הא בדברי תורה, הא במשא ומתן. בדברי תורה — הוו, במשא ומתן — לא הוו.
This case is referring to words of Torah, while that case is referring to commerce. With regard to words of Torah, they were trustworthy; with regard to commerce, they were not.
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הא בדברי תורה, הא במשא ומתן. בדברי תורה — הוו, במשא ומתן — לא הוו.
This case is referring to words of Torah, while that case is referring to commerce. With regard to words of Torah, they were trustworthy; with regard to commerce, they were not.
תנו רבנן: מעשה ברבן יוחנן בן זכאי שהיה רוכב על החמור, והיה מהלך בדרך, ורבי אלעזר בן ערך מחמר אחריו. אמר לו: רבי, שנה לי פרק אחד במעשה מרכבה. אמר לו, לא כך שניתי לכם: ולא במרכבה ביחיד אלא אם כן היה חכם מבין מדעתו? אמר לו: רבי, תרשיני לומר לפניך דבר אחד שלמדתני. אמר לו: אמור.
§ The Talmud returns to the topic of the Design of the Divine Chariot. A baraita states: An incident occurred involving Rabban Yoḥanan ben Zakkai, who was riding on a donkey and was traveling along the way, and his student, R' Elazar ben Arakh, was riding a donkey behind him. R' Elazar said to him: my teacher! teach me one chapter in the Design of the Divine Chariot. He said to him: Have I not taught you: And one may not expound the Design of the Divine Chariot to an individual, unless he is a Sage who understands on his own accord? R' Elazar said to him: my teacher! allow me to say before you one thing that you taught me. In other words, he humbly requested to recite before him his own understanding of this issue. He said to him: Speak.
מיד ירד רבן יוחנן בן זכאי מעל החמור, ונתעטף, וישב על האבן תחת הזית. אמר לו: רבי, מפני מה ירדת מעל החמור? אמר: אפשר אתה דורש במעשה מרכבה, ושכינה עמנו, ומלאכי השרת מלוין אותנו, ואני ארכב על החמור?! מיד פתח רבי אלעזר בן ערך במעשה המרכבה ודרש. וירדה אש מן השמים, וסיבבה כל האילנות שבשדה, פתחו כולן ואמרו שירה.
Immediately, Rabban Yoḥanan ben Zakkai alighted from the donkey, and wrapped his head in his cloak in a manner of reverence, and sat on a stone under an olive tree. R' Elazar said to him: my teacher! for what reason did you alight from the donkey? He said: Is it possible that while you are expounding the Design of the Divine Chariot, and the Shekhina is with us, and the ministering angels are accompanying us, that I should ride on a donkey? Immediately, R' Elazar ben Arakh began to discuss the Design of the Divine Chariot and expounded, and fire descended from heaven and encircled all the trees in the field, and all the trees began reciting song.
Text data via Sefaria: William Davidson Edition - English and William Davidson Edition - Vocalized Aramaic, CC-BY-NC; edition provenance: Koren. Display terminology has been modernized for readability.