BSD

Sukkah 36a-b 

2nd Adar 27, 5782. March 29, 2022

1- We find in a ברייתא various types of unusual Esrogim with issues. 

The first one we discussed is כבוש. Meaning the Esrog was soaked in a liquid for a 24 hour period. The rule is כבוש כמבושל. Soaking or pickling is considered as if it was cooked, which in our case would cause the Esrog to be פסול.

We mentioned the חתם סופר that derives from this that placing the Lulav in a vase filled with water for 24 hours would cause it to be כמבושל and invalid. Others disagree and say that only a food item can be considered כמבושל. The Lulav, Hadasim and Aravos are merely branches and twigs and this rule would not apply to them.

אתרוג מנומר פסול – 2

Spotted like a leopard. 

We read another interesting חתם סופר that brings up the issue of spots that appear on an Esrog as a result of many people touching it. Is this considered הדר ? 

His expression is interesting: ונ”ל דאכתי הוי הדר, כיון שבאו ע”י מצותו, וזהו הודו והדרו.

Despite the discoloration it is still considered a  הדר since this has been caused by many Mitzvos. That is a true הדר.

 

Here are two interesting links submitted by Mendel Nemanov. Thanks.

From the Rebbe. Others. 

3 – Esrog that while developing on the tree was placed in a form and produced a non Esrog- like shape. פסול. 

Zev Sero pointed out the funny looking Esrogim that were used in India. See here, and here .

4 – Our Gemara relates the Minhag of Reb Chanina on the last days of Sukkos he would cut a piece of  the Esrog and eat it. We discussed the issue of חסר and הדר. 

5 – The Gemara then brings in the case of an Esrog that mice bit into. Again, a lack of  חסר and הדר. 

6- We spoke a bit about Reb Avrohom Abele Gombiner who is know for his monumental work on the Shulchan Aruch, the מגן אברהם. 

We repeated a fascinating idea from him.

ערבי נחל מג”א לא עברתי ממצותיך ולא שכחתי

https://beta.hebrewbooks.org/pdfpager.aspx?req=19050&st=&pgnum=481

In short, one of the 613 Mitzvos is for all to come to the Beis Hamikdosh in years 4 and 7 of the Shmira to declare that all his Trumos and Ma’aser were given. 

B He then says: לא עברתי ממצותיך ולא שכחתי. 

What does not forgetting have to do with giving away the Trumos and Ma’aser? 

Says the Mogen Avrohom that the Yerushalmi relates an interesting story with Reb Pinchos ben Yair:

רִבִּי פִינְחָס בֶּן יָאִיר אֲזַל לְחַד אֲתַר אֲתוּן לְגַבֵּיהּ אָֽמְרוּן לֵיהּ עַכְבָּרָיָא אֲכַל עִיבּוּרָן. גָּזַר עֲלֵיהֹן וְצַמְתּוּן שָׁרוּן מְצַפְצְפִין אֲמַר לוֹן יָֽדְעִין אַתּוּן מַה אִינּוּן אָֽמְרִין אָֽמְרוּ לֵיהּ לָא. אֲמַר לוֹן אָֽמְרוּ דְּלָא מְתַקְּנָא. אָֽמְרוּ לֵיהּ עוֹרְבָן וְעָֽרְבוֹן וְלָא אַנְכּוּן.

Rebbi Phineas ben Yaïr went to a place where they¹³⁹The farmers of that place. came to him and said, rats are eating our grain. He commanded them¹⁴⁰The rats.; they assembled and started to whistle. He asked them, do you understand what they are saying? They said, no. He said to them, they say that it is not put in order. They said to him, be our guarantor. He promised¹⁴¹That the rats would leave if all tithes were taken. It is implied that the townspeople complied and correctly gave all heave and tithes. and they had no further losses.

So not giving Maa’ser properly causes mice to attack the produce.

Now the Gemara in Horios 13b says that one who eats food that mice have bitten into forgets his learning.

ת”ר חמשה דברים משכחים את הלימוד האוכל ממה שאוכל עכבר וממה שאוכל חתול והאוכל לב של בהמה והרגיל בזיתים והשותה מים של שיורי רחיצה והרוחץ רגליו זו על גבי זו ויש אומרים אף המניח כליו תחת מראשותיו חמשה דברים משיבים את הלימוד פת פחמין וכל שכן פחמין עצמן והאוכל ביצה מגולגלת בלא מלח והרגיל בשמן זית והרגיל ביין ובשמים והשותה מים של שיורי עיסה ויש אומרים אף הטובל אצבעו במלח ואוכל

§ The Sages taught in a baraita: There are five factors that cause one to forget his Torah study: One who eats from that which a mouse eats and from that which a cat eats, and one who eats the heart of an animal, and one who is accustomed to eating olives, and one who drinks water that remains from washing, and one who washes his feet with this foot atop that foot. And some say: Also one who places his garments under his head. Correspondingly, there are five factors that restore forgotten Torah study: Eating bread baked on coals and all the more so one who warms himself with the heat of the coals themselves, and one who eats a hard-boiled egg [beitza megulgelet] without salt, and one who is accustomed to eating olive oil, and one who is accustomed to drinking wine and smelling spices, and one who drinks water that remains from kneading dough. And some say: Also one who dips his finger in salt and eats it.

So concludes the Mogen Avrohom, that is the meaning of the Posuk- I gave all my Ma’aser, therefore I do not have mice problems and my food does not cause me to forget!!!

Sources:

ערבי נחל מג״א  לא עברתי ממצותיך ולא שכחתי

https://beta.hebrewbooks.org/pdfpager.aspx?req=19050&st=&pgnum=

ירושלמי   https://www.sefaria.org/Jerusalem_Talmud_Demai.1.3.12?ven=The_Jerusalem_Talmud,_translation_and_commentary_by_Heinrich_W._Guggenheimer._Berlin,_De_Gruyter,_1999-2015&vhe=The_Jerusalem_Talmud,_edition_by_Heinrich_W._Guggenheimer._Berlin,_De_Gruyter,_1999-2015&lang=bi