Study Chagigah folio 3A with parallel Hebrew-English text, traditional commentary, and modern study tools. Free access to Babylonian Talmud online.
Text Excerpt
חייב בשמחה. ואת שאינו לא שומע ולא מדבר, ושוטה וקטן — פטורין אף מן השמחה, הואיל ופטורין מכל מצות האמורות בתורה. מאי שנא לענין ראיה דפטירי, ומאי שנא לענין שמחה דמחייבי?
they are obligated in rejoicing. And one who does not hear and does not speak, an imbecile, and a minor are all exempt even from rejoicing, since they are exempt from all the mitzvot mentioned in the Torah. The Talmud asks: What is different with regard to the mitzva of appearance, that a deaf person and a mute are exempt from this mitzva? And what is different with regard to the mitzva of rejoicing, that they are obligated?
לענין ראיה גמר ״ראיה״ ״ראיה״ מהקהל, דכתיב: ״הקהל את העם האנשים והנשים והטף״, וכתיב: ״בבא כל ישראל לראות״.
The Talmud explains: With regard to their exemption from the obligation of appearance, the tanna derives this halakha by means of a verbal analogy between the term appearance stated with regard to the mitzva of appearance at the Temple on the pilgrim Festival and the term appearance stated with regard to the mitzva of assembly, i.e., the obligation to assemble in the Temple on Sukkot in the year following the Sabbatical Year. As it is written, with regard to the mitzva of assembly: “Assemble the people, the men and the women and the little ones” (Deuteronomy 31:12), and it is written in that context: “When all of Israel come to appear” (Deuteronomy 31:11). Just as a deaf person and a mute are not obligated to attend the assembly, they are likewise exempt from appearing in the Temple on the Festivals.
והתם מנלן? דכתיב: ״למען ישמעו ולמען ילמדו״, ותניא: ״למען ישמעו״ — פרט למדבר ואינו שומע, ״ולמען ילמדו״ — פרט לשומע ואינו מדבר.
The Talmud asks: And there, with regard to the mitzva of assembly, from where do we derive that a deaf person and a mute are exempt? As it is written there: “That they may hear, and that they may learn” (Deuteronomy 31:12), and it is taught in a baraita that the phrase “that they may hear” excludes one who speaks but does not hear; and the phrase “and that they may learn” excludes one who hears but does not speak, as he is unable to learn.