Monday, August 18, 2008

Gittin Daf 38

R' Yehuda says in the name of Shmuel " Anyone who frees a Canaanite slave transgresses a positive commandment..." The Gemara asks "Once R' Eliezer came to Synagogue and found there wasn't a Minyan, so he freed his slave (to complete the Minyan)" The Gemara answers "mitzvah shaani" for a Mitzvah (to pray with a Minyan) we make an exception.
Next time we are sitting around our house doing nothing (important), and its time for Minyan, we should remember this Halacha. If the Torah is prepared to make an exception to make a Minyan, surely we should find time to show up to one!

3 comments:

Mark Kerzner said...

Maybe Rabban Gamliel did not want to wait for the 10th man, so it is bedieved, but lehatchila one should not go?

Ohr Hanegev said...

You mean R' Eliezer. The point is he felt it was important enough to be able to daven with a Minyan.

Mark Kerzner said...

It may be true, but there is not proof from here