אורח חיים תרל״אOrach Chayim 631

Siman 631 of 697 in Orach Chayim — 10 se'ifim

Se’if 1א׳

סֻכָּה שֶׁחַמָּתָהּ וְצִלָּתָהּ שָׁוִים מִלְּמַעְלָה, פְּסוּלָה, לְפִי שֶׁהַחַמָּה מִתְפַּשֶּׁטֶת בְּרִחוּקָהּ וְיִהְיֶה לְמַטָּה חַמָּתָהּ מְרֻבָּה מִצִּלָּתָהּ; אֲבָל אִם חַמָּתָהּ וְצִלָּתָהּ שָׁוִים מִלְּמַטָּה, כְּשֵׁרָה.

A Sukkah whose Sunlit Area Exceeds its Shaded Area, & Other Laws Governing S’chach, containing 10 Seifim: A sukkah who's sunlit area is equal to its shaded area from above is invalid according to the idea that the sunlight diffuses as it gets more distant and is greater than the shaded area. However, if the sunlit area and shaded area are equal from below, it is valid.

Se’if 2ב׳

אִם בְּרֹב מִמֶּנָּה צִלָּתָהּ מְרֻבָּה שְׁנֵי מַשְׁהוּיִין, וּבְמִעוּט מִמֶּנָּה חַמָּתָהּ מְרֻבָּה מַשֶּׁהוּ בְּעִנְיָן שֶׁכְּשֶׁנְּצָרֵף יַחַד הַחַמָּה וְהַצֵּל שֶׁל כָּל הַסֻכָּה יִהְיֶה צִלָּתָהּ מְרֻבָּה מֵחַמָּתָהּ מַשֶּׁהוּ, כְּשֵׁרָה. הַגָּה: וְיֵשׁ מַחְמִירִין אִם הַסֻּכָּה גְּדוֹלָה וְיֵשׁ מָקוֹם ז' עַל ז' שֶׁחַמָּתוֹ מְרֻבָּה, אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁבְּצֵרוּף כָּל הַסֻּכָּה הָוֵי הַצֵּל מְרֻבֶּה (רַ"ן ספ"ק דְּסֻכָּה).

A sukkah is valid if the majority of the s’chach casts a shadow whose area is two small measures greater than the sunlit area and hence the empty space in the s’chach is [considered as] very little, while [under] a smaller part of the s’chach, the sunlit area exceeds the shaded part by a small measure. Rema: There are those who are stringent if the sukkah is large and there is a space that is 7 x 7 (tefachim) where the sunlight is the majority, even though when combined the entire sukkah has more shaded area (R"an).

Se’if 3ג׳

דֶּרֶךְ הַסִכּוּךְ לִהְיוֹת קַל, כְּדֵי שֶׁיֵּרָאוּ מִמֶּנּוּ הַכּוֹכָבִים הַגְּדוֹלִים; הָיְתָה מְעֻבָּה כְּמִין בַּיִת, אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁאֵין הַכּוֹכָבִים נִרְאִים מִתּוֹכָהּ, כְּשֵׁרָה.

As an initial and preferred option, the s’chach should be light so that large stars to be seen through it at night. [After the fact] even if [the s’chach] was very thick, [making it seem] like [the roof of] a house and not allowing the stars to be seen, it is valid.

Se’if 4ד׳

הָיָה כִּסוּי דַּק מְאֹד שֶׁיֵּשׁ בָּהּ אֲוִיר הַרְבֵּה, אֶלָּא שֶׁאֵין ג' טְפָחִים בְּמָקוֹם אֶחָד, וּבֵין הַכֹּל צִלָּתָהּ מְרֻבָּה מֵחַמָּתָהּ, כְּשֵׁרָה.

If the s’chach is a very light covering with much empty space, but no one place has three handbreadths of empty space [the sukkah] is valid, [provided] the overall shaded part [of its floor] exceeds its sunlit area; i.e., there is more s’chach than open space.

Se’if 5ה׳

הָיָה הַסִכּוּךְ מְדֻבְלָל (פֵּרוּשׁ מְבֻלְבָּל), וְהוּא הַסִכּוּךְ שֶׁיִּהְיֶה מִקְּצָתוֹ לְמַעְלָה וּמִקְּצָתוֹ לְמַטָּה, כָּשֵׁר, וּבִלְבַד שֶׁלֹּא יִהְיֶה בֵּין הָעוֹלֶה וְהַיּוֹרֵד ג' טְפָחִים; וְאִם הָיָה בְּרֹחַב זֶה הָעוֹלֶה טֶפַח אוֹ יוֹתֵר, אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁהוּא גָּבוֹהַּ מִג' טְפָחִים, רוֹאִין אוֹתוֹ כְּאִלּוּ יָרַד לְמַטָּה וְנָגַע בִּשְׂפַת זֶה הַיּוֹרֵד, וְהוּא שֶׁיִּהְיֶה מְכֻוָּן כְּנֶגֶד שְׂפַת הַיּוֹרֵד. הַגָּה: דְּהַיְנוּ שֶׁיֵּשׁ בָּאֲוִיר שֶׁבֵּין הַתַּחְתּוֹן טֶפַח, שֶׁרָאוּי לְהוֹרִיד הָעֶלְיוֹן וְאָז כְּשֵׁרָה אֲפִלּוּ חַמָּתָהּ מְרֻבָּה, שֶׁיְּהֵא הַצֵּל מְרֻבֶּה כְּשֶׁהַחַמָּה בְּאֶמְצַע הָרָקִיעַ (רַ"ן פֶּרֶק הַיָּשֵׁן וּבֵית יוֹסֵף בְּשֵׁם הָרַמְבָּ"ם).

If the s'chach is tangled and irregular i.e., parts of it were on a somewhat higher level and parts were on a somewhat lower level, it is valid. Provided that the vertical distance between the higher level and the lower level [of the s’chach] is less than three handbreadths. If the width of the upper one is a tefach or more, even though it is higher than three tefachim, we consider [the s’chach on] the higher level as if it had descended and was positioned in the empty space under it. Rema: In other words, there is a tefach in the space of the bottom one such that one could bring down the top one and then it is valid, even if its sunlit area exceeds the shaded area, since when the sun is at its zenith, directly overhead, the shaded part [of the sukkah floor] does exceed its sunlit area, [the sukkah] should not be disqualified because of sunlight that comes in [at other times] from the side, at an angle.

…and 5 more se'ifim in this siman.

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Shulchan Aruch, Orach Chayim — Torat Emet 363 edition, via Sefaria — public domain

English: Sefaria Community Translation — CC0