Sukkah, Daf Nun Aleph, Part 4

 

Introduction

The mishnah had stated that whoever hadn’t seen the Simchat Bet Hashoevah had never seen rejoicing in his life. Today’s section of Talmud discusses what a spectacle the Temple in general was.

 

גמרא. תנו רבנן: מי שלא ראה שמחת בית השואבה לא ראה שמחה מימיו. מי שלא ראה ירושלים בתפארתה לא ראה כרך נחמד מעולם. מי שלא ראה בית המקדש בבנינו לא ראה בנין מפואר מעולם,

 

 

GEMARA. Our rabbis taught: He who has not seen the Simchat Bet Hashoevah has never seen rejoicing in his life.

He who has not seen Jerusalem in its splendor, has never seen a beautiful city in his life.

He who has not seen the Temple in its full construction has never seen a glorious building in his life.

 

This section notes the beauty and splendor of Jerusalem and the Temple as well.

מאי היא? – אמר אביי ואיתימא רב חסדא: זה בנין הורדוס. – במאי בניה? – אמר (רבא) +מסורת הש"ס: [רבה]+: באבני שישא ומרמרא.

איכא דאמרי: באבני שישא כוחלא ומרמרא.

אפיק שפה ועייל שפה, כי היכי דלקבל סידא.

סבר למשעיין בדהבא,

אמרו ליה רבנן: שבקיה, דהכי שפיר טפי, דמיתחזי כאדותא דימא.

 

Which Temple?

Abaye, or if you want, R. Hisda said: This refers to the building of Herod.

What did he build it from?

Rabbah said: Of yellow and white marble.

There are those who say: With yellow, blue and white marble.

The building rose in tiers in order to provide a hold for the plaster.

He intended at first to overlay it with gold, but the Rabbis told him, Leave it alone for it is more beautiful as it is, since it has the appearance of the waves of the sea.

 

This section contains a brief description of Herod’s Temple, which according to traditional rabbis and academic scholars alike, was the most beautiful of all of the various versions of the Temple that stood in Jerusalem. Herod built the Temple of marble, with stones layered so that the plaster could be laid down layer by layer. While he wanted to cover it with gold (at least according to this legend), the blue, yellow and white marble gave it the look of the sea, which was even more beautiful. It must have truly been quite a sight, especially on a hot day in Jerusalem.