Get the wood out....have a go at building your own Succah, and you will see how easy it is, but also how much pleasure you get out of making it, and in using it. See how much you do for your children or grandchildren by taking the plunge. (and dont forget the plasters)
E
We have seen that many people are diligent in the building of a Succah for the holiday. We know that only a few years ago very few people would build them in their garden. The significance of performing this torah mitzvah is very important.
We are told in the Pasuk that we are commanded to build a succah every year because we lived in Succot in the desert. There are two different views about what this means. Some have said that when they came out of Egypt the Jews in the desert lived in Succot- huts that protected them from the elements. Others explain that G-d made Succot with protective clouds on all side to protect the Israelites in the desert .
There are three laws regarding building a Succah. (click here to read on..)
......It is forbidden to build a Succah under a tree. The roof of the Succah must be made of plant materials. They must be detached - (some people have their trees trimmed special for the holiday). This has a double advantage the area is made kosher for a Succah, branches and leaves can be used for the roof.
The majority of the roof of the Succah must be covered with roofing material kosher for a Succah. The gap should never be more than nine inches in any direction.
It is important that you should be able to see the stars through the roof of the Succah. One of the ways to tell whether the majority of the succah is covered is to look at the shadow cast through the roof, if you see more sun than shade then the roof is not kosher and you must add more branches.
The walls of the Succah should not sturdy and should not be vunerable to movement in the wind. In England there is always the weather to contend with. It there goes without saying that it should be secure enough to ensure that is it able to withstand inclement weather and also strong enough so it can move in with the breeze. However it should be firmly enough to withstand the British weather, it should be strong enough to that the candles and lights are not extinguished.
Many people make their Succah using Cloth. Rabbi Moshe Fienstien Za"L said that if you use cloth you must make it tight so that it does not move with the breeze. It is questionable whether Sepharadim can follow this leniency. It is best to use a wood frame or other prefabs which use more bars than just the bare frame. There is a specific design which is made for those who do not tighten their cloth.
Various reasons have been suggested as to why we have to live in a Succah:
The Etrog Fruit: Inside and Out
The etrog is a medium-sized citrus fruit, with a color, scent and taste similar to a lemon. It is also known in English as the citron, though there is apparently more than one variety of citron. This variety is identified in scientific literature as the etrog citron. The etrog is used in the waving rituals of the festival of Succot, where the etrog is said to represent the heart (because of its shape), and also said to represent the ideal kind of Jews, who have both knowledge of Torah and good deeds (because it has both a pleasant scent and a pleasant taste). One midrash suggests that the etrog, not the apple, was the forbidden fruit in the Garden of Eden. Why, then, does the Western world think that the fruit was the apple? Perhaps because the ancient Greeks called this fruit the Persian apple, Median apple or golden apple.
A typical etrog fruit is oblong shaped, four to six inches long and has a bumpy rind. The Yemenite variety of etrog is larger, but looks quite similar. The etrog in the pictures at left is the one I used during Succot in 2005, and is quite typical of the ones used in America. It is almost 5 inches long. At its widest point, it is 2¾ inches wide. Some etrogs have a narrowing in the center, like a waist, that is somewhat greener. These are commonly referred to as "belted" etrogs. Belted etrogs are valid for the mitzvah of the waving; in fact, some people prefer them.
At one end of the etrog is the green stem that connects the fruit to the tree, seen at right. At the other end, most etrogs have an extension known in Jewish tradition as the pitam, seen below at left. The knobby part of the pitam is the remnants of the part of the flower that biologists would call the stigma, the part that receives pollen grains during fertilization. It is somewhat rough to the touch in a mature etrog. The narrower tube-like area connecting to the fruit is the remnants of the flower's style. The fruit itself is the flower's ovary.
Dangers of breaking the pitam
If your etrog has a pitam, as most do, then you must be very careful not to break it off during the course of the holiday. If the pitam breaks off, the etrog is considered to be damaged and no longer valid for performing the mitzvah of waving. However, if the etrog grows naturally without a pitam, it is valid. In fact, some people prefer pitamless etrogs, because you don't have to worry about breaking off the pitam before the end of the Succot!
The Lulov (and what you never new or perhaps you did)
The Torah calls it a Kapos Temorim, because it grows on the beautiful date palm tree. It comes in two varieties. One is the male tree, which provides the flowers which are used to pollinate the female palm tree that bears the actual fruit - the dates (which is referred to in the Torah by the word d'vash).
A Lulav usually grows in the very center of the tree. As many months pass by, its leaves slowly begin to open up and spread apart. Later, they begin to harden. The word kapos can also be read as kofus - which means to bind together. Our Chazal explain that once its leaves have spread apart and hardened into place, then it can no longer be used for a Lulav, since in its present state it can no longer be bound together. Yet, one is still permitted to use a Lulav whose leaves are spread apart as long as they have the possibility of being tied together. Actually, tying its leaves together is only a mitzva min ha'muvca - the best possible way to fulfill the mitzvah, which is something we should always strive to do. The most beautiful Lulav is one whose leaves stand perfectly together, and you'll usually find it in the center of the date tree. The word kapos is spelled without the "vov" to teach is that we are to use only one Lulav.
Hodor-Beautiful
Even though the word hador - beautiful, actually describes the Esrog, called the pri eitz hador, which is certainly the most beautiful of the four Minim, yet the other three Minim are required to be hodor, "beautiful" as well. That's because the Torah compares them one to another. Certainly the more beautiful the Minim you can get, the greater the mitzvah. However, our Chachomim have given us certain guidelines to follow. If the Minim do not meet certain minimum standards of hodor-beauty, then they are considered posul invalid and cannot be used. Each one of the four Minim has certain standards unique to its type, which we will discuss as we learn about each one of them.
Shedra - Spine
The center spine of the Lulav, from which all the leaves grow out, is called the shedra of the Lulav.
Ok'um - Crooked
One should always check to see that the Lulav is straight. If it's as crooked as a hunchback or a sickle (magol) then it is posul. However, if you've ever seen a Lulav growing on a tree, then you've surely noticed that many a time it grows stooping slightly in the direction of the spine, known as the shedra. Therefore, if a Lulav is bent in the direction of the shedra it is Kosher. However, if it's bent to the sides or in the opposite direction then it is posul.
kofuf- Bent Over
A Lulav whose top part of the spine - shedra - is bent over in any direction becomes posul. This is called k'egmon, which some say looks like a fish hook and others describe like a certain weed whose top is bent downward. The p'sul is highly unusual.
k'nepel - Hooked Downward
However, many times one can see that the spine's top leaf is hooked inward. This is generally referred to as a "knepel". The Rosh loved to take such a Lulav, since it would keep the leaf from coming apart. However, the Ran and the Rit'vah consider such a Lulav posul, (because they consider this as the p'sul of k'egmon). The minhag (custom) is to use such a Lulav, yet there are those who are machmir (more stringent). So you've got your choice. Many Riziner, Vishnitzer and Kapitchnitzer Chassidim are mehada to use such a Lulav. However, if the leaves themselves are greatly folded down, then many poskim pasel (invalidate) it.
Shiur - Its Size
By the way, we always measure the Lulav by the size of its shedra (spine) only. The minimum size of a Lulav is 4 tefochim (fists). Measure only the shedra - the spine itself. Be very careful not to include the top leaf. The shedra starts right where the top leaf begins to grow. This leaf is the most important one of the entire Lulav, and we'll discuss its laws a little later. Remember! The top leaf is not included in the 4 tefochim.
L'na'neah - To Shake
This top tefach of the shedra, by the way, is in order to be able to properly shake the Lulav, and therefore you must be very careful not to tie it up. So remember, never put your top ring up too high, for then the Lulav will not be able to shake properly. Also, make sure that the Arovos and Hadasim stay clear of this area.
Tiyomas -Twins
id you ever examine the leaves of a Lulav? They are quite interesting. If you take a close look you will notice that each leaf is actually a double, a twin called tiyomas. It comes apart into two. If most of the Lulav's leaves grow only single then it is posul (invalid), but this is quite rare to find.
Yovaish - Dry Chosair - Missing Nechlak - Split
If most of the leaves of the Lulav are torn open more than halfway, the Lulav is posul (invalid). The same thing, of course, applies to a case when most of its leaves are simply missing. If most of the Lulav's leaves are dry, or the center spine (shedra) is dry, then the Lulav is posul as well. Exactly when are the leaves considered dry, you may ask? According to most poskim, it's when its leaves have turned white and lost their moisture (and can no longer be brought back to life).
Many rishonim (Ran etc. ) refer to the top leaf as the ti'yomes and we are machmir (more stringent)to follow this opinion. Therefore, this is the main part of the Lulav to examine. This is the part that the eye sees best, and therefore is the most sensitive part of the Lulav. After all, this is the head of the Lulav. The head, as I'm sure you know, is extremely delicate. Here, every small flaw counts. You can find the top leaf by followig the shedra (spine) to its end. By the way, you may sometimes even find two center leaves. (Rashi, in fact, calls these two center leaves ti'yomas.)
It is important to note that the Sefardim whose minhag (custom) it is to follow the Mechaber (Bais Yosef) don't accept this chumra based on the Rama. The Mechaber does not make a difference between the center leaf and any other leaves. According to his opinion, most of the leaves must be split or cut in order for the Lulav to become.
Niktam Ro'sh'o - The Top Is Cut Off
Some say that if this top leaf is cut off, even in the slightest, the Lulav is not good. This is called niktam ro'sh'o. However, others say that only if most of the leaf is cut off then it becomes posul. The Mishna Berurah says it's better to follow the stricter opinion.
Note: Many a time you can find a Lulav that has a very thin hair-like point coming out of the very top leaf. If this is broken off, then it's not considered uatr oyeb and is still kosher. A Rov should be consulted if in doubt.
Nechlak Ha'tiyomas - A Split Top Leaf
The most common problem with a Lulav is that many times the center leaf is split. Unfortunately, this happens all too often because people are very careless when they examine the Lulav. One little squeeze or one little touch can ruin a good Lulav.
If the center top leaf is split all the way down until the shedra, then the Lulav is posul. According to many poskim, this p'sul is not because of Hodar (not beautiful), but rather becuase the Torah requires a complete Lulav. If its top leaf is completely split then it is not considered tam v'shalom –
The Taz however says that as long as the split is less than one Tefach (fist) it is considered whole, and therefore a Lulav that has a small split on top is still considered a mitzvah min ha'muvcha.
Yet, there are many that try and find a perfectly closed Lulav. Good Luck! It's not so easy to come by!
Nisdak K'hemnek - A "V" Shaped Split
However, if the top leaf is split apart even slightly, and it can clearly be seen to look like a "V", it is called nisdak k'hemnek and is posul. ( A hemnek was a scribe's tool, similar to a compass.) Some say that the reason it is posul is because the Torah requires u'lechachtem - to take a complete object, and not one that is incomplete. This is called a l'kicha tamah. There are some who say that this is also a problem in hodar (beauty). It is important to note that the poskim don't clearly define the exact distance of this opening known as hemnak. It seems to be referring to a "V" shape, and not just a small parting of the leaves.
The Rav (based on the Rambam) says that hemnek refers to the shedra (spine) itself being split just below the center leaf, making the Lulav appear as two Lulavim. (Rashi in Succah 32. has a different explanation of hemnek.)
A Dried-Out Top Leaf
The Mishna Berurah (in the name of the Ry'ved and Pri Megodim) says that if the top leaf is dried out, then the Lulav is posul.
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