[Avodah] Sukkah GT 20 amot high

[Micha Berger]

I wrote the following in private email, and the recipient suggested I clarify
on list.

I am suggesting there are three positions. All three hold that there is a
problem of a lack of shelitas ha'ayin. The machloqes is being portrayed as to
what shelitah is needed for:

1- Raba - pirsumei nisa
2- Rava - to define the tzeil of the sechakh, rather than it just being
   tzeil
3- R' Zeira - seeing the sekhakh rather than a roof is part of diras arai

This would make Raba's position the closest parallel to neir Chanukah.
However, with all three agreeing that 20 amos is the shiur for shelitas
haayin, the pesaq WRT Chanukah doesn't actually require holding like Raba.
Could be that both require shelitas ha'ayin, but for different reasons.

Also, by defining Rava and R' Zeira in visual terms, one gets away from the
geometry problem in Rava's position, and R' Zeira's permitting a 10 amah deep
pit with sekhakh on it, but not a 20 amah deep one. Rashi's explanation of
Rava doesn't fit well, but then it won't fit well with any attempt to
eliminate the geometry problem.

Not to mention fitting my "ta'am and taste" approach to ta'amei hamitzvos.
(See <http://www.aishdas.org/avodah/vol05/v05n055.shtml#04> and subsequent
thread.)

(Contributing to the train speculation was a bit of history I'm not sure
enough to post without a disclaimer.
(I believe Rava was 10 years or so older than Raba, but Raba was RY when Rava
and Abayei had most of their famous debates. It would therefore fit to have
Rava, Abayei and Rav Zeira debate an aspect of Raba's words rather than reject
it outright. In an earlier formulation of the idea, I had two shitos, both
elaborating Raba's pirsumei nisa. I think this version fits the gemara
better.)


-mi
http://www.aishdas.org/asp