Rebbetzin Riddle: Chassidic Sukkah Decorations!

Many people beautify the sukkah with dried fruits of the harvest, pictures of Jerusalem and the Holy Temple, verses from holy books, and other decorations. Other people prefer the simple beauty of the sukkah itself, so they do not decorate it at all.

Rabbi Chaim of Sanz had a special custom. Every year before Sukkos, Rabbi Chaim and his sons would collect money from community leaders and businessmen. As soon as they gathered it, they gave it away to the poor, so that they too would have enough for the holiday. Needless to say, they also had lots of guests and learned Torah in the sukkah.

One year, Rabbi Chaim was able to distribute a very large amount of money to the needy. As his guests entered the sukkah, his young son saw that it glowed with a special beauty. Yet not one decoration could be seen. "What makes this sukkah so beautiful?" the boy asked.

Rabbi Chaim explained, "Many people decorate their sukkos with all kinds of very expensive ornaments. But my sukkah is different. Its beauty comes from giving tzedokah and performing other mitzvos. This is a beauty that anyone can acquire."

Rabbi Riddle's Kwazy Kwestions:
When are you not required to sit in a Sukkah?

When it's not Sukkos!