Put Your Money Where Your Respect Is

To the Gamara on the bottom of Daf Yud Alef, we're going to tell a story. The Gamara said Rabban Gamliel and Rabbi Yehoshua were once traveling together on a sfina. Rabban Gamliel took tzeida laderech with him. He took pita. Rabbi Yehoshua took tzeida laderech with him. He took pita and he also took soiles. Now, this trip ended up taking longer than anticipated and it got so long Rabban Gamliel ran out of his food. He ran out of his pita. Thankfully, Rabbi Yehoshua had taken soiles with him and he was able to use the soiles to make new pita and as a result they had what to eat. Rabban Gamliel turned to Rabbi Yehoshua and he tells Rabbi Yehoshua, "How did you know to take soiles?" Meaning, usually if you're going on a trip, on a business trip, you don't start taking ingredients and oil and flour and brown sugar. You don't start taking all these things. Like, how did you know to take soiles? So, Rabbi Yehoshua says, "You know, I have some ideas in astronomy and I know there's a kochav that ascends once every 70 years and this is mevalvel and makes the sailors in completely tamish. And I had a hunch, we we all might leave, that maybe this is when this kochav is going to come and as a result I felt better safe than sorry. I took with me a little bit of soiles." Rabban Gamliel heard what Rabbi Yehoshua told him. He was amazed. This was not the answer he was expecting. He says, "Rabbi Yehoshua, you're the smartest person I ever met in my life." Right? Poetic license. "You're an absolute genius." He said, "If you're so smart, why are you on your way now to the other side of the world to to make parnassa? You can't figure out a way to stay home and and support your family." So, Rabbi Yehoshua didn't answer him. But, what Rabbi Yehoshua did tell him is, "You think that's a chiddush? He said, 'I want to tell you about two talmidim of yours that you don't even know was tzeitzach ba'iseh. Rabbi Elazar Chisma and Rabbi Yochanan ben Gudgada. They're so smart that they could tell you how many teipa'os there are in the yam that we're in right now. And they don't even have pita and soiles. Ba'eima pas lachmo v'lo bigdei l'vasho.' And they don't have clothing to wear." Rabban Gamliel heard that. He says, "Oh my gosh." He says, "When I come back, I'm going to fix this problem." Nosan eitzah l'Roshei Yeshiva. He made up that he's going to give them a position. He comes back. He meets with them. They don't want to come. Finally, he said, "I want to offer you a position." He said, "No, we're not taking any stellas." He says, "No, you think I'm giving you a stella? Trust me. This is not a stella. This stella is an avdus." And he quoted a pasuk, what the zekeinim told Yechalam when he came to them for counsel, "V'yidabru eilav l'eimor im yom tiyeh eved l'ameh zeh." You want to be in a position of authority, ultimately you're going to have to subordinate yourself to your subject and as a result don't think it's such a s'rora. Take the position like this they're going to be able to have parnassa. Now, poshut when you learn this Gamara, what the Gamara sounds like it's saying is that Rabban Gamliel heard these two yungelach that didn't have parnassa. So, he wanted to be mefarnes them b'derech kavod. So, he felt I'll give them a stella. You'll have this position, you'll have that position and like this they're going to have jobs. You have jobs, you get a paycheck, you're able to mefarnes the family, they'll have pas lachmo and they'll have bigdei l'vasho. That's poshut p'shat in the Gamara. Stating that, the Tashbetz, Echad min ha'Rishonim, Rabbi Shimon ben Tzemach, in his Shailos u'Teshuvos Tashbetz, this is in Siman Kuf Mem Beis. He says a beautiful p'shat in this Gamara. Poshut p'shat in the Gamara from one of the Rishonim and this is based on an inyan that came up in yesterday's daf. It's an inyan that's going to come up again in the few dafin that we have left in the Seder Zera'im and it's in Beis Medrash l'Chiddush because it's something that we've spoken about in the past. >> [snorts] >> And that is as follows. Yesterday's daf, the Gamara brought a drasha. It says regarding the Kohen Gadol, "V'haKohen ha'Gadol me'echav." Darshu Chazal, what does it mean that the Kohen Gadol was gadol me'echav? He was gadol b'noi, he had to be more handsome, b'koach, he had to be stronger, b'chochma, he had to be wiser, u'v'osher, he had to be wealthier. Now, what would be if you found a Kohen Gadol, he's very noi, he's very strong and he's a big ba'al kishron, but l'ma'aseh tzafalti me'aviso, he doesn't have the money. "Acheirim omerim, minayin she'ein lo gadol mishalacho?" How do we know that the brothers had a responsibility to make sure that he had what he needed and that he was going to be wealthier than all his brothers? "Talmud lomar v'haKohen ha'Gadol me'echav asher yotzei kavod rosho gadol me'echav." There's an obligation, there's an obligation to make the Kohen Gadol wealthy. He has to be gadol b'noi, b'koach, b'chochma, u'v'osher and there's a chiyuv, there's an obligation if he doesn't even have it to go ahead and make him into a gvir. Says the Tashbetz, "I have two rayos from Rashi's in Shas that this halacha of gadol mishalacho was not only true for the Kohen Gadol, but it was true for the Nasi as well. It was true for the Rosh Yeshiva and seemingly it would have been true for any person that was in a position of authority. The first Rashi is in maybe our favorite Gamara and that is Ta'anis Daf Chaf Alef Amud Alef. It's the ma'aseh with Ilfa and Rabbi Yochanan. So, we don't have to chazer over the whole ma'aseh with Ilfa and Rabbi Yochanan, but the Gamara says that Ilfa and Rabbi Yochanan were learning together and they decided that to go make parnassa because they both didn't have anything and they both left. Rabbi Yochanan is a ba'al kishron, he goes back. Ilfa continues, he becomes the socher, talmid chacham, da'as Torah, magoles Yisrael. Right? The income of But, when Ilfa comes back, he saw that melech Rabbi Yochanan. Rabbi Yochanan had become melech. Says Rashi, "What does it mean melech Rabbi Yochanan? Meinu Rosh Yeshiva aleihem." He had become the Rosh Yeshiva. Says Rashi, "Minhag k'vod minhag was mishahu Rosh Yeshiva the person that was Rosh Yeshiva hayu megadlin oso mishalacho u'mashirin oso." They would be megadlin the person and they would turn him into a gvir. "K'd'amrinan l'gabei Kohen Gadol like you find by the Kohen Gadol b'Sifrei d'vei Kohen Yud Ches, it's also hayu meyasdin oso. "V'haKohen ha'Gadol me'echav gadol me'echav zok Rashi that Rabbi Yochanan when he became the Rosh Yeshiva they also made him a gvir." By the way, why is Rashi speaking that out in the ma'aseh of Ilfa and Rabbi Yochanan? Right? In Beis Medrash l'Chiddush, who comes to say that? It's because that was the whole beginning of the story. The beginning of the story was that Ilfa and Rabbi Yochanan they both had no money and they said, "Let's go work. We'll be mekayem the pasuk of "Efes ki lo yihiyeh v'cha evyon." Ilfa was mekayem that pasuk by becoming a socher. He became a big successful businessman. Rabbi Yochanan was mekayem the pasuk by becoming a Rosh Yeshiva. That's why we're going to ask Rashi. Right? Why is Rashi saying this? It's because Ilfa comes back and he saw melech Rabbi Yochanan. What did he see? Poshut melech Rabbi Yochanan, he became a big olam gadol. He goes down as the great Rabbi Yochanan. No, melech Rabbi Yochanan got meyu'as u'me'uchad. Right? He made more money also. So, that he also had. That's all nichlal in what Ilfa sees when he comes back and he sees that melech Rabbi Poshut p'shat, but I'll go upon him. It's an offen Rashi says the Tashbetz that what does it mean melech Rabbi Yochanan? Once he became Rosh Yeshiva, at that point "Hayu megadlin oso mishalacho u'mashirin oso." it's actually interesting because Rashi's lashon is minhag it was a minhag. This halacha of gadol mishalacho is a din. So, it could be regarding the Kohen Gadol it's a din. Regarding the Rosh Yeshiva it's only a minhag. But, either way, I'm mefaresh Rashi in Shas, Ilfa [snorts] and Rabbi Yochanan, Ta'anis Chaf Alef Amud Alef. The second Rashi is in the Gamara in Maseches Sotah Daf Mem Alef Amud Alef. The Gamara there is talking about Anav ben Sanusi Rabbah bar Avuha. Mar talks about what an anav, what a humble person the great Rabbah bar Avuha was. So, the Gamara says, "Basura, I'll tell you another story. Rabbah bar Avuha and Rabbi Abba bar Abba and Rabbi Zeira. The Rabbanan got together, they convened and they voted that Rabbah bar Avuha should become the Rosh Yeshiva. Given [snorts] the chazaka of Rabbi Abba bar Abba and Rabbi Zeira bar Abba bar Chiyya, but then Rabbah bar Avuha saw that Rabbi Abba bar Abba had a lot of chiyavus. He saw he was in debt. Amar lo hu so he told the oilam, "Ika Rabbi Zeira, there's somebody bigger than me, make him Rosh Yeshiva instead." So, Rabbah bar Avuha was just voted in to be Rosh Yeshiva. He is the nominee and he says, "I'm going to I'm going to pass and want you to take my nomination and give it instead to Rabbi Abba bar Abba Why? Because he's a great ba'al chiyav." Which I guess because he's a ba'al chiyav, that's why he should become the Rosh Yeshiva. Zok the heilige Rashi. "Amar Rabbah bar Avuha, 'Isman Rabbah, there's someone greater than me. Chacham gadol v'ro'eh nashim b'rosh yoseir mimeni.'" Why did he say it? "K'dei she'yoshivu b'rosh because they wanted Rabbi Abba bar Abba to become Rosh Yeshiva. V'nosnin lo matanos." And when he becomes Rosh Yeshiva they're going to give him gifts. "U'mashirin oso." They're going to make him wealthy. "K'dei she'yihiyeh chashuv yishme'u b'dvarav." Because if he's not going to be wealthy, he won't be chashuv, people are not going to take him seriously. "K'dei hatanya v'Kohen ha'Gadol me'echav gadol mishalacho." Said the Tashbetz, "I found another Rashi where Rashi says the same exact thing. That the minhag was that they would make the Rosh Yeshiva wealthy so he should be a respected person bei'neihem. But, the bottom line is based on this Chazal that Kohen Gadol gadol mishalacho and that's why Rabbah bar Avuha with his chochma wanted that Rabbi Abba bar Abba should become the Rosh Yeshiva. Why? Like this, so make money. Because he knew he was in debt. He was in financial hack. So, like this he's going to be able to kick out of his grave. This will be the lifeline for him. A beautiful Gamara with a beautiful p'shat in Rashi. But, says the Tashbetz, "I have two Rashis where Rashi says that this halacha of gadol mishalacho is not only true for the Kohen Gadol, but it's true for a Nasi as well. And the emes is, the emes is says the Tashbetz, 'Had g'va'at.' He's quoting Rishonim here. 'Had g'va'at m'lacha.' He's saying it makes perfect sense that this is the way it should be. You know why? Because we're going to learn in a Gamara at the end of Eruvin. This is a famous Gamara, but it's coming up. Where the Gamara says, "Mamzer talmid chacham is kodem the Kohen Gadol l'am ha'aretz." If someone is a talmid chacham, even if he's a mamzer, he gets kedima l'chol davar she'bikdusha than to the Kohen Gadol if he's an am ha'aretz. That means in the rank and file, a talmid chacham is greater than the Kohen Gadol. After they cut the mamzer talmid chacham is greater than the Kohen Gadol l'am ha'aretz. If that's the case, madua you find says the Tashbetz there's a halacha of gadol mishalacho when it comes to the Kohen Gadol, which is a chashuve inyan kesser kehuna. Kal v'chomer when it comes to kesser Torah, which is over all gabeihem. Where you find that the mamzer talmid chacham comes before the Kohen Gadol l'am ha'aretz, certainly there has to be a din of gadol mishalacho. So, said the Tashbetz, "It has to be. If there's gadol mishalacho by the Kohen Gadol, there has to be gadol mishalacho by the Nasi, by the Rosh Yeshiva." And that's p'shat in Rashi in Ta'anis Chaf Alef Amud Alef. That's p'shat in Rashi in Maseches Sotah Daf Mem Alef Amud Alef. Zok the Tashbetz toich d'varav in the middle of this teshuvah, that's that's what's going on in the Gamara talked away. It's talked away because it's like from the first I got to take a more sitting in the middle of the middle of the very intense Gamaras that told the story about Rob Gamliel and at the end of the story Rob Gamliel is made aware that is two tell me that Rob Hishma and Ben Goodgawda should be shot at people beyond over the hill and passed level. So what was his idea? His idea was let me make him a Shiva. Let me give them a So we learned the Gamara it means make give him a position. Give him something. Give him a job. Give him whatever it is. Like this is says the that's not what's going on. He wanted to make him a real rush. Maybe give him a real throne. And if he's going to get a real throne he's going to have a real position. This is going to be a God of and if there's a God at this point he's going to happen. Also says the that's what's going on over here in this Gamara. This is this it's a beautiful true it's good to see inside. It's in column 102 and really continues to 103 104 105 106. It's all the same in the end. The show you clearly in these had asked the I mean he starts off he doesn't respond to a show you but he's responding to an Indian that it seems like is is making a more. So this is like a more going on in the times of the and he's sitting down and he's writing a letter and he says I want to address something. So sometimes it's current events and you you'd love to hear what certain people have to say on that topic and that's what the is doing. The was the in his period of time. Which Ram appears in his period of time where the Ram talks about the mission that says that is not allowed to be a right? And a person is not allowed to be kiss that Ram talks about this is a very very famous Ram the income of and the idea of that Ram is that you find with I mean Ram that they didn't want to take anything from anybody. Think of Ram and they were so nice and nice. When it came to being not to take from another person. Ram says there's no question people would have been the finest of who went to give them who wouldn't write women style with Ram right? Anybody would have anyone that could afford it. So how's it possible that all these people all these people with such nice people they didn't want to be kiss that says I hear a big and people are quoting the Ram that are saying that says that that would seem to suggest that it's not okay to be a rough. And it's not okay to give to a to the Shiva. It's not okay to do this and the writes this true and really this series of to go connect with that and to say the they used to give more than anybody else. There was an Indian of God and learn of the Gamara of Ram and how he goes from being an ordinary man to a clear and look at Ram's idea of Ram and the the way how he had this because he's stuck in and look at the stuff you don't know and he brings chapter and verse. I'm just mentioning a few but he goes through right after right that they used to idolize that Indian. So maybe it was he doesn't address it so head on but that was already addressed by the mission even years later but he can but he says don't misquote that Ram because you're taking the Ram out of context you don't know how to understand that Ram because it's clear from Jewish history this is always the way it was. One of the one of the things that says he says they have to understand that if you see there's an Indian of God when it comes to the when it comes to the then it has to be true for all as long as I feel like I'm in the I feel like I'm in the even if they're not on the level of they're you have to be and not only be you have to be and it goes on by of being someone who's where all he does is is similar to he wakes up in the morning >> [snorts] >> going to first say there and he goes sleep at night from night say there and this is what he's thinking about the entire day. Says the even though this doesn't mean that this means the but it's possible still possible and this if this is the way it is when it comes to the the this is the way it has to be for all people that are the and really these are a tremendous in understanding the of the way they and the role that they play in Israel. And it's also a tremendous in understanding the the of of the in column he talks about that there's a God that if someone's this moved to have a baby. If someone does this it's guaranteed he's going to get a lot of the number of people that have this. He says if someone's this moved to guaranteed he's going to get a lot of reward. The number of people that have this. What is that? How much people have this? I'm >> [snorts] >> I'm going to have no right I'm going to have no way to live. How they going to come up with what's going to be in the Gamara says until finally was able to come up with an there was an that was found for the what is it? Three things. If somebody marries off his daughter to a Ram. If somebody does business for a Ram and he helps someone with his business or if someone is those three things is the school of even for the to be come with a mason. Says the if someone's these things he marries off his daughter to a Ram. He does on behalf of a Ram and he's a Ram in the such a person is moved to have a baby. The number of people that have this. Anyway this is what's going on in this and really why we talking about this cuz it's a beautiful in our Gamara here in Ram.