דינים והלכות לערב יום טוב
Erev Sukkos
1. It is a mitzvah to cut one’s hair and nails on Erev Sukkos, preferably before chatzos, although it may be done afterwards if necessary. (if this is going out to America, do we want to include the timings for Eretz Yisroel? Are these timings correct?)
2. From after chatzos on Erev Sukkos, it is preferable to refrain from doing melachah unnecessary for Yom Tov. If necessary, there is what to rely on before mincha ketanah. After this point, only melacha necessary for Yom Tov may be performed.
3. On Erev Sukkos, it is befitting to cover the tables in both the house and Sukkah with a table-cloth in honor of Yom Tov.
איסור אכילה בערב החג
Eating on Erev Sukkos
4. From the 10th hour of the day on Erev Sukkos, it is forbidden to eat a kabeitzah of bread or of any of the 5 types of grains, to enable one to eat the first kezayis of bread in the Sukkah with an appetite.
5. One may eat fruit, vegetables, fish, meat etc., being careful not to overfill.
אגד הלולב
Binding the Lulav
6. It is a mitzvah to bind the lulav, hadassim and aravos together with a double knot. This knot may not be created on Yom Tov, therefore should be done before Yom tov.
דיני הישיבה בסוכה
Sitting in the Sukkah
דיני הישיבה בסוכה ועשיית הקידוש בלילה הראשון של החג
Kiddush the First Night of Sukkos
7. Kiddush should be made after nightfall. Even those who usually make Kiddush earlier (from plag hamincha) on Shabbos and other Yomim Tovim should wait until after nightfall to make Kiddush on the first 2 nights of Sukkos.
It is preferable not to delay making Kiddush and hamotzi until after chatzos.
8. The order of making Kiddush at night is as follows:
a) Borei pri hagafen
b) Bracha of Kiddush
c) Leisheiv baSukkah
d) Shehechiyanu
9. Minhag ashkenazim is to sit during the full Kiddush; the chassidish minhag is to go according to the Ar"i Hakadosh, and stand the whole Kiddush. They should sit before making the bracha of leisheiv. Sefardim stand until after the bracha of leisheiv, and some stand until after shehechiyanu.
10. A person is obligated to eat a minimum of a kezayis of challah in the sukkah on the first 2 nights of Sukkos. It is preferable to eat a little bit more than k’beitzah of challah.
11. When eating the first kezayis of challah in the sukkah, one should eat the whole kezayis ‘k’dei achilas pras’- within 4 minutes. According to the stricter opinion, one should eat a kebeitzah (double a kezayis), within 8 minutes (each of the kezaysim should be eaten from start to finish within 4 minutes).
If one does not manage to eat the first kezayis within 4 minutes, they should attempt to have a full kezayis within 4 minutes at some point during the meal.
12. When eating in the succah one should have in mind that HKB”H commanded Klal Yisroel to sit in the succah as a remembrance of Yetzias Mitzrayim, and as a remembrance of the ananei hakovod, the cloud which surrounded and protected us in the desert from wild animals and from the heat of the sun.
One should at least try to have in mind that by sitting in the Sukkah they are doing a mitzvah.
(One who does not have any of these in mind is still considered as they have done the mitzvah of sitting in the Sukkah.)
Rain on Sukkos
13. If it is raining to the extent that if it would be raining the same amount in the house, it would cause one to leave the house, it is permitted to leave the Sukkah.
14.If it is raining at the start of the seuda on the first night of Sukkos, one should wait until it stops raining. As it gets close to chatzos, one may start the seuda in the house so as not to pass chatzos.
If it is difficult to wait to start the seuda, one may make Kiddush and hamotzi in the raining succah, eat a kezayis of challah, and finish the meal inside the house. In this case, no 'leisheiv baSukkah' is said.
If it stops raining one should return to the Sukkah, eat a kebeitza, and say 'leisheiv baSukkah’ (provided one is not feeling too full to do so).
15. On the second night, one should make Kiddush at home (saying shehechiyanu as usual.) At the end of the seuda, (despite the rain) one should eat a kezayis of challah in the Sukkah, without saying 'leisheiv baSukkah' and shehechiyanu.
If it stops raining, one should eat a kebeitzah in the sukkah, saying 'leishei bassukah'.
It is preferable to wait a bit to see if the rain will stop before making Kiddush.
קידוש היום ביום טוב ושבת
Kiddush on Sukkos Day
16. Some say leisheiv baSukkah after the bracha of hagofen, whilst some say it after hamotzi. (All say leisheiv before eating or drinking.)
One who is making Kiddush and then eating mezonos should say leisheiv after hagofen.
Sefardim always say leisheiv after hagofen, and stand during the bracha.
שיעור האכילה החייבת בסוכה וברכת לישב בסוכה
Obligation of Eating in the Sukkah, and the Bracha of Leisheiv baSukkah
17. All bread should be eaten in the Sukkah if it is more than a kebeitza.
The bracha of leisheiv baSukkah should be said after the bracha of hamotzi, before eating.
18. Baked goods of mezonos should be eaten in the Sukkah if more than a kebeitzah is being eaten.
There is a dispute among the poskim whether or not to say the bracha of leisheiv baSukkah for this type of food. The best is to say leisheiv before the mezonos, and to remain in the Sukkah for at least two minutes after eating.
Some sefardim make the bracha of leisheiv only when eating a minimum of 4 kebeitza.
19. A cooked mezonos food of more than a kebeitzah should preferably be eaten in the Sukkah.
If one is eating such a food as a meal (eating the amount usually eaten as a meal, or sitting down with friends to eat), one should make the bracha of leisheiv baSukkah.
20. When eating meat, fish or cheese as a meal, it is preferable to eat in the Sukkah.
No bracha of leisheiv baSukkah is said. Some sefardim do not do not eat in the Sukkah for meat, fish or cheese, even when sitting down to a meal.
21. Fruit and vegetables can be eaten in quantity outside the Sukkah. However, if one is eating the fruit or vegetables as a meal, it is preferable to eat in the Sukkah.
No bracha of leisheiv baSukkah is said.
Some sefardim do not hold of this.
22. There is a dispute whether one may drink wine out of the Sukkah. The minhag is not to drink more than a revi’is outside the Sukkah.
No bracha of leisheiv is said.
23. Drinking water (even in quantity) is allowed outside of the Sukkah, although it is praiseworthy to drink water only in the Sukkah.
24. Sefardi women do not say the bracha of leisheiv baSukkah, whereas the ashknezi women do.
25. Havdallah on motzei Shabbos and Yom Tov should be made in the Sukkah.
There is a dispute whether or not to say leisheiv baSukkah on the havdallah wine, so it is best to eat melaveh malka following havdollah, and leisheiv should be said either before hagofen on the wine, or after hamotzi on the bread.
26.If one realizes whilst still eating that they forgot to say leisheiv baSukkah, they should say it then. If one remembers whilst they are still in the Sukkah but they are no longer eating, they may say it even if hours has passed.
If one is saying leisheiv after completing their meal, they should ensure to remain in the Sukkah for at least 2 minutes after saying the bracha.
ברכת לישב בסוכה בשעת האכילה
The Bracha of Leisheiv baSukkah on Food
27. One who leaves the Sukkah between meals should say a new leisheiv upon returning for a new meal.
28. One who stays in the Sukkah between 2 meals, should not repeat the bracha of leisheiv on the second meal (according to most poskim. According to the Ba”ch and Ta”z, a second leisheiv is said.)
29. One who leaves the Sukkah with the intention to immediately return, should not say a new leisheiv.
30. One who leaves the Sukkah in the middle of a meal, even for a while (for example to daven mincha or maariv) does not make a new bracha of leisheiv upon his return.
31. One who leaves his meal to go to a friend’s Sukkah, should say a new leisheiv if he wants to eat there (unless he had in mind when he said leisheiv that he would be continuing his meal at the friend.)
ברכת לישב בסוכה שלא בשעת האכילה
Saying Leisheiv baSukkah when Not Eating
32. One who leaves his Sukkah after his meal, and returns with the intention to sit in the Sukkah without eating, should not say a new leisheiv, even if a long time has passed since the meal.
33. The same halacha applies to sleeping in the Sukkah. Even if one has been out for a long time since their last meal, a new leisheiv is not said.
34. One who sits in their friend’s Sukkah without eating should not say leisheiv baSukkah.
דיני שינה בסוכה
Sleeping in the Sukkah
35. Men should sleep in the Sukkah on all nights of Sukkos. This also applies to married men, even those during their first year of marriage.
36. No bracha is said upon sleeping in the Sukkah (unless one eats mezonos before sleeping).
37. After mitzvas ona’ah, a man does not need to return to the Sukkah, but rather should sleep at home until morning.
38. Although there is no obligation, it is praiseworthy for a woman to sleep in the Sukkah with her husband.
דין מצטער בסוכה
Exempt from the Sukkah
39. A mitzta’er (someone in significant discomfort) has no obligation to be in the Sukkah. Someone in discomfort, for example from difficult weather conditions or insects, may leave the Sukkah.
40. One who is unable to sleep in the Sukkah because he is bothered by a loud noise, for example, a simchas beis hashoeva, may sleep in the house.
41. A mitzta’er is only exempt from the obligation to be in the Sukkah if he is bothered by something most people would be bothered by. If someone is disturbed by something that would be tolerated by most people, they must remain.
42. A woman who is scared to sleep at home alone since her husband is in the Sukkah, does not exempt her husband from sleeping in the Sukkah and he should still do so, however, if the husband’s concern about his wife’s fear is disturbing him in the Sukkah, there is
room to allow him to return to the house.
43. There is a discussion as to whether one is obligated to sleep in the Sukkah if they are bothered by guests who are there.
סוכה שאינה ראויה לדיור בלא צער
When the Exemptions don’t Apply
44. A Sukkah only qualifies as a Sukkah if it is sufficiently comfortable for a person to eat and sleep in, according to Ashkenazim. Someone who has built a Sukkah that does not meet these standards, is not exempt from the mitzva of Sukkah.
45. Someone who is usually bothered by the heat or cold in the Sukkah should put a fan or heater in the Sukkah before Yom Tov. Failing to do so, the heat or cold would not exempt this person from his obligation of being in the Sukkah.
One who lives near a simcha hall or Shul and would not be able to sleep in the Sukkah due to constant noise, should find a different area to build his Sukkah before Yom Tov. (One is only expected to spend up to one fifth of their money to build their Sukkah elsewhere. If it would be more expensive than this, one can keep their sukkah where it is.)
46. One should not build their Sukkah in a place where he is scared to sleep, for example because of animals in the area. An Ashkenazi who does so would be required to find a different Sukkah
to eat and sleep in to fill his obligation of being in the Sukkah. A Sefardi who does so may eat in the sukkah but should find another Sukkah to sleep in.
שינה מחוץ לסוכה
47. Besides for those exempt above, one should not sleep outside of the Sukkah even for a short time. (More than 54 seconds is a problem– halicha shel meah amah.)
דיני נטילת לולב
Shaking the Lulav
48. Women must remove their rings before shaking lulav. A woman who shakes lulav with her rings on, should shake again without a bracha. One may shake with a cast or bandage that is difficult to remove.
49. When shaking lulav, the lulav, hadassim and aravos should be held in the right hand and the esrog in the left-hand, with the pitom facing downwards (with the esrog touching the other minim) *. The bracha of netilas luluv (and shehechiyanu on the 1st day) should be said. Then the esrog is carefully turned upright and the minim are shaken in all directions (there are various minhagim pertaining to the order of the shaking).
(*according to one opinion. There are other opinions how to hold the esrog here).
50. The esrog should not be held in the same hand as the other minim. One who bundles all of the minim together and shakes, should repeat the process correctly, without a bracha.
51. When saying hoshanos in shul, one should be careful not to hold all the minim in one hand, rather, the esrog should be held separate from the others.
אגד ארבעת המינים
Binding the Four Minim
52. It is a mitzvah to bind the lulav with the hadassim and aravos. The Mishnah Brura says that koyshlech are enough. The Chasam Sofer and Bikurei Yakov say it has to be a double knot.
53.The hadassim should be on the right of the lulav, with the aravos on the left.
54. When tying the hadassim and aravos, the hadassim should be higher than the aravos.
55. Besides for binding the hadassim and aravos to the lulav, the minhag is to put three rings going up the lulav.
56. These rings are not sufficient to tie the hadassim and aravos to the lulav according to many poskim. Something stronger should be used.
57. On the top tefach of the lulav, there should be no rings.
58. The shedrah of the lulav should be a tefach above the tops of the
hadassim and aravos.
דיני הדלקת נרות בסוכה
Lighting Candles in the Sukkah
59. It is a mitzvah to light candles for Yom Tov. The candles should be lit before Yom Tov, (unless one has the minhag to light before the Yom Tov meal.)
60. Some have the minhag to say the bracha of shehechiyanu when they light the Yom Tov candles. Those without this minhag should say or hear the bracha during Kiddush.
61. It is an argument whether women who said shehechiyanu when lighting the candles should answer amen to the shehechiyanu during Kiddush, the accepted custom is to answer amen.
62. It is preferable to light the candles in the Sukkah. If one is concerned that this is a fire hazard, they should light in the house where the candle light would reach inside the Sukkah. If this is not possible, the candles should be lit in the kitchen where the food is prepared, in a bedroom, or in another room that will be used. If lighting inside the house, the electric lighting in the room should be turned off and on before lighting, and when saying the bracha, one should have in mind the electric lighting in the room.
Even better would be to also turn off and on the lights in the Sukkah just before lighting in the house, and have in mind these lights too during the bracha.