We begin this portion of the daf with a series of fascinating encounters between Rabbi Yehoshua ben Chananya and the Roman emperor and his daughter. Through these exchanges, Rabbi Yehoshua demonstrates the infinite greatness of Hashem, showing that a human being cannot even gaze at the sun, let alone the Shechinah, and that the entire world's resources cannot prepare a feast for the Aibershter. We also learn of the daughter's mocking request and the lesson she was taught about the gifts of Hashem.
The Gemara then transitions into deep teachings from Rav Yehuda regarding the physical characteristics of a bull and a donkey, as well as the unique bull sacrificed by Adam HaRishon. This leads into a beautiful discussion of Ma'aseh Bereishis, the creation of the world, explaining how all creations were brought into being in their full stature and beauty. We also explore the shirah of the grasses and the creation of the sun and the moon.
חָזֵינָא לֵיהּ.
The emperor said to Rabbi Yehoshua: I wish to see Him, your God.
אֲזַל אוֹקְמֵיהּ לַהֲדֵי יוֹמָא בִּתְקוּפַת תַּמּוּז,
Rabbi Yehoshua went and stood him, the emperor, facing the sun during the season of Tammuz, the height of the summer heat,
אֲמַר לֵיהּ: אִיסְתַּכַּל בֵּיהּ.
and he said to him: Look at it.
אֲמַר לֵיהּ: לָא מָצֵינָא.
The emperor said to him: I cannot look at it.
אֲמַר לֵיהּ: יוֹמָא, דְּחַד מִשַּׁמָּשֵׁי דְּקָיְימִי קַמֵּי דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא אָמְרַתְּ לָא מָצֵינָא לְאִיסְתַּכָּלָא בֵּיהּ, שְׁכִינָה לֹא כׇּל שֶׁכֵּן.
Rabbi Yehoshua said to him: Regarding the sun, which is only one of the servants that stand before the Holy One, Blessed be He, you say, 'I cannot look at it'; regarding the Shechinah, the Divine Presence itself, is it not all the more so that you cannot look at Him?
אֲמַר לֵיהּ קֵיסָר לְרַבִּי יְהוֹשֻׁעַ בֶּן חֲנַנְיָה: בָּעֵינָא דְּאִיצְבֵּית לֵיהּ נַהֲמָא לֵאלָהַיְכוּ.
On another occasion, the emperor said to Rabbi Yehoshua ben Chananya: I desire to arrange a meal for your God.
אֲמַר לֵיהּ: לָא מָצֵית.
Rabbi Yehoshua said to him: You cannot do so.
אַמַּאי? נְפִישִׁי חֵילְוָותֵיהּ.
The emperor asked: Why? Rabbi Yehoshua replied: Because His hosts are too numerous for you to feed.
אֲמַר לֵיהּ: אִיבְרָא.
The emperor said to him: Indeed, I still wish to do it.
אֲמַר לֵיהּ: פּוֹק צְבֵית לְגֻידָּא דִּרְבִיתָא, דִּרְוִיחַ עָלְמָא.
Rabbi Yehoshua said to him: Go out and arrange the meal on the shore of the great sea, where the space is wide enough to hold everything.
טְרַח שִׁיתָּא יַרְחֵי קַיְיטָא, אֲתָא זִיקָא כַּנְשֵׁיהּ לְיַמָּא.
The emperor toiled for the six months of summer to prepare the feast, but then a wind came and swept it all into the sea.
טְרַח שִׁיתָּא יַרְחֵי דְּסִיתְוָא, אֲתָא מִיטְרָא טַבְּעֵיהּ בְּיַמָּא.
He toiled for the six months of winter to prepare another feast, but then rain came and sank it in the sea.
אֲמַר לֵיהּ: מַאי הַאי?
The emperor said to him: What is this? Why did this happen?
אֲמַר לֵיהּ: הָנֵי כָּנוֹשָׁאֵי זָלוֹחָאֵי דְּאָתוּ קַמֵּיהּ.
Rabbi Yehoshua said to him: These winds and rains are merely the sweepers and water-sprinklers that go before Him to clear the way, and they alone have consumed everything.
אֲמַר לֵיהּ: אִי הָכִי לָא מָצֵינָא.
The emperor said to him: If so, I cannot prepare a meal for Him.
אֲמַרָה לֵיהּ בַּת קֵיסָר לְרַבִּי יְהוֹשֻׁעַ בֶּן חֲנַנְיָה: אֱלָהֵיכוֹן נַגָּרָא הוּא, דִּכְתִיב ״הַמְקָרֶה בַמַּיִם עֲלִיּוֹתָיו״.
The daughter of the emperor said to Rabbi Yehoshua ben Chananya: Your God is a carpenter, as it is written: 'Who lays the beams of His upper chambers in the waters.'
אֵימָא לֵיהּ דְּנֶעְבֵּיד לִי חֲדָא מַסְתּוּרִיתָא.
She continued mockingly: Tell Him to make for me a single distaff for spinning wool.
אֲמַר: לְחַיֵּי, בְּעָא רַחֲמֵי עֲלַהּ וְאִינַּגְעָה.
Rabbi Yehoshua said: Very well. He prayed for mercy, meaning he prayed for a judgment, upon her, and she became afflicted with tzara'as.
אוֹתְבַהּ בְּשׁוּקָא דְּרוֹמִי וְיָהֲבִי לַהּ מַסְתּוּרִיתָא, דַּהֲווֹ נְהִיגִי דְּכֹל דִּמְנַגַּע בְּרוֹמִי יָהֲבוּ לֵיהּ מַסְתּוּרִיתָא, וְיָתֵיב בְּשׁוּקָא וְסָתַר דּוּלְלֵי, כִּי הֵיכִי דְּלִיחְזוֹ אִינָשֵׁי וְלִיבְעֵי רַחֲמֵי עֲלֵיהּ.
They seated her in the marketplace of Rome and gave her a distaff, as they were accustomed that anyone afflicted with tzara'as in Rome, they would give him a distaff, and he would sit in the marketplace and unravel bundles of wool, so that people would see him and pray for mercy for him.
יוֹמָא חַד הֲוָה קָא חָלֵיף הָתָם, הֲוָת יָתְבָא וְסָתְרָה דּוּלְלֵי בְּשׁוּקָא דְּרוֹמָאֵי,
One day Rabbi Yehoshua was passing there, and she was sitting and unraveling bundles of wool in the marketplace of Rome.
אֲמַר לַהּ: שַׁפִּירְתָּא מַסְתּוּרִיתָא דִּיהַב לִיךְ אֱלָהַי.
He said to her: Is the distaff beautiful that my God gave you?
אֲמַרָה לֵיהּ: אֵימָא לֵיהּ לֵאלָהָיךְ לִשְׁקוֹל מַאי דִּיהַב לִי.
She said to him: Tell your God to take back what He gave me.
אָמַר לָהּ: אֱלָהָא דִּידַן מֵיהָב יָהֵיב, מִשְׁקָל לָא שָׁקֵיל.
He said to her: Our God gives, but He does not take back.
אָמַר רַב יְהוּדָה: שׁוֹר כְּרַסְתָּן וּפַרְסְתָן, רַב רֵישֵׁיהּ וְרַב גְּנוּבְתֵּיהּ, וְחִילּוּפָא בַּחֲמָרָא.
Rav Yehuda said: A bull has a large belly and large hooves, its head is large and its tail is large; and the opposite is true for a donkey, which has a small belly, small hooves, a small head, and a small tail.
לְמַאי נָפְקָא מִינַּהּ? לְמִקָּח וּמִמְכָּר.
The Gemara asks: What is the practical difference of this statement? The Gemara answers: It is for matters of buying and selling, so that a buyer knows what constitutes a standard bull or donkey.
וְאָמַר רַב יְהוּדָה: שׁוֹר שֶׁהִקְרִיב אָדָם הָרִאשׁוֹן, קֶרֶן אַחַת הָיְתָה לוֹ בְּמִצְחוֹ, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: ״וְתִיטַב לַה׳ מִשּׁוֹר פָּר מַקְרִין מַפְרִיס״ –
And Rav Yehuda said: The bull that Adam HaRishon sacrificed had a single horn on its forehead, as it is stated: 'And it shall please Hashem better than a bullock that has horns and hooves.'
מַקְרִין תַּרְתֵּי מַשְׁמַע!
The Gemara objects: But the word 'makrin' implies two horns!
אָמַר רַב נַחְמָן: ״מַקְרָן״ כְּתִיב.
Rav Nachman said: It is written 'makran' without a 'yod', implying a single horn.
וְאָמַר רַב יְהוּדָה: שׁוֹר שֶׁהִקְרִיב אָדָם הָרִאשׁוֹן, קַרְנָיו קוֹדְמוֹת לְפַרְסוֹתָיו, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: ״וְתִיטַב לַה׳ מִשּׁוֹר פָּר מַקְרִין מַפְרִיס״ – מַקְרִין בְּרֵישָׁא, וַהֲדַר מַפְרִיס.
And Rav Yehuda said: The bull that Adam HaRishon sacrificed, its horns preceded its hooves in creation, as it is stated: 'And it shall please Hashem better than a bullock that has horns and hooves'—'having horns' is mentioned first, and then 'having hooves'.
מְסַיַּיע לֵיהּ לְרַבִּי יְהוֹשֻׁעַ בֶּן לֵוִי, דְּאָמַר רַבִּי יְהוֹשֻׁעַ בֶּן לֵוִי: כׇּל מַעֲשֵׂה בְרֵאשִׁית בְּקוֹמָתָן נִבְרְאוּ, בְּדַעְתָּן נִבְרְאוּ, בְּצִבְיוֹנָם נִבְרְאוּ, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר ״וַיְכֻלּוּ הַשָּׁמַיִם וְהָאָרֶץ וְכׇל צְבָאָם״, אַל תִּקְרֵי ״צְבָאָם״ אֶלָּא ״צִבְיוֹנָם״.
This supports Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi, as Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi said: All the works of Creation were created in their full stature, they were created with their full understanding, and they were created in their full beauty, as it is stated: 'And the heaven and the earth were finished, and all the host of them'; do not read 'tzeva'am', their host, but rather 'tzivyonam', their beauty and desired form.
דָּרֵשׁ רַבִּי חֲנִינָא בַּר פָּפָּא: ״יְהִי כְבוֹד ה׳ לְעוֹלָם יִשְׂמַח ה׳ בְּמַעֲשָׂיו״, פָּסוּק זֶה שַׂר הָעוֹלָם אֲמָרוֹ,
Rabbi Chanina bar Pappa expounded: 'May the glory of Hashem endure forever; let Hashem rejoice in His works.' This verse was uttered by the Angel of the World.
בְּשָׁעָה שֶׁאָמַר הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא ״לְמִינֵהוּ״ בָּאִילָנוֹת, נָשְׂאוּ דְּשָׁאִים קַל וָחוֹמֶר בְּעַצְמָן:
At the hour when the Holy One, Blessed be He, said 'after its kind' regarding the trees, the grasses applied an a fortiori argument to themselves:
אִם רְצוֹנוֹ שֶׁל הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא בְּעִרְבּוּבְיָא, לָמָּה אָמַר ״לְמִינֵהוּ״ בָּאִילָנוֹת?
If the will of the Holy One, Blessed be He, were for mixture, why did He say 'after its kind' regarding the trees?
וְעוֹד קַל וָחוֹמֶר: וּמָה אִילָנוֹת שֶׁאֵין דַּרְכָּן לָצֵאת בְּעִרְבּוּבְיָא, אָמַר הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא ״לְמִינֵהוּ״ – אָנוּ עַל אַחַת כַּמָּה וְכַמָּה!
And furthermore, there is an a fortiori argument: If trees, whose way is not to grow in a mixture, the Holy One, Blessed be He, said 'after its kind' regarding them, we, the grasses, who naturally grow in a mixture, how much more so must we grow after our kind!
מִיָּד כׇּל אֶחָד וְאֶחָד יָצָא לְמִינוֹ, פָּתַח שַׂר הָעוֹלָם וְאָמַר: ״יְהִי כְבוֹד ה׳ לְעוֹלָם יִשְׂמַח ה׳ בְּמַעֲשָׂיו״.
Immediately, each and every one of the grasses came forth after its kind. The Angel of the World opened his mouth and said: 'May the glory of Hashem endure forever; let Hashem rejoice in His works.'
בָּעֵי רָבִינָא: הִרְכִּיב שְׁנֵי דְּשָׁאִים זֶה עַל גַּב זֶה
Ravina raised a dilemma: If one grafted two species of grass onto one another, is there a prohibition of kilayim as there is with trees?
לְרַבִּי חֲנִינָא בַּר פָּפָּא מַהוּ?
According to Rabbi Chanina bar Pappa, what is the halachic status of crossbreeding trees? Is one liable for doing so?
כֵּיוָן דְּלָא כְּתַב בְּהוּ ״לְמִינֵהוּ״ לָא מִיחַיַּיב,
Do we say that since the phrase "after its kind" is not written regarding them in the verses of Creation, one is not liable for transgressing the prohibition of kilayim with them?
אוֹ דִילְמָא כֵּיוָן דְּהִסְכִּים אַיְּדַיְהוּ – כְּמַאן דִּכְתִיב בְּהוּ ״לְמִינֵהוּ״ דָּמְיָא?
Or perhaps, since Hashem agreed with them after the fact, it is considered as if "after its kind" was written regarding them from the outset?
תֵּיקוּ.
The Gemara concludes: The question shall stand unresolved.
רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן בֶּן פַּזִּי רָמֵי:
Rabbi Shimon ben Pazi raised a contradiction between two verses.
כְּתִיב ״וַיַּעַשׂ אֱלֹהִים אֶת שְׁנֵי הַמְּאֹרֹת הַגְּדֹלִים״,
It is written: "And Elokim made the two great lights," implying they were equal,
וּכְתִיב ״אֶת הַמָּאוֹר הַגָּדוֹל וְאֶת הַמָּאוֹר הַקָּטֹן״.
and yet in the same verse it is written: "the greater light and the lesser light," indicating one was smaller!
אָמְרָה יָרֵחַ לִפְנֵי הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא: רִבּוֹנוֹ שֶׁל עוֹלָם, אֶפְשָׁר לִשְׁנֵי מְלָכִים שֶׁיִּשְׁתַּמְּשׁוּ בְּכֶתֶר אֶחָד?
He explains: Initially they were equal, but the moon said before the Holy One, Blessed be He: "Master of the Universe, is it possible for two kings to use one crown?"
אָמַר לָהּ: לְכִי וּמַעֲטִי אֶת עַצְמֵךְ.
Hashem said to her: "Go and diminish yourself."
אָמְרָה לְפָנָיו: רִבּוֹנוֹ שֶׁל עוֹלָם, הוֹאִיל וְאָמַרְתִּי לְפָנֶיךָ דָּבָר הָגוּן, אַמְעִיט אֶת עַצְמִי?!
She said before Him: "Master of the Universe, since I said a proper thing before You, should I diminish myself?"
אָמַר לָהּ: לְכִי וּמְשׁוֹל בַּיּוֹם וּבַלַּיְלָה.
He said to her: "Go and rule both during the day and during the night."
אֲמַרָה לֵיהּ: מַאי רְבוּתֵיהּ? דִּשְׁרָגָא בְּטִיהֲרָא מַאי אַהֲנִי?
She said to Him: "What is the greatness of that? Of what use is a candle in the middle of the day?"
אֲמַר לַהּ: זִיל לִימְנוֹ בָּךְ יִשְׂרָאֵל יָמִים וְשָׁנִים.
He said to her: "Go, let Israel count the days and years by you."
אָמְרָה לֵיהּ: יוֹמָא נָמֵי אִי אֶפְשָׁר דְּלָא מָנוּ בֵּיהּ תְּקוּפָתָא, דִּכְתִיב ״וְהָיוּ לְאֹתֹת וּלְמוֹעֲדִים וּלְיָמִים וְשָׁנִים״.
She said to Him: "But by the sun also, it is impossible that they will not count the seasons, as it is written: 'And let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days and years.'"
זִיל לִיקְרוֹ צַדִּיקֵי בִּשְׁמִיךְ: ״יַעֲקֹב הַקָּטָן״, ״שְׁמוּאֵל הַקָּטָן״, ״דָּוִד הַקָּטָן״.
He said to her: "Go, let righteous men be called by your name: 'Yaakov the Small', 'Shmuel the Small', 'Dovid the Small'."
חַזְיַיהּ דְּלָא קָא מִיַּתְּבָא דַּעְתַּהּ, אָמַר הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא: הָבִיאוּ כַּפָּרָה עָלַי שֶׁמִּיעַטְתִּי אֶת הַיָּרֵחַ!
When He saw that her mind was not comforted, the Holy One, Blessed be He, said: "Bring an atonement for Me because I diminished the moon!"
וְהַיְינוּ דְּאָמַר רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן בֶּן לָקִישׁ: מָה נִשְׁתַּנָּה שָׂעִיר שֶׁל רֹאשׁ חֹדֶשׁ שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר בּוֹ ״לַה׳״?
And this is what Rabbi Shimon ben Lakish said: Why is the goat-offering of Rosh Chodesh different, that it is said regarding it: "for Hashem"?
אָמַר הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא: שָׂעִיר זֶה יְהֵא כַּפָּרָה עַל שֶׁמִּיעַטְתִּי אֶת הַיָּרֵחַ.
The Holy One, Blessed be He, said: "This goat shall be an atonement for Me for having diminished the moon."
רַב אַסִּי רָמֵי, כְּתִיב: ״וַתּוֹצֵא הָאָרֶץ דֶּשֶׁא״ (בתלת) [בִּתְלָתָא] בְּשַׁבָּא,
Rav Assi raised a contradiction: It is written: "And the earth brought forth grass" on the third day of the week of Creation,
וּכְתִיב: ״וְכׇל שִׂיחַ הַשָּׂדֶה טֶרֶם יִהְיֶה בָאָרֶץ״ בְּמַעֲלֵי שַׁבְּתָא,
and it is written: "And every shrub of the field was not yet in the earth" on the eve of Shabbos, the sixth day, before Adam was created!
מְלַמֵּד שֶׁיָּצְאוּ דְּשָׁאִים וְעָמְדוּ עַל פֶּתַח קַרְקַע, עַד שֶׁבָּא אָדָם הָרִאשׁוֹן וּבִקֵּשׁ עֲלֵיהֶם רַחֲמִים, וְיָרְדוּ גְּשָׁמִים וְצָמְחוּ,
This teaches that the grasses emerged and stood at the opening of the ground, until Adam the First came and prayed for mercy upon them, and rain fell and they sprouted,
לְלַמֶּדְךָ שֶׁהַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא מִתְאַוֶּה לִתְפִלָּתָן שֶׁל צַדִּיקִים.
to teach you that the Holy One, Blessed be He, desires the prayers of the righteous.
רַב נַחְמָן בַּר פָּפָּא הַוְיָא לֵיהּ הָהִיא גִּינְּתָא, שְׁדִי בַּיהּ בִּיזְרָנֵי וְלָא צְמַח.
Rav Nachman bar Pappa had a certain garden; he sowed seeds in it and they did not sprout.
בְּעָא רַחֲמֵי, אֲתָא מִיטְרָא וּצְמַח.
He prayed for mercy, rain came, and they sprouted.
אֲמַר: הַיְינוּ דְּרַב אַסִּי.
He said: This is the meaning of that which Rav Assi said.
אָמַר רַב חָנָן בַּר רָבָא: ״הַשְּׁסוּעָה״ בְּרִיָּה בִּפְנֵי עַצְמָהּ הִיא, שֶׁיֵּשׁ לָהּ שְׁנֵי גַּבִּין וּשְׁנֵי שִׁדְרָאוֹת.
Rav Chanan bar Rava said: "The shasua" is a creature on its own, which has two backs and two spines.
וְכִי מֹשֶׁה רַבֵּינוּ קְנִיגִי הָיָה אוֹ בַּלִּיסְטָרִי הָיָה?
And was Moshe Rabbeinu a hunter or an archer that he would know of all exotic beasts?
מִכָּאן תְּשׁוּבָה לָאוֹมֵר אֵין תּוֹרָה מִן הַשָּׁמַיִם.
From here there is a refutation to one who says the Torah is not from Heaven.
אֲמַר לֵיהּ רַב חִסְדָּא לְרַב תַּחְלִיפָא בַּר אֲבִינָא: זִיל כְּתוֹב ״קְנִיגִי וּבַלִּיסְטָרִי״ בְּאַגַּדְתָּיךְ, וּפָרְשַׁהּ.
Rav Chisda said to Rav Tachlifa bar Avina: Go write "hunter and archer" in your book of Aggada, and explain it.
״וְאֶת חֲמֵשֶׁת סַרְנֵי פְלִשְׁתִּים הָעַזָּתִי וְהָאַשְׁדּוֹדִי הָאֶשְׁקְלוֹנִי הַגִּתִּי וְהָעֶקְרוֹנִי וְהָעַוִּים״, אָמַר חַמְשָׁה וְחָשֵׁיב שִׁיתָּא!
The verse states: "And the five lords of the Philistines: the Gazite, and the Ashdodite, the Ashkelonite, the Gittite, and the Ekronite; and the Avvim." The Gemara asks: It says "five" and yet it counts six!
אָמַר רַבִּי יוֹנָתָן: אֲרוּנְקֵי שֶׁלָּהֶן חֲמִשָּׁה.
Rabbi Yonatan said: Their chief rulers were five, and the Avvim were lesser.
אֲמַר לֵיהּ רַב חִסְדָּא לְרַב תַּחְלִיפָא בַּר אֲבִינָא: כְּתוֹב ״אֲרוּנְקֵי״ בְּאַגַּדְתָּיךְ וּפָרְשַׁהּ.
Rav Chisda said to Rav Tachlifa bar Avina: Write "chief rulers" in your book of Aggada, and explain it.
וּפְלִיגָא דְּרַב, דְּאָמַר רַב: עַוִּים מִתֵּימָן בָּאוּ.
And this disagrees with Rav, for Rav said: The Avvim came from Teiman, and were not Philistines at all.
תַּנְיָא נָמֵי הָכִי: עַוִּים מִתֵּימָן בָּאוּ, וְלָמָּה נִקְרָא שְׁמָן עַוִּים? שֶׁעִיוְּתוּ אֶת מְקוֹמָן.
It is also taught in a Braisa: The Avvim came from Teiman. And why was their name called Avvim? Because they ruined their place when they left it.
דָּבָר אַחֵר: עַוִּים, שֶׁאִיוּוּ לֶאֱלֹהוֹת הַרְבֵּה.
Another explanation: Avvim, because they desired many gods.
דָּבָר אַחֵר: עַוִּים, שֶׁכׇּל הָרוֹאֶה אוֹתָם אוֹחַזְתּוֹ עֲוִית.
Another explanation: Avvim, because anyone who saw them was seized by convulsions out of fear.
אָמַר רַב יוֹסֵף: וְאִית לְהוּ שִׁיתַּסְרֵי דָּרֵי שִׁינֵּי לְכׇל חַד וְחַד.
Rav Yosef said: And each and every one of them had sixteen rows of teeth.
אָמַר רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן בֶּן לָקִישׁ: הַרְבֵּה מִקְרָאוֹת שֶׁרְאוּיִין לִשְׂרוֹף כְּסִפְרֵי מִינִין, וְהֵן הֵן גּוּפֵי תוֹרָה.
Rabbi Shimon ben Lakish said: There are many verses that seem fit to be burned like the books of heretics because they appear to have no purpose, and yet they are the very essence of Torah.
״וְהָעַוִּים הַיֹּשְׁבִים בַּחֲצֵרִים עַד עַזָּה״ – מַאי נָפְקָא לַן מִינַּהּ?
For example: "And the Avvim who dwelt in open towns as far as Gaza..." What difference does this make to us?
מִדְּאַשְׁבְּעֵיהּ אֲבִימֶלֶךְ לְאַבְרָהָם ״אִם תִּשְׁקֹר לִי וּלְנִינִי וּלְנֶכְדִּי״,
Since Avimelech made Avraham swear: "That you will not deal falsely with me, nor with my son, nor with my grandson," Israel could not conquer Philistine land.
אָמַר הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא: לֵיתוֹ כַּפְתּוֹרִים לִיפְּקוּ מֵעַוִּים, דְּהַיְינוּ פְּלִשְׁתִּים, וְלֵיתוֹ יִשְׂרָאֵל לִיפְּקוּ מִכַּפְתּוֹרִים.
Therefore, the Holy One, Blessed be He, said: Let the Caphtorim come and take it from the Avvim, who are Philistines, and then let Israel come and take it from the Caphtorim, which is permitted.
כְּיוֹצֵא בַּדָּבָר אַתָּה אוֹמֵר: ״כִּי חֶשְׁבּוֹן עִיר סִיחֹן מֶלֶךְ הָאֱמֹרִי הִוא וְהוּא נִלְחַם בְּמֶלֶךְ מוֹאָב וְגוֹ׳״.
Similarly, you say regarding the verse: "For Cheshbon was the city of Sichon, king of the Amorites, and he had fought against the former king of Moav..."
מַאי נָפְקָא מִינַּהּ?
What difference does this make?
דַּאֲמַר לְהוּ הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא לְיִשְׂרָאֵל: ״אַל תָּצַר אֶת מוֹאָב״.
Because the Holy One, Blessed be He, had said to Israel: "Do not distress Moav" by conquering their land.
אָמַר הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא: לֵיתֵי סִיחוֹן לִיפּוֹק מִמּוֹאָב, וְלֵיתוֹ יִשְׂרָאֵל וְלִיפְּקוּ מִסִּיחוֹן.
Therefore, the Holy One, Blessed be He, said: Let Sichon come and take it from Moav, and then let Israel come and take it from Sichon.
וְהַיְינוּ דְּאָמַר רַב פָּפָּא: עַמּוֹן וּמוֹאָב טִיהֲרוּ בְּסִיחוֹן.
And this is what Rav Pappa said: Ammon and Moav were permitted to Israel through Sichon.
״צִידֹנִים יִקְרְאוּ לְחֶרְמוֹן שִׂרְיֹן״,
The verse states: "The Tzidonians call Chermon 'Siryon' and the Amorites call it 'Senir'."
תָּנָא: שְׂנִיר וְשִׂרְיוֹן מֵהָרֵי אֶרֶץ יִשְׂרָאֵל,
A Tanna taught: Senir and Siryon are among the mountains of Eretz Yisrael.
מְלַמֵּד שֶׁכׇּל אֶחָד וְאֶחָד מֵאוּמּוֹת הָעוֹלָם הָלַךְ וּבָנָה לוֹ כְּרַךְ גָּדוֹל לְעַצְמוֹ, וְהֶעֱלָה לוֹ עַל שֵׁם הָרֵי אֶרֶץ יִשְׂרָאֵל,
This teaches that each and every one of the nations of the world went and built a great city for themselves, and named it after the mountains of Eretz Yisrael,
לְלַמֶּדְךָ שֶׁאֲפִילּוּ הָרֵי אֶרֶץ יִשְׂרָאֵל חֲבִיבִין עַל אֻומּוֹת הָעוֹלָם.
to teach you that even the mountains of Eretz Yisrael are beloved to the nations of the world.
כַּיּוֹצֵא בּוֹ: ״וְאֶת הָעָם הֶעֱבִיר אֹתוֹ לֶעָרִים״, מַאי נָפְקָא מִינַּהּ?
Similarly: "And as for the people, he removed them to cities." What difference does this make?
דְּלָא לִיקְרוֹ לְאֶחָיו גָּלְוָותָא.
It was so that the Egyptians should not call Yosef's brothers "exiles," since everyone was now displaced.
סִימָנֵי הָעוֹף לֹא נֶאֶמְרוּ, וְלָא?
The Mishnah stated: The signs of a kosher bird were not stated in the Torah. The Gemara asks: And were they not?
וְהָתַנְיָא: ״נֶשֶׁר״,
But surely it is taught in a Braisa: "The nesher" is mentioned to teach us its signs!
The daf covers several key areas: first, Rabbi Yehoshua's debates with the Roman royals, establishing that Hashem's glory is beyond physical sight or human hosting, and that His decrees are absolute. Next, Rav Yehuda provides practical guidelines for buying and selling livestock based on their physical proportions, and teaches that Adam HaRishon's bull was created with its horn preceding its hooves, supporting the principle that all of Creation was formed in its complete, beautiful state. Finally, we learn of the grasses' kal vachomer to remain distinct after their kind, which prompts a halachic inquiry by Ravina regarding the prohibition of kilayim with grasses, and we read the famous Chazal regarding the moon's complaint about sharing a crown with the sun, which led to her diminution.
Look at the beautiful lesson Rav Assi teaches us on our daf. The grasses were fully formed, standing right at the edge of the soil, ready to burst forth. Yet they remained hidden, waiting. Why? Because Hashem was waiting for Adam HaRishon to pray for them. The Aibershter desires the prayers of the righteous. He deliberately holds back the rain, not out of lack, chas v'shalom, but because He wants to hear your voice. He wants the relationship that only prayer can build.
Sometimes we look at our lives and feel like those seeds under the soil. We have worked, we have put in the effort, and everything is ready to grow, yet nothing is breaking through. We might feel forgotten or frustrated. But the Gemara is telling us the exact opposite is true. Hashem is holding the rain back because He is waiting for you to turn to Him. Your tefillah is not a last resort when things do not work; it is the very purpose of the delay.
Today, when you daven, do not just run through the words. Stop for one moment before you begin and realize that the Aibershter is waiting specifically for your voice to bring down the blessing.