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Succah 53a

סוכה נ״ג ע״א

Sukkah 53a

Learn Succah 53a step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.

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Topic

שמחת בית השואבה: songs, sayings, and feats of the Sages, the near-sleepless festival, and the fifteen שיר המעלות

Overview

This amud continues describing שמחת בית השואבה from the משנה. The light was so bright that a woman could sort wheat by it. A ברייתא gives the songs of the חסידים and the בעלי תשובה, and the message both groups shared about תשובה. Next come sayings of הלל הזקן at the celebration, and his words to a floating skull about מדה כנגד מדה. רבי יוחנן teaches that a person's feet bring him where he is needed, and the story of שלמה's two scribes illustrates it. The גמרא then describes רבן שמעון בן גמליאל juggling torches and bowing in קידה. It discusses why לוי became lame, and lists other Sages who juggled. רבי יהושע בן חנניה says they hardly slept during the celebration, and the גמרא explains that they only dozed. Finally, רב חסדא discusses why דוד said the fifteen שיר המעלות, and the story of the rising תהום continues on the next amud.

Opening lines

אִשָּׁה הָיְתָה בּוֹרֶרֶת חִטִּים

A woman would sort wheat

לָאוֹר שֶׁל בֵּית הַשּׁוֹאֵבָה.

by the light of the Place of the Water-Drawing.

חֲסִידִים וְאַנְשֵׁי מַעֲשֶׂה כּוּ׳.

[The Mishnah said:] The pious and the men of action, etc.

תָּנוּ רַבָּנַן, יֵשׁ מֵהֶן אוֹמְרִים:

The Rabbis taught: Some of them would say:

The steps (27)

  1. StatementThe light was bright enough to sort wheat
  2. StatementThe song of the righteous: our youth did not shame our old age
  3. StatementThe song of the penitents: our old age atoned for our youth
  4. ConclusionBoth groups' shared song
  5. Statementהלל: if I am here, everyone is here
  6. Statementהלל: my feet take me to the place I love
  7. ProofVerse support: wherever My name is mentioned I will come and bless you
  8. Statementהלל and the floating skull: מדה כנגד מדה
  9. Statementרבי יוחנן: a person's feet bring him where he is needed
  10. Statementשלמה tries to save his two scribes from the מלאך המות
  11. StatementThe מלאך המות explains why he is now happy
  12. Conclusionשלמה declares that a person's feet lead him to his destined place
  13. Statementרבן שמעון בן גמליאל juggles eight torches
  14. Statementרבן שמעון בן גמליאל's special bow called קידה
  15. Statementלוי demonstrates קידה and becomes lame
  16. ChallengeChallenge: רבי אלעזר says לוי became lame for a different reason
  17. ResolutionAnswer: both causes worked together
  18. StatementSages who juggled to bring joy
  19. StatementNo sleep during the Water-Drawing celebration
  20. StatementThe full day's schedule
  21. ChallengeIs it possible to go days without sleep?
  22. ResolutionThey only dozed on each other's shoulders
  23. QuestionWhy did דוד say fifteen שיר המעלות?
  24. ResponseThe תהום rose when דוד dug the שיתין
  25. ChallengeThen they should be called 'descents'
  26. Resolutionרב חסדא gives the correct version of the story
  27. Questionדוד asks whether he may write God's Name