Sukkah 47a-48a
סוכה מ״ז א — ד"ה לְבָרוֹכֵי
Sukkah 47a:1
Discusses Shemini Atzeret as a festival distinct from Sukkot, including the question of whether one sits in the sukkah and how the day’s uncertain status outside Israel affects practice. This is the primary Chazal source underlying the later customs.
לְבָרוֹכֵי. לְמַאן דְּאָמַר שְׁבִיעִי לְסוּכָּה — בָּרוֹכֵי נָמֵי מְבָרְכִינַן, לְמַאן דְּאָמַר שְׁמִינִי לָזֶה וְלָזֶה — בָּרוֹכֵי לָא מְבָרְכִינַן. אָמַר רַב יוֹסֵף: נְקוֹט דְּרַבִּי יוֹחָנָן בְּיָדְךָ, דְּרַב הוּנָא בַּר בִּיזְנָא וְכׇל גְּדוֹלֵי הַדּוֹר אִיקְּלַעוּ בְּסוּכָּה בִּשְׁמִינִי סְפֵק שְׁבִיעִי. מֵיתַב הֲווֹ יָתְבִי, בָּרוֹכֵי לָא בָּרִיכוּ. וְדִלְמָא סְבִירָא לְהוּ כְּמַאן דְּאָמַר: כֵּיוָן שֶׁבֵּירַךְ יוֹם טוֹב רִאשׁוֹן שׁוּב אֵינוֹ מְבָרֵךְ? גְּמִירִי דְּמֵאֲפָר אֲתוֹ. אִיכָּא דְּאָמְרִי: בָּרוֹכֵי — כּוּלֵּי עָלְמָא לָא פְּלִיגִי דְּלָא מְבָרְכִינַן. כִּי פְּלִיגִי, לְמֵיתַב. לְמַאן דְּאָמַר שִׁבְעָה לְסוּכָּה — מֵיתַב יָתְבִינַן, וּלְמַאן דְּאָמַר שְׁמִינִי לָזֶה וְלָזֶה — מֵיתַב נָמֵי לָא יָתְבִינַן. אָמַר רַב יוֹסֵף: נְקוֹט דְּרַבִּי יוֹחָנָן בִּידָךְ, דְּמָרָא דִשְׁמַעְתָּא מַנִּי — רַב יְהוּדָה בְּרֵיהּ דְּרַב שְׁמוּאֵל בַּר שִׁילַת, וּבִשְׁמִינִי סְפֵק שְׁבִיעִי לְבַר מִסּוּכָּה יָתֵיב. וְהִלְכְתָא: מֵיתַב יָתְבִינַן, בָּרוֹכֵי לָא מְבָרְכִינַן.
with regard to whether or not to recite the blessing over residing in the sukka. According to the one who says that the status of the eighth day is like that of the seventh day with regard to the mitzva of sukka, we also recite the blessing: To reside in the sukka. However, according to the one who says that its status is like that of the eighth day both with regard to this and to that, we do not recite the blessing. Rav Yosef said: Take the statement of Rabbi Yoḥanan that on the eighth day outside Eretz Yisrael one does not recite the blessing: To reside in the sukka, in your hand, i.e., adopt it as your practice. As Rav Huna bar Bizna and all the prominent scholars of the generation happened to visit a sukka on the eighth day, with regard to which there was uncertainty that it might be the seventh day, and they were sitting in the sukka, but they did not recite the blessing. The Gemara suggests: And perhaps the reason they did not recite a blessing is that they hold in accordance with the opinion of the one who said: Once he recited the blessing on the first Festival day he does not recite it again on the subsequent days, and not because it was the eighth day. The Gemara answers: That is not the reason that they did not recite the blessing, as the Sages learned through tradition that these Sages were coming from the fields, where they had been herding their flocks, and that was the first time during the Festival that they sat in a sukka. Some say a different version of the dispute: Everyone agrees that we do not recite the blessing; when they disagree it is with regard to whether to reside in the sukka. According to the one who says that the status of the eighth day is like that of the seventh day with regard to the mitzva of sukka, we reside in the sukka. However, according to the one who says that its status is like that of the eighth day both with regard to this and to that, neither do we reside in the sukka. Rav Yosef said: Take the statement of Rabbi Yoḥanan in your hand, as who is the Master responsible for dissemination of the halakha? It is Rav Yehuda, son of Rav Shmuel bar Sheilat, and on the eighth day, with regard to which there is uncertainty that it might be the seventh day, he himself resides outside of the sukka. The Gemara concludes: And the halakha is that we reside in the sukka on the eighth day, with regard to which there is uncertainty that it might be the seventh day, but we do not recite the blessing.