Once they brought R. Yochanan b. Zakkai a dish to taste and (they brought) to R. Gamliel two dates and a waterskin, and they said: "Take them up to the succah." [Not because it was required, but they were stringent with themselves — whence it is derived that if one is stringent with himself, not to eat even "casually" outside the succah, he is to be commended.] And when they gave to R. Tzaddok food less than the size of an egg, [so that he not have to recite the (concluding) blessing [(For, as far as succah is concerned, it has already been stated that one may eat "casually" outside the succah — even more than the size of an egg)], he took it in a cloth, ate it outside the succah, and did not recite the concluding blessing.
Bartenura on Mishnah Sukkah
ואמרו העלום לסוכה – not according to the law, but they were stringent upon themselves, and we learn from this that whomever is stringent upon himself to not evat even an incidental meal (i.e., a snack) outside of the Sukkah, behold this is praiseworthy.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Sukkah
Introduction
This mishnah is a continuation of yesterday’s mishnah, dealing with whether a person may snack outside of the sukkah.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Sukkah
אוכל פחות מכביצה – [he took it with a napkin]. On account of washing his hands and because of the blessing, he took less than an egg’s bulk, for had it been because of the Sukkah, we would say that one can eat an incidental meal outside of the Sukkah, and even more than an egg’s bulk.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Sukkah
It once happened that they brought a dish to Rabbi Yohanan ben Zakkai to taste, and two dates and a pail of water to Rabban Gamaliel and they said, “Bring them up to the sukkah.” The mishnah tells a story of two rabbis who refused to eat anything outside of the sukkah, even a couple of dates, water or the taste of a dish. It seems that these rabbis were acting “beyond the letter of the law.” Although they could have eaten outside of the sukkah as we learned in the end of yesterday’s mishnah, they chose to be strict and ordered their servants to bring the food up to the sukkah.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Sukkah
And when they gave Rabbi Zadok food less than the bulk of an egg, he took it in a napkin, ate it outside the sukkah and did not say a blessing after it. Rabbi Zadok on the other hand does not tell his servant to bring the small amount of food, less than an egg’s worth, up to the sukkah. He eats it outside the sukkah. He also performs a few more acts from which we can learn halakhah. First of all, he takes the food in a napkin and does not wash his hands, as was customary during this period. Secondly, he does not say a blessing afterwards. Rabbi Zadok holds that one recites a blessing after eating only an egg’s worth of food.
