Sukkot Happy Times

(1) The pipes [were played sometimes on] five [days], and [sometimes on] six days. This means, the pipes [music] played on during the water-drawing, which does not supersede either the Sabbath or the festival. They [the sages] said, "Any one who has not witnessed the rejoicings at the water-drawing, has never witnessed real rejoicing in their entire lives." (2) At the expiration of the first holy day of the festival they descended into the women's court, where great preparations were made [for the rejoicing]. Four golden candelabras were [placed] there, with four golden basins to each; and four ladders [were put] to each candelabra, [on which ladders stood] four lads from the rising youth of the priesthood, holding jars of oil, containing 120 lugs, with which they replenished [fed] the basins. (3) The cast-off breeches and belts of the priests were torn into shreds for wicks, which they lighted. There was not a court in Jerusalem that was not illuminated by the lights of the water-drawing. (4) Pious and distinguished men danced before the people with lighted flambeaux in their hands, and sang hymns and lauds before them;, and the Levites accompanied them with harps, psalteries, cymbals, and numberless musical instruments. On the fifteen steps which led into the women's court, corresponding with the fifteen songs of degrees, stood the Levites, with their musical instruments and sang. At the upper gate, which leads down from the court of the Israelites to the court of the women, stood two priests, with trumpets in their hands. When the cock [first] crowed they blew a blast, a long note and a blast. This they repeated when they reached the tenth step, and again [the third time] when they got into the court. They went on, blowing [their trumpets] as they went, until they reached the gate that leads out to the east. When they reached the gate that leads out to the east, they turned westward [with their faces towards the Temple], and said, "Our ancestors, who were in this place, turned their backs on the Temple of the Lord, and their faces towards the east; for they worshipped the Sun towards the east: but we lift our eyes to God." R. Jehudah says, they repeated again and again, "We belong to God, and raise our eyes to God."

(12) ...Although it is a Mitzvah to rejoice on all festivals, on the Sukkot holiday there was a time of overabundant joy, for it is written, you shall rejoice before the Eternal your God for seven days. And how was this done? On the eve of the first holiday they would arrange in the Temple a place for the women above and for the men below so that they might not mix one with the other. And they began to rejoice from eve ending the first holiday, and continued on each and every day of the intercessory days of the holiday. They began after the Tamid offering was made in the evening to rejoice the rest of the day and through the night. (13) ...And how was this joy [performed]. The flute was struck and the violin, harp, and cymbals, were played, and every person played any instrument they knew how to play. And those who knew to sing, sang. And they danced, and bowed, and clapped, and spun, and crowed, each according to their ability, and spoke words of praise and song. And this joy does not supersede the Sabbath or the Holy Day.

(1) A sukkah taller than twenty cubits is invalid. Rabbi Yehudah validates it. And one which is not ten hand-breadths tall, or does not contain three walls, or whose whose [area of] sun is greater than its shade is invalid. Regarding an old sukkah, Beit Shammai invalidate it, and Beit Hillel validate it. What is an old sukkah? Any [sukkah] which one made it thirty days before the festival. But if one made it for the sake of the festival, even [if he made it] from the beginning of the year, it is valid.

A sukkah without three walls is invalid. If it had two complete walls next to one another in the shape of [the Greek letter] gamma (Γ), one may make a wall with a width greater than one hand-breadth and stand it less than three [hand-breadths] adjacent to one of the [other] two walls, and that is enough (Figure 1). But one must [still] fashion the shape of a doorway, since it does not have three complete walls; and we have already explained in the laws of Shabbat that anywhere it says "shape of a doorway" [it means] even [as little as] a pole on this side and a pole on that side and a pole above them, even if they do not connect (Fig. 2).

If it had two walls, one opposite the other, with a passage between them (Figure 3), one may make a wall four hand-breadths wide plus a bit and stand it within three [hand-breadths] of one of the two walls, and it is valid (Figure 4); but one must [also] make the shape of a doorway. If poles stick out from the sekhakh of the sukkah in front of the sukkah, and one wall extends beneath them, that is like a sukkah [and valid] (Figure 5).

(4) If one raised a grapevine, a gourd, or and ivy upon it, and placed the sekhakh [the leafy roof covering of a sukkah] on top of it, it is invalid. But if there was a greater amount of sekhakh than them, or if one trimmed them [the plants, such that they were not longer attached], it is valid. This is the rule: anything that can be rendered impure or does not grow from the ground cannot be used for sekhakh; and anything that cannot be rendered impure and that grows from the ground can be used for sekhakh.

(5) Bundles of straw, bundles of wood, or bundles of shoots may not be used for sekhakh. And all of them, if they are untied [from their bundles], are valid. And they are all valid for use as walls [of a sukkah].