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Sukkah 32a

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Babylonian Talmud · folio map

Sukkah 32a

Sukkah 32a. The full printed text of this folio side — 14 numbered segments, about 240 words — with the classic commentaries printed on the page.

Original text

Segment 1

קָווּץ, סָדוּק, עָקוֹם דּוֹמֶה לְמַגָּל — פָּסוּל. חָרוּת — פָּסוּל. דּוֹמֶה לְחָרוּת — כָּשֵׁר. אָמַר רַב פָּפָּא: דַּעֲבִיד כְּהֶימְנֵק.

that is thorny, split, or curved to the extent that it is shaped like a sickle is unfit. If it became hard as wood it is unfit. If it merely appears like hard wood but is not yet completely hardened, it is fit. Apparently, a split lulav is unfit. Rav Pappa said: The split lulav in the baraita is so split that it is shaped like a fork [ heimanak ], with the two sides of the split completely separated, and it appears that the lulav has two spines.

Segment 2

עָקוֹם דּוֹמֶה לְמַגָּל, אָמַר רָבָא: לָא אֲמַרַן אֶלָּא לְפָנָיו, אֲבָל לְאַחֲרָיו — בִּרְיָיתֵיהּ הוּא.

The baraita continues: If it is curved to the extent that it is shaped like a sickle, it is unfit. Rava said: We said that it is unfit only when it is curved forward away from the spine; however, if it is curved backward, toward the spine, it is fit for use because that is its nature, and that is the way a lulav typically grows.

Segment 3

אָמַר רַב נַחְמָן: לִצְדָדִין — כִּלְפָנָיו דָּמֵי. וְאָמְרִי לַהּ: כִּלְאַחֲרָיו דָּמֵי.

Rav Naḥman said: The legal status of a lulav that is curved to either of the sides is like that of a lulav curved forward, and it is unfit. And some say: Its legal status is like that of a lulav curved backward, and it is fit.

Segment 4

וְאָמַר רָבָא: הַאי לוּלַבָּא דְּסָלֵיק בְּחַד הוּצָא — בַּעַל מוּם הוּא, וּפָסוּל.

And Rava said: This lulav that grew with one leaf, i.e., leaves on only one side of the spine, is blemished and unfit.

Segment 5

נִפְרְצוּ עָלָיו כּוּ׳. אָמַר רַב פָּפָּא: נִפְרְצוּ — דְּעָבֵיד כִּי חוּפְיָא. נִפְרְדוּ — דְּאִיפָּרוּד אִפָּרוֹדֵי.

§ The mishna continues: If the palm leaves were severed from the spine of the lulav , it is unfit; if its leaves were spread, it is fit. Rav Pappa said: Severed means that the leaves are completely detached from the spine, and one ties them to the lulav , so that the lulav is made like a broom. Spread means that the leaves remain attached but are merely separated from the spine in that they jut outward.

Segment 6

בָּעֵי רַב פָּפָּא: נֶחְלְקָה הַתְּיוֹמֶת, מַהוּ? תָּא שְׁמַע, דְּאָמַר (רַבִּי יוֹחָנָן) אָמַר רַבִּי יְהוֹשֻׁעַ בֶּן לֵוִי: נִיטְּלָה הַתְּיוֹמֶת — פָּסוּל. מַאי לָאו, הוּא הַדִּין נֶחְלְקָה? לָא, נִיטְּלָה שָׁאנֵי, דְּהָא חֲסַר לֵיהּ.

Rav Pappa raised a dilemma: What is the halakha if the central twin-leaf split? The Gemara cites proof to resolve the dilemma. Come and hear that which Rabbi Yoḥanan said that Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi said: If the central twin-leaf was removed, the lulav is unfit. What, is it not that the same is true if the twin-leaf split? The Gemara answers: No, the case where it was removed is different, because the result is that it is lacking, and an incomplete lulav is certainly unfit. However, if the leaf remains in place, even though it is split, it does not necessarily render the lulav unfit.

Segment 7

אִיכָּא דְּאָמְרִי: אָמַר (רַבִּי יוֹחָנָן) אָמַר רַבִּי יְהוֹשֻׁעַ בֶּן לֵוִי: נֶחְלְקָה הַתְּיוֹמֶת, נַעֲשָׂה כְּמִי שֶׁנִּיטְּלָה הַתְּיוֹמֶת וּפְסוּל.

Some say that Rabbi Yoḥanan said that Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi said: If the central twin-leaf split, it becomes as a lulav whose central twin-leaf was removed, and it is unfit. According to this version of the statement, the dilemma is resolved.

Segment 8

רַבִּי יְהוּדָה אוֹמֵר. תַּנְיָא, רַבִּי יְהוּדָה אוֹמֵר מִשּׁוּם רַבִּי טַרְפוֹן: ״כַּפּוֹת תְּמָרִים״ — כְּפוֹת, אִם הָיָה פָּרוּד יִכְפְּתֶנּוּ.

§ The mishna continues. Rabbi Yehuda says: If the leaves were spread, one should bind the lulav from the top. It was taught in a baraita that Rabbi Yehuda says in the name of Rabbi Tarfon that the verse states: “Branches [ kappot ] of a date palm.” The Sages interpret the term to mean bound [ kafut ], indicating that if the leaves of the lulav were spread, one should bind it.

Segment 9

אֲמַר לֵיהּ רָבִינָא לְרַב אָשֵׁי: מִמַּאי דְּהַאי ״כַּפּוֹת תְּמָרִים״ דְּלוּלַבָּא הוּא? אֵימָא חֲרוּתָא! בָּעֵינָא כְּפוֹת וְלֵיכָּא.

Ravina said to Rav Ashi: From where is it ascertained that this term, “branches of a date palm,” is referring to the branches of the lulav ? Say it is referring to the hardened branch of the date palm. Rav Ashi answered: That cannot be, as we require the lulav to be bound, and there is no binding, since at that stage the hardened leaves point outward, and binding them is impossible.

Segment 10

וְאֵימָא אוּפְתָּא! ״כְּפוֹת״ — מִכְּלָל דְּאִיכָּא פָּרוּד, וְהַאי כָּפוּת וְעוֹמֵד לְעוֹלָם.

The Gemara asks: If the fundamental requirement of the mitzva is a lulav that appears as one unit, say that one takes the trunk of the date palm. The Gemara answers: The term bound, from which it is derived that the branch should appear as one unit, indicates that there is the possibility that it could be spread. However, this trunk is perpetually bound, as it can never become separated.

Segment 11

וְאֵימָא כּוּפְרָא? אָמַר אַבָּיֵי: ״דְּרָכֶיהָ דַרְכֵי נוֹעַם וְכׇל נְתִיבוֹתֶיהָ שָׁלוֹם״ כְּתִיב.

The Gemara asks: And say the verse is referring to the branch of the date palm [ kufra ] that has not yet hardened completely and could still be bound, albeit with difficulty. Abaye said that it is written in praise of the Torah: “Its way are ways of pleasantness and all its paths are peace” (Proverbs 3:17). At that stage of development, some of the leaves are thorns that potentially wound. The Torah would not command to use that type of branch in fulfilling the mitzva.

Segment 12

אֲמַר לֵיהּ רָבָא תּוֹסְפָאָה לְרָבִינָא: וְאֵימָא תַּרְתֵּי כַּפֵּי דְתַמְרֵי? ״כַּפַּת״ כְּתִיב. וְאֵימָא חֲדָא? לְהָהוּא — ״כַּף״ קָרֵי לֵיהּ.

Rava, the expert in Tosefta , said to Ravina: Since the verse states “branches of a date palm” in the plural, say that one is obligated to take two palm branches in fulfilling the mitzva of the four species. Ravina answered: Although the word is vocalized in the plural, based on tradition kappot is written without the letter vav , indicating that only one is required. The Gemara suggests: And say that one is required to take only one leaf? The Gemara answers: If that were the intention of the Torah, it would not have written kappot without a vav . That single leaf is called kaf . Kappot without the vav indicates both plural, i.e., multiple leaves, and singular, i.e., one branch.

Segment 13

צִינֵּי הַר הַבַּרְזֶל — כְּשֵׁרָה. אָמַר אַבָּיֵי: לֹא שָׁנוּ אֶלָּא שֶׁרֹאשׁוֹ שֶׁל זֶה מַגִּיעַ לְצַד עִיקָּרוֹ שֶׁל זֶה, אֲבָל אֵין רֹאשׁוֹ שֶׁל זֶה מַגִּיעַ לְצַד עִיקָּרוֹ שֶׁל זֶה — פָּסוּל.

§ The mishna continues: A lulav from the palms of the Iron Mountain is fit. It has few leaves on its spine, and those leaves are not crowded together like the leaves on a standard lulav . Abaye said: The Sages taught that this type of lulav is fit only in a case in which the top of this leaf reaches the base of that leaf above it on the spine. However, if there are so few leaves that the top of this leaf does not reach the base of that leaf, it is unfit.

Segment 14

תַּנְיָא נָמֵי הָכִי: צִינֵּי הַר הַבַּרְזֶל פְּסוּלָה. וְהָא אֲנַן תְּנַן כְּשֵׁרָה! אֶלָּא שְׁמַע מִינַּהּ כְּאַבָּיֵי: שְׁמַע מִינַּהּ.

That was taught in a baraita as well: A lulav from the palms of the Iron Mountain are unfit. The Gemara asks: But didn’t we learn in the mishna that it is fit? Rather, learn from it in accordance with the statement of Abaye, that there is a distinction based on the configuration of the leaves on the lulav . Indeed, learn from it.

Sukkah 32a

Sukkah 32a

Rashi

Tosafot

Rabbeinu Chananel

Ritva

Meiri

Maharsha (Chidushei Halachot)

Maharam

Penei Yehoshua

Gilyon HaShas

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