Julian Ungar-Sargon

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Daf Ditty

A wide-ranging commentary on the daily page of Talmud.

Sukkah 13: An Unexpected Guest, Marsh Maror!

jyungar July 20, 2021

For the source text click/tap here: Sukkah 13

To download, click/tap here: PDF

The Mishnah (12a) taught that not all types of natural growth can be used as sechach for the sukkah. Straw or branches that are tied into bundles are examples of growth that cannot be used unless they are untied.

The Gemara on our daf quotes a baraita which says that thorny plants can be used for sechach, even though they grow twisted together and might appear to be bundles. As we will see, growing as a bundle will not be an impediment for use as sechach, although there might be other problems with such plants.

Calamintha belonging to the family Lamiaceae, is native to the northern temperate regions of Europe, Asia and America. It thrives in the Middle East including in Israel, where it favors the Galilee, the Judean Wilderness, as well as the mountains of Judea and Samaria. In the Talmudic discussion about the plants that qualify for bitter herbs on the Seder night, ethno-botanist and folklore researcher, Nissim Krispil identified Calamintha as one of the bitter herbs in debate.

Which brings us to exploring a deeper connection between the topic of our masechta, the properties of the s'chach and the sudden intrusion of marsh maror into the discussion.

Can we see something in common between these 2 ritual objects as far apart in the Jewish calendar as possible?

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Julian Ungar-Sargon

This is Julian Ungar-Sargon's personal website. It contains poems, essays, and podcasts for the spiritual seeker and interdisciplinary aficionado.​