Sukkah 2

הַיָּשֵׁן תַּחַת הַמִּטָּה בַסֻּכָּה, לֹא יָצָא יְדֵי חוֹבָתוֹ. אָמַר רַבִּי יְהוּדָה, נוֹהֲגִין הָיִינוּ, שֶׁהָיִינוּ יְשֵׁנִים תַּחַת הַמִּטָּה בִּפְנֵי הַזְּקֵנִים, וְלֹא אָמְרוּ לָנוּ דָבָר. אָמַר רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן, מַעֲשֶׂה בְטָבִי עַבְדּוֹ שֶׁל רַבָּן גַּמְלִיאֵל שֶׁהָיָה יָשֵׁן תַּחַת הַמִּטָּה, וְאָמַר לָהֶן רַבָּן גַּמְלִיאֵל לַזְּקֵנִים, רְאִיתֶם טָבִי עַבְדִּי, שֶׁהוּא תַלְמִיד חָכָם וְיוֹדֵעַ שֶׁעֲבָדִים פְּטוּרִין מִן הַסֻּכָּה, לְפִיכָךְ יָשֵׁן הוּא תַּחַת הַמִּטָּה. וּלְפִי דַרְכֵּנוּ לָמַדְנוּ, שֶׁהַיָּשֵׁן תַּחַת הַמִּטָּה, לֹא יָצָא יְדֵי חוֹבָתוֹ:

If one sleeps under a bed in a succah he has not fulfilled his obligation. [This, if the bed is twenty handbreadths or higher, in which instance it is regarded as a tent, which acts as a partition between himself and the succah. (And the essential mitzvah of succah is eating, drinking, and sleeping therein.)] R. Yehudah said: We used to sleep under the bed before the elders, and they said nothing (in protest). [R. Yehudah holds that a temporary tent does not nullify a permanent one. The halachah is not in accordance with R. Yehudah.] R. Shimon said: Once, Tevi the bondsman of R. Gamliel was sleeping under the bed, and R. Gamliel said to the elders: "Did you observe Tevi my bondsman? He is a Torah scholar and knows that bondsmen are exempt from the (mitzvah of) succah. [For women are exempt from time-based positive commandments; and (only) those mitzvoth binding upon women are binding upon bondsmen.] Therefore, he is sleeping under the bed." And as a matter of course, [even though he was speaking casually, expressing pride in his bondsman], we learned that one who sleeps under the bed (in a succah) has not fulfilled his obligation.

הַסּוֹמֵךְ סֻכָּתוֹ בְּכַרְעֵי הַמִּטָּה, כְּשֵׁרָה. רַבִּי יְהוּדָה אוֹמֵר, אִם אֵינָהּ יְכוֹלָה לַעֲמֹד בִּפְנֵי עַצְמָהּ, פְּסוּלָה. סֻכָּה הַמְדֻבְלֶלֶת, וְשֶׁצִּלָּתָהּ מְרֻבָּה מֵחַמָּתָהּ, כְּשֵׁרָה. הַמְעֻבָּה כְמִין בַּיִת, אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁאֵין הַכּוֹכָבִים נִרְאִים מִתּוֹכָהּ, כְּשֵׁרָה:

If one supported his succah on a bedstead, it is kasher. R. Yehudah says: If it cannot stand by itself, it is pasul. [R. Yehudah is consistent with his view that a succah must be a permanent dwelling. The halachah is not in accordance with R. Yehudah.] Succah meduvleleth [one in which he did not place the reeds together, one alongside the other, but one higher and one lower, so that the sun is more than the shade], if its shade is more than its sun, it is kasher. [Our Mishnah apprises us that we perceive it as if they were arranged in order. If in such an instance its shade would be more than its sun, it is kasher.]

הָעוֹשֶׂה סֻכָּתוֹ בְּרֹאשׁ הָעֲגָלָה אוֹ בְּרֹאשׁ הַסְּפִינָה, כְּשֵׁרָה, וְעוֹלִין לָהּ בְּיוֹם טוֹב. בְּרֹאשׁ הָאִילָן אוֹ עַל גַּבֵּי גָמָל, כְּשֵׁרָה, וְאֵין עוֹלִין לָהּ בְּיוֹם טוֹב. שְׁתַּיִם בָּאִילָן וְאַחַת בִּידֵי אָדָם, אוֹ שְׁתַּיִם בִּידֵי אָדָם וְאַחַת בָּאִילָן, כְּשֵׁרָה, וְאֵין עוֹלִין לָהּ בְּיוֹם טוֹב. שָׁלשׁ בִּידֵי אָדָם וְאַחַת בָּאִילָן, כְּשֵׁרָה, וְעוֹלִין לָהּ בְּיוֹם טוֹב. זֶה הַכְּלָל, כֹּל שֶׁנִּטַּל הָאִילָן וִיכוֹלָה לַעֲמוֹד בִּפְנֵי עַצְמָהּ, כְּשֵׁרָה, וְעוֹלִין לָהּ בְּיוֹם טוֹב:

If one makes his succah on top of a wagon [even though it moves and is not fixed in place], or on top of a boat [in the sea, where the wind buffets it], it is kasher. [For it is called a "dwelling" so long as it can withstand a normal wind on shore.] And it is permitted to go up to it on the festival. [This is stated (only) because of: "And it is not permitted to go up to it" (below)]. (If he makes his succah) on top of a tree, [making a place for it, with partitions and schach], or on top of a camel, it is kasher [on Chol Hamoed]; but it is not permitted to go up to it on the festival, [the rabbis having decreed against going up into a tree and against making use of it, lest he come to tear (from it)]. (If he made) two on a tree, and one by man, [i.e., If he supported most of the floor of the succah on a tree, and built around it two walls on top of the tree and one (man-made) on the ground, joining the floor of the succah to the middle of the wall built on the ground and raising the wall ten handbreadths higher (than the point of juncture)], or two by man and one in on a tree, it is kasher; but it is not permitted to go up to it on the festival. [Since, if it (the one wall on the tree) were removed, the floor of the succah would give, not being able to stand by the support of the ground walls alone, it is not permitted to go up to it on the festival, doing so constituting making use of the tree.] If he made three by man and one on a tree, it is kasher, and it is permitted to go up to it on the festival. This is the rule: Every succah which, if the tree were removed, could stand by itself, is kasher, and it is permitted to go up to it on the festival.

הָעוֹשֶׂה סֻכָּתוֹ בֵּין הָאִילָנוֹת, וְהָאִילָנוֹת דְּפָנוֹת לָהּ, כְּשֵׁרָה. שְׁלוּחֵי מִצְוָה פְּטוּרִין מִן הַסֻּכָּה. חוֹלִין וּמְשַׁמְּשֵׁיהֶן פְּטוּרִין מִן הַסֻּכָּה. אוֹכְלִין וְשׁוֹתִין עֲרַאי חוּץ לַסֻּכָּה:

If one makes his succah between trees, the trees serving as walls for it, it is kasher. [This, on condition that the trees are thick and strong and do not sway back and forth in a normal wind. And he must also fill the spaces between the branches with straw so that the wind not move them. For any partition that cannot withstand a normal wind is not a partition.] "Messengers of a mitzvah" are exempt from (the mitzvah of) succah. [For one who is occupied with a mitzvah is exempt from a (different) mitzvah. And not only when he is engaged in the performance of the mitzvah, but even when he is not thus engaged, e.g., as when he is on his way to receive his rabbi or to redeem captives. He is exempt even while resting (on the road).] Those who are ill and their attendants are exempt from succah, [even those who are slightly ill. The rationale for non-performance of a positive commandment of the Torah because of slight illness, or because of the discomfort caused by foul odors or bed bugs or fleas, in which instances one is exempt (from the mitzvah of succah), as well as the rabbis' exempting travelers and keepers of gardens and orchards from succah is (Leviticus 23:42): "In succoth shall you sit," similar to "shall you dwell." For whatever reason one would leave his dwelling, he may also leave his succah. But if one makes his succah ab initio in a place where he is bound to eat or to sleep in discomfort, as in a place where he is in fear of being robbed in his sleep, even if he is not in fear of thieves or robbers while eating — he does not fulfill his succah obligation even when eating, in that the succah does not serve all his needs: eating, drinking, and sleeping. For "shall you dwell" must be satisfied, and such a succah fails to satisfy it.] It is permitted to eat and drink "casually" outside the succah [a snack to ally one's hunger, with the intent of eating a regular meal (in the succah) afterwards.]

מַעֲשֶׂה וְהֵבִיאוּ לוֹ לְרַבָּן יוֹחָנָן בֶּן זַכַּאי לִטְעוֹם אֶת הַתַּבְשִׁיל, וּלְרַבָּן גַּמְלִיאֵל שְׁתֵּי כוֹתָבוֹת וּדְלִי שֶׁל מַיִם, וְאָמְרוּ, הַעֲלוּם לַסֻּכָּה. וּכְשֶׁנָּתְנוּ לוֹ לְרַבִּי צָדוֹק אֹכֶל פָּחוֹת מִכַּבֵּיצָה, נְטָלוֹ בַמַּפָּה וַאֲכָלוֹ חוּץ לַסֻּכָּה, וְלֹא בֵרַךְ אַחֲרָיו:

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.

רַבִּי אֱלִיעֶזֶר אוֹמֵר, אַרְבַּע עֶשְׂרֵה סְעוּדוֹת חַיָּב אָדָם לֶאֱכֹל בַּסֻּכָּה, אַחַת בַּיּוֹם וְאַחַת בַּלָּיְלָה. וַחֲכָמִים אוֹמְרִים, אֵין לַדָּבָר קִצְבָה, חוּץ מִלֵּילֵי יוֹם טוֹב רִאשׁוֹן שֶׁל חָג בִּלְבָד. וְעוֹד אָמַר רַבִּי אֱלִיעֶזֶר, מִי שֶׁלֹּא אָכַל לֵילֵי יוֹם טוֹב הָרִאשׁוֹן, יַשְׁלִים בְּלֵילֵי יוֹם טוֹב הָאַחֲרוֹן. וַחֲכָמִים אוֹמְרִים, אֵין לַדָּבָר תַּשְׁלוּמִין, עַל זֶה נֶאֱמַר (קהלת א) מְעֻוָּת לֹא יוּכַל לִתְקֹן, וְחֶסְרוֹן לֹא יוּכַל לְהִמָּנוֹת:

R. Eliezer says: One must eat fourteen meals in the succah, [two meals each day for seven days], one in the daytime and one at night. And the sages say: There is no set amount. [i.e., If he wishes to eat, he may not eat outside the succah; if he wishes to fast he may do so] — except the first night of the festival alone (when he must eat in the succah), [this being derived (by identity) (Leviticus 23:34): "On the fifteenth day … is the festival of succoth" - (Ibid. 6): "On the fifteenth day," in respect to Pesach. Just as the eating of matzah on the first night of Pesach is mandatory, and, on the other days, optional; so, too, in respect to (eating in a) succah.] R. Eliezer said further: If one did not eat (in a succah) the nights of the first festival, he must make it up on the nights of the second festival [i.e., the night of Shemini Atzereth]. The sages say: There is no making it up. Of such (things) it is written (Koheleth 1:15): "What is crooked cannot be made straight, and what is lacking cannot be counted." [The halachah is not in accordance with R. Eliezer in both instances.]

מִי שֶׁהָיָה רֹאשׁוֹ וְרֻבּוֹ בַסֻּכָּה, וְשֻׁלְחָנוֹ בְתוֹךְ הַבַּיִת, בֵּית שַׁמַּאי פּוֹסְלִין, וּבֵית הִלֵּל מַכְשִׁירִין. אָמְרוּ לָהֶן בֵּית הִלֵּל לְבֵית שַׁמַּאי, לֹא כָךְ הָיָה מַעֲשֶׂה, שֶׁהָלְכוּ זִקְנֵי בֵית שַׁמַּאי וְזִקְנֵי בֵית הִלֵּל לְבַקֵּר אֶת רַבִּי יוֹחָנָן בֶּן הַחוֹרָנִי, וּמְצָאוּהוּ שֶׁהָיָה יוֹשֵׁב רֹאשׁוֹ וְרֻבּוֹ בַסֻּכָּה, וְשֻׁלְחָנוֹ בְתוֹךְ הַבַּיִת, וְלֹא אָמְרוּ לוֹ דָבָר. אָמְרוּ לָהֶן בֵּית שַׁמַּאי, מִשָּׁם רְאָיָה, אַף הֵם אָמְרוּ לוֹ, אִם כֵּן הָיִיתָ נוֹהֵג, לֹא קִיַּמְתָּ מִצְוַת סֻכָּה מִיָּמֶיךָ:

If one's head and most of his body were in the succah, and his table in his house — Beth Shammai rule that it is pasul, and Beth Hillel, that it is kasher. [The halachah is in accordance with Beth Shammai, whether it is a large succah and he is sitting at the entrance of the succah with his table in his house, or it is a small succah, which does not accommodate his head and most of his body — both are forbidden — a decree, lest he "be drawn" after his table.] Beth Hillel said to Beth Shammai: "Did it not happen that the elders of Beth Shammai and the elders of Beth Hillel went to visit R. Yochanan b. Hachorani and found him sitting with his head and most of his body in the succah and his table in the house, and they said nothing to him?" Beth Shammai rejoined: "Can you offer proof from there? They did, indeed, tell him: 'If this is how you have (always) deported yourself, you have never fulfilled the mitzvah of succah in all of your days!'"

נָשִׁים וַעֲבָדִים וּקְטַנִּים, פְּטוּרִים מִן הַסֻּכָּה. קָטָן שֶׁאֵינוֹ צָרִיךְ לְאִמּוֹ, חַיָּב בַּסֻּכָּה. מַעֲשֶׂה וְיָלְדָה כַלָּתוֹ שֶׁל שַׁמַּאי הַזָּקֵן וּפִחֵת אֶת הַמַּעֲזִיבָה וְסִכֵּךְ עַל גַּבֵּי הַמִּטָּה בִּשְׁבִיל הַקָּטָן:

Women, bondsmen, and minors are exempt from the (mitzvah of) succah, [it being written (Leviticus 23:42): "Every citizen in Israel shall sit in succoth" — to exclude women, who, even though they are obligated in the eating of matzah the first night of Pesach, are not obligated in (the mitzvah of) succah the first night of the festival.] A minor who does not need his mother is obligated in (the mitzvah of) succah. [If he awakes from his sleep and does not call out "Mother, Mother," he is regarded as "not needing his mother," and the mitzvah is binding upon him; otherwise, he is exempt. This is the halachah. And this is the case only if he keeps on calling for his mother and does not stop until she comes. But if he calls once and then stops, he is not regarded as "needing his mother."] Once, when the daughter-in-law of Shammai the elder gave birth, he hollowed part of the ceiling and placed schach over the bed on behalf of the child.

כָּל שִׁבְעַת הַיָּמִים אָדָם עוֹשֶׂה סֻכָּתוֹ קֶבַע וּבֵיתוֹ עֲרַאי. יָרְדוּ גְשָׁמִים, מֵאֵימָתַי מֻתָּר לְפַנּוֹת, מִשֶּׁתִּסְרַח הַמִּקְפָּה. מָשְׁלוּ מָשָׁל, לְמָה הַדָּבָר דּוֹמֶה, לְעֶבֶד שֶׁבָּא לִמְזוֹג כּוֹס לְרַבּוֹ, וְשָׁפַךְ לוֹ קִיתוֹן עַל פָּנָיו:

All seven days (of the festival), one makes his succah permanent and his house temporary, [e.g., If he has beautiful vessels and spreads, he brings them into the succah.] If it rains, when is it permitted to leave (the succah)? When the mikpeh gets spoiled. [Any dish which is neither soft nor hard but stiff (kafui) is called "mikpeh." Most men shun such food, which with (the addition of) a little water is entirely spoiled. And a mikpeh of pounded beans spoils more quickly in a rain than other mikpoth. If there were enough rain to spoil a mikpeh of this kind (were it there), he may leave immediately.] They offered an analogy for this. To what may this be compared? A servant comes to pour a cup (of wine) for his master, and he [the master] dashes the (contents of the) jug in his face, [this, by way of saying: "I do not want your service!" Here, too, the rain shows that the Master is not favorably disposed to His servants' deeds.]