- ליבה ולבתה הרוח vs. זורה ורוח מסייעתו
A Baraisa states: ליבה ולבתה הרוח – If one fanned [the fire] and the wind fanned it, if the person’s fanning was sufficient to spread the fire, he is liable, but if not, he is exempt. The Gemara asks that it should be like זורה ורוח מסייעתו – one who winnows on Shabbos and the wind assists him by blowing away the chaff, where he is liable for desecrating Shabbos!? First, three answers are given why he is not responsible for blowing on the fire: (1) He fanned the fire from the opposite side as the wind, and so did not contribute to the fire at all. (2) He was blowing together with a normal wind, which would not have spread the fire. Then, an abnormal wind, which he was not required to anticipate, spread it. (3) He merely breathed on the fire, and did not blow on it, and did not contribute to its spreading.
Rav Ashi answers that the liability for winnowing with the assistance of wind is specific to Shabbos, דמלאכת מחשבת אסרה תורה – where the Torah prohibited purposeful work, whereas damage inflicted through the wind is considered indirectly caused, וגרמא בנזקין פטור – and one is exempt for mere causative damage.
- כיון שניתן רשות למשחית אינו מבחין בין צדיקים לרשעים
Rav Yosef taught a Baraisa about a passuk regarding מכת בכורות: "ואתם לא תצאו איש מפתח ביתו עד בקר" – and you [Jews] shall not leave the entrance of the house until morning. It explains: כיון שניתן רשות למשחית – Once permission has been given to the destroying force to destroy, אינו מבחין בין צדיקים לרשעים – it does not distinguish between the righteous and the wicked. Therefore, Jews would be endangered if they would leave their homes. The Baraisa adds that the destruction actually begins with the righteous, as the passuk says: "והכרתי ממך צדיק ורשע" – and I have cut off righteous and wicked from among you, first mentioning the righteous in the destruction. Rav Yosef wept, saying: כולי האי נמי לאין דומין – So much so [the righteous] are like nothingness?! Abaye told him: טיבותא הוא לגבייהו – It is a favor for them, as the passuk says: כי מפני הרעה נאסף הצדיק – it is because of the impending evil that the righteous one was gathered in.
- Dovid Hamelech’s inquiry about fire damages while battling the פלשתים
The Gemara analyzes an incident in which Dovid had a craving for “water” from Beis Lechem, which it interprets to mean that he sought the Sanhedrin’s ruling on a halachic question. Three warriors risked their lives breaking through the camp of פלשתים to obtain a resolution, and Dovid objected to their doing so. Amoraim discuss what his inquiry was: (1) Rav Nachman says his question was about liability for טמון באש – hidden items destroyed by fire. (2) Rav Huna says that פלשתים were hiding in piles of barley belonging to Jews, and he asked if he could burn them: מהו להציל עצמו בממון חבירו – May one save himself through destroying someone else’s property? They answered that it is normally prohibited, but as king, he can be פורץ לעשות לו דרך – break through fences to make a path for himself, ואין מוחין בידו – and no one can protest against him. (3) Dovid wished to feed the Jews’ barley to his animals with the intent to repay later with lentils owned by פלשתים. He was told, based on a passuk, that אף על פי שגזילה משלם רשע הוא – even though a person repays his theft, he is still considered a wicked person. However, as king, Dovid could do as he needed. These explanations are analyzed further.
