Sukkah roof idea

Why do you keep changing your username?

We’ve used a simple PVC pipe frame attached on a slight slope over the schach roof and used a rolled up tarp on a second piece of pipe attached to the “high” end of the frame so the tarp can easily be rolled up and pulled out. The entire frame and large tarp can be purchased at any Home Depot or Lowes for minimal cost. Two concerns. First, its good for light rain but don’t use it when heavy downpour is forecast since the water can “pool” and the weight will collapse your succah. Second, getting up on the ladder to roll it up or down at night and after a few glasses of wine can be a challenge
Also, I’m sure there is some chumrah somewhere that says our entire “stay dry” strategy is apikorsus and succahs are supposed to get wet.

Gadol Hadorah,
I enjoyed you poking fun at a potential “sukkahs are supposed to get wet” chumrah.
Of course, the opposite is true. Succahs should always be kept dry. It reminds those still living in chutz la’aretz that Succot is at the time of year when it has not rained yet in Eretz Hakodesh, and a rained-upon succah before tefillat geshem is actually a klalah. Come live in Israel and enjoy a rain-free succah filled with brachah.

Rational: I was always taught to keep the succah dry because of all the work that the kids expended in making those beautiful decorations for yom tov and hanging them from the roof of the succah along with their drawings on the wall would be ruined by the rain. We never purchased decorations and in some cases, were able to retain some of the kids’ items from prior years. I’m not sure that is the inyan of keeping the succah “dry” but that was certainly our primary focus.

Well maybe instead of using all your krum svaras that are shelo kehalacha learn the sugya.
Since you probably won’t I’ll tell you guys a few tidbits.
– Ayin Tosafos In Succah that asks if its muttar to use boards as schach than geshem isn’t a kllalah
– there was a shailah about an invention that a yungerman made that was schach that the rain slides off (too lengthy to explain here) and its a machlokes
– the best option is a shlock

First, it (a tarp) is good for light rain but don’t use it when heavy downpour is forecast since the water can “pool” and the weight will collapse your succah.

I learned that the hard way. Fortunately, I was able to prevent the s’chach from being destroyed by quickly poking holes in the tarp with a knife. 🙂