The Daf Yomi Set Edition, an audio series of the Talmud Bavli, Masechet Chagigah, has been dedicated in memory of Chacham Refoul Moheddeb ben Garaz and Mari Moheddeb bat Jamile. May their souls rest in the upper Garden of Eden, Amen. This dedication comes from Dr. Isaac and Lily Moheddeb, and may Hashem protect and give them life, Amen. Today's Daf is being studied le-iluy nishmat Avraham ben Esther and le-iluy nishmat Ezra ben Tune Mazal. May their souls be bound in the bond of life, Amen. We begin today’s Daf on Tet Vav Amud Sheni and we are two lines from the bottom. The Gemara continues to tell us the episode of the four Rabbis who ascended to the Pardes. We discussed the fate of the previous three: Ben Zoma, Ben Azzai, and Acher. Now, we will discuss the fate of Rabbi Akiva.
The Gemara states that Rabbi Akiva ascended in peace and descended in peace. Regarding him, the verse says, “Draw me, we will run after you.” The end of the verse states, “The king brought me into his inner chambers.” Even Rabbi Akiva, when he ascended, the angels sought to push him away, meaning they wanted to kill him. Why? Because he used one of the names of the Holy One Blessed Be He to elevate himself to this level of the Pardes, and therefore they felt it was inappropriate to use the names of the Holy One for this purpose. The Holy One Blessed Be He said to them, “Leave this elder, for he is worthy to use My honor.” If anyone is worthy to use My name, it is indeed Rabbi Akiva.
The Gemara then asks, how did Rabbi Akiva know exactly where the Shechinah was so that he would know not to gaze at it or enter a room that was beyond his comprehension? How did he know? Rashi explains: “How did he know where the Shechinah was, that he was careful not to gaze there?” The Gemara continues that Rabbi Akiva was a doresh pesukim. One verse states, “And you, from the myriads of holiness.” The word “and you” here means in the language of a sign. There is a sign indicating that he knew that in the myriads where all the angels are, that is where the presence of the Shechinah is. Therefore, he knew the sign and was aware of his position above the angels, which caused him to know exactly where the Shechinah was, and thus he did not go there.
Rabbi Abahu states that “dagul merivavah” refers to the myriads of angels. He is an example, a unique figure, standing out among the myriads of angels. Rashi explains that he is a sign standing out among the myriads. Resh Lakish states, “Hashem Tzeva'ot is His name; He is the master of His army of angels.” All these verses indicated to Rabbi Akiva exactly where the Shechinah was because of the sign he understood from these verses, allowing him to be cautious.
Rabbi Chiya bar Abba states in the name of Rabbi Yochanan that he based his understanding on the verse, “Not in the wind, Hashem.” The prophet writes that the wind came across, but this was not God. After the wind, there was an earthquake, and that was not God. After the earthquake, there was a fire, and that was not God. After the fire, there was a still small voice. When one reaches the place of the still small voice, one knows that he is indeed in the presence of Hashem.
The Gemara teaches us that six things were said regarding demons. Three things were said about demons that are similar to angels, and three ways they are similar to human beings. The three similarities to angels are that they have wings like angels, they fly from one end of the world to the other, and they know what is to come, just like angels. What do you mean, do the angels know the future? Rather, they hear from behind the curtain what will happen in the future, and therefore they know the future from hearing it from behind the curtain.
As for the three ways demons are similar to human beings, they eat and drink like humans, they multiply like humans, and they die like humans. Tosafot adds that they also sleep and relieve themselves like humans. The Gemara continues to discuss six things said about human beings. Three ways they are like angels, and three ways they are like animals. The three similarities to angels are that they have understanding like angels, they walk upright like angels, and they speak in a holy language like angels. The commentators explain that the holy language is just an example; it refers to the ability to communicate, unlike animals that do not have a language. This shows the great potential of human beings, who possess understanding like angels.
The three ways human beings are like animals are that they eat and drink like animals, they multiply like animals, and they relieve themselves like animals. Therefore, one must elevate himself from the animalistic level to a higher level. The Gemara teaches us that one should not be drawn after his eating and drinking or after his lusts and pleasures. This is what the Gemara conveys, teaching us where we need to sanctify ourselves and not be drawn after the animalistic side of a person.
Furthermore, the Gemara states that anyone who ponders four things is better off not having come into this world. The four things are: what is above, what is below, what is in the future, and what was before creation. The Gemara understands why one should not ponder what is above or below, as these are beyond our comprehension. However, the question arises regarding what happened before creation. Why is it problematic to ponder this, as it seems like merely studying history?
The Gemara responds that Rabbi Yochanan and Rabbi Eleazar both state: It is like a king who said to his servants, “Build me a great palace on the garbage dump.” They went and built it. The king does not want the people to mention the garbage dump. In our limited understanding, discussing what was before creation is seen as negative, as it implies emptiness. Therefore, discussing what was before creation is not respectful to the Holy One Blessed Be He.
The Gemara teaches that anyone who does not have mercy on the honor of their Creator is better off not having come into this world. The Gemara then asks, what does this refer to? Rabbi Abba states it refers to someone who gazes at a rainbow. Rabbi Yosef states it refers to someone who commits a sin in private. The issue with gazing at a rainbow is that it represents a manifestation of the Shechinah. Glaring at it is akin to disrespecting the Divine presence.
Thus, when one wants to make a blessing on a rainbow, halacha states to look at it quickly and then recite the blessing. However, if one is merely pondering or gazing, that shows a lack of respect. No one stares when they are aware they are in the presence of the Shechinah.
The Gemara continues, stating that anyone who looks at three things, his eyes become dim. Those three are the rainbow, the nasi of Klal Yisrael, and the kohanim. The rainbow, as mentioned, represents the Shechinah. The nasi of Klal Yisrael is a great rabbi, not merely a political figure. The kohanim, when they stood at their station and blessed the people with the explicit name of Hashem, had the Shechinah resting upon their fingers. Therefore, anyone who gazes at them risks having their eyes dimmed.
Tosafot questions this, as it seems contradictory to the teaching that the kohanim were blessed with the Shechinah. The Gemara explains that this applies specifically when the Beit Hamikdash was standing, as it was a time when the Shechinah was manifest. The Gemara teaches that we must ensure our focus remains on the blessings and not be distracted by other matters.
Rabbi Yehuda bar Nachmani teaches that anyone who looks at three things, his eyes become dimmed. This includes the rainbow and the nasi. The Gemara also states that looking at the kohanim while they bless the people can lead to dimming of the eyes. The Gemara concludes that the warning applies specifically in the context of the Beit Hamikdash, where the Shechinah was present.
The Gemara then transitions into discussing the first major machloket among the sages regarding the law of semicha on Yom Tov. We know that a person must perform semicha, which is placing their hands on the animal’s head. The discussion centers around whether this act is permissible on Yom Tov or not. The disagreement arises from the concern that one might misuse the animal, leading to rabbinic prohibitions against using animals on Yom Tov.
Yosei ben Yoezer states that one should not perform semicha, while Yosei ben Yochanan argues that it is permissible. The Gemara continues to explore the opinions of the subsequent pairs of rabbis, each contributing to the ongoing debate about the permissibility of semicha on Yom Tov.
As the discussion progresses, the Gemara emphasizes the importance of understanding the halachic implications of these rulings and the need for careful consideration when engaging in acts that may lead to unintended consequences. The sages highlight the significance of maintaining respect for the Divine presence and ensuring that our actions align with the honor due to our Creator.