Sukkah, Daf Lammed Tet, Part 3
Introduction
Today’s short section consists of a mishnah. My commentary is from the Mishnah Yomit. The Talmud will explain this later, so consider these explanations a preview.
משנה. הלוקח לולב מחבירו בשביעית – נותן לו אתרוג במתנה, לפי שאין רשאי ללוקחו בשביעית.
One who purchases a lulav from his fellow in the sabbatical year, [the latter] should give him the etrog as a gift, since one is not permitted to purchase it in the sabbatical year.
On the sabbatical year all produce must be removed from one s house and destroyed once it no longer grows in the field. A person can harvest the etrog and use it, but once etrogim are no longer found in the trees he must get rid of the etrogim in his house. When a person sells an etrog (or any other produce) which grew on the sabbatical year, the money retains the status of the etrog (or other produce) itself. That is to say, when there are no more etrogim in the field he must get rid of the money as well. The person in our mishnah is purchasing the four species from someone he fears does business in produce grown in the sabbatical year. He shouldn t buy from him the etrog lest the seller not get rid of the money when he is supposed to. A person shouldn t aid another in transgressing the commandment of observing the sabbatical year. To avoid this problem and still obtain a lulav, he should pay for the lulav (the palm) which is not subject to the laws of the sabbatical year (because it sprouted in the previous year) and have the price of the etrog included in the price of the lulav. He receives the etrog as a present when he buys the lulav. In this way the money used to buy the etrog need not be removed from the seller’s house when etrogim are no longer found on trees.