(א) הכל חיבין בראיה, חוץ מחרש, שוטה, וקטן, וטמטום, ואנדרוגינוס, ונשים, ועבדים שאינם משחררים, החגר, והסומא, והחולה, והזקן, ומי שאינו יכול לעלות ברגליו. איזהו קטן, כל שאינו יכול לרכוב על כתפיו של אביו ולעלות מירושלים להר הבית, דברי בית שמאי. ובית הלל אומרים, כל שאינו יכול לאחוז בידו של אביו ולעלות מירושלים להר הבית, שנאמר, שלש רגלים.
(1) All are obligated in seeing [the Temple Mount], except for a deaf mute, an incompetent, or a minor; an intersexual, an androgyne; women, unfreed slaves; a lame person, a blind person, or a sick person; or an old person who cannot stand upon his feet. Who is a minor? Anyone who cannot ride on his father's shoulders and go up from Jerusalem to the Temple Mount, according to the House of Shammai; The House of Hillel say: Anyone who cannot hold his father's hand and go up from Jerusalem to the Temple Mount, for it says, "Three regalim*" (Exodus 23:14)
- * Regel means foot in Hebrew, but also is used in the Torah to mean "occasions". The Mishnah here is playing off the double meaning.
- Why are these particular categories of people exempt?
- What does their exemptions tell us about the nature of obligation?
(42) You shall live in booths seven days; all citizens in Israel shall live in booths.
(ח) נשים ועבדים וקטנים פטורים מן הסכה. קטן שאינו צריך לאמו, חיב בסכה. מעשה וילדה כלתו של שמאי הזקן ופחת את המעזיבה וסכך על גבי המטה בשביל הקטן.
(8) Women, slaves, and minors are exempted from [the obligations pertaining to] the sukkah. A minor who no longer needs [to be with] his mother, is obligated in the sukkah. It happened that the daughter-in-law of Shamai the elder gave birth [to a son, around sukkot], and he [Shamai] removed some of the ceiling's plaster and covered [the empty space] with sekhakh over the bed, on behalf of the minor.
אמר מר: "כל" לרבות את הקטנים
התנן נשים ועבדים וקטנים פטורין מן הסוכה
ל"ק כאן בקטן שהגיע לחינוך כאן בקטן שלא הגיע לחינוך
קטן שהגיע לחינוך מדרבנן הוא
מדרבנן וקרא אסמכתא בעלמא הוא:
קטן שאינו צריך לאמו כו'
היכי דמי
קטן שאינו צריך לאמו אמרי דבי ר' ינאי כל שנפנה ואין אמו מקנחתו
רבי (שמעון) אומר כל שנעור משנתו ואינו קורא אמא
גדולים נמי קרו
אלא כל שנעור ואינו קורא אמא אמא:
ושמאי מחמיר ומעשה נמי וילדה כלתו של שמאי הזקן ופחת את המעזיבה וסיכך על המטה בשביל הקטן:
A [Inference from Scripture] The word "every" comes to include minors.
B [Challenge from another source] But have we not learned: women, slaves, and minors are exempt from the Sukkah?
C [Resolution] There is no difficulty. One source refers to a minor who has reached the age of education, and one source refers to where he has not yet reached the age of education.
D [Challenge] But is not the obligation of a minor who has reached the age of education a derabanan (rabbinic) commandment?
E [Resolution] It is indeed of rabbinic origin, the scriptural verse was merely a support.
F [Quote from Mishnah] A minor who is not dependent on his mother etc.
G [Question, seeking clarity] What is meant by a minor who is not dependent on his mother?
H [Answer #1] The school of R. Yannai said, Any child who when he relieves himself, his mother does not need to clean him.
I [Answer #2] Rabbi Shimon b. Lakish said: He who wakes up and does not call out, "mother".
J [Challenge to Answer #2] But do not older ones also call their mother?
K [Correction to Answer #2] Rather he who awakens and does not call "Mother! Mother."
L [Explanation of Shammai's actions, Resolution] Shammai is strict, and indeed it once happened that the daughter-in-law of Shammai the elder gave birth to a child and he opened up the plaster of the roof, and put skhakh over the bed for the child.