Talmud Texts for Conservative Jews

Can Rabbis Uproot the Words of the Torah?

שלח ליה רב חסדא לרבה ביד רב אחא בר רב הונא ואין ב"ד מתנין לעקור דבר מן התורה והתניא מאימתי אדם יורש את אשתו קטנה ב"ש אומרים משתעמוד בקומתה וב"ה אומרים משתכנס לחופה רבי אליעזר אומר משתבעל ויורשה...

קתני מיהת יורשה והא הכא דמדאורייתא אבוה ירית לה ומדרבנן ירית לה בעל הפקר ב"ד היה הפקר דאמר ר' יצחק מנין שהפקר ב"ד היה הפקר שנא' (עזרא י, ח) כל אשר לא יבא לשלשת הימים בעצת השרים והזקנים יחרם כל רכושו והוא יבדל מקהל הגולה

Yevamot 89b:7-11

Rav Ḥisda sent a proof to Rabba, in the hand of Rav Aḥa bar Rav Huna: And can the court not stipulate to uproot something prohibited by Torah law? But isn’t it taught in a baraita: From when does a man inherit from his minor wife, who was married off by her mother or brother, as enacted by the Sages, a marriage that is not valid by Torah law? Beit Shammai say: From when she stands at her fully developed height, i.e., when she grows up and reaches the age of maturity. And Beit Hillel say: From when she enters the wedding canopy. Rabbi Eliezer says: From when she has sexual relations. As soon as she is considered his wife, all the halakhot of a wife apply to her...

In any event the baraita is teaching that he inherits from her. But here is a case where by Torah law her father, i.e., his relatives, as he is dead, inherits from her, as a minor orphan cannot marry by Torah law, and yet by rabbinic law the husband inherits from her. This shows that the Sages can uproot a Torah mitzva. The Gemara answers: This is no proof, as in monetary matters property declared ownerless by the court is ownerless, and therefore the court can allocate her inheritance as they see fit. As Rabbi Yitzḥak said: From where is it derived that property declared ownerless by the court is ownerless? As it is stated: “And whoever does not come within three days, according to the council of the princes and the Elders, all his property should be forfeited, and himself separated from the congregation of the captivity” (Ezra 10:8). This verse indicates that the court can confiscate anyone’s possessions.

Can Women fulfill the Obligation of Men to Perform Mitzvot?

שבת כ״ב ב:ח׳-כ״ג א:ב׳

תא שמע דאמר רבי יהושע בן לוי עששית שהיתה דולקת והולכת כל היום כלו למוצ"ש מכבה ומדליקה אי אמרת בשלמא הדלקה עושה מצוה שפיר אלא אי אמרת הנחה עושה מצוה האי מכבה ומדליקה מכבה ומגביהה ומניחה ומדליקה מיבעי ליה ועוד מדקא מברכינן אשר קדשנו במצותיו וצונו להדליק נר של חנוכה ש"מ הדלקה עושה מצוה ש"מ והשתא דאמרינן הדלקה עושה מצוה הדליקה חרש שוטה וקטן לא עשה ולא כלום אשה ודאי מדליקה דא"ר יהושע בן לוי נשים חייבות בנר חנוכה שאף הן היו באותו הנס:

Shabbat 22b:8-23a:2

Come and hear another resolution from that which Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi said: A lantern that continued to burn the entire day of Shabbat, at the conclusion of Shabbat one extinguishes it and lights it again as a Hanukkah light. Granted, if you say that lighting accomplishes the mitzva, the requirement to extinguish the lantern and relight it in order to fulfill the mitzva of kindling the Hanukkah light works out well. However, if you say that placing accomplishes the mitzva, this statement, which stated that one extinguishes it and lights it, is imprecise. According to this opinion, it needed to say: One extinguishes it and lifts it from its place and sets it down and lights it, as only by placing the lamp in an appropriate place could one fulfill the mitzva of the Hanukkah light. Furthermore, there is additional proof that lighting accomplishes the mitzva. From the fact that we recite the following blessing over the mitzva of kindling the Hanukkah light: Who has made us holy through His commandments and has commanded us to light the Hanukkah light, the Gemara suggests: Conclude from this that lighting accomplishes the mitzva, as it is over lighting that one recites the blessing. The Gemara concludes: Indeed, conclude from this. And, the Gemara remarks, now that we say that lighting accomplishes the mitzva, there are practical ramifications. If a deaf-mute, an imbecile, or a minor, all of whom are of limited intellectual capacity and not obligated in mitzvot, kindled the Hanukkah light, he did nothing in terms of fulfilling the mitzva, even if an adult obligated in mitzvot subsequently set it down in its appropriate place. That is because placing a lit lamp does not constitute fulfillment of the mitzva. The lighting must be performed by a person with full intellectual capacity, obligated in mitzvot. However, a woman certainly may light, as Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi said: Women are obligated in lighting the Hanukkah light, as they too were included in that miracle of being saved from the decree of persecution.

עזרא י׳:א׳-ח׳

(א) וּכְהִתְפַּלֵּ֤ל עֶזְרָא֙ וּכְ֨הִתְוַדֹּת֔וֹ בֹּכֶה֙ וּמִתְנַפֵּ֔ל לִפְנֵ֖י בֵּ֣ית הָאֱלֹקִ֑ים נִקְבְּצוּ֩ אֵלָ֨יו מִיִּשְׂרָאֵ֜ל קָהָ֣ל רַב־מְאֹ֗ד אֲנָשִׁ֤ים וְנָשִׁים֙ וִֽילָדִ֔ים כִּֽי־בָכ֥וּ הָעָ֖ם הַרְבֵּה־בֶֽכֶה׃ (ס) (ב) וַיַּעַן֩ שְׁכַנְיָ֨ה בֶן־יְחִיאֵ֜ל מִבְּנֵ֤י עולם [עֵילָם֙] וַיֹּ֣אמֶר לְעֶזְרָ֔א אֲנַ֙חְנוּ֙ מָעַ֣לְנוּ בֵאלֹקֵ֔ינוּ וַנֹּ֛שֶׁב נָשִׁ֥ים נָכְרִיּ֖וֹת מֵעַמֵּ֣י הָאָ֑רֶץ וְעַתָּ֛ה יֵשׁ־מִקְוֶ֥ה לְיִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל עַל־זֹֽאת׃ (ג) וְעַתָּ֣ה נִֽכְרָת־בְּרִ֣ית לֵ֠אלֹקֵינוּ לְהוֹצִ֨יא כָל־נָשִׁ֜ים וְהַנּוֹלָ֤ד מֵהֶם֙ בַּעֲצַ֣ת אדושם וְהַחֲרֵדִ֖ים בְּמִצְוַ֣ת אֱלֹקֵ֑ינוּ וְכַתּוֹרָ֖ה יֵעָשֶֽׂה׃ (ד) ק֛וּם כִּֽי־עָלֶ֥יךָ הַדָּבָ֖ר וַאֲנַ֣חְנוּ עִמָּ֑ךְ חֲזַ֖ק וַעֲשֵֽׂה׃ (פ) (ה) וַיָּ֣קָם עֶזְרָ֡א וַיַּשְׁבַּ֣ע אֶת־שָׂרֵי֩ הַכֹּהֲנִ֨ים הַלְוִיִּ֜ם וְכָל־יִשְׂרָאֵ֗ל לַעֲשׂ֛וֹת כַּדָּבָ֥ר הַזֶּ֖ה וַיִּשָּׁבֵֽעוּ׃ (ו) וַיָּ֣קָם עֶזְרָ֗א מִלִּפְנֵי֙ בֵּ֣ית הָֽאֱלֹקִ֔ים וַיֵּ֕לֶךְ אֶל־לִשְׁכַּ֖ת יְהוֹחָנָ֣ן בֶּן־אֶלְיָשִׁ֑יב וַיֵּ֣לֶךְ שָׁ֗ם לֶ֤חֶם לֹֽא־אָכַל֙ וּמַ֣יִם לֹֽא־שָׁתָ֔ה כִּ֥י מִתְאַבֵּ֖ל עַל־מַ֥עַל הַגּוֹלָֽה׃ (ס) (ז) וַיַּעֲבִ֨ירוּ ק֜וֹל בִּיהוּדָ֣ה וִירֽוּשָׁלִַ֗ם לְכֹל֙ בְּנֵ֣י הַגּוֹלָ֔ה לְהִקָּבֵ֖ץ יְרוּשָׁלִָֽם׃ (ח) וְכֹל֩ אֲשֶׁ֨ר לֹֽא־יָב֜וֹא לִשְׁלֹ֣שֶׁת הַיָּמִ֗ים כַּעֲצַ֤ת הַשָּׂרִים֙ וְהַזְּקֵנִ֔ים יָחֳרַ֖ם כָּל־רְכוּשׁ֑וֹ וְה֥וּא יִבָּדֵ֖ל מִקְּהַ֥ל הַגּוֹלָֽה׃ (ס)

Ezra 10:1-8

(1) While Ezra was praying and making confession, weeping and prostrating himself before the House of God, a very great crowd of Israelites gathered about him, men, women, and children; the people were weeping bitterly. (2) Then Shecaniah son of Jehiel of the family of Elam spoke up and said to Ezra, “We have trespassed against our God by bringing into our homes foreign women from the peoples of the land; but there is still hope for Israel despite this. (3) Now then, let us make a covenant with our God to expel all these women and those who have been born to them, in accordance with the bidding of the Lord and of all who are concerned over the commandment of our God, and let the Teaching be obeyed. (4) Take action, for the responsibility is yours and we are with you. Act with resolve!” (5) So Ezra at once put the officers of the priests and the Levites and all Israel under oath to act accordingly, and they took the oath. (6) Then Ezra rose from his place in front of the House of God and went into the chamber of Jehohanan son of Eliashib; there, he ate no bread and drank no water, for he was in mourning over the trespass of those who had returned from exile. (7) Then a proclamation was issued in Judah and Jerusalem that all who had returned from the exile should assemble in Jerusalem, (8) and that anyone who did not come in three days would, by decision of the officers and elders, have his property confiscated and himself excluded from the congregation of the returning exiles.