Daf Yomi Avodah Zarah 35
The daf for 2/19/18 comes from Meseches Avodah Zarah 35. The gemara is concluding a sugya regarding the eating of cheese made by gentiles. In the middle of this discussion, on daf 35b, there is an interesting aggadic statement which I would like to discuss (translation is from Sefaria.org The William Davidson digital edition of the Koren Noe Talmud Bavli):
This aggadic teaching occurs at the conclusion of the sugya and just before the start of a new mishnah.
In the Midrash Rabbah (free community translation from Sefaria. org) for the Song of Songs (1:4) it says:
“Our Ancestors!”
“Our Prophets!”
“Our children shall be our guarantors!”
God: “Now, that’s a guarantor”…. for its says in Tehillim 8:3, “Out of the mouths of infants and sucklings have You established strength (oz)…”
Any of us can be teachers and like these blogs, sharing ones knowledge with others is better than keeping inside. yes, there can and should be civil debate about all issues, but the key is to communicate. We can and must learn from everyone (even children!). In Meseches Shabbos 104, there is a fascinating example of what children learn and teach from the simple “alef bet” (again, translation from Sefaria.org The William Davidson digital edition of the Koren Noe Talmud Bavli):
The aggadic discourse by Rav Nachman in our daf, assures us that our children (banayich) are the builders (bonayich) of the next generation who must never forget the past and traditions of their ancestors. Our children must be taught Torah, history, Jewish culture, the Hebrew language, and to “walk int he ways of Hashem” to be our guarantors for the future.