27 Sep SUKKAH ON WHEELS: TRANSFORM YOUR CAR INTO A SUKKAH

Chol Hamoed
Sukkot is a
cherished family
time, often
prompting people
to plan trips and
outings since children
are off school, and parents are off work.
However, a common question arises
regarding where to go, as finding a sukkah
for meals can be challenging. There is
a discussion among later poskim about
whether one who travels on a trip may eat
outside the sukkah.
Halacha permits travelers to eat outside
the sukkah, but some poskim explain that
this leniency does not apply to those who
אגרות משה או״ח ח״ג סימן) pleasure for travel
צג(. Others argue that the Torah instructs us
to dwell in the sukkah in the same manner
as we do in our own homes throughout the
year. Therefore, just as someone who is at
home often leaves their house for trips and
eats outside, similarly, during Sukkot, one
may leave their sukkah to travel and eat
הגרי״ש אלישיב והגר״נ קרליץ חוט שני)it outside
. (סוכה עמוד רסז

Regardless, even according to the lenient
opinion, one should make an effort to
observe the mitzvah of Sukkot and avoid
eating on the road as much as possible.
There is a well-known Gemara (מנחות
א,מא (that recounts how Rabbi K’tina
encountered an angel who conveyed to
him that even when a person is exempt
from fulfilling a mitzvah, they might still
face punishment for not performing it.
Specifically, the angel explained that even
in situations where a person is not obligated
to wear tzitzit, they could potentially incur
divine anger for neglecting this mitzvah.
This story serves as a reminder that there
can be adverse consequences for failing
to fulfill a mitzvah, even when one is
technically exempt from it.
Interestingly, it’s possible to create a
kosher sukkah using one’s car, and in
this article, we’ll explore a few ways to
accomplish this.
Creating a Sukkah Using Two Cars:
One of the methods involves positioning
two cars close to each other, effectively
forming two walls for the sukkah. By

leaving a door open
between the cars, you
create the necessary
third wall for a kosher
sukkah. However,
there are several
essential details to
discuss and consider
to ensure that this
sukkah will indeed be
kosher.
a. Because the cars
and their open doors
serve as the walls of
the sukkah, it’s crucial to ensure that these
“walls” meet the halachic requirement of
not having a space underneath them that
extends 3 tefachim, (each tefach equals
approximately 8 centimeters or about 3
inches) which is about 9 inches. Often,
there may be a gap larger than 3 tefachim
beneath the cars or under an open door.
In such cases, it is essential to place an
object in that space to close the gap.
Items like a bag, luggage, stroller, or
any suitable object can be used for this
purpose. Without closing this gap, the
sukkah would not be considered kosher.
Another option is to park close to a
sidewalk, which may help close the
gap under the car and meet the halachic
requirements for a sukkah.
b. Another important requirement for
the walls of the sukkah is that they must
have a minimum size of 7 tefachim
(about 22 inches). Consequently, the
door used to create the wall between the
two cars must also meet this minimum
size of 7 tefachim wide, which is the
required minimum size for a wall in a
sukkah.
c. The minimum height for the space
inside the sukkah (and the height of
the walls) is 10 tefachim, which is
approximately 33 inches. Given that this
sukkah is relatively low due to the use of
cars as walls, it’s essential to ensure that
the schach doesn’t sag or fall to a height
lower than 10 tefachim, as this would
render the sukkah invalid.
Creating a Sukkah Using One Car:
When traveling alone in one car and
doesn’t have access to a second car
for creating a sukkah, there’s still a
technique that can be employed. This
can be achieved by parking near a gate
or a wall, which serves as one wall of the
sukkah. The car itself forms the second
wall, and when the car door is opened, it

serves as the third wall. In this setup, the
schach should be placed on top of both the
car and the open door.
If there are no existing walls to use, a
person can still create three walls by using
a sedan with two doors that open from the
same side of the car. Schach can then be
placed on top of these open doors.
However, when employing this method,
it’s crucial to adhere to the requirements
mentioned above to ensure the sukkah’s
validity.
Creating a Sukkah Using the Car’s
Sunroof:
If someone has a sunroof in their car, they
can use it to create a sukkah, even if the
sides of the car are far from the sunroof.
This is permitted based on the halacha of
“dofen akuma.”
Dofen Akuma is a halacha that Moshe
Rabbeinu received at Mount Sinai. In

practical terms, it permits having a non-
kosher roof between the wall and the

schach of the sukkah.
However, several conditions must be met:
a. The sunroof must open to a length of
7 tefachim and a width of 7 tefachim for
the schach.
b. There must be an open space under the
sunroof of at least 10 tefachim.
These conditions ensure that the sunroof
can be used as a valid part of the sukkah
structure.