Dear members and friends of Etz Ahaim:
Chag Sameach to all of you, I hope you are all doing well, and you are all ready and prepared for Chag HaSukkot. As you know, the weather forecast predicts rainy weather tonight which will affect the Mitzvah of sitting in the Sukkah. We all hope and pray that it will not rain this night, and we will be able to fulfill the great mitzvah of sitting in the Sukkah. But, if it will rain, there are a few Halachot that we should be aware of.
Sepharadim, according to the Halacha, are exempt from sitting in the Sukkah when it rains, even on the first night, as we understand from the Shulchan Aruch (Siman 639). Some even hold that you are not allowed to be strict and sit in the Sukkah, even on the first night (Shu”t Binyan Shlomo).
If one wants to be strict and wait until the rain stops and then enter the Sukkah, they may do so, and it’s even recommended. This is as long as they won’t wait so much that it will ruin their Simchat Yom Tov.
Even those that want to eat in the Sukkah on the first night while it’s raining must only say Shehechianu, without the Bracha of Leishev BaSukkah (and this is what Ashkenazim do in the first place).
If one is sitting at home and it stops raining before midnight, they need to sit in the Sukkah, eat a piece of bread the size of a KeZait, and to bless Leishev BaSukkah. But, if they decides to eat more than KaBaitza, he can say Leishev BaSukkah even after midnight.
One is allowed to spill water from the table and the chairs onto floor, even if he will spill onto the dirt ground (Chut HaShani).
One is allowed to dry the table and the chairs with a towel if there is only a small amount of water. If he is unsure, he should use many towels.
If the Schach moved by the wind, one is allowed to ask a non-Jew to put it back.
Wishing you all a dry and joyful Chag. I am looking forward to seeing you all tonight despite the rain.
Rabbi Eliyahu Tal