1)KOHANIM, SHEMITA AND THE COMPANY OF EVILDOERS
ר' חייא בר זרנוקי ור"ש בן יהוצדק הוו קאזלי לעבר שנה בעסיא פגע בהו ריש לקיש איטפיל בהדייהו אמר איזיל איחזי היכי עבדי עובדא חזייה לההוא גברא דקא כריב אמר להן כהן וחורש אמרו לו יכול לומר אגיסטון אני בתוכו תו חזייה לההוא גברא דהוה כסח בכרמי אמר להן כהן וזמר א"ל יכול לומר לעקל בית הבד אני צריך אמר להם הלב יודע אם לעקל אם לעקלקלות הי אמר להו ברישא אילימא הא קמייתא אמר להו ברישא הא נמי לימרו אגיסטון אני בתוכו אלא הא אמר ליה ברישא והדר אמר להו הך מאי שנא כהן משום דחשידי אשביעית <דתנן> [דתניא] סאה תרומה שנפלה למאה סאין של שביעית תעלה פחות מיכן ירקבו והוינן בה אמאי ירקבו ימכרנו לכהן בדמי תרומה חוץ מדמי אותה סאה ואמר רב חייא משמיה דעולא זאת אומרת נחשדו כהנים אשביעית אמרו טרודא הוא דין כי מטו להתם סליקו לאיגרא שלפוה לדרגא מתותיה אתא לקמיה דרבי יוחנן א"ל בני אדם החשודין על השביעית כשרין לעבר שנה הדר אמר לא קשיא לי מידי דהוה אשלשה רועי בקר ורבנן אחושבנייהו סמוך והדר אמר לא דמי התם הדור אימנו רבנן ועברוה לההוא שתא הכא קשר רשעים הוא וקשר רשעים אינו מן המנין אמר רבי יוחנן דא עקא כי אתו לקמיה דרבי יוחנן אמרו ליה קרי לן רועי בקר ולא אמר ליה מר ולא מידי אמר להו ואי קרי לכו רועי צאן מאי אמינא ליה
Translation: R. Chiya bar Zarnuki and R. Shimon ben Yehutzedek were going to intercalate the year in Asya. Reish Lakish met them and joined them. He said: I will go and see how they perform the matter. He saw a certain man plowing. He said to them: A Kohen, and he is plowing? They said to him: He can say, "I am a hired worker within it." He saw a certain man cutting branches in a vineyard. He said to them: A Kohen, and he is pruning? They said to him: He can say, "I need to clear a path for the winepress." He said to them: The heart knows whether it is for a path or for trickery. Which one did he say first? If you say the first case, they should have also said, "I am a hired worker in it." Rather, he said the second one first and then the first. Why a Kohen? Because they are suspected concerning Shemita, as it was taught: A Se'ah of Terumah that fell into one hundred Se'ah of Shemita produce - if there are a hundred, it is nullified; if less, it must rot. And we asked: Why must it rot? Let him sell it to a Kohen at the price of Terumah, except for the value of that one Se'ah? And R. Chiya said in the name of Ulla: This teaches that Kohanim are suspected regarding Shemita. They said: This man is unsettled. When they arrived there, they ascended to the roof and removed the ladder from under him. He came before R. Yochanan. He said to him: Are people who are suspected regarding Shemita (as they defended those that are transgressing it) valid to intercalate the year? Then he said: This is not difficult for me, it is like the case of the three cattle herders, and the Sages relied on their calculation. Then he said: It is not the same. There, the Sages reconsidered and intercalated the year themselves. Here, it is a company of evildoers, and a company of evildoers is not included in the count. R. Yochanan said: That is the difficulty. When they came before R. Yochanan, they said to him: He called us cattle herders and the master said nothing? He said to them: If he had called you shepherds of sheep, what would I have said to him?
(a)Why did the Chachamim not just ask the Kohen why he was plowing during Shemita?
1.Chasam Sofer: The Mitzvah of Shemita in our times is Rabbinic in nature. In matters of Rabbinic law, there is a principle of 'Mutav she-yiheyu shogegin v'al yiheyu mezidin'-"it is better that they sin unknowingly than to inform them and cause them to sin knowingly." The Chachamim were concerned that if they discussed the issue with the Kohen and clarified that it was indeed prohibited, he might still continue plowing. In that case, he would be transgressing intentionally (b'meizid). To avoid that outcome, they refrained from confronting him.
2.Chidushei haRadal: They did ask him, but since he was a Sechir Yom (day laborer), he did not answer them (as we find in the case of Abba Chilkiyah in Taanis 23b).
(b)What was the meaning of R. Yochanan's response of 'if he had called you shepherds etc"?
1.Maharsha: Do not be insulted by being referred to as cattle herders as this is a normal way for Talmidei Chachamim to refer to each other, as the Gemara says in Yevamos 16a.
2.Shtei haLechem: Since R. Yochanan in fact agreed with Reish Lakish, that those Chachamim should have investigated and potentially rebuked those Kohanim, even if Reish Lakish would have referred to them as shepherds, R. Yochanan would not have been able to say anything.
3.Maris HaAyin: Do not protest against Reish Lakish as he did it because he was pained by the degrading way that he felt he was treated by you.
2)THE STORY OF SHEVNA, THE STEWARD OF CHIZKIYAHU
מאי קשר רשעים שבנא הוה דריש בתליסר רבוותא חזקיה הוה דריש בחד סר רבוותא כי אתא סנחריב וצר עלה דירושלים כתב שבנא פתקא שדא בגירא שבנא וסיעתו השלימו חזקיה וסיעתו לא השלימו שנאמר (תהילים יא) כי הנה הרשעים ידרכון קשת כוננו חצם על יתר הוה קא מסתפי חזקיה אמר דילמא חס ושלום נטיה דעתיה דקוב"ה בתר רובא כיון דרובא מימסרי אינהו נמי מימסרי בא נביא ואמר לו (ישעיהו ח) לא תאמרון קשר לכל אשר יאמר העם הזה קשר כלומר קשר רשעים הוא וקשר רשעים אינו מן המנין הלך לחצוב לו קבר בקברי בית דוד בא נביא ואמר לו (ישעיהו כב) מה לך פה ומי לך פה כי חצבת לך פה קבר הנה ה' מטלטלך טלטלה גבר אמר רב טלטולא דגברא קשי מדאיתתא (ישעיהו כב) ועטך עטה אמר רבי יוסי ברבי חנינא מלמד שפרחה בו צרעת כתיב הכא ועטך עטה וכתיב התם (ויקרא יג) ועל שפם יעטה (ישעיהו כב) צנוף יצנפך צנפה כדור אל ארץ רחבת ידים וגו' תנא הוא ביקש קלון בית אדניו לפיכך נהפך כבודו לקלון כי הוה נפיק איהו אתא גבריאל אחדיה לדשא באפי משרייתיה אמרו ליה משירייתך היכא אמר הדרו בי אמרו ליה אם כן אחוכי קא מחייכת בן נקבוהו בעקביו ותלאוהו בזנבי סוסיהם והיו מגררין אותו על הקוצים ועל הברקנין
Translation: What is a company of evildoers? Shevna would expound with thirteen groups, and Chizkiyahu would expound with eleven groups. When Sancheriv came and besieged Yerushalayim, Shevna wrote a note and shot it with an arrow: "Shevna and his faction have surrendered; Chizkiyahu and his faction have not surrendered," as it is said: "For behold, the wicked bend the bow, they have set their arrow upon the string, to shoot in darkness at the upright of heart" (Tehillim 11:2). Chizkiyahu became afraid and said: Perhaps, Heaven forbid, the mind of the Holy One, blessed is He, follows the majority. Since most are surrendering, perhaps we too will be handed over. A prophet came and said to him: "Do not call conspiracy all that this people calls conspiracy" (Yishayah 8:12)-this means: it is a company of evildoers, and a company of evildoers is not included. He went to carve himself a grave among the graves of the House of David. The prophet came and said to him: "What have you here, and whom have you here, that you have carved for yourself a grave here? Behold, Hash-m will make you wander like the wandering of a man" (Yishayah 22:16-17). Rebbi said: The wandering of a man is harder than that of a woman. The Pasuk states, "And He will wind you around and around" (ibid.). R. Yosi bar R. Chanina said: This teaches that Tzora'as (leprosy) broke out on him. It is written here, "And He will wind you around and around," and it is written there, "And he shall cover his mustache" (Vayikra 13:45). And it says: "He will shake you fiercely, and cause you to fly." (Yishayah 22:18). It was taught: He sought disgrace for the House of his Master, therefore his honor was turned to shame. When he left, Gavriel came and closed the door in his face and that of his entourage. They said to him: Where is your entourage? He said: They retracted. They said: If so, you are mocking us. They pierced his heels and hung him by the tails of their horses and dragged him over thorns and thistles.
(a)Why are the wanderings of a man harder than a woman?
1.Iyun Yaakov - men were made from from earth (which is hard to move); women were made from bone (which is easier to move).
2.Ben Yehoyada - Many times men need to come back in multiple Gilgulim to fix themselves. Women need it less, as they have less obligations in Mitzvos (such as positive time-bound ones), no Mitzvah of Talmud Torah and they are also exempt from certain sins.
(b)"Is there a connection between the Tzora'as (leprosy) that befell Shevna and the way his response, 'they retracted', was perceived as mockery?
1.Meshech Chochma (Parshas Metzora) explains that because Shevna had contracted Tzora'as, Sancheriv thought that they had expelled him from Yerushalayim to isolate him. The Pasuk that was quoted (Yeshayahu 22:17), "Behold, Hash-m will shake you fiercely...," serves as a proof of Shevna's total disgrace and removal.
(c)Why did Hash-m give him this specific punishment (of being dragged etc.)?
1.Ben Yehoyada: It was 'Midah K'neged Midah' - 'measure for measure'. Shevna sought to elevate himself as the head and reduce his master to the tail. As punishment, he was dragged with his legs raised and his head lowered, tied to the tails of horses. Since he had grown arrogant in his head, his head was struck and smashed against the stones as he was dragged along the ground.
26b----------------------------------------26b
3)THE FALSE COUNSEL OF SHEVNA
אמר רבי אלעזר שבנא בעל הנאה היה כתיב הכא לך בא אל הסוכן הזה וכתיב התם ותהי לו סוכנת (ואומר) כי השתות יהרסון צדיק מה פעל רב יהודה ורב עינא חד אמר אילו חזקיה וסיעתו נהרסים צדיק מה פעל וחד אמר אילו בית המקדש יהרס צדיק מה פעל ועולא אמר אילו מחשבותיו של אותו רשע אינן נהרסות צדיק מה פעל בשלמא למאן דאמר אילו מחשבותיו של אותו רשע היינו דכתיב כי השתות יהרסון ולמ"ד בית המקדש נמי דתנן אבן היתה שם מימות נביאים הראשונים ושתייה היתה נקראת אלא למ"ד חזקיה וסיעתו היכא אשכחן צדיקי דאיקרו שתות דכתיב כי לה' מצוקי ארץ וישת עליהם תבל ואיבעית אימא מהכא הפליא עצה הגדיל תושיה א"ר חנן למה נקרא שמה תושיה מפני שהיא מתשת כחו של אדם דבר אחר תושיה שניתנה בחשאי מפני השטן דבר אחר תושיה דברים של תוהו שהעולם משותת עליהם אמר עולא מחשבה מועלת אפילו לד"ת שנאמר מפר מחשבות ערומים ולא תעשינה ידיהם תושיה אמר רבה אם עסוקין לשמה אינה מועלת שנאמר רבות מחשבות בלב איש ועצת ה' היא תקום עצה שיש בה דבר ה' היא תקום לעולם
Translation: R. Elazar said: Shevna was a Ba'al Hana'ah (lit. a pleasure seeker). It says here, "Go, come to this attendant" (Yeshayahu 22:15), and it is written: "And she became his attendant" (Melachim I 1:4). And it says there: "When the foundations are destroyed, what has the righteous man accomplished?" (Tehillim 11:3). R. Yehuda and R. Eina-one said: If Chizkiyahu and his faction were destroyed, what has the righteous man accomplished? And one said: If the Beis HaMikdash were destroyed, what has the righteous man accomplished? And Ulla said: If the schemes of that wicked one were not destroyed, what has the righteous man accomplished? According to the one who said "the schemes of that wicked one," it fits with what is written: "When the foundations are destroyed." According to the one who said "the Beis HaMikdash," that too is fitting, as it was taught: There was a stone there from the days of the early prophets, and it was called the Foundation Stone. But according to the one who said "Chizkiyahu and his faction," where do we find that the righteous are called foundations? As it is written: "For the pillars of the earth are the Lord's, and He set the world upon them" (Shmuel I 2:8). And if you prefer, say from here: "He has made counsel great, He has increased wisdom ('Tushiyah')" (Yeshayahu 28:29). R. Chanan said: Why is it called Tushiyah? Because it weakens the strength of a person. Another explanation: Tushiyah-because it was given in secret, so that the Satan would not protest. Another explanation: Tushiyah-words of confusion, upon which the world is founded. Ulla said: Thought has effect even in matters of Torah, as it is said: "He nullifies the thoughts of the crafty, so that their hands do not perform wisdom" (Iyov 5:12). Rava said: If they are involved for its own sake, it does not harm, as it is said: "Many are the thoughts in the heart of man, but the counsel of the Lord, it shall stand" (Mishlei 19:21)-a counsel that contains the word of Hash-m, that will stand forever.
(a)How do the Meforshim understand the phrase that "Shevna was a Ba'al Hana'ah"?
1.Maharsha: Although he was very learned, he was unwilling to forgo his physical pleasures for the sake of his learning.
2.Iyun Yaakov: Even when Am Yisrael was suffering under the siege of Sancherev, he did not refrain from indulging in his own pleasures and he therefore did not merit to see their consolation.
3.Yad Ramah, Margaliyos haYam: Baal Hana'ah means that he benefitted many people. Therefore, Chizkiyah was concerned that many would support Shevna as a result of this.
4.Yesod haAvodah (2:3): He (was a more popular teacher as he) taught his students that one should benefit from the physical world, rather than live in abstinence.
(b)Beyond its plain meaning, what alternative interpretations do the Meforshim offer for the idea that "Torah weakens strength"?
1.Iyun Yaakov: It weakens the brazenness of Am Yisrael, who are otherwise known as 'the most brazen of the nations' (Beitzah 25b)
2.Rav Shimon Sholom Kalish of Amshinov: It weakens the attitude of 'Kochi Ve'otzem Yadi' - the feeling that a person's own strength made him successful.
3.R' Tzadok haKohen of Lublin (Pri Tzadik 239); Toras Chaim: It weakens the strength of his Yetzer haRa - his evil inclination.
4.Yalkut Yehoshua: A person who does not learn Torah is unaware of his own character flaws and thinks that he is strong. When he learns, he becomes aware of his weaknesses and flaws (and can begin to improve himself).
(c)What is the meaning of Ulla's statement that 'thought has effect even in matters of Torah'?
1.Rashi #1: When a person worries about his sustenance, it causes him to forget his Torah.
2.Rashi #2: When a person makes specific plans, "I will do this and I will achieve that", it causes the plans to be halted.
3.Maharsha: When studying Torah, it is not enough merely to think and it is actually damaging to do so. One must verbalize his learning.
4.Iyun Yaakov: Thoughts of sinning can even stop one's involvement in Torah.
5.Ein Eliyahu: A person's thoughts can only prevent another from learning Torah if that person is not studying Torah Lishmah (for its own sake). However, if he is learning Lishmah, another's thoughts cannot harm him - as seen in the case of Chizkiyah, when Shevna's attempt to hinder his learning was unsuccessful.
