1)

USING PLANKS OF WOOD AS SCHACH (Yerushalmi Halachah 7 Daf 6a)

משנה מסככין בנסרין דברי ר' יהודה ור"מ אוסר

(a)

(Mishnah): R. Yehuda says that one may use planks of wood as Schach; R. Meir prohibits it.

נתן עליה נסר שהוא רחב ד' טפחים כשירה ובלבד שלא יישן תחתיו

(b)

If he put a plank that is four Tefachim wide on top of his Sukah (to be used as part of his Schach), it is valid, as long as he does not sleep underneath it.

גמרא ר' ירמיה בשם רב כשיש בהן רוחב ארבע נחלקו

(c)

(Gemara - R. Yirmiyah quoting Rav): They disagree (R. Yehuda/R. Meir) when the planks are four Tefachim wide. (Since most roofs use four Tefachim-wide planks, if it was permitted to use Schach that is made of four Tefachim wide planks, a person might conclude that he could just remain in his house for Sukos - R. Meir therefore prohibits their use.)

רבי יסא בשם רבי יוחנן במשופין בכלים נחלקו

(d)

R. Yasa quoting R. Yochanan: They disagree when the planks (are less than four Tefachim wide but) are smoothed off. (Although they do not actually contract Tumah, they are similar to vessels in that they have been smoothed, so the Chachamim decreed against using them lest one use actual vessels, which are certainly invalid. However, they do not disagree over the concern that a person might view the planks like his roof, as in (c).)

והא ר' ירמיה בשם רב בשיש בהן רוחב ארבע נחלקו

(e)

R. Yirmiyah said earlier (c) that they disagree about four Tefach wide planks.

הא אם במשופין לכלים דברי הכל מותר

(f)

Question: What would R. Yirmiyah say if they were smoothed - would all agree that it is permitted (or prohibited)?

מן מה דא"ר ירמיה סיככה בשלביות פסולה. אמרין כר"מ הורי. הדא אמרה היא הדא היא הדא

(g)

Answer: R. Yirmiyah ruled that if one used rungs of a ladder as Schach, it is invalid. According to R. Meir, if smoothed planks are prohibited lest he use actual vessels as Schach, rungs should also be prohibited for the same reason.

הא ר' יוסה (הא ר' יוסי) בשם ר"י במשופין לכלים נחלקו הא בשיש בהם רוחב ארבעה דברי הכל אסור

(h)

Question: According to R. Yosa quoting R. Yochanan who said that they disagree when the planks are smoothed off, does this mean that all agree that if the planks are four Tefachim wide, it is prohibited or permitted?

מן מה דהורי ר' יוסא בסדרא רבא מלתרה מסככין בה ואמרין כר' יודה הודי. הדא אמרה היא הדא היא הדא

(i)

Answer: From the fact that R. Yosa ruled in the Great Beis Midrash that one use a Maltarah (four Tefach-wide beam) as Schach, we see that he agreed with R. Yehudah (who must hold that a four-Tefach wide plank may be used as Schach), as the two cases are the same.

שמואל אמר הדא דאת אמר לאורך אבל לרוחב כשר

(j)

Shmuel: This is only true when resting on their width (like this ), but if the planks are resting on their side (i.e. their thickness - like this ) it is valid.

ר' יוחנן ורשב"ל תריהון אמרין בין לאורך בין לרוחב כשר

(k)

R. Yochanan/R. Shimon B"L: Whether resting on its width or on its thickness, it is valid (as will be explained).

ר' זריקן בשם רב המנונא כדברי מי שהוא פוסל כאן פוסל כאן

(l)

R. Zerikan quoting Rav Hamnuna: The one who disqualifies here, disqualifies there.

רבין ור' בון בעון קומי ר' זעירה מה ר' יוחנן ורשב"ל תריהון אמרין

(m)

Question (Ravin and R. Bun to R. Zeira): What is the reasoning of R. Yochanan and R"SBL?

אמר לון משם שאין סכך פסול פוסל אלא בארבע אמות

(n)

Answer (R. Zeira): Since invalid Schach only disqualifies the Sukah when it is 4 Amos wide.

מתני' פליגא על רב המנונא סוכה שאינה מחזקת (אלא) ראשו ורובו ושולחנו. והביא נסר ויצרף ממנו שלשה טפחים

(o)

Question (Beraisa against Rav Hamnuna): If a Sukah was too small to hold his head, most of his body and his table (i.e. it was not 7 Tefachim wide) and he brought a plank of wood and joined it to the Schach to make the required 7 Tefachim, it is valid as long as the plank is no more than three Tefachim wide.

אין תימר לרוחב לית יכול דא"ר זריקן בשם רב המנונה כדברי מי שהוא פוסל כאן פוסל כאן

(p)

It cannot be that it was laid on its side (thickness), as R. Zerikan quoting Rav Hamnuna said that the one who disqualifies here (width-ways), disqualifies there (thickness)

אלא כן אנן קיימין לאורך

(q)

Rather, we are referring to when it was laid on its width.

ואיפשר שלא יישן תחתיו

(r)

Question: Although the Sukah is valid, could he sleep underneath the plank? Rather, the Beraisa must refer to resting the plank on its side (thickness). (Note: The last four entries follow the explanation of Rav Chaim Kanievski.)

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