Siman - Succah Daf 10

  • How much space between the upper and lower succahs passuls the lower succah?

Continuing with the sugya of סוכה על גבי סוכה, the Gemara asks how much space there must be between the s’chach layers of the lower succah and the upper succah, for the lower succah to be invalid. Rashi explains the question, that the s’chach layers have to be far enough apart to be considered two succahs, rather than one big succah.

▪ Rav Huna said that the lower succah is passul if there is at least a tefach of space between the layers, שכן מצינו באהלי טומאה טפח – for we find in regard to roofs for tumah that their height is a tefach. Meaning, to qualify as an ohel, the overhang must be at least a tefach in each direction and positioned at least one tefach above the surface beneath it. Just as we find the measurement of one tefach above the surface in regard to tumah, so too here, the two layers of s'chach need to be separated by a tefach in order to be considered two succahs .

▪ Rav Chisda and Rabbah bar Rav Huna said four tefachim of space שלא מצינו מקום חשוב פחות מארבעה – for we do not find a significant area of less than four tefachim. To be considered a reshus hayachid or a karmelis, an area must be at least four tefachim wide. Less than that, it is a makom petur.

▪ Shmuel said ten tefachim כהשכרה כך פסולה – Just as the succah’s validation is dependent on it being ten tefachim, so too is its ability to cause a pesul is dependent on it being ten tefachim high. Rashi explains this to mean, that if the above sukkah is not ten tefachim high, it is not a kosher sukkah, and therefore it will not passul the bottom sukkah.

  • נויי סוכה

The next Mishnah states that if one spread a sheet over the s’chach because of the sun, or beneath it because of falling leaves, the succah is passul. In the Gemara, Rav Chisda said אבל לנאותה כשרה – but where it is spread to decorate the succah, the succah is valid. Rashi explains that a sheet spread for decorative purposes does not earn a s’chach designation, and therefore it will not invalidate the succah. The Gemara brings a machlokes Amoraim regarding נויי סוכה המופלגין ממנה ארבעה – succah decorations spread out beneath the s’chach, that are removed from the s’chach by four tefachim. Rav Nachman says that the succah is kosher, and Rav Chisda and Rabba bar Rav Huna hold that it is passul. Rashi explains that Rav Chisda and Rabba bar Rav Huna hold that any decoration four tefachim away from the s’chach, is viewed as independent of the s’chach above it, and therefore the person sleeping inside the sukkah is considered beneath a tent formed by the sheet, and not in the succah proper. Rav Nachman holds that since the sheets are hung for the purpose of decorating the sukkah, they are batel to the sukkah .

  • מותר לישן בכילה בסוכה

Rav Yehudah said in the name of Shmuel, מותר לישן בכילה בסוכה אף על פי שיש לה גג והוא שאינה גבוהה עשרה – One may sleep under a kilah-canopy spread around a bed in a succah, even though it has a flat roof, provided that it is not ten tefachim high off the surface of the bed. Rav Tachlifa bar Avimi said in the name of Shmuel, הישן בכילה ערום מוציא ראשו חוץ לכילה וקורא קריאת שמע – One who sleeps naked within a kilah-canopy may poke his head outside the canopy and recite the Shema. Rashi explains that if the canopy was deemed an ohel and a self-defined area, then the person’s head would be in the area where the majority of his body is located, and he would not be permitted to recite the Shema while naked. Shmuel is coming to teach, that since this canopy is not deemed a tent, since it is lower than ten tefachim, it is seen as a mere covering of his body, like a garment, and therefore he may stick his head outside the canopy and recite the Shema.