1)

PREPARING A ROOF TO USE AS SCHACH (Yerushalmi Halachah 8 Daf 6b)

משנה תקרה שאין עליה מעזיבה

(a)

(Mishnah): A roof (of planks) that has not been plastered (otherwise it would certainly not be usable as Schach, because plaster does not grow from the ground) -

ר' יהודה אומר משום בית הלל או מפקפק או נוטל אחת מבינתיים

(b)

R. Yehuda says in the name of Beis Hilel - he should either break and move up and down all of the planks or remove one of the planks and replace it with regular Schach.

ובית שמאי אומרים מפקפק ונוטל מבינתיים

1.

Beis Shamai say - he should break and move and remove one of the planks.

רבי מאיר אומר נוטל אחת מבינתיים ואינו צריך לפקפק

(c)

R. Meir says - he should remove one of the planks but he need not break and move.

גמרא [דף ז עמוד א] ואם פיקפק אינו צריך ליטול אחת מבינתיים

(d)

(Gemara): If he broke and moved, he need not remove one of the planks.

2)

SUPPORTING THE SCHACH WITH INVALID MATERIALS AND CLEARING OUT A HAYSTACK (Yerushalmi Halachah 9 Daf 7a)

משנה המקרה סוכתו בשפודים או בארוכות המיטה אם יש ריוח ביניהן כמותן כשירה

(a)

(Mishnah): One who supports his Schach with metal rods or the lengths of a bed, if there is a space between (filled with valid Schach) that is the same width as them, it is valid.

החוטט בגדיש לעשות לו סוכה אינו סוכה

(b)

One who hollows out a haystack to create a Sukah, it is not a Sukah.

גמרא תני יותר מכמותן

(c)

(Gemara - Beraisa): The valid Schach must be wider than them.

חברייא אמרין שאין טפח נכנס לתוך טפח

(d)

Chevraya say - this is because a Tefach (of valid Schach) does not fit into a Tefach (space between the rods).

התיב ר' בא בר ממל הרי כלי זכוכית הרי טפח נכנס לתוך טפח

(e)

Question (R. Ba bar Mamal): But a Tefach-wide glass vessel (which is rigid) can be inserted into a Tefach space?!

א"ר יוסה תמן נכנס ויוצא ברם הכא נכנס ואינו יוצא

(f)

R. Yosa: The Mishnah refers to when the space is wide enough that Schach could be inserted and removed (so if that space was actually filled with Schach it is valid), but the Beraisa refers to where it can be inserted but not removed (i.e. the space is exactly the same as invalid Schach, so one would need to increase the Schach for it to be valid). (Note: This entry follows the explanation of Rav Chaim Kanievski.)

ר' אבהו בשם ר' יוחנן מפני שהיא נראית כאוצר

(g)

R. Abahu quoting R. Yochanan: (When the Mishnah taught that one who hollowed out a haystack, it is not a Sukah) this is because it looks like a storeroom (and a person might come to just use a storeroom as his Sukah - according to this, the disqualification is only Rabbinic).

תני ר' חייה תעשה לך לא מן העשוי לך

(h)

Beraisa (R. Chiya): The Pasuk states "...you shall make for yourself" referring to making a Sukah - but you may not use something which is already made. (This opinion holds that the disqualification is Biblical.)

מה נפק מביניהון

(i)

Question: What is the practical difference between these two opinions?

ויש בה על דעתיה דר' חייה (פסולה)[כשירה] על דעתיה דר' יוחנן (כשירה)[פסולה]

(j)

Answer: If there was already a hollow space the size of a Tefach. According to R. Chiya it is valid, as there is no longer a problem of "you shall make", since there is a 'tent' the size of a Tefach already there. But according to R. Yochanan, there is still a problem that it looks like a storeroom.

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