סוכה 48 — Soncino English Talmud

¹is a Separate festival with regard to P'Z'R’ K'SH'B’ i.e., with regard to balloting it is a separate festival, with regard to the benediction of the season it is a separate festival, with regard to the nature of the festival it is a separate festival, with regard to its sacrifice it is a separate festival, with regard to its psalm it is a separate festival, and with regard to its benediction it is a separate festival. MISHNAH. ‘THE HALLEL [WAS RECITED] AND THE [PEACE-OFFERINGS OF] REJOICING [WERE OFFERED] ON ALL THE EIGHT DAYS’ — HOW IS THAT? THIS TEACHES THAT ONE IS BOUND TO RECITE THE HALLEL, [OFFER PEACE-OFFERINGS OF] REJOICING AND SHOW HONOUR TO THE FESTIVAL ON THE LAST DAY, AS ON ALL THE OTHER DAYS OF THE FESTIVAL. GEMARA. Whence do we know this? — From what our Rabbis taught, [The verse], And thou shalt be altogether joyful includes the night of the last day of the Festival. But perhaps this is not so, but the text was meant to include [the night of] the first day of the Festival? As it says, ak a division is indicated. But why have you seen fit to include the last night of the Festival and to exclude the first night? I include the last night since it is preceded by rejoicing and exclude the first night which is not preceded by rejoicing. MISHNAH. THE SUKKAH [MUST BE USED ALL] SEVEN DAYS. HOW IS THIS [TO BE UNDERSTOOD]? WHEN A MAN HAS FINISHED HIS [LAST] MEAL, HE MAY NOT DISMANTLE HIS SUKKAH. HE MAY, HOWEVER, REMOVE ITS FURNITURE FROM THE AFTERNOON ONWARDS IN HONOUR OF THE LAST DAY OF THE FESTIVAL. GEMARA. If a man has no FURNITURE to remove, what shall he do? ‘If a man has no FURNITURE’! What then did he use when he was using [his Sukkah]? — Rather say, If he had no place where to put his furniture what shall he do? — R. Hiyya b. Ashi answered, He removes four handbreadths [of its roof], while R. Joshua b. Levi answered, he should kindle a lamp in it. In fact, however, there is no difference of opinion between them, the latter referring to us [Babylonians], and the former to them [the Palestinians]. This is a satisfactory procedure with regard to a Sukkah of minimum size but what can be said with regard to a large Sukkah? — One might carry into it eating utensils, since Raba ruled, Eating utensils must be kept outside the Sukkah; drinking vessels in the Sukkah. MISHNAH. HOW WAS THE WATER LIBATION [PERFORMED]? A GOLDEN FLAGON HOLDING THREE LOGS WAS FILLED FROM THE SILOAM. WHEN THEY ARRIVED AT THE WATER GATE, THEY SOUNDED A TEKI'AH [LONG BLAST], A TERU'AH [TREMULOUS NOTE] AND AGAIN A TEKI'AH [LONG BLAST]. [THE PRIEST THEN] WENT UP THE ASCENT [OF THE ALTAR] AND TURNED TO HIS LEFT WHERE THERE WERE TWO SILVER BOWLS. R. JUDAH SAID, THEY WERE OF PLASTER [BUT THEY LOOKED SILVER] BECAUSE THEIR SURFACES WERE DARKENED FROM THE WINE. THEY HAD EACH A HOLE^ᵃ^ᵇ^ᶜ^ᵈ^ᵉ^ᶠ^ᵍ^ʰ^ⁱ^ʲ^ᵏ^ˡ^ᵐ^ⁿ^ᵒ^ᵖ^ᵠ^ʳ^ˢ^ᵗ^ᵘ^ᵛ^ʷ^ˣ^ʸ^ᶻ^ᵃᵃ^ᵃᵇ^ᵃᶜ^ᵃᵈ^ᵃᵉ^ᵃᶠ

^ᵃnote:A mnemonic acrostic formed by the initial letters of xhhp ‘balloting’, inz ‘season’, kdr ‘festival’, icre ‘sacrifice’, rha ‘psalm’, vfrc ‘benediction’.
^ᵇnote:There were so many sacrifices on the first seven days, that the balloting for duty among the courses of priests was unnecessary. On the Eighth Day there was but one bullock offered and it was balloted for (cf. infra 55b).
^ᶜnote:As stated supra.
^ᵈnote:That it is unnecessary to dwell on it in the Sukkah.
^ᵉnote:The number of bullocks offered is not six as might have been expected if the sixth day had been regarded as the eighth of the days of Tabernacles on each of which the number of bullocks was reduced by one.
^ᶠnote:That the duty of rejoicing prescribed for the seven days of the Festival applies to the Eighth Day also.
^ᵍnote:Deut. XVI, 15.
^ʰnote:Since ‘joyful’ is superfluous, the duty of rejoicing having been mentioned earlier in the context.
^ⁱnote:Sc. one must include the night belonging to the Eighth Day and following the seventh in the rejoicings of the concluding day, i.e., the number of sacrifices on the seventh day must be such as to suffice for the night following; and since the night is included much more so the day that follows since the time for offerings is the day-time.
^ʲnote:Sc. that offerings must be brought on the eve of the first day of the Festival in order to provide for the first evening when no offering may be brought.
^ᵏnote:Lit., ‘but’, ‘only’; E.V., ‘altogether’.
^ˡnote:Implying a limitation, v. Pes. 5a.
^ᵐnote:Of the concluding day.
^ⁿnote:On the seventh day.
^ᵒnote:Since he must still use it for learning, sleeping or any occasional meal on that day.
^ᵖnote:From the Sukkah into the house where he is to have his meals in the evening and the following day.
^ᵠnote:For the rejoicings of which the house has to be prepared.
^ʳnote:V. supra n. 4.
^ˢnote:I.e., he had nowhere else to eat.
^ᵗnote:To indicate that he is not using his Sukkah for more than the prescribed seven days.
^ᵘnote:So Asheri. Cur. edd. in parenthesis, ‘Rab’.
^ᵛnote:Thus invalidating it and showing that it is no longer in use.
^ʷnote:By doing in it that which is forbidden in a Sukkah (cf. supra 29a) he indicates that it is no longer in use as a Sukkah but as an ordinary hut.
^ˣnote:In Babylon where the proper calculations of the calendar are unknown, the Eighth Day may be the seventh, and the Sukkah must, therefore, be used on the morrow. It cannot be invalidated by a breach in its roof so one places there a lamp which can subsequently be removed. The Palestinians, however, who are familiar with the calculations, make no more use of the Sukkah after the seventh day, and it may, therefore, be invalidated on that day.
^ʸnote:The kindling of the lamp.
^ᶻnote:Into which no lamp may be brought during the seven days of the Festival (cf. supra 29a).
^ᵃᵃnote:Where a lamp may be taken in even during the seven days.
^ᵃᵇnote:Ibid.
^ᵃᶜnote:A pool near Jerusalem.
^ᵃᵈnote:One of the gates of the Temple court.
^ᵃᵉnote:Which was on the south (Mid. III, 3).
^ᵃᶠnote:Towards the south-west of the altar where the water libations were offered.

²LIKE A SLENDER SNOUT, ONE [HOLE] BEING WIDE AND THE OTHER NARROW SO THAT BOTH EMPTIED THEMSELVES TOGETHER. THE ONE ON THE WEST WAS FOR WATER AND THE ONE ON THE EAST FOR WINE. IF ONE POURED THE FLAGON OF WATER INTO THE BOWL FOR WINE, OR THAT OF WINE INTO THAT FOR WATER, HE HAS FULFILLED HIS OBLIGATION. R. JUDAH STATED, WITH ONE LOG HE PERFORMED THE CEREMONY OF THE WATER-LIBATION ALL EIGHT DAYS. TO [THE PRIEST] WHO PERFORMED THE LIBATION THEY USED TO SAY, ‘RAISE THY HAND’; FOR ON A CERTAIN OCCASION, A CERTAIN MAN POURED OUT THE WATER OVER HIS FEET, AND ALL THE PEOPLE PELTED HIM WITH THEIR ETHROGS. AS WAS ITS PERFORMANCE ON WEEKDAYS, SO WAS ITS PERFORMANCE ON THE SABBATH, SAVE THAT ON THE EVE OF THE SABBATH AN UNHALLOWED GOLDEN BARREL WAS FILLED FROM THE SILOAM, AND PLACED IN A CHAMBER. IF IT WAS POURED AWAY OR UNCOVERED, IT WAS REFILLED FROM THE LAVER, FOR WINE OR WATER WHICH HAS BECOME UNCOVERED IS INVALID FOR THE ALTAR. GEMARA. Whence do we know this? — R. Ena replied, From Scripture which says, Therefore with joy shall ye draw water [from the wells of salvation]. There were once two minim, one was called Sason and the other Simha. Said Sason to Simha, ‘I am better than you, since it is written, They shall obtain Sason and Simha’. ‘I’, said Simha to Sason, ‘am better than you, since it is written, The Jews had Simha and Sason’. ‘One day’, said Sason to Simha, ‘they will take you out and make you a runner, since it is written, For with Simha shall they go forth’. ‘One day’, said Simha to Sason, ‘they will take you out and draw with you water, for it is written, "Therefore with Sason shall ye draw water"’. A certain min whose name was Sason once said to R. Abbahu, ‘You are destined to draw water for me in the world to come, for it is written, "Therefore be-sason shall ye draw water"’. ‘If’, the other retorted, ‘it had been written, "le-sason" it would be as you say, but as it is written "be-sason" the meaning must be that a water-skin will be made of your skin, and water will be drawn with it’. [THE PRIEST] WENT UP THE ASCENT [OF THE ALTAR] AND TURNED TO HIS LEFT etc. Our Rabbis have taught, All who ascended the altar turned to the right, proceeded round and descended by the left, save those ascending for the following three purposes, who ascended by the left, turned on their heel and returned [the same way]. These [three things] are the water-libation and wine-libation, and the burnt-offering of a fowl when the altar was full on [its south] east side. [BUT THEY LOOKED SILVER] BECAUSE THEIR SURFACES WERE DARKENED. It is well [as regards the flagon of the wine] since wine darkens, but how was that of the water darkened?- Since the Master has said, IF ONE POURED THE FLAGON OF WATER INTO THE BOWL FOR WINE, OR THAT OF WINE INTO THAT FOR WATER, HE HAS FULFILLED HIS OBLIGATION, the [flagon] of water may thus become darkened. THEY HAD EACH A HOLE LIKE A SLENDER SNOUT etc. Must we say that our Mishnah agrees with R. Judah and not with the Rabbis seeing that we have learnt, R. JUDAH STATED, WITH ONE LOG HE PERFORMED THE CEREMONY OF THE WATER-LIBATION ALL EIGHT DAYS; for if it agrees with the Rabbis, could they not both pour together? — [No,] You may say that it agrees even with the Rabbis, [the reason for the different sizes of the holes being that] wine is viscous and water is fluid. It is in accordance with reason also to say so, for if [our Mishnah concurs with] R. Judah, [it should have used the terms] ‘broad’ and strait’ which he used; as it has been taught, R. Judah stated, There were two vessels there, one of water and one of wine, the mouth of the wine [vessel] was broad, and that of the water was strait, so that both should empty themselves together. This is conclusive. THE ONE ON THE WEST WAS FOR WATER. Our Rabbis taught, It once happened that a certain Sadducee poured the water libation over his feet and all the people pelted him with their ethrogs. On that day the horn of the altar became damaged, and a handful of salt was brought and it was stopped up, not because the altar was thereby rendered valid for the service, but merely in order that it should not appear damaged^ᵃᵍ^ᵃʰ^ᵃⁱ^ᵃʲ^ᵃᵏ^ᵃˡ^ᵃᵐ^ᵃⁿ^ᵃᵒ^ᵃᵖ^ᵃᵠ^ᵃʳ^ᵃˢ^ᵃᵗ^ᵃᵘ^ᵃᵛ^ᵃʷ^ᵃˣ^ᵃʸ^ᵃᶻ^ᵇᵃ^ᵇᵇ^ᵇᶜ^ᵇᵈ^ᵇᵉ^ᵇᶠ^ᵇᵍ^ᵇʰ^ᵇⁱ^ᵇʲ^ᵇᵏ^ᵇˡ^ᵇᵐ^ᵇⁿ^ᵇᵒ^ᵇᵖ

^ᵃᵍnote:Sc. each bowl had a perforated spout.
^ᵃʰnote:On the altar, through a hole in which the water ran down to the deep altar ditches.
^ᵃⁱnote:This is explained in the Gemara.
^ᵃʲnote:Adjacent to it.
^ᵃᵏnote:Not, as the first Tanna stated, three.
^ᵃˡnote:And not, as the first Tanna asserted, seven.
^ᵃᵐnote:That all may see that the water is poured into the bowl.
^ᵃⁿnote:A Sadducee. Josephus, Ant. XIII, 13, 5, ascribes the incident to Alexander Jannai, king and High Priest 107-76 B.C.E. The Sadducees denied the validity of this precept and in this way he showed his contempt of the Pharisees.
^ᵃᵒnote:Since anything which remains in a hallowed vessel overnight becomes invalid (cf. Men. VII, 4).
^ᵃᵖnote:Cf. Ex. XXX, 18. Though a hallowed vessel, it did not cause the water in it to be invalid because it was sunk in a cistern on the festival eve (cf. Yoma 37a).
^ᵃᵠnote:That the shofar is sounded at the ceremony (Rashi). That the water was taken from Siloam (Tosaf.). According to Rashi, the answer is in the word ‘joy’, according to Tosaf. in the words ‘from the wells of salvation’.
^ᵃʳnote:Isa. XII, 3.
^ᵃˢnote:‘Sectarians’, ‘apostates’ or ‘Jewish Christians’. V. Glos., s.v. Min.
^ᵃᵗnote:Meaning ‘joy’.
^ᵃᵘnote:‘Gladness’.
^ᵃᵛnote:Isa. XXXV, 10; ‘joy’ before ‘gladness’.
^ᵃʷnote:Esth. VIII, 17.
^ᵃˣnote:From heaven.
^ᵃʸnote:Isa. LV, 12.
^ᵃᶻnote:Cf. n. 5.
^ᵇᵃnote:Isa. XII, 3.
^ᵇᵇnote:‘For joy’.
^ᵇᶜnote:‘With joy’.
^ᵇᵈnote:The ascent was on the south, and on reaching the altar one turned to the right, to the south-east corner, to perform the sacrifice. Since it was obligatory to make right-hand turns one could not return by the same way but had to make a complete circuit of the altar and descend by the western side of the descent.
^ᵇᵉnote:Which took place at the south-west corner of the altar.
^ᵇᶠnote:And (cf. prev. n.) immediately turned towards the south-west. They could not turn to the right to make a circuit round the altar for reasons explained in Zeb. 64a.
^ᵇᵍnote:Which meant turning to the right.
^ᵇʰnote:Where normally this sacrifice was done. (Cf. Lev. I, 16, Tamid I, 4).
^ᵇⁱnote:Since wine may sometimes be poured into it.
^ᵇʲnote:Which prescribes one hole to be wide and the other narrow.
^ᵇᵏnote:The wine was the fourth of a hin (Num. XXVIII, 7) equivalent to three logs. This would explain the necessity for having a larger aperture in the wine flagon, since there was three times as much wine.
^ᵇˡnote:Since each was three logs.
^ᵇᵐnote:That our Mishnah is in agreement with the Rabbis.
^ᵇⁿnote:cvr-rme instead of vcughn ‘WIDE’ and es ‘NARROW’. The difference between broad and strait is larger than that between wide and narrow (Rashi).
^ᵇᵒnote:V. supra p. 226, n. 15.
^ᵇᵖnote:On account of some hard missiles that caught it.