Babylonian Talmud

Rodkinson 1918 — source 7, scan section 45

that he is exempt, he comes to teach us that it is when the affliction is caused by the Succah ; but here, when he afflicts himself, he must divert his attention, and fulfil the duty of Succah. The same says again in the name of Rabh : A bridegroom and his attendants and all who belong to the wedding-party are exempt from the Succah all the seven days. Why so ? Because they must enjoy themselves. But let them enjoy themselves in the Succah ? No enjoyment can be had outside of the house where the wedding is. But let them eat in the Succah and enjoy them- selves in the house. There is no enjoyment except where the banquet is. But let the house where the wedding takes place TRACT SUCCAH. 31 be made in the Succah ? Abayi said, it cannot be made, be- cause the bride must not be left with strangers; and Rabha said, because the bridegroom will find it inconvenient. What is the difference ? when even in the house, where men come in and go out, they are not in privacy, but it is inconvenient. According to Abayi, it may be made in the Succah, and according to Rabha it may not. R. Zera said : When I was a bridegroom, I ate in the Succah, and enjoyed myself in the bride's house, and I enjoyed myself the more because I fulfilled two religious duties. The rabbis taught: A bridegroom and his attendants and all the wedding-party are exempt from prayers, from phylacteries, but they must read Shema. In the name of R. Shila it was said : Only the bridegroom is exempt, but all the others are not. A Boraitha states, R. Hanania b. Akabia said : Writers of the holy scrolls, or tefilin, or mezuzoth, they and the wholesale sellers and the retail sellers, and all men engaged in work for Heaven, in- cluding also the sellers of blue threads for tzitzith, are exempt from the reading of Shema, from praying, from tefilin, and all the religious duties commanded in the Torah. He said so to confirm the words of R. Jose the Galilean, who said : Who is engaged in one religious work, is free from another one. The rabbis taught : Those who are on the road in the day are exempt from the duty of Succah during the day, but not during the night ; and if they travel by night, it is conversely. If they travel during both, they are exempt wholly. But who goes on a religious mission, is exempt from the duty of Succah both by day and by night. As it happened, R. Hisda and Rabha bar R. Huna coming on a Sabbath falling on one of the intermediate days, to the exilarch to hear his lecture, they slept on the bank of a river of Sura. They said, we are delegates for a religious purpose, and exempt from the duty of Succah. The rabbis taught : The watchmen of a tower who watch by day are exempt from the Succah by day, but not by night ; and those who watch by night are exempt for the night, and those who watch during both are entirely exempt. Those who watch gardens and vineyards are exempt from the Succah by day and by night. But let them make the booths there, and sit in them ? Said Abayi : It is written : '' Ye shall dwell in booths." It must be where the dwellings are. And Rabha said : The hole brings the thief {i.e., he will not be able to watch carefully). What is the difference? When the whole of the fruit would be visible from his position in the Succah (he should sit in one). 32 THE BABYLONIAN TALMUD. ''Sick persons and their nurses^ The rabbis taught: Not only those who are dangerously sick, but if there is no danger, if one has sore eyes or a headache, he is also exempt. R. Simeon b. Gamaliel told : It once happened I had sore eyes when I was in Caesarea (Kisrin), and R. Jose the Great allowed me and my servants to sleep outside of the Succah. Rabh, however, allowed R. A'ha of Bardla to sleep under a canopy in a booth (though ten spans high), to prevent mosquitoes. Rabha allowed R. A'ha bar Ada to sleep outside of the Succah, because it was freshly whitewashed. And Rabha acted according to his theory else- where, that whoever suffers is exempt. But have we not learned in our Mishna that only sick persons are exempt, and we may infer, not those who are in sorrow ? Nay, in case of a sick person, he and his nurses are exempt, but he who is in sorrow may only himself stay out, not his servants. ''Men may occasionally eat,'' etc. What is meant by some- thing? Said R. Joseph : Two or three eggs. Said Abayi to him : But many times a man finds three eggs sufficient for a meal ? Therefore said Abayi : As much as a young scholar partakes before he goes to hear the lecture. The rabbis taught : One may eat a hasty meal outside of the Succah, but one must not take a nap outside. Why so ? Said R. Ashi : As a precautionary measure, lest he fall profoundly asleep for the whole night. Said Abayi to him : If it is so, why does a Boraitha allow a man to take a nap with his tefilin on, but not to sleep long ? Let it be apprehended lest he fall asleep ? Said R. Joseph bar Ilai : This is the case when he has engaged a man to wake him up. Rabha, however, said : There is no ap- pointed time for sleeping ; concerning the tefilin, it is for a dif- ferent reason (as will be explained in Tract Benedictions). Rabh said : One must not sleep by day longer than a horse sleeps. How long is it? So as to be able to make sixty respirations. Said Abayi : My Master used to sleep by day as long as Rabh, and Rabh as Rabbi, and Rabbi as King David, and David slept as long as a horse. And how long is the sleep of a horse ? Sixty respirations. Abayi himself sleeps as long as it would take to walk from Pompeditha to Be Kubi. Exclaimed R. Joseph about him the verse in Proverbs [vi. 9] : " How long, O sluggard, wilt thou lie down? When wilt thou arise out of thy sleep? " MISHNA: It happened that a dish was brought to R. Johanan b. Zakai to taste, and two dates and a jar of water to Rabban Gamaliel. Each of them said : Bring it to the booth. TRACT SUCCAH. 33 But when food less than an egg was brought to R. Zadok, he took it in the napkin, and ate it outside of the booth, but did not pro- nounce the benediction after meals for it. GEMARA : Is it customary to adduce an act as a contra- diction to the former teaching of the Mishna above (which says a hasty meal may be eaten outside of the Succah) ? The above Mishna is not completed, and must read so : If one wants to make it more rigorous for himself, he may do so, without it being said he is vain ; and it also happened with R. Johanan b. Zakai and Rabban Gamaliel that a dish and dates were brought to them, and they said they should be carried to the Succah. ^^ And when food less than the size of an egg,'' etc. But if the size of a whole egg ? Then the Succah is needed ? Shall we assume that this will be an objection to the teaching of R. Joseph