Wednesday, December 5, 2007
19b: A Great Story
The Nakdimon story is fascinating, both for its obvious literary elements and the historical realities is may be expressing. I love how it builds suspense, and how it set up the opposition between the Nakdimon and the presumably non-Jewish "lord." As the lord gets undressed in the bathhouse, Nakdimon wraps himself in a tallit in the Temple. I also like that the lord gets it, saying to Nakdimon (on 20a) "I see that God adjusted the world for your sake...". But he still asks for his money! That non-Jewish lord had some serious chutzpah.
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We're learning at the same time - it's almost as if we are having a real hevruta! This is a great story, nicely contrasting Nakdimon with the Roman. I think it also teaches something about philanthropy, and the responsibility of those in the Jews community with bling to help those without to fulfill their responsibilities as Jews. Though I don't think Bronfman or Steinhart could get the skies to open up for them (maybe for the right price...), they certainly provided something similar with birthright. In the next sugiya, the Talmud holds Nakdimon in such high esteem that they put him in the same category as Moshe and Joshua, as the only people who change the normal rhythms of the sun. Now that's how you cultivate donors.
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