Sukkah, Daf Tet Zayin, Part 4

 

Introduction

At the end of yesterday’s section Rabbah b. Rav Hannah said that R. Judah’s opinion from Mishnah Eruvin accorded completely with R. Yose’s opinion from Mishnah Sukkah. The Talmud now says that neither tanna (mishnaic sage) agrees with the other.

 

ולא היא, לא רבי יהודה סבר לה כרבי יוסי, ולא רבי יוסי סבר לה כרבי יהודה. לא רבי יהודה סבר לה כרבי יוסי – עד כאן לא קאמר רבי יהודה התם אלא בעירובי חצירות דרבנן, אבל הכא סוכה דאורייתא – לא.

 

But in fact it is not so! Neither does R. Judah hold the opinion of R. Yose, nor does R. Yose hold the opinion of R. Judah.

R. Judah does not hold the opinion of R. Yose , for R. Judah speaks only there with regard to the eruv of courtyards, which is of rabbinical origin, but here, with regard to the sukkah which is from the Torah, he does not [say so].

 

R. Judah disagrees with R. Yose who allows the hanging partition in the sukkah because a sukkah is a toraitic commandment. Therefore, we need to be strict. In contrast, the use of an eruv for a courtyard is only of rabbinic origin, therefore R. Judah can rule leniently and allow a hanging partition.

 

ולא רבי יוסי סבר לה כרבי יהודה, עד כאן לא קאמר רבי יוסי הכא אלא בסוכה, דמצות עשה. אבל שבת דאיסור סקילה – לא.

 

Nor does R. Yose hold the opinion of R. Judah, for R. Yose speaks only here with regard to the Sukkah which is merely a positive commandment but with regard to Shabbat, which is a prohibition punishable by stoning, he does not say so.

 

R. Yose allows one to hang a partition in a sukkah because a sukkah is "only" a positive commandment. In contrast, transgressing Shabbat is punishable by stoning, which the rabbis consider to be the most severe form of the death penalty. Therefore, R. Yose disagrees with R. Judah and doesn’t allow using a hanging partition to divide the cistern shared by the two courtyards.

This section shows a typical rabbinic hierarchy of commandments. Positive commandments (sukkah, lulav, mezuzah, etc) are considered to be lighter than negative commandments (Shabbat, adultery, idol worship, etc.). Therefore, rules that apply to the sukkah will not necessarily apply to Shabbat.