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Yoma 22b

יומא כ״ב ע״ב

Learn Yoma 22b step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.

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Topic

The finger lottery and the ban on counting Jews, then aggadah about the sins and kingship of שאול and דוד

Overview

The amud opens by ending רב פפא's question about measuring the race up the כבש as תיקו, with no answer. It then explains the משנה's finger lottery (הצביעו): the ממונה counts fingers, not the כהנים themselves, because רבי יצחק teaches that counting Jews directly is forbidden even for a מצוה. After רב אשי questions the verse about בזק, the גמרא proves the rule from שאול counting the people with sheep (טלאים). רבי אלעזר and רב נחמן בר יצחק say counting Jews violates one or two לאוין, and the גמרא resolves an apparent contradiction in the verse in הושע in two ways. The verses about שאול lead to a long aggadic discussion: a leader becomes wealthy, שאול argued against ה׳'s command to destroy עמלק, and a בת קול rebuked him twice. רב הונא contrasts שאול, who lost the kingdom over one sin, with דוד, who kept it despite two, and the גמרא works out which of דוד's sins count. The amud ends with teachings on שאול's innocence, why his dynasty ended, and his punishment for giving up a king's honor. It then begins a teaching about every תלמיד חכם that continues on the next amud.

Opening lines

אוֹ דִילְמָא בַּר מֵאַמָּה יְסוֹד

Or perhaps excluding the cubit of the base

וְאַמָּה סוֹבֵב?

and the cubit of the ledge?

תֵּיקוּ.

Let it stand [unresolved].

וְאִם הָיוּ שְׁנֵיהֶן שָׁוִין,

And if the two of them were equal,

The steps (47)

  1. QuestionThe second side of רב פפא's measuring question
  2. ConclusionThe question stays unresolved
  3. StatementThe משנה: when the race is a tie, the appointed priest says 'extend fingers'
  4. StatementA ברייתא explains the word הצביעו
  5. QuestionWhy not count the priests themselves?
  6. ResponseThis supports רבי יצחק
  7. Statementרבי יצחק: it is forbidden to count Jews, even for a מצוה
  8. Challengeרב אשי: maybe בזק is just the name of a town
  9. ResolutionA better source: שאול counted them with sheep
  10. Statementרבי אלעזר: counting Jews violates a negative commandment
  11. Statementרב נחמן בר יצחק: two negative commandments
  12. ChallengeTwo parts of one verse seem to contradict each other
  13. ResolutionFirst answer: it depends on whether the Jewish people do ה׳'s will
  14. ResolutionSecond answer: humans cannot count them, but ה׳ can
  15. StatementA person appointed as a community leader becomes wealthy
  16. ProofProof: שאול first counted with pottery, and later with sheep
  17. ChallengeMaybe the sheep belonged to the people
  18. ResolutionOtherwise, why would the verse bother to say it?
  19. Statementשאול argued with ה׳ about the valley
  20. Statementשאול's קל וחומר: if one life needs a ceremony, how much more all of עמלק
  21. Statementשאול's argument about the animals and the children
  22. RejectionA Heavenly voice: do not be overly righteous
  23. StatementA Heavenly voice: do not be overly wicked
  24. Statementרב הונא: one with ה׳'s help need not worry
  25. QuestionWhat was שאול's one sin?
  26. ResponseThe incident with אגג
  27. ChallengeBut there was also נוב
  28. Resolutionשאול's fate was sealed already at אגג
  29. QuestionWhat were דוד's two sins?
  30. Responseאוריה and the incitement
  31. ChallengeBut there was also בת שבע
  32. Resolutionבת שבע was already punished fourfold
  33. ChallengeBut the census was also punished, with a plague
  34. ResolutionThe census punishment did not hit דוד's own body
  35. ChallengeBut בת שבע was also not punished on his body
  36. Resolutionדוד was personally struck with צרעת for six months
  37. ChallengeAnother sin: accepting לשון הרע
  38. ResolutionFollow שמואל: דוד did not accept לשון הרע
  39. ResolutionEven according to רב, דוד was punished: the kingdom split
  40. Statementשאול was like a one-year-old who never tasted sin
  41. ChallengeMaybe one-year-old means dirty, not innocent
  42. Rejectionרב נחמן's frightening dreams and his apology to שאול
  43. Statementשאול's kingdom did not last because his family had no flaw
  44. ProofA leader needs a humbling background behind him
  45. Statementשאול was punished for giving up his royal honor
  46. ProofProof from the verses: שאול stayed silent and נחש attacked
  47. StatementOpening of a new teaching about every Torah scholar