Dear Rabbi Simon
I have a quick question if you have time. Assuming it rains tonight (first night of Sukkot), how long should one wait to make kiddush and eat? Should one make kiddush in the sukkah in the rain and eat challah in the normal way, but no blessing on the mitzvah of eating in the sukkah, then eat the rest of the meal in the house, and then return to the sukkah (in the rain?) for birkat ha-mazon?
Thank you,
Avraham
Dear Avraham,
I prefer not to work with “assuming it rains tonight”, but rather, “in the event that it rains…”
But either way, the drill is :
Wait an hour or so, if you (and your family) have the patience, to see if the rain will abate. If no “joy”, kiddush, שהחיינו, and כזית פת in the sukkah. If the rain makes eating unpleasant, continue indoors (or under cover). If the rain stops, return to the sukkah to eat bread (עם ברכת לישב בסוכה) without the rain. Either way, ברהמ”ז where you finish your meal.
I hope this summary is helpful and will not be necessary. But just in case…
Best wishes
Rabbi Rashi Simon
PS I can also recommend this more comprehensive treatment of your question: https://www.federation.org.uk/halocho-faqs/sukkos-faqs/ Let’s hope that on this occasion, learning about the halakhot will take the place of needing to put them into effect.