For the source text click/tap here: Sukkah 51
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The Mishnah on our daf states: Anyone who has not seen the simhat bet ha-sho’evah – the joyousness of the water libation ceremony – has not seen true joy in their lifetime. The Mishnah describes how the Sages would sing songs and juggle torches, accompanied by an orchestra of levi’im, all to the light of large candelabra, which were large bowls of oil lit by the young kohanim who climbed ladders to do so.
Another impressive sight described by the baraita was the great synagogue in Alexandria, Egypt, which held double 600,000 people (the number 600,000 is significant because it was the number of people who left Egypt to come to Israel). The synagogue was so large that someone was appointed by the congregants to stand on a wooden platform in the middle and wave a flag so that everyone would know when it was time to respond “Amen” to the chazzan.
With this grand introduction, the Gemara concludes by quoting Abayye, who says that this entire community was destroyed by Alexander Mokdon because of their disregard for the passage forbidding Jews to return to Egypt (see Devarim 17:16).
We explore the history of the Jews of Alexandria and the legend (?) of the great library.