Sukkah 12 - July 19, 10 Av

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Today's daf is sponsored by Zichron Yaakov women’s daf yomi group, "in honor of Rabbanit Michelle and gratitude for her inspiration and her seemingly infinite willingness to be there for us, to share of her wisdom and time to enrich and encourage. Thank you for being part of our local siyum." And anonymously in memory of Yssaschar the son of Yaakov Avinu and in memory of Rabbi Yitzhak ben Yehuda the Abarbanel.

From where do we derive that the criteria for sechach are that it cannot be susceptible to impurity and must grow from the ground. The gemara brings four different suggested derivations. One cannot use bundles of straw, wood or reeds for sechach. Rabbi Yochanan gave the reason for this mishna (about the bundles) and another mishna about hollowing out a pile of straw – one was because the sukkah needs to be made and not from something already made, and one because of a rabbinic ordinance so that one not come to think one can use one’s storage house for a sukkah. Rabbi Yaakov did not know which reason corresponded to which mishna, but Rabbi Yirmia explained it based on a statement of Rabbi Yochanan that was passed down by Rabbi Chiya bar Abba. The gemara brings other statements of Amoraim regarding items that are able to be/not to be used for sechach.