S’D
Sukkah 21a
Iyar 29, 5781
May 11, 2021
1- We continued with the topic of sleeping under a bed in a Sukkah.
2- The Halachos of אהל in regards to טומאה. What is considered an אהל?
The opinion of Reb Yehuda that only an אהל that was constructed by a human for the purpose of covering or sheltering is considered an אהל. Caves, crevices and other overhangs that were created by nature are not considered an אהל in regards to טומאה.
3- Our Gemore introduces a fascinating occurrence that was practiced when preparing the פרה אדומה to create the ashes used for the purification of a טמא מת.
Being that the ashes/water mixture needed to be 100% טהור, many precautions were taken to ensure this טהור state.
One, (the ultimate quarantine), was the following, as the Mishna (3, 2) in פרה describes:
חֲצֵרוֹת הָיוּ בִירוּשָׁלַיִם בְּנוּיוֹת עַל גַּבֵּי סֶלַע וְתַחְתֵּיהֶם חָלוּל, מִפְּנֵי קֶבֶר הַתְּהוֹם. וּמְבִיאִים נָשִׁים עֻבָּרוֹת וְיוֹלְדוֹת שָׁם וּמְגַדְּלוֹת שָׁם אֶת בְּנֵיהֶן. וּמְבִיאִים שְׁוָרִים וְעַל גַּבֵּיהֶן דְּלָתוֹת, וְתִינוֹקוֹת יוֹשְׁבִין עַל גַּבֵּיהֶן וְכוֹסוֹת שֶׁל אֶבֶן בְּיָדָם. הִגִּיעוּ לַשִּׁלּוֹחַ, יָרְדוּ וּמִלְאוּם, וְעָלוּ וְיָשְׁבוּ עַל גַּבֵּיהֶן. רַבִּי יוֹסֵי אוֹמֵר, מִמְּקוֹמוֹ הָיָה מְשַׁלְשֵׁל וּמְמַלֵּ
Courtyards were built in Jerusalem over rock, and beneath them there was a hollow which served as a protection against a grave in the depths. And they used to bring there pregnant women, and there they gave birth to their children and there they raised them. And they brought oxen, upon whose backs were placed doors, and the children sat upon them with stone cups in their hands. When they reached the Shiloah spring they got down and filled the cups with water and then they ascended and sat again on the doors. Rabbi Yose said: each child used to let down his cup and fill it from his place.
4- We discussed at length this procedure and its purpose.
The ערוך לנר writes that this quarantine was a constant occurrence since they never knew when the next rare פרה אדומה would be found.
More on this in the next shiur BL”N
5- We touched upon the wording “And they used to bring there pregnant women, and there they gave birth to their children and there they raised them .
What about if this pregnant woman prior to being secluded in this ‘sterile’ area entered a house that had a מת there? Would not the fetus become טמא?
We discussed the famous ruling of the ספר רוקח written by Reb Elazar of גרמיזא, or (as it is called today) Worms in Germany.
He writes that a wife of a Kohen need not be careful to enter a house that has a non living body or attend a funeral.
We are not concerned that the fetus will become טמא because of a ספק ספיקא. The odds are against it being born a living male Kohen. Either because it may be a girl or a still born. The ש”ך brings this הלכה in Yore Deah. 381, 1.
It would seem from the above, that today, if a wife of a Kohen, via an ultrasound procedure, has ascertained that she will be giving birth to a healthy boy, it would be indeed problematic for her to enter a funeral home.
We mentioned the מגן אברהם in 343 that takes issue with this entire train of thought. He says that even if we are sure that she will give birth to boy there is no טואה passed on to him since it is טומאה בלועה.
More on this in the future.
6- Speaking of Reb Elazar of גרמיזא, we discussed his tragic life, some of his ספרים and the hundreds of מנהגים for which he is the source.
One of his famous works is on the topic of תשובה. The Alter Rebbe mentioned this in אגרת התשובה פרק א’.
ומ”ש בספרי המוסר ובראשם ספר הרוקח וס’ חסידים הרבה תעניות וסיגופים לעובר על כריתות ומיתות ב”ד וכן למוציא זרע לבטלה שחייב מיתה בידי שמים כמ”ש בתורה גבי ער ואונן ודינו כחייבי כריתות לענין זה. היינו כדי לינצל מעונש יסורי’ של מעלה ח”ו. וגם כדי לזרז ולמהר גמר כפרת נפשו. וגם אולי אינו שב אל ה’ בכל לבו ונפשו מאהבה כ”א מיראה:
Here he is mentioned in the Chabad Machzor
7- We also spoke about the illustrious and tragic history of Jews in Worms.
8- The history of the handwritten illustrated Worms Machzor and how it survived WWII.
See here for some pages of this famous מחזור.
9- We ran out of time and IY”h will discuss this book after Yom Tov.
Wishing all קבלת התורה בשמחה ובפנימיות