A Sukkah for a Baby
Shammai’s daughter-in-law gave birth over Succos (Yevamos 15a). She was recuperating in the house. Shammai managed to make a hole in the roof over the bed she was resting in and placed s’chach over that hole. It is clear that the new mother did not need to sit in the sukkah. If so, for whom was this sukkah intended?
The Maharshal suggests that there was an older boy around four years old present at the house. Although Hillel is of the opinion that this boy who still needed his mother did not need to sit in the sukkah, Shammai felt otherwise. It would seem from the simple reading of the Gemara that Shammai felt that this was a real obligation. In fact, this point is disputed.
However, it does seem interesting that the Gemara makes no mention of this mysterious older brother. Therefore, the P’nei Yehoshua suggests that the sukkah was for the newborn baby boy.
At first, the P’nei Yehoshua is incredulous. How could there be a mitzvah of chinuch for a one-day-old baby?! He is forced to explain that this is a unique mitzvah that applies nowhere else. Since the verse uses the word “Kol” in describing which men should sit in the sukkah, the Sages enacted a requirement that every male no matter the age should sit in the sukkah! However, Hillel disagrees with this point, and the halacha is in accordance with his opinion.