Yevamos - Daf 62
- Machlokes Beis Shammai and Beis Hillel regarding the mitzvah of פרו ורבו
The Mishnah on Daf 61b brought a machlokes regarding fulfilling the mitzvah of procreation. Beis Shammai say: שני זכרים – A man must have at least two males, whereas Beis Hillel say: זכר ונקבה שנאמר "זכר ונקבה בראם" – He must have a male and a female, for the passuk states: He created them male and female. The Gemara explains that Beis Shammai base their position on Moshe, who had two sons, whereas Beis Hillel derive their position from the creation of the world, where only one male and one female were created. Beis Shammai does not derive it from the creation of the world because אין דנין אפשר משאי אפשר – we cannot derive a case where there are multiple scenarios possible from a case where an alternative scenario was impossible. Rashi explains that if Chavah had not been created, there would have been no other woman for Adam to marry. Therefore, it was impossible not to create Chavah. But if a man has two sons, there are many women that they may marry. Beis Hillel do not derive it from Moshe, for Moshe acted on his own and separated from Tziporah, because he reasoned he always needed to be in a pure state to speak to HaKadosh Boruch Hu. Therefore, he separated before having a daughter. But other men cannot abstain from the mitzvah of procreating, until they have a daughter. The Gemara brings two more versions of their machlokes.
- Three things Moshe did based on his own reasoning that Hashem agreed with
It was taught in a Baraisa, שלשה דברים עשה משה מדעתו והסכים הקדוש ברוך הוא עמו – Moshe did three things based on his own understanding and Hakadosh Baruch Hu agreed with him in each instance:
1. Moshe separated from his wife after the Aseres Hadibros. Hashem agreed and when He told Moshe to tell everyone to go back to their wives, He said to Moshe, ואתה פה עמד עמדי – But as for you, [Moshe], stand here with Me.
2. Moshe broke the luchos. Reish Lakish learns from the passuk referring to the luchos, אשר שברת – that which you broke, that Hakadosh Baruch Hu said, יישר כחך ששיברת – May your strength be true because you broke the tablets. Rashi explains that Reish Lakish interpreted the word אשר - which, to mean אישור, affirmation.
3. Moshe added one day of abstinence in preparation for kabalas haTorah. Hashem agreed and the Shechinah did not rest on Har Sinai until Shabbos morning, which was after the day that Moshe added.
- The death of Rebbe Akiva’s talmidim
Rebbe Akiva said: למד תורה בילדותו ילמד תורה בזקנותו – Even if one learned Torah in his youth, he should learn Torah in his old age, and even if one has talmidim in his youth, he should have talmidim in his old age, as the passuk says: "בבקר זרע את זרעך" – In the morning sow your seed. They said that Rebbe Akiva had twelve thousand pairs of talmidim, וכולן מתו בפרק אחד מפני שלא נהגו כבוד זה לזה – and they all died during one period because they did not treat each other with respect, והיה העולם שמם – and the world was left barren of Torah, until Rebbe Akiva came to our Rabbis in the South and taught Torah to them. They were Rebbe Meir, Rebbe Yehudah, Rebbe Yose, Rebbe Shimon, and Rebbe Elazar ben Shamua, והם הם העמידו תורה אותה שעה – and it was these talmidim who upheld Torah at the time. A Tanna stated: כולם מתו מפסח ועד עצרת – And all twelve thousand pairs died between Pesach and Shavuos. Rav Chama bar Abba said, and some say that Rav Chiya bar Avin said: כולם מתו מיתה רעה – They all died an ugly death. Rav Nachman said it was Askerah, which is an inflammation of the throat that begins in the digestive tract.
