Sukkah 50 - August 26, 18 Elul

Study Guide Sukkah 50

Today's daf is sponsored by Judi Felber in honor of the 4th yahrzeit of her father, Hershel Tzvi Shlomo Chaim ben Pesach and Dina Sara. When Judi was growing up in Pennsylvania, her family joked that it always rained on Sukkot. Her father passed away in Florida during Hurricane Irma. So it seems particularly fitting to remember him while learning Masechet Sukkah (even though it is not the rainy season in Israel). And for the yahrzeit of the Maharal, Judah Loew ben Bezalel.

The water libations override Shabbat, but there is one difference - the water is collected in a vessel that is not sanctified so that it will not be disqualified overnight. Why? After all, without intention, the vessel does not sanctify its contents so one should be able to put it in the vessel with the intent that it only becomes sanctified the following day! And there is a requisite amount so if there were to put a larger amount in the vessel, it would not become sanctified as the vessel only sanctifies when the proper amount is in it. Three possible answers are brought. If the water is left uncovered, it is invalid. Why is it not possible to take out the snake venom in a strainer? Is it because the mishna doesn’t hold like Rabbi Nechemiah who claims that venom can be removed by a strainer? The mishna mentions the playing of the flute in the Shoeva Celebration. Is the wording in the mishna “Shoeva celebration” or “Important celebration”?? Why would this event be called by these names? They used to play the flute in the temple during the Simchat Beit Hashoeva for five or six days because they do not play it on Yom Tov and Shabbat. This opinion is not agreed upon by everyone - Rabbi Yossi Bar Yehuda thinks that it also overrides Shabbat. However, Rav Yosef holds that his opinion and the debate between him and the rabbis concerns the flute that accompanied the daily sacrifice (12 days a year, including Sukkot) and not the flute of the Simchat Beit Hashoeva which clearly would not override Shabbat. The debate is whether the main part of the music is the singing or the instruments. He tries to prove that this is the root of their debate by bringing a different debate of Rabbi Yosi bar Yehuda regarding wooden utensils – can they be used for sanctified utensils in the Temple or not – and tries to learn it from the wooden flute of Moshe. The gemara rejects his proof as it is possible to understand that the controversy there stems from another matter (two other possibilities are raised).