Building and Destroying: How Goodly are Your Tents?

The last toldah of binyan is ohel, tent.  The d’Oraysa is to create a permanent halachic tent; however, the more practical aspect is ohel array , the rabbinic prohibition to create even a temporary halachic tent.

The first thing that must be defined is the definition of a halachic tent.  Firstly, a vertical partition is not considered a tent unless it serves as a halachic border.  (An example would be a third wall for a suka or a partition to create a private domain.  A partition between men and women during prayer would be permitted to make.)  Secondly, even a horizontal partition is only prohibited if either it is made to protect the area underneath, or it is made to use the area underneath.  A table would be permitted to make, even though it covers a space, because the main use of a table is to eat on top and not to put things underneath.  Even so, we assume that any covering with four walls is prohibited because one can put things underneath.