14.6 - Sukkah Daf 17 A (8 lines Up)

Today’s learning sponsored Sponsor a day's learning (thousands of minutes!) for only $72 click here https://www.flipcause.com/secure/cause_pdetails/ODUwOTU The Rabbanan of the beis Medrash hold that empty space of 3 tefachim invalidates a sukkah, and possul schach of 4 tefachim invalidates a sukkah. Rabbah holds that while 3 tefachim of empty space invalidates a sukkah only 4 amos of possul schach will invalidate a sukkah. Rabbah said to them: If so, what if there were a strip just a bit less than 4 tefachim of schach possul running down the middle of the sukkah and adjacent to it there was an empty space of just under 3 tefachim, it would be kosher. But if that empty space were now filled with iron rods, it would become possul. But airspace is worse than schach possul (since it disqualifies a sukkah with only 3 tefachim). So how can it be that in this case airspace would be more lenient than schach possul? Summary Rabbah: They said to me: According to you also, what if there were a strip just a bit less than 4 amos of schach possul running down the middle of the sukkah and adjacent to it there was an empty space of just under 3 tefachim, it would be kosher. But if that empty space were now filled with iron rods, it would become possul. But airspace is worse than schach possul (since it disqualifies a sukkah with only 3 tefachim). So how can it be that in this case airspace would be more lenient than schach possul? Rabbah: I said to them: The measurement of 4 amos is an absolute handed down from Moshe at Sinai. Only once the measurement is filled do we disqualify the sukkah. So until the rods were placed in the empty space, the measurement was not filled. But according to you, there is no tradition regarding schach possul, it is only that 4 tefachim is considered a breach, just as 3 tefachim of empty space is a breach. In that case, two almost-breaches should add up to make one breach! This podcast has been graciously sponsored by JewishPodcasts.fm. There is much overhead to maintain this service so please help us continue our goal of helping Jewish lecturers become podcasters and support us with a donation: https://thechesedfund.com/jewishpodcasts/donate