Chagigah 5b

חגיגה ה׳ ע״ב

Learn Chagigah 5b step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.

Open Chagigah 5b in Gemara Clarity

Topic

הסתר פנים, God's crying over the חורבן, stories about honoring Torah and its scholars, and a return to the משנה's definition of a קטן

Overview

The amud opens as רבא finishes his rule that whoever never suffers הסתר פנים is not one of the Jewish people. The רבנן say רבא himself seems free of trouble, he answers that he secretly pays the Persian king, and after they keep looking at him with suspicion he is arrested. רבא and רב יוסף then teach that even when God hides His face, He still speaks to us in dreams and protects us with His hand. Stories about רבי יהושע בן חנניה follow: he beats a heretic in a silent sign debate before the Caesar, and on his deathbed he comforts the רבנן that the nations' wisdom falls together with Israel's. Next come teachings about God reviewing a person's speech at death, and about God crying in a hidden place over the חורבן and the exile, with רבי dropping the book of איכה in grief. Two stories then show the value of Torah scholars and Torah learning: a blind scholar blesses רבי and רבי חייא for greeting him, and רבי יוחנן defends רב אידי by teaching that one day of Torah a year counts as a whole year. Finally the גמרא returns to the משנה's definition of a קטן, and רבי זירא begins a challenge that continues on the next amud.

Opening lines

The steps (48)

1. StatementEnd of רבא's rule about who belongs to the Jewish people
2. ChallengeThe Sages point out that רבא himself seems free of these troubles
3. Resolutionרבא reveals he secretly pays the king
4. StatementThe Sages look at רבא and he is arrested
5. Conclusionרבא links his arrest to a teaching of רבן שמעון בן גמליאל
6. Statementרבא: even when God hides His face, He speaks in dreams
7. Statementרב יוסף: God's hand is stretched over us
8. StatementThe silent hand-sign debate in Caesar's house
9. QuestionCaesar asks רבי יהושע to explain the signs
10. QuestionThe heretic cannot explain רבי יהושע's sign
11. ConclusionThe heretic is executed
12. QuestionThe Sages worry as רבי יהושע בן חנניה is dying
13. ResponseWhen Israel loses wisdom, the nations lose theirs too
14. ProofA second פסוק for the same idea
15. Statementרבי אילא is frightened by a פסוק a child was reading
16. QuestionWhat does 'what his speech was' mean?
17. ResponseEven light talk between husband and wife is shown at death
18. ChallengeBut רב himself joked with his wife
19. ResolutionLight talk is allowed when needed to make peace with one's wife
20. StatementGod has a hidden place called מסתרים where He cries
21. QuestionWhat pride is God crying about?
22. ResponseThe pride of Israel that was given to the nations
23. ResponseThe pride of the kingdom of Heaven
24. ChallengeHow can there be crying before God if there is no sadness before Him?
25. ResolutionCrying in the inner rooms, joy in the outer rooms
26. ChallengeA פסוק shows God calling for crying openly
27. ResolutionThe destruction of the בית המקדש is a special case
28. StatementThree tear-words in the verse mean three tragedies
29. StatementAnother view: the third tear is for ביטול תורה
30. ChallengeHow does ביטול תורה fit the end of the verse?
31. ResolutionExile is the greatest ביטול תורה
32. StatementThree things God cries over every day
33. Statementרבי drops the book of איכה
34. Statementרבי and רבי חייא want to greet a blind scholar
35. StatementThe blind scholar blesses them
36. QuestionWhere did you learn this blessing?
37. Responseרבי יעקב kept greeting his teacher
38. ProofA קל וחומר from a פסוק in תהלים
39. Statementרב אידי is mocked as a one-day student
40. Statementרבי יוחנן asks רב אידי not to punish the רבנן
41. Statementרבי יוחנן quotes a verse about seeking God daily
42. QuestionDo people seek God only by day?
43. ResponseOne day of Torah counts like a whole year
44. StatementThe same rule for punishment: the spies
45. QuestionDid they sin for forty years?
46. ResponseOne day of sin counts like a whole year
47. StatementBack to the משנה: who is a minor
48. Challengeרבי זירא begins an objection