Thursday, September 07, 2006

Daf Yomi - Sukkah 5 - Eliyahu's Locker Room

The Gemara states that the presence of Hashem [as manifested in the higher worlds] never descended to within ten tefachim of the physical world. Similarly, Moshe and Eliyahu could not ascend to within ten tefachim of the upper worlds.
Discussing our Gemara, the Chasam Sofer explains that this was only as long as Eliyahu was encumbered by his physical body. However, once his soul was freed from its body, he assumed the status of an angel, and was not bound by any of these limitations. The Chasam Sofer proceeds to say that when Mashiach comes, Eliyahu will once again don his body and live as a human amongst the other great people of that great generation. He will be allowed to rule on any halachic issues (a privilege reserved for mankind) since at that time he will have reassumed the existence of a human being. Meanwhile, however, he has the status of an angel, and therefore he is not bound by any of the limitations imposed upon men. This applies for halacha as well; Eliyahu may traverse the globe on Shabbos to go to a bris milah, even though this involves traveling beyond the permitted distance, since as an angel he is not bound by halacha.
The Gemara relates an incident about an Amora who encountered Eliyahu in a graveyard. The Amora asked him how he was permitted to be there despite his being a kohein. The Chasam Sofer explains that Eliyahu must have been in his body at the time, because otherwise he would have the status of an angel, and the Amora would have known that as such these halachos do not apply to him.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

So why in Pesachim does the gemara say mashiach and Eliyahu can travel only above ten tefachim as there is no reshus above ten tefachim>

Avromi said...

The Chasam Sofer uses this question as one of his proofs - there he will be coming to answer questions and clarify halachos and therefore he must be in his body. This is the Gemora's proof that there is no techumin higher than ten.

Anonymous said...

TORAH LAV BSHMAYIM

Avromi said...

that is why he cant pasken in that form - this is exactly the point of the chasam sofer