Sukkah

One may not go from one Sukkah to another,1 nor may one2 make a Sukkah during the Intermediate Days of the Festival, while the Sages say, One may go from one Sukkah to another, and one may make a Sukkah during the Intermediate Days of the Festival; but both of them are in accord that if it fall down, one3 may re-erect it during the Intermediate Days. What is the reason of R. Eliezer? — Scripture says, Thou shalt keep the Feast of Sukkah for seven days,4 [which implies,] make a Sukkah which shall be fit for seven days.5 And the Rabbis?6 -This is what the Divine Law means: Make a Sukkah for the Festival. ‘But both of them are in accord that if it fall down one may re-erect it during the Intermediate Days’ — But is not this obvious?7 — I would have said that this8 is [deemed to be] another [Sukkah] and is [thus] not one for seven days, therefore he informs us [that we do not say so].9 It has been taught: R. Eliezer said, Just as a man cannot fulfil his obligation on the first day of the Festival10 with the palm-branch of his fellow, since it is written, And ye shall take to you on the first day the fruit of goodly trees, branches of palm-trees11 i.e., from your own, so cannot a man fulfil his obligation with a Sukkah of his fellow, since it is written, The festival of Sukkoth thou shalt keep to thee for seven days.12 I.e., of thine own. The Sages, however, say, Although they13 said that a man cannot fulfil his obligation on the first day of the Festival10 with the palm-branch of his fellow, he may nevertheless fulfil his obligation with the Sukkah of his fellow, since it is written, All that are homeborn, in Israel shall dwell in Sukkoth,14 which teaches that all Israel are able to sit in one Sukkah.15 And how do the Rabbis16 interpret the words ‘to thee’?12 — It is needed to exclude a stolen [Sukkah]; but as to a borrowed one, It is written, ‘All that are homeborn’ etc.14 And what does R. Eliezer do with, ‘All that are homeborn’?14 — It is needed [to include] a convert who had become converted in the meantime17 or a minor who had attained his majority in the meantime.18 And the Rabbis?19 — Since they say that a man20 may make a Sukkah during the Intermediate Days of the Festival no [special] verse is needed [for converts and minors].21 Our Rabbis have taught: It once happened that R. Ila'i went to pay his respects to R. Eliezer his master in Lydda22 on a Festival.23 He24 said to him, ‘Ila'i, you are not of those that rest on the Festival’,25 for R. Eliezer used to say, ‘I praise the indolent who do not emerge from their houses on the Festival26 since it is written, And thou shalt rejoice, thou and thy household’.27 But it is not so? For did not R. Isaac say, Whence do we know that a man is obliged to pay his respects to his teacher on the Festival? From Scripture which said, Wherefore wilt thou go to him to-day? It is neither New Moon nor Sabbath28 from which it follows that on the New Moon29 and the Sabbath a man is obliged to pay his respects to his master?’30 — There is no difficulty. The latter refers to where he can go and return [to his house] on the one day;31 the former to where he cannot go and return on the same day.32 Our Rabbis have taught: It happened that R. Eliezer passed the Sabbath33 in Upper Galilee in the Sukkah of R. Johanan son of R. Ila'i at Caesarea or, as some say, in Caesarea [Philippi],34 and when the sun reached the Sukkah he said to him,35 ‘How if I spread a cloth over it?’36 He answered him, ‘There was not a tribe in Israel which did not produce a judge’.37 When the sun reached to the middle of the Sukkah, he said to him, ‘How if I spread a cloth over it?’ He answered him, ‘There was not a tribe in Israel from which there did not come prophets, and the tribes of Judah and Benjamin appointed their kings at the behest of the prophets’.38 When the sun reached the feet of R. Eliezer,39 Johanan took a cloth and spread it over [the Sukkah]. R. Eliezer [thereupon] tied up his cloak, threw it over his back, and went out.40 It was not in order to evade an answer [that he answered as he did] but because he never said anything which he had not heard from his master. How did R. Eliezer act thus?41 Did not R. Eliezer say, One may not go from one Sukkah to another?42 — It was on another Festival.43 But did not R. Eliezer say, I praise the indolent who do not leave their houses on the Festival? — It was an ordinary Sabbath. But could he not deduce [the answer]44 from his own45 statement, since we have learnt: One may shut a window46 with a window-shutter if it is fastened or hung [on the window-frame],47 but if not, one may not shut a window with it; but the Sages say, In either case one may shut the window with it?48 seven days are over. seven days. inevitably amount to less than a perutah which legally acquires nothing, so that each could use the Sukkah only by borrowing it from the others. although an ordinary Israelite, according to R. Eliezer supra, must make a Sukkah after the Festival has begun. suggests an analogy between this verse and Deut. XVI, 14, the import of each being the same, but the former is quoted since it mentions the word ‘house’ (i.e., ‘wife’) specifically. extension of a temporary tent which is forbidden on the Sabbath. Eliezer's outstanding characteristic was his rigid conservatism. addition to a building. adding to it on the Sabbath why did not it, Eliezer deduce from this analogous case that the answer was in the affirmative?