Yerushalmi Sukkah 3:4 ירושלמי סוכה ג׳:ד׳

MISHNAH: Rebbi Ismael says, three myrtle branches and two willow twigs, one lulav and one etrog; even two truncated and one not chopped off. Rebbi Tarphon says, even all three truncated. Rebbi Aqiba says, just as there is one lulav and one etrog so there is one myrtle branch and one willow twig.

HALAKHAH: ⁵²Sifra Emor Pereq15(7), Babli 34b.“Rebbi Ismael explained, ¹Lev.23:40: You shall take for yourselves on the First Day a fruit of the splendor tree, date-tree palms, a branch of the rope tree, and brook-willows. The lulav is the young palm branch. While in the verse it is called “palm”, because the leaves of the palm-tree spread out from the spine of the branch like fingers of a hand, it is traditional to take a young branch with the leaves still tightly clinging to its spine. From this the name לולב “tube” (cf. Note 27).a fruit of the splendor tree, one. Date-palm roped, one⁵³He reads the verse in accordance with R. Tarphon, Note 27. The clause is in the singular.. A branch of the rope tree, three⁵⁴While “branch” is in the singular, there are three words to describe the myrtle branch.. And brook-willows, two⁵⁵As always, an unspecified plural means “2”, the smallest number > 1.. And two lifted ones; one which is not truncated. Rebbi Tarphon says, even if all three are truncated.” Rebbi Abba bar Mamal asked before Rebbi Immi: Since Rebbi Ismael adds for the myrtle⁵⁶While R. Ismael seems to accept that only one myrtle branch is really needed since עֲנַף is a singular, the additional two being inferred from the additional words used in his characterization requiring two additional branches, it is difficult to understand why he requires only one lulav and only one etrog instead of two each., should he not add for the other kinds? He answered, you are thinking that Rebbi Ismael thinks that truncated is splendor, and we have stated, “Rebbi Tarphon says, even if all three are truncates.” Nobody says “even” if he does not accept the preceding statement⁵⁷Since R. Tarphon and R. Ismael agree in the interpretation of the verse, the requirement that one branch be not truncated for R. Ismael is a rabbinic requirement, not derived from the verse.. Rebbi Ḥaggai asked before Rebbi Jose: What does Rebbi Tarphon add to the words of Rebbi Ismael? He answered him, Rebbi Ismael does not think that truncated is splendor, but Rebbi Tarphon thinks that truncated is splendor. When Rebbi Yasa came up here he saw them being selective about myrtle branches⁵⁸That they should not be truncated and tightly cover the stem of the branch.. He said, why are the Westerners selective about myrtle branches? He had not heard thar Rebbi Simon said in the name of Rebbi Joshua ben Levi: And they made known and proclaimed in all cities⁵⁹Neh. 8:15. In the verse, myrtle and branches of the `avot tree are mentioned separately. How can they be identified? etc. Myrtle is not the same as rope tree, but myrtle is for the sukkah, and rope tree for the lulav<sup>60</sup>Since the rope tree was mentioned in the Torah as part of the “four kinds” to be taken on the first day, “myrtle” must refer to a kind not satisfying the criteria specified in Halakhah 2 which only may be used for roofing the sukkah. Babli 12a.. Rebbi Ze`ira blew it⁶¹At the time of shofar blowing on New Year’s Day he instructed on the requirement for a qualified myrtle..

⁶²The first sentences of this paragraph are in Tosephta Berakhot6:10, Yerushalmi Berakhot 9:3, Note 185; Babli Sukkah 46a. He who makes a lulav for himself says, praise to Him who sanctified us by His commandments and commanded us to make a lulav. For another, to make a lulav in his name⁶³Cf. Chapter 1, Note 124.. When he takes it he says, praise to Him who sanctified us by His commandments and commanded us about taking the lulav. If he prayed with it he says, praise to Him Who let us live, and kept us, and let us reach this time. He says the benediction every time when he takes it. How does one recite the benediction for the Ḥanukkah light? Rav said, praised to Him who sanctified us by His commandments and commanded us the commandment [to kindle]⁶⁴Corrector’s addition, to be deleted as shown by the quote later in the paragraph. The mention of “kindling” is Babylonian, Babli Šabbat23a. the light of Ḥanukkah. Everybody agrees that on the first day he says, about taking the lulav. What do they disagree about? The remaining days. Rebbi Joḥanan said, about taking the lulav. Rebbi Joshua ben Levi said, about commandments of the Elders⁶⁵Since, as explained in Mishnah 3:12, the biblical commandment to take the “four kinds” for seven days is restricted to “before the Eternal”, i. e., at the Temple. Without a Temple the obligation at other places is purely rabbinical except for the first day mentioned in Lev. 23:40.. What did Rav say for the lulav? Since for Ḥanukkah which is from their words he is saying, about the commandment of the light of Ḥanukkah, for lulav which is from the Torah⁶⁶Everywhere, at least for the first day of the festival. not so much more? What did Rebbi Joshua ben Levi say on Ḥanukkah? Since for lulav which is from the Torah he is saying, about commandments of the Elders, for Ḥanukkah which is from their words not so much more? The only problem is, what did Rebbi Joḥanan say on Ḥanukkah?

Ḥiyya the son of Rav was reciting the benediction every single time⁶⁷Accepted as general practice Berakhot 3:3, Note 131.. Rav Ḥuna recited it only once. Rebbi Ḥuna in the name of Rav Joseph: The reason of Rav Ḥuna. Demay⁶⁸Produce of the Land of which one may be sure that heave was taken but probably not tithes (nor heave of the tithe). Cf Introduction to Tractate Demay. is from their words and the remaining days are from their words. Since for demay one does not recite a benediction⁶⁹When separating heave of the tithe. Rejected by the Babli, Šabbat23a., also for the remaining days one does not recite a benediction.