Sukkah, Daf Kaf Bet, Part 5
Introduction
This section deals with the next clause of the mishnah, which states that if the shade is more than the sun inside the sukkah, the sukkah is valid.
ושצילתה מרובה מחמתה כשרה. הא כי הדדי – פסולה, והא תנן באידך פירקין: ושחמתה מרובה מצילתה – פסולה, הא כי הדדי כשרה! –
Whose shade is more than its sun is valid.
But if they are equal it is invalid? But have we not learnt in the other chapter, or whose sun is more than its shade, is invalid , from which it follows that if they are equal it is valid?
This type of nitpicky question is frequently asked in the Talmud. In my opinion it provides the Talmud with a chance to add a caveat to the Mishnah. In other words, I think the Talmud realizes that the Mishnah doesn’t actually contradict itself. They just posit the contradiction in order to offer a comment about the mishnah.
The mishnah in the second chapter stated that if the shade is greater than the sun the sukkah is valid, implying that if they are equal, the sukkah is invalid. The opposite implication can be drawn from the first chapter. If the sun is greater than the shade, the sukkah is invalid, implying that if they are equal the sukkah is valid. So what is the law if they are equal?
לא קשיא: כאן – מלמעלה, כאן – מלמטה.
אמר רב פפא: היינו דאמרי אינשי: כזוזא מלעיל כאיסתרא מלתחת.
There is no difficulty, since the former refers to above and the latter to below.
R. Papa said, this is like what people say, the size of a zuz above becomes the size of an issar below .
The answer is that it depends on where we measure the shade/sun. If they are equal from above, the sukkah is invalid for down below the sun will appear to dominate the shade (this is according to Rashi). If they are equal below, then above there is more skhakh than empty spaces so the sukkah is valid.
Rav Papa notes a folk-saying that reflects this idea. If there is a hole the size of a zuz, a larger coin above, it becomes smaller below, the size of an issar.