It is permitted to use boards as schach. These are the words of R. Yehudah. R. Meir forbids it. [With boards the size of four handbreadths, which (size) is considered "a space of significance," all agree that it is pasul. With less than three, all agree that it is kasher (for in that instance they are like reeds). Where do they differ? (With boards) from three to four handbreadths. R. Yehudah holds that since that is not "a space of significance," we do not decree (against it) lest he sit under the ceiling of his house. And R. Meir holds that since it leaves the status of lavud (see 1:1), we decree (against it), lest he say: "What difference does it make whether I use these as schach or sit under the ceiling of my house?" The halachah is in accordance with R. Yehudah.] If he placed upon it a board which is broader than four handbreadths, it is kasher, so long as he does not sleep under it.
Bartenura on Mishnah Sukkah
מסככין בנסרים דברי ר' יהודה – with boards that have four [handbreadths] which is the measure of an important place, according to everyone, it is invalid. Less than three [handbreadths], everyone says, is valid, for it is considered like reeds. Where they disagree is from three until four. Rabbi Yehuda holds that since they lack the measurement of an important place, we should not make a decree lest a person sits underneath the ceiling of the house. But Rabbi Meir holds that since they go outside from the law of a legal fiction of considering separated parts as united, if the gap is less than three handbreadths, we make a decree lest a person should say, what does it matter to me with the S’khakh of these, what difference does it make if I sit under the ceiling of my house. But the Halakha is according to Rabbi Yehuda.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Sukkah
Introduction
This mishnah continues to discuss things that meet the requirements for skhakh as listed in mishnayot 3-4 (comes from the ground, is detached from the ground and is not receptive to impurity) but are still not valid to use as skhakh.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Sukkah
They may make skhakh out of wooden planks, the words or Rabbi Judah. Rabbi Meir forbids. Rabbi Judah holds that one can use wooden planks whereas Rabbi Meir holds that these cannot be used. In the Talmud they debate how wide these planks are some say that they are four handbreaths wide and others say that they are only three handbreadths wide. All agree that planks thinner than three handbreadths can be used. In any case, Rabbi Meir rejects the use of broad wooden planks because the sukkah will look too much like a house. Rabbi Judah accepts them and seems to simply be unconcerned if the sukkah looks like a house. We have seen that Rabbi Judah allows very strong and stable structures to be valid sukkot above in mishnah one he allowed a sukkah that was over 20 cubits high. We shall also see Rabbi Judah with a similar type of opinion in 2:2.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Sukkah
If one places on top of [the sukkah] a plank four handbreadths wide, it is valid provided that he does not sleep under it. This section goes according to Rabbi Meir who forbids using wooden planks. Rabbi Meir admits that one wooden plank, even if it were wide, would not invalidate the entire sukkah, just the area that it actually covers. Therefore, he shouldn’t sleep (or eat) underneath this plank, but he may utilize other areas of the sukkah.
