Succah 37a

סוכה ל״ז ע״א

Sukkah 37a

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Topic

רבי יהודה's limit of סכך to the four species, binding the לולב, and whether taking through another object counts as taking.

Overview

This amud finishes the ברייתא about רבי יהודה's view that סכך may come only from the ארבעת המינים. The חכמים object: the Torah says 'בסוכות תשבו', a סוכה of any material, and a פסוק in נחמיה lists olive and pine branches. רבי יהודה answers that olive and pine were for the walls, while הדס, palm and עץ עבות were for the סכך. Because he also allows roofing with boards, the גמרא concludes that the palm trunk counts as the לולב's species. A ברייתא where he allows cedar (ארז) boards is answered by showing that this 'ארז' is really הדס. The גמרא then turns to רבי מאיר, who allows tying the לולב even with a cord, and to the חכמים' rejection of his proof from the gold rings of ירושלים. רבה and רבא then argue about whether decoration or a cloth is a barrier between the hand and the לולב. רבא tries to prove that taking through another object counts from the short אזוב, but the גמרא rejects that proof because the string is attached. It then begins a new proof from ashes that fell from the tube into the trough, which continues on the next amud.

Opening lines

The steps (19)

1. ChallengeThe Sages object: must someone without the four species skip the מצוה?
2. ProofProof from the פסוק in נחמיה listing olive and pine branches
3. Resolutionרבי יהודה's reading: olive and pine for walls, the species for roofing
4. ProofBoards as roofing prove the palm trunk counts as the לולב's species
5. ChallengeChallenge: a ברייתא has רבי יהודה permitting cedar boards
6. ResolutionAnswer: the 'cedar' in the ברייתא is really myrtle
7. ProofSource: the school of רב lists myrtle among ten kinds of cedar
8. StatementQuoting רבי מאיר's view in the משנה
9. Proofרבי מאיר's proof from the gold rings of ירושלים
10. RejectionThe חכמים reject the proof: the real binding was underneath
11. Statementרבה: leave a bare handgrip so the decoration does not block
12. Statementרבא: anything added for beauty is not a barrier
13. Statementרבה: do not hold the לולב through a cloth
14. Statementרבא: taking through another object counts as taking
15. Proofרבא's source: the short אזוב extended with a string
16. ChallengeWhy is this allowed? The Torah requires 'taking' during dipping
17. ConclusionConclusion: taking through another object counts
18. RejectionThe string proof is rejected because the string is attached
19. ProofA new proof from ashes that fell into the water