On Dwelling in the Sukkah
This question and answer were automatically translated using our trained AI and have not yet been reviewed by a qualified rabbi. Please treat this translation with caution.
go to original →
Question
In the Gemara Sukkah 28, the mitzvah of dwelling in the sukkah is described as eating, drinking, and strolling in the sukkah. However, it is almost not explained in the words of the Rishonim and Acharonim what 'strolling' means, as to fulfill the mitzvah of dwelling in the sukkah and to observe 'you shall dwell as you live,' one must perform acts of dwelling in the sukkah. Yet 'strolling' is the opposite of acts of dwelling, as strolling is done outside the dwelling, not inside it. Moreover, a sukkah 7 by 7 is not suitable for strolling at all. If it is an act of dwelling, how is it possible, for according to the Yeraim, any sukkah not suitable for one use is automatically invalid for everything, and so it is ruled in Halacha. So how is a sukkah 7 by 7 considered valid, as it is not suitable for strolling? It is necessary that the concept of 'strolling' in the sukkah is not understood literally.
Answer
Shalom Rav
'Strolling' means 'an action for enjoyment,' that is, an action not for a specific purpose but for pleasure.
For example, a board game can also be called strolling.
Source
See Shulchan Aruch Orach Chaim 518:1, where playing ball is referred to as 'strolling'.