Siman - Megillah Daf 6
- Identifying the different fortress cities and why they were called different names
On Daf 5b the Gemara brought a passuk from Sefer Yehoshua that listed fortress cities, as it is stated: "וערי מבצר הצדים צר וחמת רקת וכנרת" – And the fortress cities are: Tzidim, Tzar, Chamas, Rakas, and Kineres. On this Daf the Gemara identifies the cities. Chamas is Teveryah, and why was it called חמת, על שם חמי טבריה – because of the hot springs of Teveryah. Rakas is Tzipori, and why was it called Rakas? משום דמידלייא כרקתא דנהרא – Because it was positioned high like the riverbank. Kineres is Ginosar, and why was it called Kineres? דמתיקי פירא כקלא דכינרי – Because its fruits are as sweet as a harp. A כינור is a harp . Rava identified the cities differently. Chamas is Chamei Gerar. Rakas is Teveryah. It was called Rakas שאפילו ריקנין שבה מלאין מצות כרמון – Because even the empty ones who live there are as full of mitzvos like a pomegranate is full of seeds. Rebbe Yirmiyah said: Rakas is its real name, and it was called Teveryah, שיושבת בטבורה של ארץ ישראל – because it is located in the center of Eretz Yisroel like a navel. Rabbah said it was called Teveryah שטובה ראייתה – because its appearance was very good.
- Germamya of Edom
Rebbe Yitzchak said: What is the pshat in the passuk: "אל תתן ה' מאויי רשע זממו אל תפק ירומו סלה" – Do not give, Hashem, the desires of the rasha, do not remove his nose ring, that they should be elevated, selah. Yaakov said before HaKadosh Boruch Hu, "Ribbono shel Olam, do not give Esav the rasha, his heart’s desires". Do not remove his ring, this refers to גרממיא של אדום, Germamya of Edom, שאלמלי הן יוצאין מחריבין כל העולם כולו – for if they were to go out, they would destroy the entire world. Rebbe Chama bar Chanina said: There are three hundred crowned princes in Germamya of Edom, and there are three hundred and sixty-five chiefs in Rome. The Maharsha explains that each leader ruled on a specific day in the solar calendar. And every day one group goes out to meet the other group and one of them is killed, and they would then have the difficulty of appointing a new leader in his place.
- יגעתי ומצאתי תאמן
Rebbe Yitzchak said: אם יאמר לך אדם יגעתי ולא מצאתי אל תאמן – If someone says to you, “I put effort in limud haTorah and did not find”, meaning, he did not succeed, do not believe him. If someone says, אל תאמן לא יגעתי ומצאתי – I did not put effort in it and I did succeed, do not believe him. If someone says, יגעתי ומצאתי תאמן – I put effort in and I did succeed, believe him. This applies to Torah study, אבל במשא ומתן סייעתא הוא מן שמיא – but when it comes to business, one’s success is dependent on siyata d’Shomaya. ולדברי תורה לא אמרן אלא לחדודי – And even with regard to Torah study, this was not said except in regarding to sharpening one’s understanding, אבל לאוקמי גירסא סייעתא מן שמיא היא – but in regard to remembering one’s learning, that is dependent on siyata d’Shomaya.
