Megillah, Daf Kaf Tet, Part 3

 

Introduction

Today’s section continues to explain the mishnah which taught what one is not allowed to do in a synagogue.

 

אין עושין אותו קפנדריא. מאי קפנדריא? אמר רבא: קפנדריא כשמה. – מאי כשמה? – כמאן דאמר: אדמקיפנא אדרי איעול בהא.

 

 

It should not be used as a short cut [kapandria].

What is kapandria? Rava said: Kapandaria is as its name implies.

What does its name imply? As if one were to say, Instead of going round the building [makifna adare], I will enter here.

 

"Kapandaria" is a Greek word for short cut. The rabbis explain it that way, and then make a pun in Hebrew hinting at its meaning. This is something that they often do with Greek words.

 

אמר רבי אבהו: אם היה שביל מעיקרא – מותר. אמר רב נחמן בר יצחק: הנכנס על מנת שלא לעשות קפנדריא – מותר לעשותו קפנדריא. ואמר רבי חלבו אמר רב הונא: הנכנס לבית הכנסת להתפלל מותר לעשותו קפנדריא, שנאמר +יחזקאל מ"ו+ ובבוא עם הארץ לפני ה‘ במועדים הבא דרך שער צפון להשתחות יצא דרך שער נגב.

 

R. Abahu said: If a path went through there originally, it is permitted.

R. Nahman b. Yitzchak said: If one goes in without any intention of using it as a short cut, he may afterwards use it as a short cut.

And R. Helbo said in the name of R. Huna: If one enters a synagogue to pray, he may afterwards use it as a short cut, as it says, "But when, the people of the land shall come before the Lord at the appointed times, he that enters by way of the north gate to worship shall go out by way of the south gate" (Ezekiel 46:9).

 

There are three limitations to the Mishnah’s rule that one may not make a short cut through a synagogue.

1)     If the synagogue was built around an already existing path, one may continue to use the path.

2)     If one entered for another purpose he can then use it as a short cut.

3)     If one entered it to pray, he can use it as a short cut.

There are commentators who say that reasons two and three are really the same.

עלו בו עשבים לא יתלוש מפני עגמת נפש. והתניא: אינו תולש ומאכיל, אבל תולש ומניח! – כי תנן נמי מתניתין – תולש ומאכיל תנן.

 

If grass has grown in it, he should not pluck it, so as not to arouse distress.

But it has been taught: He should not pluck it and give it as food [to cattle], but he pluck it and leave it there.

The statement in our Mishnah also refers to plucking and giving it for food.

 

While the Mishnah said that one should not pluck the grass that grows in a destroyed synagogue, the Talmud limits this to plucking and giving the grass to an animal. This would cause a high level of distress, seeing the synagogue in essence being used as a grazing area. But just plucking the grass and leaving it is taking care of the synagogue and would not be distressful.

 

תנו רבנן: בית הקברות אין נוהגין בהן קלות ראש: אין מרעין בהן בהמה, ואין מוליכין בהן אמת המים, ואין מלקטין בהן עשבים, ואם ליקט – שורפן במקומן מפני כבוד מתים. אהייא? אילימא אסיפא – כיון ששורפן במקומן מאי כבוד מתים איכא? אלא ארישא.

 

Our Rabbis taught: One does not act disrespectfully in a cemetery: We do not graze cattle in them, nor do we run a water channel through them, nor do we gather grass in them, and if he did gather grass they must be burned on the spot, out of respect for the dead.

To what do these last words apply? Shall I say, to the last clause? Since he burns them on the spot, what respect does this show for the dead? Rather it refers to the preceding clauses.

 

The baraita teaches that one does not act disrespectfully in a cemetery. As we said above with regard to the synagogue, if one does gather/pluck grass in them, they should not use it to feed an animal. The baraita says that if he does gather grass, he should burn it immediately.