Wednesday, October 11, 2006

Daf Yomi - Sukkah 39 - Highlights

1. Rava rules that when responding to the recital of Kaddish, one should not pause between the words yehei shmei rabbah and the word mevarach because this will give the appearance that the word mevarach is disconnected and does not have its own meaning. Rav Safra disagreed with Rava and Rav Safra maintains that even if one were to pause in his response, the meaning of his response would still be the same, i.e. may His great Name be blessed. (39a1)
2. The recital of the blessing upon the completion of Hallel depends on the particular custom of that area, whereas there is an obligation upon everyone to recite a blessing before reciting Hallel. (39a1)
3. The Gemara rules that one should always recite a blessing before performing a mitzvah. (39a1)
4. One is not allowed to purchase a fruit that grew in the Shemittah year. The Mishna therefore rules that if one is purchasing a lulav and esrog from his friend during the Shemittah year, he must purchase the lulav and receive the esrog for free. (39a2)
5. The Gemara explains that it is preferable to receive the esrog for free. If the seller does not agree, however, then the cost of the esrog should be incorporated into the cost of the lulav. (39a2)
6. The reason one cannot purchase an esrog of the Shemittah year outright is because one is not permitted to conduct business with the fruits of the Shemittah year or with the money that was exchanged for the fruits. During the Shemittah year one is required to consume the fruits and the money that was exchanged for the fruits. When an ignorant Jew sells the esrog, we are concerned that he will save the money for after Shemittah. One should thus not purchase the esrog from the ignorant Jew because he would be causing the seller to stumble and transgress the prohibition of saving the money for after Shemittah. (39a2)
7. One is permitted to purchase fruits of the Shemittah year as long as the price of the food does not exceed the cost of three meals. This is only permitted for fruits that were not guarded during the Shemittah year. Fruits that were protected during the Shemittah year cannot be purchased at all. (39a3-39b1)
8. The Chachamim were not concerned about one purchasing a lulav during the Shemittah year because a lulav that one purchases during the Shemittah year grew during the sixth year, and subsequently the lulav is not confined to the Shemittah year restrictions. Regarding the esrog, however, even if it grew in the sixth year, it is deemed to be a Shemittah fruit because it was plucked from the tree in the seventh year. (39b2)

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