Well in advance – Sukkot
The Torah commands us (Deut. 16:13) to make a sukkah. The task is far from easy. So many questions arise.
Is last year’s sukkah still kosher? How many people must a sukkah accommodate? What rules apply to the walls and the roof? What happens if rain beats down on the sukkah?
There are so many rules. It requires so much time and effort. The question is when the time and effort should be done. The answer is, “not at the last minute.” One should get ready for Sukkot long before and plan the sukkah in advance with a mind stocked with information. It is hard because Sukkot comes so close to Rosh HaShanah and Yom Kippur.
Planning for Sukkot should commence weeks before, even though the actual building traditionally begins at the end of Yom Kippur.