A Daf A Day (daf yomi)

A daf yomi blog for discussion, questions and comments on the daily daf.

Thursday, February 03, 2005

Rov shnosav

The gemara says that a person who hasn't developed any simanim (no simanei gadol and no simanei sris/aylonis) is considered a gadol when s/he reached "rov shnosav." Rashi doesn't say anything here but my gemara has mosaf Rashi which references Rashi in Baba Basra (155b). There he says that rov shnosav is 36 years (presumably meaning 35 years - the beginning of the 36th year) which is rov 70 and the passuk says in Tehillim that "yemei shnosav bahem shivim shana."

The Rashash points out the Rav and Rambam also say 35 years old is rov shnosav both for a man and for a lady. He asks on this that Tosafos Yom Tov quotes a Rambam that men live longer than women (I guess times have changed) so how could it be the same shiur for both? This morning, I was wondering if the shiur of 35 years would be different nowadays since people live longer. I assumed it wouldn't be but wasn't sure why.

Now I think that the answer to both question is in the Rashi in baba basra. The gemara doesn't mean that a person is considered a gadol when he's reached the majority of his lifespan. That would be a problem of fluctuating shiurim which we always try to avoid. Rather, the gemara means that the shiur is 35 years old and calls it rov shnosav because of the pasuk in Tehilim. So the shiur is 35 for a man and for a woman, then and nowadays.

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