ANSWERS TO REVIEW QUESTIONS
prepared by Rabbi Eliezer Chrysler
Kollel Iyun Hadaf, Jerusalem
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Yevamos 16
YEVAMOS 16 (7 Teves) - Dedicated by Yaakov Wollner and family, of Baltimore,
Maryland, in memory of Yitzchok Yisroel Daniel.
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Questions
1)
(a) The Beraisa says that in the days of Rebbi Dosa ben Horkinus - they (the
Chachamim, on the instigation of Rebbi Dosa's brother, who will be quoted
later) permitted Tzaras ha'Bas to the brothers (like Beis Shamai), proving
once and for all, that Beis Shamai practiced what they taught.
(b) The Chachamim were particularly upset about that incident - because they
attributed it to Rebbi Dosa ben Horkinas himself, who was a great Chacham
(the mix-up occurred due to the fact that, Rebbi Dosa, whose eyesight had
deteriorated, no longer frequented the Beis-Hamedrash).
(c) Rebbi Yehoshua volunteered to go and sort it out with him - and Rebbi
Elazar ben Azaryah and Rebbi Akiva agreed to go with him.
2)
(a) Rebbi Dosa ben Horkinas placed first Rebbi Yehoshua, then Rebbi Elazar
ben Azaryah and finally, Rebbi Akiva - on a golden settee.
(b) When Rebbi Yehoshua informed Rebbi Dosa ben Horkinas that he was being
accompanied by ...
1. ... Rebbi Elazar ben Azaryah - he became excited at the fact that Azaryah
their contemporary had a son, on whom he quoted the Pasuk "Na'ar Hayisi ...
ve'Lo Ra'isi Tzadik Ne'ezav ve'Zar'o Mevakesh Lachem".
2. ... Rebbi Akiva - he exclaimed 'Are you Akiva ben Yosef, whose fame has
spread from one end of the world to the other'?
(c) When they queried him about Tzaras ha'Bas, and his view on the matter -
Rebbi Dosa replied that this was a Machlokes between Beis Shamai and Beis
Hillel, and that the Halachah was like Beis Hillel.
(d) They thought that he had ruled like Beis Shamai - because they assumed
that the name 'ben Horkinas' referred to Rebbi Dosa (and not to his brother
Yonasan, who was unknown to them).
3)
(a) When Rebbi Dosa ben Horkinas referred to his brother as a 'Bechor
Satan' - he meant that he was an exceptionally sharp man, who did not relent
from his views even when he was in the minority.
(b) He had three hundred proofs - permitting Tzaras ha'Bas.
(c) Rebbi Dosa ben Horkinas, on the other hand - brought as testimonial
heaven and earth, that Chagai ha'Navi had sat on that very (mortar-shaped)
seat, and declared that Tzaras ha'Bas was prohibited.
4)
(a) Rebbi Dosa ben Horkinas also testified that the Jews living in Amon and
Mo'av must separate Ma'aser Ani in the Sh'mitah-year - so that the poor
should have a source of income during the Sh'mitah-year. This decree was not
confined to Ma'aser Ani exclusively, but extended to Ma'aser Rishon, and to
Leket, Shik'chah and Pei'ah, as well.
(b) Amon and Mo'av are not subject to Sh'mitah (which is Patur from
Ma'asros) - because the original Kedushah of Yehoshua dissipated when they
went into Galus. It was not reinstated when they returned, because they were
not captured by the Olei Bavel.
(c) He also testified - that one may accept converts from the Karduyin and
the Tarmudin.
(d) We would otherwise have thought that one may not accept converts from
there - because some say that they comprised Jews who had been exiled there,
and that gentiles had raped the women, whose children would then be Jews,
and possibly, Mamzeirim (as we shall see later in the Sugya).
5)
(a) The three Chachamim left Rebbi Dosa ben Horkinas' apartment by three
different exits (see Tosfos DH 'Yatz'u'). Yonasan, the Bechor Satan, met
Rebbi Akiva as he was leaving. After declaring his worthiness - he added
that he had not yet reached the level of the cow-hands (see Agados
Maharsha).
(b) Rebbi Akiva replied - that he had not even reached the level of the
shepherds (according to the Maharsha, he declared that he *had*).
(c) We reconcile Rami bar Yechezkel's Beraisa, which prohibits the
acceptance of converts from among the Karduyim, with Rebbi Dosa ben
Horkinas's testimony, which permits it - by amending the Beraisa to read not
'min ha'Karduyim', but 'min ha'Kartuyim', who were known to be Pesulim (for
the reason that we explained in 4d.).
6)
(a) When the Tana in Nidah said that all stains that came from Rekem were
Tahor - he meant that stains that one found on clothes that came from Rekem
were Tahor, because the inhabitants were Nochrim (see also Tosfos DH 'Kol').
(b) Rebbi Yehudah disagreed - on the grounds that they were converts who had
converted out (which does not change their status as Jews).
16b---------------------------------------16b
Questions
7)
(a) The Mishnah concludes 'mi'Bein ha'Ovdei Kochavim, Tehorim',
incorporating stains that come from Tarmud. We see from here, Rebbi Yochanan
extrapolates - that the inhabitants of Tarmud were considered to be
Nochrim, in which case, one could accept converts from there.
(b) But above, he and the 'elders' explicitly said - that one is not
permitted to accept converts from Tarmud.
(c) We do not want to answer that Rebbi Yochanan only comes to explain the
Mishnah, but that that is not his personal view - because Rebbi Yochanan
himself always rules like a S'tam Mishnah (which this is).
(d) Nevertheless, we finally justify it by establishing a Machlokes
regarding this point, and that those who quote Rebbi Yochanan here (who
clashes with the S'tam Mishnah) maintain that he does not always rule like a
S'tam Mishnah. (See also Tosfos DH 'Rebbi Yochanan').
8)
(a) Some give the reason of Rebbi Yochanan and the 'elders' as being because
of 'Avdei Shlomoh' - slaves of Shlomoh who attained great wealth, which they
(ab)used to 'marry' Kasher Jewesses (and they hold that the child of a
Nochri or a slave who had relations with a Jewess is a Mamzer).
(b) Others ascribe it to 'B'nos Yerushalayim'. Some say that twelve thousand
soldiers plus six thousand archers were involved - according to others,
there were twelve thousand soldiers, of whom six thousand were archers.
(c) When the armies of Nevuchadnetzar entered the Heichal, and all the other
soldiers turned to the loot - they turned to the Yerushalmi women.
9)
(a) The Pasuk in Tehilim "Na'ar Hayisi ve'Gam Zakanti ... " is quoted and
Darshened here - because it was quoted above by Rebbi Dosa ben Horkinas in
connection with Rebbi Elazar ben Azaryah.
(b) According to Rav Shmuel bar Nachmeini Amar Rebbi Yonasan, the author of
that Pasuk - was an angel (possibly Matatron - see Tosfos DH 'Pasuk').
(c) It cannot have been ...
- ... Hashem - by whom there is no such thing as old age.
- ... David Hamelech - who did not live that long.
(d) When the Pasuk writes "Yado Paras Tzar *al Kol Machamadehah*" - it
refers to Amon and Mo'av, who turned to the *Sifrei-Torah* (to destroy
them), because it contains the Pasuk "Lo Yavo Amoni u'Mo'avi bi'K'hal
Hashem".
10)
When, in connection with the Pasuk "Tzivah Hashem le'Ya'akov Sevivav
Tzarav", Rav explains 'Humnayah le'Pum Nahara' - he means that the Humnayah
(a tribe that came from Greece) would attack the poor, Jewish inhabitants of
Pum Nahara.
11)
(a) Rav Yehudah Amar Rav Asi says that if a Nochri betroths a woman
nowadays, we suspect the Kidushin to be valid - meaning that she would not
be permitted to marry anyone else without a Get from the man who had
betrothed her.
(b) This ruling is based on the contention - that the man concerned might be
from the ten tribes.
(c) The reason that we do not go after the majority of people in the world,
who are Nochrim, is - that we are speaking about a place where we know the
ten tribes live (and are in the majority - see Tosfos DH 'be'Duchta').
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