Gemara Clarity

Succah 20b

סוכה כ׳ ע״ב

Sukkah 20b

Learn Succah 20b step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.

Open Succah 20b in Gemara Clarity

Topic

Mats as סכך and as כלים; the new פרק on sleeping under a bed in the סוכה and what counts as an אהל

Overview

This amud finishes the discussion of mats (חוצלות). Everyone agrees that mats of אושא can become טמא and mats of טבריא cannot, and the dispute is only about ordinary mats from other places. The גמרא settles an apparent contradiction in רבי דוסא's view: a mat with a raised edge (גדנפא) is a כלי, and a flat mat is not. A ברייתא about mats of papyrus, bulrushes, sackcloth and horsehair leads the גמרא to find a non-sitting use for each material, in two versions, under each definition of חוצלות. Then the practical law: a flat mat (בודיא) may be used as סכך, but a mat with a raised edge or wall may not, as רב חסדא, עולא and a ברייתא confirm. The first פרק ends with a הדרן. The new פרק opens with a משנה: one who sleeps under a bed in the סוכה has not fulfilled his obligation. רבי יהודה disagrees, and רבי שמעון answers him with the story of טבי. The גמרא limits the משנה to a bed ten טפחים high, then brings a dispute about whether a natural covering counts as an אהל, and asks for רבי יהודה's source, which comes on the next amud.

Opening lines

שֶׁהֵן טְמֵאוֹת,

that they are impure (the mats of Usha),

וְשֶׁל טְבֶרְיָא שֶׁהֵן טְהוֹרוֹת.

and those of Tiberias, that they are pure.

עַל מָה נֶחְלְקוּ?

About what did they disagree?

עַל שְׁאָר מְקוֹמוֹת.

About the rest of the places.

The steps (25)

  1. StatementThe agreed cases: mats of אושא and mats of טבריא
  2. QuestionWhere exactly is the dispute?
  3. StatementThe reasoning of each side
  4. StatementQuoting רבי דוסא's ruling from the משנה
  5. ChallengeContradiction: a ברייתא says רבי דוסא agreed that mats are pure
  6. ResolutionAnswer: a mat with a raised edge versus one without
  7. ChallengeNew objection: a ברייתא about mats of different materials
  8. ChallengeFor what use are papyrus and bulrush mats fit, if חוצלות are real mats?
  9. ResolutionThey are fit as covers for ale vats
  10. ChallengeSecond version: the question is asked on the sacks view instead
  11. ResolutionThey are fit as fruit baskets
  12. Statementרבי חנניה reports that one may roof a סוכה with a mat
  13. Statementרב חסדא limits this to a mat without a raised edge
  14. Statementעולא on the mats of מחוזא
  15. ProofA ברייתא supports עולא
  16. Conclusionהדרן — Closing the chapter סוכה
  17. StatementSleeping under a bed in the סוכה does not fulfill the obligation
  18. Statementרבי יהודה: we used to sleep under beds and the elders said nothing
  19. Proofרבי שמעון: the story of טבי, רבן גמליאל's slave
  20. ConclusionThe lesson learned in passing: sleeping under the bed does not count
  21. ChallengeBut the space under the bed is less than ten handbreadths
  22. Resolutionשמואל: the משנה is about a bed ten טפחים high
  23. StatementA משנה elsewhere: natural hollows count as a tent
  24. Statementרבי יהודה: only a man-made covering counts as a tent
  25. QuestionWhat is רבי יהודה's source?