Se alguém faz sua sucção na forma de um cone, [de modo que ele não tenha um teto], ou se ele o apoia em uma parede, [inclina a parte superior das palhetas para a parede, as palhetas inclinando-se para baixo no chão ], R. Eliezer decide pasul porque falta um teto. [Não está claro o que é telhado e o que é parede. Pois uma tenda inclinada não é chamada de tenda, mas apenas uma que tem um teto de (pelo menos) uma largura de mão.] E os sábios a governam como kasher. [A halachá está de acordo com R. Eliezer.] Um grande tapete de junco feito para reclinar adquire tumah e não pode ser usado para escória. Para schach, pode ser usado para schach e não adquire tumah. [Com relação a um tapete pequeno, não há diferença de opinião, todos concordando que ele é feito para reclinação e não para escória (cobertura do telhado). Onde eles diferem? Com relação a um tapete grande. O primeiro tanna sustenta que um grande é feito para escória e um pequeno para reclinado. E suas palavras devem ser entendidas assim: um tapete grande é feito para escória, mas se ele declara expressamente que está reclinando, adquire tumah e não pode ser usado como escória. "Para escória, pode ser usado para escória": deve ser entendido da seguinte forma: E um pequeno tapete é feito para reclinação; mas se ele declarar expressamente que está fazendo isso para schach, pode ser usado como schach.] R. Eliezer diz: Pequenos e grandes são feitos [ab initio] para reclinação. [Portanto,] ele [mesmo um grande] adquire tumah, e não pode ser usado como escória. [Mas, se ele declarou expressamente que deve] ser usado para schach, pode ser usado como schach e não adquire tumah. [A halachá está de acordo com 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.
