Shiur summary (draft from the recording)
Rava's three lashonos: tefach and tzuras hapesach
Chazarah · Sukkah daf 2 · Tuesday, June 9, 2026
The sugya
The shiur finishes a contrast: where there are two walls kehilchasan a tefach soichek is enough, but otherwise you need the span of four. It then turns to Rava's three lashonos about the tefach: (1) the tefach works only as a tzuras hapesach, (2) a tzuras hapesach also works instead of the tefach, (3) you need a tzuras hapesach as well. It ends with the story of Rav Ashi questioning Rav Kahana for doing both, and Rav Kahana's answer that he holds like the third lashon. The Rebbi then starts to go through it again.
Step by step (shakla v’tarya)
- KashaWhy is a tefach soichek enough there, while here you need the span of four (yipas arba)?
- TeirutzThere you already have two walls kehilchasan, the proper way, so a tefach soichek is enough. Here, where you do not have two walls kehilchasan, if there is a span of four it is kosher; if not, it is not.
- Introduction to Rava, who says one of three things: his statement, an ika d'amri, and another ika d'amri.
- ShitahLine 17, first lashon: the tefach is not permitted except through a tzuras hapesach. Take the tefach, split it, and make it into a tzuras hapesach from one end of the wall to the other. The Rebbi said he is learning it the simplest way.
- ShitahSecond lashon (ika d'amri): v'nitaras nami b'tzuras hapesach. It is also permitted with a tzuras hapesach. You can do it the old way with a tefach, or use a tzuras hapesach, which needs no tefach thickness.
- ShitahThird lashon: v'tzricha nami tzuras hapesach. You need both: the tefach, plus a tzuras hapesach for the rest of the wall.
- MaskanaThose are the three things of Rava.
- GemaraLine 21: Rav Ashi found Rav Kahana, who had made a tefach soichek and also a tzuras hapesach.
- KashaRav Ashi asked him: does the master not hold like Rava, who said v'nitaras nami b'tzuras hapesach? Why do both? Just choose one.
- TeirutzRav Kahana answered that he holds like the other lashon of Rava, the third way, that you need both (v'tzricha nami tzuras hapesach). So he is following Rava, just a different lashon.
- ChazarahReview of the three lashonos. Ein nitaras ela: it is allowed only this way. V'nitaras nami: it is also allowed this way. V'tzricha nami: it needs both.
Kashas
- Why is a tefach soichek enough there, while here a span of four is required?
- Rav Ashi to Rav Kahana: you don't hold like Rava, who allows a tzuras hapesach as an alternative? Why are you doing both?
Teirutzim
- There, with two walls kehilchasan, a tefach soichek suffices. Without two walls kehilchasan, it depends on whether there is a span of four.
- Rav Kahana: I hold like the other lashon of Rava, that a tzuras hapesach is needed in addition to the tefach.
Rashi & Tosafos
- Rashi: The Rebbi noted that the Rashis here are long because they are trying to work out the span part of the tzuras hapesach. The details of that exchange are unclear in recording.
The Rebbi’s chiddushim
- A tzuras hapesach is like an eruv: two little poles with a string on top. You can make one on one side of your sukkah without any thickness.
- Practical framing of the second lashon: if all you have in your backyard is scraps and nothing substantial, you can use a tzuras hapesach instead of the tefach.
- Ika d'amri means people heard Rava say something about tzuras hapesach but were not sure exactly what he said. The differences between the lashonos are small, so pay attention to the exact words (ela / nami / tzricha nami).
- Rav Ashi evidently understood Rava like the middle lashon, which is why he asked Rav Kahana why he did both.
- Rav Ashi knew the third lashon but did not hold like it.
- In the third lashon, one side is the tefach and the other side can be just a twig.
Unclear in recording
- The names of those who allowed the tefach soichek are unclear in recording (also at 03:24).
- The Rebbi's description of what the ika d'amri heard, about not putting the tefach straight or diagonal, is unclear in recording.
- Discussion of the pictures and how various shitos (names garbled) would place the tefach and whether it must span the whole wall ('half, half / none, none / whole') is unclear in recording.
- The daf being learned is not stated. The material discussed (Rava's three lashonos, Rav Ashi and Rav Kahana) is not in the Sukkah 2a–2b text.
Drafted from the recording of the shiur, for chazarah. Torah terms follow the Rebbi’s own words; anything that could not be made out is marked “unclear in recording”. Tap a time to hear that point. Corrections welcome.