BS”D

Sukkah 37b

Iyar 9, 5782. May 11, 2022

1- We continued with the topic having direct contact to the Lulav with out any חציצה. 

Mentioned the רמ”א that says it’s preferable that one remove his Tefillin (and ring) before shaking the lulav since the רצועות on his palm or finger  will be a חציצה. OC 651, 7. In regards to Tefillin, he was referring to the  מנהג אשכנז to don them on חול המועד.  

אם עשה בית יד ונתן בו הלולב ונטלו, שפיר דמי, דלקיחה ע”י דבר אחר שמה לקיחה, ובלבד שיהא דרך כבוד; אבל אם אינו דרך כבוד, כגון שנתן הלולב בכלי, ונטלו, לא יצא; ואם כרך עליו סודר, ונטלו או שכרך סודר על ידו, ונטלו, י”א דלא יצא:

הגה – ונהגו להחמיר להסיר התפילין (מהרי”ל) וטבעות מידם, אבל מדינא אין לחוש הואיל ואין כל היד מכוסה בהן (אגודה פ’ מקום שנהגו):

[Note: The full Chapter # 651 in the Alter Rebbe’s Shulchan Aruch did not reach us]. 

2- Loose leaves inside the ‘bouquet’ of the Lulav. Whether from the הדסים or ערבות or loose branches of the Lulav itself. The Halacha is that it is not a problem since מין במינו אינו חוצץ.

3 –  A lefty, switches and holds the Lulav in his left hand according to Ashkenazim as the Ramo writes. Sephardim follow the Shulchan Aruch and a lefty does  not switch hands.  OC 651, 3.

4- What about an ambidextrous person? See above that he takes the Lulav in his right hand. 

Ambidextrous

We mentioned the Machlokes about a Kohen who is ambidextrous. A lefty Kohen cannot do the עבודה. But what if he has equal use of both hands? 

Mishna בכורות ז, ו.

וְהַשּׁוֹלֵט בִּשְׁתֵּי יָדָיו – רְבִּי פּוֹסֵל, וַחֲכָמִים מַכְשִׁירִין. 

The Gemore explains the reasoning for these two opinions. 

Rebi says that such a Kohen has a weak right hand. Meaning he is a double lefty.
The Chachamim say on the contrary, an ambidextrous person has a strong left hand. 

5- The Gemara discusses the smelling of the הדס or the Esrog on Yom Tov. 

See here that both are prohibited. The TA”Z adds that ‘those that smell the Esrog when holding it are practicing a מנהג שטות!’

6- We spoke about the smelling of items that are אסור בהנאה. Mentioned the ראשונים that make a distinction between items that are made for scenting, such as בשמים versus items that are made primarily for eating such a bread. 

Read the text of the Shach (YD 108, 13) that does not accept this distinction and prohibits the smelling of all איסורים. 

The Alter Rebbe accepts his opinion and writes that on Pesach one should not inhale the scent of Chometz from a non Jew

7- The Gemore discusses smelling an Esrog or הדס on Shabbos while it is still attached to the tree. 

Rashi says that biting into a fruit when it is still on the tree is ‘the epitome of תולש ‘. We discussed if this is מדאורייתא or מדרבנן since is not the usual way one picks fruit off a tree.

See מגן אברהם   

336,11. 

Alter Rebbe:

The Gemore in Shabbos says that writing with one’s mouth is שלא כדרך and not considered writing. We mentioned the query of Reb Zvi Pesach Frank who discusses ‘speaking into a phonograph if that is considered writing’. 

See here. 

8- We began the next Mishna concerning נענועים. 

More on this next week. 

9 – Story of the פריץ telling his Yid friend who was allowed by his קהילה to blow the Shofer only after נעילה

  !! “אז דו האלסט שוין דעם שופר –  בלאז’. 

10 Story of the Rebbe’s painting and it’s aftermath, from an Indian’s office to 15th floor in Rockefeller Center. There has been a sighting.