Editing Mesechtas Sukkah

{{Toras HaNigla}}
'''Mesechtas Sukkah''' deals with the laws of the holiday of Sukkot, which include: the Sukkah, the Four Species, and the Water Libation.

== The Rebbe's Explanations ==
=== The Main Essence of the Sukkah - For Shade ===
The Alter Rebbe writes:<blockquote>"In sukkot you shall dwell for seven days, so that your generations will know that I caused the Children of Israel to dwell in sukkot when I took them out of the land of Egypt. These were His clouds of glory that surrounded them for shade so that the heat and sun would not strike them, and as an example of this He commanded us to make sukkot that are made for shade so that we will remember His wonders and awesome deeds."</blockquote>The Rebbe asks what is the Alter Rebbe's addition to the language of the Tur, which states "clouds of glory that surrounded them for shade so that the heat and sun would not strike them." Apparently, the fact that they were "for shade" is included in what he wrote "so that the heat and sun would not strike them," so what does he add by writing "for shade"? Similarly, in the continuation of his language, the Alter Rebbe adds to the Tur's wording - "and as an example of this He commanded us to make sukkot that are made for shade," and these words "that are made for shade" do not appear in the Tur.

The Rebbe explains that the Alter Rebbe is teaching us that from the fact that the verse connects the mitzvah of sukkah to "the clouds of glory that surrounded them for shade," we learn that the definition of the mitzvah of sukkah is that it needs to be "made for shade." This means that in addition to the requirement that the sukkah must have "more shade than sun," the definition and essence of a sukkah is - a sukkah made for shade, and a sukkah that lacks this condition does not have the status of a sukkah at all.

The Rebbe added that one could say that this matter is one of the legal differences between the two opinions regarding whether "I caused them to dwell in sukkot" refers to "actual sukkot" or "clouds of glory": According to the opinion that they were "actual sukkot," the main definition of a sukkah is a temporary dwelling, similar to the sukkot that Israel made in the desert, which were "temporary dwellings." However, according to the opinion that they were "clouds of glory," the sukkot that we make are a remembrance only of this particular aspect of the clouds of glory, "that surrounded them for shade so that the heat and sun would not strike them," and therefore the definition of a sukkah is that it is made for shade.

This foundation is explicit in the language of the Alter Rebbe who wrote "A person does not fulfill his obligation except with a sukkah that is made solely for shade, similar to the clouds of glory. But if it is made also for dwelling... and not only to be sheltered in its shade, or if it is made also to use for modest purposes... or if it is made also for shelter and protection from rain and storms - any sukkah that is not made solely for shade is not a sukkah but a house."

Although in the Gemara itself this condition is mentioned only regarding the kashrut of the sukkah of gentiles, robbers, and shepherds, saying that even though these sukkot were not made for the sake of the mitzvah, they are nevertheless kosher if they were made for shade, the Alter Rebbe writes that this is a condition for every sukkah, to the extent that the intention of its construction needs to be solely for "shade alone," without any mixture of another intention - "to use it (also) for modest purposes," or even that it would be "also for shelter and protection from rain and storms" - because according to the Alter Rebbe, this is the definition of the mitzvah of sukkah, that it should be made for shade alone like the clouds of glory "that surrounded them for shade."

=== The Shade of the Sukkah - A Law of the Person or the Object ===
The Alter Rebbe writes in his Shulchan Aruch: "His clouds of glory that surrounded them for shade so that the heat and sun would not strike them etc." Seemingly, the Alter Rebbe's addition of the word "for shade" is not understood, even though it is consistent with the continuation of his language "He commanded us to make sukkot that are made for shade" as mentioned above. This appears to be a duplication of language, and even if he had written only "so that the heat and sun would not strike them," the continuation would have been understood as related to "He commanded us to make sukkot that are made for shade."

The Rebbe explains beautifully that by adding that the clouds of glory were "for shade so that the heat and sun would not strike them," the Alter Rebbe hints that there are two laws in the shade of the sukkah: (a) from the perspective of the sechach - like the clouds of glory that were "for shade," (b) from the perspective of the person, like the clouds of glory that caused "that the heat and sun would not strike them."

With this, the Rebbe explains the words of the Alter Rebbe regarding the law of "more shade than sun" as follows:<blockquote>"If the sechach is not greater than the open space but they are equal, it is invalid because the sunlight entering through the open spaces in the sechach, when it reaches the floor of the sukkah, spreads out more than it is above in the open spaces of the sechach, and thus the sukkah below at its floor has more sun than shade. But if below at its floor the sun and shade are equal, it is kosher because it is known that above in the sechach the open space is less than the covering and its shade above is greater than its sun, and this is complete sechach."</blockquote>In his words, there is seemingly a contradiction. From his words in the first law, it follows that because the shade and sun are equal, the sukkah should be kosher, and the reason we invalidate the sukkah is only because "the sukkah below at its floor has more sun than shade." However, from his words in the second law, the opposite conclusion emerges - that if the shade and sun are equal, this is not enough to make the sukkah kosher, and the reason the sukkah is kosher when they are equal below is only because "its shade above is greater than its sun."

Additionally, the Alter Rebbe's language that "if below... the sun and shade are equal, it is kosher because... its shade above is greater than its sun, and this is complete sechach" seems unnecessarily lengthy. Why isn't the reason that "its shade above is greater than its sun" sufficient?

Based on the above, the Rebbe explains that the measurement of sechach "above" and the measurement of sechach "below" are two different laws:

# The law of the shade of the sukkah regarding the person "below" is primarily a negative law, meaning it is invalid if for him the sun is greater than the shade, since then it is not similar to the clouds of glory that caused "that the heat and sun would not strike them," but if they are equal there is no invalidation;
# In contrast, the law regarding the sechach of the sukkah is a positive matter, that the sechach of the sukkah should be "for shade," and this is specifically when "its shade is greater than its sun," as then it is "complete sechach," but even when they are merely equal there is no invalidation, it's just that it is not "complete sechach" - as precise in the language of the Alter Rebbe.

===The Law of the Sukkah if from the Perspective of the Sechach===
The Law of the Sukkah if from the Perspective of the Sechach Its Shade is Greater than Its Sun, but from the Perspective of the Shade - the Opposite:
In defining the mitzvah of sukkah, the Alter Rebbe emphasizes that the sukkah is "for shade" as mentioned above, intending to hint that the main definition of the sukkah is not that for the person there must not be a situation of "more sun than shade," but rather the requirement that the sechach should be made "for shade," "more shade than sun."

In this innovation, there is a practical legal difference: If the sechach above has more shade than sun, but the sukkah below has more sun than shade "because the sunlight entering through the open spaces in the sechach, when it reaches the floor of the sukkah, spreads out more than it is above in the open spaces of the sechach," so that above there is "complete sechach," but below there is the invalidation of more sun than shade.

In such a case, it would seemingly be reasonable to say that since there is an invalidation in the sukkah, what does it help that there is "complete sechach" above? But based on the above - that the main definition of the sukkah is that the sechach should be made "for shade," one could say that if above there is "complete sechach," we do not consider what happens below at the floor of the sukkah: Only when above they are equal and there is no "complete sechach," then the sukkah is invalid when below there is more sun than shade, but if above there is "complete sechach," it doesn't matter to us that below there isn't more shade than sun, since the main definition of the sukkah is that the sukkah is "made for shade."

==== Additional Explanations ====

* '''8b.''' And it should be made for shade. Likkutei Sichot Vol. 32, p. 142 (p. 155)
* '''11b.''' The clouds of glory were the words of Rabbi Eliezer, Rabbi Akiva says they were actual sukkot. Likkutei Sichot Vol. 32, p. 142 (p. 155)
* '''14b.''' Turn them on their sides. Sichot Kodesh 5740 Vol. 1, p. 18 (p. 62)
* '''28a.''' The discussions of Abaye and Rava. Sichot Kodesh 5738 Vol. 1, p. 22 (p. 276)
* '''28b.''' Eat, drink and walk around in the sukkah. Shaarei Halacha Uminhag Orach Chaim Vol. 2, p. 242 (p. 237)
* '''29a.''' For four things the sun is eclipsed. Likkutei Sichot Vol. 15, p. 7 (p. 20)
* '''32b.''' Shaarei Halacha Uminhag Orach Chaim Vol. 2, p. 248 (p. 243)
* '''52b.''' Rashi's comment on "and the righteous priest." Likkutei Sichot Vol. 15, p. 38 (p. 51)
* '''53b.''' Rabbi Yehoshua ben Chananya said, when we would rejoice, etc. Likkutei Sichot Vol. 17, p. 272 (p. 285)
* '''53b.''' They would doze on each other's shoulders. Shaarei Halacha Uminhag Orach Chaim Vol. 2, p. 244 (p. 239)
* '''54b.''' Rashi's comment on "Erev Pesach." And each group, etc. Shaarei HaMoadim Pesach Vol. 1, p. 262 (p. 250), Likkutei Sichot Vol. 7, p. 256 (p. 268)
* '''56b.''' Woe to the wicked and woe to his neighbor. Likkutei Sichot Vol. 33, p. 11 (p. 23)
* '''52b.''' Four things Hashem regrets having created... exile. Likkutei Sichot Vol. 24, p. 167 (p. 183)
* '''Hadran.''' Farbrengen of 6 Tishrei 5735.

== Explanations of Chabad Rebbes ==

* The Tzemach Tzedek Rebbe, "Masechet Sukkah," '''Tzemach Tzedek on the Shas''', Brooklyn, 5755 (1995), pages 70-146, on the HebrewBooks website

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