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סוכה 46
Soncino English Talmud · Berean Standard Bible
He who makes a lulab for his own use shall recite the benediction, ‘Blessed [art Thou, O Lord our God, King of the Universe] who has kept us in life, and hast preserved us, and enabled us to reach this season’. When he takes it to fulfil therewith his obligation, he shall say, ‘Blessed [art Thou, O Lord our God, King of the Universe] who hast sanctified us by Thy commandments, and commanded us concerning the taking of the lulab’ and even though he has recited the benediction on the first day, he must again recite it on all seven days. He who makes a Sukkah for his own use shall recite the benediction, ‘Blessed [art Thou, O Lord our God, King of the Universe] who kept us in life, and sustained us etc.’ When he enters the Sukkah to take up his abode therein he shall say, ‘. . . Who hast sanctified us by Thy commandments and commanded us to dwell in the Sukkah’; and once he has recited the benediction on the first day, he has no need to repeat it [on subsequent days]. Now is there not a contradiction between the one statement concerning the lulab and the other, and between the one concerning Sukkah and the other? The difficulty between the one statement concerning the lulab and the other may well be disposed of, since one might refer to Temple times and the other to the time when the Temple was no longer in existence; but does not the difficulty concerning the two statements about the Sukkah remain? — The question is one in dispute between Tannas, as it has been taught, Whenever a man puts on his tefillin he must recite the benediction; so Rabbi, but the Sages ruled, He recites the benediction in the morning only. It was stated: Abaye ruled, The law is in agreement with Rabbi, while Raba ruled, The law is in agreement with the Rabbis. R. Mari the son of Samuel's daughter remarked, I noticed that Raba himself did not act in accordance with his own ruling but rising early, he would go to the privy, emerge and wash his hands, put on his tefillin and recite the benediction, and when he had to attend to his needs a second time he would go to the privy, emerge and wash his hands, put on his tefillin and recite the benediction again. We also act in accordance with the ruling of Rabbi and recite the benediction all seven days. Mar Zutra remarked, I notice that R. Papi recited the benediction whenever he put on his tefillin. The Rabbis of the school of R. Ashi recited the benediction whenever they touched their tefillin. Rab Judah citing Samuel ruled: The commandment of lulab applies to all the seven days, but R. Joshua b. Levi ruled, The commandment of the lulab applies to the first day only, and subsequently it is but an ordinance of the Elders; while R. Isaac ruled, [The taking of the lulab on] every day, and even on the first one is but an ordinance of the Elders. But have we not an established rule that on the first day it is a Pentateuchal commandment? — Say rather, Except on the first day. But if so, is not this identical with the ruling of R. Joshua b. Levi? — Read, And so said R. Isaac. Rab also is of the opinion that the commandment of the lulab applies to all seven days, for R. Hiyya b. Ashi citing Rab stated, One who kindles the Hanukkah lamp must recite a benediction. R. Jeremiah ruled, He who sees the Hanukkah light must recite the benediction. What benediction does one recite? — Rab Judah answered, On the first day he who kindles the light must recite three benedictions and he who sees it must recite two; henceforth he who kindles the lights recites two benedictions and he who sees them only one. What is the benediction? — ‘Blessed [art Thou, O Lord our God, King of the Universe] who hast sanctified us by Thy commandments, and commanded us to kindle the light of Hanukkah’. But where did He command us? — [The commandment is deduced from the verse,] Thou shalt not turn aside. R. Nahman b. Isaac replied, [Deduction is made from the verse,] Ask thy father, and he will declare unto thee. (Which [benediction] does one omit? — The benediction on the season. Might it not be suggested that one omits the benediction of the miracle? — The miracle occurred every day). R. Nahman b. Isaac taught this explicitly: Rab ruled, The commandment of the lulab applies to all seven days. Our Rabbis taught, He who makes a Sukkah for his own use shall recite the benediction, ‘Blessed art Thou . . . who has kept us in life etc.’ When he enters to take up his abode in it, he says, ‘Blessed art Thou . . . who has sanctified us, etc.’ If it was already erected, he may recite the benediction if he can make some renovation in it; and if not, he recites two benedictions when he enters to take up his abode in it. R. Ashi stated, I observed that R. Kahana recited all of them over the cup of Sanctification. Our Rabbis taught, He who has to perform many commandments [simultaneously] shall say, ‘Blessed . . . who hast sanctified us by Thy commandments and commanded us concerning the commandments’. R. Judah ruled, One must recite a benediction over each one separately. R. Zera or, as some say, R. Hanina b. Papa stated, The halachah is in agreement with R. Judah. R. Zera or, as some say, R. Hanina b. Papa further stated, What is the reason of R. Judah? Because it is written, Blessed be the Lord by day. Now do we bless Him by day and not by night? But this comes to teach you: Return to Him every day its appropriate benedictions. So also here: Return unto Him for every single thing, its appropriate benedictions. R. Zera or, as some say, R. Hanina b. Papa further stated, Come and see that not as the standards of mortal man are the standards of the Holy One, blessed be He. According to the standards of mortal man, an empty vessel
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is able to contain [what is put into it], and a full vessel cannot contain it but according to the standards of the Holy One, blessed be He, a full vessel is able to contain it While an empty one cannot; as it is said, And it shall come to pass, if thou shalt hearken diligently, if you hearken, you will continue to hearken, but if not, you will not hearken. Another interpretation: If you will hearken to the old, you will be able to hearken to the new, but if thy heart turn away you will no more hearken. FROM THE HANDS OF THE CHILDREN, etc. R. Johanan ruled, The ethrog is forbidden on the seventh day, and permitted on the eighth; the Sukkah is forbidden even on the eighth. Resh Lakish, however, ruled that the ethrog is permitted even on the seventh day. On what principle do they differ? — One Master is of the opinion that it is set aside only for the performance of its commandment, while the other Master is of the opinion that it is set aside for the whole day. Resh Lakish raised an objection against R. Johanan: THEY USED TO TAKE THEIR LULABS FROM THE HANDS OF THE CHILDREN AND EAT THEIR ETHROGS. Does not this equally apply to adults also? — No; it applies to children alone. There are others who say that R. Johanan raised the objection against Resh Lakish: THEY USED TO TAKE THEIR LULABS FROM THE HANDS OF THE CHILDREN AND EAT THEIR ETHROGS. [Of] children only, but not [of] adults! — No; the same law applies to [those of] adults also, and the reason that he mentions children is that he states what was customary. Said R. Papa to Abaye, What, according to R. Johanan, is the essential difference between the Sukkah and the ethrog? — The other answered him, The Sukkah which is fit to be used at twilight [after the seventh day], for were he perchance to have a meal at that time he would be expected to sit therein and eat there, is set aside for its ritual purpose during the twilight, and since it is set aside during twilight, it is also set aside for the whole of the eighth day; the ethrog, however, which is not suitable during twilight, is not set aside for its ritual purpose during twilight, hence it is not set aside for the purpose for the whole of the eighth day. Levi, however, ruled, The ethrog is forbidden even on the eighth day; while the father of Samuel ruled, The ethrog is forbidden on the seventh day, but permitted on the eighth — The father of Samuel subsequently adopted the view of Levi. R. Zera, however, adopted the [earlier] view of the father of Samuel, for R. Zera ruled, It is forbidden to eat an ethrog [even one] that has become invalid, all the seven days. R. Zera ruled, One should not transfer possession of the festive wreath to a child on the first day of the Festival. What is the reason? — Because a child is entitled to acquire possession but not to transfer it, and the result will be that (the man] would have to perform his duty with a lulab which is not his. R. Zera further ruled, One should not promise a child to give him something and then not give it to him, because he will thereby teach him lying, as it is said, They have taught their tongues to speak lies. [The following dispute is based on the same principles] as the one between R. Johanan and Resh Lakish. For it was stated, If a man set apart seven ethrogs for the seven days, Rab ruled, He may fulfil his obligation with each one and eat it forthwith, while R. Assi ruled, He may fulfil his obligation with each one and eat it on the morrow. On what principle do they differ? One Master is of the opinion that it is set apart only for the performance of its rite while the other Master is of the opinion that it is set apart for the whole day. And as for us, who keep two days [of the Festival] how are we to proceed? — Abaye replied, On the eighth day which may be the seventh,it is forbidden; on the ninth day which may be the eighth, it is permitted. Meremar ruled, Even on the eighth day, which may be the seventh, it is permitted. In Sura they acted in accordance with the ruling of Meremar. R. Shisha the son of R. Idi acted in accordance with the ruling of Abaye. And the law is in agreement with Abaye. R. Judah the son of R. Samuel b. Shilath citing Rab ruled, The eighth day which may be the seventh is regarded as the seventh in respect of the Sukkah and as the eighth in respect of the benediction. R. Johanan, however, ruled, It is regarded as the eighth in respect of both. That one must dwell [in the Sukkah on the eighth day] is agreed by all, they only differ
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