Siman - Pesachim Daf 56
- ששה דברים עשה חזקיה המלך
It was taught in a Baraisa, ששה דברים עשה חזקיה המלך על שלשה הודו לו ועל שלשה לא הודו לו – Chizkiyahu Hamelech did six things. The Chochomim agreed with him concerning three of them and did not agree concerning the other three. The Baraisa begins with the actions he took that the Chochomin agreed with. גירר עצמות אביו על מטה של חבלים– He dragged the bones of his father Achaz to the grave on a bier of ropes. Rashi explains he did this help attain kaparah for his father’s sins and for a kiddush Hashem by demonstrating the repulsiveness of Achaz’s evil so that others should take heed. כיתת נחש הנחשת - He crushed the copper serpent that Moshe made. Rashi explains that people started attributing healing powers to the image itself and began worshipping it. גנז ספר רפואות – He hid the book of Remedies. This book contained directions for curing all illnesses. Chizkiyahu saw that people were being healed so quickly and effortlessly that illness failed to promote in them a feeling of contrition and humility which illness should engender. The Baraisa continues with the three things the Chochomim disagreed with.
- ברוך שם כבוד מלכותו לעולם ועד
Rebbe Shimon ben Lakish expounded that when Yaakov Avinu wanted to reveal to his sons what would occur at the End of Days the Shechinah departed from him and he was unable to do so. When he expressed his concern that perhaps there was a pesul in one of his sons, the brothers answered him reassuringly with שמע ישראל ה' אלקינו ה' אחד, to which Yaakov responded, ברוך שם כבוד מלכותו לעולם ועד. Subsequently the Rabbonon asked what should they do? Perhaps it not right to recite it as part of the Shema since Moshe Rabbeinu did not state it in the Torah. Perhaps it is not right to recite it since Yaakov said it. התקינו שיהו אומרים אותו בחשאי – They enacted that we recite the statement quietly.
Rebbe Yitzchak said that it was said in Rebbe Ami’s academy, משל לבת מלך שהריחה ציקי קדירה – This is analogous to a king’s daughter who smelled the aroma of a stew seasoned with spices and developed a craving for it. If she expresses her desire for it, she suffers disgrace. If she does not, she suffers physical distress. התחילו עבדיה להביא בחשאי – Her servants started to bring her the stew secretly. This is compared to our expressing our desire to say ברוך שם in a whisper.
- מתירין גמזיות של הקדש
The Mishnah on Daf 55b listed six practices that residents of Yericho did, of which three the Rabbonon rebuked them for with and three which they did not. One of the practices they were rebuked for was, מתירין גמזיות של הקדש – They would permit for personal use branches of trees that belonged to hekdesh.
The Gemara presents their rationale for doing so. אבותינו לא הקדישו אלא קורות – Our forefathers consecrated only the trunks of the carob and sycamore trees, ואנו נתיר גמזיות של הקדש של חרוב ושל שקמה – and so may we permit for our personal use the branches of the carob and sycamore trees that belong to the Temple treasury. The people of Yericho hold like the one who said, אין מעילה בגידולן – growth that results (after consecration of the trunks) are not subject to me’ilah, while the Rabbanon hold while there is no me’ilah, the growths are forbidden mid’Rabbanon.
