{"id":10225,"date":"2006-09-13T19:44:00","date_gmt":"2006-09-13T19:44:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/production.ou.org\/life\/other\/masechet_sukkah1319\/"},"modified":"2015-10-22T06:42:37","modified_gmt":"2015-10-22T11:42:37","slug":"masechet_sukkah1319","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ou.org\/life\/torah\/masechet_sukkah1319\/","title":{"rendered":"Masechet Sukkah 13a-19b"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Coming Week’s Daf Yomi by Rabbi Adin Steinsaltz<\/em><\/p>\n

This essay is based upon the insights and chidushim (original ideas) of Talmudic scholar Rabbi Adin Steinsaltz, as published in the Hebrew version of the Steinsaltz Edition of the Talmud.<\/em><\/p>\n

This month\u2019s Steinsaltz Daf Yomi is sponsored by Dr. and Mrs. Alan Harris, The Lewy Family Foundation, and Marilyn and Edward Kaplan<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Sukkah 13a-b<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n

The Mishnah<\/a> (12a<\/a>) taught that not all types of natural growth can be used as sechach<\/a><\/em> for the sukkah<\/a><\/em>. Straw or branches that are tied into bundles are examples of growth that cannot be used unless they are untied.<\/p>\n

The Gemara<\/a> on our daf <\/em>quotes a baraita<\/a><\/em> which says that thorny plants<\/a> can be used for sechach<\/em>, even though they grow twisted together and might appear to be bundles. As we will see, growing as a bundle will not be an impediment for use as sechach<\/em>, although there might be other problems with such plants.<\/p>\n

Rav Chanan bar Rava teaches that the thorny plants hizmei<\/em> and higei<\/em> are both appropriate for use as sechach<\/em> on Sukkot<\/a><\/em>. Abayye<\/a> disagrees with the ruling regarding higei<\/em>, explaining that its leaves fall off easily and will disturb the people eating in the sukkah<\/em>, likely inducing them to leave.<\/p>\n

Hizmei <\/em>can be identified with Ononis antiquorum L.<\/a> of the Papilionaceae<\/a> family. It is a thorny plant that grows to about 75 centimeters (2.5 feet), which is found growing wild in fields and valleys.<\/p>\n

The scientific name for Higi<\/em> is Alhagi maurorum Medik<\/a>. It, too, is a thorny plant with smooth, non-serrated leaves. Ordinarily it grows to a height of 30 centimeters (1 foot), although it occasionally grows as high as one meter (3 feet).<\/p>\n

Another plant discussed on our daf<\/em> is the eizov<\/a><\/em>. The Sages did not come to a clear conclusion about the identification of this plant, which is mentioned not only in the Talmud<\/a>, but in the Torah<\/a>, as well (see, for example, Bamidbar<\/a> 19:6<\/a> where it is translated as hyssop<\/a>). From the descriptions given it appears that the eizov<\/em> is likely Majorana syriaca (L.) Fein<\/a><\/em>, a fragrant shrub that rises to a height of about 50-100 centimeters.<\/p>\n

The plant is commonly found throughout Israel and in neighboring countries. Its dried leaves are used as a popular local spice – za’atar<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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Sukkah 14a-b<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n

In the context of discussing whether the stems of vegetables are significant with regard to the laws of ritual purity (see the mishnayot<\/a><\/em> in Masechet<\/a> Yadayim<\/a><\/em> which deal with this question at length), the Gemara<\/a> on our daf<\/em> mentions a farm implement called an eter<\/a><\/em> – a type of shovel or pitchfork whose purpose is to turn over the grain in the fields. This pitchfork succeeds in turning over the grain with the help of the stems, indicating that they are still an important part of the plant.<\/p>\n

This discussion leads the Gemara to bring a Midrashic<\/a> homily about this tool.<\/p>\n

Rabbi Eliezer<\/a> taught: Why are the prayers of the righteous compared to an eter<\/em> (see Bereshit<\/a> 25:21<\/a>, where Yitzhak<\/a>‘s prayer that Rivka<\/a> should have a child is described using the term va-ye’etar<\/em>)? To teach you that just as a pitchfork turns the grain from place to place, so the prayers of the righteous turn God’s dispensations from His attribute of anger (midat ahzariyut<\/em>) to mercy (midat rahmanut<\/em>).<\/p>\n

Generally speaking, when the Talmud<\/a> describes God’s attribute of anger, it refers to midat ha-din<\/em>, whose connotation is that God demands justice – the letter of the law \u2013 rather than offering compassion. The commentaries note the use of the term ahzariyut <\/em>in our Gemara, which is unusual, as it implies a level of cruelty and mercilessness that goes well beyond justice.<\/p>\n

One approach suggested (see R. Hayyim ben Attar<\/a>‘s Rishon Le-Tzion<\/em> and R. Yehiel Michel ben Uziel<\/a>‘s Nezer ha-Kodesh<\/em>, a commentary on Midrash Rabbah<\/a><\/em>) is that the particular situation of Yitzhak and Rivka appears to go beyond midat ha-din<\/em>. According to the strict letter of the law, there was no reason that Yitzhak and Rivka had to be childless. Thus the midrash<\/em> searches for a more powerful term, one that expresses the suffering – the yissurin shel ahavah<\/em> – that played a role in this particular situation. Based on this, the midrash<\/em> teaches that even in a situation as difficult as this one, the will of God can be changed through the means of the prayers of the righteous.<\/p>\n

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Sukkah 15a-b<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n

The first Mishnah<\/a> on our daf<\/em> discusses the case of a house with a plain wooden roof that has no tar or other kind of covering. All of the tanna’im<\/a><\/em> agree that some type of preparation must be made in order for the house to be used as a sukkah<\/a><\/em>. They disagree on what needs to be done:<\/p>\n