[Avodah] Sukka must be kosher for sleeping?

[Zev Sero]

On 29/09/2010 1:11 PM, Micha Berger wrote:
> On Wed, Sep 29, 2010 at 03:10:58AM +1000, Zev Sero wrote:
>> When it's raining, it's possible not only to force yourself to eat in
>> the sukkah anyway, but also to force yourself to *like* doing so, and
>> to be *happy* while doing so...
>
> How do you force yourself to like something and to be happy doing
> it?

It depends, of course, on how unpleasant it is in the first place; also
on how long one must go on liking it.  But one can often psych oneself
into enjoying otherwise unpleasant experiences for a short while; alcohol
helps, as do being with a group who are all doing it together, and an
inspiring speaker or leader.  Witness such phenomena as "polar bear"
swimming clubs, or the bizarre things frat boys are renowned for getting
up to.  How much more so is it possible for the mitzvah of eating in a
sukkah.  But to fall asleep physical comfort is usually necessary; also,
a psyched-up state of mind is itself a barrier to sleep.  And, of course,
sleeping takes a long time, during none of which one is being inspired
either by a speaker or by a group consciousness.


-- 
Zev Sero                      The trouble with socialism is that you
zev at sero.name                 eventually run out of other people’s money
                                                      - Margaret Thatcher