1)REBBI & R. YOSI REVERED EACH OTHER
גופא אמר ר"ל פה קדוש יאמר דבר זה תני עדו איני והאמר עולא הרואה את ר"ל בבית המדרש כאילו עוקר הרים וטוחנן זה בזה אמר רבינא והלא כל הרואה ר"מ בבית המדרש כאילו עוקר הרי הרים וטוחנן זה בזה הכי קאמר בא וראה כמה מחבבין זה את זה כי הא דיתיב רבי וקאמר אסור להטמין את הצונן אמר לפניו ר' ישמעאל בר' יוסי אבא התיר להטמין את הצונן א"ל כבר הורה זקן אמר רב פפא בא וראה כמה מחבבין זה את זה דאילו רבי יוסי קיים היה כפוף ויושב לפני רבי דהא ר' ישמעאל בר' יוסי ממלא מקום אבותיו הוה והיה כפוף ויושב לפני רבי וקא אמר כבר הורה זקן
Translation: The Gemara returns to the earlier discussion. Reish Lakish said: A holy mouth should say this matter. A teaching was taught in the name of Iddo. Is that so? But did Ulla not say: Whoever saw Reish Lakish in the Beis Medrash would think he was uprooting mountains and grinding them against each other? Ravina said: But whoever saw R. Meir in the Beis Medrash would say he uproots mountains and grinds them against each other. Rather, this is what was meant: Come and see how much they cherished each other, as in the case where Rebbe was sitting and said: It is forbidden to insulate cold items. R. Yishmael the son of R. Yosi said before him: My father permitted insulating the cold. He said to him: The elder has already ruled. Rav Papa said: Come and see how much they cherished each other, for if R. Yosi were alive, he would have sat bent before Rebbe, and behold his son R. Yishmael the son of R. Yosi, who filled his father's place, sat bent before Rebbe and said: The elder has already ruled.
(a)Why did Reish Lakish referred to R. Meir's mouth as a 'Holy Mouth'?
1.Ben Yehoyada: The Gemara described that he uproots mountains ('Harim' - sing. Har) and grinds them against each other.- har has a letter on each side of each of its letters - Dalet vav and kuf shin - spells kadosh etc.
(b)Why are Chachamim described as those who grind mountains?
1.Ein Eliyahu: The Midrash (Pesichta 15) states that 'mountains' refers to Batei Din. Chachamim that are able to uproot mountains means that they are sharper than all of the Batei Dinim.
2.Maharsha (Horayos 14a): Chazal used two terms for types of Talmidei Chachamim-"Sinai", who relies on the teachings received from his Rav, and "Oker Harim" (uprooter of mountains), who relies on sharp, independent analysis. This echoes the Midrash (Bereishit Rabbah 99), where Har Tavor and Har Carmel claimed they were more worthy than Har Sinai, yet Sinai was chosen for its humility. (Similarly, while Reish Lakish and Rabbi Meir are praised for their brilliance (Sanhedrin 24a), the Midrash underscores that humility and a firm grounding in tradition are what make a Torah scholar truly deserving.)
2)STICKS REFER TO TALMIDEI CHACHAMIM
א"ר אושעיא מאי דכתיב (זכריה יא, ז) ואקח לי (את) שני מקלות לאחד קראתי נועם ולאחד קראתי חובלים נועם אלו ת"ח שבארץ ישראל שמנעימין זה לזה בהלכה חובלים אלו ת"ח שבבבל שמחבלים זה לזה בהלכה (זכריה יא, יג) ויאמר (אלי) אלה [שני] בני היצהר העומדים וגו' ושנים זיתים עליה יצהר אמר רבי יצחק אלו ת"ח שבא"י שנוחין זה לזה בהלכה כשמן זית ושנים זיתים עליה אלו ת"ח שבבבל שמרורין זה לזה בהלכה כזית
Translation: R. Oshaya said: What is the meaning of that which is written (Zecharia 11:7), "And I took for myself two sticks; one I called Noam and one I called Chovlim"? Noam refers to the Talmidei Chachamim of Eretz Yisroel, who are pleasant with each other in Halachah. Chovlim refers to the Talmidei Chachamim of Bavel, who harm each other in Halachah. And that which is written (Zecharia 4:12-14), "These are the two sons of oil who stand," and "two olive trees above it," refers, said R. Yitzchok, to the Talmidei Chachamim of Eretz Yisroel, who are pleasant with each other in Halachah like olive oil; and "two olive trees above it" refers to the Talmidei Chachamim of Bavel, who are bitter with each other in Halachah like olives.
(a)Why are Talmidei Chachamim compared to sticks?
1.Maharsha: They lead the people just as a shepherd uses his stick to direct the sheep.
2.Ben Yehoyada: A stick can serve both positive and negative purposes. On the one hand, it can provide support to someone while walking. On the other, it can be misused as a weapon to cause harm. So too for a Talmid Chacham - if he merits, the Torah is an elixir of life; if not, it can be the opposite.
(b)Why is 'Noam' in the singular and 'Chovlim' in the plural?
1.Maharsha: The Gemara in Kesuvos 75a teaches that a Talmid Chacham in Eretz Yisrael is like two in Chutz LaAretz.
2.Ben Yehoyada, Pesach Einayim (Chida): The Talmidei Chachamim in Eretz Yisrael were pleasant to one another. This promoted great unity, as if they were one person. But in Bavel, they disagreed and argued in learning and were divided. Hence, they are described in the plural form.
(זכריה ה, ט) ואשא עיני וארא והנה שתים נשים יוצאות ורוח בכנפיהם ולהנה כנפים ככנפי החסידה ותשאנה האיפה בין השמים ובין הארץ ואומר אל המלאך הדובר בי אנה המה מוליכות את האיפה ויאמר אלי לבנות לה בית בארץ שנער א"ר יוחנן משום רבי שמעון בן יוחי זו חנופה וגסות הרוח שירדו לבבל וגסות הרוח לבבל נחית והאמר מר עשרה קבין גסות ירדו לעולם תשעה נטלה עילם ואחת כל העולם כולו אין לבבל נחית ואישתרבובי דאישתרבב לעילם דיקא נמי דכתיב לבנות לה בית בארץ שנער ש"מ והאמר מר סימן לגסות הרוח עניות ועניות לבבל נחית מאי עניות עניות תורה דכתיב (שיר השירים ח, ח) אחות לנו קטנה ושדים אין לה אמר ר' יוחנן זו עילם שזכתה ללמוד ולא זכתה ללמד מאי בבל א"ר יוחנן בלולה במקרא בלולה במשנה בלולה בתלמוד (איכה ג, ו) במחשכים הושיבני כמתי עולם אמר ר' ירמיה זה תלמודה של בבל׃
Translation: And it is written (Zecharia 5:9-10), "And I lifted my eyes and saw, and behold, two women coming out, and the wind was in their wings, and they had wings like the wings of a Chasida, and they carried the Eifah between the earth and the heavens. And I said to the Malach who spoke with me: Where are they taking the Eifah? And he said to me: To build for her a house in the land of Shinar." R. Yochanan said in the name of R. Shimon ben Yochai: This refers to flattery and arrogance which descended to Bavel. But did arrogance descend to Bavel? Did not the Master say: Ten measures of arrogance descended to the world-nine were taken by Eilam and one by the rest of the world? Rather, arrogance descended to Bavel and was then transferred to Eilam. This is also implied by the Pasuk, which says "to build for her a house in the land of Shinar," in the singular, which implies that only one trait remained. But does not the master say: A sign of arrogance is poverty, and poverty exists in Bavel? What is the meaning of "poverty"? Poverty in Torah, as it is written (Shir haShirim 8:8), "We have a little sister, and she has no breasts." R. Yochanan said: This refers to Eilam, which merited to learn but did not merit to teach. And what of Bavel? R. Yochanan said: Bavel is mixed with Mikra, Mishnah, and Talmud. On the Pasuk (Eicha 3:6), "He has placed me in darkness like the eternally dead," R. Yirmiyah said: This refers to the Talmud of Bavel.
(a)What does the phrase 'Bavel is mixed with Mikra, Mishnah, and Talmud' teach?
1.Maharsha: The context of the Drasha indicates that the Gemara is not complementing Bavel by saying that it is mixed with Mikra, Mishnah and Talmud. Rather it is a criticism in the way that they would learn. The Mishnah in Avos (5:21) teaches that a boy starts to learn Mikra - the Written Torah, when he is five years old; Mishnah when he is ten and Talmud when he is fifteen. The people in Bavel were haughty and taught those more advanced levels of learning when the children were younger than the prescribed ages. Therefore, their learning was mixed up and confused.
2.Maharal (Agados 3:144): Talmud Bavli is full of deep analysis and back-and-forth discussion. Because of this style, the Halacha does not always emerge clearly, as each conclusion can be followed by new questions and challenges.
(b)If the name of the land is already explained in the Pasuk in Bereishis (Bereishis 11:9), "as there Hash-m confused ('Balal') the language of the entire earth', why does the Gemara ask again why it is called Bavel?
1.Eitan haEzrachi: That Pasuk explained why the place would be called Balal or Balel, but the question here is why was it was called Bavel.
2.Margaliyos haYam: Although the reason for the naming of the land is as (Bereishis 11:9) states, the Gemara tells us (Shabbos 36a, Sucah 34a) that at some point, the names 'Bavel' and 'Bursif' became interchanged. This means that Bursif used to be called Bavel and the Pasuk in Bereishis referred to that place. The Gemara is now asking the reason behind the name of the new place called Bavel (formally known as Bursif).
