Sukkah, Daf Mem Zayin, Part 4

 

Introduction

In yesterday’s section there was a baraita that stated that one must sleep over in Jerusalem the night after the festival. Our section picks up on this topic.

וסבר רבי יהודה שמיני טעון לינה? והא תניא, רבי יהודה אומר: מנין לפסח שני שאינו טעון לינה – שנאמר +דברים טז+ ופנית בבקר והלכת לאהליך, וכתיב +דברים טז+ ששת ימים תאכל מצות את שטעון ששה – טעון לינה, את שאינו טעון ששה – אינו טעון לינה.

למעוטי מאי? לאו למעוטי נמי שמיני של חג?

 

Does R. Judah hold that the Eighth Day requires staying overnight?

Has it not been taught: R. Judah says: From where do we know that Pesah Sheni does not require staying overnight? As it is said, "And you shall turn in the morning and go to you tents" (Deuteronomy 16:7) and [immediately afterwards] it is written, "Six days you shall eat matzot" thus implying that that which has six days [of observance] requires staying overnight, but that which does not hae six days [of observance] does not require staying overnight.

What does this exclude? Does this not exclude also the Eighth Day of the festival?

 

In this baraita R. Judah teaches that if one has to offer the pesah sacrifice on Pesah Sheni, the second chance to observe Pesah a month after the first Pesah, he doesn’t have to spend the night in Jerusalem, as he would for first Pesah. Only the first Pesah, which is six (actually seven) days does one have to stay overnight after offering the pesah sacrifice. Pesah Sheni is only one day, so there is no requirement to stay overnight.

This seems to imply that Shemini Atzeret which is also only a one day holiday does not have a requirement to stay overnight, contradicting what R. Judah himself taught in the earlier baraita.

 

לא, למעוטי פסח שני דכוותיה.

הכי נמי מסתברא, דתנן: הביכורים טעונין קרבן, ושיר, ותנופה, ולינה. מאן שמעת ליה דאמר תנופה – רבי יהודה, וקאמר טעון לינה. דתניא, רבי יהודה אומר: +דברים כו+ והנחתו – זו תנופה. אתה אומר זו תנופה, או אינו אלא הנחה ממש? כשהוא אומר והניחו – הרי הנחה אמור, הא מה אני מקיים והנחתו – זו תנופה.

 

No, to exclude only the Second Passover which is similar to it.

This is also reasonable, for we have learned, The bikkurim require a sacrifice, a psalm, waving and staying overnight.

Now who is it that you heard saying that waving is required?

R. Judah, and it states that it requires staying overnight.

For it has been taught: "And you shall set it down" (Deuteronomy 26:8) this refers to waving. You say that it refers to waving but perhaps it means literally "setting it down"? When it says, "And set it down," (26:4) setting down is mentioned. How then do I fulfill, "And you shall set it down"? That refers to waving.

 

The Talmud corrects the previous understanding Shemini Atzeret does require staying overnight; only Pesah Sheni does not. The derashah excluded Pesah Sheni which is similar to the first Pesah. It did not exclude Shavuot or Shemini Atzeret which are both one day holidays.

The Talmud now proves that R. Judah does hold that only Pesah Sheni does not require staying overnight. Every other holiday, including one day holidays, does. They prove this by first citing a baraita which states that when one brings his first fruit, the bikkurim, to the Temple, he must also stay overnight. This opinion must belong to R. Judah for he is the sage who holds that one must wave the first fruits. This is shown in a baraita which uses a midrashic technique focusing on the repetition of the phrase "and he put it down" which appears twice in Deuteronomy. One time refers to literally putting the basket of first fruits down, but the other time is interpreted as waving. Since R. Judah is the one that holds that the bikkurim must be waved, he must also hold that one is required to sleep overnight in Jerusalem when bringing the bikkurim, for both were mentioned in the same baraita.