Sukkah, Daf Vav, part 5
Introduction
Today’s section returns to the original mishnah and the topic of how many walls are necessary to build a proper sukkah.
ושאין לה שלש דפנות.
תנו רבנן: שתים כהלכתן, ושלישית אפילו טפח. רבי שמעון אומר: שלש כהלכתן, ורביעית אפילו טפח.
Or a sukkah which does not have three walls.
Our rabbis taught: Two [walls] must be of the prescribed dimensions, and the third [may be] even one handbreadth.
Rabbi Shimon says: Three walls must be of the prescribed dimensions, and the fourth [may be] even one handbreadth.
The rabbis (the majority opinion) hold that the sukkah must have three walls. Two walls must be at least of the minimum size (which we learned on daf gimmel enough to hold his head, most of his body and table) and the third can be even a handbreadth.
Rabbi Shimon says the sukkah requires three proper walls. The fourth wall may be as small as a handbreadth.
במאי קמיפלגי? רבנן סברי: יש אם למסורת, ורבי שמעון סבר: יש אם למקרא.
רבנן סברי: יש אם למסורת, +ויקרא כג+ בסכת בסכת בסכות – הרי כאן ארבע, דל חד לגופיה – פשו להו תלתא. שתים כהלכתן, ואתאי הלכתא וגרעתה לשלישית, ואוקמה אטפח.
רבי שמעון סבר: יש אם למקרא: בסכות בסכות בסכות – הרי כאן שש, דל חד קרא לגופיה – פשו להו ארבע. שלש כהלכתן, אתאי הלכתא וגרעתה לרביעית ואוקמתה אטפח.
What principle are they arguing about?
The rabbis hold that the traditional Scriptural text is authoritative, while R. Shimon holds that the traditional reading is authoritative.
The rabbis hold that the traditional Scriptural text is authoritative , and the word Sukkoth occurs twice defectively and once with the full spelling, making four references. Deduct one for the law itself, and three remain; two [walls at least] must be of the prescribed dimensions, and tradition came and diminished [the prescribed minimum of] the third, reducing it to only one handbreadth.
R. Shimon holds that the traditional reading is authoritative . The word Sukkoth is read three times, which equals six [references]. Deduct one Scriptural reference for the law itself and four remain; three walls at least of prescribed dimensions, and tradition came and diminished the [prescribed minimum of the] fourth and reduced it to a handbreadth.
The Talmud now tries to figure out the source of this debate what is the underlying reasoning behind their dispute?
This debate is connected to a debate about whether to understand the Torah as it is pronounced or how it is spelled. This is an issue because the Torah does not have vocalization in it. In other words, there are no vowels.
There 3 cases in which the phrase "the Festival of Sukkot" is mentioned. Two of them are written like this: חג הסכת and one is written like this חג הסכות. The first way is with the vav which makes the world plural and the second without it. But all three cases are pronounced the same in the plural. [Note that the way we write the Torah is not exactly like this].
The rabbis give authority to the way the Torah is written. Therefor there are a total of four "sukkot" in the Torah for the cases in which it is written without a vav count as only one. One mention of sukkot is necessary just to teach you that you need to build a sukkah. That leaves three extraneous "sukkot" for three walls. Tradition teaches that the third wall need not be real. That leaves us with two real walls and one that need only be a handbreadth.
R. Shimon holds that the way we pronounce the Torah is authoritative. So there are a total of six "sukkot" in the Torah. One mention is needed to teach the law itself. That leaves four "sukkot" four walls. Tradition says that one wall can be as small as a handbreadth, which leaves us with 3 full walls and one fictional one.