Niddah 70: Q & A on Wisdom, Aggadah, Ignorance & Behaviour

As we learned in yesterday's daf, the great people of Alexandria asked 12 questions of Rabbi Yehoshua ben Chinnana, three each in the categories of wisdom, aggadah, ignorance, and behaviour.  We found our questions and answers to the first two questions about wisdom in yesterday's daf.  Today, we approach the third question:

• Wisdom
• If two wealthy lepers bring their sin offerings and burnt offerings (lambs or birds if they were poor) after those offerings were intermingled and one was offered, what is one to do if the other dies?  After a lengthy discussion in the Gemara, the rabbis note that while all of the remaining person's offerings could be sold and birds could be given, it is agreed that the person might offer a guilt offering in addition to vows attesting to his intention to ask for G-d's favour on himself and on his fellow deceased leper
• Aggadah
• How do you resolve the contradiction between G-d's words in Ezekiel (18:32), where G-d asks for repentance in return for positive judgement, with I Samuel 2:25) where G-d will kill a person who sins against G-d?  The answer is that Ezekiel's words refer to those who repent and I Samuel's words refer only to those who do not repent
• How do you resolve the contradictions between "For the Lord is your G-d...Who shows no favour nor takes graft," (Deuteronomy 10:17) and "The Lord shall show no favour to you and give you peace" (Numbers 6:26)?  The answer is that Deuteronomy's quote refers to after G-d's judgement, at which point G-d no longer forgives.
• Psalms (132:13) states that G-d chose Zion as his home, whereas Jeremiah (32:31) tells us that G'd's fury is so great regarding Zion that G-d wants to destroy the city.  The answer is that the verse in Psalms refers to the time before Solomon married Pharaoh's daughter (I Kings 3:1) while the verse in Jeremiah refers to after that time.
• Ignorance
• Did Lot's wife transmit ritual impurity after she turned to a pillar of salt?  The answer is that salt does not transfer ritual impurity, and so she is ritually pure after her death.
• Did the son of the Shunammite woman brought back to life by Elisha transmit ritual impurity?  The answer is that he only died temporarily and live people do not transmit ritual impurity.
• When the Moshiach comes and those who are dead return to life in Zion, will they require sprinkling by the ashes of the red heifer on the third and seventh days?  Rabbi Yehoshua tells him that either the rabbis or Moshe himself will teach us new halacha at that time.
• Behaviour
• What should a person do to become wise?  One should sit in the study house more and focus on business less.  But many have done that and not become more wise, said the Alexandrians.  Then one should pray for wisdom from G-d, the source of all wisdom, said Rabbi Yehoshua.
• What should a person do to become wealthy?  One should spend more time in business to conduct his business affairs honestly.  But many have done this and not become wealthy, say the Alexandrians.  Then one should pray to G-d for the mercy to receive wisdom to provide wealth, because G-d is the source of all wealth - "Mine is the silver and Mine is the Gold" (Haggai (2:8).
• How can a person ensure that he has male children?  He should marry a woman who is fit for him and behave modestly in sexual matters, says Rabbi Yehoshua.  The Gemara says that this means that he should wait for the woman to emit her seed first, keeping his seed "in his belly" until later.  

In all of these questions and answers, we learn that we require action, intention and faith to get what we want.