1)TORAH IS DEAR TO CHACHAMIM
תניא אמר רבי כשהלכתי למצות מדותי אצל ר' אלעזר בר שמוע ואמרי לה למצות מדותיו של ר"א בר שמוע מצאתי יוסף הבבלי יושב לפניו והיה חביב לו ביותר עד לאחת א"ל רבי השוחט את הזבח להניח מדמו למחר מהו א"ל כשר ערבית א"ל כשר שחרית א"ל כשר צהרים א"ל כשר מנחה א"ל כשר אלא שרבי אליעזר פוסל צהבו פניו של יוסף הבבלי א"ל יוסף כמדומה אני שלא כיווננו שמועתינו עד עתה א"ל רבי הן אלא שר' יהודה פסול שנה לי וחזרתי על כל תלמידיו ובקשתי לי חבר ולא מצאתי עכשיו ששנית לי פסול החזרת לי אבדתי זלגו עיניו של ר"א בן שמוע דמעות אמר אשריכם ת"ח שד"ת חביבין עליכם ביותר קרא עליו המקרא הזה (תהלים קיט) מה אהבתי תורתך כל היום היא שיחתי:
Translation: In a Beraisa, Rebbi said, when I went Limtzos Midosai by R. Elazar ben Shamu'a - some say, Limtzos Midosav of R. Elazar - I saw Yosef ha'Bavli learning in front of him. He was very dear to him, Ad l'Achas. Yosef asked, if one slaughtered a Korban with intent to leave some of the blood until tomorrow, what is the law? R. Elazar said, it is Kosher. R. Elazar repeated this answer that night, the next morning, and noontime. In the afternoon, he said 'it is Kosher; R. Eliezer is Posel.' Yosef beamed with delight. R. Elazar asked, do you think that what I said until now was not correct?! Yosef said, what you said until now was fine. I was delighted to hear that R. Eliezer is Posel, for R. Yehudah taught this to me, and I did not find anyone else who said so until now. You returned what I had lost! R. Elazar cried, and said 'happy are you, Chachamim, that Torah is so dear to you!' He applied to Yosef "Mah Ahavti Sorasecha."
(a)What is the meaning of Limtzos Midosai?
1.Rashi: To know my learning precisely, and ask my questions. Limtzos Midosav is to extract from him what he knows more than me.
(b)What is the meaning of 'he was very dear to him, Ad l'Achas'?
1.Rashi #1: Yosef was very dear to R. Elazar, until they reached one Halachah of Zevachim.
2.Rashi #2: All that R. Elazar taught was very dear to Yosef, until they reached one Halachah of Zevachim.
3.Tosfos citing Rav Nisim: Ad l'Achas is very much. The Targum of Me'od is Lachada.
4.Tosfos: Some say, it is until the Nefesh called Yechidah. (NOTE: Yalkut Chadash (Shabbos 22) says that Yechidah is the highest aspect of the Neshamah. One merits it only in the world to come. - PF)
(c)Here it implies that Rebbi learned much from R. Elazar ben Shamu'a. In Yevamos (84a), Rebbi said, when I went to learn Torah by R. Elazar ben Shamu'a, his Talmidim ganged up on me like roosters, and let me learn from him only one thing in our Mishnah!
1.Tosfos: There discusses when Rebbi first went to learn from him - he said, to learn Torah. Here discusses when Rebbi went later - he said, Limtzos Midosav.
(d)Why was Yosef concerned that he did not find anyone else who said so?
1.Rashi: I feared lest I forgot what I heard.
