Torah Community Connections

Week 124 - Tuesday - 9 April 2002

EDUYOT: CHAPTER 2: MISHNAH 8

R. Akiva said three things: on two they agreed with him, and on one they did not agree with him. On the sandal of lime burners, that it is tame midras; and on the pieces of an oven - four; that they used to say, three; and they agreed with him. And on one they did not agree with him: on a chair where two of its coverings, one next to the other were removed, which R. Akiva declared unclean, whilst the Sages declared it clean.

Kehati

R. Akiva said three things - The three laws enumerated in this mishnah; on two they agreed with him - The Sages agreed with him - and on one they did not agree with him - The Sages did not agree with him. These are the two laws that the Sages agreed with him:

1. On the sandal of lime burners - This was a wooden sandal that lime burners wore, so that their feet should not be burned by the lime with which they worked. Others explain, it was a straw sandal that lime burners wore on top of their leather shoes, to protect them, that it is tame midras - That if a zav wore them, they become unclean by midras (see our introduction to Mishnah 11 of the previous chapter); and even though these sandals are not meant for walking in but to protect his feet or shoes from the lime, they are nevertheless treated as shoes, for the lime-burner occasionally walks home in them.

2. And on the pieces of an oven - four - Their ovens were made in the shape of large earthenware pots without a lip, and were attached to the ground with clay, the floor itself being the bottom of the oven. If such an oven becomes unclean, there is no way to remove the uncleanness except by smashing the oven, as it states (Lev. 11:35), “...whether oven, or range for pots, it shall be broken in pieces; they are unclean..." Once the oven is broken up, the individual pieces of earthenware are no longer unclean, for breaking up the oven renders its pieces clean. In Kelim (5:7), the mishnah explains which pieces become clean and which remain unclean. On this, R. Akiva says: The pieces of an oven - four that if any single piece of the oven was still more than four handbreadths (about 36cm.) high, it remains unclean. Similarly, if a clean oven was broken up and a piece was left intact which is more than four handbreadths high, it can become unclean, like a whole oven. That they used to say: three - Originally, the Sages used to say that even if a piece was three handbreadths high, it remained unclean, or, if clean, could become unclean, as explained above. R. Akiva then stated that the minimum height was four handbreadths; and they agreed with him - The Sages agreed with R. Akiva.

3. And on one they - The Sages did not agree with him: on a chair where two of its coverings, one next to the other were removed - We explained above (1:11) that the seat, the back, and the rest of the chair, other than the frame and legs, are all referred to as its “coverings." Here we refer to a chair where two of the three boards making up the seat were removed, leaving only a single board, which R. Akiva declared unclean - as it is still a utensil and can be used for holding things, whilst the Sages declared it clean - As it is no longer suitable for seating, it is now a broken utensil, and does not become unclean.

EDUYOT: CHAPTER 2: MISHNAH 9

He used to say: A father endows his son with handsomeness, strength, wealth, wisdom and years, and with the number of generations before him, and it is the end, as it states (Isa. 41:4): "...He that called the generations from the beginning," even though it states (Gen. 15:13): "...and shall serve them; and they shall afflict them four hundred years"; and it states (Gen. 15:16): "And in the fourth generation they shall come back hither."

Kehati

This mishnah continues with matters stated by R. Akiva, and deals with Aggadic topics.

He - R. Akiva - used to say: A father endows his son with handsomeness, strength, wealth, wisdom and years - Generally, the son resembles his father in his nature and qualities, and if the father is handsome, physically strong, wise, or long-lived, the son, generally, will by the merit of his father take after him in these characteristics. So too, the son will be wealthy, as he will inherit his father's money and assets. The son acquires wisdom thanks to his father who teaches, educates and directs his son on the correct path; and with the number of generations before him, and it is the end - Many and varied are the interpretations of this difficult passage. According to Bartenura and others, it means that on occasion the merits of ancestors may sometimes help their descendants a number of generations later, and it is the end - that even if the merits do not aid the person's children or grandchildren, there will eventually be an "end," where these merits do help one's descendants, as it states: "...He that called the generations from the beginning" - Implying that God determines in advance the fate of future generations; even though it states: "...and shall serve them; and they shall afflict them four hundred years" - Abraham's merits did not prevent his descendants from going down into exile in Egypt, but the end came and it states - on this matter that Abraham was told, "And in the fourth generation they shall come back hither" - And it was because of that promise that Israel was redeemed from Egypt. Others have a different textual version: a number of generations before him is the end, and they explain this as a separate statement, unrelated to what came earlier (see commentators).

The author of Torah Temimah writes: Many interpretations were given of this aggadah. It appears true that the merit of a number of generations is similar to the other characteristics mentioned in the mishnah with which a father endows his son, that the father endows the son with handsomeness, strength, wealth and wisdom. What R. Akiva wished to say was that just as the father who is handsome, strong, rich, or wise, will in most cases likewise endow his son, so too if a father comes from a noted lineage, he in turn will be known as the progenitor of his sons and grandsons. He brings proof from this verse, that even though the Holy One, Blessed be He, had decreed Israel's bondage would be for a specified number of years, i.e., four hundred years, but when the time of the redemption came, the Holy One, Blessed be He, redeemed them not because the set number of years had elapsed, but because of the merit of their fathers, as it states, "But in the fourth generation they shall come back hither", thus we see that the redemption is dependent on the number of generations and not on the number of years. According to this interpretation, this endowment is akin to the previous ones.

Return to Mishna Yomit Index

Visit the Mishna Yomit Archives