More on Forgiving before Sleeping

From Josh Waxman at Parshablog http://parsha.blogspot.com/2007/03/daf-yomi-megillah-daf-28a-forgiving.html

Yes, I know asking questions on homiletics is cheap, but in the process I send some traffic Daf Note's way.

From a post at DafNotes:


The Gemora states: Rabbi Nechunya ban Hakanah said that one of the meritorious acts that he performed earning him longevity was the fact that he never went to bed to go to sleep before forgiving anyone that harmed him in any manner.

The Rosh Yosef explains the reasoning for this: At night, a person's neshama ascends to the heavens to receive judgment on all the day's actions. While in heaven, the neshama, if the person merits, is able to enter into the room of Hashem and listen to hidden secrets. The Gemora in shabbos (149b) states: A person, that someone else is punished on his account, does not merit entering this private chamber. That is why it is integral to forgive anyone that harmed you before falling asleep. Rabbi Nechunya waited the entire day because he wanted to give the people that caused him harm a chance to repent on their own and to perform the mitzva of repenting.

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In Aramaic/Hebrew, the gemara:

שאלו תלמידיו את רבי נחוניא בן הקנה במה הארכת ימים אמר להם מימי לא נתכבדתי בקלון חברי ולא עלתה על מטתי קללת חברי וותרן בממוני הייתי לא נתכבדתי בקלון חברי כי הא דרב הונא דרי מרא אכתפיה אתא רב חנא בר חנילאי וקא דרי מיניה א"ל אי רגילת דדרית במאתיך דרי ואי לא אתייקורי אנא בזילותא דידך לא ניחא לי ולא עלתה על מטתי קללת חברי כי הא דמר זוטרא כי הוה סליק לפורייה אמר שרי ליה לכל מאן דצערן


I would have simply said that this showed that while human, and thus being hurt and upset by people that aggravate him, he made sure not to bear a grudge for too long, and made his peace with them (perhaps with the declaration that Mar Zutra made). This is a positive thing to do, and seems to have little to do with entering into the room of Hashem. And does entering into this inner chamber have anything to do with longevity?

Indeed, it sounds much closer to the advice to married couples: "Don't go to bed angry!"

Or else something like "Lo siTor."

Furthermore, if "[a]t night, a person's neshama ascends to the heavens to receive judgment on all the day's actions," then shouldn't he make sure to forgive before the other person goes to sleep? It shouldn't be predicated on when he goes to sleep.

And what about that gemara in Shabbat? The gemara reads as follows:

וא"ר יעקב בריה דבת יעקב כל שחבירו נענש על ידו אין מכניסין אותו במחיצתו של הקב"ה מנלן אילימא משום דכתיב (מלכים א כב) ויאמר ה' מי יפתה את אחאב ויעל ויפול ברמות גלעד ויאמר זה בכה וזה אמר בכה ויצא הרוח ויעמוד לפני ה' ויאמר אני אפתנו וגו' ויאמר אצא והייתי רוח שקר בפי כל נביאיו ויאמר תפתה וגם תוכל צא ועשה כן ואמרינן מאי רוח א"ר יוחנן זה רוחו של נבות ומאי צא אמר רב צא ממחיצתי

R. Jacob son of Jacob's daughter also said: He through whom his neighbour is punished is not permitted to enter within the barrier [precincts] of the Holy One, blessed be He. How do we know this? Shall we say, because it is written, And the Lord said, Who shall persuade Ahab, that he may go up and fall at Ramoth-gilead? And one said on this manner; and another said on that manner. And there came forth a spirit and stood before the Lord, and said, I will persuade him. And he said, I will go forth and be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his Prophets. And he [the Lord] said, Thou shalt entice him, and shalt prevail also: go forth, and do so. Now we discussed, What spirit is meant? And R. Johanan answered: The spirit of Naboth the Jezreelite. And what does 'go forth' mean? Said Rab, Go forth from within My precincts!
In the above instance, it was already determined that Achav was going to be punished. The spirit of Navot was simply the mechanism by which to do it. It was because he was the mechanism, not the cause, that he was henceforth exiled from that precinct. And indeed, if it was because of the wrong done to Navot, that Navot had not yet forgiven {this is not established, and may not be tree}, that was the cause of Achav being punished, how could the spirit of Navot have been in the precinct of Hashem in the first place?

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SOON

Iy"H, we will be home tomorrow and get a chance to post on the end of Megillah and the beginning of Moed Koton, starting Monday iy"H.

Thank you

Everyone should be zoche to simchos.

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Daf Yomi - Megillah 28 - FORGIVING BEFORE SLEEPING

The Gemora states: Rabbi Nechunya ban Hakanah said that one of the meritorious acts that he performed earning him longevity was the fact that he never went to bed to go to sleep before forgiving anyone that harmed him in any manner.

The Rosh Yosef explains the reasoning for this: At night, a person's neshama ascends to the heavens to receive judgment on all the day's actions. While in heaven, the neshama, if the person merits, is able to enter into the room of Hashem and listen to hidden secrets. The Gemora in shabbos (149b) states: A person, that someone else is punished on his account, does not merit entering this private chamber. That is why it is integral to forgive anyone that harmed you before falling asleep. Rabbi Nechunya waited the entire day because he wanted to give the people that caused him harm a chance to repent on their own and to perform the mitzva of repenting.

It is said over regarding the Skulener Rebbe that there is a person that goes out of his way every day to pain the Rebbe and cause him grief. Yet, the Rebbe greets him every morning with a cheerful "good morning" and a huge smile. When asked to explain himself, the Rebbe said that before going to sleep, he forgives everyone and each day is a new beginning. Every person deserves a cheerful greeting.

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Daf Yomi - Megillah 27 - BLESSINGS AND RETURNS

From Ohr Sameyach The Weekly Daf can be found here

"What happened to your belt?" asked the Sage Rav of his disciple Rabbi Huna when he noticed that he was wearing some makeshift belt of vegetation rather than his regular one.

"I gave away my belt as collateral in order to secure money to buy wine for Shabbat kiddush."
Rav was so impressed by his disciple's sacrifice of a personal garment for a mitzvah that he blessed him that he should, as a reward, "be covered with clothes."

Some time afterwards Rabbi Huna was hosting a wedding for his son Rabba. Rabbi Huna, who was a very short man, lay down upon a bed to rest while his family gathered for the celebration. His daughters and daughters-in-law did not notice his presence and they placed their coats on the bed, completely covering him with clothes in fulfillment of Rav's blessing.

When Rav heard that his blessing had thus been fulfilled he complained to Rabbi Huna:

"When I blessed you why did you not respond with a blessing of "the same to my master" (Rashi - it may have been a moment of Divine favor and the blessing would have been fulfilled for me as well).

Two problems arise in regard to understanding this story. Why was it necessary to mention the uncomplimentary fact of Rabbi Huna's diminutive size? Even more puzzling is Rav's disappointment in not receiving a counter-blessing after seeing the fulfillment of his blessing. What benefit would Rav have derived from being temporarily covered by clothes as was his disciple?

The simple approach to the first question is that it was necessary to mention Rabbi Huna's size in order to explain why his family members did not notice his presence on the bed where they placed their coats. In regard to the second issue, an interesting explanation is offered in the footnotes of Bach (Rabbi Yoel Sirkis):

Rav was upset because the fulfillment of his blessing indicated that it was moment of Divine favor and had he received a counter-blessing it may well have, in his case because of his greater merit, been fulfilled in the way it was intended by Rav - by being blessed with the wealth which enables one to cover himself with clothes.

A most innovative approach to answering these questions is suggested by Rabbi Yaakov Emden. Rav was the tallest sage of his generation while Rabbi Huna was among the shortest. Rabbi Huna therefore hesitated to return the blessing which Rav gave, as the clothes which fit his short figure would look absurd on the tall figure of his master.

An important lesson is to be learned from this story. When you receive a blessing from anyone, be sure to return it.

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Daf Yomi - Megillah 27 - NOTEBOOK WITH TORAH AND CALCULATIONS

What is the halacha regarding a notebook that has in the beginning mundane matters and at the end has sacred matters? Would there be a prohibition against putting the notebook down in a manner that the sacred matters are on the bottom?

Shulchan Aruch (Y”D 282:19) rules that it is forbidden to place the Prophets on top of a Torah if they are two separate scrolls, but if they are in one scroll, there would be no prohibition to have the Prophets on top.

This scenario could be allowed only because they are both sacred matters, however, when one is sacred and the other mundane, perhaps it would be prohibited. (Chashukei Chemed)

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Daf Yomi - Megillah 24 - GAZING AT THE KOHANIM’S OUTSTRETCHED HANDS

The Mishna had stated: A Kohen who has blemishes on his hands may not recite the priestly blessing. Rabbi Yehudah says: Even a Kohen, whose hands were dyed, may not recite the priestly blessing because the people stare at him.

Rashi explains: At the time when the Kohanim recited the priestly blessing, the Divine Presence rests on their outstretched hands.

Tosfos (Chagigah 16a) asks: That only happened in the times that the Beis Hamikdosh was in existence and the Kohanim used the Ineffable Name of Hashem, and therefore nowadays, there should be no prohibition against gazing at the Kohanim’s hands.

Tosfos learns that it is nevertheless forbidden to look at the Kohanim in order not to be distracted from what they are saying.

Turei Even writes that Rashi only wrote that explanation in the Mishna which ruled regarding blemishes on their hands and not on their faces or feet. This is because the Mishna is referring to the times when the Beis Hamikdosh was standing and the reason one cannot gaze is because of the Divine Presence that is resting upon their outstretched hands.

The commentators ask: Why weren’t we concerned for lack of concentration in the times of the Beis Hamikdosh?

Dvar Avraham answers based on a Hafla’ah in Kesuvos (24b) that just like a Kohen has an obligation to recite the Priestly blessing one time per day, so too the Israelites have an obligation to be blessed by the Kohanim only once per day. If the congregation heard the priestly blessing and are now listening again, there would be no concern for lack of concentration (since they fulfilled their mitzva already), but they still would not be able to gaze at the Kohanim’s hands because of the Divine Presence that is resting on their hands.

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