Julian Ungar-Sargon

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Daf Ditty

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

Sukkah 22: Starry Starry Night

jyungar July 29, 2021

For the source text click/tap here: Sukkah 22

To download, click/tap here: PDF

One of the basic requirements of a sukkah is that the s'chach  provide more shade than sun. This requirement, however, is more theoretical than practical.Already on the first page of the masechet, the Gemara validates a sukkah built in the depths of a valley, even though most of the shade comes from the mountains. As the Gemara explains, if we "take away the mountains", the roof would provide most of the shade. This sounds quite logical, as the mountains are extraneous to the sukkah, and the requirement tohave shade from the roof is meant to exclude a case in which the walls of thesukkah provide most of the shade. Yet the gemara takes this theoretical framework a step further. The Mishnah (Sukkah 22a) teaches that one may dwell in a sukkah medublelet. Shmuel explains that such a sukkah is put together rather sloppily, with one branch of the s'chach tilted upwards while another is tilted downwards. The broad air spaces between the pieces allow more sun than shade to fill the sukkah. Nonetheless, had those boards been placed flat on the sukkah, there would be more shade than sun; so we consider it to be such, and deem the sukkah to be kosher.  

All this shprach about shade and sun and stars brought up "Vincent", a song by Don McLean written (1971) as a tribute to Vincent van Gogh. It is often erroneously titled after its opening refrain, "Starry Starry Night", a reference to Van Gogh's 1889 painting The Starry Night. and allowing us a peek into his spirituality...

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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.​