Gemara Clarity

Shabbos 104a

שבת ק״ד ע״א

Shabbat 104a

Learn Shabbos 104a step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.

Open Shabbos 104a in Gemara Clarity

Topic

Open and closed letters (סתום and פתוח), the miraculous לוחות, and the children's דרשות on the letters of the אלף-בית

Overview

This amud begins by explaining why turning an open letter into a closed one is fine, but turning a closed letter into an open one is a problem. The reason given is that closed letters like ם and ס stood by a miracle on the לוחות, while the double forms of מנצפ"ך were said to come from the צופים (prophets). The גמרא objects that a נביא may not add anything new, based on 'אלה המצות'. It concludes that both forms come from סיני, were forgotten, and were later restored. Next the גמרא returns to רב חסדא's teachings about the miraculous writing on the לוחות. Then comes an אגדה about young children who explained the letters of the אלף-בית as lessons about Torah study, צדקה, humility, תשובה, and truth versus falsehood. The amud ends with letter codes (אתב"ש, then אח"ס בט"ע, then אלב"ם) that describe the fate of the רשעים and the צדיקים. In the closing dialogue, God refuses to hand the צדיקים over to גיהנם.

Opening lines

עַלּוֹיֵי קָא מְעַלֵּי לֵיהּ,

he is elevating it,

דְּאָמַר רַב חִסְדָּא:

as Rav Ḥisda said:

מֵ״ם וְסָמֶ״ךְ שֶׁבַּלּוּחוֹת

the mem and samekh that were on the Tablets

בְּנֵס הָיוּ עוֹמְדִין.

were standing by a miracle.

The steps (40)

  1. ResponseClosing an open letter raises its status
  2. ResponseOpening a closed letter lowers its status
  3. ChallengeProphets cannot add anything new
  4. ResolutionThe forms existed; the prophets fixed their positions
  5. ChallengeEven setting positions is something new
  6. ResolutionForgotten and then restored
  7. StatementReturning to רב חסדא's teaching
  8. StatementThe Tablets could be read from both sides
  9. StatementYoung students say amazing new things
  10. Statementאלף-בית means learn wisdom; גימל-דלת means help the poor
  11. StatementThe ג's leg reaches toward the ד
  12. StatementThe ד's leg reaches toward the ג
  13. StatementThe ד faces away: give privately
  14. Statementה״ו: The Name of God
  15. Statementז through ל: The Reward for Giving
  16. StatementOpen and Closed מ: Open and Hidden Teachings
  17. StatementBent and Straight נ: The Humble Faithful Person
  18. Statementס״ע: Support the Poor, or Make Memory Signs
  19. StatementBent and Straight פ: When to Speak and When to Be Silent
  20. StatementBent and Straight צ: The Humble צדיק
  21. ChallengeIsn't This the Same as the נ Lesson?
  22. ResolutionDouble Bending: Torah Was Given With Awe
  23. Statementק and ר: God Turns Away From the Wicked
  24. StatementThe ק's Crown Points to the ר: Hope for the Penitent
  25. StatementThe ק's Hanging Leg: A Door for תשובה
  26. ChallengeWhy Not Enter Through the Big Opening?
  27. Resolutionריש לקיש: Heaven Helps Those Who Come to Purify
  28. Statementש stands for falsehood, ת stands for truth
  29. QuestionWhy are the letters of falsehood close together and the letters of truth far apart?
  30. ResponseFalsehood is easy to find, truth is hard to find
  31. QuestionWhy does falsehood stand on one leg while truth stands on bricks?
  32. ResponseTruth lasts, falsehood does not
  33. StatementThe reversed-alphabet code describing the wicked
  34. StatementThe same code describing the righteous
  35. Statementגיהנם asks to swallow everyone
  36. ResponseGod protects the righteous from גיהנם
  37. Statementגיהנם asks to be fed from humanity
  38. ResponseGod refuses: the righteous go to the garden of myrtle
  39. Statementגיהנם complains that it is tired
  40. ResponseGod protects יצחק's descendants and offers the nations instead