Gemara Clarity

Sanhedrin 93b

סנהדרין צ״ג ע״ב

Learn Sanhedrin 93b step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.

Open Sanhedrin 93b in Gemara Clarity

Topic

רות's six blessed descendants, the meaning of סריסים, and why no book was named after נחמיה.

Overview

The גמרא explains that the six measures of barley בועז gave רות were a hint: six descendants would come from her, each blessed with six blessings. These are דוד, משיח, דניאל, חנניה, מישאל and עזריה. A פסוק lists דוד's six praises, and רב reads them as לשון הרע that דואג spoke about דוד's Torah greatness, which made שאול jealous. משיח's blessings come from ישעיהו 11, and רבא learns that משיח 'smells and judges', a test that בר כוזיבא failed. The virtues of דניאל and his friends are explained, along with a מחלוקת about their tribe. רב and רבי חנינא then argue whether 'סריסים' means real eunuchs or that עבודה זרה lost its power in their days, and each view is tested against פסוקים. Finally, the גמרא asks why no book was named after נחמיה. One answer is that he took credit for himself, and the other is that he spoke badly of earlier leaders, even דניאל, who was greater than the נביאים חגי, זכריה and מלאכי.

Opening lines

אֶלָּא שֵׁשׁ סְאִין.

Rather, six se'a.

וְכִי דַּרְכָּהּ שֶׁל אִשָּׁה

And is it the way of a woman

לִיטּוֹל שֵׁשׁ סְאִין?

to carry six se'a?

אֶלָּא רֶמֶז [רָמַז] לָהּ,

Rather, he hinted to her,

The steps (42)

  1. ResolutionMaybe it means six full measures
  2. ChallengeA woman can't carry six measures
  3. ResolutionThe six was a hint to six blessed descendants
  4. Proofדוד's six blessings from a פסוק
  5. Statementדואג's praise was really slander about Torah greatness
  6. Statementשאול becomes jealous at 'ה׳ is with him'
  7. ProofProof that שאול lacked this quality
  8. QuestionHow do we know the speaker was דואג?
  9. ResponseThe 'one' servant is the outstanding servant, דואג
  10. Proofמשיח's six blessings
  11. Statementרבי אלכסנדרי: loaded like millstones
  12. Statementרבא: משיח smells and judges
  13. Statementבר כוזיבא fails the משיח test
  14. ProofThe six virtues of דניאל and his three friends
  15. QuestionWhat does 'no blemish' mean?
  16. ResponseNot even a tiny scratch
  17. QuestionWhat strength was needed to stand in the palace?
  18. ResponseThey held themselves back out of fear of the king
  19. StatementWere all four from שבט יהודה?
  20. StatementOnly דניאל was from יהודה
  21. QuestionWhat does 'סריסים' mean in ישעיהו's prophecy?
  22. Responseרב: literally eunuchs
  23. Responseרבי חנינא: idol worship was 'neutered' in their days
  24. ChallengeHow does רב explain 'they have no hurt'?
  25. ResolutionNo hurt from the fire
  26. ChallengeThe fire is already mentioned in another פסוק
  27. ResolutionNeither hurt nor smell
  28. ChallengeWould a פסוק call צדיקים by a shameful name?
  29. ResolutionBoth meanings were true of them
  30. Challenge'Better than sons and daughters' seems to fit only רב
  31. ResolutionComfort for children who had died
  32. QuestionWhat is the everlasting name?
  33. Responseספר דניאל carries his name
  34. QuestionWhy is no book named after נחמיה?
  35. Responseנחמיה took credit for himself
  36. Challengeדוד also asked to be remembered
  37. Resolutionדוד was praying for mercy
  38. Responseרב יוסף: נחמיה spoke badly of earlier leaders
  39. QuestionHow do we know דניאל was greater than נחמיה?
  40. ResponseThe פסוק: only דניאל saw the vision
  41. QuestionWho were the men with Daniel?
  42. ResponseThe men were חגי, זכריה and מלאכי