Reb Chaim, how have you been? I hope that you and your family had an inspiring Sukos. Did you come to Eretz Yisrael for Sukos this year?

Regarding Chuldah, Sefer Yisa Berachah on Pesachim (Rav Avraham Shlomo Blum of Kiryat Kashuy, NY, printed 1998) indeed writes that it is a play on words alluding to Chuldah the Nevi'ah.

This might answer the question of Rav Yaakov Emden (Hagahos Yaavetz) there. Rav Yaakov Emden asks, what kind of Nevi'us is involved here? The Chuldah already sees that there is less food around and that is why it stashes part of the loot away without eating it! The answer is that Rava's question is not that the Chuldah does not know that there is no bread around. It is really that the Chuldah is not sophisticated enough to plan for the future; it eats whatever it gets its hands on. This is indeed the way Rashi explains the Gemara - "Is the Chuldah Ro'eh Es ha'Nolad?". The reason Rava spoke in terms of Nevu'ah is because of the pun.

Best wishes,

Mordecai Kornfeld

Kollel Iyun Hadaf