Sunday, July 03, 2011

R' Pinchas ben Yair's donkey

Today's daf (Chulin 7) tells the famous story of the donkey of R' Pinchas ben Yair that would not eat dmai. The gemara asks: We learned in the Mishna (Dmai 1:3) that animal food is exempt from dmai -- why would the donkey not eat? The gemara answers that the food was purchased fo human consumption and was therefore obligated to be treated as dmai. Only food originally set aside for use as animal food is exempt.

The Yerushalmi gives a different answer (Dmai 1:3; 4a in the Vilna edition). According to the Yerushalmi, R' Pinchas ben Yair said, "What do you want from me -- my donkey is a frummie."

Moral of the story: one can be a frummie and still be a donkey.

8 comments:

  1. Daas Yochid8:15 PM

    So it cones out according to the Yerushalmi that the donkey knew it was demai. According to the Bavli he could not have known, because it's brought in the context of Hashem protecting tzadikim from mistaken aveios. Correct?

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  2. Anonymous10:49 PM

    methinks he hears a hekesh pray;
    methinks he hears it bray...

    (did muad witches cast him looks?
    or hefker demons slip him books?)

    the "frummie" has been hekeshed
    and all the world's a shed!

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  3. great unknown10:12 AM

    unfortunately, one can be a donkey without being a frummie.

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  4. >>>So it cones out according to the Yerushalmi that the donkey knew it was demai.

    Yes, that's right.

    >>>unfortunately, one can be a donkey without being a frummie.

    That's pashut. The chiddush is the other way.

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  5. Dass Yochid10:19 PM

    In which case, how was it so poshut to the Bavli that the case of the donkey was even relevant? maybe he takka new!

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  6. Anonymous2:04 PM

    This piece and some comments are cheap shots.

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  7. Yes, of course we know that one can be a donkey without being a frummie. G Unk's point was that in that case, it's inevitable, while in your case, it is rare, albeit not vanishingly so.

    As for Anonymous 2:04's reference to cheap shots, this vort is a restatement of something Rav Rudderman famously said at an Aguda Convention. Yaakov said regarding his sojourn with Lavan תרי"ג מצוות שמרתי ולא למדתי ממעשיו הרעים. Rav Rudderman said "We see from here that it is possible for a person to be mekayeim all 613 mitzvos and still and all be a talmid of Lovon.

    Was that also a cheap shot? (rhetorical question. Implicit answer- no.)

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  8. The missing characters were Hebrew for "Im Lavan Garti ve'Taryag Mitzvos shamarti, velo lamad'ti mi'maasav hara'im."

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