By Rabbi Yair Hoffman for 5tjt.com Reb Tuvya is making a vort over Chol HaMoed.  Generally speaking, food is served at a vort and vorts are made in large Sukkos.  But, unfortunately, COVID-19 is a monkey wrench thrown in the middle.  So what should Reb Tuvya do? Here are the five choices: Endanger lives of others in your Sukkah – very not ideal, possibly involving a number of Torah prohibitions. Don’t serve food and make it in the backyard – not ideal for a vort Only serve shehakol food and make it in the backyard– not ideal for those yarei shamayim but permitted technically, and the shehakol cakes have gotten really really good lately. Give out food packages to be eaten later in one’s own Sukkah and make it in the backyard – cute and innovative, but still missing something Build a COVID-19 Safe Open Air Sukkah as below. Don’t forget to socially distance and wear masks – but with a 400 square foot Sukkah – you have plenty of room. So here goes: The Gemorah in Sukkah 7a tells us that Mechitzos Gru’os are effective for use as a wall in a Sukkah.  Thus, what can be done is to make walls out of netting. According to this author’s research – the following product will give the best bang for one’s buck. https://www.amazon.com/Netting-Heavy-Protect-Plants-Fruit/dp/B00XIRH1CC/... The product above is some 7.5 feet high and 65 feet wide.  This can yield a 20 by 20 foot sukkah. The Chazon Ish 75:8 indicates that this approach, using both a horizontal and vertical system of ropes – would negate the Mogain Avrohom’s requirement (OC 730) to have four walls rather than three when using Mechitzos gru’os. So here is what to do in 5 steps: Put up a frame work – four 8 foot poles or two by fours – twenty feet apart. Attach 7 pairs of 12 foot two by fours together to form the schach frame (4) and schach support beams (3) Wrap the netting around three of the poles – make sure they are taut and don’t sway 3 tefachim. Put up 4 schach mats Enjoy the simcha! The author can be reached at yairhoffman2@gmail.com
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