Seven days or just six days TB Sukkah 43

Yesterday we finished the third chapter of our massekhet and began the fourth chapter. The first Mishnah of the fourth chapter delineates how many days one shakes the lulav, perform the willow ceremony, recites Hallel, the ritual of water libation, and in the Temple the playing of the flute. Sometimes Shabbat or yom tov (the first or last day of the holiday) will interrupt the performance of a ritual a day or two. For example, we do not take and wave the lulav on Shabbat; consequently, the observance of this ritual is for six days with the exception when the Temple stood. Only in the Temple the mitzvah of lulav and etrog was observed on Shabbat.

“GEMARA: Apropos the prohibition against taking a lulav on Shabbat, the Gemara asks: Why is this prohibited? After all, taking the lulav is merely moving the object and is prohibited due to the rabbinic prohibition of set-aside. Since the mitzva to take the lulav is a mitzva by Torah law, let it override this relatively minor Shabbat prohibition. Rabba said: This prohibition is a decree lest one take the lulav in his hand and go to an expert to learn how to wave the lulav or how to recite its blessing, and in doing so carry it four cubits in the public domain, thereby violating a severe Torah prohibition. And that is the reason for the prohibition against sounding the shofar on Shabbat, and that is the reason for the prohibition against reading the Scroll of Esther when Purim coincides with Shabbat.” (TB Sukkah 42b-43a, Sefaria.org Translation)

In the previous chapters we have learned many laws concerning the sukkah like the minimum and maximum dimensions of the walls of the sukkah and what is kosher sahkakh. We have studied 42 dappim and haven’t yet learned the extent of the mitzvah of dwelling in a sukkah! All that is corrected on today’s daf TB Sukkah 43. Based on analysis of verses, the mitzvah of lulav is different than the mitzvah of dwelling in a sukkah. Unlike the mitzvah of lulav, the mitzvah of dwelling in the sukkah is for all seven days and nights.

“And the Rabbis, what do they do with the verse: On the day? The Gemara answers: They require it to teach that the mitzva of taking the lulav is specifically during the day and not at night…

“The Gemara asks: And with regard to sukka itself, from where do we derive that the mitzva is observed at night as well? As the Sages taught in a baraita that it is written: “You shall reside in sukkot for seven days” (Leviticus 23:42), from which they derived: Days and even nights. The tanna continues the discussion: Do you say days and even nights; or perhaps the meaning is only days and not nights? And it may be inferred logically that the latter is correct. It is stated here, with regard to sukka: “Days.” And it is stated with regard to lulav: “Days.” Just as there, with regard to lulav, the meaning is days and not nights, so too here, with regard to sukka, the meaning is days and not nights. That is one possibility.

“Or, perhaps, go this way and say the opposite. It is stated here, with regard to sukka: Days, and it is stated with regard to the inauguration of the Tabernacle: “And at the door of the Tent of Meeting you shall reside day and night seven days” (Leviticus 8:35). Just as there, with regard to the inauguration of the Tabernacle, the meaning is days and even nights, so too here, with regard to sukka, the meaning is days and even nights. A source exists for either possibility.

“The baraita continues: Let us see to which of the paradigms the mitzva of sukka is comparable. Perhaps one derives a matter whose mitzva is in effect the entire day, sukka, from another matter whose mitzva is in effect the entire day, the inauguration of the Tabernacle, and do not let a matter whose mitzva is in effect for a brief moment, lulav, prove otherwise. Or perhaps go this way and say the opposite: One derives a matter whose mitzva is in effect throughout the generations, sukka, from another matter whose mitzva is in effect throughout the generations, lulav, and do not let the inauguration that is not in practice throughout the generations, as it was in effect only at the establishment of the Tabernacle, prove otherwise.

“Since it is impossible to determine the more appropriate source based on logical inference, derive the matter as the verse states: “you shall reside,” “you shall reside,” by means of a verbal analogy. It is stated here, with regard to sukka: “You shall reside in sukkot seven days” (Leviticus 23:42), and it is stated with regard to the inauguration of the Tabernacle: “And at the door of the Tent of Meeting you shall reside day and night seven days” (Leviticus 8:35). Just as there, with regard to the inauguration, the meaning is days and even nights, so too here, with regard to sukka, the meaning is days and even nights.”(Sefaria.org translation)

That is exactly what we do today. We dwell in the sukkah all seven days and nights, but only shake the lulav in the daytime six days of the seven days of the holiday of Sukkot.