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The Talmud, by Joseph Barclay, [1878], at sacred-texts.com
1. "If one sleep under a bed in the booth?" "He has not discharged his duty." R. Judah said, "we used to sleep under a bed before the elders, and they said nothing to us." R. Simon said, "it happened that Tabbi, the slave of R. Gamaliel, used to sleep under a bed, and R. Gamaliel said to the elders, 'you have seen my slave Tabbi, he is a disciple of the Sages, and knows that slaves are exempted from the booth, therefore he sleeps under a bedstead.' From this we in our way infer that he who sleeps under a bed has not discharged his duty."
2. "If a man support his booth with the posts of his bed?" "It is allowed." R. Judah says, "a booth which cannot stand by itself, is disallowed." A booth, which is unequally covered, and its shade greater than its sunlight, is allowed. If the covering be thick like a house roof, even though the stars are not seen through it, it is allowed.
3. "If one make his booth on the top of a waggon, or on a boat?" "It is allowed; and he may go up to it on the festival." "If one make it on the top of a tree, or on the back of a camel?" "It is allowed, but he must not go up to it on the festival." 1 "If two sides (be formed) by a tree, and one by the hands of man, or two by the hands of man and one by a tree?" "The booth is allowed, but he must not
go up to it on the festival." "If three (sides be formed) by hands of man and the fourth by a tree?" "The booth is allowed, and he may go up to it on the festival." This is the rule—when, on the removal of the tree, it can stand by itself, the booth is allowed, and one may go up to it on the festival.
4. "If one make his booth between trees, and the trees form side walls?" "The booth is allowed." Messengers on a pious errand are exempted from the booth. The sick and their attendants are exempted from the booth. Persons may occasionally eat or drink outside the booth.
5. It happened that they brought to R. Jochanan, son of Zachai, a dish to taste, and to Rabban Gamaliel two dates and a jar of water, and they said, "bring them to the booth." But when they brought to R. Zadok food smaller than an egg, he took it in the napkin 1 and ate it outside the booth, but he did not say a blessing after it.
6. R. Eleazar says, "a man is bound to eat fourteen meals in the booth, one by day and one by night;" but the Sages say the matter is not determined, except on the first night of the festival. Moreover R. Eleazar said, "he who has not taken his meal on the first night of the festival, may complete it on the last night of the festival; but the Sages say that he must not complete it, and for this it is said, (That which is) crooked cannot be made straight, and that which is wanting, cannot be numbered." 2
7. "If any one's head, and the greater part of his body, be in the booth, and his table in the house?" The school of Shammai "disallow it;" but the school of Hillel "allow it." The school of Hillel said to the school of Shammai, "did it not happen that the elders of the school of Shammai, and those of the school of Hillel, went to visit R. Jochanan, son of Hachorni, and they found him sitting with his head and the greater part of his body in the booth while his table was in the house, and they said nothing to him?" The school of Shammai said to them, "Is that a proof? Even the elders
did say to him, 'if such has been thy custom, thou hast never in thy life fulfilled the commandment of the booth.'"
8. Women, slaves, and children, are exempted from the booth. A boy who no longer needs his mother is bound to the booth. It happened that the daughter-in-law of Shammai, the elder, 1 gave birth to a son, and Shammai removed the ceiling and covered over her bed on account of the little one.
9. During the whole seven days a man is to make the booth his regular dwelling, and (to use) his house only occasionally. "If rain fall, when is it permitted to remove from it?" "When the porridge is spoiled." The elders illustrate this by an example: "To what is the matter like?" "It is as if a servant pour out a cup for his master, who in return dashes a bowlful in his face."
138:1 But he may go up on the middle days of the feast.
139:1 Lest he should render the food legally unclean with his unwashen hands. Mark vii. 2, 5.
139:2 Eccles. i. 15.
140:1 He lived about eighty years before the destruction of the Temple.