אָמַר רָבָא מִתַּקָּנַת יְהוֹשֻׁעַ בֶּן גַּמְלָא וְאֵילָךְ לָא מַמְטִינַן יָנוֹקָא מִמָּתָא לְמָתָא אֲבָל מִבֵּי כְנִישְׁתָּא לְבֵי כְנִישְׁתָּא מַמְטִינַן וְאִי מַפְסֵק נַהֲרָא לָא מַמְטִינַן וְאִי אִיכָּא תִּיתּוּרָא מַמְטִינַן וְאִי אִיכָּא גַּמְלָא לָא מַמְטִינַן וְאָמַר רָבָא סַךְ מַקְרֵי דַרְדְּקֵי עֶשְׂרִין וְחַמְשָׁה יָנוֹקֵי וְאִי אִיכָּא חַמְשִׁין מוֹתְבִינַן תְּרֵי וְאִי אִיכָּא אַרְבְּעִין מוֹקְמִינַן רֵישׁ דּוּכְנָא וּמְסַיְּיעִין לֵיהּ מִמָּתָא
- וְאָמַר רָבָא הַאי מַקְרֵי יָנוֹקֵי דְּגָרֵיס וְאִיכָּא אַחֲרִינָא דְּגָרֵיס טְפֵי מִינֵּיהּ לָא מְסַלְּקִינַן לֵיהּ דִּלְמָא אָתֵי לְאִיתְרַשּׁוֹלֵי
- רַב דִּימִי מִנְּהַרְדְּעָא אָמַר כׇּל שֶׁכֵּן דְּגָרֵיס טְפֵי קִנְאַת סוֹפְרִים תַּרְבֶּה חָכְמָה
וְאָמַר רָבָא הָנֵי תְּרֵי מַקְרֵי דַרְדְּקֵי חַד גָּרֵיס וְלָא דָּיֵיק וְחַד דָּיֵיק וְלָא גָּרֵיס
- מוֹתְבִינַן הָהוּא דְּגָרֵיס וְלָא דָּיֵיק שַׁבֶּשְׁתָּא מִמֵּילָא נָפְקָא
- רַב דִּימִי מִנְּהַרְדְּעָא אָמַר מוֹתְבִינַן דְּדָיֵיק וְלָא גָּרֵיס שַׁבֶּשְׁתָּא כֵּיוָן דְּעָל עָל דִּכְתִיב כִּי שֵׁשֶׁת חֳדָשִׁים יָשַׁב שָׁם יוֹאָב וְכׇל יִשְׂרָאֵל עַד הִכְרִית כׇּל זָכָר בֶּאֱדוֹם כִּי אֲתָא לְקַמֵּיהּ דְּדָוִד אֲמַר לֵיהּ מַאי טַעְמָא עֲבַדְתְּ הָכִי אֲמַר לֵיהּ דִּכְתִיב תִּמְחֶה אֶת זְכַר עֲמָלֵק אֲמַר לֵיהּ וְהָא אֲנַן זֵכֶר קָרֵינַן אֲמַר לֵיהּ אֲנָא זְכַר אַקְרְיוּן אֲזַל שַׁיְילֵיהּ לְרַבֵּיהּ אֲמַר לֵיהּ הֵיאַךְ אַקְרִיתַן אֲמַר לֵיהּ זֵכֶר שְׁקַל סַפְסִירָא לְמִיקְטְלֵיהּ אֲמַר לֵיהּ אַמַּאי אֲמַר לֵיהּ דִּכְתִיב אָרוּר עֹשֶׂה מְלֶאכֶת ה׳ רְמִיָּה אֲמַר לֵיהּ שִׁבְקֵיהּ לְהָהוּא גַּבְרָא דְּלֵיקוּם בְּאָרוּר אֲמַר לֵיהּ כְּתִיב וְאָרוּר מֹנֵעַ חַרְבּוֹ מִדָּם אִיכָּא דְּאָמְרִי קַטְלֵיהּ וְאִיכָּא דְאָמְרִי לָא קַטְלֵיהּ
וְאָמַר רָבָא מַקְרֵי יָנוֹקָא שַׁתָּלָא טַבָּחָא וְאוּמָּנָא וְסוֹפֵר מָתָא כּוּלָּן כְּמוּתְרִין וְעוֹמְדִין נִינְהוּ כְּלָלָא דְּמִילְּתָא כׇּל פְּסֵידָא דְּלָא הָדַר מוּתְרֶה וְעוֹמֵד הוּא
In the latter clause we arrive at the case of schoolchildren who come to learn Torah in his house, and this ruling applies from the time of the ordinance of Yehoshua ben Gamla and onward. What was this ordinance? As Rav Yehuda says that Rav says: Truly, that man is remembered for the good, and his name is Yehoshua ben Gamla. If not for him the Torah would have been forgotten from the Jewish people. Initially, whoever had a father would have his father teach him Torah, and whoever did not have a father would not learn Torah at all. The Gemara explains: What verse did they interpret homiletically that allowed them to conduct themselves in this manner? They interpreted the verse that states: “And you shall teach them [otam] to your sons” (Deuteronomy 11:19), to mean: And you yourselves [atem] shall teach, i.e., you fathers shall teach your sons. When the Sages saw that not everyone was capable of teaching their children and Torah study was declining, they instituted an ordinance that teachers of children should be established in Jerusalem. The Gemara explains: What verse did they interpret homiletically that enabled them to do this? They interpreted the verse: “For Torah emerges from Zion” (Isaiah 2:3). But still, whoever had a father, his father ascended with him to Jerusalem and had him taught, but whoever did not have a father, he did not ascend and learn. Therefore, the Sages instituted an ordinance that teachers of children should be established in one city in each and every region [pelekh]. And they brought the students in at the age of sixteen and at the age of seventeen. But as the students were old and had not yet had any formal education, a student whose teacher grew angry at him would rebel against him and leave. It was impossible to hold the youths there against their will. This state of affairs continued until Yehoshua ben Gamla came and instituted an ordinance that teachers of children should be established in each and every province and in each and every town, and they would bring the children in to learn at the age of six and at the age of seven. With regard to the matter at hand, since this system was established for the masses, the neighbors cannot prevent a scholar from teaching Torah in the courtyard. Concerning that same issue, Rav said to Rav Shmuel bar Sheilat, a teacher of children: Do not accept a student before the age of six, as he is too young, and it is difficult for him to learn in a steady manner. From this point forward, accept him and stuff him with Torah like an ox. And Rav further said to Rav Shmuel bar Sheilat: When you strike a child for educational purposes, hit him only with the strap of a sandal, which is small and does not cause pain. Rav further advised him: He who reads, let him read on his own; whoever does not read, let him be a companion to his friends, which will encourage him to learn to read. With regard to a courtyard, the Gemara concluded that it is permitted for one to establish an elementary school to teach Torah and the neighbors cannot protest. The Gemara raises an objection to this ruling from a baraita: With regard to one member of a courtyard who wishes to become a doctor, a bloodletter, a weaver [vegardi], or a teacher of children, the other members of the courtyard can prevent him from doing so. This indicates that neighbors can protest the teaching of children in their shared courtyard. The Gemara answers: With what are we dealing here, i.e., when can they protest his teaching children? We are dealing with a case of gentile children, as there is no mitzva to educate them. In this situation, the neighbors can protest about the noise. Come and hear another baraita: With regard to two people who are residing in one courtyard, and one of them sought to become a doctor, a bloodletter, a weaver, or a teacher of children, the other can prevent him from doing so. The Gemara answers: Here too, we are dealing with a case of gentile children. The Gemara suggests: Come and hear another baraita: One who has a house in a jointly owned courtyard may not rent it to a doctor, nor to a bloodletter, nor to a weaver, nor to a Jewish teacher [sofer], nor to a gentile teacher. This indicates that one’s neighbors can prevent him from teaching Jewish children. The Gemara answers: With what are we dealing here? We are dealing with the scribe [sofer] of the town, who does not teach children but writes documents and letters for residents of the town. This type of work is not a mitzva, and since many people seek his services, the residents of the courtyard can prevent him from performing this job near their houses. § With regard to the ordinance of Yehoshua ben Gamla, and concerning teaching children in general, Rava says: From the time of the ordinance of Yehoshua ben Gamla, that schoolteachers must be established in each town, and onward, one does not bring a child from one town to another. Rather, each child is educated where he resides. But one does bring them from one synagogue where they learn to another synagogue. And if a river separates the areas one does not bring the children across, lest they fall into the river. And if there is a bridge spanning the river one may bring them across the river. But if there is only a narrow bridge [gamla] one does not bring them. And Rava said: The maximum number of students for one teacher of children is twenty-five children. And if there are fifty children in a single place, one establishes two teachers, so that each one teaches twenty-five students. And if there are forty children, one establishes an assistant, and the teacher receives help from the residents of the town to pay the salary of the assistant. And Rava said: If there is a teacher of children who teaches a few subjects, and there is another who teaches more subjects than him, one does not remove the first teacher from his position to hire the second, as perhaps the other teacher will come to be negligent due to the lack of competition. Rav Dimi from Neharde’a said: On the contrary, all the more so is it the case that he will teach in a better manner if he knows that he is the sole instructor in the place, as jealousy among teachers increases wisdom. The one who was dismissed will try to refine his skills so that he will be rehired, and this will prevent negligence on the part of the other teacher. And Rava said: If there are two teachers of children, one who teaches a lot of material but is not precise in his statements, and one who is precise but does not teach a lot of material, one hires the one who teaches a lot of material but is not precise. Why is this? Errors will be corrected by themselves, and no lasting harm will be caused. By contrast, Rav Dimi of Neharde’a said: One hires the instructor who is precise and does not teach a lot of material, as once an error is taught, it is taught, and cannot be easily corrected. The Gemara cites a proof for the opinion of Rav Dimi of Neharde’a: This is as it is written: “For Joab and all Israel remained there six months until he had cut off every male in Edom” (I Kings 11:16). When Joab came before King David after this episode, David said to him: What is the reason that you did that? Why did you kill only the males? Joab said to him: As it is written: You shall blot out the males [zakhar] of Amalek, i.e., the male descendants of Amalek, who descend from Edom. David said to him: But we read the verse as stating: “You shall blot out the remembrance [zekher] of Amalek” (Deuteronomy 25:19). Joab said to him: I was taught to read it as zakhar. Joab went and asked his childhood Bible teacher. Joab said to him: How did you read this word to us? The teacher said to him: I read it as zekher. The teacher had read it the proper way, but he failed to notice that his student had learned it incorrectly. Joab took a sword to kill him. The teacher said to him: Why do you want to kill me? Joab said to him: As it is written: “Cursed is he who does the work of the Lord with a slack hand” (Jeremiah 48:10), and you taught me incorrectly. The teacher said to him: Leave that man to remain as cursed. This is a sufficient punishment; there is no need to kill me. Joab said to him: It is also written: “And cursed is he who keeps back his sword from blood” (Jeremiah 48:10). There are those who say that Joab killed him, and there are those who say that he did not kill him. In any event, this episode demonstrates that an error learned in one’s childhood stays with him his whole life. And Rava says: With regard to a teacher of children, a professional tree planter, a butcher, a bloodletter, and a town scribe, all these are considered forewarned. In other words, they need not be exhorted to perform their jobs correctly, as if they err in the performance of their duties they can be dismissed immediately. The principle of the matter is: With regard to any case where loss is irreversible, the individual is considered forewarned. § Rav Huna said: There was a certain resident of an alleyway who set up a mill in the alleyway and earned his living grinding grain for people. And subsequently another resident of the alleyway came and set up a mill next to his. The halakha is that the first one may prevent him from doing so if he wishes, as he can say to him: You are disrupting my livelihood by taking my customers. The Gemara suggests: Let us say that a baraita supports his opinion: One must distance fish traps from fish, i.e., from other fish traps, as far as the fish travels, i.e., the distance from which the fish will travel. The Gemara asks: And how much is this distance? Rabba bar Rav Huna says: Up to a parasang [parsa]. This indicates that one must distance himself from the place where another has established his business. The Gemara responds that this is no proof: Perhaps fish are different, as they look around. One fish explores the area ahead of the others, indicating to them where to go. Once they encounter the first trap they will not approach the second. Ravina said to Rava: Shall we say that Rav Huna spoke in accordance with the opinion of Rabbi Yehuda? As we learned in a mishna (Bava Metzia 60a): Rabbi Yehuda says: A storekeeper may not hand out toasted grain and nuts to children who patronize his store, due to the fact that he thereby accustoms them to come to him at the expense of competing storekeepers. And the Rabbis permit doing so. This indicates that according to the opinion of Rabbi Yehuda, all forms of competition are prohibited, which would include the scenario concerning the mill. The Gemara rejects this suggestion: You may even say that Rav Huna holds in accordance with the opinion of the Rabbis. The Rabbis disagree with Rabbi Yehuda only there, as the storekeeper can say to his competitor: If I distribute walnuts, you can distribute almonds [shiyuskei]. But here, with regard to a resident of an alleyway who sets up a mill in that alleyway where another mill already exists, even the Rabbis concede that the owner of the first mill can say to him: You are disrupting my livelihood, as beforehand whoever required grinding came to me, and you have provided them with another option. The Gemara raises an objection from a baraita: A man may establish a shop alongside the shop of another, and a bathhouse alongside the bathhouse of another, and the other cannot protest, because the newcomer can say to him: You operate in your space, and I operate in my space. The Gemara answers: This entire matter is a dispute between tanna’im, as it is taught in a baraita: The residents of an alleyway can compel one another to agree not to allow among them in that alleyway a tailor, a tanner, a teacher of children, nor any type of craftsman. They can bar outside craftsmen from plying their trade in that alleyway. But one cannot compel his neighbor, i.e., one who already lives in the alleyway, to refrain from practicing a particular occupation there. Rabban Shimon ben Gamliel says: One can even compel his neighbor not to conduct such work in the alleyway. Rav Huna holds in accordance with the opinion of Rabban Shimon ben Gamliel. Rav Huna, son of Rav Yehoshua, says: It is obvious to me that a resident of one town can prevent a resident of another town from establishing a similar business in the locale of the first individual. But if he pays the tax of that first town, he cannot prevent him from doing business there, as he too is considered a resident of the town. The resident of an alleyway cannot prevent a resident of his alleyway from practicing a particular trade there, in accordance with the opinion of the Rabbis in the baraita, and contrary to the opinion of Rabban Shimon ben Gamliel. With these conclusions in mind, Rav Huna, son of Rav Yehoshua, raises a dilemma: With regard to a resident of one alleyway protesting about a resident of another alleyway conducting business there, what is the halakha? No answer was found, and the Gemara states that the dilemma shall stand unresolved. Rav Yosef said: And Rav Huna, who said that a resident of an alleyway can prevent another from setting up an additional mill, concedes with regard to those who teach children that one cannot prevent him from working, as the Master said: Ezra instituted an ordinance for the Jewish people requiring that they establish one teacher alongside another teacher, to raise the standard of teaching. The Gemara challenges: And let us be concerned lest the teachers will thereby come to be negligent. Rav Yosef said to the Sage who raised this objection:
המבט שצריך להסתכל על הסוגיה היא מבט עיניים של הורה
הגמרא דנה במקרה שיש מלמד ופתאום מגיע עוד מלמד שהוא יותר טוב גורס הלכות ייותר?
המחלוקת פה היא איזה מורה יתרשל??
מאמרה זאת צריך להעמיד את המחלוקת מחדש
המחלוקת היא האם המלמד צריך לוודא שהתלמידים הבינו?
הגמרא דנה במקרה שיש מלמד ופתאום מגיע עוד מלמד שהוא יותר טוב גורס הלכות ייותר?
המחלוקת פה היא איזה מורה יתרשל??
- רבא -משאירים את המלמד הראשון בגלל שהמלמד שגורס יותר טוב יתרשל בגלל גאווה
- רב דימי מנהדערא - מסלקים את המלמד הראשון בגלל שזה יגרום לו לקנאה ובכך הוא ילמד "קנאת סופרים תרבה חכמה"
- רבא - גורס הרבה ולא מדייק
- רב דימי נהרדעא - מדייק ופחות גורס
מאמרה זאת צריך להעמיד את המחלוקת מחדש
המחלוקת היא האם המלמד צריך לוודא שהתלמידים הבינו?
- רבא - לא צריך
- רב דימי מנהרדעא - צריך
סך מקרי דרדקי כ"ה ינוקי. אבל פחות מכאן אין בני העיר יכולין לכוף זה את זה להשכיר להם מלמד:
פר"ח דרביה אקרייה זכר כדין והיינו רמייה דלא אשגח למידע היכי הוה קרי תלמידיה וכ"נ אבל אין נראה לפרש שגם רבו טעה ולימדו זכר דא"כ לאו רמייה הוא:
ומקרי דרדקי. פי' בקונטרס בהמקבל (ב"מ דף קט. ושם) דהוי פסידא דלא הדרא משום דשבשתא כיון דעל על וקשה לר"י דהא רבא גופיה אית ליה לעיל דשבשתא ממילא נפקא ואומר ר"י דהוה פסידא דלא הדר דאותה שעה שמלמד להם טעות הם מתבטלים ואותה שעה אין יכולין להחזיר לעולם:
דקנאת סופרים תרבה כו'. לא אמר קנאת חכמים תרבה חכמה כי המגיע כבר למעלת החכם לא יתקנא בחבירו והחכמה נוספת בו ממילא כמ"ש ישמע חכם ויוסיף לקח אבל הסופרים דנקט הם שעדיין לא הגיעו למעלת החכמים כמו המקרי דרדקי קנאתם בחבריהם תרבה להם החכמה להגיען למעלת חכם וק"ל:
רַב דִּימִי מִנְּהַרְדְּעָא אַיְיתִי גְּרוֹגְרוֹת בִּסְפִינָה אֲמַר לֵיהּ רֵישׁ גָּלוּתָא לְרָבָא פּוֹק חֲזִי אִי צוּרְבָּא מֵרַבָּנַן הוּא נַקֵּיט לֵיהּ שׁוּקָא אֲמַר לֵיהּ רָבָא לְרַב אַדָּא בַּר אַבָּא פּוֹק תְּהִי לֵיהּ בְּקַנְקַנֵּיהּ נְפַק [אֲזַל] בְּעָא מִינֵּיהּ פִּיל שֶׁבְּלַע כְּפִיפָה מִצְרִית וֶהֱקִיאָהּ דֶּרֶךְ בֵּית הָרְעִי מַהוּ לָא הֲוָה בִּידֵיהּ אֲמַר לֵיהּ מָר נִיהוּ רָבָא טְפַח לֵיהּ בְּסַנְדָּלֵיהּ אֲמַר לֵיהּ בֵּין דִּידִי לְרָבָא אִיכָּא טוּבָא מִיהוּ עַל כׇּרְחָךְ אֲנָא רַבָּךְ וְרָבָא רַבָּה דְרַבָּךְ לָא נַקִּטוּ לֵיהּ שׁוּקָא פְּסוּד גְּרוֹגְרוֹת דִּידֵיהּ אֲתָא לְקַמֵּיהּ דְּרַב יוֹסֵף אֲמַר לֵיהּ חֲזִי מָר מַאי עֲבַדוּ לִי אֲמַר לֵיהּ מַאן דְּלָא שַׁהֲיַיהּ לְאוֹנִיתָא דְּמַלְכָּא דֶּאֱדוֹם לָא נְשַׁהֲיַיהּ לְאוֹנִיתָיךְ דִּכְתִיב כֹּה אָמַר ה׳ עַל שְׁלֹשָׁה פִּשְׁעֵי מוֹאָב וְעַל אַרְבָּעָה לֹא אֲשִׁיבֶנּוּ עַל שׇׂרְפוֹ עַצְמוֹת מֶלֶךְ אֱדוֹם לַסִּיד נָח נַפְשֵׁיהּ דְּרַב אַדָּא בַּר אַבָּא רַב יוֹסֵף אָמַר אֲנָא עֲנֵישְׁתֵּיהּ דַּאֲנָא לַטְיִיתֵיהּ רַב דִּימִי מִנְּהַרְדְּעָא אָמַר אֲנָא עֲנֵישְׁתֵּיהּ דְּאַפְסֵיד גְּרוֹגְרוֹת דִּידִי אַבָּיֵי אָמַר אֲנָא עֲנֵישְׁתֵּיהּ דַּאֲמַר לְהוּ לְרַבָּנַן אַדִּמְגָרְמִיתוּ גַּרְמֵי בֵּי אַבָּיֵי תּוּ אִכְלוּ בִּישְׂרָא [שַׁמִּינָא] בֵּי רָבָא וְרָבָא אָמַר אֲנָא עֲנֵישְׁתֵּיהּ [דְּכִי הֲוָה אָזֵיל לְבֵי טַבָּחָא לְמִשְׁקַל אוּמְצָא] אָמַר לְהוּ לְטַבָּחֵי אֲנָא שָׁקֵילְנָא בִּישְׂרָא מִיקַּמֵּי שַׁמָּעֵיהּ דְּרָבָא דַּאֲנָא עֲדִיפְנָא מִינֵּיהּ רַב נַחְמָן בַּר יִצְחָק אָמַר אֲנָא עֲנֵישְׁתֵּיהּ דְּרַב נַחְמָן בַּר יִצְחָק רֵישׁ כַּלָּה הֲוָה כׇּל יוֹמָא מִיקַּמֵּי דְּנֵיעוּל לְכַלָּה מַרְהֵיט בַּהֲדֵיהּ רַב אַדָּא בַּר אַבָּא לִשְׁמַעְתֵּיהּ וַהֲדַר עָיֵיל לְכַלָּה הָהוּא יוֹמָא נַקְטוּהּ רַב פָּפָּא וְרַב הוּנָא בְּרֵיהּ דְּרַב יְהוֹשֻׁעַ לְרַב אַדָּא בַּר אַבָּא מִשּׁוּם דְּלָא הֲווֹ בְּסִיּוּמָא אֲמַרוּ לֵיהּ אֵימָא לַן הָנֵי שְׁמַעְתָּתָא דְּמַעְשַׂר בְּהֵמָה הֵיכִי אַמְרִינְהוּ רָבָא אֲמַר לְהוּ הָכִי אָמַר רָבָא וְהָכִי אָמַר רָבָא אַדְּהָכִי נְגַהּ לֵיהּ [לְרַב נַחְמָן בַּר יִצְחָק] וְלָא אָתֵי רַב אַדָּא בַּר אַבָּא אֲמַרוּ לֵיהּ רַבָּנַן לְרַב נַחְמָן בַּר יִצְחָק קוּם דִּנְגַהּ לַן לְמָה יָתֵיב מָר אֲמַר לְהוּ יָתֵיבְנָא וְקָא מְנַטְּרָא לְעַרְסֵיהּ דְּרַב אַדָּא בַּר אַבָּא אַדְּהָכִי נְפַק קָלָא דְּנָח נַפְשֵׁיהּ דְּרַב אַדָּא בַּר אַבָּא וּמִסְתַּבְּרָא דְּרַב נַחְמָן בַּר יִצְחָק עַנְשֵׁיהּ:
Jealousy among teachers increases wisdom. Rav Naḥman bar Yitzḥak said: And Rav Huna, son of Rav Yehoshua, who said that townspeople can bar craftsmen who come from other cities, concedes with regard to perfume salesmen who travel from one town to another that the townspeople cannot prevent them from entering their town. As the Master said: Ezra instituted an ordinance for the Jewish people that perfume salesmen shall travel from town to town so that cosmetics will be available to Jewish women. Since this ordinance was instituted on behalf of Jewish women, the Sages ruled that these peddlers could not be barred from entering a town. The Gemara continues: And this matter applies only to one who seeks to travel from town to town as a salesman. But if he wants to establish a shop, this ruling was not stated, and the townspeople can prevent him from doing so. And if he is a Torah scholar he may even establish a shop as a perfume salesman. This is like that incident in which Rava permitted Rabbi Yoshiya and Rav Ovadya to establish a shop not in accordance with the halakha. What is the reason for this ruling? The reason is that since they are rabbis, they are likely to be distracted from their studies should they be required to travel from place to place. § The Gemara relates: There were these basket sellers who brought baskets to Babylonia. The townspeople came and prevented them from selling there. The two parties came before Ravina for a ruling. Ravina said to them: The basket sellers came from outside the town, and they sell to those from outside the town, i.e., to guests who are not residents of the town. The Gemara comments: And this statement applies only on a market day, when people from other towns come to shop, but they may not sell their wares on non-market days. And even with regard to market days, we say so only with regard to selling in the market, but this halakha does not apply to circulating around the town. The Gemara further relates: There were these wool sellers who brought wool to the city of Pum Nahara. The townsfolk came and prevented them from selling it. The two parties came before Rav Kahana for a ruling. Rav Kahana said to them: The halakha is that they may prevent you from selling your wares. The wool sellers said to him: We have debts to collect in the city, and we must sell our wares in the meantime to sustain ourselves until we are paid. Rav Kahana said to them: Go and sell the amount needed to sustain yourselves until you have collected your debts, and then leave. § The Gemara relates: Rav Dimi of Neharde’a brought dried figs on a ship to sell them. The Exilarch said to Rava: Go and see; if he is a Torah scholar, reserve the market for him, i.e., declare that he has the exclusive right to sell dried figs. Rava said to his student Rav Adda bar Abba: Go and smell his jar, i.e., determine whether or not Rav Dimi is a Torah scholar. Rav Adda bar Abba went and asked Rav Dimi a question: With regard to an elephant that swallowed a wicker basket and excreted it intact along with its waste, what is the halakha? Is the vessel still susceptible to ritual impurity or is it considered digested and not susceptible to impurity? An answer was not available to Rav Dimi. Rav Dimi said to Rav Adda bar Abba: Is the Master Rava, i.e., are you Rava, as you have asked me such a difficult question? Rav Adda bar Abba struck him on his shoe in a disparaging way and said to him: There is a great difference between me and Rava; but I am perforce your teacher, and Rava is your teacher’s teacher. Based on this exchange, Rav Adda bar Abba decided that Rav Dimi was not a great Torah scholar, and therefore he did not reserve the market for him, and Rav Dimi lost his dried figs, as they rotted. Rav Dimi came before Rav Yosef to complain, and said to him: The Master should see what they did to me. Rav Yosef said to him: He Who did not delay retribution for the humiliation of the King of Edom should not delay His response to your humiliation, but should punish whoever distressed you, as it is written: “So says the Lord: For three transgressions of Moab, indeed for four I will not reverse for him, because he burned the bones of the King of Edom into lime” (Amos 2:1). The Gemara reports that Rav Adda bar Abba died. Rav Yosef said: I punished him, i.e., I am to blame for his death, as I cursed him. Rav Dimi from Neharde’a said: I punished him, as he caused my loss of dried figs. Abaye said: I punished him, i.e., he was punished on my account because he did not exhibit the proper respect for me. As Rav Adda bar Abba said to the Sages: Instead of gnawing the bones in the school of Abaye, you would do better to eat fatty meat in the school of Rava, i.e., it is preferable to study with Rava than with Abaye. And Rava said: I punished him, as when he would go to the butcher to buy a piece of meat, he would say to the butchers: I will take meat before Rava’s servant, as I am greater than he is. Rav Naḥman bar Yitzḥak said: I punished him, i.e., he was punished because of me, as Rav Naḥman bar Yitzḥak was the head of the kalla lectures, the gatherings for Torah study during Elul and Adar. Rav Naḥman bar Yitzḥak would teach the students immediately following the lesson taught by the head of the academy. Every day, before he went in for the kalla lecture, he reviewed his lecture with Rav Adda bar Abba, and then he would enter the study hall for the kalla lecture. On that day Rav Pappa and Rav Huna, son of Rav Yehoshua, seized Rav Adda bar Abba, because they had not been present at the conclusion of Rava’s lecture. They said to him: Tell us how Rava stated these halakhot of animal tithe. Rav Adda bar Abba said to them: Rava said this and Rava said that. Meanwhile, it grew late for Rav Naḥman bar Yitzḥak, and Rav Adda bar Abba had not yet arrived. The Sages said to Rav Naḥman bar Yitzḥak: Arise and teach us, as it is late for us. Why does the Master sit and wait? Rav Naḥman bar Yitzḥak said to them: I am sitting and waiting for the bier of Rav Adda bar Abba, who has presumably died. Meanwhile, a rumor emerged that Rav Adda bar Abba had indeed died. The Gemara comments: And so too, it is reasonable to conclude that Rav Naḥman bar Yitzḥak punished him, i.e., he died as a result of Rav Naḥman bar Yitzḥak’s statement, as the unfortunate event occurred just as he announced that Rav Adda bar Abba’s bier was on its way. MISHNA: One whose wall was close to the wall of another may not build another wall close to the neighbor’s wall unless he distances it four cubits from the wall of the neighbor. And one who desires to build a wall opposite the windows of a neighbor’s house must distance the wall four cubits from the windows, whether above, below, or opposite. GEMARA: The Gemara comments: Before addressing the construction of the second wall, one could ask: And with regard to the first man, how did he place his wall close to the neighbor’s wall in the first place? Rav Yehuda said that this is what the tanna is saying:
רב דימי לא ידוע האם הוא תלמיד חכם וראש הגולה שולח את רבא לבדוק אותו רבא שולח את רב אדא שיבדוק את רב דימי
אמר ליה רבא לרב אדא בר אבא. כן גריס רבינו חננאל ולא גרסי' בר אהבה דאותו היה בימי רבי כדאמרינן בקדושין (דף עב: ושם) היום ישב רב אדא בר אהבה בחיקו של אברהם אבינו:
פיל שבלע כפיפה מצרית. בפ' ר' ישמעאל (מנחות דף סט. ושם ד"ה פיל) איתא להך בעיא דהכא ומסיק התם למאי אי למבטל טומאתו תנינא כל הכלים יורדין לידי טומאה במחשבה ואין עולין מטומאה אלא בשינוי מעשה וקאמר לא צריכא דבלע הוצין ועבדינהו כפיפה אי הוי עיכול והוי ככלי גללים או לא והכא בלע הוצין בעא מיניה דאי כפיפה שלימה אמאי לא הוה בידיה מתני' היא וקשיא לר"ת א"כ אמאי לא נקיטו ליה שוקא הא בעיא זו לא איפשיטא התם וי"ל דמ"מ הוה ליה לאיתויי הנך ראיות דמייתי התם ודחי להו:
אנא ענישתיה. כל אחד מהן היה מתאונן שעל ידו מת רב אדא משום דאמרינן בשבת בפ' שואל (שבת דף קמט:) כל מי שחבירו נענש על ידו אין מכניסין אותו במחיצתו של הקב"ה שנאמר (משלי י״ז:כ״ו) גם ענוש לצדיק לא טוב אלא רע וכתיב (תהילים ה׳:ה׳) לא יגורך רע. ר"י:
וּכְשֶׁאַתָּה מְלַמֵּד אֶת בִּנְךָ — לַמְּדֵהוּ בְּסֵפֶר מוּגָּהּ. מַאי הִיא? אָמַר רָבָא, וְאִיתֵּימָא רַב מְשַׁרְשְׁיָא: בְּחַדְתָּא, שַׁבֶּשְׁתָּא כֵּיוָן דְּעָל — עָל. לֹא תְּבַשֵּׁל בִּקְדֵירָה שֶׁבִּישֵּׁל בָּהּ חֲבֵירֶךָ. מַאי נִיהוּ — גְּרוּשָׁה בְּחַיֵּי בַּעְלָהּ, דְּאָמַר מָר גָּרוּשׁ שֶׁנָּשָׂא גְּרוּשָׁהּ — אַרְבַּע דֵּעוֹת בַּמִּטָּה. וְאִי בָּעֵית אֵימָא: אֲפִילּוּ בְּאַלְמָנָה, לְפִי
One who lets blood and does not wash his hands will be afraid for seven days. One who cuts his hair and does not wash his hands will be afraid for three days. One who cuts his nails and does not wash his hands will be afraid for one day, and he will not know what is frightening him. Placing one’s hand on his nostrils is a way to become afraid. Placing one’s hand on his forehead is a way to fall asleep. A Sage taught: If food and drink are under one’s bed, even if they are covered with iron vessels, an evil spirit rests upon them. The Sages taught: A person should not drink water on Tuesday nights or on Shabbat nights, i.e., Friday nights. And if he drinks water, his blood is upon his own head, due to the danger. The Gemara asks: What is this danger? The Gemara answers: The danger of the evil spirit that rules on these days. The Gemara asks: And if he is thirsty, what is his remedy? What should he drink? The Gemara answers: He should say the seven voices that David said over the water, and afterward he may drink. As it is stated: “The voice of the Lord is upon the waters; God of glory thunders, even the Lord upon many waters. The voice of the Lord is powerful; the voice of the Lord is full of majesty. The voice of the Lord breaks the cedars; the Lord breaks in pieces the cedars of Lebanon. He makes them also skip like a calf; Lebanon and Sirion like a young wild ox. The voice of the Lord hews out flames of fire. The voice of the Lord shakes the wilderness; the Lord shakes the wilderness of Kadesh. The voice of the Lord makes the hinds to calve, and strips the forests bare; and in His temple all say: Glory” (Psalms 29:3–9). And if he does not remember that verse, he should say as follows: Lul, Shafan, Anigron, Anirdafin, which are names of demons, I sit between the stars, I walk between thin and fat people, take any of them if you wish but leave me alone. And if he does not recall this incantation, if there is another person with him, he should wake him and say to him: So-and-so, son of so-and-so, I thirst for water; and then he may drink. And if there is no other person with him, he should knock the cover on the cup and then drink. And if he is not able to do this, he should throw some object in it and then drink. The Sages taught: A person should not drink water from rivers or from ponds at night. And if he drank, his blood is upon his own head due to the danger. The Gemara explains: What is this danger? The danger of blindness. The Gemara asks: And if he is thirsty, what is his remedy? If there is another person with him, he should say to him: So-and-so, son of so-and-so, I thirst for water. And if there is no one else with him, he should say to himself: So-and-so, my mother said to me to beware of shavrirei, the demon of blindness. He should continue to say the following incantation, in the first part of which the demon’s name gradually disappears: Shavrirei berirei rirei yiri ri; I thirst for water in white earthenware cups. This is an incantation against those demons. The Gemara returns to the statement of the mishna that on Passover one must drink no less than four cups of wine: And this halakha applies even if the poor person accepts funds from the charity plate. The Gemara asks: It is obvious that this is the case. If there is a mitzva to drink these four cups, they must be provided for him. The Gemara answers: The mishna is necessary only to teach that this halakha applies even according to the opinion of Rabbi Akiva, who said: Make your Shabbat like an ordinary weekday and do not be beholden to other beings. If one is unable to honor Shabbat without financial help from others, it is better for him to save money and eat his Shabbat meals as he would on a weekday rather than rely on other people. Here, in the case of the four cups, Rabbi Akiva concedes that it is appropriate for a poor person to request assistance from the community, due to the obligation to publicize the miracle. With regard to this issue, the school of Eliyahu taught that although Rabbi Akiva said: Make your Shabbat like a weekday and do not be beholden to other beings; however, one should nevertheless perform some small alteration in his house to distinguish Shabbat from a weekday. The Gemara asks: What is this alteration? Rav Pappa said: For example, one should serve small, fried fish. As we learned in a mishna: Rabbi Yehuda ben Teima says: Be bold like a leopard, light like an eagle, run like a deer, and be strong like a lion to perform the will of your Father in Heaven. This statement teaches that one should exert every effort to perform a mitzva. The Gemara cites the full source of Rabbi’s Akiva statement with regard to Shabbat preparations. The Sages taught: Rabbi Akiva commanded Rabbi Yehoshua, his son, about seven matters: My son, do not sit at the high point of a city, where many people pass, and study there, as the passersby will interrupt you. And do not live in a city whose leaders are Torah scholars, as they are too busy studying to govern properly. Rabbi Akiva continued: And do not enter your house suddenly, without knocking first; all the more so do not enter the house of another, as he might not be ready to receive you. And do not withhold shoes from your feet, as it is disgraceful to go barefoot. Wake up and eat, in the summer due to the heat, as it is best to eat before it grows hot, and in the winter due to the strength you will need to tolerate the cold. And make your Shabbat like a weekday and do not be beholden to other beings. And exert yourself to join together with a person upon whom the hour smiles, i.e., a successful person. Rav Pappa said in explanation of this last statement: Do not buy from him and do not sell to him. If he is the beneficiary of good fortune, he will profit from any business transaction and you will suffer from it. Rather, form a partnership with him. And now we have heard that Rav Shmuel bar Yitzḥak said: What is the meaning of that which is written: “You have blessed the work of his hands” (Job 1:10)? This means that anyone who took a peruta from Job would be blessed, even if he received it via a business transaction. This shows that one should engage in business with a person who is blessed, for even if he wishes to buy from him or to sell to him it is well, i.e., he will share in the good fortune of the other. The Gemara continues to cite similar advice dispensed by Rabbi Akiva. Rabbi Akiva commanded Rabbi Shimon ben Yoḥai to do five matters when Rabbi Akiva was imprisoned. Beforehand, Rabbi Shimon said to him: Rabbi, teach me Torah. Rabbi Akiva said to him: I will not teach you, as it is dangerous to do so at the present time. Rabbi Shimon said to him in jest: If you will not teach me, I will tell Yoḥai my father, and he will turn you over to the government. In other words, I have no means of persuading you; you are already in prison. Rabbi Akiva said: My son, know that more than the calf wishes to suck, the cow wants to suckle, but I am afraid of the danger. Rabbi Shimon said to him: And who is in danger? Isn’t the calf in danger, as you are in jail and I am the one at risk? Rabbi Akiva said to him: If so, I will tell you a few matters. First of all, if you wish to strangle yourself, hang yourself on a tall tree. This proverb means that if one wants others to accept what he has to say, he should attribute his statement to a great man. And when you teach your son, teach him from a corrected text. The Gemara asks: What is the meaning of that statement? Rava said, and some say Rav Mesharshiya said: Rabbi Akiva was referring to learning a new topic, for once a mistake enters one’s mind, it has entered there and is difficult to put right. Rabbi Akiva further told Rabbi Shimon ben Yoḥai: Do not cook in a pot in which your colleague cooked his food. The Gemara asks: What is the meaning of this statement? The Gemara explains: Rabbi Akiva is referring to marrying a divorced woman in the lifetime of her former husband. As the Master said: If a divorced man marries a divorced woman, there are four minds in the bed during intimacy. Each person thinks about his current and former spouse, which verges on illegitimacy. And if you wish, say instead that this advice holds true even with regard to marrying a widow, as
שבשתא דעל על - תימה דרבא גופא אית ליה בלא יחפור (ב"ב דף כא.) שבשתא ממילא נפקא ויש לומר דהיינו כשלומד קמי דגריס ולא דייק שיכול להבין מעצמו כשיגדל אבל כאן דאיירי בספר שאינו מוגה סומך על ספרו ואינו יוצא מידי טעותו:
אמר רבא לעולם ילמוד אדם תורה במקום שלבו חפץ שנאמר כי אם בתורת ה' חפצו ואמר רבא בתחילה נקראת על שמו של הקב"ה ולבסוף נקראת על שמו שנאמר בתורת ה' חפצו ובתורתו יהגה יומם ולילה ואמר רבא לעולם ילמד אדם תורה ואח"כ יהגה שנאמר בתורת ה' והדר ובתורתו יהגה ואמר רבא לעולם ליגריס איניש ואע"ג דמשכח ואע"ג דלא ידע מאי קאמר שנאמר (תהלים קיט, כ) גרסה נפשי לתאבה גרסה כתיב ולא כתיב טחנה רבא רמי כתיב (משלי ט, ג) על גפי וכתיב (משלי ט, יד) על כסא בתחלה על גפי ולבסוף על כסא כתיב (משלי ח, ב) בראש מרומים וכתיב עלי דרך בתחלה בראש מרומים ולבסוף עלי דרך עולא רמי כתיב (משלי ה, טו) שתה מים מבורך וכתיב ונוזלים מתוך בארך בתחלה שתה מבורך ולבסוף ונוזלים מתוך בארך אמר רבא אמר רב סחורה אמר רב הונא מאי דכתיב (משלי יג, יא) הון מהבל ימעט וקובץ על יד ירבה אם עושה אדם תורתו חבילות חבילות מתמעט ואם קובץ על יד ירבה אמר רבא ידעי רבנן להא מילתא ועברי עלה אמר רב נחמן בר יצחק אנא עבידתה וקיים בידי אמר רב שיזבי משמיה דר"א בן עזריה מאי דכתיב (משלי יב, כז) לא יחרוך רמיה צידו לא יחיה ולא יאריך ימים צייד הרמאי ורב ששת אמר צייד הרמאי יחרוך כי אתא רב דימי אמר משל לאדם שצד צפרין אם משבר כנפיה של ראשונה כולם מתקיימות בידו ואם לאו אין מתקיימות בידו (תהלים א, ג)
is referring to our forefather Abraham, who did not walk in the counsel of the members of the generation of the dispersion, who were wicked, as it is stated that they said to each other: “Come, let us build us a city, and a tower, with its top in heaven” (Genesis 11:4), a project with a wicked aim. “Nor stood in the way of sinners” (Psalms 1:1); this too is referring to Abraham, who did not join in the stand of the residents of Sodom, who were sinners, as it is stated: “Now the men of Sodom were wicked and sinners against the Lord exceedingly” (Genesis 13:13). “Nor sat in the seat of the scornful” (Psalms 1:1); this means that Abraham did not sit in the seat of the Philistines, because they were scorners who engaged in jest and buffoonery. As it is stated with regard to the Philistines in a later period: “And it came to pass, when their hearts were merry, that they said: Call for Samson, that he may make us sport” (Judges 16:25). The Gemara cites an interpretation of a similar verse: “Happy is the man that fears the Lord, that delights greatly in His mitzvot” (Psalms 112:1). The Gemara asks: Is that to say happy is the man, but not happy is the woman? Why is it necessary for the verse to emphasize that it is speaking of a man? Rav Amram says that Rav says: The verse applies to both men and women and is teaching: Happy is one who repents when he is still a man, i.e., before he becomes elderly and his strength dwindles. Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi says: Happy is one who triumphs over his evil inclination like a man, i.e., with strength and vigor. The verse continues: “He delights greatly in His mitzvot.” Rabbi Elazar says: The person delights in His mitzvot themselves and not in the reward for performing His mitzvot. And this is the same as we learned in a mishna (Avot 1:3): Antigonus of Sokho would say: Do not be like the servants who serve the master on the condition of receiving a reward; rather, be like the servants who serve the master not on the condition that they receive a reward. § The Gemara returns to its interpretation of the verse that was discussed previously: “But his delight is in the Torah of the Lord” (Psalms 1:2). Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi says: A person can learn Torah only from a place in the Torah that his heart desires, as it is stated: But his delight is in the Torah of the Lord, i.e., his delight is in the part of the Torah that he wishes to study. The Gemara relates: Levi and Rabbi Shimon, son of Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi, were sitting before Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi, and they were learning the Torah portion. When they finished the book that they were learning and were ready to begin a new subject, Levi said: Let them bring us the book of Proverbs; and Rabbi Shimon, son of Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi, said: Let them bring us the book of Psalms. He compelled Levi to acquiesce, and they brought a book of Psalms. When they arrived here, at the verse: “But his delight is in the Torah of the Lord,” Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi explained the verse and said: A person can learn Torah only from a place in the Torah that his heart desires. Levi said: My teacher, you have given us, i.e., me, permission to rise and leave, as I wish to study Proverbs, not Psalms. The Gemara cites other interpretations of this verse. Rabbi Avdimi bar Ḥama says: With regard to anyone who engages in the study of Torah, the Holy One, Blessed be He, fulfills his desires, as it is stated: “But in the Torah of the Lord is his delight,” i.e., if one engages in the study of the Torah of the Lord, he will have his desires met by the Lord. Rava says, in accordance with the statement of Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi: A person should always learn Torah from a place in the Torah that his heart desires, as it is stated: “But his delight is in the Torah of the Lord.” And Rava also says, with regard to this verse: Initially the Torah is called by the name of the Holy One, Blessed be He, but ultimately it is called by the name of the one who studies it. As it is first stated: “His delight is in the Torah of the Lord,” and in the continuation of the verse it states: “And in his Torah he meditates day and night.” This teaches that through study one acquires ownership, as it were, of the Torah. And Rava says in reference to this verse: A person must always study Torah and gain a broad knowledge of it, and only then may he analyze and delve into it. As it is stated: “His delight is in the Torah of the Lord,” meaning that he studies the Torah on a basic level, and only afterward does the verse state: “And in his Torah he meditates,” i.e., he analyzes it. And Rava says with regard to Torah study: A person should always study [ligeris] and review even though he may afterward forget, and even though he does not understand what it is saying. As it is stated with regard to the study of Torah: “My soul breaks [garesa] for the longing that it has for Your ordinances at all times” (Psalms 119:20). It is written: “Breaks,” and it is not written: Grinds, demonstrating that the soul is satisfied with breaking apart material, on a basic level, even if it does not have the opportunity to grind and analyze it in greater depth. Rava raises a contradiction between two verses: It is written that the Torah calls to people: “Upon the highest places of the city” (Proverbs 9:3), and it is written far more specifically: “On a seat in the high places of the city” (Proverbs 9:14). He explains: Initially, one who studies Torah does not have a secure place to sit, and therefore he is located merely upon the highest places, but ultimately, as he advances in his learning, he is placed on a seat of honor. The Gemara mentions a similar contradiction. It is written with regard to the Torah: “In the top of high places” (Proverbs 8:2), and it is written in the continuation of the verse that the Torah is “by the path.” This contradiction is resolved as follows: Initially, a person studies Torah in a private location, in the top of high places, but ultimately he will spread his knowledge, by the path, in the public realm. Ulla raises a contradiction with regard to the following verse. It is written: “Drink waters out of your own cistern” (Proverbs 5:15), and it is written in the continuation of the verse: “And running waters out of your own well.” He explains: Initially one should “drink waters out of your own cistern,” i.e., like the cistern that draws water into one location, learning all existing knowledge; and ultimately one can produce “running waters out of your own well,” i.e., original thought and innovative insights in Torah. The Gemara cites other statements relating to Torah study. Rava says that Rav Seḥora says that Rav Huna says: What is the meaning of that which is written: “Wealth gotten through vanity [mehevel] shall be diminished; but he that gathers little by little shall increase” (Proverbs 13:11)? If a person turns his Torah into many bundles [ḥavilot], by studying large amounts in a short period of time without reviewing, his Torah will diminish. But if he gathers his knowledge little by little, by studying slowly and reviewing, his knowledge shall increase. Rava said: The Sages know this, but nevertheless they transgress it, i.e., they fail to heed this advice. Rav Naḥman bar Yitzḥak says: I did this, as I studied little by little and regularly reviewed what I had learned, and my learning has in fact endured. Rav Sheizvi said in the name of Rabbi Elazar ben Azarya: What is the meaning of that which is written: “The slothful man [remiyya] will not roast [yaḥarokh] his prey” (Proverbs 12:27)? The deceitful [harammai] hunter, i.e., one who tricks people into believing that he has acquired vast stores of knowledge by studying new material without reviewing that which he has already learned, will not live [yiḥye] a long [ya’arikh] life. According to this interpretation, yaḥarokh is a combination of the words yiḥye and ya’arikh. And Rav Sheshet says that the verse means the opposite: The cunning [harammai] hunter will roast his prey to prevent it from escaping, i.e., he reads the verse as a rhetorical question: Will not the hunter roast? When Rav Dimi came from Eretz Yisrael to Babylonia, he said: This is comparable to a person who is hunting birds; if he breaks the wings of the first bird so that it will be unable to fly off, and he proceeds in this manner, all of his prey will remain in his possession; but if not, they will not remain in his possession, as each bird will fly off when the next is captured. In a similar fashion, a clever student reviews that which he learns, to ensure that he retains his knowledge. § The Gemara returns to its interpretation of the first verses of Psalms. “And he shall be like a tree planted [shatul] by streams of water” (Psalms 1:3). The students of the school of Rabbi Yannai say: The verse states that a Torah scholar is comparable to a tree that has been uprooted from its original location and replanted [shatul] somewhere else. It does not say that he is comparable to a tree that is planted [natu’a] and remains in one place. This is teaching that anyone who learns Torah from one teacher alone never sees a sign of blessing, as it is necessary to acquire knowledge from many teachers. Rav Ḥisda said to the Sages who were studying with him: I wish to say something to you, but I am afraid that then you will leave me and go. What did he wish to tell them? He wanted to say that any-one who learns Torah from one teacher alone never sees a sign of blessing. When the students heard this, they did in fact leave him and went to learn from Rava. Rav Ḥisda said to them: That matter applies only with regard to reasoning, i.e., in order to come up with sophisticated reasoning it is necessary to hear many different opinions. But with regard to the oral tradition itself, it is preferable to learn from one teacher so that
מַרְגְּלָא בְּפוּמֵּיהּ דְּרָבָא: תַּכְלִית חָכְמָה — תְּשׁוּבָה וּמַעֲשִׂים טוֹבִים, שֶׁלֹּא יְהֵא אָדָם קוֹרֵא וְשׁוֹנֶה וּבוֹעֵט בְּאָבִיו וּבְאִמּוֹ וּבְרַבּוֹ וּבְמִי שֶׁהוּא גָּדוֹל מִמֶּנּוּ בְּחָכְמָה וּבְמִנְיָן, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: ״רֵאשִׁית חָכְמָה יִרְאַת ה׳ שֵׂכֶל טוֹב לְכָל עוֹשֵׂיהֶם״. ״לָעוֹשִׂים״ לֹא נֶאֱמַר, אֶלָּא ״לְעוֹשֵׂיהֶם״ — לָעוֹשִׂים לִשְׁמָהּ וְלֹא לָעוֹשִׂים שֶׁלֹּא לִשְׁמָהּ. וְכָל הָעוֹשֶׂה שֶׁלֹּא לִשְׁמָהּ, נוֹחַ לוֹ שֶׁלֹּא נִבְרָא.
in the heavenly entourage [pamalia] of angels each of whom ministers to a specific nation (see Daniel 10), and whose infighting causes war on earth;
and in the earthly entourage, the Sages,
and among the disciples engaged in the study of Your Torah,
whether they engage in its study for its own sake or not for its own sake.
And all those engaged in Torah study not for its own sake,
may it be Your will that they will come to engage in its study for its own sake. After his prayer, Rabbi Alexandri said the following:
May it be Your will, Lord our God,
that You station us in a lighted corner and not in a darkened corner,
and do not let our hearts become faint nor our eyes dim.
Some say that this was the prayer that Rav Hamnuna would recite, and that after Rabbi Alexandri prayed, he would say the following:
Master of the Universe, it is revealed and known before You
that our will is to perform Your will, and what prevents us?
On the one hand, the yeast in the dough, the evil inclination that is within every person;
and the subjugation to the kingdoms on the other.
May it be Your will
that You will deliver us from their hands, of both the evil inclination and the foreign kingdoms,
so that we may return to perform the edicts of Your will with a perfect heart. After his prayer, Rava said the following:
My God, before I was created I was worthless,
and now that I have been created it is as if I had not been created, I am no more significant.
I am dust in life, all the more so in my death.
I am before You as a vessel filled with shame and humiliation.
Therefore, may it be Your will, Lord my God, that I will sin no more,
and that those transgressions that I have committed,
cleanse in Your abundant mercy;
but may this cleansing not be by means of suffering and serious illness, but rather in a manner I will be able to easily endure.
And this is the confession of Rav Hamnuna Zuti on Yom Kippur. When Mar, son of Ravina, would conclude his prayer, he said the following:
My God, guard my tongue from evil and my lips from speaking deceit.
To those who curse me let my soul be silent
and may my soul be like dust to all.
Open my heart to Your Torah,
and may my soul pursue your mitzvot.
And save me from a bad mishap, from the evil inclination,
from a bad woman, and from all evils that suddenly come upon the world.
And all who plan evil against me,
swiftly thwart their counsel, and frustrate their plans.
May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart find favor before You,
Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer. The Gemara recounts that when Rav Sheshet would sit in observance of a fast, after he prayed he said as follows:
Master of the Universe, it is revealed before You
that when the Temple is standing, one sins and offers a sacrifice.
And although only its fat and blood were offered from that sacrifice on the altar, his transgression is atoned for him.
And now, I sat in observance of a fast and my fat and blood diminished.
May it be Your will that my fat and blood that diminished be considered as if I offered a sacrifice before You on the altar,
and may I find favor in Your eyes.
Having cited statements that various Sages would recite after their prayers, the Gemara cites additional passages recited by the Sages on different occasions. When Rabbi Yoḥanan would conclude study of the book of Job, he said the following:
A person will ultimately die and an animal will ultimately be slaughtered, and all are destined for death. Therefore, death itself is not a cause for great anguish.
Rather, happy is he who grew up in Torah, whose labor is in Torah,
who gives pleasure to his Creator,
who grew up with a good name and who took leave of the world with a good name.
Such a person lived his life fully, and about him, Solomon said:
“A good name is better than fine oil, and the day of death than the day of one’s birth” (Ecclesiastes 7:1); one who was faultless in life reaches the day of his death on a higher level than he was at the outset. Rabbi Meir was wont to say the following idiom:
Study with all your heart and with all your soul to know My ways
and to be diligent at the doors of My Torah.
Keep My Torah in your heart,
and fear of Me should be before your eyes.
Guard your mouth from all transgression,
and purify and sanctify yourself from all fault and iniquity.
And if you do so, I, God, will be with you everywhere. The Sages in Yavne were wont to say:
I who learn Torah am God’s creature and my counterpart who engages in other labor is God’s creature.
My work is in the city and his work is in the field.
I rise early for my work and he rises early for his work.
And just as he does not presume to perform my work, so I do not presume to perform his work.
Lest you say: I engage in Torah study a lot, while he only engages in Torah study a little, so I am better than he,
it has already been taught:
One who brings a substantial sacrifice and one who brings a meager sacrifice have equal merit,
as long as he directs his heart towards Heaven (Rav Hai Gaon, Arukh). Abaye was wont to say:
One must always be shrewd and utilize every strategy in order to achieve fear of Heaven and performance of mitzvot.
One must fulfill the verse: “A soft answer turns away wrath” (Proverbs 15:1)
and take steps to increase peace with one’s brethren and with one’s relatives,
and with all people, even with a non-Jew in the marketplace, despite the fact that he is of no importance to him and does not know him at all (Me’iri),
so that he will be loved above in God’s eyes,
pleasant below in the eyes of the people,
and acceptable to all of God’s creatures. Tangentially, the Gemara mentions that they said about Rabban Yoḥanan ben Zakkai that no one ever preceded him in issuing a greeting, not even a non-Jew in the marketplace, as Rabban Yoḥanan would always greet him first. Rava was wont to say:
The objective of Torah wisdom is to achieve repentance and good deeds;
that one should not read the Torah and study mishna and become arrogant
and spurn his father and his mother and his teacher
and one who is greater than he in wisdom or in the number of students who study before him,
as it is stated: “The beginning of wisdom is fear of the Lord, a good understanding have all who fulfill them” (Psalms 111:10).
It is not stated simply: All who fulfill, but rather: All who fulfill them, those who perform these actions as they ought to be performed, meaning those who do such deeds for their own sake, for the sake of the deeds themselves, not those who do them not for their own sake.
Rava continued: One who does them not for their own sake, it would have been preferable for him had he not been created. Rav was wont to say:
The World-to-Come is not like this world.
In the World-to-Come there is no eating, no drinking,
no procreation, no business negotiations,
no jealousy, no hatred, and no competition.
Rather, the righteous sit with their crowns upon their heads, enjoying the splendor of the Divine Presence, as it is stated:
“And they beheld God, and they ate and drank” (Exodus 24:11), meaning that beholding God’s countenance is tantamount to eating and drinking. The Gemara states: Greater is the promise for the future made by the Holy One, Blessed be He, to women than to men, as it is stated: “Rise up, women at ease; hear My voice, confident daughters, listen to what I say” (Isaiah 32:9). This promise of ease and confidence is not given to men. Rav said to Rabbi Ḥiyya: By what virtue do women merit to receive this reward? Rabbi Ḥiyya answered: They merit this reward for bringing their children to read the Torah in the synagogue, and for sending their husbands to study mishna in the study hall, and for waiting for their husbands until they return from the study hall. When the Sages who had been studying there took leave of the study hall of Rabbi Ami, and some say it was the study hall of Rabbi Ḥanina, they would say to him the following blessing:
May you see your world, may you benefit from all of the good in the world, in your lifetime,
and may your end be to life in the World-to-Come,
and may your hope be sustained for many generations.
May your heart meditate understanding,
your mouth speak wisdom, and your tongue whisper with praise.
May your eyelids look directly before you,
your eyes shine in the light of Torah,
and your face radiate like the brightness of the firmament.
May your lips express knowledge,
your kidneys rejoice in the upright,
and your feet run to hear the words of the Ancient of Days, God (see Daniel 7). When the Sages took leave of the study hall of Rav Ḥisda, and some say it was the study hall of Rabbi Shmuel bar Naḥmani, they would say to him the following, in accordance with the verse: “Our leaders are laden, there is no breach and no going forth and no outcry in our open places” (Psalms 144:14). Our leaders are laden. Rav and Shmuel, and some say Rabbi Yoḥanan and Rabbi Elazar, disputed the proper understanding of this verse. One said: Our leaders in Torah are laden with mitzvot. And one said: Our leaders in Torah and mitzvot are laden with suffering.
and in the earthly entourage, the Sages,
and among the disciples engaged in the study of Your Torah,
whether they engage in its study for its own sake or not for its own sake.
And all those engaged in Torah study not for its own sake,
may it be Your will that they will come to engage in its study for its own sake. After his prayer, Rabbi Alexandri said the following:
May it be Your will, Lord our God,
that You station us in a lighted corner and not in a darkened corner,
and do not let our hearts become faint nor our eyes dim.
Some say that this was the prayer that Rav Hamnuna would recite, and that after Rabbi Alexandri prayed, he would say the following:
Master of the Universe, it is revealed and known before You
that our will is to perform Your will, and what prevents us?
On the one hand, the yeast in the dough, the evil inclination that is within every person;
and the subjugation to the kingdoms on the other.
May it be Your will
that You will deliver us from their hands, of both the evil inclination and the foreign kingdoms,
so that we may return to perform the edicts of Your will with a perfect heart. After his prayer, Rava said the following:
My God, before I was created I was worthless,
and now that I have been created it is as if I had not been created, I am no more significant.
I am dust in life, all the more so in my death.
I am before You as a vessel filled with shame and humiliation.
Therefore, may it be Your will, Lord my God, that I will sin no more,
and that those transgressions that I have committed,
cleanse in Your abundant mercy;
but may this cleansing not be by means of suffering and serious illness, but rather in a manner I will be able to easily endure.
And this is the confession of Rav Hamnuna Zuti on Yom Kippur. When Mar, son of Ravina, would conclude his prayer, he said the following:
My God, guard my tongue from evil and my lips from speaking deceit.
To those who curse me let my soul be silent
and may my soul be like dust to all.
Open my heart to Your Torah,
and may my soul pursue your mitzvot.
And save me from a bad mishap, from the evil inclination,
from a bad woman, and from all evils that suddenly come upon the world.
And all who plan evil against me,
swiftly thwart their counsel, and frustrate their plans.
May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart find favor before You,
Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer. The Gemara recounts that when Rav Sheshet would sit in observance of a fast, after he prayed he said as follows:
Master of the Universe, it is revealed before You
that when the Temple is standing, one sins and offers a sacrifice.
And although only its fat and blood were offered from that sacrifice on the altar, his transgression is atoned for him.
And now, I sat in observance of a fast and my fat and blood diminished.
May it be Your will that my fat and blood that diminished be considered as if I offered a sacrifice before You on the altar,
and may I find favor in Your eyes.
Having cited statements that various Sages would recite after their prayers, the Gemara cites additional passages recited by the Sages on different occasions. When Rabbi Yoḥanan would conclude study of the book of Job, he said the following:
A person will ultimately die and an animal will ultimately be slaughtered, and all are destined for death. Therefore, death itself is not a cause for great anguish.
Rather, happy is he who grew up in Torah, whose labor is in Torah,
who gives pleasure to his Creator,
who grew up with a good name and who took leave of the world with a good name.
Such a person lived his life fully, and about him, Solomon said:
“A good name is better than fine oil, and the day of death than the day of one’s birth” (Ecclesiastes 7:1); one who was faultless in life reaches the day of his death on a higher level than he was at the outset. Rabbi Meir was wont to say the following idiom:
Study with all your heart and with all your soul to know My ways
and to be diligent at the doors of My Torah.
Keep My Torah in your heart,
and fear of Me should be before your eyes.
Guard your mouth from all transgression,
and purify and sanctify yourself from all fault and iniquity.
And if you do so, I, God, will be with you everywhere. The Sages in Yavne were wont to say:
I who learn Torah am God’s creature and my counterpart who engages in other labor is God’s creature.
My work is in the city and his work is in the field.
I rise early for my work and he rises early for his work.
And just as he does not presume to perform my work, so I do not presume to perform his work.
Lest you say: I engage in Torah study a lot, while he only engages in Torah study a little, so I am better than he,
it has already been taught:
One who brings a substantial sacrifice and one who brings a meager sacrifice have equal merit,
as long as he directs his heart towards Heaven (Rav Hai Gaon, Arukh). Abaye was wont to say:
One must always be shrewd and utilize every strategy in order to achieve fear of Heaven and performance of mitzvot.
One must fulfill the verse: “A soft answer turns away wrath” (Proverbs 15:1)
and take steps to increase peace with one’s brethren and with one’s relatives,
and with all people, even with a non-Jew in the marketplace, despite the fact that he is of no importance to him and does not know him at all (Me’iri),
so that he will be loved above in God’s eyes,
pleasant below in the eyes of the people,
and acceptable to all of God’s creatures. Tangentially, the Gemara mentions that they said about Rabban Yoḥanan ben Zakkai that no one ever preceded him in issuing a greeting, not even a non-Jew in the marketplace, as Rabban Yoḥanan would always greet him first. Rava was wont to say:
The objective of Torah wisdom is to achieve repentance and good deeds;
that one should not read the Torah and study mishna and become arrogant
and spurn his father and his mother and his teacher
and one who is greater than he in wisdom or in the number of students who study before him,
as it is stated: “The beginning of wisdom is fear of the Lord, a good understanding have all who fulfill them” (Psalms 111:10).
It is not stated simply: All who fulfill, but rather: All who fulfill them, those who perform these actions as they ought to be performed, meaning those who do such deeds for their own sake, for the sake of the deeds themselves, not those who do them not for their own sake.
Rava continued: One who does them not for their own sake, it would have been preferable for him had he not been created. Rav was wont to say:
The World-to-Come is not like this world.
In the World-to-Come there is no eating, no drinking,
no procreation, no business negotiations,
no jealousy, no hatred, and no competition.
Rather, the righteous sit with their crowns upon their heads, enjoying the splendor of the Divine Presence, as it is stated:
“And they beheld God, and they ate and drank” (Exodus 24:11), meaning that beholding God’s countenance is tantamount to eating and drinking. The Gemara states: Greater is the promise for the future made by the Holy One, Blessed be He, to women than to men, as it is stated: “Rise up, women at ease; hear My voice, confident daughters, listen to what I say” (Isaiah 32:9). This promise of ease and confidence is not given to men. Rav said to Rabbi Ḥiyya: By what virtue do women merit to receive this reward? Rabbi Ḥiyya answered: They merit this reward for bringing their children to read the Torah in the synagogue, and for sending their husbands to study mishna in the study hall, and for waiting for their husbands until they return from the study hall. When the Sages who had been studying there took leave of the study hall of Rabbi Ami, and some say it was the study hall of Rabbi Ḥanina, they would say to him the following blessing:
May you see your world, may you benefit from all of the good in the world, in your lifetime,
and may your end be to life in the World-to-Come,
and may your hope be sustained for many generations.
May your heart meditate understanding,
your mouth speak wisdom, and your tongue whisper with praise.
May your eyelids look directly before you,
your eyes shine in the light of Torah,
and your face radiate like the brightness of the firmament.
May your lips express knowledge,
your kidneys rejoice in the upright,
and your feet run to hear the words of the Ancient of Days, God (see Daniel 7). When the Sages took leave of the study hall of Rav Ḥisda, and some say it was the study hall of Rabbi Shmuel bar Naḥmani, they would say to him the following, in accordance with the verse: “Our leaders are laden, there is no breach and no going forth and no outcry in our open places” (Psalms 144:14). Our leaders are laden. Rav and Shmuel, and some say Rabbi Yoḥanan and Rabbi Elazar, disputed the proper understanding of this verse. One said: Our leaders in Torah are laden with mitzvot. And one said: Our leaders in Torah and mitzvot are laden with suffering.
(ג) תלמידי חכמים שתורתם אומנותם צריכים להשתדל, שתהיה דרכם נכונה לפניהם, מטרתם צריכה שתהיה ברורה להם, כדי שיהיה רוחם אמיץ ודעתם שוקטה, נוחה ומיושבת. אמנם גדול הוא מאד אותו הכלל הנשגב "לא עליך המלאכה לגמור ולא אתה בן חורין להבטל ממנה", ואם כן אין כל כך צורך על דבר ציור של התחזקות לעבודת התורה בענין הקפת כלל ידיעותיה. אכן זה משמש הוא לתן מנוחה ללב למען יעסוק בכל ענין וענין ברוח בטוח ושוקט, שלא יטרידהו ענין אחר, או דאגה כללית של גמר הידיעה הבלתי אפשרית, מלמצא רצון בעבודתו הפרטית. אבל מכל מקום צריך לסלול לעצמו דרך כזו, שתהיה ההקפה הכללית מושקפת לו. גם בדעות צריך שתבורר לו תכליתו ומגמת חפצו בעבודת תלמודו, וגם בצד המעשי צריך שישאף להיות מקיף וכולל את הסכום הכללי של הלמוד המעשי של כל התורה המעשית כפי האפשרי לו. מה שהורגל לומר שאין קץ לתורה ביחש לענינים המעשיים שבה, הוא נאמר רק על פי תנאים מיוחדים, אבל באמת אפשר לו לאדם, כשילך בדרך ישרה, לכלול הקפה ברורה מכל הצד המעשי שבתורה. הגדולים אינם צריכים על זה ביאורים, אמנם הבינונים חייבים להעזר, אחרי שיבאו לאותה המדה של הבנה טובה בעומקה של הלכה, בידיעת צורתא דשמעתתא על דרך ישר ונכון, על ידי שימוש תלמידי חכמים במדה הגונה, עד שידע לעיין בכל סוגיא כראוי וידע גם כן להקשות ולתרץ על פי דרכה של תורה במשא ומתן של הלכה. אז צריך שתהיה ראשית השתדלותו להקיף בתחילה את כל הלכות הרי"ף כפשוטן בבקיאות הגונה. וזה נקל מאד להשיג על ידי קביעות מתונה. העבודה הזאת היא נעימה מאד מצד עצמה ומצד הציור המענג הקרוב לתכלית, של ההקפה הכללית לדעת את הסכום הכללי של כל ההלכות, לפי הקירוב היותר גדול למקורן בש"ס באופן כולל, שרק על ידי קיבוץ כל הפרטים יתיצב נגד עיניו היופי הגדול של הבנין המפואר של כל התורה המעשית. וכשילך בדרך זה בכל יום תמיד, יחבר עם זה שיעורים להקפה כללית בתורה שבכתב, וזמנים הגונים מדי יום ביומו לקנין הידיעות של האגדות, המדרשים, ספרי המוסר, המחקר והקבלה, בשמירת המדרגות, וריוח זמן למחשבה עצמית, להרחבת הרגשות הטובות, ושיעור קבוע לתלמוד בגירסא, מדי יום ביומו, וזמנים מפוזרים לבירור עומקה של הלכה בהרחבה ופלפול בענינים מפוזרים, כדי להרחיב את הדעת ולהתעמק בעיון, שהוא נצרך מאד לכל דורש תורה. וכשיסגל לו בקיאות מקפת בהלכות הרי"ף, ממילא תולד בקרבו התשוקה לדעת ההלכות על בוריין, וירבה עסוק בתלמוד, בבלי וירושלמי, בתוספתות וכל דברי חז"ל, מתוך הכרה פנימית בנחיצות ההרחבה והביאור. ועיקר העסק יהיה לו תמיד קבוע בגירסא של יסודות ההלכות ועקרי דברי תורה, עד שהשכלול של הידיעה בכל המקצועות והפרטים ישלים גם כן את דעתו בכל יתר הענינים הנדרשים לאדם, ויהיו נהנים ממנו עצה ותושיה. וכשילך באופן כזה יוכל לקבוע לו זמנים גם כן לרכישת החכמות והידיעות המועילות לאדם בעולם, המרחיבות את חוג דעתו ונותנות לו אומץ לצרכי החיים, ויהיה מקובל על הבריות ומוצא חן בעיני אלהים ואדם.