BS”D
Shkolim -13b
Menachem Av 23, 5784. 08/27/2024
We continued on Daf 13b.
1- As per the Mishna, מרדכי was also called פתחיה and also בלשן, meaning an elaborator, explainer or clarifier. We will encounter more of his wisdom and ability to solve puzzles next week IY”H.
2- Some offer a רמז in two of the names: מרדכי & פתחיה.
The 5 letters of each name corresponds to double or half of the other letter, signifying an explanation or elaboration.
פ = 80 – מ = 40
ת = 400 – ר = 200
ח = 8 – ד = 4
י = 10 – כ = 20
ה = 5 – י = 10
They add that the reason the last two letters of פתחיה are only half of the last two letters of מרדכי is due to מרדכי , in the latter part of his life, being occupied with עבודת הכלל, lost his standing and friendship with some of his colleagues of the סנהדרין.
כִּי מָרְדֳּכַי הַיְּהוּדִי מִשְׁנֶה לַמֶּלֶךְ אֲחַשְׁוֵרוֹשׁ וְגָדוֹל לַיְּהוּדִים וְרָצוּי לְרֹב אֶחָיו דֹּרֵשׁ טוֹב לְעַמּוֹ וְדֹבֵר שָׁלוֹם לְכָל זַרְעוֹ.
3- The גמרא discusses the greatness of the early תנאים that were סופרים – also meaning ‘counters’ as they would count the letters of the תורה.
We related a story written by the חיד”א about Reb Saadia גאון who in jest asked a simple tailor how many stitches he sewed that day.
The tailor responded: honored Rabbi, how many letters are there in the תורה?
Reb Saadia גאון was hurt being that this was the first time that someone asked him a question for which he did not have answer.
He tried to count but was unsuccessful until a מלאך revealed to him the exact number. Having the correct number Reb Saadia גאון wrote a song enumerating the sum of every letter of the אלף בית in the תורה.
שם הגדולים – ר’ סעדי’ גאון.
4- We discussed the saying in our גמרא:
אנו כחמורים ולא כחמורו של רבי חנינא בן דוסא ושל רבי פנחס בן יאיר אלא כשאר חמורים
If the earlier generations were angels, we are men; if they were men, we are donkeys.
5- The גמרא writes the famous story of Reb Pinchas ben Yair’s donkey חולין (ז.) when it refused to eat grains that were not free of מעשר.
The story of Reb Sender Menkin ע“ה.
Reb Sender Menkin ע“ה
6- We discussed the brilliant מנחת חינוך regarding בן הקמצר who was able to write 4 letter at a time.
Concluded with the צמח צדק that writing 4 letters at a time is not considered exactly ‘at the same time.