BSD
Shkolim 8a
16 Adar II 5784. 03/26/24
1- To start with: דברים שאמרתי לכם טעות הן בידי
Correction to what we said and posted last week.
מן התורה all בהמות born within one year are considered one lot. Meaning that when corralling the animals and then herding them thru the gate to be מקדיש each tenth, one can include only בהמות that were born with in this particular year.
Mixing animals from one year with others born in a different year is not allowed as we learnt at the beginning of מסכת ראש השנה.
When exactly is this ‘one year’ מן התורה? Three opinions which we discussed this week. See below. All of the above is at the דאורייתא level. A one year cycle.
2- Unlike תורמות ומעשרות that prior to destination of the תרו”מ , the produce is non edible as it is טבל, animals prior to passing thru the מעשר בהמה process, are not אבל . One can shecht and eat them as long as he eventually gives מעשר בהמה – 1 from 10.
Ramabam Bechoros Chapter 7, 7.
אין הטלאים הנולדים כמו הטבל שאסור לאכול ממנו עד שיעשר כמו שביארנו במקומו אלא מותר למכור ולשחוט כל מה שירצה עד שיעשר ויהיה המעשר קדש ויאכל כהלכתו כמו שביארנו:
When he decides to be מקיים the מצוה of מעשר בהמה, he passes them thru the gate, designates every 10th as מעשר and brings it up as a קרבן to ירושלים.
3- However, the חכמים noticed a pattern with the cattle ranchers.
They would hesitate to perform the מעשר בהמה process until the herds were very large. The ranchers reasoned that it’s in their best interest to do it in large batches so that all מעשר of every 10 are grouped together. It made it easier to bring them all up to ירושלים and avoid the בל תאחר.
So the חכמים established within the year 3 cycles or cut-off dates. When these dates arrived it was prohibited to eat any animal in one’s herd that has not gone through the מעשר process.
Now they could have chosen any 3 dates in the calendar year. The reason they chose dates before the שלש רגלים was that the above תקנה would cause the ranchers to give the מעשר just prior to these dates.
(since after these dates these dates arrived eating the animals would be prohibited unless מעשר was given).
So by designating the date before the שלש רגלים it ensured a stock of plenty of animals available for the עולי רגל.
4 – The משנה then states various opinions as to the exact 3 days of the beginning of a new cycle established by the חכמים.
Reb Akiva –
- 15 days before Pesach,
- 15 days before שבועות and
- 15 days before ראש השנה.
Ben Azzai –
- 29th of Adar,
- 1st of Sivan and
- 20th of Av.
Reb Elozor and Reb Shimon –
- 1st of Nissan,
- 1st of Sivan and
- 29th of Elul
5 – The 3 opinions of the דאורייתא year above in paragraph #1.
Reb Meir – from ראש חודש אלול to ראש חודש אלול.
Reb Elozor and Reb Shimon – from one ראש השנה to the next.
בן עזאי – From ראש השנה until ראש חודש אלול. And another separate ‘year’ for the entire חודש אלול!
Ben Azzai says he is unsure who is right and his opinion is a compromise.
6- From the expression of בן עזאי about his compromise, our גמרא derives that בן עזאי was a תלמיד חבר of Reb Akiva.
A colleague and a student.
[Speaking of חבר- a friend- we mentioned in passing the שו”ת יהודה יעלה of R’ Yehdua Aszod that discusses משלוח מנות איש לרעהו. Does giving to a teacher who is not an exactly a ‘friend’ of his student constitute רעהו?
We discussed this a bit and mentioned the famous book by Malachi Hakohen from Livorno, Italy. (Tuscany region).
Livorno, Tuscany, Italy
His ספר was quickly accepted by many as the authority on how and whom to follow when we find in ש”ס or פוסקים two or more opinions without a definitive ruling.
For example – In ש”ס – different opinions with not clear הלכה למעשה. What’s the bottom line?
If the Shulchan Aruch says יש אומרים and ויש אומרים. Whose opinion do we follow?
The יד מלאכי has much to say as to the definition of תלמיד חבר.
Is it חבר in that they are equal but one learnt one or two ideas from his equal?
Or perhaps that originally they were equal but now one surpassed the other, and that the other is now a his תלמיד!
7 – We went back to discuss the famous saying of בן עזאי:
כל חכמי ישראל דומין עלי כקליפת השום, חוץ מן הקרח הזה
“The knowledge all the חכמי ישראל , in comparison to mine, is like the skin of a garlic! Except for this קרח”.
Not R Akiva
Most opinions identify the קרח ‘Baldy’ as Reb Akiva. See last week’s Shiur.
We mentioned the opinion of רבינו ניסים that בן עזאי meant (not Reb Akiva, but) אליעזר בן עזריה רבי who was appointed נשיא at a very young age before he had a beard. Thus he is the ‘bald’ fellow here!
8- Some explanations of the בן עזאי saying: “The knowledge all the חכמי ישראל , in comparison to mine, is like the skin of a garlic! Except for this קרח”.
כל חכמי ישראל דומין עלי כקליפת השום, חוץ מן הקרח הזה
A – The של”ה מסכת שבועות, נר מצוה.
If we understand it right:
בן עזאי is saying that all the חכמי ישראל are indeed smarter than him. He is just sharper than them.
By nature, people that are sharp occasionally come up with ideas that are not grounded in reality. Their suggestions need direction to keep it in line.
He, בן עזאי is the sharp garlic, but they are the skin that keeps and protects this sharpness.
So בן עזאי is actually complimenting the חכמי ישראל by admitting their superior intelligence and thanking them for keeping him on track.
חוץ מן הקרח הזה– Reb Akiva however is greater than all, as he has both qualities. Sharpness and structure.
B – Reb Tzadok HaKohen. דברי אמת פרשת קרח.
The גמרא says that Reb Akiva used to derive ‘piles and piles’ of הלכות based on the תגין that adorn the letters of a ספר תורה. These תגין are likened to hair on the head (the letters).
We look at these תגין and see a mumble jumble of incomprehensible lines. Reb Akiva, by explaining each תג he is ‘untangling’ these hairs. He is giving them a ‘haircut’.
So by calling Reb Akiva a ‘baldy’, he is not degrading Reb Akiva (as Tosfos points out- Last week’s shiur). He is giving him the highest accolades, as only Reb Akiva knew the meaning hidden in the תגין.
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ומסיימין בצחוק….
6,000,013 years old……