Moed Katan 16b

מועד קטן ט״ז ע״ב

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Topic

Teaching Torah in public, how long a נזיפה lasts, and דרשות on the last words of דוד

Overview

This amud finishes רבי's דרשה that Torah should be learned in private. It then tells how רבי חייא taught רב and רבה בר בר חנה in the marketplace, upset רבי, and kept a נזיפה on himself for thirty days. The גמרא explains רבי's two messages on day thirty through the question of מקצת היום ככולו. It then gives the two sides: רבי reads 'חכמות בחוץ תרונה' like רבא, while רבי חייא applies ״חמוקי ירכיך״ to צדקה and גמילות חסדים. The thirty days are explained as special to a נשיא, and three stories show that a נזיפה in בבל lasts one day. The last story leads to the 'last words of דוד', ה׳'s rebuke of דוד for singing over שאול, and the reading of 'כושי' as someone who stands out in his deeds. Then come דרשות on דוד's 'mighty men' as praises of his humility, power and strength, along with his sin with אוריה. The amud ends by naming who said a new teaching about the laws of נידוי, which comes on the next amud.

Opening lines

The steps (50)

1. ConclusionTorah should be taught in private
2. Statementרבי חייא teaches his nephews in the marketplace
3. Statementרבי hints that רבי חייא should leave
4. Statementרבי חייא treats himself as rebuked for thirty days
5. Statementרבי invites him on day thirty, then cancels
6. QuestionWhy did רבי change his mind?
7. ResponseDoes part of a day count as the whole day?
8. Statementרבי חייא arrives, and רבי asks why he came
9. Challengeרבי objects that he also sent a second message
10. Resolutionרבי חייא never saw the second messenger
11. Conclusionרבי sees Heaven's help and quotes a פסוק
12. Questionרבי asks why רבי חייא acted as he did
13. Responseרבי חייא quotes 'חכמות בחוץ תרונה'
14. Rejectionרבי says רבי חייא did not understand the פסוק
15. ResponseThe real meaning of the פסוק, according to רבא
16. ChallengeChallenge from a פסוק in ישעיה about speaking openly
17. ResolutionThat פסוק is about the days of the כלה
18. QuestionHow does רבי חייא explain the פסוק about hidden thighs?
19. Responseרבי חייא applies the פסוק to צדקה and גמילות חסדים
20. ProofThe story seems to show a נזיפה in ארץ ישראל lasts thirty days
21. RejectionA rebuke from the נשיא is different
22. QuestionHow long does a נזיפה last in בבל?
23. ResponseIn בבל, one day
24. ProofBackground: how שמואל and מר עוקבא honored each other
25. Proofמר עוקבא rebukes himself for one day
26. ProofThe woman who did not move her leg
27. Proofזוטרא בר טוביה asks about the 'last words' of דוד
28. Proofרב יהודה is hurt, and זוטרא keeps a one-day נזיפה
29. QuestionSo what are the 'first words' of דוד?
30. ResponseThe first words are דוד's שירה
31. Statementה׳ rebukes דוד for singing over שאול's downfall
32. ProofA פסוק about כוש בן ימיני hints to this
33. ChallengeWas שאול's name really כוש?
34. Resolutionשאול stood out by his deeds like a כושי by his skin
35. ProofThe same reading for ציפורה, the כושית
36. ProofThe same reading for צדקיה, the כושי
37. ProofThe same reading for the Jewish people
38. Statementדוד raised up the yoke of repentance
39. QuestionWhat does the פסוק about 'ruling over man' mean?
40. ResponseA צדיק can cancel God's decree
41. QuestionWhat does the list of דוד's warriors mean?
42. ResponseThese are the names of דוד's own mighty deeds
43. Statement'יושב בשבת': דוד sat on the ground
44. StatementAfter his teacher died, דוד still refused the pillows
45. Statementתחכמוני: Be Like Me
46. StatementHead of the Three אבות
47. StatementSoft as a Worm, Hard as a Tree
48. StatementEight Hundred at Once, and a Sigh for Two Hundred
49. ResponseThe בת קול: Because of אוריה
50. StatementThree versions of who said the next teaching