Sukkah, Daf Kaf Tet, Part 6
Introduction
The last section of this daf and this chapter continues with baraitot explaining why the various luminaries are in eclipse.
תנו רבנן: בשביל ארבעה דברים חמה לוקה: על אב בית דין שמת ואינו נספד כהלכה, ועל נערה המאורסה שצעקה בעיר ואין מושיע לה, ועל משכב זכור, ועל שני אחין שנשפך דמן כאחד.
Our rabbis taught: on account of four things is the sun in eclipse: On account of an Av Bet Din who died and was not eulogized properly; on account of a betrothed young girl who cried out in the city and there was none to save her; on account of sodomy, and on account of two brothers whose blood was shed at the same time.
An Av Bet Din is the head of the court. He should be eulogized properly. The second crime is the rape of a betrothed girl, referring to Deuteronomy 22:27. We should note that that Torah says that the rapist is punished with death. However, the Torah’s verse refers to a case where the rape occurred in the field, where no one could protect Torah. The baraita here refers to a case where she was raped in the city, where there should have been people to protect her. In such a case, clearly the rapist is still liable for the death penalty. But the community also bears some responsibility for not being there to save her.
"Sodomy" refers to male on male sex.
ובשביל ארבעה דברים מאורות לוקין: על כותבי פלסטר ועל מעידי עדות שקר, ועל מגדלי בהמה דקה בארץ ישראל, ועל קוצצי אילנות טובות.
And on account of four things are the luminaries in eclipse: On account of those who write forgeries, on account of those who bear false witness; on account of those who rear small herd animals in the land of Israel; and on account of those who cut down good trees.
These four things, forging, false testimony, raising small herd animals and cutting down good trees all destroy the economic basis of living in the land of Israel. Raising small animals was considered to be destructive to the land, and indeed is forbidden by the Mishnah (Bava Kamma 7:7).
ובשביל ארבעה דברים נכסי בעלי בתים נמסרין למלכות: על משהי שטרות פרועים ועל מלוי ברבית, ועל שהיה ספק בידם למחות ולא מיחו, ועל שפוסקים צדקה ברבים ואינן נותנין.
And on account of four things the property of householders is turned over to the government: On account of those who retain in their possession bills which have been paid; on account of those who lend money with interest; on account of those who had the power to protest [against wrongdoing] and did not protest; and on account of those who publicly declare their intention to give to charity and do not give.
We now move on to a phenomenon that is not just a portent of bad things to come (eclipses) but is actually itself a type of calamity. Throughout talmudic literature we hear of the fear that the Roman government will take possession of Jewish property. This seems to have been a significant fear of the time period.
Again, the baraita seems to propose a measure for measure basis for why bad things happened to Jews. When Jews do not act justly in economic matters, there property is taken away from there. One who holds on to a paid bill may use it to collect the same debt twice (or someone else might use the bill to collect the debt a second time). Lending money with interest to a fellow Jew is prohibited by the Torah. If Jews have the power to prevent wrongdoings to others and they don’t, then they will be punished by others committing wrongdoings against them.
אמר רב: בשביל ארבעה דברים נכסי בעלי בתים יוצאין לטמיון: על כובשי שכר שכיר, ועל עושקי שכר שכיר, ועל שפורקין עול מעל צואריהן ונותנין על חבריהן, ועל גסות הרוח, וגסות הרוח כנגד כולן. אבל בענוים כתיב +תהלים לז+ וענוים יירשו ארץ והתענגו על רב שלום. הדרן עלך הישן.
Rav said: On account of four things the property of householders is confiscated by the state treasury: On account of those who hold back the wages of a laborer; on account of those who completely keep the wages of a laborer; on account of those who remove the yoke from off their necks and place it on [the necks] of others and on account of arrogance.
And the sin of arrogance is equivalent to all [the others].
Whereas the humble it is written, "But the humble shall inherit the land, and delight themselves in the abundance of peace" (Psalms 37:11).
May you return to us "one who sleeps."
The final section of this chapter is an amoraic statement in the spirit of the previous tannaitic sources. Rav, an early amora, again refers to government confiscation of property. Such a calamity occurs when Jews withhold property owed to others specifically to workers. It is also a result of people unfairly shedding their own responsibilities and placing them on the shoulders of others. Finally, it is a result of general arrogance. When Jews are arrogant and lord it over their fellow Jews in order to grow wealthy, they are punished by being humiliated by those more powerful than themselves.
In order to end on a more positive note, the chapter ends with what is probably the most important human attribute, at least in the Bible humility. The Hebrew word ענווה refers to a person willing to understand that at a fundamental level there are no levels of status before God. One may be born into a certain class, but in the eyes of God, there are no classes.
Yasher Koah on finishing the second chapter. We are now more than half way through the tractate. And we’ve finished the material about the sukkah. Chapter three is all about the lulav, and the other three species. Good luck and have a great Shabbat. Give yourself some extra cholent to celebrate.