## Sukkah Daf 20a

###### Sukkah 20a:1
[Sukkah 20a:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sukkah/r/20a:1)

וְהָכִי קָאָמַר: מַחְצֶלֶת הַקָּנִים גְּדוֹלָה, עֲשָׂאָהּ לִשְׁכִיבָה — מְקַבֶּלֶת טוּמְאָה, וְאֵין מְסַכְּכִין בָּהּ. טַעְמָא דַּעֲשָׂאָהּ לִשְׁכִיבָה, הָא סְתָמָא — נַעֲשָׂה כְּמִי שֶׁעֲשָׂאָהּ לְסִיכּוּךְ, מְסַכְּכִין בָּהּ. (קְטַנָּה, עֲשָׂאָהּ לְסִיכּוּךְ — מְסַכְּכִין בָּהּ. טַעְמָא דַּעֲשָׂאָהּ לְסִיכּוּךְ, הָא סְתָמָא — נַעֲשָׂה כְּמִי שֶׁעֲשָׂאָהּ לִשְׁכִיבָה, וְאֵין מְסַכְּכִין בָּהּ). וַאֲתָא רַבִּי אֱלִיעֶזֶר לְמֵימַר: אַחַת קְטַנָּה וְאַחַת גְּדוֹלָה, סְתָמָא — כְּשֵׁרָה לְסִיכּוּךְ.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
**And this is what** the mishna **is saying:** With regard to **a large mat of reeds,** if **one produced it for** the purpose of **lying** upon it, **it is susceptible to ritual impurity, and one** may **not roof** a *sukka* **with it.** The **reason** is that **one produced it** specifically **for** the purpose of **lying** upon it; however, by inference, a mat that one produced **without designation becomes as** a mat **produced for roofing,** and one may **roof** a *sukka* **with it.** With regard to **a small mat of reeds,** if **one produced it for roofing, one** may **roof** a *sukka* **with it.** The **reason** is that **one produced it** specifically **for roofing;** however, by inference, a mat that one produced **without designation becomes as** a mat **produced for** the purpose of **lying** upon it, **and** one may **not roof** a *sukka* **with it. And Rabbi Eliezer comes to say** that **both a small** mat **and a large** one produced **without designation** are **fit** for roofing.


###### Sukkah 20a:2
[Sukkah 20a:2](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sukkah/r/20a:2)

אֲמַר לֵיהּ אַבָּיֵי: אִי הָכִי, רַבִּי אֱלִיעֶזֶר אוֹמֵר: אַחַת קְטַנָּה וְאַחַת גְּדוֹלָה, ״אַחַת גְּדוֹלָה וְאַחַת קְטַנָּה״ מִיבְּעֵי לֵיהּ!

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
**Abaye said to him: If so,** if their dispute is only with regard to a small mat, then instead of saying: **Rabbi Eliezer says: Both a small** mat **and a large** mat, the mishna **needed** to say: **Both a large** mat **and a small** mat. In a phrase with the format: Both this and that, one typically mentions the more obvious item first. Why then, does Rabbi Eliezer mention the small mat first, if it is with regard to the small mat that they disagree?


###### Sukkah 20a:3
[Sukkah 20a:3](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sukkah/r/20a:3)

וְעוֹד: כִּי פְּלִיגִי, בִּגְדוֹלָה הוּא דִּפְלִיגִי — וְרַבִּי אֱלִיעֶזֶר לְחוּמְרָא. דְּתַנְיָא: מַחְצֶלֶת הַקָּנִים גְּדוֹלָה מְסַכְּכִין בָּהּ. רַבִּי אֱלִיעֶזֶר אוֹמֵר: אִם אֵינָהּ מְקַבֶּלֶת טוּמְאָה — מְסַכְּכִין בָּהּ.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
**And furthermore,** there is proof that **when they disagree,** it **is with regard to a large** mat, **and Rabbi Eliezer’s** opinion is **a stringency** and not a leniency, **as it is taught** in a *baraita*: In the case of **a reed mat, with a large** mat **one** may **roof** a *sukka*. **Rabbi Eliezer says: If it is not susceptible to ritual impurity, one** may **roof** his *sukka* **with it.** Apparently, Rabbi Eliezer holds that without designation, one may not roof his *sukka* with a large mat.


###### Sukkah 20a:4
[Sukkah 20a:4](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sukkah/r/20a:4)

אֶלָּא אָמַר רַב פָּפָּא: בִּקְטַנָּה כּוּלֵּי עָלְמָא לָא פְּלִיגִי דִּסְתָמָא לִשְׁכִיבָה. כִּי פְּלִיגִי בִּגְדוֹלָה, תַּנָּא קַמָּא סָבַר: סְתַם גְּדוֹלָה לְסִיכּוּךְ, וְרַבִּי אֱלִיעֶזֶר סָבַר: סְתַם גְּדוֹלָה נָמֵי לִשְׁכִיבָה.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
**Rather, Rav Pappa said:** Rava’s proposed resolution is rejected. Rather, **with regard to a small** mat, **everyone agrees that** if it was produced **without designation,** presumably it is **for** the purpose of **lying** upon it. **When they disagree, is with regard to a large** mat: **The first *tanna* holds** that **a large** mat produced **without designation** is presumably **for roofing, and Rabbi Eliezer holds** that **a large** mat produced **without designation** is **also** presumably **for** the purpose of **lying** upon it.


###### Sukkah 20a:5
[Sukkah 20a:5](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sukkah/r/20a:5)

וּמַאי עֲשָׂאָהּ לִשְׁכִיבָה דְּקָאָמַר — הָכִי קָאָמַר: סְתַם עֲשִׂיָּיתָהּ נָמֵי לִשְׁכִיבָה, עַד דְּעָבֵיד לְסִיכּוּךְ.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
**What,** then, is the meaning of: If **one produced it for** the purpose of **lying** upon it, **that** Rabbi Eliezer **states? This is what** he **is saying: Making mats without designation is also for** the purpose of **lying** upon it, **until one makes** it specifically **for roofing.**


###### Sukkah 20a:6
[Sukkah 20a:6](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sukkah/r/20a:6)

תָּנוּ רַבָּנַן: מַחְצֶלֶת שֶׁל שִׁיפָה וְשֶׁל גֶּמִי, גְּדוּלָה — מְסַכְּכִין בָּהּ, קְטַנָּה — אֵין מְסַכְּכִין בָּהּ. שֶׁל קָנִים וְשֶׁל חִילָת, גְּדוֹלָה — מְסַכְּכִין בָּהּ, אֲרוּגָה — אֵין מְסַכְּכִין בָּהּ.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
§ **The Sages taught** in the *Tosefta*: In the case of **a mat [*maḥatzelet*]** woven **of papyrus or bulrushes,** if it is **a large** mat, **one** may **roof** a *sukka* **with it,** as it is not typically produced for the purpose of lying upon it. If it is **a small** mat, **one** may **not roof** a *sukka* **with it,** as it is typically produced for the purpose of lying upon it. However, with regard to a mat produced **of** ordinary **reeds or reeds** specifically used **for plaiting,** if the mat is plaited with **a large,** coarse weave, **one** may **roof** a *sukka* **with it,** as it was certainly not produced for the purpose of lying upon it. If it is **woven** with a small, fine weave, **one** may **not roof** the *sukka* **with it,** as typically mats of this sort are woven only for the purpose of lying upon them.


###### Sukkah 20a:7
[Sukkah 20a:7](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sukkah/r/20a:7)

רַבִּי יִשְׁמָעֵאל בְּרַבִּי יוֹסֵי אוֹמֵר מִשּׁוּם אָבִיו: אַחַת זוֹ וְאַחַת זוֹ מְסַכְּכִין בָּהּ. וְכֵן הָיָה רַבִּי דּוֹסָא אוֹמֵר כִּדְבָרָיו.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
**Rabbi Yishmael, son of Rabbi Yosei, said in the name of his father: Both with this** plaited mat **and with that** woven mat, **one** may **roof** a *sukka*, as without specific designation otherwise they are not produced for the purpose of lying upon them, and therefore they are ritually pure. **And likewise, Rabbi Dosa would say in accordance with his statement.**


###### Sukkah 20a:8
[Sukkah 20a:8](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sukkah/r/20a:8)

תְּנַן הָתָם: כׇּל הַחוֹצָלוֹת מְטַמְּאִין טְמֵא מֵת, דִּבְרֵי רַבִּי דּוֹסָא. וַחֲכָמִים אוֹמְרִים: מִדְרָס.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
**We learned** in a mishna **there: All** types of ***ḥotzalot* can become ritually impure** with **impurity** imparted by **a corpse.** Since their legal status is that of a vessel, they become a primary source of ritual impurity. This is **the statement of Rabbi Dosa. And the Rabbis say:** They become impure with the impurity imparted by **treading.** If a *zav* lies or sits on one of the *ḥotzalot*, they become a primary source of ritual impurity, like a chair or bed of a *zav*.


###### Sukkah 20a:9
[Sukkah 20a:9](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sukkah/r/20a:9)

מִדְרָס אִין, טְמֵא מֵת לָא? וְהָא אֲנַן תְּנַן: כׇּל הַמִּטַּמֵּא מִדְרָס — מִטַּמֵּא טְמֵא מֵת. אֵימָא: אַף מִדְרָס.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
The Gemara asks: Impurity imparted by **treading, yes; impurity** imparted by **a corpse, no? But didn’t we learn** in a mishna: **Any item that becomes ritually impure** with impurity imparted **by treading** also **becomes ritually impure** with other types of impurity, including impurity **imparted by a corpse,** although the reverse is not necessarily so. The opinion of the Rabbis is difficult. The Gemara explains: Emend the mishna and **say:** They become ritually impure **even** with the impurity imparted by **treading.** These mats are not merely nondescript vessels, which become primary sources of ritual impurity through exposure to a corpse, they are vessels designated for sitting and lying upon them, and therefore they also become primary sources of ritual impurity if a *zav* sits or lies upon them.


###### Sukkah 20a:10
[Sukkah 20a:10](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sukkah/r/20a:10)

מַאי חוֹצָלוֹת? אָמַר רַב אַבְדִּימִי בַּר הַמְדּוּרֵי: מַרְזוֹבְלֵי. מַאי מַרְזוֹבְלֵי? אָמַר רַבִּי אַבָּא: מַזְבְּלֵי. רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן בֶּן לָקִישׁ אוֹמֵר: מַחְצָלוֹת מַמָּשׁ.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
The Gemara asks about the term used in the mishna: **What** is the meaning of ***ḥotzalot*? Rav Avdimi bar Hamduri said:** They are ***marzovelei*.** The Gemara is unfamiliar with the term and asks: **What** is the meaning of ***marzovelei*? Rabbi Abba said:** They are called ***mezablei*** in Babylonia. They are leather sacks used by shepherds to feed their animals. Shepherds place them under their heads when lying down. **Rabbi Shimon ben Lakish says:** *Ḥotzalot* are a different term for **actual mats.**


###### Sukkah 20a:11
[Sukkah 20a:11](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sukkah/r/20a:11)

וְאַזְדָּא רֵישׁ לָקִישׁ לְטַעְמֵיהּ. דְּאָמַר רֵישׁ לָקִישׁ: הֲרֵינִי כַּפָּרַת רַבִּי חִיָּיא וּבָנָיו, שֶׁבִּתְחִלָּה כְּשֶׁנִּשְׁתַּכְּחָה תּוֹרָה מִיִּשְׂרָאֵל — עָלָה עֶזְרָא מִבָּבֶל וְיִסְּדָהּ. חָזְרָה וְנִשְׁתַּכְּחָה — עָלָה הִלֵּל הַבַּבְלִי וְיִסְּדָהּ. חָזְרָה וְנִשְׁתַּכְּחָה — עָלוּ רַבִּי חִיָּיא וּבָנָיו וְיִסְּדוּהָ. וְכֵן אָמַר רַבִּי חִיָּיא וּבָנָיו: לֹא נֶחְלְקוּ רַבִּי דּוֹסָא וַחֲכָמִים עַל מַחְצָלוֹת שֶׁל אוּשָׁא

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
The Gemara notes: **And Reish Lakish follows his** line of **reasoning** stated elsewhere, **as Reish Lakish said: I am the atonement for Rabbi Ḥiyya and his sons, as initially, when** some of the **Torah** laws were **forgotten from** the **Jewish people** in Eretz Yisrael, **Ezra ascended from Babylonia and reestablished** the forgotten laws. Parts of the Torah were **again forgotten** in Eretz Yisrael, and **Hillel the Babylonian ascended and reestablished** the forgotten sections. When parts of the Torah were **again forgotten** in Eretz Yisrael, **Rabbi Ḥiyya and his sons ascended and reestablished** the forgotten sections. This expression of deference toward Rabbi Ḥiyya introduces the *halakha* that Reish Lakish is citing in his name. **And so said Rabbi Ḥiyya and his sons: Rabbi Dosa and the Rabbis did not disagree concerning the** soft **mats of Usha,**