DAF DISCUSSIONS - ZEVACHIM 118

Daniel Gray asks:

Q1: Does shittas Rebbi that Shiloh was in chelkas Binyomin reconcile with the gmara Megila 16b (also Rashi Chumash Vegash 45) that Binyomin cried on Yosef's neck bc of the future destruction of Shiloh in Binyomin's chelek?

Q2: Maharatz Chiyos there is bewildered why there was mourning at all over the destruction of Shiloh. Why did he not want to answer (a) that the mourning wasn't over the destruction but rather Binyomin mourning over it not being in his chelek - the the theme in this daf? (b) if a is ruled out bc it must be a reason of mourning over the destruction, why not cite the last mishnah of Zevachim and its related gmara that describes 369 years of Shiloah and the mourning and reminisicing once it was destroyed and for the reason given in the gmara and explained by Rashi?

Daniel Gray, TORONTO Canada

The Kollel replies:

1) Megilah 16b states that Mishkan Shiloh would in future be in the portion of Yosef. This would seem to contradict Zevachim 118b that it was in the portion of Binyomin. The solution is that our Gemara tells us that a strip of land went out from the chelek of Yosef to the chelek of Binyomin, so Shiloh was built on the portions of both of them.

2) a) Megilah 16b states that Binyomin was crying about Mishkon Shiloh because "Osid Lichoreiv" which is why Maharatz Chiyos could not say that the mourning was not over the destruction.

b) The question of Maharatz Chiyos is that according to the Torah the Mitzvah is to build the Beis Hamikdash in Yerushalayim, so we know anyway that Shiloh would not last for ever. Why then the mourning over an event that was inevitable because once the Beis Hamikdash was built in Yerushalayim, Shiloh was no longer necessary?!

3) I personally find the question of Maharatz Chiyos difficult to understand. Even though the Mitzvah of the Torah is to build the Beis Hamikdash in Yerushalayim this does not mean that Shiloh had to be destroyed in a violent way?! Shiloh could have been gradually phased out peacefully as Yerushalayim became built?!

4) This can be compared to what the Gemara Megilah 29a tells us that in future the Batei Knesios and Batei Midrash in Bavel will be fixed in Eretz Yisrael. The Chazon Ish said that this is happening in our times. Nevertheless if, Chas veShalom, a shul in Chutz laAretz is destroyed we still mourn this because we want the process of building the Batei Midrash in Eretz Yisrael to happen in a peaceful way.

Wishing you a Kesivah vaChasimah Tovah

Dovid Bloom