What are Halachic considerations when going about using a pergola as a Sukkah?
Some details that might be of importance:
It has not been built yet. This is for someone who wants to construct one now. They need basic kashrus, no extra chumros.
I also want to build one as well and want it to be lchatchilah.
Here is a pic for illustration purposes.
Answer:
There are a few points to have in mind when turning a pergola into a Sukkah:
1) Material of the support for the S’chach:
From the picture it looks like it will be wooden beams – that is totally fine and the S’chach may lie directly on them. Otherwise, if it’s something which is not Kosher for S’chach, such as made of a material which is susceptible to Tum׳ah (e.g., metal), the S’chach should (lechatchila) be supported by wooden slats or the like.
2) Width of the beams vs. the space between them:
The width of the space between beams (where the S’chach will be visible from inside the Sukkah) must be at least as wide as the beams themselves. Again, from the picture it appears that this is not an issue at all.
3) Space between the beams:
There is a Chumra that the crossbeams should be at least 3 Tefachim (24cm) apart from each other. But this is not the halacha. See details here:
Regarding a Sukkah, the cross beams in the picture below are more than 3 Tefachim apart…
#16424
See also:
