Study Chagigah folio 4A with parallel Hebrew-English text, traditional commentary, and modern study tools. Free access to Babylonian Talmud online.
Text Excerpt
כמי שנגח שור חמור וגמל, ונעשה מועד לכל. אמר רב פפא: אי שמיע ליה לרב הונא הא דתניא: אי זהו שוטה — זה המאבד כל מה שנותנים לו, הוה הדר ביה.
like the actions of a forewarned ox that gored an ox, a donkey, and a camel. Since this ox gored 3 different animals on 3 separate occasions, it is considered predisposed to gore and becomes forewarned for every type of animal. Likewise, if someone performs 3 different deranged actions, it is assumed that there is no logical reason for his behavior and he is classified as an imbecile. Rav Pappa said: If Rav Huna had heard that which is taught in a baraita: Who is an imbecile? This is one who destroys whatever is given to him, he would have retracted his statement that one is an imbecile only if he performs 3 deranged actions.
איבעיא להו: כי הוה הדר ביה — ממקרע כסותו הוא דהוה הדר ביה, דדמיא להא, או דלמא: מכולהו הוה הדר? תיקו.
A dilemma was raised before the rabbis with regard to Rav Pappa’s statement: When Rav Pappa claims that Rav Huna would have retracted his statement, would he have retracted only from the case of one who tears his garments, as this person is similar to one who destroys whatever is given to him? Or perhaps he would have retracted his opinion with regard to all of the signs of an imbecile? The Talmud states that the dilemma should stand unresolved, as no answer was found.
וטומטום ואנדרוגינוס כו׳. תנו רבנן: ״זכור״ להוציא את הנשים. ״זכורך״, להוציא טומטום ואנדרוגינוס. ״כל זכורך״, לרבות את הקטנים.
§ The Mishnah taught: And a tumtum and a hermaphrodite are exempt from the mitzva of appearance in the Temple. A baraita states, with regard to the verse: “3 occasions in the year all your males will appear before YHWH God” (Exodus 23:17), had the verse simply said “males,” this would serve to exclude women from this mitzva. By specifying “your males,” it comes to exclude a tumtum and a hermaphrodite as well. Furthermore, when the verse adds “all your males,” this serves to include male minors.