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Succah 25b

סוכה כ״ה ע״ב

Sukkah 25b

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Topic

The source for עוסק במצוה פטור מן המצוה, and רב's rulings on an אבל (תפילין, סוכה) and the wedding party's exemptions

Overview

This amud finishes the search for a source for עוסק במצוה פטור מן המצוה (someone busy with one מצוה is exempt from another). The question is who the טמאים were who could not bring the קרבן פסח. רבי עקיבא says they were מישאל and אלצפן. רבי יצחק rejects this, and he concludes they were people burying a מת מצוה whose seventh day fell on ערב פסח. A צריכא then explains why both sources (the חתן with קריאת שמע and the טמאים with פסח) are needed. Next, with גופא, the גמרא turns to rulings of רבי אבא בר זבדא in the name of רב. An אבל is exempt from תפילין only on the first day of mourning. He is still obligated in סוכה, because his sadness does not come from the סוכה. The wedding party is exempt from סוכה for all seven days, because their joy and their meal belong in the חופה. אביי and רבא give different reasons why the חופה cannot simply be put in the סוכה. רבי זירא tells how he chose to eat in the סוכה and rejoice in the חופה anyway. The amud ends with a ברייתא: the wedding party is exempt from תפלה and תפילין but must say קריאת שמע.

Opening lines

רַבִּי עֲקִיבָא אוֹמֵר:

Rabbi Akiva says:

מִישָׁאֵל וְאֶלְצָפָן הָיוּ,

They were Mishael and Elzaphan,

שֶׁהָיוּ עוֹסְקִין בְּנָדָב וַאֲבִיהוּא.

who were busy with (the bodies of) Nadav and Avihu.

רַבִּי יִצְחָק אוֹמֵר:

Rabbi Yitzchak says:

The steps (26)

  1. Statementרבי עקיבא identifies the impure men as מישאל and אלצפן
  2. Challengeרבי יצחק objects that both groups could already have become pure
  3. ResolutionRabbi Yitzchak's alternative: they were busy with a מת מצוה
  4. ProofProof from the verse that the next day they could bring the פסח
  5. ResponseWhy the פסח source alone would not teach the חתן case
  6. ResponseWhy the שמע source alone would not teach the פסח case
  7. Statementרב's rule: a mourner is exempt only from תפילין
  8. ProofProof from יחזקאל: only he had to wear תפילין while mourning
  9. StatementThe תפילין exemption is only on the first day
  10. StatementA mourner must sit in the סוכה
  11. ChallengeIsn't that obvious?
  12. ResolutionA mourner's sadness does not count as סוכה suffering
  13. StatementThe wedding party is exempt from סוכה
  14. QuestionWhat is the reason?
  15. ResponseBecause they need to rejoice
  16. ChallengeWhy not eat and rejoice in the סוכה?
  17. ResolutionWedding joy belongs in the חופה
  18. ChallengeThen eat in the סוכה and celebrate in the חופה
  19. ResolutionJoy goes with the meal
  20. ChallengeWhy not set up the חופה inside the סוכה?
  21. Resolutionאביי: concern of ייחוד
  22. Resolutionרבא: the groom's discomfort
  23. QuestionWhat is the difference between them?
  24. ResponseThe case of a busy סוכה
  25. Statementרבי זירא ate in the סוכה and celebrated in the חופה
  26. StatementWedding party is exempt from תפלה and תפילין but must say קריאת שמע