Thursday, October 12, 2006

Daf Yomi - Sukkah 41 - Un...tzum...drite...mol!! Sold!!!

The Gemora relates a story that Rabban Gamliel, Rabbi Yehoshua, Rabbi Eliezer ben Azaryah and Rabbi Akiva were journeying on a boat and only Rabban Gamliel had a lulav which he had purchased for over a thousand zuz. It is evident from this Gemora how precious mitzvos were to them that Rabban Gamliel spent a thousand zuz on his lulav.

The Aruch Lener asks on the language of the Gemora. Why does it say "How precious mitzvos were to them" when in fact, Rabban Gamliel was the only one who purchased the lulav for that enormous sum?

He answers that from the fact that Rabban Gamliel paid a thousand zuz for the lulav, it is evident that there were other potential buyers that were interested and a bidding war erupted, especially since it is well documented that Rabbi Eliezer and Rabbi Akiva were rich people.

1 comments:

Anonymous said...

1. can't it mean that the mitvos were cherished to the cahachmim of that time? 2. maybe it means that all the tanaaim knew that they would only be buying one lulav (as is recorded that many times in history arba minim were scarce) but they all intended to fulfill the mitvah?