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Avodah Zarah 4b

עבודה זרה ד׳ ע״ב

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Topic

בלעם and the moment of ה׳'s anger, רב יוסף's rule about davening מוסף on ראש השנה, and רבי יהושע בן לוי's teachings on מצוות and תשובה.

Overview

The גמרא asks how בלעם could "know the knowledge of the Most High" when he could not even read his own donkey's mind, and it tells the story of the donkey shaming him. It explains that בלעם only knew how to catch the exact moment of ה׳'s anger, and that ה׳'s kindness was not getting angry at all in those days. The גמרא then says the anger lasts only a רגע and comes in the first three hours of the day, when a rooster's crest turns fully white. רבי יהושע בן לוי once tried to use that moment to curse a heretic, fell asleep, and learned that cursing people is not proper. רב יוסף rules that a יחיד should not daven מוסף early on the first day of ראש השנה, and the גמרא defends his rule against several challenges. Next comes a series of sayings from רבי יהושע בן לוי: this world is for doing מצוות, and in עולם הבא those מצוות testify for ישראל and strike the nations. Finally, he teaches that the עגל happened to give hope to בעלי תשובה, supported by רבי שמעון בן יוחאי. The question of why דוד and ישראל sinned is answered on the next amud.

Opening lines

״וְיֹדֵעַ דַּעַת עֶלְיוֹן״ —

"And knows the knowledge of the Most High"

אֶפְשָׁר דַּעַת בְּהֶמְתּוֹ לָא הֲוָה יָדַע,

Is it possible that he did not know the mind of his animal,

דַּעַת עֶלְיוֹן מִי הֲוָה יָדַע?

and yet he knew the mind of the Most High?

מַאי ״דַּעַת בְּהֶמְתּוֹ לָא הֲוָה יָדַע״?

What is meant by "he did not know the mind of his animal"?

The steps (34)

  1. ChallengeHow could בלעם know God's mind?
  2. QuestionWhat does it mean that he didn't know his animal's mind?
  3. ResponseThe princes mock בלעם and the donkey speaks up
  4. ResponseThe donkey keeps exposing בלעם
  5. ProofA source for the hint about the night
  6. ResponseWhat בלעם really knew: the moment of God's anger
  7. ProofSupport from the נביא מיכה
  8. Statementה׳'s kindness was not getting angry in those days
  9. Proofבלעם himself admits he cannot curse
  10. QuestionHow long does ה׳'s anger last
  11. ResponseA moment is as long as saying the word
  12. ProofA פסוק shows the anger is only a moment
  13. ProofA second source from ישעיהו
  14. ResponseWhen ה׳'s anger happens: the rooster sign
  15. ChallengeBut the crest is white every hour
  16. ResolutionThe difference is the red streaks
  17. Statementרבי יהושע בן לוי tries to curse a heretic
  18. Conclusionרבי יהושע בן לוי learns not to curse
  19. StatementWhat causes ה׳'s anger in the morning
  20. StatementDo not daven מוסף alone early on the first day of ראש השנה
  21. ChallengeWhy not the community too?
  22. ResolutionThe community has great merit
  23. ChallengeWhy not an individual's שחרית too?
  24. ResolutionCommunities are davening שחרית at the same time
  25. ChallengeIsn't ה׳ learning Torah in the first three hours?
  26. ResolutionReverse the order
  27. ResolutionKeep the order: during תורה hours there is no going beyond the law
  28. StatementA memory aid for the coming sayings
  29. StatementToday is for doing מצוות, and reward comes later
  30. Statementמצוות will testify for Israel in עולם הבא
  31. Statementמצוות will strike the faces of the nations in עולם הבא
  32. StatementThe calf was made to give hope to those who repent
  33. ProofNeither David nor Israel was fit for their sins
  34. QuestionSo why did they sin?