An Initial Look at מפני מה אמרה תורה in Tannaitic Use [Talmud Tuesday]
There is an interesting term utilized in the Babylonian Talmud: “מפני מה אמרה תורה” – “On account of what did Torah say…?” Having been curious about this term, I discovered that the first sage to pose this question was Rabbi Akiva. Following him were his students: Rabbi Meir, Rabbi Yehudah, and Rabbi Shimon. While Rabbi Yehudah merely quotes Rabbi Akiva, Rabbi Meir uses it once, but it is Rabbi Shimon who really develops it.
Rabbi Akiva uses it in describing paying 4 or five times (Bava Kamma 67b / 68a) because the thief has profited from it. This seems to be a straightforward legal explanation – nothing particularly special. His other time using it – quoted by Rabbi Yehudah – explains why three different agricultural things are done around holidays, all of which are about God’s desires for ameliorating the Jewish people’s lot and, more largely, His relationship with them (Rosh HaShanah 16a).
From there, Rabbi Shimon develops the use of this phrase. In one beraisa, he states why would a righteous person be dwelling in an idolatrous city – because he was drawn there by wealth – a pyscho-sociological understanding of this person (Sanhedrin 112a).
He, however, develops this, in his four other statements in somewhat of a different direction: that involving gender and sex. In Kiddushin 2b, he explains why the text states when a man will take a woman and not the other way around. In a beraisa that contains three other of his statements – each interconnected, one with the next, he explains why a yoledet brings a sacrifice – because she is upset and swears off sex; why seven days impurity for a male and fourteen for a daughter – because she regrets her swearing off seeing people happy after seven days and people are sad, so it takes her fourteen days for a girl; and why milah is on the eighth day, because otherwise, everybody would be happy while the mother and father of the boy would be sad (Niddah 31a). Notably, these last three are prompted with this particular language – מפני מה אמרה תורה – by his students. Clearly, Rabbi Shimon’s approach in thinking about these matters in such a way had influenced his students.
Seemingly influenced by Rabbi Shimon, Rabbi Meir also contributed one such statement, quite similarly, on why niddah is seven days – so that the man doesn’t get disgusted with her and enjoys her (Niddah 31a).
In sum, there are 9 Torah statements that are explored amongst the tannaim with such phrasing. What was it that prompted Rabbi Akiva to begin this line of questioning? What was it that prompted Rabbi Shimon to not only continue, but to expand it and to take it in a direction to consider gender and sex?
What’s fascinating about these is that it’s focussed neither upwards towards heaven nor is it simply accepted as a meaningless mitzvah, but rather that it has a personal or social benefit or meaning. Also, to these nine questions, we see answers to these questions, but was the same question asked about other mitzvoth asked and not answered? If so, how come?
Apparently, there are still more questions than answers at this point for me, but it is interesting, nonetheless.