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Bava Metzia, 85

1) THE VOICE OF REBBI

QUESTION: The Gemara relates that when Rebbi was ill, his cries of pain could be heard farther than three Mil away, and they could be heard even by seafarers at sea. How, though, is it possible for a person's voice to be heard so far away?

ANSWER: The BEN YEHOYADA writes that Rebbi's voice could not naturally have traveled so far. Rather, Hashem caused a Neis to happen so that the entire world would know of the afflictions that Rebbi was suffering (in the sense described in Yeshayah 53:4). (I. Alsheich)

QUESTION: The Gemara relates the incident through which Rebbi became subject to immense suffering. A young calf was being led to be slaughtered, and it placed its head beneath the coattails of Rebbi and cried. Rebbi said to it, "Go! It was for this that you were created." Because Rebbi should have shown greater mercy for the animal, he was punished with great suffering.

How can an animal have the sense to attempt to flee its fate by placing its head beneath the coattails of Rebbi and crying?

ANSWER: RAV YAKOV EMDEN and the BEN YEHOYADA write that this calf had a reincarnated Neshamah (which, the Ben Yehoyada adds, was the Neshamah of a G-d-fearing Jew) which had been reincarnated in the form of a calf in order to effect a certain rectification (Tikun) of the soul. Hence, when the Neshamah within this calf saw that Rebbi was passing by, it cried before him in a plea to Rebbi to remove it from the calf through holy Kavanos (similar, the Ben Yehoyada adds, to the way that Rav Chaim Vital was able to extract Neshamos) so that it would not have to be removed through Shechitah. (The Ben Yehoyada adds that perhaps the reason it did not want to be removed from the calf through Shechitah was not because of the pain that Shechitah might cause, but because the animal might be fed to unfitting people who would not make a proper Berachah, and thus the required Tikun of the Neshamah would not be effected.)

Rav Yakov Emden says that this is why Rebbi was punished. He should have Davened for the Neshamah that it should be taken out of the animal and experience its necessary Tikun without Shechitah.

(The Ben Yehoyada writes that Rebbi's reasoning in not helping to extract the Neshamah was that if Hashem had put the Neshamah into the animal that was being led to be slaughtered, then that must be part of the Tikun of the Neshamah, and Rebbi did not want to interfere. RAV ELIYAHU DESSLER in Michtav me'Eliyahu (3:103) writes that Rebbi saw with Ru'ach ha'Kodesh that the calf would fulfill its purpose by eventually being consumed by a righteous Talmid Chacham, and would thereby be an instrument to that Talmid Chacham's Avodas Hashem. Rav Dessler adds that the reason why Rebbi was punished if, indeed, the calf's purpose in being created was to be slaughtered and eaten by a Talmid Chacham, is because even though he was absolutely correct from a logical and intellectual standpoint, there nevertheless was a slight lack in the attribute of Chesed which is demanded from someone of the stature of Rebbi.) (I. Alsheich)

QUESTION: The Gemara relates that when Rebbi Zeira came up to Eretz Yisrael from Bavel, he fasted for 100 (or 40, according to the Maharshal and other Girsa'os) days in order to forget the Talmud ha'Bavli that he had learned so that he would be able to learn the Yerushalmi. He fasted an equal set of fasts in order that Rebbi Elazar not die and the communal responsibilities be passed to him. He fasted a third set of such fasts in order to be saved from the fire of Gehinom.

This conduct of Rebbi Zeira helps us to understand an cryptic Gemara in Megilah (7b). The Gemara there relates that Rabah invited Rebbi Zeira to join him in his Purim Se'udah. During the Se'udah, "Rabah arose and slaughtered Rebbi Zeira." The next day, Rabah Davened and brought Rebbi Zeira back to life.

The Acharonim point out that the Gemara in Shabbos (156a) says that Rabah was born in the Mazal of Ma'adim, and that Mazal gives a person a violent nature. As long as Rabah was learning Torah, his violent nature was channeled for holy purposes. On Purim, though, while he was not learning, his violent nature came out.

Nevertheless, how are we to understand how the great and righteous Amora, Rabah, could kill another Amora, Rebbi Zeira? (See Insights to Megilah 7:3.)

ANSWER: The MAHARSHA (in Megilah) says that the Gemara does not mean that Rabah actually slaughtered Rebbi Zeira with a knife. Rather, Rabah gave him so much food and drink that he became so sick that he was close to death. Rabah wanted him to experience Simchah and so he encouraged him to drink more and more wine, until Rebbi Zeira's life was actually endangered. The next day Rabah Davened for Rebbi Zeira and he recovered.

We may add that the CHAVAS YAIR (#152, cited at the end of Sefer Chafetz Chayim) suggests that different Amora'im had different paths in Avodas Hashem. He cites the Gemara in Berachos (30a) which relates an incident wherein Rebbi Yirmeyah looked too happy, and Rebbi Zeira tried to somber him by mentioning the virtues of melancholy. What looks like a simple incident actually reflects different general approaches to life. Rebbi Zeira and Rebbi Yirmeyah each had a very different path in Avodas Hashem.

Rebbi Zeira understood that fasting and self-affliction is the correct way to serve Hashem and to reach Kedushah, as we find in the Gemara here in Bava Metzia, where the Gemara relates that Rebbi Zeira fasted for long periods at a time. The Gemara also relates that he would test himself with self-afflictions to test his total devotion to Hashem. Rebbi Yirmeyah, on the other hand, was generally jolly. He ruled that it is forbidden for a person to afflict himself beyond the call of the Torah, and it was he who stated that a Nazir is considered a "sinner" (Nedarim 9b) for refraining from wine. The Gemara in Nidah (23a) tells how Rebbi Yirmeyah, in accordance with his path in Avodas Hashem, would try and break Rebbi Zeira's somberness and get him to laugh -- since he thought that Rebbi Zeira's way was not the proper path in Avodas Hashem. Conversely, the Gemara in Berachos (30a) tells how Rebbi Zeira tried -- unsuccessfully -- to cool Rebbi Yirmeyah's joyousness, in accordance with his own path in Avodas Hashem.

Similarly, Rabah's path in Avodas Hashem was that of serving Hashem with Simchah, "Milsa d'Bedichasa" (Shabbos 30b). Rebbi Zeira, on the other hand, maintained that the proper path in Avodas Hashem was that of serving Hashem with solemnity. At the Purim Se'udah, Rabah saw that Rebbi Zeira was too solemn and was not getting immersed in the Simchah of Purim enough, and so he insisted that Rebbi Zeira eat more. Since the Gemara (Pesachim 86b) says that "whatever the host says to you, you must do (except for 'leave')," Rebbi Zeira could not refuse and thus he continued eating. However, he was accustomed to fasting, as our Gemara says, and for him it was unhealthy to eat so much, and as a result he became deathly ill. Hence Rabah had to Daven for Rebbi Zeira's recovery. (M. Kornfeld)

85b

QUESTIONS: The Gemara relates that at the time of the Churban of the first Beis ha'Mikdash, none of the Chachamim or the Nevi'im could explain why "the land had been destroyed" ("Avdah ha'Aretz," Yirmiyahu 9:11) and had suffered the catastrophe of the Churban, until Hashem Himself explained it, as the verse says, "Hashem said, 'It is because they abandoned My Torah'" (Yirmiyahu 9:12). Rav Yehudah in the name of Rav explains that this means that they did not recite the blessing for learning Torah before learning Torah.

(a) Why is the failure to recite the blessing for learning Torah so severe that it warrants the most tragic punishment? Moreover, the Gemara implies that the people were learning Torah, and that they just did not recite the blessing before learning. Why, then, did they not have the merit of their learning to protect them?

(b) What is the relationship between the transgression of failing to recite the blessing for learning Torah and the punishment of the destruction of the land? Why should the land be destroyed because the people did not recite the blessing before learning Torah?

ANSWERS:

(a) RASHI here, and the RAN in Nedarim (81a) in the name of RABEINU YONAH HA'CHASID, write that the failure to recite the blessing for learning Torah demonstrated that the people did not feel that the Torah was such a precious gift. Since they failed to appreciate the Torah, the Torah "failed," so to speak, to protect them. Rabeinu Yonah adds that their learning of Torah was not Lishmah, with pure motives, and as a result they scorned the blessing. For scorning the holiness of the Torah, they were punished with the Churban.

(b) The SHITAH MEKUBETZES cites the TESHUVOS HA'RAMBAM who says that the blessing which the people failed to recite was the blessing recited before Keri'as ha'Torah. The Rambam explains that many of the people indeed were Talmidei Chachamim, but when called to read from the Torah they refrained because it was difficult for them to walk to the Torah. They were punished for their lack of respect for the Torah (see Berachos 55a, where the Gemara says that one's life is shortened as a punishment for being called to read from the Torah and not going up to read from it).

(c) The Rambam gives a different explanation (see also MAHARSHA to Nedarim 81a). He says that they did recite the blessings for Keri'as ha'Torah, but they did not give the honor of reciting the first blessing to Talmidei Chachamim. Rather, they would call upon a Kohen who was an Am ha'Aretz to recite the first blessing, even though there were Talmidei Chachamim present. For this disgrace of the honor of the Torah they were punished.

The Rambam adds that support for this explanation is the fact that it was Rav who made this statement. We find (Megilah 22a) that Rav was of the opinion that a Talmid Chacham who is a Yisrael must come before a Kohen who is an Am ha'Aretz for reciting the blessings of Keri'as ha'Torah.

(d) The TAZ (OC 47) writes that the people learned Torah for their enjoyment. They did not toil in Torah, nor involve themselves in the arduous process of in-depth analysis in their Torah learning. Since "Torah is acquired only by one who kills himself over it," their learning was essentially meaningless. This is what the Gemara means when it says that they did not recite the blessing for learning Torah, for in the blessing we say, "Asher Kideshanu b'Mitzvosav v'Tzivano *la'Asok* b'Divrei Torah," "la'Asok" referring to toiling in Torah learning.

(e) The BEN YEHOYADA writes that they learned Torah with the goal of becoming wise, and not with the goal of making themselves holy through the Kedushah of the Torah. Therefore, they did not recite the blessing, because the blessing -- "Asher *Kideshanu*" -- states that one is learning in order to make oneself holy with the Kedushah of Torah.

(f) The MAHARAL (Nesivos Olam, Nesiv ha'Torah 10) writes that when the Gemara says that they did not recite the blessing for learning Torah, it means that they learned Torah out of love for the Torah's wisdom, and not out of love for Hashem, the Giver of the Torah. They did not acknowledge the great kindness that Hashem granted us by giving us the Torah. (I. Alsheich)