Sukkah, Daf Yod Zayin, Part 3

 

Introduction

According to Rabbah in yesterday’s section invalid skhakh and open air do not join together to invalidate a sukkah. Abaye, Rabbah’s student, points out that sometimes they do.

 

אמר ליה אביי: ולמר נמי, נהי דלא שוו שיעורייהו בסוכה גדולה – בסוכה קטנה מי לא שוו שיעורייהו?

 

Abaye said to him: But also according to the master, while we can admit that their measures are unequal in a large sukkah, but in a small sukkah are they not equal?

 

In a small sukkah that is seven handbreadths by seven handbreadths, the measure of either invalid skhakh or open air that would disqualify the sukkah would be 3 handbreadths. And in such a case, clearly the open air and invalid skhkakh would join together to invalidate the sukkah. Since they can join together in a small sukkah, Abaye argues against Rabbah that they should indeed join together to invalidate even in a large sukkah.

 

אמר ליה: התם לאו משום דשוו שיעורייהו להדדי הוא, אלא משום דליתיה לשיעורא דסוכה הוא.

 

He answered, the reason there is not because the measures are equal, but because there is not the [minimum] size of a sukkah remaining.

 

Rabbah responds that the reason in a small sukkah three handbreadths disqualifies for both open air and invalid skhakh is not because the measures are equal. They just happen to be equal in such a small sukkah. Rather, the reason that they join together in that case is that since three is greater than the measure of "lavud" the minimum measure to count as significant it turns out that the remaining valid skhakh, less than four handbreadths, would not sufficient to have a valid sukkah, which needs to be seven handbreadths.

 

וכל היכא דלא שוו שיעורייהו להדדי לא מצטרפי? והתנן: הבגד שלשה על שלשה, השק ארבעה על ארבעה, העור חמשה על חמשה, מפץ ששה על ששה. ותני עלה: הבגד והשק, השק והעור, העור והמפץ – מצטרפין זה עם זה!

 

And in any case where the minimum measures are not equal they don’t join together? Have we not in fact learned: a garment that is three [handbreadths] square, sacking four handbreadths square, leather five handbreadths square and matting six handbreadths square[are susceptible to uncleanness].

And it has been taught concerning this: garments and sacking, sacking and leather, leather and matting combine with one another?

 

The Talmud continues to object to Rabbah who stated that whenever there are different measures the different items don’t join together to be susceptible to impurity.

This mishnah (Kelim 27:2) teaches that there is a different measure for susceptibility to impurity depending on the material. Cloth (a garment) is the most expensive material and therefore it is susceptible even if it is only three handbreadths squared. Sacking, leather, and matting each have slightly higher minimum measures.

A baraita related to this mishnah teaches that two of these materials can join together. Thus if one has 2 handbreadths of garment sewn together with three handbreadths of leather, the piece is susceptible to impurity, despite the fact that they have separate measures.

 

התם כדקתני טעמא, אמר רבי שמעון: מה טעם – הואיל וראוי לטמא מושב, כדתנן: המקצע מכולן טפח על טפח – טמא. טפח על טפח למאי חזי? ואמר רבי שמעון בן לקיש משום רבי ינאי: הואיל וראוי (ליטלו) +מסורת הש"ס: [לטלאי]+ על גבי החמור.

 

In that case the reason has been given, as Rabbi Shimon said: "What is the reason? Since they are susceptible to uncleanliness if [a zav] sits on them, as we have learned: if he cuts from any one of them a piece one handbreadth square, it is susceptible to uncleanliness .

To what use can a piece one handbreadth square for? Rabbi Shimon ben Lakish in the name of R. Yannai said, it can be used as a patch for [the saddle of] a donkey.

 

The Talmud now explains that the case of the minimum size for a garment is different because in certain situations all of these materials have the same minimum measure. If anyone cuts and evens out a piece of one handbreadth square from any of them, it is susceptible to the impurity conveyed by a zav (a person with unusual genital discharge) who sits on it. In other words, while generally they each have their own distinct minimum measure to be susceptible, in at least one case they are the same. That is why they can join together even in other cases to become large enough to be susceptible.

As an addendum the Talmud asks what one could possibly do with such a small piece of material. The answer is that one could patch up the saddle of a donkey. Thus, if cut properly, even a very small piece of cloth, leather, etc. can have use and be susceptible to impurity.