Sukkah, Daf Kaf Zayin, Part 4
Introduction
This section continues to discuss R. Eliezer’s various positions regarding the laws of sukkot.
תניא, רבי אליעזר אומר: כשם שאין אדם יוצא ידי חובתו ביום טוב הראשון של חג בלולבו של חבירו, דכתיב +ויקרא כג+ ולקחתם לכם ביום הראשון פרי עץ הדר כפת תמרים – משלכם, כך אין אדם יוצא ידי חובתו בסוכתו של חבירו, דכתיב חג הסוכת תעשה לך שבעת ימים – משלך. וחכמים אומרים: אף על פי שאמרו אין אדם יוצא ידי חובתו ביום טוב הראשון בלולבו של חבירו, אבל יוצא ידי חובתו בסוכתו של חבירו, דכתיב +ויקרא כג+ כל האזרח בישראל ישבו בסכת – מלמד שכל ישראל ראוים לישב בסוכה אחת.
It has been taught: R. Eliezer said: Just as one cannot fulfill his obligation on the first day of the Festival with the lulav belonging to his fellow, since it is written, "And you shall take for yourselves on the first day the fruit of goodly trees, branches of palm-trees" (Leviticus 23:40) i.e., from your own possessions, so too one cannot fulfill his obligation with a Sukkah of his fellow, since it is written, "The festival of Sukkot you shalt keep for yourself for seven days" (Deuteronomy 16:13) i.e. from your own possession. The sages say: Although they said that one cannot fulfil his obligation on the first day of the Festival with the lulav belonging to his fellow, he may nevertheless fulfill his obligation with the Sukkah of his fellow, since it is written, "All that are homeborn in Israel shall dwell in Sukkot" (Leviticus 23:42) this teaches that all of Israel are fit to sit in one Sukkah.
The background to this dispute is that all sages agree that one must own one’s own lulav, at least on the first day of the festival. This is derived by the sages from the words "for yourselves" that appears in Leviticus 23:40. Even a borrowed lulav cannot be used on the first day of the Festival. We shall discuss this more in the next chapter. The same word "for yourself/yourselves" also appears in connection with the sukkah in Deuteronomy. Thus R. Eliezer holds that one can fulfill his obligation only with his own sukkah. Note that this also accords with what he held in the previous sections one must build a sukkah and sit in the same sukkah for seven days. No visiting friends for R. Eliezer.
The other sages use Leviticus 23:42 to derive that people can share sukkot. They read the verse creatively, as if it says that every "homeborn" (in the Torah this term is used to exclude the resident alien) can sit in one sukkah. A beautiful image but I’m not sure I’d really want to be in that sukkah.
ורבנן, האי לך מאי דרשי ביה? – מיבעי ליה למעוטי גזולה, אבל שאולה – כתיב כל האזרח. –
And how do the rabbis interpret the words "for yourself"?
It is needed to exclude a stolen [Sukkah]; but as to a borrowed one, It is written, "All that are homeborn."
As often happens in these sugyot, the Talmud now discusses what each side does with the verse used to support the other side. The rabbis use the words "for yourself" to exclude a "stolen sukkah." One can use a borrowed sukkah, but a stolen sukkah is off limits. We will return to the topic of the stolen sukkah in the next chapter.
ורבי אליעזר, האי כל האזרח מאי עביד ליה? – מיבעי ליה לגר שנתגייר בינתים, וקטן שנתגדל בינתים.
ורבנן: כיון שאמרו עושין סוכה בחולו של מועד – לא אצטריך קרא.
And what does R. Eliezer do with, "All that are homeborn"?
It is needed [to include] a convert who had converted in the meantime or a minor who had reached majority age in the meantime.
And the Rabbis [how do they derive this]? Since they said that one may make a Sukkah during the Intermediate Days of the Festival no [special] verse is needed.
R. Eliezer uses the phrase "All that are homeborn" to teach that if one became liable for mitzvoth during the Festival, one has to build a sukkah. There are two such categories of people: a convert who converts during Sukkot and a minor who reaches majority age during Sukkot. Both of these people begin Sukkot exempt from mitzvoth, including the mitzvah to dwell in a sukkah, but as soon as they convert or reach majority age, they must build a sukkah, even in the middle of the festival. Rabbi Eliezer needs this verse because for him, this is an exception to the rule. A person who didn’t build a sukkah at the beginning of the Festival cannot build one later on during Hol Hamoed.
The other rabbis don’t even need a verse to teach this. Since they hold that anyone can build a sukkah during Hol Hamoed, obviously so too can one who wasn’t obligated at the beginning of the Festival.