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1)

(a) Motza was a valley close to Yerushalayim - from where they would pick the branches for the Mitzvah of Aravah.

(b) They would then take the branches to the Azarah and place them upright at the side of Mizbe'ach.

(c) Simultaneously - the Kohanim would blow a Teki'ah, Teru'ah, Teki'ah on the trumpets (out of pure joy - Tosfos DH 'Tak'u').

(d) Each day, as the Kohanim walked round the Mizbe'ach (with the Aravah or the palm branches), they would say 'Ana Hashem Hoshi'a Na, Ana Hashem Hatzlichah Na'. According to Rebbi Yehudah - they would say 'Ani ve'Ho Hoshi'a Na'.

(a) 'Ana Hashem' - is the equivalent numerical value of 'Ani ve'Ho'.

(b) 'Ani ve'Ho' means 'I' and 'He' (i.e. K'lal Yisrael and Hashem - a request that Hashem should save His Shechinah, Kevayachol, together with K'lal Yisrael); but it is also two of the seventy-two three letter Names of Hashem which emerge from the three consecutive Pesukim in Beshalach, "va'Yisa" ... "va'Yavo ... "va'Yet". This is done by taking the first letter of the first Pasuk, the last, of the middle Pasuk and the first, of the third; then the second letter of the first Pasuk, the second last, of the middle one, and the second, of the third, and so on). In this way, 'Veho' is the first Name, and 'Ani' the thirty-seventh.

(c) The ceremony differed on the seventh day from the other six days - inasmuch as they went round the Mizbe'ach *seven* times instead of only *once*.

(a) When taking leave from the Mizbe'ach, they would say, according to ...

1. ... the Tana Kama - 'Yofi Lecha Mizbe'ach, Yofi Lecha Mizbe'ach'.
2. ... Rebbi Eliezer - 'le'Kah u'Lecha Mizbe'ach, le'Kah u'Lecha Mizbe'ach'.

(b) The only difference between the ceremony on a weekday and the ceremony on a Shabbos was that, in the latter case, they would pick the Aravos on Erev Shabbos and leave them in golden barrels somewhere in the vicinity of the Azarah, to prevent them from withering.

(c) Rebbi Yochanan ben Berokah disagrees with the Tana Kama - inasmuch as, in his opinion, it was not giant *Aravos* that they placed at the side of the Mizbe'ach each day, but giant *Lulavim*.

(d) The seventh day became known as the day of banging the branches - because they would bang them on the ground beside the Mizbe'ach.

(a) The moment the Mitzvah of Lulav terminated, the grown-ups would snatch the children's Lulavim and eat their Esrogim - there was no problem of theft - because that was the Minhag (which evolved from the tremendous joy that everybody felt). Note: Tosfos (DH 'Mi'yad') explains the Mishnah to mean simply that the children dropped their Lulavim and ate their Esrogim, in spite of Rashi's objection to this explanation, which we will deal with later.

(b) Motza's real name was 'Kelanya'. They called it 'Motza' - because, as a result of its contribution to this Mitzvah, its inhabitants were *relieved* (the translation of 'Motza') from paying taxes.

(a) The willow-branches that they used in the Beis Hamikdash were eleven Amos tall - and they dragged on the Mizbe'ach for a distance of one Amah.

(b) The Beraisa gives their height as eleven Amos - three Amos taller than the actual height of the Mizbe'ach (two Amos beyond the height of the Mizbe'ach [not counting the Keranos] i.e. one Amah up and one Amah down; and an extra Amah which dragged on the Mizbe'ach). But the Mizbe'ach was in fact, *nine* Amos tall, not *eight*. So we must say that they placed them on the Yesod of the Mizbe'ach, and not on the ground next to the Mizbe'ach (in which case, we would also have to make a further reduction due to the angle).

(c) We learn from the Pasuk in Tehilim "Isru Chag ba'*Avosim* Al *Karnos* ha'Mizbe'ach" - that the branches ("Avosim") towered even above the Keranos of the Mizbe'ach.

(d) Rebbi Avahu quoting Rebbi Elazar, learns from "Isru (Chag) ... " (which hints to the three species that are tied together) - that someone who takes the Lulav and the Hadas etc. is considered as if he had built the Mizbe'ach and brought a Korban on it (Note: The numerical value of the four species is equivalent to the area of the Mizbe'ach - 32 x 32 Amos).

6)

(a) Rebbi Yirmiyah quotes Rebbi Shimon, who says the same about someone who celebrates Isru Chag as Rebbi Elazar (in the previous question) said about someone who takes the Lulav and the Hadas. One celebrates Isru Chag - by eating and drinking more than usual.

(b) He also derives from the Pasuk in Terumah (regarding the boards of the Mishkan) "Atzei Shitim Omdim" - that all Mitzvos (such as the four species) must be taken in the hand in the same way as they grow (from the ground or on the tree) and not upside down.

(c) He learns from the same Pasuk that the gold was fixed to the boards by means of golden nails. And he also learns from "Atzei Shitim Omdim" - that they would last forever, and although they are hidden, they will one day re- appear.

(d) Rebbi Shimon bar Yochai said about himself that *he* was able to bear the sins of the entire world from the day he was born until that day. If he would combine his merits with those ...

1. ... of his son, Rebbi Elazar - we could add all the sins from the day that the world was created until.
2. ... of his son, as well as of Yosam ben Uziyahu, King of Yehudah - from the creation of the world until the end of time.

(a) When Rebbi Shimon said that, whether there a thousand or a hundred, he and his son were among them, and if there were just two in the entire world, then it was he and his son - he was referring to 'B'nei Ali'ah' (people who strive to grow constantly). The Agados Maharsha explains 'B'nei Ali'ah' to mean 'like angels'.

(b) The eighteen thousand Tzadikim who, Yechezkel reports, surround Hashem's Throne, and who are closer to it than the angels - only see Hashem from an unclear perspective (like one sees something through a veil); whereas Rebbi Shimon bar Yochai and his son Rebbi Elazar, saw Hashem clearly.

(c) We learn from the Pasuk in Yeshayah "Ashrei Kol Chochei *Lo*" - that in every generation, there are thirty-six Tzadikim who receive the Shechinah every day.

(d) Rebbi Shimon suggests that there are only *two* 'B'nei Aliyah - who enter to see the Shechinah *without prior permission*; whereas the *thirty- six* may enter only *with permission*.

(a) We learn from the Pasuk "Bilti la'Hashem Levado" - than when praising Hashem, one is not permitted to combine the praise of 'anybody' else at the same time.

(b) When Rebbi Yehudah says that, upon taking leave from the Mizbe'ach, the Kohanim would say '*le'Kah u'Lecha Mizbe'ach*' - he meant 'We acknowledge (that) Hashem (is our G-d), and praise you, Mizbe'ach' (for being the insrument through which we are atoned).

(c) Rebbi Yochanan ben Berokah learns from the plural reading of "Kapos Temarim" - that there are *two* Mitzvos of Lulav, one together with the Lulav, the other, the Mitzvah in the Beis Hamikdash.

(d) The Rabbanan disagree with him - on the grounds that "Kapos" is written without a 'Vav' (in which case, it is singular, and there is only *one* Mitzvah of Lulav).

10)

(a) According to Rav Yehudah Amar Shmuel, one needs to recite a Berachah over Lulav each day of Sukos - because each night (when there is no Chiyuv Lulav) interrupts the Mitzvah, creating a new one the next day; but over Sukah only once - because there is only one Mitzvah that extends throughout Sukos (day and night).

(b) Rabah bar bar Chanah says exactly the opposite - because sitting in the Sukah on each day of Sukos is a Chiyuv *d'Oraysa*, whereas the Chiyuv of Lulav outside the Beis Hamikdash is only de'Rabbanan on the other days (and, in his opinion, one does not recite a Berachah over a Mitzvah de'Rabbanan).

(c) Ravin quotes Rebbi Yochanan as saying - that one recites a Berachah on each day of Sukos both over Lulav and over Sukah.

(d) When Rav Yosef ruled like Rabah bar bar Chanah, 'because all the Amora'im hold like him' - he was referring to reciting a Berachah over *Sukah*, since Ravin agrees agrees with him (making it two against one - Shmuel - with regard to Sukah).