Julian Ungar-Sargon

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Daf Ditty

A wide-ranging commentary on the daily page of Talmud.

Yoma 3: Kivyachol

jyungar April 14, 2021

For the source text click/tap here: Yoma 3

To download, click/tap here: PDF

There is an argument (Yoma 3b)on our daf regarding howwe are to understand the pesukim in the Torah when Moshe is told by Hashem“kach lecha.” Rebbe Yoshiya understands the directive to mean that MosheRabbeinu should use his own funds to purchase whatever items were mentioned inthe pasuk. Therefore, when Moshe Rabbeinu was told to take the spices that areused for the ketores, he was to purchase them from his own funds. The Rashashexplains that generally the spices are purchased from communal funds, but theketores used during the inauguration of the Mishkan was paid for by MosheRabbeinu.Rebbe Yonason disagrees and says that even the spicesused for the ketores during the Mishkan’s inauguration had to be purchased withcommunal funds. The use of the phrase “kach lecha” was meant to convey amessage. “K’vayachol, I want yours more than theirs.” Rashi’s first explanationof the word “Kivyachol” is that the word means “if it were possible.” Hashemtold Moshe “If it were possible for the funds for the ketores to come from anindividual, I would prefer that they come from you instead of from KlalYisrael.” However, it is not possible since the funds for the ketores have tocome from communal sources. It is interesting to note that according to thisunderstanding, the word “Kivyachol” was said by Hashem. 

We examine Rashi's use of the term and extend it to theological implications of the term as a metaphor for A THEOLOGICAL PARADOX: DIVINE POWER AND HUMAN INITIATIVE

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Julian Ungar-Sargon

This is Julian Ungar-Sargon's personal website. It contains poems, essays, and podcasts for the spiritual seeker and interdisciplinary aficionado.​