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

Today’s daf discusses the generalization (it specifically points out that it’s a generalization and not a rule) that women are not bound by time-bound positive mitzvot. What’s so fascinating about the daf is that it then goes on to prove how this generalization does not hold true in so many circumstances. So, for example, the daf discusses how women don’t have to fulfil the mitzvah of eating matzah at the Passover Seder (it’s positive and time-bound. . . but) women do! Likewise, dwelling in a Sukkah. And so many other things. What I love about it is that even over a thousand years ago, women were already doing things designated as belonging to men.

Today, as I lead services for my congregation, wearing a tallis and chanting Hebrew – I am grateful for those early “rule” breakers and the understanding so early on that just because women don’t “have it” that we still can.

Tonight is Rosh HaShana, happy New Year! As a clergy person, I will often think, not just of what the service will look like, but what I want the entire experience to look like. How do I want people to feel? What do I want to evoke? Maybe that’s why this is my gem for the day. The daf has been discussing showing honor to others. Today’s daf says that someone working may not have to stop what they are doing to greet a Torah scholar and thereby lose money. Then we get this:

When farmers bring their first fruits to Jerusalem, all craftsmen stand before them, and greet them, and say to them: Our brothers from such and such a place, welcome!

Based on this Rabbi Yosei bar Avin says: Come and see how beloved is a mitzva performed in its proper time, as the craftsmen stood before those who were fulfilling a mitzva, whereas they did not stand before Torah scholars. The Gemara responds: This does not prove that the same applies to all mitzvot performed in their proper times, as perhaps it is different there, with regard to the bringing of the first fruits; for if so, i.e., if one does not treat those who bring first fruits with such honor, they will not want to come at all, and you will cause them to stumble and sin in the future. Consequently, the Sages instituted that those bringing first fruits should be treated with special honor. This reasoning does not apply to people performing other mitzvot.

I love this. How magnificent it must have been to bring first fruits to the Temple. The travel ends with seeing Jerusalem and entering her gates. You would hear the sounds of the Levites singing. Smell the scent of the sacrificial offerings. And see a cacophony of people and colors as various fruits and spices are brought from thousands upon thousands of pilgrims.

And how are you treated as a pilgrim? Even the people working stop what they are doing and rise and ask you where you are from. They shout: My brethren from afar – welcome! Welcome!

Now that’s an experience one would not forget. If our services were like that – maybe it wouldn’t take so many a full year to come back.

Shanah Tovah! May you be blessed with a sweet year.

Today’s daf continues the discussion of showing honor. While yesterday we wondered about how to show honor to our parents, today, the list expands to others. My gem is the honor we should show a rabbi – even one who is not lofting himself above us, but is serving us instead.

But Rava served drinks to the guests at his son’s wedding celebration, and he poured a cup for Rav Pappa and Rav Huna, son of Rav Yehoshua, and they stood before him when he approached them. When he poured a cup for Rav Mari and for Rav Pineḥas, son of Rav Ḥisda, they did not stand before him. Rava became angry and said: Are these Sages, i.e., Rav Mari and Rav Pineḥas, Sages, and are those Sages, who stood to honor me, not Sages? Do you think you are so great that you are not required to honor a Sage?

I worked in food services during college. Once, a student was beyond rude to me, speaking disrespectfully and being an entitled jerk. One of my friends walked in and snuck up to the counter to tell me that the guy I just served was the guy she had a crush on. I told her what happened. She is a confrontational kind of girl so she made him come over and apologize. He did. He said if he knew I was a student he never would have treated me that way. To me, this was further confirmation of his being a jerk. While perhaps we don’t have to rise in honor for every person who serves us – each person we meet is the living image of God and deserves our respect no matter if they are a rabbi, a classmate, or someone earning an hourly wage.

Today’s daf focuses on the mitzvah of honoring your father and mother. There are many gems, but I love this one where the example given by the rabbis of what honor looks like comes from a non-Jew.

The Sages raised a dilemma before Rav Ulla: How far must one go to fulfill the mitzva of honoring one’s father and mother? Rav Ulla said to them: Go and see what one gentile did in Ashkelon, and his name was Dama ben Netina. Once the Sages sought to purchase merchandise [perakmatya] from him for six hundred thousand gold dinars’ profit, but the key for the container in which the merchandise was kept was placed under his father’s head, and he was sleeping at the time. And Dama ben Netina would not disturb his father by waking him, although he could have made a substantial profit. Rav Yehuda says that Shmuel says: They asked Rabbi Eliezer: How far must one go to fulfill the mitzva of honoring one’s father and mother? Rabbi Eliezer said to them: Go and see what one gentile did for his father in Ashkelon, and the name of the son was Dama ben Netina. Once the Sages wished to purchase precious stones from him for the ephod of the High Priest for six hundred thousand gold dinars’ profit, and Rav Kahana taught that it was eight hundred thousand gold dinars’ profit. And the key to the chest holding the jewels was placed under his father’s head, and he would not disturb him. The next year the Holy One, Blessed be He, gave Dama ben Netina his reward, as a red heifer was born in his herd, and the Jews needed it. When the Sages of Israel came to him he said to them: I know, concerning you, that if I were to ask for all the money in the world you would give it to me. But I ask only that money that I lost due to the honor of Father.

Oh what a mensch! This guy goes above and beyond to honor his father and when God rewards him by putting him in a situation to make bank – he asks only for what he sacrificed. What a beautiful example. The daf adds:

And Rabbi Ḥanina says: And if this is related about one who is not commanded by the Torah to honor his father, as Dama was a gentile, and nevertheless when he performs the mitzva he is given this great reward, all the more so is one rewarded who is commanded to fulfill a mitzva and performs it.

Examples of righteous behavior can be found anywhere. May examples be found amongst us as well.

So many gems! What a great daf. Here are just three highlights:

1. Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi says: Anyone who teaches his son’s son Torah, the verse ascribes him credit as though he received it from Mount Sinai, as it is stated: “But make them known to your sons and to your sons’ sons,” and juxtaposed to it is the phrase in the verse: “The day when you stood before the Lord your God in Horeb” (Deuteronomy 4:10), as Horeb is Mount Sinai.

Teaching your grandchild Torah is like to standing at Sinai (Horeb). How beautiful is that! When I began rabbinical school, my grandfather and I would sometimes talk Torah and often debate – I loved it. Was it as euphoric as standing at Sinai? Maybe not, but it was such a gift.

2. Therefore, because they devoted so much time to the Bible, the first Sages were called: Those who count [soferim], because they would count all the letters in the Torah, as they would say that the letter vav in the word “belly [gaḥon]” (Leviticus 11:42) is the midpoint of the letters in a Torah scroll. The words: “Diligently inquired [darosh darash]” (Leviticus 10:16), are the midpoint of the words in a Torah scroll. And the verse that begins with: “Then he shall be shaven” (Leviticus 13:33), is the midpoint of the verses.

. . . The Sages taught: Five thousand eight hundred and eighty-eight verses are the verses in a Torah scroll. Psalms has eight more verses than that, and Chronicles has eight fewer verses than that.

How much fun is this! Fun facts on the daf. And how amazing that the middle point in terms of letter in the 5 book is in the word belly (which is our middle as well)?!

3. As the Sages taught: There are three partners in the forming of a person: The Holy One, Blessed be He, who provides the soul, and his father and his mother. When a person honors his father and mother, the Holy One, Blessed be He, says: I ascribe credit to them as if I dwelt between them and they honor Me as well.

A gorgeous little gem to end on. And to teach to our kids. 😉

We have such a wild story on the daf today! Two things to know – Abaye is a great Torah teacher and Rav Aḥa bar Ya’akov is coming to learn from him!

Abaye heard that Rav Aḥa bar Ya’akov was coming. There was a certain demon in the study hall of Abaye,which was so powerful that when two people would enter they would be harmed, even during the day. Abaye said tothe people of the town: Do not give Rav Aḥa bar Ya’akov lodging [ushpiza] so that he will be forced to spend the night in the study hall. Since Rav Aḥa bar Ya’akov is a righteous man, perhaps a miracle will occur on his behalf and he will kill the demon. Rav Aḥa found no place to spend the night, and he entered and spent the night in that study hall of the Sages. The demon appeared to him like a serpent with seven heads. Rav Aḥa bar Ya’akov began to pray, and with every bow that he bowed one of the demon’s heads fell off, until it eventually died. The next day Rav Aḥa said to the townspeople: If a miracle had not occurred, you would have placed me in danger.

So, my first thought was to marvel at the admiration Abaye had for this man. Then, I had second thoughts. If he admired him so much – why was Abaye willing to risk this man’s life? Why was the whole town willing to risk his life (by refusing him a place to stay and thereby, forcing him to sleep in the same place as the demon). It’s a cool fun and strange story – and it does not give us a clear moral answer – because we may assume the message is that a truly righteous person sleighs demons as they pray – but can this guy be truly righteous if all of his neighbors are willing to risk his life?

We learn in school that it’s not good to call people names. Our daf tells us the same:

One who calls another a slave shall be ostracized. One who calls another a mamzer incurs the punishment of forty lashes. If one calls another a wicked person then the insulted person may harass him in all aspects of his life.

Our daf tells us that name callers should be subject to excommunication, lashes, and that if they call someone names, they can’t complain when that person harasses them – sounds right.

What I find interesting is that the daf does not care if what the accuser says is true or not – it’s the intention of the name-caller. If they are doing this to hurt someone, then the veracity does not matter. Glad the daf can spot a jerk. (Now I am the one name-calling.)

I am not sure if the whole country gets so many ads about cruises, or if it’s a Miami thing since we are a port – but, man, we get a lot of ads. Beautiful people in sunglasses lounging on the deck, enjoying a drink at the bar, dancing, watching the setting sun, going on adventurous excursions. . . you know what you don’t see? People doing their taxes. Yet, on our daf, that’s what Rabban Gamliel decides to do on his cruise.

Come and hear: There was an incident involving Rabban Gamliel and other Elders who were traveling on a ship. Rabban Gamliel said to the Elders: One-tenth of produce that I will measure out and separate in the future from the produce of my fields is given as first tithe to Yehoshua ben Ḥananya, who was a Levite, and the place of the tithe is rented to him so that he can acquire the tithe by means of the land. And another tenth that I will measure out in the future as the poor man’s tithe is given to Akiva ben Yosef so that he will acquire it on behalf of the poor, and its place is rented to him.

We see that Rabban Gamliel was not able to separate from work while on vacation! (I am being facetious, we don’t know why he is traveling and ships were nothing like they are today.) While on the ship, Rabban Gamliel works out his first tithe and his poor man’s tithe, both by rending the land the fields occupy to the collectors.

The Gemara is interested in the question of if things have to be on the land itself to be gifted as part of the sale of the land, or if they can just be specified. (This is why they talked about selling a piece of land small enough for a needle to be placed in yesterday.)

The tanna argues, “One can learn from here that we require the movable property to be piled on the land, as Rabban Gamliel emphasized: Its place.” However, “The Gemara rejects this argument: It is different there, as Rabban Gamliel did this so as not to trouble the Sages to whom he was giving the tithes by forcing them to transport the tithes to a different location. For reasons of convenience he transferred to the other Sages ownership of the land where the tithes were already situated.”

What’s the ruling? Things don’t have to be on the land to given along with it.

What’s the gem? While voyaging on a ship in the year 100 was certainly different than it is today, it was still a costly thing. Here, we have an example of a leader, someone who makes laws and has the power to alter then through interpretation, being eager to pay his taxes. Being eager to give to the community, to the poor. The mark of a true leader is not being “smart enough” to avoid paying taxes, but thinking about the greater good and leading in putting community before self.

“It’s bad enough wasting time without killing it.” – Phantom Tollbooth (what a great book)

Time is a precious thing, something not to be wasted. That’s why today’s gem is yet another instance of a rabbi losing his cool with a colleague, this time, for wasting his time.

Rav Yosef said to him: You disgust me [kevastan]. Did the tanna go to all that trouble just to teach us that a needle can be acquired by means of land?

I love this. He is saying, if it’s saying something so inconsequential then it would be a waste of time to even say it. So, it must be teaching more. Because you know what is not a thing that is holy? Wasting time.

With that, I will stop wasting yours. 🙂

What might you achieve? What is really possible?

We get a fabulous gem on today’s daf amongst a discussion about how an animals ownership is passed from one person to another.

The Rabbis say: Both small and large domesticated animals are acquired by pulling. (Meaning you pull their harness or leash.) Rabbi Shimon says: Both are acquired by lifting. Rav Yosef objects to this: If that is so, by what mode of acquisition can an elephant be acquired, according to the opinion of Rabbi Shimon?

Rabbi Shimon says that you can only transfer ownership by lifting the animal. Now a big deal when it comes to a cat or small dog, but what about an elephant? Seems impossible, right? Well . . .

Rabbi Zeira says: One brings four vessels and places them under the elephant’s feet.

In this way, the purchaser’s vessels contain the elephant and will acquire it.

I love this. Things often look impossible, but we are just not thinking creatively enough, just not passionate enough to find a solution. Here, lifting an elephant seemed impossible, but getting the elephant to step onto a piece of wood or other item IS something doable – and therefor, lifting the elephant is possible as well.

All of this talk of elephant and impossible reminds me of the old “How do you eat an elephant?” “One bite at a time.”

Let’s do impossible things.

(But skip eating the elephants please.)