Sunday, February 18, 2007

Daf Yomi - Megillah 11 - Food for Thought

1. Why is Mordechai's name associated with a pleasant fragrance?

2. What was the significance of the fact that Vashti was related to Nebuchadnezzar? Why was this considered pivotal to the story of Purim, according to Rav Shmuel bar Nachmeini? (Shem M'Shmuel)

3. Neither will I loathe them is referring to the times of the Greeks, as I appointed for them Shimon Hatzaddik, the Chashmenoi and his sons and Matisyahu the Kohen Gadol to save them. Shimon Hatzaddik was in the times of Alexander the Great and in his time there were no decrees against the Jews. What does the Gemora mean that Shimon Hatzaddik was appointed to save them from the decrees; there weren't any at the time? (Rav Nosson Vachtfogel)

4. Why didn't Achashverosh die because he used the vessels of the Beis Hamikdosh? (Maharal, Sfas Emes)

5. Is there a factual argument between Rav and Shmuel as to the locations of Hodu and Cush?

6. "My handiwork is drowning in the sea and you should sing songs of praise?" When does this principle apply and when doesn't it?

16 comments:

Anonymous said...

1. Gaon says vayizak zeakah gedolah umarah and it doesn't say what he said, so we learn from here that kol yafeh lebsamim is Mordechai.

Anonymous said...

2. Nevuchadnezzar destroyed the Bais Hamikdash and Vashti convinced Achashveirosh that he should not allow the Bais HaMikdash to be rebuilt. The backdrop of the Megillah is all about the lobbying of Haman that the Bais HaMikdash should not be rebuilt and Mordechai lobbying for it to be rebuilt.

Anonymous said...

3. The Gemara in Yoma 69a states explicitly that Alexander gave the Kusiim permission to destroy the Bais HaMikdash and Shimon HaTzaddik thwarted his plans by greeting Alexander dressed as the Kohen Gadol?????

Anonymous said...

4. A few years ago I asked Rabbi Irons this question and he suggested that the only reason Achashveirosh should have died was because he was following in the footsteps of Balshatzzar, and HaShem does not apply the middah of pokeid avon avos al banim regarding sins of Goyim. I am quoting what I recall. Needs further research.

Anonymous said...

5. I would think that they agree that both Hodu and Kush were next to each other. How can one prove otherwise?

Anonymous said...

6. It would seem that this principle only applied to the Mitriyim and to the angels singing shirah, as Klal Yisroel sang shirah upon the destruction of the Mitzriyiim. Yet, Mishnah Berurah writes that for this reason we only recite half Hallel on Shevii Shel Pesach.

Avromi said...

2 re - She didnt have to be related for that

3 re - i will check on that

4 re - dont understand - hes doing his own sin

5 re - gemora says one holds that they werte on opposite sides of the world

6 re - difference between if neis happened to them perhaps

Anonymous said...

if Vashti wasn't a granddaughetr of Nevuchadnezzar, she would not have been able to say, "my grandfather destroyed the Bais Hamikdash and you are rebuilding it?!"

Anonymous said...

4)The answer is That he was a Maver Al Midoisi

Anonymous said...

8)In summary, according to the Zohar and the Gemara, the beneficiary of Hashem's kindness should always rejoice when the forces of evil that had threatened him are destroyed. Hash-m Himself also rejoices when the wicked are eliminated after they were given every opportunity to repent. However, Hash-m does not rejoice when the wicked are eliminated before their due time.

Anonymous said...

5)Moshe Tibon Says they agreed on the fact that they were next to each other just did he rule right next to each other or all the way around the Rogchuver says from here we see Chazal knew the world was round

Anonymous said...

4)He used the clothing of the Kohen the Kedusha on the Kelim cant be removed from the clothing is not as bad(may no longer have kedusha at least not as much so he does not deserve to die)

Avromi said...

Some say it lost the kedusha from balshezzar based on passuk "u'bau peritzim v'chilluha"

Avromi said...

re # 3

Checked Reb Nosson again - leket reshimos chanukah p 52 - his question is based on that gemora - yes the kusim wanted permission but Alexander the Great didnt allow them because of Shimon Hatzaddik. But bottom line is that there was no decrees that he was needed to intercede. That is what was bothering him.

thanks

Anonymous said...

3)Hashems Decrees

Anonymous said...

6)Applied Halacha Lmasseh
So now that Saddam Hussein, a sworn enemy of the Jewish people, has finally been killed, should we rejoice or not?

What is the proper Torah perspective?

There is a Passuk (Mishlei 24:17) that states; When your enemy falls do not be happy and when he stumbles your heart should not gladden.

However, the Gemorah (Megillah 16a) tells us that this only applies to one’s Jewish enemies, but one is allowed to rejoice in the downfall of one’s non-Jewish enemies.

On the other hand the Gemorah (Megillah 10b) tells us that when the Egyptians were drowning in the Red Sea, the angels attempted to sing praise to Hashem, to which Hashem answered, “my handiwork is drowning in the sea, and you are singing praise?!”.

The implication of this is that one should not rejoice even in the downfall of non-Jewish enemies.

After much research I have come across a Maharsha (Brachos 9b) who seems to differentiate between angels and people. Angels are not allowed to sing praise even while non-Jewish enemies are drowning, but people are not included in this restriction.

Perhaps one can understand the Maharsha’s reasoning as follows. The non-Jewish enemies are not enemies of the angels themselves; therefore the fact that they are still Hashem’s handiwork overrides their desire to praise Hashem. The Jewish people, on the other hand, were the ones actually threatened by these enemies, and therefore they are allowed to rejoice in the downfall of these non-Jewish enemies.

I was thinking to explain the contradiction somewhat differently.

Perhaps there actually exists no difference between angels and people. The difference lies in WHEN the rejoicing is taking place. It is wrong to rejoice while the non-Jewish enemy is in the process of dying or extreme torture, and accordingly the angels were not allowed to sing praise while the Egyptians were drowning. But one is allowed to rejoice when the non-Jewish enemy is merely in the process of its downfall, or after the downfall has been completed.

Either way, we humans can rejoice over Saddam Hussein’s death, as it is both us people rejoicing, and not at the time of his actual death.