July 10, 2026 Categories: Halacha & Hashkafa
Daf Yomi
A Light Mix-up “Anything That Is Counted…” (Zevachim 73a)
Our Gemara mentions the well-known Talmudic rule: “A thing that is counted does not become batel (insignificant).” In other words, the halacha of bitul b’rov, according to which the minority of a mixture becomes like the majority, does not apply if the minority is a davar she’b’minyan – a thing that is usually counted and not sold in bulk without mentioning its number. The importance and uniqueness of such an article prevent us from treating it as insignificant within a majority. This halacha is a rabbinical decree, and our sugya and others cite disagreements among the Tannaim and Amoraim regarding the exact definition of this rule, about which the poskim also disagreed. As for the halacha, see the Mechaber (Yorah Deah 110:1) and the Rema there.A Chanukah Candle?
Apropos, there is a fascinating discussion in the Acharonim about a Chanukah candle that became mixed with ordinary candles and could not be identified. The Mechaber (Orach Chayyim 673:1) rules that a light used for the mitzvah of Chanukah may not be used for any other purpose. But what of a Chanukah light that becomes mixed with ordinary lights – are they all allowed or are they all forbidden? The author of Terumas Hadeshen (Responsa, 102, cited by the Rema in Orach Chayyim. 673:1) rules that the Chanukah light does not become batel among the other lights, and therefore it is forbidden to use any of the lights. A Chanukah light is considered a counted thing, as every night of Chanukah we count the lights (see ibid. for his proof from Yevamos 81a).Significant Or Insignificant?
The ruling of Terumas Hadeshen contains two interesting chidushim. We could say that for an article to be considered a counted thing, its importance must stem from its own value – independent of the importance its owner gave it. In other words, we understand well that there is a difference between a gold coin, considered a counted thing because of its importance, and a candle taken from a pile of candles, whose importance stems not from itself but from the fact that its owner used it for Chanukah. At any rate, the Terumas Hadeshen asserts that this importance suffices for the candle to be considered a counted thing. The ruling of Terumas Hadeshen features another chiddush. We must reflect on the extent to which the quality of a counted thing must be entrenched within it to prevent a minority of it becoming insignificant. Taking again the example of the Chanukah candle and the gold coin, we notice that the coin is considered a counted thing even were it to become batel, as its owner continues to regard it with all the honor it deserves. A Chanukah candle, however, stops being such when it becomes insignificant, as its being batel b’rov removes its halachic importance and it becomes like any other candle. Terumas Hadeshen nonetheless rules that a Chanukah light is considered “a counted thing” that does not become batel b’rov because, in his opinion, it suffices that at that moment – before it becomes batel – it is a davar she’beminyan. That is so even though if we render it insignificant, it would no longer be considered a counted thing. The Taz (ibid., s.k. 6) disagrees. In his opinion, “a counted thing does not become batel” only if it would continue to be counted after becoming batel. A Chanukah candle is batel b’rov because its importance is acquired only as a Chanukah candle, and once we make it insignificant and remove its status, it becomes like the other candles, which are unimportant. The candle therefore is not considered “a counted thing” (see ibid., where he bases his opinion on the above sugya).
