Siman - Moed Katan Daf 18
Daf 16 and 17 are in the works.
- Not casting nail clippings into a public area
Rav Shemen bar Abba said that he was once standing before Rebbe Yochanan in the Beis Hamidrash on Chol HaMoed, and he cut his nails with his teeth and threw them aside. We can learn from this that it is permitted to cut nails on Chol HaMoed, and that biting nails is not repulsive, and that it is permitted to throw the cuttings into a public area. The Gemara asks if this is so, for it was taught in a Baraisa: שלשה דברים נאמרו בצפרנים – Three things were said in respect to nails, הקוברן צדיק שורפן חסיד זורקן רשע – One who buries them is a Tzadik, one who burns them is chasid, and one who throws them into a public place is a rasha. The Gemara explains that the reason for not throwing them into a public area is: שמא תעבור עליהן אשה עוברה ותפיל – that perhaps a pregnant woman might pass over them and miscarry. The Ran explains that her disgust at seeing them might affect her physically, causing her to miscarry. Alternatively, they might cause a miscarriage supernaturally. The Gemara answers that in Rebbe Yochanan’s case, women do not come to the Beis Hamidrash, and even if they were swept into a public area, once they change locations, they are no longer harmful.
- מותר לארס אשה בחולו של מועד שמא יקדמנו אחר
Shmuel said: מותר לארס אשה בחולו של מועד שמא יקדמנו אחר – It is mutar for one to betroth a woman on Chol HaMoed, lest another man preempts him and becomes engaged to her. The Gemara asks if Shmuel really said this, for Rav Yehudah said in the name of Shmuel, בכל יום ויום בת קול יוצאת ואומרת בת פלוני לפלוני – Every day a Bas Kol goes out and says: The daughter of so-and-so is destined for so-and-so, שדה פלוני לפלוני – the field of so-and-so is destined for so-and-so. If a woman is destined for a certain man, how could another come and marry her? The Gemara answers that Shmuel means, שמא יקדמנו אחר ברחמים – that another man may preempt him through tefillah. This means, that someone might daven for her to die. The following incident is brought to illustrate this. Rava once heard a man davening that he should be able to marry a certain woman, and he told him not to daven for this. If she is destined for him, he will marry her, and if not, his prayer will not be answered, כפרת בה' – “and you will deny Hashem.” Rashi explains that he will conclude that tefillah is not effective. Rava later heard the man daven that either he should die before she gets married , so he should not see her married to another, or that she should die before him , so he should not see her marry. Rava rebuked him for his tefillah.
- אין אדם נחשד בדבר אלא אם כן עשאו
Rav said in the name of Rebbe Reuven ben Itzterovili, and some say that it was taught in a Baraisa: אין אדם נחשד בדבר אלא אם כן עשאו – A person is not suspected of something unless he has done it. The Gemara will clarify that this is referring to a rumor that is going around town. ואם לא עשה כולו עשה מקצתו – And if he has not done all of it, he has done part of it. ואם לא עשה מקצתו הרהר בלבו לעשותו – And he if has not done a part of it, he has thought of doing it. ואם לא הרהר בלבו לעשותו ראה אחרים שעשו ושמח – And if he had not thought to do so, he has seen others do it and was glad. The Gemara brings a number of qualifications to this rule.
