Rav Mesharsheya

Fourth Generation of Amoraim, a student of Rava, and he transmitted many Halakhic rulings in his name. When Rav Mesharsheya passed away, thorns grew where date palms once stood [מועד קטן כה:].

His Sayings

Rabbi Zeira said in the name of Rav: What is the explanation of the verse: “All the days of the poor are evil” [Proverbs 15:15]? These are the masters of Talmud, meaning, the students of Gemara, because the study of Gemara is difficult due to the many complex sugyot within it.

These are the masters of Mishnah, meaning, the students of Mishnah, whose study – “What is the explanation of the verse: “but he who has a cheerful heart has a continual feast” – is easy and simple to learn.

These are the masters of Gemara. – “These are the masters of Mishnah.” “but he who has a cheerful heart has a continual feast” – Rava said the opposite: “All the days of the poor are evil.” Thus Rav Mesharsheya explains in Rava's name: What is the explanation of the verse: “He who hews stones will be hurt by them” [Ecclesiastes 10:9]? These are the masters of Mishnah, because one who studies Mishnah does not know the full explanation of the Mishnah, since one does not derive Halakha solely from the Mishnah.

“And he who splits wood will be endangered by them” [Ecclesiastes 10:9]? [He will be warmed by their toil] – These are the masters of Talmud, who benefit from their toil, because through their proper study, they know how to rule on what is forbidden and what is permitted [סנהדרין ק:]. Rav Mesharsheya said: Mezuzah is an obligation of dwelling, meaning: whoever lives in a house is obligated in the mitzvah of Mezuzah, because the Mezuzah protects him.

Also because it is stated “on the doorposts of your house” [Deuteronomy 22:8], and they interpret: “your house” means “your coming in,” that the obligation rests on one who enters and exits the house [שבת ד.].

Practical Case

A case where water prepared on Erev Shabbat for washing a baby before his brit milah was spilled.

Rava said to them: Ask his mother, the one who just gave birth, if she needs hot water to drink!

And it is a tradition we have that a woman who has given birth, after seven days from delivery, if she says she needs Shabbat to be desecrated for her, we desecrate it through a non-Jew. And thus we will heat water for the baby through a non-Jew; the non-Jew will heat it for himself and add more to the vessel for the baby’s needs.

Rav Mesharsheya was astonished and said to Rava: But we see his mother eating dates and she does not need anything hot! And how can we tell a non-Jew to heat hot water for her when she does not need it?!

Rava said to him: Always, a woman who has given birth needs hot things, and what we see her eating cold things, we say: that it is difficult for her and her illness weighs heavily upon her, and she does not know what she is eating [עירובין סח.].

His Wisdom

Rav Mesharsheya said to his sons: Before you enter to study Torah from your teacher, review the Baraitot well, and then go in to study, for then you will know how to bring proofs from the Baraitot to the questions that will be asked.

When you sit before your teacher: Look at his face and at the words that come out of his mouth, as it is said: “And your eyes shall see your teachers” [Isaiah 30:20].

When you review a sugya, review it by a river of water, because this is a segulah (propitious act), how? Just as water flows and is drawn, so too your teaching will be drawn out and you will remember it for many days.

He further said to his sons: It is better for you to live in the garbage heaps of the city of Mata Mehasya in Babylonia than in the palaces of Pumbedita!

Rashi explains: Because the people of Pumbedita are robbers. And some explain: Because the people of Mata Mehasya are Torah scholars and the people of Pumbedita are ignoramuses [כריתות ו.].