Sukkah

‘Does one then need to dry them?1 Say rather, Upon the portico’.2 Rehaba citing R.3 Judah stated, The Temple Mount had a double colonnade, one colonnade being within the other.4 MISHNAH. HOW WAS THE PRECEPT OF THE WILLOW-BRANCH [CARRIED OUT]? THERE WAS A PLACE BELOW JERUSALEM CALLED MOZA.5 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 SOUNDED6 A TEKI'AH [LONG BLAST], A TERU'AH [TREMULOUS BLAST] AND AGAIN A TEKI'AH.7 EVERY DAY8 THEY WENT ROUND THE ALTAR ONCE, SAYING, ‘WE BESEECH THEE, O LORD, SAVE NOW, WE BESEECH THEE, O LORD, MAKE US NOW TO PROSPER’.9 R. JUDAH SAID, [THEY WERE SAYING],10 ‘ANI WAHO,11 SAVE NOW’. BUT ON THAT DAY12 THEY WENT ROUND THE ALTAR SEVEN TIMES. WHEN13 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 PERFORMANCE14 ON A WEEKDAY, SO WAS ITS PERFORMANCE ON THE SABBATH, SAVE THAT THEY GATHERED THEM15 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.16 GEMARA. It was taught, It17 was the place called Kolonia. Then why does our Tanna call it MOZA?18 — 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 large19 and long and eleven cubits high, so that they might bend over the altar one cubit.20 Meremar citing Mar Zutra observed, Deduce therefrom21 that they15 were laid upon the base [of the altar],22 for if you were to assume that they were placed on the ground, consider this: It23 rose up one cubit and drew in one cubit, and this24 formed the base. It25 then rose up five cubits and drew in one cubit, and this26 formed the circuit; it27 [then] rose up three cubits, and this28 was the place of the horns.29 Now30 how could they31 bend over the altar?32 Consequently it may be deduced from this that they were laid on the base.33 This is conclusive. R. Abbahu said, What is its Scriptural proof?34 — Since it is said, Order the festival procession with boughs, even unto the horns of the altar. 35 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, because he was his teacher, v. Bez., Sonc. ed., p. 54, n. 9](4) V. Pes., Sonc. ed., p. 59, nn. 10-11. same locality. explanations cf. Rashi, a.l. translation: ‘Immediately the children pulled out their lulabs (from their wreaths) and ate their ethrogs’. (Tosaf. a.l. Bertinoro and Rashi infra 46b). from its base to allow for the horizontal distance of two cubits from the side of the base to the top of the altar, would not project at all beyond the top of the altar; what then, would remain for bending over? leaving two cubits length of willow-branch sufficient to bend over the top of the altar one cubit. of the horns naturally bent one cubit over the altar top.