BSD
Suka 53b
Tamuz 29, 5783. July 18, 2023
1- We began with the story of דוד המלך digging into the ground at the exact location where the מזבח would eventually be built. The purpose was to create a drain channel to reach the underground water stream.
When the wine and water would be poured from the holes atop the מזבח, it would drain into these channels drilled by דוד המלך.
In doing so, he unintentionally ‘unplugged’ the underground water system causing it to flow upwards with great force flooding the earth and placing the entire world in danger of ‘drowning’.
Unable to re-plug this hole, he asked if one would be allowed to write the ‘שם ה on a shard to drop this shard into the water well until it reaches the hole and plug it.
His teacher אחיתופל replied with a קל וחומר from סוטה where the שם השם is erased to ‘bring peace between man and wife’. Thus, to save the world, one could of course cause the (unintentional) erasure of the שם השם.
We discussed a few topics on this interesting story.
2- Question of Rashi in Makos 10a about the chronological order of the story:
דוד המלך purchased the plot of land (from ארוונה) where the בית המקדש was built (by שלמה המלך ) close to his פטירה. But אחיתופל was not alive at that time!
דוד המלך’s son אבשלום rebelled against him 3 years before that. אחיתופל, who sided with אבשלום, when he realized that אבשלום would lose against his father דוד המלך, ended his own life. So, asks Rashi, how do the years jive?
[We mentioned briefly from a previous Shiur (May 2012) that this rebellion actually caused דוד המלך to lose his status as a מלך!]
Rashi answers is that דוד המלך, knowing that eventually he would purchase the property and the בית המקדש will be built on it, dug this well/drain years prior to purchasing it.
The מהרש”א takes issue with this explanation by Rashi. No one knew, prior to דוד המלך purchasing the הר הבית, where the בית המקדש would eventually be built.
The מהרש”א suggests that דוד המלך actually thought that the בית המקדש will be built elsewhere. As the גמרא says in זבחים, נד ב he chose a place called עין עיטם until he was told that it should be built on a lower mountain top.
So דוד המלך dug these holes years in עין עיטם before he purchased the הר הבית and indeed אחיתופל was still alive at the time.
3- We mentioned the גליוני הש”ס who asks why דוד didn’t mention the story of משה רבינו writing the שם השם and dropping it into the נילוס to cause the casket of יוסף הצדיק to raise?
His answer briefly is that it was before מתן תורה.
The brilliant works of Reb Yosef Engel
4- The question of the ערוך לנר. What was דוד המלך’s question if one would be allowed to cause the ‘שם ה to be erased. It was פיקוח נפש where everything (except for גילוי עריות, שפיכת דמים and עבודה זרה) is allowed!
He suggests that perhaps the erasing the שם השם is considered חילול השם which is a branch of עבודה זרה.
5- Others suggest that דוד המלך’s question was if the erasing of the שם השם was a proven method to save lives. Just as using non kosher medicine to save a life is not only permitted but an obligation to use. Had this erasure of the שם השם been ‘clinically’ proven to be effective, there would not have been any doubts.
6- The above led us to touch and scratch the surface of a huge topic. What איסורים are we allowed to transgress to save someone’s life? For example, when and what type of non Kosher medication may be administered to a חולה ר”ל.
Briefly – there are many types of actions to heal sicknesses לא עלינו Administering medicines, remedies etc. Spiritual healings.
We can categorize them into 3 groups.
A- רפואה ידועה. Meaning a tested and verified medication or other action that we are sure that this can heal this particular sickness.
Even a pill that definitely works for others but on this particular patient it is a ספק is considered a רפואה ידועה.
Like antibiotics. Even if not kosher, it must be taken if it will save a life.
See Alter Rebbe in OC 328, 2. And 306, 29 and the Kuntres Achron there.
B- רפואה שאינה ידועה. Meaning, a medication that has not been established yet; is still undergoing trials. The ingredients of this pill or method have the means of healing but as of now has not been 100% proven to be effective or we don’t yet understand the science of how it works.
Perhaps: Heating a hot water bottle on Shabbos to place on an aching stomach. באנקעס? Acupuncture?
“[T]he effectiveness of cupping has been demonstrated only as a treatment for pain, and even for this indication doubts remain.”
Journal of Acupuncture and Meridian Studies.
C- סגולה. A ‘medication’ that has no logical reason for it to work. Yet some people swear that it is effective for them while others claim it to be voodoo medicine and ineffective. It may very well be that it does work for some. But it is outside the world of science. There is no logic to its effectiveness. Homeopathy?
7- Can non kosher pills that ‘heal’ only as a סגולה be used if not kosher? Can one be מחלל שבת to acquire these pills? Drive to a ‘healer’ on Shabbos?
אברהם יצחק שפרלינג טעמי המנהגים
Hepatitis Remedy?
We discussed the צמח צדק that says it is perhaps it is actually a מחלוקת in a Mishna!
See OC 38.
8- Where does a קמיע fit in this discussion?
A, B or C.
This is a topic on its own. We mentioned the ראשונים that allow an expert קמיע writer that has a proven record that his קמיעs are effective to write a קמיע on Shabbos!!!
9 – We discussed various scenarios but will mention here a most interesting one: Writing a פדיון נפש to a צדיק on Shabbos.
The מהרש”ם relates a story (3, 225) of a Rov in Zlotchov who allowed to instruct a goy to write a Pan that was sent to Brody to the שר שלום of Belz. The Rov of Brody, Reb Shlomo Kluger was very unhappy and banned this Rov and removed him from his position.
When the שר שלום of Belz heard about it, he too was displeased and said that ‘now I must Daven to ensure the patient will recover as otherwise the חילול שבת would have been caused (indirectly) by me’.
And indeed, the חולה recovered!
See here for more on this topic.
ומסיימין בטוב with a Brachah for a Refuah Shleima to all our friends in need.