Halacha According to the Sephardic Practice: Eating and Sleeping in the Sukkah

From the book series Laws of the Holidays by Rabbi Yonatan Nacson; used with permission.

Sitting and Eating in the Sukkah on the First Night of Sukkot

Obligation of eating bread in the sukkah

1. One is obligated to eat a kezayit of bread inside the sukkah on the first night of Sukkot. On the rest of the days of Sukkot, there is no obligation to eat bread.[1]

2. The kezayit of bread that one must eat in the sukkah is measured by the weight of twenty-seven grams.[2]

3. One should eat the kezayit without interruption within about six to seven and a half minutes, and preferably, four to five minutes.[3]

4. Preferably, the kezayit of bread should not be eaten with any other food, such as a salad or dip.[4]

5. The kezayit of bread that one eats to fulfill he obligation on the first night of Sukkot should not be sweet.[5]

6. On the first night of Sukkot, the kezayit of bread should be eaten before chatzot. If one did not have an opportunity to eat in the sukkah until after chatzot, such as in the case of rain, one may eat the kezayit after chatzot. However, one may only recite the berachah of lishev basukkah if one eats a kebetzah of bread.[6]

7. If one did not eat bread on the first night of Sukkot, he may no longer fulfill the mitzvah.[7]

8. It is an averah to eat bread outside of a sukkah on Sukkot, but one who eats bread in a sukkah throughout Sukkot fulfills a mitzvah each time.[8]

Kavanah for the mitzvah

10. When sitting in the sukkah and eating throughout Sukkot, and especially on the first night of Sukkot, one should have in mind the following mitzvot:[9]
    1. He is eating in the sukkah to commemorate the Ananei HaKavod, the Clouds of Glory, that surrounded Bnei Yisrael in the desert after they left Mitzrayim.
    2. Zecher le’Yitziat Mitzrayim, remembering the Exodus from Egypt.
    3. One is fulfilling the mitzvah of eating in a sukkah.
11. Throughout the seven days of Sukkot, one fulfills a mitzvah for every second that one sits in the sukkah.[10]

Rain on the first night of Sukkot

12. Even on the first night of Sukkot, one is not obligated to eat in the sukkah if it is raining heavily. One who wants to stay up and wait for the rain to pass to eat a kezayit in the sukkah is praiseworthy.[11]
13. If one did not recite a Shehecheyanu when sitting in the sukkah because it was raining, but recited Shehecheyanu when reciting Kiddush, he should not recite another Shehecheyanu when the rain clears and he is able to enter the sukkah.[12]

Washing for bread outside of the sukkah

14. One is permitted to wash his hands for netilat yadayim in the sukkah.[13]
15. It is not permitted for one to wash his hands over grass, even if one does not have intention to water the grass by doing so.[14] Similarly, when eating outside, one should be cautious to not spill one’s drink on the grass.[15]
16. One may use a sink (that is outside of the sukkah) that has a pipe that drains out into one’s yard, even though it will drain out onto a plant.[16]

The berachah upon eating in the sukkah

16. The proper pronunciation of the berachah when sitting in the sukkah is lishev basukkah (pronounced leeshev bahsukkah), unlike the Ashkenazic custom to pronounce the berachah as leisheiv basukkah (layshave basukkah).[17]

17. The custom of most Sephardim is to recite the berachah of Lishev BaSukkah before sitting down to make HaMotzi, which is unlike the Ashkenazic custom to recite this berachah after HaMotzi. If one recited Lishev BaSukkah after HaMotzi, one has still fulfilled his obligation.[18]

18. If one is unable to sit for whatever reason, he may still recite the berachah of Lishev BaSukkah even though he will be standing while eating.[19]

19. If one began eating and remembered that he did not recite a Lishev BaSukkah, he may recite the berachah when he remembers. One may still recite the berachah even if he will not be eating a kebetzah of bread afterward, since as long as one will be eating or even drinking items that are part of his meal, a berachah may still be recited. However, once one has finished his meal and has no intention to eat or drink anymore, a Lishev BaSukkah may no longer be recited for that meal.[20]

20. If one is unsure whether he recited a Lishev BaSukkah, he should not recite another berachah. Instead, he should think the words of the berachah without verbalizing them.[21]

21. If one already recited Birkat HaMazon but did not yet leave the sukkah, and now wants to begin eating again, he may not recite another Lishev BaSukkah.[22]

One who forgot Yaaleh Veyavo on the first night of Sukkot

22. Since there is an obligation to eat bread on the first night of Sukkot, one who forgot to recite Yaaleh VeYavo in Birkat HaMazon must do as follows:[23]
    1. If he remembers before finishing the berachah of Boneh Yerushalayim, he should finish the berachah with the words lamideni chukecha, and then return to Yaaleh VeYavo.
    2. If one already recited the berachah of Boneh Yerushalayim, he should immediately say afterward:[24]

ברוך אתה ה’ א-להינו מלך העולם שנתן ימים טובים לעמו ישראל, לששון ולשמחה, את יום חג הסוכות הזה, את יום טוב מקרא קודש הזה. ברוך אתה ה’ מקדש ישראל והזמנים.

1. If one did not remember until after he began to recite the fourth berachah of Birkat HaMazon, he must return to the beginning of Birkat HaMazon and start again.

23. If one forgot to recite Yaaleh VeYavo in Birkat HaMazon on any of the days of Sukkot other than the first night, one does not have to repeat it. However, if one remembers immediately after reciting Boneh Yerushalayim, he should recite the berachah cited in the above halachah.[25]

24. If one is unsure whether he recite Yaaleh VeYavo, even on the first night of Sukkot, he does not have to go back and recite Birkat HaMazon[26]

25. A woman who forgot to recite Yaaleh VeYavo on Sukkot, even on the first night, does not have to repeat Birkat HaMazon.[27]

26. If one is unable to eat in the sukkah on the first night of Sukkot, he is nevertheless obligated to eat a kezayit of bread. However, if one forgot to recite Yaaleh VeYavo in such a situation, he does not have to repeat Birkat HaMazon.[28]

If one’s table is outside of the Sukkah

27. One who is sitting in the sukkah and eating by a table that is situated outside of his sukkah has not fulfilled his obligation, even if his body is inside the sukkah. This is because of the rabbinical enactment that one may not eat in the sukkah on a table that is outside of the sukkah, since one might come to eat outside of the sukkah by leaning toward his table.[29]

28. One may fulfill his obligation with a table that is outside of his sukkah if he does not eat off of the table, and instead holds his food in his hands.[30]

29. It is not sufficient for another person to remind him that he may not to eat outside the sukkah when one is eating by a table that is outside the sukkah.[31]

30. One who ate by a table that is inside the sukkah but is below non-kosher schach has fulfilled his obligation. Preferably, though, one’s table should be under kosher schach.[32]

32. One may eat at a table that is partially inside the sukkah and partially outside the sukkah.[33]
33. One may sleep in a bed that is mostly inside the sukkah and only partially outside[34] even if his feet are outside of the sukkah or under a space that is invalid to sit under. However, most of his body must be inside the sukkah in order to fulfill his obligation.[35]

Proper conduct in the Sukkah

33. The mitzvah of being in a sukkah throughout Sukkot includes eating, drinking, sleeping, and even just walking around or sitting leisurely. Just as one would live and go about in his home, one must also live in his sukkah. Throughout Sukkot, one’s sukkah should be his primary dwelling place.[36]

34. One should bring any fancy dishes or other such décor into the sukkah to create an ambiance of one’s regular home in the sukkah.[37]

35. When one finished his meal, he should not leave the dirty dishes inside the sukkah, since the sukkah must be treated with utmost respect and cleanliness. Similarly, one should not bring unnecessary dishes to the table. For instance, one should not bring a pot into the sukkah, and then empty out its contents onto a serving tray. Rather, one should place the food on the serving tray before bringing it into the sukkah.[38]

37. Any sort of act that may be considered unclean, such as washing dishes or changing a baby’s diaper, should not be performed in the sukkah.[39]
38. A person may not pass through a sukkah to use it as a shortcut.[40]
39. Smoking is permitted in a sukkah. However, one should not do so if it disturbs other people.[42]

40. One may fulfill the mitzvah of onah in the sukkah.[43]

41. Even though one may not urinate in the sukkah, an elderly person who wants to sleep in the sukkah and is unable to go back and forth from the sukkah to his home to use the restroom may urinate in the sukkah and then cover the bowl in which he relieved himself. In the morning, the bowl should be removed from the sukkah.[44]

42. Throughout Sukkot, one should learn and read in the sukkah. However, if one is unable to concentrate on his learning in the sukkah, he may even learn indoors. Similarly, if one needs many books to learn properly and they are only available indoors, one does not have to learn in the sukkah. In any case, a berachah should not be recited when learning in the sukkah.[45]

43. If it begins to rain while one is in the sukkah, one may go indoors, and does not need to wait for it to begin raining heavily.[46]

44. One should always pray in a synagogue, even if one may also make a minyan in his sukkah, since there is no better place for prayer than a synagogue.[47]

45. The Zohar, Emor 103b states that during Sukkot the Ushpizin are present in the sukkah. Therefore, one must act with respect and dignity inside the sukkah, and not speak about frivolous matters, get angry, or gamble.[48]

46. It is a praiseworthy custom to set aside a special chair in the sukkah for the Ushpizin.[49]

Eating in the Sukkah throughout Sukkot

47. Other than on the first night of Sukkot, one is not obligated to eat in the sukkah during the remaining days unless one is eating mezonot or bread.[50]

48. Strictly speaking, one is only obligated to eat in the sukkah if he is eating fifty-four grams (a kebetzah) of bread. Preferably, one should eat at least sixty grams of bread. One who is eating less than fifty grams of bread does not have to eat in the sukkah.[51]

49. Foods such as fruit, vegetables, meat, fish, chicken, cheese, eggs, and even rice do not have to be eaten in the sukkah, regardless of their quantities.[52]

50. If one was eating in a sukkah and did not have the intention to eat a full kebetzah of bread, and then decides that he wants to eat more than a kebetzah of bread during the course of his meal, he should recite the berachah of Lishev BaSukkah before he continues to eat.[53]

51. Mezonot foods (pat habaah bekisnin — such as cookies, crackers, sweet breads, and cakes, pasta[54] or any dish made from the five grains) must be eaten inside a sukkah if one is eating more than a kebetzah. However, a Lishev BaSukkah is only recited if one will eat at least 162 grams. Preferably, one should eat 216 grams.[55] Ashkenazim, however, have the custom to recite a Lishev BaSukkah even when eating mezonot that is less than 162 grams.[56] It is praiseworthy to still eat in the sukkah regardless of the measurement of the food that one is eating.[57]

52. One may answer amen to the berachah of Lishev BaSukkah that an Ashkenazi recites on a mezonot[58]

53. One may drink anything outside of the sukkah, even beer, liquor, and wine.[59] Therefore, one is not obligated to recite Havdalah in the sukkah.[60]

54. Once one begins to eat a kebetzah of bread in the sukkah, he may no longer even drink water outside of the sukkah until his meal is over. Similarly, if one is chewing, he may not leave the sukkah until he swallows the food in his mouth.[61]

55. Even on Shabbat and Yom Tov, one does not have to eat in the sukkah unless he will be eating a kebetzah of mezonot (other than rice) or bread.[62]

56. If one wants to eat melaveh malkah on motzaei Shabbat with bread immediately after reciting Havdalah, he should recite the berachah of Lishev BaSukkah before the HaGefen on the wine during Havdalah.[63]

57. It is praiseworthy to eat everything in a sukkah, even foods that one is not obligated to eat in a sukkah. However, a Lishev BaSukkah may not be recited when doing so.[64]

58. When visiting a sukkah, one does not recite the berachah of Lishev BaSukkah.[65]

Sleeping in the Sukkah

59. Throughout Sukkot, one is obligated to sleep in the sukkah, even when taking a short nap.[66]

60. A berachah is not recited when sleeping in the sukkah since one might not fall asleep and the berachah will be in vain.[67]

One who has a small sukkah

61. Even if one’s sukkah is very small and one must sleep in an uncomfortable position to fit inside, he is nevertheless obligated to sleep in the sukkah.[68]

62. If two people made a sukkah and there is only enough space for one person to sleep in it at a time, then they should take turns sleeping in the sukkah, with one sleeping on the first night, one on the second, etc.[69]

63. One may remove his table to fit his bed into the sukkah.[70]

Situations where one does not need to sleep in the Sukkah

64. Even though one should generally not sleep at home by himself,[71] it is permissible to sleep alone in a sukkah, even without a light on.[72]

65. When there is no one else sleeping in the sukkah, one’s wife should preferably sleep in the sukkah with him. However, she may sleep indoors if it is difficult for her to sleep in the sukkah.[73]

66. If one needs to fulfill the mitzvah of onah, he does not have to sleep in the sukkah if it is not private enough.[74]

67. Even a man in his first year of marriage must sleep in the sukkah. However, if one’s wife is afraid to sleep alone, one may be lenient and sleep indoors.[75]

68. A man who has small children that often need help during the night is permitted to sleep indoors in order to help his wife if she is unable to take care of them by herself.[76]

69. If one lives in a dangerous neighborhood and is afraid that he may be injured or robbed if he sleeps in the sukkah, he may sleep indoors.[77]

70. It is not obligatory to sleep in the sukkah in very cold places in the world where one may become ill by doing so.[78]

71. One who sees his friend sleeping outside of the sukkah does not have to wake him up, especially if he is in a deep sleep. If possible, though, one should try to lightly wake him up and tell him to go sleep in a sukkah.[79]

Rain

72. Even if it is only slightly raining, one does not have to sleep in the sukkah.[80]

73. If it was raining during the daytime and one entered his house to take a nap, one must return to the sukkah if he wakes up and the rain has stopped.[81] However, if at night one went to sleep indoors because it was raining outside, he does not have to return to the sukkah if he wakes up in the middle of the night, or even if he awakes after dawn. One who nevertheless does return to the sukkah when the rain has stopped is praiseworthy.[82]

Those who are exempt from the mitzvah of Sukkah

Women

74. Women and children below the age of bar and bat mitzvah are not obligated in the mitzvah of eating and sleeping in the sukkah.[83]

75. If a woman wants to be stringent and eat in the sukkah, she may not recite the berachah of Lishev BaSukkah.[84]

76. If one hears a woman make a berachah on the mitzvah of sukkah, even if she is an Ashkenazit, one should think the word amen and not verbalize it.[85]

77. Even though a woman is not obligated to sit in the sukkah, it is praiseworthy for her to do so, especially if she is with her husband.[86]

78. Since a woman is not obligated in eating in the sukkah, when she hears a man recite the berachah of Lishev BaSukkah during Kiddush, she should not answer amen, so as to avoid an interruption in the berachah. However, an Ashkenazic women may answer amen.[87]

79. A woman who was stringent to sit in the sukkah for several years and did not realize that she was not obligated to do so does not have to perform hatarat nedarim if she wants to temporarily sit indoors. However, if she wants to begin sitting indoors permanently and no longer wants to sit in the sukkah, she should perform hatarat nedarim.[88]

80. A woman may be in the sukkah even if she is a niddah.[89]

Children

81. Once a child becomes old enough to understand the mitzvah of sukkah, he should be trained in sitting and eating in the sukkah.[90] However, if it is cold outside, and it is difficult for the child to stay in the sukkah, he may eat indoors.[91]

Converts

82. Even a convert is obligated in the mitzvah of sukkah.[92]

An Avel and an Onen

83. An avel is obligated to eat in the sukkah.[93]

84. An onen is not obligated in the mitzvah of sukkah during Chol HaMoed.[94]

People Who Are Ill

85. One who has a headache or whose eyes are bothering him is exempt from the mitzvah of sukkah.[95]

86. One who needs to constantly accompany a sick person to assist and monitor him is exempt from the mitzvah of sukkah.[96]

A Chatan during Sheva Berachot, Baalei Brit, and a Seudat Mitzvah

87. It is customary for a chatan and those who are attending the sheva berachot to eat in the sukkah, without reciting a Lishev BaSukkah.[97]

88. The meal eaten after a brit milah must be eaten in a sukkah. Even the brit milah itself should be performed in the sukkah if one is able to, the weather is appropriate, and the sukkah is strong enough that woodchips or leaves from the walls or schach do not drop while the brit milah is taking place.[98]

89. Any seudat mitzvah, such as a siyum mesechet, bar mitzvah, or pidyon haben should be celebrated in the sukkah.[99]

Travelers and Shelichei Mitzvah

90. One who is traveling to perform a mitzvah or is collecting money for tzedakah is exempt from the mitzvah of sukkah.[100]

91. One who is traveling for business is exempt from the mitzvah of sukkah during the daytime, but should find a sukkah to eat and sleep in at night. However, if one is traveling for leisure purposes, he is obligated in the mitzvah of sukkah both during the day and night.[101] Therefore, one who is traveling for business may eat more than a kebetzah of bread on an airplane, and may fall asleep on a bus. However, one who is traveling for leisure may not eat or sleep outside of a sukkah.[102]

Store Owners

92. If one owns or works in a store all day and must work on Chol HaMoed, he is obligated to eat his meals in a sukkah. Therefore, he should either build for himself a sukkah that is close to his work, or only eat foods that do not require one to sit in a sukkah.[103]

Exemptions from the Mitzvah of Sukkah Because of Discomfort

93. One is exempt from the mitzvah of sukkah if being in the sukkah causes one discomfort. The different types of discomfort will be discussed below. In any case, even if one experiences discomfort in the sukkah, one is only exempt if leaving the sukkah will relieve the discomfort.[104]

94. Not every person may claim that he is discomforted from being in the sukkah. Only something that is considered a bother under normal circumstances would exempt one from eating or sleeping in the sukkah. However, one who is particularly finicky may claim that a certain situation is bothering him, and thereby be exempt from being in the sukkah.[105]

95. Rain is considered a normal discomfort that would exempt someone from being in the sukkah for the duration of the time it is raining. However, only great rainfall that would make one’s food become unappetizing exempts one from eating in the sukkah.[106] One who is unable to determine when he is no longer obligated to remain in the sukkah may leave once he sees that enough rain has fallen that if the rain was falling in a room of his home, he would go to another room.[107]

96. If one recited the berachah of Lishev BaSukkah, and rain began to pour before one ate the required kebetzah in the sukkah, he may go indoors, and the berachah he recited was not said in vain.[108]

97. If it is only raining a little bit, and one experiences discomfort by being in his sukkah, he should not recite the berachah of Lishev BaSukkah until is stops raining.[109]

98. After one is exempt from eating in the sukkah because of the rain, and he has already continued his meal indoors, he is not required to return to the sukkah after the rain stops, and finish his meal there. However, one who does so is praiseworthy.[110]

99. Strong winds that blow down leaves of schach or pieces of wood into one’s food may exempt one from being in the sukkah if one is discomforted.[111]

100. If one checked the weather and it appears as if it will rain, one is still obligated to be in the sukkah, but a berachah should preferably be omitted.[112]

101. If one’s schach is especially thick, and rain does not really enter one’s sukkah to the point that it will spoil one’s food, he may not go eat inside to eat, and a berachah of Lishev BaSukkah may even be recited.[113]

102. One is not considered praiseworthy for remaining in the sukkah in the pouring rain, and may certainly not recite a berachah when eating in the sukkah at this time. Rather, one should leave the sukkah respectfully and continue his meal indoors, where he can enjoy his meal.[114]

103. If one’s lights in the sukkah went out, and the sukkah is so dark that one cannot eat properly, he is exempt from being in the sukkah. However, if one can go to a neighbor’s sukkah, especially on the first night, then one is obligated to do so.[115]

104. If one is discomforted from flies and other insects or bad smells that are in the sukkah, he may leave the sukkah, since this is not how one would normally live in his home.[116]

105. During days that are extremely cold, one is only permitted to recite a berachah when eating in the sukkah if he is comfortable when sitting in it, such as by wearing warm clothing. However, if one is still cold and cannot eat properly in such weather, he is exempt from being in the sukkah.[117]

106. If it is extremely cold inside the sukkah, and one’s parents do not want him to eat or sleep in it because he may become sick from the cold, one should listen to his parents, and he is exempt from being in the sukkah. This is because one must live in a sukkah as he would in a regular home, and just as one would not live in a home that his parents tell him not to live in, he should also listen to them regarding being in a sukkah.[118]

[1]. Shulchan Aruch 639:3.

[2]. See Yalkut Yosef, Sukkah, p. 608, which discusses this subject at length. See also Chazon Ovadia, Sukkot, p. 112.

[3]. Chazon Ovadia, Sukkot, p. 112.

[4]. Yechaveh Daat 4:37; Yabia Omer, vol. 9, O.C. 81:18; Chazon Ovadia, Sukkot, p. 116; Halichot Olam, vol. 2, p. 275. However, one may dip the bread into soup or honey, since this is considered a regular way of eating bread. See Yalkut Yosef, Sukkah, p. 628, which explains the difference between dipping one’s bread in soup and eating it with other foods. See also Tzitz Eliezer 15:32; Shalmei Moed, p. 118; and Halichot Shlomo, Sukkah, 9:3, in Dvar Halachah §7, p. 150.

[5]. Chazon Ovadia, Sukkot, pp. 117–120.

[6]. Rama 639:3; Kaf HaChayim 639:59; Chazon Ovadia, Sukkot, pp. 108–110.

[7]. Aruch HaShulchan 639:4; Chazon Ovadia, Sukkot, p. 112.

[8]. See Chazon Ovadia, Sukkot, p. 101, which is unlike the Mishnah Berurah 639:24, which is undecided whether one fulfills a separate mitzvah each day of Sukkot. See also Yalkut Yosef, Sukkah, p. 607.

[9]. Many poskim, such as Bikurei Yaakov 626:3 and the Bach, hold that if one does not have intention to fulfill the mitzvah as a commemoration for the Ananei HaKavod, then one has not fulfilled his obligation on the first night of Sukkot. See also Moed LeChol Chai 20:14 and Ben Ish Chai, Haazinu 1:6. The Mishnah Berurah 625:1 rules otherwise, and states that one who did not have this intention has nevertheless fulfilled his obligation. See also Chazon Ovadia, Sukkot, p. 97; Halichot Olam, vol. 2, p. 275; and Ohr LeTzion, vol. 4, 21:1.

Regarding having intention to fulfill the mitzvah of eating in a sukkah, see Halichot Olam, vol. 2, p. 275 and Yalkut Yosef, Sukkah, p. 605, which state that if one did not have intention for the mitzvah, he has fulfilled his obligation of eating in the sukkah bedieved, since one may rely on the fact that the mere act of being in a sukkah is considered intending to fulfill the mitzvah.

[10] See Sukkat Tzion, pp. 29-32. He also states all of the reward that one receives for fulfilling the mitzvah of sukkah. This includes: 1) Long life. 2) Protection from one’s enemies. 3) Protection in times of pain. 4) Being saved from the judgement in Olam Habba. 5) Being in the sukkah serves to atone for any sin that one was liable to be exiled. 6) It protects one’s soul. 7) One merits to have the Shechina and the Ushpizin visit him. 8) Hashem protects one from the war of Gog U’Magog. 9) Hashem protects one from evil spirits. 10) One merits a great spiritual reward in Olam Habba. 11) One will merit to sit in the sukkah of the Levyatan. 12) One is saved from his yetzer hara and from sin. 13) It makes peace in one’s home. 14) One merits Olam Hazeh and Olam Habba. 15) One is considered to be a partner with Hashem in the creation of the world. See also Yesod Veshoresh HaAvodah 11:12 who says that since the mitzvah is so easy to accomplish and the reward is so great, one should try to spend as much time as he can in the sukkah, and if one is needlessly outside the sukkah, he will be judged in Olam Habba for losing out on such a great mitzvah for no reason.

[11]. Shulchan Aruch 639:5. Rama, on the other hand, rules stringently that one should eat at least a kezayit of bread in the sukkah on the first night of Sukkot, even if it is raining. Mishnah Berurah 639:35 points out that even according to the Rama, a berachah should not be recited when eating in the sukkah if it is raining. See also Chazon Ovadia, Sukkot, p. 122; Ohr LeTzion, vol. 4, 29:7; and Shemesh U’Magen, vol. 3, 38:11.

[12]. Rama 642:1 states that one should recite a Shehecheyanu again when he is able to eat in the sukkah. However, Chazon Ovadia, Sukkot, p. 125 says that many poskim disagree with the Rama’s ruling, and it is therefore better to refrain from reciting another Shehecheyanu. See also Ohr LeTzion, vol. 4, 29:7 & 31:4.

[13]. See Rivevot Ephraim, vol. 4, 153:17, in the name of Rabbi Chaim Kanievsky, who said that the Chazon Ish would wash his hands in the sukkah. Chazon Ovadia, Sukkot, p. 130, footnote 24 points out that the water should be removed from the sukkah after washing.

[14] Shulchan Aruch 336:3; Chazon Ovadia, Shabbat, vol. 4, p. 2.

[15] See Rama 336:3.

[16] See Chazon Ovadia, Shabbat, vol. 4, p. 10 and vol. 3, p. 29. The reason why this is permitted is for a combination of factors: 1) One is not directly pouring the water on the grass, but, rather, since it is being poured into the sink and then through a pipe which leads to the grass, it is considered a grama. 2) One does not have any intention to water the plants outside. 3) It is possible that the ground is already saturated with water, and the water does not add any more nutrition to the plant (see Petach HaDevir 336:5). Even if not, there is still reason to permit doing so, even though it is an inevitable action, since it is done through grama and considered only Rabbinically prohibited, one does not care or even want it to water the plants outside. 4) In a case where the plant would have grown even without the water that one is adding, there are those who state that there is no prohibition of Zore’ah on such a plant (see Har Tzvi, O.C. §207)

[17]. Chazon Ovadia, Sukkot, p. 172; Sukkat Tzion, p. 145.

[18]. See Shulchan Aruch 643:2–3, which states that the custom of some Sephardim is to recite Lishev BaSukkah before HaMotzi, and some have the custom to recite it after HaMotzi. Moed LeChol Chai 22:1 and Yafeh LaLev 643:2 state that the proper custom is to recite the berachah while standing, and then to sit and recite HaMotzi. This was also the custom of the Ben Ish Chai, Haazinu 1:5. See Yechaveh Daat 5:47 and Chazon Ovadia, Sukkot, p. 173, which states that the proper custom is to recite the berachah before HaMotzi, but those who recite the berachah afterward have what to rely on. Many Sephardim, like Ashkenazim, have the custom to recite the berachah after HaMotzi; see Netivei Am, p. 268; Keter Shem Tov, vol. 7, p. 19; Toledano, Kitzur Shulchan Aruch 585:6; Brit Kehunah, Maarechet Samech §16; Alei Hadas 11:3; and Ohr LeTzion, vol. 4, 31:3. It seems that one who has the custom to recite the berachah of Lishev BaSukkah before HaMotzi may fulfill his obligation by hearing it from an Ashkenazi or a Sephardi who has the custom to say it afterward.

[19]. Chazon Ovadia, Sukkot, p. 175 and Ohr LeTzion, vol. 4, 31:2. However, if one is able to sit, he must sit while he eats, as the Mishnah Berurah 296:6 and Kaf HaChayim 271:64 state that the Gemara, Gittin 70a, says one may not do so because it is unhealthy to eat while standing. This is also brought in Rambam, De’ot 4:3.

[20]. Ben Ish Chai, Haazinu 1:5; Chazon Ovadia, Sukkot, p. 178; Yechaveh Daat 5:48; Halichot Olam, vol. 2, p. 270; Yalkut Yosef, Sukkah, p. 695; Ohr LeTzion, vol. 4, 29:9. This is unlike the view of Kaf HaChayim 639:100, which implies that one may only recite another berachah if one intends to eat another kebetzah of bread afterward.

[21]. Chazon Ovadia, Sukkot, pp. 178–181.

[22]. Moed LeChol Chai 22:8 states that in such a situation, one should recite another Lishev BaSukkah. However, the author of Yalkut Yosef, Sukkah, p. 700 writes that he found a note on the margin of his father’s Moed LeChol Chai that says that the halachah does not follow the view of Moed LeChol Chai, which is in accordance with the Taz; rather, the halachah follows the view of most poskim, such as the Magen Avraham, Shulchan Aruch HaRav, Pri Megadim, Chayei Adam, and others. See also Shaar HaTziyun 639:86 and Mishnah Berurah 639:47 which bring this argument in the poskim, and say like the Magen Avraham, and not the Taz. See also Chazon Ovadia, Sukkot, p. 182, which states that one who left the sukkah without intending to return to eat may recite another berachah if he does return. Ohr LeTzion, vol. 4, 29:8 says that going to the synagogue to pray is considered enough of an interruption that would require one to make another berachah when returning to eat in the sukkah.

[23]. Yabia Omer, vol. 4, Y.D. 25:3; ibid., vol. 6, O.C. 18:13; ibid., vol. 7, O.C. 28:1; Yechaveh Daat 5:36; Chazon Ovadia, Sukkot, pp. 101–104; Yalkut Yosef, Sukkah, p. 638.

[24]. Siddur Yechaveh Daat, p. 268.

[25]. Chazon Ovadia, Sukkot, p. 101; Ohr LeTzion, vol. 4, 29:10 & 31:5.

[26]. Chazon Ovadia, Sukkot, p. 107; Yabia Omer 7:28 & 9:77.

[27]. Chazon Ovadia, Sukkot, p. 108; Yalkut Yosef, Sukkah, p. 644.

[28]. Chazon Ovadia, Sukkot, p. 107.

[29]. Shulchan Aruch 634:4. See also Yalkut Yosef, Sukkah, p. 419, in the footnotes, which says that a woman has fulfilled the mitzvah of sitting in a sukkah with a table that is outside of the sukkah.

[30]. Shaar HaTziyun 634:7; Chazon Ovadia, Sukkot, p. 188.

[31]. Chazon Ovadia, Sukkot, p. 171.

[32]. Kaf HaChayim 634:12.

[33]. Shaar HaTziyun 634:6; Chazon Ovadia, Sukkot, pp. 188–190; Yalkut Yosef, Sukkah, p. 418.

[34]. Chazon Ovadia, Sukkot, p. 199.

[35]. Rama 640:4 and Mishnah Berurah 640:27. See also Halichot Moed, p. 334 and Az Nidberu, vol. 14, 41:5.

[36]. Shulchan Aruch 639:1. See Kaf HaChayim 639:12 and Ohr LeTzion, vol. 4, 29:1, which cite the Yaavatz in Siddur Yaavatz §1, who writes that with every second one spends inside a sukkah, one fulfills a mitzvah.

[37]. Shulchan Aruch 639:1.

[38]. See Shulchan Aruch 639:1, which says that one should not bring any trays of food into the sukkah. However, in these times, it is customary to bring serving trays to the table so that everyone may take his own portion of food. Chazon Ovadia, Sukkot, p. 128 states that this is no longer a problem since this is the regular way of serving food, even before distinguished individuals. See also Ohr LeTzion, vol. 4, 29:1, in the footnotes, which states that one may even bring a hot water kettle or urn into the sukkah.

[39]. Ben Ish Chai, Haazinu 1:9 writes that one should not even wash drinking glasses in the sukkah. However, Mishnah Berurah 639:9 and Chazon Ovadia, Sukkot, p. 129 state that one is permitted to wash drinking glasses in the sukkah.

[40]. Chazon Ovadia, Sukkot, p. 129. See Moed LeChol Chai 20:24, which says that one may not hang clothing to dry in the sukkah since this is considered disrespectful to the sukkah.

[42]. Chazon Ovadia, Sukkot, p. 130.

[43]. Taz 639:4; Birkei Yosef 639:3; Bikurei Yaakov 639:8; Mishnah Berurah in Biur Halachah 639:1; Chayei Adam 147:2; Kitzur Shulchan Aruch 135:2; Ben Ish Chai, Haazinu 1:9; Kaf HaChayim 639:22; and Chazon Ovadia, Sukkot, p. 130, footnote 22 permit marital relations in the sukkah. It goes without saying that the sukkah should be secluded enough that no one can see inside through the walls or schach, and all of the halachot in siman 240 should be abided by.

[44]. Chazon Ovadia, Sukkot, pp. 129 & 131. It also states that one may not change a baby’s diaper inside a sukkah.

[45]. Shulchan Aruch 639:4; Moed LeChol Chai 20:29; Kaf HaChayim 639:62; Chazon Ovadia, Sukkot, p. 147; Yalkut Yosef, Sukkah, pp. 664–665; Ohr LeTzion, vol. 4, 29:1, in the footnotes.

[46]. Eshel Avraham of Butchatch 639:5; Yalkut Yosef, Sukkah, p. 665.

[47]. Berachot 6a states that one’s tefillot are only listened to when one prays in a synagogue. See also Shulchan Aruch 90:9; Magen Avraham 639:14; Pri Megadim, M.Z. 639:14; Mishnah Berurah 639:30; Kaf HaChayim 90:51 & 54; Chazon Ovadia, Sukkot, p. 147; and Yalkut Yosef, Sukkah, pp. 665–669.

[48]. The Zohar continues that one who does not speak about anything other than Torah in the sukkah will be blessed with the merit of the Ushpizin, and will have success in all of his endeavors. See Reshit Chochmah, Shaar HaKedushah, ch. 14 and Chazon Ovadia, Sukkot p. 147.

[49]. Moreh BaEtzba 9:289; Moed LeChol Chai 20:19; Keter Shem Tov, vol. 7, p. 13; Yalkut Yosef, Sukkah, p. 670.

[50]. Shulchan Aruch 639:3.

[51]. Yechaveh Daat 1:65; Chazon Ovadia, Sukkot, p. 132; Yalkut Yosef, Sukkah, p. 671. Chazon Ovadia points out that foods eaten with the bread do not combine to equal the required amount that would obligate one to eat in the sukkah. See also Yabia Omer 11:64.

[52]. Shulchan Aruch 639:2; Yechaveh Daat 1:65; Chazon Ovadia, Sukkot, pp. 137–140; Yalkut Yosef, Sukkah, p. 679. One who nevertheless eats these foods in a sukkah is praiseworthy. Shaar HaTziyun 639:38, in the name of the Chayei Adam.

[53]. Chazon Ovadia, Sukkot, p. 133, footnote 26. Yalkut Yosef, Sukkah, p. 674 adds that one may combine what he ate previously with what he will continue to eat in order to fulfill the obligation of eating a kebetzah of bread in the sukkah. However, if one ate less than a kebetzah of bread, other foods that he is eating do not combine with the bread to obligate the recitation of a Lishev BaSukkah.

[54] This is unlike when recite Hamotzi or Birkat Hamazon, where one does not recite Hamotzi or Birkat Hamazon on pasta or other cooked foods even if one eats more than 216 grams of food.

[55]. Chayim Shaal 1:71; Machazik Berachah 639:5; Ben Ish Chai, Haazinu 1:8. See Yedei Chayim, p. 93 regarding a dish that was made from the five grains. See also Kaf HaChayim 639:3; Chazon Ovadia, Sukkot, pp. 134–137; and Yalkut Yosef, Sukkah, pp. 675–679.

[56]. Mishnah Berurah 639:46–48.

[57]. Kaf HaChayim 639:38.

[58]. See Chazon Ovadia, Sukkot, pp. 132–134 and Yalkut Yosef, Sukkah, p. 671, which explain that since there are several uncertainties regarding reciting a berachah on mezonot foods, one may not recite a Lishev BaSukkah without being kove’a seudah (eating at least 162 grams). I once asked Rabbi Yitzchak Yosef when one is permitted to answer amen to an Ashkenazi’s berachah that Sephardim do not recite. He answered me that any time there is more than one uncertainty regarding the recitation of a berachah, an amen may be answered when the one reciting the berachah is permitted to recite it.

[59]. Shulchan Aruch 639:2. See also Ohr LeTzion, vol. 4, 29:3, which states that even though the Shulchan Aruch says that one who is stringent to even refrain from drinking water outside of a sukkah is praiseworthy, that is only when it does not detract from his enjoyment of the chag. However, if abstaining from drinking water outside of the sukkah will cause one discomfort, one should certainly not act stringently, and it is better to drink outside of the sukkah than feel discomfort during the chag.

[60]. Yechaveh Daat 1:65; Chazon Ovadia, Sukkot, p. 138; Yalkut Yosef, Sukkah, p. 687. See also Biur Halachah, 639 “Lo Yochal.” Yalkut Yosef, Sukkah, p. 688, 24 adds that one may also taste from the cup of wine that was used during a brit milah even if he is not in a sukkah. See also Ohr LeTzion, vol. 4, 29:3.

[61]. Yabia Omer, vol. 5, 16:4; Yechaveh Daat 5:48; Halichot Olam, vol. 2, p. 271; Chazon Ovadia, Sukkot, p. 145; Ohr LeTzion, vol. 4, 29:4.

[62]. Chazon Ovadia, Sukkot, p. 141; Yalkut Yosef, Sukkah, p. 682.

[63]. Chazon Ovadia, Sukkot, p. 140, in the footnotes; Yalkut Yosef, Sukkah, p. 686.

[64]. Shulchan Aruch 639:2.

[65]. Shulchan Aruch 639:8. However, some Ashkenazim who follow the Gra (see Maaseh Rav §212) recite a Lishev BaSukkah each time they enter the sukkah. Most Ashkenazim, though, do not follow this custom. See Aruch HaShulchan 639:28, which disproves this custom with the words of the Rama. See also Yechaveh Daat 1:66; Chazon Ovadia, Sukkot, p. 177; and Yalkut Yosef, Sukkah, pp. 688–690.

[66]. Shulchan Aruch 639:2.

[67]. Tosafot, Berachot 11a; Shulchan Aruch 639:8; Chazon Ovadia, Sukkot, p. 191, footnote 1; Yalkut Yosef, Sukkah, p. 709. See also Kaf HaChayim 639:3, which states that one should also have the sleeping in mind when making the berachah on the sukkah when eating at night.

[68]. Rama 640:4. Kaf HaChayim 640:42 states that one who is extremely disturbed by sleeping in such a way does not have to sleep in the sukkah. However, Chazon Ovadia, Sukkot, p. 194 disagrees, and states that even if the person experiences extreme discomfort because the sukkah is so small, he is still obligated to sleep in it. See also Ben Ish Chai, Haazinu 1:12, which states that even in a sukkah with too many people sleeping in it, to the extent that one cannot sleep spread out, this is not considered a reason to exempt one from sleeping in the sukkah. See also Tefillah LeMoshe 2:40, which allows one to stick his feet out of the sukkah if he is uncomfortable.

[69]. Chazon Ovadia, Sukkot, p. 191, before footnote 1. If they really want to be stringent, they may switch off every half of the night.

[70]. Chazon Ovadia, Sukkot, p. 198; Tzitz Eliezer 8:22; Halichot Shlomo, p. 164; Moadim U’Zemanim 6:87.

[71]. Shabbat 151b. This is also brought as halachah in Magen Avraham 239:7; Mishnah Berurah 239:9; Aruch HaShulchan, Y.D. 116:18; ibid., O.C. 239:7; Kaf HaChayim 239:17; and Ohr LeTzion, vol. 2, 46:67.

[72]. Maaseh Rav §221; Bikurei Yaakov §18; Nefesh Kol Chai, Maarechet Samech §4; Zivchei Tzedek, Y.D. 116:35; Chazon Ovadia, Sukkot, p. 193.

[73]. Rama 639:2.

[74]. Chazon Ovadia, Sukkot, p. 194.

[75]. See Divrei Yatziv, O.C. §274, which says that a man in his first year of marriage does not have to sleep in the sukkah. However, the author of Shalmei Moed, p. 114 writes that he did not find any poskim who state such a halachah, and therefore one may only be lenient if one’s wife is afraid to sleep alone. See also Chazon Ovadia, Sukkot, p. 196, footnote 3 and Yalkut Yosef, Sukkah, p. 611, which say like the Shalmei Moed. See also Teshuvot VeHanhagot 4:165 regarding one whose wife is scared to sleep by herself.

[76]. Chazon Ovadia, Sukkot, p. 200; Shevet HaKehati 1:198.

[77]. Rama 640:4; Chazon Ovadia, Sukkot, p. 196.

[78]. Rama 639:2. However, Chazon Ovadia, Sukkot, p. 196, footnote 3 cites from the Chida, Simchat HaRegel, Limud 1, 45a, that it is certainly praiseworthy for one to insulate his sukkah well and bundle up in warm clothing in order to sleep in the sukkah even when it is cold outside.

[79]. See Ben Ish Chai, Haazinu 1:8, which states that one is obligated to wake up his friend if he sees him falling asleep outside of the sukkah. However, Rabbi Shlomo Zalman Auerbach, as brought in Halichot Shlomo 9:17, p. 166, and Shalmei Moed, p. 113, says that if the person already fell asleep, one is not obligated to wake him up, since a sleeping person is not obligated to fulfill mitzvot, even though he should not have fallen asleep outside of the sukkah to begin with. See also Chazon Ovadia, Sukkot, p. 201; Yalkut Yosef, Sukkah, p. 715; and Teshuvot VeHanhagot 4:164.

[80]. Rama 639:7. See also Chazon Ovadia, Sukkot, pp. 204–205, which states that there is no difference between the first night and the rest of Sukkot regarding this halachah.

[81]. Chazon Ovadia, Sukkot, p. 206.

[82]. Mishnah Berurah 639:39; Yabia Omer, vol. 9, O.C. §63; Chazon Ovadia, Sukkot, p. 205.

[83]. Shulchan Aruch 640:1.

[84]. Women are exempt from the mitzvah of sukkah since it is a time-bound mitzvah. According to Ashkenazim, who follow the ruling of the Rama 589:6, a woman may recite a berachah on time-bound mitzvot. Sephardic women, however, refrain from making berachot on such mitzvot since they are not commanded to perform them and are therefore unable to recite vetzivanu in the blessing. Even though there are Sephardic poskim, such as the Chida in Yosef Ometz §82 and the Kaf HaChayim 589:6 & 640:4, who say that there is a custom even among Sephardim for women to recite the berachah of Lishev BaSukkah, Chacham Ovadia Yosef in Chazon Ovadia, Sukkot p. 339; Yabia Omer 1:39–42, 4:50, & 9:26; and Yechaveh Daat 1:69 holds that because the Shulchan Aruch and many Rishonim rule that women should not recite such a berachah, there is room to question the basis of this custom. Therefore, women should refrain from reciting this berachah. Chazon Ovadia, Responsa §20 adds that women are not obligated in the mitzvah of sukkah even though they, too, were in the desert and experienced the miracle of the Ananei HaKavod. This is because women are only obligated in time-bound mitzvot in which a woman caused a miracle to take place, such as the mitzvah of Megillah, for which Esther HaMalkah played a crucial role in orchestrating the miracle that led to that mitzvah. See also Yalkut Yosef, Sukkah, p. 752 and Teshuvot HaRishon LeTzion 2:76.

In any case, Yafeh LaLev 2:1 states that one should bring his wife and children into the sukkah even though they are not obligated to eat in the sukkah, so that he may tell over the story of the miracles that happened to Bnei Yisrael in the desert after leaving Mitzrayim. See Kaf HaChayim 640:5.

[85]. Yalkut Yosef, Tefillah, vol. 2, 124:11, in the footnote, p. 165; ibid., Sukkah, p. 756.

[86]. Ben Ish Chai, Haazinu 1:11; Kaf HaChayim 640:5, in the name of Yafeh LaLev 2:1.

[87]. Chazon Ovadia, Responsa 1:9, p. 153; ibid., Sukkot, p. 149; Yabia Omer 9:60; Yalkut Yosef, Sukkah, p. 758. This is unlike the view of Ohr LeTzion, vol. 3, 18:2 and ibid., vol. 4, 30:1.

[88]. Yabia Omer, vol. 2, 30:6; ibid., vol. 6, 7:5; Yechaveh Daat 1:50; ibid. 2:70; Yalkut Yosef, Sukkah, p. 761.

[89]. Divrei Yatziv, O.C. §274 states that a woman who is a niddah should not enter the sukkah. However, Chacham Ovadia Yosef in Yabia Omer, vol. 3, E.H. 10:5; Taharat HaBayit, vol. 2, p. 205; Chazon Ovadia, Sukkot, pages 82 & 148; and Yalkut Yosef, Sukkah, p. 757 argues that this is an extreme stringency, and a woman may enter a sukkah, and even a synagogue, if she is a niddah.

[90]. Ben Ish Chai, Haazinu 1:11; Chazon Ovadia, Sukkot, p. 152; Sukkat Tzion, p. 177.

[91]. Chazon Ovadia, Sukkot, p. 152; Ohr LeTzion, vol. 4, 30:2; Halichot Shlomo, Sukkah, p. 176.

[92]. Chazon Ovadia, Sukkot, p. 151. One might think that a convert is not obligated since his forefathers did not travel in the desert after yetziat Mitzrayim. However, since a convert is considered a full-fledged Jew, he is also included in all the mitzvot that are incumbent on the Jewish nation, to remember and to celebrate the history of the Jewish people.

[93]. Shulchan Aruch 640:5. Chazon Ovadia, Sukkot, p. 156 adds that even if the avel prefers to be inside, he is nevertheless obligated to eat in the sukkah, since it is not considered enough of a disturbance to exempt him from the mitzvah. However, if he is so bothered that he cannot help but be in despair while in the sukkah, he should not recite a berachah when eating in the sukkah. See Yalkut Yosef, Sukkah, p. 773.

[94]. See Chazon Ovadia, Sukkot, p. 156. However, Chazon Ovadia, Avelut, vol. 1, p. 176 adds that once the body has been given to the chevra kadisha, the onen may sit in the sukkah and even recite a berachah. Yalkut Yosef, Sukkah, p. 773, 27 states that if he is occupied with the levayah and other burial arrangements, he is not obligated in the mitzvah of sukkah, even if the body was given to the chevra kadisha.

[95]. Shulchan Aruch 640:3. See also Chacham Ovadia in Chazon Ovadia, Sukkot, p. 152 and Halichot Olam, vol. 2, p. 287, who writes that one who is sick is even exempt on the first night of Sukkot. This is unlike the view of Ben Ish Chai, Haazinu 1:12 and the Rama 640:4, which state that even a sick person is obligated to eat in the sukkah on the first night of Sukkot.

Chazon Ovadia, Sukkot, p. 158 also defines a sick person who is not obligated to sit in the sukkah as one whose limbs hurt; he does not necessarily need to be experiencing a debilitating sickness.

[96]. Shulchan Aruch 640:3; Moed LeChol Chai 20:32; Mishnah Berurah 640:11; Kaf HaChayim 640:16; Chazon Ovadia, Sukkot, p. 158; Yalkut Yosef, Sukkah, p. 775, 30–31; Ohr LeTzion, vol. 4, 30:3.

[97]. See Shulchan Aruch 640:6 and Chazon Ovadia, Sukkot, p. 158, which discuss this subject at length. See also Ohr LeTzion, vol. 4, 30:7.

[98]. Moed LeChol Chai 20:36; Chazon Ovadia, Sukkot, p. 162.

[99]. Biur Halachah 640 “U’Seudat Brit Milah.”

[100]. Shulchan Aruch 640:7. See also Chazon Ovadia, Sukkot, p. 163, which states that even if they are able to sit in a sukkah on their way to perform the mitzvah, they do not have to enter it. See also Yalkut Yosef, Sukkah, p. 778 regarding people who are collecting for tzedakah and are taking a percentage from the funds collected.

[101]. Shulchan Aruch and Rama 640:8; Chazon Ovadia, Sukkot, p. 166; Yechaveh Daat 3:47. See Halichot Shlomo, Sukkah, p. 172 and Shalmei Moed, p. 112, which state that one who is traveling for leisure is obligated in the mitzvah of sukkah because he did not have to travel at this time, and could have deferred his trip to a later date when he would not need a sukkah. This is also the view of Igrot Moshe, O.C. 3:93. See also Az Nidberu 11:34.

[102]. Chazon Ovadia, Sukkot, p. 166.

[103]. Magen Avraham 640:15; Shulchan Aruch HaRav 640:21; Chayei Adam 147:23; Mishnah Berurah 640:46. See also Teshuvot VeHanhagot 1:379.

[104]. Rama 640:4; Ben Ish Chai, Haazinu 1:12; Chazon Ovadia, Sukkot, p. 200.

[105]. Rama 640:4; Mishnah Berurah 640:29; Shaar HaTziyun 640:43; Chazon Ovadia, Sukkot, p. 199.

[106]. Shulchan Aruch 639:5; Chazon Ovadia, Sukkot, p. 183.

[107]. Rama 639:5; Chazon Ovadia, Sukkot, p. 184.

[108]. Chazon Ovadia, Sukkot, p. 184.

[109]. Yalkut Yosef, Sukkah, p. 764.

[110]. Chazon Ovadia, Sukkot, p. 185.

[111]. Mishnah Berurah 639:32; Chazon Ovadia, Sukkot, p. 185.

[112]. See Yalkut Yosef, Sukkah, p. 766 and Chashukei Chemed on Sukkah 29a.

[113]. Chazon Ovadia, Sukkot, p. 185, in the name of Bikurei Yaakov. See also Shevet HaLevi, vol. 7, 191:2.

[114]. Rama 639:7; Mishnah Berurah 639:45; Machazik Berachah 639:8; Chazon Ovadia, Sukkot, p. 185. Chazon Ovadia, Sukkot, end of footnote 65 points out that there are certain Chassidim who stay in the sukkah when it is raining, and have what to rely on, provided that they do not recite a berachah, since their intentions are good. However, one who does not have a specific custom to remain in the sukkah when it is raining should not do so.

[115]. Rama 640:4; Yalkut Yosef, Sukkah, p. 767, 18.

[116]. Shulchan Aruch 640:4. See also Ashrei HaIsh, vol. 3, p. 186, which states that one is exempt from sleeping in the sukkah if there is so much noise outside that he cannot sleep. However, one should do whatever he can to try to sleep in the sukkah even with the noise, such as by using earplugs.

[117]. See Biur Halachah 640 which says that if one does not wear warm clothing and is uncomfortable in the sukkah, he may not recite a berachah when eating in the sukkah, and if he does, the berachah is in vain. See also Yalkut Yosef, Sukkah, p. 772. Ohr LeTzion, vol. 4, 30:4 adds that one is not only exempt when it is very difficult to sleep and eat because of the cold, but also if it is extremely hot and it is therefore uncomfortable to eat and sleep in the sukkah.

[118]. Chazon Ovadia, Sukkot, p. 154, footnote 45; Yalkut Yosef, Kibbud Av VaEm, ch. 9, footnote 40; ibid., Sukkah, pp 780–784.