Sitting under the stars in our sukkah

The laws pertaining to the construction of the succah are many and varied. Our Sages created an entire Talmudic tractate that analyzed every conceivable aspect of the succah’s constitutive elements, namely, its walls and schach, its roof-like covering. Central to these discussions are the uncontested notions of the physical placement and environment of the succah: It must be outside, fully exposed to the elements, and ideally have an unblocked view of the sky.

Thus, Rav Yosef Karo, author of the Shulchan Aruch, states in Orech Chaim 631:3: “The standard manner of placing the schach upon the succah is to do so in such a way as to enable one to see the large stars through it.” The Chafetz Chaim, in the Mishnah Berurah, states that the large stars in this statement refer to those that can be seen during the day prior to sunset. In addition, he notes that a number of more recent authorities ruled that even the nighttime stars must be visible through the schach. The question is “why?” In other words, what subliminal, and possibly sublime, messages were Chazal trying to teach us by mandating the visibility of the stars through the succah’s roof-like covering?

On one level, perhaps, our Sages wanted us to view the stars in order to sensitize us to the wonder and beauty of G-d’s creation. Dovid Hamelech gave voice to this thought in his paean of praise to G-d’s handiwork: “How magnificent are Your works Hashem, You made all of them in Your supernal wisdom, the entire cosmos is filled with Your creations.” (Sefer Tehillim 104:24) Thus, when we dwell in our succot, we are reminded at all times of G-d’s glory, power, and majesty – simply by viewing the stars through the schach.