Sukkah 51a — the Talmud in English

And the Gemara explains: the essence of song—whether it is with the mouth or with an instrument—

as a matter of dispute between tannaim.

It is a dispute between tannaim.

As we learned

in tractate Arakhin: The musicians, those holding the musical instruments, at the time of the song over the offering—

were the slaves of kohanim, the words of Rabbi Meir.

Rabbi Yosei says:

Israelites, from the men of the

family “

Beit Ha-Pegarim”

and

from the men of the

family “Beit Tzifraya” [

so they were called], were the ones who held the musical instruments.

And

those families

from Amom [

a place-name]

were.

And they were

distinguished Israelite families, without the flaw of mamzerut or of disqualification through a priestly marriage, and because of their lineage they

would marry

their daughters [or their widows]

to the priesthood.

Rabbi Hanina ben Antigonus says:

Those who held the musical instruments—

were Levites.

And only they were fit for song with an instrument, but not Israelites.

Is it not that they disagree in this

Rabbi Meir and Rabbi Hanina ben Antigonus:

The one who says [

Rabbi Meir]

that they were slaves holds

that the

essence of song

is

with the mouth,

and the Levites sang with the mouth, while the slaves played with an instrument.

And the one who says [

Rabbi Hanina ben Antigonus]

that they were Levites holds

that the

essence of song

is

with an instrument.

And the Gemara rejects the words of Rav Pappa, who says that whether the essence of song is with the mouth or with an instrument is a dispute between tannaim.

And can you understand it

that Rabbi Meir and Rabbi Hanina ben Antigonus disagree in this way? But if so, according to your words,

Rabbi Yosei,

who said that they were distinguished Israelites—

what does he hold!?

If he holds that the essence of song is with the mouth—

even slaves, also.

If he holds that the essence of song is with an instrument, Levites—

yes [

indeed],

Israelites—

no!

And necessarily, the tannaim did not disagree about this.

Rather, everyone holds that the essence of song is with the mouth.

And everyone is fit for song with an instrument, even slaves.

And in this they disagree

the tannaim in the Mishna in tractate Arakhin:

For one master holds: This is how the event occurred, and one master holds: This is how the event occurred.

For the difference between the three tannaim is only in the account of the event—who the musicians with the instruments were—not in the halakha of who is fit to play.

And the Gemara explains:

What practical difference is there

who those people were, if this has no bearing on the law of song?

For “

one raises [a person] from the platform to [establish] lineage and for the tithe”—

they disagree.

Does one who stands in the Temple on the platform together with the Levites and plays an instrument qualify to be considered a distinguished Israelite, who requires no examination in order to marry him to a distinguished woman, and likewise does he qualify to be given the first tithe as a Levite?

The one who says that they were slaves holds

that one

does not raise [a person] from the platform for lineage, nor for the tithe.

For slaves, too, played there.

And the one who says that they were Israelites holds

that one

raises [a person] from the platform

only

for lineage,

since they were careful not to place there Israelites who were not distinguished,

but not for the tithe,

for Israelites, too, played there.

And the one who says that they were Levites holds: One raises [a person] from the platform both for lineage and for the tithe.

And now the Gemara brings another opinion in explaining the dispute in the beraita [on the previous page] whether the flute overrides Shabbat or not:

And Rabbi Yirmeya bar Abba said: The dispute

whether the flute overrides Shabbat is only

with regard to the song of the drawing

that they sang all night on the steps, which is not the service of the offering but only in order to increase the joy.

For Rabbi Yosei bar Yehuda holds: The additional joy

of the drawing

also overrides Shabbat.

Since playing the flute is not labor by Torah law, but only a rabbinic prohibition of shevut, and it is overridden on account of the mitzva of joy.

And the Sages hold: “

The additional joy”

does not override Shabbat,

even not a rabbinic prohibition of shevut.

But with regard to the song of the offering,

whose essence is with an instrument—

everyone agrees that it is service, and it overrides Shabbat.

He raises an objection

to Rav Yosef, who said above [on the previous page] that Rabbi Yosei son of Rabbi Yehuda concedes to the Sages that the song of the drawing, which is on account of joy, does not override Shabbat, from an explicit beraita.

As it was taught:

The song of the drawing overrides

even

Shabbat—

the words of Rabbi Yosei bar Yehuda.

And the Sages say: It does not override even a Festival.

And we conclude:

A refutation of Rav Yosef, a refutation.

And we inquire about it:

Shall we say that it is with regard to the song of the drawing

only

that they disagree

the Sages and Rabbi Yosei son of Rabbi Yehuda?

But with regard to the song of the offering,

which is service—

everyone agrees that it overrides Shabbat.

And if so,

shall we say that this is a refutation of Rav Yosef—

in two respects!

For this beraita would be a refutation of two statements of Rav Yosef.

For he also said that the dispute of the Sages and Rabbi Yosei is with regard to the song of the offering, whereas from the beraita it follows that everyone concedes with regard to the song of the offering that it is service and overrides Shabbat. For they disagreed only with regard to the joy of the drawing.

Rav Yosef could say to you: They disagree with regard to the song of the drawing, and the same law applies

that they disagree

with regard to the song of

offering

the offering,

whether it overrides Shabbat.

And this that they disagree with regard to the song of the drawing—

it is

to inform you of the force of Rabbi Yosei bar Yehuda, that even

the song

of the drawing,

which is not service but only for joy,

also overrides

Shabbat.

And now the Gemara infers from our Mishna against the words of Rav Yosef:

But it teaches

in our Mishna:

This is the flute of the House of the Drawing, which does not override either Shabbat or a Festival.

And we should infer:

This is,

the flute of the House of the Drawing, which

does not override

Shabbat or a Festival.

But the flute

accompanying an offering

of the offering—

it overrides

Shabbat and a Festival, since it is included within the service of the offering.

And now we must discuss: Our Mishna—

whose

opinion is it stated according to?

If you say: Rabbi Yosei bar Yehuda

it is.

It is impossible to say so, for

he said: The song of the drawing also overrides.

Rather, is it not—

the Sages

it is.

And a refutation of Rav Yosef in two respects!

And we conclude:

A refutation.

And now the Gemara explains the essence of the dispute whether song is with the mouth or with an instrument:

What is the reason of the one who says that the essence of song is with an instrument?

Because this is demonstrated by that which

is written

in II Chronicles [chapter 29]: “

And Hezekiah said to bring up the burnt offering to the altar. And at the time the burnt offering began, the song of the Lord began, and the trumpets, and by means of the instruments of David, king of Israel.”

And it is demonstrated that David’s instruments are called song.

And there is no proof from the trumpets, for they were not for the purpose of song but for the mitzva of sounding, for they would sound over the regular and additional offerings.

What is the reason of the one who says that the essence of song is with the mouth?

Because of

that which is written

in II Chronicles [chapter 5]: “

And it came to pass, when the trumpeters and the singers were as one, to make one sound.”

And no musical instrument is mentioned in this verse. [

And as stated, the trumpets mentioned here are not used for song, but for the mitzva of sounding over the regular and additional offerings.]

And we raise an objection:

And the other one [

who holds that the essence of song is with the mouth]

also, is it not written “

And Hezekiah

to bring up the burnt offering to the altar. And at the time the burnt offering began, the song of the Lord began, and the trumpets, and by means of the instruments of David, king of Israel”!?

And we answer:

This is what the verse is saying: “

“

The song of the Lord began”— \-

with the mouth.

For song with the mouth is the essence of the mitzva. “

And

by means of the instruments of David, king of Israel”—

to sweeten

and improve

the sound,

the sound of the song with the mouth.

And we raise an objection:

And the other one [

who holds that the essence of song is with an instrument]

also, is it not written “

And it came to pass, when the trumpeters and the singers,”

and no musical instrument was mentioned in it at all!?

And we answer:

This is what it is saying: The singers are analogous to the trumpeters.

Just as “

the trumpeters”

sound

with an instrument—

so “

the singers”

play

with an instrument.

Mishna:

Whoever has not seen the rejoicing of the House of the Drawing—

has never seen rejoicing in his days!

At the conclusion of the first Festival day of the festival they descended

the kohanim and the Levites from the Israelite Courtyard, which was higher,

to the Women’s Courtyard,

which was lower than it.

And

they

would arrange there “

a great arrangement,”

which will be explained in the Gemara.

There were golden lamps there, and four golden bowls at their tops,

of each of the lamps.

And four ladders

were

for each and every one

of the four bowls at the tops of the lamps.

And

four young men would climb and ascend the ladders,

four children,

young men,

from the young men of the priesthood,

one young man for each ladder,

and in their hands

there

were jugs

of oil

of one hundred and twenty log, which

they

would pour

the oil from the jugs

into each and every bowl.

From the worn-out garments of the kohanim, and from their belts,

from their sashes—

from them they would tear

strips of fabric, in order to make wicks from them.

And with them,

with these wicks,

they would kindle

the oil in the bowls that were at the tops of the lamps.

And there was no courtyard in Jerusalem that was not illuminated by the light of the House of the Drawing.