1)EXPOUNDING THE PESUKIM IN PARASHAS KI SAVO
א״ל רב יהודה לרבין בר ר״נ רבין אחי לא תזבין ארעא דסמיכא למתא דא״ר אבהו אמר רב הונא אמר רב אסור לו לאדם שיעמוד על שדה חבירו בשעה שעומדת בקמותיה איני והא אשכחינהו רבי אבא לתלמידיה דרב אמר להו מאי אמר רב בהני קראי ברוך אתה בעיר וברוך אתה בשדה ברוך אתה בבואך וברוך אתה בצאתך ואמרו ליה הכי אמר רב ברוך אתה בעיר שיהא ביתך סמוך לבהכ"נ ברוך אתה בשדה שיהו נכסיך קרובים לעיר ברוך אתה בבואך שלא תמצא אשתך ספק נדה בשעת ביאתך מן הדרך ברוך אתה בצאתך שיהו צאצאי מעיך כמותך ואמר להו ר' יוחנן לא אמר הכי אלא ברוך אתה בעיר שיהא בית הכסא סמוך לשולחנך אבל בהכ"נ לא ורבי יוחנן לטעמיה דאמר שכר פסיעות יש ברוך אתה בשדה שיהו נכסיך משולשין שליש בתבואה שליש בזיתים ושליש בגפנים ברוך אתה בבואך וברוך אתה בצאתך שתהא יציאתך מן העולם כביאתך לעולם מה ביאתך לעולם בלא חטא אף יציאתך מן העולם בלא חטא
Translation: Rav Yehuda said to Ravin son of Rav Nachman: My brother Ravin, do not buy a field that is near a town, because R. Abahu said that Rav Huna said that Rav said: It is forbidden for a person to stand on another's field when it is with its standing crop. [Because he may cast an evil eye upon it and cause it damage.] Is this really so? But R. Abba once met the students of Rav, and he said to them, What did Rav say about these Pesukim: 'You will be blessed in the city, you will be blessed in the field, you will be blessed when you come in, you will be blessed when you go out?' (Devarim 28:6) And they said to him, This is what Rav said: 'You will be blessed in the city' means that your house will be close to a Beis haKnesses, 'You will be blessed in the field' means that your property will be close to a city, 'You will be blessed when you come in' means that you will not find your wife in doubt whether she is a Niddah when you come in from traveling on the road, and 'You will be blessed when you go out' means that what comes out from you [your children] should be like you. And he said to them, R. Yochanan did not say like this, rather, 'You will be blessed in the city' means that a bathroom should be close to your table, but not a Beis haKnesses. R. Yochanan follows his reasoning, as he said, There is reward for the steps one takes to walk to the Beis haKnesses. 'You will be blessed in the field' means that your property will be divided into thirds, one third in grain, one third in olives and one third in vines. 'You will be blessed when you come in, you will be blessed when you go out' means that your going out from the world should be like your coming into the world: just as your coming into the world was without sin, so too your going out from the world will be without sin'...?
(a)The Gemara's phrase 'coming into the world was without sin' seems to contradict the concept of reincarnation, as the main reason for reincarnation is to fix up old sins? (Rashash)
1.Birchos Shamayim Bava Metzia 3 (p. 250): The Neshama does not come to this world with its earlier sins. It comes clean of sin, but there are blemishes that were made that need to be fixed.
(b)The Drasha (of Tzeisecha - coming to the world etc) seems to be far from the simple understanding of the Pasuk. Why did Chazal expound the Pasuk this way? (Peirush HaRif)
1.Mizrachi (Devarim 28:6): The Pasuk is written in an unusual way, as one would have expected it to first bless one's leaving before one's returning.
(c)'You will be blessed when you go out' means that what comes out from you [your children] should be like you. Why not just say that they should be come Tzadikim? What if the person himself is not so righteous? Why would a person not wish to have his child exceed him?
1.Vayita Eshel (Pesicha - p.6): The simple meaning of the Drasha is that the blessing mentioned earlier in the Pasuk will also apply to one's offspring.
2.Pisgamei Oraisa (p. 634): The Pasuk is in fact referring to those Tzadikim who fulfill all of the Mitzvos of Hash-m, as it stated earlier (Devarim 28:1), "And it will be, if you obey Hash-m, your G-d, to observe to fulfill all His commandments which I command you this day..."
3.Maris ha'Ayin (Bava Metzia 107): The Gemara is referring to the following principle. Rav Yechezkel Landau explained that when a person leaves a son who it like him, it is not considered that he has died. A living person is called a Holech - one who is walking/going. A dead person is called an Omed - one who is standing. He can no longer perform his own Mitzvos and increase his merits. But if he worked to bring up a son to keep Mitzvos and learn Torah, his son will continue to give him merits of Torah and Mitzvos and he his still called a Holech.
107b----------------------------------------107b
2)DIFFERENT UNDERSTANDINGS OF THE PHRASE 'ALL ILLNESS'
לא קשיא הא דמהדר ליה שורא ורתקא הא דלא מהדר ליה שורא ורתקא והסיר ה׳ ממך כל חולי אמר רב זו עין רב לטעמיה דרב סליק לבי קברי עבד מאי דעבד אמר תשעין ותשעה בעין רעה ואחד בדרך ארץ ושמואל אמר זה הרוח שמואל לטעמיה דאמר שמואל הכל ברוח ולשמואל הא איכא הרוגי מלכות הנך נמי אי לאו זיקא עבדי להו סמא וחיי ר׳ חנינא אמר זו צינה דא״ר חנינא הכל בידי שמים חוץ מצנים פחים שנאמר צנים פחים בדרך עקש שומר נפשו ירחק מהם ר׳ יוסי בר חנינא אמר זו צואה דאמר מר צואת החוטם וצואת האוזן רובן קשה ומיעוטן יפה ר׳ אלעזר אמר זו מרה תניא נמי הכי מחלה זו מרה ולמה נקרא שמה מחלה שהיא מחלה כל גופו של אדם דבר אחר מחלה ששמונים ושלשה חלאים תלוין במרה וכולן פת שחרית במלח וקיתון של מים מבטלתן
Translation: It is not difficult. This case is when the owner surrounds the field with a wall and a hedge, [Which keeps it outside, in which case it is good to be near the town due to the convenience. On the other hand, when surrounded by a fence it is not susceptible to the evil eye.] and this other case is where he does not surround it with a wall and a hedge. 'Hashem will remove all illness from you.' (Devarim 7:15) Rav said: This is the evil eye. (Rav explains that removing all sickness means removing the cause of all sickness which is the evil eye.) Rav is consistent with his general reasoning, as Rav went up to a cemetery and did what he did. (He whispered certain words over the graves and was able to learn the cause of death for each person buried there. -Rashi) He then said, Ninety-nine have died through an evil eye, and one through natural causes. Shmuel said: This Pasuk refers to the wind. Shmuel is consistent with his general reasoning, as Shmuel said: All illness is caused by the wind. And according to Shmuel, are there not those executed by the Government? (They did not die from the wind.) Also them, if it had not been for the wind that enters and blows on the wound, they could put an ointment on it (which would cause the severed parts to grow together) and they would live. R. Chanina said: This Pasuk refers to the cold, as R. Chanina said: Everything is in the hands of Heaven except for cold drafts, as it is said: 'Cold drafts are in the path of a crooked person; he who guards his soul will move far from them.' (Mishlei 22:5. Sicknesses that come because of exposure to cold drafts are avoidable, while those caused by other things are not avoidable.) R. Yosi bar Chanina said: This refers to excretions, as a Master said: Regarding excretions of the nose and excretions of the ear, large quantities are difficult, and small quantities are beneficial. R. Elazar said: This refers to diseases of the gallbladder. It has also been taught in a Baraisa: 'Sickness', (Shemos 23:25.) this refers to diseases of the gallbladder. And why is it called 'sickness'? Because it makes a person's entire body sick. Another reason why it is called 'sickness' ['Machalah' in Hebrew, which has the gematria (numerical value) of 83.] is because 83 illnesses are dependent on the gallbladder, and for all of them, eating bread in the morning with salt and drinking a pitcher of water negate them.
(a)The Gemara in Berachos 20a teaches that the evil eye does not affect the descendants of Yosef. Why do we not therefore find that they live longer than members of the other tribes? (Tosfos)
1.Tosfos: When Hash-m wants them to die, he sends them other illnesses (even more than other tribes). The Maharsha asks why then did Rav find in Bavel, that 99% died of the evil eye? Were descendants of Yosef not buried there? He answers that the descendants of Yosef were not exiled to Bavel, as they were of the ten tribes who were exiled to Lachlach and Chavor (Divrei haYamim I 5:26). The Mizpeh Eisan adds that the Midrash teaches (Vayikra Rabah 16) that Rav left Bavel and moved to Eretz Yisrael as he was afraid of the Ein haRah - the evil eye, that was common in Bavel.
(b)How could 'all sickness' refer to Ayin haRa?
1.Ohel Ramach (p. 238 citing the Chasam Sofer): When illness is common and spreading, a healthy person pretends to be sick, in order not to be affected by Ayin haRa. But since Hash-m blessed Yisrael that Ayin haRav will not affect them, all of the illnesses of Mitzrayim will not come to you and you will not even need to pretend to be sick.
(c)How does Ayin haRa ('the Evil eye' or more accurately, 'the evil focus/view') actually work?
1.Sifsei Chaim (Emunah 1 p. 393 - citing Rav EE Dessler): There are two ways that one's will can do damage to someone. A person wishes to inflict damage on someone, but that person has merits and also a will not to be damaged. It will be judged in Heaven as to whether or not he will be able to damage him. The second way is when a person's success is publicized and it causes others to be jealous and want to damage him. Since he has caused Ein haRa on himself, or since he has caused another person spiritual damage as that person is sinning by being jealous; he is deserved of punishment - that another person's will against him will be successful.
3)THIRTEEN BENEFITS OF EATING BREAD IN THE MORNING
ת״ר י״ג דברים נאמרו בפת שחרית מצלת מן החמה ומן הצנה ומן הזיקין ומן המזיקין ומחכימת פתי וזוכה בדין ללמוד תורה וללמד ודבריו נשמעין ותלמודו מתקיים בידו ואין בשרו מעלה הבל ונזקק לאשתו ואינו מתאוה לאשה אחרת והורגת כינה שבבני מעים וי״א אף מוציא את הקנאה ומכניס את האהבה א״ל רבה לרבא בר מרי מנא הא מילתא דאמרי אינשי שיתין רהיטי רהוט ולא מטו לגברא דמצפרא כרך ואמרו רבנן השכם ואכול בקיץ מפני החמה ובחורף מפני הצינה א״ל דכתיב לא ירעבו ולא יצמאו ולא יכם שרב ושמש לא יכם שרב ושמש כיון דלא ירעבו ולא יצמאו א״ל את אמרת לי מהתם ואנא אמינא] לך מהכא ועבדתם את ה׳ אלהיכם וברך את לחמך ואת מימיך ועבדתם את ה׳ אלהיכם זו קריאת שמע ותפלה וברך את לחמך ואת מימיך זו פת במלח וקיתון של מים מכאן ואילך והסירותי מחלה מקרבך
Translation: Our Rabbis taught in a Baraisa: Thirteen things were said about eating bread in the morning: It saves a person from the heat and from the cold, and from the winds, and from demons, and it gives wisdom to the simple people, and a person will succeed in a judgment, (Referring to a lawsuit. The fact that the person has a settled mind from having eaten it, he is able to present his arguments in the best possible way.) and he will be able to learn Torah and teach it, and his words are heard, and his learning endures within him, and his flesh does not bring up sweat, and he is attached to his wife and does not lust after another woman, and it kills the worms that are in the intestines. Some say, it also gets rid of jealousy and brings in love. (When a person's mind is confused, he is easily angered. -Rashi) Rabbah said to Rava bar Mari: What is the source of what people say, Sixty runners ran but did not reach the person who broke bread in the morning, and what the Rabbis said, Arise early and eat, in the summer because of the heat, in the winter because of the cold? He said to Rabbah: Because it is written: 'They will not hunger or thirst, and the heat and the sun will not strike them.' (Yeshayahu 49:10.) The heat and the sun will not strike them, because they will not hunger nor thirst. He said to Rava bar Mari: You have told me that it is from there, and I will tell you that it is from here: 'And you will serve Hash-m your God and He will bless your bread and your water.' (Shemos 23:25) 'And you will serve Hash-m your God' - this refers to saying the Shema and to prayer. 'And He will bless your bread and your water' - this refers to bread with salt and a pitcher of water. From here and on, the Pasuk finishes with, 'And I will remove illness from your midst.'
(a)Is there any significance to the number sixty (of runners) that is used here?
1.Tosfos: The Gemara often uses the number sixty merely to mean a large number.
2.Tosfos citing R' Meshulam: The Gemara earlier (106b) teaches that there are six seasons in the year, each being two months (sixty days). Thus, sixty here means that eating bread early in the morning will protect a person throughout any season of the year.
3.Iyun Yaakov: The Gemara in Berachos (57b) teaches that sleep is one sixtieth of death. When a person rises in the morning, that 'one sixtieth' chases after him. Eating bread with salt and drinking water in the morning cancels its ability. This is on condition that the person recites Krias Shema and prays with Kavana.
4.Toras Chaim: Items usually become negated in sixty (Bitul B'Shishim). Bread in the morning is so significant that the person who eats it is not 'negated' even in 60 people, as they cannot reach him.
(b)Rabbah's Pasuk (Shemos 23:25) seems to be written out of order, as surely a person must have his illness removed before he can enjoy blessing in his bread?
1.Toras Chaim: The fact that it was written in this order indicates that it is not referring to full illnesses, but rather, those illnesses that bread in the morning can negate.
