Sukkah

does this matter? — In respect of bills of divorcement? 1 MISHNAH. R. ISHMAEL SAYS, [ONE MUST HAVE]2 THREE MYRTLE-BRANCHES, TWO WILLOW-BRANCHES, ONE PALM-BRANCH AND ONE ETHROG. EVEN IF TWO [OF THE MYRTLE-BRANCHES] HAVE THEIR TIPS BROKEN OFF AND [ONLY] ONE IS WHOLE [THE WREATH IS VALID]. R. TARFON SAYS, EVEN IF ALL THREE HAVE THEIR TIPS BROKEN OFF. R. AKIBA SAID, JUST AS [IT IS NEEDED TO HAVE BUT] ONE PALM-BRANCH AND ONE ETHROG, SO [IT IS NEEDED TO HAVE BUT] ONE MYRTLE-BRANCH AND ONE WILLOW-BRANCH. GEMARA. It has been taught, R. Ishmael said, ‘The fruit of a goodly tree’3 implies one; ‘Branches of palm-trees’3 implies one;4 ‘boughs of thick trees’3 implies three;5 ‘willows of the brook’3 implies two, and even if two [of the myrtle-branches] have their tips broken off, and only one is whole [the wreath is valid]. R. Tarfon said, [There must be] three,6 [and they are valid] even if all have their tips broken off. R. Akiba said. Just as [it is necessary to have but] one palm-branch and one ethrog, so [it is necessary to have but] one myrtle-branch and one willow-branch. R. Eliezer said to him,7 If one should say that the ethrog should be bound with them8 in one bundle you can answer, Is it then written, ‘The fruit of a goodly tree and branches of palm-trees’? It says only, ‘The fruit of a goodly tree, branches of palm-trees’.9 And whence do we know that they are a hindrance to one another?10 Scripture teaches, ‘And ye shall take’.11 [implying] that the taking must be complete.12 As to R. Ishmael,13 whichever view he takes [he is inconsistent]. For if he demands that the myrtle-branches] be whole, why should he not demand14 that they all be whole, and if he does not demand it, why should even one [have to be whole]? — Said Bira'ah in the name of R. Ammi, R. Ishmael recanted from this view.15 Rab Judah said in the name of Samuel, The halachah is in agreement with R. Tarfon.16 And Samuel is consistent; for in his view [expressed elsewhere] Samuel said to those who sold myrtle. ‘Sell at the normal price, for if not, I will expound to you as R. Tarfon’.17 What is his reason?18 If you will say that he wished to take a lenient view, why did he not expound to them as R. Akiba19 who is still more lenient? — Three with broken tips are common, one with an unbroken tip is uncommon.20 MISHNAH. AN ETHROG WHICH IS STOLEN OR WITHERED IS INVALID. ONE FROM AN ASHERAH OR A CONDEMNED CITY IS INVALID. IF IT WAS OF ‘ORLAH21 OR OF UNCLEAN TERUMAH22 IT IS INVALID. IF IT WAS OF CLEAN TERUMAH HE SHOULD NOT TAKE IT,23 BUT IF HE DID TAKE IT, IT IS VALID. IF IT WAS DEMAI,24 BETH SHAMMAI DECLARE IT INVALID, AND BETH HILLEL DECLARE IT VALID. IF IT WAS OF SECOND TITHE, IT SHOULD NOT BE TAKEN23 [EVEN] IN JERUSALEM, BUT IF HE TOOK IT, IT IS VALID. IF THE LARGER PART OF IT IS COVERED WITH SCARS, OR IF ITS NIPPLE IS REMOVED, IF IT IS PEELED, SPLIT, PERFORATED, SO THAT ANY PART IS MISSING, IT IS INVALID. IF ITS LESSER PART ONLY IS COVERED WITH SCARS, IF ITS STALK WAS MISSING, OR IF IT IS PERFORATED BUT NAUGHT OF IT IS MISSING, IT IS VALID. AN ETHIOPIAN25 ETHROG IS INVALID. IF IT IS GREEN AS A LEEK, R. MEIR DECLARES IT VALID AND R. JUDAH DECLARES IT INVALID. THE MINIMUM SIZE OF AN ETHROG, R. MEIR SAYS, IS THAT OF A NUT. R. JUDAH SAYS THAT OF AN EGG. THE MAXIMUM [SIZE] IS SUCH THAT TWO CAN BE HELD IN ONE HAND. THESE ARE THE WORDS OF R. JUDAH. R. JOSE SAID, EVEN ONE [THAT HE CAN HOLD ONLY] IN BOTH HIS HANDS. the declaration; ‘In my presence it was written and in my presence it was signed’, while one brought from Babylon required no such declaration (cf. Git. 2a, 6a, and Sanh. 109a). For further notes on this passage v. Shab., Sonc. ed., fol. 36a. indicates that while the last three must be tied together the first need not. expound that even broken ones are valid.