Comment construire une souccah cachère ווי אזוי בויט מען א כשר'ע סוכה

A home for seven days

In the sukkah we remember how Hashem sheltered the Jews in the wilderness after leaving Mitzrayim ^[3]. We eat in it, and many also sleep in it ^[3]. For the mitzvah to be done properly, the sukkah has to be kosher. Here are the basics in simple words, following the OU and STAR-K kashrus organizations. For any question, ask your Rov.

Where to put it

• The sukkah must stand under the open sky: not under a tree, an awning or a balcony ^[1][4].
• Not in a place with a bad smell ^[1].
• Preferably on a patio, deck or driveway rather than on the grass ^[1].

The walls

• A kosher sukkah needs at least three walls, each at least 7 tefachim (about 28 inches) long ^[1].
• The walls must be at least 10 tefachim high; the OU writes at least 40 inches ^[1]. And a wall may not hang more than 9 inches above the ground; this is a common problem with fabric walls ^[1].
• Walls must be tied tight so they don't move in the wind ^[1]. If that can't be done, wrap a series of belts or ropes around the sukkah: the first within 9 inches of the ground, the next within 9 inches of the first, and so on until above 40 inches ^[1].
• The maximum height under the schach is 20 amos, about 30 feet ^[4]. There is no maximum floor size ^[4].

The schach

Schach must be something that (1) grows from the ground, (2) is already detached from the ground, and (3) cannot become tamei ^[2]. So:

• Good: unfinished wood slats, corn stalks, palm branches, and bamboo, since bamboo grows hollow naturally ^[2].
• Not good: metal, leather, food, paper, and wooden utensils ^[2].
• Boards must be narrower than 4 tefachim (14 inches) ^[2].
• Do not use bundles of 25 sticks or more tied together ^[2].
• Today people use schach mats. A mat made for sitting on is not kosher for schach, so the mat must carry a reliable hashgacha ^[1].
• There must be enough schach that inside there is more shade than sun, and ideally one can still see the stars through it ^[3].

Practical tips

• Don't rest schach directly on metal or plastic, but on wooden beams laid on top of the metal poles ^[1].
• Tie mats down with cotton or hemp string, not wire or synthetic string, or lay heavy 2x4s on top ^[1].
• The schach should be put up by a Jew l'shem mitzvah. If a non-Jew helped, a Jew should lift the mats slightly and lay them back down; this can be done with a pole ^[1].
• Traditionally the sukkah is built in the four days between Yom Kippur and Erev Sukkos ^[4].

With a beautiful, kosher sukkah the whole family is happy. In Eretz Yisroel and in warm places, many eat, learn and even sleep in the sukkah ^[3]. A freilichen Yom Tov!