Can I Tie Down My Schach?

Congratulations! You opted for bamboo mats as the Schach (roof covering) for your Sukkah . But, surprise surprise, some of it decided to take flight during Sukkot ! Naturally, you’re probably wondering if you could just tie it down with some string. As with everything in halacha (Jewish law), things aren’t that simple. Let’s dive in: 

The walls of your Sukkah can be made from any material your heart desires – wood, canvas, cardboard, maybe even a stack of old pizza boxes. But Schach ? Well, it’s got some rules. It needs to be a substance that:

• Has grown from the ground

• Is presently detached from the ground (no live trees, please)

• Is not susceptible to tum’ah (ritual impurity)

Once a material becomes a tool or is modified for use, it can become susceptible to ritual impurity, making it a no-go for use as Schach. Simple branches or beams, on the other hand, remain pure and are fair game (for more on Schach Kashrut requirements, see our handy Guide to Kosher Schach ).

As a safeguard to keeping things kosher, the Rabbis came up with a simple rule: No using materials unsuitable for Schach to support or secure it, just in case someone gets the bright idea to use those materials as actual Schach. However, Schach can rest on the Sukkah’s walls, even if those walls are made from materials like stone or brick, which are definitely not Schach-friendly.

For your Sukkah to be kosher, it needs to withstand a regular wind. If a gentle breeze can turn your Schach into a flying carpet, then we’ve got a problem. Light materials like bamboo mats may need a little extra help staying put.

The preferred fix? Place something heavier, like a 2x4 piece of wood, over the Schach to weigh it down. Alternatively, you can tie it down with natural twine made from unprocessed reed grass or palm, which you can easily find as twine sold at many hardware stores.

If your Schach is only at risk from a rare gale, you’re in the clear and don’t need to tie it down for your Sukkah to be kosher. But if you still want to secure it, go ahead and use any material, just avoid nails – they make the structure too permanent.

And if you’re worried about your decorations going flying too, check out our handy guide on Weatherproofing Your Sukkah.

Anything that directly supports the Schach must be impurity-free. But there’s a twist: According to most opinions, including Rabbi Schneur Zalman of Liadi in Shulchan Aruch Harav, it doesn’t matter if the object supporting the Schach is itself supported by something that’s not kosher for Schach. After all, every Sukkah’s support ultimately comes from the ground, which is definitely not Schach material (unless you live on a giant tree, in which case, we need to talk).

Even if you end up using something after the fact, that isn’t kosher to support your Schach (either because you didn’t realize what the halacha was, or must do so because you had no other material to use), don’t stress. You can still sit in that Sukkah without hesitation.

So, as you sit back in your newly fortified Sukkah, sipping on some of Kedem’s finest, you can now enjoy the peaceful breeze this Sukkot without worrying that your roof will take flight midway!