Kiddushin - Daf 72
- Persians represented by the bear, comparing תלמידי חכמים to מלאכי השרת
The Gemara quotes a passuk in Daniel that says: וארו חיוא אחרי תנינא דמיה לדוב – and behold, another beast, a second one, similar to a bear. Rav Yosef taught a Baraisa explaining: אלו פרסיים – These are the Persians, שאוכלין ושותין כדוב – who eat and drink like a bear, ומסורבלין כדוב – are fat like a bear, ומגדלין שער כדוב – grow hair like a bear, ואין להם מנוחה כדוב – and have no rest, like a bear (which constantly paces, even when tied). When Rebbe Ami would see a Persian riding, he would say: היינו דובא ניידא – That is a wandering bear. Rebbe asked Levi to draw analogies for various groups. He described Persians as similar (in their might) to Dovid Hamelech’s soldiers, Chabarin as similar to destructive angels, Yishmaelim as similar to demons of the bathroom, and when asked to analogize the Torah scholars of Babylonia, he said: דומים למלאכי השרת – they are similar to administering angels. Rashi comments that they wear white garments.
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- אין צדיק נפטר מן העולם עד שנברא צדיק כמותו
The Gemara relates several prophetic statements of Rebbe at the time of his death, the last of which was: היום נולד רב יהודה בבבל – today Rav Yehudah was born in Bavel, which matches an Amoraic statement that when Rebbe Akiva died, Rebbe was born. When Rebbe died, Rav Yehudah was born. When Rav Yehudah died, Rava was born. When Rava died, Rav Ashi was born. ללמדך שאין צדיק נפטר מן העולם – This is to teach you that a tzaddik does not leave this world, עד שנברא צדיק כמותו – until another tzaddik like him is created, as the passuk says: וזרח השמש ובא השמש – and the sun rises and the sun sets (i.e., that a new tzaddik’s sun rises (i.e., is born) before another tzaddik’s sun sets). עד שלא כבתה שמשו של עלי – Before the sun of Eli was extinguished, זרחה שמשו של שמואל הרמתי – the sun of Shmuel the Ramasi rose, as the passuk says: ונר אלקים טרם יכבה ושמואל שוכב וגומר – and the lamp of Hashem, before it was extinguished, and Shmuel lay etc. (describing Shmuel’s first prophecy, before Eli’s “lamp” was extinguished).
- Machlokes if mamzerim will be pure לעתיד לבא
Rebbe Yose says in a Baraisa: ממזירי ונתיני טהורים לעתיד לבא – mamzerim and nesinim will be genealogically pure in the [time of Moshiach], but Rebbe Meir says they will not be pure. Rebbe Yose brought a proof from a passuk: וזרקתי עליכם מים טהורים וטהרתם – I will throw pure water upon you, and you will become pure. Rebbe Meir responded: כשהוא אומר מכל טומאותיכם ומכל גלוליכם – when [the passuk] says, “from all of your impurities and all your defilements,” it implies: ולא מן הממזרות – but not from mamzerus. Rebbe Yose countered: כשהוא אומר אטהר אתכם – when [the passuk] says, “I will purify you,” which appears extraneous, הוי אומר אף מן הממזרות – say that it means even from mamzerus.
The Gemara asks how Rebbe Yose explains the passuk: וישב ממזר באשדוד – and a mamzer will dwell in Ashdod, and answers with Rav Yosef’s interpretation: יתבון בית ישראל לרוחצן בארעהון – the house of Yisroel will dwell securely in their land, דהוו דמו בה לנוכראין – where they had earlier been like strangers (i.e., estranged like a mamzer). Rav Yehudah quoted Shmuel saying the halachah accords with Rebbe Yose. Rav Yosef commented that if not for this ruling, הוה אתי אליהו מפיק מינן צוורני צוורני קולרין – Eliyahu would come and remove from us many groups of people in neck-shackles.
