Thursday Night Shiur

Last night's class focused on the view of Rava as to why a Succah that is higher than twenty amot is not valid as a Succah.

Rava quotes the verse that says, בסוכות תשבו שבעת ימים - "You should dwell in Sukkot for Seven Days". Rava understands that the intention of the Torah is that you should dwell is "Seven Day" Sukkot.  In other words, make for yourselves Sukkot that will last for seven days.   "Leave your permanent homes and enter into temporary dwellings".  A succah higher than 20 amot requires walls that are permanent, stronger foundations, etc...

Abaye's קושיא on Rava is: If that's the case אלא מעתה - (ie from here, based on your logic) it follows: that if a person places schach on iron walls, it would not be a kosher succah.....(Implicit in Abaye's comments is that it is clear that such a succah is kosher.  How, then, could Rava give us a drasha that implies that such a succah would not be valid?

Rava answers: (according to Rashi's explanation) included in a permanent succah is the minimal standard of a temporary succah. The intent of the Torah was not to invalidate a permanent succah, but to set the parameters for the upper height of a succah.  It has to be a height that would tolerate temporary walls and limited foundations.  Therefore, even if the walls were made of iron, such a succah would be kosher, as long as it the succah was a height that would tolerate temporary walls.

We will start this evening with a review of the first few lines of ב: - ie why each approach does not accept the view of the other Amora....