{"id":10191,"date":"2006-08-24T01:26:00","date_gmt":"2006-08-24T01:26:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/production.ou.org\/life\/other\/masechet_yoma_7985\/"},"modified":"2015-10-22T04:44:16","modified_gmt":"2015-10-22T09:44:16","slug":"masechet_yoma_7985","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ou.org\/life\/torah\/masechet_yoma_7985\/","title":{"rendered":"Masechet Yoma 79a-85b"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><em>The Coming Week&#8217;s Daf Yomi by Rabbi Adin Steinsaltz<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em>This essay is based upon the insights and chidushim (original ideas) of Talmudic scholar Rabbi Adin Steinsaltz, as published in the Hebrew version of the Steinsaltz Edition of the Talmud.<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em>This month&#8217;s Steinsaltz Daf Yomi is sponsored by Dr. and Mrs. Alan Harris, the Lewy Family Foundation, and Marilyn and Edward Kaplan<\/em><\/p>\n<p><strong><u>Yoma 79<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>We have learned that one of the five forbidden, pleasurable activities on <em><a href=\"http:\/\/www.ou.org\/about\/judaism\/yz.htm#yomkippur\">Yom Kippur<\/a><\/em> is eating. The <a href=\"http:\/\/www.ou.org\/about\/judaism\/m.htm#mishna\">Mishnah<\/a> (<a href=\"http:\/\/www.steinsaltz.org\/dynamic\/DafYomi_details.asp?id=354\">73b<\/a>) taught that in order to be held liable for eating, one must consume an amount of food the size of a <em>kotevet ha-gasah<\/em> \u2013 a large date. Since this measurement is an unusual one (for example, with regard to <em>birkat ha-mazon <\/em>&#8211; grace after meals \u2013 the minimum amount that needs to be eaten is either a <em>kezayit<\/em> \u2013 the size of an olive \u2013 or a <em>ka-beitzah<\/em> \u2013 the size of an egg), the <a href=\"http:\/\/www.ou.org\/about\/judaism\/di.htm#gemara\">Gemara<\/a> on our <em>daf<\/em> \u00a0attempts to define it.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.jewishencyclopedia.com\/view.jsp?artid=5&amp;letter=R\">Rava<\/a> quotes <a href=\"http:\/\/www.jewishencyclopedia.com\/view.jsp?artid=626&amp;letter=J\">Rav Yehuda<\/a> as teaching that a <em>kotevet ha-gasah<\/em> must be larger than an egg, since the Sages determined that only an amount greater than a <em>ka-beitzah <\/em>size gives a sense of satisfaction. While ordinarily the Sages do not attempt to give explanations for the specific size requirement given by the <a href=\"http:\/\/www.ou.org\/about\/judaism\/torah.htm\">Torah<\/a>, <a href=\"http:\/\/www.jewishencyclopedia.com\/view.jsp?artid=214&amp;letter=T#787\">Rabbi Avraham Tiktin<\/a>, in his Davar Be-ito argues that in this case there was a recognition that the rules of <em>Yom Kippur<\/em> were left to the Sages to define (see the <a href=\"http:\/\/www.jewishencyclopedia.com\/view.jsp?artid=309&amp;letter=N\">Ran&#8217;s<\/a> explanation of this phenomenon on page 73b), so we must try and understand their underlying logic.<\/p>\n<p>In an attempt to examine Rava&#8217;s position that a <em>kotevet ha-gasah<\/em> must be larger than an egg, the Gemara brings a series of stories about the Sages and their eating habits. A <em><a href=\"http:\/\/www.jewishencyclopedia.com\/view.jsp?artid=247&amp;letter=B&amp;search=baraita\">baraita<\/a><\/em> records that when asked to taste the food that was being cooked on <em><a href=\"http:\/\/www.ou.org\/chagim\/sukkot\/default.htm\">Sukkot<\/a><\/em>, <a href=\"http:\/\/www.jewishencyclopedia.com\/view.jsp?artid=362&amp;letter=J\">Rabban Yochanan ben Zakkai<\/a> insisted that it be brought into the <em><a href=\"http:\/\/www.ou.org\/about\/judaism\/sukkah.htm\">sukkah<\/a><\/em>, as did <a href=\"http:\/\/www.jewishencyclopedia.com\/view.jsp?artid=51&amp;letter=G\">Rabban Gamliel<\/a> when he was brought two <em>kotavot<\/em> with water. Both Rabbis knew that the food that they had been brought did not really need to be eaten in the <em>sukkah<\/em>, but they were stringent on themselves, and insisted that any food that they ate could only be eaten in the <em>sukkah<\/em>.<\/p>\n<p>In contrast to these Sages, the <em>baraita<\/em> also tells of Rabbi Tzadok who would eat less than a <em>ka-beitzah<\/em> of food by wrapping it in a napkin and eating it outside the <em>sukkah<\/em> without an after-blessing. Rabbi Tzadok&#8217;s behavior is subject to a difference of opinion between <a href=\"http:\/\/www.ou.org\/about\/judaism\/rashi.htm\">Rashi<\/a> who says that he took the food in a napkin because of his fastidiousness, while <a href=\"http:\/\/www.ou.org\/about\/judaism\/bc.htm#baaleitosafot\">Tosafot<\/a> explain that his religious devotion was such that he treated all food as though it were <em><u>teruma<\/u><\/em>, so he refrained from touching food lest it become ritually defiled. In any case, it is clear that the <em>baraita<\/em> tells Rabbi Tzadok&#8217;s story in order to emphasize that just as there were Sages who were stringent upon themselves, there were also those who made a point of emphasizing that it was appropriate to stick to the letter of the law without stringencies. In this story, Rabbi Tzadok was lenient with regard to <em>sukkah<\/em>, ritual hand washing and the blessing after food.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p><strong><u>Yoma 80<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Today&#8217;s <em>daf <\/em>continues the discussion of <em>shi&#8217;urim<\/em> \u2013 the amount necessary to be held liable for eating on <em><a href=\"http:\/\/www.ou.org\/about\/judaism\/yz.htm#yomkippur\">Yom Kippur<\/a><\/em>. <a href=\"http:\/\/www.jewishencyclopedia.com\/view.jsp?artid=357&amp;letter=J\">Rabbi Yochanan<\/a> is quoted by the <a href=\"http:\/\/www.ou.org\/about\/judaism\/di.htm#gemara\">Gemara<\/a> as saying that <em>shi&#8217;urim<\/em> and <em>onashim<\/em> \u2013 both the amount that is considered significant and the punishment that will be meted out on the individual who eats forbidden foods according to those measurements \u2013 are <em>halakha le-Moshe mi-Sinai<\/em>, they are traditions handed down from Moses on Mount Sinai, which have the weight and significance of Biblical law. In response to the question raised that the <em>onashim<\/em> are clearly written in the <a href=\"http:\/\/www.ou.org\/about\/judaism\/torah.htm\">Torah<\/a>, the Gemara explains that Rabbi Yochanan was teaching that the <em>shi&#8217;urim<\/em> upon which the <em>onashim<\/em> are based (for without a standard minimum measurement, how could we know when the punishments are appropriate?) are <em>halakha le-Moshe mi-Sinai<\/em>.<\/p>\n<p>A <em><a href=\"http:\/\/www.jewishencyclopedia.com\/view.jsp?artid=247&amp;letter=B&amp;search=baraita\">baraita<\/a><\/em> that is brought in support of this understanding of Rabbi Yochanan adds another opinion, as well. According to <em>Acherim<\/em> they were established \u2013 or, more correctly, were forgotten and reestablished \u2013 by the court of Yaabetz. <a href=\"http:\/\/www.ou.org\/about\/judaism\/rashi.htm\">Rashi<\/a> identifies Yaabetz as <a href=\"http:\/\/www.jewishencyclopedia.com\/view.jsp?artid=163&amp;letter=O\">Otni&#8217;el ben Kenaz<\/a>, based on a Rabbinic tradition. The name appears in <em>I <a href=\"http:\/\/www.jewishencyclopedia.com\/view.jsp?artid=494&amp;letter=C&amp;search=chronicles\">Divrei ha-Yamim<\/a><\/em><a href=\"http:\/\/www.mechon-mamre.org\/p\/pt\/pt25a02.htm#55\"> 2:55<\/a> and <a href=\"http:\/\/www.mechon-mamre.org\/p\/pt\/pt25a04.htm#9\">4:9-10<\/a> as one of the descendants of <a href=\"http:\/\/www.jewishencyclopedia.com\/view.jsp?artid=592&amp;letter=J\">Yehuda<\/a>, and from the context it appears that he was one of the Jewish leaders of his time. He is identified as the head of one of the &#8220;the families of <em>soferim<\/em> (scribes) who lived in Yaabetz&#8221; so it appears that he was head of the <em>soferim<\/em> \u2013 the Sages in his generation.<\/p>\n<p>The rules of <em>shi&#8217;urim<\/em> notwithstanding, there are times when a person can eat more than a <em>shi&#8217;ur<\/em>, yet still not transgress the prohibition of eating forbidden foods. <a href=\"http:\/\/www.jewishencyclopedia.com\/view.jsp?artid=757&amp;letter=S\">Resh Lakish<\/a> teaches that someone who overeats \u2013 in the terminology of the Gemara, eats <em>akhilah gasah<\/em> &#8211; on <em>Yom Kippur<\/em> will not be held liable. The <em>Tosafot Yeshanim<\/em> point out that there are different levels of <em>akhilah gasah<\/em>. One level is overeating &#8211; when a person is full and continues to eat. Resh Lakish is referring to a different level, when a person continues eating to the extent that he finds the food disgusting. Resh Lakish derives this rule from the passage (<a href=\"http:\/\/www.ou.org\/about\/judaism\/tw.htm#vayikra\">Vayikra<\/a> <a href=\"http:\/\/www.mechon-mamre.org\/p\/pt\/pt0323.htm#29\">23:29<\/a>) which teaches that a person who does not suffer <em>inuy<\/em> \u2013 deprivation \u2013 on <em>Yom Kippur<\/em> will be punished with <em><a href=\"http:\/\/www.jewishencyclopedia.com\/view.jsp?artid=544&amp;letter=E\">karet<\/a>. <\/em>Someone who does damage to himself by way of eating has not transgressed this prohibition.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p><strong><u>Yoma 81<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>The commandment to keep <em><a href=\"http:\/\/www.ou.org\/about\/judaism\/yz.htm#yomkippur\">Yom Kippur<\/a><\/em> (the tenth day of <em><a href=\"http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Tishrei\">Tishrei<\/a><\/em>) as a day of rest and solemnity teaches that we are commanded to begin on the ninth day of <em>Tishrei<\/em>, and continue from evening to evening (see <a href=\"http:\/\/www.ou.org\/about\/judaism\/tw.htm#vayikra\">Vayikra<\/a> <a href=\"http:\/\/www.mechon-mamre.org\/p\/pt\/pt0323.htm#32\">23:32<\/a>). The <a href=\"http:\/\/www.ou.org\/about\/judaism\/di.htm#gemara\">Gemara<\/a> on our <em>daf<\/em> learns a number of <em><a href=\"http:\/\/www.ou.org\/about\/judaism\/di.htm#halachah\">halakhot<\/a><\/em> from this passage. For example, our Gemara sees this as the source for <em>tosefet Yom ha-kippurim<\/em> \u2013 beginning the holiday early and completing it late \u2013 a rule that is then extended to <em><a href=\"http:\/\/www.ou.org\/about\/judaism\/s.htm#shabbat\">Shabbat<\/a><\/em> and <em><a href=\"http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Yom_tov\">Yom Tov<\/a><\/em>, as well.<\/p>\n<p>Another teaching that is derived from this <em>pasuk<\/em> is presented by Chiya bar Rav mi-Difti, who interprets the passage as teaching that someone who eats and drinks on <em><a href=\"http:\/\/www.ou.org\/about\/judaism\/di.htm#erev\">erev<\/a> Yom Kippur<\/em> is credited as though he had fasted on both the ninth and the tenth days of <em>Tishrei<\/em>. This is generally understood to mean that there is a special <em><a href=\"http:\/\/www.ou.org\/about\/judaism\/m.htm#mitzvah\">mitzvah<\/a><\/em> to eat on the day before <em>Yom Kippur<\/em>.<\/p>\n<p>Several explanations are given for this law. <a href=\"http:\/\/www.ou.org\/about\/judaism\/rashi.htm\">Rashi<\/a> and the <a href=\"http:\/\/www.ou.org\/about\/judaism\/rabbis\/meiri.htm\">Me&#8217;iri<\/a> suggest that since there is a <em>mitzvah<\/em> to fast on the tenth, someone who spends the day before preparing for that <em>mitzvah<\/em> is given credit for the preparation. The <em>Eliya Rabbah<\/em> (Rav Eliyahu Shapira&#8217;s gloss on the <em><a href=\"http:\/\/www.ou.org\/about\/judaism\/s.htm#shulchanaruch\">Shulchan Arukh<\/a><\/em>) suggests otherwise. According to him, someone who eats a lot the day before the fast has a harder time refraining from eating on the fast day, therefore the person who spends the ninth of <em>Tishrei<\/em> eating is credited for having additional <em>inuy<\/em>. Others point out that <em>Yom Kippur<\/em> is a holiday, a day on which we really should be eating and drinking. Since we cannot eat and drink on <em>Yom Kippur,<\/em> we &#8220;make up&#8221; for it on <em>erev Yom Kippur<\/em>. Finally, some explain that this is preparation for the <em>mitzvah<\/em> of expressing regret and asking for forgiveness. Since someone who is well-fed is less likely to be irritable and get into disagreements, we are commanded to put ourselves into such a position so that we will be better suited to be remorseful and apologize.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p><strong><u>Yoma 82<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Generally speaking, all of the commandments of the <a href=\"http:\/\/www.ou.org\/about\/judaism\/torah.htm\">Torah<\/a> are &#8220;pushed aside&#8221; in the face of potentially life threatening situations. Therefore, the <a href=\"http:\/\/www.ou.org\/about\/judaism\/m.htm#mishna\">Mishnah<\/a> on our <em>daf<\/em> teaches that someone who is ill or pregnant and is in a dangerous situation will be allowed to eat on <em><a href=\"http:\/\/www.ou.org\/about\/judaism\/yz.htm#yomkippur\">Yom Kippur<\/a><\/em>, or to eat non-kosher food, if necessary.<\/p>\n<p>There are only three <em><a href=\"http:\/\/www.ou.org\/about\/judaism\/m.htm#mitzvah\">mitzvot<\/a><\/em> that are so severe that a person should give up his life rather than perform the forbidden acts. Those <em>mitzvot<\/em> are \u2013<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li><em>avodah zara<\/em> (idol worship)<\/li>\n<li><em>gilui arayot<\/em> (forbidden sexual activities)<\/li>\n<li><em>shefikhut damim<\/em> (murder)<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>According to the <a href=\"http:\/\/www.ou.org\/about\/judaism\/di.htm#gemara\">Gemara<\/a>, the sources for the first two <em>mitzvot<\/em> are Biblical passages. (For the source for <em>avodah zara<\/em>, see <a href=\"http:\/\/www.ou.org\/about\/judaism\/di.htm#devarim\">Devarim<\/a><a href=\"http:\/\/www.mechon-mamre.org\/p\/pt\/pt0506.htm#5\"> 6:5<\/a> which teaches that you must worship God with all of your heart and all of your soul. The source for <em>gilui arayot<\/em> is Devarim <a href=\"http:\/\/www.mechon-mamre.org\/p\/pt\/pt0522.htm#26\">22:26<\/a> which compares a forbidden sexual encounter with murder.) According to the Gemara, however, the source for murder being forbidden even at the cost of one&#8217;s own life does not need to be a <em>pasuk<\/em> \u2013 it is a <em>sevara <\/em>\u2013 it is simply logical. The logic, as presented by <a href=\"http:\/\/www.jewishencyclopedia.com\/view.jsp?artid=5&amp;letter=R\">Rava<\/a> in the Gemara is <em>mai hazit didama didakh sumac tefei? Dilma dama dihahu gavra samik tefei!<\/em> What makes you think that your blood is redder than your fellow&#8217;s? Perhaps his blood is redder than yours!<\/p>\n<p>The <a href=\"http:\/\/www.jewishencyclopedia.com\/view.jsp?artid=19&amp;letter=H\">Maharil Habib<\/a> in his <em>Tosafot Yom ha-Kippurim<\/em> explains this argument as simply meaning that we are unable to weigh the true value of one life against another. Since the whole issue at hand is whether we can &#8220;push aside&#8221; a <em>mitzvah<\/em> in order to save a life, in this case a life will be lost no matter what, so we cannot allow the forbidden act of murder. It should be noted that this argument works even if we are weighing the value of a single life against that of a group of people. Still the rule of <em>mai hazit<\/em> would not allow the killing of one person, since the relative value of life cannot be determined by numbers.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p><strong><u>Yoma 83<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>The <a href=\"http:\/\/www.ou.org\/about\/judaism\/m.htm#mishna\">Mishnah<\/a> on our <em>daf<\/em> discusses circumstances when an illness would allow someone to eat non-kosher food, and other cases when <em><a href=\"http:\/\/www.ou.org\/about\/judaism\/di.htm#halachah\">halakha<\/a><\/em> would not allow non-kosher food to be eaten.<\/p>\n<p>The first case discussed is <em>bulmus<\/em> \u2013 ravenous hunger. In this case the Mishnah teaches that he can be fed anything that may cure him. The second case is that of someone bitten by a rabid dog. The common cure in Mishnaic times, which was to have the victim eat from the dog&#8217;s liver, is forbidden by the <em><a href=\"http:\/\/www.ou.org\/about\/judaism\/tw.htm#tanna\">Tanna<\/a> Kamma<\/em>, although <a href=\"http:\/\/www.jewishencyclopedia.com\/view.jsp?artid=270&amp;letter=M\">Rabbi Matya ben Harash<\/a> permits it.<\/p>\n<p>The &#8220;hunger sickness&#8221; of <em>bulmus<\/em>, is, apparently, connected to a drastic drop in blood sugar that is caused by starvation or some other disease. As described in the <a href=\"http:\/\/www.ou.org\/about\/judaism\/di.htm#gemara\">Gemara<\/a>, the sensation of hunger comes together with a loss of awareness \u2013 the individual cannot see or cannot see clearly. The recommendation of the Sages is to feed the ill person sweet foods that can be easily digested as quickly as possible.<\/p>\n<p>The description of this condition is supported in the Gemara by a series of personal testimonies from Sages who were witness to someone who had this condition or who had it themselves. <a href=\"http:\/\/www.jewishencyclopedia.com\/view.jsp?artid=357&amp;letter=J\">Rabbi Yohanan<\/a>, for example, describes how he once suffered from <em>bulmus<\/em>, but was able to save himself by applying his knowledge. He ate dates from the eastern side of a date palm to resolve his need for sweet food.<\/p>\n<p>Date palms are unique in that their fruit does not all ripen at the same time. From one day to the next \u2013 and sometimes even through the course of a day, different fruits become ripe. Since the sun rises in the east, it is logical to assume that the ripest fruits will be found on that side.<\/p>\n<p>With regard to the bite of a rabid dog, the disagreement in the Mishnah would seem to be whether the popular cure was, in fact, effective. The <a href=\"http:\/\/www.ou.org\/about\/judaism\/rabbis\/rambam.htm\">Rambam<\/a>, however, understands that eating the rabid dog&#8217;s liver is not a medical cure, but a <em>segulah<\/em> \u2013 a charm \u2013 which at best may be a psychological support to the victim. He argues that the <em>Tanna Kamma\u00a0<\/em>rejects the possibility that a <a href=\"http:\/\/www.ou.org\/about\/judaism\/torah.htm\">Torah<\/a> law would be pushed aside for such an emotional support, even for someone who believes in it.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p><strong><u>Yoma 84<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>It is interesting to examine the <a href=\"http:\/\/www.ou.org\/about\/judaism\/di.htm#gemara\">Gemara<\/a>&#8216;s description of the case of the rabid dog that was mentioned in the <a href=\"http:\/\/www.ou.org\/about\/judaism\/m.htm#mishna\">Mishnah<\/a>, as well as the way the disease caused by the bite of such a dog is depicted.<\/p>\n<p>A rabid dog is described as having an open mouth dripping saliva, ears that cannot stand normally, its tail hanging limply while walking on the side of the road. Finally, when it barks it cannot be heard.<\/p>\n<p>All of these are symptoms of rabies, a disease that affects the nervous system of an animal, slowly paralyzing it. The Gemara further described the effects of this disease on a person, where without proper treatment (unavailable in the time of the Gemara) it is usually fatal. Among other things, rabies involves a painful contraction of the muscles in the throat which does not allow the victim to swallow. Apparently due to the association with thirst and the inability to drink water, even seeing water was thought to lead to madness, which is why for generations this condition was called &#8220;hydrophobia.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>As we learned in the Mishnah (<a href=\"http:\/\/www.steinsaltz.org\/dynamic\/DafYomi_details.asp?id=364\">83a<\/a>) <a href=\"http:\/\/www.jewishencyclopedia.com\/view.jsp?artid=270&amp;letter=M\">Rabbi Matya ben Harash<\/a> permits the victim of rabies to eat the infected dog&#8217;s liver. Although his position is rejected by the <em><a href=\"http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Poskim\">poskim<\/a><\/em>, who accept the position of the <em><a href=\"http:\/\/www.ou.org\/about\/judaism\/tw.htm#tanna\">Tanna<\/a> Kamma<\/em>, nevertheless there are those who see in Rabbi Matya&#8217;s ruling the foreshadowing of modern methods of medicine where enzymes are taken from the bodies of animals that have been infected and vaccinations are developed using those antibodies.<\/p>\n<p>Another disease discussed by the Gemara is <em>tzefidna<\/em>, which, from the description in the Gemara, appears to be scurvy, a disease marked by a lack of Vitamin C, which leads to a weakening of teeth and gums, internal bleeding and anemia. The descriptions in the Gemara of various methods that were used in an attempt to cure <em>tzefidna<\/em> were, apparently, attempts to make up the lack of this vitamin by ingesting it in a concentrated manner.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p><strong><u>Yoma 85<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Although earlier (see <em>daf<\/em> <a href=\"http:\/\/www.steinsaltz.org\/dynamic\/DafYomi_details.asp?id=363\">82<\/a>) the <a href=\"http:\/\/www.ou.org\/about\/judaism\/di.htm#gemara\">Gemara<\/a> took for granted that all <em><a href=\"http:\/\/www.ou.org\/about\/judaism\/m.htm#mitzvah\">mitzvot<\/a><\/em> are &#8220;pushed aside&#8221; in the face of the overarching value of human life (with the exception of <em>avoda zara, gilui arayot <\/em>and<em> shefikhut damim<\/em>), the Gemara on our <em>daf<\/em> presents a question \u00a0&#8211; how do we know that <em>piku&#8217;ah nefesh<\/em> \u2013 danger to life \u2013 pushes aside the restrictions of <em><a href=\"http:\/\/www.ou.org\/about\/judaism\/s.htm#shabbat\">Shabbat<\/a><\/em>? Apparently the question here is a more difficult one because it involves not only a person saving his own life, but a source allowing others to desecrate <em>Shabbat<\/em> in order to save him, as well.<\/p>\n<p>Several sources are suggested by the <em><a href=\"http:\/\/www.ou.org\/about\/judaism\/tw.htm#tanna\">Tanna&#8217;im<\/a><\/em> and <em><a href=\"http:\/\/www.ou.org\/about\/judaism\/a.htm#amora\">Amoraim<\/a><\/em>. For example, <a href=\"http:\/\/www.jewishencyclopedia.com\/view.jsp?artid=133&amp;letter=E\">Rabbi Elazar<\/a> finds a source in the <em>mitzvah<\/em> of <em><a href=\"http:\/\/www.ou.org\/about\/judaism\/bc.htm#britmilah\">brit milah<\/a><\/em> \u2013 circumcision \u2013 which is performed on <em>Shabbat<\/em> even though it involves activities that are forbidden on <em>Shabbat<\/em>. <a href=\"http:\/\/www.jewishencyclopedia.com\/view.jsp?artid=210&amp;letter=H\">Rabbeinu Chananel<\/a> explains this derivation by pointing out that someone who does not have a <em>brit<\/em> is liable for the punishment of <em>karet<\/em> \u2013 of being &#8220;cut off&#8221; from the Jewish people \u2013 which is considered the equivalent of death. Thus we find that to &#8220;save&#8221; the baby from possible <em>karet<\/em> we can perform the <em>brit<\/em> on <em>Shabbat<\/em>, similarly to save a life we can do the same. Rabbeinu Chananel also points out that <a href=\"http:\/\/www.ou.org\/about\/judaism\/m.htm#moshe\">Moshe<\/a> was threatened with death when he did not circumcise his son (see <a href=\"http:\/\/www.ou.org\/about\/judaism\/s.htm#shemot\">Shemot<\/a><a href=\"http:\/\/www.mechon-mamre.org\/p\/pt\/pt0204.htm#24\"> 4:24<\/a> ), which is yet another indication of the importance of this <em>mitzvah<\/em>, which, itself, pushes aside any <em>Shabbat<\/em> prohibitions.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.jewishencyclopedia.com\/view.jsp?artid=758&amp;letter=S\">Rabbi Shimon ben Menasyeh<\/a> points to the passage (Shemot<a href=\"http:\/\/www.mechon-mamre.org\/p\/pt\/pt0231.htm#16\"> 31:16<\/a>) that commands the Jewish people to &#8220;keep <em>Shabbat<\/em>&#8221; and to &#8220;do <em>Shabbat<\/em>&#8220;. From this we can learn that <em>Shabbat<\/em> can be overridden if transgressing this <em>Shabbat<\/em> will allow the person to fulfill <em>Shabbat <\/em>many times in the future. <a href=\"http:\/\/www.jewishencyclopedia.com\/view.jsp?artid=19&amp;letter=H\">Maharil Habib<\/a> in his <em>Tosafot Yom ha-Kippurim<\/em> points out that what we derive from this <em>pasuk<\/em> is the concept that we can &#8220;desecrate&#8221; <em>Shabbat<\/em> if the purpose is to fulfill commandments \u2013 even if we do not have a guarantee that the person will be able to keep many <em>Shabbatot<\/em> \u2013 since we rule that a person can be <em>mechallel<\/em> <em>Shabbat<\/em> even to extend another person&#8217;s life for a brief period of time.<\/p>\n<p>Perhaps the best known source is the suggestion made by <a href=\"http:\/\/www.jewishencyclopedia.com\/view.jsp?artid=626&amp;letter=J\">Rabbi Yehuda<\/a> in the name of <a href=\"http:\/\/www.jewishencyclopedia.com\/view.jsp?artid=204&amp;letter=S\">Shmuel<\/a>, who quotes the <em>pasuk<\/em> (<a href=\"http:\/\/www.ou.org\/about\/judaism\/tw.htm#vayikra\">Vayikra<\/a> <a href=\"http:\/\/www.mechon-mamre.org\/p\/pt\/pt0318.htm#5\">18:5<\/a>) &#8220;\u2026and you should live by them&#8221; meaning that the <em>mitzvot<\/em> are given to the Jewish people to live by, and not to lead them to death. As the Gemara points out, this source includes not only situations in which we are certain that someone&#8217;s life is in danger, but even cases where we are not sure whether there is danger to life. The <a href=\"http:\/\/www.ou.org\/about\/judaism\/torah.htm\">Torah<\/a> commands that we cannot allow someone to die because of the <em>mitzvot<\/em> of the Torah.<\/p>\n<p><em>In addition to his monumental translation and commentary on the Talmud, Rabbi Steinsaltz has authored dozens of books and hundreds of articles on a variety of topics, both Jewish and secular. For more information about Rabbi Steinsaltz&#8217;s groundbreaking work in Jewish education, visit <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ou.org\/life\/wp-admin\/www.steinsaltz.org\">www.steinsaltz.org<\/a> or contact the Aleph Society at 212-840-1166.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Coming Week&#8217;s Daf Yomi by Rabbi Adin Steinsaltz This essay is based upon the insights and chidushim (original ideas) of Talmudic scholar Rabbi Adin Steinsaltz, as published in the Hebrew version of the Steinsaltz Edition of the Talmud. This month&#8217;s Steinsaltz Daf Yomi is sponsored by Dr. and Mrs. Alan Harris, the Lewy Family<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":125,"featured_media":40890,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[83],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-10191","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-torah","series-steinsaltz-daf-yomi"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v24.9 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Masechet Yoma 79a-85b - OU Life<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"The Coming Week&#039;s Daf Yomi (Yoma 79a-85b) by Rabbi Adin Steinsaltz, based upon the insights &amp; chidushim published in the Steinsaltz Edition of the Talmud\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.ou.org\/life\/torah\/masechet_yoma_7985\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Masechet Yoma 79a-85b - 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