Bava Kamma - Daf 82
- Krias HaTorah on Monday and Thursday, one of Ezra’s ten takanos
The Gemara lists ten takanos which Ezra enacted, one of which is: וקורין בשני ובחמישי – they read from the Torah on Monday and Thursday. The Gemara asks that this was instituted much earlier, when the Jews were traveling in the Desert. The passuk says that they went for three days "ולא מצאו מים" – but did not find water. This is darshened: אין מים אלא תורה – Water is only intended to refer to Torah, as in the passuk "הוי כל צמא לכו למים" – Ho! Everyone who is thirsty should go to water. It means that the Jews went for three days without Torah and became exhausted. The prophets among them instituted that they should read from the Torah on Shabbos, Monday, and Thursday, to ensure that they would never have three consecutive days without Torah. Why, then, is it referred to as Ezra’s enactment? The Gemara answers that the original enactment only required one person reading three pesukim, or three people reading three, corresponding to the three groups of Jews (Kohanim, Leviim, and Yisroelim). Ezra instituted that three people read a total of ten pesukim, corresponding to עשרה בטלנין – the ten unoccupied men of the city.
- שתהא אשה חופפת וטובלת
Ezra’s eighth takanah was: שתהא אשה חופפת וטובלת – that a woman shall comb her hair (to remove any chatzitzah), and then immerse herself in the mikveh. The Gemara asks that this requirement is d’Oraysa, because a Baraisa darshens the passuk: "ורחץ את בשרו במים" – and he shall immerse his flesh in the water, teaching: שלא יהא דבר חוצץ בין בשרו למים – that there should be no matter interposing between his flesh and the water. "את בשרו" refers to את הטפל לבשרו – that which is auxiliary to one’s flesh, namely, hair. Since the law of chatzitzah applies to hair Biblically, why was Ezra’s takanah required?
The Gemara answers: דאורייתא לעיוני – Biblically, one would only be required to examine the hair, דלמא מיקטר – for perhaps it is knotted, אי נמי מאוס מידי – or somewhat dirty, משום חציצה – thereby invalidating the tevilah because of a chatzitzah. Ezra instituted that women comb their hair to ensure that there is no chatzitzah.
- The prohibition to raise swine: the incident of the swine sent up the wall of Yerushalayim
The Mishnah on Daf 79b stated: אין מגדלין חזירים בכל מקום – One may not raise swine anywhere. A Baraisa gives the background for this decree: When the Chashmonai descendant Hyrkanos was besieging his brother Aristobolus in Yerushalayim, a basket with money would be lowered to the besiegers, who would send back up a lamb for that day’s korban tamid. An old man, who was familiar with Greek wisdom (a secretive method of communication used by aristocrats), secretively informed those outside: כל זמן שעוסקין בעבודה אין נמסרים בידכם – As long as they are occupied with the avodah, they will not be delivered into your hands. The next day, the besiegers put a swine into the basket, which stuck its hooves into the wall, and Eretz Yisroel shook over four hundred parsah. At that time, they declared: ארור האיש שיגדל חזירים – Cursed is the man who raises swine, וארור האדם שילמד את בנו חכמת יוונית – and cursed is the man who teaches his son Greek wisdom! The Gemara clarifies that this refers to “Greek wisdom,” not the Greek language.
