Edelstein: “A Sukkah is an Enclosed Space”

Health Minister Yuli Edelstein delivered a special pre-Sukkos message, warning about the applicability of coronavirus regulations in the sukkah:

“The people of Israel certainly have no happier holiday in the State of Israel than the holiday of Sukkot – v’semachta b’chagecha. I tell you unequivocally: Let’s not see any tricks: A properly constructed sukkah is an enclosed space. Just as it’s forbidden to entertain people in the house, so it’s forbidden to entertain in the sukkah. We have to trust the public, there will be no policeman to enter the private yard or house, there won’t be a policeman for every sukkah,” he was quoted as saying by Arutz Sheva on Tuesday.

Edelstein also rebuked the chareidi community for its conduct on Rosh Hashana:

“The violations we saw in Bnei Brak and in the demonstrations endanger us. The pressures won’t help, we’ll release the economy carefully.

“Following Rosh Hashanah prayers that took place contrary to the outline approved by the Health Ministry coronavirus coordinator, we’ll have a wave of morbidity in those groups and batei knessiot – where hundreds and possibly thousands of people crowded. It’s extremely serious.”

“A verified carrier’s leaving isolation and coming to synagogue, or police officers catching people in cars on the way to who-knows-where drives me crazy,” Edelstein said.

“It’ll take long weeks until we see the decline in morbidity. It isn’t easy; we’ll come to the Corona Cabinet tomorrow with a gradual exit plan. We won’t repeat mistakes and this time we’ll be very careful. No pressure and no lobby will help. We will release our economy with the care necessitated by medical considerations,” declared the Minister.