Siman - Taanis Daf 20
- Four negative pesukim that include a positive message
The Gemara brings four negative pesukim, in which Rav Yehudah darshens a positive message. "היתה ירושלים לנדה ביניהם" – Yerushalayim, after the churban, is like a niddah in their midst. Rav Yehudah said in the name of Rav: לברכה – This suggests a berachah. מה נדה יש לה היתר אף ירושלים יש לה תקנה – Just as a niddah becomes permissible to her husband after her days of tumah, so too Yerushalayim will have a tikkun. "היתה כאלמנה" – She, referring to Yerushalayim, is like a widow. כאלמנה ולא אלמנה ממש – She is like a widow but not really a widow. Rather, she is like a woman whose husband has travelled overseas, who has in mind to return to her. "וגם אני נתתי אתכם נבזים ושפלים" – And also, I have made you despised and lowly. Rav Yehudah said that this includes a berachah, because the Gentiles do not appoint us as tax collectors at the rivers, nor police officers. The population typically hates the people in these positions. "והכה ה' את ישראל כאשר ינוד הקנה במים" – And Hashem will strike Yisroel like a reed that shifts in the water. Rav Yehudah said in the name of Rav that this includes a berachah, in that a reed stands in a place of water, and its stalks grow back after being cut, and it has many roots that even if all the winds of the world blow on it will not move from its place.
- The lesson learned from the incident of Rebbe Elazar and the ugly man
It was taught in a Baraisa: לעולם יהא אדם רך כקנה ולא יהא קשה כארז – A person should always be soft like a reed and not hard like a cedar. The Baraisa brings the story of Rebbe Elazar ben Rebbe Shimon, who was coming from Migdal Gedor from his Rebbe’s home, and while riding on a donkey and feeling very proud of himself because he learned so much, he passed by someone who was extremely ugly. When the ugly man greeted him, Rebbe Elazar did not greet him back, but responded: ריקה – Empty one! כמה מכוער אותו האיש – How ugly is that man! Are all the people of your town as ugly as you? The ugly man replied, “I do not know. אלא לך ואמור לאומן שעשאני כמה מכוער כלי זה שעשית – But go and tell the craftsman that made me, “How ugly is this kli that you have made.” Rebbe Elazar realized that he had sinned and beseeched this man to forgive him, numerous times. Eventually when the man’s community encouraged him to forgive Rebbe Elazar, given his stature, Rebbe Elazar went to the Beis Midrash and expounded: לעולם יהא אדם רך כקנה ואל יהא קשה כארז – A person should always be soft like a reed and not hard like a cedar. It was for this reason that the reed was zocheh to be used as pens to write sifrei Torah, tefillin and mezuzos.
- לעולם אל יעמוד אדם במקום סכנה ויאמר עושין לי נס
Rav Huna had wine in a certain decrepit house, and he wanted to remove it before the house fell down. He brought Rav Adda bar Ahavah into the house and discussed Torah with him until the wine was removed. When Rav Adda left, the house collapsed. When Rav Adda bar Ahava realized what Rav Huna had done, he was upset, for he held like Rebbe Yannai, who said: לעולם אל יעמוד אדם במקום סכנה ויאמר עושין לי נס – A person should not stand in a dangerous place and say, “A miracle will be performed for me,” because a miracle may not be performed for him, and even if a miracle would be performed for him, מנכין לו מזכיותיו – it will be deducted from his merits. This principle is learned from the passuk where Yaakov says, "קטנתי מכל החסדים ומכל האמת" – I have become small from all the chesed and emes that You have done for your servant.
