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L'ilui Nishmas Avraham Yosef ben Moshe on his 44th Yahrzeit. May his Neshama have an Aliyah.

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There were courtyards in Yerushalayim built on rock atop caves because of graves in the depths. Pregnant women would be brought there to give birth and these children would be brought up there for the service of the Parah Adumah. They would bring oxen with doors on their backs and the children would sit on these holding stone cups. When they arrived at the Shiloach the children would enter the water and fill their cups. They would then ride back sitting on the doors of the oxen.

Rabbi Yosi: They wouldn’t enter the water, rather they would lower their cups and draw water with ropes, in case there’s a grave under the stream.

Beraisa: Rabbi Yehuda: Doors were not necessary, the children would sit on oxen, and the oxen would intervene between the child and the tumah.

Summary

Challenge: According to Rabbi Yehuda, why shouldn’t they sit on doors, it is very high off the ground, more than many full fists? (This is a difficult question to understand because (1) a door is a good ohel according to everyone, even when it’s only one tefach above the ground and (2) why would an ox be a better ohel? According to Rabbi Yehuda (18.3) an ox shouldn’t be an ohel! [Tosfos]).

Abayye: Rabbi Yehuda is saying that the doors were not necessary, not that there’s any problem with sitting on a door.

Rava: According to Rabbi Yehuda doors should be avoided, because the child may become cocky sitting atop the door and stick his head out and become tamei.

We learned a beraisa like Rava: “Rabbi Yehuda: Doors should not be used at all, because the child may become cocky sitting atop the door and stick his head out and become tamei. Rather they would bring wide-bellied Egyptian oxen and the children would sit on these holding stone cups. When they arrived at the Shiloach the children would enter the water and fill their cups. They would then ride back on the backs of the oxen.

Challenge: According to Rabbi Yehuda, there are many ‘full fists’ under a bed, and it should be considered an ohel, yet we learned in the mishna (18.3) “Rabbi Yehuda: It was our custom to sleep under the bed in the sukkah in the presence of the Chachomim”? (But if it’s an ohel it shouldn’t be considered part of the sukkah!)

Resolution: A bed is made for its top (it’s not made to cover anything, see also 14.4).

Challenge: Oxen aren’t either made to cover anything!

When Ravin came from Eretz Yisroel, he quoted Rabbi Elazar: Oxen protect the shepherds from the heat or the rain.

Challenge: In that case (that the casual use of the shepherd makes the ox an ohel), a bed also protects shoes and sandals!

Rava: The oxe’s back was created for the purpose of protecting the oxe’s inner organs so it can be considered “built for an ohel” as the possuk states “You clothed me with sin and flesh, and you made a sukkah around me of bone and sinew”. This podcast has been graciously sponsored by JewishPodcasts.fm. There is much overhead to maintain this service so please help us continue our goal of helping Jewish lecturers become podcasters and support us with a donation: https://thechesedfund.com/jewishpodcasts/donate