Page 250 - Chayei Adam LAYOUT sivan 5782

Chayei Adam - K’lal 146 - Laws of the Succah

he unties them it is still invalid by Torah law, as it was placed there in an invalid
way. Rather, he must undo the bundles, and move them meaning that he lifts
them and places them back down. 77

]17[ Although planks of wood grow from the ground and are not susceptible
to tumah, the Sages forbade using them for s'chach if they measure four tefachim
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wide. Even if one places them on their edges which are much narrower, it is
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forbidden. [This ban is] because the average ceiling of a house is made of planks
measuring four tefachim and one might make a mistake and question what the
difference is between sitting in the succah or inside his house, and the Torah
commanded us to sit in succos and not in our house. If however they are less
than four tefachim wide [they may be used] even if they are sanded down and
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like utensils, unless they were designated for some use, since it is unusual to
cover a house with planks narrower than four tefachim. Nevertheless, our custom
is not to use planks for s'chach since the local custom is to make ceilings out of
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planks which are narrower than four tefachim. Furthermore, even a lattice which

םדו רשב

later lifts them without untying them. See appears no different than these boards, as the
further. Chayei Adam explains. The gemara qualifies
their dispute: According to Rav, their dispute
77. Since they were placed there in a way centers around boards measuring four
which is essentially invalid, they must be tefachim wide. Planks or boards measuring
removed and returned to place. This is the less than four tefachim are not included in this
ruling of Shulchan Aruch and the consensus of ban and may be used for s’chach. Shmuel
poskim l’halacha. Some however understand however disagrees and explains that if the
that either untying them (see Tur and Beis boards measure more than four tefachim wide,
Yosef ) or lifting them is sufficient (Ran). even R’ Yehuda concedes that they are banned
גס
דס
by rabbinic decree. R’ Yehuda and R’ Meir only
78. The mishna (Succah 14a) teaches that disagree about planks measuring more than 3
according to R’ Yehuda, one may cover his tefachim wide, but less than 4. The rishonim
succah with planks of wood. R’ Meir however write that the halacha follows Shmuel’s
disagrees and forbids it, lest one come to stay interpretation of R’ Yehuda, and any board
home, under the protection of his roof which measuring more than four tefachim wide may

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