Vayeilech 31:16 · unit 2

English: And it is written: “And it was for him so, and the people trampled him in the gate, and he died” (II Kings 7:20). The Gemara challenges: Perhaps it was the curse of Elisha that caused the officer to die in that manner, not the principle of punishment measure for measure for his lack of belief, as Rav Yehuda says that Rav says: The curse of a Sage, even if baseless, comes to be fulfilled? This is all the more so true concerning the curse of Elisha, which was warranted. The Gemara answers: If so, let the verse write: And they trampled him and he died. What does the term “in the gate” serve to teach? It teaches that he died over matters relating to the gate [sha’ar]. It was for the cynical dismissal of the prophecy of Elisha that the officer voiced at the city gate that he was punished measure for measure and was trampled at the city gate. § Rabbi Yoḥanan says: From where is the resurrection of the dead derived from the Torah? It is derived from this verse, as it is stated with regard to teruma of the tithe: “And you shall give the teruma of the Lord to Aaron the priest” (Numbers 18:28). And does Aaron exist forever so that one can fulfill the mitzva by giving him the teruma of the tithe? But is it not so that Aaron did not enter Eretz Yisrael, the only place where the people would give him teruma? Rather, the verse teaches that Aaron is destined to live in the future and the Jewish people will give him teruma. From here it is derived that the resurrection of the dead is from the Torah. The school of Rabbi Yishmael taught a different derivation from this verse. From the term “to Aaron” one derives that teruma must be given to a priest like Aaron; just as Aaron is one devoted to the meticulous observance of mitzvot, particularly those relating to ritual purity, teruma, and tithes [ḥaver], so too one gives teruma to his descendants who are ḥaverim. Rabbi Shmuel bar Naḥmani says that Rabbi Yonatan says: From where is it derived that one does not give teruma to a priest who is an am ha’aretz? It is derived from a verse, as it is stated: “And he commanded the people who dwelled in Jerusalem to give the portion of the priests and of the Levites, so that they may firmly adhere to the Torah of the Lord” (II Chronicles 31:4). Everyone who firmly adheres to the Torah of the Lord has a portion, and anyone who does not firmly adhere to the Torah of the Lord does not have a portion. Rav Aḥa bar Adda says that Rav Yehuda says: With regard to anyone who gives teruma to a priest who is an am ha’aretz, it is as though he placed the teruma before a lion.