Sukkah, Daf Kaf Het, Part 6

 

Introduction

Today’s section starts with a new mishnah. The Talmud deals first with the opening clause, which teaches that one must make the sukkah into a permanent dwelling place. The second clause is the topic of next week’s daf.

 

משנה. כל שבעת הימים אדם עושה סוכתו קבע וביתו עראי. ירדו גשמים, מאימתי מותר לפנות – משתסרח המקפה. משלו משל: למה הדבר דומה – לעבד שבא למזוג כוס לרבו, ושפך לו קיתון על פניו.

 

All seven days [of the festival] a man must make the sukkah his permanent residence and his house his temporary residence.

If rain fell, when is one permitted to leave it?

When the porridge becomes spoiled.

They made a parable. To what can this be compared? To a slave who comes to fill the cup for his master, and he poured a pitcher over his face.

 

 

גמרא. תנו רבנן: כל שבעת הימים אדם עושה סוכתו קבע וביתו עראי. כיצד? היו לו כלים נאים – מעלן לסוכה, מצעות נאות – מעלן לסוכה. אוכל ושותה ומטייל בסוכה.

 

GEMARA. Our rabbis taught, All seven days, one should make the Sukkah his permanent residence and his house his temporary residence. How so? If he had beautiful vessels, he brings them up into the Sukkah, beautiful coverings, he brings them up into the Sukkah. He eats and drinks and spends his leisure time in the Sukkah.

 

This baraita illustrates how one makes the sukkah his "permanent dwelling" during Sukkot. A person’s permanent dwelling place is defined in several ways. First of all, we keep our nice stuff there, not just our temporary stuff our "good" stuff. I realize that this is pretty difficult now, and I doubt you find many people today who bring their couches out into the sukkah. It’s just not practical in a time when our houses are generally large and contain many possessions. But at the least it would seem we could follow this halakhah by bringing out nice dishes, tablecloths, chairs, and other such items. These give the sukkah a more permanent feel.

Second, one spends most of one’s time in the sukkah. Where we live is defined by where we eat and where we relax, as well as where we sleep. I realize again that this is not easy. Our homes are very comfortable and I love lying down on my couch as much as the next person. Still, we should make an effort to turn the sukkah into the place we dwell, not just the place we eat a few meals and then go back into the house.

 

מנא הני מילי? דתנו רבנן: +ויקרא כג+ תשבו כעין תדורו. מכאן אמרו: כל שבעת הימים עושה אדם סוכתו קבע וביתו עראי. כיצד? היו לו כלים נאים – מעלן לסוכה, מצעות נאות – מעלן לסוכה, אוכל ושותה ומטייל בסוכה, ומשנן בסוכה.

 

From where do we know this? As our rabbis have taught: "You shall dwell" in the same manner as you ordinarily dwell. From here they said, "All seven days one should make his Sukkah his permanent dwelling, and his house his temporary dwelling." How so? If he had beautiful vessels, he brings them up into the Sukkah, beautiful coverings, he brings them up into the Sukkah. He eats and drinks and spends his leisure time in the Sukkah.; he should study in the Sukkah.

 

Most of this section is a repeat of the previous baraita. There are two additions. First of all, the Biblical source of the halakhah is provided. The midrash on the word "you shall dwell" is again cited. Dwelling in the sukkah should be like dwelling in your home bring in your real stuff.

Most of the rest of the baraita is simply a repeat of the above. The only addition is the last line. The baraita claims that one should study in the sukkah. The remainder of the passage will explore this topic.

איני? והאמר רבא: מקרא ומתנא – במטללתא, ותנוי בר ממטללתא!

לא קשיא: הא – במגרס, הא – בעיוני.

But is this so? But did not Rava say, Scripture and Mishnah [should be studied] in the Sukkah, but reciting outside the Sukkah?

There is no difficulty, One refers to reciting, one refers to examination.

 

The above baraita stated that one should "recite" in the sukkah. This is a synonym for learning oral Torah, which was recited and not read. The Talmud now brings a contradictory source according to which Rava would recite outside the sukkah. The three part division that Rava makes is noteworthy. Scripture is the easiest thing to learn because it is written. The "Mishnah" probably refers to short halakhot which were easy to memorize. However, there is a type of learning that Rava would do outside the sukkah. I have translated this as "reciting" although the Mishnah was also studied through reciting.

In any case, the Talmud resolves that easier forms of "reciting" can be done in the sukkah. Rashi explains this to be reviewing material that one has already learned. More difficult form of study, analyzing material, learning new material, and other such endeavors, should be done outside the sukkah. This seems to be because the sukkah would be hot and perhaps a bit distracting. It’s just harder to learn there, so one should go inside.

 

כי הא דרבא ורמי בר חמא כי הוו קיימי מקמיה דרב חסדא מרהטי בגמרא בהדי הדדי, והדר מעייני בסברא.

 

As was the case of Rava and Rami b. Hama when they were standing before R. Hisda, [first] they ran through the gemara together, and then they investigated the reasons.

 

This is an example of how the amoraim (the sages of the talmudic period) would learn. First of all, we should note that they don’t sit, they stand. The teacher or rosh yeshiva, R. Hisda, is the one who is sitting. His students stand. Second, they open their learning by "running" through it. This seems to refer to simple recitation they would just say which tanna of the mishnah or baraita said what. After having gone over the tradition, they would investigate its meaning why each opinion holds the way it does.

I should mention that this seems to be an excellent compromise between the two essential elements of learning memorization and comprehension. The educational process begins with memorizing content. But it doesn’t end there it continues with comprehensive analysis. This latter, more difficult stage can be done outside the sukkah.

 

אמר רבא: מאני משתיא במטללתא, מאני מיכלא – בר ממטללתא.

חצבא ושחיל – בר ממטללתא

ושרגא במטללתא, ואמרי לה: בר ממטללתא.

ולא פליגי: הא – בסוכה גדולה, הא – בסוכה קטנה.

 

Raba said: drinking vessels may be kept in the Sukkah, eating vessels outside the Sukkah.

Earthenware pitchers and wooden pails [must be kept] outside the Sukkah.

A lamp [may be kept] within the Sukkah, while some say [that it must be kept] outside the Sukkah; but they do not disagree, here refers to a large Sukkah and here refers to a small one.

 

The final part of the sugya discusses what vessels may be kept in the sukkah and which must be brought in when they are done being used.

Drinking vessels can be left in the sukkah because they don’t get so dirty. But eating vessels (plates, maybe large knives, they didn’t have forks) should be brought in because they get really dirty.

Large vessels used for drawing water should be kept outside of the sukkah. This doesn’t seem to be so much because they are dirty. Rather, there is simply little need to keep these vessels in the sukkah. To save space they should be kept outside of the sukkah.

Finally, a lamp can be kept in a large sukkah where the danger of starting a fire is low. But it should not be kept in a small sukkah where the smoke might bother people’s eyes and it may cause a fire.

To be honest, I think that the rule of thumb is to use common sense. If the vessel will be troublesome in the sukkah, take it out. But if it’s not a problem, feel free to leave it in.