Succah 54b

סוכה נ״ד ע״ב

Sukkah 54b

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

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Topic

Trumpet blasts in the מקדש: the 48-blast limit, the fixed calendar, and the songs of ראש חודש on שבת

Overview

The גמרא first looks for a second 48-blast day that the משנה left out. It rejects weekday ערב הפסח, which comes to only 42 by רבי יהודה's view, and settles on ערב הפסח that falls on Friday. It then quotes the משנה's rule that no day has more than 48 blasts. It challenges that rule with ערב הפסח on שבת, which has 51 or 57 blasts, and answers that the תנא lists only cases that happen every year. A Friday inside סוכות is shown to happen every year, because the calendar is pushed off so that יום הכפורים never falls next to שבת. Sources that let יום הכפורים fall next to שבת are explained as following אחרים, who hold a fixed calendar, while our משנה follows רבנן. Finally the גמרא tests רבי אחא בר חנינא's view of separate blasts for each מוסף, using the songs for ראש חודש that falls on שבת. That leads to רב ספרא's reading and רבי יוחנן's reason, and ends with a challenge that another sign for ראש חודש already exists. That challenge continues on the next amud.

Opening lines

The steps (20)

1. RejectionWeekday Passover eve does not reach 48
2. ChallengeBut the משנה was shown not to follow רבי יהודה
3. ResolutionThe תנא agrees on one point and disagrees on another
4. QuestionSo what other case did the תנא omit?
5. ResponsePassover eve that falls on Friday
6. Statementמשנה: never more than 48 blasts
7. ChallengePassover eve on שבת goes above 48
8. ResolutionThe תנא only lists cases that happen every year
9. ChallengeBut a Friday inside סוכות is not yearly either
10. ResolutionThe calendar never lets the first day of סוכות fall on Friday
11. ChallengeA משנה assumes יום הכפורים can fall right after שבת
12. Proofרבי זירא's report adds a ברייתא with יום הכפורים on Friday and on Sunday
13. ResolutionEach משנה follows a different תנא
14. ProofThe ברייתא of אחרים on a fixed-length year
15. ChallengeChallenge from the songs of ראש חודש on שבת
16. Resolutionרב ספרא: 'Pushes away' means 'goes first'
17. ChallengeWhy should the less frequent song go first?
18. Resolutionרבי יוחנן: the ראש חודש song goes first to show the month was fixed on time
19. ChallengeChallenge: there is already a different sign for this
20. ProofThe source: ראש חודש fats were placed in their own special spot