Daf Yomi - Sukkah 45 - How does Bamboo Grow?

The Gemora states in the name of Rabbi Shimon ben Yochai that all mitzvos must be perfomed by holding the object in the manner in which it grows.

The Tur writes that there are some that rule that the walls of the sukkah when they are constructed with wood must be positioned in the way which they grew. The Tur disagrees and maintains that one does not have to be strict regarding this since the walls can be made from things that do not grow from the ground such as metal and there obviously this halacha would not apply, so too when they are made out of wood this halacha doesn't apply.

According to this, s'chach which must be from items that grow from the ground would have this requirement to be positioned in the manner in which they grew. The Bach writes that since the essense of s'chach is to cover the width of the sukkah, it is self evident that the Torah did not prescribe that this mitzva must be done in the manner in which it grew.

Meshech Chochmah writes that this requirement only applies by a mitzva that stands by itself, such as a lulav or the wood for the Mishkan; however the walls and s'chach of the sukkah that are dependent on each other does not have this halacha.

Rav Elyashiv states that this halacha only applies by a mitzva where the Torah mandates that the item should be in the same form as it grew; however by s'chach and the walls of a sukklah, one could theoretically grind up the wood or branches and use the pieces for his sukkah. Obviously there is no requirement that it should be positioned in the same manner in which it grew.