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Q. I have to make a Shalom Zachar this Friday night (Sukkot). It would be far more convenient for me to have the Shalom Zachar at home and not in the sukkah. If I only serve arbis, cake and drink, is it permissible for me to do it at home?

A. There is a difference of opinion as to whether one is allowed to eat cake outside of the sukkah. Although there are many poskim who are lenient, I would side with those who are more stringent. The purpose of Sukkot is to turn the Sukkah into your actual home, either as a symbol of Divine protection or as a remembrance of Jewish exile. This means that if possible one should sleep in the sukkah and not even drink water outside of it. The spirit of the law would certainly insist that you make the Shalom Zachar in the sukkah even though it may be slightly inconvenient.

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