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<p style="margin-top:0;margin-bottom:0">From today's OU Kosher Halacha Yomis</p>
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<p><strong>Q. I will be going away for the last days of Sukkos, and I do not need my
<em>Sukkah</em> anymore. Can I take it down on <em>Chol Hamoed</em> before I leave?</strong></p>
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<p>A. The Gemara (Sukkah 9a) derives from the verse (Vayikra 23:34) “The Chag of Sukkos shall be seven days for Hashem” that just as a
<em>Korban Chagiga</em> (alluded to by the word “<em>chag</em>” which is seemingly superfluous) is sanctified to Hashem, so too a
<em>Sukkah</em> becomes sanctified to Hashem. Shulchan Aruch (OC 638:1) writes that the
<em>s’chach</em> and walls of a <em>Sukkah</em> may not be used for any other purpose during the
<em>chag</em>. For example, one may not pull a splinter from the wood of the <em>
Sukkah</em> to use as a toothpick. Even if the <em>Sukkah</em> fell down, one may not benefit from the wood until after Sukkos. It is not clear from Shulchan Aruch whether one may take down a
<em>Sukkah</em> if no one will benefit from it. Sefer Ikrei HaDat (OC 2:68) discusses this question and concludes that taking down a
<em>Sukkah</em> is “<em>bizui mitzvah</em>” (belittling of the <em>mitzvah</em>) and therefore it may only be taken down if there is a special necessity. Shoel Umaishiv (4:3:28) also seems to imply that this is not permitted. He writes that one may not even
take <em>s’chach</em> off of one <em>Sukkah</em> to place on another. However, Rav Shlomo Zalman Auerbach,
<em>zt”l</em> (Minchas Shlomo II:54) and L’horos Noson (7:47) both point out that there is a clear implication from Shulchan Aruch (666:1) that one may take down a
<em>Sukkah</em>, once it is no longer needed. The Shulchan Aruch states that in Israel, on Hoshanah Rabba, once the
<em>Sukkah</em> is no longer needed, one may remove a large section of the <em>s’chach</em> in order to permit sitting in the
<em>Sukkah</em> on Shmini Atzeres and not be concerned about <em>ba’al tosif</em>. Of course, one may not benefit from the<em> s’chach</em> until after Sukkos. (Note, dismantling a
<em>Sukkah</em> on <em>Chol Hamoed</em> involves <em>melacha</em>. This would be permitted only for the sake of
<em>Yom Tov</em> [if the labor is non-skilled], or to avoid a loss.)</p>
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