Delving Delving into the Daf into the Daf
The Jewish Home | MAY 26, 2022
98
Still Waters Waters Run Run Deep Deep Still by rabbi Avrohom Sebrow by rabbi Avrohom Sebrow
2020
OctOber 29, 2015 | the| the Jewish Home OctOber 29, 2015 Jewish Home
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here are over 700 brands of bottled water currently on the here are over 700 brands of marbotket water in thecurrently United States. Each tled on the marbrand ket claims to offer the States. perfect Each water in the United taste. In ancient times, wouldwater have brand claims to offer theone perfect assumed that there was choice of taste. In ancient times, oneno would have water. Whatever wellwas the no water carrier assumed that there choice of drew his water from, was the water water. Whatever well that the water carrier you drank. However, thatwas wasthe not necdrew his water from, that water essarily theHowever, case. you drank. that was not necThe the Gemara essarily case. in Yevamos (78b) relates anGemara incidentin that took place during The Yevamos (78b) rethe rule of Dovidthat HaMelech. There was lates an incident took place during a famine EretzHaMelech. Yisrael dueThere to the was lack the rule ofinDovid rain. Dovid HaMelech theorized that aoffamine in Eretz Yisrael due to the lack there three sins that theorized could possibly of rain.are Dovid HaMelech that be theare cause of the (a)possibly idolatry, there three sinsdrought: that could (b)the immoral promiscuous behavbe cause ofand the drought: (a) idolatry, ior,immoral or (c) the and failure of people tobehavfollow (b) promiscuous through their pledges forto charity. ior, or (c) with the failure of people follow Afterwith threetheir years of thorough investhrough pledges for charity. tigation, Dovid HaMelech concluded After three years of thorough investhat Klal Dovid Yisrael HaMelech was free of concluded these sins. tigation, Realizing that he could ascertain that Klal Yisrael was free not of these sins. the reasonthat that he Hashem the Realizing couldwas notcausing ascertain famine, hethat turned to thewas Urim v’Tumim. the reason Hashem causing the
It turns out that there were two causes the famine: first reason as a Itfor turns out thatThe there were twowas causes punishment forThe thefirst fact reason that King for the famine: wasShaul as a was not eulogized as befitting punishment for the properly fact that King Shaul a tzaddik of his stature. Theas second reawas not eulogized properly befitting was as a punishment the comason tzaddik of his stature. Thefor second reaplicity Shaul had causing son wasthat as aKing punishment forinthe comthe death members the of plicity thatofKing Shaul of had innation causing Givonim. the death of members of the nation of The Gemara states that we don’t find Givonim. anywhere that Shaul killedfind any The Gemara statesactually that we don’t Givonim. that Rather, hisactually culpability stems anywhere Shaul killed any from a different event: Under his inGivonim. Rather, his culpability stems struction, the city of Nov was annihifrom a different event: Under his inlated for what perceived to beannihia rebelstruction, the he city of Nov was lion against authority.toThe lated for whathis he perceived be apenalty rebelfor someone whoauthority. rebels against a king is lion against his The penalty death. Ultimately, however, King Shaul for someone who rebels against a king is was held accountable for this grievous death. Ultimately, however, King Shaul error, since, in fact, the of was held accountable for inhabitants this grievous Nov were rebelling against him. error, since,not in fact, the inhabitants of Kingwere Shaulnot wasrebelling already forgiven Nov againstand/or him. punished this aveirah. However, the King Shaulfor was already forgiven and/or sin had an effect, for which punished forunforeseen this aveirah. However, the King Shaul was held accountable. sin had an unforeseen effect, for which that the Givonim KingRashi Shaulexplains was held accountable.
would supply wood and water to the city of Novsupply for usewood on the altar. The would and water to Gemara the city states that, theThe inhabitants of Nov for useinonreturn, the altar. Gemara of Novthat, would with bread states in supply return,them the inhabitants and water. When thethem city with of Nov was of Nov would supply bread annihilated, the Givonim had and water. When the cityno oflonger Nov was a source of sustenance. Givonim annihilated, the GivonimSeven no longer had perished. Seven King Shaul was asubsequently source of sustenance. Givonim held responsible for their deaths subsequently perished. King Shaulsince was he (wrongly) eliminated source of held responsible for their the deaths since their provisions. he (wrongly) eliminated the source of actual text of the Gemara, theirThe provisions. though, is a bit peculiar. theGemara, Givonim The actual text of If the provided to Nov, why didGivonim the resthough, is water a bit peculiar. If the idents of water Nov provide in the return? provided to Nov, water why did res(Rashi,ofinNov fact,provide appearswater to have a difidents inhad return? ferent text in the Gemara, for had he simply (Rashi, in fact, appears to have a difstates text that in thethe residents of for Novheprovided ferent Gemara, simply the Givonim with food. suffered states that the residents of They Nov provided from a lack ofwith food, but They they had their the Givonim food. suffered own water.) from a lack of food, but they had their is a fascinating Maharsha that ownThere water.) explains Gemara differently There isthe a fascinating Maharsha than that Rashi. When the Gemara statesthan that explains the Gemara differently “they provided them with food andthat waRashi. When the Gemara states ter,” itprovided doesn’t mean that Nov “they them with food provided and wa-
the Givonim with food and water. Rather, Givonim it means with that the provided the foodGivonim and water. Raththeitcity of Nov food and provided water. So er, means thatwith the Givonim whycity didofthe Givonim perish in fact, the Nov with food and if, water. So theydid hadthe their own food and water? The why Givonim perish if, in fact, Divine the The Givthey hadmerit theirthat ownensured food andthat water? onim had food andensured water stemmed Divine merit that that the from Givthe fact suppliers of onim hadthat foodthey and were waterthe stemmed from food and water people who served the fact that theyto were the suppliers of Hashem. mitzvah. When food and This waterwas to their people who served there were no was longer anymitzvah. ovdei Hashem Hashem. This their When to supply, they no longer had Hashem a Divine there were no longer any ovdei merit to support own well-being. to supply, they notheir longer had a Divine Lacking this merit, Givonim sufmerit to support theirthe own well-being. fered economically. TheyGivonim were sosufimLacking this merit, the poverished that seven of their members fered economically. They were so imapparently that starved to death. Shaul poverished seven of theirKing members was held liable for their deaths since he apparently starved to death. King Shaul deprived them for of their merit. was held liable their source deaths of since he We see from greatofmerit in deprived them ofhere theirthe source merit. supporting people engaged in merit mitzvos. We see from here the great in Some of thepeople Givonim only lived on acsupporting engaged in mitzvos. countof of the thisGivonim merit. On thelived flip side, we Some only on acsee that the depth Divine judgement count of this merit.of On the flip side, we is awesome. A person can be held acsee that the depth of Divine judgement countable forA the suffering of held an indiis awesome. person can be ac-
