The gemara says that Rabba and Abbaye, although they came from beis Eili, Rabba lived 40 years in the zechus of Torah, and Abbaye lived 60 years in the zechus of Torah and Gemilas Chasadim. I remember seeing the Chofetz Chaim in Ahavas Chesed ask, that the gemara in Moed Kattan give parameters as to when it is appropriate to stop learning in order to do chesed - if it is possible to do it through others then you don't stop learning, otherwise you stop learning and do it yourself. If we are speaking in situations where it could be done through others, what was the rationale of Abbaye, and if it could not be done through others then what is the rationale of Rabba? The Chofetz Chaim explains that it is speaking in a situation where others can to the chesed, but bec. of the tremendous influence of the great personalities, it would have been possible to grow the chesed project exponentially had Rabba and Abbaye participated. The machlokes between them is whether that qualifies as not possible to do by others, and the implication of the Gemara is that Abbaye was correct. It is only considered possible to do by others if the others can do it exactly the same way and as productively.
2 comments:
Very nice post - i had seen that piece as well. As I recall, the Chafeitz Chaim also points out that Rabbah DID do the great chessed of teaching torah to people, but not being actively involved in other forms of chessed which could have inspired so many others who aren't capable of teaching torah to do their forms of chessed is what cost him 20 years.
i didn't get the cheshbon here, tosfos says that Rabbah had Bad Mazal, if so how does the gemara know that Abayei was correct? maybe he had better mazal?
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