30 Sep SITTING IN THE SUKKAH ON SHEMINI ATZERES

The subject of
whether one should
sit in the sukkah on
Shemini Atzeres
has been the topic
of debate and
discussion since time
immemorial. There
are many who have
the custom not to sit
in the sukkah (mainly chassidim), while
there are many others who do. Others
have the custom to eat there at night and
not by day, or to only make Kiddush in
the sukkah by day and then go inside.
There are those who sit in the sukkah on
Shemini Atzeres, but their in-laws do not.
What should they do? When people go
to Eretz Yisrael for Sukkos where there
is only one day of Yom Tov, should they
sit in the sukkah on Shemini Atzeres?
We will discuss some of the halachos
and opinions related to this sensitive but
important and practical area of halachah.
Introduction
The Gemara in Sukkah vacillates
between different opinions on the
halachos of sitting in the sukkah and
reciting a brachah of Leisheiv Basukkah
on Shemini Atzeres, when there is a
safeik over whether it is included in the
Yom Tov of Sukkos. One interpretation is
that all opinions agree that no brachah is
made, but the argument is over whether
one should sit in the sukkah. Another
interpretation is that all agree that one
should not sit in the sukkah, but the
argument is over whether the brachah is
made. The Gemara concludes that one
should sit in the sukkah without reciting
the brachah, because it would seem odd
to do so; if it is Shemini Atzeres then it
is not Sukkos, and if it is Sukkos it is
not Shemini Atzeres. In addition, if one
recited the brachah it would look like he
was adding to the Yom Tov of Sukkos,
which is not allowed because of bal tosif
(adding to a mitzvah).
According to all opinions, one does not
take arba minim on Shemini Atzeres.
They are considered muktzeh, since
there is a safeik whether Shemini Atzeres
is part of Sukkos. There are those who
say that since only the first day of Yom
Tov is d’Oraisa and the other days
are d’Rabbanan, on Shemini Atzeres
we are lenient with it and do not take
them. However, sitting in a sukkah can
be beneficial for a person even if he is
not doing it for a mitzvah (e.g. it is
comfortable to sit there), and therefore

can be considered oneg Yom Tov.
The opinion that one should sit in the
sukkah on Shemini Atzeres is quoted by
many poskim (in Chutz L’Aretz). Those
who eat in the sukkah on Shemini Atzeres
should train their children to do the same.
In Eretz Yisrael, where there is only one
day of Yom Tov for both Shemini Atzeres
and Simchas Torah, no one eats in the
sukkah.
As mentioned above, since the Gemara
and many poskim maintain that sitting
in the sukkah is required on Shemini
Atzeres (in Chutz L’Aretz), then why do
so many not eat in the sukkah?
Different Customs
The Tur quotes a custom of some to eat in
the sukkah on Shemini Atzeres but not to
sleep there. However, he says the custom
is not to do this, and those who sit in the
sukkah should sit there by night and by
day. There are those who make Kiddush,
eat a bit in the sukkah and eat the rest of
the meal in the house. Others do not eat
in the sukkah at all on Shemini Atzeres
(see below).
Although the following poskim disagree,
they quote the custom of some who did
not sit in the sukkah: Shiltei Giborim,
Elyah Rabbah, Darchei Moshe, Beis
Yosef, Taz, Magen Avraham, Yosef
Ometz, Be’er Heitiv, Noda B’Yehudah,
Chachmas Shlomo, and others.
Those Who Did Not Eat in the Sukkah
on Shemini Atzeres
Although there are many poskim who say
one should eat in the sukkah on Shemini
Atzeres, there are Rishonim who say it is
not required and was not done.
Rashi says that in his times there were
many gedolim (such as Rabbeinu Eliezer
and Rabbeinu Shmuel) who did not eat in
the sukkah on Shemini Atzeres at night.
In the thirteenth to fourteenth century,
it is written that some did not sit in the
sukkah. The reason for the leniency was
based on the Yerushalmi (see below).
Rabbeinu Chananel says the custom is to
sit the entire day in the sukkah. The fact
that he said “entire” indicates that there
were those who did not sit the entire day
in the sukkah in his days. The Maharam
Igra ate in his house at night and in the
sukkah during the day. The Maharil
went to visit Harav Meir M’Igra who
ate in his house, and he did not object
to it. The Lombardi family (in Italy) did
not eat in the sukkah. The custom of
the Baal Shem Tov was not to eat in the

sukkah on Shemini Atzeres.
He practiced the custom of
Eretz Yisrael because he lived
with the kedushah of Eretz
Yisrael. The Yosef Ometz says
the Taryash family (about the
sixteenth century) ate outside
the sukkah, and they have
upon whom to rely.
Some explain that there
are those who ate inside at
night because it was cold at
night and the sukkah was not
pleasant (see below). They ate
in the house because if they ate
in the sukkah it would appear
as if they were doing it for the mitzvah
and not for oneg.
One can see from the above sources
that the custom of many to refrain from
eating in the sukkah on Shemini Atzeres
did not begin with chassidim; rather, it
started much earlier.
Those Who Ate in the Sukkah
Rashi ate in the sukkah during the day
and night of Shemini Atzeres. Rashi’s
rebbi Rabbeinu Yitzchak also sat in the
sukkah. The Maharil ate in the sukkah
during both night and day. The Gra ate
in the sukkah on Shemini Atzeres. The
Chasam Sofer zt”l ate in the sukkah.
Harav Yosef Ber Soloveitchik zt”l opined
strongly that one must sit in the sukkah.
The Yerushalmi
As mentioned above, some gedolim
did not eat in the sukkah based on the
Yerushalmi that says: Sukkah on the
seventh day, how? …you need to make
your sukkah pasul from midday and make
Kiddush in your home. Rav Chanina says
one whose sukkah is pleasant should
make Kiddush on the night (see below)
of the last days of Sukkos in his house
and eat in the sukkah. If he wants to
eat in the sukkah he still has to make
Kiddush in his house, because when he
says “Shemini Atzeres” in Kiddush, if he
is still in the sukkah it is a contradiction.
It is apparent from the Yerushalmi that
if the sukkah is not pleasant (e.g. if it is
cold or windy) then one does not have to
sit in it on Shemini Atzeres.
Some explain that the Yerushalmi is
referring to Eretz Yisrael, where there
is only one day of Yom Tov, and even if
one enjoys being in the sukkah he makes
Kiddush in the house. However, others
say the Yerushalmi said nights, which
indicates that even in Chutz L’Aretz,

where there are two days of Yom Tov,
one should make Kiddush in his house.
A Chiddush
There is a chiddush on the reason why
people do not eat in the sukkah on
Shemini Atzeres: As mentioned above,
there are two interpretations of the
halachah regarding sitting in the sukkah
on Shemini Atzeres, and the Gemara
says the final halachah. However, Rav
Yehudah ben Kalonimus says that the
line in the Gemara that “the halachah is
to sit but not [recite] a brachah” is not
part of the original Gemara and was
added in later. Generally, if there are two
interpretations of a Gemara we follow
the second. In this case, the second
interpretation is that all agree not to sit
in the sukkah but the argument is over
whether a brachah is recited. Accordingly,
he says we should not sit in the sukkah on
Shemini Atzeres. He further questions,
how we can sit in the sukkah after we ask
for rain? Additionally, how can we say in
Kiddush that it is Shemini Atzeres and
then sit in the sukkah?
According to this, why does anyone sit
in the sukkah? He says that since Chazal
said there have to be two days of Yom
Tov in Chutz L’Aretz, if we do not sit in
the sukkah on any of those days then they
are definitely not Sukkos, and there is a
concern of making Yom Tov disgraceful.
Other Reasons for the Lenient Custom
One should not think that those who do
not eat in the sukkah on Shemini Atzeres
are doing something against halachah,
as there are reasons for their practice.
Many great people have eaten outside the
sukkah on Shemini Atzeres.
The Aruch Hashulchan offers the
following reason why many are lenient
with sitting and eating in the sukkah on
Shemini Atzeres: