"FAQ Regarding Dwelling In An Aboveground Succah." (Discworld) G
Title: FAQ Regarding Dwelling In An Aboveground Succah. (On Archive Of Our Own)
Author:
lannamichaels
Fandom: Discworld - Terry Pratchett
Rating: G
A/N: When the daf yomi cycle gives you Maseches Succah ending a week before Tishrei begins, that is what we call an excellent excuse. Anyway, hope your Tishrei goes well, even with it all (again).
Summary: In these modern times, people are wondering, is it permissible to build a succah aboveground? An explainer by Reb Chizkiyahu Ironcrust of Ankh-Morpork.
Every dwarf knows the requirements for a halachic succah. It must be dark, and comfortable, and, most importantly, it must be underground.
But what do we do in these days when many of us cannot, unfortunately, find a basement apartment? Who can't make it home to a mine for the holiday? How can our brethren make do? Is it truly the case that a succah must be underground to be kosher?
In fact, it is not!
What must an aboveground succah contain?
The most important aspect of a succah is the need for darkness to overwhelm any light. In a mine, this is a trivial task that takes only finding a corner far away from all candles and vurms. Aboveground, it is harder. You may need to use artificial shade such as sheets or newspaper to cover all holes to block the light from reaching the succah.
If you are already using blackout curtains or halachic light blockers, you can use those for your succah as well; you don't need to buy new ones.
What should I build it out of?
A succah must be made of stone. If you can get stone shipped to you personally from a reputable quarry, all the better, but even if you can't, it still must be made of stone. I'm sorry, but the fringe opinion that you can use bricks has no basis in halacha. This is because stone is in its natural form and is merely cut and shaped, while brick is artificially constructed. (This is the same reason you can't use dwarf bread, but thankfully no one is saying you can!) If you truly cannot find stone, please contact me and we can discuss options for borrowing stone or using a communal succah in your area.
If your home's walls are made of stone, you can use three of them for the succah walls, but the fourth must be made of stone specially designated for the succah. Remember, a succah is a temporary dwelling, not a permanent one!
The schach must be made of metal rods, with the family axe lain across the top.
It is best if no part of the succah has been exposed to sunlight, but that is not a requirement and, indeed, these days, I imagine it is an impossibility. May we merit to live in a time when the daylight does not touch us.
What kind of axe is best?
If you do not have a family tradition in this matter, use an adult size pickaxe. Do not designate a family axe that will be used so often, it must be constantly repaired, because it might come to need to be repaired over Succos one year, and then it would be invalid for schach.
Does it matter which kind of stone for the walls and which kind of metal for the roof?
No, the only important factor is structural integrity; do not seek to emulate our friend David Yishaison whose succah famously falls down every year. There may be aesthetic concerns, but those are not halachic in nature.
What can I do about minesign?
It is of course best if minesign accumulates naturally, but if we could trust in natural mine succah developments, we wouldn't need anything else. If your minesign grows naturally, that is all to the best. If it is Erev Succos and your walls are still blank, you may leave your home's doors open and loudly announce your intention to go for a walk. In a good dwarf neighborhood, the neighbors will provide the rest.
If your neighbors are not dwarfs, you may leave one of our helpful explanatory pamphlets under their door and hope for the best.
What if the minesigns aren't promising?
If you live amongst dwarfs and receive the Following Dark or the Summoning Dark, it is best if you go elsewhere for the holiday.
If your neighbors aren't dwarfs, assume it is just graffiti.
I own a stone shed with a metal roof, can I modify it to use it as a succah?
Because it spends the entire year unobstructed beneath the sun, it is invalid for use as a succah. You may still build your succah inside of it or beneath it.
I will be traveling. Can I build my succah inside my wagon or carriage?
Yes, but good luck. I have known many who tried but tipped over their wagon in the attempt. Wear safety equipment and do not rely on miracles.
What about those who say that, in a pinch, we can consider the Disc itself a succah?
Here in Ankh-Morpork, we would then be on top of the schach, and that's no good. If those people can figure out how to dwell beneath the Disc, they are certainly welcome to!
This entry was originally posted at https://lannamichaels.dreamwidth.org/1215770.html.