<br><font size=2 face="sans-serif">In Avodah Digest V25#295, RGD wrote:</font>
<br><font size=2 face="sans-serif">> </font><tt><font size=2>Did everyone
die when they reached 60? <br>
Or did some die younger and some older, with the net-net being that all
who were 20-60 at the yetzias mitzraim were dead by the time they were
ready to enter E"Y.<br>
If the former, only those who had turned (would be turning?) 60 during
that year should have dug graves; everyone else would have known
they still had time.</font></tt><font size=2 face="sans-serif"> <</font>
<br><font size=3 color=#000080 face="Verdana">RGD is undoubtedly aware
of RaShY on 4-14:33 ("lo meis echad meihem pachus miben shishim...")
vs. on BT Ta'anis 30b ("v'hayah kal echad v'echad yotzei v'chofeir
lo kever..."). I had learned that the latter was the public
behavior (i.e. all the men who were of military age at the time of the
g'zeirah dug a grave each year that they were still alive to do so) and
that, according to the explanation noted by RaShY al haTorah, it so happened
that only the ben-shishim men died each year. Perhaps one could say
that only the ben-shishim subset dug graves every year, but iqar chaseir
meiRaShY al BT Ta'anis if he held that way.</font>
<br>
<br><font size=3 color=#000080 face="Verdana">A guten Shabbes/Shabbas Shalom
and all the best from</font>
<br><font size=4 color=blue face="Monotype Corsiva">Michael Poppers</font><font size=4 color=blue face="Verdana">
</font><font size=3 face="Verdana">*</font><font size=4 color=blue face="Verdana">
</font><font size=4 color=blue face="EngraversGothic BT">Elizabeth, NJ,
USA</font>