סנהדרין יז

While learning today’s דף, which states that a תלמיד חכם is not permitted to live in a city which doesn’t have a doctor, a תלמיד asked his רבי how he and other תלמידי חכמים can live in their city, which doesn’t have a doctor.  The רבי responded: “We rely on the so-called medical expert, who is really a quack but presents himself as a doctor.”  “But רבי” the תלמיד replied, “he’s also a תלמיד חכם, but surely he knows that he isn’t really a doctor. So how is he permitted to live in our city?”  The רבי explained:  “He also has what to rely on, namely, the circular reasoning that since the תלמידי חכמים of the city have implicitly certified him as a doctor, the city has a doctor and he is therefore permitted to live here.”

06/10/2021