Sukkah, Daf Nun Vav, Part 1

 

Introduction

Today’s sugya discusses the order of the blessings recited when we first enter the sukkah.

 

בעצרת אומר לו הילך וכו’.

איתמר, רב אמר: סוכה ואחר כך זמן, רבה בר בר חנה אמר: זמן ואחר כך סוכה. רב אמר: סוכה ואחר כך זמן, חיובא דיומא עדיף. רבה בר בר חנה אמר: זמן ואחר כך סוכה, תדיר ושאינו תדיר – תדיר קודם.

 

On Shavuot they used to say to the priest etc.

It was stated, Rav said: [The blessing of] the Sukkah [comes first] and then that of the season.

Rabbah b. Bar Hannah said: [The blessing of] the season [is first] and then that of the Sukkah.

Rav ruled, [The blessing of] the Sukkah [comes first] and then that of the season, since the obligation of the day is more important.

Rabbah b. Bar Hannah said: [The blessing of] the season [is first], since that which is frequent precedes that which is infrequent.

 

This amoraic debate is over which blessing is said first "who sanctified us with His commandments and commanded us to dwell in the Sukkah" or "who has kept us alive and brought us to this day" (shehehiyanu). According to Rav we first recite the blessing over the sukkah because that is the obligation of the day, and the obligation of the day always takes precedence. According to Rabbah b. Bar Hannah we first recite the blessing over the season because it is recited more frequently than the blessing over the sukkah and there is general halakhic principle that whatever is performed more frequently is performed first.

 

לימא רב ורבה בר בר חנה בפלוגתא דבית שמאי ובית הלל קמיפלגי;

דתנו רבנן: דברים שבין בית שמאי ובית הלל בסעודה: בית שמאי אומרים: מברך על היום ואחר כך מברך על היין, ובית הלל אומרים: מברך על היין ואחר כך מברך על היום.

בית שמאי אומרים: מברך על היום ואחר כך מברך על היין – שהיום גורם ליין שיבא, וכבר קידש היום ועדיין יין לא בא.

ובית הלל אומרים: מברך על היין ואחר כך מברך על היום. שהיין גורם לקידושא שתאמר.

דבר אחר: ברכת היין תדירה, וברכת היום אינה תדירה, תדיר ושאינו תדיר – תדיר קודם.

לימא רב דאמר כבית שמאי ורבה בר בר חנה דאמר כבית הלל!

 

Shall we say that Rav and Rabbah b. Bar Hannah differ on the same principles as those on which Bet Shammai and Beth Hillel differed?

For our rabbis have taught, These are the points of difference between Beth Shammai and Beth Hillel with regard to [the ritual at] a meal:

Beth Shammai says that one recites the blessing of the day and then the blessing over the wine, whereas Beth Hillel says that one recites the blessing over the wine and then the blessing of the day.

Beth Shammai says that one recites the blessing of the day and then the blessing over the wine since it is the day which causes the wine to be brought and the day has been sanctified before the wine was brought.

Whereas Bet Hillel says that one recites the blessing over the wine first and then the blessing of the day, since the wine is the cause of the sanctification being recited.

Another reason: The blessing over wine is frequent, and the blessing of the day is infrequent, and that which is frequent takes precedence over that which is infrequent. Shall we say that Rav is in agreement with Beth Shammai and Rabbah b. Bar Hannah with Beth Hillel?

 

The Talmud now tries to establish a parallel between the dispute concerning the two blessings recited upon entering the Sukkah and the dispute between Bet Shammai and Bet Hillel concerning the two blessings that constitute Kiddush. Bet Shammai holds that one first recites the blessing over the day (mekadesh hashabbat/hazemanim) and then the blessing over the wine (bore peri hagafen) because the important occasion of the holy day is what causes the wine to be drunk. This is similar to Rav who holds that the blessing over the sukkah comes first due to its importance.

Bet Hillel holds that we first recite the blessing over the wine because it is more frequent. This is similar to Rabbah b. Bar Hannah who said the exact same thing with regard to the blessings of the sukkah. First the shehehiyanu, which is more frequently recited, then the blessing over the sukkah.

Tomorrow’s section will reject this parallel. We should note that whenever the Talmud says, "shall we say X" it is always rejected. So stay tuned!