תְּנֵינָא לְהָא דְּתָנוּ רַבָּנַן: הָאָב חַיָּיב בִּבְנוֹ לְמוּלוֹ וְלִפְדוֹתוֹ וּלְלַמְּדוֹ תּוֹרָה וּלְהַשִּׂיאוֹ אִשָּׁה וּלְלַמְּדוֹ אוּמָּנוּת וְיֵשׁ אוֹמְרִים אַף לַהֲשִׁיטוֹ בַּמַּיִם.
We learned what our rabbis taught: a father is obliged, in respect of his son, to circumcise him, to redeem him, to teach him Torah, to marry him off, and to teach him a trade. Some say, to teach him to swim too.
לְלַמְּדוֹ תּוֹרָה מְנָלַן דִּכְתִיב וְלִמַּדְתֶּם אֹתָם אֶת בְּנֵיכֶם
וְהֵיכָא דְּלָא אַגְמְרֵיהּ אֲבוּהּ מִיחַיַּיב אִיהוּ לְמִיגְמַר נַפְשֵׁיהּ דִּכְתִיב וּלְמַדְתֶּם
“To teach him Torah.” How do we know this? As it is written, “And you shall teach them to your children” (Deuteronomy 11:19).
And if his father did not teach him, he must teach himself, as it is written, “And you shall learn them.” (Deuteronomy 5:1).
Don't be discouraged if the story appears puzzling - according to the effort is the reward. Read it closely in both languages - every detail is important. Use Rashi. Remember that, in the eyes of the Talmud, every talmid haham whose behaviour is described has done "the right thing".
If you have time, learn the other sources on talmud torah. How does their teaching parallel or differ from the teaching of the story about the demon?
You might notice that the language of the beginning of Source 11, about sharpness, is mirrored in the beginning of the story of the demon, as is the language of Sources 12 and 13.
תָּנוּ רַבָּנַן הוּא לִלְמוֹד וּבְנוֹ לִלְמוֹד הוּא קוֹדֵם לִבְנוֹ.
רַבִּי יְהוּדָה אוֹמֵר אִם בְּנוֹ זָרִיז וּמְמוּלָּח [וממולא] וְתַלְמוּדוֹ מִתְקַיֵּים בְּיָדוֹ בְּנוֹ קוֹדְמוֹ.
כִּי הָא דְּרַב יַעֲקֹב בְּרֵיהּ דְּרַב אַחָא בַּר יַעֲקֹב שַׁדְּרֵיהּ אֲבוּהּ לְקַמֵּיהּ דְּאַבָּיֵי.
כִּי אֲתָא חַזְיֵיהּ דְּלָא הֲוָה מִיחַדְּדָן שְׁמַעְתֵּיהּ. אֲמַר לֵיהּ אֲנָא עֲדִיפָא מִינָּךְ תּוּב אַתְּ דְּאֵיזִיל אֲנָא.
שְׁמַע אַבָּיֵי דְּקָא הֲוָה אָתֵי.
הֲוָה הָהוּא מַזִּיק בֵּי רַבָּנַן דְּאַבָּיֵי דְּכִי הֲווֹ עָיְילִי בִּתְרֵין אֲפִילּוּ בִּימָמָא הֲווֹ מִיתַּזְּקִי.
אֲמַר לְהוּ לָא לִיתֵּיב לֵיהּ אִינָשׁ אוּשְׁפִּיזָא, אֶפְשָׁר דְּמִתְרְחִישׁ נִיסָּא.
עָל בָּת בְּהָהוּא בֵּי רַבָּנַן. אִידְּמִי לֵיהּ כְּתַנִּינָא דְּשִׁבְעָה רֵישְׁווֹתֵיהּ. כֹּל כְּרִיעָה דִּכְרַע נְתַר חַד רֵישֵׁיהּ.
אֲמַר לְהוּ לִמְחַר אִי לָא אִיתְרְחִישׁ נִיסָּא סַכֵּינְתִּין.
Our Rabbis taught: If he has needs to learn and and his son needs to learn, he takes precedence over his son.
R. Judah said: If his son is quick, salty [filled], and his learning stays with him, his son takes precedence over him.
Like the story of R. Ya’akov, son of R. Aha b. Ya’akov, who was sent by his father to Abaye. When he came back he saw that his learning was not sharp. He said to him: “I am better than you. You stay here, so that I can go.”
Abaye heard that he was coming. There was a certain demon in Abaye’s beyt midrash, so that when two entered, even by day, they were injured.
He said to them, “Let no man offer him hospitality, it is possible that a miracle will happen.”
He came, he lodged in that beyt midrash. It appeared to him in the guise of a seven-headed serpent. Every time he bowed one head fell off.
The next day he said to them: “Had not a miracle occurred, I would have been in danger.”
לא ליתיב ליה אינש אושפיזא - לרב אחא ועל כרחו ילין בבית המדרש. ומתוך חסידותו יעשה לו נס ויהרוג את המזיק:
No one should give him lodging. To Rav Acha and he will be forced to lodge in the study hall. And because of his saintliness, a miracle will happen for him and he will kill the demon.
Every bow that he bowed - Rav Acha was praying about that demon - one head fell off.
תַּנְיָא, אָמַר רַבִּי יוֹסֵי: פַּעַם אַחַת הָיִיתִי מְהַלֵּךְ בַּדֶּרֶךְ וְנִכְנַסְתִּי לְחוּרְבָּה אַחַת מֵחוּרְבוֹת יְרוּשָׁלַיִם לְהִתְפַּלֵּל.
בָּא אֵלִיָּהוּ זָכוּר לַטּוֹב וְשָׁמַר לִי עַל הַפֶּתַח, וְהִמְתִּין לִי עַד שֶׁסִּייַּמְתִּי תְּפִלָּתִי.
לְאַחַר שֶׁסִּייַּמְתִּי תְּפִלָּתִי אָמַר לִי: ״שָׁלוֹם עָלֶיךָ, רַבִּי״. וְאָמַרְתִּי לוֹ: ״שָׁלוֹם עָלֶיךָ, רַבִּי וּמוֹרִי״.
וְאָמַר לִי: בְּנִי, מִפְּנֵי מָה נִכְנַסְתָּ לְחוּרְבָּה זוֹ? אָמַרְתִּי לוֹ: לְהִתְפַּלֵּל. וְאָמַר לִי: הָיָה לְךָ לְהִתְפַּלֵּל בַּדֶּרֶךְ. וְאָמַרְתִּי לוֹ: מִתְיָרֵא הָיִיתִי שֶׁמָּא יַפְסִיקוּ בִּי עוֹבְרֵי דְּרָכִים, וְאָמַר לִי הָיָה לְךָ לְהִתְפַּלֵּל תְּפִלָּה קְצָרָה.
It was taught, Rabbi Yosei said: I was once walking along the road when I entered a ruin among the ruins of Jerusalem to pray.
Elijah, of blessed memory, came and guarded the entrance for me and waited at the entrance until I finished my prayer.
When I finished praying he said to me, Greetings to you, my Rabbi. I answered him: Greetings to you, my Rabbi, my teacher.
And he said to me: My son, why did you enter this ruin? I said to him: to pray. He said to me: You could have prayed on the road. I said to him: I was afraid that I might be interrupted by travelers. He said to me: You could have recited the short prayer.
תָּנוּ רַבָּנָן, מִפְּנֵי שְׁלֹשָׁה דְּבָרִים אֵין נִכְנָסִין לְחוּרְבָּה: מִפְּנֵי חֲשָׁד, מִפְּנֵי הַמַּפּוֹלֶת, וּמִפְּנֵי הַמַּזִּיקִין.
״מִפְּנֵי חֲשָׁד״, וְתִיפּוֹק לֵיהּ ״מִשּׁוּם מַפּוֹלֶת״? בְּחַדְתִּי.
וְתִיפּוֹק לֵיהּ מִשּׁוּם מַזִּיקִין? בִּתְרֵי.
אִי בִּתְרֵי — חֲשָׁד נָמֵי לֵיכָּא! בִּתְרֵי וּפְרִיצִי.
״מִפְּנֵי הַמַּפּוֹלֶת״, וְתִיפּוֹק לֵיהּ מִשּׁוּם חֲשָׁד וּמַזִּיקִין! בִּתְרֵי וּכְשֵׁרֵי. ״מִפְּנֵי הַמַּזִּיקִין״, וְתִיפּוֹק לֵיהּ מִפְּנֵי חֲשָׁד וּמַפּוֹלֶת! בְּחוּרְבָּה חַדְתִּי, וּבִתְרֵי וּכְשֵׁרֵי.
אִי בִּתְרֵי, מַזִּיקִין נָמֵי לֵיכָּא!
בִּמְקוֹמָן חָיְישִׁינַן.
וְאִיבָּעֵית אֵימָא: לְעוֹלָם בְּחַד, וּבְחוּרְבָּה חַדְתִּי דְּקָאֵי בְּדַבְרָא, דְּהָתָם מִשּׁוּם חֲשָׁד לֵיכָּא דְּהָא אִשָּׁה בְּדַבְרָא לָא שְׁכִיחָא, וּמִשּׁוּם מַזִּיקִין אִיכָּא.
The Sages taught, for three reasons one may not enter a ruin: Because of suspicion, because of collapse, and because of demons.
Because of suspicion? Let this be derived because of collapse! In a new one.
Let it be derived because of fear of demons? Where two people enter together.
If there are two, there is no suspicion either! If two individuals who are immoral enter together.
Because of collapse? Let the prohibition be derived from suspicion and demons. When two upstanding individuals enter together.
Because of demons? Let it be derived from suspicion and collapse. With a new ruin into which two upstanding individuals enter.
If there are two people, there are also no demons.
In their own place, we are still anxious.
And if you wish I can say, an individual entering a new ruin located in a field. There, there is no suspicion, as finding a woman in the field is uncommon but there is still anxiety of demons.
Our Rabbis taught: “And you shall teach them” (Deuteronomy 6:7), i.e. that words of the Torah should be sharp in your mouth, so that if anyone asks you something, you should not stutter and then answer him, but answer him immediately, for it is said, “Say unto wisdom, You are my sister” (Proverbs 7:4); and it says, “Bind them on your fingers; write them upon the table of your heart” (Proverbs 7:3); and it also says: “As arrows are in the hand of a mighty man, so are the children of your youth” (Psalms 127:4); and it also says, “Sharp arrows of the mighty” (Psalms 45:6); and it also says: “Your arrows are sharp; the peoples fall under you” (Psalms 45:6); and it also says: “Happy is the man that has his quiver full of them; They shall not be ashamed, when they speak with their enemies in the gate” (Psalms 127:5).
נח נפשיה דר' שמעון בן לקיש והוה קא מצטער ר' יוחנן בתריה טובא. אמרו רבנן מאן ליזיל ליתביה לדעתיה. ניזיל רבי אלעזר בן פדת דמחדדין שמעתתיה.
אזל יתיב קמיה. כל מילתא דהוה אמר רבי יוחנן אמר ליה תניא דמסייעא לך.
אמר את כבר לקישא? בר לקישא כי הוה אמינא מילתא הוה מקשי לי עשרין וארבע קושייתא ומפריקנא ליה עשרין וארבעה פרוקי וממילא רווחא שמעתא. ואת אמרת תניא דמסייע לך!
אטו לא ידענא דשפיר קאמינא?
Rabbi Shimon ben Lakish, died. Rabbi Yoḥanan was pained over him. The Rabbis said: Who will go to calm his mind?
Let Rabbi Elazar ben Pedat go, as his learning is sharp.
He went and sat before him. With every world that Rabbi Yoḥanan would say, he said to him: "there is a teaching that supports you."
He said: Are you like the son of Lakish? The son of Lakish, when I would state a matter, would raise twenty-four difficulties against me, and I would answer him with twenty-four answers, and the halakha would become broadened. And you say to me: "there is a teaching that supports you.".
Do I not know that what I say is good?
אָמַר רַבִּי יִרְמְיָה אָמַר רַבִּי אֶלְעָזָר: שְׁנֵי תַּלְמִידֵי חֲכָמִים הַמְחַדְּדִין זֶה לְזֶה בַּהֲלָכָה הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא מַצְלִיחַ לָהֶם, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: ״וַהֲדָרְךָ צְלַח״. אַל תִּקְרֵי: ״וַהֲדָרְךָ״, אֶלָּא ״וַחֲדָדְךָ״.
Rabbi Yirmeya said that Rabbi Elazar said: Two Torah scholars who sharpen one another in halakha; the Holy One, Blessed be He, ensures success for them, as it is written: “And in your majesty [vahadarkha] prosper, ride on, in behalf of truth and meekness and righteousness; and let your right hand teach you tremendous things” (Psalms 45:5). The Sages said:
Do not read “and your majesty" [vahadarkha], rather, "He will sharpen you" [veḥidedkha].
Rabbi Yirmeya said that Rabbi Shimon ben Lakish said: Two Torah scholars who are agreeable to each other in halakha, the Holy One, Blessed be He, listens to them, as it is stated: “Then they that feared the Lord spoke [nidberu] one with another; and the Lord hearkened, and heard, and a book of remembrance was written before Him, for them that fear the Lord, and that think upon His name” (Malachi 3:16). And the term speech [dibbur] means calm, as it is stated: “He subdues [yadber] people under us” (Psalms 47:4).
Rabbi Abba said that Rabbi Shimon ben Lakish said: Two Torah scholars who listen to each other in the discussion of halakha, the Holy One, Blessed be He, hears their voice, as it is stated: “You who dwell in gardens, the companions heed your voice, cause me to hear it” (Song of Songs 8:13). And if they do not do so, they cause the Divine Presence to depart from Israel, as it is stated: “Run away, my beloved, and be like a gazelle or a young hart upon the mountains of spices” (Song of Songs 8:14).