Today Zevachim Daf 30, Rebbi praised his student Levi for asking a question. Rebbi’s son Rebbi Shimon said to his father, what was so amazing about the question, it’s a mishna? Below is the quote from the Gemara
תא שמע דבעא מיניה לוי מרבי חישב לאכול כזית למחר בחוץ מהו א"ל זו שאילה עירוב מחשבות הוי
The Gemara suggests: Come and hear a proof from that dilemma which Levi raised before Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi: If one had intent to consume an olive-bulk the next day outside its designated area, what is the halakha? Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi said to him: This is an excellent question. The answer is that even Rabbi Yehuda concedes that this constitutes a combination of intentions and that the animal is not rendered piggul.
אמר לפניו רבי שמעון ברבי לא משנתינו היא לאכול כזית בחוץ כזית למחר כזית למחר כזית בחוץ כחצי זית בחוץ כחצי זית למחר כחצי זית למחר כחצי זית בחוץ פסול ואין בו כרת הא אידך עירוב מחשבות הוי
Rabbi Shimon, son of Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi, said before him: How is this an excellent question; is it not our mishna? As we learned in the mishna: If one expressed intent to eat an olive-bulk outside its designated area and an olive-bulk the next day, or an olive-bulk the next day and an olive-bulk outside its designated area, or half an olive-bulk outside its designated area and half an olive-bulk the next day, or half an olive-bulk the next day and half an olive-bulk outside its designated area, the offering is disqualified and there is no liability for karet for burning or partaking of it. Rabbi Yehuda disagrees only with regard to these cases; but in another case, it could easily be inferred that he concedes that it constitutes a combination of intentions.
א"ל הוא שאל בי דבר חכמה ואת אמרת משנתינו לדידך דאתניתך תרתי לא קשיא לך
Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi said to him: Levi asked me a matter of wisdom, and you say our mishna. For you, whom I taught two phrasings of the mishna, both: An olive-bulk, an olive-bulk, and: An olive-bulk and an olive-bulk, the question is not difficult, since my omission of this other case allows you to infer its halakha.
לדידיה דלא אתניתיה אלא חדא ושמעינהו לרבנן דקא גרסי תרתי וסבר דידי דווקא ודידהו עירוב מחשבות הוי או דלמא דידהו דווקא ולדידי שיורי שייר לי ומדשייר לי לדידי הא שייר להו לדידהו נמי בהך
For him, whom I taught only one phrasing, and who heard the Rabbis reciting two, the question is excellent, since Levi thought: Perhaps myphrasing is exact, and their additional phrasing constitutes a combination of intentions according to all opinions. Or perhaps their phrasing is exact, and my phrasing omitted this case. And if my phrasing omitted this case, perhaps their phrasing also omitted that other case, even though it is subject to disagreement.
Daf 30b zevachim
I found this a very interesting lesson, Rebbi had many students. They did not all learn at the same pace or perhaps the same amount or even the same content. So based on their knowledge, and their effort to move forward and to think independently, he praised them.
To be able to do this both as a parent and a teacher, one needs to be aware of each and everyone of their students and children. My mom ע"ה used to always look at us and say the bracha in birchat hashachar.
בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה ה' אֱלֹהֵינוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם פּוֹקֵחַ עִוְרִים
Don’t be blind to the situation around you. Look. Notice what is happening around you.
What is an impressive accomplishment for one person may not be considered an accomplishment for another. But that doesn’t make it less impressive, it is very much noteworthy and should be duly noted.
In Memory of my mom – Naomi Goldstein - Torah is Timeless © May 2018