«Плохиши» Ноах. 5784.

A person who sees a rainbow should recite the blessing:
Blessed are You, God, our Lord, King of the universe, who remembers the covenant, is faithful to His covenant, and maintains His word.

Rebbi Ḥizqiah in the name of Rebbi Jeremiah: No rainbow was seen all the days of Rebbi Simeon ben Yoḥai.

מנעוריו, “from the time he is youthful.” Our sages in Bereshit Rabbah 34,10 say that the meaning of this expression is that the word מנעוריו , refers to “the moment the baby is born.” It accompanies man from the time he is born and that this is why he does not have to observe the Torah’s commandments until he attains the age of puberty (13) as only then does the יצר הטוב, the urge to be good, become part of him. (based on Kohelet Rabbah 9,22 and on Kohelet 4,14 כי מבית הסורים יצא למלך, “for from the time he is a prisoner he (the evil urge) rules.”) The evil urge had considered itself imprisoned in the fetus which is inside the mother’s womb and it wants to “celebrate its freedom” as soon as the baby is born

Antoninos asked our Rabbi, saying to him: ‘From what point is the evil inclination implanted in a person? From the moment he emerges from his mother’s womb, or even before he emerges from his mother’s womb?’ He said to him:’ Before he emerges from his mother’s womb.’ He said to him: ‘No. Were it implanted in him while still in his mother’s womb, he [the fetus] would dig through her innards and emerge [by force].’ Rabbi conceded to him, as he was in agreement with the opinion of the Biblical verse: “As the inclination of man's heart is evil from his youth [neurav]” (Genesis 8:21). Rabbi Yudan said: “ne’erav” is written; from the moment that he pushes out [ninar] to emerge from his mother’s womb.

Better a poor but wise child. This is the good inclination, and why is it called “child”? Because it comes to a person only at the age of thirteen years.

Poor. Because the limbs do not obey it, as [they obey] the evil inclination.

Wise. Which gives a person intelligence to [follow] the right way.

Than an old and foolish king. This is the evil inclination, which rules over all the limbs. “Old,” for when a child is born, it comes to him, as it is stated, “sin rests at the opening.” And foolish. Because it misleads him in the way of evil. It is expounded in the Midrash in this manner.

This is referring only to an ox that gores on its own initiative, but not to the case of an ox where others induced it to gore. Therefore, the owner of a stadium ox, which is trained to gore, is exempt from liability if it does.

Although the practical difference between these two positions is clear, the Gemara seeks to determine: With regard to what do they disagree? What is the basis of their argument? The Gemara answers: If you wish, say that they disagree over the interpretation of a verse; if you wish, say instead that they disagree on a point of logic. If you say that they disagree on a point of logic, then the argument relates to the redemption recited after Shema, whose focus is the exodus from Egypt, the first redemption. The question is whether that redemption began at night, which would render it appropriate to juxtapose redemption to the blessing of the evening prayers as well, in prayer for immediate redemption. Or, perhaps, the redemption from Egypt only began during the day. Rabbi Yoḥanan holds: Redemption occurred in the evening as well; however, the full-fledged redemption was only in the morning. Since the redemption began in the evening, it is appropriate to juxtapose the blessing of redemption to the daily evening prayer. Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi, on the other hand, holds: Since full-fledged redemption only occurred in the morning, and the redemption of the previous evening was not a full-fledged redemption, there is no need to juxtapose the blessing of redemption to the evening prayer. And if you wish, say instead that the dispute between Rabbi Yoḥanan and Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi is not a difference over a point of logic, but over the interpretation of a verse. Both derived their opinions from the same verse: “When you lie down, and when you rise.” Both interpreted that the juxtaposition in this verse of the recitation of Shema at night and the recitation of Shema in the morning draws a parallel between them. Rabbi Yoḥanan holds: The verse juxtaposes lying down and rising. Just as when one rises, the recitation of Shema is followed by prayer, as everyone agrees that in the morning one juxtaposes redemption to the morning prayer, so too, when one lies down, the recitation of Shema is followed by prayer. And Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi maintains: The verse juxtaposes lying down and rising in a different sense. Just as when one rises, he recites Shema adjacent to rising from his bed, as the verse, when you rise, means when one awakens, so too when one lies down, he recites Shema adjacent to lying down in his bed. Therefore, the recitation of the evening Shema should be performed as close as possible to the moment when one actually lies down.

In Rabbi Meir’s Torah they found written: “And, behold, it was very [me’od] good” – and, behold, death [mot] is good. Rabbi Shmuel bar Naḥman said: I was once riding on the shoulders of my grandfather, going up from his city to Kefar Ḥanan via Beit She’an, and I heard Rabbi Shimon ben Elazar sitting and expounding in the name of Rabbi Meir: “And, behold, it was very good” – and, behold, death is good.

When a man whom the law requires to be compelled to divorce his wife does not desire to divorce her, the court should have him beaten until he consents, at which time they should have a get written. The get is acceptable. This applies at all times and in all places.

So too the Holy One, Blessed be He, said to Israel: My children, I created an evil inclination, which is the wound, and I created Torah as its antidote. If you are engaged in Torah study you will not be given over into the hand of the evil inclination, as it is stated: “If you do well, shall it not be lifted up?” (Genesis 4:7). One who engages in Torah study lifts himself above the evil inclination.

A Sage from the school of Rabbi Yishmael taught: My son, if this wretched one, the evil inclination, encounters you, pull it into the study hall, i.e., go and study Torah. If it is a stone it will melt, and if it is iron it will break, as it is stated with regard to the Torah: “Is not My word like fire, says the Lord, and like a hammer that breaks the rock in pieces?” (Jeremiah 23:29). Just as a stone shatters a hammer, so too one can overcome his evil inclination, which is as strong as iron, through Torah study. With regard to the second part of the statement: If it is a stone it will melt, this is as it is stated with regard to the Torah: “Ho, everyone who thirsts, come for water” (Isaiah 55:1), and it states: “The water wears the stones” (Job 14:19), indicating that water is stronger than stone.