Author: Rabbi Simcha Feuerman, DHL, LCSW-R

July 25th, 2021

Our Gemara on Amud Beis mentions a structure known as כילת חתנים, literally the canopy bed of the grooms. Bach ( או״ח שטו:ו) describes this structure as a temporary and only made in honor of the chosson. This concept of a canopy for the Chosson is elaborated upon by Ben Yehoyada Pesachim 86b. A man must make a home for his wife so that she becomes attached to him. I know it’s unpopular and not PC to discuss male and female …
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Author: Rabbi Simcha Feuerman, DHL, LCSW-R

July 23rd, 2021

Gemara on Amud Aleph discusses non-kosher fish and various physical signs. Two of them that are most famously known as they are explicitly mentioned in the pasuk, are not having fins or scales. The Shalah (של״ה, תורה שבכתב, ויקרא, דרך חיים שמיני ה) offers an explanation for why these species are not kosher. Most are familiar with the obvious concept that the non-kosher beasts and birds are predators as opposed to th …
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Author: Rabbi Simcha Feuerman, DHL, LCSW-R

July 23rd, 2021

Our Gemara discusses the various spaces that can be accounted for within the schach, that are legally kosher but not actual Schach. They are: under 3 tefachim of blank space (lavood), under four tefachim of space used by material that ordinarily is not kosher for Schach, and up to four amos contiguous from any wall of material not ordinarily kosher for Schach. The Gemara describes the latter as “Dofan Akuma”, a bent wall. That is, leg …
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Author: Rabbi Simcha Feuerman, DHL, LCSW-R

July 22nd, 2021

Our Gemara on Amud Aleph describes another invalid scenario of תעשה ולא מן העשוי: If there was a large pile of hay in a field and then one hollowed out a living space, “igloo style” inside the pile, it would not be kosher as a Succah. Even though the material is all kosher and the size is correct, since he hollowed out the internal space, the roofing Schach only came into being inadvertently. Noam Elimelech (Bereishis Va …
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Author: Rabbi Simcha Feuerman, DHL, LCSW-R

July 21st, 2021

The Gemara and Mishna on this Daf discuss the concept of תעשה ולא מן העשוי, which is the requirement that the Schach for the Succah be placed on the Succah with intention as a shade or cover, and not just automatically end up on top. Say you had a vine that grew on top of your Succah frame, even if you cut the vine so it no longer was attached to the ground, it still would not be valid as Schach. However, a small action such as shif …
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Author: Rabbi Simcha Feuerman, DHL, LCSW-R

July 20th, 2021

Our Gemara on Amud Aleph once discussing the pitchfork, which in Hebrew is עתר, notes that the Biblical language used to describe Yitschok’s prayers that his wife become pregnant was ויעתר. The Gemara compares the prayers of a Tzaddik to a pitchfork in that it can completely overturn the nature of his fate as a pitchfork tosses the grain on the threshing floor. The Ben Ish Chai (Benayahu) uses word play to show how literally fate is …
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Author: Rabbi Simcha Feuerman, DHL, LCSW-R

July 19th, 2021

The Gemara on Amud Aleph states: ⁦Rabbi Yoḥanan said that the verse states: “You shall prepare for you the festival of Sukkos for seven days as you gather from your threshing floor and from your winepress” (Deuteronomy 16:13), and the Sages interpreted that it is with regard to the waste of the threshing floor and of the winepress that the verse is speaking. One uses grain stalks and vines for roofing the sukka, materials that are …
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Author: Rabbi Simcha Feuerman, DHL, LCSW-R

July 19th, 2021

Our Gemara on Amud Aleph uses the following phrase to explain why a naturally Occurring bundle of reeds is still kosher for schach even though, in general, bundles are not kosher for schach: אֶגֶד בִּידֵי שָׁמַיִם לָא שְׁמֵיהּ אֶגֶד Binding at the hand of Heaven is not considered a binding The Sod Yesharim (Succah 1, and Succah 15) interprets this phrase allegorically. The Zohar (I:85b) famously tells us that a …
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Author: Rabbi Simcha Feuerman, DHL, LCSW-R

July 16th, 2021

Our Gemara on Amud Beis quotes the famous dispute between Rabbi Eliezer and Rabbi Akiva about the meaning of the Scripture’s  description of Succos: As it is taught in a baraisa that the verse states: “I made the children of Israel to reside in sukkos ”; these booths were clouds of glory, this is the statement of Rabbi Eliezer. Rabbi Akiva says: They established for themselves actual sukkos. The Peri Tzaddik (Succos 13) won …
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Author: Rabbi Simcha Feuerman, DHL, LCSW-R

July 16th, 2021

Our Gemara on Amud Beis tells us that decorations in the Succah do not invalidate height requirements but they do invalidate width requirements. That is, the minimum height of a Succah is 10 tefachim, and even if some of that is used up by decorations that is not reducing the space. However, the minimum width is seven tefachim, and decorations will reduce that space. The commentaries try to understand what is the technical difference between heig …
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