‘Similar to the way you live
at home’
Chazal tell us that during
succos, all of the things normally done in one’s home should be done in
the succah. This is based on the principle of 'תשבו
כעין תדורו', literally “You must dwell (temporarily) in the same way you
live (normally).” Thus one must bring his ornate utensils and decorations into
the succah, and eating, drinking and various other household activities should
be carried out there.[1]
The requirement to decorate ones
succah with the ornaments of the house is not easy for a number of reasons. Many
of these items are likely to be damaged by the elements if left in the succah,
and it is obvious that one is not obligated to take such a risk.[2] The
widespread custom to make specially designed succah decorations may be a
reasonable substitute, although logically these should be of the quality that
one would use in his house.
Another reason for succah
decorations is the more general concept of hiddur mitzvah,
beautification of the mitzvah. Chazal tell us that
mitzvah items should be aesthetically pleasing, and succah is given as one
example.[3]
However, it is worth noting that there is an inherent difference between these
two reasons. While the standard paper-chains, fruit and other shiny decorations
do achieve hiddur mitzvah, I would question whether they can be a replacement
for the standard household decoration required as part of normal living.
Lack of space
Many are faced with far a bigger
problem with the mitzvah of succah. Some simply do not own or have any rights
of usage of areas appropriate for building a kosher succah. In this situation the
best option may be to spend succos with the extended family, or to stay in a hotel.
However, for those who do not normally live in such a fashion doing so
specifically on succos seems far from ideal. One doing so is also usually unable
to control how the succah is built and decorated, or even what he can do there.
Some do not have the option of
staying elsewhere. Assuming that it is possible to rent a space to build a
succah, theoretically one is obligated to spend up to a fifth of his money in
doing so.[4]
Practically it would probably be cheaper to move house once rather than to
incur this expense every year, and this realisation may lead those serious
about mitzvos to find more creative solutions.
Perhaps a more common situation
is when one does have an area for a succah, but the distance between it and the
house make the fulfilment of the mitzvah in its entirety extremely tedious or
completely impractical. It is clear that one is not obligated to build a
separate kitchen for his succah,[5] and
having to carry food and utensils for each meal up and down several flights of
stairs can hardly be called a normal way of living.
Family life
Even when a man can deal with all
the problems mentioned so far, keeping the mitzvah of succah to perfection
often places a big burden on his wife. The gemara says that although the
mitzvah of succah is time-bound, as we are required to live in the normal way
there logically would have been a rationale to obligate women in this mitzvah.
The conclusion is that this is not the case, due to an inference from the
masculine language the Torah uses for this mitzvah.[6]
The simple way to understand this
conclusion is that although the obligation is to temporarily exchange normal
life in the home for similar normal life in the succah, this is only on an
individual level. When it comes to the family, unless ones wife takes on the
mitzvah voluntarily, a man is effectively commanded to separate from her.[7]
This aspect of the mitzvah becomes
harder when there are also young children, and one’s succah is far from the
house. Either the wife is left alone with the children, the children are forced
to stay in the succah, or the whole family live in the succah (if it is
practical to make a succah big enough). Yet the husband also has a mitzvah of
rejoicing, and of making his wife and children happy.[8]
The purpose of the mitzvah
Unlike most mitzvos, here the Torah explicitly states the purpose:
לְמַעַן יֵדְעוּ דֹרֹתֵיכֶם כִּי בַסֻּכּוֹת הוֹשַׁבְתִּי
אֶת בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל בְּהוֹצִיאִי אוֹתָם מֵאֶרֶץ מִצְרָיִם אֲנִי ה'
אֱלֹהֵיכֶם:
(ויקרא כג, מג)
In order that your generations should know that I housed B’nei Yisrael in succos when I took them out of Egypt. I am Hashem your G-d.
(Vayikra 23:43)
However, we still need to ask
what the purpose of remembering this historic event is. The simple explanation
is that we are supposed to remember how Hashem took care of us in the desert,
and presumably internalise the extension of the principle of Divine Providence
to our times.
Rashbam and the Rambam add that
the mitzvah of succah also teaches us midos. One who once went through
difficult times should remember them even during the good times. This leads a person
to thank Hashem, and to learn humility. Therefore we leave the finely crafted
houses that Hashem has given us in his kindness, and live in succos like desert
dwellers in discomfort.[9]
Despite succos being zman
simchaseinu (the time of our rejoicing), the Rambam points out that full simcha
cannot be achieved when living in a temporary, flimsy dwelling. For this reason
we need Shmini Atzeres to complete the simcha.
Application
With the above in mind, we can
suggest some ways to view the problems more positively. We mentioned three
major issues (not including those who cannot do the mitzvah at all, which is
rare):
1) The difficulty in bringing
ornaments into the succah
2) The difficulty of replicating
normal living when the succah is far from the kitchen
3) Separation of man and wife
With the first two issues, although
I have no great solution, I believe that we don’t need to look at them as
problems. With all mitzvos we are only expected to do the best that we can, but
with succah the issue is more inherent. The command to replicate normal living
in an abnormal environment is somewhat of a contradiction. Part of the idea is
to realise the limits of such a dwelling, and these limits also affect our
ability to perform mitzvos in the way we would want. We must rejoice despite
this, although this rejoicing will also not be complete until Shmini Atzeres.
The same is true when it comes to
the possible separation of man and wife, although here I believe that there is
an extra point. Normal living should have included women in the mitzvah as
well, but to impose a blanket obligation on women like men would not have been
practical.
Therefore ideally the husband
should do all that he can to facilitate his wife and family joining him in the
succah. This makes his own mitzvah of living normally more complete, and also
achieves part of his mitzvah to make his family happy on Yom Tov. Although they
are not obligated, he should attempt to create a situation where they will want
to take part in this mitzvah.[10]
[1]
Succah 28b. More details can be seen there, notably the fact that drinking
utensils are also supposed to be kept in the succah (29a).
[2] As
one would not leave things at such a risk at home, and a weather-proof succah
would constitute a ‘permanent abode’ (see Tosfos Succah 2a). However, if the
only concern is for thieves, where possible one should make appropriate
security arrangements for his succah like he does for his house.
[3] Shabbos
133b
[4] The same
rule applies to all positive mitzvos, see Rema Orach Chaim 656:1.
[5] The gemara
in Succah 29a says that food utensils are not kept in the succah.
[6] Succah 28a
[7]
Although the Rema suggests that a married man may be exempt from sleeping in
the succah (Orach Chaim 639:2), this suggestion that limits the words of the
gemara to married men is very difficult (see also Aruch Hashulchan). And even
according to this suggestion, there will be separation during waking hours.
[8]
Pesachim 109a. Admittedly the method given for doing this, buying colourful
clothing for ones wife and confectionery for the children, is not limited by
the mitzvah of succah, and if this or similar can keep the family happy without
need for the husband’s presence then there is no problem.
[9] Rashbam on
the pasuk above, Moreh Nevuchim 3:43
[10]
Perhaps a support for this idea can be brought from the gemara in Arachin . At
least at one stage, the gemara says that the kohanim on duty who cannot be
together with their wives (for reasons not connected to the succah), are exempt
from the mitzvah of succah. See Rashi and Rabeinu Chananel there.
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