חולין ס

חולין ס

חָזֵינָא לֵיהּ. אֲזַל אוֹקְמֵיהּ לַהֲדֵי יוֹמָא בִּתְקוּפַת תַּמּוּז, אֲמַר לֵיהּ: אִיסְתַּכַּל בֵּיהּ. אֲמַר לֵיהּ: לָא מָצֵינָא. אֲמַר לֵיהּ: יוֹמָא, דְּחַד מִשַּׁמָּשֵׁי דְּקָיְימִי קַמֵּי דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא אָמְרַתְּ לָא מָצֵינָא לְאִיסְתַּכָּלָא בֵּיהּ, שְׁכִינָה לֹא כׇּל שֶׁכֵּן.

I wish to see Him. Rabbi Yehoshua went and stood the emperor facing the sun in the season of Tammuz, i.e., summer. Rabbi Yehoshua said to him: Look at it. The emperor said to him: I cannot. Rabbi Yehoshua said to him: Now, if with regard to the sun, which is only one of the servants that stand before the Holy One, Blessed be He, you say: I cannot look at it, is it not all the more so with regard to the Divine Presence?

אֲמַר לֵיהּ קֵיסָר לְרַבִּי יְהוֹשֻׁעַ בֶּן חֲנַנְיָה: בָּעֵינָא דְּאִיצְבֵּית לֵיהּ נַהֲמָא לֵאלָהַיְכוּ. אֲמַר לֵיהּ: לָא מָצֵית. אַמַּאי? נְפִישִׁי חֵילְוָותֵיהּ. אֲמַר לֵיהּ: אִיבְרָא. אֲמַר לֵיהּ: פּוֹק צְבֵית לְגֻידָּא דִּרְבִיתָא, דִּרְוִיחַ עָלְמָא. טְרַח שִׁיתָּא יַרְחֵי קַיְיטָא, אֲתָא זִיקָא כַּנְשֵׁיהּ לְיַמָּא.

§ The Gemara recounts: The Roman emperor said to Rabbi Yehoshua ben Ḥananya: I desire to arrange bread, i.e., a meal, for your God. Rabbi Yehoshua said to him: You cannot. The emperor asked him: Why? Rabbi Yehoshua said to him: His hosts are too great. The emperor said to him: Truly, I wish to do it. Rabbi Yehoshua said to him: Go out and arrange a meal on the shore of the great sea [dirvita], where there is a wide open space. The emperor worked all the six months of summer to accomplish this. A wind came and swept it all into the sea.

טְרַח שִׁיתָּא יַרְחֵי דְּסִיתְוָא, אֲתָא מִיטְרָא טַבְּעֵיהּ בְּיַמָּא. אֲמַר לֵיהּ: מַאי הַאי? אֲמַר לֵיהּ: הָנֵי כָּנוֹשָׁאֵי זָלוֹחָאֵי דְּאָתוּ קַמֵּיהּ. אֲמַר לֵיהּ: אִי הָכִי לָא מָצֵינָא.

The emperor worked to arrange another meal all the six months of winter. Rain came and sank it all in the sea. The emperor said to Rabbi Yehoshua: What is this? Rabbi Yehoshua said to him: These are only the sweepers and floor washers that wait on Him, and they alone have eaten everything. The emperor said to him: If so, I cannot arrange a meal before Him.

אֲמַרָה לֵיהּ בַּת קֵיסָר לְרַבִּי יְהוֹשֻׁעַ בֶּן חֲנַנְיָה: אֱלָהֵיכוֹן נַגָּרָא הוּא, דִּכְתִיב ״הַמְקָרֶה בַמַּיִם עֲלִיּוֹתָיו״. אֵימָא לֵיהּ דְּנֶעְבֵּיד לִי חֲדָא מַסְתּוּרִיתָא. אֲמַר: לְחַיֵּי, בְּעָא רַחֲמֵי עֲלַהּ וְאִינַּגְעָה. אוֹתְבַהּ בְּשׁוּקָא דְּרוֹמִי וְיָהֲבִי לַהּ מַסְתּוּרִיתָא, דַּהֲווֹ נְהִיגִי דְּכֹל דִּמְנַגַּע בְּרוֹמִי יָהֲבוּ לֵיהּ מַסְתּוּרִיתָא, וְיָתֵיב בְּשׁוּקָא וְסָתַר דּוּלְלֵי, כִּי הֵיכִי דְּלִיחְזוֹ אִינָשֵׁי וְלִיבְעֵי רַחֲמֵי עֲלֵיהּ.

§ The Gemara recounts: The daughter of the Roman emperor said to Rabbi Yehoshua ben Ḥananya: Your God is a carpenter, as it is written: “Who lays the beams of His upper chambers in the waters” (Psalms 104:3). Tell Him to make for me a distaff, a simple tool used in spinning. Rabbi Yehoshua ben Ḥananya said: Very well. He prayed for mercy for her and she was stricken with leprosy. She sat in the Roman market, and they gave her a distaff, since it was their custom to give a distaff to anyone stricken with leprosy in Rome, and the leper would sit in the market and untangle bunches of wool, so that people would see and pray for mercy on him.

יוֹמָא חַד הֲוָה קָא חָלֵיף הָתָם, הֲוָת יָתְבָא וְסָתְרָה דּוּלְלֵי בְּשׁוּקָא דְּרוֹמָאֵי, אֲמַר לַהּ: שַׁפִּירְתָּא מַסְתּוּרִיתָא דִּיהַב לִיךְ אֱלָהַי. אֲמַרָה לֵיהּ: אֵימָא לֵיהּ לֵאלָהָיךְ לִשְׁקוֹל מַאי דִּיהַב לִי. אָמַר לָהּ: אֱלָהָא דִּידַן מֵיהָב יָהֵיב, מִשְׁקָל לָא שָׁקֵיל.

One day Rabbi Yehoshua ben Ḥananya was passing there, and he saw that she was sitting and untangling bunches of wool in the Roman market. Rabbi Yehoshua ben Ḥananya said to her: Is the distaff my God gave you pleasing? She said to him: Tell your God to take back what He has given me. Rabbi Yehoshua ben Ḥananya said to her: Our God gives, but does not take.

אָמַר רַב יְהוּדָה: שׁוֹר כְּרַסְתָּן וּפַרְסְתָן, רַב רֵישֵׁיהּ וְרַב גְּנוּבְתֵּיהּ, וְחִילּוּפָא בַּחֲמָרָא. לְמַאי נָפְקָא מִינַּהּ? לְמִקָּח וּמִמְכָּר.

§ Rav Yehuda says: A bull has a large paunch and large hooves. Its head is large, and its tail is large. And the opposite is true for a donkey. The Gemara explains: What is the practical difference that results from such a statement? It is relevant for purposes of buying and selling. One who agrees to sell a bull must provide the buyer with one that fits this description, and the opposite for a donkey.

וְאָמַר רַב יְהוּדָה: שׁוֹר שֶׁהִקְרִיב אָדָם הָרִאשׁוֹן, קֶרֶן אַחַת הָיְתָה לוֹ בְּמִצְחוֹ, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: ״וְתִיטַב לַה׳ מִשּׁוֹר פָּר מַקְרִין מַפְרִיס״ – מַקְרִין תַּרְתֵּי מַשְׁמַע! אָמַר רַב נַחְמָן: ״מַקְרָן״ כְּתִיב.

And Rav Yehuda says: The bull that Adam, the first man, sacrificed as a thanks offering for his life being spared had a single horn on its forehead, as it is stated: “And it shall please the Lord better than a bullock that has horns [makrin] and hoofs” (Psalms 69:32). The Gemara comments: On the contrary, the word makrin indicates two horns. Rav Naḥman said: Although it is vocalized in the plural, makran is written in the verse, without the letter yod, to indicate that it had only a single horn.

וְאָמַר רַב יְהוּדָה: שׁוֹר שֶׁהִקְרִיב אָדָם הָרִאשׁוֹן, קַרְנָיו קוֹדְמוֹת לְפַרְסוֹתָיו, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: ״וְתִיטַב לַה׳ מִשּׁוֹר פָּר מַקְרִין מַפְרִיס״ – מַקְרִין בְּרֵישָׁא, וַהֲדַר מַפְרִיס.

And Rav Yehuda says: With regard to the bull that Adam, the first man, sacrificed, its horns preceded its hooves. It was not born of a cow, but rose fully formed out of the earth such that its head emerged first, as it is stated: “And it shall please the Lord better than a bullock that has horns and hoofs.” The phrase “has horns” comes first, and only afterward the word “hoofs.”

מְסַיַּיע לֵיהּ לְרַבִּי יְהוֹשֻׁעַ בֶּן לֵוִי, דְּאָמַר רַבִּי יְהוֹשֻׁעַ בֶּן לֵוִי: כׇּל מַעֲשֵׂה בְרֵאשִׁית בְּקוֹמָתָן נִבְרְאוּ, בְּדַעְתָּן נִבְרְאוּ, בְּצִבְיוֹנָם נִבְרְאוּ, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר ״וַיְכֻלּוּ הַשָּׁמַיִם וְהָאָרֶץ וְכׇל צְבָאָם״, אַל תִּקְרֵי ״צְבָאָם״ אֶלָּא ״צִבְיוֹנָם״.

And this supports the statement of Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi, as Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi says: All items created during the acts of Creation were created with their full stature, immediately fit to bear fruit; they were created with their full mental capacities; they were created with their full form. As it is stated: “And the heaven and the earth were finished, and all the host of them” (Genesis 2:1). Do not read it as: “The host of them [tzeva’am]”; rather, read it as: Their form [tzivyonam].

דָּרֵשׁ רַבִּי חֲנִינָא בַּר פָּפָּא: ״יְהִי כְבוֹד ה׳ לְעוֹלָם יִשְׂמַח ה׳ בְּמַעֲשָׂיו״, פָּסוּק זֶה שַׂר הָעוֹלָם אֲמָרוֹ, בְּשָׁעָה שֶׁאָמַר הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא ״לְמִינֵהוּ״ בָּאִילָנוֹת, נָשְׂאוּ דְּשָׁאִים קַל וָחוֹמֶר בְּעַצְמָן:

§ Rabbi Ḥanina bar Pappa taught: “May the glory of the Lord endure forever; let the Lord rejoice in His works” (Psalms 104:31). This verse was stated by the minister of the world, i.e., the angel charged with overseeing the world. When the Holy One, Blessed be He, said: “Let the earth put forth grass, herb yielding seed, and fruit tree bearing fruit after its kind” (Genesis 1:11), the grasses drew an a fortiori inference with regard to themselves.

אִם רְצוֹנוֹ שֶׁל הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא בְּעִרְבּוּבְיָא, לָמָּה אָמַר ״לְמִינֵהוּ״ בָּאִילָנוֹת? וְעוֹד קַל וָחוֹמֶר: וּמָה אִילָנוֹת שֶׁאֵין דַּרְכָּן לָצֵאת בְּעִרְבּוּבְיָא, אָמַר הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא ״לְמִינֵהוּ״ – אָנוּ עַל אַחַת כַּמָּה וְכַמָּה!

They reasoned: If the Holy One, Blessed be He, wishes the mixing of species, why did he say: After its kind, with regard to the trees? And furthermore, let us draw an a fortiori inference: If with regard to trees, which do not naturally grow mixed, as they are large and distinct from one another, the Holy One, Blessed be He, said: “After its kind,” all the more so with regard to us, since grass naturally grows mixed.

מִיָּד כׇּל אֶחָד וְאֶחָד יָצָא לְמִינוֹ, פָּתַח שַׂר הָעוֹלָם וְאָמַר: ״יְהִי כְבוֹד ה׳ לְעוֹלָם יִשְׂמַח ה׳ בְּמַעֲשָׂיו״.

Immediately, every kind of grass emerged after its kind, as it is stated: “And the earth brought forth grass, herb yielding seed after its kind” (Genesis 1:12). The minister of the world began to speak and said: “May the glory of the Lord endure forever; let the Lord rejoice in His works,” who do His will even when not explicitly instructed.

בָּעֵי רָבִינָא: הִרְכִּיב שְׁנֵי דְּשָׁאִים זֶה עַל גַּב זֶה

With regard to the above description, Ravina raises a dilemma: If one grafted two species of grass onto one another, as is done with trees,

לְרַבִּי חֲנִינָא בַּר פָּפָּא מַהוּ? כֵּיוָן דְּלָא כְּתַב בְּהוּ ״לְמִינֵהוּ״ לָא מִיחַיַּיב, אוֹ דִילְמָא כֵּיוָן דְּהִסְכִּים אַיְּדַיְהוּ – כְּמַאן דִּכְתִיב בְּהוּ ״לְמִינֵהוּ״ דָּמְיָא? תֵּיקוּ.

what is the halakha according to Rabbi Ḥanina bar Pappa? Shall one say that since the phrase “after its kind” is not written as a mitzva with regard to them, one is not liable for transgressing the prohibition against mixing diverse kinds? Or perhaps, since God agreed with them after the fact, as the verse states: “Let the Lord rejoice in His works,” it is as if the mitzva “after its kind” is written with regard to them. The Gemara responds: The dilemma shall stand unresolved.

רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן בֶּן פַּזִּי רָמֵי: כְּתִיב ״וַיַּעַשׂ אֱלֹהִים אֶת שְׁנֵי הַמְּאֹרֹת הַגְּדֹלִים״, וּכְתִיב ״אֶת הַמָּאוֹר הַגָּדוֹל וְאֶת הַמָּאוֹר הַקָּטֹן״. אָמְרָה יָרֵחַ לִפְנֵי הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא: רִבּוֹנוֹ שֶׁל עוֹלָם, אֶפְשָׁר לִשְׁנֵי מְלָכִים שֶׁיִּשְׁתַּמְּשׁוּ בְּכֶתֶר אֶחָד? אָמַר לָהּ: לְכִי וּמַעֲטִי אֶת עַצְמֵךְ.

§ Rabbi Shimon ben Pazi raises a contradiction between two verses. It is written: “And God made the two great lights” (Genesis 1:16), and it is also written in the same verse: “The greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night,” indicating that only one was great. Rabbi Shimon ben Pazi explains: When God first created the sun and the moon, they were equally bright. Then, the moon said before the Holy One, Blessed be He: Master of the Universe, is it possible for two kings to serve with one crown? One of us must be subservient to the other. God therefore said to her, i.e., the moon: If so, go and diminish yourself.

אָמְרָה לְפָנָיו: רִבּוֹנוֹ שֶׁל עוֹלָם, הוֹאִיל וְאָמַרְתִּי לְפָנֶיךָ דָּבָר הָגוּן, אַמְעִיט אֶת עַצְמִי?! אָמַר לָהּ: לְכִי וּמְשׁוֹל בַּיּוֹם וּבַלַּיְלָה. אֲמַרָה לֵיהּ: מַאי רְבוּתֵיהּ? דִּשְׁרָגָא בְּטִיהֲרָא מַאי אַהֲנִי? אֲמַר לַהּ: זִיל לִימְנוֹ בָּךְ יִשְׂרָאֵל יָמִים וְשָׁנִים. אָמְרָה לֵיהּ: יוֹמָא נָמֵי אִי אֶפְשָׁר דְּלָא מָנוּ בֵּיהּ תְּקוּפָתָא, דִּכְתִיב ״וְהָיוּ לְאֹתֹת וּלְמוֹעֲדִים וּלְיָמִים וְשָׁנִים״. זִיל לִיקְרוֹ צַדִּיקֵי בִּשְׁמִיךְ: ״יַעֲקֹב הַקָּטָן״, ״שְׁמוּאֵל הַקָּטָן״, ״דָּוִד הַקָּטָן״.

She said before Him: Master of the Universe, since I said a correct observation before You, must I diminish myself? God said to her: As compensation, go and rule both during the day along with the sun and during the night. She said to Him: What is the greatness of shining alongside the sun? What use is a candle in the middle of the day? God said to her: Go; let the Jewish people count the days and years with you, and this will be your greatness. She said to Him: But the Jewish people will count with the sun as well, as it is impossible that they will not count seasons with it, as it is written: “And let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days and years” (Genesis 1:14). God said to her: Go; let righteous men be named after you. Just as you are called the lesser [hakatan] light, there will be Ya’akov HaKatan, i.e., Jacob our forefather (see Amos 7:2), Shmuel HaKatan the tanna, and David HaKatan, i.e., King David (see I Samuel 17:14).

חַזְיַיהּ דְּלָא קָא מִיַּתְּבָא דַּעְתַּהּ, אָמַר הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא: הָבִיאוּ כַּפָּרָה עָלַי שֶׁמִּיעַטְתִּי אֶת הַיָּרֵחַ! וְהַיְינוּ דְּאָמַר רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן בֶּן לָקִישׁ: מָה נִשְׁתַּנָּה שָׂעִיר שֶׁל רֹאשׁ חֹדֶשׁ שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר בּוֹ ״לַה׳״? אָמַר הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא: שָׂעִיר זֶה יְהֵא כַּפָּרָה עַל שֶׁמִּיעַטְתִּי אֶת הַיָּרֵחַ.

God saw that the moon was not comforted. The Holy One, Blessed be He, said: Bring atonement for me, since I diminished the moon. The Gemara notes: And this is what Rabbi Shimon ben Lakish says: What is different about the goat offering of the New Moon, that it is stated with regard to it: “For the Lord” (Numbers 28:15)? The Holy One, Blessed be He, said: This goat shall be an atonement for Me for having diminished the size of the moon.

רַב אַסִּי רָמֵי, כְּתִיב: ״וַתּוֹצֵא הָאָרֶץ דֶּשֶׁא״ (בתלת) [בִּתְלָתָא] בְּשַׁבָּא, וּכְתִיב: ״וְכׇל שִׂיחַ הַשָּׂדֶה טֶרֶם יִהְיֶה בָאָרֶץ״ בְּמַעֲלֵי שַׁבְּתָא, מְלַמֵּד שֶׁיָּצְאוּ דְּשָׁאִים וְעָמְדוּ עַל פֶּתַח קַרְקַע, עַד שֶׁבָּא אָדָם הָרִאשׁוֹן וּבִקֵּשׁ עֲלֵיהֶם רַחֲמִים, וְיָרְדוּ גְּשָׁמִים וְצָמְחוּ, לְלַמֶּדְךָ שֶׁהַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא מִתְאַוֶּה לִתְפִלָּתָן שֶׁל צַדִּיקִים.

§ Rav Asi raises a contradiction between two verses. It is written: “And the earth brought forth grass” (Genesis 1:12), on the third day of the week of Creation. And it is also written: “No shrub of the field was yet in the earth” (Genesis 2:5), on Shabbat eve, the sixth day of Creation, immediately before Adam was created. Rav Asi explains: This teaches that the grasses emerged on the third day and stood at the opening of the ground, but they did not grow until Adam, the first man, came and prayed for mercy upon them, and rain came, and they sprouted. And this is meant to teach you that the Holy One, Blessed be He, desires the prayers of the righteous.

רַב נַחְמָן בַּר פָּפָּא הַוְיָא לֵיהּ הָהִיא גִּינְּתָא, שְׁדִי בַּיהּ בִּיזְרָנֵי וְלָא צְמַח. בְּעָא רַחֲמֵי, אֲתָא מִיטְרָא וּצְמַח. אֲמַר: הַיְינוּ דְּרַב אַסִּי.

The Gemara recounts: Rav Naḥman bar Pappa had a certain garden. He planted seeds but they did not sprout. He prayed for mercy, and rain came, and they sprouted. He said: This is what is meant by the statement of Rav Asi, that the Holy One, Blessed be He, desires the prayers of the righteous.

אָמַר רַב חָנָן בַּר רָבָא: ״הַשְּׁסוּעָה״ בְּרִיָּה בִּפְנֵי עַצְמָהּ הִיא, שֶׁיֵּשׁ לָהּ שְׁנֵי גַּבִּין וּשְׁנֵי שִׁדְרָאוֹת. וְכִי מֹשֶׁה רַבֵּינוּ קְנִיגִי הָיָה אוֹ בַּלִּיסְטָרִי הָיָה? מִכָּאן תְּשׁוּבָה לָאוֹמֵר אֵין תּוֹרָה מִן הַשָּׁמַיִם.

§ In one of the passages discussing kosher and non-kosher animals, the Torah states: “Nevertheless, these you shall not eat of them that only chew the cud, or of them that have split hooves that are cloven [hashesua]: The camel, and the hare, and the hyrax” (Deuteronomy 14:7). Rav Ḥanan bar Rava said: “Hashesua” is not a redundant description of the split hooves but a distinct creature, which has two backs and two spines and therefore looks like an entirely cloven animal. One might ask: But was Moses our teacher a hunter, or was he an archer, who was familiar with the most exotic animals? Rather, from here there is a refutation to those who say that the Torah is not from Heaven, since Moses could not have known of the existence of such an animal save by divine revelation.

אֲמַר לֵיהּ רַב חִסְדָּא לְרַב תַּחְלִיפָא בַּר אֲבִינָא: זִיל כְּתוֹב ״קְנִיגִי וּבַלִּיסְטָרִי״ בְּאַגַּדְתָּיךְ, וּפָרְשַׁהּ.

Rav Ḥisda said to Rav Taḥlifa bar Avina: Go write this statement about the hunter [kinnigi] and the archer [ballisteri] in your book of aggada, and explain those two words, since some are unfamiliar with them.

״וְאֶת חֲמֵשֶׁת סַרְנֵי פְלִשְׁתִּים הָעַזָּתִי וְהָאַשְׁדּוֹדִי הָאֶשְׁקְלוֹנִי הַגִּתִּי וְהָעֶקְרוֹנִי וְהָעַוִּים״, אָמַר חַמְשָׁה וְחָשֵׁיב שִׁיתָּא! אָמַר רַבִּי יוֹנָתָן: אֲרוּנְקֵי שֶׁלָּהֶן חֲמִשָּׁה. אֲמַר לֵיהּ רַב חִסְדָּא לְרַב תַּחְלִיפָא בַּר אֲבִינָא: כְּתוֹב ״אֲרוּנְקֵי״ בְּאַגַּדְתָּיךְ וּפָרְשַׁהּ. וּפְלִיגָא דְּרַב, דְּאָמַר רַב: עַוִּים מִתֵּימָן בָּאוּ.

The Gemara relates another statement. The verse states: “The five lords of the Philistines: The Gazite, and the Ashdodite, the Ashkelonite, the Gittite, and the Ekronite; also the Avvim” (Joshua 13:3). The verse is difficult, since it first said there are five lords of the Philistines, but it then lists six. Rabbi Yonatan said: There were in fact six lords, but the greatest of them were only five. Rav Ḥisda said to Rav Taḥlifa bar Avina: Write this statement about the greatest [arunekei] in your book of aggada, and explain that word. The Gemara notes: And this statement disagrees with the opinion of Rav, as Rav says: The Avvim were not Philistines; rather, they came from Teiman.

תַּנְיָא נָמֵי הָכִי: עַוִּים מִתֵּימָן בָּאוּ, וְלָמָּה נִקְרָא שְׁמָן עַוִּים? שֶׁעִיוְּתוּ אֶת מְקוֹמָן. דָּבָר אַחֵר: עַוִּים, שֶׁאִיוּוּ לֶאֱלֹהוֹת הַרְבֵּה. דָּבָר אַחֵר: עַוִּים, שֶׁכׇּל הָרוֹאֶה אוֹתָם אוֹחַזְתּוֹ עֲוִית. אָמַר רַב יוֹסֵף: וְאִית לְהוּ שִׁיתַּסְרֵי דָּרֵי שִׁינֵּי לְכׇל חַד וְחַד.

This is also taught in a baraita: The Avvim came from Teiman. And why were they called Avvim and not Teimanim? Because they corrupted [ivvetu] and destroyed their place of origin when they left. Alternatively, they were called Avvim since they desired [ivvu] many deities. Alternatively, they were called Avvim since they were so fearsome that all who saw them were seized by convulsions [avit]. Rav Yosef said: And each one of them has sixteen rows of teeth.

אָמַר רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן בֶּן לָקִישׁ: הַרְבֵּה מִקְרָאוֹת שֶׁרְאוּיִין לִשְׂרוֹף כְּסִפְרֵי מִינִין, וְהֵן הֵן גּוּפֵי תוֹרָה. ״וְהָעַוִּים הַיֹּשְׁבִים בַּחֲצֵרִים עַד עַזָּה״ – מַאי נָפְקָא לַן מִינַּהּ?

The Gemara cites another statement related to the Avvim: Rabbi Shimon ben Lakish says: There are many verses that are seemingly fit to be burned as books of the heretics, since they appear redundant or frivolous, and yet they are themselves the essence of Torah. For example, the verse states: “And the Avvim, that dwelt in villages as far as Gaza, the Caphtorim, that came forth out of Caphtor, destroyed them, and dwelt in their stead” (Deuteronomy 2:23). What practical difference does this make for us?

מִדְּאַשְׁבְּעֵיהּ אֲבִימֶלֶךְ לְאַבְרָהָם ״אִם תִּשְׁקֹר לִי וּלְנִינִי וּלְנֶכְדִּי״, אָמַר הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא: לֵיתוֹ כַּפְתּוֹרִים לִיפְּקוּ מֵעַוִּים, דְּהַיְינוּ פְּלִשְׁתִּים, וְלֵיתוֹ יִשְׂרָאֵל לִיפְּקוּ מִכַּפְתּוֹרִים.

The verse teaches the following: Since Abimelech, king of the Philistines, administered an oath to Abraham: “That you will not deal falsely with me, nor with my son, nor with my grandson” (Genesis 21:23), the Jewish people were prohibited from conquering the land of the Philistines until four generations had passed. Therefore, the Holy One, Blessed be He, said: Let the Caphtorim come and remove the land from the Avvim, who are the same as the Philistines, and let Israel come and remove it from the Caphtorim, circumventing the prohibition.

כְּיוֹצֵא בַּדָּבָר אַתָּה אוֹמֵר: ״כִּי חֶשְׁבּוֹן עִיר סִיחֹן מֶלֶךְ הָאֱמֹרִי הִוא וְהוּא נִלְחַם בְּמֶלֶךְ מוֹאָב וְגוֹ׳״. מַאי נָפְקָא מִינַּהּ? דַּאֲמַר לְהוּ הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא לְיִשְׂרָאֵל: ״אַל תָּצַר אֶת מוֹאָב״. אָמַר הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא: לֵיתֵי סִיחוֹן לִיפּוֹק מִמּוֹאָב, וְלֵיתוֹ יִשְׂרָאֵל וְלִיפְּקוּ מִסִּיחוֹן. וְהַיְינוּ דְּאָמַר רַב פָּפָּא: עַמּוֹן וּמוֹאָב טִיהֲרוּ בְּסִיחוֹן.

Similarly, you say with regard to another apparently unnecessary verse, describing a city that the Israelites conquered: “For Heshbon was the city of Sihon, the king of the Amorites, who had fought against the former king of Moab, and taken all his land out of his hand” (Numbers 21:26). What is the practical difference in knowing this information? It teaches that since the Holy One, Blessed be He, said to Israel: “Be not at enmity with Moab” (Deuteronomy 2:9), the Jewish people were prohibited from conquering the land of Moab. Therefore, the Holy One, Blessed be He, said: Let Sihon come and remove the land from Moab, and let Israel come and remove it from Sihon. The Gemara notes: And this is what Rav Pappa says: The lands of Ammon and Moab were purified by Sihon, i.e., rendered permitted for conquest.

״צִידֹנִים יִקְרְאוּ לְחֶרְמוֹן שִׂרְיֹן״, תָּנָא: שְׂנִיר וְשִׂרְיוֹן מֵהָרֵי אֶרֶץ יִשְׂרָאֵל, מְלַמֵּד שֶׁכׇּל אֶחָד וְאֶחָד מֵאוּמוֹת הָעוֹלָם הָלַךְ וּבָנָה לוֹ כְּרַךְ גָּדוֹל לְעַצְמוֹ, וְהֶעֱלָה לוֹ עַל שֵׁם הָרֵי אֶרֶץ יִשְׂרָאֵל, לְלַמֶּדְךָ שֶׁאֲפִילּוּ הָרֵי אֶרֶץ יִשְׂרָאֵל חֲבִיבִין עַל אוּמוֹת הָעוֹלָם.

The Gemara cites another seemingly superfluous verse, describing Mount Hermon: “Which Hermon the Sidonians call Sirion, and the Amorites call it Senir” (Deuteronomy 3:9). A Sage taught: Senir and Sirion are mountains of Eretz Yisrael. The verse teaches that every one of the nations of the world went and built itself a great city on Mount Hermon, and named it after one of the mountains of Eretz Yisrael, teaching you that even the mountains of Eretz Yisrael are beloved by the nations of the world.

כַּיּוֹצֵא בּוֹ: ״וְאֶת הָעָם הֶעֱבִיר אֹתוֹ לֶעָרִים״, מַאי נָפְקָא מִינַּהּ? דְּלָא לִיקְרוֹ לְאֶחָיו גָּלְוָותָא.

Similarly, a difficult verse describes Joseph’s treatment of the Egyptians: “And as for the people, he removed them city by city” (Genesis 47:21). What is the practical difference of this information? It teaches Joseph’s love for his brothers, as he transferred the entire Egyptian population so that they would not call his brothers exiles.

סִימָנֵי הָעוֹף לֹא נֶאֶמְרוּ, וְלָא? וְהָתַנְיָא: ״נֶשֶׁר״,

§ The mishna states: The signs of the kosher bird were not explicitly stated in the Torah. The Gemara asks: And is it true that they were not stated in the Torah? But isn’t it taught in a baraita: “The nesher” (Leviticus 11:13) is a non-kosher bird.