In this daf, we continue the inspiring and famous story of Nakdimon ben Guryon, who took a massive loan of twelve cisterns of water from a non-Jewish official for the sake of the yom tov pilgrims, pledging a fortune if he could not return the water by sunset. We see the power of a Yid's tefillah when it is done purely for the honor of Shamayim, as Nakdimon's heartfelt davening brings down a miraculous rain to fill the cisterns, and then causes the sun to break through the clouds to prove the day had not yet ended.
We then transition to a deeper discussion of other great tzaddikim for whom the sun stood still—Moshe Rabbeinu and Yehoshua—deriving these miracles from the pesukim. Following this, the Gemara returns to the Mishnah's discussion of localized droughts, explaining how a city that receives rain while its neighbor does not is actually a curse for both, and expounding on how even the bitterest curses in Tanach contain hidden, beautiful berachos for Klal Yisrael.
וְעַכְשָׁיו יֵרְדוּ גְּשָׁמִים?!
The Roman official mocked him, saying: And now, at this late hour, will rain fall?!
נִכְנַס לְבֵית הַמֶּרְחָץ בְּשִׂמְחָה.
The official then entered the bathhouse in joy, anticipating the money he would collect.
עַד שֶׁהַהֶגְמוֹן נִכְנַס בְּשִׂמְחָתוֹ לְבֵית הַמֶּרְחָץ, נַקְדִּימוֹן נִכְנַס לְבֵית הַמִּקְדָּשׁ כְּשֶׁהוּא עָצוּב.
While the official entered in his joy into the bathhouse, Nakdimon entered the Beis HaMikdash while he was sad.
נִתְעַטֵּף, וְעָמַד בִּתְפִלָּה.
He wrapped himself in his tallis and stood in prayer.
אָמַר לְפָנָיו: רִבּוֹנוֹ שֶׁל עוֹלָם! גָּלוּי וְיָדוּעַ לְפָנֶיךָ שֶׁלֹּא לִכְבוֹדִי עָשִׂיתִי, וְלֹא לִכְבוֹד בֵּית אַבָּא עָשִׂיתִי, אֶלָּא לִכְבוֹדְךָ עָשִׂיתִי, שֶׁיְּהוּ מַיִם מְצוּיִין לְעוֹלֵי רְגָלִים.
He said before Him: Master of the Universe! It is revealed and known before You that not for my honor did I act, and not for the honor of my father's house did I act, but rather for Your honor did I act, so that there should be water available for the festival pilgrims.
מִיָּד נִתְקַשְּׁרוּ שָׁמַיִם בְּעָבִים, וְיָרְדוּ גְּשָׁמִים עַד שֶׁנִּתְמַלְּאוּ שְׁתֵּים עֶשְׂרֵה מַעֲיָנוֹת מַיִם וְהוֹתִירוּ.
Immediately, the heavens became bound with thick clouds, and rains fell until twelve springs of water were filled and overflowed.
עַד שֶׁיָּצָא הֶגְמוֹן מִבֵּית הַמֶּרְחָץ, נַקְדִּימוֹן בֶּן גּוּרְיוֹן יָצָא מִבֵּית הַמִּקְדָּשׁ.
As the official went out from the bathhouse, Nakdimon ben Guryon went out from the Beis HaMikdash.
כְּשֶׁפָּגְעוּ זֶה בָּזֶה, אָמַר לוֹ: תֵּן לִי דְּמֵי מַיִם יוֹתֵר שֶׁיֵּשׁ לִי בְּיָדְךָ!
When they met one another, Nakdimon said to him: Give me the money for the extra water that I have in your hand, as the cisterns overflowed!
אָמַר לוֹ: יוֹדֵעַ אֲנִי שֶׁלֹּא הִרְעִישׁ הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא אֶת עוֹלָמוֹ אֶלָּא בִּשְׁבִילְךָ,
The official said to him: I know that the Holy One, Blessed be He, did not shake His world except for your sake,
אֶלָּא עֲדַיִין יֵשׁ לִי פִּתְחוֹן פֶּה עָלֶיךָ, שֶׁאוֹצִיא מִמְּךָ אֶת מְעוֹתַיי, שֶׁכְּבָר שָׁקְעָה חַמָּה, וּגְשָׁמִים — בִּרְשׁוּתִי יָרְדוּ.
but still I have a claim against you to extract my money from you, because the sun had already set, and the rains fell in my domain after the deadline.
חָזַר וְנִכְנַס לְבֵית הַמִּקְדָּשׁ, נִתְעַטֵּף וְעָמַד בִּתְפִלָּה, וְאָמַר לְפָנָיו: רִבּוֹנוֹ שֶׁל עוֹלָם! הוֹדַע שֶׁיֵּשׁ לְךָ אֲהוּבִים בְּעוֹלָמֶךָ!
Nakdimon returned and entered the Beis HaMikdash, wrapped himself and stood in prayer, and said before Him: Master of the Universe! Make it known that You have beloved ones in Your world!
מִיָּד נִתְפַּזְּרוּ הֶעָבִים וְזָרְחָה הַחַמָּה.
Immediately, the clouds scattered and the sun shone.
בְּאוֹתָהּ שָׁעָה אָמַר לוֹ אוֹתוֹ הֶגְמוֹן: אִילּוּ לֹא נִקְדְּרָה הַחַמָּה, הָיָה לִי פִּתְחוֹן פֶּה עָלֶיךָ שֶׁאוֹצִיא מִמְּךָ מְעוֹתַיי.
At that moment, that official said to him: Had the sun not broken through the clouds, I would have had a claim against you to extract my money from you.
תָּנָא: לֹא נַקְדִּימוֹן שְׁמוֹ, אֶלָּא בּוּנִי שְׁמוֹ, וְלָמָּה נִקְרָא שְׁמוֹ נַקְדִּימוֹן — שֶׁנִּקְדְּרָה חַמָּה בַּעֲבוּרוֹ.
A Sage taught: Nakdimon was not his name, but rather Buni was his name; and why was his name called Nakdimon? Because the sun broke through [nikdera] for his sake.
תָּנוּ רַבָּנַן: שְׁלֹשָׁה נִקְדְּמָה לָהֶם חַמָּה בַּעֲבוּרָן: מֹשֶׁה, וִיהוֹשֻׁעַ, וְנַקְדִּימוֹן בֶּן גּוּרְיוֹן.
Our Rabbis taught: For three people the sun broke through for their sake: Moshe, Yehoshua, and Nakdimon ben Guryon.
בִּשְׁלָמָא נַקְדִּימוֹן בֶּן גּוּרְיוֹן — גְּמָרָא.
The Gemara asks: Granted, Nakdimon ben Guryon is known through this tradition.
יְהוֹשֻׁעַ — נָמֵי קְרָא, דִּכְתִיב: ״וַיִּדֹּם הַשֶּׁמֶשׁ וְיָרֵחַ עָמָד וְגוֹ׳״.
Regarding Yehoshua, it is also a verse, as it is written: "And the sun stood still, and the moon stayed, etc."
אֶלָּא מֹשֶׁה מְנָלַן?
But Moshe, from where do we know that the sun stood still for him?
אָמַר רַבִּי אֶלְעָזָר: אָתְיָא ״אָחֵל״ ״אָחֵל״, כְּתִיב הָכָא: ״אָחֵל תֵּת פַּחְדְּךָ״, וּכְתִיב הָתָם: ״אָחֵל גַּדֶּלְךָ״.
Rabbi Elazar said: It is derived from a gezeirah shavah of "I will begin" and "I will begin." It is written here regarding Moshe: "This day I will begin to put the dread of you," and it is written there regarding Yehoshua: "This day I will begin to magnify you." Just as the sun stood still for Yehoshua, so too for Moshe.
רַבִּי שְׁמוּאֵל בַּר נַחְמָנִי אָמַר: אָתְיָא ״תֵּת״ ״תֵּת״, כְּתִיב הָכָא: ״אָחֵל תֵּת פַּחְדְּךָ״, וּכְתִיב הָתָם: ״בְּיוֹם תֵּת ה׳ אֶת הָאֱמֹרִי״.
Rabbi Shmuel bar Nachmani said: It is derived from "put" and "put." It is written here: "I will begin to put [teiss] your dread," and it is written there: "On the day Hashem put [teiss] the Amorites."
רַבִּי יוֹחָנָן אָמַר, אָתְיָא מִגּוּפֵיהּ דִּקְרָא: ״אֲשֶׁר יִשְׁמְעוּן שִׁמְעֲךָ וְרָגְזוּ וְחָלוּ מִפָּנֶיךָ״, אֵימָתַי רָגְזוּ וְחָלוּ מִפָּנֶיךָ — בְּשָׁעָה שֶׁנִּקְדְּמָה לוֹ חַמָּה לְמֹשֶׁה.
Rabbi Yochanan said: It is derived from the verse itself: "Who, when they hear the report of you, shall tremble and be in anguish because of you." When did they tremble and writhe because of you? At the hour when the sun broke through for Moshe.
וְכֵן עִיר שֶׁלֹּא יָרְדוּ עָלֶיהָ גְּשָׁמִים כּוּ׳.
We learned in the Mishnah: And likewise, a city upon which rains did not fall, etc., this is a curse.
אָמַר רַב יְהוּדָה אָמַר רַב: וּשְׁתֵּיהֶן לִקְלָלָה.
Rav Yehuda said in the name of Rav: And both of them are for a curse—both the dry city and the rained-upon city, which suffers from destructive downpours.
״הָיְתָה יְרוּשָׁלִַים לְנִדָּה בֵּינֵיהֶם״, אָמַר רַב יְהוּדָה אָמַר רַב: לִבְרָכָה, כְּנִדָּה: מָה נִדָּה יֵשׁ לָהּ הֶיתֵּר — אַף יְרוּשָׁלַיִם יֵשׁ לָהּ תַּקָּנָה.
Regarding the verse: "Jerusalem was like a menstruant woman among them," Rav Yehuda said in the name of Rav: This is for a blessing, like a menstruant woman: Just as a menstruant woman has a path to permissibility, so too Jerusalem has a remedy to be restored.
״הָיְתָה כְּאַלְמָנָה״, אָמַר רַב יְהוּדָה, לִבְרָכָה: כְּאַלְמָנָה — וְלֹא אַלְמָנָה מַמָּשׁ, אֶלָּא כְּאִשָּׁה שֶׁהָלַךְ בַּעְלָהּ לִמְדִינַת הַיָּם, וְדַעְתּוֹ לַחֲזוֹר עָלֶיהָ.
Regarding the verse: "She has become like a widow," Rav Yehuda said: This is for a blessing: "Like a widow"—and not an actual widow, but rather like a woman whose husband went to a country overseas, and his intention is to return to her.
״וְגַם אֲנִי נָתַתִּי אֶתְכֶם נִבְזִים וּשְׁפָלִים״, אָמַר רַב יְהוּדָה: לִבְרָכָה, דְּלָא מוֹקְמִי מִינַּן לָא רֵישֵׁי נַהֲרֵי וְלָא גְּזִירִיפָּטֵי.
Regarding the verse: "And I also have made you contemptible and base," Rav Yehuda said: This is for a blessing, as they do not appoint from us either river-tax collectors or harsh taskmasters [geziripatei], sparing us from having to oppress others.
״וְהִכָּה ה׳ אֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל כַּאֲשֶׁר יָנוּד הַקָּנֶה בַּמַּיִם״, אָמַר רַב יְהוּדָה אָמַר רַב: לִבְרָכָה.
Regarding the verse: "And Hashem shall smite Israel as a reed is shaken in the water," Rav Yehuda said in the name of Rav: This is for a blessing.
דָּאָמַר רַבִּי שְׁמוּאֵל בַּר נַחְמָנִי אָמַר רַבִּי יוֹנָתָן, מַאי דִּכְתִיב: ״נֶאֱמָנִים פִּצְעֵי אוֹהֵב וְנַעְתָּרוֹת נְשִׁיקוֹת שׂוֹנֵא״ — טוֹבָה קְלָלָה שֶׁקִּילֵּל אֲחִיָּה הַשִּׁילוֹנִי אֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל יוֹתֵר מִבְּרָכָה שֶׁבֵּרְכָן בִּלְעָם הָרָשָׁע.
As Rabbi Shmuel bar Nachmani said in the name of Rabbi Yonatan: What is the meaning of that which is written: "Faithful are the wounds of a friend, but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful"? Better is the curse with which Achiyah the Shilonite cursed Israel than the blessing with which Bilaam the wicked blessed them.
אֲחִיָּה הַשִּׁילוֹנִי קִלְּלָן בְּקָנֶה, אָמַר לָהֶם לְיִשְׂרָאＥל: ״וְהִכָּה ה׳ אֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל כַּאֲשֶׁר יָנוּד הַקָּנֶה״,
Achiyah the Shilonite cursed them with a reed; he said to Israel: "And Hashem shall smite Israel as a reed is shaken."
מָה קָנֶה זֶה עוֹמֵד בִּמְקוֹם מַיִם, וְגִזְעוֹ מַחְלִיף וְשׇׁרָשָׁיו מְרוּבִּין, וַאֲפִילּוּ כׇּל הָרוּחוֹת שֶׁבָּעוֹלָם בָּאוֹת וְנוֹשְׁבוֹת בּוֹ — אֵין מְזִיזוֹת אוֹתוֹ מִמְּקוֹמוֹ, אֶלָּא הוֹלֵךְ וּבָא עִמָּהֶן. דָּמְמוּ הָרוּחוֹת — עָמַד הַקָּנֶה בִּמְקוֹמוֹ.
Just as this reed stands in a place of water, and its stalk regenerates, and its roots are numerous, and even if all the winds in the world come and blow against it, they do not move it from its place, but rather it bends back and forth with them, and when the winds quiet down, the reed stands in its place.
אֲבָל בִּלְעָם הָרָשָׁע בֵּירְכָן בְּאֶרֶז, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: ״כָּאֲרָזִים עֲלֵי מָיִם״,
But Bilaam the wicked blessed them with a cedar, as it is said: "Like cedars by the water."
מָה אֶרֶז זֶה אֵינוֹ עוֹמֵד בִּמְקוֹם מַיִם, וְאֵין גִּזְעוֹ מַחְלִיף, וְאֵין שׇׁרָשָׁיו מְרוּבִּין. אֲפִילּוּ כׇּל הָרוּחוֹת שֶׁבָּעוֹלָם נוֹשְׁבוֹת בּוֹ — אֵין מְזִיזוֹת אוֹתוֹ מִמְּקוֹמוֹ. כֵּיוָן שֶׁנָּשְׁבָה בּוֹ רוּחַ דְּרוֹמִית — עוֹקַרְתּוֹ וְהוֹפַכְתּוֹ עַל פָּנָיו.
Just as this cedar does not stand in a place of water, and its trunk does not regenerate, and its roots are not numerous; even if all the winds in the world blow against it, they do not move it from its place, but once a strong southern wind blows against it, it uproots it and turns it on its face.
וְלֹא עוֹד אֶלָּא שֶׁזָּכָה קָנֶה לִיטּוֹל הֵימֶנּוּ קוּלְמוֹס לִכְתּוֹב בּוֹ סֵפֶר תּוֹרָה נְבִיאִים וּכְתוּבִים.
And not only that, but the reed merited that a quill is taken from it to write with it a Sefer Torah, Nevi'im, and Kesuvim.
תָּנוּ רַבָּנַן: לְעוֹלָם יְהֵא אָדָם רַךְ כְּקָנֶה וְאַל יְהֵא קָשֶׁה כְּאֶרֶז.
Our Rabbis taught: A person should always be soft like a reed, and let him not be stiff like a cedar.
מַעֲשֶׂה שֶׁבָּא רַבִּי אֶלְעָזָר בְּרַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן מִמִּגְדַּל גְּדוֹר מִבֵּית רַבּוֹ, וְהָיָה רָכוּב עַל חֲמוֹר וּמְטַיֵּיל עַל שְׂפַת נָהָר, וְשָׂמֵחַ שִׂמְחָה גְּדוֹלָה. וְהָיְתָה דַּעְתּוֹ גַּסָּה עָלָיו מִפְּנֵי שֶׁלָּמַד תּוֹרָה הַרְבֵּה.
There was an incident where Rabbi Elazar, son of Rabbi Shimon, was coming from Migdal Gedor, from the house of his teacher, and he was riding on a donkey and traveling along the bank of a river, and he was rejoicing with great joy. And his mind was conceited because he had learned much Torah.
נִזְדַּמֵּן לוֹ אָדָם אֶחָד שֶׁהָיָה מְכוֹעָר בְּיוֹתֵר.
There chanced upon him a certain man who was exceedingly ugly.
אָמַר לוֹ: שָׁלוֹם עָלֶיךָ רַבִּי! וְלֹא הֶחְזִיר לוֹ.
The man said to him: Peace be upon you, my Rabbi! But Rabbi Elazar did not return the greeting.
אָמַר לוֹ: רֵיקָה, כַּמָּה מְכוֹעָר אוֹתוֹ הָאִישׁ! שֶׁמָּא כׇּל בְּנֵי עִירֶךָ מְכוֹעָרִין כְּמוֹתְךָ?
Instead, Rabbi Elazar said to him: Empty one! How ugly is that man! Perhaps all the people of your city are as ugly as you?
אָמַר לוֹ: אֵינִי יוֹדֵעַ, אֶלָּא לֵךְ וֶאֱמוֹר לָאוּמָּן שֶׁעֲשָׂאַנִי: ״כַּמָּה מְכוֹעָר כְּלִי זֶה שֶׁעָשִׂיתָ״.
The man said to him: I do not know, but go and say to the Craftsman Who made me: "How ugly is this vessel that You made!"
כֵּיוָן שֶׁיָּדַע בְּעַצְמוֹ שֶׁחָטָא, יָרַד מִן הַחֲמוֹר וְנִשְׁתַּטַּח לְפָנָיו, וְאָמַר לוֹ: נַעֲנֵיתִי לְךָ, מְחוֹל לִי!
Once Rabbi Elazar realized that he had sinned, he descended from the donkey and prostrated himself before him, and said to him: I humbled myself to you, forgive me!
אָמַר לוֹ: אֵינִי מוֹחֵל לְךָ עַד שֶׁתֵּלֵךְ לָאוּמָּן שֶׁעֲשָׂאַנִי וֶאֱמוֹר לוֹ: כַּמָּה מְכוֹעָר כְּלִי זֶה שֶׁעָשִׂיתָ.
The man said to him: I will not forgive you until you go to the Craftsman Who made me and say to Him: "How ugly is this vessel that You made."
הָיָה מְטַיֵּיל אַחֲרָיו עַד שֶׁהִגִּיעַ לְעִירוֹ.
Rabbi Elazar was walking behind him until he reached his city.
יָצְאוּ בְּנֵי עִירוֹ לִקְרָאתוֹ, וְהָיוּ אוֹמְרִים לוֹ: שָׁלוֹם עָלֶיךָ רַבִּי רַבִּי, מוֹרִי מוֹרִי!
The people of his city came out to meet him, and they were saying to him: Peace be upon you, Rabbi, Rabbi! My master, my master!
אָמַר לָהֶם: לְמִי אַתֶּם קוֹרִין רַבִּי רַבִּי?
The ugly man said to them: To whom are you calling "Rabbi, Rabbi"?
אָמְרוּ לוֹ: לְזֶה שֶׁמְּטַיֵּיל אַחֲרֶיךָ.
They said to him: To this one who is walking behind you.
אָמַר לָהֶם: אִם זֶה רַבִּי — אַל יִרְבּוּ כְּמוֹתוֹ בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל.
He said to them: If this is a Rabbi, may there not be many like him in Israel!
אָמְרוּ לוֹ: מִפְּנֵי מָה?
They said to him: For what reason do you say this?
אָמַר לָהֶם: כָּךְ וְכָךְ עָשָׂה לִי.
He said to them: Such and such did he do to me.
אָמְרוּ לוֹ: אַף על פִּי כֵן, מְחוֹל לוֹ, שֶׁאָדָם גָּדוֹל בְּתוֹרָה הוּא.
They said to him: Even so, forgive him, for he is a great man in Torah.
אָמַר לָהֶם: בִּשְׁבִילְכֶם הֲרֵינִי מוֹחֵל לוֹ, וּבִלְבַד שֶׁלֹּא יְהֵא רָגִיל לַעֲשׂוֹת כֵּן.
He said to them: For your sake, behold I forgive him, provided that he does not make it a habit to act this way.
מִיָּד נִכְנַס רַבִּי אֶלְעָזָר בְּרַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן, וְדָרַשׁ: לְעוֹלָם יְהֵא אָדָם רַךְ כְּקָנֶה וְאַל יְהֵא קָשֶׁה כְּאֶרֶז.
Immediately, Rabbi Elazar, son of Rabbi Shimon, entered the Beis HaMedrash and expounded: A person should always be soft like a reed, and let him not be stiff like a cedar.
וּלְפִיכָךְ זָכָה קָנֶה לִיטּוֹל הֵימֶנּוּ קוּלְמוֹס לִכְתּוֹב בּוֹ סֵפֶר תּוֹרָה תְּפִילִּין וּמְזוּזוֹת.
And therefore, the reed merited that a quill is taken from it to write with it a Sefer Torah, Tefillin, and Mezuzos.
וְכֵן עִיר שֶׁיֵּשׁ בָּהּ דֶּבֶר אוֹ מַפּוֹלֶת כּוּ׳.
We learned in the Mishnah: And likewise, a city in which there is pestilence or collapse, etc., they fast and sound the shofar.
תָּנוּ רַבָּנַן: מַפּוֹלֶת שֶׁאָמְרוּ, בְּרִיאוֹת וְלֹא רְעוּעוֹת.
Our Rabbis taught: The collapse of which they spoke as a sign of divine wrath refers to sturdy walls, and not dilapidated ones.
שֶׁאֵינָן רְאוּיוֹת לִיפּוֹל, וְלֹא הָרְאוּיוֹת לִיפּוֹל.
Meaning, those that are not expected to fall, and not those that are expected to fall.
הֵי נִיהוּ בְּרִיאוֹת, הֵי נִיהוּ שֶׁאֵינָן רְאוּיוֹת לִיפּוֹל. הֵי נִיהוּ רְעוּעוֹת, הֵי נִיהוּ רְאוּיוֹת לִיפּוֹל!
The Gemara asks: Which are "sturdy" and which are "not expected to fall"? Which are "dilapidated" and which are "expected to fall"? These terms seem redundant!
לָא צְרִיכָא, דִּנְפַלוּ מֵחֲמַת גּוּבְהַיְיהוּ.
The Gemara answers: No, it is necessary to teach this for walls that fell because of their extreme height, even though they were built sturdily.
אִי נָמֵי, דְּקָיְימָן אַגּוּדָּא דְנַהֲרָא.
Or alternatively, for walls that stand on the bank of a river, which are prone to collapse due to the water eroding the foundation.
כִּי הַהִיא אֲשִׁיתָא רְעִיעֲתָא דַּהֲוַאי בִּנְהַרְדְּעָא דְּלָא הֲוָה חָלֵיף רַב וּשְׁמוּאֵל תּוּתַהּ, אַף עַל גַּב דְּקַיְימָא בְּאַתְרַהּ תְּלֵיסַר שְׁנִין.
This is like that dilapidated wall that was in Nehardea, under which Rav and Shmuel would not pass, even though it stood in its place for thirteen years without falling.
יוֹמָא חַד אִיקְּלַע רַב אַדָּא בַּר אַהֲבָה לְהָתָם, אֲמַר לֵיהּ שְׁמוּאֵל לְרַב: נֵיתֵי מָר נַקֵּיף!
One day, Rav Adda bar Ahavah happened to go there. Shmuel said to Rav: Let the Master come and let us go around the wall, rather than walking under it!
אֲמַר לֵיהּ: לָא צְרִיכְנָא הָאִידָּנָא, דְּאִיכָּא רַב אַדָּא בַּר אַהֲבָה בַּהֲדַן דִּנְפִישָׁ[א] זְכוּתֵיהּ, וְלָא מִסְתְּפֵינָא.
Rav said to him: We do not need to go around today, because Rav Adda bar Ahavah is with us, whose merit is abundant, and I am not afraid.
רַב הוּנָא הֲוָה לֵיהּ הָהוּא חַמְרָא בְּהָהוּא בֵּיתָא רְעִיעָא, וּבְעָא לְפַנּוֹיֵיהּ.
Rav Huna had some wine in a certain dilapidated house, and he wanted to clear it out.
עַיְּילֵיהּ לְרַב אַדָּא בַּר אַהֲבָה לְהָתָם, מַשְׁכֵיהּ בִּשְׁמַעְתָּא עַד דְּפַנְּיֵיהּ.
He brought Rav Adda bar Ahavah in there, and drew him into a discussion of Halachah until he cleared it out, relying on Rav Adda's merit to keep the roof from falling.
בָּתַר דִּנְפַק נְפַל בֵּיתָא.
After Rav Adda went out, the house collapsed.
אַרְגֵּישׁ רַב אַדָּא בַּר אַהֲבָה, אִיקְּפַד.
Rav Adda bar Ahavah realized what Rav Huna had done, and he became angry.
סָבַר לַהּ כִּי הָא דְּאָמַר רַבִּי יַנַּאי: לְעוֹלָם אַל יַעֲמוֹד אָדָם בְּמָקוֹם סַכָּנָה וְיֹאמַר: עוֹשִׂין לִי נֵס, שֶׁמָּא אֵין עוֹשִׂין לוֹ נֵס.
He held like that which Rabbi Yannai said: A person should never stand in a place of danger and say: "They will perform a miracle for me," lest they do not perform a miracle for him.
וְאִם תִּימְצֵי לוֹמַר עוֹשִׂין לוֹ נֵס — מְנַכִּין לוֹ מִזְּכִיּוֹתָיו.
And if you say they do perform a miracle for him, they deduct it from his merits.
אָמַר רַב חָנָן: מַאי קְרָא — דִּכְתִיב: ״קָטֹנְתִּי מִכֹּל הַחֲסָדִים וּמִכׇּל הָאֱמֶת״.
Rav Chanan said: What is the verse for this? As it is written by Yaakov Avinu: "I have become small from all the kindnesses and from all the truth"—meaning my merits have been diminished by the miracles performed for me.
מַאי הֲוָה עוֹבָדֵיהּ דְּרַב אַדָּא בַּר אַהֲבָה?
The Gemara asks: What were the deeds of Rav Adda bar Ahavah that gave him such immense merit?
כִּי הָא דְּאִתְּמַר, שָׁאֲלוּ תַּלְמִידָיו לְרַב אַדָּא בַּר אַהֲבָה: בַּמָּה הֶאֱרַכְתָּ יָמִים?
It is like that which was stated: His disciples asked Rav Adda bar Ahavah: Through what did you merit to live long days?
אָמַר לָהֶם: מִיָּמַי לֹא הִקְפַּדְתִּי בְּתוֹךְ בֵּיתִי, וְלֹא צָעַדְתִּי בִּפְנֵי מִי שֶׁגָּדוֹל מִמֶּנִּי, וְלֹא הִרְהַרְתִּי בִּמְבוֹאוֹת הַמְטוּנָּפוֹת, וְלֹא הָלַכְתִּי אַרְבַּע אַמּוֹת בְּלֹא תּוֹרָה וּבְלֹא תְּפִילִּין, וְלֹא יָשַׁנְתִּי בְּבֵית הַמִּדְרָשׁ לֹא שֵׁינַת קֶבַע וְלֹא שֵׁינַת עֲרַאי, וְלֹא שַׂשְׂתִּי בְּתַקָּלַת חֲבֵרַי, וְלֹא קָרָאתִי לַחֲבֵירִי בַּהֲכִינָתוֹ, וְאָמְרִי לַהּ בַּחֲנִיכָתוֹ.
He said to them: In all my days, I never showed anger within my home, and I never walked in front of anyone who was greater than me, and I never thought words of Torah in filthy alleyways, and I never walked four cubits without Torah and without Tefillin, and I never slept in the Beis HaMedrash, neither a set sleep nor a brief sleep, and I never rejoiced in the stumbling of my fellow, and I never called my fellow by his nickname—and some say, by his family nickname.
אֲמַר לֵיהּ רָבָא לְרַפְרָם בַּר פָּפָּא: לֵימָא לַן מָר מֵהָנֵי מִילֵּי מְעַלְּיָיתָא דַּהֲוָה עָבֵיד רַב הוּנָא!
Rava said to Rafram bar Papa: Let the Master tell us some of those excellent things that Rav Huna used to do!
אֲמַר לֵיהּ: בְּיַנְקוּתֵיהּ לָא דְּכִירְנָא, בְּסֵיבוּתֵיהּ דְּכִירְנָא.
Rafram said to him: Of his youth I do not remember, but of his old age I do remember.
דְּכֹל יוֹמָא דְעֵיבָא הֲווֹ מַפְּקִין לֵיהּ בְּגוּהַרְקָא דְּדַהֲבָא, וְסָיַיר לַהּ לְכוּלַּהּ מָתָא. וְכֹל אֲשִׁיתָא דַּה
For every cloudy day, they would take him out in a golden carriage, and he would survey the entire city. And any wall that was shaky...
The daf begins by concluding the narrative of Nakdimon ben Guryon, whose tefillos first brought torrential rains to fill his borrowed cisterns and then caused the sun to shine through the overcast sky to defeat the non-Jew's claim that the deadline had passed. The Gemara notes that the sun stood still for three people: Moshe Rabbeinu, Yehoshua, and Nakdimon, deriving the source for Moshe Rabbeinu through various gezeirah shavos and pesukim. Finally, the Gemara expounds on the Mishnah's teaching regarding localized rain as a curse, with Rav Yehuda quoting Rav to explain that both the dry city and the rained-upon city suffer, while beautifully demonstrating how seemingly harsh pesukim in Eichah and Malachi actually contain deep blessings of hope and comfort for the Jewish people.
The Gemara teaches us a beautiful, life-changing rule for our middos: "Always be soft like a reed, and never be hard like a cedar." The cedar tree stands tall, proud, and rigid. It looks strong, but when a powerful southern wind blows, it is ripped out from its roots and overturned. The humble reed, however, bends with the wind. It doesn't fight the storm; it yields, and when the wind finally passes, the reed stands upright once again.
We see this play out in the painful story of Rabbi Elazar, who was riding home with a swollen heart, feeling proud of how much Torah he had learned. When he encountered a very ugly man, his pride made him hard like a cedar, leading him to speak harshly. It was only when he humbled himself, literally getting down from his donkey to beg for forgiveness, that he repaired the damage. His great Torah knowledge only became a true vessel for blessing when he learned to bend like the reed.
In our daily lives, we often face situations that test our flexibility. We want things to go exactly our way, or we feel we are right and others are wrong. When we become rigid and unyielding in our opinions, our schedules, or our relationships, we are acting like the cedar, and we risk breaking. True strength is the ability to bend, to let go of our pride, and to speak softly to those around us, even when we feel we have every reason to stand firm.
Today, when someone disagrees with you, disrupts your plans, or tests your patience, do not stiffen up like a cedar. Take a deep breath, bend like a reed, and respond with softness and humility.