BS”D

Suka 48a

Shvat 2, 5783. January 15, 2023

Some brief notes. 

1 – We came across one of the famous acrostics – ראשי תיבות of ש”ס. 

פז”ר קש”ב  

The 6 letters symbolize the items by which שמיני עצרת is considered as a Yom Tov on its own, and not just the ‘8th day of Sukkos’. 

פַּיִיס בִּפְנֵי עַצְמוֹ. זְמַן בִּפְנֵי עַצְמוֹ. רֶגֶל בִּפְנֵי עַצְמוֹ. קׇרְבָּן בִּפְנֵי עַצְמוֹ. שִׁירָה בִּפְנֵי עַצְמוֹ. בְּרָכָה בִּפְנֵי עַצְמוֹ.

2 – We pointed out the Rashi that explains בְּרָכָה בִּפְנֵי עַצְמוֹ  as a special blessing that was made for the king on Shemini Atzeres. 

ובתוספתא משמע שמברכין את המלך. והכי גרסינן לה ברכה בפני עצמו שנאמר (מלכים א ח׳:ס״ו) ביום השמיני שלח את העם ויברכו את המלך:

Was it יחי המלך? 

3 – Discussed the three ways of mentioning שמיני עצרת in Davening and Benching. 

שמיני חג העצרת הזה 

Or

יום שמיני עצרת 

Or 

שמיני עצרת החג הזה. 

See here in Shulchan Aruch, Mogen Avrohom and Taz. OC 667. 

What if someone says חג הסוכות הזה? 

 

4 – The אבני נזר who quotes the Alter Rebbe in Torah Ohr about שמיני עצרת. 

CM 3.  

5 – The next Mishna discusses the obligation to be בשמחה on Shemini Atzeres.

In general –

שמחה –  when there is a בית המקדש this obligation is fulfilled only with eating meat. When there is no בית המקדש, with drinking wine. 

As the Gemara says in Pesachim 109, a.

תניא רבי יהודה בן בתירא אומר: בזמן שבית המקדש קיים אין שמחה אלא בבשר, שנאמר “וְזָבַחְתָּ שְׁלָמִים וְאָכַלְתָּ שָּׁם וְשָׂמַחְתָּ לִפְנֵי ה’ אֱלֹהֶיךָ.”, ועכשיו שאין בית המקדש קיים, אין שמחה אלא ביין, שנאמר “וְיַיִן יְשַׂמַּח לְבַב אֱנוֹשׁ”.

Meaning that everyday, one must eat from the שלמי שמחה or drink a רביעית of wine.  

Discussed the Gemara that says that there is no Simcha on the first night of Sukkos. As Rashi explains that to fulfill that on the first night one would need to bring the שלמי שמחה on ערב יום טוב. 

It seems a bit odd that the first night of Yom Tov there is no שמחה! 

6 – Mentioned the famous שאגת אריה, that says that there is indeed a Mitzvah of Simcha but only מדרבנן.   

Some  ראשונים as well as the Alter Rebbe disagree and say that there is a Mitzvah of שמחה the first night as well, despite not having the שלמי שמחה. As the Gemara says that that are other ways to be בשמחה, with wine, other delicacies or Yom Tov clothes. 

Here is the Rebbe’s Sicha where he discusses the שאגת ארי. 

7- Discussed the opinion of the Alter Rebbe that there is a מצוות עשה to drink at least a רביעית  of wine every day of Yom Tov including Chol HaMoed. 529, 6-7

ו ויש בחול המועד מה שאין בראש השנהלו והוא שכל שבעת ימי הפסח ושמונת ימי החגלז וכן ביו”ט של עצרתלח חייב אדם להיות שמח וטוב לב הוא ובניו ואשתו ובני ביתו וכל הנלוים אליולט ושמחה זו היא מצות עשה מן התורהמ שנאמרמא ושמחת בחגך אתה ובנך ובתך וגו’:

ז כיצד משמחןמב הקטנים נותן להם קליות ואגוזיםמג והנשים קונה להם בגדים ותכשיטין כפי ממונומד והאנשים בזמן שבית המקדש היה קיים היו אוכלין בשר שלמים לשמחהמה ועכשיו שאין בית המקדש קיים אין יוצאים ידי חובת שמחה אלא ביין שנאמרמו ויין ישמח לבב אנוש.

אבל בשר אין חובה לאכול עכשיו כיון שאין לנו בשר שלמים ומכל מקום מצוה יש באכילת בשר ביו”טמז כיון שנאמר בו שמחה והואיל ואי אפשר לנו לשמוח בו בעיקר השמחה שהיא אכילת בשר שלמים יש לנו לשמחו בשאר כל מיני שמחותמח.

לכך נהגו להרבות במיני מאכלים ביו”ט יותר מבשבתמט שלא נאמר בה שמחהנ וכן בגדי יו”ט צריכים להיות יותר טובים מבגדי שבתנא:

8- Concluded by mentioning what a smart Talmid Chacham answered when asked on the above obligation to drink wine every day of Yom Tov. The גמרא said on the previous Daf that wine was not easily available during the week. 

So how can one say there is a Mitzvah to drink wine every day of Chol HaMoed? 

His answer: The גמרא was talking during the time of the בית המקדש when indeed the Mitzvah of Simcha was only by eating meat. So indeed, there was no need to prepare wine for the entire Yom Tov!

 

BS”D

Sukkah 47b

Teves 24, 5783. January 17, 2023

1– Concerning  שמיני עצרת, that it is a Yom Tov in and of itself (separate from Sukkos), our גמרא quotes Rebi Yuhuda who specifies four items that are required on Shemini Atzeres. 

אַף שְׁמִינִי טָעוּן קׇרְבָּן וְשִׁיר וּבְרָכָה וְלִינָה.

2– Last week we discussed ברכה . Meaning that since it is a new Yom Tov we make a שהחיינו. (As opposed to שביעי של פסח  which is an extension of Pesach). 

3– שיר. A different song on the קרבן sung by the לויים  in the  בית המקדש. Rashi writes that he is unaware of this particular שיר. Tosfos however quotes from מסכת סופרים that a special שיר was said in Shul on שמיני  עצרת, so perhaps that is the one sung in the בית המקדש. 

למנצח על השמינית. 

4- לינה. The need to stay overnight in Yerushalayim on a Yom Tov and whenever bringing a קרבן or ביכורים. 

We discussed topics of the long Tosfos 47a.

• What causes the necessary overnight stay, Simchas Yom Tov or bringing the Korban.
• If one has בשר קרבן from the day before does he need to stay another night?
• Are the full 7 days of Sukkos and Pesach considered one continuous day? If yes, one would need to stay over the entire Yom Tov. 

5 – Speaking of this interesting מצוה (spending more time in the area of the בית המקדש) we digressed to the topic of  the Torah view on social issues. 

Mentioned the book Social Vision by Professor Philip Wexler (may he have a רפואה שלימה) where he gathered the Rebbe’s view on many social issues, such as public education, criminal justice reform, women’s empowerment, and alternative energy. (See here) 

See here Tzvi Freemans review.

6- Spending more time in the area of ירושלים. 

We read the interesting take of the ספר החינוך on מצות מעשר, which forms a basic and broad explanation of the Torah’s outlook on social, behavioral and education of כלל ישראל. The  חינוך explains the interaction between the common Jew and the intellectuals that mostly lived in ירושלים. 

See full text below. 

In short – The חינוך suggests an explanation on the entire idea and structure of מעשר. Specifically the מעשר that one needs to shlep up to be consumed in ירושלים. Like מעשר  שני and  מעשר בהמה. This is also the idea behind נטע רבעי. 

On the surface it seems the point of מעשר is to cause the common man to bring his מעשר fruits and animals to the city of ירושלים to be consumed and enjoyed in the vicinity of the בית המקדש. 

Suggests the ספר החינוך that there is much more behind these מצוות. 

Being that the common man is busy and preoccupied in making a living and acquiring wealth, his head is in חומר, or as we call call it גשמיות. Studying Torah and delving in intellectual pursuits is not his thing. 

Hashem therefore prescribed some מצוות that will cause the common man to make his way to ירושלים to mingle and interact with the חכמים in the vicinity of the  בית המקדש  where the סנהדרין is located and scholars and knowledge abound. 

To perform these מצוות a person would either make the trip himself or send a son to spend time there and have the necessary provisions to eat while there – the מעשר!

He or his son, having acquired and absorbed Torah knowledge, will, upon their return to their families, have an influence on the entire household. 

A family member that transmits knowledge to his family is far superior than listening to a Shiur from a local Rov – even with a weekly shiur. This is especially true to women and children. 

In conclusion, the Sefer Hachinuch explains how the Mitzvot of  Maaser Beheima, Maaser Sheni, and Neta Reva’i are not just practical commandments to bring a portion of one’s wealth to Jerusalem to eat and party. Rather, it’s to cause him to absorb רוחניות and תורה. 

We suggested that perhaps the Mitzvah of לינה, is in the same vein.

Don’t just pop into the בית המקדש, attend your קרבן at 8:00 AM and take off with the 9:15 AM flight. The Torah wants you to spend some time with the holy and smart people in ירושלים. Take in some of their inspiration and intelligence. Upon your return home you will have what to share and disseminate amongst your family and friends. 

7– The גמרא quotes opinions on how the תנופה of ביכורים was done. According to one opinion, both the owner and the כהן need to lift the fruits together. 

We learnt the Tosfos that quotes an interesting ירושלמי in Sota of how the תנופה was performed with the מנחת סוטה. 

Here is the ירושלמי. 

“The Cohen puts his hands under hers and performs the wave.” 

Question: Does the Cohen put his hands under hers? Is that not objectionable. Is the bodily contact between the Cohen and an otherwise married woman not immoral? 

Answer: He places a kerchief between his and her hands, not to touch the woman.

Question: Is that not a חציצה?

Answer: We use for this an elderly Cohen. 

Another answer: You may even say, a young כהן, since bad inclinations do not happen at that hour.

We mentioned that this principle, of ‘bad inclinations’ if only for a short time is not something the חכמים were concerned about  is relevant in regards to placing the ring during certain Chupas. 

8- We read the text of the לקוטי תורה  of the Arizal where he writes that when in the בית המקדש a Kohen would look at the forehead of the individual, identify his sins and help him with his תשובה. 

Asks the Ariza”l what about women? He answers that the כהן would see their faces as they were reflected in the כיור that was polished like a mirror. 

We mentioned that some אחרונים discuss if what one sees in a mirror is considered in Halocho as ‘seeing’. 

More on this topic in the future. 

 

————————————

חינוך מצוה שס. 

משרשי המצוה. שהאל ברוך הוא בחר בעם ישראל וחפץ למען צדקו

להיות כלם עוסקי תורתו ויודעי שמו, ובחכמתו משכם במצוה זו למען

ילמדו יקחו מוסר, כי יודע אלקים שרב בני אדם נמשכים אחר החמר

הפחות, בשגם הוא בשר, ולא יתנו נפשם בעמל התורה ובעסקה

תמיד,

על כן סבב בתבונתו ונתן להם מקום שידעו הכל דברי תורתו על כל

פנים, שאין ספק כי כל אדם נמשך לקבע דירתו במקום שממונו שם.

ולכן בהעלות כל איש מעשר כל בקר וצאן שלו שנה שנה במקום

שעסק החכמה והתורה שם והיא ירושלים, ששם הסנהדרין יודעי דעת

 ומביני מדע, וכמו כן נעלה לשם מעשר תבואתנו בארבע שני השמטה,

כמו שידוע שמעשר שני נאכל שם, וכן נטע רבעי שנאכל שם, על כל

פנים או ילך שם בעל הממון עצמו ללמד תורה, או ישלח שם אחד

מבניו שילמד שם ויהיה נזון באותן פירות.

ומתוך כך יהיה בכל בית ובית מכל ישראל איש חכם יודע התורה,

אשר ילמד בחכמתו כל בית אביו, ובכן תמלא הארץ דעה את השם, כי

אם חכם אחד לבד יהיה בעיר או אפילו עשרה יהיו הרבה מבני אדם

שבעיר וכל שכן הנשים והילדים שלא יבואו לפניהם כי אם פעם אחת

בשנה, או אפילו ישמעו דבריהם פעם אחת בשבוע, ילכו לביתם

וישליכו כל דברי החכם אחרי גום, אבל בהיות המלמד בכל בית ובית

שוכן שם ערב ובקר וצהרים ויזהירם תמיד, אז יהיו כלם אנשים ונשים

וילדים מזהרין ועומדים, ולא ימצא ביניהם שום דבר חטא ועון, ועל ידי

זה יזכו למה שכתוב ויקרא כו יא יב ונתתי משכני בתוככם. ירמיה יא ד

והייתם לי לעם ואנכי אהיה לכם לאלהים.

It is from the roots of the commandment [that it is because] God chose the nation

of Israel and wished for the sake of His righteousness that all of them be engaged

with His Torah and be knowers of His Name. And in His Wisdom, he lured them

with this commandment so that they would study [and] draw moral teachings. As

 

God knows that most people are lured by lower physicality, ‘as [they] are also

flesh’ and they will not put their souls to the toil of the Torah and its constant

involvement. 

Therefore, in His understanding, He caused [it] and gave them a

place wherein everyone will know the words of His Torah regardless – for there is

no doubt that every man will be drawn to establish his residence in the place that

his money is there. 

And as such, when each person brings up the tithe of all his

cattle and his sheep each year to the place where involvement with wisdom and

Torah is found – that is Jerusalem, where is the Sanhedrin of those who master

knowledge and understand information – and we similarly bring up the tithe of

our grain in four years of the sabbatical [cycle], as we know that the second tithe

is eaten there, and so [too,] the fourth year planting is eaten there; the owner of

[these things] will perforce either go there and study Torah himself, or send one

of his sons to study there and to be sustained by that produce.

 

And through this, each and every house in all of Israel will have someone who is

wise and knowledgeable in the Torah who can [then] teach all of the household of

his father with his wisdom. And with this ‘the land will be filled with knowledge

of the Lord’. 

If there was only one sage in each city – or even ten – there would

be many men who would only come in front of them once a year, and all the

more so the women and the children. And even if they heard their words once a

week, they would [then] go to their home and throw all the words of the sage

behind their back. 

However, when the teacher is in each and every house, dwelling there evening, morning and afternoon and constantly reminding them; then they will all – men, women and children – be careful and aware and no matter of sin or iniquity will be found among them. 

And through this they will merit that which is written (Leviticus 26:11-12) ‘And I will place My dwelling amongst you […] and you will be for Me a nation, and I will be for you God’.  

 

BS”D

Sukkah 47a

Teves 17, 5783. January 10, 2023

1 – We reviewed the fascinating Ohr Sameach which we discussed last week about the  חכמים that didn’t sit in a Sukkah until  שמיני עצרת because they ‘were out in the marshes’. 

2 – One of the most  famous lines in Sha”s: 

וְהִלְכְתָא: מֵיתַב יָתְבִינַן, בָּרוֹכֵי לָא מְבָרְכִינַן.

And the Halachah is that we sit in the Sukkah [on Shemini Atzeres] but we do not recite a Brachah [לישב בסוכה] 

Now, what could be more clearer than that? And yet…… not everyone does that. 

3 – The Shulchan Aruch (668) says very clearly:

See מגן אברהם:

Some do not sit in the  סוכה for the night meal but do sit for the day meal. The Tur says that this Minhag is not proper. But some people in our country do so because they saw their parents act so. The Beis Yosef explains their  מנהג (Night no – day yes) because sitting in the Sukkah and saying  שהחיינו for  שמיני עצרת  is a contradiction. 

Asks the  מגן אברהם- sitting in the Sukkah by day is also a contradiction since we say in Bentching  שמיני עצרת החג הזה…?

He suggests that the issue is  בל תוסיף.  Skipping the Sukkah for the night meal shows we are aware that our sitting in the Sukkah the next day is only due to a  ספק, maybe it’s the 7th day of Sukkos. 

[It only looks like בל תוסיף. See previous Shiur] 

However he concludes, the Tur is right as the Beis Yosef agrees based on the simple meaning in the Gemara. Most other פוסקים also state that all the meals should be eaten in the Sukkah. 

4 – We mentioned the GR”A that says that one must not only eat but also sleep in the Sukkah on  שמיני עצרת. He adds that even if one had reason not to sleep in the Sukkah all week he must do so on  שמיני עצרת because  ערבין עלי דברי סופרים!!

5- We discussed the  קרבן נתנאל who was one of the first to give a reason for not sitting in the Sukkah on  שמיני עצרת. 

Taking into account the  בל תוסיף issue and in addition (as per the Rif) to ‘embarrassing  שמיני עצרת’, sitting in a Sukkah when it is cold, windy and uncomfortable is very blatant that one is doing it  לשם מצוות סוכה  (as mentioned in Tosfos). 

Therefore one should not sit in the Sukkah. 

 6- We mentioned the Munkatcher’s long  תשובה in the  מנחת אלעזר (See fascinating  Video of his daughter’s wedding in Munkatch). 

4, 31.

He tries to explain the Minhag of some חסידים to eat only some or all of the שמיני עצרת meals indoors based on the קרבן נתנאל. 

He adds that the גמרא was referring to warm climates like in Iraq and the Beis Yosef in Israel. People living in the northern parts of the world where on Sukkos it’s cold makes sense to eat indoors. 

He quotes from the ספר הפרדס that some ראשונים of France ate the night meal indoors and the daytime ones in the Sukkah. 

7- We moved on to the חידוש of רבי יוחנן that on Shemini Atzeres one needs to say שהחיינו since it is a Yom Tov in its own right. 

We discussed that the Torah mentions Shemini Atzeres in a way that can be construed to be either an ‘extension’ of Sukkos or a new Yom Tov on the 8th day that  happens to be the day after Sukkos – but in reality it stands on its own as a separate Yom Tov. 

To be continued next week IY”H. 

8- Parshas ויחי. 

We concluded with the solid question of the Chasam Sofer. דרשות ע’ צט

For at least 26 years Yosef kept his promise to פרעה not to divulge that he, Yosef, spoke a language that was not known to פרעה. 

Sotah, 36b:

פרעה lived in fear least Yosef publicize his ignorance of לשון הקודש.   

Asks the Chasam Sofer: What was so difficult for פרעה, who knew 69 languages, to learn another language? Why didn’t he ask Yosef to teach him again and again ? In a mere few months he would have picked up לשון הקודש. 

In short, the Chasam Sofer answers that there are two languages. לשון עברי and לשון קודש. 

The first is the plain simple language that can be spoken by all. (And perhaps פרעה did indeed know this). 

Then there is true לשון הקודש. That is the holiness and intricate meaning that every word contains. For someone to truly speak and understand this language one needs רוח הקודש. 

Such as גימטריאות – numerology, of every word and its meaning. 

Example – בזאת יבוא אהרן. The 410 years of the 1st בית המקדש is hidden in the word  בזאת, which equals 410. 

Then there is    נוטריקון– what we call ראשי תיבות. Every letter of the  words in  לשון הקודש alludes to some mysterious meaning. [The CS cites some examples]. 

Additionally, there are  תמורות – exchanges. Meaning that there are various methods of exchanging the letters to form different words. Like א”ת ב”ש. 

[We will come across this idea further ahead 52b]. 

Someone like פרעה  may have indeed known לשון עברי. 

However לשון קודש is something that can be acquired only thru רוח הקודש. It’s not a language that can be ‘learnt’. 

 

 BS”D

Sukkah 46b – 47a

Teves 10, 5783. January 3, 2023

1- We  began with a topic that is much discussed in many places in Sha”s and in the world of Lomdus. 

Reb Zeira says that one should not give his Lulav to a child while the child can indeed acquire it (be קונה) he cannot give it (or sell it) back to the father. 

This one-way transaction is based on a תקנה of the Rabanan. Min Hatorah, a child under Bar Mitzva cannot buy or sell. Acquire or gift. 

Seeing that unscrupulous people would grab away items from children causing anxiety, the חכמים enacted that once the child is given something it belongs to him. Period. The תקנה is for the קטן to acquire, not to give it to others. 

Thus,  giving the Lulav to a child would be non reversible. Meaning the father/giver would not be able to ‘own’ it by taking it back from him. 

2- From this suggestion, of not giving it to a קטן, it would seem that there is no method at all to give it to a  קטן and get it back – even with a מתנה על מנת להחזיר. 

As we mentioned in a previous shiur,  the Rosh writes מתנה על מנת להחזיר will not help with a קטן- ‘since to fulfill the תנאי the קטן would need to ‘gift it’ ‘back to his father.
This means that according to the Rosh,  in general with any מתנה על מנת להחזיר the return is not automatic. It needs a full הקנאה in return. 

We mentioned the קצות that disagrees and explains that מתנה על מנת להחזיר goes back automatically to the original owner. 

We discussed if giving to a קטן with a מתנה על מנת להחזיר would indeed work with a Lulav. 

3 – Another wide ranging topic discussed concerns an Esrog that was unpaid for before Yom Tov. 

The buyer acquired the Esrog with קנין משיכה by taking the Esrog home. Now, this קנין, as opposed to קנין כסף, is only מדרבנן. 

So the question is: does the buyer ‘own’ the Esrog only at a דרבנן level (an issue of the לכם on the first day)  or the תקנת חכמים has the power to elevate their קנין to a דאורייתא level. 

We mentioned the מחנה אפרים who was the first one to raise this question. 

4- We began the famous Sugya of what to do about Sukkah and Lulav on Shemini Atzeres. 

At first glance, since we are/were unsure if Shemini Atzeres is indeed the 8th day (and a separate Yom Tov on itself) or perhaps it’s the 7th day of Sukkos, of course we need to do both Lulav (מדרבנן like all  חול המועד  days), and eat in the Sukkah (מן התורה). 

 All Yomim Tovim we observe a second day since we are unsure and perhaps it is actually the first day of Yom Tov. Like the second day of Pesach. 

The issue with the 8th day of Sukkos is that it perhaps it’s the 7th day of Sukkos or maybe not. However, if it is not, then it is indeed the 8th day which is a new Yom Tov, Shemini Atzeres, on its own.

In other words, as opposed to other ימים טובים , if the day in doubt is incorrect, then it’s not a יום טוב. In the case of שמיני עצרת, if it’s not the 7th day of Sukkos then it’s a Yom Tov of שמיני עצרת.

We discussed briefly as to why we make a ברכה on יום טוב שני despite the general rule of ספק ברכות להקל.

Discussed some of the issues that arise with observing Sukkos on שמיני עצרת. 

• Such as, מוקצה for the Lulav, if it is indeed שמיני עצרת. 
• Contradiction of observing שמיני  עצרת and acting, by sitting in the Sukka, as if it is not Yom Tov. Imagine we would need to put on Tefillin on the Second Day Yom Tov!
• As the רי״ף writes, it’s a זלזול יום טוב.
• Bal Tosif. בל תוסיף. Taking the ד׳ מינים an extra day. 

5- In general, the לא תעשה of בל תוסיף when doing a Mitzvah, not in its prescribed time frame, like Tefillin on Shabbos, is transgressed only if one has the intention כוונה to be מקיים to perform this extra Mitzvah לא בזמנו. 

However, for example, someone who is unsure if today is the 7th day of Sukkos or Shemini Atzeres, on the contrary, he must sit in the Sukkah but with a תנאי: ‘If today is not Sukkos I’m just sitting outdoors for pleasure’. 

So the גמרא  says that the sitting in the Sukkah on Shemini Atzeres, which we must do, should be somehow different – perhaps by not making a לישב בסוכה. This emphasizes the doubt we’re in. Our sitting in the Sukka is without intention of being מקיים מצות סוכה if it is indeed שמיני עצרת. 

To be continued next week when bl”n well try to understand the Minhag of many, (despite an open and clear cut גמרא to sit in the Sukkah and not make a ברכה) – not to sit in the Sukkah!

6 – We encountered a truly rare and mystifying גמרא. Adding to the mystery is that no ראשונים attempt to explain. 

The גמרא relates a story about Rav Huna and all the גדולי הדור were in the farmlands with no Sukkah for the 7 days of Sukkos. They came into town only on שמיני עצרת and entered a Sukkah for the first time. 

The expression in the Gemare is גמירי דמאפר קא אתו – ‘we have a קבלה that they arrived from אפר – a marsh’. 

As Rashi explains they didn’t sit in a Sukkah until שמיני עצרת!

How is that possible? All Gedolei Hador didn’t observe מצוות סוכה?

We find many explanations in אחרונים starting with the מהרש״ל that it was a שעת הגזירה that prevented them from gaining access to a Sukka until שמיני עצרת. 

In the name of Reb Chaim Berlin (grandson of the נצי״ב) it says that אפרא here means Queen Ifrah Hurmiz who was the mother of Shvur , who was the king over Eretz Yisroel at the time. (Bava basra 10b) אִיפְרָא הוֹרְמִיז אִימֵּיהּ דְּשַׁבּוּר מַלְכָּא

These great men needed to meet her for טובת הכלל and sacrificed their Sukkah observance for the benefit of כלל ישראל. 

We mentioned what Reb Levke Kaplan related in the name of Reb Mottel Rivkin A”H.  Reb Mottel was told by an old Russian Jew of seeing a rare manuscript in the home of a wealthy non Jewish baron. This manuscript was of a hand written Shas on parchment. 

Upon inspection, he noticed that on the sidebar on מסכת סוכה, next to the words מאפר there was a handwritten note

מאפ״ר מאימת פחד מלכות רומי. 

 Meaning that the word מאפר was written in code. The גמרא didn’t mean that these חכמים spent Sukkos on a farm without a Sukkah. These great people were on the run or unable to observe the Yom Tov properly in fear of the oppressing Roman rule. 

We mentioned briefly the earliest know hand written manuscript of the entire Shas. 

See here. https://www.bavlionline.org/manuscripts/

The above note does not appear there. 

7- Another brilliant explanation from the Ohr Sameach.  Here: 6, 13. 

In short- the גמרא wants to prove that although we sit in a Sukkah on Shemini Atzeres a ברכה is not said. They quote the above story when these חכמים entered the Sukkah for the first time on שמיני עצרת they didn’t make a ברכה. That seems like solid proof that no ברכה is made on the Sukkah on שמיני עצרת. 

The גמרא counters that perhaps the opinion of these Gedolim was that לישב בסוכה is said only once, on the first night of Sukka. That is why they didn’t make a ברכה on שמיני עצרת. 

So their not making a ברכה on Shemini Atzeres is not a proof for us. As we make a ברכה every time we walk into a Sukkah, and we need to do it on שמיני עצרת as well. 

The גמרא responds that ‘we have a קבלה that they arrived from אפר – a marsh’. 

As above, Rashi says, they didn’t have a Sukkah until שמיני עצרת. 

The אור שמח suggests that while in the marshes they did indeed have a Sukka and made a ברכה the first night only (as per their opinion) and that was valid for the entire 7 days preceding this encounter in the city. 

But these scholars were unique in their observance of Yom Tov. While the city dwellers were unsure of the correct days of Yom Tov, (this occurred at a time before the calendar was established)  these גדולים knew the exact days of when Yom Tov occurs. 

The rule is, as per the גמרא in Pesachim 52, one who knows how to calculate the monthly calendar can indeed follow his mathematical conclusion and observe that day as the Yom Tov only with no need to observe the second day:

Indeed, one keeps one day only, but with one caveat. One can do that only if he is out of the city, traveling or in a desert. Inside the city walls he must follow the city dwellers and observe two days. 

These scholars were in the marshes kept only 1 day Yom Tov, as opposed to those in the city, who kept 2 days. On the first night of Sukkos they made a לישב בסוכה. They had no intention, as above, to make this ברכה again throughout the entire Yom Tov. On their  שמיני עצרת they obviously would not have sat in the Sukkah. 

However, they entered the city and now need to follow the custom of the locals and observe 2 days Yom Tov. So their שמיני עצרת is now perhaps only the 7th day of Sukkos. 

And their first night of Sukkos, based upon the calculation of the city people, was….ערב Yom Tov. 

So the ברכה they made on the first night was null. Since they didn’t make a  ברכה on the second night (unlike the city fellows) they never made a proper ברכה. 

So when they entered the city Sukka on שמיני עצרת, which is perhaps the 7th day of Sukkos, they would have needed to make a ברכה. Unlike the city people who made a ברכה on the second night and therefore had no need to make the ברכה. 

So why didn’t they make a ברכה?

Aha! 

That is proof that on שמיני עצרת the חכמים established that despite it being a ספק, perhaps it’s the 7th day of Sukkos, we should (sit in the Sukka but) not make a ברכה for reasons above in paragraph 4.