011a – אין נערכין – פרק שני – ערכין, דף יא ע”א

It had ten holes,^[1]

עשרה נקבים היו בה - And in each hole there was one pipe, and in each and every pipe there were ten holes, and each hole of a pipe produced one kind of tune; thus the whole of it produced a hundred kinds of tune.

each one producing ten kinds of tune; thus the whole of it produced a hundred kinds of tune.

In a beraisa it was taught: It was a cubit [long] and a cubit high, and a handle came out of it,^[2]

and it had ten holes, each one producing a hundred kinds of tune; thus the whole of it produced a thousand kinds of tune.

Rav Nachman bar Yitzchak said: And your mnemonic:

וסימניך - So that you will not mistake who said a hundred and who said a thousand.

the beraisa exaggerates.

מתניתא גוזמא - It is the way of the beraisos to teach in exaggeration, like those [cases] that are mentioned in [tractate] Shechitas Chullin, in perek Gid Hanasheh (90b).^[3]

“And they were servants of the kohanim, etc.”:^[4]

Shall we say that they disagree about this: the one who said they were servants holds that the essence of the song is with the mouth, and the instrument is made [only] to sweeten the sound,^[5]

and the one who said they were Levi’im holds that the essence of the song is with the instrument?

And can you hold so? What does Rabbi Yosi hold?

רבי יוסי - Who said they were Israelites of pure lineage – what does he hold? Rather, all agree that the essence of the song is with the mouth.

If he holds that the essence of the song is with the mouth, servants suffice!

If he holds that the essence of the song is with the instrument, we need Levi’im!

Actually, he holds that the essence of the song is with the mouth, and here they disagree about whether one is promoted from the platform to lineage and to tithes.^[6]

The one who said they were servants holds that one is not promoted from the platform, neither to lineage nor to tithes.

The one who said they were Levi’im holds that one is promoted from the platform both to lineage and to tithes.

בין למעשרות - That we establish him with the presumption of a Levi.

And the one who said they were Israelites holds that one is promoted from the platform to lineage, but not to tithes.

The Rabbis taught: The song is indispensable to the offering; these are the words of Rabbi Meir.^[7]

And the Sages say: It is not indispensable.

What is the reason of Rabbi Meir? For the verse says: (Bamidbar 8:19) And I have given the Levi’im as gifts to Aharon and to his sons from among the children of Israel, and to atone for the children of Israel.

ואתנה את הלוים - And the Levi’im are singers.

Just as atonement is indispensable, so the song is indispensable.

And the Rabbis? That [verse] is for the other [teaching] of Rabbi Elazar, for Rabbi Elazar said: Just as atonement is by day, so the song is by day.^[8]

Rav Yehudah said in the name of Shmuel: From where is the essential [law of] song from the Torah?^[9]

For it is said: (Devarim 18:7) And he shall serve in the name of Hashem his God.

Which is the service that is with the Name? You must say: this is song.

שבשם - In which the name of Heaven is mentioned. A person sings a song only out of joy and gladness of heart, as it is written (Yeshayahu 65): Behold, My servants shall sing for gladness of heart.

But say [it is] the lifting of the hands?^[10]

Since it is written: (Devarim 10:8) to serve Him and to bless in His name, this implies that the blessing of the kohanim is not “service”.

Rav Masna said, from here: (Devarim 28:47) Because you did not serve Hashem your God with joy and with gladness of heart.

Which is the service that is with joy and with gladness of heart? You must say: this is song.

But say [it is] words of Torah, as it is written: (Tehillim 19:9) The precepts of Hashem are upright, gladdening the heart?

They are called “gladdening the heart”; they are not called “good”.^[11]

But say [it is] bikkurim, as it is written: (Devarim 26:11) And you shall rejoice in all the good?^[12]

אימא ביכורים - And this is what the verse means: because you did not bring bikkurim.

They are called “good”; they are not called “gladness of heart”.

Rav Masna said: From where [do we know] that bikkurim require song?

מנין לביכורים שטעונין שירה - That they say I will extol You, Hashem, for You have drawn me up, as we learned in Maseches Bikkurim (3:4).^[13]

It is derived “good”–“good” from here.^[14]

טוב טוב - It is written here in all the good, and it is written concerning song (Devarim 28) with joy and with gladness of heart.

Is that so? But Rabbi Shmuel bar Nachmani said in the name of Rabbi Yonasan: From where [do we know] that song is said only over wine?^[15]

For it is said: (Shoftim 9:13) And the vine said to them: Shall I leave my wine, which gladdens God and men?

If it gladdens men, with what does it gladden God?

From here, that song is said only over wine.

You find it as Rabbi Yosi taught: Fruit you bring,

פרי - Concerning bikkurim it is written (ibid. 26): of the first of the fruit.

but you do not bring liquids.

If he brought grapes and trod them, from where [do we know]?^[16]

הביא ענבים - To the Azarah, for bikkurim, and trod them – from where [do we know] that he has fulfilled [his duty]? The verse says: which you shall bring from your land – in any form.

The verse says: you shall bring.

Chizkiyah said, from here: (Divrei Hayamim I 15:22) And Kenanyahu, chief of the Levi’im, in the carrying [in the carrying, יסור], for he was understanding – do not read [יסור] but ישיר, “he would sing”.^[17]

(ישור במשא) חזקיה אמר מהכא - We find the song of the Levi’im from the Torah: yasor bemasa – the lifting of the voice in song.

Bilvati said in the name of Rabbi Yochanan, from here: (Bamidbar 4:47) to do the service of service.^[18]

בלווטי - The name of a sage.

Which is the service that requires [another] service? You must say: this is song.

שירה - It requires the service of an offering, for it is said only over the wine of the libations of an offering, as it is written (Bamidbar 10): And you shall blow with the trumpets over your burnt-offerings.

Rabbi Yitzchak said, from here: (Tehillim 81:3) Raise a song and sound the drum, the pleasant harp with the lyre.

Rav Nachman bar Yitzchak said, from here: (Yeshayahu 24:14) [They] shall raise their voice, they shall sing in the majesty of Hashem; they shall shout from the sea.

צהלו מים - They will shout in the song of the Beis HaMikdash more than the shouting at the Sea of Reeds.

And the Tanna brings it from here: (Bamidbar 7:9) But to the sons of Kehas he did not give, for the service of the holy is upon them; on the shoulder they shall carry.^[19]

מייתי לה מהכא - [The source] for the essential [law of] song from the Torah.

From the implication of what is said “on the shoulder”, do I not know that they shall carry? What does the verse teach by saying “they shall carry” (ישאו)?

ישאו is nothing but an expression of song.

And so it says: (Tehillim 81:3) Raise a song and sound the drum.

And it says: They shall raise their voice, they shall sing, etc.

Chananya, the son of Rabbi Yehoshua’s brother, said, from here: (Shemos 19:19) Moshe would speak, and God would answer him with a voice^[20]

Tosfos

לא דכ"ע עיקר שירה בפה - It is difficult: in perek He-Chalil (Sukkah 51a) it says that if the essence of the song is with the mouth, the song of the offering, too, does not override Shabbos and Yom Tov to be done with an instrument. If so, our Mishnah, which teaches “On twelve days the flute plays” – whose [view] is it? And one can answer that certainly the Tannaim of our Mishnah hold that the essence of the song is with the mouth; but there is a Tanna there, Rabbi Yosi bar Yehudah, who says that song with an instrument (דקרבן) overrides Shabbos and Yom Tov, and the first part [of the Mishnah] follows him.^[21]

השיר מעכב הקרבן - It is difficult: for the song is at the time of the pouring of the libation, and the libation does not hold back the offering, for a person brings his offering today and the libations from now until four days (Menachos 15b). And it seems [right] to explain: “the song is indispensable to the offering” – that is, to the libation, for if there is no song there is no libation.^[22]

משמח לב איקרי טוב לא איקרי - And if you will say: but it is written (Mishlei 4) For I have given you good teaching, (Tehillim 119) The Torah of Your mouth is good to me! And one can answer that this is what it means: it is called “gladdening the heart”; [but] “good” that is next to (ללב) joy, whose meaning is an expression of joy, [it is not called]. Alternatively: “good” next to “heart” it is not called. And if you will say: but it is written (Rus 3) and his heart was good, and Rashi explained that there is in the Midrash: “and his heart was good” – through Torah study; and so too we expound in Shabbos (63b) and let your heart cheer you – over Torah study! And one can answer that they are not written explicitly. And according to this, the question “But say bikkurim” does not fit well, since they are not called “good” next to “heart”. And one can answer that indeed so it answers, that we need “good” next to “heart”. However, since he knew from the outset that we need “good” next to “heart”, he should not have needed to ask again from bikkurim; and the first explanation is the main one.^[23]

מנין לביכורים שטעונין שירה - Rashi explained (דתנא) that they required song [as we learned in Maseches Bikkurim] (3:4): “The flute (היה) plays before them [etc.]”; and when it asks “Is that so? But Rabbi Shmuel bar Nachmani said”, it asks against Rabbi Shmuel bar Nachmani. But it is puzzling: why does it not ask against him directly from the Mishnah? And one can answer that the Gemara does not bring the Mishnah of Zeraim, and also the statement of Rabbi Shmuel bar Nachmani the Gemara brings only incidentally; therefore it asks only in this way. And to Rabbi it seems that the song of the Mishnah over bikkurim is not the essential song, but merely for joy; therefore it does not ask from it against Rabbi Shmuel bar Nachmani – not as Rashi explained. And it is puzzling, for the Mishnah does not speak of essential song at all. Further, Rabbi Elchanan asked: how does it set the Mishnah of Bikkurim here as a case where he brought grapes and trod them, when it speaks of all the bikkurim – figs, wheat and all seven species? And one cannot explain that this is what it means: if he brought grapes as bikkurim and trod them afterwards, that the sanctity of bikkurim does not depart from them even though the verse writes “fruit” – for there it is taught, in Chullin, perek Ha’or Veharotev (120b): One does not bring bikkurim as a liquid, except what comes out of olives and of grapes; this shows that the liquid from them is significant for bikkurim. Rather, one must explain “he brought grapes and trod them”: that is, he set apart grapes and trod them – from where [do we know] that they are valid for bikkurim? The verse says “you shall bring”. And what is taught, One does not bring bikkurim as a liquid, except what comes out of olives and of grapes, which implies that one brings [them] at the outset – one must explain it as after the fact. But the verse is written [to teach] that one says song over bikkurim, and how would the verse be written about after the fact? And it seems [right] to explain that it speaks at the outset, and this is the explanation: “If he brought grapes and trod them, from where [do we know] that he may bring them at the outset? The verse says ‘you shall bring’”, which implies at the outset. And the Mishnah of Bikkurim, too, fits well: it speaks of the liquids that come from olives and grapes, over which song is said at the outset; and since they instituted song over them, they instituted it also over all the bikkurim of the seven species. And nothing of all that I asked above is difficult. And this requires examination in the Yerushalmi.^[24]

אל תיקרי ישור אלא ישיר - It is puzzling, for there are several verses in Divrei Hayamim (I 9): the sons of so-and-so were singers! And one can answer that he wants to find that song is from the Torah; therefore he infers it from this verse, where it is written yasor bemasa, and it is written [in the Torah] the service of carrying. Alternatively, he derives from the verses that it is a service, and a non-Levi is liable to death over it.^[25]

Notes

1. 1. Continues from the previous amud [Arachin 10b], where Shmuel said that there was a magrefah in the Mikdash; the Gemara now describes it: it had ten holes. Tosfos there explain that there were two kinds of magrefah, one for the ashes and one for music.
2. 2. “Masnisa” here is a beraisa. The “handle” (קתא) is the instrument’s grip. By the beraisa’s count the instrument produced ten times as many tunes as Shmuel said.
3. 3. There [Chullin 90b] it says that the Sages spoke in exaggeration, as with the heap of ashes on the altar, the golden vine at the entrance of the Heichal, and the Paroches, of which they gave very large figures.
4. 4. The Mishnah [Arachin 10a]: those who played the flute before the altar were servants of the kohanim, says Rabbi Meir. Rabbi Yosi says: they were of the families of Beis HaPegarim and Beis Tzipparya from Emmaus, whose daughters married kohanim – that is, Israelites of pure lineage. Rabbi Chanina ben Antigonos says: they were Levi’im.
5. 5. “The essence of the song”: the Levi’im’s song over the offerings – is it essentially vocal, the instruments only sweetening the sound, or is it essentially the instrumental music?
6. 6. The dukhan is the platform on which the Levi’im stood for the song. The question: if someone was seen playing on the dukhan, may we on that basis presume him to be of pure lineage, fit to marry into the kehunah, and to receive the first tithe as a Levi?
7. 7. “Indispensable”: if no song was said when the offering was brought, is the offering invalid and fails to atone?
8. 8. That is, the Sages use “and to atone” for Rabbi Elazar’s teaching: just as the atonement – the service of the blood – is done only by day, so the song is only by day. The verse therefore does not teach that the song is indispensable.
9. 9. That is, where does the Torah teach that the song the Levi’im say on the dukhan at the offerings is a Torah law?
10. 10. “The lifting of the hands” is the priestly blessing, in which Hashem’s name is also mentioned; perhaps it is the “service in the name”.
11. 11. That is, the verse requires a service “with joy and with gladness (literally, goodness) of heart”; the Torah is called “gladdening the heart”, but it is not called “good”.
12. 12. Bikkurim are the first fruits of the seven species, brought to the Mikdash and given to the kohen, with the declaration recited over them; of them it says “And you shall rejoice in all the good”.
13. 13. The Mishnah [Bikkurim 3:4] teaches that when those bringing bikkurim reached the Azarah, the Levi’im sang “I will extol You, Hashem, for You have drawn me up” [Tehillim 30:2].
14. 14. A gezeirah shavah: “good” in bikkurim (“in all the good”) and “good” in song (“with gladness of heart”); just as there it is with song, so bikkurim are with song.
15. 15. That is, the Levi’im’s song is said only over the pouring of the wine that comes with an offering; how can bikkurim, which have no wine, require song?
16. 16. This beraisa is taught in Chullin [Chullin 120b]. Bikkurim are brought as fruit, not as liquid; but if he trod his bikkurim grapes and wine came out, there is wine over which to sing.
17. 17. The word is read as “he would sing”: Kenanyahu, chief of the Levi’im, led the song, and “in the carrying” means lifting the voice, as Rashi explains.
18. 18. The verse speaks of the Levi’im from thirty to fifty years old, “everyone who came to do the service of service and the service of carrying”; “the service of service” is a service that accompanies another service – the song that accompanies the offering.
19. 19. The sons of Kehas carried the Aron and the holy vessels on their shoulders and were given no wagons. “They shall carry” seems superfluous, so it is expounded as an expression of song, as in “Raise a song”.
20. 20. The teaching continues on the next amud [Arachin 11b]: “concerning matters of the voice”.
21. 21. That is, our Mishnah [Arachin 10a] lists twelve days a year when the flute played before the altar, among them Yamim Tovim; yet according to the view that the essence of the song is vocal, instrumental song does not override Shabbos and Yom Tov.
22. 22. The libations are the wine, flour and oil that come with an offering. They may be brought days after the offering [Menachos 15b], so the offering does not depend on them; therefore Tosfos explain that the song is indispensable to the libation.
23. 23. That is, by the second explanation the verse requires “good” joined to “heart”, as in “gladness of heart”; neither Torah nor bikkurim are described so.
24. 24. Rabbi Elchanan was one of the Tosafists. His question: the Mishnah of Bikkurim speaks of all seven species, not of wine alone, so how can it be set here as a case of grapes that were trodden?
25. 25. “The service of carrying” is in the same verse Bilvati expounded [Bamidbar 4:47]. On “a non-Levi is liable to death over it”, see Abaye on the next amud [Arachin 11b].