Hello,
I am doing some research on holiness in Judaism. The daf from a few days ago relates that the Shunamite woman was the only person who knew Elisha was holy. Two reasons are given for this - either because no flies passed his table, or because she never saw a discharge. Do any commentaries explain the first answer - is there something aesthetic about flies, or something about specifically about his table? Are there any other similar accounts that use the imagery of flies as an indicator of holiness?
Thanks,
Alec
1. The Maharsha here (DH she'Lo) writes that the reason why there were no flies on Elisha's table is that a person's table is holy in the same way that the Mizbe'ach is holy (see Chagigah 27a, where the Gemara teaches that in the times of the Beis ha'Mikdash, the altar provided atonement, but nowadays a person's table (and the Hachanasas Orchin that he does by inviting guests and feeding the poor at his table, atones for his sins). We learn in Pirkei Avos (5:5) that one of the ten miracles that occurred in the Beis ha'Mikdash was that a fly was never found there with the meat. This is because a fly is considered an impure creature which is not found in a holy place, and thus the absence of flies in the Beis ha'Mikdash indicated that the Shechinah was present there. Similarly, the absence of flies on Elisha's table was a proof of his holiness.
2. Another explanation of the symbolism of flies is given by Sha'ar Bat Rabim (cited by the Metivta edition of the Gemara). The Gemara here records a dispute between Rav and Shmuel about whether the proof of his holiness was the lack of flies or the lack of any discharge. Since the Gemara in Bava Kama 80b (and Rashi there DH Shmuel) teaches that Rav was greater than Shmuel, it is reasonable to assume that the first explanation mentioned here (that there were no flies on Elisha's table) was said by Rav. Accordingly, Rav is consistent with his own statement (Berachos, end of 61a) that the Yetzer ha'Ra is similar to a fly. When the Shunamite woman noticed that there were no flies on Elisha's table, this indicated to her that he had conquered his Yetzer ha'Ra in connection with all matters related to his physical needs, symbolised by his table.
3. The Ben Yehoyada here explains the Gemara according to what is said in Perek Shirah that when the Jewish people do not occupy therselves with Torah, the fly cries out. This teaches that flies come to the table when one does not speak words of Torah there. The fact that there were no flies on Elisha's table proves that he always spoke in Torah at his meals and this is how the Shunamite knew that he was holy.
Dovid Bloom