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Perek 4

Mishnayos Sukkah Perek 4 Mishnah 4

סוכה פרק ד׳ משנה ד׳

4
How is the mitzva of lulav fulfilled in the Temple when the first day of the Festival occurs on Shabbat? If the first day of the Festival occurs on Shabbat, all the people bring their lulavim to the Temple Mount on Friday. The attendants receive the lulavim from them and arrange them on a bench [itztaba], while the Elders place their lulavim in the chamber. They were given permission to do so due to the concern that they would be injured the following morning in the rush of people in search of their lulavim. And the court teaches the people to say: With regard to anyone whom my lulav reaches his possession, it is his as a gift. They did so to avoid the likely situation where people would inadvertently take lulavim that did not belong to them, as on the first day of the Festival one does not fulfill his obligation with a lulav that does not belong to him. The next day everyone rises early and comes to the Temple, and the attendants throw the lulavim before them. And in the confusion, the people snatch the lulavim and in the process strike one another. And when the court saw that they came to potential danger, they instituted that each and every person will take his lulav in his house and fulfill the mitzva there.

מִצְוַת לוּלָב כֵּיצַד. יוֹם טוֹב הָרִאשׁוֹן שֶׁל חָג שֶׁחָל לִהְיוֹת בְּשַׁבָּת, מוֹלִיכִין אֶת לוּלְבֵיהֶן לְהַר הַבַּיִת, וְהַחַזָּנִין מְקַבְּלִין מֵהֶן וְסוֹדְרִין אוֹתָן עַל גַּב הָאִצְטַבָּא, וְהַזְּקֵנִים מַנִּיחִין אֶת שֶׁלָּהֶן בַּלִּשְׁכָּה. וּמְלַמְּדִים אוֹתָם לוֹמַר, כָּל מִי שֶׁמַּגִּיעַ לוּלָבִי בְיָדוֹ, הֲרֵי הוּא לוֹ בְמַתָּנָה. לְמָחָר מַשְׁכִּימִין וּבָאִין, וְהַחַזָּנִין זוֹרְקִין אוֹתָם לִפְנֵיהֶם. וְהֵן מְחַטְּפִין וּמַכִּין אִישׁ אֶת חֲבֵרוֹ. וּכְשֶׁרָאוּ בֵית דִּין שֶׁבָּאוּ לִידֵי סַכָּנָה, הִתְקִינוּ שֶׁיְּהֵא כָל אֶחָד וְאֶחָד נוֹטֵל בְּבֵיתוֹ:

ד׳

מוליכין את לולביהן להר הבית – the first day of the Festival [of Sukkot] that occurs on the Sabbath, they would bring their Lulavim from the eve of the Sabbath (i.e., Friday).

החזנים – the sextons that were there for the needs of the community/congregation.

על גב האצטבא – the open place of the Temple Mount which was surrounded by porticos to sit there and covering the festival booth (i.e., Sukkah) from above because of the rains.

הזקנים – that worry that they would not be knocked down on the morrow when they would come to to take each person his Lulav.

ומלמדין – The Jewish court (would teach] all the people to say that if my Lulav were to come into the hand of my fellow, it would be his as a gift, in order that it wouldn’t be for him either stolen or borrowed.

מוליכין את לולביהן להר הבית. יו״ט ראשון של חג שחל להיות בשבת מוליכין את לולביהן מע״ש:

החזנים. שמשים שהיו שם לצרכי צבור:

על גב האצטבא. רחבה של הר הבית היתה מוקפת באצטבאות לישב שם ומסוככות למעלה מפני הגשמים:

והזקנים. הדואגים שלא ידחפום למחר כשיבואו לקחת איש לולבו:

ומלמדין. ב״ד את כל העם לומר אם יבוא לולבי אל יד חבירי הרי הוא שלו במתנה, כדי שלא יהא אצלו לא גזול ולא שאול: