Jonathan Straus asked:
When the Gemara gives the second answer to how we know what a cheresh and ileim are it is a nutrikon (the first answer was a pasuk). Why is this not a yehuda v'od l'kra (we have a proof from a pasuk in tehillim, who cares about the nutirkon)?
Jonathan Straus, Jerusalem, Israel
The Kollel replies:
The Gemara is not looking for a Limud; this is not a Halachah which is learned from a verse, but rather a question on the word usage of Chazal. There are definately two types of Cheresh, as Cheresh also means a deaf mute. An Eleim could therefore also refer to both. The Notrikon shows that actually Eleim is one who has merely lost his speech.
D. Zupnik