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/ref=sr_1_7?dchild=1&keywords=netting&qid=1601644996&smid=A3E5ZZ3DL804PS&sr=8-7

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:

1. Put up a frame work � four 8 foot poles or two by fours � twenty feet apart.
2. Attach 7 pairs of 12 foot two by fours together to form the schach frame (4) and schach support beams (3)
3. Wrap the netting around three of the poles � make sure they are taut and don�t sway 3 tefachim.
4. Put up 4 schach mats
5. Enjoy the simcha!

The author can be reached at [email protected]