At First Glance
‘While You Were Feasting On The Dates Of Babylon…’
(Baba Basra 107b)
Our daf relates that R. Chiya suggested explaining a mishnah in a way that R. Yochanan felt was incorrect. Thereupon R. Yochanan chided him, saying, “While you were feasting on dates in Babylon, I expounded this…”
The Rashbam (s.v. “Ade’achilna Kaphniyasa” explains that R. Yochanan believed that R. Chiya misunderstood the mishnah because he indulged in eating dates and thus did not sufficiently exert himself in studying Torah.
A Proper Prayer
Tana D’vrei Eliyahu (chap. 26, cited by Tosafos, Kesubos 104a s.v. “Lo”) clearly discourages overindulgence, not merely because of its possible affect on one’s Torah study, but because it is inherently antithetical to achieving excellence in Torah.
Indeed, Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi, despite being enormously wealthy, was very careful not to desire material pleasure from this world because one who indulges in excessive food or other luxuries cannot attain greatness in Torah scholarship.
The Midrash states that before a person entreats Hashem for success in his Torah studies, he should pray that any delicacies he ate not leave a blemish on him.
Not Callous
Chavos Yair (siman 152) tempers R. Yochanan’s remark somewhat, asserting that our sages were not callous and would surely not make snide remarks ridiculing one another for mistakenly interpreting a halacha.
Chavos Yair explains that the term “Kaphniyos” used by R. Yochanan refers to dates that are not yet ripe (as indicated in Orlah 1:9 – see Rabbenu Ovadiah MiBartenura s.v. “B’Kaphniyos”).
When R. Yochanan told R. Chiya that he was eating kaphniyos – unripened dates – he was alluding to the fact that R. Chiya interpreted the first part of the mishnah – the reisha – without having properly examined the seifa – the last part of the mishnah. This, he intimated, is similar to one who eats underdeveloped dates without waiting for them to ripen into delicious fruit.