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-Although there is a mitzvah of simcha – joyous celebration – on all of the pilgrimage holidays – the shalosh regalim – there is a unique emphasis on this aspect of the holiday on Sukkot. In order to fulfill this mitzvah, a number of special activities were instituted in the Temple: more music was played, a system of unusual torches was lit up, and the physical set-up of the grounds of the mikdash was changed to accommodate the large number of revelers in a safe and protected manner. The fifth perek of Masechet Sukkah, which begins on our daf, focuses on these matters.
The first Mishnah teaches the rule of the chalil – the flute played during these festivities – which could not be used as part of the celebrations on Shabbat or Yom Tov. (Although the Mishnah mentions the halil specifically, there was an entire orchestra of instruments. The halil is focused on because, according to the Rambam, it was the most important instrument, or because, according to the Bartenura, it was the one that was heard most clearly.)
We explore the history of the "chalil" from the Ancient Near East, to its etymology and archeological artifacts.