Talmud Tips

For the week ending 23 March 2013 / 11 Nisan 5773

Eruvin 16 - 22

by Rabbi Moshe Newman
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Rabbi Yirmiya ben Elazar said: “Every home in which words of Torah are heard at night will not be destroyed.”

The gemara states that he derives this from the verse, "He does not say, 'Where is G-d, my Maker, Who ‘gives songs’ (zemirot) in the night'" (Iyov 35:10). "Giving songs" refer to the act of singing the words of Torah, which at nighttime can be heard at a distance (Rashi). The verse teaches that whoever learns Torah during the night will not have reason to ask, “Where is G-d (Who could have saved my house from being destroyed)?”

  • Eruvin 18b

Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi said:What is meant by the verse, ‘That I command you today to do them? ‘Today’ (in this world) we are to fulfill the mitzvot, but ‘not to fufill them tomorrow’ (in the World-to-Come); and ‘today’ we are to fulfill them and ‘tomorrow’ (in the World-to-Come) we receive reward for fulfilling them.

Rashi explains this statement in the gemara as follows: If a person after departing this world would come to fulfill a mitzvah in the Future-to-Come, this would not help him (receive reward), as we are taught “One who toils on the eve of Shabbat (i.e. in this world), will eat on Shabbat (i.e. will receive reward and will delight in the World-to-Come).” (Avoda Zara 3a).

We were not created for our situation here in this world as we tend to think, but rather for that in the World-to-Come. Our situation here, in this world, is merely the means to attain the one due us in the World-to-Come, which is actually our goal. (Mesillat Yesharim 1:4)

  • Eruvin 22a

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