Siman - Succah Daf 14
- למה נמשלה תפלתן של צדיקין כעתר
Rebbe Elazar said: למה נמשלה תפלתן של צדיקים כעתר – Why are the tefillos of tzadikim compared to a pitchfork? Rashi explains that the Torah uses the word ויעתר to describe Yitzchak’s entreaties to Hashem regarding Rivkah’s barreness, as it says in the passuk, ויעתר יצחק לה' ...ויעתר לו ה' – Yitzchak entreated Hashem…Hashem allowed Himself to be entreated. To tell you, מה עתר זה מהפך את התבואה בגורן ממקום למקום אף תפלתן של צדיקים מהפכת דעתו של הקדוש ברוך הוא ממדת אכזריות למדת רחמנות – just as the pitchfork turns over the grain that is on a threshing floor, and tosses it from one place to another, so too the tefillos of tzadikim turn over, so to speak, the attitude of HaKadosh Baruch Hu from the Attribute of Harsh Judgment to the Attribute of Mercy.
- מסככין בנסרים
The next Mishnah states, מסככין בנסרים דברי רבי יהודה ורבי מאיר אוסר – Rebbe Yehudah says we may cover a succah with boards, but Rebbe Meir prohibits them. Rav says that the machlokes is with boards that have a width of at least four tefachim דרבי מאיר אית ליה גזרת תקרה – for Rebbe Meir subscribes to the Rabbinic decree prohibiting boards that resemble those of the roof of a house. Rashi explains that the Rabbanon were concerned that if such boards were fit for s’chach, people might think that they can fulfill their chiyuv by staying under the roof of a house, and the Torah specifies that a succah needs to be a dwelling place which provides shade from the sun, not a house, which someone lives in all year round. Rebbe Yehudah does not hold of גזרת תקרה and therefore permits such boards. They both agree that boards that are less than four tefachim, are kosher. Shmuel says, as explained by Rav Pappa, that everyone agrees that boards four tefachim wide are passul, and that boards less than three tefachim are kosher, קנים בעלמא נינהו – they are mere sticks. They disagree regarding boards that are between three and four tefachim wide. Rebbe Yehudah holds that since they lack the size of a significant area, we are not gozeir that they are passul, while Rebbe Meir holds that since they are beyond the scope of lavud we are gozeir that they are passul.
- הפכן על צידיהן
It was stated, הפכן על צידיהן – If one turned the boards on their sides, and covered the succah with them, Rav Huna says that they are passul, but Rav Chisda and Rabbah bar Rav Huna say that it is kosher. Rashi explains that Rav Chisda and Rabbah bar Rav Huna say it is kosher because the Rabbanon only prohibited boards that resemble the roof of a house, which is not the case here. When Rav Nachman visited Sura, Rav Chisda and Rabbah bar Rav Huna asked him what the halachah is and he told them that they are passul. נעשו כשפודין של מתכת – Such boards are treated like metal spits, which are passul for s’chach because they do not grow from the ground and also because they are keilim which are mekabel tumah . Rav Huna was upset with them for asking Rav Nachman since he had told them that Rav Nachman agreed with him, and if they had wanted to know the reason, they should have asked Rav Huna directly.
