Building a Kosher Succah in 80 seconds
The sukkah is a temporary dwelling that Jews use during the holiday of Sukkot. For forty years, as our ancestors traversed the Sinai Desert prior to their entry into the Holy Land, miraculous "clouds of glory" surrounded and hovered over them, shielding them from the dangers and discomforts of the desert. Ever since, we remember G-d's kindness and reaffirm our trust in His providence by dwelling in a sukkah--a hut of temporary construction with a roof covering of branches--for the duration of the Sukkot festival (Tishrei 15-21). For seven days and nights, we eat all our meals in the sukkah and otherwise regard it as our home. According to Halakha, a sukkah is a structure consisting of a roof made of organic material which has been disconnected from the ground (the s'chach), supported by at least three walls. It should be at least three feet tall, and be positioned so that all or part of its roof is open to the sky (only the part which is under the sky is kosher.) A sukkah can be built on the ground or on an open porch or balcony. Indeed, many observant Jews who design their home's porch or deck will do so in a fashion that aligns with their Sukkah building needs. Portable sukkahs have recently become available for those who have little space, or for those who are travelling (in order to have a place to eat one's meals). In practice, the walls of a sukkah can be built from anything ranging from wood to canvas to aluminium, and the roof material can range from pine branches to palm fronds to bamboo. The walls may also be part of a house or fence. The specific details of what constitutes a wall, how short/tall a wall can be, whether there can be spaces between the walls and the roof, and the exact material required for the s'chach can be found in various exegetical texts.