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Questions on the gemara quoted below:
(1) If HaShem is about to give the goyim a mitsva, why does He refer to them as "שוטים שבעולם"?
(2) Why does HaShem ask the rhetorical question "?מי שלא טרח בערב שבת מהיכן יאכל בשבת"; why didn't He just say that whoever did not prepare on erev Shabbat will not eat on Shabbat?
(3) How could the gemara say that Succah does not require any expenditure? To buy the materials of a Succah is expensive!
(4) Why did the goyim build their Succot on their roofs?
(5) Why did the goyim break their Succot when they were patur from the mitsva?
I'd like to suggest that the answers to all of these questions are intertwined and reveal the underlying message of this gemara and the point being to demonstrate that the goyim were lacking the very middah that made the BY zoche to receive the Torah.
On a more macro level, HaShem is telling the goyim that He can give them the Torah, but their teva is going to prevent them from anything meaningful. As will be demonstrated, this theme is highlighted throughout the gemara.
(2) Shabbat is unique in that it is one of the few mitsvot that the goyim could not have voluntarily kept without having been given the Torah. HaShem used this particular mitsva to highlight the difference between the Jews and the goyim. Specifically, HaShem is asking the rhetorical question because it has two different answers, one for the BY and one for the goyim (the latter answer being hinted at by implication in the gemara). HaShem is pointing out to the goyim that if they didn't prepare for Shabbat on erev Shabbt, they will have nothing to eat; simultaneously, if a Jew is ever without food on Shabbat, if a Jew didn't prepare on erev Shabbat he will have food from the rest of klal yisrael who will jump at the opportunity to care for him.
(3) Succah is a unique mitsva that allows for communal sharing. Consider the following halachot regarding Succah:
- All of klal yisrael can theoretically share 1 succah and be yotze: סוכה כ״ז בוחכמים אומרים אע"פ שאמרו אין אדם יוצא ידי חובתו ביום טוב הראשון בלולבו של חבירו אבל יוצא ידי חובתו בסוכתו של חבירו דכתיב (ויקרא כג, מב) כל האזרח בישראל ישבו בסוכות מלמד שכל ישראל ראוים לישב בסוכה אחת
- A person can be yotze sitting in a borrowed Succah or in a stolen succah... or even a succah made from stolen materials; or a succah that is in the public sphere (משנה תורה, הלכות שופר וסוכה ולולב ה׳:כה):סֻכָּה שְׁאוּלָה כְּשֵׁרָה וְכֵן הַגְּזוּלָה כְּשֵׁרָה. כֵּיצַד. אִם תָּקַף עַל חֲבֵרוֹ וְהוֹצִיאוֹ מִסֻּכָּתוֹ וּגְזָלָהּ וְיָשַׁב בָּהּ יָצָא שֶׁאֵין הַקַּרְקַע נִגְזֶלֶת. וְאִם גָּזַל עֵצִים וְעָשָׂה מֵהֶן סֻכָּה יָצָא. שֶׁתַּקָּנַת חֲכָמִים הִיא שֶׁאֵין לְבַעַל הָעֵצִים אֶלָּא דְּמֵי עֵצִים בִּלְבַד. וַאֲפִלּוּ גָּזַל נְסָרִים וְהִנִּיחָן וְלֹא חִבְּרָן וְלֹא שָׁנָה בָּהֶן כְּלוּם יָצָא. הָעוֹשֶׂה סֻכָּתוֹ בִּרְשׁוּת הָרַבִּים הֲרֵי זוֹ כְּשֵׁרָה:
Perhaps HaShem is referring to the aspect of fulfilling the mitsva of succah not by focusing on the person sitting in his own succah, but by enabling others to sit in his succah. HaShem openly hints to this when He specifically says "לכו ועשו אותה" (more appropriate would have been אותן them). HaShem tells all the goyim to go and make ONE succah.
At this point, the gemara makes a subtle but important shift in language. Until now, the goyim were collectively pleading their case to HaShem (אמרו לפניו רבש"ע תנה לנו מראש ונעשנה) and HaShem responded in kind (אמר להן הקב"ה שוטים ...אלא אף על פי כן מצוה קלה יש לי וסוכה שמה לכו ועשו אותה) - everything was in the rabim. As soon as they receive the mitsva, the goyim immediately separate as individuals ("מיד כל אחד [ואחד] נוטל והולך ועושה סוכה"), and the rest of the gemara is in the yachid.
(4) and (5) In keeping with the theme that the goyim were adverse to benefiting the community when building their succot, it makes sense that they built their succot on their roofs. Each goy wanted to prevent someone from walking by and sitting in his succah. So, he built it on a roof that no one else could fulfill the mitsva. That only "protected" the succah so long as the goy was there to guard it. However, once it was too hot for the goy to remain in the succah, he broke it down, lest someone climb the roof and sit inside. The use of heat rather than rain is important: when it is raining, everyone is patur. On the other hand, "too hot" is a subjective decision from person to person. So, if a person feels it is too hot outside, he is patur, but in the same temperature, someone else might be comfortable and would not be patur.
Ultimately, the goyim squander this opportunity that HaShem gives them because they are missing the crucial middah one needs to be zoche for the Torah: and that is the commitment to the community simultaneously with the commitment to onesself. It is this distinguishing factor that made the BY - and only the BY - worthy of receiving the Torah.
From the pesukim, the bnai yisrael were asked whether they would ask the mitsvot three times. Twice they answered נעשה and on the last time that they were asked, they famously answered נעשה ונשמע. What does "v'nishma" add that is not covered by "na'aseh"? The Bais HaLevi asks a similar question: Why did / how could each individual respond in the plural, "Na'aseh v'nishma"? Each person should have said "e'eseh v'eshma". The Bais Halevi answers that when the B'Y responded to Moshe's question, they committed to keeping the mitsvot for themselves and simultaneously committed to making sure that all other Jews would the mitsvot: the Jews voluntarily took on the kol yisrael arevim ze la'ze obligation. From this we can answer that "nishma" - we will understand - has nothing to do with the mitsvot that a person is obligated to perform. How could a person not know the halachot if he is to perform a mitsva properly? Instead, the BY were promising to learn the halachot of those mitsvot that he is not obligated to fulfill in order to be able to assist those Jews who are obligated. it was this commitment to our fellow Jews that made us zoche to receive the Torah.
וַיָּבֹ֣א מֹשֶׁ֔ה וַיִּקְרָ֖א לְזִקְנֵ֣י הָעָ֑ם וַיָּ֣שֶׂם לִפְנֵיהֶ֗ם אֵ֚ת כָּל־הַדְּבָרִ֣ים הָאֵ֔לֶּה אֲשֶׁ֥ר צִוָּ֖הוּ ה'׃ וַיַּעֲנ֨וּ כָל־הָעָ֤ם יַחְדָּו֙ וַיֹּ֣אמְר֔וּ כֹּ֛ל אֲשֶׁר־דִּבֶּ֥ר ה' נַעֲשֶׂ֑ה וַיָּ֧שֶׁב מֹשֶׁ֛ה אֶת־דִּבְרֵ֥י הָעָ֖ם אֶל־ה'׃
Moses came and summoned the elders of the people and put before them all that the LORD had commanded him. All the people answered as one, saying, “All that the LORD has spoken we will do!” And Moses brought back the people’s words to the LORD.
וַיָּבֹ֣א מֹשֶׁ֗ה וַיְסַפֵּ֤ר לָעָם֙ אֵ֚ת כָּל־דִּבְרֵ֣י ה' וְאֵ֖ת כָּל־הַמִּשְׁפָּטִ֑ים וַיַּ֨עַן כָּל־הָעָ֜ם ק֤וֹל אֶחָד֙ וַיֹּ֣אמְר֔וּ כָּל־הַדְּבָרִ֛ים אֲשֶׁר־דִּבֶּ֥ר ה' נַעֲשֶֽׂה׃
Moses went and repeated to the people all the commands of the LORD and all the rules; and all the people answered with one voice, saying, “All the things that the LORD has commanded we will do!”
וַיִּקַּח֙ סֵ֣פֶר הַבְּרִ֔ית וַיִּקְרָ֖א בְּאָזְנֵ֣י הָעָ֑ם וַיֹּ֣אמְר֔וּ כֹּ֛ל אֲשֶׁר־דִּבֶּ֥ר ה' נַעֲשֶׂ֥ה וְנִשְׁמָֽע׃
Then he took the record of the covenant and read it aloud to the people. And they said, “All that the LORD has spoken we will faithfully do!”
דרש ר' חנינא בר פפא ואיתימא ר' שמלאי לעתיד לבא מביא הקדוש ברוך הוא ס"ת [ומניחו] בחיקו ואומר למי שעסק בה יבא ויטול שכרו
Rabbi Ḥanina bar Pappa taught, and some say that it was Rabbi Simlai who taught: In the future, the Holy One, Blessed be He, will bring a Torah scroll and place it in His lap and say: Anyone who engaged in its study should come and take his reward.
[מיד] נכנסה לפניו מלכות רומי תחלה
Immediately, the Roman Empire enters first before Him.
אמר להם הקב"ה במאי עסקתם אומרים לפניו רבש"ע הרבה שווקים תקנינו הרבה מרחצאות עשינו הרבה כסף וזהב הרבינו וכולם לא עשינו אלא בשביל ישראל כדי שיתעסקו בתורה
The Holy One, Blessed be He, says to them: With what did you occupy yourselves? They say before Him in response: Master of the Universe, we have established many marketplaces, we have built many bathhouses, and we have increased much silver and gold. And we did all of this only for the sake of the Jewish people, so that they would be free to engage in Torah study.
אמר להם הקב"ה שוטים שבעולם כל מה שעשיתם לצורך עצמכם עשיתם תקנתם שווקים להושיב בהן זונות מרחצאות לעדן בהן עצמכם כסף וזהב שלי הוא שנאמר (חגי ב, ח) לי הכסף ולי הזהב נאם ה' צבאות
The Holy One, Blessed be He, says to them: Fools of the world! Are you attempting to deceive Me? Everything that you did, you did for your own needs. You established marketplaces to place prostitutes in them; you built bathhouses for your own enjoyment; and as for the silver and gold that you claim to have increased, it is Mine, as it is stated: “Mine is the silver, and Mine the gold, said the Lord of hosts” (Haggai 2:8).
אלא כך אומרים העובדי כוכבים לפני הקב"ה רבש"ע ישראל שקיבלוה היכן קיימוה אמר להם הקב"ה אני מעיד בהם שקיימו את התורה כולה אומרים לפניו רבש"ע כלום יש אב שמעיד על בנו דכתיב (שמות ד, כב) בני בכורי ישראל אמר להם הקב"ה שמים וארץ יעידו בהם שקיימו את התורה כולה אומרים לפניו רבש"ע שמים וארץ נוגעין בעדותן שנאמ' (ירמיהו לג, כה) אם לא בריתי יומם ולילה חוקות שמים וארץ לא שמתי (דאר"ש) [ואר"ש] בן לקיש מאי דכתיב (בראשית א, לא) ויהי ערב ויהי בקר יום הששי מלמד שהתנה הקב"ה עם מעשה בראשית ואמר אם ישראל מקבלין את תורתי מוטב ואם לאו אני אחזיר אתכם לתוהו ובוהו והיינו דאמר חזקיה מאי דכתיב (תהלים עו, ט) משמים השמעת דין ארץ יראה ושקטה אם יראה למה שקטה ואם שקטה למה יראה אלא בתחלה יראה ולבסוף שקטה אמר להם הקב"ה מכם יבאו ויעידו בהן בישראל שקיימו את התורה כולה יבא נמרוד ויעיד באברהם שלא עבד עבודת כוכבים יבא לבן ויעיד ביעקב שלא נחשד על הגזל תבא אשת פוטיפרע ותעיד ביוסף שלא נחשד על העבירה יבא נבוכד נצר ויעיד בחנניה מישאל ועזריה שלא השתחוו לצלם יבא דריוש ויעיד בדניאל שלא ביטל את התפלה יבא בלדד השוחי וצופר הנעמתי ואליפז התימני ואליהו בן ברכאל הבוזי ויעידו בהם בישראל שקיימו את כל התורה כולה שנאמר (ישעיהו מג, ט) יתנו עידיהם ויצדקו
The Gemara returns to the discussion between God and the nations of the world, whose claims are rejected with the rebuttal that they did not receive the Torah because they did not fulfill the seven Noahide mitzvot that were incumbent upon them. Rather, this is what the gentiles say before the Holy One, Blessed be He: Master of the Universe, as for the Jewish people who accepted the Torah, where is the evidence that they fulfilled its mitzvot? The Holy One, Blessed be He, says to them in response: I will testify about the Jewish people that they fulfilled the Torah in its entirety. The nations say before Him: Master of the Universe, is there a father who can testify about his son? As it is written: “Israel is My son, My firstborn” (Exodus 4:22). Since God is considered the Father of the Jewish people, He is disqualified from testifying on their behalf. The Holy One, Blessed be He, said to them: Heaven and earth will testify about them that they fulfilled the Torah in its entirety. The nations say before Him: Master of the Universe, in this matter the testimony of heaven and earth is tainted by a conflict of interest, as it is stated: “If My covenant be not with day and night, I would not have appointed the ordinances of heaven and earth” (Jeremiah 33:25). And concerning this verse, Rabbi Shimon ben Lakish says: What is the meaning of that which is written: “And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day” (Genesis 1:31)? This teaches that the Holy One, Blessed be He, established a condition with the acts of Creation, and said: If the Jewish people accept My Torah at the revelation at Sinai, all is well, but if they do not accept it, I will return you to the primordial state of chaos and disorder. And this is similar to that which Ḥizkiyya says with regard to a different matter: What is the meaning of that which is written: “You caused sentence to be heard from heaven; the earth feared, and was silent” (Psalms 76:9)? If the earth feared, why was it silent, and if it was silent, why did it fear? One who is afraid does not stay silent, and one who remains silent thereby demonstrates that he is not afraid. Rather, this is the meaning of the verse: At first, when God came to give the Torah to the Jewish people, the earth feared that they might not accept it, and it would be destroyed. This is alluded to by the phrase “You caused sentence to be heard.” But ultimately, when the Jews accepted the Torah, the earth was silent. Consequently, heaven and earth are interested parties and cannot testify about the Jewish people’s commitment to the Torah. Instead, the Holy One, Blessed be He, says to the nations: Let the witnesses come from among you and testify that the Jewish people fulfilled the Torah in its entirety. Let Nimrod come and testify about Abraham that he did not engage in idol worship. Let Laban come and testify about Jacob that he is not suspect with regard to robbery (see Genesis 31:36–42). Let the wife of Potiphar come and testify about Joseph that he is not suspect with regard to the sin of adultery (see Genesis 39:7–12). Let Nebuchadnezzar come and testify about Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah that they did not prostrate themselves before a graven image. Let Darius come and testify about Daniel that he did not neglect his prayer (see Daniel 6). Let Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite, and Eliphaz the Temanite, and Elihu, son of Barachel, the Buzite, friends of Job (see Job 2:11 and 32:2) come and testify about the Jewish people that they fulfilled the Torah in its entirety. As it is stated: “All the nations are gathered together…let them bring their witnesses, that they may be justified” (Isaiah 43:9), i.e., the gathered gentiles will submit testimony on behalf of the Jewish people and demonstrate the Jews’ righteousness.
אמרו לפניו רבש"ע תנה לנו מראש ונעשנה אמר להן הקב"ה שוטים שבעולם מי שטרח בערב שבת יאכל בשבת מי שלא טרח בערב שבת מהיכן יאכל בשבת אלא אף על פי כן מצוה קלה יש לי וסוכה שמה לכו ועשו אותה ... ואמאי קרי ליה מצוה קלה משום דלית ביה חסרון כיס מיד כל אחד [ואחד] נוטל והולך ועושה סוכה בראש גגו והקדוש ברוך הוא מקדיר עליהם חמה בתקופת תמוז וכל אחד ואחד מבעט בסוכתו ויוצא שנאמר (תהלים ב, ג) ננתקה את מוסרותימו ונשליכה ממנו עבותימו
The gentiles say before Him: Master of the Universe, give us the Torah afresh and we will perform. The Holy One, Blessed be He, says to them: Fools of the world! One who takes pains on Shabbat eve will eat on Shabbat, but one who did not take pains on Shabbat eve, from where will he eat on Shabbat? But even so, I have an easy mitzva, and its name is sukka; go and perform it. (1) ...And why does G-d call the mitzva of sukka an easy mitzva to fulfill? Because performing the mitzva involves no monetary loss. Immediately, each and every gentile will take materials and go and construct a sukka on top of his roof. And the Holy One, Blessed be He, will set upon them the heat [makdir] of the sun in the season of Tammuz, i.e., the summer, and each and every one who is sitting in his sukka will be unable to stand the heat, and he will break(2) his sukka and leave, as it is stated: “Let us break their bands asunder, and cast away their cords from us” (Psalms 2:3).