Holidays
The mitzvah of sleeping in the sukkah versus the obligation of onah
Question
Hello and blessings,
I wanted to ask how it works that a husband is obligated to sleep in the sukkah for an entire week and leave his wife alone? Is there not an obligation of onah during the festival of Sukkot? As a married woman, it is somewhat hard for me to accept the fact that we are losing an entire week out of the two weeks during which we can be together. How does this work? (If the husband and wife are permitted.) Thank you in advance.
Answer
Hello and blessings
The husband is obligated to be with his wife as usual, and he is permitted to sleep there until morning. Only on the days when he is not having relations should he remain in the sukkah.
If there are older children who will notice that the father is not sleeping in the sukkah, it is proper for him to return to the sukkah after having relations.
If it is possible to have relations in the sukkah, all the better.
With blessings,
Binyamin Shmuali
