Sukkah, Daf Gimmel, Part 6
Introduction
Today’s section concludes the analysis of the baraita which listed halakhot that don’t apply to a house smaller than 4 x 4 cubits.
ואין עושין אותו עיבור בין שתי עיירות – דאפילו כבורגנין לא משוינן ליה. מאי טעמא? בורגנין – חזו למילתייהו, והאי – לא חזי למילתיה.
Nor make of it an extension between two cities .
Since it is not regarded even as an outpost. What is the reason? Outposts are suitable for their purpose, but this is unsuitable for anything.
A house smaller than 4 x 4 cubits isn’t usable even as an outpost, a little shack where a person would sit to guard over the orchards. It’s too small to even sleep in it.
ואין האחין והשותפין חולקין בו. טעמא – דלית ביה ארבע אמות, הא אית ביה ארבע אמות – חולקין?
והתנן: אין חולקין את החצר עד שיהא בה ארבע אמות לזה וארבע אמות לזה!
Nor can brothers or partners divide it . The reason is that it is not four cubits square, but if it were four cubits square, they could divide it? But have we not learned, A courtyard should not be divided unless there be four cubits to each [of the parties]?
The last part of the baraita teaches that if the house is smaller than 4 x 4 brothers who jointly inherit it cannot force a division. The implication is that as long as it is larger than four cubits square they can force a division of property. The Talmud now questions whether this is so in light of a mishnah that says that in order to force a division there needs to be four cubits square for each brother.
אלא אימא: אין בו דין חלוקה כחצר. דאמר רב הונא: חצר לפי פתחיה מתחלקת. ורב חסדא אמר: נותן לכל פתח ופתח ארבע אמות, והשאר חולקין אותו בשוה. דהני מילי – בית דלמהוי קאי, יהבינא ליה חצר. האי דלמיסתר קאי – לא יהבינן ליה חצר.
Rather say, the law of division does not apply to it, of a courtyard, for R. Huna said, A courtyard is divided according to the number of its doors , and R. Hisda said, Four cubits are allowed for each door and the remainder is divided equally ,
But this applies only to a house which is intended to stand, [and therefore] we allow it a [share in the] courtyard; but as to this which is intended to be demolished, we do not allow it [a share in the] courtyard.
The Talmud offers a different explanation of the baraita. It is not, as we said above, that the brothers can’t force one another to divide it. That would be true even if the house were larger than 4 x 4. Rather, if such a small house is attached to a courtyard the resident of such a house does not have rights to divide the courtyard.
The Talmud cites a dispute between two amoraim concerning the division of a courtyard. According to R. Huna it is divided according to the number of doors leading into it. According to R. Hisda, every person gets four cubits in the courtyard for each door they have leading to the courtyard. Beyond that, they divide the courtyard equally.
In any case, what concerns us here is that this rule of dividing the courtyard according to the number of doors leading into it applies only if the house with the door is at least 4 x 4. A smaller house is not meant to stand it is doomed to be demolished because it is too small to be used. Therefore, such a house doesn’t receive any share in the courtyard.