Sukkah Blessings in Hebrew and English

Below is some  Sukkah wisdom  that's as essential as the decor you hang from your Schach. Before you dive into that  delicious meal  in your Sukkah, there are some critical blessings you'll want to know.

The following blessing is said before partaking of a  meal in the Sukkah:

Bah-rookh ah-tah ah-doh-noi eh-loh-hay-noo meh-lekh hah-oh-lahm ah-sher ki-deh-shah-noo beh-mitz-voh-tahv veh-tzee-vah-noo lay-shayv bah-soo-kah

בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה ה' אֱלֹהֵינוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם אֲשֶר קִדְּשָׁנוּ בְּמִצְוֹתָיו וְצִוָּנוּ לֵישֵׁב בַּסֻּכָּה

Translation: Blessed are You, L‑rd our G‑d, King of the universe, who has sanctified us with His commandments, and commanded us to dwell in the Sukkah.

When eating in the Sukkah for the first time this year, say the following blessing:

Bah-rookh ah-tah ah-doh-noi eh-loh-hay-noo meh-lekh hah-oh-lahm sheh-heh-kheh-yah-noo veh-kee-mah-noo ve-hig-ee-yah-noo liz-mahn hah-zeh

בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה ה' אֱלֹהֵינוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם שֶׁהֶחֱיָנוּ וְקִיְּמָנוּ וְהִגִיעָנוּ לִזְמַן הַזֶּה

Translation: Blessed are You, L‑rd our G‑d, King of the Universe, who has granted us life, sustained us and enabled us to reach this occasion.

• Sukkah Blessing: Whenever you're about to chow down on bread or mezonot (think cookies, crackers, or cake) in the Sukkah, throw in the Sukkah Blessing beforehand .

•  First Nights:  On the first two nights of Sukkot, both blessings are included in the Kiddush.

• Missed It? No Problem!: Didn’t get a chance to eat in the Sukkah on the first night? No worries – just say the Shehecheyanu the first chance you get to eat in the Sukkah.

• Timing Is Everything: Say the blessing over your food first, then the Sukkah Blessing before you start eating.

• Chabad Custom: If you’re Chabad, you’ll say the Sukkah Blessing during  Havdalah  in the Sukkah too.

•  Shemini Atzeret:  No Sukkah Blessing on Shemini Atzeret. 

So there you have it, folks – Sukkah blessings in a nutshell!