Lulav [the taking of the lulav] and aravah [for the circling of the altar] — (sometimes the mitzvah is) six (days) and (sometimes) seven. [Sometimes it overrides the Sabbath and is seven days; and sometimes it does not override the Sabbath and is six (to be explained later)]. Hallel and rejoicing are eight. [(Hallel:) to complete the Hallel all eight days (as opposed to Pesach), for the days of the festival (of Succoth) are distinct in their offerings. (rejoicing:) to eat the flesh of peace-offerings at the time of the Temple, it being written (Deuteronomy 16:14): "And you shall rejoice in your festival," and there is no rejoicing at the time of the Temple except with peace-offerings, viz. (Ibid. 27:7): "and you shall slaughter peace-offerings, and you shall eat them there, and you shall rejoice."] Succah [sitting in the succah] and the water libation [at the morning temidim of the festival] — seven. And the chalil (the flute), five and six. [At the simchath Beth Hashoeva, they rejoiced in the festival in honor of the drawing of the water for the libations, and they would play on flutes and viols. And that chalil overrides neither Sabbath nor festival.]
Bartenura on Mishnah Sukkah
לולב וערבה - Lulav/the festive wreath (the Four Species) for taking up, and the willow for going around the altar.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Sukkah
Introduction
This mishnah is an introduction to the remainder of the tractate Sukkot. On Sukkot there are some mitzvot that are observed for the full eight days (seven days of Sukkot and one day of Shmini Atzeret) and there are other mitzvot that are observed for a lesser number of days, either because they are not observed on Shabbat or because they do not apply to Shmini Atzeret.
Up until now the mishnah has spent two chapters discussing the sukkah and one chapter discussing the lulav. In the upcoming mishnayot we will learn more about these other mitzvot including some fascinating rituals observed in the Temple.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Sukkah
ששה ושבעה – because sometimes they supersede the Sabbath and there would be seven, and sometimes, they don’t supersede the Sabbath and there isn’t other than six, and further on, it will explain it.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Sukkah
[The rituals of] the lulav and the aravah are for six or seven [days]; The lulav and the special mitzvah of the aravah are observed for either six days or seven days. We will learn why in mishnayot two and three. The mitzvah of the aravah refers to circling the altar with the aravah, a mitzvah described in detail in mishnah five.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Sukkah
והלל – to complete [its recitation] all eight days, which is not the case on Passover, because the [intermediate] days of the Festival [of Sukkot] are divided in their sacrifices.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Sukkah
The Hallel and the rejoicing are for eight [days]; The full Hallel is recited for all eight days of Sukkot and Shmini Atzeret. Similarly, there is a mitzvah to rejoice on all eight days of the festival. Both of these are referred to in mishnah eight.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Sukkah
והשמחה – to eat the meat of peace offerings in the time of the Temple, as it is written (Deuteronomy 16:14):”"You shall rejoice in your festival…” and there is no rejoicing at the time of the Temple other than through the meat of peace offerings as it is written (Deuteronomy 27:7): “And you shall sacrifice there offerings of well-being and eat them, rejoicing [before the LORD your God].”
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English Explanation of Mishnah Sukkah
The sukkah and the water libation are for seven [days]; The mitvah to sit in a sukkah is for only seven days. On Shmini Atzeret one does not sit in the sukkah. The water libation was a special libation of water poured onto the altar only on Sukkot. It is described in mishnah nine. Here we learn that they would perform this special water libation for all seven days of the festival, even on Shabbat.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Sukkah
סוכה – to sit/dwell in the Sukkah
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English Explanation of Mishnah Sukkah
The flute is for five or six [days]. The flute is played at a special celebration that occurred in the Temple called “Simchat Bet Hashoeva.” This celebration does not take place on Shabbat, the first day of the festival (Yom Tov) or on Shmini Atzeret. Hence the flute is played for only five or six days, depending on whether the first day of the festival is on Shabbat. Simchat Bet Hashoeva is described at length in chapter five.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Sukkah
וניסוך המים – with the daily morning offerings of the Festival.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Sukkah
החליל – at the joyous procession to and from the well they would rejoice on the Festival [of Sukkot] in honor of the drawing of libation waters, and they would play on flutes and harps, and that flute does not supersede either the Sabbath nor the Festival day.
