Sukkah, Daf Kaf Gimmel, Part 1

 

Introduction

Today’s section begins to deal with the mishnah found at the end of yesterday’s daf which allowed one to build a sukkah on a ship or on a wagon.

 

גמרא. מני מתניתין – רבי עקיבא היא. דתניא: העושה סוכתו בראש הספינה, רבן גמליאל פוסל ורבי עקיבא מכשיר. מעשה ברבן גמליאל ורבי עקיבא שהיו באין בספינה, עמד רבי עקיבא ועשה סוכה בראש הספינה. למחר נשבה רוח ועקרתה. אמר לו רבן גמליאל: עקיבא, היכן סוכתך?

 

 

GEMARA. According to whom is our Mishnah? According to R. Akiva, as it has been taught, He who builds his Sukkah on the deck of a ship, R. Gamaliel declares it invalid and R. Akiva valid. It happened with R. Gamaliel and R. Akiba when they were journeying on a ship that R. Akiva got up and built a sukkah on the deck of the ship. The next day the wind blew and tore it away. R. Gamaliel said to him, Akiva, where is your Sukkah?

 

The mishnah allowed one to build a sukkah on a ship. The Talmud notes that this opinion accords with R. Akiva. In the continuation of the baraita R. Akiva actually goes ahead and builds a sukkah on a ship. The sukkah is blown away by the wind which is stronger out on the water. R. Gamaliel cynically responds to him with what is one of my favorite lines in the entire Talmud "Hey Akiva, where’d your sukkah go?" Poor R. Akiva. ☹