1. Mishnah, Makkot, 3.6 (1st cent. CE - 3rd cent. CE)
| 3.6. He who writes an incision on his skin [is flogged]. If he writes [on his flesh] without incising, or incises without writing, he is not liable, until he writes and incises with ink, eye-paint or anything that lasts. Rabbi Shimon ben Judah says in the name of Rabbi Shimon: “He is not liable until he has written there the name [of a god], as it is says: “Nor shall you incise any marks on yourselves; I am the Lord” (Leviticus 19:28)." |
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2. Babylonian Talmud, Hagigah, 14b (3rd cent. CE - 6th cent. CE)
| 14b. הא בדברי תורה הא במשא ומתן בדברי תורה הוו במשא ומתן לא הוו.,ת"ר מעשה ברבן יוחנן בן זכאי שהיה רוכב על החמור והיה מהלך בדרך ור' אלעזר בן ערך מחמר אחריו אמר לו רבי שנה לי פרק אחד במעשה מרכבה אמר לו לא כך שניתי לכם ולא במרכבה ביחיד אלא א"כ היה חכם מבין מדעתו אמר לו רבי תרשיני לומר לפניך דבר אחד שלמדתני אמר לו אמור,מיד ירד רבן יוחנן בן זכאי מעל החמור ונתעטף וישב על האבן תחת הזית אמר לו רבי מפני מה ירדת מעל החמור אמר אפשר אתה דורש במעשה מרכבה ושכינה עמנו ומלאכי השרת מלוין אותנו ואני ארכב על החמור מיד פתח ר"א בן ערך במעשה המרכבה ודרש וירדה אש מן השמים וסיבבה כל האילנות שבשדה פתחו כולן ואמרו שירה,מה שירה אמרו (תהלים קמח, ז) הללו את ה' מן הארץ תנינים וכל תהומות עץ פרי וכל ארזים הללויה נענה מלאך מן האש ואמר הן הן מעשה המרכבה עמד רבן יוחנן ב"ז ונשקו על ראשו ואמר ברוך ה' אלהי ישראל שנתן בן לאברהם אבינו שיודע להבין ולחקור ולדרוש במעשה מרכבה יש נאה דורש ואין נאה מקיים נאה מקיים ואין נאה דורש אתה נאה דורש ונאה מקיים אשריך אברהם אבינו שאלעזר בן ערך יצא מחלציך,וכשנאמרו הדברים לפני ר' יהושע היה הוא ורבי יוסי הכהן מהלכים בדרך אמרו אף אנו נדרוש במעשה מרכבה פתח רבי יהושע ודרש ואותו היום תקופת תמוז היה נתקשרו שמים בעבים ונראה כמין קשת בענן והיו מלאכי השרת מתקבצין ובאין לשמוע כבני אדם שמתקבצין ובאין לראות במזמוטי חתן וכלה,הלך רבי יוסי הכהן וסיפר דברים לפני רבן יוחנן בן זכאי ואמר אשריכם ואשרי יולדתכם אשרי עיני שכך ראו ואף אני ואתם בחלומי מסובין היינו על הר סיני ונתנה עלינו בת קול מן השמים עלו לכאן עלו לכאן טרקלין גדולים ומצעות נאות מוצעות לכם אתם ותלמידיכם ותלמידי תלמידיכם מזומנין לכת שלישית,איני והתניא ר' יוסי בר' יהודה אומר שלשה הרצאות הן ר' יהושע הרצה דברים לפני רבן יוחנן בן זכאי ר"ע הרצה לפני ר' יהושע חנניא בן חכינאי הרצה לפני ר"ע ואילו ר"א בן ערך לא קא חשיב דארצי וארצו קמיה קחשיב דארצי ולא ארצו קמיה לא קא חשיב והא חנניא בן חכינאי דלא ארצו קמיה וקא חשיב דארצי מיהא קמיה מאן דארצי.,ת"ר ארבעה נכנסו בפרדס ואלו הן בן עזאי ובן זומא אחר ורבי עקיבא אמר להם ר"ע כשאתם מגיעין אצל אבני שיש טהור אל תאמרו מים מים משום שנאמר (תהלים קא, ז) דובר שקרים לא יכון לנגד עיני,בן עזאי הציץ ומת עליו הכתוב אומר (תהלים קטז, טו) יקר בעיני ה' המותה לחסידיו בן זומא הציץ ונפגע ועליו הכתוב אומר (משלי כה, טז) דבש מצאת אכול דייך פן תשבענו והקאתו אחר קיצץ בנטיעות רבי עקיבא יצא בשלום,שאלו את בן זומא מהו לסרוסי כלבא אמר להם (ויקרא כב, כד) ובארצכם לא תעשו כל שבארצכם לא תעשו שאלו את בן זומא בתולה שעיברה מהו לכ"ג מי חיישינן לדשמואל דאמר שמואל | 14b. bThiscase is referring bto words of Torah,while bthatcase is referring bto commerce. With regard to words of Torah, they weretrustworthy; bwith regard to commerce, they were not. /b,§ The Gemara returns to the topic of the Design of the Divine Chariot. bThe Sages taught: An incidentoccurred binvolving Rabban Yoḥa ben Zakkai, who was riding on a donkey and was traveling along the way, andhis student, bRabbi Elazar ben Arakh, was riding a donkey behind him.Rabbi Elazar bsaid to him: My teacher, teach me one chapter in the Design of theDivine bChariot. He said to him:Have bI not taught you: And one may notexpound the Design of the Divine Chariot bto an individual, unless he is a Sage who understands on his own accord?Rabbi Elazar bsaid to him: My teacher, allow me to say before you one thing that you taught me.In other words, he humbly requested to recite before him his own understanding of this issue. bHe said to him: Speak. /b, bImmediately, Rabban Yoḥa ben Zakkai alighted from the donkey, and wrappedhis head in his cloak in a manner of reverence, band sat on a stone under an olive tree.Rabbi Elazar bsaid to him: My teacher, for what reason did you alight from the donkey? He said:Is it bpossible thatwhile byou are expounding the Design of theDivine bChariot, and the Divine Presence is with us, and the ministering angels are accompanying us, that I should ride on a donkey? Immediately, Rabbi Elazar ben Arakh beganto discuss bthe Design of theDivine bChariot and expounded, and fire descended from heaven and encircled all the trees in the field, and allthe trees bbegan reciting song. /b, bWhat song did they recite? “Praise the Lord from the earth, sea monsters and all depths…fruit trees and all cedars…praise the Lord”(Psalms 148:7–14). bAn angel responded from the fire, saying: This is the very Design of theDivine bChariot,just as you expounded. bRabban Yoḥa ben Zakkai stood and kissedRabbi Elazar ben Arakh bon his head, and said: Blessed be God, Lord of Israel, who gave our father Abraham a sonlike you, bwho knowshow bto understand, investigate, and expound the Design of theDivine bChariot. There are some who expoundthe Torah’s verses bwell but do not fulfillits imperatives bwell,and there are some bwho fulfillits imperatives bwell but do not expoundits verses bwell,whereas byou expoundits verses bwell and fulfillits imperatives bwell. Happy are you, our father Abraham, that Elazar ben Arakh came from your loins. /b,The Gemara relates: bAnd whenthese bmatters,this story involving his colleague Rabbi Elazar ben Arakh, bwere recounted before Rabbi Yehoshua, he was walking along the way with Rabbi Yosei the Priest. They said: We too shall expound the Design of theDivine bChariot. Rabbi Yehoshua began expounding. And that was the day of the summer solstice,when there are no clouds in the sky. Yet the bheavens became filled with clouds, and there was the appearance of a kind of rainbow in a cloud. And ministering angels gathered and came to listen, like people gathering and coming to see the rejoicing of a bridegroom and bride. /b, bRabbi Yosei the Priest went and recitedthese bmatters before Rabban Yoḥa ben Zakkai,who bsaidto him: bHappy areall of byou, and happy arethe mothers bwho gave birth to you; happy are my eyes that saw this,students such as these. bAs for you and I,I saw bin my dreamthat bwe were seated at Mount Sinai, and a Divine Voice came to us from heaven: Ascend here, ascend here,for blarge halls[iteraklin/b] band pleasant couches are made up for you. You, your students, and the students of your students are invited tothe bthird group,those who will merit to welcome the Divine Presence.,The Gemara poses a question: bIs that so? But isn’t it taughtin a ibaraita /i: bRabbi Yosei, son of Rabbi Yehuda, says: There are three lectures.In other words, there are three Sages with regard to whom it states that they delivered lectures on the mystical tradition: bRabbi Yehoshua lecturedon these bmatters before Rabban Yoḥa ben Zakkai; Rabbi Akiva lectured before Rabbi Yehoshua;and bḤaya ben Ḥakhinai lectured before Rabbi Akiva. However, Rabbi Elazar ben Arakh was not includedin the list, despite the testimony that he lectured before Rabban Yoḥa. The Gemara explains: Those bwho lectured and werealso blectured to were included;but those bwho lectured and were not lectured to were not included.The Gemara asks: bBut wasn’tthere bḤaya ben Ḥakhinai, who was not lectured to, andyet bhe is included?The Gemara answers: Ḥaya ben Ḥakhinai bactually lectured before one who lecturedin front of his own rabbi, so he was also included in this list.,§ bThe Sages taught: Four entered the orchard [ ipardes /i],i.e., dealt with the loftiest secrets of Torah, band they are as follows: Ben Azzai; and ben Zoma; iAḥer /i,the other, a name for Elisha ben Avuya; band Rabbi Akiva. Rabbi Akiva,the senior among them, bsaid to them: When,upon your arrival in the upper worlds, byou reach pure marble stones, do not say: Water, water,although they appear to be water, bbecause it is stated: “He who speaks falsehood shall not be established before My eyes”(Psalms 101:7).,The Gemara proceeds to relate what happened to each of them: bBen Azzai glimpsedat the Divine Presence band died. And with regard to him the verse states: “Precious in the eyes of the Lord is the death of His pious ones”(Psalms 116:15). bBen Zoma glimpsedat the Divine Presence band was harmed,i.e., he lost his mind. bAnd with regard to him the verse states: “Have you found honey? Eat as much as is sufficient for you, lest you become full from it and vomit it”(Proverbs 25:16). iAḥerchopped down the shootsof saplings. In other words, he became a heretic. bRabbi Akiva came out safely. /b,The Gemara recounts the greatness of ben Zoma, who was an expert interpreter of the Torah and could find obscure proofs: bThey asked ben Zoma: What isthe ihalakhawith regard to bcastrating a dog?The prohibition against castration appears alongside the sacrificial blemishes, which may imply that it is permitted to castrate an animal that cannot be sacrificed as an offering. bHe said to them:The verse states “That which has its testicles bruised, or crushed, or torn, or cut, you shall not offer to God, nor bshall you do so in your land”(Leviticus 22:24), from which we learn: With regard to banyanimal bthat is in your land, you shall not dosuch a thing. bTheyalso basked ben Zoma:A woman considered bto be a virgin who became pregt, what isthe ihalakha /i? bA High Priestmay marry only a virgin; is he permitted to marry her? The answer depends on the following: bAre we concerned forthe opinion of bShmuel? Shmuel says: /b |
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3. Babylonian Talmud, Shabbat, 137b (3rd cent. CE - 6th cent. CE)
| 137b. מל ולא פרע את המילה כאילו לא מל:, big strongגמ׳ /strong /big אמר רבי אבינא א"ר ירמיה בר אבא אמר רב בשר החופה את רוב גובהה של עטרה:,ואם היה בעל בשר וכו': אמר שמואל קטן המסורבל בבשר רואין אותו כ"ז שמתקשה ונראה מהול אינו צריך למול ואם לאו צריך למול,במתניתא תנא רשב"ג אומר קטן המסורבל בבשר רואין אותו כל זמן שמתקשה ואינו נראה מהול צריך למולו ואם לאו אינו צריך למולו,מאי בינייהו איכא בינייהו נראה ואינו נראה:,מל ולא פרע: ת"ר המל אומר אקב"ו על המילה אבי הבן אומר אקב"ו להכניסו בבריתו של אברהם אבינו העומדים אומרים כשם שנכנס לברית כך יכנס לתורה לחופה ולמע"ט,והמברך אומר אשר קידש ידיד מבטן חוק בשארו שם וצאצאיו חתם באות ברית קדש על כן בשכר זאת אל חי חלקנו צוה להציל ידידות שארינו משחת למען בריתו אשר שם בבשרנו בא"י כורת הברית,המל את הגרים אומר ברוך אתה ה' אלהינו מלך העולם אקב"ו על המילה והמברך אומר אקב"ו למול את הגרים ולהטיף מהם דם ברית שאילמלא דם ברית לא נתקיימו שמים וארץ שנאמר (ירמיהו לג, כה) אם לא בריתי יומם ולילה חוקות שמים וארץ לא שמתי בא"י כורת הברית,המל את העבדים אומר אקב"ו על המילה והמברך אומר אקב"ו למול את העבדים ולהטיף מהם דם ברית שאילמלא דם ברית חוקות שמים וארץ לא נתקיימו שנאמ' אם לא בריתי יומם ולילה חוקות שמים וארץ לא שמתי בא"י כורת הברית:, br br big strongהדרן עלך רבי אליעזר דמילה /strong /big br br,מתני׳ big strongרבי /strong /big אליעזר אומר תולין את המשמרת בי"ט ונותנין לתלויה בשבת וחכ"א אין תולין את המשמרת בי"ט ואין נותנין לתלויה בשבת אבל נותנין לתלויה ביו"ט:, big strongגמ׳ /strong /big השתא ר"א אוסופי אהל עראי לא מוספינן למיעבד לכתחלה שרי,מאי היא דתנן פקק החלון ר"א אומר בזמן שקשור ותלוי פוקקין בו ואם לאו אין פוקקין בו וחכ"א בין כך ובין כך פוקקין בו,ואמר רבה בר בר חנה א"ר יוחנן הכל מודים שאין עושין אהל עראי בתחלה בי"ט ואין צ"ל בשבת לא נחלקו אלא להוסיף שר"א אומר אין מוסיפין בי"ט ואין צ"ל בשבת וחכ"א מוסיפין בשבת ואין צ"ל ביום טוב,ר"א סבר לה כרבי יהודה דתניא אין בין יום טוב לשבת אלא אוכל נפש בלבד רבי יהודה מתיר אף מכשירי אוכל נפש,אימר דשמעינן ליה לר' יהודה במכשירין שאי אפשר לעשותם מערב יום טוב במכשירין שאפשר לעשותם מערב יו"ט מי שמעת ליה,דר"א עדיפא מדרבי יהודה:,וחכ"א: איבעיא להו תלה מאי אמר רב יוסף תלה חייב חטאת,א"ל אביי אלא מעתה תלא כוזא בסיכתא הכי נמי דמיחייב | 137b. If bone circumcised but did not uncoverthe flesh at bthearea of the bcircumcisionby folding back the thin membrane beneath the foreskin, bit is as if he had not circumcised. /b, strongGEMARA: /strong bRabbi Avina saidthat bRabbi Yirmeya bar Abba saidthat bRav said:When the mishna said most of the corona, they meant bthe flesh that covers most of the height of the corona,as well as most of its circumference.,We learned in the mishna: bIfthe baby bwas fleshy,the circumcisor corrects the circumcision so that it will not appear uncircumcised. bShmuel said: A child who is encumbered with flesh, one examines him,and bas long as whenhis limb bhardens he looks circumcised, one need not circumcisehim again. bAnd if not,meaning he does not appear circumcised even then, bone must circumcisehim again., bIt was taught in a ibaraita /ithat bRabban Shimon ben Gamliel says: A child who is encumbered with flesh, one examines him,and bas long as when it hardens it does not appear circumcised, one needs to circumcise himagain, band if not, one need not circumcise himagain.,The Gemara asks: bWhat isthe practical difference bbetween thesetwo formulations? The Gemara answers: bThere isa practical difference bbetween themin a case where he bappearscircumcised but bdoes not appearfully circumcised. According to Shmuel, in order to avoid an additional circumcision, one must appear fully circumcised, and this state is insufficient. According to Rabban Shimon ben Gamliel, only one who appears uncircumcised requires further circumcision; this partial circumcision is adequate.,We learned in the mishna: If bhe circumciseda child bbut did not uncoverthe area of the circumcision, it is as if he did not circumcise him. bThe Sages taughtin a iToseftathat bone who circumcisesa child brecites: Who has made us holy through His commandments, and commanded us concerning circumcision. The father of thecircumcised bchild recites: Who has made us holy through His commandments, and commanded us to bring him into the covet of Abraham, our father. Those standingthere brecite: Just as he has entered into the covet, so may he enter into Torah, marriage, and good deeds. /b, bAnd the one who recites theadditional bblessing says: Who made the beloved one holy from the womb, marked the decree in his flesh, and gave his descendants the seal and the sign of the holy covet. Therefore, as a reward for this, the living God, our Portion, commanded to deliver the beloved of our flesh from destruction, for the sake of His covet that He set in our flesh. Blessed are You, Lord, Who establishes the covet. /b, bOne who circumcises converts says: Blessed are You, Lord, our God, King of the universe, Who made us holy with His commandments, and commanded us concerning circumcision. And the one who recites theadditional bblessing recites: Who has made us holy with His commandments, and commanded us to circumcise converts, and to drip from them covetal blood, as were it not for the blood of the covet, the heaven and earth would not be sustained, as it is stated: “If My covet would not be with day and night, the ordices of heaven and earth I would not have placed”(Jeremiah 33:25), which is interpreted to mean that were it not for the covet of circumcision that is manifest both day and night, the world would cease to exist. He concludes the blessing with the phrase: bBlessed are You, Lord, Who establishes the covet. /b,When a Jew buys a Canaanite slave, he is obligated to circumcise the slave, as the slave is partially entering the covet of the Jewish people. bOne who circumcises slaves recitesa blessing: bWho made us holy with His commandments, and commanded us concerning circumcision. And the one who recites the additional blessings saysa blessing similar to those mentioned above: bWho made us holy with His commandments, and commanded us to circumcise slaves, and to drip from them covetal blood, as were it not for the blood of the covet the heaven and earth would not be sustained, as it is stated: “If My covet would not be with day and night, the ordices of heaven and earth I would not have placed”(Jeremiah 33:25). bBlessed are You, Lord, Who establishes the covet. /b,, strongMISHNA: /strong bRabbi Eliezer says: One may suspendand stretch over a base bthe strainerthrough which sediment is filtered from wine, bon a Festival. And one may placewine bthrougha strainer that was already bsuspendedthe day before; however, one may not suspend the strainer bon Shabbat. And the Rabbis say: One may not suspend the strainer on a Festival, and one may not placewine for filtering bthrough a suspendedstrainer bon Shabbat; however, one may placewine bthrough a suspendedstrainer bon a Festival. /b, strongGEMARA: /strong The Gemara raises a difficulty with regard to Rabbi Eliezer’s position: bNow, Rabbi Eliezerholds that bwe may noteven baddto ba temporary tenton Shabbat; could it be that bto makea tent bis permitted iab initio /i?Stretching a strainer over a base, which Rabbi Eliezer permits, is comparable to making a tent.,The Gemara explains the question: bWhat isthis opinion of Rabbi Eliezer’s? bAs we learnedin a mishna: With regard to ba window shutterused to cover a skylight, bRabbi Eliezer says: When it is tiedto band hangingfrom the window, i.e., it is not touching the ground, bone may shutterthe window bwith it, and if not, one may not shutterthe window bwith it. And the Rabbis say: Bothin bthiscase bandin bthatcase bone may shutter with it. /b, bAnd Rabba bar bar Ḥana saidthat bRabbi Yoḥa said: Everyone agrees that one may not construct a temporary tent on a Festivalfor the bfirst time, and needless to say,one may not do so bon Shabbat.The itanna’im bdisagree onlywith regard to baddingto an existing tent, bas Rabbi Eliezer says: One may not addto an existing structure bon a Festival, and needless to say,one may not do so bon Shabbat. And the Rabbis say: One may addto the temporary structure bon Shabbat, and needless to say,one may do so bon a Festival. /b,The Gemara answers: Rabbi Eliezer indeed holds that the suspension of a strainer constitutes a prohibited labor. However, bRabbi Eliezer holds in accordance withthe opinion of bRabbi Yehudawith regard to actions that facilitate preparation of food on a Festival, bas it was taughtin a ibaraita /i: bThe onlydifference bbetween a Festival and Shabbatis with regard to the preparation of bfood alone.It is permitted to perform labors for the purpose of food preparation on a Festival, but not on Shabbat. bRabbi Yehuda permits even actions that facilitate food preparationon a Festival, e.g., fixing utensils with which food is prepared on the Festival. Similarly, Rabbi Eliezer permits the suspension of a strainer, which would otherwise constitute a prohibited labor, in order to prepare wine for use on the Festival.,The Gemara asks: bSay that we heardthat bRabbi Yehudapermits labors that are otherwise prohibited if they bpertain to actions that facilitatefood preparation bthat cannot be performed on the eve of the Festival;however, bwith regard to actions that facilitatefood preparation bthat can be performed on the eve of the Festival, did you hearthat bhepermits doing so?,The Gemara answers: The leniency bof Rabbi Eliezer exceeds that of Rabbi Yehuda.Unlike Rabbi Yehuda, Rabbi Eliezer does not distinguish between actions that facilitate food preparation that can and those that cannot be performed on the eve of the Festival.,We learned in the mishna: bAnd the Rabbis say:One may not suspend the strainer on a Festival. bA dilemma was raised beforethe Sages: If bhe suspendeda strainer unwittingly, bwhatis the ihalakha /i? bRav Yosef said:If bhe suspendedit, bhe is liableto bring ba sin-offering,like anyone who unwittingly performs a labor prohibited by Torah law on Shabbat., bAbaye said to him: But ifthat is bso,that an action of that sort constitutes performance of the prohibited labor of building by Torah law, then if bone suspended a jug on a peg, is he also liablefor building a tent? |
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4. Anon., Hekhalot Rabbati, 102-151, 158-160, 169, 18, 183-184, 197-277, 305, 81-83, 85-94, 97, 101
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5. Anon., Hekhalot Zutarti, 336-375, 407-426, 335
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6. Anon., Maase Merkava, 569, 566
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