WEEKLY DAFootnotes #28

Become a Supporter Library Library

The Weekly Daf by Rav Mendel Weinbach

Bava Metzia 72-78; Issue #27
20-26 Shevat 5762 / 2-8 Feb 2002



THROUGH FIRE AND WATER

"Going through fire and water" is an expression which has been used to poetically describe the excruciating experiences of nations and individuals. The source for this is a passage in Tehillim (66:12):

"You have caused men to ride on our heads; we went through fire and water; but you brought us out to prosperity."

In his commentary on Tehillim, Metzudot David applies this to the suffering of the Jewish people at the hands of the nations who Hashem gave power over them and eventually removed this control and brought us out to prosperity.

Rabbi Ami and Rabbi Asi, however, applied this concept also to the plight of the individual who suffers embarrassment as the result of being dependent on others. In our gemara it is the debtor who lacks the funds to repay his debt and is forced to see his creditor insensitively pass in front of him, subtly reminding him of his debt, in violation of the Torah command "You shall not behave like a creditor" (Shmot 22:24). In another gemara (Berachot 6b) these same Sages apply this to anyone who suffers shame from being dependent on others for his subsistence.

Embarrassment is the common denominator of these two applications. Fire and water, explains Maharsha, represent the colors red and white which are the visible expressions of embarrassment. In a daf learned two weeks ago (Bava Metzia 58b) Rabbi Nachman bar Yitzchak substantiated our Sages' comparison of causing a person's face to turn pale by publicly embarrassing him to shedding his blood. He did so by pointing to the fact that the first reaction to embarrassment is to blush as the emotional trauma causes his blood to rush to his face. This is followed by the sense of helplessness that causes the blood to recede to its natural location in so rapid a manner that he turns white. This red and white experience is considered momentary bloodshed in the case of public embarrassment and is the fire and water of the anguish of dependence.

Bava Metzia 75b



DO THAT FAVOR AND NOW!

Doing someone a favor when it is not at your expense is an expected norm of decent human behavior. King Solomon thus expresses this concept (Mishlei 3:27):

"Do not restrain a benefit from one to whom it is due when you have the ability to do so."

In our gemara this is applied to the case of someone who was delegated to hire employees at a rate of four zuzim a day and he went and hired them for three zuzim. Although the employees have no legal claim against the employer or his agent for the higher fee since they consented to the lower one, the mishna tells us that they have a right to a moral complaint against the agent. He had the ability to bestow upon these employees a benefit and restrained himself from doing so.

The caution of Solomon has other applications as well. Rashi, in his commentary on Mishlei, offers two different interpretations.

The first deals with a situation in which you see someone who is interested in giving charity to a poor person or doing someone a favor. Although you have the ability to discourage him and thus restrain him from doing so, you are cautioned to refrain from denying this opportunity for a good deed which is due to the well intentioned benefactor.

A second interpretation focuses on the timing involved in giving charity. If you have a present opportunity to give charity to someone to whom it is due because of his situation, then make sure to do so while you have the ability to do so, because you cannot be sure that you will have this ability in the future.

Bava Metzia 76a


General Editor: Rabbi Moshe Newman
Production Design: Binyamin Rosenstock


© 2002 Ohr Somayach International - All rights reserved. This publication may be distributed to another person intact without prior permission. We also encourage you to include this material in other publications, such as synagogue newsletters. However, we ask that you contact us beforehand for permission, and then send us a sample issue.

This publication is available via E-Mail

Ohr Somayach Institutions is an international network of Yeshivot and outreach centers, with branches in North America, Europe, South Africa and South America. The Central Campus in Jerusalem provides a full range of educational services for over 685 full-time students.

The Jewish Learning Exchange (JLE) of Ohr Somayach offers summer and winter programs in Israel that attract hundreds of university students from around the world for 3 to 8 weeks of study and touring.


Copyright © 2002 Ohr Somayach International. Send us feedback.
Dedication opportunities are available for Weekly DAFootnotes. Please contact us for details.
Ohr Somayach International is a 501c3 not-for-profit corporation (letter on file) EIN 13-3503155 and your donation is tax deductable.