https://staging.thenewjew.org/articles/going-deeper-deeper-judaica-sukkah.xml/articles/going-deeper-deeper-judaica-sukkahxmlarticleSukkahThe temporary dwelling that is itself a mitzvah — a roof of stars under which the Jew dwells for seven days.The New Jew/index.xmlJewish Living/sections/jewish-living.xmlSukkah/articles/going-deeper-deeper-judaica-sukkah.xml
https://staging.thenewjew.org/articles/going-deeper-deeper-judaica-sukkah
https://staging.thenewjew.org/articles/going-deeper-deeper-judaica-sukkah.json
<_xml>https://staging.thenewjew.org/articles/going-deeper-deeper-judaica-sukkah.xml
going-deeper-deeper-judaica-sukkahSukkahThe temporary dwelling that is itself a mitzvah — a roof of stars under which the Jew dwells for seven days.Summary. The sukkah is the temporary booth dwelt in during the seven days of Sukkot, commemorating the Israelites’ wandering in the wilderness (Vayikra 23:42–43). The sukkah must have at least three walls (or two and part), a roof of organic material (s’chach — typically bamboo, palm fronds, or evergreen branches) that provides more shade than light but through which stars may be seen, and dimensions sufficient to allow a person and a meal-table inside. Building and dwelling in the sukkah are themselves mitzvot. Pre-made sukkah kits are widely available; many families build their own.deepergoing-deepersukkahsukkotjudaica2026-07-06T02:19:03.001Z6653jewish-livingJewish Livingsummary
Summary. The [sukkah](/glossary.xml#letter-S) is the temporary booth dwelt in during the seven days of [Sukkot](/glossary.xml#letter-S), commemorating the Israelites’ wandering in the wilderness ([Vayikra 23:42–43](https://www.sefaria.org/Leviticus.23.42-43)). The sukkah must have at least three walls (or two and part), a roof of organic material ([s’chach](/glossary.xml#letter-S) — typically bamboo, palm fronds, or evergreen branches) that provides more shade than light but through which stars may be seen, and dimensions sufficient to allow a person and a meal-table inside. Building and dwelling in the sukkah are themselves [mitzvot](/glossary.xml#letter-M). Pre-made sukkah kits are widely available; many families build their own.
Summary. The sukkah is the temporary booth dwelt in during the seven days of Sukkot, commemorating the Israelites’ wandering in the wilderness (Vayikra 23:42–43). The sukkah must have at least three walls (or two and part), a roof of organic material (s’chach — typically bamboo, palm fronds, or evergreen branches) that provides more shade than light but through which stars may be seen, and dimensions sufficient to allow a person and a meal-table inside. Building and dwelling in the sukkah are themselves mitzvot. Pre-made sukkah kits are widely available; many families build their own.heading
The Walls
The Wallsparagraph
At least two complete walls plus a third partial wall (a [tefach](/glossary.xml#letter-T), a handbreadth). The walls may be of any material; canvas is most popular for pre-made kits, but wood, fabric, plastic panels, fiberglass, or even existing structures (a fence or wall of a house) may serve. The minimum height is 10 tefachim (roughly 32 inches) and the maximum 20 [amot](/glossary.xml#letter-A) (roughly 32 feet).
At least two complete walls plus a third partial wall (a tefach, a handbreadth). The walls may be of any material; canvas is most popular for pre-made kits, but wood, fabric, plastic panels, fiberglass, or even existing structures (a fence or wall of a house) may serve. The minimum height is 10 tefachim (roughly 32 inches) and the maximum 20 amot (roughly 32 feet).heading
The Roof — S’chach
The Roof — S’chachparagraph
The defining feature. The s’chach must be of organic material (grown from the ground) that has been detached from the ground and is not itself susceptible to ritual impurity (no fabric, no metal, no manufactured items). Common s’chach materials include bamboo mats, palm fronds ([lulav](/glossary.xml#letter-L)-style), pine or evergreen branches, or commercial s’chach panels. The s’chach must cover at least 50% of the roof area, must provide more shade than light, and ideally allows the stars to be visible. The sukkah must be open to the sky — not under a tree or a balcony.
The defining feature. The s’chach must be of organic material (grown from the ground) that has been detached from the ground and is not itself susceptible to ritual impurity (no fabric, no metal, no manufactured items). Common s’chach materials include bamboo mats, palm fronds (lulav-style), pine or evergreen branches, or commercial s’chach panels. The s’chach must cover at least 50% of the roof area, must provide more shade than light, and ideally allows the stars to be visible. The sukkah must be open to the sky — not under a tree or a balcony.heading
Dwelling
Dwellingparagraph
The mitzvah is to dwell in the sukkah for the seven days of Sukkot — meals, study, sleep, leisure. Shemini Atzeret, the eighth day, is a separate festival: in the diaspora meals are still eaten in the sukkah, but the blessing leishev basukkah is not said, and in Israel the sukkah is not used that day. The [Talmud](/glossary.xml#letter-T) ([Sukkah 28b](https://www.sefaria.org/Sukkah.28b)) frames it as “you shall make the sukkah your principal dwelling and your house your incidental dwelling.” Practical observance varies by climate and circumstance. In Israel and warm-climate American communities, most observant Jews sleep in the sukkah; in colder climates, the [Mishnah Berurah (640:21)](https://www.sefaria.org/Mishnah_Berurah.640.21) allows that the “discomfort exemption” may apply. All meals at which bread is eaten should be eaten in the sukkah.
The mitzvah is to dwell in the sukkah for the seven days of Sukkot — meals, study, sleep, leisure. Shemini Atzeret, the eighth day, is a separate festival: in the diaspora meals are still eaten in the sukkah, but the blessing leishev basukkah is not said, and in Israel the sukkah is not used that day. The Talmud (Sukkah 28b) frames it as “you shall make the sukkah your principal dwelling and your house your incidental dwelling.” Practical observance varies by climate and circumstance. In Israel and warm-climate American communities, most observant Jews sleep in the sukkah; in colder climates, the Mishnah Berurah (640:21) allows that the “discomfort exemption” may apply. All meals at which bread is eaten should be eaten in the sukkah.heading
The Blessings
The Blessingsparagraph
On entering the sukkah for a meal during the holiday: [leishev basukkah](/glossary.xml#letter-L) (“to dwell in the sukkah”). On the first night, also [shehecheyanu](/glossary.xml#letter-S). The [Ushpizin](/glossary.xml#letter-U) (Aramaic for “guests”) — [Avraham](/glossary.xml#letter-A), Yitzchak, Yaakov, Moshe, Aharon, Yosef, and David — are traditionally invited into the sukkah, one for each day; many add the [imahot](/glossary.xml#letter-I) (Sarah, Rivka, Rachel, Leah, Miriam, Devorah, [Ruth](/glossary.xml#letter-R)) as a contemporary practice.
On entering the sukkah for a meal during the holiday: leishev basukkah (“to dwell in the sukkah”). On the first night, also shehecheyanu. The Ushpizin (Aramaic for “guests”) — Avraham, Yitzchak, Yaakov, Moshe, Aharon, Yosef, and David — are traditionally invited into the sukkah, one for each day; many add the imahot (Sarah, Rivka, Rachel, Leah, Miriam, Devorah, Ruth) as a contemporary practice.heading
Buying or Building
Buying or Buildingparagraph
Pre-made sukkah kits (Leiter, Sukkah Project, Sukkah Hut, others) are available for $300–$2000. Custom builders work in larger Jewish communities. Many families build their own from lumber and tarps. The sukkah does not have to be elaborate or expensive — only [kosher](/glossary.xml#letter-K).
Pre-made sukkah kits (Leiter, Sukkah Project, Sukkah Hut, others) are available for $300–$2000. Custom builders work in larger Jewish communities. Many families build their own from lumber and tarps. The sukkah does not have to be elaborate or expensive — only kosher.heading
Where Denominations Diverge
Where Denominations Divergeparagraph
Universal across all denominations. The [Reform](/glossary.xml#letter-R) movement’s engagement with sukkah has grown substantially in recent decades; many Reform congregations now build a community sukkah. Conservative and [Orthodox](/glossary.xml#letter-O) observance is largely identical. [Sephardic](/glossary.xml#letter-S) and [Ashkenazi](/glossary.xml#letter-A) customs vary in minor details (the precise s’chach standards vary by community; the distinctively Sephardic ushpizin customs are a different order among the same seven guests and a decorated chair set with holy books). Adding the imahot is a separate and more recent expansion of the list.
Universal across all denominations. The Reform movement’s engagement with sukkah has grown substantially in recent decades; many Reform congregations now build a community sukkah. Conservative and Orthodox observance is largely identical. Sephardic and Ashkenazi customs vary in minor details (the precise s’chach standards vary by community; the distinctively Sephardic ushpizin customs are a different order among the same seven guests and a decorated chair set with holy books). Adding the imahot is a separate and more recent expansion of the list.heading
Sources
Sourcesparagraph
[Torah](/glossary.xml#letter-T): [Vayikra](/glossary.xml#letter-V) 23:42–43; [Devarim 16:13–15](https://www.sefaria.org/Deuteronomy.16.13-15).
Torah: Vayikra 23:42–43; Devarim 16:13–15.paragraph
[Mishnah and Talmud tractate Sukkah](https://www.sefaria.org/Mishnah_Sukkah).
Mishnah and Talmud tractate Sukkah.paragraph
[Rambam](/glossary.xml#letter-R), [Mishneh Torah](/glossary.xml#letter-M), [Hilchot Sukkah](https://www.sefaria.org/Mishneh_Torah,_Shofar,_Sukkah_and_Lulav).
Rambam, Mishneh Torah, Hilchot Sukkah.paragraph
[Shulchan Aruch](/glossary.xml#letter-S), [Orach Chaim 625–644](https://www.sefaria.org/Shulchan_Arukh,_Orach_Chayim.625-644).
Shulchan Aruch, Orach Chaim 625–644.paragraph
[How to Build a Sukkah - The basics of building a sukkah and living inside it](https://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/420823/jewish/How-to-Build-a-Sukkah.htm) — Chabad.org.
How to Build a Sukkah - The basics of building a sukkah and living inside it — Chabad.org.paragraph
[A Deeper Look at Shemini Atzeret / Simchat Torah](https://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/1288162/jewish/A-Deeper-Look-at-Shemini-Atzeret-Simchat-Torah.htm) — Chabad.org.
A Deeper Look at Shemini Atzeret / Simchat Torah — Chabad.org.paragraph
[The Laws of the Sukka](https://ph.yhb.org.il/en/category/13/13-02/) — Peninei Halakha.
The Laws of the Sukka — Peninei Halakha.paragraph
[The 7 Ushpizin Guests](https://aish.com/48965711/) — Aish.
The 7 Ushpizin Guests — Aish.heading
Further Reading
Further Readingparagraph
[Yitz Greenberg](/glossary.xml#letter-R), The Jewish Way — the Sukkot chapter.
Yitz Greenberg, The Jewish Way — the Sukkot chapter.paragraph
Shimon Apisdorf, Sukkot Survival Kit.
Shimon Apisdorf, Sukkot Survival Kit.paragraph
Rabbi Eliyahu Kitov, The Book of Our Heritage.
Rabbi Eliyahu Kitov, The Book of Our Heritage.going-deeper-deeper-questions-why-did-god-create-the-worldWhy Did God Create the World?/articles/going-deeper-deeper-questions-why-did-god-create-the-world.xmlgoing-deeper-deeper-questions-what-is-mussarWhat Is Mussar?/articles/going-deeper-deeper-questions-what-is-mussar.xmlgoing-deeper-deeper-questions-hasidism-vs-mitnagdismHasidism vs. Mitnagdism/articles/going-deeper-deeper-questions-hasidism-vs-mitnagdism.xmlgoing-deeper-deeper-questions-what-is-kabbalahWhat Is Kabbalah?/articles/going-deeper-deeper-questions-what-is-kabbalah.xmlAshkenaziאשכנזיDescribing Jews whose families trace to Central and Eastern Europe, and the customs, liturgy, and Hebrew pronunciation of those communities. The broad counterpart terms are Sephardi and Edot HaMizrach.AvrahamאברהםAbrahamAvraham, the first patriarch, is revered in Jewish tradition as the founder of ethical monotheism and is honored as the spiritual father of every convert to Judaism; a new Jew by choice traditionally takes the Hebrew name "ben" or "bat Avraham."community-conversion-to-judaismMishneh Torahמִשְׁנֵה תּוֹרָהThe Rambam's monumental 12th-century code of Jewish law — the first work to organize the whole of Halacha systematically, from prayer to Temple service.Orthodox JudaismOrthodox Judaism holds Halacha as fully binding and the Shulchan Aruch as its canonical code; it spans Haredi and Hasidic communities as well as Modern Orthodoxy, and is the starting point from which this Field Guide is written, even as it engages seriously with other denominations.how-to-use-this-field-guideRabbi Yitz GreenbergRabbi Irving 'Yitz' Greenberg (b. 1933), a Modern Orthodox rabbi and Holocaust theologian known for the principle that no Jewish theological statement should be made that would not be credible in the presence of burning children; author of The Jewish Way.holidays-modern-observances-yom-hashoahRambamרמב״םRabbi Moshe ben Maimon (1138–1204), known by the acronym Rambam and in the Latin West as Maimonides, was the towering rationalist codifier and philosopher of medieval Judaism — author of the legal code Mishneh Torah and the philosophical Guide for the Perplexed. His formulation of God's unity and incorporeality remains foundational to Jewish theology across denominations.essentials-essential-questions-what-does-judaism-teach-about-godReform JudaismReform Judaism treats Halacha as a source of values and meaning rather than binding law, emphasizing individual autonomy, ethical monotheism, and tikkun olam; it was the first movement to fully recognize patrilineal descent and ordain women as rabbis.how-to-use-this-field-guideRutרוּתThe book of Ruth — the Tanakh's story of the Moabite woman who joined the Jewish people; one of the Five Megillot, read on Shavuot.SephardiסְפָרַדִּיA Jew whose family traces to medieval Spain and Portugal — and, in common usage, to the broader communities of the Mediterranean and Middle East that follow Sephardic law and liturgy. The plural is Sephardim.Shulchan Aruchשולחן ערוךLiterally 'the set table' — the authoritative 16th-century code of Jewish law by Rabbi Yosef Karo, printed with the Ashkenazi glosses of Rabbi Moshe Isserles. It remains the baseline reference for halachic practice.SukkotסוכותThe autumn Festival of Booths, one of the three pilgrimage festivals — seven days of dwelling in the sukkah and waving the four species, in 'the season of our joy.'holidays-shalosh-regalim-sukkotTalmudתלמודThe vast rabbinic work — the Mishnah together with the Gemara's discussion of it — that develops the Oral Torah into Jewish law and thought. It is the central text of Jewish study after the Bible itself.essentials-essential-facts-the-talmud-in-one-articleTorahתּוֹרָהThe Five Books of Moses — the scroll at the center of Jewish life — and, more broadly, the whole of Jewish teaching. 'Learning Torah' can mean anything from Chumash to Talmud.UshpizinאושפיזיןThe seven symbolic 'guests' (Aramaic) — Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Moses, Aaron, and David — welcomed into the sukkah, one each night of Sukkot; many also welcome biblical women as ushpizot.VayikraויקראThe Book of Leviticus, third of the Five Books of the Torah, named for its opening word, 'And He called'; its concerns are the sanctuary, the offerings, and holiness.amotאמותCubits — the Talmud's standard unit of length (singular: amah), roughly the length of a forearm, about 18 to 22 inches. Many halachic measurements, such as the dimensions of a sukkah, are given in amot.imahotאִמָּהוֹתThe Matriarchs — Sarah, Rivkah, Rachel, and Leah; many communities now name them alongside the Patriarchs in the Amidah's opening blessing.kosherכָּשֵׁרFit or proper according to Jewish law — said mostly of food, but equally of a Torah scroll, a sukkah, or anything else that meets halachic requirements.essentials-essential-facts-kashrut-the-basicsleishev basukkahלֵישֵׁב בַּסֻּכָּהThe blessing "to dwell in the sukkah," recited when eating in the sukkah during the festival of Sukkot.lulavלוּלָבThe date-palm frond — tallest of the four species — bound with myrtle and willow and waved together with the etrog on Sukkot; the whole bundle takes its name.going-deeper-deeper-judaica-lulav-and-etrog-the-four-speciesmitzvahמִצְוָהA commandment — one of the Torah's 613 divine instructions, and by extension any religious duty or good deed. The plural is mitzvot.essentials-essential-facts-the-613-mitzvotsechachסְכָךְThe sukkah's roof covering of cut organic material — bamboo, palm fronds, evergreen branches — laid loosely enough that the stars remain visible through it.shehecheyanuשֶׁהֶחֱיָנוּThe blessing 'who has kept us alive, sustained us, and brought us to this season,' said at festivals, first fruits of the season, and joyful new beginnings.sukkahסוכהThe temporary booth, roofed with cut branches, in which Jews eat (and some sleep) during the seven days of Sukkot, recalling the Israelites' wilderness dwellings.going-deeper-deeper-judaica-sukkahtefachטפחA handbreadth (plural tefachim) — a basic halachic unit of measure, roughly three to four inches, used in laws from the dimensions of the sukkah to the placement of the hanukkiah.parentJewish Living/sections/jewish-living.xmlrelatedWhy Did God Create the World?/articles/going-deeper-deeper-questions-why-did-god-create-the-world.xmlrelatedWhat Is Mussar?/articles/going-deeper-deeper-questions-what-is-mussar.xmlrelatedHasidism vs. Mitnagdism/articles/going-deeper-deeper-questions-hasidism-vs-mitnagdism.xmlrelatedWhat Is Kabbalah?/articles/going-deeper-deeper-questions-what-is-kabbalah.xml