Some Recent Derashot
One recurring theme here is the missed or hidden derasha. For a Biblical interpretation, often there is a straightforward read so that readers, often including Rishonim, don’t delve deeper. However, there are aspects of the cited verse and how it may be parsed that can be further explored. I think I still probably miss most of them, but I like to point out those I discover.
Here are a few from the recent daf.
(1) Not exactly a derasha on a pasuk, or even wordplay, but in the story of Rabbi Eleazar beRabbi Shimon. Rejoice / marble:
הִנִּיחַ יָדוֹ עַל בְּנֵי מֵעָיו אָמַר: שִׂישׂוּ בְּנֵי מֵעַי, שִׂישׂוּ!
אַשְׁקְיוּהּ סַמָּא דְשִׁינְתָּא וְעַיְּילוּהּ לְבֵיתָא דְשֵׁישָׁא וּקְרַעוּ לִכְרֵיסֵיהּ
then cut open / read:
קָרֵי אַנַּפְשֵׁהּ: ״אַף בְּשָׂרִי יִשְׁכֹּן לָבֶטַח״.
(2) OK, here’s a derasha. First, the gemara, with a Steinsaltz translation.
אָמַר רֵישׁ לָקִישׁ: פּוֹעֵל בִּכְנִיסָתוֹ מִשֶּׁלּוֹ, בִּיצִיאָתוֹ מִשֶּׁל בַּעַל הַבַּיִת, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: ״תִּזְרַח הַשֶּׁמֶשׁ יֵאָסֵפוּן וְאֶל מְעוֹנֹתָם יִרְבָּצוּן. יֵצֵא אָדָם לְפׇעֳלוֹ וְלַעֲבֹדָתוֹ עֲדֵי עָרֶב״.
Reish Lakish says: A laborer’s entrance into the city from the field at the end of a day’s work is at his own expense, i.e., he must work until the very end of the day before returning home, and he is not paid for his travel time. In contrast, his departure to work is at his employer’s expense, i.e., he may travel after sunrise, which is time that he is paid for. The source for this is as it is stated: “The sun rises; they slink away and couch in their dens; man goes forth to his work and to his labor until the evening” (Psalms 104:22–23). This verse indicates that people set out to work only from sunrise, but they work until the very end of the day.
Rav Steinsaltz, and Artscroll, followed Rashi’s interpretation of this, and the verse speaks of “entering” as going home, thus entering into the city, and “leaving” as leaving from his home to work. But see the lengthy Tosafot, who grapple with the ordering of the verse.
My problem is that the verse itself uses the word יֵצֵא, which should parallel בִּיצִיאָתוֹ. Even setting aside the verse’s order and the statement’s order. It should be a very poor construction by Reish Lakish to use these words in such a misleading way.
I would read it as: תִּזְרַח הַשֶּׁמֶשׁ יֵאָסֵפוּן . When the sun rises, they have (already) been gathered. Thus, the commute to work is not part of the work day. יֵצֵא אָדָם לְפׇעֳלוֹ וְלַעֲבֹדָתוֹ עֲדֵי עָרֶב. The leaving / yetzia of a man, the commute home, is attributed to his work, לְפׇעֳלוֹ. And וְלַעֲבֹדָתוֹ attributed to his labor, עֲדֵי עָרֶב, as it approaches evening. Thus, the commute home is part of the work day before it becomes evening, and certainly layla, night.
(3) I discussed Issi ben Yehuda’s derasha yesterday. Check it out.
(4) The end of the previous perek:
רַבָּה בַּר בַּר חָנָן תְּבַרוּ לֵיהּ הָנְהוּ שָׁקוֹלָאֵי חָבִיתָא דְחַמְרָא, שְׁקַל לִגְלִימַיְיהוּ. אֲתוֹ אֲמַרוּ לְרַב. אֲמַר לֵיהּ: הַב לְהוּ גְּלִימַיְיהוּ. אֲמַר לֵיהּ דִּינָא הָכִי? אֲמַר לֵיהּ: אִין, ״לְמַעַן תֵּלֵךְ בְּדֶרֶךְ טוֹבִים״. יְהַיב לְהוּ גְּלִימַיְיהוּ. אֲמַרוּ לֵיהּ: עַנְיֵי אֲנַן, וְטָרְחִינַן כּוּלֵּהּ יוֹמָא, וְכָפֵינַן, וְלֵית לַן מִידֵּי. אֲמַר לֵיהּ: זִיל הַב אַגְרַיְיהוּ. אֲמַר לֵיהּ דִּינָא הָכִי? אֲמַר לֵיהּ: אִין, ״וְאׇרְחוֹת צַדִּיקִים תִּשְׁמֹר״.
The Gemara relates an incident involving Rabba bar bar Ḥanan: Certain porters broke his barrel of wine after he had hired them to transport the barrels. He took their cloaks as payment for the lost wine. They came and told Rav. Rav said to Rabba bar bar Ḥanan: Give them their cloaks. Rabba bar bar Ḥanan said to him: Is this the halakha? Rav said to him: Yes, as it is written: “That you may walk in the way of good men” (Proverbs 2:20). Rabba bar bar Ḥanan gave them their cloaks. The porters said to Rav: We are poor people and we toiled all day and we are hungry and we have nothing. Rav said to Rabba bar bar Ḥanan: Go and give them their wages. Rabba bar bar Ḥanan said to him: Is this the halakha? Rav said to him: Yes, as it is written: “And keep the paths of the righteous” (Proverbs 2:20).
See manuscripts for alternatives to the name Rabba bar bar Ḥanan.
What about the derasha from Mishlei? How did the porters break the barrels? The preceding sugya was talking about them stumbling, either on sloped ground (where it wasn’t negligence) or on straightforward ground. Interesting then to have the verse begin לְמַעַן תֵּלֵךְ בְּדֶרֶךְ טוֹבִים, literally so that they should walk in a good path.
Then, they said that they were starving / hungry. The verse ends וְאׇרְחוֹת צַדִּיקִים תִּשְׁמֹר. I guess Rav is interpreting the doubled language, that there is lifnim mishurat hadin, to not take the cloaks, and also something more than lifnim mishurat hadin, to provide them with food.
I wonder if they are trying to tap the word arucha, meaning a meal, either deriving from a meal for a journey, or else from Akkadian:
Thus, he should guard the meals of the righteous, and provide those starving workers with food.