Siman - Succah Daf 2
- Why the Tanna used the term פסולה for a Succah whose s’chach is above twenty amos
The opening Mishnah of the Masechta states: סוכה שהיא גבוהה למעלה מעשרים אמה פסולה ורבי יהודה מכשר – A succah whose s’chach is above twenty amos high, is passul. Rebbe Yehudah says it is kosher. The Gemara asks what is unique about the case of a Succah, where the Tanna uses the word פסולה, whereas in a Mishnah in Eruvin, regarding a korah at the entrance of a mavoi תני תקנתא – the Tanna states a remedy on how to adjust the korah that is too high, by lowering it? Two answers are given. Since a succah is a d’Oraysa, meaning that the halachah was taught at Har Sinai, the Tanna used the language of פסולה, since it was not made according to its proper specification. However, the halachah requiring the adjustment of a mavoi is a d’Rabbanon, therefore, the Tanna can only state a remedy. Rashi explains that the term פסולה is inappropriate here since there is no preexisting restriction on the height of the korah. The Mishnah itself is the very source of the “twenty-amos” pessul. An alternative answer is that it would be appropriate to state a remedy for a d’Oraysa as well, except that in regard to a succah דנפישין מיליה – whose details are numerous, the Mishnah would be too lengthy if it would state a remedy for each case. Whereas regarding a mavoi, of which there is only one case, the Tanna can concisely state a remedy.
- Three sources that s’chach cannot be above twenty amos
The Gemara asks for the source that a succah whose s’chach is above twenty amos is פסול:
● Rabbah said that the passuk states: "למען ידעו דרתיכם כי בסכות הושבתי את בני ישראל"- So that your generations will know that I caused bnei Yisroel to dwell in succos. Until twenty amos a person is aware he is in a Succah. However, if the s’chach is higher than twenty amos, a person is not aware that he is dwelling in a Succah משום דלא שלטא בה עינא – because the eye does not notice the s’chach.
● Rebbe Zeira said that the passuk states: "וסכה תהיה לצל יומם מחרב" – And a Succah will be for shade in the daytime from the heat. Until twenty amos a person sits in the shade of a Succah. However, if the s’chach is above twenty amos, a person is not sitting in the shade of the Succah אלא בצל דפנות – but in the shade of the walls.
● Rava said that the passuk states: "בסכת תשבו שבעת ימים" – In succos you shall dwell for seven days. The Torah is telling us that for all seven days צא מדירת קבע ושב בדירת עראי – leave your fixed dwelling and sit in a temporary dwelling. Until a height of twenty amos, a person can make a temporary dwelling, but above twenty amos he must make it a דירת קבע – a fixed dwelling.
- בשאין דפנות מגיעות לסכך
Rebbe Yoshiyah said in the name of Rav that the machlokes in the Mishnah is only בשאין דפנות מגיעות לסכך – where the walls do not reach the s’chach. If they do, the Tanna Kamma would agree that a succah higher than twenty amos is kosher. The Gemara asks which opinion this goes with, and answers that is in accord with Rabbah, who disqualified a succah more than twenty amos high because the eye does not notice the s’chach. Here, since the walls reach the s’chach, the eye will surely notice it. The Gemara continues with two more versions of how Rav qualified the machlokes between the Tanna Kamma and Rebbe Yehudah.
