Perek III Daf 21 Amud a HALAKHA and then there shall be an extension to your tranquility” (Daniel ֵהן ֶּת ֱהֵוי ַאְר ָכא ִל ׁ ְש ֵלְו ָת ְך״, ּו ְכ ִתיב: ּ״כֹ ָּלא One who is not commanded to do so and performs :). And it is writt en: “All this came upon King Nebuchad- ְמ ָטא ַﬠל ְנ ּבו ַכְד ֶנ ַּצר ַמ ְל ָּכא״, ּו ְכ ִתיב: ִ״ל ְק ָצת -A woman is not com : ֵא ָינ ּה ְמ ּצוָּוה ְו ָׂעוֹשה – a mitzva nezzar” (Daniel :), and it is writt en in the following verse that ַיְר ִחין ְּתֵרי ֲﬠ ַׂשר״! manded to learn Torah. However, if she does learn Torah, she is rewarded as one who performs a this occurred: “At the end of twelve months” (Daniel :). None mitzva in which one is not obligated (Rambam Sefer of the opinions in the baraita are in accordance with the mishna’s HaMadda, Hilkhot Talmud Torah 1:1, 13; Shulĥan Arukh, statement that merit can delay punishment for up to three years. Yoreh De’a 246:6). Th e Gemara answers: Actually, the mishna is in accordance with ְל ָעוֹלם ַר ִּבי ִי ׁ ְש ָמ ֵﬠאל, ְו ַא ׁ ְש ַּכח ְקָרא ְ ּד ָא ַמר -the opinion of Rabbi Yishmael, who states that merit delays pun ְו ָת ֵני, ִ ּד ְכ ִתיב: ּ״כֹה ָא ַמר ה' ַﬠל ׁ ְשלֹ ׁ ָשה ִּפ ׁ ְש ֵﬠי NOTES ishment for one year, and he found a verse which states and ֱאדוֹם״. Some :זוֹ ִמ ָיתה – This is referring to the time of death commentaries explain that the Torah one learns pro- repeats the possibility that punishment can be delayed, indicating tects one from a painful death. Others explain that that merit can delay punishment up to three times, as it is writt en: it protects one from punishment in the grave. The “Th us says the Lord: For three transgressions of Edom, yes, but Meiri explains that the Torah watches over one’s soul for four, I will not reverse it” (Amos :). Punishment can therefore in heaven between death and the time to come after be delayed for three consecutive periods of one year. the resurrection of the dead. :Th e Gemara asks: And what does Rabbi Yishmael mean by stating ּו ַמאי ַאף ַﬠל ִּפי ׁ ֶש ֵאין ְר ָא ָיה ַל ָ ּד ָבר ֵז ֶכר ִמן ַה ּק ִוֹצים ּו ִמן – .Of the thorns and of the pits, etc These represent three types of spiritual : ַה ְּפ ָח ִתים וכו׳ Although there is no explicit proof for the concept of merit ַל ָ ּד ָבר? ִ ּד ְל ָמא ׁ ָש ֵאני ּג ִוֹים, ְ ּד ָלא ְמ ַפ ֵּקיד dangers that one encounters during one’s lifetime. delaying punishment for twelve months, there is an allusion to ִ ּד ָינא ֲﬠ ַל ְי ּיהו. Thorns, pits, and thistles are obstacles one encounters the concept? Th e verses he cites state explicitly that punishment while walking; they allude to worldly temptations that do not entice one unless one engages in them of his can be delayed for twelve months. Th e Gemara answers: Th e proof own accord. Thieves and wild animals represent dan- is not explicit, as perhaps gentiles are diff erent, as swift judgment gers that creep up on a person; they allude to wicked is not administered upon them as readily as it is upon the Jewish individuals who might persuade one to follow evil people, with whom God is more precise in executing judgment. paths. The third danger, losing one’s way, alludes to Th e mishna states: And there is a merit that delays punishment § ְ״ו ֵי ׁש ְז ּכות ּת ָוֹלה ׁ ָשלֹ ׁש ׁ ָש ִנים״ כו'. ְז ּכות the fundamental question of whether one is following -for three years. Th e Gemara asks: Which merit can delay the pun ְ ּד ַמאי? ִא ֵיל ָימא ְז ּכות ְ ּד ָתוֹרה – ָהא ֵא ָינ ּה .(the right path in life (Rabbi David Luria ishment of a sota? If we say it is the merit of the Torah that she has ְמ ּצוָּוה ְו ָׂעוֹשה ִהיא! ֶא ָּלא ְז ּכות ְ ּד ִמ ְצָוה, studied; but a woman who studies Torah is one who is not com- manded to do so and performs a mitzva,H whose reward is less than that of one who is obligated? Th erefore, it would be insuffi cient to suspend her punishment. Rather, perhaps it is the merit of a mitzva that she performed. Th e Gemara asks: Does the merit of a mitzva protect one so much ְז ּכות ְ ּד ִמ ְצָוה ִמי ַמ ְג ָנא ּכ ּו ֵּלי ַהאי? ְו ָה ַת ְנָיא, as to delay her punishment? But isn’t it taught in a baraita: Rabbi ֶאת זוֹ ָ ּדַר ׁש ַר ִּבי ְמ ַנ ֵחם ַּבר ֵיוֹסי: ִּ״כי ֵנר ִמ ְצָוה Menaĥem bar Yosei interpreted this verse homiletically: “For the ְו ָתוֹרה אוֹר״ – ָּת ָלה ַה ָּכ ּתוב ֶאת ַה ִּמ ְצָוה ְּב ֵנר mitzva is a lamp and the Torah is light” (Proverbs :). Th e verse associates the mitzva with a lamp and the Torah with the light ְו ֶאת ַה ּת ָוֹרה ְּבאוֹר. ֶאת ַה ִּמ ְצָוה ְּב ֵנר, ַלוֹמר of the sun. Th e mitzva is associated with a lamp in order to say ְל ָך: ַמה ֵּנר ֵא ָינ ּה ְמ ִג ָּינה ֶא ָּלא ְל ִפי ׁ ָש ָﬠה, ַאף to you: Just as a lamp does not protect one by its light extensively ִמ ְצָוה ֵא ָינ ּה ְמ ִג ָּינה ֶא ָּלא ְל ִפי ׁ ָש ָﬠה. but only temporarily, while the lamp is in one’s hand, so too, a mitzva protects one only temporarily, i.e., while one is performing the mitzva. And the Torah is associated with light in order to say to you: Just ְו ֶאת ַה ּת ָוֹרה ְּבאוֹר, ַלוֹמר ְל ָך: ָמה אוֹר ֵמ ֵגין as the light of the sun protects one forever, so too, the Torah one ְל ָעוֹלם, ַאף ּת ָוֹרה ְמ ִג ָּינה ְל ָעוֹלם. ְו ֵאוֹמר: studies protects one forever; and it states in the previous verse ְּ״ב ִה ְת ַה ֶּל ְכ ָך ַּת ְנ ֶחה אֹ ָת ְך״ וגו'. ְּ״ב ִה ְת ַה ֶּל ְכ ָך with regard to the Torah: “When you walk, it shall lead you; when you lie down, it shall watch over you; and when you awake, it shall ַּת ְנ ֶחה אֹ ָת ְך״ – ֶזה ָה ָעוֹלם ַהֶזּה; ְּ״ב ׁ ָש ְכ ְּב ָך talk with you” (Proverbs :). Th e Gemara explains: “When you ִּת ְׂשמוֹר ָﬠ ֶל ָיך״ – זוֹ ִמ ָיתה; ַ״ו ֲה ִק ָיצוֹת ִהיא walk, it shall lead you”; this is referring to when one is in this ְת ִׂש ֶיח ָך״ – ֶל ָﬠ ִתיד ָלבֹא. world. “When you lie down, it shall watch over you”; this is referring to the time of death,N when one lies in his grave. “And when you awake, it shall talk with you”; this is referring to the time to come aft er the resurrection of the dead. Th e Torah that one studies protects and guides him both in this world and in the next world. Th is can be illustrated by a parable, as it is comparable to a man ָמ ׁ ָשל ְל ָאָדם ׁ ֶש ָה ָיה ְמ ַה ֵּל ְך ְּב ִא ׁישוֹן ַל ְי ָלה who is walking in the blackness of night and the darkness, and ַו ֲא ֵפ ָילה, ּו ִמ ְתָי ֵירא ִמן ַה ּק ִוֹצים ּו ִמן ַה ְּפ ָח ִתים N ,he is afraid of the thorns, and of the pits, and of the thistles ּו ִמן ַה ַּבְר ָק ִנים ּו ֵמ ַח ָיּה ָר ָﬠה ּו ִמן ַה ִּל ְס ִטין, ְו ֵאינוֹ which he cannot see due to the darkness. And he is also afraid of the wild animals and of the bandits that lurk at night, and he does ֵיוֹד ﬠ ְּב ֵא ֶיזה ֶ ּדֶר ְך ְמ ַה ֵּל ְך. not know which way he is walking. פרק ג׳ דף כא. sota . perek III . 21a 128 NOTES ,If a torch of fi re comes his way, which is analogous to a mitzva ִנְזַ ּד ְּמ ָנה לוֹ ֲא ּבו ָקה ׁ ֶשל ּאור, ִנ ַּיצל ִמן ַה ּק ִוֹצים he is safe from the thorns and from the pits and from the this- A transgression extinguishes the merit of a mitzva – -This does not mean that one's mitz : ֲﬠ ֵב ָירה ְמ ַכ ָּבה ִמ ְצָוה ּו ִמן ַה ְּפ ָח ִתים ּו ִמן ַה ַּבְר ָק ִנים, ַו ֲﬠַד ִיין ִמ ְתָי ֵירא tles, but he is still afraid of the wild animals and of the bandits, vot are offset by one’s transgressions, as the reward for ֵמ ַח ָיּה ָר ָﬠה ּו ִמן ַה ִּל ְיס ִטין ְו ֵאינוֹ ֵיוֹד ﬠ ְּב ֵא ֶיזה and still does not know which way he is walking. Once the light one’s mitzvot always remains. Rather, it means that ֶ ּדֶר ְך ְמ ַה ֵּל ְך. ֵּכ ָיון ׁ ֶש ָﬠ ָלה ַﬠ ּמ ּוד ַה ַּׁש ַחר ִנ ַּיצל of dawn rises, which is analogous to Torah study, he is safe from one’s mitzvot will not be sufficient to protect one from the wild animals and from the bandits, which no longer roam punishment, due to the punishment one deserves for ֵמ ַח ָיּה ָר ָﬠה ּו ִמן ַה ִּל ְיס ִטין, ַו ֲﬠַד ִיין ֵאינוֹ ֵיוֹד ﬠ .(the roads, but he still does not know which way he is walking.