Sukka 43 a, b

While the Temple stands, Jews should take the lulav to the Temple even when the first day of Sukkot falls on Shabbat. We also learn that in modern times, we do not take lulav to the synagogue on Shabbat.  Why would the rabbis allow this carrying on Shabbat in Temple times?  Usually we are not permitted to carry from the private to the public domain on Shabbat, which could easily happen (ie. exiting an eiruv) while walking to the Temple.  In addition, usually we are not permitted to carry beyond four cubits within the public realm on Shabbat.  The rabbis are willing to find reasons to make an exception.  One of these is that our determination of dates might not be correct.  As we know, none of our dates were known for certain, as they relied upon sightings of stars.

What is amazing to me is that the rabbis are willing to consider this particular argument for this particular reason.  What was so important about the act of taking the lulav to the Temple on the first day of Sukkot?  Why were the rabbis willing to break the halachot of Shabbat?  What were they afraid might happen if they insisted that people take lulav at home when the first day of Sukkot falls on Shabbat?

The rabbis elaborate on the Mishna further: the first day as different; those in outlying areas as different, whether or not we need a verse to allow moving the lulav, how different rabbis understand the requirement of taking lulav during the day versus during the night.  One of the concepts used is the principle of verbal analogy, which is explained in a note.  when the same word/phrase appears in two different places in the Torah AND a halacha is stated explicitly regarding one of these instances, the same halacha must apply to the other word/phrase.  Thus verbal analogies apply to linguistic similarities rather than similar concepts.  They must be based on ancient tradition - we cannot create new verbal analogies today.

Does this apply to the halacha of residing in the sukka during the day versus during the night, as well?  The rabbis attempt to apply the same verbal analogy and discuss where it works and where it does not work.

So many rules and principles and guidelines to help us understand the intentions of the Torah.  And yet so many of those structures are created by people.  We like to believe that G-d gave us hints toward understanding the Torah.  Why would it take this much work to find G-d's intended patterns?  How do we know that we found the 'true' intentions?  As I have mentioned numerous times, it seems more than likely that the creative human spirit has found a treasure trove in Torah; a puzzle to be solved.

Most of amud (b) is devoted to understanding why we are to break the laws of Shabbat to carry the willow branch around the altar for seven days.  The basic reasons:

• Torah law overrides rabbinical halachot regarding Shabbat
• we should publicize this Torah law

The rabbis wonder what is different about the willow branch and the lulav.  They question whether carrying the willow branch simply coincides with Shabbat or whether it in fact overrides Shabbat.  They wonder whether we did not march with the willow branch at all; perhaps we placed it standing against the altar.  This would break no halachot of Shabbat.  Then the rabbis argue about whether we circle the altar with the willow branch or with the lulav.

Attempting to solve this dilemma, Abaye tells of the Boethusians (said to be a sect that disagreed with rabbinical authority, like the Sadducees), who would hide the Jews' willow branches under stones near the altar, causing ignorant Jews to break the halachot of Shabbat by lifting the stones on Shabbat to retrieve their branches.  Interestingly, Steinsaltz shares a note: scholars have discounted this possibility, as Boethusians would not know the halachot of lifting on Shabbat.   How telling that Jews would suggest such malintent.  

This reminds me of today's Jewish community that is continually looking for those who are trying to do us in.  Of course there is true anti-semitism in the world and we are at risk as a small people.  However, we are speaking about different sects of Jews - those who follow rabbinical law and those who interpret Judaism differently.  Just like the Orthodox and the Reform of today.  To tell a story about a group of people as if it were truth; to discredit another group of Jewish people -- this is something special that we Jews have done to each other for thousands of years.