Sifra Emor Chapter 17

¹1)1(Vayikra 23:41) ("And you shall celebrate it at a festival to the L–rd, seven days a year, a statute forever throughout your generations; on the seventh month you shall celebrate it.") "And you shall celebrate it as a festival to the L–rd seven days": Because it is written "And you shall celebrate it as a festival to the L–rd seven days," I might think that one must bring a festive offering (chagigah) all seven days; it is, therefore, written you shall celebrate it" — one day alone. ²2) If so, why is "seven days" written? Restitution (for omission of the offering) may be made all seven days. ³3) And whence is it derived that if one did not offer the festival offering on the first day of the festival, he may do so on all the remaining days and on the last festival days? From "on the seventh month shall you celebrate" (i.e., offer). I might think that if he did not offer it on the festival he could offer it after the festival"; it is, therefore, written "shall you celebrate it" (the festival) — On the festival you celebrate, and you do not celebrate outside of it. ⁴4) (Vayikra 23:42) ("In succoth shall you sit seven days; every citizen in Israel shall sit in succoth.") "In succoth": and not in a succah under a house, and not in a succah under a tree, and not in a succah under a succah. R. Yehudah said: If the upper succah is not fit for tenancy, the lower succah is kasher. ⁵5) "shall you sit": similar to "shall you dwell" — whence it was ruled: He eats in the succah and drinks in the succah and walks in the succah and brings his vessels to the succah. ("seven) days": This tells me only of days. Whence do I derive nights (for inclusion)? It follows thus: "seven" is written here, and also in respect to the tent of meeting (Vayikra 8:35 "And at the door of the tent of meeting you shall sit day and night"). Just as there nights were equated with days, so, here. ⁶6) But why not go in this direction? "seven" is written here, and "seven" is written in respect to lulav. Just as with lulav, nights were not equated with days, here, too, nights should not be equated with days! ⁷7) Let us see where there is (greater) similarity. We derive seven which are constant, the entire day (i.e., succah) from seven which are constant, the entire day (the tent of meeting), and this is not to be refuted by lulav, which is not constant, the entire day, (but only for the time of his fulfilling the mitzvah). ⁸8) — But perhaps we should go in this direction: We derive "seven" which obtain in all generations (succah) from seven which obtain in all generations (lulav), and this is not to be refuted by the "seven" of the tent of meeting, which does not obtain in all generations! It is, therefore, written (of) both the tent of meeting and of succah) "you shall sit seven days," for a gezeirah shavah (identity). Just as with the "you shall sit seven days" of the tent of meeting, nights were equated with days, so with the "you shall sit seven days" of succah, nights are to be equated with days. ⁹9) "citizen": as stated; "the citizen" — to exclude women; "every citizen" — to include minors (amenable to such training); "in Israel" — (I would think this) to include proselytes and freed bondsmen. ¹⁰10) "shall sit in succoth": in a succah of any kind (and not just of the four species mentioned above). For R. Yehudah was wont to say — and it would follow — that a succah must be of the four species, viz.: If lulav, which does not obtain in the nights as in the daytime, is of the four species, then succah, which does obtain in the nights as in the daytime, how much more so must it be of the four species! They said to R. Yehudah: Every hermeneutical rule, whose initial thrust is for stringency and its end result, for leniency, is not a (valid rule). For (according to the above) if he did not find (material) of the four species, he would sit without a succah! And Scripture states (categorically) "they shall sit in succoth" — (meaning, of necessity) in succoth of all kinds. ¹¹11) And thus does Ezra say (Nechemiah 8:15) "and that they must announce and proclaim throughout all their cities and Jerusalem, saying: Go out to the mountains and bring olive leaves, and olive-tree leaves and hadas leaves, and date-palm leaves, and plaited-tree leaves to make succoth, as it is written" (Vayikra 23:43) "So that your generations know that I caused the children of Israel to dwell in succoth when I took them out of the land of Egypt." R. Eliezer says that they were booths, literally; R. Akiva says that they were clouds of glory. "when I took them out of the land of Egypt." We are hereby taught that even the succah is a reminder of the exodus from Egypt. ¹²12) (Vayikra 23:44) "And Moses declared the festivals of the L–rd to the children of Israel": We re hereby apprised that Moses related to Israel the laws of Pesach on Pesach, the laws of Shavuoth on Shavuoth, and the laws of Succoth on Succoth. In the language that he heard it (from the L–rd), he related it to Israel, (after which he imparted to them the oral law upon it. And all of the sections of the Torah were related in the same manner. R. Yossi Haglili says: The festivals of the L–rd were declared, but not the Sabbath of creation along with them. Ben Azzai says: The festivals of the L–rd were stated, but not the section of vows along with them. ¹³13) Rebbi says: What is the intent of "And Moses declared the festivals of the L–rd to the children of Israel"? Because we learned only that the daily burnt-offering and the Paschal lamb override the Sabbath, it being written concerning them "in its appointed season," whence do we derive that the other communal offering also overrides the Sabbath? From "These shall you offer to the L–rd in your appointed seasons." But we did not hear (the same for) the omer and what is offered along with it and the two loaves and what is offered along with them. Therefore, in "And Moses declared the festivals of the L–rd to the children of Israel" Scripture established a set time ("festival" ["moadim"] = appointed times) for all of the offerings (even if the Sabbath must be overridden).