Gemara Clarity

Succah 10a

סוכה י׳ ע״א

Sukkah 10a

Learn Succah 10a step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.

Open Succah 10a in Gemara Clarity

Topic

סוכה תחת סוכה and the gap between the roofs that disqualifies the lower סוכה; a sheet spread over or under the סכך, and decorative sheets.

Overview

This עמוד finishes a ברייתא about two סוכות built one above the other. First the גמרא explains when the lower סוכה is כשרה and the upper is פסולה, and when the reverse is true. It answers the challenge פשיטא by showing that the first case teaches there is no גזירה about פסול סכך combining with כשר סכך. Next it asks how much space between the two roofs makes the lower סוכה a סוכה תחת סוכה. רב הונא says one טפח, רב חסדא and רבה בר רב הונא say four, and שמואל says ten. The גמרא challenges שמואל from רבי יהודה in the משנה, and רב דימי answers by reading the משנה as being about a weak lower roof, not about height. A new משנה then teaches that a sheet spread against the sun, against falling leaves, or over a canopy bed makes the area פסולה. רב חסדא limits this ruling: a sheet hung for decoration does not invalidate the סוכה. The גמרא begins bringing a ברייתא about סוכה decorations as support for רב חסדא, and that ברייתא continues on the next עמוד.

Opening lines

הֵיכִי דָּמֵי?

What are the circumstances?

כְּגוֹן שֶׁהַתַּחְתּוֹנָה צִלָּתָהּ מְרוּבָּה מֵחַמָּתָהּ,

For example, where the lower one's shade is greater than its sunlight,

וְעֶלְיוֹנָה חֲמָתָהּ מְרוּבָּה מִצִּלָּתָהּ,

and the upper one's sunlight is greater than its shade,

וְקָיְימִי תַּרְוַיְיהוּ בְּתוֹךְ עֶשְׂרִים.

and both of them stand within twenty cubits.

The steps (22)

  1. ResponseWhen the lower sukkah is valid and the upper is not
  2. ResponseWhen the upper sukkah is valid and the lower is not
  3. ChallengeIsn't this obvious?
  4. ResolutionThe first case teaches that we make no decree about the roofs combining
  5. QuestionHow much space between the two sukkot makes the lower one invalid?
  6. Responseרב הונא: one handbreadth, learned from tents of impurity
  7. Responseרב חסדא and רבה בר רב הונא: four handbreadths
  8. Responseשמואל: ten handbreadths
  9. QuestionWhat is שמואל's reason?
  10. ResponseWhat makes a sukkah valid is what makes another invalid
  11. ChallengeQuoting רבי יהודה to challenge שמואל
  12. QuestionWhat does 'no residents' mean?
  13. ResponseIt means a סוכה too short to live in
  14. ChallengeThe תנא קמא disagrees with שמואל
  15. Resolutionרב דימי: the issue is a weak roof, not height
  16. ChallengeWould the תנא קמא invalidate even with a weak roof?
  17. ResolutionThe argument is about a roof that holds with difficulty
  18. StatementThe משנה about spreading a sheet in the סוכה
  19. StatementA decorative sheet does not invalidate
  20. ChallengeIsn't רב חסדא's point obvious?
  21. ResolutionWe might have thought the משנה just gave the usual case
  22. ProofA possible support from a ברייתא about סוכה decorations