Study Sukkah folio 3A with parallel Hebrew-English text, traditional commentary, and modern study tools. Free access to Babylonian Talmud online.
Text Excerpt
משום אוירא. אלא למאן דאמר בסוכה קטנה מחלוקת, וכי דרכה של מלכה לישב בסוכה קטנה? אמר רבה בר רב אדא: לא נצרכה אלא סוכה העשויה קיטוניות קיטוניות.
due to the fresh air that circulates through the openings in the wall. However, according to the one who said that it is specifically in the case of a small sukka that there is a dispute between R' Yehuda and the Rabbis, in which case the baraita is referring to a case where Queen Helene resided in a small sukka, is it customary for a queen to reside in a small sukka whose area is less than 4 cubits squared? Rabba bar Rav Adda said: This ruling is necessary only in the case of a sukka that is constructed with several small rooms [kitoniyyot]. The sukka was large, but it was subdivided into many small rooms, each of which was smaller than 4 square cubits.
וכי דרכה של מלכה לישב בסוכה העשויה קיטוניות קיטוניות? אמר רב אשי: לא נצרכה אלא לקיטוניות שבה.
Again, the Talmud asks: Is it then customary for a queen to reside in a sukka constructed with several small rooms without leaving a large room in which she could assemble her family and servants? Rav Ashi said: This ruling is necessary only with regard to the compartments in the sukka. It was indeed a large sukka with a large central room; however, there were many small rooms adjacent to the main room. It is with regard to this type of sukka that there is a tannaitic dispute.
רבנן סברי: בניה בסוכה מעליא הוו יתבי, ואיהי יתבה בקיטוניות משום צניעותא, ומשום הכי לא אמרי לה דבר. ורבי יהודה סבר: בניה גבה הוו יתבי, ואפילו הכי לא אמרי לה דבר.
The Rabbis hold: Her sons were residing in a full-fledged sukka with a large central room, which everyone agrees was fit. However, she often resided in the small rooms due to modesty, to avoid being in the public eye. And for that reason the Elders did not say anything to her, as even if the small rooms were too small relative to the height of the sukka, there was no problem since her sons did not sit in them. And R' Yehuda holds: Her sons would occasionally reside with her in the small room, and even so, the Elders did not say anything to her, indicating that a sukka more than 20 cubits high is fit even in a small sukka. Now that the Tosefta can be explained according to all the statements cited by the amora’im in the name of Rav, no proof can be cited with regard to the essence of the dispute between R' Yehuda and the Rabbis with regard to a small sukka more than 20 cubits high.