Very early in the Daf Yomi cycle, way back in Tractate Berakhot, I remember reading about the principle that in sacred things, we elevate and do not lower. In a debate over the right way to light candles on Hanukkah, Beit Shammai argued that we should start with eight candles on the first night and then reduce the number each night; Beit Hillel, by contrast, said that we should start with one candle and build up to eight. As usual, Hillel’s interpretation prevailed, because of the principle that we should always try to increase our sanctity, rather than lessen it.As Kirsch notes, this principle led in a roundabout way to the preservation of the Cairo Geniza. The writer of the sub-heading makes a quiet nod in this direction with the phrase "sacred trash."
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Earlier Daf Yomi columns are noted here and links.
