Si uno hace su succah encima de un carro [aunque se mueva y no esté fijo en su lugar], o encima de un bote [en el mar, donde el viento lo golpea], es kasher. [Porque se llama "vivienda" siempre que pueda soportar un viento normal en la costa.] Y se le permite subir a ella en el festival. [Esto se indica (solo) debido a: "Y no está permitido subir a él" (abajo)]. (Si hace su succah) en la cima de un árbol, [haciendo un lugar para él, con tabiques y schach], o en la cima de un camello, es kasher [en Chol Hamoed]; pero no está permitido subir a él en el festival, [los rabinos han decretado no subir a un árbol y no usarlo, para que no se rompa (de él)]. (Si hizo) dos en un árbol, y uno por el hombre, [es decir, si sostuvo la mayor parte del piso de la succah en un árbol, y construyó alrededor de él dos paredes en la parte superior del árbol y una (hecha por el hombre) en el suelo, uniendo el piso de la succah al centro del muro construido en el suelo y levantando el muro diez centímetros más alto (que el punto de unión)], o dos por hombre y uno en un árbol, es kasher ; pero no está permitido subir en el festival. [Dado que, si se eliminara (la única pared del árbol), el piso de la succah cedería, al no poder sostenerse solo con el soporte de las paredes del suelo, no está permitido subir a él en el festival , lo que constituye hacer uso del árbol.] Si hizo tres por el hombre y uno en un árbol, es kasher, y se le permite subir a él en el festival. Esta es la regla: cada succah que, si se quita el árbol, podría sostenerse por sí mismo, es kasher, y se le permite subir a ella en el festival.
Bartenura on Mishnah Sukkah
בראש העגלה – even though it is unsteady and not fixed.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Sukkah
Introduction
There are two interrelated subjects in this mishnah: 1) building a sukkah in a strange place; 2) entering the sukkah on the festival. As background we should note that on a festival or Shabbat it is forbidden to climb a tree, lest one break off a branch, which is prohibited on Shabbat and a festival. It is also forbidden to ride on an animal on a festival or Shabbat.
The mishnah uses the language “go up into” the sukkah because sukkot were often built on the flat roofs of their homes. Nevertheless, not all of these mishnayot describe actually going up into a sukkah.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Sukkah
בראש הספינה – on the sea, and the wind controls there and uproots it.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Sukkah
One who makes his sukkah on the top of a wagon, or on the deck of a ship, it is valid and one may go up into it on the festival. One can build a sukkah on a wagon or on a ship and one can enter into it on Shabbat. The Talmud explains that the sukkah has to be strong enough to stand up to a wind of common strength. One who builds such a sukkah can enter into on the festival because there is no prohibition of getting onto a ship or a wagon on the festival. Indeed, there is a well-known story in the Talmud of rabbis traveling on Sukkot and making a sukkah on the ship. Assumedly, Rabbi Judah who in yesterday’s mishnah stated that a sukkah made using a bed’s bedposts is invalid, would also invalidate a sukkah made on a wagon or ship.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Sukkah
כשרה – for it is a called a dwelling/residence. And this can withstand the winds found on dry land.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Sukkah
If he made it on the top of a tree, or on the back of a camel, it is valid, but one may not go up into it on the festival. A sukkah made on top of a tree or on the back of a camel is also a valid sukkah (I have actually seen such a thing in Neot Kedumim, near where we live in Israel). However, since it is forbidden to climb a tree or ride on an animal on Shabbat or a festival, these sukkot could only be used during Hol Hamoed, the non-festival days of Sukkot.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Sukkah
ועולין לה ביום טוב – since our Mishnah needs to teach the conclusion that they don’t ascend [to the Sukkah], the beginning of the Mishnah teaches, we ascend/go up.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Sukkah
If the tree [formed] two [walls] and one was made by the hands of man, or if two were made by the hands of man and one was formed by the tree, it is valid, but one may not go up into it on the festival. In this and the next section the person doesn’t make his sukkah in a tree but rather he uses a tree to support the roof of his sukkah. A tree can be used to support the sukkah’s wall even though the leaves may not count as skhakh when they are attached to the tree. A sukkah must have at least three walls, so if he uses a tree to support even one these three walls he cannot enter the sukkah on the festival because that would be considered using the tree.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Sukkah
בראש האילן – he established his seat at the top and he made there partitions/walls and the cover of the festive booth (i.e., a ceiling of twigs or matting).
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English Explanation of Mishnah Sukkah
If three walls were made by the hands of man and one was formed by the tree, it is valid and one may go up into it on the festival. This is the general rule: in any case in which if the tree was removed the [sukkah] could stand on its own, it is valid and one may go up into it on the festival. If, however, he has four walls and only one supported by the tree then the sukkah would be valid and would be able to stand even without the tree. Hence, he may enter this sukkah on the festival because by doing so he is not actually using the tree. The tree-wall is superfluous. The mishnah now summarizes this rule citing a general principle.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Sukkah
כשרה – on the Intermediate Days of the Festival.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Sukkah
ואין עולין לה ביו"ט – for it was decreed by the Rabbis that we don’t ascend upon a tree and we don’t use it lest he detach [a branch].
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Bartenura on Mishnah Sukkah
שתים באילן – he supported most of the floor of the Sukkah on the tree, and he made around it at the top of the tree two walls and one was man-made on the ground and it supported the bottom of the Sukkah in the middle of the wall that he made on the ground and raised the wall from it and raised it ten [handbreadths].
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Bartenura on Mishnah Sukkah
או שתים בידי אדם ואחת באילן – since for if he would take it, the bottom of the Sukkah would fall, and could not stand with the support of two [sides of the Sukkah] that are in the ground, and we don’t ascend it on Yom Tov/Holy Days of the Festival, for one is using the tree.
