Siman - Succah Daf 9

  • A succah is אסור בהנאה all seven days

The next Mishnah states: סוכה ישנה – An old succah, which Rashi explains is a succah that was built at least thirty days before Succos, and not made expressly for the chag, בית שמאי פוסלין ובית הלל מכשירין. The Gemara asks what Beis Shammai’s reason is for disqualifying the succah, and answers that the passuk states, "חג הסכות שבעת ימים לה'" – the Chag of Succos, for seven days, unto Hashem; סוכה העשויה לשם חג בעינן – this teaches that we require a succah built for the sake of the chag. Beis Hillel uses that passuk for the teaching of Rav Sheishess, who reported in the name of Rebbe Akiva: From where do we know that the wood of a succah is prohibited for הנאה all seven days of Succos? The Torah states, חג הסכות שבעת ימים לה'"” – the Chag of Succos, for seven days, unto Hashem.” The Gemara concludes that Beis Shammai agrees with this ruling and really bases his opinion on a different passuk.

The Gemara brings a similar teaching from a Baraisa: Rebbe Yehudah ben Beseirah says: כשם שחל שם שמים על החגיגה כך חל שם שמים על הסוכה –Just as the שם שמים attaches itself upon a korban chagigah, and it becomes prohibited from mundane use, so too it attaches itself upon a succah, as the passuk states, "חג הסכות שבעת ימים לה'" – the Chag of Sukkos for seven days, for Hashem. From the juxtaposition of the word chag, signifying the chagigah, and Succos, we learn that just as the chagigah is sanctified to Hashem, so too the succah is לה’.

  • העושה סוכתו תחת האילן כאילו עשאה בתוך הבית

The next Mishnah states: העושה סוכתו תחת האילן כאילו עשאה בתוך הבית – If one builds his succah under a tree, it is as though he built it inside his house, which means that it is invalid. Rava said: This was taught only in regard to a tree whose shade is greater than its sunlight, but if the tree is so sparse that its sunlight is greater than its shade, the succah is valid. This is derived from what the Mishnah teaches: Why does the Tanna teach כאילו עשאה בתוך הבית – it is as though it was built inside the house? – Let him just say “It is invalid.” Rather he informs us that the tree under discussion is like a house. Just as a house צלתו מרובה מחמתו so too the tree, צלתו מרובה מחמתו.

The Gemara challenges Rava’s ruling, saying that if the tree’s sunlight is greater than its shade it should be invalid, since he is being מצטרף kosher s’chach with passul s’chach? Rav Pappa answers, בשחבטן – the Mishnah refers to a case where he lowered the tree branches and intermingled them indistinguishably with the kosher s’chach. Rashi explains that the greater amount of kosher s’chach is mevatel the lesser amount of passul s’chach. The Gemara will clarify that the Mishnah is coming to teach that lowering the branches can even be done לכתחילה.

  • סוכה על גבי סוכה

The Mishnah stated: סוכה על גבי סוכה העליונה כשרה והתחתונה פסולה – A succah built on top of another succah, the upper one is kosher and the lower one is passul. It was taught in a Baraisa, the passuk states "בסכת תשבו" – In succahs you shall dwell, which implies, but not in a succah beneath a succah, and not in a succah beneath a tree, and not in a succah beneath a house. When the Gemara suggests "בסכת" - in succos, being that it is in the plural form, implies two succahs, which seemingly permits even one succah beneath the other, Rav Nachman bar Yitzchak answers, that it is written, "בסכת" without a vav, suggesting a single succah.