Sukkah 47 - August 23, 15 Elul

Outside of Israel where the eighth day of the holiday is possibly the seventh (as they didn’t know exactly when the new moon was declared in Israel), do you sit in the Sukkah? There is a debate between Rabbi Yochanan and Rav. There are two different versions brought – each one understands differently - what exactly is the controversy over? Is it regarding sitting in the sukkah or making the blessing? And each one version concludes with the decision of Rav Yosef.  The gemara concludes that one sits in the sukkah and does not make a blessing. Rabbi Yochanan says that we say shehechiyanu on Shmini Atzeret, the eighth day of the holiday as it is a separate holiday. The gemara brings four opinions explaining how we see that it is different (One is a list of laws that are different and the others derive from verses in the Torah). Why is it not similar to the seventh of Pesach that differs from the first day of Pesach, yet we do not say shehechiyanu? The gemara tries to prove Rabbi Yochanan’s opinion from a braita but it is rejected. The gemara discusses the opinion of Rabbi Yehuda regarding the requirement to stay overnight in Jerusalem on Shmini Atzeret (that was mentioned in the braita) and question it from another source. When they answer the question, they try to prove the answer from a mishna in Bikurim, but the proof is rejected. In the end, they say that there is a dispute among amoraim as to whether or not to say shehechiyanu on Shmini Atzeret but they rule that one should say it.