{"id":13276,"date":"2010-11-04T04:38:50","date_gmt":"2010-11-04T04:38:50","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/production.ou.org\/life\/other\/masechet_horayot_8a14b\/"},"modified":"2015-11-02T07:41:23","modified_gmt":"2015-11-02T12:41:23","slug":"masechet_horayot_8a14b","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ou.org\/life\/torah\/masechet_horayot_8a14b\/","title":{"rendered":"Masechet Horayot 8a-14b"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Coming Week’s Daf Yomi by Rabbi Adin Steinsaltz<\/em><\/p>\n

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

Horayot 8a-b: What is equivalent to all of the Torah?<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n

Aside from the passages that we have been discussing in Masechet<\/a> Horayot<\/a><\/em> that appear in Sefer<\/a> Vayikra<\/a><\/em> (chapter 4<\/a>) that teach the laws of sacrifices for a High Priest, the High Court or the king whose error in judgment leads to accidental transgressions, there is another set of passages in Sefer Bamidbar<\/a><\/em> (15:27-29<\/a>) that also teach of a unique sacrifice that is brought in such a case. The Gemara<\/a> on today’s daf<\/em> explains that the passages in Sefer Bamidbar<\/em> refer to a specific case \u2013 when avodah zarah<\/em>, idol worship, was performed because of an error in judgment.<\/p>\n

How is it evident from these passages that they refer to avodah zarah<\/em>, which is not mentioned explicitly there?<\/p>\n

A number of explanations are suggested by the Gemara.<\/p>\n

In the bet midrash<\/a><\/em> of Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi<\/a> it was taught that we derive this because of the references to these mitzvot<\/a><\/em> as being spoken to Moshe by God, and also commanded by God to the Jewish People by means of Moshe. Which mitzvah<\/em> is unique in that it was spoken by God and commanded to the Jewish People by Moshe? The suggestion is that this refers to the first two of the Ten Commandments, which are spoken in the first person. These two commandments teach the laws of avodah zarah<\/em>.<\/p>\n

Rava<\/a> teaches that when the Torah<\/a> says that it is referring to someone who errs and transgresses et kol ha-mitzvot ha-eleh<\/em> \u2013 all<\/strong> of the mitzvot<\/em> \u2013 we must search for a mitzvah<\/em> that is representative of all the mitzvot<\/em>. He argues that avodah zarah<\/em> is the mitzvah<\/em> that is representative of all the mitzvot<\/em>.<\/p>\n

Although we find other examples of Rabbinic teachings that suggest that a given mitzvah<\/em> is equivalent to the entire spectrum of mitzvot<\/em>, nevertheless the commandments regarding belief in God are viewed as truly basic to all of the mitzvot<\/em>.<\/p>\n

Rashi<\/a> explains Rava’s teaching as being based on the Rabbinic teaching that anyone who accepts avodah zarah<\/em>, by definition rejects the entire Torah. The Me’iri<\/a> suggests that once someone accepts a foreign god, it is clear that the mitzvot<\/em> have no importance of meaning to him, so it is as if he rejects them all.<\/p>\n

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Horayot 9a-b – When to bring a sin-offering<\/strong><\/p>\n

It is a serious misunderstanding to think that in the time that the Temple<\/a> stood people could bring sacrifices to atone for sins that they committed. In fact under most circumstances, sacrifices could be brought for atonement only for certain sins and only when the sin was done accidentally.<\/p>\n

This point is emphasized in the Mishnah<\/a> on today’s daf<\/em> that teaches that sin-offerings are brought –<\/p>\n