Torah Community Connections

Week 36 - Sunday- 30 July 2000

SUKKAH: CHAPTER 4: MISHNAH 6

As it was performed on weekdays so it was performed on Shabbat. Except that they would gather them on the eve of the Sabbath and place them in golden basins so that they should not wither. R. Yohanan b. Beroka said: They used to bring palm branches. And they beat them on the ground at the sides of the altar. And that day was called "Palm Twigs Beating Day"

Kehati

The following mishnah elaborates further aspects of the mitzvah of Aravah.

As it was performed on weekdays - the Aravah ceremony - so was it performed on Shabbat - as mentioned above (mishnah 3), when the seventh Festival day fell on Shabbat, the Aravah rite was nevertheless observed.

Except that they - the congregation - would gather them - the willow branches - on the eve of the Sabbath - the preceding Friday, and bring them to the Temple before the advent of Shabbat - and place them in golden basins - filled with water - so that they - the leaves - should not wither; the next day, i.e., on Shabbat, these branches were taken out and placed beside the altar and the people would come and take from them and perform the ritual as they did on every day [of the Festival] (Rambam, Hilkhot Lulav, 7:22).

R. Yohanan b. Beroka said: They used to bring palm - not willow - branches - since it is written (Lev. 23:40): "…palm branches (kapot - pl.)", indicating one for the Lulav and the other for the altar (Gemara). The Sages, however, base their view on the defective spelling (on how the word is written, rather than read), the Vav of the plural being omitted. This would yield kapat (sing.). Another view advanced in the Gemara is that R. Yohanan b. Beroka did not base himself on the text but on sevara (speculative judgment): The palm appropriately symbolizes the praise of Israel, viz. "Just as the palm tree has but one 'heart', so has Israel only one heart, which is directed towards their Father in Heaven."

And they beat them - the palm branches - on the ground at the sides of the altar - or, according to another version: on top of the altar (Jer. Talm).

And that day - the seventh day of the Festival - was called "Palm Twigs Beating Day" - and not The Seventh Day of the Aravah. According to one view, R. Yohanan b. Beroka differs with the Sages in respect of all seven days of Sukkot, holding that at no time were willow branches set beside the altar, but only palm branches (Rashi, Bartenura). According to another view, R. Yohanan b. Beroka differed in respect of the seventh day only, when, according to him, in addition to the willow twigs, palm branches were brought (see Tosafot, Sukkah 45b, s.v. Ahat). R. Yohanan's view is rejected.

SUKKAH: CHAPTER 4: MISHNAH 7

Immediately the children would untie their Lulavim and eat their Etrogim.

Kehati

The text of this mishnah is ambiguous, miyad meaning either "immediately" or "from the hand of". In the first case hatinokot "the children" is the subject of the sentence; in the second, the indirect object, implying the subject "adults". Both possibilities are represented in the following comment.

Immediately - following the departure from the altar on the seventh day - the children would untie their Lulavim - i.e., unravel the festive wreath (Tosafot, Hameiri). Others take shomtim Lulevehem to mean discarding their Lulavim (Rashi) -

And eat their Etrogim - adults would not, however, eat their own Etrogim all that day. Having been "set aside" (muktseh) for the mitzvah during part of the day, they retain this status for the entire day, and may not be put to any other use. According to another exposition of the mishnah, they i.e., the adults, would miyad, immediately, shomtim, snatch the Lulavim from the hands of the children, and eat theirs, the children's, Etrogim. This did not smack of "robbery", nor run counter to the duty to "promote goodwill" (darkhei shalom) being merely a joyous expression of the Holiday spirit. Furthermore, the children's Etrogim, not being the object of an actual obligation are not muktseh and may thus be eaten on the same day (Rashi).

Return to Mishna Yomit Index

Visit the Mishna Yomit Archives