Pe'ah 003
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BET MIDRASH VIRTUALI
of the Rabbinical Assembly in Israel
RABIN MISHNAH STUDY GROUP
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TRACTATE PE'AH, CHAPTER ONE, MISHNAH ONE (recap):
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אֵלּוּ דְבָרִים שֶׁאֵין לָהֶם שִׁעוּר: הַפֵּאָה, וְהַבִּכּוּרִים, וְהָרֵאָיוֹן, וּגְמִילוּת חֲסָדִים, וְתַלְמוּד תּוֹרָה. אֵלּוּ דְבָרִים שֶׁאָדָם אוֹכֵל פֵּרוֹתֵיהֶן בָּעוֹלָם הַזֶּה וְהַקֶּרֶן קַיֶּמֶת לוֹ לָעוֹלָם הַבָּא: כִּבּוּד אָב וָאֵם, וּגְמִילוּת חֲסָדִים, וַהֲבָאַת שָׁלוֹם בֵּין אָדָם לַחֲבֵרוֹ; וְתַלְמוּד תּוֹרָה כְּנֶגֶד כֻּלָּם:
The following are things which have no limit: the Edge of the Field, the First-Fruits, the Appearance-Offering, acts of kindness and the Study of Torah. The following are things whose profits a person enjoys in this world while the capital remains for him in the world to come: Love of father and mother, acts of kindness, bringing about peace between one person and another – and the study of Torah is equal to them all.
EXPLANATIONS (continued):
12:
The study of Torah is also a mitzvah without limits. The bible says of of the Torah that one must "ponder it day and night" [Joshua 1:8]. However, the sages also said that one must use one's common sense here. A Baraita in the Gemara [Berakhot 35b] tells the following:
And you shall harvest your corn [Deuteronomy 11:14]: What does the bible mean? It says that "this book of the Torah shall never cease from your mouth" [Joshua 1:8]. Can this be understood literally? [For, on the other hand] the Torah says that "you shall harvest your corn" [which suggests that one should] relate towards them [the needs of a livelihood] as is usual. This is the view of Rabbi Yishma'el, but Rabbi Shim'on ben-Yoĥai says: "if a person ploughs at ploughing time, sows at sowing time, harvests at harvest time, threshes at threshing time and sifts the chaff when it is windy – what will become of [study of] Torah? So we must say that when Israel performs God's pleasure their [agricultural] work is done for them by others [Isaiah 61:5], but when Israel does not perform God's pleasure they have to do their work themselves [Deuteronomy 11:14]; worse, the work of others may be done by them [Deuteronomy 28:48]!
The Baraita sees a contradiction between two biblical verses, a contradiction which must be reconciled. On the one hand we are commanded to study Torah day and night and always have its teachings on our lips; but on the other hand we are told to harvest our crops (for example): how can one keep one requirement without compromising the other? Rabbi Yishma'el solves the problem by suggesting that one should not understand the bible literally, as requiring continuous Torah study without a break. He takes the pragmatic view that one must earn one's livelihood too and study Torah as much as the needs of everyday life will permit. Rabbi Shim'on bar-Yoĥai is an admitted extremist in his views (both in this matter and in countless others). His view is that if one leads a normal life, pursuing a livelihood, there will never be any time for Torah; therefore we must recognise that there are the select few who study Torah continuously and who are materially supported by others.
13:
Abbayyé said: many have acted according to the view of Rabbi Yishma'el and have been successful, and [others have acted upon the teaching of] Rabbi Shim'on ben-Yoĥai and have not been successful. Rava said to the sages: I beg you not to come here in Nisan and Tishri so that you will not have to worry about your food throughout the rest of the year.
The criticism implied by Abbayyé is clear. Abbayyé [278-338 CE] was the head of the Yeshiva of Pumbedita in Babylon [Iraq]. Orphaned at birth he was raised by his uncle, Rabba bar-Naĥmani and a foster mother. In his youth Abbayyé studied under Rav Yosef, the head of the Yeshiva in Pumbedita. Upon the latter's death Abbayyé succeeded him as head of the Yeshiva and remained at this post for the rest of his life. Abbayyé's most prominent colleague was Rava [280-352 CE]. Rava established a Yeshiva in Meĥoza and served as its head. That Rava also rejects the view of Rabbi Shim'on bar-Yoĥai is clear from the fact that as head of the Yeshiva in Meĥoza he told his students not to come to study during the two months of the year when the agricultural work was most demanding: if they did not harvest in their produce they would have nothing to live on throughout the rest of the year.
14:
Rabbi Yehudah, Rabbi Yosé and Rabbi Shim'on were sitting, and Yehudah ben-Gerim was sitting near them. Rabbi Yehudah commenced [the discussion] by observing, 'How fine are the works of the [Roman] people! They have made marketplaces, they have built bridges, they have erected baths.' Rabbi Yosé was silent. Rabbi Shim'on bar Yoĥai answered and said, 'All that they made they made for themselves; they built market-places to set whores in them; baths to rejuvenate themselves; bridges to levy tolls for themselves.' Now, Yehudah ben-Gerim went and repeated what they had said, until it finally reached the government. The Romans decreed: Yehudah who exalted [us] shall be exalted, Yosé who was silent shall be exiled to Tzippori; Shim'on, who defamed us shall be executed. Rabbi Shim'on and his son went and hid themselves in the Bet ha-Midrash [and] ]became more severe. He said to his son, 'Women are of fragile temperament: she [your mother] may be tortured and expose us.' So they went and hid in a cave. A miracle occurred and a carob-tree and a water well were created for them. They would strip their garments and sit up to their necks in sand. The whole day they studied; when it was time for prayers they robed, covered themselves, prayed, and then put off their garments again, so that they should not wear out. Thus they dwelt twelve years in the cave. Then Elijah came and stood at the entrance to the cave and exclaimed, 'Who will inform the son of Yoĥai that the emperor is dead and his decree annulled?' So they emerged. Seeing a man plowing and sowing, they exclaimed, 'They forsake eternal life [of Torah study] and engage in the material life of here and now!' Whatever they looked was immediately burnt up. Thereupon a Heavenly Echo came forth and cried out, 'Have you emerged to destroy My world: Return to your cave!' So they returned and dwelt there twelve months…
To be continued.
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