Sukkah, Daf Yod Zayin, Part 4

 

בסורא אמרי להא שמעתא בהאי לישנא. בנהרדעא מתנו, אמר רב יהודה אמר שמואל: סכך פסול, באמצע – פוסל בארבעה, מן הצד – פוסל בארבע אמות. ורב אמר: בין מן הצד בין באמצע בארבע אמות.

 

In Sura they taught this passage in the above words;

In Nehardea they taught [as follows]: Rav Judah said in the name of Shmuel: invalid skhakh in the middle [of the sukkah] invalidates if it is four [handbreadths wide]; at the side only if it is four cubits wide;

While Rav says, whether in the middle or at the sides, [it invalidates] only if it is four cubits wide.

 

The above discussion (from section 2 of this daf) was the way that the rabbis in Sura, a center of learning in Babylonia, taught this material. They taught it as a long dialogue between Rabbah and the other rabbis.

In Nehardea, a different center of learning, they taught the same debate but it in a different manner, ascribed to different sages. Rav Judah said in the name of Shmuel that there is a difference between invalid skhakh on the sides and invalid skhakh in the middle. On the sides, it invalidates only if there are four cubits. But if in the middle, it invalidates if there are four handbreadths. This accords with the opinion of the rabbis in the previous discussion.

In contrast, Rav holds that the same measure of four cubits applies in both places. This accords with Rabbah’s opinion above.

 

תנן: נתן עליה נסר שהוא רחב ארבעה טפחים – כשרה. בשלמא לרב, דאמר בין באמצע בין מן הצד בארבע אמות – משום הכי כשרה. אלא לשמואל, דאמר באמצע בארבעה, אמאי כשרה? –

 

We have learned: if he placed over it a plank four hand breadths wide, it is valid.

It is well according to Rav who says that whether in the middle or at the sides [the invalid covering must be no less than] four cubits [to invalidate it]; for this reason it is [here] valid; but according to Shmuel who says that at the middle a width of four [handbreadths invalidates], why is it here valid?

 

The Talmud uses the mishnah to raise a difficulty on Shmuel. The mishnah holds that one plank of four handbreadths does not invalidate the sukkah. This accords with Rav who holds that in the middle of a sukkah, four handbreadths of invalid skhakh does not invalidate the entire sukkah. But Shmuel holds that in the middle of the sukkah four handbreadths does invalidate. Thus the mishnah presents Shmuel with a difficulty.

 

הכא במאי עסקינן, מן הצד.

 

Here what are we dealing with? When [the plank was placed at] the side.

 

The difficulty is resolved by saying that the plank was on the side of the sukkah. When placed at the side Shmuel agrees that four handbreadths does not disqualify.