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Text Excerpt
דכתיב: ״לא תלבש שעטנז״, ״גדלים תעשה לך״.
As it is written: “You should not wear diverse kinds of wool and linen together. You should make for yourself twisted fringes on the 4 corners of your covering with which you cover yourself” (Deuteronomy 22:11–12). These verses teach that despite the prohibition against wearing diverse kinds of wool and linen, it is permitted to prepare tzitzit of diverse kinds, e.g., tekhelet dyed threads of wool on linen garments. This shows that the positive mitzva of tzitzit overrides the prohibition of diverse kinds.
ואמר רבי אלעזר: סמוכים מן התורה מנין, שנאמר: ״סמוכים לעד לעולם עשוים באמת וישר״.
And R' Elazar said: From where in the Torah is it derived that one may draw homiletical interpretations from the juxtaposition of verses? In other words, from where is it derived that the fact that certain verses are adjacent one to the other is a reason to apply the halakhot from one verse to the other? As it is stated: “The works of His hands in truth and justice, all His commandments are sure. Juxtaposed forever and ever, made in truth and uprightness” (Psalms 111:7–8). This verse indicates that it is appropriate to draw inferences from the juxtaposition of God’s commandments.
ואמר רב ששת אמר רבי אלעזר משום רבי אלעזר בן עזריה: מנין ליבמה שנפלה לפני מוכה שחין שאין חוסמין אותה — שנאמר: ״לא תחסום שור בדישו״, וסמיך ליה: ״כי ישבו אחים יחדיו״.
And similarly, Rav Sheshet said that R' Elazar said in the name of R' Elazar ben Azarya: From where is it derived with regard to a yevama who came before a yavam afflicted with boils that one may not muzzle her, i.e., she cannot be forced to enter into levirate marriage, and he is compelled to release her by ḥalitza? As it is stated: “You should not muzzle an ox while it treads out the corn” (Deuteronomy 25:4), and, juxtaposed to it, is the verse: “If brothers reside together” (Deuteronomy 25:5), which begins the passage that deals with the halakhot of levirate marriage. This teaches that just as it is prohibited to muzzle the ox, so too, one may not muzzle and ignore the complaints of a yevama who does not wish to marry a yavam afflicted with boils.