I understand from the Rema [1] that it is wrong for a person to remain in the Sukkah when it is raining. He may as well go into his comfortable house! But what about other environmental disturbances? For example, mosquitoes, or gusty wind, or intense heat. If a person is willing to tough it out and eat/sleep in the Sukkah despite these climactic challenges, is he doing something meritorious, or is he just a Hedyot? I am specifically wondering about the last example of heat. Maybe it is better just to go inside and eat/sleep in the air conditioned house. Is there an objective way to gauge the level of this discomfort? It seems like each person might have their own personal barometer of what suffering they are able to withstand.
Thank you for any insight!
Chag Sameach!
1. https://www.sefaria.org/Shulchan_Arukh%2C_Orach_Chayim.639.7?lang=bi&with=Mishnah%20Berurah&lang2=en
Yishai Rasowsky, Beitar Illit
1) The Shulchan Aruch Orach Chaim 640:4 writes
"What is considered as Mitzta'er? This is if a person is not able to sleep because of the wind or the flies".
We learn that discomfort from mosquitoes or wind, that prevents sleeping, exempts from the sukah.
2) The Tur Orach Chaim #640 writes
"it seems that not everyone can say 'I am suffering from the sukah' to exempt himself. He can only say this about something which is the way of people to find uncomfortable".
We learn that according to the Tur it depends on what the average person finds as uncomfortable. This will help us decide also what level of heat is considered as "Mitzta'er".
[ In any practical case, next Sukot, a Rav should be consulted, since the Halacha can vary according to different people and different circumstances].
Possibly a person should make an effort to ensure that there is air conditioning in the Sukah (see Sha'arei Zevulun Orach Chaim 4:68:6 page 305).
3) Maybe the person who is prepared to tough it out is doing so because he so much loves the Sukah that he would have more tza'ar if he has to leave the Sukah so he is not really a Mitzta'er when he remains there!
Apologies for the late reply to this question. At least we will have something to think about before next Sukot!
KOL TUV
Dovid Bloom
Opinion of Ateret Zekenim:
I should just add on that there is an opinion which disagrees with the Tur, that I cited above. This is the opinion cited in Ateret Zekenim, printed in the margin of the Shulchan Aruch Orach Chaim 540:4 in the name of Beit Yosef in the name of Orchat Chaim (I have not been able to find where the Beit Yosef writes this).
He writes that even if only he is Mitzta'er from a particular matter; and no-one else apart from him is Mitzta'er; nevertheless he is exempt from Sukah.
As I wrote before it would seem that one requires a competent Rabbi to decide for every individual what is genuine Tza'ar for him to make him exempt.
Behatzlachah Rabah
Dovid Bloom