Today we finish massekhet Sotah! The last two dappim of our massekhet, TB Sotah 40-49, lament the world that once was. I think nostalgia has a way of warping our appreciation of who we are, because we always think the previous generations were greater, better, and smarter than us.
“The
mishna states that from the time when the Second Temple was destroyed men of
faith ceased. Rabbi Yitzḥak says: These are people who believe in the Holy One,
Blessed be He, and place their trust in Him in all their ways. As it is
taught in a baraita: Rabbi Eliezer the Great says that whoever
has bread in his basket to eat today and says: What shall I eat
tomorrow, meaning he does not know how he will acquire bread for tomorrow, he
is nothing other than from those of little faith. One must trust in
God to provide him with his sustenance.” (daf 48a,
Sefaria.com translation)
People great faith did not cease when the second
Temple was destroyed. I can honestly state that I knew a person of great faith
and her name was the Rabbanit Brakha Kapakh z”l. She was an amazing woman who
dedicated her life to the observance of mitzvot and tzedakkah. Her storage room was filled with wedding dresses. She
loaned them to poor brides so their day would be special. I had the honor of
collecting and then donating half a dozen wedding dresses to her collection.
She started a day camp in her neighborhood so the mothers could go to work and
provide for their families. She collected and then provided Passover supplies
to hundreds of needy families so they could celebrate Passover joyously and
with dignity. You could tell the way she spoke that she never doubted for one
second that God would help her provide everything she needed. For all her tzedakkah work, she was awarded the
Israel prize. I made sure that all my sons have the opportunity to meet such an
amazing and woman of great faith. Her children now continue in her name all of
her above projects and more.
Our massekhet
ends with what was lost when each great Rabbi of the Mishnah died.
“The
mishna taught that from the time when Rabban Yoḥanan ben Zakkai died,
wisdom ceased. The Sages taught: From the time when Rabbi Eliezer died,
it was as if the Torah scroll had been interred, as he had memorized
many secrets of the Torah. From the time when Rabbi Yehoshua died,
council and deliberate thought ceased, as he had the sharpest mind
in Israel. From the time when Rabbi Akiva died, the powerful arm
of Torah, meaning the exposition of all the details of Torah scripture, ceased,
and the fountains of wisdom were sealed…From the time when ben Azzai
died, the diligent ceased; from the time when ben Zoma died, the
exegetists ceased…The final line of the mishna states that from the
time when Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi died, humility and fear of sin ceased.
Rav Yosef said to the tanna who reviewed the mishna: Do not teach
that humility ceased, for there is still one who is humble,
namely me. Rav Naḥman similarly said to the tanna who
reviewed the mishna: Do not teach that fear of sin ceased, for
there is still one who fears sin, namely me.”
(daf 49b, Sefaria.org translation)
The editor
of the Gemara always tries hard to end the massekhet
on a positive note. To put colloquially, Rav Yosef and Rav Naḥman were saying, “What am I? Chopped liver?” We can miss the
examples of our past, but that doesn’t mean all their greatness has died with
them. Rav Yosef and Rav Naḥman are
reminding us that each generation produces great leaders and people to inspire
us to become all we can be. If they can do it, so can we.
Tomorrow we
begin the new massekhet Gittin which
deals with the laws of divorce.
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