Sukkah

For suppose he could not find all the Four Species, he would be sitting and doing nothing1 while the Torah said, ‘Ye shall dwell in booths for seven days.’ implying a Sukkah of whatever material. And so with Ezra it says, Go forth unto the mount, and fetch olive branches, and branches of wild olive, and myrtle branches and palm-branches, and branches of thick trees to make Sukkoth, as it is written.2 And [what does] R. Judah [answer to this verse?] — He is of the opinion that the other [species] were for the walls, while the ‘myrtle branches and palm-branches and branches of thick trees’ were for Sukkah — covering. And [nevertheless] we have learnt, Planks may be used as a Sukkah-covering, these are the words of R. Judah.3 Thus4 it clearly follows that bast and roots of date-palms5 are a species of palm-tree.6 This is conclusive. But did R. Judah rule that the Four Species alone [are valid]7 and not anything else? — Was it not in fact taught, ‘If he covered it8 with planks of cedar wood which are four handbreadths wide, it is invalid according to all.9 If they are not four handbreadths wide, R. Meir declares it invalid and R. Judah valid, but R. Meir admits that, if there is a space of one plank between every two planks, he may place laths between them and the Sukkah is valid’?10 — What is meant by ‘cedar’? Myrtle. This is in agreement with Rabbah son of R. Huna, since Rabbah son of R. Huna stated, In the school of Rab11 they said that there were ten species of cedar, as it is said, I will plant in the wilderness the cedar, the acacia tree, and the myrtle etc.12 R. MEIR SAYS EVEN WITH A CORD. It has been taught: R. Meir said, It occurred with the nobility13 of Jerusalem that they bound their lulabs with [strands of] gold. They said to him, Is that evidence? They bound it in fact with strands of its own species underneath. 14 Rabbah said to those who bind the hoshanna15 at the house of the Exilarch, ‘When you bind the hoshannas at the house of the Exilarch, [be careful to] leave a handle16 so that17 there should be no interposition’.18 Raba [however] ruled, Whatever is used to beautify it19 constitutes no interposition. Rabbah further stated, A man shall not hold the hoshanna20 with a scarf, because it is required that the ‘taking’21 shall be complete, and in this case it is not. Raba, however, ruled, Taking hold by means of something else is also regarded as a valid ‘taking’. Whence, said Raba, do I derive that taking hold by means of something else is also regarded as a valid taking? From what we have learnt: If the hyssop22 is too short,23 it may be made to suffice with a thread or with a reed and so it is dipped and brought up, but one must hold the hyssop itself when sprinkling.24 Now why [is this25 permitted]? Did not the Divine Law say, And he shall take hyssop and dip?26 May we not then deduce therefrom that taking hold by means of something else is also regarded as a valid ‘taking’?27 — But whence the proof? That case28 perhaps is different; since [the thread or reed] was joined on [to the hyssop],29 it is regarded as part of it? — In fact [the deduction is made] from the following: [If the ashes of the Red Heifer] fell [of their own accord] from their tube into the trough they are invalid.30 Sukkah-covering. unnecessary hence it would form an interposition between one's hand and the wreath. itself when performing the lustration. water. If the ashes fall into the water of their own accord they become invalid since the putting into the water must be done with intention.