animals that were nourished by the earth.",
+ "The second requirement is that the sekhakh be detached from its source. Therefore, climbing plants and tree branches are invalid.",
+ "The third requirement is that the sekhakh not be susceptible to tum’a (ritual impurity). As a rule, anything in its raw, natural state is not susceptible to tum’a, but after it has been processed and manufactured for human use, it is susceptible to tum’a. For instance, tree trunks, branches, and even straight wooden beams used in building cannot become tamei. But if they are made into articles (kelim) like chairs or beds, they can become tamei and are invalid for use as sekhakh. When an object goes from being raw material to being a significant article, it becomes susceptible to tum’a. Then, if it comes into contact with a dead body or something else that conducts tum’a, it becomes tamei. Once plant material has been processed and become susceptible to tum’a, it is invalid as sekhakh, even if it has not actually become tamei.",
+ "Fruits and vegetables that are fit for human consumption are susceptible to tum’a and invalid as sekhakh. However, if they are fit only for animal consumption, they are not susceptible to tum’a and may be used as sekhakh (SA 629:9-11).",
+ "A straw or reed mat that was made for sitting or sleeping is susceptible to tum’a and is invalid as sekhakh. However, if it is made to be used as sekhakh or as an awning, it is not susceptible to tum’a and may be used as sekhakh. In a locale where mats are generally made only for sitting or sleeping, then even if one is made for sekhakh it may not be used, because of how it would be perceived (SA and Rema 629:6).",
+ "Even though broken parts of beds or other furniture are not susceptible to tum’a, the Sages forbid using them as sekhakh, out of concern that people might mistakenly think that these items can be used for sekhakh even when they are susceptible to tum’a (SA ibid. 1-2).2",
+ "The Sages forbid using flax as sekhakh once the process of making it into thread has begun, since its natural shape has been altered. Therefore, one may not use paper or cardboard made from wood pulp, since they underwent processing that altered their natural shape. Likewise, cotton wool may not be used as sekhakh (Yerushalmi; Rambam; MB 629:13)."
+ ],
+ [
+ "3. The Shade Must Exceed the Sun",
+ "The sekhakh must provide protection from the sun. As long as the sekhakh blocks most of the sun’s rays, the sukka is kosher, as the halakhic principle that “most is tantamount to all (rubo ke-khulo)” is invoked (Sukka 2a). This is measured at the level of the sekhakh, so even if at the floor of the sukka it seems that there is more sun than shade, as long as the shade exceeds the sun at the level of the sekhakh, the sukka is kosher. This is because, as the sun’s rays descend, they become broader but also weaken, so in truth there is more shade than sun.",
+ "Le-khatḥila, the sekhakh should provide plenty of shade, so that it is pleasant to sit in the sukka. At the same time, it should not be so thick that it is like a permanent home. That is, ideally it is preferable that stars be visible through the sekhakh at night, or at least sunlight should be visible during the day. Be-di’avad, however, even if no ray of sun can penetrate the sekhakh, it is still kosher (SA 631:3). If the sekhakh is so thick that even rain cannot penetrate, some maintain that the sukka is invalid, because it is like a permanent home (Rabbeinu Tam). One should defer to this view. However, under pressing circumstances, when it is impossible to thin the sekhakh, such as on Shabbat and Yom Tov, one may sit in such a sukka and even recite the berakha upon doing so.3",
+ "If the shade exceeds the sun for most of the sekhakh’s coverage, but the sun exceeds the shade in a small part, the entire sukka is kosher, and even those sitting beneath the sparse sekhakh may recite the berakha over sitting in a sukka.4",
+ "Sometimes sekhakh is not laid out flat, so at certain times of the day the sunny areas are larger, and at other times the shady areas are larger. In practice, we determine the status of the sukka based on the situation at noon. If it is mostly shaded, it is kosher; if not, it is invalid. (In some instances, even when there is more sun, we consider the sekhakh as though it were laid flat, and if that would make it so that it has more shade than sun, it is kosher; see SA 631:5.)"
+ ],
+ [
+ "4. Planks and Mats",
+ "A structure whose ceiling is made out of beams and planks is not a kosher sukka. Although the beams and planks themselves could be acceptable as sekhakh, as they are from plant matter and are not susceptible to tum’a, nevertheless, since the sukka must be a temporary residence, the ceiling of a permanent residence renders it invalid as a sukka.",
+ "So that people do not mistakenly sit under a ceiling of beams or planks, the Sages decreed against using planks that are at least 4 tefaḥim (c. 30 cm) wide, as they resemble ceiling beams (Sukka 14a). Nowadays we follow the stricter view and avoid using even planks that are less than 4 tefaḥim wide (SA 629:18; MB ad loc. 49), as it is common to build ceilings out of planks that are narrower than 4 tefaḥim (Kol Bo and Hagahot Maimoniyot). However, beams that are less than a tefaḥ (c. 7.5 cm) wide are not used to build ceilings, so they are acceptable according to all opinions – as long as they are not attached with nails or glue. In times of need, one may use beams more than a tefaḥ but less than 2 tefaḥim wide. Certainly, then, one may use a beam wider than a tefaḥ on which to place the sekhakh. One who wants to paint these planks may do so, as paint does not invalidate the sekhakh.5",
+ "If one wishes to use a ceiling in the home that is made of planks as a sukka, he must disjoin the planks from their fixed connection and re-place them. Once he has done something to the planks so that they are not a permanent ceiling, they are kosher as sekhakh. However, if the planks were more than 4 tefaḥim wide, then even this action does not make them kosher sekhakh (Rambam; second view in SA 631:9).",
+ "Many people use “sekhakh la-netzaḥ,” which is slats or narrow planks connected to one another with string, forming a type of mat. Some say that this sekhakh is invalid, as linking the slats and planks with string causes them to be considered planks that are more than 4 tefaḥim wide, which are invalid due to the decree against ceiling material. However, common practice is not to be concerned for this, as the slats and narrow planks are loosely connected and flexible, and do not resemble the sort of planks used to build ceilings.6"
+ ],
+ [
+ "5. Supporting the Sekhakh with Invalid Sekhakh",
+ "Some maintain that just as something susceptible to tum’a may not be used as sekhakh, so too, the sekhakh may not be supported directly by something susceptible to tum’a, so that no one mistakenly uses as sekhakh things susceptible to tum’a or other invalid material. Accordingly, the sekhakh may not be supported directly by iron poles, beams that are susceptible to tum’a, or other materials that are invalid for sekhakh, such as plastic, which does not grow from the ground. However, even according to this view, it is permissible for the sekhakh to be supported directly by a stone wall, as there is no concern that people will mistakenly conclude that stones may be used as sekhakh.",
+ "Although the decisive majority of poskim maintain that the sekhakh can be supported by things susceptible to tum’a, le-khatḥila it is good to show concern for the stringent view and not support the sekhakh with things susceptible to tum’a. Therefore, one who uses a metal frame for the walls of the sukka should not, le-khatḥila, lay the sekhakh directly on the metal, but rather should lay wooden beams across the metal and then place the sekhakh on the wooden beams. However, one who wants to be lenient may place the sekhakh directly on the metal, and the sukka is still kosher, and he may recite the berakha in it.7",
+ "If one wishes to be strict and not support the sekhakh with material susceptible to tum’a, but he is concerned that an ordinary wind might blow the sekhakh off, he may place heavy wooden beams which are kosher for sekhakh atop the sekhakh. If necessary, he may attach the beams to the sukka even with material that is invalid for sekhakh, such as rope, nails, or plastic zip ties, because these materials are only “supports of the support,” while the supports themselves, the beams, are kosher as sekhakh.",
+ "If the concern is that only an unusually strong wind might blow off the sekhakh, then even according to the stringent view, one may tie the sekhakh down using ropes or zip ties, because under normal conditions, the sekhakh will stay put even without them. Their whole purpose is simply to protect the sekhakh from an unusual wind, so they are not considered to be supporting the sekhakh.8"
+ ],
+ [
+ "6. The Sukka Walls",
+ "Any material may be used for the walls of a sukka, as long as it can withstand a normal wind. The walls need not be airtight or offer protection from the sun and wind. Therefore, one may use plastic, glass, or mesh netting (SA 630:1). Stone walls are also kosher, as only the sekhakh must be characteristic of a temporary residence; the walls can be permanent. Indeed, in some places, the common practice is to open the ceiling and roof of a room in the home and place kosher sekhakh there, resulting in a beautiful sukka, pleasant to sit in even in the cold.",
+ "Le-khatḥila it is better to build a sukka with four full walls and a door that can be closed, so the sukka is comfortable and provides shelter from the sun and wind (see Rema 630:5.) Technically, however, since a sukka is a temporary residence, it is not required to have four walls; three suffice. Moreover, the third wall need not be full; technically, one tefaḥ suffices. The Sages said that this tefaḥ must be within 3 tefaḥim of one of the other walls, and the one-tefaḥ wall must extend by means of a doorway (tzurat ha-petaḥ, explained in the note). Since this law is complicated, someone who wants to save on sukka walls should be advised to put up two complete walls, and a third one which is 7 tefaḥim long (about 56 centimeters). Then, even if his sukka is large, and even if the two walls aren’t connected to one another but rather face each other, the sukka is kosher (Rema 630:3).9"
+ ],
+ [
+ "7. The Height of the Walls and the Principle of Lavud",
+ "As we have seen (section 1), the minimum height of the walls is 10 tefaḥim (c. 80 cm). They must be close to the ground; if there is a gap of 3 tefaḥim (c. 22 cm) between the ground and the walls, the wall is invalid. However, there is no maximum gap between the top of the wall and the sekhakh, as we view the wall as if it continues up to the sekhakh (SA 630:9).10",
+ "One can erect walls by setting up poles or stretching lengths of rope within 3 tefaḥim of one another, because in such a case the law of lavud applies: since there is less than 3 tefaḥim (c. 22 cm) between the components, we treat the entire area between them as being solid. Even though the sun and wind enter through the gaps in the wall, the poles or strings are still considered a wall. It makes no difference whether the string or poles are arranged horizontally or vertically; as long as there is less than 3 tefaḥim between one pole or string and the next, lavud applies. However, some maintain that since lavud walls are inferior, they must surround the sukka on all four sides (MA; of course, a doorway does not invalidate this sukka). If the wall is made from crisscrossing components, like from mesh netting or chain link fence material, it is not considered inferior, and two walls plus a tefaḥ suffice (as explained in the previous section). In any case, the sukka must be fit for eating and sleeping in painlessly, as explained below (section 14)."
+ ],
+ [
+ "8. Sukkot with Cloth Walls",
+ "In recent times, people have begun to make sukkot with metal frames and walls made out of various types of thick cloth and fabric, like canvas, polyester, and plastics (often with brand names like Pe’er Lanetzach and Ease-Lock Supreme). These sukkot are popular because they are cheap to make, easy to market, simple to put up and take down, and convenient to store. However, some contemporary poskim question their validity because sukka walls must be stable. If they can be blown back and forth by the wind, they are invalid.",
+ "Nevertheless, in practice, these sukkot are kosher. The Rishonim objected to fabric walls that were not fastened at the bottom, so when wind blows, the walls rose more than 3 tefaḥim from the ground, invalidating them as walls. There was also the possibility that the wind would blow them away entirely. However, neither of these concerns applies to contemporary sukkot, since the fabric is fastened well all the way around. Therefore, these sukkot are kosher and the berakha may be recited in them. Those who are fastidious may add poles to create lavud walls.11"
+ ],
+ [
+ "9. The Sukka Must Be Under the Open Sky",
+ "The sukka must be built under the open sky so that the sekhakh and nothing else covers those sitting inside. Thus, if one builds a sukka under a roof or a tree, it is invalid (Sukka 9b). ",
+ "However, a sukka may be built next to a tall building that prevents sunlight from reaching the sukka. Only a roof or branches that separate between the sekhakh and the sky invalidate the sukka. Anything off to the side, not directly over the sekhakh, does not invalidate the sukka.",
+ "If there are very thin tree branches above the sekhakh, while the sekhakh is thick enough that even if the sekhakh directly under the branches would be removed, the remaining sekhakh would provide more shade than sun in the sukka, the sukka is kosher (SA OḤ 626:1).12",
+ "One may build a sukka underneath clotheslines or electric wires. Since they are very thin, provide very little shade, and are not meant to provide shade, they do not invalidate the sekhakh beneath them."
+ ],
+ [
+ "10. Sitting in the Shade of the Sekhakh (the Status of Decorations and Canopies)",
+ "To fulfill the mitzva of sukka, one must sit in the shade of kosher sekhakh. Therefore, one who spreads a sheet under the sekhakh to provide additional shade has invalidated the sukka (SA 629:19). However, one may sit in the sukka wearing a wide-brimmed hat, since the hat is secondary to his body and therefore not considered a barrier between him and the sekhakh.",
+ "One may hang fruits and paper decorations from the sekhakh, because they are secondary to the sekhakh and thus are not considered a barrier between the people sitting in the sukka and the sekhakh. This is on condition that the decorations are within 4 tefaḥim (c. 30 cm) of the sekhakh. Even if decorations cover all the sekhakh, as long as they are within 4 tefaḥim of it, they are secondary to it and do not invalidate it. If one mistakenly put up a decoration that hangs more than 4 tefaḥim from the sekhakh, he has not invalidated the sekhakh as long as the decoration is less than 4 tefaḥim wide. Nevertheless, if it is between 3 and 4 tefaḥim wide, it is better not to sit under it. If it is less than 3 tefaḥim wide (d. 22 cm), one may even sit under it (MB 632:3). Nevertheless, le-khatḥila one should hang all decorations within 4 tefaḥim of the sekhakh.13",
+ "If one sleeps in a sukka in a bed with a fixed canopy, he has not fulfilled the mitzva. If the canopy is temporary, then if it is less than 10 tefaḥim high, it is not deemed significant and is negated by the sukka, so one who sleeps under it fulfills the mitzva. But if it is higher than 10 tefaḥim it is deemed significant, and one who sleeps under it does not fulfill the mitzva.",
+ "The same rule applies to one who sleeps under a bed or table in the sukka. Since the space beneath them is incidental to the purpose of the bed or table, it is considered impermanent, so if that space is less than 10 tefaḥim (76 cm) high, one who sleeps there fulfills the mitzva; if the space is higher than that, he does not.14 ",
+ "This also applies to a bunk bed: If the space between the two beds is 10 tefaḥim, the person sleeping in the lower bed does not fulfill the mitzva. If the space is less than 10 tefaḥim, he does.15"
+ ],
+ [
+ "11. Invalid Sekhakh and Gaps in the Sekhakh",
+ "If there is a patch of invalid sekhakh, made of plastic, for example, in the middle of kosher sekhakh, or if there is a concrete beam that invalidates the sekhakh underneath it, then if the invalid sekhakh is wider than 4 tefaḥim (c. 30 cm), one may not sit underneath it. If the invalid sekhakh is less than 4 tefaḥim but more than 3 (c. 22 cm), le-khatḥila one should not sit or sleep underneath it, but in a time of need one may do so (MB 632:3). If the invalid sekhakh is less than 3 tefaḥim wide, one may eat or sleep there even le-khatḥila, because it is rendered null vis-à-vis the sukka.",
+ "If there is an empty gap in the sekhakh, the laws pertaining to it are more stringent, since this is more discernible than invalid sekhakh. If the width of the gap is 3 tefaḥim (c. 22 cm), the area beneath it is not kosher, and one may not sit there. If it is less than 3 tefaḥim, it is rendered null vis-à-vis the sukka, and one may sit and sleep there (SA 632:2) as long as neither most of his head nor most of his body are underneath the gap.16",
+ "Let us say that one has a large porch, most of which is roofed, but with a small area, 5 tefaḥim wide, under open sky. At first glance, it would seem that there is no way to build a sukka there, as a kosher sukka must be at least 7 tefaḥim wide. However, we have seen that invalid sekhakh that is less than 3 tefaḥim wide is considered part of the sukka, and a person may sit underneath it. A sukka can therefore be built on such a porch, as follows: A sukka 7 tefaḥim wide should be set up at the end of the porch. Since 5 tefaḥim of sekhakh are under open sky and less than 3 tefaḥim are under the roof and invalid, then even those 2 tefaḥim are deemed part of the sukka, and one may sit and sleep beneath them. This is on condition that he puts up a wall separating the 2 tefaḥim of the roofed porch that will be part of the sukka from the rest of the porch that will not. This wall must be 7 tefaḥim long and preferably should reach the sekhakh. One should make a tzurat ha-petaḥ along the rest of the border between the sukka and the porch. (See Ḥazon Ovadia, p. 12; Minḥat Yitzḥak 6:60:20; Shevet Ha-Levi 10:99.)"
+ ],
+ [
+ "12. Intention When Building a Sukka",
+ "It is a mitzva to engage in building a sukka. According to the Sages of the Yerushalmi, one even recites a berakha upon doing so: “Who has sanctified us with His commandments and commanded us to make a sukka” (“la’asot sukka” – y. Berakhot 9:3; y. Sukka 1:2). However, in practice we follow the ruling of the Bavli and recite a berakha on the mitzva when we fulfill it, namely, when we sit in the sukka (Menaḥot 42a; SA 641:1).",
+ "Nevertheless, putting up a sukka clearly involves a mitzva element. The pious and virtuous would hurry to begin building the sukka right after Yom Kippur, so as to go directly from one mitzva to the next. They try to finish it by the next day, for when one has an opportunity to do a mitzva, he should make sure not to miss out (Maharil; Rema 624:5, 625:1).",
+ "According to Beit Shammai, one must build a sukka with the intention to fulfill the mitzva of the festival with it, as we read, “You shall hold (ta’aseh, lit. ‘make’) the seven-day festival of Sukkot” (Devarim 16:13). Without such intent, the sukka is invalid. However, the halakha follows Beit Hillel’s view that one need not put up the sukka specifically for the mitzva of the festival. Rather, as long as he built it to provide shade, it is kosher. Therefore, a sukka built by shepherds or guards to protect themselves from the sun is kosher, as is a sukka made by a non-Jew to provide himself with shade (Sukka 8a-b; SA 635:1). However, the Sages say that if a sukka was not built for the mitzva of the festival, le-khatḥila something should be added to it before the festival. For example, one could add a square tefaḥ of sekhakh or a strip of sekhakh that extends the length of the sukka (Yerushalmi; MB 636:4). The same applies to an “old sukka” – a sukka from a previous year that was never taken down. Technically it is kosher, but since it was put up for a previous year, it does not count as having been put up for this year’s mitzva. Therefore, le-khatḥila one should add either a square tefaḥ or a strip of sekhakh along its length (SA 636:1; MB ad loc. 7).17",
+ "If a sukka was put up to provide privacy, it is invalid since it was not intended for shade. Similarly, if one put up a sukka to serve as his permanent home, it is invalid even if the roof is made of kosher sekhakh, since it is not a temporary residence. One who wants to use such a sukka for the mitzva would have to remove all of the sekhakh and replace it while having the mitzva of sukka in mind."
+ ],
+ [
+ "13. Building Directly and a Stolen or Borrowed Sukka",
+ "If one hollows out a haystack to make a sukka, even though the hay is kosher sekhakh, the sukka is invalid because of the principle of “‘ta’aseh’ – ve-lo min he-asui” (“‘you shall make’ – not something ready-made”). That is, one must make the sukka by laying the sekhakh, and it cannot be made indirectly by hollowing out the area under the kosher sekhakh.",
+ "The principle of “‘ta’aseh’ – ve-lo min he-asui” dictates the procedure for building the sukka: One must build the walls first and only then lay the sekhakh. If he reversed the sequence and put up the sekhakh first, according to many poskim the sukka is invalid, because the sukka must be “made,” i.e., completed, by putting up sekhakh, and if one put up the sekhakh first, it is the building of the walls that completes the sukka.18",
+ "An awning or tarp may be placed above the sukka such that it can be spread over the sukka when it rains and removed when it stops raining, so that all can enter a dry sukka. While the tarp is spread, the sukka is invalid, as the tarp constitutes a barrier between the sekhakh and the sky. Once the tarp is removed, though, the sukka is kosher again. However, if the sukka was built while the tarp or awning was spread above it, many maintain that the sukka is invalid, because a sukka must be made kosher by placing sekhakh, not by removing a tarp or awning (Baḥ; MB 626:18; Rema 626:3 is lenient).",
+ "One may fulfill the mitzva with a borrowed sukka, which one has permission to use (Sukka 27b; SA 637:2). If the owner of a sukka is away, and there is no way to obtain his permission to use his sukka, one may nevertheless sit in this sukka, because the Sages assume that a Jew is pleased when his property is used to perform a mitzva. However, if it is known that the owner is careful about who he allows in his sukka, or if there is concern that the owner will return, be too embarrassed to enter the sukka when he sees strangers sitting there, and be upset that they are in his sukka, then one may not use the sukka without explicit permission (Taz ad loc. 4; Bikurei Yaakov ad loc. 4; MB ad loc. 9).",
+ "One may not build a sukka on private property without the owner’s permission, nor may one build it on public property if the public or its representatives oppose it. If one nevertheless builds a sukka in such a place and sits in it, he may not recite the berakha, for this is not a blessing, but blasphemy, as the sukka was built through transgression.19"
+ ],
+ [
+ "14. How Much Effort to Invest in a Sukka",
+ "Since the sukka is a temporary residence, living in it will naturally not be as comfortable as living at home. Indeed, this is the mitzva – to reside in a temporary residence for the week of Sukkot. Therefore, we are not commanded to build impermeable, insulated, thick walls and sekhakh to protect its residents from cold, heat, and rain (as we would do in our normal homes). As a result, sometimes being in the sukka entails discomfort, in which case one is exempt, for one who is experiencing discomfort (a “mitzta’er”) is exempt from the mitzva of sukka (3:8-10 below). Thus, when it is very hot, or during very cold nights, or when it is raining, one is exempt from sitting in the sukka. A sick person for whom sitting in the sukka causes discomfort is exempt from sitting in the sukka and has no obligation to build a spacious, robust sukka so that he can remain there while experiencing the comforts of home (Maharaḥ Or Zaru’a §194).",
+ "However, one who was lax about building his sukka, so that he experiences discomfort in it even in normal weather, has not fulfilled the mitzva; it has become clear in hindsight that he failed to build a sukka that is worthy as a temporary residence, for even under normal conditions he experiences discomfort in it. One who knows that he can stay in a small, rickety sukka without experiencing discomfort may build such a sukka and fulfill the mitzva, as long as he resolves not to claim in the middle of Sukkot that he is mitzta’er because the sukka is too small or rickety. (See Bikurei Yaakov 640:13; MB 640:24.)",
+ "According to many, if one built a sukka that is not fit to sleep in – for instance, if it is in a windy place, and he built walls made of screens, so the wind and cold penetrate – then the sukka is invalid for eating as well. Likewise, if he built the sukka in a bad neighborhood where criminals roam around at night, making it dangerous to sleep there, then the sukka is invalid for eating as well. This is because the mitzva is to build a sukka that will serve as a temporary residence, for eating and sleeping, and since his sukka is not fit for sleeping, it is not considered a residence, so it is invalid for eating as well (Yere’im; Rema 640:4). Others say that even a sukka unfit for sleeping is kosher for eating; even though he sinned by building a sukka unfit for sleeping, since it is fit for eating in, it can be used to fulfill the mitzva of eating in the sukka (Ḥakham Tzvi). If one builds a normal sukka that is fit for sleeping in Eretz Yisrael, but he cannot sleep there because he lives in a cold climate, all agree that it is kosher, as the Torah does not obligate us to build a permanent structure as a sukka. (See MB 640:18.)",
+ "If one lives in a place where building a sukka would require his investing major efforts or a great deal of money, he must invest in the sukka to a degree comparable with what he would spend to arrange nice living quarters for a week. That is, he should think to himself: “If I had to leave home for a week, how much trouble would I go to, and how much money would I spend, to arrange comfortable lodgings?” That is how much he must invest in building a sukka or getting to somewhere he can build a sukka. One who periodically takes vacations must invest, in building a sukka or renting a place where he can access or build one, the amount he would pay for a week’s vacation, each person in accordance with his financial situation.",
+ "When one buys a home, he should make sure that it has a place to build a sukka. He should spend on this however much one who has to leave his house for one week a year would spend to ensure he could live in comfort for that week each year. A wealthy person must spend whatever he would be prepared to spend on a week’s vacation every year over many years.20"
+ ],
+ [
+ "15. Beautifying the Sukka",
+ "It is a mitzva to put up a nice, decorated, aesthetically pleasing sukka, at it is written, “This is my God, and I will glorify Him (ve-anvehu)” (Shemot 15:2), which the Sages expound to mean: “Beautify (hitna’eh) yourself before Him through mitzvot: Make a beautiful (na’ah) sukka, a beautiful (na’eh) lulav…” (Shabbat 133b). The idea of beautifying mitzvot – “hidur mitzva” – applies to all the mitzvot.",
+ "In the times of the Sages, they customarily decorated the sukka with colorful tapestries and wall-hangings. They would also hang fruits and nuts – walnuts, peaches, almonds, clusters of grapes, pomegranates, wreaths made of stalks, and glass containers full of wine, oil, and fine flour (Shabbat 22a). Eating from them was forbidden during the festival, since they had been set aside for the mitzva of decorating the sukka. Only one who stipulated before the festival that he could eat them as he wished was permitted to do so (as will be explained in the next section). Nowadays, it is less common to decorate the sukka with food. Rather, we decorate the sukka with paper and plastic chains, paper flowers, pretty pictures, and decorative lights. We also make a point of using nice tablecloths, dishes, and silverware in the sukka.",
+ "The poskim disagree about the permissibility of decorating the sukka with verses from Scripture (Vayikra 23:42, for example), since they permitted writing down parts of the Torah only for the great need of studying it (Taz; MB 638:24). Others permit, maintaining that these decorations serve an educational purpose (Shakh; Bnei Yona). In practice, one may be lenient, as long as the verses are not written in a way that would be fit for a Torah scroll (based on Rabbeinu Yeruḥam and Tashbetz).",
+ "The beautification of the mitzva includes building a spacious sukka, well-protected from wind and sun, that is pleasant to sit in.",
+ "One must make sure not to leave dirty dishes in the sukka and not to undertake demeaning activities in it, like changing diapers and doing laundry. (See 3:2 below.)",
+ "Branches that smell foul or whose leaves fall off may not be used for sekhakh, as we are concerned that the smell or the nuisance of falling leaves will cause people to leave the sukka for home (Sukka 12b-13a). However, be-di’avad, if one did use these for sekhakh, the sukka is kosher. However, if the smell is intolerable, then the sukka is invalid on a Torah level, as it is unfit for human habitation (SA 629:14; MB ad loc. 38).",
+ "One must take precautions against fire hazards in the sukka: not leaving burning candles or unsafe electrical circuits unsupervised and keeping electric lights far away from the sekhakh. (See SA 639:1; MB ad loc. 8.)"
+ ],
+ [
+ "16. The Holiness of the Sukka and Its Decorations",
+ "The sukka is sanctified for the purpose of the mitzva, for it is written: “There shall be the seven-day festival of Sukkot to the Lord” (Vayikra 23:34). Thus, throughout the festival, one may not use any part of the sukka, whether from the sekhakh or from the walls (Sukka 9a). The Sages further prohibited using any of the sukka decorations designated for beautifying the sukka, for since decorating is also a mitzva, the decorations are set aside for that mitzva. Even if the sukka collapses, it is forbidden to use its broken parts and decorations until after the festival. Moreover, since the prohibition persists until the end of the seventh day of Sukkot, including bein ha-shmashot, which is also the beginning of Shemini Atzeret, it consequently remains prohibited until the end of Simḥat Torah (Beitza 30b; SA 638:1-2).21",
+ "However, since the sukka is a residence, one may use the walls and sekhakh in the way that one would normally use the walls and ceiling of his home. Thus, one may lean against the wall of the sukka and hang items on it, and one may hang a garment to dry from the sekhakh (Sukka 10b). The prohibition applies only to taking something from the sukka and using it, for example taking a beam from the sukka to build something else or even pulling off a splinter to use as a toothpick (Rema 638:1; MB ad loc. 4). It is also forbidden to remove the wall hangings, the decorations, or the fruit hung from the sekhakh in order to use them for some other purpose. One may not even move them without cause, as doing so detracts from the sukka and its decor. Carpets and floor tiles have the same status as decorations, as they have been set aside for the mitzva of sukka (Igrot Moshe, OḤ 1:181).",
+ "If a decoration or part of the sukka becomes bothersome, for instance, if a beam is loose and creaky, or a decoration has fallen apart and is making the sukka ugly, one may remove and dispose of it respectfully, but it may not be used for something else.",
+ "If rainfall threatens to ruin the decorations, one may take them down to rehang them later. If one obtained nicer decorations during the festival, he may remove the old ones to replace them with the nicer ones, as long as he does not use the old decorations for another purpose, as they were set aside for mitzva use.",
+ "If one wants to be able to derive benefit from his sukka decorations during the festival, he should make the following declaration before the festival begins: “I hereby stipulate that I may remove and enjoy these decorations whenever I want, and that they do not become sanctified.” One cannot make such a stipulation about the sukka itself (Beitza 30b; SA 638:2).",
+ "A sukka may be taken down to be rebuilt elsewhere. The prohibition of muktzeh forbids using the sukka beams for a different purpose, but using them in another sukka is permissible.",
+ "With the end of the festival, the sanctity of the decorations, walls, and sekhakh expires. One may use them for any mundane purpose, but one may not degrade them, for instance, by using the paper as toilet paper or stepping disrespectfully on the sukka beams (SA 664:8; MB 638:24)."
+ ],
+ [
+ "17. Pergolas",
+ "A pergola is a permanent wooden structure built in yards and gardens to provide a shady place to sit. The question is: Is the wood of the pergola’s roof considered kosher sekhakh?",
+ "Some are permissive based on the rationale that since the pergola is not meant for residence and is not fit for residence, since rain penetrates, its wood is acceptable sekhakh. Nevertheless, it is proper to add a little sekhakh in honor of the festival and so that the pergola is not considered an “old” sukka (as explained above in section 12). If it is more sunny than shady under the pergola, enough sekhakh must be added to change that.",
+ "Others are stringent and say that since the pergola is a sturdy, permanent structure, its wooden roof is akin to the wooden roof of a house, which is invalid as sekhakh on the Torah level. The basic principle of sekhakh for a sukka is that it must be impermanent, and a pergola is permanent. In practice, since this uncertainty pertains to Torah law, we must be stringent.",
+ "Therefore, if one wants to turn a pergola into an acceptable sukka, this is what he should do: If the majority of the pergola’s roof is made of fixed beams, some should be removed, so that most of the roof is open and there is more sun than shade. Kosher sekhakh can then be placed over the entire surface of the roof, such that even without the beams attached to the pergola, the shade provided by the kosher sekhakh will be greater than the sun it lets through. This makes the pergola into a kosher sukka.",
+ "Another way to make a pergola into a kosher sukka whose shade is greater than its sun is to take out the fixed beams and put them back without attaching them or nailing them down. Every re-placed beam is kosher sekhakh (SA 631:9).",
+ "As we have seen (section 13), one must make sure to put up the walls before the sekhakh. This is not usually a problem with a pergola, though. As long as “walls” are at least a tefaḥ high and near the sekhakh, they are considered rudimentary walls; if sekhakh is put on them, it is kosher (as explained in note 18). Many pergolas have horizontal beams that support the roofing, and which are more than a tefaḥ high. Thus, it is not necessary to add anything new to the “walls” before putting on the sekhakh.22"
+ ]
+ ],
+ [
+ [
+ "1. General Parameters",
+ "The mitzva is for one to reside in his sukka during the seven days of the festival in the manner that he normally resides in his home, as we read, “You shall dwell in sukkot seven days” (Vayikra 23:42). In Sukka 28b, the Sages expound: “‘You shall dwell (teshvu)’ – akin to how you reside (taduru).” Thus, one should have his bed, linens, and utensils in the sukka. But what is not normally done in the home need not be done in the sukka (SA 639:1-2).",
+ "There are four parts of the mitzva do dwell in the sukka: a) things that must be done in the sukka; b) things it is a mitzva to do in the sukka; c) things there is no mitzva to do in the sukka; d) things it is forbidden to do in the sukka.",
+ "(1) Things that must be done in the sukka: Anything one generally does at home, he must do in the sukka. Thus, one must eat all proper meals (se’udot keva) and sleep in the sukka, as a home’s primary function is as a place to eat and sleep.",
+ "(2) Things it is a mitzva to do in the sukka: It is a mitzva to engage in activities that one sometimes does at home and sometimes elsewhere, like studying Torah, reading books, and chatting with friends, in the sukka, but doing them outside the sukka is not sinful. Nevertheless, since doing them is a mitzva, one should try to do them in the sukka. One who leaves the sukka without a good reason and does these things at home shows contempt for the mitzva. This category also includes impromptu eating (akhilat ara’i). Technically, there is no obligation to eat fixed meals on Ḥol Ha-mo’ed, so it is possible for one to eat only snacks and irregular meals outside the sukka throughout Ḥol Ha-mo’ed. But if he can eat in the sukka without difficulty, then eating at home shows contempt for the mitzva. If it is difficult for him to eat in the sukka (for example, because it is a little cold), snacking at home does not show contempt for the mitzva. Nevertheless, since eating in the sukka fulfills a mitzva, it is proper to be fastidious and eat there. Some even say that there is a mitzva to eat two se’udot keva with bread in the sukka each day.1",
+ "(3) Things there is no mitzva to do in the sukka: Activities that are always done outside the home, like praying with a minyan and attending Torah classes, need not be moved to the sukka and may be done le-khatḥila in the synagogue or beit midrash.",
+ "(4) Things it is forbidden to do in the sukka: Demeaning things, like changing a baby’s diaper, may not be done in the sukka. (See note 2 below.)",
+ "Women are not obligated in the mitzva of sukka, because it is a time-bound positive commandment. Nevertheless, women fulfill a mitzva by dwelling in the sukka, and the custom of Ashkenazic women and some Sephardic women is to recite the berakha of Leishev Ba-sukka if they eat in the sukka. The custom of most Sephardic women is not to recite the berakha since they have no obligation (SA 589:6; Peninei Halakha: Women’s Prayer 2:8 n. 9)."
+ ],
+ [
+ "2. Treating the Sukka Respectfully",
+ "All seven days of the festival, one must make the sukka his permanent residence, and the home temporary, as it is written: “You shall dwell in sukkot seven days” (Vayikra 23:42). Therefore, one must bring his good table and chairs into the sukka, and a good bed and sheets, so that he can reside in the sukka as he resides at home all year round. That is, it is not enough to eat and sleep in the sukka; the sukka must be his primary residence. The house should serve only as the kitchen and storage area, helping to meet sukka needs (Sukka 28b).",
+ "The Sages tell us that regular Torah study should take place in the sukka. However, if one is studying particularly difficult material, it is preferable for him to do that at home or in the beit midrash, because it is easier to concentrate there (Sukka 28b; SA 639:4). If one finds it difficult to concentrate in the sukka due to heat or noise, even ordinary study material may be taken inside, as Torah study is not something normally limited to the home. Similarly, if one who is learning Torah needs many different books and it would be difficult to lug them to the sukka, he may study in the beit midrash or in his library even le-khatḥila.",
+ "Even though one must treat his sukka like his home, there is a difference between them. In a home one does everything necessary, whether dignified or undignified. But we show respect for the sukka by not doing demeaning things there. The sukka must be treated like the nicest and most respectable room in the home. Thus, one may not leave workaday things there, like a bucket or dishpan or anything else one would not leave in the nicest room of the house. One may not wash dishes in the sukka nor change diapers there (Sukka 28b; SA 639:1; AHS ad loc. 4).",
+ "After finishing a meal, one must clear away all the dishes as quickly as possible, because it is not respectful to leave dirty dishes sitting in the sukka. However, cups may be left, because they do not look as dirty, and someone may want to drink even after the meal is over. People who normally bring pots to the table may do so on Sukkot as well; but in places where this is considered disrespectful, they should not be brought into the sukka (Sukka 29a; SA 639:1; MB ad loc. 3-6). A garbage can may not be left in the sukka, but a paper recycling bin may be, as one would leave this even in an elegant room in the home.2",
+ "One should not leave dirty clothes in the sukka. However, someone sleeping in the sukka may take off his clothes and leave them on a chair in the sukka, and take off his socks and shoes there, as he would do at home.",
+ "There is no problem with speaking about mundane matters in the sukka. Therefore, if one wants to talk with his friend (in person or on the phone), he should converse in the sukka as he would at home, for whenever he is in the sukka, he fulfills a mitzva (SA 639:1). Similarly, people who want to play chess or Monopoly or other games should play in the sukka. (See Responsa Mahari Weil §191; Darkhei Moshe 639:1.) Some are careful not to engage in mundane matters in the sukka (Shlah; Kaf Ha-ḥayim 639:5-6; see MB ad loc. 2). However, if this leads one to spend less time in the sukka, it is not an enhancement of the mitzva; one who wants to engage in mundane matters should do so in the sukka and thus fulfill a mitzva."
+ ],
+ [
+ "3. The Obligation to Eat in the Sukka on the First Night",
+ "There is an important difference between the first night of Sukkot and the rest of the festival. During most of the festival, if one wants to eat a se’udat keva, he must eat it in the sukka, but one who wants to eat an akhilat ara’i may do so outside of the sukka. However, on the first night of Sukkot, there is an obligation to eat bread in the sukka. This obligation is based on a gezera shava from the identical language used by the Torah to describe the first night of Sukkot and Pesaḥ, from which the Sages derive that just as there is an obligation to eat matza on the first night of Pesaḥ, so too there is an obligation to eat bread in the sukka on the first night of Sukkot (Sukka 27a; SA 639:3). This also teaches us the importance of the first night of Sukkot, which lays the foundation for the entire festival.",
+ "To ensure that people fulfill the mitzva with appetite, one must avoid filling foods for the three hours before shki’at ha-ḥama on the eve of the festival (MB 639:27).",
+ "The obligation can be fulfilled from tzeit ha-kokhavim onward. Since this mitzva is derived from the mitzva of eating matza on the first night of Pesaḥ, one should eat the bread before midnight. Be-di’avad, one who did not manage to eat by midnight may do so until dawn (MB ad loc. 25-26; Peninei Halakha: Pesaḥ 16:31).",
+ "Before beginning to eat bread on the first night, one should have intent that this eating is to fulfill God’s commandment to us to eat in the sukka as a commemoration of the Exodus and of the clouds of glory with which He sheltered us in the wilderness. Le-khatḥila one should have this intention throughout the festival, but, be-di’avad, even on the first night one discharges his obligation as long as he knows he fulfills a mitzva by eating in the sukka (MB 625:1; see above, 1:4-5).",
+ "Just as we make sure to eat a kezayit of matza according to all opinions on the first night of Pesaḥ, so too we make certain to eat a kezayit of bread according to all opinions on the first night of Sukkot. Thus, one should eat at least half an egg’s bulk (keveitza) of bread, and some are stringent and eat more than a keveitza; this is an admirable practice. It is not necessary to squash the challah when calculating the volume of an egg; one may estimate based on the normal state of the challah. One should eat the necessary quantity of bread unhurriedly but steadily. If one stopped eating in the middle for longer than shi’ur akhilat pras (6-7 minutes), he must start again.3",
+ "If it rains on the first night, some say there is no mitzva to eat a kezayit of bread in the sukka, as a mitzta’er (one who experiences discomfort) is exempt from the mitzva of sukka (Rashba; Smag). Others say that on the first night, even a mitzta’er must eat a kezayit of bread in the sukka (Rosh; Ran). In practice, it is proper to wait an hour or two in hopes that the rain will let up and it will be possible to fulfill the mitzva according to all. If the rain continues, or if the rain stopped but the water dripping from the waterlogged sekhakh makes it unpleasant to sit in the sukka, one should recite kiddush and She-heḥeyanu (on the festival itself) in the sukka and eat a kezayit of bread to fulfill the mitzva according to those who maintain that a mitzta’er is obligated to eat in the sukka on the first night. However, one should not recite the berakha of Leishev, since some maintain that even on the first night, a mitzta’er has no mitzva to eat in the sukka (Rema 629:5; MB ad loc. 35). If the rain stopped before midnight, and one would still get some enjoyment from eating bread, he should go to the sukka, recite “ha-motzi” and Leishev, and eat bread, thus fulfilling the mitzva according to those who maintain that the mitzva is to eat without discomfort."
+ ],
+ [
+ "4. Eating in the Sukka",
+ "As we have learned, it is a mitzva to reside in the sukka as one resides at home, and since proper meals (se’udot keva) are usually done at home, such meals must be eaten in the sukka. However, people sometimes eat light meals and snacks (akhilat ara’i) when not at home. Therefore, one may eat an akhilat ara’i outside the sukka. Those who are meticulous make sure to eat even an akhilat ara’i in the sukka; they also do not drink anything, even water, outside the sukka. However, this is not obligatory, and even Torah scholars may eat akhilat ara’i outside the sukka (m. Sukka 26b; Ran ad loc.; BHL 639:2 s.v. “aval”).",
+ "As a rule, se’udat (or akhilat) keva refers to a significant meal that one eats to become satiated. Akhilat ara’i refers to eating to enjoy the taste or to stave off hunger, but not really to become satiated.",
+ "Since grain is the staple food of humanity, from which bread, pastries, and filling dishes like pasta and porridge are made, one who eats more than a keveitza of grain-based food is considered to be eating se’udat keva and must eat in the sukka. Even if this quantity does not fill him up entirely, since we normally satiate ourselves with grains, and since a quantity greater than a keveitza is somewhat satisfying, this is defined as se’udat keva. However, a keveitza or less is considered akhilat ara’i, which may be eaten outside of the sukka.4",
+ "Since it is not normal to fill oneself up with fruit, water, and juice, one may eat and drink them outside the sukka without limit.",
+ "One may eat small amounts of meat, fish, or cheese outside the sukka, but if one intends to eat them in an amount that constitutes a regular, filling meal, he must eat in the sukka (MB ad loc. 15).5",
+ "The poskim disagree about wine and strong drink. Some say that since they are not filling, they need not be drunk in the sukka (Rosh; Rema). Others maintain that because of the significance of wine, one who drinks a revi’it thereof must do so in the sukka (Ritva). Some are stringent and extend this to all strong drink, saying that if people are getting together to drink, they must do so in the sukka (Or Zar’ua; MA). Le-khatḥila, it is correct to follow this practice (MB 639:3 and BHL s.v. “ve-yayin”).",
+ "It is important to note that during a meal, all components of the meal are part of the akhilat keva that must be eaten in the sukka, so one must make sure not to eat anything outside the sukka. Thus, one who leaves the sukka during the meal in order to bring something into the sukka must not eat or drink anything in the home, nor even swallow in the home what he began eating in the sukka (Binyan Shlomo 1:41; Sho’el U-meshiv 4:3:11; R. Zvi Pesaḥ Frank, Mikra’ei Kodesh 1:31)."
+ ],
+ [
+ "5. Reciting the Berakha of Leishev Ba-sukka",
+ "The Sages ordained that before fulfilling the mitzva of dwelling in the sukka, one recites the berakha of Leishev Ba-sukka: “Blessed are You, Lord, King of the Universe, Who has sanctified us with His commandments and commanded us to dwell in the sukka.” There are different customs as to when one recites this berakha.",
+ "According to many Rishonim, including Rif and Rambam, whenever one enters the sukka to spend time there, even if he intends only to sit without doing anything, he recites Leishev before sitting down, since he is fulfilling a mitzva. This is the practice of Yemenites; they recite the berakha while standing, immediately upon entering the sukka, and then sit.",
+ "All other communities follow Rabbeinu Tam’s view, namely, that the berakha is recited on eating, as it is more central. The berakha on eating then covers everything else that one does in fulfillment of the mitzva of sukka. Even though sleeping is also important, we do not make a berakha over it, since one might recite the berakha before going to sleep, and then not fall asleep. Eating, however, is in one’s control, so it is proper to recite the berakha over it. The question is: What type of eating mandates a berakha?",
+ "According to Ashkenazic custom, one who plans to eat an amount of food that makes eating in the sukka obligatory makes a Leishev. One who does not plan to eat that much while he is in the sukka should still make a Leishev even if tasting a minimal amount of food or wine. If one has no intention to eat at all, many have the custom not to recite the berakha, but some have the custom to recite the berakha even when just spending time in the sukka; this is the proper practice.",
+ "According to Sephardic custom, one recites Leishev on a significant amount of food that generally constitutes a proper meal. In this respect, there is a difference between bread and other types of mezonot. For bread, even when one will eat only a bit more than a keveitza, he recites Leishev. On other mezonot, be it baked goods, pasta, or porridge, only if one eats an amount that will satiate him at a regular meal – approximately the volume of 4 eggs – recites a Leishev.6",
+ "It would seem that nowadays, even according to Sephardic custom, one must recite the berakha if they are eating a full meal (such as soup, meat, rice, and potatoes), even if it does not include bread or mezonot. Even though in the past the ruling was not to recite Leishev on a meal without bread, nowadays, when many people eat an entire significant meal without grain, it is also considered a se’udat keva, and one must recite the berakha. Nevertheless, one who knows that his parents do not recite Leishev on this type of meal may follow their practice. In order to remove any doubt, however, it is preferable that he take care to eat bread with such meals and recite the berakha.7"
+ ],
+ [
+ "6. Laws Relating to the Berakha of Leishev Ba-sukka",
+ "Since the custom is to recite the berakha of Leishev before eating, the question arises as to which berakha to recite first – the berakha on the food or Leishev? According to Ashkenazim and some Sephardim, one recites the berakha over the food first, followed by Leishev. Since it is the eating that obligates us to sit in the sukka, the berakha on the food comes before the berakha on the sukka. One need not stand when reciting the berakha. The custom of some Sephardim is first to recite the berakha of Leishev while standing, and then sit down and recite the berakha over the food. People should continue their family’s tradition.8",
+ "If one forgot to recite Leishev before eating, he should recite it in the middle and continue to eat. If he remembered only after he was basically finished eating, then if he can eat or drink a bit more before reciting Birkat Ha-mazon, he should recite Leishev and then eat or drink something. If he remembered after the meal was over, according to most poskim he should recite the berakha even though he does not intend to continue eating (MB 639:48); Sephardic practice is not to recite the berakha (Yeḥaveh Da’at 5:48).",
+ "As long as one remains in the sukka, the berakha he recited at the beginning of his time there covers him. Even if he eats an additional meal, he does not recite an additional Leishev. If he left temporarily – for example, to go to the bathroom, to bring something to the sukka, or to chat with friends – he does not repeat the berakha on his return, as the original berakha is still in force (MB 639:47). However, if he left for something significant – for example, to go to the synagogue or to take care of his business – when he returns, he must recite Leishev again. Even if he left for a trivial reason, if he was gone for more than an hour, he should recite the berakha again (SAH 639:13).9",
+ "If one began a meal in his sukka and planned to continue with the meal in his friend’s sukka, then if his intention when reciting “ha-motzi” was to cover what he would eat at his friend’s, he also exempted himself from reciting Leishev in his friend’s sukka. If he did not have this in mind, before leaving his sukka he must recite Birkat Ha-mazon, and afterward he must recite all the berakhot again in his friend’s sukka.10"
+ ],
+ [
+ "7. Sleeping and Dozing Off in the Sukka",
+ "Sleeping in the sukka is obligatory, whether one is going to sleep for the night (sheinat keva) or taking a nap (sheinat ara’i). In this, sleeping differs from eating; akhilat ara’i is permitted outside the sukka because people snack outside the home all year long (explained above, section 4). Sleeping is stricter because even sheinat ara’i is significant, as even a short nap can be refreshing, and people generally do not nap outside the home. Therefore, even sheinat ara’i must be in the sukka (Sukka 26a; SA 639:2).",
+ "Some people tend to doze off unintentionally while traveling or during lectures. This type of involuntary dozing off is not considered sheinat ara’i and is not prohibited outside the sukka. The difference between the cases is clear: In the case of sheinat ara’i, one puts his head down on a desk or some other support in order to sleep for a little while, and many people are careful not to sleep like this in public. In contrast, one who is dozing off actually wishes to remain awake but dozes off involuntarily and jolts awake periodically.11",
+ "There are additional issues when it comes to sleeping in the sukka. For a variety of reasons, some people find it hard to sleep in a sukka. The question is: At what point are they considered mitzta’arim who are exempt from sleeping in the sukka? To clarify this basic law, we must first explain the status of a mitzta’er."
+ ],
+ [
+ "8. The Exemption of One Who Is Sick or Mitzta’er",
+ "Sick people and their attendants are exempt from the mitzva of sukka. This exemption is not limited to the dangerously ill; even someone who is in no danger – for instance, someone who has a headache and finds sitting in the sukka difficult – is exempt. If a sick person needs help, his aide is exempt as well (Sukka 26a; SA 640:3).",
+ "Likewise, a mitzta’er (one who experiences pain or discomfort in the sukka) is exempt, because the mitzva is to reside in the sukka as one resides at home during the year. Just as one would not reside in a place that causes him pain and discomfort, so too on Sukkot, he is not obligated to dwell in the sukka if it causes him discomfort. True, a sukka is a temporary residence and therefore, by its nature, is not as comfortable as a house. This lesser comfort does not exempt someone from sukka, for this is precisely the mitzva. But when an additional factor causes staying in the sukka to entail pain and actual discomfort, one is exempt. The most common case of mitzta’er is rain.",
+ "The level of discomfort that warrants exemption from the mitzva of sukka must be significant, of the type that would lead one to move out of his home to a considerably less comfortable place nearby. For example, if one has a very minor leak in his roof, he would prefer to remain at home. Similarly, if there is a minimal amount of rain, one must remain in his sukka. If the rain persists, so the point that it would ruin his food and disturb his sleep, he would move elsewhere, despite the bother of moving, and even if his new quarters were smaller and shabbier. In such a situation, one is considered mitzta’er and is exempt from the sukka. He remains exempt as long as the sekhakh continues dripping enough to ruin his food (SA 639:5; Eshel Avraham [Buczacz] 640:4). If he is mitzta’er with respect to sleeping but not eating, he is exempt from sleeping in the sukka but obligated to eat there (MB 640:16).12",
+ "If one left the sukka on account of rain, started eating inside, and then the rain stopped, he need not return to the sukka. Rather, he may finish eating in the house. Similarly, if he went to sleep in the house because it was raining, and then the rain stopped, he is not required to return to the sukka. He may sleep at home until morning (SA 639:6-7).13"
+ ],
+ [
+ "9. More on the Status of Mitzta’er",
+ "If a large number of flies or mosquitoes are in one’s sukka, he has no way of getting rid of them, and they are causing him pain or discomfort; or if there is a bad smell in the sukka; or if it is extremely hot in the afternoon, cold at night, or windy, and clothes are not enough to alleviate the discomfort – if his discomfort is severe enough that if it were to happen in his home, he would move into a significantly less comfortable place he has nearby, he is exempt from sukka. This is on condition that his leaving the sukka will alleviate his discomfort. However, if he would suffer from the mosquitoes or the bad smell even in his home, then he must remain in the sukka (SA and Rema 640:4).",
+ "In a situation where particularly sensitive people suffer discomfort, while most people do not – for example, when a wind blows some leaves from the sekhakh onto the table – the people in the majority must remain in the sukka, while those who are sensitive are exempt. However, one cannot maintain that he suffers from something that even sensitive people normally do not mind. When someone is at such an extreme, we say that his personal disposition is disregarded in light of the norm, and he must eat and sleep in the sukka (Rema 640:4; MB ad loc. 28-29).",
+ "If someone was derelict and built a particularly rickety sukka, he may not then claim during the festival that he suffers from being in it, even though it does not adequately protect him from the vagaries of the weather. Since he put up this rickety sukka, he obligated himself to live in it during Sukkot without complaint. If he nevertheless complains and claims that he is suffering, it becomes clear retroactively that he sinned and abrogated the mitzva by putting up an inadequate sukka. He must immediately make efforts to reinforce his sukka so it does not cause him discomfort. (See above, 2:14, and below, end of section 13.)",
+ "If the lights went out in the sukka on Friday night but there is light in the home, one may eat at home, since eating in the dark is a discomfort. If it would not be too much trouble to eat in a neighbor’s sukka, he should do so, but if it would be very unpleasant or difficult, then he is considered mitzta’er and exempt from sukka (Rema 640:4; MB ad loc. 22-23).",
+ "If one is exempt from sukka because of the discomfort entailed by eating there – for example when it is raining – but he nevertheless insists upon eating there while being rained on, he is not performing a mitzva. Rather, he is doing something foolish. There is even a sinful aspect to it, for one must honor the festival, and it is forbidden to cause oneself suffering on it. However, it is different if one began his meal in the house because it was raining, and then the rain stopped. While he is not required to return to the sukka, if he does so he is rewarded for it, since his sitting in the sukka does not entail discomfort (BHL 639:7 s.v. “hedyotot”)."
+ ],
+ [
+ "10. Mitzta’er and Exemption from Sleeping",
+ "As we have seen, it is obligatory to sleep in the sukka, both sheinat keva and sheinat ara’i, yet many are lenient and do not sleep in the sukka. Do they have a basis for their practice? The poskim mention two primary reasons for exemption from sleeping in the sukka. One relates to mitzta’er, and one to married men.",
+ "In cold European countries, sleeping in the sukka entailed pain and discomfort because of the cold nights, and people who slept in the sukka would sometimes get sick. Therefore, poskim ruled that if one is mitzta’er vis-à-vis sleeping in the sukka because of the cold, and he has no way to keep warm properly, whether because he does not have enough blankets or because he is mitzta’er even with the blankets, he is exempt from sleeping in the sukka. In Eretz Yisrael it is not that cold, but nowadays there are more spoiled and sensitive people who catch colds easily on chilly nights in the sukka even when they sleep with a heavy blanket. They, too, are deemed mitzta’arim and exempt. However, on nights that they know they will not catch a cold, or when napping in the afternoon, they must sleep in the sukka.14",
+ "Some people simply cannot fall asleep in a sukka. Even though nothing in the sukka should bother them, they are tense from the different environment. Since, in fact, they cannot fall asleep, they are mitzta’arim and thus exempt. They are not obligated to build a sukka with brick walls so they will feel more comfortable and be able to sleep at night, for the Torah did not command us to build permanent walls to fulfill the mitzva. However, those who do so are commendable, for they will be able to fulfill the mitzva. In addition, one who is unable to sleep in the sukka at night must still sleep in the sukka by day if he wants to take a nap and is able to fall asleep in the sukka during the day.",
+ "If one wants to take an afternoon nap, but there are children playing noisily and disturbing him, and they will not manage to keep quiet even if he asks, he is considered mitzta’er. Thus, if he is tired, he may go inside to sleep.15"
+ ],
+ [
+ "11. Exemption from Sleeping – Married Men",
+ "Le-khatḥila, a married man must build a sukka where he and his wife can both sleep. Even though women are exempt from the mitzva of sukka, a woman who sleeps in the sukka fulfills a mitzva. Moreover, if the spouses sleep separately, it diminishes their festival joy. Thus, it is proper to build a sukka in which both spouses can sleep (above, 2:14; Harḥavot 2:14:5).",
+ "If it is impossible to prepare a place for the wife to sleep in the sukka – for instance, if the sukka is too small, or there are other men who need to sleep there, and they cannot build another sukka just for the couple – and the couple is mitzta’er when they sleep apart, some say the man may sleep in their bedroom at home. This is because the mitzva of sukka is for a man to sleep in the sukka in the way that he normally sleeps in his home, which is with his wife. If they cannot both sleep in the sukka, he is exempt (Rema 639:2). Others say that the man is exempt only if the couple are truly mitzta’er when they cannot sleep in their bedroom (MA ad loc. 8). Still others say that a married man has the same obligation to sleep in the sukka as a single man, and even if he is mitzta’er from sleeping in the sukka, apart from his wife, he is still obligated to sleep in the sukka. Only on special nights (such as when he and his wife will fulfill the mitzva of having marital relations with the regularity to which they are accustomed) is he exempt from sleeping in the sukka (Vilna Gaon; MB 639:18).",
+ "In practice, if one is truly mitzta’er when he sleeps apart from his wife he must invest effort and money into building a sukka where they can be together. If it is very difficult for him to do so, he may, if he wants, rely on those who are lenient and sleep inside.16"
+ ],
+ [
+ "12. Children, Grooms, and Mourners",
+ "A child who has reached the age of ḥinukh (education) is obligated in sukka. Therefore, adults are admonished not to feed him a se’udat keva or put him to bed outside the sukka. The age of ḥinukh is the age at which a child understands the general parameters of the mitzva, i.e., the obligation to eat and sleep in the sukka. Most children reach this stage around the age of five or six (SA 640:2). However, sometimes young children are mitzta’arim when it comes to sleeping in the sukka, because they are more sensitive to the cold or because they are afraid. In such cases, they are considered mitzta’er and are exempt. Additionally, if the adults are sitting and studying Torah or chatting in the sukka, making it difficult for the child to fall asleep there, he may be put to bed in the house and later moved to the sukka.",
+ "It is forbidden to hold a wedding on Ḥol Ha-mo’ed, because we do not mix together two joyous occasions (Mo’ed Katan 8a). However, those who marry before Sukkot continue the week of Sheva Berakhot into the festival. The Sages tell us that a groom is exempt from sleeping in the sukka, because it lacks the privacy of a home, and the bride and groom will feel inhibited there. The Sages also tell us that the groom’s entourage and all those who came to celebrate with him are exempt from eating in the sukka, because sukkot were usually small and could not accommodate all the celebrant. Therefore, Sheva Berakhot meals were held outside the sukka (Sukka 25b; SA 640:6). However, other se’udot mitzva, including a brit, pidyon ha-ben, bar mitzva, and siyum, must be held in the sukka, because these meals are not important enough to override the mitzva of sitting in the sukka (Vilna Gaon; BHL 640:6). Nowadays, we have Sheva Berakhot in the sukka as well, even though this limits the number of participants.",
+ "A mourner is obligated in the mitzva of sukka. Even if he would prefer to sit alone in his grief, he must marshal his resources and keep the mitzvot of the festival (Sukka 25a; SA 640:5). In fact, there is no mourning on Sukkot; if someone began sitting shiva before the festival, the arrival of the festival cancels the remainder of shiva, and if someone loses a close relative on Sukkot, he does not sit shiva on the festival. Rather, after the funeral, he continues sitting in the sukka, and the shiva begins only after the festival.",
+ "An onen, one whose close relative died but has not yet been buried, is exempt from the mitzva of sukka, as he is preoccupied with the mitzva of burying the dead, and therefore exempt from engaging in other mitzvot (MB 640:31; SHT ad loc. 48)."
+ ],
+ [
+ "13. Travelers and Those Engaged in Mitzvot",
+ "One who leaves his home to perform a mitzva, such as attending to a patient in the hospital, is exempt from sukka. There is a general principle that “one who is engaged in one mitzva is exempt from another mitzva” (“Osek be-mitzva patur min ha-mitzva”). The bother of seeking or walking to a sukka may impair his fulfillment of the mitzva he is already engaged in (Sukka 25a). Even if there is a sukka nearby, if there is concern that he will not sleep well there, he should sleep where he will sleep best. However, if he can fulfill the mitzva of sukka with no trouble, and it will not impair his fulfillment of the mitzva he is already engaged in – for example, there is a comfortable sukka nearby – then when the patient does not need him close by, he should eat and sleep in the sukka (SA 640:7; MB ad loc. 37-38).",
+ "Soldiers who are on guard duty and have no free time are considered to be engaged in a mitzva and need not go to the trouble of building themselves a sukka. However, their commanders, who are tasked with seeing to their wellbeing, should make sure to put up a comfortable sukka in which the soldiers can eat and (security permitting) sleep.",
+ "As a rule, one may not work on Ḥol Ha-mo’ed. However, there are exceptions to this rule, like people who work in bakeries and dairies (Peninei Halakha: Mo’adim 11:3). In these cases, if going to the sukka during work hours is troublesome for a worker, he is exempt from the mitzva of sukka due to the principle of “‘teshvu’ – ke’ein taduru.” Just as all year long they do not take the trouble to eat in a set dining room, so too on Sukkot, they are not required to take the trouble to eat in a sukka. If all year long they would prefer to eat in a cafeteria if there is one nearby, so too on Sukkot, they must eat in a sukka if there is one that they can use without troubling themselves.",
+ "Similarly, if one must take a business trip on Ḥol Ha-mo’ed to avoid the loss of a significant amount of money, and it would be troublesome for him to find a sukka while traveling, he may eat outside a sukka. If he is traveling by day, he is obligated in the mitzva of sukka at night. However, if putting up a sukka or traveling to one will take hours and harm the goals of the trip, he is exempt at night as well (SA and Rema 640:8; Levush; BHL s.v. “holkhei”).",
+ "One who must have a medical procedure on Sukkot that will cause him pain, to the point that he is considered a mitzta’er, is exempt from sukka as long as the pain endures. However, if the treatment can be performed before or after Sukkot, and he nevertheless decides to do it on Sukkot, then even though he is in pain, he is obligated in sukka. Since he unnecessarily inserted himself into a situation that makes him a mitzta’er, he is not exempt (Or Zaru’a; Hagahot Asheri; Rema 640:3)."
+ ],
+ [
+ "14. Outings",
+ "Families who want to go on an outing need to plan ahead so that they can eat their meals in a sukka. If they decide to go somewhere without a sukka, they should make sure not to eat se’udot keva during the trip. Rather, they should make do with fruits, vegetables, and a little bit of mezonot (above, section 5). Some disagree and maintain that when traveling, one may eat even se’udot keva outside of a sukka. Just as during the year, one who is traveling is not meticulous about eating in a house under a roof, so too on Sukkot, a traveler need not take care to eat in a sukka. Nevertheless, it seems that being lenient in this case is not appropriate. Only someone who is compelled to travel is exempt from sukka. But someone who decides to go on a pleasure trip is making a conscious decision to neglect the mitzva for no compelling reason, so he may go on a trip only if he takes care to eat all se’udot keva in a sukka.17",
+ "As a rule, one should make sure not to waste Ḥol Ha-mo’ed on outings, as these holy days are meant for Torah study and festive meals. As I have written elsewhere, half the day should be dedicated to God, i.e., spent on study and prayer (Peninei Halakha: Mo’adim 10:6). The reason that melakha is forbidden on Ḥol Ha-mo’ed is to enable Torah study (y. Mo’ed Katan 2:3). When one devotes the holidays to his own pleasures, God says to him, “These are not My festivals, but rather yours.” About such people it says, “Your new moons and fixed seasons fill Me with loathing; they have become a burden to Me; I cannot endure them” (Yeshayahu 1:14). However, those who dedicate Ḥol Ha-mo’ed to Torah, prayer, and festive meals are beloved of God (Shelah, Sukka, Ner Mitzva 31).",
+ "Some trips have a mitzva element. One example is visiting one’s rabbi whom he does not see on a monthly basis. Another example is visiting Jerusalem in order to enjoy its courtyards, come close to the Temple Mount, and pray at the Western Wall; this is a quasi-fulfillment of the mitzva to make a pilgrimage to the Temple (Peninei Halakha: Mo’adim 1:16-17; 10:6). When people are on these types of trips and it is difficult for them to find a sukka, they may eat se’udot keva without one."
+ ]
+ ],
+ [
+ [
+ "1. The Mitzva of the Four Species (Arba’at Ha-minim)",
+ "On Sukkot there is a mitzva to take the four species: etrog (citron), lulav (palm branch), hadas (myrtle), and arava (willow). As we read: “On the first day you shall take the fruit of a hadar tree, branches of palm trees, boughs of dense-leaved trees, and willows of the brook, and you shall rejoice before the Lord your God seven days” (Vayikra 23:40). The Gemara elaborates: “The fruit of a hadar tree” refers to an etrog; “branches of palm trees” to a lulav; “boughs of dense-leaved trees” to hadasim; and “willows of the brook” to aravot (Sukka 35a; see Me’iri and Ritva ad loc. and Rambam’s introduction to Peirush Ha-mishnayot).",
+ "Since the lulav is the tallest of them all, the mitzva is referred to as “taking the lulav,” and the berakha recited is “Who has made us holy through His commandments and has commanded us about taking the lulav” (“al netilat lulav”).",
+ "On a Torah level, the mitzva only applies on the first day, as we read, “On the first day you shall take.” Only in the Temple precincts are we commanded to take the lulav each day, as we see from the continuation of the verse, “and you shall rejoice before the Lord your God seven days.” In practice, since there is a mitzva to go up to the Temple on the three pilgrimage festivals, in Temple times many Jews performed the mitzva of lulav for seven days.",
+ "After the destruction of the Temple, R. Yoḥanan ben Zakkai ordained that the lulav should be taken for seven days everywhere, to commemorate the Temple. Such commemorative practices are very important, as our Sages tell us that by remembering the Temple and continuing to observe the mitzvot that were observed there, we help to restore what was lost with the destruction and exile and hasten the redemption (Sukka 41a).",
+ "We take one etrog, one lulav, three hadasim, and two aravot. In pressing circumstances, one takes just one hadas and one arava but does not recite the berakha (SA 651:1).1",
+ "If any one of the four species is very small, it is invalid. The minimum sizes are: an etrog must be at least an egg’s volume; the spine of the lulav must be at least 4 tefaḥim long; hadasim and aravot must be at least 3 tefaḥim long. There is no maximum size. As long as one can carry them, they are kosher. We will expand on these laws below (sections 7-9, 12; nn. 4, 6)."
+ ],
+ [
+ "2. Expressing the Unity of the Jewish People",
+ "In order to fulfill the mitzva, all four species must be taken. If any one of them is missing, the mitzva cannot be fulfilled (Menaḥot 27a). Le-khatḥila they should be taken together, the lulav bundled with the hadasim and aravot. However, be-di’avad, if someone took them serially, he has fulfilled the obligation (SA 651:12; see 5:2 below).",
+ "This halakha teaches us something profound. Our Sages say that just as among the four species there are two that produce fruit (lulav and etrog) and two that do not (hadas and arava), so too, in Israel there are Torah scholars and people of action. Just as the presence of all four species is necessary to fulfill the mitzva, so too the presence of both scholars and doers is necessary for the nation to thrive. Scholars cannot survive without doers, who help support them; and doers cannot survive without scholars, who enrich their lives with spiritual content and help connect them to the next world (based on Menaḥot 27a; Ḥullin 92a; Tanḥuma Emor; R. Yitzḥak ibn Gi’at, Hilkhot Lulav).",
+ "A more elaborate midrash explains that the four species represent four types of people. The etrog, which both tastes and smells good, corresponds to Jews who are full of both Torah and good deeds. The lulav (date palm), whose fruits taste good, but which has no smell, corresponds to Torah scholars who are full of Torah but do not perform many good deeds. The hadas, which smells good but has no taste, corresponds to people who perform good deeds but are not Torah scholars. The arava, which has neither taste nor smell, represents simple Jews who do not have much Torah or many good deeds. At first glance, we might think that their lives are not worth that much, and they will be unable to reach the next world. But God says: “Bundle them all together, and they will atone for one another.” When this is done, God is exalted and the supernal chambers are built up, as we read (Amos 9:6): “He builds His chambers in heaven when His bundle is established on earth” (Vayikra Rabba 30:12).",
+ "Our Sages further suggest that the four species correspond to the founders of the Jewish people: the three patriarchs and Yosef, or the four matriarchs. They also suggest (based on wordplay) that the species hint at the Sanhedrin and Torah scholars (Vayikra Rabba 30:9-11)."
+ ],
+ [
+ "3. Additional Symbolism",
+ "The Torah links the principle of hidur (beauty) to the etrog, which both tastes and smells good, corresponding to wholesome people who both study Torah and perform good deeds, and thus alluding to the wholesomeness that will be achieved in the future. As we will learn, we are more meticulous about the hidur and magnificence of the etrog than we are about the other species.",
+ "The lulav corresponds to Torah scholars, who represent the holy Torah, even if they do not perform many good deeds. Just as the lulav is taller than all the other species, so the Torah is above everything. The Sages ordained that the berakha is recited on the lulav, indicating that there is nothing more exalted than the Torah.",
+ "The basic condition for Torah study is that it must remain connected to, and united with, the entire Jewish people. Even though Torah contains different opinions and perspectives, it all comes from a single source, and the pieces will ultimately join together again. The unique form of the lulav expresses this unity. Its leaves grow on opposite sides of the spine, but they remain close to it, in unity. There are many leaves, but they are not separate. Rather each one overlaps with the next and just adds a little bit of its own. Together, the leaves cover the spine. Furthermore, each leaf is actually two leaves, held together at the tip (the tiyomet, as explained in section 6). The straightness of the lulav also expresses unity, as it is entirely oriented toward one goal. If a lulav is crooked, it is invalid because it faces in two directions. Thus, our Sages state, “Just as the palm has only one heart, so too Israel has only one heart, for their Father in Heaven” (Sukka 45b). Additionally, our Sages state, “The palm branches (kapot) are Torah scholars, who force (kofin) themselves to learn Torah from one another” (Vayikra Rabba 30:11). Thus, the lulav alludes to Torah, which has disagreements and different views that all stem from one source and share a common goal. This idea should inspire Torah scholars to increase peace and unity in the world. (See Berakhot 64a and Ein Aya ad loc.)",
+ "Hadasim allude to mitzvot and good deeds. The impact of good deeds radiates outward like a pleasant fragrance. The Sages say that the righteous are referred to as hadasim, and it is in their merit that the world endures (Sanhedrin 93a). It is through the practice of mitzvot that holiness is revealed in the activities of daily life. This discloses the value of this world, and it thus is worthy of enduring. The hadasim also allude to the mitzva to procreate and to educate one’s children. Its threefold leaves express increase, and the Sages say that the hadas alludes to our forebears Yaakov and Leah: “Just as the hadas is surrounded by leaves, so Yaakov was surrounded by children…and so Leah was surrounded by children” (Vayikra Rabba 30:10). Women who undertake the difficult jobs of having children, bringing them up, and educating them are the ones who primarily have the privilege of revealing the holiness of daily life.",
+ "At first glance, it would seem that the arava has no stature at all. It has neither aroma nor taste, neither Torah nor good deeds. But it has incredible growing power and expresses the vitality and beauty of this world, the “common decency” which precedes Torah study. Therefore, the arava has great value, just as the vitality of simple Jews sustains Torah scholars and doers. Out of this vitality, Torah giants grow. We are witness to this frequently – people who are notable for their Torah knowledge or good deeds emerge from simple families.",
+ "Furthermore, the arava expresses the condition of Israel in this world. On the one hand, this world naturally has tremendous potential for growth, and through it God’s name can be sanctified in incomparable ways. On the other hand, holiness does not regularly manifest itself in this world. So too, the arava has no taste or smell, and when it does not receive water, which alludes to Torah and faith, it withers rapidly, just as when our Temple was destroyed, and we were exiled. We also find the Sages stating (Vayikra Rabba 30:10) that the arava alludes to Raḥel and Yosef: On the one hand, the existence of the Jews in this world is thanks to them, for all of Yaakov’s children were born because of his desire to marry Raḥel, and Israel’s continued existence in Egypt was thanks to the actions of the righteous Yosef, who laid the groundwork there that allowed them to flourish. On the other hand, since Raḥel and Yosef were connected to this-worldly life, which tends to distance people from the spiritual source of life, they both died younger than their siblings. Nevertheless, they are the ones who take the primary role in uncovering the redemptive elements in this world. Raḥel and Yosef’s extraordinary beauty alludes to this. This is also what the Sages mean when they say that during the future redemption, all trees will start bearing fruit (Ketubot 112b).",
+ "We see that all the species are needed alike, and only by unifying these forces can Israel fulfill its destiny, improve the world, and benefit all of creation in accordance with the word of God."
+ ],
+ [
+ "4. What Invalidates the Four Species",
+ "There are five categories of disqualification that invalidate the four species: 1) The species must be those which the Torah specifies, and no others. The “fruit of a hadar tree” is an etrog and not a lemon. Even a hybrid etrog is invalid (section 10 below). “Boughs of dense-leaved trees” are hadasim with threefold leaves, not wild hadasim. One must take a willow branch, not a poplar branch.",
+ "2) They must retain their natural form. Thus, if the leaves of the lulav grow on only one side, or most of the leaves of the hadas or arava have fallen off, they are invalid.",
+ "3) They must be of the required size. If they are too small, they would not be referred to as “the fruit of a hadar tree” or “branches of a palm tree” or “boughs of dense-leaved trees” or “willows of the brook” (as explained in sections 7-9 and 12 below). If a specimen does not meet these three requirements, it is invalid for the entire festival.",
+ "4) They must possess hadar (beauty, aesthetic pleasantness), that is, they have not lost their natural form and beauty – for example, by completely drying out, even if they retain their basic shape. Most poskim invalidate specimens that lack hadar only on the first Yom Tov (Rambam; Ramban). Others say that this invalidates them all seven days (Rosh).",
+ "5) They must be whole. When it comes to an etrog, this means it must not be missing any flesh (section 11 below); regarding a lulav, it means the tiyomet must not be split (section 6 below). These defects invalidate the lulav and etrog on the first Yom Tov, but do not invalidate them during the rest of the festival. (See Sukka 34b; Tosafot ad loc. s.v. “she-tehei”; Rashi on 36b, s.v. “u-meshaninan.”)",
+ "Thus, to disqualify a specimen, it must have undergone a significant change. It follows that the stress that some people feel when choosing their specimens is unwarranted. True, in the upcoming sections we will deal extensively with the various defects that invalidate the four species, but these issues rarely come up. Even though most of the specimens on sale are kosher, Jewish practice is to enhance the mitzva by choosing beautiful specimens, as the Torah says, “This is my God and I will glorify Him (ve-anvehu)” (Shemot 15:2), which the Sages expound to mean: “Beautify (hitna’eh) yourself before Him through mitzvot: Make a beautiful (na’ah) sukka, a beautiful (na’eh) lulav…” (Shabbat 133b). This, however, should not be a source of stress.",
+ "When circumstances are pressing and it is impossible to obtain kosher specimens, one may fulfill the mitzva using specimens that lack hadar or are not whole (requirements 4 and 5 above), such as a lulav which is dried out or has a split tiyomet. According to most poskim, one even recites the berakha when taking them; others say that one does not recite it.2",
+ "In addition to the five types of disqualification, which relate to the specimens themselves, one also does not fulfill the mitzva with a stolen specimen. On the first Yom Tov, even a borrowed specimen is invalid (as explained below in section 13). Additionally, anything dedicated for idolatry is invalid to fulfill the mitzva (SA 649:3)."
+ ],
+ [
+ "5. The Lulav",
+ "Lulav leaves grow from both sides of the lulav and cover the spine. A lulav is invalid if it has leaves on only one side of the spine, while the second side is bare (SA 645:3). ",
+ "Generally, the lulav’s leaves grow one atop the other, covering the entire spine. If its leaves are so short that one leaf does not reach the one above it, it is invalid (SA 645:4).",
+ "The branches of the palm tree begin as lulavim, branches whose leaves are all tight to the spine. As the branch continues to grow, the leaves open, forming the fan-like branches that people associate with date trees. At this point they are referred to as ḥariyot.",
+ "Le-khatḥila it is best if the leaves of the lulav are tight to the spine, such that if the lulav is left on a table, the leaves still cling tightly to it without assistance. If the leaves of the lulav have started to open, the lulav is kosher as long as the leaves can be bound together and pulled tight to the spine. This is referred to as “a lulav whose leaves have separated.” If the opening leaves have hardened so that it is impossible to bind them together and draw them flat to the spine of the lulav, then the lulav is invalid. This is referred to as “a lulav whose leaves have broken free” (Sukka 29b; SA 645:1-2).",
+ "If the lulav has become so crooked that it is semicircular, like a scythe, it is invalid. If it is not so crooked, it is kosher but not mehudar (especially beautiful), as straightness is a feature that makes a lulav beautiful. If it is bent like a scythe, but the curve is toward the spine, this is somewhat common natural curvature, so the lulav is kosher (SA 645:8).",
+ "If the spine is bent over at an angle, it is invalid (SA 645:9). Some say that even if just the leaves are bent at an angle, the lulav is invalid (Taz; MB ad loc. 40-41). However, if just the tips of the uppermost leaves are bent like the letter vav, the lulav is kosher, as some lulavim grow this way.",
+ "Some say that if the tips of the uppermost leaves are bent over like the letter peh, resembling a button (a “knepel”), the lulav is invalid (Ran and Ritva). Others maintain that such a lulav is actually mehudar, as this ensures that the tiyomet of the upper leaf will not open (Rosh). In practice, this lulav is kosher, as many lulavim grow this way. However, since some are stringent, it is not considered mehudar (SA 645:9 and MB ad loc. 42)."
+ ],
+ [
+ "6. A Split Tiyomet",
+ "Every leaf in a lulav is comprised of two leaflets joined together by the posterior edge. The place where they are joined is called the “tiyomet,” because it makes each pair of leaflets resemble conjoined twins (“te’omim”). As the lulavim continue to grow and develop into ḥariyot, the tips of the leaves open up. The first to open is the central, uppermost leaf in the lulav. Since the leaves of the lulav are naturally closed because they are connected at the tiyomet, when the tiyomet opens, the lulav is considered deficient, not whole. Thus, even though it still looks like a lulav, it is disqualified for use on the first Yom Tov, as all the species must be whole. However, it may be used on subsequent days.",
+ "The poskim disagree about how to define a split tiyomet. Some say the lulav is invalid only if most of the tiyomot of most of the leaves are split (Rif and Rambam). Others say the law of the split tiyomet applies only to the upper, central leaf, since it is the most prominent and discernible of the leaves; if most of this tiyomet is split, the lulav is invalid (Ge’onim and Ran). The halakha in practice follows the latter view: on the first Yom Tov, if most of the central tiyomet is split, the lulav may not be used. In truth, in the vast majority of lulavim, most of the central leaf is closed, so almost all lulavim are kosher for use even on the first Yom Tov. Some are meticulous to avoid, le-khatḥila, a lulav whose central tiyomet has even a small split. However, there are very few lulavim where the tiyomet is completely closed, and the more developed and beautiful the lulav, the more likely that a bit of its uppermost leaf will be open. It would seem preferable to use a large, beautiful lulav with a slightly open central leaf than a small, shriveled lulav with a closed upper leaf. If one is concerned that the central leaf will continue to open and be mostly open by the first Yom Tov, he may glue it together to prevent its disqualification.",
+ "If there are two leaves at the central tip of the lulav, the tiyomet of each one has to be mostly closed. However, if these two leaves separate from one another, the lulav is kosher since they are two different leaves (MB 645:15; Pri Megadim, Mishbetzot Zahav ad loc. 4).",
+ "Some prefer to use a lulav which has “korei,” a flaky brown membrane that keeps the leaves together. In their view, as long as there is a korei on the leaves, they are considered closed. However, others say that le-khatḥila it is preferable to take a lulav without a korei, for two reasons: First, they maintain that the korei does not ensure that the central leaf is closed. True, it is not necessary to worry that it is mostly split underneath the korei, because that is extraordinarily rare, but it is possible that a small split is hidden underneath, which is not mehudar according to some. Second, Ashkenazic custom is to shake the lulav in such a way that it rustles. When a lulav has korei, this cannot be done.3"
+ ],
+ [
+ "7. The Requisite Size of a Lulav and a Canary Island Date Palm Lulav",
+ "If most the upper leaves of a lulav were pared or truncated, or the central leaf is pared or truncated, the lulav is invalid for use on the first Yom Tov (SA and Rema 645:6). If there is a thorn-like protrusion on the tip of the uppermost leaf, it is not considered part of the lulav, so even if it is singed or cut off, the lulav is kosher even according to the most meticulous.",
+ "A lulav whose uppermost leaf ends in a zigzag, as sometimes happens, is kosher le-khatḥila.",
+ "If most of a lulav’s leaves have dried out and turned white, with no green left at all, the lulav is invalid (SA 645:5).",
+ "The spine of a lulav must be at least 4 tefaḥim tall (c. 32 cm, or 25.3 cm in pressing circumstances). This is the minimum size required to fulfill the obligation. However, it is a hidur for the lulav to be tall, as is accepted (MA 672:3).4",
+ "In recent times a question has arisen concerning the validity of lulavim from a particular species of date palm imported from the Canary Islands. The Canary Island date palm differs from the common date palm in several respects: its leaves are shorter, denser, and softer; it is greener, and its dates do not taste good; its spine is softer and more flexible, bending in whichever direction it is tilted.",
+ "Those who deem the Canary Island date palm acceptable maintain that since it comes from a palm tree that produces dates, it is kosher, despite all the differences (Tzitz Eliezer 8:22; R. Shlomo Zalman Auerbach). Others say that since its dates are not so edible and it differs from the common date palm in so many ways, it does not qualify as the “branches of palm trees” referred to in the verse (Igrot Moshe, OḤ 4:123). In practice, since there are acceptable species of the date palm similar to the Canary Island date palm, the reasoning of those who are lenient seems more convincing. Nevertheless, since this is the subject of dispute, it is preferable to avoid using a lulav from a Canary Island date palm. When circumstances are pressing, one may rely on those who are lenient, use it, and recite the berakha."
+ ],
+ [
+ "8. The Hadas",
+ "“Boughs of dense-leaved trees (anaf etz avot)” are myrtle branches whose leaves grow in groups of three, look like braids, and cover the stem, making them look like densely-leaved boughs. Each group of three leaves must sprout from the same node, that is, from the same height; if a hadas has one leaf higher or lower than the other two, it is referred to as a “wild hadas” and is invalid (Sukka 32b; SA 646:3). A healthy, vibrant hadas normally has three leaves sprouting from each node. One need not be too exacting; as long as the three leaves appear to the naked eye to sprout from the same height along the branch, they are threefold, even if one is in fact slightly higher than the others.5",
+ "Three hadasim must be taken together with the lulav, and each must be at least 3 tefaḥim tall (c. 24 cm; under pressing circumstances, 19 cm). There is no limit on how long a hadas may be. Even if it is very long indeed, it is still kosher, but when bundling the hadasim and lulav together, one should make sure that the lulav extends at least a tefaḥ higher than the hadasim (SA 650:1-2; see 5:2 below).",
+ "Le-khathila, the threefold leaves must cover the full length of 3 tefaḥim, as some maintain that the hadas is invalid otherwise (Ge’onim). However, in practice, if the threefold leaves cover most of the 3 tefaḥim, the hadas is kosher, as this is the position of most poskim (Raavad; Rosh; SA 646:5). Even if the branch is 4 tefaḥim long or more, as long as the threefold leaves cover the majority of 3 tefaḥim, it is kosher. If there are at least 3 full tefaḥim of threefold leaves, even if the branch also has leaves that are not threefold, the hadas is kosher even for the most scrupulous (Baḥ; see BHL 646:9, end of s.v. “u-le’ikuva”).6",
+ "The hadas produces small berries. They start out green and turn red and black. If the berries are green, the hadas is kosher. If they are red or black, and the number of berries exceeds the number of leaves across 3 tefaḥim, the hadas is invalid because it is of a spotted color. If one picks off the berries, it reverts to being kosher, but one may not remove the berries on Yom Tov, as it looks like he is fixing something (Sukka 33b; SA 646:2, 11).",
+ "Sometimes additional branches grow between the leaves. It is recommended to prune them (SHT 646:36).",
+ "If the top of a hadas is truncated, it is preferable to take a different one, as some maintain that such a hadas is invalid (Raavad; Ha-ma’or). If no other hadas is available, the branch should be cut in such a way that the leaves hide the truncated part, and then one may recite a berakha on it (SA 646:10; SHT ad loc. 32).",
+ "A hadas whose leaves have withered is still kosher. However, if it has become completely desiccated, to the point that it crumbles to the touch and lost all its greenness, it is invalid. If the hadas was soaked in water for a day and is no longer blanched and crumbly, we see it was not entirely desiccated, and it is kosher (SA 646:6-7; MB ad loc. 20)."
+ ],
+ [
+ "9. The Arava",
+ "There are three criteria that an arava must meet: 1) The leaves are elongated, like a brook, but not symmetrical; 2) the edges of the leaves must be smooth; 3) the stem must be reddish – even if it is green when young, it must be of a species that reddens later. The poplar is similar to the arava, but it lacks those features. Its leaves are symmetrically elongated, its leaves are serrated, and its stem is green. True, there is a type of arava whose leaf edges are not smooth, but its serrations are gentler than those of the poplar (Sukka 33b; SA 647:1).",
+ "Since most aravot grow alongside streams, they are known as “willows of the brook.” Still, this is not a necessary condition for a kosher arava; rather, any type of willow, even one that grows in the mountains or deserts, is absolutely kosher, even for the most meticulous.",
+ "One must take two aravot together with the lulav. Each arava must be at least 3 tefaḥim long (c. 24 cm, or 19 cm under pressing circumstances; see notes 4 and 6). There is no limit as to their length; they are kosher even if very long. However, when bundling the aravot with the lulav, one should make certain that the lulav extends at least a tefaḥ above the aravot (SA 650:1-2; below, 5:2).",
+ "The primary characteristic of the willow tree is that it is full of vitality and growth potential, so naturally it grows near water. When an arava is deprived of water, it quickly dries out. If most of its leaves dry out, to the point where it pales and loses its greenness, it is invalid. If the leaves are withered but not completely dried out, it is kosher be-di’avad (SA 647:2). Since aravot dry out quickly, those who are meticulous replace their aravot several times during the course of the festival. Sometimes, if the aravot are kept in a sealed plastic case and removed only to be used for the mitzva, their beauty is preserved for the entire festival.",
+ "If most of the leaves fall off an arava, it is invalid. One must watch out for this, because sometimes leaves get pulled off when inserting the aravot into the lulav bundle (SA 647:10).",
+ "If the top of an arava was truncated, the arava is invalid because it lacks hadar. However, if the top leaf falls off but the stem remains whole, it is kosher (MB 647:10)."
+ ],
+ [
+ "10. A Grafted Etrog and the Status of the Pitam",
+ "The “fruit of the hadar tree” that we are commanded to take on Sukkot is the etrog. The identity of the etrog is a tradition passed down from generation to generation. Just as with all fruits, there are different varieties of etrog: some large, some small, some yellow, some greenish – and all kosher.",
+ "A few hundred years ago, a serious problem arose. Since the etrog tree is delicate, sensitive, and susceptible to disease, its cultivators (most of whom were non-Jews) often grafted an etrog branch onto a lemon or bitter orange tree. Although some poskim were lenient about these etrogim, the accepted ruling is that an etrog that grows from a grafted tree is invalid. For the Torah commands that an etrog be taken, whereas a grafted etrog is considered a new being or a combination of two fruits, an etrog and whichever tree the etrog branch was grafted to (Rema; MA; Shvut Yaakov). Others invalidate it because it is the product of a prohibited action – it is forbidden to graft the branch of one tree onto the trunk of another (Levush). Nowadays, etrog growers are careful to avoid hybrids, so one can rely on sellers when they state that their etrogim are not grafted.",
+ "All etrogim start out with a pitam (blossom-end), but it usually dries out and falls off while the etrog is very small. These etrogim without a pitam are kosher le-khatḥila and are not deficient in any way, as this is how they grow. There are some varieties of etrogim that are more likely to retain their pitam. Sometimes the pitam is very robust and fleshy, and other times it is dry and woody. There is a spray that stops the pitam from drying out and falling off, and cultivators who want to grow etrogim with fleshy pitams use it.",
+ "A fleshy pitam is the same color as the etrog, and its flesh resembles the flesh of the etrog. At its tip is a shoshanta (stigma), a dry, woody flower knob. The fleshy pitam has the same status as the tip of the etrog in every respect. Any deficiency or stain that invalidates the etrog when found on its sloping top (“nose”) also invalidates it when found on the fleshy part of the pitam. With regard to the shoshanta, if it is entirely missing, the etrog is invalid, but if enough remains of it to cover the flesh of the pitam, the etrog is kosher. (See Harḥavot 4:10:7-9.)",
+ "The status of a woody pitam is more lenient. If the pitam is completely missing, so that nothing at all protrudes, the etrog is invalid. If even a tiny bit of it remains protruding from the etrog, the etrog is kosher (SA 648:7; MB ad loc. 30).",
+ "If the entire oketz – the end of the branch that joins the etrog to the tree – is missing and the flesh of the etrog is visible, the etrog may not be used for the first Yom Tov because it is deficient. If enough of the oketz remains to cover the flesh of the etrog, the etrog is kosher and may be used even on the first Yom Tov (SA 648:8; MB ad loc. 33)."
+ ],
+ [
+ "11. Deficiency and Stains",
+ "An etrog that was pierced and is missing a piece (ḥaser, deficient) is invalid for use on the first Yom Tov, as the etrog used then must be whole, as it is written: “On the first day you shall take (u-lekaḥtem)” (Vayikra 23:40). Our Sages expound: “lekaḥtem” means “lekiḥa tama” – something whole must be taken. However, during the rest of the festival, even if part of the etrog is missing, it is kosher. Even on the first Yom Tov, if the etrog was damaged by a thorn, and it is uncertain whether the etrog is missing a part, the etrog is kosher. Additionally, even if it is clear that the etrog was missing a piece, but it continued to grow and the site of the damage scabbed over, the etrog is kosher for the first Yom Tov (SA 648:2; Harḥavot 4:11:1-4).",
+ "If a ḥazazit – a sort of festering lesion – is found on the etrog and cannot be peeled off without removing some of the etrog’s flesh, then if the ḥazazit covers most of the etrog, it is invalid. Similarly, if a ḥazazit was found in two or three places that are spread out over most of the etrog, even if the ḥazazit, in the aggregate, does not cover most of the etrog, the etrog is invalid since it looks spotted. If the ḥazazit appears on the nose – the sloping upper part – of the etrog, even if it is small, if it stands out to a cursory glance, the etrog is invalid. A black, white, or strange-colored stain has the same status as a ḥazazit (SA 648:9-13, 16). These lesions and stains are very rare, as only anomalies invalidate the four species.7",
+ "Common yellow, gray, and brown stains (bletlekh) do not invalidate the etrog, as they are normal for etrogim. These stains are generally caused by the etrog’s contact with leaves and branches, which lightly scratch it. The scratch causes the discharge of a liquid that forms a crust on the outside of the etrog. If these stains protrude and cannot be removed without taking off some of the flesh of the etrog, some people avoid using this etrog except in pressing circumstances (MB 648:50, 53). However, in practice, even if the stains protrude and cannot be scraped off, they do not invalidate the etrog, since they are commonly found on etrogim. Nevertheless, the more stains an etrog has, the less beautiful and mehudar it is.",
+ "It should be noted that after an etrog is picked, if it absorbs a light blow, there is concern that it will be damaged and discharge some clear liquid that will form a brown stain on the site. Though this stain does not invalidate the etrog, it does impair its beauty. For this reason, people generally wrap their etrog in flax or styrofoam mesh. If an etrog absorbs a blow, the discharged liquid should be rinsed off so that no stain forms."
+ ],
+ [
+ "12. More Laws Concerning the Etrog",
+ "A black etrog is invalid, because this is not the normal color of an etrog (SA 648:17). An etrog that is dark green is invalid because it is immature. But if it is clear that it will turn yellow under the right circumstances (e.g., if left to ripen with apples), even when it is still dark green, it is kosher (SA 648:21). An etrog that has turned orange is kosher (Mor U-ketzi’a 648).",
+ "For an etrog to be kosher, it must be fit to eat. Therefore, an etrog is invalid if it is orla or if it has not had teruma and ma’aser taken from it (MT, Laws of Shofar, Sukka, and Lulav 8:2).",
+ "An etrog is invalid if it is smaller than a keveitza (c. 50 cc), because it is immature. However, if it is a keveitza, then even though it is still unripe, it is kosher. There is no upward limit on size. Even if carrying an etrog requires both hands, it is kosher (SA 648:22). Some are stringent and require the etrog to be at least the volume of two eggs (100 cc). Although we do not follow this opinion, but rather rule that an etrog of 50 cc is kosher (Peninei Halakha: Berakhot 10 n. 11), le-khatḥila it is preferable to beautify the mitzva, and part of this is for the etrog to be normal-sized and not small.",
+ "A dried-up etrog – one that does not discharge any liquid, so that if one pierces it all the way through with a threaded needle, the thread will remain dry (SA 648:1) – is invalid because it lacks hadar (Sukka 31a and 34b). Any etrog left over from the previous year is assumed to be dried out (Rema ad loc.). However, if it was kept carefully in a refrigerator or a sealed bag, even after a year, it may retain some moisture and thus be kosher (Bikurei Yaakov ad loc. 4; SHT ad loc. 8).",
+ "An etrog is invalid if its shape is totally different from that of a regular etrog – for example, if it is round like a ball or was grown in a square container. However, an etrog that has two tops but is fused at the bottom, like conjoined twins, is kosher, as it is not totally different from the standard shape (SA 648:18-20)."
+ ],
+ [
+ "13. Borrowed and Stolen",
+ "On the first Yom Tov of Sukkot, one must use a lulav that belongs to him, as it is written, “On the first day you shall take (u-lekaḥtem lakhem)” (Vayikra 23:40), which literally reads as “you shall take unto yourselves,” and which the Sages interpreted to mean “of your own (mi-shelakhem),” i.e., the lulav must belong to the person performing the mitzva. Therefore, one cannot fulfill his obligation with a borrowed lulav on the first Yom Tov. During the rest of the festival, there is no requirement that the lulav belong to the person performing the mitzva, and one may fulfill the mitzva with a borrowed lulav.",
+ "If, however, a lulav’s owner gives his lulav to someone as a gift, the recipient can fulfill the mitzva with it even on the first Yom Tov. In order to avoid the possible complication of the recipient refusing to return the lulav, the owner should give the lulav to the recipient on condition that the recipient returns the lulav to him (matana al menat le-haḥzir); if the recipient does not return it within a reasonable amount of time, the condition has not been fulfilled, and the gift is annulled (Sukka 41b; SA 658:3-4).",
+ "According to halakha, a minor (a child under the age of bar or bat mitzva) can accept a gift but cannot give one. Therefore, if an adult gives a minor a lulav as a gift, the minor is unable to return it. Thus, on the first Yom Tov, one must make sure to give a minor the lulav only after all the adults have already fulfilled the mitzva (SA 658:6; see below, 5:6 n. 5).",
+ "If one of the four species is stolen, no matter how beautiful, it is invalid for performing the mitzva throughout Sukkot, as it is “a mitzva that comes through sin” (mitzva ha-ba’a ba-aveira). However, if the owner of the stolen lulav has despaired of getting it back, and the thief gave or sold it to a third party, one may use it to perform the mitzva, since it is no longer in the thief’s possession. Nevertheless, it is forbidden to recite a berakha on this lulav, even if it was passed on to someone else, who passes it along to someone else, and so on; as long as the lulav is known to be stolen, one may not recite a berakha on it, and one who does is considered to be cursing instead of blessing (BK 94a; SA 649:1; MB ad loc. 6).8",
+ "If someone who does not have a lulav arrives at the synagogue and sees a lulav there, he should ask the lulav’s owner for permission to use his lulav to perform the mitzva. If the owner is nowhere to be found and there is no way to ask his permission, the person may use the lulav without permission. It has the status of a borrowed lulav and thus cannot be used to fulfill the mitzva on the first Yom Tov, but it can be used during the rest of the festival. Normally, someone who takes an item without permission is considered a thief. However, in this case, as the person is taking something to use for a mitzva, the Sages presume that people want their belongings to be used for mitzvot. This is on condition that the borrower does not take the lulav from its place and is very careful with it (Rema 649:5). If the lulav owner is known to be especially particular about his belongings, then it is forbidden to use his lulav without his permission, even to perform the mitzva (MB ad loc. 34)."
+ ],
+ [
+ "14. Hidur Mitzva – Beautifying the Mitzvot",
+ "There is a mitzva to beautify mitzvot, as it is written, “This is my God, and I will glorify Him (ve-anvehu)” (Shemot 15:2), which the Sages expound to mean: “Beautify (hitna’eh) yourself before Him through mitzvot: Make a beautiful (na’ah) sukka, a beautiful (na’eh) lulav, a beautiful shofar, and quality tzitzit. Have a beautiful Torah scroll, written for the sake of heaven by a skilled scribe using quality ink and a quality quill, and wrap it in a beautiful silk covering” (Shabbat 133b). Along these lines, we find that God accepted the offering of Hevel, who brought his best and fattest sheep, while He did not accept Kayin’s stingy offering of simple fruits and vegetables (Bereshit 4:3-5; MT, Laws of Altar Prohibitions 7:10-11).",
+ "Our Sages tell us that in order to beautify a mitzva, one should be prepared to spend up to a third over and above the basic price of the item (Bava Kamma 9a). For example, if one went to the market and found kosher lulavim at different prices, it is a mitzva for him to add a third to the price of the simplest lulav in order to buy a nicer one. If he wishes to further beautify the mitzva by spending even more for an even better lulav, God will reward him. This is on condition that the additional spending will not be at the expense of his fulfilling other, more important mitzvot or of his ability to pay his bills or provide for his household.",
+ "So, if one has three possible lulav sets to buy – a kosher set that costs $30, a nicer set for $40, and an even nicer set for $50, the mitzva to beautify requires him to add a third (i.e., add $10 beyond the $30 price of the basic set) and buy the $40 set. If he wants to beautify the mitzva even more, he may buy the $50 set, and God will reward him.",
+ "This all applies to the average person. But for someone whose financial situation is precarious, there is no mitzva to add a third (Yam Shel Shlomo; MA; MB 656:6). Conversely, if one is fortunate enough to be wealthy, it is appropriate for him to pay more than an additional third to beautify the mitzvot. This is especially true of someone who generally buys expensive clothing and furniture and is prepared to pay several times the basic price of those items. He should be prepared to spend similarly on mitzvot.9"
+ ]
+ ],
+ [
+ [
+ "1. The Time of the Mitzva",
+ "The lulav is taken by day, not by night. It is customary to take the lulav at Shaḥarit. However, if one did not take it then, he should take it later. If the sun has already set, he should take it without reciting a berakha. Once the stars are out, he has lost the mitzva for the day (SA 652:1; MB ad loc. 2).",
+ "It is a mitzva to take the lulav while reciting Hallel and to shake it while reciting the verses, “Hodu la-Shem ki tov ki le-olam ḥasdo” (“Thank the Lord for He is good, for His kindness endures forever”) and “Ana Hashem hoshi’a na” (“Lord, please, save us”). The Sages instituted a berakha to be recited before taking the lulav. While it is generally recited before Hallel, some recite it earlier, before prayers, in the sukka (section 3 below).",
+ "Le-khatḥila one should not take the lulav before sunrise. However, if one needs to set out early and will not be able to take the lulav after sunrise, he may take it and recite a berakha once dawn has broken (SA 652:1; Peninei Halakha: Prayer 11:2 note 1).",
+ "As we have seen (4:1), the Torah commands us to take the lulav on only the first day of the festival. Only in the Temple was there a mitzva to take it all seven days. During Temple times, everywhere in the world except for the Temple, the lulav was taken only on the first Yom Tov; during the rest of the festival, only pilgrims to the Temple took it. If the first day of the festival was on Shabbat, those living in Eretz Yisrael still took the lulav, but to ensure that people would not carry the lulav in the public domain (thus desecrating Shabbat), the Sages instituted that it be taken at home (Sukka 42b). Those who lived outside of Eretz Yisrael did not take the lulav if the first day was on Shabbat, because they did not know with certainty when the month had been sanctified by the beit din. Due to the resulting uncertainty about when the festival begins, they observed two consecutive days of Yom Tov. The extra day is called Yom Tov Sheni shel Galuyot. Since the people did not know for certain that the first day was indeed on Shabbat, the Sages ordained that outside of Eretz Yisrael, the lulav should not be taken at all on Shabbat, not even in the home, lest people mistakenly violate Shabbat by carrying the lulav in a public domain (Sukka 43a). However, because Diaspora Jews observed a second day of Yom Tov, even if one day coincided with Shabbat, they would take the lulav on the other day, and in years when neither day of Yom Tov coincided with Shabbat, Diaspora Jews would take the lulav on both days.",
+ "After the destruction of the Temple, the Sages ordained that throughout the world, the lulav should be taken on all seven days of the festival (except on Shabbat), to commemorate the Temple. They also instituted that even in Eretz Yisrael, when the first day is on Shabbat, the lulav is not taken, so that all Israel is uniform in its practice (Sukka 44a). Later, when the calendar was fixed and there was no longer uncertainty about when the first day was, the prohibition of taking the lulav on the first day of the festival when it fell on Shabbat remained in force (MT, Laws of Shofar, Sukka, and Lulav 7:16-18).",
+ "Perhaps we can suggest the reasoning behind this ruling. After the destruction, the spiritual impact of the mitzva of lulav was diminished, so it was necessary to reinforce it by having everyone, everywhere take the lulav all seven days. On the other hand, the Sages were very concerned about impinging on the sanctity of Shabbat, for after the destruction, Shabbat remained as the foundation of the vitality and blessing of continued Jewish existence; on Shabbat, we can say, the sanctity of the day accomplished what taking the lulav accomplished on the other days. So to ensure that no one desecrate Shabbat (God forbid), the Sages decreed that on Shabbat, even when it coincides with Yom Tov, the lulav is not taken. In practice, this means that when the first day of Sukkot is on Shabbat, we do not fulfill the Torah commandment of taking the lulav, as taking the lulav during the rest of the festival is rabbinic."
+ ],
+ [
+ "2. Bundling the Four Species",
+ "The four species are all requisite; if one of them is missing, the mitzva is not fulfilled with the other three (Menaḥot 27a). The mitzva is to take the four species together. Be-di’avad, the mitzva is fulfilled, and the berakha may be recited, by taking them serially (SA 651:12).",
+ "Not only is there a mitzva to take all four species together, there is also a mitzva to bundle the lulav with the hadasim and aravot, as doing so beautifies the mitzva, and beautifying a mitzva is itself a mitzva, as the Torah says, “This is my God and I will glorify Him” (Shemot 15:2). But the etrog is not bundled with the other three. The Sages derive this from a subtlety in the verse (Vayikra 23:40) that describes the four species. The lulav, hadasim, and aravot are joined by a conjunction, the letter “vav,” while the etrog stands alone (“pri etz hadar, kapot temarim va-anaf etz avot ve-arvei naḥal”). Thus, the etrog is not bundled with the rest.",
+ "Some say it is necessary to use a permanent knot – the kind forbidden to tie on Shabbat, like a double knot. Consequently, even those who use koishelakh (“little baskets” woven from lulav leaves) to hold the three species together should also bind them with a double knot (SA 651:1). Others say this is not necessary; rather, the main thing is for the three species to be bundled together (Ritva; see MB 651:8).",
+ "Despite the fact that many people bundle the three species using lulav leaves, one may use any type of thread or strap (SA 651:1).",
+ "When bundling the lulav with the hadasim and aravot, one must make sure that the spine of the lulav extends at least a tefaḥ beyond them (SA 650:2). If the hadasim and aravot are long and the lulav is so short that its spine does not extend a tefaḥ beyond them, one must either shorten the hadasim and aravot to the minimum requisite length of 3 tefaḥim, so that the spine of the lulav extends a tefaḥ beyond them, or one should bundle them lower than the lulav, so that the spine of the lulav extends a tefaḥ beyond their tips.",
+ "One should not take more than one lulav and one etrog at once. The minimum is three hadasim and two aravot, and if one wishes to add hadasim and aravot he may, although many are meticulous not to add to the required three hadasim and two aravot (SA 651:15).",
+ "One may not add a fifth species to the four mandated by the Torah. One who does so violates the prohibition of “bal tosif” (adding mitzvot to the Torah) (SA 651:14).1",
+ "Some place the hadasim on the right of the spine of lulav and the aravot on the left (Shlah; MB 651:12). Others place one hadas on the right, one on the left, and one in the middle, and one arava on the right and one on the left (MA ad loc. 4 in the name of Arizal). Both ways fulfill the mitzva even for the most meticulous.",
+ "Some are meticulous to have the hadasim extend a little higher than the aravot, because hadasim symbolize the righteous, while aravot allude to the unlearned (Rema 651:1).",
+ "In addition to the mitzva of bundling the three species together, some are meticulous to bind the lulav itself with three additional knots, though Ashkenazim take care to leave the top of the lulav unbound, so that it rustles when shaken (Rema 651:1; MB ad loc. 14). Some have the custom of binding the lulav with 18 knots. (See Kaf Ha-ḥayim ad loc. 16.)"
+ ],
+ [
+ "3. The Procedure for Taking the Lulav and Reciting the Berakha",
+ "The bundled lulav, hadasim, and aravot are picked up with the right hand, and the etrog with the left, because the three species together are more significant than the etrog and should therefore be picked up with the more prestigious and stronger right hand. If one mistakenly did the reverse, he has still fulfilled the obligation. ",
+ "Some maintain that even lefties should take the lulav in the right hand, because even for lefties, the right hand, which alludes to the divine attribute of kindness, has significance (SA 651:3). This is the kabbalistic practice. Others maintain that since the left hand is dominant and more important for him, a lefty should take the three bundled species in his left hand and the etrog in his right (Rema).",
+ "One must hold the four species in the direction they grow: their stems pointing downward and their tips pointing upward. Accordingly, the oketz of the etrog should be at the bottom and the nose on top, for this is how it begins to grow from the tree. If one of the species is reversed, he has not fulfilled the mitzva (Sukka 37b, 45b; SA 651:2).",
+ "When one picks up the lulav, its spine should face him. The etrog should be held next to the lulav bundle (SA 651:11). Holding the four species thus, one shakes them in each of the four directions, as well as up and down, as is explained in the next section.",
+ "Our Sages ordained reciting a berakha before fulfilling the mitzva: “Blessed are You, Lord our God, King of the Universe, Who has made us holy through His commandments, and has commanded us about taking the lulav” (“al netilat lulav”). So that the berakha is recited just before fulfilling the mitzva, one picks up the four species before reciting the berakha but holds the etrog upside down (oketz up, nose down, a manner that does not fulfill the mitzva). Then one recites the berakha and immediately flips the etrog and shakes the four species. Some hold only the bundled species when reciting the berakha; then, immediately upon concluding the berakha, they pick up the etrog and shake it with the other species (SA 651:5). On the first day, She-heḥeyanu is recited before performing the mitzva (ibid. 6).",
+ "It is customary to stand while reciting the berakha and taking the lulav. The berakha covers all the lulavim one might take and shake for the rest of the day (Rema 651:5).",
+ "The custom is to take the lulav and recite the berakha right before beginning Hallel (SA 644:1). Some show alacrity by taking the lulav and reciting the berakha in the sukka before going to the synagogue, in order to combine the mitzva of lulav with the mitzva of sukka (Arizal; Shlah). People who pray vatikin (reaching the Amida at sunrise) may not do so, as the time for taking the lulav begins at sunrise.",
+ "There must be no barrier between one’s hands and the four species; one who places them in a case or container and then picks up the container does not fulfill the obligation. However, the material used to bundle the three species together is not considered a barrier, as it is meant as an auxiliary to the species. Some people take care to remove rings, but technically rings are not considered barriers, as they cover only a very small part of the hand (SA 651:7).",
+ "If one’s hand is bandaged, but his fingers extend beyond the bandages so that he can still hold the species with them, he may, be-di’avad, fulfill the mitzva in this way (Ikarei Hadat 33:25; see Harḥavot). If he cannot hold the four species directly with his fingers, he should fulfill the mitzva using his unbandaged hand only. He should recite the berakha, pick up the bundled species, put them down, and then pick up the etrog. As we have learned, be-di’avad the species may be taken serially."
+ ],
+ [
+ "4. Shaking the Lulav",
+ "By merely taking the four species and lifting them, one fulfills the mitzva, as it is written: “You shall take the fruit of a hadar tree…” (Vayikra 23:40). The Sages ordained shaking the lulav in the way that the Torah commands the waving of certain offerings (Sukka 42a; Menaḥot 61a).",
+ "The Gemara describes how the offerings were waved: “One moves forth and back, up and down.” That is, one moves the lulav away from himself and then brings it back, lifts it up and brings it back down. This is also an expression of faith: “forth and back – for the sake of the One to Whom the four corners of the earth belong; up and down – for the sake of the One to Whom heaven and earth belong (Sukka 37b). This is why the custom is to wave the lulav toward all four directions plus up and down. Our Sages further expound: “forth and back – to halt harmful winds; up and down – to halt harmful dew” (ibid.).",
+ "Additionally, following Rosh Ha-shana and Yom Kippur, the days of judgment when we stood before God in prayer, we begin the new year joyously. We wave the four species as a symbol of our victory in successfully repenting and renewing our close relationship to God (Vayikra Rabba 30:2; above, 1:3).",
+ "The procedure for shaking the four species is as follows: The bundled species in the right hand and the etrog in the left are brought together and held close to the body. Some are careful to pull them all the way to the chest. From there, the lulav and etrog are moved in a given direction, with the top of the lulav pointing upward but angled toward that direction. Then the four species are brought back to the body. This is repeated three times for each of the six directions (east, west, north, south, up, down). When shaking the lulav in the downward direction, one does not turn it upside down; rather, the top continues to point upward, and the person moves the lulav downward from the chest.",
+ "Some begin by shaking eastward and then continue moving rightward – south, west, north – and then upward and downward (SA 651:10). Some follow this order but begin with the direction that worshippers are facing.",
+ "According to the custom of Arizal, the first shake is to the south, followed by north, east, up, down, and west.",
+ "Some turn their whole bodies in the direction in which they are shaking the lulav; when they shake it upward and downward, they face east. Others face east the whole time but angle the lulav according to the procedure for shaking. All of these customs are acceptable, and each person should continue his family’s custom. If the custom is unclear, he may do as he wishes.2",
+ "Ashkenazic custom is to shake the lulav such that its upper leaves rustle (MB 651:47). Sephardim do not follow this practice."
+ ],
+ [
+ "5. When to Shake the Lulav",
+ "In addition to the shaking after the recitation of the berakha on the lulav, the Sages ordained holding the lulav during the recitation of Hallel and shaking it when reciting the verses of “Hodu la-Shem ki tov ki le-olam ḥasdo” (“Thank the Lord for He is good, for His kindness endures forever”) and “Ana Hashem hoshi’a na” (“Lord, please, save us”) (Sukka 37b). They linked their enactment to a verse: “Then shall all the trees of the forest shout for joy…. Thank the Lord for He is good, for His kindness endures forever. Declare: Save us (hoshi’enu), O God, our deliverer, and gather us and save us from the nations, to acclaim Your holy name, to glory in Your praise” (1 Divrei Hayamim 16:33-35). How can trees “shout for joy”? When they sway and rustle. And when is that? When they recite “hodu” and “hoshi’enu.” The end of this verse may allude to an additional function of shaking the lulav – it may serve as a prayer for the ingathering of the exiles from the four corners of the earth.",
+ "Since Sukkot is when we are judged concerning rain, shaking the four species – which grew from the rains of the previous year – expresses thanks for the blessings of the previous year and a prayer for the upcoming one: that from the heaven, the earth, and the four winds will come beneficial rain and dew, not harmful precipitation and destructive winds.",
+ "As we have learned, we shake the lulav when we recite the verses “Hodu la-Shem ki tov ki le-olam ḥasdo” and “Ana Hashem hoshi’a na” in Hallel. The shaking is parsed according to the words, and when saying God’s name, one stops and concentrates on the holiness of His name. Thus, when reciting “Hodu,” which contains six words apart from the name of God, one shakes in one direction with each word. When reciting “Ana,” which has only three words apart from the name of God, one shakes in two directions with each word (MB 651:37).",
+ "According to the kabbalists, we shake the lulav five times: 1) After reciting the berakha on the lulav; 2) at the first instance of “Hodu”; 3-4) at the two instances of “Ana Hashem hoshi’a na”; 5) during the recitation of “Hodu” at the end of Hallel. There is no difference between the ḥazan and the congregation in this respect. Sephardim and some Ḥasidim follow this practice. Yemenites shake the lulav only four times, as they recite “Ana Hashem hoshi’a na” only once.",
+ "According to Ashkenazic custom, the congregation shakes the lulav nine times, and the ḥazan seven, because according to this practice, the custom is to shake the lulav every time the verse of “Hodu” is recited. When the ḥazan recites “Hodu” and the next three verses (“Yomar Na,” “Yomru Na Beit Aharon,” and “Yomru Na Yir’ei Hashem”), the congregation responds with “Hodu.” The ḥazan shakes the lulav only to accompany the first two verses, “Hodu” and “Yomar Na”: the first because he is praising God, and the second because he is calling on all of Israel to praise God, and he is part of their subsequent praise. In contrast, the last two verses are not all-inclusive but are limited to the house of Aharon and God-fearers; he is not included among them, so he does not shake the lulav then (SA and Rema 651:8). The ninth shake (the ḥazan’s seventh) is at the end of Hallel, when Ashkenazim recite the verse of “Hodu” twice and shake the lulav each time, whereas, as we said in the previous paragraph, the kabbalistic practice is to shake only once then.3"
+ ],
+ [
+ "6. Women and Children",
+ "Women are exempt from the mitzva to take the lulav since it is time-bound, and as a rule, women are exempt from time-bound positive mitzvot (Kiddushin 29a). Nevertheless, a woman who wishes to fulfill a time-bound positive mitzva is rewarded for doing so.",
+ "According to most Sephardim, women do not recite a berakha over the performance of a time-bound positive mitzva, for how can one who is not commanded recite a berakha that contains the word “ve-tzivanu” (“and commanded us”)? According to Ashkenazic custom, since women are fulfilling a mitzva, they recite the berakha; the language of the berakha is not a problem, as they do not recite “and commanded me” but “and commanded us” – “us” connotes the Jewish people as a whole. Even though Sephardic women generally do not recite berakhot over time-bound positive mitzvot, many recite the berakha over the lulav, and some have offered kabbalistic reasons for this.4",
+ "Once a young boy knows how to properly shake the lulav, forth and back, up and down, his father must train him to do so. When the son has reached an age when he can go to the synagogue and pray, his father should buy him his own set of four species, so he can shake the lulav at the times ordained by the Sages. If a father does not have the means to buy his son his own set, he should allow his son to use his, so that the son can fulfill the mitzva (Sukka 42a; SA 657:1; MB ad loc. 4).5",
+ "Young girls should be encouraged to shake the lulav each day of Sukkot. Even though women and girls are exempt, they fulfill a mitzva by doing so, and it teaches them to love mitzvot."
+ ],
+ [
+ "7. Caring for the Four Species",
+ "One must try to keep the hadasim and aravot fresh, and to that end the longstanding practice is to keep them in water. The Mishna states that it is permissible on Yom Tov to return the three bundled species to a container of water where they had already been kept, and even to add water to the container (Sukka 42a). However, the Sages forbade filling a container with water or changing the water in the original container on Yom Tov, as it is bothersome and resembles the action one would take to fix a kli, as it allows the species to last (SA 654:1).",
+ "On Ḥol Ha-mo’ed, some people would change the water in which they hydrated the lulav, hadasim, and aravot to keep them fresh. Others would unbundle the species and place the hadasim in a vase with water and wrap the aravot in a damp towel or place them in water. Another way to keep the species fresh is to place them in a sealed carrying case, but this works only if they have not been out for very long; if they were out for a long time and have already started drying out, it is better to first place them in water to revive them.",
+ "Some beautify the mitzva by changing the aravot every day, as the main way to beautify the aravot is to keep them fresh (Rema 654:1). Many are content to make efforts to keep them from drying out.",
+ "As we learned above (section 2), there is a mitzva to bundle the lulav with the hadasim and aravot. Therefore, when one introduces new aravot or returns the hadasim from the vase, he should not just jam them into the existing bundle. Rather, he should re-tie the knot, gently reinsert them into the koishelakh, or at least add a new knot, to fulfill the mitzva of bundling (MB 654:5)."
+ ],
+ [
+ "8. Muktzeh and the Four Species",
+ "Once the four species have been taken on the first day, they are considered to be set aside (muktzeh) for the mitzva and may not be used for any other purpose. Therefore, one may not eat the etrog or smell the hadasim during the festival. One may not even use the hadasim for havdala after Shabbat. Even if the etrog or hadasim become invalid during the course of Sukkot, they are still muktzeh until the end of the festival (SA 653:1 and 665:1).",
+ "It is, however, permissible to smell an etrog, because its primary purpose is for eating, so it is muktzeh only in this regard; it is not muktzeh with respect to its aroma (Sukka 37b). If one picks up an etrog with the idea of fulfilling the mitzva and also enjoying its smell, uncertainty arises regarding the proper berakha. Some say that since he is deriving pleasure from its fragrance, he should recite the berakha of “Who gives pleasant fragrance to fruits.” Others say that since the primary reason he is picking it up is to fulfill the mitzva, he should not recite this berakha. In order to remove this uncertainty, it is proper for one to have in mind when picking up the etrog that he is doing so in order to fulfill the mitzva and not to enjoy its scent (SA 216:14 and 653:1). However, if someone wishes to smell the etrog at a time when he is not fulfilling the mitzva, he recites the berakha of “Who gives pleasant fragrance to fruits.”6",
+ "When the festival ends, the species cease being muktzeh and may be used for any purpose. However, they may not be treated disrespectfully; for instance, they may not be stepped on or thrown into the garbage (SA 664:8).",
+ "If one had in mind before taking the four species that they would not become muktzeh, but rather could be used in whatever way he wanted, this condition is effective. They do not become muktzeh and can be used without restriction during the festival.7"
+ ],
+ [
+ "9. Hakafot (Circling the Altar) in Temple Times",
+ "On each day of Sukkot, the kohanim in the Temple would circle the altar once; on the seventh day they circled it seven times. During these hakafot (circuits) they called out: “Lord, please, save us. Lord, please, grant us success” (“Ana Hashem hoshi’a na. Ana Hashem hatzliḥa na”). According to R. Yehuda, they called out: “Ani Va-hu, hoshi’a na” (Sukka 45a). Some maintain that they carried the lulav with them during the hakafot, while others maintain that they carried the aravot (Sukka 43b).8",
+ "The Sages tell us that the Temple hakafot were instituted in commemoration of God’s command to Israel to circle Yeriḥo (Jericho) at the time of Yehoshua bin Nun, enabling them to conquer it and the rest of the land (y. Sukka 4:3). The circuits at Yeriḥo were done as follows: The procession was led by soldiers and kohanim. A vanguard walked at the very front, followed by seven kohanim blowing the shofar. Then came the Ark, carried by other kohanim. The rest of the soldiers walked behind the Ark. They circled Jericho once a day for six days; on the seventh day, they made seven circuits. With the conclusion of the final circuit, the kohanim blew a teki’a gedola, the entire nation shouted, and miraculously the walls of Jericho sank into the ground, allowing Israel to conquer the city (Yehoshua ch. 6).",
+ "According to the kabbalists, Jericho, which is the lowest city in the world, was the center of Canaanite culture; Canaan’s spirit of impurity was concentrated there. The Canaanites subverted the sanctity of Eretz Yisrael to serve their mundane desires. The great walls that surrounded the city served as a barrier blocking the divine light and allowing the Canaanites to carry on with their corrupt ways without any disturbing thoughts of repentance or pangs of conscience that emanate from the divine illumination that envelops all of existence. This is why Jericho was the “lock” that prevented Israel from entering the land and revealing God’s word there. (See Bamidbar Rabba 15:15.) God commanded Israel to circle (lehakif) Jericho and thus disclose the divine light that envelops (makif) all existence. This caused the walls of Jericho to fall, allowing Israel to conquer it and begin revealing the sanctity of the mundane.",
+ "Just as the mitzva of settling Eretz Yisrael illuminates all of existence and discloses the sanctity of the mundane, so too the mitzva of dwelling in the sukka, which encompasses the entire human being, reveals the sanctity of the mundane by transforming the physical aspects of life, such as eating and sleeping, into mitzvot.",
+ "The Sages instituted hakafot around the altar on Sukkot in order to bring down the walls of impurity that block the divine light from shining upon us, and to strengthen the illumination of the enveloping light. Through this we can increase our faith and reveal the sanctity within the physical world."
+ ],
+ [
+ "10. The Contemporary Custom of Hakafot (Hoshanot)",
+ "Following the destruction of the Temple, Israel adopted the practice of performing hakafot in the synagogue to commemorate the Temple. Since this was never formally ordained, we find that different customs emerged in the Geonic era, though by the time of the Rishonim, custom crystallized into the relatively uniform custom that is practiced today.",
+ "The Torah scroll is placed on the bima, the entire congregation takes their four species in hand, and they circle the bima once each day, and seven times on the seventh day. We circle the Torah because after the destruction of the Temple, Torah study is in lieu of the altar, for one who studies the laws of the offerings is considered as having brought them on the altar. The prevailing custom is that one person stands at the bima and holds the Torah scroll during the hakafot (Ḥida; Pri Megadim), although some Sephardic communities do not insist on this (Kaf Ha-ḥayim 660:6).",
+ "Over time, special prayers were composed for recitation during these hakafot. The refrain of these prayers is the phrase “hosha na” (“please save”) and the similar phrase “hoshi’a na,” which is why these prayers are often called “hoshanot.” Depending on custom, these prayers are recited before, during, or after the hakafot.",
+ "Someone without a lulav does not circle the bima (Rema 660:2; Birkei Yosef; Kaf Ha-ḥayim 660:13), so it is customary to have such a person stand at the bima and hold the Torah scroll.",
+ "The circuits are counterclockwise; that is, if one is facing the bima, he turns to his right to begin his circuit (SA 660:1; MB ad loc. 3).",
+ "Some maintain that during hakafot the lulav is held in the same way as it is held to perform the mitzva – with the bundled species in the right hand and the etrog in the left, with the two hands close together (Roke’aḥ; Maharil; Ben Ish Ḥai). Others say that one who needs to hold his siddur in one hand may hold the bundled species and the etrog together in the other (Yafeh La-lev; Ginat Veradim). Both customs are fine.",
+ "It is customary to leave the ark open during the hakafot (Kitzur Shulḥan Arukh 137:11).",
+ "Some maintain that if there is no Torah scroll, there are no hakafot (Bikurei Yaakov 660:2), while others say hakafot are done even without a Torah scroll (Ben Ish Ḥai, Ha’azinu §15).",
+ "The custom of Sephardim and ḥasidim is to perform hakafot after the recitation of Hallel and before the recitation of Kaddish Titkabel (Kaf Ha-ḥayim 660:4). Some Ashkenazim perform hakafot after Musaf (Olat Re’iya, vol. 2, p. 370).",
+ "On Shabbat, hakafot are not performed. Some recite the accompanying hoshanot prayers anyway, while others do not (SA 660:3; Kaf Ha-ḥayim ad loc. 23).",
+ "Some say that a mourner within the year of the death of a parent does not perform hakafot, since they were instituted to bring joy (Rema 660:2; MB ad loc. 9). Many maintain that a mourner does participate in the hakafot (Beit Yosef; Arizal; Ḥayei Adam 148:19). This is the custom of all Sephardim and many Ashkenazim (Gesher Ha-ḥayim 20:3:60)."
+ ]
+ ],
+ [
+ [
+ "1. Hoshana Rabba",
+ "The seventh day of Sukkot is also known as Hoshana Rabba. It is an especially significant day because on Sukkot, God renders judgment about how much water there will be during the upcoming year, so on the seventh day of Sukkot, the final verdict is sealed. Since all plant, animal, and human life depends upon water, on this last day of judgment, we multiply our pleas of “hosha na” (“please save”) to God. On this day, we take aravot (sometimes called hoshanot), because they require more water than the other species, and it is easily discernable when they dry out. The Sages made sure that Hoshana Rabba never falls on Shabbat, so that we have the opportunity to plead and cry out for water (Roke’aḥ §221).",
+ "Just as water sustains physical life, the Torah sustains the life of the spirit. In the words of the Sages, “Water refers to Torah” (Bava Kamma 17a). Accordingly, the judgment concerning water on Hoshana Rabba includes judgment about human life in its entirety, the physical and the spiritual. This is the meaning of Zohar’s statement that there are three times of judgment: Rosh Ha-shana, Yom Kippur, and Hoshana Rabba (Zohar II 142a). Similarly, there is a tradition that God told Avraham, “If your children are not forgiven on Rosh Ha-shana, they will be forgiven on Yom Kippur; and if not on Yom Kippur, then on Hoshana Rabba” (Mateh Moshe §957; Kaf Ha-ḥayim 664:2).",
+ "This is also expressed in another way: Even though verdicts are recorded (“written”) on Rosh Ha-shana and finalized (“sealed”) on Yom Kippur, the directive to execute the verdict takes place only on Hoshana Rabba. This can be compared to a human court. Even after a verdict has been handed down, if it has not yet been written in an execution order and conveyed to the agents of justice responsible for carrying it out, it is still possible to work for its reversal. This is the idea of Hoshana Rabba, when each verdict is written on an execution order, or “petek,” and given to messengers to convey to the angels in charge of carrying it out. Until then, it is still possible to reverse the judgment, as the execution orders have not yet been written and sent out with couriers. Therefore, it is appropriate to repent on Hoshana Rabba (Zohar III 31b). Furthermore, even after the verdict is conveyed to the angels on Hoshana Rabba, they are not permitted to carry it out until the end of Shemini Atzeret. Therefore, repentance is still effective in reversing or improving one’s verdict until then (Zohar I 220a and II 142a; Sha’ar Ha-kavanot, Derushei Ḥag Ha-Sukkot, pp. 314-316).",
+ "Some hold a large, joyful celebration on the night of Hoshana Rabba, like on the other nights of Sukkot (Zera Emet 2:157), but the widespread custom is to study Torah on the night of Hoshana Rabba, thus combining Torah study with festival joy, albeit without music and dancing. There is a pious custom to stay awake all night studying Torah on Hoshana Rabba, to repair and purify the soul before judgment is final. Some have the custom to read the entire Torah on this night (Shibolei Ha-leket §371). Based on Arizal’s teachings, a tikun focusing on Devarim and Tehilim was composed for recitation on this night (Kaf Ha-ḥayim 664:3-4).",
+ "As we have learned (5:10), on each day of Sukkot there is a custom to circle the bima once while carrying the four species, reciting supplications before, during, and after the circuit. On Hoshana Rabba, we circle seven times, after which we recite many supplications.",
+ "Because of Hoshana Rabba’s sanctity and its special mitzvot, it is customary to have a festive meal during the day (AHS 664:13)."
+ ],
+ [
+ "2. The Custom of the Arava in Temple Times and Today",
+ "In addition to the Torah’s commandment to take aravot as one of the four species (4:1 above), there is another mitzva, which originates as halakha le-Moshe mi-Sinai, to bring long aravot branches to the Temple and stand them next to the altar with their tops bent over onto the altar. When the aravot were brought, the kohanim sounded a teki’a-teru’a-teki’a blast on the shofar. This was done on each day of Sukkot except for Shabbat. However, if Hoshana Rabba coincided with Shabbat, it was done, because the main significance of the mitzva of arava was on this day. To avoid Shabbat desecration, the aravot were picked before Shabbat and left in golden vases filled with water to prevent their withering. Then, on Shabbat, the kohanim would simply stand up the aravot next to the altar (Sukka 45a).1",
+ "Extending this practice, the prophets instituted that aravot be taken not only in the Temple, but by Jews everywhere. They also instituted that the aravot are beaten. After the destruction, the Jews continued this custom in commemoration of the Temple. Even though in Temple times they took aravot every day, after the destruction it became the custom to do so on one day only. The seventh day was chosen, as it had been the primary day for the mitzva in the Temple, when they circled the altar seven times. According to the kabbalists, there is a hidden link between the mitzva of arava and the seventh day.",
+ "The mitzva of arava is so important that according to some Amora’im, after the destruction, when the Sanhedrin was still sanctifying each month, it avoided declaring Rosh Ha-shana on Sunday, so that Hoshana Rabba would never be on Shabbat, and people would always be able to take the aravot (Sukka 43b). Likewise, when the last Sanhedrin in Eretz Yisrael fixed the Jewish calendar as we know it, they made sure that Hoshana Rabba would never fall on Shabbat (Ran; Levush; see Peninei Halakha: Zemanim 1:3).",
+ "It would seem, at first glance, that since an arava has neither taste nor smell, it represents the simplest Jew, who has neither Torah nor good deeds. The Torah commands us to bundle the aravot with the other species in order to protect this type of Jew (Vayikra Rabba 30:12; 4:2-3 above). Given this, we may ask: Why take the arava on its own? Clearly, the arava has another dimension. Precisely because it lacks both taste and smell, it represents the penitent, who is aware of his limited value and many deficiencies, and who realizes that God alone can help him. From this perspective, a penitent is closer to God than someone who is completely righteous. The latter has earned his right to exist in the merit of his good deeds; he does not need special help from heaven. In contrast, a penitent is aware that he is totally dependent upon God, Who extends a hand to him despite his sins and accepts his repentance. This connects him to God more profoundly. Of this, the Sages declared: “Where penitents stand, even completely righteous people cannot stand” (Berakhot 34b).",
+ "By the time Hoshana Rabba arrives, after we have already done our best to repent, praying extensively on Rosh Ha-shana and Yom Kippur, we now approach God to humbly ask for help. We take the aravot to show that, like penitents, we know that our salvation is dependent upon God alone. Perhaps this is why the aravot are called hoshanot, which allude to our repeated plea to God to “save us.” For if we deserve to be saved, it is in the merit of the humility that they represent. The custom of beating the aravot also expresses our willingness to disregard ourselves and our evil inclination in order to serve God wholeheartedly."
+ ],
+ [
+ "3. Beating the Aravot",
+ "The custom of Israel is to take aravot on the seventh day, to commemorate the Temple, and to beat them on the ground or something else, as the prophets instituted in Temple times (MT, Laws of Shofar, Sukka, and Lulav 7:22). The Amora’im disagree as to whether the prophets introduced this practice as an enactment, in which case a berakha is recited, or as a custom, in which case no berakha is recited (Sukka 42a-b with Rashi). The accepted practical ruling is that it is a custom, and no berakha is recited (SA 664:2).",
+ "The aravot need to be 3 tefaḥim long (like the aravot bundled with the lulav). Technically, one arava is enough, but it is customary nowadays to follow Arizal and take five aravot (SA 664:4; MB ad loc. 16). Some prefer not to tie the five aravot together. Others prefer to tie them, and this is the custom (MB 664:17; Kaf Ha-ḥayim ad loc. 35).",
+ "Although the aravot used for the mitzva of the four species are invalid if most of its leaves have fallen off, aravot used for the custom of beating are acceptable as long as one leaf remains on each arava. Nevertheless, one should not be lenient. Rather, one should beautify the custom and use nice aravot that are valid for use with the lulav (SA and Rema 664:4; Kaf Ha-ḥayim ad loc. 34).",
+ "Le-khatḥila, one should take new aravot for beating, rather than those that have already been used by someone else. However, technically, many people can fulfill the custom with the same aravot. The beating itself does not disqualify them. As long as each is 3 tefaḥim long and has at least one remaining leaf, they may be used multiple times to fulfill the custom.",
+ "The aravot are beaten two or three times on the ground or something else (Rambam; SA 664:4). According to Arizal, the custom is to beat the aravot five times on the ground. Some Aḥaronim write that it is preferable to first beat the aravot on the ground in accordance with Arizal’s custom and then beat them on pews or other furniture, because some maintain that it is better when the beating tears off leaves, which is more likely to happen when beating them on furniture (Bikurei Yaakov 664:16; MB ad loc. 19). Those who follow Arizal meticulously beat the aravot five times on unpaved ground and make sure that the aravot remain kosher enough to be used for a lulav throughout the beating (Kaf Ha-ḥayim 664:37).",
+ "In most communities, the four species are not taken together with the aravot for beating. Rather, the seven hakafot and the subsequent prayers and liturgical poems are conducted while holding the four species. Then the four species are put aside and the aravot picked up. Additional prayers and liturgical poems are then recited, and the service concludes with the beating of the aravot (Rema 664:7; MB ad loc. 26 based on Arizal; Kaf Ha-ḥayim ad loc. 32). The Yemenite custom is to hold the four species plus the aravot during the hakafot of Hoshana Rabba (as described in SA 664:3).",
+ "One cannot fulfill this obligation using aravot that are still bundled with the lulav. However, if the aravot are removed from the bundle after the four species have been taken, one may use them for the mitzva of beating aravot (SA 664:5; MB ad loc. 21)."
+ ],
+ [
+ "4. The Status of the Four Species After the Festival",
+ "As we have seen (5:8 above), during the festival the four species are set aside (muktzeh) for mitzva purposes and may not be used for any other purpose. Therefore, even after one has taken the lulav on Hoshana Rabba and is finished with the mitzva until next Sukkot, he may not eat the etrog or smell the hadasim (unless he had made a condition before the festival). With the completion of Hoshana Rabba, they are released from the prohibition, and they may be smelled or eaten (Tosafot, Sukka 10b, s.v. “ad”; BHL 665:1, s.v. “etrog”). ",
+ "In fact, if one has no further use for the four species after fulfilling the mitzva on the final day of Sukkot, he may leave them in the yard or anywhere that people leave grass clippings or yard trim. Since they are considered tashmishei mitzva (objects used in a mitzva), they need not be buried (as do tashmishei kedusha – objects with intrinsic sanctity, like a Torah scroll, tefilin, or mezuza). Nevertheless, they should not be thrown in the garbage or left where they will be trampled. Since they were used to perform a mitzva, they may not be treated disrespectfully (SA 664:8).",
+ "As for the aravot that were beaten on Hoshana Rabba, some have a custom to leave them atop the ark. Perhaps this was to ensure that they are not thrown on the ground outside of the synagogue where they would be trampled. Ultimately, however, it is preferable to protect the dignity of the ark and not leave the aravot there. Instead, they should be left on the side of the yard or wherever yard trim is left. Some set aside the aravot until Erev Pesaḥ, at which point they burn them together with the ḥametz or use them to fuel the oven for baking matzot (Rema 664:9). Some keep the aravot in their house or yard as a protective charm."
+ ],
+ [
+ "5. Taking Leave of the Sukka",
+ "The sukka should not be taken down until Sukkot is over. Even if one finished eating on Hoshana Rabba and does not intend to sleep for the remainder of the day, he should not take down his sukka. This is because the mitzva of sitting in the sukka continues until day’s end, so if one wants to study Torah or chat with friends, it is still a mitzva to do so in the sukka. However, c. 2.5 hours before sunset, one may move furniture from the sukka back into the house, in preparation for Shemini Atzeret (SA 666:1).",
+ "It is appropriate to spend time in the sukka at the end of Hoshana Rabba, in order to spend as much time as possible in the shade of a mitzva from which we are about to take leave for an entire year. Some kiss the sukka as they depart at the end of Hoshana Rabba (Shlah; MB 477:5). Some recite a prayer, found in some siddurim, when leaving the sukka, (Rema 667:1).",
+ "The sekhakh, walls, and decorations of the sukka were set aside for mitzva use, and therefore may not be used for any other purpose during the festival. Even though there is no longer a mitzva to sit in the sukka on the eighth day, they remain muktzeh then too, since the prohibition extends until the end of bein ha-shmashot of the seventh day, and at that point, the eighth day has already begun (SA 667:1;2:16 above).",
+ "Since the sekhakh, walls, and decorations are tashmishei mitzva, they do not require burial, but they may not be treated disrespectfully. For example, sukka beams may not be used as floorboards, and paper decorations may not be used as toilet paper (MB 638:24).",
+ "In Eretz Yisrael, it is forbidden to eat in the sukka on the eighth day. If one does so while intending to do a mitzva, he transgresses the Torah prohibition of bal tosif, as it is written: “Be careful to observe only that which I enjoin upon you: neither add to it (lo tosef) nor take away from it” (Devarim 13:1). Even if he does not have in mind that he is fulfilling the mitzva, he is still transgressing the rabbinic prohibition to eat in the sukka on the eighth day, because it looks like he is trying to add to the mitzva. If someone has nowhere else to eat, before the eighth day he should remove sekhakh that covers an area 4 tefaḥim long (c. 32 cm) and 4 tefaḥim wide, making it clear that he is not interested in the sekhakh (SA 666:1). The concern that one appears to be adding to the mitzva applies only on the eighth day. One who wants to eat in the sukka any time after that need not remove sekhakh, because by that late date nobody would think that he means to add to the mitzva (Rema 666:1).",
+ "Outside of Eretz Yisrael, people eat in the sukka on the eighth day, because it is treated as though it might be the seventh day. However, no berakha is recited. Since the day is primarily treated as Shemini Atzeret and not Sukkot, reciting the berakha would render the day’s practices self-contradictory (Sukka 47a; SA 668:1; see Peninei Halakha: Mo’adim ch. 9 n. 4).",
+ "On the ninth day, when Simḥat Torah is celebrated outside of Eretz Yisrael, it is forbidden to eat in the sukka, because it looks like one is adding to the mitzva. If one has nowhere else to eat, he may not remove sekhakh before the ninth day, because of the prohibition of Soter on Yom Tov. To avoid looking like he is transgressing bal tosif, he should bring dirty pots and dishes into the sukka. Since it is prohibited to do so on Sukkot, this makes it clear that he is not intending to fulfill the mitzva of sukka when he eats there (SA 666:1)."
+ ]
+ ],
+ [
+ [
+ "1. Shemini Atzeret – a Holiday in Its Own Right",
+ "The Yom Tov of Shemini Atzeret is both a continuation of Sukkot and an independent festival. The fact that the Torah calls it the “eighth” (shemini) indicates that it is a continuation of the seven days of Sukkot. Likewise, with respect to the mitzva to make a pilgrimage and offer an olat re’iya (pilgrimage burnt offering) and shalmei ḥagiga (festival peace-offering), it was deemed a continuation of Sukkot; one who ascended to the Temple and offered the requisite sacrifices on Sukkot did not need to offer them again on Shemini Atzeret, while one who did not offer the sacrifices on Sukkot could offer them on Shemini Atzeret (Rosh Ha-shana 4b).",
+ "On the other hand, in several respects, Shemini Atzeret is considered an independent festival. First, the special mitzvot of Sukkot do not pertain to it: There is no mitzva to sit in the sukka, to take the lulav and etrog, or to offer a water libation with the tamid offering. Therefore, it has a different name; it is not called Sukkot, but Shemini Atzeret in the prayers, kiddush, and Birkat Ha-mazon.1 Second, the sacrifices offered on Shemini Atzeret in Temple times were different. On each day of Sukkot, fourteen lambs and two rams were offered, but on Shemini Atzeret, seven lambs and one ram were offered. On Sukkot, 13 bulls were offered on the first day, 12 on the second, and so forth until 7 bulls were offered on the seventh day. If Shemini Atzeret were a continuation of Sukkot, presumably 6 bulls would have been offered. In fact, only a single bull was offered, indicating that Shemini Atzeret is an independent festival (Bamidbar 29:32-39).",
+ "Since, in some ways, Shemini Atzeret is a holiday in its own right, we recite the berakha of She-heḥeyanu in kiddush at night; the She-heḥeyanu recited on the first night of Sukkot does not cover Shemini Atzeret (Sukka 47b; SA 668:1)."
+ ],
+ [
+ "2. The Idea Behind Shemini Atzeret",
+ "The Sages tell us that the seventy bulls offered on Sukkot correspond to the seventy nations of the world, while the single bull offered on Shemini Atzeret corresponds to the singular nation of Israel. The Gemara illustrates: “This can be compared to a king of flesh and blood who told his servants, ‘Make me a big feast.’ Then on the last day of the celebration he said to his favorite, ‘Make me a small banquet, so that I can enjoy your company alone’” (Sukka 55b). A midrash makes a similar analogy. “This can be compared to a king who threw a week-long party and invited everyone in the country to it. Once the week was over, he said to his favorite, ‘We have already fulfilled our duty to the countrymen. Let the two of us continue with whatever we find – some meat, fish, or vegetable.’ Similarly, when God said to Israel, ‘On the eighth day you shall hold a joyous gathering for yourselves’ (Bamidbar 29:35), He was telling them, ‘Continue with whatever you find – a bull and a ram’” (Bamidbar Rabba 21:24).",
+ "Zohar (III 104b) presents a third variation on the analogy. All throughout Sukkot, Israel offered sacrifices on behalf of the seventy nations. Shemini Atzeret, though, is the King’s day to celebrate exclusively with Israel. It can be compared to a king who invited guests. Everyone in the palace worked on their behalf. Later on, the king said to them, “Thus far, you and I have made efforts on behalf of all the guests. You have brought all these offerings for the seventy nations. Now we will celebrate for one day, just us.” This is the meaning of: “On the eighth day you shall hold a joyous gathering for yourselves” – these offerings are for you.",
+ "Another midrash focuses on the joy of celebrating Shemini Atzeret with God. “When Israel heard about it, they began praising God with the verse, ‘This is the day that the Lord has made – let us delight and rejoice in it (bo)’ (Tehilim 118:24). Rabbi Avin asked: [The Hebrew word bo is ambiguous, so] we do not know whether to rejoice on the day or to rejoice in God. King Shlomo came and resolved it: ‘Let us delight and rejoice in You’ (Shir Ha-shirim 1:4) – in You, through Your Torah; in You through Your salvation…” (Yalkut Shimoni, Pinḥas §782).",
+ "This is what is unique about Shemini Atzeret. It has no special mitzva other than rejoicing in God, His Torah, and His salvation."
+ ],
+ [
+ "3. The Meaning of “Atzeret”",
+ "The word “atzeret” derives from “atzara,” a gathering, for on this day, we gather together to bid farewell to the annual holiday cycle. This cycle begins with Pesaḥ, when we left Egypt, continues to Shavu’ot, when we were given the Torah, goes on to Rosh Ha-shana and Yom Kippur, times of remembrance, repentance, and atonement, and culminates with Sukkot, the Festival of Ingathering, when we gather in all the physical and spiritual fruits of the year and rejoice in them, thus spreading joy and blessing throughout the world. On Shemini Atzeret, which wraps everything up, we have a farewell get-together. “This can be compared to a king who invited his children to a party that was scheduled for a certain amount of time. When the time for departure arrived, he said, ‘My children, please stay with me for one more day. Saying goodbye is hard for me” (Rashi on Vayikra 23:36).",
+ "From this perspective, it is appropriate to be happier on Shemini Atzeret than on any other holiday. It is on this day, which concludes the yearly cycle of uplifting holidays, that we reach the pinnacle of closeness and connection to God. The joy we experience on Shemini Atzeret does not hinge on a specific mitzva, such as the sukka or four species, but stems from the very fact that we are God’s children and people. Thus, the Vilna Gaon says that the mitzva is to rejoice in God exclusively, as it is written, “You shall have nothing but joy” (Devarim 16:15). It is told that the Vilna Gaon rejoiced greatly on Sukkot and was even more joyful on Shemini Atzeret, because, according to esoteric teachings of the Torah, it is the happiest day of all (Ma’aseh Rav §233).",
+ "In this festive farewell get-together, when we draw especially close to God, He gave us the opportunity to permanently conserve and preserve in our souls forever all the illumination that we absorbed over the previous year. This makes it possible for us to continue to ascend in the upcoming year. There is another holiday that the Torah calls an atzeret, namely the seventh day of Pesaḥ: “You shall hold a joyous gathering (atzeret) for the Lord your God on the seventh day” (Devarim 16:8). It is described as an atzeret for God because all the light we gather and absorb during Pesaḥ we give back to God to guard it for us, as we are not yet on the level to permanently store it within us. But six months later on Shemini Atzeret, after completing all the year’s festivals, we have reached a point where we can store within ourselves, forever, all the light and goodness that we absorbed during the year. Thus, it is written: “On the eighth day you shall hold a joyous gathering (atzeret) for yourselves.” (See Peninei Halakha: Moadim 13:6 for why Shavu’ot is also called Atzeret.)",
+ "The eighth day is fitting for this celebration, as this world, the natural world, is linked with the number seven. It was created in seven days, and everything in it is temporary and finite. In order to store all of the goodness and divine illumination that manifests in it, we must sanctify ourselves and ascend to a level beyond nature and time, a level that is linked to the number eight. The power of this level that is beyond nature makes it possible to improve the world. We are similarly commanded to perform a brit mila, which improves upon nature, on the eighth day, for the covenant is eternal, beyond nature and time. God also gave us the eternal Torah on an “eighth day” of sorts – the day after we finished counting seven weeks of seven days. For this reason, it is appropriate to associate Simḥat Torah with Shemini Atzeret, the holiday correlated with the number eight (Maharal, Tiferet Yisrael ch. 2)."
+ ],
+ [
+ "4. Tefilat Geshem – the Prayer for Rain",
+ "Rain brings water to the world, allowing all plants, animals, and people to survive. Therefore, it is proper to praise God and pray to Him for beneficial rain. The Sages thus instituted two mentions of rain into the Amida, to be recited during the rainy season, between Sukkot and Pesaḥ. In the second berakha, on the theme of God’s might, the Sages ordained that we praise the omnipotent God by declaring that He “makes the wind blow and the rain fall” (“mashiv ha-ru’aḥ u-morid ha-geshem”). This invocation is called “hazkarat geshamim” (“the mention of rain”). In the ninth berakha, in which we petition God for sustenance and livelihood, we ask Him to bring down “benevolent dew and rain” during the winter months. This is called “she’elat geshamim” (“the request for rain”).",
+ "Sukkot marks the start of the rainy season, so it would have been reasonable to start mentioning and requesting rain already at the beginning of the festival. However, rain on Sukkot is seen as a bad omen, since we cannot fulfill the mitzva of sitting in the sukka in the rain. ",
+ "For this reason, the Sages delayed hazkarat geshamim until after Sukkot and ordained that we begin reciting “mashiv ha-ru’aḥ” at Musaf of Shemini Atzeret, when synagogue attendance is high and it is a good time to announce the beginning of hazkarat geshamim. Since not everyone comes to Ma’ariv, and it is forbidden to announce anything just prior to the Amida of Shaḥarit, so the announcement is made at Musaf (Beit Yosef and SA 114:1-2).",
+ "Along with starting hazkarat geshamim, at Musaf of Shemini Atzeret we also recite Tefilat Geshem, the prayer for rain, in which we ask God that all the upcoming year’s rain be beneficial. It is customary to open the ark for Tefilat Geshem and to recite it with great intent and supplication. Ashkenazic custom treats this prayer like the prayers of the Days of Awe; the ḥazan wears a kittel and chants a special melody, as on the Days of Awe.",
+ "The custom of Sephardim and some Ashkenazim is to recite Tefilat Geshem before Musaf, and the custom of most Ashkenazim is to insert it into the ḥazan’s repetition of the Amida, in the second berakha, at the point where hazkarat geshamim appears. For those who follow this custom, the gabbai must declare loudly, before the silent Amida: “Mashiv ha-ru’aḥ u-morid ha-geshem!” By virtue of this announcement, the congregants recite this phrase during their silent Amida, even though they have not yet recited Tefilat Geshem.",
+ "It would make sense to begin she’elat geshamim with the first Ma’ariv after the festival. However, the Sages were concerned about pilgrims who traveled great distances, so they delayed the beginning of she’elat geshamim for another 15 days, until the night of the seventh of Marḥeshvan. This allowed the last of the pilgrims, who came from across the Euphrates, to return home without getting caught in a downpour (SA 117:1). In Eretz Yisrael, we continue this beautiful custom, which reminds us of Temple times, to this day. (Regarding the proper practice outside of Eretz Yisrael, see Peninei Halakha: Prayer 18:7.) ",
+ "If one forgot to say “mashiv ha-ru’aḥ” in Musaf on Shemini Atzeret or anytime afterward, he need not repeat the Amida as long as he said “morid ha-tal” (“Who brings down dew”; this is the prevailing custom in Eretz Yisrael). If one forgot she’elat geshamim anytime after the seventh of Marḥeshvan, he should insert it into the berakha of Shome’a Tefila. If he forgot to say it there, he should return to the ninth berakha (where it is normally recited) and continue the Amida from there. If he finished the Amida before realizing his omission, he must repeat the entire Amida. (See Peninei Halakha: Prayer 18:4-5.)",
+ "The Torah is likened to water: “Just as water gives life to the world, so the words of Torah give life to the world” (Sifrei, Ekev §48). Water animates the body and Torah animates the soul. Therefore, it is proper during Tefilat Geshem to have in mind spiritual water as well as physical water, so that the next year will be blessed with Torah. ",
+ "In the Diaspora, where there are two days of Yom Tov, Tefilat Geshem is also recited on the first day (Shemini Atzeret), just as in Eretz Yisrael. On the second day (Simḥat Torah), the yearly cycle of reading the Torah is completed."
+ ],
+ [
+ "5. The Completion of the Torah",
+ "Jewish custom is to read one portion (parasha) of the Torah each week and to complete the entire Torah each year on Simḥat Torah. In Eretz Yisrael, this is the same day as Shemini Atzeret, whereas outside of Eretz Yisrael, Simḥat Torah is the day after Shemini Atzeret.2",
+ "Even though the standard practice on Yom Tov is to call up five people to the Torah for aliyot, on Simḥat Torah, the parasha, Vezot Haberakha, is divided into seven aliyot. In addition, to honor the completion of the Torah, it is customary to call up every congregant for an aliya. To this end, the first five aliyot are read over and over, until everyone present has been called up, except for the four people who will be called up later: two for the last two aliyot, one for the beginning of Bereishit, and one for maftir.",
+ "Le-khatḥila, each time the parasha is repeated, people are called up in the standard order: first a kohen, then a Levite, and then three Yisraelim. If there are more kohanim or Levites to call up, they can be called up for the fourth and fifth aliyot as well as the usual first and second. When possible, they should still be called up in order, meaning, the fourth aliya should be given to the kohen and the fifth to the Levite (MB 135:37). If many kohanim are present but only a few Levites, a kohen should be called up for the first aliya but then a Yisrael may be called up for the second (Meshiv Davar 2:48). Once all kohanim and Levites have been called up, Yisraelim can be called up for all five aliyot.",
+ "When there are many congregants, it is customary to split up into multiple minyanim for the Torah reading, in order to shorten the time it takes to give everyone an aliya. Afterward the congregation reassembles for the final aliyot that conclude the Torah.",
+ "On Simḥat Torah it is customary to give aliyot to minors under the age of bar mitzvah. The widespread custom is to give an individual aliya to every child who knows how to recite the berakhot and can read along silently with the Torah reader. Minors who are not yet able to do that go up to the bima together with an esteemed member of the community for the aliya called “Kol Ha-ne’arim” (“All the Children”). The accompanying adult recites the berakhot slowly and loudly, and the children repeat each word after him. This is the penultimate aliya, and it begins with the word “me’ona.”",
+ "By giving every congregant an aliya, we show that every Jew – young and old, scholar and layperson – has a part in the Torah."
+ ],
+ [
+ "6. The “Ḥatanim”",
+ "There are four especially prestigious aliyot on Simḥat Torah, and the most important of all is the one that concludes the Torah. The person honored with this aliya is called the “Ḥatan Torah.” The penultimate aliya is Kol Ha-ne’arim, discussed above, and it, too, is prestigious. The person called up for this aliyah is sometimes called the “Ḥatan Me’ona,” as “me’ona�� is the first word of this aliya.",
+ "Immediately after the Torah is concluded, another Torah scroll is brought out. Another person is called up, and the first verses of Bereishit are read. It is a great honor to receive this aliya, and the person who receives it is called the “Ḥatan Bereishit.” This aliya expresses our devotion to Torah. When we finish reading the Torah, we do not bid it farewell, not even for a moment. Rather, we immediately begin it again (MB 668:10).",
+ "After the Ḥatan Bereishit, a third Torah scroll is brought out, and the aliya of maftir is read. This reading is about the offerings of the festival as described in Parashat Pinḥas (SA 668:2).",
+ "It is customary to read the beginning of Yehoshua as the haftara. Since the entire objective of the Torah is for it to be fulfilled in Eretz Yisrael, after completing the Torah it is appropriate to begin Yehoshua, which is about “the value of Eretz Yisrael” (see Nedarim 22b). Another reason to read Yehoshua at this point is because of its important verses about the value of Torah: But you must be very strong and resolute to observe faithfully all the Torah that My servant Moses enjoined upon you. Do not deviate from it to the right or to the left, so that you will be successful wherever you go. Let not this book of the Torah cease from your mouth, but recite it day and night, so that you will observe faithfully all that is written in it. (Yehoshua 1:7-8)",
+ "It is also appropriate to begin studying the Prophets right after completing the Torah.",
+ "In many places, it is customary to sell these four prestigious aliyot to the largest donors to the synagogue and financial supporters of Torah scholars. Elsewhere, these aliyot are given to Torah scholars or community leaders. If choosing honorees is likely to cause conflict, because it is difficult to determine who is most deserving, it is better to sell the aliyot to the highest bidder. It is an added bonus if a buyer is also a Torah scholar or community leader (Kenesset Ha-gedola; Bikurei Yaakov 669:3). In some places, the wealthy buy these aliyot and then give them to Torah scholars. Their merit is great, as they both make a donation and honor the Torah.",
+ "Some have a custom that each person who receives an aliya pledges to make a donation to synagogue upkeep and Torah study (MB 669:7).",
+ "If one already had an aliya and then finds out that the congregation wishes to honor him as Ḥatan Torah, Ḥatan Me’ona, Ḥatan Bereishit, or maftir, he may accept this additional aliya, and there is no concern that he is making an unnecessary berakha. However, if one is honored as Ḥatan Torah, he should not receive the aliya of Ḥatan Bereishit as well, as it would be disrespectful toward the first Torah scroll; it would look as though he had to come back for an extra aliya because the first Torah scroll was found to be invalid (Eliya Rabba; Pri Megadim; Bikurei Yaakov 669:4; MB ad loc. 2). A kohen or Levite can be Ḥatan Torah or Ḥatan Bereishit (Maharil; Bikurei Yaakov 669:4).",
+ "Ashkenazic custom is to read three aliyot from Parashat Vezot Haberakha on the night of Simḥat Torah, after the hakafot. Those who are called up recite the berakhot (MB 669:15)."
+ ],
+ [
+ "7. Customs of Hakafot",
+ "It is customary on Simḥat Torah to have seven hakafot at night and another seven during the day. As we have learned, hakafot allude to the or makif, the highest illumination that envelops us, uplifts us, and inspires us, but which is so sublime that we cannot apprehend it through our intellects in any definite way (above, 1:7 and 5:9). Everything that we learned and had the privilege to understand in the course of the year is a type of internal light, which our intellect absorbs in a definite, demarcated manner. Through this, when we complete the Torah, we can absorb something of the or makif, which emerges from the Torah as a whole. The intensity of Simḥat Torah facilitates this process.",
+ "Before the hakafot, the custom is to take all the Torah scrolls out of the ark, including invalid scrolls. Ashkenazic custom is to carry all the scrolls and dance with them for the duration of the hakafot. If there are more scrolls than the dancers can carry, only those scrolls that have someone to carry them are taken out. According to Sephardic custom, for most of the hakafot, almost all of the Torah scrolls are placed on the bima, while one person holds one Torah scroll, and everyone else dances around them. Based on the teachings of Arizal, some have the custom to circle the bima with one Torah scroll exactly once for each of the seven hakafot. (See Ben Ish Ḥai, Vezot Ha-berakha §17.) All these customs are acceptable.",
+ "Seven circuits suffice to uphold the custom of hakafot, but to rejoice with and honor the Torah, the main focus of Simḥat Torah, one should expand and extend the dancing. The extra dancing does not have to take the form of circuits around the bima. It is customary (but not required) to sing liturgical poems during hakafot, each community according to its customs.",
+ "The night hakafot take place after Ma’ariv. During the day, some have the hakafot after Musaf and some have them after the Torah reading (Ḥida, Le-David Emet, end of §26). But in most congregations, hakafot take place earlier, after Shaḥarit and before the Torah reading.",
+ "Many synagogues have a kiddush during hakafot, where some people drink a lot of wine and get tipsy, but they make sure to avoid intoxication. One must make sure to leave enough time to become sober and clearheaded before Musaf and Minḥa, as it is prohibited to pray the Amida while under the influence of alcohol (SA 99:1; Peninei Halakha: Prayer 5:11). It is also prohibited for a kohen to perform Birkat Kohanim while under the influence (SA 128:38).",
+ "Le-khatḥila, everyone present in the synagogue should stand during the entire time of hakafot. However, if it is difficult for someone to stand, he may sit, but he should stand up at the beginning of each hakafa.3",
+ "Based on a kabbalistic custom from Arizal’s time, some Israeli communities hold “second” hakafot (“hakafot sheniyot”) at night after Shemini Atzeret ends. They, too, are in honor of the Torah, so there is an element of mitzva in them. Rav Kook says that musical instruments should be played during hakafot sheniyot to make it clear that Yom Tov is over, and that they are not celebrating Yom Tov Sheni shel Galuyot in Eretz Yisrael (Oraḥ Mishpat §142)."
+ ],
+ [
+ "8. Intense Joy",
+ "The joy of Simḥat Torah is so intense because there is no greater joy than that associated with Torah. Thus we find that when King Shlomo attained wisdom, he offered burnt offerings and peace offerings and made a great feast for all his servants. We learn from this that we make a feast to celebrate the completion of the Torah (Shir Hashirim Rabba 1:9).",
+ "It was said in praise of Abaye, one of the greatest of the Amora’im, that he declared a holiday with a festive meal for the sages every time one of his students completed a tractate (Shabbat 128b). Thus, there is a custom to have a great feast on Simḥat Torah. In many places, the Ḥatan Torah and Ḥatan Bereishit invite the whole congregation to a kiddush or provide wine for the feast.",
+ "The importance of this joy is evident from the fact that the Ge’onim ruled that in honor of Simḥat Torah, it is permissible to dance and clap, even though the Sages prohibited dancing and clapping on Shabbat and Yom Tov, out of concern that people might end up fixing their musical instruments (Beitza 36b; SA 339:3). More recently, after the great Ḥasidic masters emphasized the value and importance of the mitzva to be joyful, many are lenient about this even on an ordinary Shabbat. (See Peninei Halakha: Shabbat 22:18.)4",
+ "It is customary for women and children to come to synagogue in honor of Simḥat Torah. Some say that there is a certain similarity between Simḥat Torah and the mitzva of Hak’hel, which took place on Sukkot every seven years. (See chapter 8 below.) Just as all Israel assembled to hear the king read the Torah, so too all Israel assembles to honor the Torah.",
+ "Many Torah giants would dance their hearts out on Simḥat Torah. It is told of the Vilna Gaon: He was very happy on Sukkot, and even happier on Shemini Atzeret, because it is the happiest time of all according to esoteric teachings.... He would march before the Torah scroll joyously and energetically, his face alight with wisdom like a burning torch. He clapped and twirled and leapt with all his might before the Torah scroll. The song leaders would sing a verse, and he would repeat after them…. (Ma’aseh Rav §233; see Harḥavot)",
+ "Some do not stand on their dignity during the dancing. They are following the example of King David. When he escorted the Ark of the Covenant to Jerusalem, he wore his best clothing, made with links of gold; he danced and leapt with all his might before the Ark, kicking his legs high, even exposing himself a bit, while the gold links of his clothing clanked and jingled (Bamidbar Rabba 4:20). When his wife, Michal the daughter of King Shaul, saw this, she was disgusted with him. When he returned home, she greeted him with rebuke, because she felt he had degraded the honor of the monarchy by acting like riffraff in the presence of his slaves and maidservants. King David responded that he was not dancing for his honor. Rather, he danced “before the Lord, Who chose me instead of your father and all his family, and appointed me ruler over the Lord’s people Israel! I will dance before the Lord and dishonor myself even more, and be low in my own esteem, but among the maidservants that you speak of I will be honored” (2 Shmuel 6:21-22).",
+ "It is said that anyone who dances and rejoices with all his might in honor of the Torah is guaranteed that the Torah will not be alien to his descendants (Rabbi Yisrael Yaakov Algazi, Shalmei Ḥagiga 17:16). Others say that all of our imperfect prayers and supplications, which could not ascend to heaven during the year and even during the Days of Awe, now ascend and are well received thanks to our dancing on Simḥat Torah (Rabbi Shalom Rokeach, the first Belzer Rebbe). It is also said that the holy Arizal attained the highest levels of insight into the esoteric aspects of the Torah because he rejoiced with all his might when performing mitzvot (MB 669:11)."
+ ]
+ ],
+ [
+ [
+ "1. The Mitzva of Hak’hel",
+ "It is a positive mitzva to assemble all of Israel – men, women, and children – on Sukkot at the end of each Shemita year, during their pilgrimage to the Temple. Sections of the Torah that encourage faith, reverence, Torah study, and mitzva observance are then read to them, as it is written: And Moses instructed them as follows: Every seventh year, at the time of the Shemita year, at the Festival of Sukkot, when all Israel comes to appear before the Lord your God in the place that He will choose, you shall read this Torah aloud in the presence of all Israel. Assemble (Hak’hel) the people – men, women, children, and the strangers in your communities – that they may hear and so learn to revere the Lord your God and to observe faithfully every word of this Torah. Their children, too, who have not had the experience, shall hear and learn to revere the Lord your God as long as they live, in the land that you are about to cross the Jordan to possess. (Devarim 31:10-13)",
+ "The purpose of this assembly, which took place once in seven years, was to raise the honor of the Torah and its commandments. There was no grander, more impressive event than this, in which all of Israel participated – young and old, men and women, and most esteemed of all, the king, who would read from the Torah to the people. This spurred everyone to ask: What is the point of this large assembly? The answer was self-evident: “To hear the words of Torah, which is our foundation, our glory, and our grandeur. This would lead them to speak its great praises and its esteemed glory. They would all be implanted with desire for it, and from this desire they would learn to know God, earn the ultimate goodness, and God would be pleased with their actions” (Sefer Ha-ḥinukh §612).",
+ "Every participant benefited greatly from Hak’hel. Those able to study Torah in depth were inspired to increase their study. Those able to listen and understand were inspired to listen avidly to the Torah’s words and to live by them. Children who were old enough to understand listened to the words, and the sanctity of the occasion inspired and encouraged them to study Torah and keep mitzvot. As for those children who were too young to understand, their souls absorbed the tremendous value and incomparable importance of Torah, when they saw that everyone was gathering together to hear it. Their parents were inspired too, recognizing the monumental mission incumbent upon them: to educate their children to Torah and mitzvot (Ramban on Devarim 31:12-13; Maharal, Gur Aryeh, ad loc.; see Harḥavot).",
+ "All were obligated in this mitzva, from converts who did not yet understand Hebrew to great sages who knew the entire Torah, for Hak’hel is a reflection of the revelation at Mount Sinai; the entire people must imagine and feel that they are now accepting the Torah directly from God. (See MT, Laws of Pilgrimage Offerings 3:6.)",
+ "The Sages ordained that the king read from the Torah to further dignify the event. However, even when there is no king, the king’s voice is weak, or he is a minor, the mitzva is not abrogated. Rather, a very prominent person does the reading – a prince, Kohen Gadol, or great Torah sage. (See: Tiferet Yisrael on Sota 7:8; Minḥat Ḥinukh §612; Ha’amek Davar on Devarim 31:11; R. Eliyahu David Rabinowitz-Teomim (Aderet), Zekher Le-Mikdash ch. 1.)"
+ ],
+ [
+ "2. The Reading",
+ "Hak’hel must be read in the holy tongue, the Hebrew of Scripture, as the verse states, “You shall read this Torah aloud” (Devarim 31:11) – as it is written. Those who do not understand the holy tongue are still required to listen, just as when the Torah was given on Sinai (Sota 32a; MT, op. cit. 3:5-6).",
+ "All the readings were from the book of Devarim. The first section was from the beginning of Devarim until the end of the Shema paragraph (1:1-6:9). These chapters describe the preparations for entering Eretz Yisrael, the sin of the spies and its consequences, the conquest of the east bank of the Jordan River, and Moshe’s supplications to enter the land. This is followed by a lengthy section about the revelation at Sinai and the prohibition of idol worship, and an admonition to future generations to keep Torah and mitzvot and teach them to their children. As a reward, they will endure in the land. The first selection concludes with Shema (ibid. 6:4-9), which expresses the foundation of faith and includes the commandment to love God.",
+ "The second selection was the paragraph of “Ve-haya im shamo’a” (11:13-21), which speaks of reward and punishment for keeping the mitzvot. ",
+ "The third and fourth sections had to do with tithing: “Aser te’aser” (14:22-27) and “Ki tekhaleh le’aser” (26:12-15). The fifth section was about the king and his commandments (17:14-20). Finally, the sixth and final section was the blessings and curses (ch. 28), detailing the reward for Israel if they keep Torah and mitzvot, and the punishment if they do not (Sota 41a).",
+ "According to Rambam, everything from the section on tithes to the end of the curses was read straight through (14:22-28:69). This lengthy reading includes many mitzvot; 138 mitzvot appear here for the first time (§473-611 in Sefer Ha-ḥinukh), as do many more mitzvot that were mentioned earlier in the Torah. These include many interpersonal mitzvot, including tithing, charity, returning lost objects, appointing judges, rules of justice, and the prohibition upon charging interest. Other mitzvot relate to kings and war, prophecy and priesthood, and marriage, as well as many prohibitions connected to idolatry and magic.1"
+ ],
+ [
+ "3. The Timing of the Mitzva and Those Obligated in It",
+ "Hak’hel took place on Sukkot right after the Shemita year: “Every seventh year, at the time of the Shemita year, at the Festival of Sukkot, when all Israel comes to appear before the Lord your God” (Devarim 31:10-11). Based on the phrase “when all Israel comes,” the Sages extrapolate that the verse refers to the beginning of the festival, as that was when everyone came to Jerusalem (Sota 41a). However, the Sages did not want to hold the assembly on the first day of the festival, because that day is Yom Tov, and it would be forbidden to erect the platform on which the king stood. Putting it up before the festival was not a good option either, because that would have led to crowding in the Temple courtyard when everyone came to offer sacrifices. Therefore, Hak’hel was postponed until right after the first Yom Tov (Rashi). Alternatively, it can be derived from the verse’s use of the word “ba-mo’ed” (translated above “at the time”), which can be understood to mean “in the festival,” that Hak’hel took place in the middle of the festival, not at the very beginning (Tosafot).",
+ "Some say that Hak’hel took place at night, right after the first Yom Tov (Tiferet Yisrael). Others maintain that it took place the next day, on the first day of Ḥol Ha-mo’ed (Aderet).",
+ "The Hak’hel assembly put the stamp of sanctity on the concluding Shemita cycle. The gathering of the entire nation then to hear the Torah conveyed a powerful message: everything connected to Torah has eternal value, while everything else is eventually lost and forgotten. This message strengthened and enlightened Israel to continue following the Torah’s ways for the next seven-year cycle.",
+ "Since Hak’hel took place on a pilgrimage festival, the Sages derived from a gezera shava that men who are exempt from making the pilgrimage and offering the festival sacrifices (Peninei Halakha: Mo’adim 1:15) are also exempt from Hak’hel. Therefore, the deaf, mute, blind, lame, and tamei are exempt from Hak’hel, as are slaves. Elderly and sick men unable to walk from Jerusalem to the Temple Mount are exempt as well. However, women are obligated in Hak’hel even though they are not obligated to make the pilgrimage.",
+ "Parents are obligated to bring a minor with a disability to Hak’hel, just as they were obligated to bring the rest of their children. This was true even if the disability would exempt the child from the obligation to undertake the pilgrimage himself as an adult (Minḥat Ḥinukh 612:4). The uncircumcised are also obligated in Hak’hel (MT, Laws of Pilgrimage Offerings 3:2).",
+ "Even if someone could not hear the king read – whether because he was forced to stand very far away due to the crowds or because he was hard of hearing – he was still expected to focus his attention on the reading. Rambam elaborates: “It was established by Scripture only to strengthen the true religion. One is meant to see himself as if he is being commanded directly by God, right now. The king is a messenger, conveying the words of God” (MT, op. cit. 3:6 as interpreted by Leḥem Mishneh ad loc.)."
+ ],
+ [
+ "4. The Proceedings",
+ "In preparation for the assembly, the kohanim walked through Jerusalem blowing trumpets to gather everyone to the Temple Mount. A large wooden platform was erected in the middle of the women’s courtyard. The king ascended and sat there so that everyone could hear and see him as he read (MT, op. cit. 3:4). If he wanted to honor the Torah by standing up during the reading, this was deemed praiseworthy. (See Tosafot on Sota 41a, s.v. “mitzva.”)2",
+ "To honor the Torah and the king, the people assembled would pass the Torah scroll from person to person until it reached the king. The attendant of the synagogue on the Temple Mount took the scroll and gave it to the head of the synagogue, who passed it to the Deputy Kohen Gadol, who gave it to the Kohen Gadol, who passed it to the king. The king accepted the Torah scroll while standing (Sota 41a; MT, op. cit. 3:4).",
+ "Before and after the reading, the king recited the berakhot that are normally said at the beginning and end of an aliya. Afterward, he added seven more berakhot: 1) Retzei (Birkat Ha-avoda, from the regular Amida); 2) Modim (Birkat Ha-hoda’a, also from the regular Amida); 3) Ata Veḥartanu (the fourth berakha of the Yom Tov Amida); 4) a prayer for the Temple to endure, concluding with “Barukh ata Hashem, ha-shokhen be-Tziyon” (“Blessed are You, Lord, Who dwells in Zion”); 5) a prayer for the monarchy of Israel to endure, concluding with “Barukh ata Hashem, ha-boḥer be-Yisrael” (“Blessed are You, Lord, Who chooses Israel”); 6) a prayer for the service of the kohanim to find favor with God, concluding with “Barukh ata Hashem, mekadesh ha-kohanim” (“Blessed are You, Lord, Who sanctifies the kohanim”); 7) an extensive, unscripted prayer, concluding with “Hosha Hashem et amkha Yisrael, she-amkha tzerikhin lehivashe’a” (“Lord, save Your people, Israel, for your people needs salvation”), followed by “Barukh ata Hashem, shome’a tefilla” (“Blessed are You, Lord, Who listens to prayer”) (Sota 41a; MT, op. cit. 3:4)."
+ ],
+ [
+ "5. Commemorating Hak’hel",
+ "In recent times, the great of rabbis have encouraged the Jews of Eretz Yisrael to hold a commemoration of this precious mitzva, to honor the Torah and commemorate the Temple. We have learned that the Sages enacted several ordinances to commemorate Temple practices. They derived the impetus for these commemorations from a verse: “But I will bring healing to you and cure you of your wounds, declares the Lord. Though they called you ‘Outcast, that Zion whom no one seeks out’” (Yirmiyahu 30:17). The Gemara elaborates: “whom no one seeks out” implies that we should seek Zion and remember it. Doing so will help it heal (Rosh Ha-shana 30a).",
+ "All agree that there is no way to fulfill the mitzva of Hak’hel nowadays, because it is linked to the mitzva of making a pilgrimage to the Temple for the festival, as it is written: “At the Festival of Sukkot, when all Israel comes to appear before the Lord your God in the place that He will choose” (Devarim 31:10-11). As long as the Temple is in ruins and it is impossible to offer the festival sacrifices, the mitzva of making the pilgrimage does not apply (Peninei Halakha: Mo’adim 1:16). The Sages derived this from a gezera shava, as the Torah speaks of “appearing” in the context of both mitzvot (Ḥagiga 3a). Rambam codifies this succinctly: “All who are exempt from the pilgrimage are exempt from Hak’hel, except for women and children…” (MT, op. cit. 3:2).",
+ "Nevertheless, the greatest of rabbis considered it important to make a nationwide commemoration of Hak’hel, especially in our generation, as the Jewish people continue to gather in its land. The first person to put forth this idea was R. Eliyahu David Rabinowitz-Teomim, “the Aderet,” who composed a booklet called Zekher Le-Mikdash and then moved to Jerusalem at the end of his life to serve as its chief rabbi. His son-in-law, our master Rav Kook, supported the idea as well, but neither of them lived to see it happen. Other rabbis who were in favor of a Hak’hel commemoration included R. Yeḥiel Michel Tikochinsky (Ir Ha-kodesh Ve-hamikdash 4:15) and two chief rabbis of Israel – R. Yitzḥak Ha-Levi Herzog and R. Ben-Zion Uziel – as well as R. Yaakov Moshe Charlap and R. Zvi Yehuda Kook. Two rabbis who worked hard to turn it into a reality were R. Shlomo David Kahana, who served for decades as the head of the Warsaw beit din and later as Chief Rabbi of the Old City of Jerusalem, and his son, R. Dr. Shmuel Zanvil Kahana, who served for two decades as the Director General of Israel’s Ministry for Religious Services. It was during his tenure there he organized the Hak’hel commemoration.",
+ "In 1945, after the Holocaust and before the founding of the State of Israel, the initiative of these rabbis came to fruition, and the first Hak’hel commemoration took place, with the participation of the chief rabbis and other leading rabbis. It was organized by the cultural division of Hapoel Hamizrachi, a political party of Religious Zionist workers. Every seven years since then, at the end of every Shemita, there has been a Hak’hel commemoration. The one exception was in 1973, at the height of the Yom Kippur War, when the men had been called up to fight and risk their lives to protect the land and its people. In 1987 there was an especially impressive Hak’hel commemoration, led by Chief Rabbis R. Avraham Shapira and R. Mordechai Eliyahu. Tens of thousands gathered at the Kotel and the porches overlooking it. The Western Wall Plaza was filled to capacity, and the crowds overflowed into the alleyways. The event was broadcast live on TV. The President of Israel, Chaim Herzog, participated in the reading, along with the chief rabbis. Many of the country’s luminaries participated in the ceremony, including the Prime Minister, many other ministers, and the President of the Supreme Court. Ever since then, at the end of each Shemita on the first day of Ḥol Ha-mo’ed, a Hak’hel commemoration takes place at the Kotel, drawing huge crowds and bringing great honor to God and His Torah.3"
+ ]
+ ]
+ ]
+ },
+ "versions": [
+ [
+ "Peninei Halakhah, English ed. Yeshivat Har Bracha",
+ "https://ph.yhb.org.il/en"
+ ]
+ ],
+ "heTitle": "פניני הלכה, סוכות",
+ "categories": [
+ "Halakhah",
+ "Modern",
+ "Peninei Halakhah"
+ ],
+ "schema": {
+ "heTitle": "פניני הלכה, סוכות",
+ "enTitle": "Peninei Halakhah, Sukkot",
+ "key": "Peninei Halakhah, Sukkot",
+ "nodes": [
+ {
+ "heTitle": "הקדמה",
+ "enTitle": "Introduction"
+ },
+ {
+ "heTitle": "",
+ "enTitle": ""
+ }
+ ]
+ }
+}
\ No newline at end of file