Kiddushin, Daf Lammed Heh, Part 2

Introduction

We continue with the discussion of the source for the exemption of women from positive time-bound commandments. There are some rabbis who hold that two verses that come as one can teach about a third case. So if this is so, then why don t we use two matzah and gathering on the seventh year to obligate women in all positive time-bound commandments, just as they are obligated in those two?

הניחא למ"ד שני כתובים הבאים כאחד אין מלמדין אלא למ"ד מלמדין מאי איכא למימר

אמר רבא פפונאי ידעי לה לטעמא דהא מילתא ומנו רב אחא בר יעקב אמר קרא (שמות יג, ט) והיה לך לאות על ידך ולזכרון בין עיניך למען תהיה תורת ה’ בפיך הוקשה כל התורה כולה לתפילין מה תפילין מ"ע שהזמן גרמא ונשים פטורות אף כל מ"ע שהזמן גרמא נשים פטורות ומדמצות עשה שהזמן גרמא נשים פטורות מכלל דמ"ע שלא הזמן גרמא נשים חייבות

Now, that makes sense to the one that holds that two verses that come as one do not teach [about others]: but to the one that holds that they do, what can be said?

Rava said: The Papunians know the reason for this matter, and who is it? R. Aha b. Jacob. The verse says, And it shall be a sign for you on your hand, and for a memorial between your eyes, that the Torah of the Lord may be in your mouth (Exodus 13:9): the whole Torah is compared to tefillin: just as tefillin are a positive time-bound commandment, and women are exempt, so they are exempt from all positive time-bound commandments.

And since women are exempt from positive time-bound commandments, it follows that they are obligated to positive non-time bound commandments.

The Papunians, those from a place called Papuna, have another source for the exemption of women from all positive time-bound commandments. The verse in Exodus compares the Torah to tefillin. And since we know that women are exempt from tefillin (because tefillin is compared to Torah study), women are exempt from all such mitzvoth. And if they are exempt from time-bound commandments, they must be obligated in non-time bound ones.

הניחא למ"ד תפילין מ"ע שהזמן גרמא אלא למ"ד תפילין מ"ע שלא הזמן גרמא מאי איכא למימר

מאן שמעת ליה דאמר תפילין מ"ע שלא הזמן גרמא ר’ מאיר וסבר לה שני כתובים הבאים כאחד וכל שני כתובים הבאים כאחד אין מלמדין

This makes sense to the one that holds that tefillin are a positive time-bound commandment; but to the one that holds that tefillin are a positive non-time bound commandment, what can we say? Whom do you know to hold that tefillin are a positive non-time bound commandment? R. Meir. But he holds that two verses that come as one do not teach about others.

R. Meir holds that tefillin are not time-bound. R. Meir holds that they must be worn all the time. So what is his source for women being obligated in positive non-time bound commandments? The answer is that he holds that two verses that come as one do not teach. Therefore, matzah and gathering cannot serve as a paradigm to obligate women in positive time-bound commandments.

ולר’ יהודה דאמר שני כתובים הבאים כאחד מלמדין ותפילין מ"ע שלא הזמן גרמא מא"ל משום דהואי מצה שמחה והקהל שלשה כתובים הבאים כאחד ושלשה כתובים הבאים כאחד אין מלמדין

But according to R. Judah, who holds that two verses that come as one do teach about [others], and [also] that tefillin are a positive non-time bound commandment, what can be said?

Matzah, rejoicing [on festivals], and gathering are three verses that come as one and three verses that come as one do not teach.

R. Judah has a bigger problem he too holds that tefillin are not a time-bound commandment. Plus he holds that two verses that come as one can teach about others. So why then do we not hold that matzah and gathering teach that they are obligated?

The answer is that we have a third verse, the obligation to rejoice on festivals. R. Judah holds that they are obligated for this mitzvah as well. And since everyone holds that when three verses come as one do not teach, we now have no source to obligate women for positive time-bound commandments.