Parallel
סוכה 45
Soncino English Talmud · Berean Standard Bible
‘Does one then need to dry them? Say rather, Upon the portico’. Rehaba citing R. Judah stated, The Temple Mount had a double colonnade, one colonnade being within the other. MISHNAH. HOW WAS THE PRECEPT OF THE WILLOW-BRANCH [CARRIED OUT]? THERE WAS A PLACE BELOW JERUSALEM CALLED MOZA. THEY WENT DOWN THERE AND GATHERED THENCE YOUNG WILLOW-BRANCHES AND THEN CAME AND FIXED THEM AT THE SIDES OF THE ALTAR SO THAT THEIR TOPS BENT OVER THE ALTAR. THEY THEN SOUNDED A TEKI'AH [LONG BLAST], A TERU'AH [TREMULOUS BLAST] AND AGAIN A TEKI'AH. EVERY DAY THEY WENT ROUND THE ALTAR ONCE, SAYING, ‘WE BESEECH THEE, O LORD, SAVE NOW, WE BESEECH THEE, O LORD, MAKE US NOW TO PROSPER’. R. JUDAH SAID, [THEY WERE SAYING], ‘ANI WAHO, SAVE NOW’. BUT ON THAT DAY THEY WENT ROUND THE ALTAR SEVEN TIMES. WHEN THEY DEPARTED, WHAT DID THEY SAY? ‘THINE, O ALTAR, IS THE BEAUTY! THINE, O ALTAR, IS THE BEAUTY!’ R. ELIEZER SAID, [THEY WERE SAYING,] ‘TO THE LORD AND TO THEE, O ALTAR, TO THE LORD AND TO THEE, O ALTAR’. AS WAS ITS PERFORMANCE ON A WEEKDAY, SO WAS ITS PERFORMANCE ON THE SABBATH, SAVE THAT THEY GATHERED THEM ON THE EVE [OF THE SABBATH,] AND PLACED THEM IN GOLDEN BASINS THAT THEY MIGHT NOT BECOME MILDEWED. R. JOHANAN B. BEROKA SAID, THEY USED TO BRING PALM TWIGS AND BEAT THEM ON THE GROUND AT THE SIDES OF THE ALTAR, AND THAT DAY WAS CALLED ‘[THE DAY OF] THE BEATING OF THE PALM TWIGS’. THEY USED TO TAKE THEIR LULABS FROM THE HANDS OF THE CHILDREN AND EAT THEIR ETHROGS. GEMARA. It was taught, It was the place called Kolonia. Then why does our Tanna call it MOZA? — Since it was exempt from the king's tax, he calls it MOZA. AND THEN CAME AND FIXED THEM AT THE SIDES OF etc. A Tanna taught, They were large and long and eleven cubits high, so that they might bend over the altar one cubit. Meremar citing Mar Zutra observed, Deduce therefrom that they were laid upon the base [of the altar], for if you were to assume that they were placed on the ground, consider this: It rose up one cubit and drew in one cubit, and this formed the base. It then rose up five cubits and drew in one cubit, and this formed the circuit; it [then] rose up three cubits, and this was the place of the horns. Now how could they bend over the altar? Consequently it may be deduced from this that they were laid on the base. This is conclusive. R. Abbahu said, What is its Scriptural proof? — Since it is said, Order the festival procession with boughs, even unto the horns of the altar. R. Abbahu citing R. Eleazar stated, Whosoever takes the lulab with its binding and the willow-branch with its wreathing is regarded by Scripture as though he had built an altar and offered thereon a sacrifice. For it is said,
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Bind the festival with myrtle branches even unto the horns of the altar. R. Jeremiah citing R. Simeon b. Yohai, and R. Johanan citing R. Simeon of Mahoz who had it from R. Johanan of Makkuth stated, Whosoever makes an addition to the Festival by eating and drinking is regarded by Scripture as though he had builded an altar and offered thereon a sacrifice. For it is said, Make an addition to the Festival with fat cattle, even to the horns of the altar. Hezekiah citing R. Jeremiah who had it from R. Simeon b. Yohai stated, In the case of all commandments, one does not fulfil one's obligation unless [the objects involved] are in the same condition as when they grow, for it is said, Acacia wood standing up. So it was also taught, ‘Acacia wood standing up,’, implies that they should stand in the manner of their growth. Another interpretation: ‘Standing up’ implies that they held their [gold] overlaying. Another interpretation of ‘Standing up’.’ Lest you may say, ‘Their hope is lost, their expectation is frustrated’, Scripture expressly states, ‘Acacia wood standing up’ implying that they will stand for ever and to all eternity. Hezekiah further stated in the name of R. Jeremiah who said it in the name of R. Simeon b. Yohai, I am able to exempt the whole world from judgment from the day that I was born until now, and were Eliezer, my son, to be with me [we could exempt it] from the day of the creation of the world to the present time, and were Jotham the son of Uzziah with us, [we could exempt it] from the creation of the world to its final end. Hezekiah further stated in the name of R. Jeremiah who said it in the name of R. Simeon b. Yohai, I have seen the sons of heaven and they are but few. If there be a thousand, I and my son are among them; if a hundred, I and my son are among them; and if only two, they are I and my son. Are they then so few? Did not Raba in fact state, The row [of righteous men immediately] before the Holy One, blessed be He, consists of eighteen thousand, for it is said, It shall be eighteen thousand round about? — This is no difficulty: The former number refers to those who see Him ‘through a bright speculum, the latter to those who see Him through a dim one. But are those who see Him through a bright speculum so few? Did not Abaye in fact state, The world never has less than thirty-six righteous men who are vouchsafed a sight of the Shechinah every day, for it is said, Happy are they that wait lo [for Him] and the numerical value of lo is thirty-six? — There is no difficulty: The latter number refers to those who may enter [the Presence] with permission, the former to those who may enter without permission. WHEN THEY DEPARTED, WHAT DID THEY SAY? But does not one thereby associate the name of God with something else concerning which it has been taught, Whosoever associates the name of God with something else is uprooted from the world, as it is said, Save unto the Lord alone? — It is this that was meant: TO THE LORD we give thanks, AND TO THEE we offer praise, TO THE LORD we give thanks AND THEE we laud. AS WAS ITS PERFORMANCE ON A WEEKDAY. Said R. Huna, What is the reason of R. Johanan b. Beroka? Because it is written, Branches, which implies two, one for the lulab and one for the altar. But the Rabbis say, The word ‘branches’ is written defectively. R. Levi explained, [The reason of R. Johanan b. Beroka is that Israel is] compared to the date-palm; as the date-palm has but one heart also Israel has but one heart [which is completely devoted] to their Father in Heaven. Rab Judah citing Samuel stated, [The benediction is recited over] the lulab for seven [days] and over the Sukkah only on one day. What is the reason? — In the case of the lulab where the nights form breaks between the days, each day involves a separate commandment; in the case of the Sukkah where the nights do not form breaks between the days, all seven days are regarded as one long day. Rabbah b. Bar Hana, however, stated in the name of R. Johanan, [The benediction is recited over] the Sukkah for seven days and over the lulab but one day. What is the reason? — For the Sukkah which is a Pentateuchal precept [the benediction must be recited all the] seven [days]; in the case of the lulab which is but a Rabbinical enactment [a benediction on] one day suffices. When Rabin came, he stated in the name of R. Johanan, [The benediction is recited over] the one as well as the other [all] seven [days]. R. Joseph ruled, Lay hold fast to the decision of Rabbah b. Bar Hana, since with regard to Sukkah, all the Amoras adopt the same position as he. An objection was raised:
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