תָנוּ רַבָּנַן: ״קֹדֶשׁ הִלּוּלִים לַה׳״, מְלַמֵּד שֶׁטְּעוּנִים בְּרָכָה לִפְנֵיהֶם וּלְאַחֲרֵיהֶם. מִכָּאן אָמַר רַבִּי עֲקִיבָא: אָסוּר לְאָדָם שֶׁיִּטְעוֹם כְּלוּם קוֹדֶם שֶׁיְּבָרֵךְ.
וְהַאי ״קֹדֶשׁ הִלּוּלִים״ לְהָכִי הוּא דַּאֲתָא?
הַאי מִיבְּעֵי לֵיהּ חַד דְּאָמַר רַחֲמָנָא אַחֲלֵיהּ וַהֲדַר אִכְלֵיהּ. וְאִידָךְ דָּבָר הַטָּעוּן שִׁירָה, טָעוּן חִלּוּל, וְשֶׁאֵינוֹ טָעוּן שִׁירָה, אֵין טָעוּן חִלּוּל. וְכִדְרַבִּי שְׁמוּאֵל בַּר נַחְמָנִי אָמַר רַבִּי יוֹנָתָן דְּאָמַר רַבִּי שְׁמוּאֵל בַּר נַחְמָנִי אָמַר רַבִּי יוֹנָתָן: מִנַּיִן שֶׁאֵין אוֹמְרִים שִׁירָה אֶלָּא עַל הַיַּיִן? — שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: ״וַתֹּאמֶר לָהֶם הַגֶּפֶן הֶחֳדַלְתִּי אֶת תִּירוֹשִׁי הַמְשַׂמֵּחַ אֱלֹהִים וַאֲנָשִׁים״, אִם אֲנָשִׁים מְשַׂמֵּחַ, אֱלֹהִים בַּמֶּה מְשַׂמֵּחַ? מִכָּאן שֶׁאֵין אוֹמְרִים שִׁירָה אֶלָּא עַל הַיַּיִן!
The Sages taught in the Sifra: With regard to saplings, it is stated that in their fourth year their fruit will be: “…sanctified for praises before the Lord” (Leviticus 19:24). This verse teaches that they require praise of God in the form of a blessing both beforehand and thereafter, as the verse says praises in the plural.
From here, Rabbi Akiva said: "A person is forbidden to taste anything before he recites a blessing."
And did this verse: “Sanctified for praises,” come for that purpose?
This verse is necessary to derive other matters. One being that the Merciful One said: Redeem it and then eat it. This midrash interprets hillul, praise, as ḥillul, redemption. And the other matter derived from this verse is: An object which is offered upon the altar and requires a song of praise when it is offered, as is the case with the libation of wine, requires redemption. And that which does not require a song of praise, all other fruits, does not require redemption. And this is in accordance with the opinion that Rabbi Shmuel bar Naḥmani said that Rabbi Yonatan said, as Rabbi Shmuel bar Naḥmani said: "Rabbi Yonatan said: 'From where is it derived that one only recites a song of praise in the Temple over the libation of wine on the altar? As it is stated: “And the vine replied: Should I leave my wine, which gladdens God and man, and go and wave above the trees?” (Judges 9:13). If wine gladdens people, in what way does it gladden God? Rather, derive from here that one only recites a song of praise over wine.'"
It is taught in a baraita: Rabbi Dostai ben Yehuda says: "'An eye for an eye' (Leviticus 24:20), means monetary restitution. Do you say that he must pay the victim monetary restitution, or is it only teaching that the one who caused the injury must lose an actual eye? You say: There may be a case where the eye of the one who caused the injury is large and the eye of the injured party is small. How can I read and literally apply the phrase 'an eye for an eye' in this case?"
It is taught in another baraita that Rabbi Shimon ben Yoḥai says: "'An eye for an eye' (Leviticus 24:20), is referring to monetary restitution. Do you say that this is referring to monetary restitution, or is it only teaching that the one who caused the injury must lose an actual eye? There may be a case where there was a blind person and he blinded another, or there was one with a severed limb and he severed the limb of another, or there was a lame person and he caused another to be lame. In this case, how can I fulfill “an eye for an eye” literally, when he is already lacking the limb that must be injured? If one will suggest that in that case, a monetary penalty will be imposed, that can be refuted: But the Torah stated: 'You shall have one manner of law' (Leviticus 24:22), which teaches that the law shall be equal for all of you."
Rabbi Abba said: "Shmuel said: 'For three years, Beit Shammai and Beit Hillel disagreed. These said: "The halakha is in accordance with our opinion", and these said: "The halakha is in accordance with our opinion." Ultimately, a Divine Voice emerged and proclaimed: "Both these and those are the words of the living God. However, the halakha is in accordance with the opinion of Beit Hillel."
Since both these and those are the words of the living God, why were Beit Hillel privileged to have the halakha established in accordance with their opinion?
The reason is that they were agreeable and forbearing, showing restraint when affronted, and when they taught the halakha they would teach both their own statements and the statements of Beit Shammai. Moreover, when they formulated their teachings and cited a dispute, they prioritized the statements of Beit Shammai to their own statements, in deference to Beit Shammai.'"
Rabbi Yoḥanan says in the name of Rabbi Shimon ben Yehotzadak: "The Sages who discussed this issue counted the votes of those assembled and concluded in the upper story of the house of Nitza in the city of Lod: With regard to all other transgressions in the Torah, if a person is told: Transgress this prohibition and you will not be killed, he may transgress that prohibition and not be killed, because the preserving of his own life overrides all of the Torah’s prohibitions. This is the halakha concerning all prohibitions except for those of idol worship, forbidden sexual relations, and bloodshed."
And should one not transgress the prohibition of idol worship to save his life? But isn’t it taught in a baraita: Rabbi Yishmael said: "From where is it derived that if a person is told: Worship idols and you will not be killed, from where is it derived that he should worship the idol and not be killed? The verse states: 'You shall keep My statutes and My judgments, which a person shall do, and he shall live by them' (Leviticus 18:5), thereby teaching that the mitzvot were given to provide life, but they were not given so that one will die due to their observance. The baraita continues: One might have thought that it is permitted to worship the idol in this circumstance even in public, i.e., in the presence of many people. Therefore, the verse states: 'Neither shall you profane My holy name; but I will be hallowed among the children of Israel: I am the Lord Who sanctifies you' (Leviticus 22:32)."
Evidently, one is not required to allow himself to be killed so as not to transgress the prohibition of idol worship when in private; but in public he must allow himself to be killed rather than transgress.
Those in the upper story of the house of Nitza stated their opinion in accordance with the opinion of Rabbi Eliezer. As it is taught in a baraita that Rabbi Eliezer says: It is stated: "'And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your might' (Deuteronomy 6:5). If it is stated: 'With all your soul,' why is it also stated: 'With all your might,' which indicates with all your material possessions? And if it is stated: 'With all your might,' why is it also stated: 'With all your soul'? One of these clauses seems to be superfluous. Rather, this serves to teach that if you have a person whose body is more precious to him than his property, it is therefore stated: 'With all your soul.' That person must be willing to sacrifice even his life to sanctify God’s name. And if you have a person whose property is more precious to him than his body, it is therefore stated: 'With all your might.'"
דָּרַשׁ רַבִּי שִׂמְלַאי: שֵׁשׁ מֵאוֹת וּשְׁלֹשׁ עֶשְׂרֵה מִצְוֹת נֶאֶמְרוּ לוֹ לְמֹשֶׁה, שְׁלֹשׁ מֵאוֹת וְשִׁשִּׁים וְחָמֵשׁ לָאוִין כְּמִנְיַן יְמוֹת הַחַמָּה, וּמָאתַיִם וְאַרְבָּעִים וּשְׁמוֹנָה עֲשֵׂה כְּנֶגֶד אֵיבָרָיו שֶׁל אָדָם.
אָמַר רַב הַמְנוּנָא: מַאי קְרָא – ״תּוֹרָה צִוָּה לָנוּ מֹשֶׁה מוֹרָשָׁה״, ״תּוֹרָה״ בְּגִימַטְרִיָּא
Rabbi Simlai taught: "There were 613 mitzvot stated to Moses in the Torah, consisting of 365 prohibitions corresponding to the number of days in the solar year, and 248 positive mitzvot corresponding to the number of a person’s limbs."
Rav Hamnuna said: "What is the verse that alludes to this? It is written: 'Moses commanded to us the Torah, an inheritance of the congregation of Jacob' (Deuteronomy 33:4). The word Torah, in terms of its numerical value [gimatriyya], is 611. In addition, there are two mitzvot: 'I am the Lord your God' and: 'You shall have no other gods' (Exodus 20:2, 3), the first two of the Ten Commandments, that we heard from the mouth of the Almighty, for a total of 613."
תַנְיָא: הָיָה רַבִּי מֵאִיר אוֹמֵר: מִנַּיִן שֶׁאֲפִילּוּ גּוֹי וְעוֹסֵק בַּתּוֹרָה שֶׁהוּא כְּכֹהֵן גָּדוֹל? תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר: ״אֲשֶׁר יַעֲשֶׂה אֹתָם הָאָדָם וָחַי בָּהֶם״, כֹּהֲנִים לְוִיִּם וְיִשְׂרְאֵלִים לֹא נֶאֱמַר, אֶלָּא ״הָאָדָם״, הָא לָמַדְתָּ שֶׁאֲפִילּוּ גּוֹי וְעוֹסֵק בַּתּוֹרָה הֲרֵי הוּא כְּכֹהֵן גָּדוֹל.
אֶלָּא לוֹמַר לָךְ, שֶׁאֵין מְקַבְּלִין עֲלֵיהֶם שָׂכָר כִּמְצוֶּּוה וְעוֹשֶׂה, אֶלָּא כְּמִי שֶׁאֵינוֹ מְצוֶּּוה וְעוֹשֶׂה, דְּאָמַר רַבִּי חֲנִינָא: גָּדוֹל הַמְצוֶּּוה וְעוֹשֶׂה יוֹתֵר מִשֶּׁאֵינוֹ מְצוֶּּוה וְעוֹשֶׂה.
It is taught in a baraita that Rabbi Meir would say: 'From where is it derived that even a gentile who engages in Torah study is considered like a High Priest? The verse states: 'You shall therefore keep My statutes and My ordinances, which if a person do, and shall live by them' (Leviticus 18:5). It is not stated: Priests, Levites, and Israelites, but rather the general term 'person' - you learn that even a gentile who engages in the study of Torah is like a High Priest."
Rather, the verse serves to tell you that they do not receive as great a reward for their fulfillment as one who is commanded and performs a mitzva. Rather, they receive a lesser reward, like that of one who is not commanded and still performs a mitzva, as Rabbi Ḥanina said: "Greater is one who is commanded to do a mitzva and performs it than one who is not commanded and performs it."