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I have always heard that while we do not eat in the Sukkah while it rains, those of Chabad do. Why is this so?

Found it on wikipedia too:

Though the halakha doesn't obligate one to eat or sleep in the sukkah if it is raining, Lubavitcher Hasidim will still eat there.

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a source: bottom of hebrewbooks.org/pdfpager.aspx?req=30510&st=&pgnum=317 and next page. –  Shmuel Brin Oct 4 '11 at 22:58
It should be noted that the Shulchan Aruch HaRav does not deviate from the Remah on this issue: one who sits in the succah while it's raining is a 'hedyot'. –  Ephraim Sep 20 '13 at 8:08
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up vote 8 down vote accepted

It looks like a general Chassidic custom.

The Minchas Elazar writes that it is a tradition from the Ba'al Shem Tov. He explains the mishna that says that one stays is "comparable to a slave who mixes wine for his master and he spills it in his face." in a novel way.

He says that there are two ways to explain "he spills in his face", is it the master spilling into the slave's face, or the slave spilling into the master's face.

If the clause means "the slave spills it in into the master's face", it is saying that sitting in the sukka during rain is a chutzpa and is wrong.

However, if the clause means "the master spills it into the slave's face", it means that one who stays could still be considered a "midas chassidus".

Moreover, the Minchas Elazar says that one should enjoy the mitzva so much that the rain shouldn't bother him. And even though he may be a "hedyot", Jews are holy and willing to be hedyotos for the sake of a mitzvah.

Chernobyl, Skver and Koidanov also have such a custom, as well as Bobov (unless it's a public meal).

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Does anyone understand the Mishna this way before the 18th century? –  Double AA Aug 27 '13 at 5:56
At the end of the Teshuva (which he says is a limmud zechus), it says to look further in Minchas Elazar 5:89. I can't find that Teshuva. Hebrewbooks only goes until 5:39. Do you know where I can find that Teshuva? –  Double AA Aug 27 '13 at 15:04
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