Is there a maximum height of a Sukkah? The first Mishna of Talmud Sukkah says there’s an argument about this. The general consensus is that a Sukkah (floor-to-ceiling) can’t be higher than 20 Amos (cubits) or the equivalent of about 30 feet. Rabbi Yehudah differs, he says there’s no maximum height for a Sukkah.

Why would there be a maximum height for the Sukkah? 3 Rabbis in the Talmud (Sukkah 2a) give 3 different answers. For our purposes of life-relevance, we’re going to start with the last answer first.

Rava says: A Sukkah is supposed to be a temporary structure. Building a Sukkah over 30 feet high will make it too permanent-style to fit the temporary-feel a Sukkah ought to have. So his message is about the STRUCTURE.

R’ Zeira says: We’re supposed to be shaded by the Schach cover. If a Sukkah is too tall, the shade will come from the very tall walls and not from the roof. This is a geometry insight. The angle which the sunlight hits makes all the difference. According to R’ Zeirah, the message here is about EFFECT.

Rabba says: It’s very important to have the sense that you’re in the Sukkah and have awareness of the Schach cover as much as possible. If the Sukkah is under 30 feet, you’ll be able to see the Schach in your peripheral vision, but if its above 30 feet tall, it will be way out of eyeshot. (This is why Manhattan real-estate only has retail on the first one or two floors, because foot-traffic only sees about 30 feet up in peripheral vision). Rabba’s message is about AWARENESS.

This is the gist of the first page of Talmud Sukkah. Its different explanations for reasons for maximum Sukkah height. But think of a Sukkah as a metaphor for building our homes and lives.

These three ingredients all play a role. Structure facilitates and sets the stage. The setting, the rules, the systems in place. That’s all the structure. Effect is important. How does the light shine in? How does it affect us? And then there’s awareness: Intent and thoughtful focus, verbalizing and expressing what is meaningful and why it is so.

Structure. Effect. Awareness.