Musar for Ketubot 10:1
יניח אצבעו באזניו והיינו דאמר ר' אלעזר מפני מה אצבעותיו של אדם דומות ליתידות מאי טעמא אילימא משום דמחלקן כל חדא וחדא למילתיה עבידא דאמר מר זו זרת זו קמיצה זו אמה זו אצבע זה גודל
he should plug his finger into his ears And this is the same thing that R. Elazar said: Why do the fingers of man resemble pegs? What is the reason? Shall I say because they are divided? [Surely] each one has been made for its own purpose! For the Master said: This one is zeret, this one is kemitzah, this one is amah, this one is etzba and this one is gudal.
Shenei Luchot HaBerit
לאזני משפחת האזני . Rashi comments that Ozni is identical with אצבון (Genesis 46,16). Many commentators are puzzled by these various names mentioned, wanting to find some symbolism in them. I have heard that our rabbis have said that the fingers of man have been formed in the shape of pegs to enable him to put them inside his ears so as not to hear evil gossip. The word אצבעון is an allusion to this combination of finger and ear.
Ask RabbiBookmarkShareCopy