Gemara Clarity

Succah 54a

סוכה נ״ד ע״א

Sukkah 54a

Learn Succah 54a step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.

Open Succah 54a in Gemara Clarity

Topic

רב כהנא's 'no pause at all' between שופר blasts, and the משנה's count of 48 trumpet blasts in the מקדש: whose view it follows, and whether each מוסף gets its own blasts (רבי אחא בר חנינא).

Overview

This amud opens by finishing an earlier discussion. The words 'ולא כלום' (not at all) prove that רב כהנא follows רבי יהודה and allows no pause at all between the תקיעה and the תרועה. Next the גמרא turns to the משנה's count of 48 trumpet blasts on ערב שבת during סוכות. That list has blasts on the altar but none at the tenth step, so it follows רבי אליעזר בן יעקב, and the גמרא explains the reasoning of each side. Then רבי אחא בר חנינא brings a ברייתא teaching that each מוסף gets its own set of blasts. The גמרא challenges him: then שבת of סוכות should have 51 blasts, and the משנה should have listed it. רבי זירא's answer, that there are no gate blasts on שבת, is rejected by רבא. רבא answers instead that the water-drawing blasts are not sounded on שבת, so the total drops. Finally, ראש השנה on שבת would also reach 48, but the תנא simply left cases out (תנא ושייר), including ערב פסח. So רבי אחא בר חנינא's rule stands.

Opening lines

מַהוּ דְּתֵימָא:

Lest you say:

אֲפִילּוּ כְּרַבָּנַן,

(he holds) even like the Rabbis,

וּלְאַפּוֹקֵי מִדְּרַבִּי יוֹחָנָן דְּאָמַר:

and (he comes) to exclude Rabbi Yochanan, who said:

שָׁמַע תֵּשַׁע תְּקִיעוֹת בְּתֵשַׁע שָׁעוֹת בַּיּוֹם —

If one heard nine blasts in nine (different) hours of the day,

The steps (24)

  1. ResolutionWhy רב כהנא's statement is not obvious
  2. ChallengeMaybe he really does follow the Rabbis
  3. ResolutionThe words 'at all' prove he follows רבי יהודה
  4. StatementQuoting the משנה and noticing what is missing
  5. QuestionWhose view is the משנה?
  6. ResponseIt is רבי אליעזר בן יעקב
  7. ProofThe ברייתא showing the dispute
  8. ConclusionThe two opinions are mutually exclusive
  9. QuestionWhy does רבי אליעזר בן יעקב place the blasts at the altar?
  10. ResponseThe tenth step is not a gate, so the altar is better
  11. ResponseThe רבנן's reasoning: the tenth step is better
  12. Statementרבי אחא בר חנינא's ברייתא: blasts follow the מוספין
  13. StatementExplaining the ברייתא: blasts for every single מוסף
  14. ChallengeChallenge: why does the משנה not list 51 blasts on שבת of סוכות?
  15. Resolutionרבי זירא: no gate blasts on שבת
  16. Rejectionרבא rejects: the משנה says gate blasts happen every day
  17. Challengeרבא's second point: the משנה should still have taught שבת
  18. Resolutionרבא: No water-drawing blasts on שבת, so the count drops
  19. ChallengeWhy not list ראש השנה that falls on שבת?
  20. Resolutionערב שבת of סוכות was needed to teach רבי אליעזר בן יעקב's view
  21. ChallengeBut the משנה could have taught both cases
  22. ResolutionThe תנא taught some cases and left others out
  23. QuestionWhat else was left out?
  24. ResponseHe also left out ערב פסח