If one roofs his succah with spits, [which are not fit for schach because they do not grow in the ground] or with bed boards, [which can acquire uncleanliness] — If the space between them is like them (in size), it is kasher. [Not "exactly like them and not more"; for the place of the spit is considered parutz ("breached"), and when he puts kosher schach between each spit, if the space between them is exactly like them, then the parutz is the same as the amud (the part that is intact), and it is pasul. Perforce, then, the space between them must be somewhat larger than they are.] If one hollowed out a stack of sheaves to make a succah of it, it is not a succah. [If he took from the lower sheaves near the ground and hollowed out a space the size of a succah, the schach is found to be already made and standing of itself — but the Torah said: "shall you make," and not from what is already made. But if there were already in it the space of a handbreadth extending seven (handbreadths) which he made to be schach, and he hollowed it out until he elevated the space to a height of ten (handbreadths), this is not considered as already made, for he hereby adjusts only the walls; and "shall you make, but not from what is already made" does not apply to the walls — so that it is like a succah less than ten (in height), which was hollowed out to bring it up to ten.]
Bartenura on Mishnah Sukkah
שפודין – which is not appropriate for S’khakh/festive covering for the Booth, since it is not that which grows in the ground.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Sukkah
Introduction
The first section of this mishnah is concerned with someone who uses metal objects as skhakh. The second section deals with the strange case of one who carves out room in a haystack to make a sukkah.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Sukkah
[בארוכות] המטה – utensils that [are susceptible] to receiving ritual defilement.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Sukkah
One who roofs his sukkah with iron spits or with bedposts, if the space between them equals them, it is valid. Neither iron spits nor bedposts can be used as skhakh because they are both made of metal. However, they can be put on top of the sukkah as long as there is valid skhakh between the posts or spits and the valid skakhah is of great quantity than the metal.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Sukkah
אם יש ריוח ביניהן כמותן – not exactly actually equivalent to their own breadth but not more, for the place of the spit is considered like breached/broken through part, and when one places appropriate S’khaha/festive covering for the Booth between each spit and there isn’t between them other than their own breadth, it is breached as it stands and is invalid, but by force, the space that is between them a bit more than their breadth.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Sukkah
One who hollows out a haystack to make for himself a sukkah, it is not a valid sukkah. In this case a person does not make a sukkah but rather the sukkah is made by his hollowing out a hole in a haystack. This is not valid because instead of making a sukkah, the sukkah has been made on its own. In other words, one must make his sukkah by taking skhakh and putting it on top of a framework of walls. The one who hollows out the haystack has made an absence of space, a negative act, but not the positive act of creating a sukkah. Hence the sukkah is not valid.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Sukkah
החוטט בגדיש – he took from the sheaves of grain below near the earth and made a cavity/space like the measure of a Sukkah and its festive covering, resulting that it is made and stands on its own. But the Torah stated, “do/make the holiday of Sukkot” (Deuteronomy 16:13) but not from what is already made, but if there was a cavity within of a handbreadth among the seven [handbreadths], it is made for the purpose of the festive covering, and if he hallowed it out until he raised the cavity.opening to the measurement of the height of the Sukkah of ten-handbreadths, this [is not] the way it it is made, for he is not repairing/fixing anything other than the walls, and regarding the walls, we don’t say, “do/make” and not from something already made, for it is like a Sukkah that is less than ten [handbreadths] and he hallowed it out in order to complete it for the ten [handbreadths required].
