Sukkah, Daf Lammed Gimmel, Part 6
Introduction
This sugya contains a short baraita and discussion about what to do if the lulav’s binding falls off on Yom Tov.
תנו רבנן: הותר אגדו ביום טוב – אוגדו כאגודה של ירק.
ואמאי? ליענביה מיענב!
הא מני רבי יהודה היא, דאמר: עניבה קשירה מעלייתא היא.
Our Rabbis taught: If it binding became undone on the Festival, he may bind it as one binds vegetables.
But why [should this be necessary]? Let him make a proper loop?
[This statement is] according to R. Judah who says that a loop is to be considered a proper knot.
The baraita teaches that if the binding that ties the three species together comes undone on Yom Tov he may bind it up together, but only loosely as one does with a bundle of vegetables.
The Talmud then asks why not make a proper loop. After all, while tying a knot is prohibited on Shabbat, making a loop is not. So why does the baraita allow him to make only a loose knot.
The answer is that the baraita follows the opinion of R. Judah who holds that making a loop on Yom Tov (or Shabbat) is forbidden, just as it is forbidden to make a knot.
אי רבי יהודה, אגד מעלייתא בעי!
האי תנא סבר לה כוותיה בחדא, ופליג עליה בחדא.
But if it is according to R. Judah, it requires proper binding be required?
This Tanna [of the baraita] agrees with R. Judah on one point and disagrees with him on the other.
The problem is that once we have identified R. Judah as the author of the baraita, then a loose loop such as one makes around vegetables would not to be sufficient for the lulav. After all, R. Judah is the very tanna who holds that the lulav must be bound.
The Talmud answers that this baraita agrees with R. Judah on one matter making a proper loop on Yom Tov is prohibited. However, it disagrees with him on another matter the lulav need not have a proper binding. Evidently this tanna holds that the lulav must be bound as part of "hiddur mitzvah," the beautification of mitzvoth. However, the mitzvah of lulav can be fulfilled without a proper binding.