my question relates to the famous story of dama ben nesina. the chachamin had obviously traveled from yerushalim to ashkelon to obtain the stone for the ephod. this trip took several days by donkey/mule/horse.
if they were willing to expend so much effort and money to acquire this stone, why did they not say to dama that they would lodge overnight in ashkelon, and return in the morning, after his father had had a good night sleep, to purchase the stone? it appears from my reading of the gemora that they just turned around and left to return to yerushalmin.
moshe ehrenpreis, kew gardens (queens), new york usa
I understood that Dama did not reveal to the Chachamim that he could not sell them the stone because his father was sleeping on the safe. Either he felt that would be disrespectful to his father, or else he waas afraid they would pressure him to wake his father up. The Chachamim thought that he simply decided to refuse their offer at any price.
Be well,
M. Kornfeld