2,711 pages of Talmud. A gem a day.

Deuteronomy 26 gives a formula for bringing first fruits from the harvest to the Priest in the Temple where you would recite verses from the Torah that says, in summary, my father was a fugitive Aramean, how we went down to Egypt, God freed us, and now we are bringing fruits from the Promised land.

The daf has been debating who says these verses. Is it anyone who brings first fruits or do you have to own the land? What if the landowner sent an agent? What if he dies on the way? Then it is suggested that maybe you should bring the fruits and not recite the verse if you don’t own the land or if you are unsure. And so we get today’s gem:

Rav Aḥa, son of Rav Avya, said to Rav Ashi: Since the passage is composed of verses, let him read them.

Love this. What’s the big deal? The bringer is just quoting Torah verses. Is it ever bad to quote Torah? Err on the side of inclusion.

Rav Ashi said to him: The problem is due to the fact that this practice has the appearance of falsehood, because he issues a declaration before God that is possibly untrue, as he might not own the ground.

Wow! What’s the big deal? It looks as though he is lying. There is so much to unpack here. It makes me question so much or what we say. I believe a lot of Jews who study and chant Torah might not believe that those verses are true in terms of historical accuracy (but perhaps still true in that its holy wisdom that is true about life and the human situation). And what about when we pray? Maimonides believed much of the imagery we use for God is metaphor, not literally true. Does that make his prayers lies?

But even more that these conundrums, I love this because of the concern it shows for truth. We don’t even want the appearance of lies. And that is a Jewish value I wish was held by all right about now when telling lies has become defended as speaking “my truth” or “alternative facts.”

I love questions when I am teaching a class. It means people are engaged, thinking, or that they need background and I have assumed knowledge that wasn’t fair. It’s helpful and wonderful. But there are some questions I don’t like. And apparently I am not the first rabbi to not like certain kinds of questions.

Rabbi Shimon ben Elyakim said to Rabbi Elazar: What is the rationale of Rabbi Meir that in the case of one tree, an individual is obligated to bring first fruits but does not recite the passage, and what is the rationale of the Rabbis that in the case of two trees, an individual is obligated to bring the first fruits but does not recite the passage? If one owns the ground and is obligated to bring the first fruits to the Temple, he should also recite the passage of thanks. If he does not own the ground and therefore is not obligated to recite the passage, why does he bring the first fruits to the Temple? Rabbi Elazar said to Rabbi Shimon ben Elyakim: Do you ask me publicly, in the study hall, about a matter for which the early Sages did not give a reason, in order to embarrass me? 

Wow! Rabbi Elazar basically says – “why are you asking? You know I don’t know the answer. The Sages didn’t say, we only know that’s what the law is, not why. So, are you asking only to embarrass me? Is that why you did it in front of a group? So I would look dumb in front of them?!“

Questions that are asked, not out of genuine curiosity, but in order to embarrass the teacher, or get a laugh out of the class – those are not good questions.

But the others… they are what learning is all about.

Comparing the righteous to trees!!

Didn’t Rabbi Ḥiyya bar Lulyani teach: What is the meaning of that which is written: “The righteous shall flourish like the palm tree; he shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon” (Psalms 92:13)? If “palm tree” is stated, why is “cedar” stated? And if “cedar” is stated, why is “palm tree” stated? What is added by this double comparison? Rabbi Ḥiyya bar Lulyani explains: Had the verse stated only “cedar” and had not stated “palm tree,” I would have said that just as a cedar does not produce fruit, so too, a righteous person does not produce fruit, i.e., he will have no reward in the World-to-Come. Therefore, it is stated: “Palm tree,” which is a fruit-bearing tree. And had the verse stated only “palm tree” and had not stated “cedar,” I would have said that just as with regard to a palm tree its trunk does not replenish itself after being cut down, so too, in the case of a righteous person, his trunk does not replenish itself, i.e., he will be unable to recover from misfortune. There-fore, it is stated: “Cedar,” to indicate that just as the trunk of the cedar replenishes itself, so too, the righteous will thrive again

May you have deep replenishing roots and bear fruit!

Ever “fall off the wagon”? While that usually refers to alcohol, so many of us make goals/resolutions/promises to be and do better only to relapse. Today’s daf reminds us that serving Torah, or something bigger than ourselves can help us stay in track.

When Rav Dimi came from Eretz Yisrael to Babylonia, he said that Rabbi Yonatan says: Anyone who separates himself from the matters of Torah falls into Gehenna.

We may not go straight to hell, but often our goals and aspirations seem to. What should we do? Get back in track and use a holy inspiration for motivation.

Beautiful lessons on our daf all from parables. It’s a little tough to follow (I will paste text below) but the message is that we should do the right thing in this world, any loss is nothing compared to the reward we will receive in the world to come (afterlife). That we shouldn’t listen to our evil inclination and that arrogance is the path to hell.

The Gemara cites a related discussion. Rabbi Shmuel bar Naḥman says that Rabbi Yoḥanan says: What is the meaning of that which is written: “Therefore they that speak in parables [hamoshlim] say: Come to Heshbon! Let the city [ir] of Sihon be built and established! For a fire is gone out of Heshbon, a flame from the city of Sihon; it has devoured Ar of Moab, the lords of the high places of Arnon” (Numbers 21:27–28)? The Gemara interprets these verses homiletically. “Hamoshlim”; these are the people who rule over [hamoshlim] their evil inclination. They will say: “Come to Heshbon,” meaning: Come and let us calculate the account of [ḥeshbono] the world, i.e., the financial lossincurred by the fulfillment of a mitzva in contrast to its reward, and the reward for committing a transgression, i.e., the pleasure and gain received, in contrast to the loss it entails. “Let it be built and established” means that if youmake this calculation, you will be built in this world and you will be established in the World-to-Come. The phrase “city [ir] of Sihon” means that if a person fashions himself like this young donkey [ayir] that follows after pleasant talk [siḥa], i.e., if one is easily tempted to listen to his inclination, what is written after it? “For a fire is gone out of Heshbon…it has devoured,” i.e., a fire will go out from those who calculate the effect of their deeds in the world, and will consume those who do not calculate and examine their ways but instead do as they please. “The lords of the high places of Arnon”; this is referring to the arrogant. As the Master says: Every person who has arrogance in him will fall into Gehenna.

Ever order something and been surprised by what came?

Wether it’s that batteries are not included, it’s just the jacket of the suit (not the pants), or a chair . . . for a stuffed animal. We can’t always rely on prices to indicate what’s included in the sale.

MISHNA: One who sold a wagon [hakkaron] has not sold the mules that pull the wagon. Similarly, if one sold the mules, he has not sold the wagon. One who sold a yoke [hatzemed] has not sold the oxen, and one who sold the oxen has not sold the yoke. Rabbi Yehuda says: The sum of money indicates what one has sold. How so? If the buyer said to the seller: Sell me your yoke for two hundred dinars, since it is a known matter that a yoke is not sold for two hundred dinars he clearly intended to purchase the oxen as well. And the Rabbis say: The sum of money is not proof.

Oh honey, I bet we can find a yoke for over 200 dinar . . . oh, I did.

Wait for this gem!

Passing effects acquisition in the public domain or in a courtyard that does not belong to either of the parties; pulling effects acquisition in an alleyway or in a courtyard that belongs to both of the parties; and lifting effects acquisition in every place.

What’s the gem you ask? In discussing how we acquire something, lifting works in every place. Lifting, in Hebrew is הגבה hahbah. This is what we call it when someone lifts the Torah up after it’s read in synagogue. It’s the biggest honor! Why? Well, as the daf says, you’re acquiring it! That doesn’t mean you take it home. But you do get a lot of honor in this world and the next. 

Two gems – the size of Jerusalem, and finally eating unagi in the world-to-come.

Today’s daf predicts that one day, the size of Jerusalem will be greater than it was before it was destroyed. Remember, the rabbis on the daf lived in exile, most had never seen Jerusalem or the Temple service:

The Gemara asks: And from where is it derived that the place of Jerusalem was an area of three square parasangs? Rabba said that a certain elder said to me: I saw the initial Jerusalem, when it was still extant, and its area was three square parasangs.

Now we get the prediction of a bigger Jerusalem, something to hope for:

Reish Lakish says: In the future, the Holy One, Blessed be He, will add to Jerusalem one thousand times the numerical value of tefaf of gardens; one thousand times the numerical value of kefel of towers; one thousand times the value of litzoy of fortifications; and one thousand and two times the value of shilo of small houses [totpera’ot]. And each and every one of these additions will be like the great city of Tzippori in its prosperity.

What’s so beautiful about this is that Jerusalem today is EVEN BIGGER than Reish Lakish predicted. May God protect her.

And a funny bonus gem. Sushi:

Rabba says that Rabbi Yoḥanan says: In the future, the Holy One, Blessed be He, will make a feast for the righteous from the flesh of the leviathan, as it is stated: “The ḥabbarim will make a feast [yikhru] of him” (Job 40:30).

I imagine it would taste like eel. Of course, our rabbis expound on why this woudl be the meal in the world to come.

The Maharal or Prague argues that this meal is a metaphor. The teaching is that the righteous will ingest God’s presence in the physical world. God will fell as real as what we eat. And when the Gemara says “that”And with regard to the remainder of the leviathan, they will divide it and use it for commerce in the markets of Jerusalem” it is teaching that the impact of the righteous feeling so close to God will spill over beyond the individual to the public in the Jerusalem of the future.

So, while Jerusalem is real and bigger than our rabbis might have imagined, we still have far to go in terms of really creating the ideal Jerusalem, one of true justice and righteousness.

Fish Island? Scorpions the size of donkeys surrounding Mt. Sinai? Members of Kirach still yelling Moses was right from the crack in the earth that swallowed them down to hell? Checking the tzitzit of our ancestors who died in the desert who didn’t make it to the Promised Land? What is this daf!!

The tall tales of Rabbah bar bar Hanna continue on our daf today. They are either just tall tales or there to teach us something deeper.

Some suggest that each story has a lesson to give. The fish island describes how Rabbi came and camped out on an island making food and living life only to discover that it wasn’t an island but the back of a giant fish and that the fish turned over. this is like life – all seems well and you’re going about life, not realizing how easily it can be upturned. Lucky for the rabbis in the story there was a boat. What’s the boat a symbol for? Torah.

But other scholars see these stories as rejections of the practice of pilgrimage to sacred sites of the Bible (you won’t find the tzitzit people – so don’t try). That the best way to practice faith is to live life’s of Torah… and of course rely on your rabbi to tell you what’s true – not what you’re eyes tell you.

What’s crazy daf!! The rabbis are telling tall tales, or at least it seems. Among their stories we get one of my favorite characters from rabbinic children stories about Yom Kippur.

And Rabba bar bar Ḥana said: Once we were traveling in a ship and we saw a certain bird that was standing with water up to its ankles [kartzuleih] and its head was in the sky. And we said to ourselves that there is no deep waterhere, and we wanted to go down to cool ourselves off. And a Divine Voice emerged and said to us: Do not go down here, as the ax of a carpenter fell into it seven years ago and it has still not reached the bottom. And this is not because the water is so large and deep. Rather, it is because the water is turbulent. Rav Ashi said: And that bird iscalled ziz sadai, wild beast, as it is written: “I know all the fowls of the mountains; and the ziz sadai is Mine” (Psalms 50:11).

The Ziz is a character that makes it into other stories. Jacqueline Jewels wrote a modern story called “the hardest word.” In it, the Ziz is a big clumsy, big-hearted, bird, who God for advice after accidentally destroying a vegetable garden. God tells the Ziz that he needs to find the hardest word to say, and then he will figure out how to make up for the garden.

What’s the hardest word to say? Sorry.