Daf Yomi - Sukkah 37 - Highlights

1. Rabbi Yehudah maintains that one can only use the four species for the s’chach of the Sukkah. Rabbi Meir, however, maintains that the s’chach can be from anything, provided that the s’chach grows from the ground and is not susceptible to tumah. (36b3)
2. There is a dispute in the Gemara regarding the permissibility of holding the lulav with a material that interposes between ones hands and the lulav. The Gemara cites one opinion that maintains that the lulav must be held with ones hands and one cannot hold the lulav through any other means. (37b1)
3. The Gemara rules that one is prohibited from smelling and deriving pleasure from the fragrance of the hadassim that are used for the mitzvah. One is permitted, however, to smell the esrog. The Gemara states that the distinction between the esrog and the hadassim is that normally a hadas is used for smelling so prior to Sukkos one sets aside the hadassim for the mitzvah and thus it is set aside from smelling, whereas the esrog is normally used for eating and one sets it aside for the purpose of the mitzvah. Thus, one sets aside the esrog from eating but one does not set aside the esrog from the benefit of smelling. (37b1)
4. The Mishna rules that we shake the lulav when reciting the words hodu laHashem and when reciting the words ona Hashem. There is a dispute between Bais Shammai and Bais Hillel if one shakes the lulav when reciting the words ana HaShem hatzlicha na. (37b2)
5. The Gemara states that the significance of shaking the lulav and esrog is that one shakes them outward and inward to demonstrate that Hashem owns all four directions of the world. One shakes them upwards and downwards to signify that the heavens and the earth belong to Hashem. (37b3)