Hilchos Sukkah - Dr. Seuss Style!

Meema2Kids

Mon, Oct 17 2005, 8:35 am

The Laws of the Succah according to Dr. Seuss

You can build it very small (1)
You can build it very tall (2)
You can build it very large (3)
You can build it on a barge

You can build it on a ship (4)
Or on a roof but please don't slip (5)
You can build it in an alley (6)
You shouldn't build it in a valley (7)

You can build it on a wagon ( 8 )
You can build it on a dragon (9)
You can make the s'chach of wood (10)
Would you, could you, yes you should

Make the s'chach from leaves of tree
You shouldn't bend it at the knee (11)
Build your Succah tall or short
No Succah is built in the Temple Court

You can build it somewhat soon
You cannot build it in the month of June (12) If
your Succah is well made
You'll have the right amount of shade (13)

You can build it very wide
You can not build it on its side
Build if your name is Jim
Or Bob or Sam or even Tim

Build it if your name is Sue (14)
Do you build it, yes you do!
From the Succah you can roam
But you should treat it as your home (15)

You can invite some special guests
Don't stay in it if there are pests
You can sleep upon some rugs
Don't you build it where there's bugs

In the Succah you should sit
And eat and drink but never ...
If in the Succah it should rain

To stay there would be such a pain (16)
And if it should be very cold
Stay there only if you're bold
So build a Succah one and all
Make it large or make it small

Succah rules are short and snappy
Enjoy Succos, rejoice be happy.

Footnotes:
>> 1. Maimonides (RMBM) Mishne Torah, Hilchot Succah,
Chapter 4, Section

>> 1. The minimum height of a Succah is 10 tefachim. A
tefach is a
>> measure of the width of the four fingers of one's
hand. My hand is 3
>> 1/4 inches wide for a minimum Succah height of 32
1/2 inches. The
>> minimum allowable width is 7 tefachim by
>> 7 tefachim. This would result in a Succah of 22 3/4
inches by 22 3/4
>> inches.
>>
>> 2. The maximum height is 20 Amot. An Amah is the
length from the
>> elbow to the tip of the middle finger. My Amah is
15 1/2 inches for a

>> maximum height of 25 feet. Others say that 30 feet
is the maximum.
>>
>> 3. According to RMBM the Succah can be built to a
width of several
>> miles. Shulchan Aruch also says there is no limit
on the size of the
>> width.
>>
>> 4. RMBM Hilchot Succah Chapter 4, Section 6.
>>
>> 5. RMBM Hilchot Succah Chapter 4, Section 11. RMBM
states that one
>> may construct a Succah by wedging poles in the four
corners of the
>> roof and suspending s'chach from the poles. The
walls of the building

>> underneath are considered to reach upward to the
edge of the s'chach.
>>
>> 6. RMBM Hilchot Succah Chapter 4, Section 8-10
discusses the ins and
>> outs of building your Succah in an alley or
passageway.
>>
>> 7. There is a location referred to in the Talmud
called Ashtarot
>> Karnayim. According to the discussion there are two
hills, with a
>> valley in between where the Sun does not reach.
Therefore it is
>> impossible to sit in the shade of the roof of the
Succah. I can't
>> find the reference...hopefully next year.
>>
>> 8. RMBM Hilchot Succah Chapter 4, Section 6. You
can go into a Succah

>> built on a wagon or a ship even on Yom Tov.
>>
>> 9. RMBM Hilchot Succah Chapter 4, Section 6. OK,
RMBM says a camel
>> but dragon rhymes with wagon a lot better, don't
you agree. Anyway,
>> RMBM says you can build your Succah on a wagon or
in the crown of a
>> tree, but you can't go into it on Yom Tov. There is
a general rule
>> against riding a beast or ascending into the crown
of a tree on Yom
>> Tov.
>>
>> 10. Chapter 5 deals with the rules for the s'chach.
>> Basically, you can use that which has grown from
the ground, and is
>> completely detached from the ground.
>> So, for example, you cannot bend the branches of a
tree over the
>> Succah to form the s'chach. But you can cut the
branches from a tree
>> and use them as s'chach.

11. This would be a violation of the rule cited in
the prior footnote.

>> 12. Shulchan Aruch, Hilchot Succah, Perek 636,
Section 1. The Succah
>> should not be built sooner than 30 days before the
Chag. However, if
>> the structure is built prior to 30 days, as long as
something new is
>> added within the 30 days, the Succah is kosher.

>> 13. Of course it's a well known rule that you must
sit in the shade
>> from the roof of the Succah and not in the shade
that may be cast by
>> the walls. It seems that this might affect the
height of the walls,
>> depending on the longitude of the location where
you are building
>> your Succah.
>>
>> 14. Technically, women, servants and minors are
exempt from the
>> Mitzvah of Succah. In our day we hope we know
better than to read out

>> half the Jewish people from the observance of
Mitzvot. Of course,
>> that's just a personal opinion of the author.
>>

15. RMBM ibid Chapter 6, Section 6 explains that you
>> should eat, drink and live in the Succah for the 7
days as you live
>> in your own home. One should not even take a nap
outside of the
>> Succah.

>> 16. RMBM ibid, Section 10. If it rains one should
go into the house.
>> How does one know if it is raining hard enough? If
sufficient
>> raindrops fall through the s'chach (roof covering)
and into the food
>> so that the food is spoiled - go inside!