Gemara Clarity

Chagigah 3b

חגיגה ג׳ ע״ב

Learn Chagigah 3b step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.

Open Chagigah 3b in Gemara Clarity

Topic

רבי אלעזר בן עזריה's דרשה on 'דברי חכמים כדרבנות', the story explaining why the students hesitated, and the signs of a שוטה.

Overview

This amud finishes רבי אלעזר בן עזריה's teaching that Israel is one unique nation. It then gives his דרשה on 'the words of the wise are like goads.' Torah guides like a goad, stays firm like a nail, and keeps growing like a plant. The many disagreements of the תלמידי חכמים all come from one Shepherd, so a student should open his ears to every side. רבי יהושע praises him: a generation with רבי אלעזר בן עזריה is not orphaned. The גמרא asks why the students hesitated to share these teachings. It answers with a story: רבי אליעזר harshly punished a student who reported a 'new' vote about מעשר עני in עמון and מואב during שביעית. That ruling was really a הלכה למשה מסיני. Finally, a new topic begins: the signs of a שוטה. רב הונא and רבי יוחנן argue whether all the signs or just one is needed, and the discussion continues on the next amud.

Opening lines

״וּמִי כְּעַמְּךָ יִשְׂרָאֵל

"And who is like Your people, Israel,

גּוֹי אֶחָד בָּאָרֶץ״.

one nation in the land?"

וְאַף הוּא פָּתַח וְדָרַשׁ:

And he too opened and expounded:

״דִּבְרֵי חֲכָמִים כַּדָּרְבֹנוֹת

"The words of the wise are like goads,

The steps (24)

  1. ProofClosing verse: Israel as one unique nation
  2. StatementTorah is like a goad that guides you to life
  3. ChallengeIs Torah movable like a goad?
  4. ResolutionThe word 'nails' shows Torah is fixed
  5. ChallengeDoes Torah shrink like a nail?
  6. ResolutionThe word 'planted' shows Torah grows
  7. StatementScholars learning in groups and disagreeing
  8. ChallengeHow can anyone learn with so many disagreements?
  9. ResolutionAll opinions come from one Shepherd
  10. ConclusionMake your ears like a funnel
  11. Statementרבי יהושע praises רבי אלעזר בן עזריה
  12. ChallengeWhy didn't the students say it right away?
  13. ResolutionBecause of something that once happened
  14. Questionרבי אליעזר asks what was new today
  15. ResponseThe vote about עמון and מואב
  16. Statementרבי אליעזר's angry reaction
  17. Statementרבי אליעזר weeps and quotes a פסוק
  18. Statementרבי אליעזר confirms the vote with a tradition from Sinai
  19. ResponseWhy these lands were left without the holiness of the land
  20. Conclusionרבי יוסי's eyes are healed
  21. StatementA ברייתא lists the signs of a שוטה
  22. Statementרב הונא and רבי יוחנן argue how many signs are needed
  23. ChallengeWhat exactly is the case: crazy behavior or not?
  24. ResolutionEach sign alone could have a sane excuse, but not all together