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Succah 53b

סוכה נ״ג ע״ב

Sukkah 53b

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

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Topic

The story of דוד המלך, the rising תהום, and the שם written on a shard; the depth of the earth; רבי ירמיה's question about the 'tenth step'; and the start of a ברייתא on the verse 'their faces toward the east.'

Overview

The amud opens at the end of a story: the תהום rose while דוד dug the שיתין, and אחיתופל uses a קל וחומר from סוטה to permit writing the שם on a shard to stop the water. The water then sinks 16,000 אמות. דוד raises it back to 1,000 אמות with the fifteen שיר המעלות, and עולא learns that the earth's crust is 1,000 אמות thick. The גמרא then returns to the משנה. רבי ירמיה asks how 'the tenth step' is counted, and the question ends in תיקו. A ברייתא explains the extra words 'their backs toward the היכל' as an added act of disgrace. The גמרא also shows that the כהנים' declaration was worded so God's name is not said twice in a row. A new משנה sets the daily trumpet blasts in the מקדש at 21 to 48, reaching 48 on a ערב שבת during סוכות. The גמרא explains that רבי יהודה counts תקיעה-תרועה-תקיעה as one blast, giving 7 to 16. Each side brings a פסוק for its view. Finally, the גמרא ties רב כהנא's ruling to רבי יהודה and asks why that would need saying, which continues on the next amud.

Opening lines

אַחַסְפָּא, וְנִשְׁדְּיֵהּ בִּתְהוֹמָא וּמַנַּח!

on a clay shard, and throw it into the depths, and it will settle!

לֵיכָּא דְּקָאָמַר לֵיהּ מִידֵּי.

There was no one who said anything to him.

אֲמַר דָּוִד:

David said:

כׇּל דְּיָדַע לְמֵימַר וְאֵינוֹ אוֹמֵר,

Anyone who knows what to say and does not say it,

The steps (34)

  1. Questionדוד asks whether to throw the Name into the depths, and no one answers
  2. Statementדוד curses anyone who knows the answer but stays silent
  3. Responseאחיתופל's קל וחומר from the סוטה permits it
  4. StatementThe Name is thrown in and the depths sink 16,000 cubits
  5. Statementדוד raises the waters back up with the fifteen שיר המעלות
  6. Statementעולא: the earth's crust is a thousand cubits thick
  7. ChallengeChallenge: we dig a little and find water
  8. Resolutionרב משרשיא: that water comes from the rising פרת
  9. StatementBack to the משנה: the priests at the Upper Gate
  10. Questionרבי ירמיה asks what 'the tenth step' means
  11. ConclusionThe question is left unresolved
  12. Questionברייתא: why must the verse add 'their backs toward the Sanctuary'?
  13. ResponseThe extra words show an added act of disrespect
  14. StatementQuoting the declaration: 'We are to God, and to God are our eyes'
  15. ChallengeSaying God's name twice in a row is a problem
  16. ResolutionThe real wording separated God's two mentions
  17. StatementNew משנה: the number of daily trumpet blasts in the מקדש
  18. StatementSix extra blasts on ערב שבת
  19. StatementThe maximum of 48 blasts on ערב שבת during סוכות
  20. StatementThe משנה does not follow רבי יהודה
  21. QuestionWhat is the disagreement about?
  22. ResponseThey disagree only about how to count
  23. QuestionWhat is רבי יהודה's source?
  24. ResponseThe פסוק joins תקיעה and תרועה
  25. ResolutionHow the רבנן read the same פסוק
  26. QuestionWhere does רבי יהודה learn the surrounding תקיעות?
  27. ResponseHe learns it from the word 'שנית'
  28. QuestionWhat is the רבנן's source?
  29. ProofA תקיעה without a תרועה when gathering the people
  30. Resolutionרבי יהודה: that blast was only a signal
  31. RejectionThe רבנן answer: a signal, but the תורה made it a מצוה
  32. QuestionWhose view does רב כהנא follow?
  33. ResponseIt follows רבי יהודה
  34. ChallengeIf it follows רבי יהודה, it's obvious