Siman - Succah Daf 39

  • כל המצות כולן מברך עליהן עובר לעשייתן

The Mishnah on Daf 38a stated: Where the minhag with Hallel is לברך יברך – to recite a berachah, one recites a berachah. Abaye said: לא שנו אלא לאחריו אבל לפניו מצוה לברך – They taught that the matter of making a berachah is a minhag only with regard to the one recited after Hallel, but with regard to the berachah recited before Hallel, there is an actual chiyuv to recite the berachah. For Rav Yehudah said in the name of Shmuel: כל המצות כולן מברך עליהן עובר לעשייתן – Regarding all of the mitzvos, one recites the berachah for them immediately before their performance.

The Gemara asks which passuk indicates that the word עובר has the meaning of “before”? Rav Nachman bar Yitzchak said it is written, "וירץ אחימעץ דרך הככר ויעבר את הכושי" – Achimaatz ran by way of the plain and went before (ויעבר) the Cushi. Abaye said it is derived from "הוא עבר לפניהם" – Then he went before them, referring to Yaakov going before his wives and sons to greet Eisav. Or it can be derived from "ויעבר מלכם לפניהם וה' בראשם" – and their king goes before them, with Hashem at their head, referring to when the Moshiach goes before the Jewish people, and Hashem precedes all of them.

  • נותן לו אתרוג במתנה בשביעית

The next Mishnah states: הלוקח לולב מחבירו בשביעית נותן לו אתרוג במתנה – If one purchases a lulav during shemittah from his friend who is an am haaretz he must give him the esrog as a gift, לפי שאין רשאי ללוקחו בשביעית – because he is not permitted to purchase it from him during shemittah. The Gemara clarifies that a lulav that one buys in shemittah is the product of the sixth year since it grew primarily during the sixth year, whereas an esrog’s status is determined when it is picked, making it a product of shemittah. The Gemara asks what one should do if the am haaretz does not want to give him the esrog as a gift, and Rav Huna answered, מבליע ליה דמי אתרוג בלולב – He includes the cost of the esrog in the price of the lulav. Rashi explains that he should raise the price of the lulav to the point where he can give the esrog as a gift.

  • אין מוסרין דמי פירות שביעית לעם הארץ

The Gemara questions why the Mishnah forbids one to purchase an esrog outright and answers לפי שאין מוסרין דמי פירות שביעית לעם הארץ – Because one is not permitted to give an am haaretz money from the sale of shemittah produce, because he may use the money in a forbidden manner. Rashi explains that the Torah states that sheviis produce is "לאכלה" ולא לסחורה – for you to eat, and not to do commerce. This does not prohibit the produce from being sold. Rather, it teaches that the money, like the produce for which it was received, must be consumed, meaning spent on food or similar items during shemittah. An am haaretz is suspected of saving his money past this time. If one purchases produce from him, then he will be leading him to sin. For it was taught in a Baraisa: One is not permitted to give an am haaretz money from the sale of shemittah produce above the cost of purchasing three meals, and if he forgot and gave him more, he should say, הרי מעות הללו יהו מחוללין על פירות שיש לי בתוך ביתי – These shemittah monies that are now in the hands of the am haaretz should be deconsecrated on the non-shemittah produce that I have in my house, ובא ואוכלן בקדושת שביעית – and he (the chaver) comes and eats them in accordance to kedushas sheviis.