Why Should You Spend as Much Time as Possible in the Sukkah?

As Sukkot draws toward its final days, there is still time to make the most of the special mitzvah of sitting in the sukkah. Why is it worthwhile to spend as much time there as possible, and how should we behave in the presence of the ushpizin?

Here are two halachot from Halacha and Aggadah, based on the rulings of Maran Rabbi Ovadia Yosef z”l.

Why Is It Good to Spend as Much Time as Possible in the Sukkah?

Every moment a person spends dwelling in the sukkah, they fulfill the positive Torah commandment of sitting in the sukkah. It is appropriate to keep in mind that Hashem commanded us to dwell there as a remembrance of the Exodus from Egypt and the Clouds of Glory with which He surrounded our ancestors.

This intention is especially important when eating the required kezayit of bread on the first night of Sukkot. Throughout the festival, however, one should try to spend as much time as possible in the sukkah.

The Shelah writes that a person should treat the sukkah with appropriate respect and not engage in frivolous behavior that detracts from its holiness. He also describes the great spiritual merit of making an effort to speak words of Torah while inside the sukkah, connecting this conduct with the holiness of the seven ushpizin.

Who Are the Ushpizin, and How Should We Behave in the Sukkah?

The holy Zohar teaches that the seven ushpizin, the exalted spiritual guests associated with Sukkot, are Avraham, Yitzchak, Yaakov, Moshe Rabbeinu, Aharon HaKohen, Yosef HaTzaddik, and King David.

With such distinguished spiritual guests associated with the sukkah, we should conduct ourselves there with dignity and respect. In particular, one should be careful not to become angry, hold grudges, or raise their voice at family members while in the sukkah.

Each evening, there is also a custom to stand at the entrance of the sukkah and formally invite the ushpizin using the traditional text printed in many siddurim.

Today’s Takeaway

Three brothers once began arguing over which of them had done the most for their elderly mother.

The eldest proudly announced, “I built Mom an enormous mansion. She has so many rooms, she could practically use a different one every day of the year.”

The second brother replied, “That’s nothing. I bought her a fleet of cars with drivers, so she can go wherever she wants whenever she wants.”

Then the youngest brother spoke. “I don’t have as much money as either of you. I couldn’t afford anything extravagant, so I sent Mom one Argentine peso coin. It was all I could give her.”

His second brother laughed. “Don’t you read the financial news? What is Mom supposed to do with one peso? It’s worth almost nothing!”

The eldest brother was equally unimpressed. “Really? Is that how you honor your mother?”

Some time later, a letter arrived from their mother.

“Thank you for the gifts, my beloved sons.

“To my eldest, thank you for the beautiful mansion. But it is far too large for me, and sometimes I feel lonely inside it.

“To my second son, thank you for all the cars and drivers. But honestly, one car would have been more than enough for my weekly trip downtown.

“And to my youngest son, thank you so much! How did you remember the one thing missing from my beloved coin collection?”

Sometimes we take pride in how much we give another person without stopping to ask whether what we are giving is actually what they need.

Real giving means looking beyond what we would want and trying to understand the person in front of us. What are they missing? What would genuinely help them? What would make them feel seen?

Sometimes the smallest gift can mean the most, simply because it was chosen with the other person in mind.