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Succah 51b

סוכה נ״א ע״ב

Sukkah 51b

Learn Succah 51b step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.

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Topic

End of the משנה on שמחת בית השואבה; the glory of הורדוס's בית המקדש and the synagogue of אלכסנדריא; the balcony separating men and women

Overview

This amud finishes the משנה about שמחת בית השואבה on סוכות. Pious men danced with torches, and the לוים played music on the fifteen steps. At dawn, כהנים blew trumpets as the procession went down to draw water. At the eastern gate they turned to face the היכל and declared that their eyes are turned to ה', unlike their ancestors who worshipped the sun. The גמרא praises the celebration, ירושלים and the בית המקדש as rebuilt by הורדוס, whose marble walls looked like the waves of the sea. It then describes the huge synagogue of אלכסנדריא and tells how its community was destroyed by אלכסנדר מוקדון for settling in מצרים. Finally it explains the משנה's 'תיקון גדול': a balcony so the women sat above and the men below. It asks how anyone could change the בית המקדש's divine plan, and רב begins to answer that they learned it from a פסוק, which the next amud quotes.

Opening lines

בַּאֲבוּקוֹת שֶׁל אוֹר שֶׁבִּידֵיהֶן,

with torches of fire that were in their hands,

וְאוֹמְרִים לִפְנֵיהֶם

and they would say before them

דִּבְרֵי שִׁירוֹת וְתוּשְׁבָּחוֹת.

words of songs and praises.

וְהַלְוִיִּם בְּכִנּוֹרוֹת וּבִנְבָלִים

And the Levites with lyres and with harps

The steps (27)

  1. StatementDancing with torches and singing praises
  2. StatementThe לוים play music on the fifteen steps
  3. StatementTrumpet blasts as the water procession goes down
  4. StatementTurning west and declaring loyalty to God
  5. Statementרבי יהודה's version of the declaration
  6. StatementWhoever did not see it never saw true joy or beauty
  7. QuestionWhich Temple building is meant?
  8. ResponseIt is the building of הורדוס
  9. QuestionWhat materials did הורדוס build with?
  10. ResponseBuilt with marble stones
  11. StatementRows set in and out to hold plaster
  12. StatementThe חכמים tell הורדוס not to cover it in gold
  13. Statementרבי יהודה praises the synagogue of אלכסנדריא
  14. StatementThe synagogue's huge size
  15. StatementSeventy-one golden chairs
  16. StatementWaving a scarf to signal אמן
  17. StatementSeating by trade helped the poor find work
  18. Statementאביי: אלכסנדר מוקדון killed them all
  19. QuestionWhy were they punished?
  20. ResponseThey broke the ban on returning to Egypt
  21. Statementאלכסנדר arrives and finds them reading a פסוק
  22. Statementאלכסנדר sees himself in the פסוק and kills them
  23. QuestionBack to the משנה: what was the great repair?
  24. Responseרבי אלעזר: a balcony so women sit above
  25. StatementThe two earlier attempts that failed
  26. ChallengeHow could they change the design of the בית המקדש?
  27. ResolutionThey found a verse and learned from it