The question is asked, Moshe had taught the Jewish people about not carrying on Shabbat many months earlier, when he told them not to collect Manna on Shabbat. As such, why did he need to inform them of this prohibition again at this point?
Rabbi Tzvi Hirsh Farber (of 20th-century Kovno and London) explains that on Sukkot, a Sukkah is considered a private domain in regards to carrying on Shabbat even if it would otherwise not be considered a private domain. (For example, if it has two and a half walls which is not usually enough to create a private domain.) As the Talmud says, that when something is considered a wall for Sukkah purposes it is also considered a wall for Shabbat purposes. As such, since this discussion took place (according to Tosfot) just before Sukkot that coincided with Shabbat, Moshe taught them that they cannot carry from their Sukkot to the public domain even if this would have been permissible on other Shabbatot.
May we soon donate to and build the Third Beit HaMikdash!
Wishing you a Shabbat Shalom UMevorach and a Chodesh Tov!
Copyright Rabbi Aryeh Citron 2024
