Yevamos 7

The Gemara states that if a Kohen committed murder and is liable the death penalty and escapes from the court prior to his execution and attempts to perform the avodah, the court sends its messenger to remove the Kohen from the Bais HaMikdash to be executed. The only exception to this is when the Kohen is already standing on top of the mizbeiach and performing the avodah. What is the rationale for this exemption?

The answer to this question is that we would have thought that if a Kohen is soon to be engaged in the avodah of the korbanos, sacrifices, which reflect a closeness to HaShem, the act of service itself should serve as a deferment for the Kohen’s death sentence. The Torah therefore teaches us that when the Kohen is only beside the mizbeiach, he cannot escape punishment. However, when the Kohen is actually performing the avodah to serve as an atonement for  answer or even if he is just offering the regular korbanos, his closeness to HaShem allows him to defer his execution, albeit only while he is performing the avodah.

Yevamos 6

The Gemara states that it is said (Vayikra 19:30) אֶת שַׁבְּתֹתַי תִּשְׁמֹרוּ וּמִקְדָּשִׁי תִּירָאוּ אֲנִי יְ-ה-וָ-ה, My Shabbosos shall you observe, and My Sanctuary shall you revere, I am HaShem. The Gemara states that the reason the Torah mentions the commandment to observe the Shabbos next to the injunction to revere the Bais HaMikdash is to teach us as follows: One would think that he should revere the Bais HaMikdash itself, so the Torah therefore states, “My Shabbosos shall you observe, and My Sanctuary shall you revere.” The Torah states observance regarding Shabbos and it states reverence regarding the Bais HaMikdash. Just as observance of Shabbos does not mean that one reveres the Shabbos. Rather, one reveres HaShem Who commanded regarding Shabbos, so too regarding reverence of the Bais HaMikdash, one does not revere the Bais HaMikdash. Rather, one reveres the Bais HaMikdash, and out of reverence to HaShem one acts properly in the Bais HaMikdash.

This Gemara is difficult to understand for two reasons. One, the Torah does not state that one should fear the Shabbos, only that one should observe the Shabbos. Second, the Tikkunei Zohar states that the word בראשית forms an acrostic for the words ירא שבת, fear Shabbos (See Demai 4:1 and Raav there). Thus, we see that there is a concept of fearing the Shabbos.

We can answer these questions by suggesting that the Gemara is teaching us a  fundamental in Judaism. We do not believe in the sanctity of objects as an end unto themselves. Rather, we say that an object or a person is holy because of the holiness that HaShem proffered upon the object or the person. While we certainly stand in awe of the Bais HaMikdash and it is told that very pious people actually feared the Shabbos, ultimately our fear and reverence is directed towards HaShem. The Torah specifically uses the word תשמרו regarding Shabbos, as the Gemara (Eiruvin 96a) states that whenever the Torah uses the words השמר, פן ואל, they connote a negative commandment. While Shabbos is a time when we demonstrate our love for HaShem and Shabbos contains great spiritual potential, we still must “revere the Shabbos” by remembering that HaShem is the One Who gave us the precious gift of Shabbos and we must follow His dictates accordingly.

Yevamos 5

The Gemara states that the word שַׁעַטְנֵז teaches us that one is not liable for wearing a  combination of wool and linen unless it is שוע טווי ונוז, smoothed, spun and woven. Rashi writes: שוע. לשון חלק שמתרגמינן שעיע (בראשית כז), the word שוע denotes smooth, as it is said (Bereishis 27: 11) וַיֹּאמֶר יַעֲקֹב אֶל רִבְקָה אִמּוֹ הֵן עֵשָׂו אָחִי אִישׁ שָׂעִר וְאָנֹכִי אִישׁ חָלָק, Yaakov replied to Rivka, his mother, “But my brother Esav is a hairy man and I am a smooth-skinned man.

It is noteworthy that the word שוע is the same letters as the name עֵשָׂו. Earlier (Ibid 25:27) it is said וַיִּגְדְּלוּ הַנְּעָרִים וַיְהִי עֵשָׂו אִישׁ יֹדֵעַ צַיִד אִישׁ שָׂדֶה וְיַעֲקֹב אִישׁ תָּם יֹשֵׁב אֹהָלִים, the lads grew up and Esav became one who knows hunting, a man of the field; but Yaakov was a wholesome man, abiding in tents. Rashi writes that Yaakov was referred to as a תָּם, wholesome, as Yaakov was not an expert in all the things in which Esav was an expert in. As is his heart, so is his mouth. One who is not sharp in deceiving is called “wholesome.”

Rashi is not saying that Yaakov did not know how to engage in deceit. Rather, this was not Yaakov’s area of expertise. Nonetheless, when forced to, Yaakov used his guile to attempt outsmarting Lavan. We can therefore suggest that for this reason the Targum of the word חָלָק is שעיע, similar to the word שוע which has the same letters as the name עֵשָׂו, as underneath Yaakov’s smoothness was a layer of “smoothness,” as we refer to a cunning person as being “slick.”

Yevamos 4

The Gemara states that we learn that one can expound juxtaposed verses from the verse that states (Tehillim 111:8) סְמוּכִים לָעַד לְעוֹלָם עֲשׂוּיִם בֶּאֱמֶת וְיָשָׁר, they are joined forever and for eternity; they (i.e. the joined passages) are fashioned in truth and uprightness. We see from this verse that the verses that are fashioned together are not random but are eternal truths.

It is noteworthy that the commentators (See Chasam Sofer and Ksav Sofer amongst others) expound on the juxtaposition of the last verse in the Torah that states (Devarim 34:12) וּלְכֹל הַיָּד הַחֲזָקָה וּלְכֹל הַמּוֹרָא הַגָּדוֹל אֲשֶׁר עָשָׂה מֹשֶׁה לְעֵינֵי כָּל יִשְׂרָאֵל, and by all the strong hand and awesome power that Moshe performed before the eyes of all of Israel, and the first verse in the Torah that states (Bereishis 1:1) בְּרֵאשִׁית בָּרָא אֱ-לֹהִים אֵת הַשָּׁמַיִם וְאֵת הָאָרֶץ, in the beginning of G-d’s creating the heavens and the earth. This juxtaposition is hinted to in the verse in Tehillim that states סְמוּכִים לָעַד לְעוֹלָם עֲשׂוּיִם בֶּאֱמֶת וְיָשָׁר, as the last letters of the words בְּרֵאשִׁית בָּרָא אֱ-לֹהִים spell out the word אֱמֶת, truth, and the last word in the Torah is יִשְׂרָאֵל, which is alluded to in the word וְיָשָׁר, as the Jewish People are referred to as יְשֻׁרוּן, upright.

 

Yevamos 3

The Gemara states that a positive commandment supersedes a negative commandment. The Ramban (Shemos 20:8) writes that the rationale for this dictum is because one who performs a positive commandment does so out of love for HaShem, whereas one who refrains from violating negative commandment does so out of fear of HaShem .

One must wonder, then, according to the Ramban, why does the Gemara (Sota 21a) state that a sin can extinguish the reward of a mitzvah, implying that a mitzvah cannot extinguish the punishment of a sin. Would it not be logical that a mitzvah, performed out of love for HaShem, should be capable of extinguishing the punishment of a sin that was merely performed through lack of fear?

The answer to this question is that the performance of a positive commandment certainly is greater than one who refrains from performing a negative commandment. The Gemara (Shabbos 30b) states that when one is summoned to his final judgement in the next world, he is asked regarding his performance of various positive commandments. Nonetheless, if a person had fear of heaven, then he is vindicated, and if not, then he is found guilty. The Gemara states that fear of heaven is the preservative for the positive commandments. Thus, while the performance of positive commandments overrides the prohibition of the negative commandment, one must always view the injunction against violating a negative commandment like a raging fire.

Indeed, like the Gemara cited previously, the positive commandment does not have the capability of “extinguishing” a negative commandment. We should merit to serve HaShem with fiery enthusiasm while paying heed to the burning fire that is contained within the negative commandments.

Yevamos 2

The Mishna discusses women who exempt their צרות, their co-wives, and the co-wives of their co-wives from the requirements of Yibum and Chalitzah, until the end of time.

We find the word צרה used regarding idolatry, as the Medrash (Psichta Eicha 24) states that Rachel claimed to HaShem, “does it really concern You that the Jews worship idols, a “co-wife,” when I allowed my co-wife (Leah) to marry Yaakov and I gave Yaakov the signs that he had given me so that my sister should not be embarrassed?”

We can suggest that our Mishna alludes to the idea that Rachel “exempted” her co-wife and through that noble deed she was able to defend the Jewish People. Ultimately, HaShem only paid attention to the entreaties of Rachel and promised her that in the End of Days the Jewish People would be redeemed.