| 5a. אם תלמיד חכם הוא אין צריך אמר אביי אף תלמיד חכם מיבעי ליה למימר חד פסוקא דרחמי כגון (תהלים לא, ו) בידך אפקיד רוחי פדיתה אותי ה' אל אמת:,א"ר לוי בר חמא אמר ר"ש בן לקיש לעולם ירגיז אדם יצר טוב על יצר הרע שנא' (תהלים ד, ה) רגזו ואל תחטאו. אם נצחו מוטב ואם לאו יעסוק בתורה שנאמר אמרו בלבבכם אם נצחו מוטב ואם לאו יקרא קריאת שמע שנאמר על משכבכם אם נצחו מוטב ואם לאו יזכור לו יום המיתה שנאמר ודומו סלה.,וא"ר לוי בר חמא אמר ר' שמעון בן לקיש מאי דכתיב (שמות כד, יב) ואתנה לך את לוחות האבן והתורה והמצוה אשר כתבתי להורותם לוחות אלו עשרת הדברות תורה זה מקרא והמצוה זו משנה אשר כתבתי אלו נביאים וכתובים להורותם זה גמרא מלמד שכולם נתנו למשה מסיני:,א"ר יצחק כל הקורא ק"ש על מטתו כאלו אוחז חרב של שתי פיות בידו שנאמר (תהלים קמט, ו) רוממות אל בגרונם וחרב פיפיות בידם מאי משמע אמר מר זוטרא ואיתימא רב אשי מרישא דענינא דכתיב (תהלים קמט, ה) יעלזו חסידים בכבוד ירננו על משכבותם וכתיב בתריה רוממות אל בגרונם וחרב פיפיות בידם.,ואמר רבי יצחק כל הקורא קריאת שמע על מטתו מזיקין בדילין הימנו שנאמר (איוב ה, ז) ובני רשף יגביהו עוף ואין עוף אלא תורה שנאמר (משלי כג, ה) התעיף עיניך בו ואיננו ואין רשף אלא מזיקין שנאמר (דברים לב, כד) מזי רעב ולחומי רשף וקטב מרירי.,אמר רבי שמעון בן לקיש כל העוסק בתורה יסורין בדילין הימנו שנאמר ובני רשף יגביהו עוף ואין עוף אלא תורה שנאמר התעיף עיניך בו ואיננו ואין רשף אלא יסורין שנאמר מזי רעב ולחומי רשף,אמר ליה רבי יוחנן הא אפילו תינוקות של בית רבן יודעין אותו שנאמר (שמות טו, כו) ויאמר אם שמוע תשמע לקול ה' אלהיך והישר בעיניו תעשה והאזנת למצותיו ושמרת כל חקיו כל המחלה אשר שמתי במצרים לא אשים עליך כי אני ה' רופאך אלא כל שאפשר לו לעסוק בתורה ואינו עוסק הקב"ה מביא עליו יסורין מכוערין ועוכרין אותו שנא' (תהלים לט, ג) נאלמתי דומיה החשיתי מטוב וכאבי נעכר ואין טוב אלא תורה שנאמר (משלי ד, ב) כי לקח טוב נתתי לכם תורתי אל תעזובו.,אמר רבי זירא ואיתימא רבי חנינא בר פפא בא וראה שלא כמדת הקב"ה מדת בשר ודם מדת בשר ודם אדם מוכר חפץ לחבירו מוכר עצב ולוקח שמח אבל הקב"ה אינו כן נתן להם תורה לישראל ושמח שנא' כי לקח טוב נתתי לכם תורתי אל תעזובו.,אמר רבא ואיתימא רב חסדא אם רואה אדם שיסורין באין עליו יפשפש במעשיו שנא' (איכה ג, מ) נחפשה דרכינו ונחקורה ונשובה עד ה' פשפש ולא מצא יתלה בבטול תורה שנאמר (תהלים צד, יב) אשרי הגבר אשר תיסרנו יה ומתורתך תלמדנו,ואם תלה ולא מצא בידוע שיסורין של אהבה הם שנאמר (משלי ג, יב) כי את אשר יאהב ה' יוכיח.,אמר רבא אמר רב סחורה אמר רב הונא כל שהקב"ה חפץ בו מדכאו ביסורין שנאמר (ישעיהו נג, י) וה' חפץ דכאו החלי,יכול אפילו לא קבלם מאהבה תלמוד לומר (ישעיהו נג, י) אם תשים אשם נפשו מה אשם לדעת אף יסורין לדעת,ואם קבלם מה שכרו (ישעיהו נג, י) יראה זרע יאריך ימים ולא עוד אלא שתלמודו מתקיים בידו שנא' (ישעיהו נג, י) וחפץ ה' בידו יצלח,פליגי בה רבי יעקב בר אידי ורבי אחא בר חנינא חד אמר אלו הם יסורין של אהבה כל שאין בהן בטול תורה שנאמר (תהלים צד, יב) אשרי הגבר אשר תיסרנו יה ומתורתך תלמדנו,וחד אמר אלו הם יסורין של אהבה כל שאין בהן בטול תפלה שנאמר (תהלים סו, כ) ברוך אלהים אשר לא הסיר תפלתי וחסדו מאתי,אמר להו רבי אבא בריה דר' חייא בר אבא הכי אמר ר' חייא בר אבא א"ר יוחנן אלו ואלו יסורין של אהבה הן שנאמר כי את אשר יאהב ה' יוכיח,אלא מה ת"ל (תהלים צד, יב) ומתורתך תלמדנו אל תקרי תלמדנו אלא תלמדנו דבר זה מתורתך תלמדנו,ק"ו משן ועין מה שן ועין שהן אחד מאבריו של אדם עבד יוצא בהן לחרות יסורין שממרקין כל גופו של אדם על אחת כמה וכמה,והיינו דרבי שמעון בן לקיש דאמר רשב"ל נאמר ברית במלח ונאמר ברית ביסורין נאמר ברית במלח דכתיב (ויקרא ב, יג) ולא תשבית מלח ברית ונאמר ברית ביסורין דכתיב (דברים כח, סט) אלה דברי הברית מה ברית האמור במלח מלח ממתקת את הבשר אף ברית האמור ביסורין יסורין ממרקין כל עונותיו של אדם:,תניא רבי שמעון בן יוחאי אומר שלש מתנות טובות נתן הקדוש ברוך הוא לישראל וכולן לא נתנן אלא ע"י יסורין אלו הן תורה וארץ ישראל והעולם הבא,תורה מנין שנאמר אשרי הגבר אשר תיסרנו יה ומתורתך תלמדנו,ארץ ישראל דכתיב (דברים ח, ה) כי כאשר ייסר איש את בנו ה' אלהיך מיסרך וכתיב בתריה כי ה' אלהיך מביאך אל ארץ טובה,העולם הבא דכתיב (משלי ו, כג) כי נר מצוה ותורה אור ודרך חיים תוכחות מוסר.,תני תנא קמיה דר' יוחנן כל העוסק בתורה ובגמילות חסדים | 5a. bIf one is a Torah scholar, he need notrecite iShemaon his bed since he is always engaged in the study of Torah and will likely fall asleep engrossed in matters of Torah. bAbaye said: Even a Torah scholar must recite at least one verse of prayer, such as: “Into Your hand I trust my spirit; You have redeemed me, Lord, God of truth”(Psalms 31:6).,Incidental to the verse, “Tremble, and do not sin,” the Gemara mentions that bRabbi Levi bar Ḥama saidthat bRabbi Shimon ben Lakish said: One should always incite his good inclination against his evil inclination,i.e., that one must constantly struggle so that his evil inclination does not lead him to transgression, bas it is stated: "Tremble, and do not sin."br bIfone succeeds and bsubdueshis evil inclination, bexcellent,but bifhe does bnotsucceed in subduing it, he should bstudy Torah,as alluded to in bthe verse: “Say to your heart.” br bIfhe bsubdueshis evil inclination, bexcellent; if not, he should recite iShema /i,which contains the acceptance of the yoke of God, and the concept of reward and punishment, bas it is statedin the verse: b“Upon your bed,”which alludes to iShema /i, where it says: “When you lie down.” br bIfhe bsubdueshis evil inclination, bexcellent; if not, he should remind himself of the day of death,whose silence is alluded to in the continuation of bthe verse: “And be still, Selah.” /b, bAnd Rabbi Levi bar Ḥama saidthat bRabbi Shimon ben Lakish said:God said to Moses, “Ascend to me on the mountain and be there, band I will give you the stone tablets and the Torah and the mitzva that I have written that you may teach them”(Exodus 24:12), meaning that God revealed to Moses not only the Written Torah, but all of Torah, as it would be transmitted through the generations. br bThe “tablets” are the ten commandmentsthat were written on the tablets of the Covet, br bthe “Torah” is the five books of Moses. br bThe “mitzva” is the Mishna,which includes explanations for the mitzvot and how they are to be performed. br b“That I have written” refers to the Prophets and Writings,written with divine inspiration. br b“That you may teach them” refers to the Talmud,which explains the Mishna. brThese explanations are the foundation for the rulings of practical ihalakha /i. This verse bteachesthat ballaspects of Torah bwere given toMoses bfrom Sinai. /b,The Gemara continues its treatment of the recitation of iShemaupon one’s bed. bRabbi Yitzḥak said: Anyone who recites iShemaon his bed, it is as if he holds a double-edged sword,guarding him from all evil, bas it is stated: “High praises of God in their mouths, and a double-edged sword in their hands”(Psalms 149:6). The Gemara asks: bFrom where is it inferredthat this verse from Psalms refers to the recitation of iShema /i? bMar Zutra, and some say Rav Ashi, said:We derive it bfrom the precedingverse, bas it is written: “Let the pious exult in glory; let them joyously sing upon their beds.”The praise of God from one’s bed is the recitation of iShema /i. bAnd it is written thereafter: “High praises of God in their mouths, and a double-edged sword in their hands.” /b, bAnd Rabbi Yitzḥak said: Anyone who recites iShemaupon his bed, demons stay away from him.This is alluded to, bas it is stated:“But man is born into trouble, band the sparks [ ireshef] fly [ iuf] upward”(Job 5:7). The verse is explained: The word bfly [ iuf]means bnothing other than Torah,as Torah is difficult to grasp and easy to lose, like something that floats away, bas it is stated: “Will you set your eyes upon it? It is gone;for riches certainly make themselves wings, like an eagle that flies into the heavens” (Proverbs 23:5). The word b“sparks”means bnothing other than demons, as it is stated: “Wasting of hunger, and the devouring of the sparks [ ireshef /i] and bitter destruction [ iketev meriri /i],and the teeth of beasts I will send upon them, with the venom of crawling things of the dust” (Deuteronomy 32:24). Here we see iresheflisted along with iketev meriri /i, both of which are understood by the Sages to be names of demons.,Regarding this unclear verse, bRabbi Shimon ben Lakish said: If one engages in Torahstudy, bsuffering stays away from him, as it is stated: “And the sparks fly upward.”And bflymeans bnothing other than Torah, bas it is stated: “Will you set your eyes upon it? It is gone;and sparksmeans bnothing other than suffering, as it is stated: “Wasting of hunger, and the devouring of the sparks,”equating devouring sparks with wasting hunger, as both are types of suffering. From here, we derive that through Torah, fly, one is able to distance himself, upward, from suffering, sparks., bRabbi Yoḥa said to him: Even schoolchildren,who learn only the Written Torah, bknow thisconcept bas it is stated: “And He said you shall surely hear the voice of the Lord your God, and what is upright in His eyes you shall do and you shall listen to His mitzvot and guard His statutes; any disease that I have placed upon Egypt I will not place upon you for I am the Lord your healer”(Exodus 15:26). bRather,one must interpret the verse: bAnyone who is able to engage in Torahstudy byet does not engagein that study, not only does bthe Holy One, Blessed be He,fail to protect him, but He bbrings upon him hideous afflictions,that embarrass him band trouble him, as it is stated: “I was mute with silence; I was silent from good, and my pain was strong”(Psalms 39:3). The word bgoodmeans bnothing other than Torah, as it is stated: “For I have given you a good portion, My Torah, do not abandon it”(Proverbs 4:2). The verse should be understood: “I have been silent from the study of Torah, and my pain was strong.”,With regard to the verse: “For I have given you a good portion,” bRabbi Zeira, and some say Rabbi Ḥanina bar Pappa, said: Come and see how the characteristics of the Holy One, Blessed be He, are unlike the characteristics of flesh and blood. It is characteristic of flesh and blood that when one sells an object to anotherperson, bthe seller grievesthe loss of his possession band the buyer rejoices. With regard to the Holy One, Blessed be He,however, bthis is not so. He gave the Torah to Israel and rejoiced, as it is stated: “For I have given you a good portion, My Torah, do not abandon it.”A good portion is understood as a good purchase; although God sold Torah to Israel, He rejoices in the sale and praises the object before its new owner (Rabbi Yoshiyahu Pinto).,Previously, the Gemara discussed suffering that results from one’s transgressions. The Gemara shifts the focus and discusses suffering that does not result from one’s transgressions and the suffering of the righteous. bRava, and some say Rav Ḥisda, said: If a person sees that suffering has befallen him, he should examine his actions.Generally, suffering comes about as punishment for one’s transgressions, bas it is stated: “We will search and examine our ways, and return to God”(Lamentations 3:40). bIf he examinedhis ways and bfound notransgression for which that suffering is appropriate, bhe may attributehis suffering bto derelictionin the study bof Torah.God punishes an individual for dereliction in the study of Torah in order to emphasize the gravity of the issue, bas it is stated: “Happy is the man whom You punish, Lord, and teach out of Your law”(Psalms 94:12). This verse teaches us that his suffering will cause him to return to Your law., bAnd if he did attributehis suffering to dereliction in the study of Torah, band did not findthis to be so, bhe may be confident that these are afflictions of love, as it is stated: “For whom the Lord loves, He rebukes,as does a father the son in whom he delights” (Proverbs 3:12).,So too, bRava saidthat bRav Seḥora saidthat bRav Huna said: Anyone in whom the Holy One, Blessed be He, delights, He oppresses him with suffering, as it is stated: “Yet in whom the Lord delights, He oppresses him with disease;to see if his soul would offer itself in guilt, that he might see his children, lengthen his days, and that the desire of the Lord might prosper by his hand” (Isaiah 53:10). This verse illustrates that in whomever God delights, he afflicts with illness.,I bmighthave thought that God delights in him even bif he does not accepthis suffering bwith love. Therefore the verse teaches: “If his soul would offer itself in guilt.” Just as a guilt-offering is brought knowingly,as it is one of the sacrifices offered willingly, without coercion, bso toohis bsufferingmust be accepted bknowingly. /b, bAnd if one acceptsthat suffering with love, bwhat is his reward?As the second part of the verse states: b“That he might see his children, lengthen his days.” Moreover,in addition to these earthly rewards, bhisTorah bstudy will endureand his Torah study will be successful, bas it is stated: “The purpose of the Lord,”the Torah, the revelation of God’s will, b“might prosper by his hand.” /b,With regard to the acceptance of affliction with love and what exactly this entails, bRabbi Ya’akov bar Idi and Rabbi Aḥa bar Ḥanina disagree. Oneof them bsaid: Afflictions of love are any that do not cause derelictionin the study bof Torah,i.e., any which do not afflict his body to the extent that he is unable to study Torah, bas it is stated: “Happy is the man whom You afflict, Lord, and teach from Your Torah.”Afflictions of love are when You “teach from Your Torah.”, bAnd one said: Afflictions of love are any that do not cause derelictionin the recitation bof prayer, as it is stated: “Blessed is God Who did not turn away my prayer”(Psalms 66:20). Despite his suffering, the afflicted is still capable of praying to God., bRabbi Abba, son of Rabbi Ḥiyya bar Abba, said:My father, bRabbi Ḥiyya bar Abba, saidthat bRabbi Yoḥa said as follows: Both,even afflictions that cause dereliction in the study of Torah and those that cause dereliction in the recitation of prayer, bare afflictions of love,as with regard to one who suffers without transgression bit is stated: “For whom He loves, He rebukes,”and inability to study Torah and to pray are among his afflictions., bWhat then,is the meaning when bthe verse states: “And teach him from Your Torah”? Do not read and teachto mean and bteach him /b, brather, and teach us /b. bYou teach usthe value of bthisaffliction bfrom Your Torah. /b,This is taught through ban ia fortioriinference fromthe law concerning bthe tooth and eyeof a slave: bThe tooth and eye areeach ba single limb of a personand if his master damages either, bthe slave thereby obtains his freedom; suffering that cleanses a person’s entire body all the more sothat one attains freedom, atonement, from his sins., bAnd that isthe statement of bRabbi Shimon ben Lakish, as Rabbi Shimon ben Lakish said:The word bcovet is used with regard to salt, andthe word bcovet is used with regard to afflictions.The word bcovet is used with regard to salt, as it is written: “The salt of the covetwith your God bshould not be excludedfrom your meal-offering; with all your sacrifices you must offer salt” (Leviticus 2:13). bAndthe word bcovet is used with regard to afflictions, as it is written: “These are the words of the covet”(Deuteronomy 28:69). bJust as,in bthe covet mentioned with regard to salt, the salt sweetensthe taste of bthe meatand renders it edible, bso tooin bthe covet mentioned with regard to suffering, the suffering cleanses a person’s transgressions,purifying him for a more sublime existence.,Additionally, bit was taughtin a ibaraitawith regard to affliction: bRabbi Shimon ben Yoḥai says: The Holy One, Blessed be He, gave Israel three precious gifts, all of which were given only by means of suffering,which purified Israel so that they may merit to receive them. These gifts are: bTorah, Eretz Yisrael, and the World-to-Come. /b, bFrom whereis it derived that bTorahis only acquired by means of suffering? bAs it is said: “Happy is the man whom You afflict, Lord,”after which it is said: b“And teach from Your Torah.” /b, bEretz Yisrael, as it is written: “As a man rebukes his son, so the Lord your God rebukes you”(Deuteronomy 8:5), band it is written thereafter: “For the Lord your God will bring you to a good land.” /b, bThe World-to-Come, as it is written: “For the mitzva is a lamp, the Torah is light, and the reproofs of instruction are the way of life”(Proverbs 6:23). One may arrive at the lamp of mitzva and the light of Torah that exists in the World-to-Come only by means of the reproofs of instruction in this world., bA itannataughtthe following ibaraita bbefore Rabbi Yoḥa: If one engages in Torah and acts of charity /b |
