Pitchforks and prayers TB Sukkah 14

Today’s daf TB Sukkah 14 contains a long and complicated discussion about the stems of fruit. When the stems make handling the fruit easier, they are considered part of the fruit and are invalid sakhakh. The stems can become ritually unready just like the fruit. When the stems are not considered part of the fruit (because you have no use for them) they are kosher sakhakh. The Gemara does a deep dive analyzing the case where a person originally considered the stems part of the fruit, but he changed his mind and wants to use the branch with the stem and fruit as part of the sahakh. At the very end of the sugiyah, “Rabbi Shimon ben Lakish said: Even after the grain is trampled, the straw (which is parallel to stems of fruit –gg) suits his needs, since the straw is suited to facilitate turning over the grain with a pitchfork. (עֶתֶר)” (Sefaria.org translation)

The root of the word pitchfork (עֶתֶר) is the same root for an uncommon word for prayer. Back in the book of Genesis Isaac married Rebecca. Up to this point in their marriage she was barren. Isaac prayed on her behalf. “Isaac pleaded ( וַיֶּעְתַּ֨ר יִצְחָ֤ק) with the LORD on behalf of his wife, because she was barren; and the LORD responded to his plea, and his wife Rebekah conceived.” (Genesis 25:21) The rabbis saw a connection between pitchforks and prayers based on the common root.

“Rabbi Elazar said: Why are the prayers of the righteous (צַדִּיקִים) likened to a pitchfork [eter]? It is written: “And Isaac entreated [vayetar] the Lord for his wife, because she was barren” (Genesis 25:21), to say to you: Just as this pitchfork overturns the grain on the threshing floor from place to place, so too, the prayers of the righteous overturn the mind of the Holy One, Blessed be He, from the attribute of cruelty to the attribute of mercy, and He accepts their prayers.” (Sefaria.org translation)

If you are a rabbi as soon as Tisha B’Av is over, your thoughts turn to the High Holidays because Rosh Hashanah is only seven weeks away. Because we are in an eternal loving covenantal relationship with God, we don’t have to even be a tsaddik to influence the Holy One. The shofar blasts, our prayers without words, literally move God.

“In Vayikra Rabbah 29:3, we encounter the following passage: Yehudah b. Naḥmani in the name of R. Shim’on b. Laqish opened: God ascends amidst acclamation [teru’ah]; YHVH, to the blasts of the shofar (Psalms 47:6). When the Holy Blessed One ascends to sit on the throne of judgement on Rosh Hashanah, he ascends for judgement. This is that which is written, God [Elohim] ascends amidst acclamation [teru’ah]. And once Israel take their shofarot and blow them, immediately YHVH, to the blasts of the shofar. What does the Holy Blessed One do? He rises from the throne of judgement and sits on the throne of compassion, and is filled with compassion for them and transforms the quality of justice into the quality of compassion for them. When? On Rosh Hashanah, in the seventh month on the first of the month.” (https://www.thelehrhaus.com/timely-thoughts/rosh-hashanah-and-gods-battle-for-compassion/)