Sukkah 21B

בקבר התהום.

with impurity imparted by a grave in the depths.

תניא כוותיה דרבא. רבי יהודה אומר: לא היו מביאין דלתות כל עיקר, מפני שדעתו של תינוק גסה עליו, שמא יוציא ראשו או אחד מאבריו ויטמא בקבר התהום. אלא מביאין שוורים המצרים שכריסותיהן רחבות, והתינוקות יושבין על גביהן, וכוסות של אבן בידיהן. הגיעו לשילוח ⁠— ירדו ומלאום, ועלו וישבו להן על גביהן.

The Talmud comments: It is taught in a baraita in accordance with the opinion of Rava, as R' Yehuda says: They would not bring doors at all, because a child has an exaggerated sense of self-confidence and perhaps he will extend his head or one of his limbs beyond the edge of the door and will become impure with impurity imparted by a grave in the depths. Rather, they would bring Egyptian oxen whose bellies are broad, and the children would sit upon them and they would hold cups of stone in their hands. When they reached the Siloam pool they descended and filled them, and ascended and sat themselves on the backs of the oxen.

והרי מטה, דיש בה כמה אגרופים, ותנן, רבי יהודה אומר: נוהגים היינו שהיינו ישנים תחת המטה בפני הזקנים! שאני מטה, הואיל ולגבה עשויה. שוורים נמי לגבן עשוים!

The Talmud asks: But with regard to a bed, which measures several fistbreadths, didn’t we learn in the Mishnah that R' Yehuda says: It was our custom that we would sleep beneath the bed before the Elders? Apparently, despite the fact that a bed measures several handbreadths, its legal status is not that of a tent. The Talmud answers: A bed is different, since it is designed specifically for use upon it; therefore, the status of the space beneath it is not that of a tent. The Talmud asks: Aren’t oxen like those used to transport the children to bring water for the red heifer also designated specifically for use upon them and nevertheless, R' Yehuda deems their spinal column and bellies a tent.

כי אתא רבין אמר רבי אלעזר: שאני שוורים הואיל ומגינים על הרועים בחמה מפני החמה ובגשמים מפני הגשמים. אי הכי, מטה נמי ⁠— הואיל ומגינה על מנעלים וסנדלים שתחתיה!

When Ravin came to Babylonia from Eretz Yisrael he said that R' Elazar said: Oxen are different since they protect the shepherds in the sun from the sun, and in the rain from the rain. Shepherds would lie beneath the bellies of the oxen as protection from the elements. The Talmud asks: If so, i.e., if an ox is rendered a tent because it provides protection, even if its primary designation is for use upon it, then the status of a bed too should be that of a tent, since it protects shoes and sandals that are placed beneath it.