(1) (a) A beautiful explanation is given here by the Maharsha through an analogy. Rebbi Yochanan is compared to the son of the blacksmith whilst Rebbi Chiya is compared to torches of fire. A blacksmith pokes and blows on the coals in order to make a flame. In contrast Rebbi Chiya did not have to make the fire because he himself was the fire. R. Yochanan was potential but R. Chiya was actual. If one has the fire already lit he no longer requires a blacksmith.

(b) The Maharsha compares this to the Gemara just before, where Rebbi Chanina said to Rebbi Chiya that if Chas v'Shalom the Torah should be lost from Klal Yisroel he would return it with his "Pilpul" (scholarly sharp Talmudic learning). Rebbi Chiya replied to this that he could do even better - he would prevent the Torah from ever being lost in the first place.

(c) In this analogy, R. Chanina is similar to R. Yochanan - he is capable of creating the fire of Torah. However R. Chiya is even stronger than this because he is the fire of Torah himself. Now we can see the big difference between R. Chiya and between R. Yochanan. R. Yochanan's presence was superfluous wherever R. Chiya was to be found, because there is no need to create fire if it is already alight. This is why R. Chiya and R. Yochanan do not sit together in the Yeshiva in Heaven.

(2) (a) I want now to try my own explanation based on the Gemara in Chulin 137b. There Rebbi Yochanan said that he remembered that when he learnt Torah in Eretz Yisrael he sat 17 rows behind Rav who sat in front of Rebbi (Rebbi Yehudah the Prince). Torches of fire (because they were discussing Torah - RASHI) shot back and forth between Rebbi and between Rebbi Yochanan, but Rebbi Yochanan himself said that he did not understand what Rebbi and Rebbi Chiya were talking about.

(b) Again, we see that with all the Torah greatness of Rebbi Yochanan (do not forget that R. Yochanan was the author of the Talmud Yerushalmi) nevertheless Rebbi Chiya was in a totally different world (Rebbi Chiya was the author of the Tosefta which is printed at the back of every tractate in Talmud Bavli). See also the Gemara in Bava Metzia 83b that every Tzadik has his own dwelling place according to his honor and Rebbi Chiya was on a different level, as Rebbi himself said here, "How great are the works of Chiya," and that they were even greater than the deeds of Rebbi.

(3) It should also be noted that the term "Bar Nafcha" is not necessarily a derogatory one because Rashi Sanhedrin 96a DH writes that he was termed such because of his great beauty. In fact we learn in the Gemara above 84a that Rebbi Yochanan was a remnant of the beauty of the Beis Hamikdash in Jerusalem.

May we speedily be comforted to see the beauty of Yerushalayim and the Beis Hamikdash standing on its hill in this month of Menachem Av.

Dovid Bloom

(1) (a) A beautiful explanation is given here by the Maharsha through an analogy. Rebbi Yochanan is compared to the son of the blacksmith whilst Rebbi Chaya is compared to torches of fire. A blacksmith pokes and blows on the coals in order to make a flame. In contrast Rebbi Chiya did not have to make the fire because he himself was the fire. R. Yochanan was potential but R. Chiya was actual. If one has the fire already lit you no longer require a blacksmith.

(b) Maharsha compares this to the Gemara just before, where Rebbi Chanina said to Rebbi Chiya that if Chas v'Shalom the Torah should be lost from Klal Yisroel he would return it with his "Pilpul" (scholarly sharp Talmudic learning). Rebbi Chiya replied to this that he could do even better - he would prevent the Torah from ever being lost in the first place.

(c) In this analogy, R. Chanina is similar to R. Yochanan - he is capable of creating the fire of Torah. However R. Chiya is even stronger than this because he is the fire of Torah himself. Now we can see the big difference between R. Chiya and between R. Yochanan. R. Yochanan's presence was superfluos wherever R. Chiya was to be found, because there is no need to create fire if it is already alight. This is why R. Chiya and R. Yochanan do not sit together in the Yeshiva in Heaven.

(2) (a) I want now to try my own explanation based on Gemara Chulin 137b. There Rebbe Yochanan said that he remembered that when he learnt Torah in Eretz Yisrael he sat 17 rows behind Rav who sat in front of Rebbe (Rebbe Yehuda the Prince). Torches of fire ( because they were discussing Torah - RASHI) shot back and forth between Rebbe and between Rebbe Yochanan, but Rebbe Yochanan himself said that he did not understand what Rebbe and Rebbe Chiya were talking about.

(b) Again, we see that with all the Torah greatness of Rebbe Yochanan (do not forget that R. Yochanan was the author of the Talmud Yerushalmi) nevertheless Rebbe Chiya was in a totally different world (Rebbe Chiya was the author of the Tosefta which is printed at the back of every tractate in Talmud Bavli). See also the Gemara Bava Metzia 83b that every Tzadik has his own dwelling place according to his honor and Rebbe Chiya was on a different level as Rebbe himself

said here "How great are the works of Chiya", and that they were even greater than the deeds of Rebbe.

(3) It should also be noted that the term "Bar Nafcha" is not necessarily a derogatory one because Rashi Sanhedrin 96a DH writes that some explain that he was termed such because of his great beauty. In fact we learn in the Gemara above 84a that Rabbi Yochanan was a remnant of the beauty of the Beis Hamikdash in Jerusalem.

Here is another very simple answer to your question. "Bar Nafcha" was simply the name that Rabbi Yochanan was commonly known by, because his father was a "Nafcha" - a blacksmith. (This is stated by Rashi Sanhedrin 96a DH Tava in his first interpretation).

In fact there is nothing to be ashamed of for being a blacksmith, or the son of a blacksmith. A lot of the great Jewish sages did simple occupations to make their living. For instance Rabbi Yochanan the Sandeler, who is mentioned many times in Shas, was himself known by his occupation - making sandals. The Gemara Nedarim 49b states "Great is work, which honors those who practice it", and the Gemara Pesachim 113a tells us "Strip off a carcass in the marketplace and receive your wages, and do not say that I am a great person and this is beneath me". Even the great Hillel was a woodchopper (see the commentary of the Rambam to Pirkei Avos 4:5).

So there is nothing putting-down by saying that Rabbi Yochanan was the son of a blacksmith.

KOL TUV

Dovid Bloom