Sukkah, Daf Mem Zayin, Part 2
Introduction
Our sugya continues to deal with Shemini Atzeret and its status as an independent holiday.
אמר רבי יוחנן: אומרים זמן בשמיני של חג, ואין אומרים זמן בשביעי של פסח.
ואמר רבי לוי בר חמא ואיתימא רבי חמא בר חנינא: תדע, שהרי חלוק בשלושה דברים: בסוכה, ולולב, וניסוך המים.
ולרבי יהודה, דאמר: בלוג היה מנסך כל שמונה – הרי חלוק בשני דברים.
R. Yohanan said: We recite the blessing of the season (shehiyanu) on the Eighth Day of the Festival [of Sukkot], but we do not recite the blessing of the season on the seventh day of Pesah.
And R. Levi b. Hama or, as some say, R. Hama b. Hanina said: Know [that this is so], since [the Eighth Day] is different [from the preceding days] in three things: In the Sukkah, lulav and water libation,
And according to R. Judah who holds that with one log of water that they performed the water libation for eight days, it is different in two respects.
R. Yohanan notes that the eighth day of Sukkot, Shemini Atzeret, is enough of a separate holiday that one recites the blessing over time, what we call shehiyanu. This occurs at candle lighting and kiddush. This distinguishes it from the seventh day of Pesah, which is not an independent holiday at all.
R. Levi b. Hama notes that there are two or three ways in which the eighth day of Sukkot differs from the other days. One does not sit in the sukkah or take the lulav on Shemini Atzeret and in the Temple they did not perform the water libation (a topic to which we will return later). R. Judah holds that the water libation was performed on Shemini Atzeret. So to him there are two differences. In any case, this is enough to distinguish it from Sukkot.
אי הכי שביעי של פסח נמי, הרי חלוק באכילת מצה! דאמר מר: לילה ראשונה – חובה, מכאן ואילך – רשות.
הכי השתא? – התם – מלילה חלוק, מיום – אינו חלוק. הכא – אפילו מיום נמי חלוק.
If so, is not the seventh day of Pesah also different in respect of the commandment to eat matzah, since the Master said, On the first night it is an obligation [to eat matzah], from that point onward it is voluntary?
How now! There it is different from the first night, but not from the day, whereas in the case of the Eighth Day, it is different even from the preceding day.
The Talmud notes that the seventh day is in some ways different from the preceding days of Pesah. One is obligated to eat matzah on the first night, but not on any of the subsequent nights.
But this argument really isn’t so strong. The seventh day of Pesah is different from the first night, but not from the first day, because one is obligated to eat matzah only at night. But Shemini Atzeret is different from the previous day as well.
רבינא אמר: זה חלוק משלפניו, וזה חלוק משלפני פניו.
(אמר רב פפא) +מסורת הש"ס: [רב פפא אמר]+ הכא כתיב פר, התם כתיב פרים.
רב נחמן בר יצחק אמר: הכא כתיב ביום, התם כתיב וביום.
רב אשי אמר: הכא כתיב +במדבר כט+ כמשפט התם כתיב כמשפטם.
Ravina said: This one is different from the day immediately preceding it, whereas that one is different from the day that is prior [to the period] which precedes it.
R. Papa said: In one case it is written "bullock", in the other "bullocks".
R. Nahman b. Yitzchak said: In this case it is written, "on the day", in the other, "and on the day".
R. Ashi said: In this case it is written, "According to the ordinance" while in the case of the seventh day it is written, "according to their ordinance".
These four amoraim now continue to explain why Shemini Atzeret is different from Sukkot, but the seventh day of Pesah is not different from the rest of Pesah.
Ravina points out that the seventh day of Pesah is different from the first day, but it is the same as the sixth day. Shemini Atzeret, the eighth day, is different from the seventh day of Sukkot.
R. Papa points out that there is a difference in the number of bullocks sacrificed. For most of Sukkot each day has many bullocks sacrificed, starting from 13 and going down to 7. On Shemini Atzeret there is only one.
R. Nahman b. Yitzchak notes that on all other days it is written, "And on the X day." For Shemini Atzeret the word "and" is missing. This signifies that it is a distinct day.
Finally R. Ashi notes that when it comes to Shemini Atzeret the Torah uses "their ordinance" whereas for the preceding days the singular form was used.