Succah 16b

סוכה ט״ז ע״ב

Sukkah 16b

Learn Succah 16b step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.

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Topic

Hanging walls (מחיצה תלויה) for סוכה, עירובין and שבת, and using לבוד to build a valid סוכה wall

Overview

The גמרא quotes a משנה in עירובין about a cistern shared by two courtyards. רבי יהודה says the courtyard wall hanging over the water is enough. רבי יוחנן links this to רבי יוסי, who says a hanging wall (מחיצה תלויה) works for סוכה. The גמרא rejects the link: רבי יהודה is lenient only for עירובי חצירות, which is דרבנן, and רבי יוסי is lenient only for סוכה, not for the severe laws of שבת. The ציפורי incident, where people carried a ספר תורה on שבת using sheets already hanging on posts, followed a third view, רבי ישמעאל בן רבי יוסי. Next, אבימי teaches that a mat of four טפחים and a bit can be a סוכה wall by using לבוד twice, above and below. A ברייתא requiring seven טפחים is explained as a tall סוכה, where the wall hangs down from above like רבי יוסי. Finally, רבי אמי's board placed near a wall teaches that a small סוכה must be seven טפחים long.

Opening lines

The steps (24)

1. Statementבית שמאי and בית הלל disagree on where the cistern partition goes
2. Statementרבי יהודה says the courtyard wall is enough
3. Statementרבי יוחנן links רבי יהודה to רבי יוסי
4. RejectionThe גמרא denies the two opinions are the same
5. Rejectionרבי יהודה is lenient only for a rabbinic law
6. Rejectionרבי יוסי accepts a hanging wall for סוכה but not for שבת
7. ChallengeWhose opinion did the ציפורי incident follow?
8. ResolutionIt followed רבי ישמעאל son of רבי יוסי
9. QuestionWhat was the incident?
10. Responseרב דימי tells the story of the forgotten Torah scroll
11. ChallengeHow could they spread sheets on שבת?
12. ResolutionThe sheets were already hanging
13. StatementA mat just over four handbreadths can be a wall
14. QuestionHow does such a small mat work?
15. ResponseHang it in the middle and use לבוד twice
16. ChallengeIsn't this obvious?
17. ResolutionThe new point: לבוד can be used twice
18. ChallengeA ברייתא says the mat must be seven handbreadths
19. ResolutionThe ברייתא is about a tall סוכה
20. QuestionSo what is the ברייתא teaching?
21. ResponseWalls can hang down from above, like רבי יוסי
22. StatementA board just over four handbreadths, placed near a wall
23. QuestionWhat new point is רבי אמי teaching?
24. ResponseA small סוכה must be at least seven טפחים long