Siman - Pesachim Daf 68
- The source for תחיית המתים
It was taught in a Baraisa, the passuk states, אני אמית ואחיה – I put to death, and I make live. יכול מיתה באחד וחיים באחד כדרך שהעולם נוהג – It could be thought that the passuk refers to inflicting death upon one individual and the bestowal of life upon another but does not teach that Hashem will bring those already dead back to life. The Torah therefore states, מחצתי ואני ארפא – I have wounded, and I will heal. מה מכה ורפואה באחד אף מיתה וחיים באחד – Just as wounding and healing are performed upon a single person, for only those wounded can be healed, so too are death and life performed upon a single person. מכאן תשובה לאומרים אין תחיית המתים מן התורה – From here we have a refutation to those that say techiyas hameisim is not derived from the Torah.
The Baraisa continues that we learn from this passuk that Hashem teaches that in the beginning who I will put to death, I will make live and only afterwards what I have wounded, I will heal. Thus, when those that died with afflictions will be revived, it will be with their wounds. Hashem’s healing will only come afterwards.
- Machlokes re: חציו לה' וחציו לכם
It was taught in a Baraisa, Rebbe Eliezer says אין לו לאדם ביום טוב אלא או אוכל ושותה או יושב ושונה – A person has no absolute chiyuv on a chag. Rather, he may eat and drink or he may sit and learn. Rebbe Yehoshua says, חלקהו – Divide the day. חציו לאכילה ושתיה וחציו לבית המדרש – Half of it should be devoted to eating and drinking and half of it should be devoted to the beis hamidrash. Rebbe Yochanan said that they both darshan from the same pesukim. One pasuk states, עצרת לה' אלקיך – There shall be an assembly to Hashem, your G-d, which implies that one shall observe the chag by consecrating himself to Hashem’s service. The other pasuk states, עצרת תהיה לכם – there shall be an assembly to you, which implies you shall observe the chag by partaking of physical pleasures. Rebbe Eliezer holds that the pesukim offer two options, או כולו לה' או כולו לכם – by devoting it either exclusively to Hashem or exclusively to yourselves. Rebbe Yehoshua holds, חלקהו חציו לה' וחציו לכם – Divide the day by devoting half of it to Hashem and half of it to yourselves.
- Reviewing one’s learning every thirty days
The Gemara relates about Rav Sheishes, כל תלתין יומין מהדר ליה תלמודיה – Every thirty days he would review his learning, and he would stand and lean on the bolt of the doorway and exclaim, חדאי נפשאי חדאי נפשאי – Rejoice, my soul! Rejoice my soul! לך קראי לך תנאי – For you have I read, for you have I learned. The Gemara asks if this is true that one's Torah learning only benefits the talmid chochom who learns it, for Rebbe Elazar taught, אילמלא תורה לא נתקיימו שמים וארץ – Were it not for Torah, heaven and earth would not endure, as it is stated, אם לא בריתי יומם ולילה חקת שמים וארץ לא שמתי – If not for My covenant of day and night, which Rashi explains to mean limud haTorah that is to be learned both day and night, I would not have established the statutes of heaven and earth. Since the pasuk teaches that the very existence of the world depends on limud haTorah, how could Rav Sheishess only acknowledge his personal benefit? The Gemara answers, מעיקרא כי עביד איניש אדעתא דנפשיה קא עביד – Initially, when a person undertakes limud haTorah, he undertakes it with himself in mind.
