Siman - Moed Katan Daf 5
- It is permitted to dig new cisterns on Chol HaMoed if the public needs them
The Mishnah had stated: ומתקנין את קלקולי המים שברשות הרבים – One may fix damaged cisterns in reshus harabim on Chol HaMoed, which refers to clearing them out of debris. The Gemara infers from here, חטיטה אין חפירה לא – Clearing the cisterns out is permitted but digging new ones is not. Rebbe Yaakov said in the name of Rebbe Yochanan: לא שנו אלא שאין רבים צריכין להם אבל רבים צריכין להם אפילו חפירה מותר – They did not teach that digging cisterns was forbidden except when the public does not need them, but if the public needs them, then digging them is permitted. After the Gemara brings an unsuccessful challenge to this din, it quotes Rav Ashi who says that this din is inferred from a diyuk in the Mishnah, for the Mishnah states: עושין כל צורכי רבים – One may tend to all of the public’s needs. כל לאתויי מאי לאו לאתויי חפירה – What does “all” come to include? Does it not include digging a cistern? The Gemara eventually concludes that it does.
- כל השם אורחותיו זוכה ורואה בישועתו של הקדוש ברוך הוא
Rebbe Yehoshua ben Levi said: כל השם אורחותיו – Whoever evaluates his ways, which Rashi explains means that he weighs the loss of doing a mitzvah versus its reward, and the gain of doing an aveira versus the loss, זוכה ורואה בישועתו של הקדוש ברוך הוא – will be zocheh to see the salvation of HaKadosh Boruch Hu, for it is stated: "ושם דרך" – and one who sets the way, אל תקרי ושם אלא ושם דרך אראנו בישע אלקים – do not read it as “vesam”, (and one who sets), but rather read it as “vesham” (and one who evaluates) the way, I will show him the salvation of Hashem. Rebbe Yannai had a certain talmid who would challenge him with kashes every day during his shiur, but on the Shabbos that fell within thirty days of a chag, when the Rabbis teach the halachos of the chag, he would not challenge him, because there were many people at the shiur and he did not want to embarrass Rebbe Yannai, if he did not have an answer. Rebbe Yannai applied this passuk to him, "ושם דרך אראנו בישע אלקים" – and one who evaluates the way, I will show him the salvation of Hashem. Rashi explains that the talmid evaluated the proper time to challenge him and the improper time to do so.
- שלשה בית הפרס הן
The Mishnah had stated: ומציינין את הקברות – And one may mark graves on Chol HaMoed. The Gemara brings a Baraisa that teaches that only things that transmit tumah through an ohel can be marked, with one example being a beis hapras, a field where a grave was plowed over. After bringing statements that indicate that a beis hapras does not transmit tumah via an ohel, the Gemara concludes and brings a Mishnah from Ohalos that teaches: שלשה בית הפרס הן – There are three types of beis hapras. Rashi explains that a person who eats terumah and must be tahor may not pass through them. שדה שנאבד בה קבר – A field where a grave was lost. This type of field does transmit tumah via an ohel. שדה שנחרש בה קבר – A field in which a grave was plowed over. Here, since trampling will reduce the bone fragments to less than a size of a grain of barley, it will not transmit tumah via an ohel. ושדה בוכין – And a crying field, which Rav Yehoshua bar Abba said in the name of Ulla is, שדה שמפטירין בה מתים – a field where people take leave of their dead. Rashi explains that when a corpse is brought from another town, it is brought to the outskirts of the city where the local chevra kadishah then take it to prepare it for burial. Avimi said that the field gets the din of a beis hapras, משום יאוש בעלים נגעו בה – because of the owner’s abandonment. Rashi explains that since the body might decompose and a limb may have fallen off during transport, both sides might rely on the other that no body part fell off, and the limb will be abandoned in the field.
