Avodah Zarah, Daf Yod Tet, Part 3

 

Introduction

Most of the sayings in this sugya take verses from Proverbs and apply to them to the study of Torah, which was of course a major occupation of the rabbis.

 

אמר רבא אמר רב סחורה אמר רב הונא מאי דכתיב (משלי יג, יא) "הון מהבל ימעט וקובץ על יד ירבה" אם עושה אדם תורתו חבילות חבילות מתמעט ואם קובץ על יד ירבה

אמר רבא ידעי רבנן להא מילתא ועברי עלה

אמר רב נחמן בר יצחק אנא עבידתה וקיים בידי

 

Rava said in the name of R. Sehorah who said it in the name of R. Huna: What is the meaning of the verse, Wealth gotten by vanity shall be diminished, but he that gathers little by little shall increase (Proverbs 13:11)? If one learns his Torah heaps and heaps it will be decreased, but if one gathers [knowledge] little by little he will gain much.

Rava said: The Rabbis know this thing, and yet they transgress it.

R. Nahman b. Isaac said: I did this and it stood for me.

 

This section advocates learning a little bit of Torah/wisdom at a time not in great big heaps all at the same time.

 

אמר רב שיזבי משמיה דר"א בן עזריה מאי דכתיב (משלי יב, כז) "לא יחרוך רמיה צידו" לא יחיה ולא יאריך ימים צייד הרמאי

ורב ששת אמר צייד הרמאי יחרוך

כי אתא רב דימי אמר משל לאדם שצד צפרין אם משבר כנפיה של ראשונה כולם מתקיימות בידו ואם לאו אין מתקיימות בידו

 

R. Shizbi said in the name of R. Elazar b. Azariah: What is the meaning of the verse, The slothful man shall not hunt his prey (Proverbs 12:27)?

A deceitful hunter [in matters of learning], will not live or have length of days.

R. Sheshet said: [It means that] the deceitful hunter will roast [his prey].

When R. Dimi came he said: This may be likened to one who hunts birds; if he breaks the wings of each one in turn, they will all remain in his possession, but if not they will not remain with him.

 

R. Shizbi interprets a difficult word as a notrikon yach-roch is divided into two words yichyeh and ya arich. One who acquires his learning deceitfully will not live long.

R. Sheshet interprets it more in line of the simple reading. A deceptive hunter will have more success in killing his prey.

R. Dimi goes back to interpreting it as a metaphor for learning. One who learns and then breaks the wings of his learning will retain his learning, like a bird whose wings are broken. But if one does not make sure that his learning stays with him, then all his learning is for naught.

 

(תהלים א, ג) "והיה כעץ שתול על פלגי מים" אמרי דבי ר’ ינאי כעץ שתול ולא כעץ נטוע כל הלומד תורה מרב אחד אינו רואה סימן ברכה לעולם

אמר להו רב חסדא לרבנן בעינא דאימא לכו מלתא ומסתפינא דשבקיתו לי ואזליתו: כל הלומד תורה מרב אחד אינו רואה סימן ברכה לעולם

שבקוהו ואזול קמיה דרבא

אמר להו הני מילי סברא אבל גמרא מרב אחד עדיף כי היכי דלא ליפלוג לישני

 

And he shall be like a tree transplanted by streams of water (Psalms 1:3). Those of the school of R. Yannai said: A tree transplanted, not a tree planted: whoever learns Torah from one master only will never see a blessing.

R. Hisda said to the rabbis: I would like to tell you something, but I am afraid that you might leave me and go elsewhere: Whoever learns Torah from one master only will never see a blessing. They abandoned him and went [to sit] before Rabbah. He said to them: These words apply only to logic, but when it comes to oral traditions it is better to learn from one master only, so that one is not confused by the variance in language.

 

When it comes to logic, it is better to learn from multiple teachers. This would seem to ensure that one s logical deductions are correct. However, when it comes to memorizing oral traditions, learning from multiple teachers is problematic for different teachers phrase their teaching in different languages. This could create confusion.