Siman - Chagigah Daf 4

• איזהו שוטה – המאבד כל מה שנותנים לו

The Gemara brings a Baraisa at the bottom of Daf 3b that taught: איזהו שוטה – Who is considered a crazy person , to be patur from mitzvos and punishments? היוצא יחידי בלילה והלן בבית הקברות והמקרע את כסותו – One who goes out alone at night, one who sleeps in a cemetery, and one who tears his clothing for no reason. Rav Huna said: עד שיהו כולן בבת אחת – One is not considered a shoteh until he does all of these actions at the same time, whereas Rebbe Yochanan said: אפילו באחת מהן – He is considered a shoteh even if he does one of them. The Gemara clarifies that they agree that if he did any of these actions in a crazy way, then he is a shoteh, and if did all of them in a rational way, then he is not a shoteh. The Baraisa is dealing specifically with a case where he did them in an insane way, but Rav Huna says each one could be rationalized. But once he does all three, he is כמי שנגח שור חמור וגמל ונעשה מועד לכל – like an ox that gores an ox, donkey and camel and becomes a muad for all animals. Rav Pappa said that Rav Huna would have retracted his opinion if he had heard this ruling taught in a Baraisa: איזהו שוטה זה המאבד כל מה שנותנים לו – Who is a shoteh? One who destroys everything that we give him. The Gemara leaves it as a teiku if Rav Huna would have retracted completely or only in the case of one who tears his garments.

• "כל זכורך" - המקמץ והמצרף והבורסי פטורין מן הראייה

It was taught in a Baraisa: "כל זכורך" לרבות את הקטנים – When the passuk states: All your males, it is coming to include minors in the mitzvah of re’iyah. The Gemara questions this since the Mishnah specifically exempted minors from the mitzvah. Abaye answered that it is not a kasheh. כאן בקטן שהגיע לחינוך כאן בקטן שלא הגיע לחינוך – Here, (meaning, the Baraisa) it is dealing with a child that reaches the age of chinuch, whereas there (meaning, the Mishnah) it is discussing a child that has not reached the age of chinuch. When the Gemara asks how the Baraisa can bring a passuk when the chiyuv for the child is only a d’Rabbanon, Abaye answers that the passuk is only an asmachta, a support for their enactment. When the Gemara questions what is the d’Oraysa din that the passuk is coming to teach, it brings a Baraisa that taught: Others say: המקמץ והמצרף נחשת והבורסי פטורין מן הראייה – One who collects dog excrement, which was used in the tanning process, one who smelts copper, and a leather tanner are patur from the mitzvah of re’iyah, for the passuk states: "כל זכורך" – All your males, מי שיכול לעלות עם כל זכורך – Who that is able to go up together with “all your males”, is chayav in the mitzvah, which excludes these people because they are not fit to go up with everyone because of their awful body odor.   

• If Shmuel was fearful of judgment, all the more so, we should be fearful

The Gemara brings several pesukim that would elicit emotional responses from Rabbanon. When Rebbe Elazar came to this passuk he would cry: "ויאמר שמואל אל שאול למה הרגזתני להעלות אתי" – And Shmuel said to Shaul: “Why did you disturb me to bring me up?” Rebbe Elazar said: ומה שמואל הצדיק היה מתיירא מן הדין אנו על אחת כמה וכמה – If Shmuel is fearful of Divine judgment, all the more we should be. For it is written: And the woman said to Shaul, “I see a great man עלים – ascending from the earth.” The plural word "עלים" implies two people. One was Shmuel and one was Moshe, for when Shmuel was summoned, he brought Moshe with him and said: Perhaps I’m being summoned for judgment. Stand by me, דליכא מילתא דכתבת באורייתא דלא קיימתיה – For there is no law that you have written in the Torah that I have not fulfilled.