Kesubos 110 – Living in a city

Question:

On Kesubos 110b Rabbi Yose ben Chanina uses Nechemiah 11:2 to show that living in a city is difficult. Given the circumstances of Yerushalayim in the days of Nechemiah, how can Rabbi Yose extrapolate from here to all cities?

Answer:

You are asking an interesting question. The sefer Zechor Lavrohom (brought in Yalkut Biurim of the Mesivta shas) offers an explanation that might help answer this. He says that when Nechemia wanted that a tenth of the Jews sold settle in Yerushalayim, he blessed not those who merely “came” to settle but those who were “l’sheves” those who stayed in Yeushalayim, even though that there would then be a lot of people. As a side point, the protection of Yerushalayim was accomplished with the building of the wall, and settling of the masses, so that would not have been ample reason for people not to want to settle there. Therefore, the gemora brought a proof that it was because of the difficulty of living among so many people.

Kesiva V’chasima Tova