Page 288 - Chayei Adam LAYOUT sivan 5782

Chayei Adam - K’lal 146 - Laws of the Succah

]40[ It is permitted to construct a succah on a wagon or ship, provided it can
withstand common wind. 185 Therefore, travelling merchants can build a succah on
their wagons, provided it is ten tefachim tall and seven tefachim wide, not
including its wheels. 186

]41[ One can fulfill his obligation with a borrowed succah, as the posuk says 187
“all the citizens of the Jewish people shall dwell in succos”. There, the word תֹּכ ֻּסַּב
‘in succos’) is written without the letter vav [and can be read תַּכ ֻּסַּב (“in succas”)]
implying that the entire nation can sit in a single succah. 188 Then, it would be
impossible that every individual could own even a prutah’s worth of the succah, 189
and it must mean that a succah may be borrowed; and that which it says “you
shall make succos for yourself”, and generally ‘for yourself’ means, your own,
Chazal understand to exclude a stolen succah. However, since we hold that land
cannot be stolen, if a person grabs his friend and removes him from his succah
[he fulfills his obligation. 190 Nevertheless,] one may not use his friend’s succah
without permission, even if he doesn’t intend to steal it; although a person is
happy to have his property used for mitzvos, here he does mind since he wants
privacy. 191 Nevertheless, when the Torah excludes using a stolen succah, it does

םדו רשב
185. The mishna (Succah 22b) teaches that the seven by seven tefachim of the dimensions
one may construct a succah on top of a wagon of the succah.
or ship. The gemara qualifies that this is
provided it can withstand a common wind, 187. Vayikra 23:42

and although Raban Gamliel requires that it 188. The gemara (Succah 27b) cites the
be able to withstand even a regular wind at opinion of R’ Eliezer that just as one must own
sea which is typically stronger, the halacha his lulav and esrog (see below k’lal 149 siman
follows R’ Akiva who maintains that as long as 2) and he may not simply borrow it from
it can withstand common wind when on dry someone else, so too, a person must eat and
land, it can serve as a valid succah at sea, even sleep in his own succah. The Chachamim
if the winds are more common. disagree; although the posuk does say ‘you
זנק
shall make the festival of Succos for yourself,
186. Meaning that the succcah must another posuk teaches ‘all the citizens shall sit
contain ten tefachim of space, from the floor in succos’, which, although read in plural form,
of the wagon, and not from the ground. As is written singular, implying that the entire
well, the wheels should be situated outside of nation can use the same succah. Instead, they

288