Sukkah, Daf Lammed Het, Part 5
Introduction
Today’s section continues discussing the concept that someone who hears is like someone who answers a blessing.
אתמר נמי, אמר רבי שמעון בן פזי אמר רבי יהושע בן לוי משום בר קפרא: מנין לשומע כעונה – דכתיב +מלכים ב כב+ את כל דברי הספר אשר קרא מלך יהודה, וכי יאשיהו קראן? והלא שפן קראן, דכתיב ויקראהו שפן (את כל הדברים האלה) לפני המלך.
אלא מכאן לשומע כעונה.
It was also stated: R. Shimon bar Pazzi said in the name of R. Joshua b. Levi who said in the name of Bar Kappara: From where do we know that one who listens is as though he responds? From what is written: "Even all the words of the book which the King of Judah has read" (II Kings 22:16). But was it Josiah that read them? Was it not, in fact Shaphan who read them, as it is written, "And Shaphan read it before the king" (II Kings 22:10). Rather from here [we learn] that one who listens is as though he responds.
Bar Kappara notes a discrepancy between two verses in II Kings 22. According to the latter verse, it was the King of Judah, Josiah, who actually read the scroll. But earlier in the chapter Shaphan, the scribe, is described as reading the scroll in front of the king. From here Bar Kappara learns that Josiah, who really only listened to the scroll being read by Shaphan, is given credit for having read it himself. The one who listens is credited as if he had responded.
ודילמא בתר דקראנהו שפן קרא יאשיהו?
אמר רב אחא בר יעקב: לא סלקא דעתך, דכתיב +מלכים ב כב+ יען רך לבבך ותכנע לפני ה’ בשמעך (את הדברים האלה) בשמעך, ולא בקראך.
But perhaps Josiah read it after Shaphan had read it?
R. Aha b. Yaakov replied: Do not even think this, since it is written, "Because your heart was tender, and you humbled yourself before the Lord, when thou heard what I said" (v. 19). "When you heard," not "when you read."
R. Aha b. Yaakov goes on to prove that Josiah did not read the scroll himself, he only heard it. This is accomplished by pointing to verse 19 where it specifically says that he heard the scroll he didn’t read it.