By Rabbi Yair Hoffman for 5TJT.com This past Shabbos Chol haMoed, Rav Mottel Dick Shlita, a leading and well-respected Rosh Yeshiva in Lakewood, delivered a remarkable shiur at Kollel Avreichim of Far Rockaway/Five Towns.  The Kollel, led by Rav Leibel Rand Shlita, has created a profound impact on the community.  It’s Kollel members are among the leading Torah scholars in the country, and its graduates have created Torah institutions throughout the community, including one of the top mesivtas in the New York metropolitan area, Mesivta Shaarei Chaim, as well as a Beis Midrash in Far Rockaway that has attracted bochurim from as far as Lakewood, New Jersey and Monsey New York.  Rav Dick shlita is the son-in-law of Rav Elya Svei zt”l. He was in Far Rockaway for the Shalom Zachar of an einekel and graced the Kollel with his presence. [WARNING:  Please be advised that this is only my understanding of Rav Dick’s presentation – after a Hoshana Rabbah night review of it.  It could be that I may be missing something significant or misunderstood his intent.] Rav Dick shlita spoke about a very famous and enigmatic Rashi on the first Mishna in Sukkah.  Rashi writes that the reason why a Sukkah that has more sun than shade is invalid is because the minority section of the Schach is negated by the majority section of the Schach and it is considered as if it is nonexistent.  Rav Dick presented the question that a number of meforshim pose: Why was it necessary for Rashi to explain this very lengthy exposition?  Why didn’t Rashi merely state that a Sukkah is defined by having Schach on it and we need that the Schach be more shade than sun – otherwise there is no Sukkah?  (This question is posed by the Steipler, Rav Chaim Kanievsky’s father, as well.) Rav Dick presented a few answers that were proposed by the Acharonim.  One answer is that Rashi is explaining why one cannot simply say Rubo kekulo if it is a din in the schach. Rav Dick further asked, “How can there be a taaruvos here, a mixture with a  minority and a majority – it is nikar – recognizable.  We do not say that a Rov beats a mi’ut when the minority part is recognizable. ANALYZING DIFFERENT TYPES OF MAJORITY OF SHADE Rav Dick delved into the different possible situations of a majority of shade over sun.  It is possible, for example, for one section of the Sukkah to have a majority of shade over sun, say, 5 parts of it shade and 3 parts of sun and the second section having 4 parts sun and 3 parts shade.  If we total them, the shade has 8 parts and the sun has 7 parts – leaving us with a majority of sun.  Would such a Sukkah be valid or invalid? THE BRAISAH ON 19B Rav Dick pointed out that later in the Gemorah on Sukkah 19b, there is a braisah to which four explanations are provided.  This Gemorah has perhaps not been sufficiently explored by the commentaries to shed light on our enigmatic Rashi. Rav Dick explains that the simple understanding of majority of shade over sun must be that the shade must be greater than the sun in every part of the Sukkah. There […]

The post The Enigmatic Rashi on the First Mishna in Sukkah: A Shiur by Rav Mottel Dick Shlita appeared first on The Yeshiva World.