Sukkah 14 - A board on the sukkah

Normally, the sukkah is covered by s'chach made of branches that keep out most of the sun and do not leave large holes. If he places a board on top of his sukkah, many complications and disagreements arise.

Earlier, we introduced the idea of a "bent wall" ("dofen akumah.") When a part of the s'chach next to the sukkah's wall is made of material that is invalid for s'chach - such as a board - it can still be valid. You just look at this part of the s'chach as a continuation of the wall and call it a "bent wall." The result is that one cannot sleep under this part or eat under it - the normal use of s'chach - but the sukkah is valid.

Now let's go back to boards that are not next to the wall and therefore are not considered a "bent wall." If the board is wider than four handbreadths, all agree that it invalidates the sukkah. If it is narrower than three handbreadths, all agree that it is just a stick and is valid. The boards that are between three and four handbreadths are in dispute. Rabbi Yehudah says that they are OK - because any significant "place" should be at least four by four handbreadths, and they are less than that. Rabbi Meir says that any hole that is less than three handbreadths is considered "glued," following the principle of "glue," "lavud." And these boards are wider than this, so they invalidate the sukkah.

But what is wrong with the boards in the first place? It turns that the roofs at this time were made of boards four handbreadths wide. So, if one uses such boards, he may come to simply sit at home. And we want him out in the sukkah.

Art: The Tree of Crows by Caspar DavidFriedrich

Sukkah 13 - Bundles that are valid for s'chach

Earlier, we said that one who puts bundles on the top of the sukkah makes the s'chach invalid. We also explained that the s'chach must be made for Sukkot, and with bundles, there is a danger to re-use the old ones. 

However, there are many exceptions to this rule. If one uses the offshoots of the date palm, the s'chach is valid. These are bundled together by nature, not by human hands. Even if he later binds these offshoots with a rope, it is still not a bundle. They are already one, and you cannot bundle them more.

In Sura, it was the custom for the merchant to bundle the branches of s'chach to make them of a standard size. People who bought these bundles would always untie them to dry. In this case, too, there is no concern that people will keep bundles on their sukkah, and it was therefore allowed. 

The Talmud also find parallels between those bundles and the bundles of hyssop used in applying the ashes of the Red Heifer to clarify how many items constitute a bundle.

Art: Palm Tree at Bordighera by Claude Monet

Sukkah 12 - Clouds of glory

One should dwell in a sukkah because "your generations should know that I (God) made the Children of Israel live in sukkahs." Some translate the word "sukkahs" as "Clouds of Glory." They further compare it to the "mist ascending from the earth," and mist is the beginning of every cloud. Just as mist ascending from the earth cannot become ritually impure, so the s'chach material covering the sukkah must be of something that cannot become ritually impure.

Others translate the word "sukkahs" as huts. Where do they derive the ritual purity of the s'chach? - From the fact that it is made from refuse branches that cannot become impure.

If one puts bundles of branches on the top of a sukkah, he makes it invalid. But if he unties the bundles, it is valid. What is the reason for this? One might put bundles on the roof of a shed to dry them out and later decide to use it as a sukkah. If he does this, the sukkah is invalid because it should be made for the Holiday and not pre-made. Such a situation would be hard to detect visually, and this law prevents possible confusion.

Art: Tree Branches. Charles Reginald Aston

Sukkah 11 - What is s'chach?

Sukkah means a hut, and it is covered by a covering called "s'chach." However, until now, we had no definition of what valid s'chach is. We will give it soon, but first, let's look at some additional rules.

If one adds a sheet to his s'chach, the sukkah is invalid. He may have put the sheet above the s'chach to protect from excessive sun. Or, he may have put the sheet beneath the s'chach because of the falling leaves. The sukkah is invalid because now the sheet serves as a covering; the s'chach serves no purpose - and is considered non-existent.

If he smartly used the grapevine or ivy and, without cutting the branches, lifted that and added them to his s'chach, it is invalid - because the sukkah should be made from the "leftover of the threshing floor and winepress." He can cut the branches now, and it will be valid.

The rule: s'chach should be made of material that cannot become ritually impure. Therefore, it cannot be made of food, utensils, or clothing. The s'chach material must also grow from the soil.

Art: Cottage with Peasant Coming Home by Van Gogh

Sukkah 10 - Sukkah atop another sukkah

If one builds a sukkah atop another sukkah, the upper one is valid, but the bottom is not. Why? The Torah instructed to live in a sukkah, not in a sukkah under another sukkah, and incidentally not in a sukkah under a tree or inside a house. But maybe the logic is just the opposite: the Torah told to live in "huts," so sukkah atop another one is just right! - Look at the spelling of the word "sukkot," it is missing a vav, which implies singular.

Rabbi Yehudah disagrees and says that if there are no tenants in the upper sukkah, then the lower one is valid. That is hard to understand: the sukkah should be valid on its own merits, and the tenants should not matter! Maybe Rabbi Yehudah means that the upper sukkah is not livable? But then it's hard to understand the logic of the first few view who validates the top one.

The truth is that they only argue in the marginal case where the upper sukkah is livable but very shaky. The Sages say that the sukkah must be a temporary dwelling, so the top shaky sukkah is good. Rabbi Yehudah insists that one should make the sukkah his dwelling for seven days, and people don't live in shaky dwellings, so he validates the lower one.

The cottage by Van Gogh

Yoma 86 - Desecration of God's name

Desecration of God's name, or "Chillul Hashem," occurs when people say, "Look at what so-and-so did," and it reflects badly on God. For example, this is common when an observant Jew does something wrong. There are various means of atonement for it, such as Yom Kippur, suffering, death, or better, the study of the Torah and teaching it to others.

It also depends on the person. For example, Rav, a prominent Torah scholar in Babilonia, said that Hillul Hashem occurs when a scholar like him does not pay the butcher's bill on time. The reason is, such behavior will lead the butcher to suspect stealing. Abbaye said, "This applies only in the city where the customers bring money to the butcher. But if the custom is for the butcher to go and collect money owed, this is not a problem."

On the positive side, one should accumulate wisdom and deal with people pleasantly. What do the people then say? - Happy is the father who taught him Torah; happy is the teacher who taught him Torah. To him applies the phrase, "You are my servant, Israel, through whom I am glorified."

Art: A scholar in his Study by Thomas Wyck

Yoma 85 - For what does Yom Kippur forgive?

Yom Kippur is the Day of Atonement. It is a means to achieve a clean slate. Other means for it are listed below.

If one does something listed as "Don't do it" in the Torah, and that is also qualified as "his soul will be cut off from the people" - then, if he did it inadvertently, he brings an offering in the Temple and is forgiven. When there is no Temple, his repentance is enough, and he is completely forgiven on Yom Kippur.

If it is a regular "Do it" or "Don't do it," and he violates it, then his repentance is effective right away, even before Yom Kippur.

If he tries to use this rule to his advantage and says, "I will do the wrong thing, but I will then repent," - a chance to repent may not happen. 

The above is true only in regards to himself. However, if he wrongs his fellow man, Yom Kippur does not atone until he pacifies his fellow.

Art: After the Misdeed by Jean Beraud