Alternatively, what is the blessing of bakkol? That Esau did not rebel in Abrahamโs lifetime, that is to say, as long as Abraham lived Esau did not sin. Alternatively, the blessing of bakkol is that Ishmael repented in Abrahamโs lifetime. The Gemara explains: From where do we derive that Esau did not rebel in Abrahamโs lifetime? As it is written: โAnd Jacob was cooking a stew and Esau came in from the field and he was faintโ (Genesis 25:29), and a baraitataught: On that day Abraham our forefather passed away, and Jacob our forefather prepared a lentil stew to comfort Isaac, his father, as it was customary to serve mourners lentil stew.
since the living know they will die. But the dead know nothing; they have no more recompense, for even the memory of them has died.
Rabbi Yonatan said to him: Do the dead know so much? Isnโt it stated: โAnd the dead know nothingโ (Ecclesiastes 9:5)? Rabbi แธคiyya said to him: If you read the verse, you did not read it a second time, and if you read it a second time, you did not read it a third time, and if you read it a third time, they did not explain it to you properly. The meaning of the verse: โFor the living know that they will die, and the dead know nothing and have no more reward, for their memory has been forgottenโ (Ecclesiastes 9:5): For the living know that they will die, these are the righteous, who even in their death are called living. An allusion to this is as it is stated: โAnd Benayahu, son of Yehoyada, son of a valiant man of Kabzeโel, who had done mighty deeds, he smote the two altar-hearths of Moab; he went down also and slew a lion in the midst of a pit in time of snowโ (II Samuel 23:20).
a taste of the World-to-Come. They are: Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Abraham, as it is written with regard to him: โAnd the Lord blessed Abraham with everythingโ (Genesis 24:1). Isaac, as it is written with regard to him: โAnd I have eaten from everythingโ (Genesis 27:33). Jacob, as it is written with regard to him: โBecause I have everythingโ (Genesis 33:11). This teaches that already in their lifetimes they merited everything, i.e., perfection.
ืฉืืฉื ืื ืฉืื ืืื ืืฆืจ ืืจืขโThe ืืฆื"ืจ did not have dominion over three
OVERVIEW
The ืืจืืืชื states that the ืืฆื"ืจ had no power over ืืืจืื ืืฆืืง ืืืขืงื. Our ืชืืกืคืืช clarifies and qualifies this statement.
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ืชืืกืคืืช rejects the apparent understanding of this statement:
ืืื ืืคืจืฉ ืฉืื ืฉืื ืืื โWe cannot interpret this statement of ื' ืื ืฉืื ืืื ืืฆื"ืจ to mean that the ืืฆื"ืจ had no power over them at all โ
ืืื ืื ืืืื ืงืืื ืขืืื ืืืจื โFor if indeed that were the case how did the ืืืืช receive any reward for their actions, since they had no ืืฆื"ืจ to deter them โ
ืชืืกืคืืช offers his interpretation of this statement:
ืืื ืืืืืจ (ืืืื ืืฃ ืื,ื) ืืื ืืืชืื ืจืืื ืืกืืืื ืืฉืืืจ โBut rather it is like that which the ืืืจื states, โwhat does the ืคืกืืง mean ืจืืื ืืกืืืื ืืฉืืืจ (he guards the feet of his Chassidim); ืจ' ืืืื ื responds โ
ืืืื ืฉืขืืจ ืืื ืจืื ืฉื ืืชืื ืืื ืืื ืฉืื ืืื ื ืืืื โOnce the majority of a personโs years have passed and he did not sin, he will not sin furtherโ โ
ืืื ื ืื ืืืื ืฉืจืื ืืงืืืฉ ืืจืื ืืื ืฉืืื ืืืืงืื ืขืฆืื ืื ืื ืืืชืจืืง ืื ืืขืืืจื โHere too, regarding the ืืืืช since ืืงื"ื saw that the ืืืืช were exerting themselves so much to distance themselves from an ืขืืืจื, therefore โ
ืกืืืขื ืืงืืืฉ ืืจืื ืืื ืืืื ืืืืื ืฉืื ืฉืื ืืื ืืฆืจ ืืจืข:ืืงื"ื helped them from this point onward that the ืืฆื"ืจ had no power over them.
SUMMARY
Once ืืงื"ื saw the effort the ืืืืช exerted to distance themselves from an ืขืืืจื, he helped them by removing from them the ืฉืืืื of the ืืฆื"ืจ.
THINKING IT OVER
Does ืื ืฉืื ืืื ืืฆื"ืจ (regarding the ืืืืช), have the same meaning as ืืืื ืืื ืืงืจืื (which is written regarding ืืื)?
ืืืจื ืขืื ืืฉืืชืคืืืืฉืืขื ืื ืืืคืืืืืื ืช ืืืจื ืืืืกืืคืืืืคืจืง ืื ืงืืฉืืืช ืืืกืชืืจืืืืืืืฆืื ืืืืจ ืืืจืื ืืชืืงื ืืืืขืืจืช ืขืืืื ืขื ืื ืขืืืืื
The Gemara cites another place where Job is mentioned. โAnd it came to pass, when men began to multiply [larov] on the face of the earth, and daughters were born to themโ (Genesis 6:1). Rabbi Yoแธฅanan says:Larov means that propagation [reviyya] came to the world through these daughters. Reish Lakish says: Strife [meriva] came to the world. Once daughters were born, the men began to fight among themselves over them. Reish Lakish said to Rabbi Yoแธฅanan: According to you who say that due to the daughters propagation came to the world, for what reason were the number of Jobโs daughters not doubled, when at the end of the story God doubled everything that Job had lost (see Job 1:3, 42:12)?
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When the Sages who had been studying there took leave of the study hall of Rabbi Ami, and some say it was the study hall of Rabbi แธคanina, they would say to him the following blessing:
May you see your world, may you benefit from all of the good in the world, in your lifetime,and may your end be to life in the World-to-Come,and may your hope be sustained for many generations.
May your heart meditate understanding,your mouth speak wisdom, and your tongue whisper with praise.
May your eyelids look directly before you,your eyes shine in the light of Torah,and your face radiate like the brightness of the firmament.
May your lips express knowledge,your kidneys rejoice in the upright,and your feet run to hear the words of the Ancient of Days, God (see Daniel 7).
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