Resources for Taanis daf 23

Daf A Week

Rabbi Yitzchok Gutterman

  1. The גמרא says חוני המעגל asked for a פּר הודאה. Rashi says he did וידוי on it. See the גבורת ארי who asks how there can be וידוי on a קרבן שלמים? A קרבן שלמים is brought as a gift, not as a כפּרה. This is also the opinion of the רמב"ם in מעשה הקרבנות פּרק ג ס"ק ט"ו  who says “יראה לי” that one does not say וידוי on a קרבן שלמים and instead says דברי שבח. Consequently, the גבורת ארי disagrees with רש"י and says חוני המעגל did not say וידוי, rather he said דברי שבח to Hashem. However, see the רדב"ז there who says that although the רמב"ם says there’s no וידוי  on a קרבן שלמים, he does not mean you aren’t allowed to say וידוי, rather you don’t have to say וידוי, but can if you wish. Accordingly, the גבורת ארי’s question is answered. Interestingly, see the פּירוש המשניות להרמב"ם on our משנה who explicitly says that חוני המעגל took the פּר הודאה and was "מתודה על חטאיו", exactly like רש"י!

 

  1. The גמרא says אבא חלקיה would pick up his cloak when walking through thorns. He reasoned that if his clothes ripped, they could not repair themselves but if his legs were injured, they would heal. It would therefore seem that one may cause himself physical harm, even to bleed. However, see the משנה in בבא קמא on דף צ which explicitly states that a person may not be חובל himself (cause himself to bleed). This is brought in שולחן ערוך חו"מ סימן ת"כ ס"ק ל"א. See also the שולחן ערוך הרב in דיני נזקי הגוף who explains this is because a person does not have “רשות” over his body to cause any harm or pain except דרך תשובה. See the שדי חמד כללים מערכת א כלל מ"א who suggests, at least according to one opinion, that while one could not cause himself to bleed, he may cause himself pain. See the ציץ אליעזר חלק י"א סימן מ"א who forbids doing cosmetic plastic surgery since one cannot be חובל himself. (This may even be an issue for something as simple as playing paintball). In any case, we are left with a strong question on how אבא חלקיה could put himself in such a situation where he might cause himself to bleed? See the אגרות משה in חושן משפט ח"ב ס' ס"ו who is מדייק in the רמב"ם  that the only איסור  of being חובל oneself is when it is done in a way of damage or disgrace. He brings the story of אבא חלקיה as clear proof that harming oneself in a non-damaging or disgraceful way is permitted.

 

  1. The גמרא says אבא חלקיה davened for the בריונים to die whereas אבא חלקיה’s wife davened that the בריונים should do תשובה, and therefore her prayers were answered first. There is an almost identical story in ברכות דף י where ר' מאיר (the grandson of אבא חלקיה ) davened for the בריונים to die and his wife ברוריה  davened that they should do תשובה. See the שו"ת מעיל צדקה סימן ז who asks a fundamental question on these stories: how would it help to daven for someone else to do תשובה? It is well known that הכל בידי שמים חוץ מיראת שמים! And how can his תפילות affect someone else’s actions? See the חזון איש at the end of סדר טהרות who shares a beautiful answer: he explains that all Jews are really one (like the concept of כל ישראל ערבים זה לזה). Therefore, when he takes the first step of davening, part of the general soul of כלל ישראל also took a first step and this is how his תפילות can influence someone else. See also the אגרות משה in או"ח חלק ד עמוד ס"ה who says תפילה can affect the person’s surroundings. For example, Hashem could make the robber less poor so that he won’t have as strong of a temptation to steal.

********************************

Click here to download maarei m’komos by Rabbi Asher Millman (in PDF)