Eating and Sleeping in the Sukkah

What does it really mean to live in a sukkah for a week? The Torah commands us to dwell in sukkot for seven days, making the sukkah our primary residence during Sukkot. But how does this work practically? What meals must be eaten there? Do you really have to sleep in it? And what happens when it rains? Here is everything you need to know.

The Mitzvah of Dwelling

The basic mitzvah is to treat the sukkah as your home for the seven days of Sukkot. The Talmud summarizes it simply: you should live in the sukkah the way you live in your house. Activities you normally do at home, eating, relaxing, socializing, studying, and sleeping, should be done in the sukkah when feasible.

Eating in the Sukkah

The rules about eating depend on what you are eating. Bread and mezonot (baked goods and grain-based foods) in the quantity of more than a kebeitzah (approximately the size of an egg) require eating in the sukkah with a blessing. Before eating bread or substantial mezonot in the sukkah, you recite the blessing leishev basukkah (to dwell in the sukkah). Fruit, vegetables, drinks, and small snacks may technically be eaten outside the sukkah, though many people are strict about eating everything in the sukkah.

The first night of Sukkot is special. Eating in the sukkah on the first night is obligatory, not optional. Even if it is raining, many authorities require eating at least an olive-sized piece of bread (kezayit) in the sukkah. You make the blessing, eat the bread, and then may continue the meal inside if the rain makes sukkah dining impractical.

The Blessing

The blessing leishev basukkah is recited when eating a meal in the sukkah. It is said after the blessing over bread (hamotzi) or mezonot, before eating. At a meal with bread, the sukkah blessing covers the entire time you spend in the sukkah during that meal. If you are just sitting in the sukkah without eating a meal (relaxing, learning), many authorities hold you should also recite the blessing, since dwelling itself is the mitzvah.

Sleeping in the Sukkah

According to strict halachah, sleeping in the sukkah is part of the mitzvah of dwelling. Even a brief nap should ideally be in the sukkah. In practice, this is an area where custom varies significantly. Ashkenazic Jews in Israel and Sephardic Jews generally sleep in the sukkah. Many Ashkenazic Jews in the diaspora do not sleep in the sukkah, following various reasons (cold weather, inability to sleep comfortably, safety concerns, family considerations).

If you do sleep in the sukkah, bring comfortable bedding. A good sleeping bag, an air mattress or camping pad, warm blankets, and a pillow make the experience much more pleasant. Some people set up a cot or even a full bed in a large sukkah.

Rain: When Are You Exempt?

The principle is: mitzta'er patur min hasukkah, a person who is suffering is exempt from the sukkah. If rain falls in a quantity that would spoil the food on your table, you are exempt from eating in the sukkah and may eat inside. Once the rain stops, you should return to the sukkah.

This exemption applies to rain, extreme cold, extreme heat, strong winds, insects that make the sukkah uninhabitable, and any other condition that would cause genuine discomfort (not merely mild inconvenience). The standard is: if you would leave a room in your house under similar conditions, you may leave the sukkah.

Exception: the first night of Sukkot. As noted above, many authorities require eating at least some bread in the sukkah on the first night even if it is raining, since the first night has a special obligatory status.

Women and the Sukkah

Women are exempt from the mitzvah of sukkah because it is a time-bound positive commandment. However, many women choose to eat in the sukkah and may recite the blessing. The custom varies by community. Women who eat in the sukkah certainly fulfill a mitzvah and receive reward for doing so.

Children and the Sukkah

Children who have reached the age of education (generally around five or six) should be trained in the mitzvah of sukkah. They should eat in the sukkah and, where practical, sleep in it. Very young children are exempt.

Practical Tips

Set up your sukkah table comfortably with tablecloth, dishes, and lighting. If you eat most meals in the sukkah, consider keeping a set of dishes there. Protect the sukkah from rain when not in use by covering food items and electronics. Use battery-operated lights or properly rated outdoor string lights for evening illumination. Keep blankets or sweaters handy for cool evenings. Make the sukkah inviting so family members want to spend time there.

For more on Sukkot, see our guides to building a sukkah, the four species, and the Ushpizin.