Sukkah, Daf Mem Gimmel, Part 3

 

Introduction

This section contains a long baraita that teaches that one dwells in the Sukkah during both days and nights.

 

וסוכה גופה מנלן? דתנו רבנן: +ויקרא כג+ בסכות תשבו שבעת ימים – ימים ואפילו לילות. אתה אומר ימים ואפילו לילות, או אינו אלא ימים ולא לילות? ודין הוא: נאמר כאן ימים ונאמר בלולב ימים, מה להלן ימים ולא לילות – אף כאן ימים ולא לילות. או כלך לדרך זו: נאמר כאן ימים ונאמר במלואים ימים, מה להלן ימים ואפילו לילות – אף כאן ימים ואפילו לילות.

 

And with regard to the Sukkah itself from where do we derive [that days includes nights]?

From what our Rabbis have taught: "You shall dwell in booths for seven days," (Leviticus 23:42) "days" includes the nights. You say that "days includes the nights. But maybe it means "days" but not the nights. And this would be logical. For the word "days" is used here, and it is also used in connection with lulav; just as there it means days and not nights, so here also it must mean days and not nights.

Or take it another way: The word "days" is mentioned here, and also in connection with the [seven days of the] preparation, (Leviticus 8:35) just as there it means days and also nights, so here also it must mean days and also the nights.

 

The Torah states that one must dwell in the Sukkah for seven days. The question is how we know that "days" means nights as well? After all, when it came to the lulav, we interpreted the word "days" to mean just during the daytime. One does not take the lulav at night. So, if we were to compare the rule of the sukkah to the rule of the lulav, we would not have to dwell in the sukkah at night.

But there is another context in which someone is told to do something for seven days. In Leviticus chapter eight, Moses and Aaron prepare for the initial consecration of the priesthood and the Tabernacle. At the end of the chapter, Moses is told to dwell at the opening of the Tent of Meeting for seven days. This "seven days" means days and nights. So too when it comes to Sukkot, the word "days" can mean days and nights.

 

נראה למי דומה: דנין דבר שמצותו כל היום מדבר שמצותו כל היום, ואל יוכיח דבר שמצותו שעה אחת. או כלך לדרך זו: דנין דבר שמצותו לדורות מדבר שמצותו לדורות, ואל יוכיחו מלואים שאין נוהגין לדורות.

 

Let us then see to what it is more comparable. We should deduce a thing whose performance is a matter of the whole day from a thing whose performance is a matter of the whole day, and let no proof be adduced from something whose performance is only for one moment.

Or take it another way: We might deduce a thing which is a mitzvah for future generations from something whose mitzvah is for future generations, but we will not deduce a proof from the preparations which were not for future generations.

 

Since the mitzvah of Sukkah could be like lulav and observed only during the day or like the preparations for the consecration of the Tabernacle and observed day and night, we must decide to which it is more similar. But this is also problematic. On the one hand it is similar to the "preparations" for inherently it is a mitzvah meant to be performed for an extended period of time. The lulav, in contrast, is a mitzvah that can be fulfilled in a single moment. So it would seem that it would be most proper to compare the sukkah with the "preparations," in which case "days" means nights as well.

But lulav is a mitzvah meant for future generations it is not just a onetime event like the "preparations." Since the sukkah is also obviously a mitzvah for the generations, it would seem that we should compare it with the lulav and not the "preparations."

Thus this analysis in the end fails. We can’t use this type of comparison to understand why we believe that "days" with regard to the sukkah means days and nights.

 

תשבו תשבו לגזרה שוה. נאמר כאן תשבו ונאמר במלואים +ויקרא ח+ תשבו, מה להלן ימים ואפילו לילות – אף כאן ימים ואפילו לילות.

 

Scripture says "You shall dwell" "You shall dwell" in order to point an analogy (gezerah shavah). It is stated here, "You shall dwell," and with regard to the [seven days of] preparation it is also stated, "You shall dwell," so that just as in that case the word "days" includes also the nights, so here also "days" includes the nights.

 

Since the comparison fails, the baraita resorts to what is called a "gezerah shavah." This is a midrashic technique whereby two verses that both use the same word can have details from one applied to the other. The word "you shall dwell (תשבו)" is used in the context of the sukkah and the context of the seven days of preparation. So just as the latter refers to days and nights, so too does the former.