Se uno fa la sua succah a forma di cono, [in modo che non abbia un tetto], o se la sostiene su una parete, [inclinando le cime delle canne al muro, le canne inclinate verso il basso verso il suolo ], R. Eliezer lo governa pasul perché manca un tetto. [Non è chiaro cosa sia il tetto e cosa sia il muro. Perché una tenda inclinata non è chiamata tenda, ma solo una che ha il tetto (almeno) di un soffio a mano.] E i saggi la governano kasher. [L'halachah è conforme a R. Eliezer.] Un grande tappetino di canna realizzato per reclinare acquisisce tumah e non può essere usato per lo schach. Per lo schach, può essere usato per lo schach e non acquisisce il tumah. [Rispetto a un piccolo tappetino, non vi è alcuna differenza di opinione, tutti d'accordo sul fatto che sia fatto per reclinare e non per schach (copertura del tetto). Dove differiscono? Rispetto ad un grande tappetino. Il primo tanna sostiene che uno grande è fatto per schach e uno piccolo per reclinare. E le sue parole devono essere comprese in questo modo: un grande tappetino è fatto per schach, ma se afferma espressamente che lo sta facendo per reclinare, acquisisce tumah e non può essere usato come schach. "Per lo schach, può essere usato per lo schach": Questo deve essere inteso come segue: E un piccolo tappetino è fatto per reclinare; ma se afferma espressamente che lo sta facendo per schach, può essere usato come schach.] R. Eliezer dice: Sia piccolo che grande sono fatti [ab initio] per reclinare. [Pertanto,] [anche di grandi dimensioni] acquisisce tumah e non può essere usato come schach. [Ma se ha espressamente dichiarato che deve] essere usato per lo schach, può essere usato come schach e non acquisisce il tumah. [L'halachah è conforme a R. Eliezer.]
Bartenura on Mishnah Sukkah
כמין צריף – which has no roof and the heads/tops of the walls touch each other from above [like the upside down letter “V”] and become distanced from each other from below.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Sukkah
Introduction
This mishnah contains two debates between Rabbi Eliezer and the other sages. The first concerns one who makes his sukkah by leaning one wall against the other. The second concerns the validity of reed mats as skhakh.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Sukkah
או שסמכה – or inclined the heads of the poles/reeds on the wall and they continue downwards slanting towards the ground.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Sukkah
One who makes his sukkah like a cone-shaped hut or leans it against a wall: Rabbi Eliezer invalidates it since it has no roof, But the sages declare it valid. In this case a person made a sukkah in a cone-shape, somewhat like a teepee. It seems that the upper sections of the walls must have been made of valid skhakh. Alternatively, he leaned a wall made of skhakh against another wall not made of skhakh, somewhat like a lean-to. Rabbi Eliezer rules that this is invalid since a sukkah needs to have a roof. The sages rule that it is valid. In the Talmud, they claim that the positions should be reversed, Rabbi Eliezer ruling that it is inivalid and the sages that it is invalid. The halakhah is that these types of sukkot are invalid.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Sukkah
מפני שאין לה גג – and it is not recognized what is a roof and what is a wall, and a slanting tent is not called a tent, unless it has a roof of a handbreadth, and the Halakha is according to Rabbi Eliezer [who declares it invalid].
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English Explanation of Mishnah Sukkah
A large reed mat: if made for lying upon it is susceptible to [ritual] uncleanliness and is invalid as skhakh. If made for a skhakh, it may be used for skhakh and is not susceptible to uncleanliness. This section requires a few words of introduction concerning the susceptibility of objects to impurity. Objects are susceptible to impurities if they are “vessels”. This halakhic category includes most objects that have been fashioned to be of use for people, but not things that are used for building. For instance a cup is susceptible to impurity but a brick is not. In the case under discussion here, a reed mat made to be sat upon is susceptible to impurities whereas a reed mat made to be used as skhakh is not. According to the sages, all small mats may have been made to be sat upon and hence they are all susceptible to impurity. We learned above in mishnah four that anything that is receptive to impurity cannot be used as skhakh. Hence, small reed mats cannot be used for skhakh. A large reed mat may have been made either to sit upon or to use as skhakh. Hence, its susceptibility to impurity and its validity as skhakh depend upon the intent in which it was made. If it was made to be used for sitting it cannot be used as skhakh, but if it was made to be used as skhakh then it is valid.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Sukkah
מחצלת של קנים וכו' – a small mat, everyone does not argue that if it is merely for lying, they do not cover it with festive covering. But they argue regarding a large one. The first Tanna/teacher thinks that a mere large mat is made for covering and a mere small mat is made for lying. And this is how it should be understood: A large mat is made for covering, and if he expressed that he made it for lying, it [is liable] to receive ritual defilement and we don’t make the festive covering of the Sukkah with it, but for the festive covering, we cover the Sukkah with it. This is how it should be understood – that the mere small mat is used for lying, but if he expressed that it is for the Sukkah covering, he covers the Sukkah with it.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Sukkah
Rabbi Eliezer says, whether small or large: if it was made for reclining upon, it is susceptible to uncleanliness and is invalid as skhakh; if made for a covering, it is valid as a skhakh and is not susceptible to uncleanliness. Rabbi Eliezer says that the size of the skhakh does not matter. All that matters is whether the mat was made for sitting or for skhakh. As long as it was made for skhakh it can be used as such, no matter its size.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Sukkah
רבי אליעזר אומר אחת גדולה ואחת קטנה – undefined for lying, but if he made it for lying, as he stated, that is to say, they were made at their outset as undefined for lying, therefore, even the large one receives ritual defilement and we don’t cover [the Sukkah] with it. But if he expressed that it is for the festive covering [of the Sukkah], we do cover [the Sukkah] with it. But the Halakha is not according to Rabbi Eliezer.
