Siman - Succah Daf 56
- Which takes precedence, the berachah on the succah or the shehechiyanu?
The Gemara brings a machlokes Amoraim concerning the order of berachos that one recites when he enters the succah the first night of Succos. Rav said: סוכה ואחר כך זמן – When one recites kiddush, he first recites לישב בסוכה and then שהחיינו, and Rabbah bar bar Chanah said: זמן ואחר כך סוכה – One recites שהחיינו and then לישב בסוכה. The Gemara explains that Rav says that one first recites a לישב בסוכה because he holds חיובא דיומא עדיף – the obligation of the day takes precedence. Meaning, that the berachah of לישב בסוכה relates specifically to the obligation of Succos. Rabbah bar bar Chanah said that one recites a שהחיינו first because he holds תדיר ושאינו תדיר תדיר קודם – when that which is frequent conflicts with that which is not frequent, that which is frequent takes precedence. The Gemara attempts to connect this machlokes to the machlokes between Beis Shammai and Beis Hillel regarding which comes first when reciting kiddush on Shabbos, the berachah on the wine or the berachah on the day but concludes that they are not necessarily the same machlokes.
- The division of the lechem hapanim
The final Mishnah of the Masectha brings a machlokes regarding the division of the lechem hapanim the rest of the year. The Tanna Kamma holds that the incoming mishmar and the outgoing mishmar split the lechem hapanim equally, with each mishmar receiving six loaves. Rebbe Yehudah holds that the incoming mishmar receives seven loaves and the outgoing mishmar receives five loaves. The Gemara asks what the reason is according to Rebbe Yehudah, that the incoming mishmar receives seven, and Rebbe Yitzchak answers, בשכר הגפת דלתות – the two loaves are granted as compensation for closing the Temple gates in the evening. Meaning, that those who opened the gates in the morning should have had the duty to complete the job and close them at night. Since the incoming mishmar is doing the work of the outgoing mishmar, it behooves the outgoing mishmar to give one of their loaves in payment. When the Gemara suggests that the outgoing mishmar should tell the incoming mishmar to remove the enactment, so that the following week it will be removed from them, Abaye answered: בוצינא טבא מקרא – A small gourd now is better than a large gourd later. In this case, the incoming mishmar prefers to receive all that it is entitled to immediately than to defer some of it to later.
- Punishing the Mishmar of Bilgah
The Mishnah stated that the mishmar of Bilgah was penalized, in that it always divided the lechem hapanim in the south, its specific ring that was used to shecht a korban during its watch was sealed so they had to use another mishmar’s ring, וחלונה סתומה – and its specific alcove to deposit its knives was sealed. The Gemara explains that the reason for the penalties, was either due to an incident involving Miriam bas Bilgah, a daughter of one of its members who became an apostate, or it was because the mishmar was tardy in coming to the Beis Hamikdash when it was their week to serve. The Gemara asks on the first answer, if it is fair that the entire family be penalized over one daughter’s actions. Abaye answers that it is, as people say, שותא דינוקא בשוקא או דאבוה או דאימיה – The utterances of a child in public, express the views of either his father or mother. When the Gemara persists and asks why the whole mishmar should be penalized, Abaye answers אוי לרשע אוי לשכנו – Woe to the wicked one and woe to his neighbor. The Gemara concludes, conversely, טוב לצדיק טוב לשכנו – It will be good for the tzadik and good for his neighbor.
