Commentary for Eruvin 105:24

דוד גלי מסכתא שאול לא גלי מסכתא דוד דגלי מסכתא כתיב ביה (תהלים קיט, עד) יראיך יראוני וישמחו שאול דלא גלי מסכתא כתיב ביה ((שמואל א יד, מז) אל כל) אשר יפנה

We, said R'Ashi, are like a finger in a pit<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' var. lec. , bung-hole].');">⁴³</span> as regards forgetfulness.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' As it is easy to insert a finger into the mouth of a pit [or bung-hole], so easy was it for them to forget what they learned.');">⁴⁴</span> Rab Judah stated in the name of Rab: The Judeans who cared for [the beauty of] their language retained their learning,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'their Torah was confirmed in their hand'.');">⁴⁵</span> but the Galileans who did not care for [the beauty of] their language<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' V. infra.');">⁴⁶</span> did not retain their learning. But does this<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'the thing', learning.');">⁴⁷</span> depend on whether one cares [for linguistic beauty]? - Rather say: The Judeans who were exact in their language,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Carefully reproducing the traditions they received from their masters.');">⁴⁸</span> and who laid down mnemonics for their aid, retained their learning; but the Galileans who were not exact in their language,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Cf. prev. n. mut. mut.');">⁴⁹</span> and who laid down no mnemonic as an aid, did not retain their learning. The<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Var. lec. 'And if you prefer I might say: The' (v. marg. n.) .');">⁵⁰</span> Judeans who learned from one Master retained their learning, but the Galileans who did not learn from one Master did not retain their learning. Rabina said: The Judeans who made their studies accessible to the public<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'they revealed the text (they studied) '.');">⁵¹</span> retained their learning, but the Galileans who did not make their studies accessible to the public did not retain their learning. David made his studies accessible<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Cf. Ber. 4a, and M.K. 16a.');">⁵²</span> and Saul did not make his studies accessible. Of David who made his studies accessible it is written in Scripture: They that fear Thee shall see me and be glad;<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Ps. CXIX, 74.');">⁵³</span> but of Saul who did not make his studies accessible to the public it is written: And whithersoever he turned himself

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