Sukkah

From Scripture which teaches, They shall have portion to portion to eat,1 meaning, as the division of the service [is equal for all], so is the division of the food.2 Now what food [could this mean]? If you will say that it means the sacrifices, do we not deduce that from a different verse,3 It shall be the priest's that offers it?4 Consequently5 it must refer to the shewbread. As one might assume that the same applies also to obligatory offerings that are offered on the Festival, though not on account of the Festival,6 Scripture explicitly teaches, Except for that which is sold7 according to the fathers’ houses;1 now what is it that the fathers have sold to each other? [The week allotted to each course, each one having agreed] ‘I shall be in charge in my week and you in your week’.8 ON PENTECOST THEY USED TO SAY TO THE PRIEST etc. It was stated, Rab ruled, [The benediction of] the Sukkah9 [comes first]10 and then that of the season.9 Rabbah b. Bar Hana ruled, [The benediction of] the season [is first] and then that of the Sukkah. ‘Rab ruled, [The benediction of] the Sukkah [comes first] and then that of the season’, since the obligation of the day is more important. ‘Rabbah b. Bar Hana ruled, [The benediction of] the season [is first]’, since that which is more constant11 precedes that which is less constant.12 Must we say that Rab and Rabbah b. Bar Hana differ on the same principles as those on which Beth Shammai and Beth Hillel differed? For our Rabbis have taught, These are the points of difference between Beth Shammai and Beth Hillel with regard to [the ritual at] a meal: Beth Shammai rule that one13 recites the benediction of the day14 and then the benediction over the wine, whereas Beth Hillel rule that one recites the benediction over the wine and then the benediction of the day. ‘Beth Shammai rule that one recites the benediction of the day and then the benediction over the wine’, since it is the day which is the cause of the wine being brought,15 and [moreover] the sanctification of the day comes before the wine is brought;16 ‘whereas Beth Hillel rule that one recites the benediction over the wine first and then the benediction of the day’, since the wine is the cause of the sanctification being recited.17 Another reason: The benediction over wine is more common,18 and the benediction of the day less common,19 and that which is more common takes precedence over that which is less common.20 Now must we say that Rab21 is in agreement with Beth Shammai and Rabbah b. Bar Hana22 with Beth Hillel? — [No,] Rab can answer you, I may uphold my view even according to Beth Hillel, for Beth Hillel maintain their ruling only in that case, since the wine is the cause of the sanctification being recited, but not in this case, since even if there were no benediction of the season, do we not say [the benediction of] the Sukkah?23 And Rabbah b. Bar Hana can answer you, I may maintain my view even according to Beth Shammai, for Beth Shammai gave their ruling only in that case, since it is the day which is the cause of the wine being brought, but not in this case, since even without a Sukkah do we not recite [the benediction of] the season?24 We have learnt, ON PENTECOST THEY USED TO SAY TO THE PRIEST, ‘HERE IS UNLEAVENED BREAD FOR YOU, HERE IS LEAVENED BREAD’. Now here, surely, the leavened bread is the essential feature [of the Festival]25 and the unleavened bread an unessential one,26 and yet it teaches, ‘HERE IS UNLEAVENED BREAD FOR YOU, HERE IS LEAVENED BREAD’. Is not this then a refutation of Rab?27 — Rab can answer you, This point is one in dispute between Tannas; for it has been taught [elsewhere], ‘Here is unleavened bread for you, here is leavened bread’. Abba Saul, [however] stated, [They said,] ‘Here is leavened bread for you, here is unleavened’. R. Nahman b. R. Hisda expounded: The law is not according to Rab who said, [First the benediction of] the Sukkah and then [that of] the season, but first [is the benediction of] the season and then [is that of] the Sukkah. R. Shesheth the son of R. Idi however, laid down, First [the benediction of] the Sukkah and then [that of] the season; and the law is that the benediction of Sukkah is first and then follows that of the season. THE COURSE OF PRIESTS WHOSE PERIOD OF SERVICE WAS FIXED etc., AND ALL OTHER CONGREGATIONAL OFFERINGS. What does [this]28 include? — It includes the bullock brought as a result of a transgression caused by the forgetfulness of the congregation29 and the he-goats brought as an atonement for idolatry.30 AND IT OFFERED THEM ALL. What does this include? — It includes the slack season31 of the altar.32 MISHNAH. IF A FESTIVAL FELL NEXT TO THE SABBATH, EITHER BEFORE OR AFTER IT,33 ALL THE COURSES SHARED EQUALLY IN THE DISTRIBUTION OF THE SHEWBREAD. IF ONE DAY INTERVENED BETWEEN THEM,34 THE COURSE WHOSE PERIOD OF SERVICE WAS FIXED [FOR THAT WEEK] TOOK TEN [OF THE] LOAVES, WHILE THEY THAT WERE DETAINED35 TOOK TWO.36 ON ALL OTHER DAYS OF THE YEAR THE INCOMING COURSE TOOK SIX LOAVES AND THE OUTGOING COURSE SIX.33 R. JUDAH STATED, THE INCOMING COURSE TOOK SEVEN AND THE OUTGOING FIVE.33 THE INCOMING COURSE DIVIDED IT IN THE NORTH, AND THE OUTGOING IN THE SOUTH.33 [THE COURSE OF] BILGAH37 ALWAYS DIVIDED IT IN THE SOUTH,33 SINCE THEIR RING38 WAS IMMOVABLE39 AND THEIR ALCOVE40 WAS BLOCKED UP. GEMARA. What is meant by BEFORE and what by AFTER? If you will say that BEFORE refers to the First Day of the Festival and AFTER to the Last Day of the Festival,41 is not then [the Sabbath referred to] the very Sabbath of the Intermediate Days? But the fact is that BEFORE refers to the Last Day of the Festival and AFTER refers to the First Day of the Festival.42 What is the reason?43 — Since the one course44 had to arrive early45 and the other had to leave late,46 the Rabbis made the provision43 in order that they47 might have their meals together. IF ONE DAY INTERVENED. prescribed for the Festival that all the courses have an equal share. 46a) the benedictions of Sukkah and the season have to be recited on entering the Sukkah for the first time during the Festival. funds. the Sabbath. courses, to hold the necks of the animals sacrificed by each course respectively. Since Bilgah was debarred from officiating (v. infra) their ring was fixed and made immovable. either immediately preceded the first day or immediately followed the last.