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Pesachim 4:8-9

Pesachim 4:8

The residents of Jericho did six things; the Sages objected to three and did not object to three (though they still didn’t care for them). They did not object regarding grafting palms all day on 14 Nisan, for not pausing between words in Shema, and for reaping and stacking the new grain before the omer was brought. They did object to them benefitting from consecrated branches, eating fallen fruit on Shabbos and leaving peah (the corners of the field) for vegetables rather than tithing them.

Pesachim 4:9

King Chizkiyahu did six things; the Sages agreed with three and disagreed with three. They agreed with him for dragging his father’s corpse on a bed of ropes (King Achaz having been an evil ruler), for destroying the copper serpent that Moshe made (because people were worshipping it as an idol) and for concealing the book of remedies (because people were not turning to God). They disagreed with him for removing the Temple doors and sending them to the king of Assyria (as a bribe to prevent an invasion), for stopping the waters of upper Gichon (to keep water from the Assyrian invaders) and for recalculating the start of Nisan once the month had already begun (i.e., he declared it to be a second Adar).

Author: Rabbi Jack Abramowitz