סימן קלה סעיף יב

נוֹהֲגִין שֶׁאֵין מְבָרְכִין לֵישֵׁב בַּסֻּכָּה אֶלָּא בַּאֲכִילַת קֶבַע. וְנוֹהֲגִין שֶׁמְּבָרְכִין תְּחִלָּה הַמּוֹצִיא, וְאַחַר כָּךְ לֵישֵׁב בַּסֻכָּה, קֹדֶם שֶׁטּוֹעֵם. וּשְׁאָר דְּבָרִים שֶׁהוּא אוֹכֵל בַּסֻּכָּה כָּל הַיוֹם, וְכָל מַה שֶׁהוּא יושֵׁב וְעושֶׁה שָׁם, וַאֲפִלּוּ אִם יָשֵׁן שָׁם נִפְטָר הַכֹּל בַּבְּרָכָה שֶׁבֵּרַךְ בִּשְׁעַת אֲכִילַת קֶבַע, עַד שֶׁיֹּאכַל שֵׁנִית בְּקֶבַע. וְאִם לֹא יָצָא מִן הַסֻּכָּה לַעֲסָקָיו אוֹ לְבֵית הַכְּנֶסֶת בֵּין סְעוּדָה לִסְעוּדָה, כֵּיוָן שֶׁבֵּרַךְ פַּעַם אַחַת, שׁוּב אֵינוֹ צָרִיךְ לְבָרֵךְ בִּסְעוּדָה שְׁנִיָה שֶׁאוֹכֵל. וַאֲפִלּוּ כָּל שִׁבְעַת יְמֵי הֶחָג, אִם יָשַׁב וְאָכַל וְלָמַד וְהִתְפַּלֵּל וְיָשֵּׁן תּוֹךְ סֻכָּתוֹ, אֵינוֹ צָרִיךְ לְבָרֵךְ רַק פַּעַם אַחַת, כֵּיוָן שֶׁלֹּא הִסִּיחַ דַּעְתּוֹ מִן הַסֻּכָּה. וַאֲפִלּוּ יָצָא יְצִיאַת אַרְעַי וְדַעְתּוֹ לַחֲזוֹר מִיָד, לֹא הֲוֵי הֶסַּח הַדַּעַת, וְאֵינוֹ צָרִיךְ לְבָרֵךְ בִסְעוּדָה שְנִיָה, רַק כְּשֶׁיָצָא לַעֲסָקָיו אוֹ לְבֵית הַכְּנֶסֶת וְכַדּוֹמֶה. וַאֲפִלּוּ הָלַךְ לְתוֹךְ בֵּיתוֹ לִלְמֹד שָׁם אוֹ לַעֲשׂוֹת שָׁם אֵיזֶה דָבָר שֶׁהוּא שׁוֹהֶה בוֹ, גַּם כֵּן הֲוֵי הֶסַּח הַדַּעַת, וְצָרִיךְ לְבָרֵךְ בִּסְעוּדָה שְׁנִיָה.

It is the custom to say the berachah Leisheiv basukkah only when you eat a regular meal.¹⁶It is the custom of many not to say the berachah until they eat the meal even though they gather in the sukkah and sit there for an hour or so before eating. The rationale is that the berachah which will be said at mealtime exempts even the time spent in the sukkah before the meal. The later Poskim, however, write that in order to comply with those halachic authorities who maintain that it is not proper to sit for a length of time without saying the berachah, it is best to say the berachah Borei minei mezonos and eat a piece of cake larger than a kebeitzah as soon as you enter the sukkah and to say the berachah Leisheiv basukkah. This will make it unnecessary to say the berachah when you eat the regular meal. (Ibid 639:46) And it is the custom to say the Hamotzi first, and then Leisheiv basukkah, before you begin to eat. Everything that you eat in the sukkah the entire day, and whatever you do while staying there, even if you sleep there, is exempt with the berachah you said before eating the regular meal, [and it exempts everything] until you eat your next regular meal. If you did not leave the sukkah to go to business or to the synagogue between meals, since you once said the berachah, you need not repeat it at the next meal. Even if during the entire week of Sukkos, you would dwell in the sukkah eating, studying, praying and sleeping there, you would need to say the berachah only one time, because your thoughts were never diverted from the sukkah. Even if you left the sukkah temporarily, with the intention of returning immediately, it is not considered a diversion, and you need not say the berachah at the following meal. However, if you went out to do business, or to go to the synagogue, or for similar reasons; even if you went into your house to study, or to do something which is time consuming, it also constitutes a distraction, and you must say the berachah at the next meal.

תנא דבי אליהו כל השונה הלכות בכל יום מובטח לו שהוא בן העולם הבא שנאמר הליכות עולם לו אל תקרי הליכות אלא הלכות (נדה ע"ג.)