Yevamos - Daf 121
- נפל למים
The next Mishnah states: נפל למים – If a man fell into water and was not seen to come up, בין שיש להן סוף בין שאין להן סוף אשתו אסורה – whether the water has an end or whether the water has no end, his wife is forbidden to marry, for he may still be alive. Abaye defines “water that has an end” as כל שעומד ורואה מארבע רוחותיה – any body of water small enough that one stands in one place and can see its four sides. Rashi gives the example of one who sees someone fall into a pool of water in a cave where he can see all its banks. He needs to stay there for as long as one can typically survive underwater, and then he can leave. According to the Tanna Kamma, even if there is a remote possibility that the person survived beyond what is normal, the wife is still forbidden to remarry. Rebbe Yose in the Mishnah said: There was an incident involving a blind person who went down to immerse himself in a pool in a cave, and his guide went in after him, ושהו כדי שתצא נפשם – and they remained there long enough for their souls to depart, והשיאו את נשותיהם – and the Rabbanon permitted the wives to remarry even though their bodies were never found.
- דף של ספינה נזדמן לי
It was taught in a Baraisa: Rabban Gamliel said: One time I was travelling in a ship, and I saw a ship that had been shattered and was sinking, והייתי מצטער על תלמיד חכם שבה – and I was pained by the thought of a talmid chochom who was on that ship. Who was it? It was Rebbe Akiva. But when I came to shore, בא וישב ודן לפני בהלכה – Rebbe Akiva came and sat and engaged before me in a matter of halachah. When I asked him, “My son, who raised you up out of the water?” he said to me, "דף של ספינה נזדמן לי" – there was a “daf” – a board from the ship, that came before me and I grabbed onto it, "וכל גל וגל שבא עלי נענעתי לו ראשי" – and before every wave that came upon me, I bowed my head, and it passed over me.” The Baraisa continues, מכאן אמרו חכמים אם יבואו רשעים על אדם ינענע לו ראשו – If reshaim come upon a person, let him bow his head before them, and the danger will pass. Rashi explains that he should restrain himself and not antagonize them.
(It is worthwhile to note that that it is this Gemara about Rebbe Akiva being saved by the “daf,” the board, that Rav Meir Shapiro used at the First Kenesiah HaGedolah, to introduce the Daf Yomi program and explain its rationale. The daily Daf will save every Jew from the waves of spiritual threats that he confronts.)
- בתו של נחוניא חופר שיחין שנפל לבור
It was taught in a Baraisa: There was an incident with the daughter of נחוניא חופר שיחין – Nechunia, the ditch digger, who Rashi explains would dig cisterns along the roads for rainwater for the olei regalim, that she fell into a large cistern, and they came before Rebbe Chanina ben Dosa so that he would pray, and she would be saved. The first hour he said to them, “Shalom.” The second hour he said to them, “Shalom.” The third hour he said to them that she has emerged from the water, and it was so. They asked her who brought her up from the pit, and she answered, זכר של רחלים נזדמן לי וזקן מנהיגו – A male sheep came before me, and an elderly man was leading it. Rashi explains that the ram was the ram from the Akeida, and the zakein was Avraham Avinu. They said to Rebbe Chanina ben Dosa that he was a navi, to which he responded that he was not. Rather he reasoned, דבר שהצדיק מתעסק בו יכשל בו זרעו – Is it possible that something a tzadik occupies himself for the tzibur, his child should stumble upon it? The Gemara addresses how then did Nechunya’s son die of thirst.
