Avodah Zarah, Daf Gimmel, Part 6
Introduction
The Talmud now moves to other related discussions.
אמר רבי לוי: כל הפוסק מדברי תורה ועוסק בדברי שיחה – מאכילין לו גחלי רתמים, שנאמר: +איוב ל+ הקוטפים מלוח עלי שיח ושורש רתמים לחמם.
R. Levi says: Anyone who stops [learning] words of the Torah and indulges in idle gossip will be made to eat glowing coals of juniper, as it is said, They pluck salt-wort with wormwood; and the roots of juniper are their food (Job 30:4).
With a small emendation, the verse can be made to read, They who break away from the table to idle gossip, will have roots of juniper as their food.
אמר ריש לקיש: כל העוסק בתורה בלילה – הקדוש ברוך הוא מושך עליו חוט של חסד ביום, שנאמר: יומם יצוה ה’ חסדו ובלילה שירו עמי, מה טעם יומם יצוה ה’ חסדו? משום דבלילה שירו עמי.
Resh Lakish said: Anyone who engages in the study of the Torah by night, the Holy One extends a thread of grace over him by day, as it is said, By day the Lord will command his lovingkindness, and in the night his song shall be with me (Psalms 42:9). Why will the Lord command his lovingkindness by day? Because His song shall be with me in the night.
Studying at night seems to be preferable to study during the day. Perhaps because there are less visual distractions at night. Or maybe people s hearts are open at night.
איכא דאמרי, אמר ר"ל: כל העוסק בתורה בעולם הזה הדומה ללילה – הקדוש ברוך הוא מושך עליו חוט של חסד בעולם הבא הדומה ליום, שנאמר: יומם יצוה ה’ חסדו [וגו’].
Some say that Resh Lakish said: Anyone who engages in the study of the Torah in this world, which is like night, the Holy Blessed One extends a thread of grace over him in the future world, which is like day, as it is said: By day the Lord, etc.
This is another version of Resh Lakish s midrash on the verse. Studying in this world will lead to grace in the world to come.
אמר רב יהודה אמר שמואל, מאי דכתיב: +חבקוק א+ ותעשה אדם כדגי הים כרמש לא מושל בו, למה נמשלו בני אדם כדגי הים? לומר לך: מה דגים שבים – כיון שעולין ליבשה מיד מתים, אף בני אדם – כיון שפורשין מדברי תורה ומן המצות מיד מתים.
Rav Judah said in the name of Shmuel: Why is it written, And You made man as the fishes of the sea, and as the creeping things, that have no ruler over them (Habbakuk 1:14)? Why are humans compared to the fishes of the sea? To tell you, just as the fishes of the sea, as soon as they come on to dry land, die, so also people, as soon as they separate themselves from Torah and the commandments die immediately.
People are like fish and Torah is like water. We cannot live without Torah.
דבר אחר: מה דגים שבים – כיון שקדרה עליהם חמה מיד מתים, כך בני אדם – כיון שקדרה עליהם חמה מיד מתים.
איבעית אימא: בעולם הזה, ואיבעית אימא: לעולם הבא. איבעית אימא בעולם הזה, כדר’ חנינא, דא"ר חנינא: הכל בידי שמים חוץ מצנים פחים, שנאמר: +משלי כב+ צנים פחים בדרך עקש שומר נפשו ירחק מהם.
Another explanation: Just as the fishes of the sea, as soon as the sun scorches them, they die; so too people, when struck by the sun, die.
This can be applied to the present world, or to the future world.
If you want you can say that this applies to this world, in accordance with R. Hanina, for R. Hanina says: Everything is in Heaven’s hands, except cold and heat, as is said, Thorns and snares are in the path of the wicked; He who values his life will keep far from them (Proverbs 22:5).
Just as fish are scorched by the sun, so too are humans. This statement is then applied to either this world or to the world to come. If it applies to this world, it is understood as something out of God s control. God does not control the heat or cold. This is an interesting acknowledgment that not all natural phenomena are in the power of God.
ואיבעית אימא לעולם הבא, כדרשב"ל, דאמר רבי שמעון בן לקיש: אין גיהנם לעתיד לבא, אלא הקדוש ברוך הוא מוציא חמה מנרתיקה ומקדיר, רשעים נידונין בה וצדיקים מתרפאין בה; רשעים נידונין
בה, דכתיב: +מלאכי ג+ [כי] הנה היום בא בוער כתנור והיו כל זדים וכל עושה רשעה קש ולהט אותם היום הבא אמר ה’ צבאות אשר לא יעזוב להם שורש וענף, לא שורש בעולם הזה ולא ענף לעולם הבא; צדיקים מתרפאין בה, דכתיב: +מלאכי ג+ וזרחה לכם יראי שמי שמש צדקה ומרפא בכנפיה וגו’; ולא עוד, אלא שמתעדנין בה, שנאמר: +מלאכי ג+ ויצאתם ופשתם כעגלי מרבק
And if you want you can say it applies to the world to come, in accordance with R. Shimon b. Lakish, for R. Shimon b. Lakish says: There is no gehenna in the world to come. Rather, the Holy Blessed One brings the sun out of its sheath, and it beats down [on the world]: the wicked are punished by it, the righteous are healed by it. The wicked are punished by it, as it is said: For lo! That day is at hand, burning like an oven. All the arrogant and all the doers of evil shall be straw, and the day that is coming said the LORD of Hosts shall burn them to ashes and leave of them neither stock nor boughs (Malachi 3:19). It shall leave them neither stock in this world, nor bough in the world to come.
The righteous are healed by it, as it is said, But for you who revere My name a sun of victory shall rise to bring healing (Malachi 3:20). Moreover, they will delight in it, as it is said, You shall go forth and stamp like stall-fed calves (ibid.).
In this second possibility, the sun is reserved for the world to come where it will consume the wicked and bring healing to the righteous. This is the nature of the sun it can cause both great harm and great good.