Kiddushin, Daf Lammed Aleph, Part 3

Introduction

In yesterday s section we learned about Dama ben Natinah and the remarkable way he honored his sleeping father. Dama ben Natinah was a gentile, and therefore not obligated by the Torah to observe this commandment. This brings the Talmud to discuss people who perform the commandments despite not being obligated to do so.

וא"ר חנינא ומה מי שאינו מצווה ועושה כך מצווה ועושה עאכו"כ דאר"ח גדול מצווה ועושה ממי שאינו מצווה ועושה

And R. Hanina said: If one who is not commanded [to honor his parents], yet does so, is thus [rewarded], how much more so one who is commanded and does so!

For R. Hanina said: He who is commanded and fulfills [the command], is greater than he who fulfills it though not commanded.

According to R. Hanina, a person who fulfills a commandment even out of obligation is greater than one who fulfills it not out of obligation. This, I think, is somewhat counterintuitive. Most of us think that when we do something because we want to, we are in some way better than those who fulfill it because they have to. That is, I think, R. Hanina s point. Fulfilling commandments out of a sense of obligation shows a commitment not just to the particular deed, but to its source.

אמר רב יוסף מריש ה"א מאן דהוה אמר לי הלכה כר"י דאמר סומא פטור מן המצות עבידנא יומא טבא לרבנן דהא לא מיפקידנא והא עבידנא

השתא דשמעיתא להא דא"ר חנינא גדול מצווה ועושה יותר ממי שאינו מצווה ועושה אדרבה מאן דאמר לי דאין הלכה כרבי יהודה עבידנא יומא טבא לרבנן

R. Joseph said: At first, I thought that if anyone would tell me that the halakhah agrees with R. Judah, that a blind person is exempt from the mitzvot, I would make a holiday for the rabbis, for I am not obligated, and yet I do them.

Now, however, that I have heard R. Hanina’s statement that he who is commanded and fulfills [the commandment] is greater than he who is not commanded and fulfills it; on the contrary, if anyone should tell me that the halakhah does not agree with R. Judah, I would make a holiday for the Rabbis.

R. Joseph is blind. There is a tannaitic dispute over whether blind people are obligated in commandments. R. Judah holds they are exempt and the other sages hold that they are not. So at first, R. Joseph wishes the halakhah would follow R. Judah so that he could be fulfilling the commandments even though he s not obligated. But then when he hears R. Hanina s statement, he wants the halakhah to follow the sages who make blind people obligated.

I do love the image of the R. Joseph making a holiday for the rabbis. I can picture a big spread on the table with lots of food.

כי אתא רב דימי אמר פעם אחת היה לבוש סירקון של זהב והיה יושב בין גדולי רומי ובאתה אמו וקרעתו ממנו וטפחה לו על ראשו וירקה לו בפניו ולא הכלימה

When R. Dimi came, he said: He [Dama ben Netinah] was once wearing a gold embroidered silken cloak and sitting among Roman nobles, when his mother came, tore it off from him, struck him on the head, and spat in his face, yet he did not shame her.

This is the first description of how someone honors one s mother. Interestingly, while fathers are always described as sleeping, mothers are usually portrayed as somewhat disturbed. Honoring one s father means not waking him up, honoring one s mother means tolerating her embarrassing behavior.