13A-Why is a snake considered worse than a lion in mashal of gemara?
Zev Farkas, Canada
It is well-known that a lion will generally not attack a person unless it is very hungry. No such thing is said about a snake, which does not kill for food, but rather it kills for the sake of killing.
Moreover, the verse in Bereishis states that snakes are enemies of humans, which bears this out. Accordingly, a person is far more likely to survive a confrontation with a lion than one is with a snake.
B'Virchas Kol Tuv,
Eliezer Chrysler
The day after I answered your question, I learned the Gemara in Berachos 33a, which clearly maintains that snakes, like lions, do not always kill.
Consequently, I will amend my answer to read that a snake might be too tired or lazy or whatever to kill. Nevertheless, as I explained, he is more likely to attack and kill than a lion, which generally will not attack if it is not hungry.
B'Virchas Kol Tuv,
Eliezer Chrysler
thank you, tho the gemara could have used an example of a scorpion rather than a snake if it was looking for an animal that is much worse than a lion
Sholom Rav.
What makes you think that a scorpion is much worse than a lion?
And anyway the Gemara says on Daf 58 that scorpions do not always kill.
Be'Virchas Kol Tuv.
Eliezer Chrysler.