Dear Rabbi,
I've spent a short time (around 11 days) in Ohr
Somayach in Jerusalem and a few weeks in Ohr Somayach in Monsey
and have enjoyed both. Alas, it is difficult for adults such as
myself with professions to be able to take off much more than
a week or two every few years for immersion in Torah study.
So anyway, I've just arranged to have my parents
have a succah. Since I have an apartment, it was impossible for
me to have one. However there are questions that came up, particularly
about the schach (roofing). I'll try to ask my rabbi, but it is
a very busy time and perhaps you can point me in the right direction
in case he is not available.
Here's my question: If a tree above a succah prevents
one from seeing the sky because of its leaves, does that invalidate
the succah? A tree is above the porch which would be the most
convenient place for a succah. However, an alternate location
with clear sky is available.
A succah must be directly under the sky; if it's
built underneath anything else, it's invalid. Even if the foliage
of the tree is very thin, it could still invalidate an otherwise
valid succah according to some authorities. Therefore, extreme
caution should be taken when building a succah in order to avoid
placing it under a tree.
