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סוכה 26
Soncino English Talmud · Berean Standard Bible
In the name of R. Shila they said, The bridegroom is free from, but the shoshbins and the wedding guests are subject to the obligation. It has been taught: R. Hanania b. Akabya said, Scribes of books of the Law, tefillin and mezuzoth, their agents and their agents’ agents, and all who are engaged in holy work including sellers of blue are free from the obligation of prayer and tefillin and all the commandments mentioned in the Torah. This confirms the words of R. Jose the Galilean who laid down: He who is occupied with the performance of a religious duty is [at that time] free from the fulfilment of other religious duties. Our Rabbis taught, Day travellers are free from the obligation of Sukkah by day but are bound to it at night. Night travellers are free from the obligation of Sukkah at night, but are bound to it by day. Travellers by day and night are free from the obligation both day and night. Those who are on a religious errand are free both by day and by night, as in the case of R.Hisda and Rabbah son of R. Huna who, when visiting on the Sabbath of the Festival the house of the Exilarch, slept on the river bank of Sura, saying, ‘We are engaged on a religious errand and are [therefore] free [from the obligation of Sukkah]’. Our Rabbis taught, The day watchmen of a town are free from the obligation of Sukkah by day and bound to it at night; the night watchmen are free by night and bound by day, the day and night watchmen are free both by day and at night. Keepers of gardens and orchards are free both by day and by night — But why should they not make a Sukkah there and sit in it? — Abaye said, ‘Ye shall dwell’ [implies] just as you normally dwell. Raba said, ‘The breach invites the thief’. What practical difference is there between them? — The practical difference [emerges] where one is guarding a pile of fruit. INVALIDS AND THEIR ATTENDANTS. Our Rabbis taught, The invalid spoken of here is not [only] an invalid who is in danger, but also one who is not in danger, even one who suffers from eyeache or headache. R. Simeon b. Gamaliel said, On one occasion I was suffering with my eyes in Caesarea and R. Jose Berebi permitted me and my attendants to sleep outside the Sukkah. Rab permitted R. Aha Bardela to sleep in a tester-bed In a Sukkah in order [to shut out] the gnats. Raba permitted R. Aha b. Adda to sleep outside the Sukkah on account of the odour of the day. Raba is here consistent, since Raba said, He who is in discomfort is free from the obligation of Sukkah. But have we not learnt: INVALIDS AND THEIR ATTENDANTS ARE FREE FROM THE OBLIGATION OF SUKKAH, [from which it follows,] only an invalid but not one who is merely in discomfort? — I will explain: An invalid is free together with his attendants, whereas he who is in discomfort is himself free, but not his attendants. CASUAL EATING AND DRINKING ARE PERMITTED OUTSIDE THE SUKKAH. What constitutes a casual meal? — R. Joseph said, [The volume of] two or three eggs. Abaye said to him: But sometimes this suffices for [a whole meal for] a man, why then should this not constitute a set meal? Rather, said Abaye, [a small quantity] only as much as a student tastes before proceeding to the college assembly. Our Rabbis taught, Casual eating is permitted outside the Sukkah, but not casual sleeping. What is the reason? — R. Ashi said, We fear lest the person fall into a deep slumber. Abaye said to him, With reference, however, to that which has been taught, ‘A man may indulge in casual sleep while wearing his tefillin, but not in regular sleep’, why do we not fear lest he fall into a deep slumber? — R. Joseph the son of R. Ila'i said, [The latter refers to where] the person entrusts others [with the task of waking him from his] sleep. R. Mesharsheya demurred: Does not ‘Your guarantor need a guarantor ? — Rather, said Rabbah b. Bar Hana in the name of R. Johanan, This refers to where the person puts his head between his knees. Raba said, [In the case of Sukkah the question of] regularity in sleep does not arise. One [Baraitha] teaches, A man may indulge in a casual sleep in his tefillin but not in regular sleep, and another [Baraitha] taught, Whether a casual sleep or regular sleep [is permitted] while a third Baraitha taught, Neither a casual sleep nor a regular sleep [is allowed]! — There is no difficulty: The last refers to where he holds them in his hand, the first one to where they rest on his head, while the second refers to where he spreads a cloth over them. What constitutes a casual sleep? — Rami b. Ezekiel taught, [Sleeping during the time] it takes to walk one hundred cubits. It has also been taught so: He who sleeps in tefillin and [on waking] observes an issue of semen, should seize hold of the strap37
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but not of the capsule; these are the words of R. Jacob; but the Sages say, A man may indulge in a casual sleep in his tefillin but not in a regular sleep, and what constitutes a casual sleep? [Sleeping during the time] it takes to walk one hundred cubits. Rab said, It is forbidden to a man to sleep by day more than the sleep of a horse. And what is the sleep of a horse? Sixty respirations. Abaye said, The sleep of the Master is as that of Rab, and that of Rab as that of Rabbi and that of Rabbi as of David, and that of David as of a horse, and that of a horse is sixty respirations. Abaye slept [by day] as long as it takes to go up from Pumbeditha to Be Kube. R. Joseph applied to him the verse, How long wilt thou sleep, O sluggard, when wilt thou arise out of thy sleep. Our Rabbis taught, He who wishes to go to sleep by day, he may, if he desires, remove [his tefillin] and he may if he so desires, put them on. At night, he may not put them on but must remove them; these are the words of R. Nathan. R. Jose said, Youths must always remove them and never put them on, since ritual uncleanliness is of frequent occurrence with them. Must we then say that R. Jose is of the opinion that a man who has an issue of semen may not don his tefillin? — Abaye answered, We are dealing here with the case of young men in the company of their wives, [upon whom the restriction was imposed] lest they proceed to familiar practice. Our Rabbis taught: If he forgot and had sexual intercourse in his tefillin he should not seize hold either of a strap or of a capsule until he wash his hands to take them off, since hands touch things automatically. MISHNAH. IT ONCE HAPPENED THAT THEY BROUGHT COOKED FOOD TO R. JOHANAN B. ZAKKAI TO TASTE, AND TWO DATES AND A PAIL OF WATER TO R. GAMALIEL AND THEY SAID, ‘BRING THEM UP TO THE SUKKAH’. BUT WHEN THEY GAVE TO R. ZADOK FOOD LESS THAN THE BULK OF AN EGG, HE TOOK IT IN A TOWEL, ATE IT OUTSIDE THE SUKKAH AND DID NOT SAY THE BENEDICTION AFTER IT. GEMARA. Does not the incident come as a contradiction. There is a lacuna, and it should be taught thus: But if he wishes to be strict with himself, he may do so, and it does not constitute presumption, and so it also happened that THEY BROUGHT COOKED FOOD TO R. JOHANAN B. ZAKKAI TO TASTE, AND TWO DATES AND A PAIL OF WATER TO R. GAMALIEL
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