יום ה Date: 4 Av, 5777 (7/27/17) – Sanhedrin Daf 11 ~ Eliezer Guterman

STINKY STUDENTS

[11a middle] Gemarah: Rebbe once gave a Shiyur (lecture) and someone’s bad breath was really bothering him. He announced that whoever smelled should leave the room. R’ Chiya (who obviously did not smell) got up and left (in order to avoid embarrassing the real other person), and then everyone else learning in the room followed him out the door.
Maharsha: It is better for an entire group not to learn Torah, rather than have even one person be embarrassed.

D-E-ep Thoughts: We should never feel too proud of our spirituality to let it come at another person’s cost. Hashem values our relationships with our fellow Holy brothers and sisters much more than our relationship with Him! [As learned from the punishments of the generation of the Flood (who were all wiped out when they did not respect others’ property), as opposed to the generation of the Tower of Babel (whose languages were merely mixed up when they tried to rebel against G-d Himself).]

Today’s P.I.P. (Put Into Practice) TIP: If our wives ever want us at home to help out with the children when it comes time to Daven with a Minyan, we must recognize that Shalom Bayis (peace in the home) instantly trumps our own prayer to Hashem.