Q&A: Sukkah
Sukkah
Question
Hello Rabbi Michi,
I follow the Shulchan Arukh, which requires sitting in the sukkah when eating an egg-bulk of bread. I do not eat bread for health reasons. Seemingly, I could get through the holiday without a sukkah, but I still make a point of sitting in it. Can I also recite the blessing for sitting in the sukkah even though I am not eating bread, in a case where I eat a substantial meal—for example, a meat meal with carbohydrates?
Answer
In my opinion, definitely yes. For any substantial meal that you eat, one can and preferably should recite the blessing.
Discussion on Answer
For every meal one should recite the blessing. It is accepted that bread is the measure, but that is an anachronistic determination. I already mentioned the challenge to the idea that Grace after Meals applies specifically to bread (Rabbi Yoel Bin-Nun). So certainly, for someone who in principle does not eat bread, one should recite the blessing for such a meal.
The Vilna Gaon rules that one recites the blessing for any use of the sukkah.
Leaving Sukkot aside, is the Rabbi’s view that nowadays one should recite Grace after Meals for any “substantial” meal even if there is no bread at all? Doesn’t that conflict with a law from the Talmudic text?
Good question. There is a lot of logic to it, but the common practice is still otherwise. I am not confident enough to change that.
Rabbi, could you please write what your basic assumptions are behind this ruling? After all, this is not according to Maimonides’ view, because according to him one must recite the blessing every time one enters the sukkah. And according to the opposing view (Rabbeinu Tam), it indeed has to be with an egg-bulk of bread.
Thank you.