Sukka 32 a, b

Amud (a) is devoted to the fitness of the lulav.  Is it bent?  Where? How much?  Is it curved?  In which direction? Is there a central twin leaf? If so, has it been removed?  Is it bound?  Are we examining one leaf or multiple leaves?  There are specific rules regarding the fitness of the lulav suggest the rabbis had significant expertise in palm leaves.

The rabbis comment on the Mishna's statement that leaves from the palms of the Iron Mountain are fit.  Apparently, south west of Jerusalem is a valley where smoke rises between two palm trees.  That smoke is thought to be the entrance to Gehenna.  A note by Steinsaltz teaches us that this valley was called the valley of ben Hinmon; this is the source of the word 'gehenna'.  It is believed that in ancient times, Molech, the Canaanite god, was worshipped there.  That worship may have involved child sacrifice.  Understandably, this knowledge may have evolved into the idea of a site or source of hell.

We then enter a discussion regarding the height of different leaves.  This argument might determine that a lulav from the Iron Mountains is in fact unfit.  The rabbis argue about heights of the lulav, the myrtle branch and the willow branch.  When Rabbi Tarfon makes a statement that Rava believes is erroneous, he says "May his Master forgive Rabbi Tarfon". How humiliating!  But an interesting way to insult or disagree with another scholar's arrogance.

We end the daf with a new Mishna: a myrtle branch that was stolen or dry; that is of an asheira or a city incited to idolatry; that is severed at the tops of at the leaves; that has more berries than leaves is unfit.  One can pick off the berries, but only before the Festival begins.

The Gemara wonders whether the myrtle is the dense-leafed tree mentioned in Leviticus 23:40.  I wonder whether the rabbis craved the outdoors; they studied indoors all day and much of the night. Perhaps this opportunity to discuss the natural world was cherished and prolonged.  It seems bizarre to discuss such simple things at such great length.  If the leaves are bent, it isn't kosher.  What's to discuss?  But clearly our Sages were interested in the ways that trees grew.  They were interested in the way that the natural world provided proof of G-d's intentions as described in the Torah.