Tuesday, July 15, 2014

Taanis Daf 9-12

9a
  1. Shaani Moshe delerabim.  Pshat is he was acting on behalf of klal yisrael, so they'd have water.  Deeper pshat is that Moshe was in place of 71 - the Sanhedrin.  And Rav Yoshe Ber Soloveitchik explained that Sanhedrin Hagadol asts in two capacities - as judicial arbiter, and as proxy of the entire Jewish people. So when Moshe requested something, it wasn't as an individual, or even as an individual sincerely acting on behalf of the entire nation.  He was the proxy of the entire nation and was acting in that capacity.
  2. 9b - Ula ikla - first he thought having dates was a delicacy, should make it easier to learn.  Then after eating too many he saw it's not such a great thing to have such dates.  It shows the importance of perspective.  Form the outside he thought it was a great environment, the plenty of dates should lead to more Torah study.  AFter being there he saw having those dates led to other issues that would take away from learning. 
         Parenthetically, Eretz Yisrael is "zeis shemen udevash" devash meaning dates.  This Gemara shows at that time Bavel had much more dates.  Is this somehow symbolic of the fact that the Center of Torah shifted from E"Y to Bavel?
  3. 10a Tosfos sv Hilchesa - vechein ama davar - see Brachos end of 7th perek.
  4. Rabban Gamliel - wai ttil 15 days after Shmini Atzeres so the pilgrims (olei l'regel) can return home.  See Bava Metzia second perek (__) whether it took 15 days in Bayis Rishon, because of so many people traveling, or in Bayis Sheni, where it was less safe and took longer to travel.  We have to keep in mind Rabban Gamliel was not before very late in the second Beis Hamikdash period, so was 15 days in his time, or he used 15 days since that's what was needed in 1st bayis.
  5. ROSH SIMAN 4.  R' Hershel Schachter mentions how the Rav said vesein tal in SHma koleinu in the summertime because in the US we need rain in summer for crops to grow, and his source was the Rosh, I believe this Rosh.  I'm not so sure we can use this Rosh as a proof, because the Rosh only applies it to sayin VeSein Tal in Cheshvan, when the Halacha for Bnei E"Y is to say it.  I don't know that he would extend that to times when the Halacha never says to say VeSein Tal, like the summmertime.  It's important to keep in mind he brought prove from Provence, which was in Western Europe, and I don't know if they grew grain in the winter or summer.
  6. 11a  Tzadik has to be b'tzaar with the tzibbur.  And mesoras Hashas says "tzadik gamur."  Why shouldn't a tzadik be b'tzaar?  I think because: why was Moshe punished at Mei Meriva that he wouldn't enter E"Y - the entire generation was punished except for Kalev and Yehoshua (even though Moshe certainly believed Kalev and Yehoshua, he was never excluded from the rest of the community)?  The answer is a tzadik or leader is not included with the tzibbur - possibly not to be punished with them, and possible not to be rewarded with them either.  This is one explanation in Pirkei Avos (__) "Sna es harabbanus."  So Moshe wasn't excluded from the punishment for dor hamidbar but as leader he wasn't included in it either, so he was not destined or sentenced to die in the midbar until Mei Meriva.
  7. Kol hametza'eir im hatzibur.  The exact language is used for "kol hamisabel al yerushalayim zoche v'roes b'nechemasa."  Is it the same principle - same exact wording, or a different principle - it changes "hametza'er" - general suffering - for specific suffereing of aveilus for the Mikdash.
  8. V'omrim lo chasom.  This is reminiscent of Unesane Tokef, though there are obviously differences - the latter is on Yom Hadin whereas our Gemara seems to be after death.
  9. 11b.  Bame shimesh Moshe.
    1. see my post http://shasdaf.blogspot.com/2009/03/parshas-ki-sisa-kiyor.html
    2. Mesoras Hashas refers us to some Tosfos asking what is the nafka mina how Moshe dressed.  (I don't want to suggest it has nafka mina if somone makes a neder...)  See post one and two by RYGB.  I am not endorsing them, just bring them as a source.  Because a Gemara like this is a slightly different matter - psak where there is no nafka mina to us. 
           Perhaps we can answer  -I think Sefer Chassidim discusses importance of History, but at times ins critical of studying history.  My Rebbi Rav Ahron Soloveichik explained that the mundane aspects of history like what clothes did a particular king wear is the type of history study that is criticized.  Perhaps - since everything Moshe did was Torah, this is not irrelevent.  In fact, we do learn - in my link from Ki Sisa - the clothes Moshe wore are important in us knowing whether the Mishkan had a din Mishkan during the Miluim or not.
    3. Rashi says cloak that had no seams, so he couldn't put any money in it.  This is very strange because there was no money around during the Avodah.  Had this been during the collection of the materials for the mishkan, or when he was collecting the Shekels (See Shkalim ___) we'd understand someone might try to slip a little into his own pocket, but that was no chashash here?
  10. 12a kol taanis shelo shaka alav chama.  Ri (Mordechai Eruvin 496,m from Gemara Eruvin 41) would break his fast before going to Shul on Friday afternoon to not enter Shabbos in an afflicted state.  Presumably he still had a kiyum of taanis.  Look into this.  (This Mordechai is also mentione dby Beis Yosef to OC 249).