1. Hebrew Bible, Deuteronomy, 4.2, 4.12, 4.15-4.19, 4.32, 5.4-5.5, 12.32, 13.1, 34.10 (9th cent. BCE - 3rd cent. BCE)
| 4.2. וְאֶתְכֶם לָקַח יְהוָה וַיּוֹצִא אֶתְכֶם מִכּוּר הַבַּרְזֶל מִמִּצְרָיִם לִהְיוֹת לוֹ לְעַם נַחֲלָה כַּיּוֹם הַזֶּה׃ 4.2. לֹא תֹסִפוּ עַל־הַדָּבָר אֲשֶׁר אָנֹכִי מְצַוֶּה אֶתְכֶם וְלֹא תִגְרְעוּ מִמֶּנּוּ לִשְׁמֹר אֶת־מִצְוֺת יְהוָה אֱלֹהֵיכֶם אֲשֶׁר אָנֹכִי מְצַוֶּה אֶתְכֶם׃ 4.12. וַיְדַבֵּר יְהוָה אֲלֵיכֶם מִתּוֹךְ הָאֵשׁ קוֹל דְּבָרִים אַתֶּם שֹׁמְעִים וּתְמוּנָה אֵינְכֶם רֹאִים זוּלָתִי קוֹל׃ 4.15. וְנִשְׁמַרְתֶּם מְאֹד לְנַפְשֹׁתֵיכֶם כִּי לֹא רְאִיתֶם כָּל־תְּמוּנָה בְּיוֹם דִּבֶּר יְהוָה אֲלֵיכֶם בְּחֹרֵב מִתּוֹךְ הָאֵשׁ׃ 4.16. פֶּן־תַּשְׁחִתוּן וַעֲשִׂיתֶם לָכֶם פֶּסֶל תְּמוּנַת כָּל־סָמֶל תַּבְנִית זָכָר אוֹ נְקֵבָה׃ 4.17. תַּבְנִית כָּל־בְּהֵמָה אֲשֶׁר בָּאָרֶץ תַּבְנִית כָּל־צִפּוֹר כָּנָף אֲשֶׁר תָּעוּף בַּשָּׁמָיִם׃ 4.18. תַּבְנִית כָּל־רֹמֵשׂ בָּאֲדָמָה תַּבְנִית כָּל־דָּגָה אֲשֶׁר־בַּמַּיִם מִתַּחַת לָאָרֶץ׃ 4.19. וּפֶן־תִּשָּׂא עֵינֶיךָ הַשָּׁמַיְמָה וְרָאִיתָ אֶת־הַשֶּׁמֶשׁ וְאֶת־הַיָּרֵחַ וְאֶת־הַכּוֹכָבִים כֹּל צְבָא הַשָּׁמַיִם וְנִדַּחְתָּ וְהִשְׁתַּחֲוִיתָ לָהֶם וַעֲבַדְתָּם אֲשֶׁר חָלַק יְהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ אֹתָם לְכֹל הָעַמִּים תַּחַת כָּל־הַשָּׁמָיִם׃ 4.32. כִּי שְׁאַל־נָא לְיָמִים רִאשֹׁנִים אֲשֶׁר־הָיוּ לְפָנֶיךָ לְמִן־הַיּוֹם אֲשֶׁר בָּרָא אֱלֹהִים אָדָם עַל־הָאָרֶץ וּלְמִקְצֵה הַשָּׁמַיִם וְעַד־קְצֵה הַשָּׁמָיִם הֲנִהְיָה כַּדָּבָר הַגָּדוֹל הַזֶּה אוֹ הֲנִשְׁמַע כָּמֹהוּ׃ 5.4. פָּנִים בְּפָנִים דִּבֶּר יְהוָה עִמָּכֶם בָּהָר מִתּוֹךְ הָאֵשׁ׃ 5.5. אָנֹכִי עֹמֵד בֵּין־יְהוָה וּבֵינֵיכֶם בָּעֵת הַהִוא לְהַגִּיד לָכֶם אֶת־דְּבַר יְהוָה כִּי יְרֵאתֶם מִפְּנֵי הָאֵשׁ וְלֹא־עֲלִיתֶם בָּהָר לֵאמֹר׃ 13.1. אֵת כָּל־הַדָּבָר אֲשֶׁר אָנֹכִי מְצַוֶּה אֶתְכֶם אֹתוֹ תִשְׁמְרוּ לַעֲשׂוֹת לֹא־תֹסֵף עָלָיו וְלֹא תִגְרַע מִמֶּנּוּ׃ 13.1. כִּי הָרֹג תַּהַרְגֶנּוּ יָדְךָ תִּהְיֶה־בּוֹ בָרִאשׁוֹנָה לַהֲמִיתוֹ וְיַד כָּל־הָעָם בָּאַחֲרֹנָה׃ | 4.2. Ye shall not add unto the word which I command you, neither shall ye diminish from it, that ye may keep the commandments of the LORD your God which I command you." 4.12. And the LORD spoke unto you out of the midst of the fire; ye heard the voice of words, but ye saw no form; only a voice." 4.15. Take ye therefore good heed unto yourselves—for ye saw no manner of form on the day that the LORD spoke unto you in Horeb out of the midst of the fire—" 4.16. lest ye deal corruptly, and make you a graven image, even the form of any figure, the likeness of male or female," 4.17. the likeness of any beast that is on the earth, the likeness of any winged fowl that flieth in the heaven," 4.18. the likeness of any thing that creepeth on the ground, the likeness of any fish that is in the water under the earth; ." 4.19. and lest thou lift up thine eyes unto heaven, and when thou seest the sun and the moon and the stars, even all the host of heaven, thou be drawn away and worship them, and serve them, which the LORD thy God hath allotted unto all the peoples under the whole heaven." 4.32. For ask now of the days past, which were before thee, since the day that God created man upon the earth, and from the one end of heaven unto the other, whether there hath been any such thing as this great thing is, or hath been heard like it?" 5.4. The LORD spoke with you face to face in the mount out of the midst of the fire—" 5.5. I stood between the LORD and you at that time, to declare unto you the word of the LORD; for ye were afraid because of the fire, and went not up into the mount—saying: ." 13.1. All this word which I command you, that shall ye observe to do; thou shalt not add thereto, nor diminish from it." 34.10. And there hath not arisen a prophet since in Israel like unto Moses, whom the LORD knew face to face;" |
|
2. Hebrew Bible, Exodus, 15.2, 19.3, 19.6-19.7, 19.11, 19.15, 20.15, 24.17, 33.11, 33.13, 33.18-33.23, 34.6-34.7 (9th cent. BCE - 3rd cent. BCE)
| 15.2. עָזִּי וְזִמְרָת יָהּ וַיְהִי־לִי לִישׁוּעָה זֶה אֵלִי וְאַנְוֵהוּ אֱלֹהֵי אָבִי וַאֲרֹמְמֶנְהוּ׃ 15.2. וַתִּקַּח מִרְיָם הַנְּבִיאָה אֲחוֹת אַהֲרֹן אֶת־הַתֹּף בְּיָדָהּ וַתֵּצֶאןָ כָל־הַנָּשִׁים אַחֲרֶיהָ בְּתֻפִּים וּבִמְחֹלֹת׃ 19.3. וּמֹשֶׁה עָלָה אֶל־הָאֱלֹהִים וַיִּקְרָא אֵלָיו יְהוָה מִן־הָהָר לֵאמֹר כֹּה תֹאמַר לְבֵית יַעֲקֹב וְתַגֵּיד לִבְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל׃ 19.6. וְאַתֶּם תִּהְיוּ־לִי מַמְלֶכֶת כֹּהֲנִים וְגוֹי קָדוֹשׁ אֵלֶּה הַדְּבָרִים אֲשֶׁר תְּדַבֵּר אֶל־בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל׃ 19.7. וַיָּבֹא מֹשֶׁה וַיִּקְרָא לְזִקְנֵי הָעָם וַיָּשֶׂם לִפְנֵיהֶם אֵת כָּל־הַדְּבָרִים הָאֵלֶּה אֲשֶׁר צִוָּהוּ יְהוָה׃ 19.11. וְהָיוּ נְכֹנִים לַיּוֹם הַשְּׁלִישִׁי כִּי בַּיּוֹם הַשְּׁלִישִׁי יֵרֵד יְהוָה לְעֵינֵי כָל־הָעָם עַל־הַר סִינָי׃ 19.15. וַיֹּאמֶר אֶל־הָעָם הֱיוּ נְכֹנִים לִשְׁלֹשֶׁת יָמִים אַל־תִּגְּשׁוּ אֶל־אִשָּׁה׃ 20.15. וְכָל־הָעָם רֹאִים אֶת־הַקּוֹלֹת וְאֶת־הַלַּפִּידִם וְאֵת קוֹל הַשֹּׁפָר וְאֶת־הָהָר עָשֵׁן וַיַּרְא הָעָם וַיָּנֻעוּ וַיַּעַמְדוּ מֵרָחֹק׃ 24.17. וּמַרְאֵה כְּבוֹד יְהוָה כְּאֵשׁ אֹכֶלֶת בְּרֹאשׁ הָהָר לְעֵינֵי בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל׃ 33.11. וְדִבֶּר יְהוָה אֶל־מֹשֶׁה פָּנִים אֶל־פָּנִים כַּאֲשֶׁר יְדַבֵּר אִישׁ אֶל־רֵעֵהוּ וְשָׁב אֶל־הַמַּחֲנֶה וּמְשָׁרְתוֹ יְהוֹשֻׁעַ בִּן־נוּן נַעַר לֹא יָמִישׁ מִתּוֹךְ הָאֹהֶל׃ 33.13. וְעַתָּה אִם־נָא מָצָאתִי חֵן בְּעֵינֶיךָ הוֹדִעֵנִי נָא אֶת־דְּרָכֶךָ וְאֵדָעֲךָ לְמַעַן אֶמְצָא־חֵן בְּעֵינֶיךָ וּרְאֵה כִּי עַמְּךָ הַגּוֹי הַזֶּה׃ 33.18. וַיֹּאמַר הַרְאֵנִי נָא אֶת־כְּבֹדֶךָ׃ 33.19. וַיֹּאמֶר אֲנִי אַעֲבִיר כָּל־טוּבִי עַל־פָּנֶיךָ וְקָרָאתִי בְשֵׁם יְהוָה לְפָנֶיךָ וְחַנֹּתִי אֶת־אֲשֶׁר אָחֹן וְרִחַמְתִּי אֶת־אֲשֶׁר אֲרַחֵם׃ 33.21. וַיֹּאמֶר יְהוָה הִנֵּה מָקוֹם אִתִּי וְנִצַּבְתָּ עַל־הַצּוּר׃ 33.22. וְהָיָה בַּעֲבֹר כְּבֹדִי וְשַׂמְתִּיךָ בְּנִקְרַת הַצּוּר וְשַׂכֹּתִי כַפִּי עָלֶיךָ עַד־עָבְרִי׃ 33.23. וַהֲסִרֹתִי אֶת־כַּפִּי וְרָאִיתָ אֶת־אֲחֹרָי וּפָנַי לֹא יֵרָאוּ׃ 34.6. וַיַּעֲבֹר יְהוָה עַל־פָּנָיו וַיִּקְרָא יְהוָה יְהוָה אֵל רַחוּם וְחַנּוּן אֶרֶךְ אַפַּיִם וְרַב־חֶסֶד וֶאֱמֶת 34.7. נֹצֵר חֶסֶד לָאֲלָפִים נֹשֵׂא עָוֺן וָפֶשַׁע וְחַטָּאָה וְנַקֵּה לֹא יְנַקֶּה פֹּקֵד עֲוֺן אָבוֹת עַל־בָּנִים וְעַל־בְּנֵי בָנִים עַל־שִׁלֵּשִׁים וְעַל־רִבֵּעִים׃ | 15.2. The LORD is my strength and song, And He is become my salvation; This is my God, and I will glorify Him; My father’s God, and I will exalt Him." 19.3. And Moses went up unto God, and the LORD called unto him out of the mountain, saying: ‘Thus shalt thou say to the house of Jacob, and tell the children of Israel:" 19.6. and ye shall be unto Me a kingdom of priests, and a holy nation. These are the words which thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel.’" 19.7. And Moses came and called for the elders of the people, and set before them all these words which the LORD commanded him." 19.11. and be ready against the third day; for the third day the LORD will come down in the sight of all the people upon mount Sinai." 19.15. And he said unto the people: ‘Be ready against the third day; come not near a woman.’" 20.15. And all the people perceived the thunderings, and the lightnings, and the voice of the horn, and the mountain smoking; and when the people saw it, they trembled, and stood afar off." 24.17. And the appearance of the glory of the LORD was like devouring fire on the top of the mount in the eyes of the children of Israel." 33.11. And the LORD spoke unto Moses face to face, as a man speaketh unto his friend. And he would return into the camp; but his minister Joshua, the son of Nun, a young man, departed not out of the Tent." 33.13. Now therefore, I pray Thee, if I have found grace in Thy sight, show me now Thy ways, that I may know Thee, to the end that I may find grace in Thy sight; and consider that this nation is Thy people.’" 33.18. And he said: ‘Show me, I pray Thee, Thy glory.’" 33.19. And He said: ‘I will make all My goodness pass before thee, and will proclaim the name of the LORD before thee; and I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show mercy on whom I will show mercy.’" 33.20. And He said: ‘Thou canst not see My face, for man shall not see Me and live.’" 33.21. And the LORD said: ‘Behold, there is a place by Me, and thou shalt stand upon the rock." 33.22. And it shall come to pass, while My glory passeth by, that I will put thee in a cleft of the rock, and will cover thee with My hand until I have passed by." 33.23. And I will take away My hand, and thou shalt see My back; but My face shall not be seen.’" 34.6. And the LORD passed by before him, and proclaimed: ‘The LORD, the LORD, God, merciful and gracious, long-suffering, and abundant in goodness and truth;" 34.7. keeping mercy unto the thousandth generation, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin; and that will by no means clear the guilty; visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, and upon the children’s children, unto the third and unto the fourth generation.’" |
|
3. Hebrew Bible, Genesis, 15.2, 24.2, 32.31 (9th cent. BCE - 3rd cent. BCE)
| 15.2. וְאֶת־הַחִתִּי וְאֶת־הַפְּרִזִּי וְאֶת־הָרְפָאִים׃ 15.2. וַיֹּאמֶר אַבְרָם אֲדֹנָי יֱהוִה מַה־תִּתֶּן־לִי וְאָנֹכִי הוֹלֵךְ עֲרִירִי וּבֶן־מֶשֶׁק בֵּיתִי הוּא דַּמֶּשֶׂק אֱלִיעֶזֶר׃ 24.2. וַיֹּאמֶר אַבְרָהָם אֶל־עַבְדּוֹ זְקַן בֵּיתוֹ הַמֹּשֵׁל בְּכָל־אֲשֶׁר־לוֹ שִׂים־נָא יָדְךָ תַּחַת יְרֵכִי׃ 24.2. וַתְּמַהֵר וַתְּעַר כַּדָּהּ אֶל־הַשֹּׁקֶת וַתָּרָץ עוֹד אֶל־הַבְּאֵר לִשְׁאֹב וַתִּשְׁאַב לְכָל־גְּמַלָּיו׃ 32.31. וַיִּקְרָא יַעֲקֹב שֵׁם הַמָּקוֹם פְּנִיאֵל כִּי־רָאִיתִי אֱלֹהִים פָּנִים אֶל־פָּנִים וַתִּנָּצֵל נַפְשִׁי׃ | 15.2. And Abram said: ‘O Lord GOD, what wilt Thou give me, seeing I go hence childless, and he that shall be possessor of my house is Eliezer of Damascus?’" 24.2. And Abraham said unto his servant, the elder of his house, that ruled over all that he had: ‘Put, I pray thee, thy hand under my thigh." 32.31. And Jacob called the name of the place Peniel: ‘for I have seen God face to face, and my life is preserved.’" |
|
4. Hebrew Bible, Numbers, 12.6-12.8 (9th cent. BCE - 3rd cent. BCE)
| 12.6. וַיֹּאמֶר שִׁמְעוּ־נָא דְבָרָי אִם־יִהְיֶה נְבִיאֲכֶם יְהוָה בַּמַּרְאָה אֵלָיו אֶתְוַדָּע בַּחֲלוֹם אֲדַבֶּר־בּוֹ׃ 12.7. לֹא־כֵן עַבְדִּי מֹשֶׁה בְּכָל־בֵּיתִי נֶאֱמָן הוּא׃ 12.8. פֶּה אֶל־פֶּה אֲדַבֶּר־בּוֹ וּמַרְאֶה וְלֹא בְחִידֹת וּתְמֻנַת יְהוָה יַבִּיט וּמַדּוּעַ לֹא יְרֵאתֶם לְדַבֵּר בְּעַבְדִּי בְמֹשֶׁה׃ | 12.6. And He said: ‘Hear now My words: if there be a prophet among you, I the LORD do make Myself known unto him in a vision, I do speak with him in a dream." 12.7. My servant Moses is not so; he is trusted in all My house;" 12.8. with him do I speak mouth to mouth, even manifestly, and not in dark speeches; and the similitude of the LORD doth he behold; wherefore then were ye not afraid to speak against My servant, against Moses?’" |
|
5. Hebrew Bible, Isaiah, 6.3 (8th cent. BCE - 5th cent. BCE)
| 6.3. וְקָרָא זֶה אֶל־זֶה וְאָמַר קָדוֹשׁ קָדוֹשׁ קָדוֹשׁ יְהוָה צְבָאוֹת מְלֹא כָל־הָאָרֶץ כְּבוֹדוֹ׃ | 6.3. And one called unto another, and said: Holy, holy, holy, is the LORD of hosts; The whole earth is full of His glory." |
|
6. Hebrew Bible, Jeremiah, 23.23-23.24 (8th cent. BCE - 5th cent. BCE)
| 23.23. הַאֱלֹהֵי מִקָּרֹב אָנִי נְאֻם־יְהוָה וְלֹא אֱלֹהֵי מֵרָחֹק׃ 23.24. אִם־יִסָּתֵר אִישׁ בַּמִּסְתָּרִים וַאֲנִי לֹא־אֶרְאֶנּוּ נְאֻם־יְהוָה הֲלוֹא אֶת־הַשָּׁמַיִם וְאֶת־הָאָרֶץ אֲנִי מָלֵא נְאֻם־יְהוָה׃ | 23.23. Am I a God near at hand, saith the LORD, And not a God afar off?" 23.24. Can any hide himself in secret places That I shall not see him? saith the LORD. Do not I fill heaven and earth? Saith the LORD." |
|
7. Hebrew Bible, Ezekiel, 1.27-1.28, 2.10, 44.4 (6th cent. BCE - 5th cent. BCE)
| 1.27. וָאֵרֶא כְּעֵין חַשְׁמַל כְּמַרְאֵה־אֵשׁ בֵּית־לָהּ סָבִיב מִמַּרְאֵה מָתְנָיו וּלְמָעְלָה וּמִמַּרְאֵה מָתְנָיו וּלְמַטָּה רָאִיתִי כְּמַרְאֵה־אֵשׁ וְנֹגַהּ לוֹ סָבִיב׃ 1.28. כְּמַרְאֵה הַקֶּשֶׁת אֲשֶׁר יִהְיֶה בֶעָנָן בְּיוֹם הַגֶּשֶׁם כֵּן מַרְאֵה הַנֹּגַהּ סָבִיב הוּא מַרְאֵה דְּמוּת כְּבוֹד־יְהוָה וָאֶרְאֶה וָאֶפֹּל עַל־פָּנַי וָאֶשְׁמַע קוֹל מְדַבֵּר׃ 44.4. וַיְבִיאֵנִי דֶּרֶךְ־שַׁעַר הַצָּפוֹן אֶל־פְּנֵי הַבַּיִת וָאֵרֶא וְהִנֵּה מָלֵא כְבוֹד־יְהוָה אֶת־בֵּית יְהוָה וָאֶפֹּל אֶל־פָּנָי׃ | 1.27. And I saw as the colour of electrum, as the appearance of fire round about enclosing it, from the appearance of his loins and upward; and from the appearance of his loins and downward I saw as it were the appearance of fire, and there was brightness round about him." 1.28. As the appearance of the bow that is in the cloud in the day of rain, so was the appearance of the brightness round about. This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the LORD. And when I saw it, I fell upon my face, and I heard a voice of one that spoke." 2.10. and He spread it before me, and it was written within and without; and there was written therein lamentations, and moaning, and woe." 44.4. Then he brought me the way of the north gate before the house; and I looked, and, behold, the glory of the LORD filled the house of the LORD; and I fell upon my face." |
|
8. Ezekiel The Tragedian, Exagoge, 87, 86 (3rd cent. BCE - 1st cent. BCE)
|
9. Philo of Alexandria, On The Special Laws, 4.143 (1st cent. BCE - 1st cent. CE)
| 4.143. The lawgiver also gives this most admirable injunction, that one must not add anything to, or take anything away from the law, but that it is a duty to keep all the ordices as originally established in an equal and similar state to that in which they were at first delivered without alteration; for, as it seems, there might otherwise be an addition of what is injust; for there is nothing which has been omitted by the wise lawgiver which can enable a man to partake of entire and perfect justice. |
|
10. Josephus Flavius, Jewish Antiquities, 1.17, 2.234, 4.196-4.198, 10.218, 12.109, 14.2, 20.261 (1st cent. CE - 1st cent. CE)
| 1.17. As I proceed, therefore, I shall accurately describe what is contained in our records, in the order of time that belongs to them; for I have already promised so to do throughout this undertaking; and this without adding any thing to what is therein contained, or taking away any thing therefrom. 1.17. and he took himself what the other left, which were the lower grounds at the foot of the mountains; and he himself dwelt in Hebron, which is a city seven years more ancient than Tanis of Egypt. But Lot possessed the land of the plain, and the river Jordan, not far from the city of Sodom, which was then a fine city, but is now destroyed, by the will and wrath of God, the cause of which I shall show in its proper place hereafter. 2.234. which seemed to bring along with it an evil presage concerning the kingdom of Egypt. But when the sacred scribe saw this, (he was the same person who foretold that his nativity would bring the dominion of that kingdom low,) he made a violent attempt to kill him; and crying out in a frightful manner, he said 4.196. 4. Accordingly, I shall now first describe this form of government which was agreeable to the dignity and virtue of Moses; and shall thereby inform those that read these Antiquities, what our original settlements were, and shall then proceed to the remaining histories. Now those settlements are all still in writing, as he left them; and we shall add nothing by way of ornament, nor any thing besides what Moses left us; 4.197. only we shall so far innovate, as to digest the several kinds of laws into a regular system; for they were by him left in writing as they were accidentally scattered in their delivery, and as he upon inquiry had learned them of God. On which account I have thought it necessary to premise this observation beforehand, lest any of my own countrymen should blame me, as having been guilty of an offense herein. 4.198. Now part of our constitution will include the laws that belong to our political state. As for those laws which Moses left concerning our common conversation and intercourse one with another, I have reserved that for a discourse concerning our manner of life, and the occasions of those laws; which I propose to myself, with God’s assistance, to write, after I have finished the work I am now upon. 10.218. But let no one blame me for writing down every thing of this nature, as I find it in our ancient books; for as to that matter, I have plainly assured those that think me defective in any such point, or complain of my management, and have told them in the beginning of this history, that I intended to do no more than translate the Hebrew books into the Greek language, and promised them to explain those facts, without adding any thing to them of my own, or taking any thing away from there. 12.109. And when they all commended that determination of theirs, they enjoined, that if any one observed either any thing superfluous, or any thing omitted, that he would take a view of it again, and have it laid before them, and corrected; which was a wise action of theirs, that when the thing was judged to have been well done, it might continue for ever. 14.2. for we are upon the history and explication of such things as the greatest part are unacquainted withal, because of their distance from our times; and we aim to do it with a proper beauty of style, so far as that is derived from proper words harmonically disposed, and from such ornaments of speech also as may contribute to the pleasure of our readers 14.2. 5. “Caius Caesar, consul the fifth time, hath decreed, That the Jews shall possess Jerusalem, and may encompass that city with walls; and that Hyrcanus, the son of Alexander, the high priest and ethnarch of the Jews, retain it in the manner he himself pleases; 14.2. upon which the king of Arabia took all his army, and made an assault upon the temple, and besieged Aristobulus therein, the people still supporting Hyreanus, and assisting him in the siege, while none but the priests continued with Aristobulus. 20.261. I have attempted to enumerate those high priests that we have had during the interval of two thousand years; I have also carried down the succession of our kings, and related their actions, and political administration, without [considerable] errors, as also the power of our monarchs; and all according to what is written in our sacred books; for this it was that I promised to do in the beginning of this history. |
|
11. Josephus Flavius, Against Apion, 1.42 (1st cent. CE - 1st cent. CE)
| 1.42. and how firmly we have given credit to those books of our own nation, is evident by what we do; for during so many ages as have already passed, no one has been so bold as either to add any thing to them, to take any thing from them, or to make any change in them; but it becomes natural to all Jews, immediately and from their very birth, to esteem those books to contain divine doctrines, and to persist in them, and, if occasion be, willingly to die for them. |
|
12. Mishnah, Hagigah, 2.7 (1st cent. CE - 3rd cent. CE)
| 2.7. The garments of an am haaretz possess midras-impurity for Pharisees. The garments of Pharisees possess midras-impurity for those who eat terumah. The garments of those who eat terumah possess midras-impurity for [those who eat] sacred things. The garments of [those who eat] sacred things possess midras-impurity for [those who occupy themselves with the waters of] purification. Yose ben Yoezer was the most pious in the priesthood, yet his apron was [considered to possess] midras-impurity for [those who ate] sacred things. Yoha ben Gudgada all his life used to eat [unconsecrated food] in accordance with the purity required for sacred things, yet his apron was [considered to possess] midras-impurity for [those who occupied themselves with the water of] purification." |
|
13. Mishnah, Ketuvot, 7.1 (1st cent. CE - 3rd cent. CE)
| 7.1. If a man forbade his wife by vow to have any benefit from him, for thirty days, he may appoint a provider, but if for a longer period he must divorce her and give her the ketubah. Rabbi Judah ruled: if he was an Israelite he may keep her [as his wife, if the vow was] for one month, but must divorce her and give her the ketubah [if it was for] two months. If he was a priest he may keep her [as his wife, if the vow was] for two months, but must divorce her and give her the ketubah [if it was for] three." |
|
14. New Testament, 1 Corinthians, 13.12 (1st cent. CE - 1st cent. CE)
| 13.12. For now we see in a mirror, dimly, butthen face to face. Now I know in part, but then I will know fully, evenas I was also fully known. |
|
15. New Testament, Ephesians, 3.18-3.19 (1st cent. CE - 1st cent. CE)
| 3.18. may be strengthened to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth 3.19. and to know Christ's love which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. |
|
16. Tosefta, Hagigah, 2.7 (1st cent. CE - 2nd cent. CE)
|
17. Anon., Leviticus Rabba, 1.14 (2nd cent. CE - 5th cent. CE)
| 1.14. מַה בֵּין משֶׁה לְכָל הַנְּבִיאִים, רַבִּי יְהוּדָה בֶּן רַבִּי אִלְּעָאי וְרַבָּנָן, רַבִּי יְהוּדָה אוֹמֵר מִתּוֹךְ תֵּשַׁע אִיסְפַּקְלַרְיוֹת הָיוּ הַנְּבִיאִים רוֹאִים, הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב (יחזקאל מג, ג): וּכְמַרְאֵה הַמַּרְאֶה אֲשֶׁר רָאִיתִי וגו', וּמשֶׁה רָאָה מִתּוֹךְ אִיסְפַּקְלַרְיָא אַחַת, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (במדבר יב, ח): וּמַרְאֶה וְלֹא בְחִידֹת. רַבָּנָן אָמְרִין כָּל הַנְּבִיאִים רָאוּ מִתּוֹךְ אִיסְפַּקְלַרְיָא מְלֻכְלֶכֶת, הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב (הושע יב, יא): וְאָנֹכִי חָזוֹן הִרְבֵּיתִי וּבְיַד הַנְּבִיאִים אֲדַמֶּה, וּמשֶׁה רָאָה מִתּוֹךְ אִיסְפַּקְלַרְיָא מְצֻחְצַחַת, הֲדָא הוּא דִּכְתִיב (במדבר יב, ח): וּתְמֻנַת ה' יַבִּיט. רַבִּי פִּנְחָס בְּשֵׁם רַבִּי הוֹשַׁעְיָא אָמַר מָשָׁל לְמֶלֶךְ שֶׁנִּגְלָה עַל בֶּן בֵּיתוֹ בָּאִיקוֹנִין שֶׁלּוֹ, לְפִי שֶׁבָּעוֹלָם הַזֶּה שְׁכִינָה נִגְלֵית עַל הַיְּחִידִים, אֲבָל לֶעָתִיד לָבוֹא (ישעיה מ, ה): וְנִגְלָה כְּבוֹד ה' וְרָאוּ כָל בָּשָׂר יַחְדָּו כִּי פִּי ה' דִּבֵּר. | |
|
18. Palestinian Talmud, Hagigah, None (2nd cent. CE - 5th cent. CE)
|
19. Babylonian Talmud, Hagigah, None (3rd cent. CE - 6th cent. CE)
| 16a. מאי דרש אמר רבה בר בר חנה אמר רבי יוחנן (דברים לג, ב) (ואתא) מרבבות קדש אות הוא ברבבה שלו,ורבי אבהו אמר (שיר השירים ה, י) דגול מרבבה דוגמא הוא ברבבה שלו,וריש לקיש אמר (ישעיהו מח, ב) ה' צבאות שמו אדון הוא בצבא שלו,ורבי חייא בר אבא א"ר יוחנן (מלכים א יט, יא) לא ברוח ה' ואחר הרוח רעש לא ברעש ה' ואחר הרעש אש לא באש ה' ואחר האש קול דממה דקה והנה ה' עובר,ת"ר ששה דברים נאמרו בשדים שלשה כמלאכי השרת ושלשה כבני אדם שלשה כמלאכי השרת יש להם כנפים כמלאכי השרת וטסין מסוף העולם ועד סופו כמלאכי השרת ויודעין מה שעתיד להיות כמלאכי השרת,יודעין ס"ד אלא שומעין מאחורי הפרגוד כמלאכי השרת,ושלשה כבני אדם אוכלין ושותין כבני אדם פרין ורבין כבני אדם ומתים כבני אדם,ששה דברים נאמרו בבני אדם שלשה כמלאכי השרת שלשה כבהמה שלשה כמלאכי השרת יש להם דעת כמלאכי השרת ומהלכין בקומה זקופה כמלאכי השרת ומספרים בלשון הקדש כמלאכי השרת שלשה כבהמה אוכלין ושותין כבהמה ופרין ורבין כבהמה ומוציאין רעי כבהמה:,כל המסתכל בד' דברים רתוי לו שלא בא לעולם כו': בשלמא מה למעלה מה למטה מה לאחור לחיי אלא לפנים מה דהוה הוה,ר' יוחנן ור"א דאמרי תרוייהו משל למלך ב"ו שאמר לעבדיו בנו לי פלטירין גדולין על האשפה הלכו ובנו לו אין רצונו של מלך להזכיר שם אשפה:,כל שלא חס על כבוד קונו רתוי לו שלא בא לעולם: מאי היא ר' אבא אמר זה המסתכל בקשת רב יוסף אמר זה העובר עבירה בסתר מסתכל בקשת דכתיב (יחזקאל א, כח) כמראה הקשת אשר יהיה בענן ביום הגשם כן מראה הנגה סביב הוא מראה דמות כבוד ה',רב יוסף אמר זה העובר עבירה בסתר כדר' יצחק דאמר רבי יצחק כל העובר עבירה בסתר כאילו דוחק רגלי שכינה שנא' (ישעיהו סו, א) כה אמר ה' השמים כסאי והארץ הדום רגלי,איני והאמר ר' אלעא הזקן אם רואה אדם שיצרו מתגבר עליו ילך למקום שאין מכירין אותו וילבש שחורין ויתעטף שחורין ויעשה מה שלבו חפץ ואל יחלל שם שמים בפרהסיא לא קשיא הא דמצי כייף ליה ליצריה הא דלא מצי כייף ליצריה,דרש ר' יהודה ברבי נחמני מתורגמניה דריש לקיש כל המסתכל בג' דברים עיניו כהות בקשת ובנשיא ובכהנים בקשת דכתיב כמראה הקשת אשר יהיה בענן ביום הגשם הוא מראה דמות כבוד ה' בנשיא דכתיב (במדבר כז, כ) ונתת מהודך עליו המסתכל בכהנים בזמן שבהמ"ק קיים שהיו עומדין על דוכנן ומברכין את ישראל בשם המפורש,דרש ר' יהודה ברבי נחמני מתורגמניה דריש לקיש מאי דכתיב (מיכה ז, ה) אל תאמינו ברע אל תבטחו באלוף אם יאמר לך יצר הרע חטוא והקב"ה מוחל אל תאמן (שנא') אל תאמן ברע ואין רע אלא יצר הרע שנאמר (בראשית ח, כא) כי יצר לב האדם רע,ואין אלוף אלא הקב"ה שנאמר (ירמיהו ג, ד) אלוף נעורי אתה שמא תאמר מי מעיד בי אבני ביתו וקורות ביתו של אדם הם מעידין בו שנאמר (חבקוק ב, יא) כי אבן מקיר תזעק וכפיס מעץ יעננה,וחכ"א נשמתו של אדם מעידה בו שנאמר (מיכה ז, ה) משכבת חיקך שמור פתחי פיך אי זו היא דבר ששוכבת בחיקו של אדם הוי אומר זו נשמה ר' זריקא אמר שני מלאכי השרת המלוין אותו הן מעידין בו שנאמר (תהלים צא, יא) כי מלאכיו יצוה לך לשמרך בכל דרכיך (וחכ"א) אבריו של אדם מעידין בו שנאמר (ישעיהו מג, יב) ואתם עדי נאם ה' ואני אל:, big strongמתני׳ /strong /big (יוסי) בן יועזר אומר שלא לסמוך יוסף בן יוחנן אומר לסמוך יהושע בן פרחיה אומר שלא לסמוך ניתאי הארבלי אומר לסמוך יהודה בן טבאי אומר שלא לסמוך שמעון בן שטח אומר לסמוך שמעיה אומר לסמוך אבטליון אומר שלא לסמוך הלל ומנחם לא נחלקו יצא מנחם נכנס שמאי שמאי אומר שלא לסמוך הלל אומר לסמוך | 16a. The Gemara asks: bWhatverse did Rabbi Akiva bexpoundthat prevented him from making the same mistake as iAḥer /i? bRabba bar bar Ḥana saidthat bRabbi Yoḥa said:It was the following: b“And He came [ ive’ata /i] from the holy myriads”(Deuteronomy 33:2), which he explained in this manner: bHe,God, bis unique [ iot /i] among His myriadsof angels. Therefore, he knew that he had merely seen an angel., bAnd Rabbi Abbahu said:Rabbi Akiva expounded the verse: b“Preeminent above a myriad”(Song of Songs 5:10) to indicate that bHe is exemplary among His myriad. /b, bAnd Reish Lakish said:He expounded the verse: b“The Lord of hosts is His name”(Isaiah 48:2); bHe is the Master in His host. /b, bAnd Rav Ḥiyya bar Abbasaid that bRabbi Yoḥa said:He expounded the verses: b“But the Lord was not in the wind. And after the wind, an earthquake; the Lord was not in the earthquake. And after the earthquake, fire;but bthe Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire, a still, small voice,”and it states in that verse: b“And behold, the Lord passed by”(I Kings 19:11–12). Rabbi Akiva used this verse in order to recognize the place of His presence and refrain from trespassing there.,§ The Gemara returns to discussing the heavenly beings. bThe Sages taught: Sixstatements bwere said with regard to demons:In bthreeways they are blike ministering angels, andin bthreeways they are blike humans.The ibaraitaspecifies: In bthreeways they are blike ministering angels: They have wings like ministering angels; and they fly from one end of the world to the other like ministering angels; and they know what will be in the future like ministering angels. /b,The Gemara is puzzled by this last statement: bShould it enter your mind that they knowthis? Not even the angels are privy to the future. bRather, they hear from behind the curtainwhen God reveals something of the future, blike ministering angels. /b, bAndin bthreeways they are similar bto humans: They eat and drink like humans; they multiply like humans; and they die like humans. /b, bSixstatements bwere said with regard to humans:In bthreeways, they are blike ministering angels,and in bthreeways they are blike animals.The ibaraitaexplains: In bthreeways they are blike ministering angels: They have intelligence like ministering angels; and they walk upright like ministering angels; and they speak in the holy tongue like ministering angels.In bthreeways humans are blike animals: They eat and drink like animals; and they multiply like animals; and they emit excrement like animals. /b,§ The mishna taught: bWhoever looks at four things, it would have been better for him had he never entered the world:Anyone who reflects upon that which is above the firmament; that which is below the earth; what was before the creation of the world; and what will be after the end of the world. The Gemara asks: bGranted,it is prohibited to reflect on bwhat is above, what is below,and bwhat is after.This is bfine,since one is examining things that are not part of the world but lie beyond it. bBut beforethe creation of the world, bwhat has happened has happened.Why is it prohibited to reflect upon this?,The Gemara explains: bRabbi Yoḥa and Rabbi Elazar both say:This can be demonstrated through ba parablewith regard to ba flesh-and-blood king who said to his servants: Build for me large palaces on a garbage dump. They went and builtthem bfor him.Clearly, in that case, bthe king does not desirethat they bmention the garbage dump.Here too, God does not want people to concern themselves with the chaos that preceded the world.,It is taught in the mishna: bWhoever has no concern for the honor of his Maker deserves to have never come to the world.The Gemara asks: bWhat islack of concern for the honor of one’s Maker? bRabbi Abba said: This isone bwho looks at a rainbow. Rav Yosef said: This isone bwho commits a transgression in private.They proceed to clarify their opinions: bLooking at a rainbowconstitutes an act of disrespect toward the Divine Presence, bas it is written: “As the appearance of the bow that is in the cloud in the day of rain so was the appearance of the brightness round about. This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the Lord”(Ezekiel 1:28), and it is a dishonor to God to stare at His likeness., bRav Yosef said: This isone bwho commits a transgression in private, in accordance with Rabbi Yitzḥak, as Rabbi Yitzḥak said: Whoever commits a transgression in private, it is as though he pushedaway bthe feet of the Divine Presence, as it is stated: “Thus said the Lord: The heavens are My seat, and the earth My footstool”(Isaiah 66:1). If one believes that no one can see what he is doing in private, it is as though he said that God is absent from that place. He is therefore compared to one who attempts to remove God from His footstool.,The Gemara raises a difficulty: And bis that so? But didn’t Rabbi Ela the Elder say: If a person sees that his inclination is overcoming him, he should go to a place where he is unknown, and wear black, and wrap himself in black,in the manner of mourners, because he should be ashamed of his weakness, band dothere bwhat his heart desires, but let him not desecrate the Name of Heaven in public.This shows that sinning in private is sometimes preferable to the public performance of a transgression. The Gemara answers: This is bnot difficult. Thiscase, where one who commits a transgression in public has no concern for the honor of his Maker, occurs bwhen one is capable of overcoming his inclinationand fails to do so. bThatcase, where it is preferable to sin in private, occurs bwhen one is incapable of overcoming his inclination.He is therefore advised to, at the very least, refrain from desecrating God’s name in public., bRabbi Yehuda, son of Rabbi Naḥmani, the disseminatorof bReish Lakish, interpreteda verse bhomiletically: Whoever looks atthe following bthree things, his eyes will grow dim:One who looks bat a rainbow, at a iNasi /i, and at the priests.He explains: bAt a rainbow, as it is written: “As the appearance of the bow that is in the cloud on the day of rain,so was the appearance of the brightness round about, bthis was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the Lord”(Ezekiel 1:28). bAt a iNasi /i, as it is written: “And you shall put of your splendor upon him”(Numbers 27:20), which indicates that the splendor of the Divine Presence rested upon Moses, who was the iNasiof Israel. The third item, looking at priests, is referring to one bwho looks at the priests when the Temple is standing, as they would stand on their platform and bless Israel with the ineffable name,at which point the Divine Presence would rest above the joints of their fingers.,Apropos this Sage, the Gemara cites another statement of his: bRabbi Yehuda, son of Rabbi Naḥmani, the disseminatorof bReish Lakish, interpreteda verse bhomiletically: What isthe meaning of that bwhich is written: “Trust not in a companion, do not put your confidence in an intimate friend”(Micah 7:5)? bIf the evil inclination says to you: Sin, and the Holy One, Blessed be He, will forgive, do not trustit, bsince it is stated: “Trust not in a companion [ irei’a /i].” And irei’ais referring to none otherthan bthe evil [ ira /i] inclination, as it is stated: “For the inclination of the heart of man is evil [ ira /i]”(Genesis 8:21)., bAnd “intimate friend” is referring to none otherthan bthe Holy One, Blessed be He, as it is stated: “You are the intimate friend of my youth”(Jeremiah 3:4). bLest you say:Since I am acting in private, bwho will testify against me? The stones of the house and the beams of the house ofeach bperson testify against him, as it is stated:“For the stone shall cry out of the wall, and the beam out of the timber shall answer it” (Habakkuk 2:11)., bAnd the Sages say: A person’s soulshall itself btestify against him, as it is stated: “Guard the doors of your mouth from she who lies in your bosom”(Micah 7:5). bWhat thing lies in a person’s bosom? You must say it ishis bsoul. Rabbi Zerika said:The btwo ministering angels who accompany him,i.e., each individual, bthey testify against him, as it is stated: “For He will command his angels over you, to guard you in all your ways”(Psalms 91:11). bAnd the Sages say: A person’s limbs testify against him, as it is stated: “Therefore you are My witnesses, says the Lord, and I am God”(Isaiah 43:12), which indicates that each individual becomes his own witness and testifies against himself on the Day of Judgment., strongMISHNA: /strong bYosei ben Yo’ezer says not to placeone’s hands on offerings before slaughtering them on a Festival because this is considered performing labor with an animal on a Festival. His colleague, bYosef ben Yoḥa, says to placethem; bYehoshua ben Peraḥya says not to placethem; bNitai HaArbeli says to placethem; bYehuda ben Tabbai says not to placethem; bShimon ben Shataḥ says to placethem; bShemaya says to placethem; bAvtalyon says not to placethem. bHillel and Menaḥem did not disagreewith regard to this issue. bMenaḥem departedfrom his post, and bShammai enteredin his stead. bShammai says not to placethem; bHillel says to placethem. |
|
20. Babylonian Talmud, Shabbat, None (3rd cent. CE - 6th cent. CE)
| 87a. בתלתא אמר להו מצות הגבלה בארבעה עבוד פרישה ורבנן סברי בתרי בשבא איקבע ירחא בתרי בשבא לא אמר להו ולא מידי משום חולשא דאורחא בתלתא אמר להו ואתם תהיו לי בארבעה אמר להו מצות הגבלה בה' עבוד פרישה מיתיבי (שמות יט, י) וקדשתם היום ומחר קשיא לר' יוסי,אמר לך ר' יוסי יום אחד הוסיף משה מדעתו דתניא ג' דברים עשה משה מדעתו והסכים הקב"ה עמו הוסיף יום אחד מדעתו ופירש מן האשה ושבר את הלוחות,הוסיף יום אחד מדעתו מאי דריש היום ומחר היום כמחר מה למחר לילו עמו אף היום לילו עמו ולילה דהאידנא נפקא ליה ש"מ תרי יומי לבר מהאידנא ומנלן דהסכים הקב"ה על ידו דלא שריא שכינה עד צפרא דשבתא,ופירש מן האשה מאי דריש נשא קל וחומר בעצמו אמר ומה ישראל שלא דברה שכינה עמהן אלא שעה אחת וקבע להן זמן אמרה תורה (שמות יט, יא) והיו נכונים וגו' אל תגשו אני שכל שעה ושעה שכינה מדברת עמי ואינו קובע לי זמן על אחת כמה וכמה ומנלן דהסכים הקב"ה על ידו דכתיב (דברים ה, כו) לך אמור להם שובו לכם לאהליכם וכתיב בתריה ואתה פה עמוד עמדי ואית דאמרי (במדבר יב, ח) פה אל פה אדבר בו,שבר את הלוחות מאי דריש אמר ומה פסח שהוא אחד מתרי"ג מצות אמרה תורה (שמות יב, מג) וכל בן נכר לא יאכל בו התורה כולה [כאן] וישראל מומרים על אחת כמה וכמה ומנלן דהסכים הקב"ה על ידו שנאמר (שמות לד, א) אשר שברת ואמר ר"ל יישר כחך ששיברת,ת"ש (שמות יט, יא) והיו נכונים ליום השלישי קשיא לר' יוסי הא אמרינן יום אחד הוסיף משה מדעתו ת"ש שלישי שלישי בחדש ושלישי בשבת קשיא לרבנן אמרי לך רבנן הא מני ר' יוסי היא,שלישי למאי לכדתניא (שמות יט, ח) וישב משה את דברי העם אל ה' וכתיב ויגד משה את דברי העם אל ה',מה אמר לו הקב"ה למשה ומה אמר להם משה לישראל ומה אמרו ישראל למשה ומה השיב משה לפני הגבורה זו מצות הגבלה דברי ר' יוסי בר יהודה רבי אומר בתחילה פירש עונשה דכתיב וישב משה דברים שמשבבין דעתו של אדם ולבסוף פירש מתן שכרה דכתיב ויגד משה דברים שמושכין לבו של אדם כאגדה ואיכא דאמרי בתחילה פירש מתן שכרה דכתיב וישב משה דברים שמשיבין דעתו של אדם ולבסוף פירש עונשה דכתיב ויגד משה דברים שקשין לאדם כגידין,תא שמע ששי ששי בחודש ששי בשבת קשיא לרבנן הא נמי רבי יוסי היא ששי למאי רבא אמר | 87a. bOn the thirdday of the week, God bsaid to them the mitzva of setting boundariesaround Mount Sinai. bOn the fourthday of the week, the husbands and wives bseparatedfrom one another. bAnd the Rabbis hold: On the secondday bof the weekthe bNew Moon was established,and bon the secondday bof the weekGod bdid not say anything to them due to the wearinesscaused by btheir journey. On the thirdday of the week, God bsaid to them: “And you shall be to Mea kingdom of priests and a holy nation; these are the words that you shall speak to the children of Israel” (Exodus 19:6). bOn the fourthday of the week, God bsaid to them the mitzva of setting boundariesaround Mount Sinai. bOn the fifthday of the week, the husbands and wives bseparatedfrom one another. bThe Gemara raises an objection:Doesn’t the verse state: “And the Lord said to Moses: Go to the people band sanctify them today and tomorrowand let them wash their garments” (Exodus 19:10), indicating that the husbands and wives were separated for only two days? This is bdifficultaccording btothe opinion of bRabbi Yosei,who said earlier that the separation was for three days.,The Gemara answers: bRabbi Yoseicould have bsaid to you: Moses added one dayto the number of days that God commanded based bon hisown bperception, as it was taughtin a ibaraita /i: bMoses did three thingsbased bon hisown bperception, and the Holy One, Blessed be He, agreed with him. He added one dayto the days of separation before the revelation at Sinai based bon hisown bperception. And hetotally bseparated fromhis bwifeafter the revelation at Sinai. bAnd he broke the tabletsfollowing the sin of the Golden Calf.,The Gemara discusses these cases: bHe added one daybased bon hisown bperception. Whatsource bdid he interpretthat led him to do so? He reasoned that since the Holy One, Blessed be He, said: “Sanctify them btoday and tomorrow,”the juxtaposition of the two days teaches that btodayis blike tomorrow; just as tomorrowthe men and women will separate for that day bandthe bnightpreceding bit, so too, todayrequires separation for the day bandthe bnightpreceding bit.Since God spoke to him in the morning, band the night of that dayalready bpassed,Moses concluded: bDerive from itthat separation must be in effect for btwo days besides that day.Therefore, he extended the mitzva of separation by one day. bAnd from where do wederive that bthe Holy One, Blessed be He, agreed with hisinterpretation? It is derived from the fact that the bDivine Presence did not restupon Mount Sinai buntil Shabbat morning,as Moses had determined., bAnd hetotally bseparated fromhis bwifeafter the revelation at Sinai. bWhatsource bdid he interpretthat led him to do so? bHe reasoned an ia fortioriinference by himselfand bsaid: If Israel, with whom the Divine Presence spoke only one time andGod bset aspecific btime for themwhen the Divine Presence would be revealed, and yet bthe Torah stated: “Prepare yourselvesfor three days, bdo not approacha woman” (Exodus 19:15); bI, with whom the Divine Presence speaks all the time andGod bdoes not set aspecific btime for me, all the more sothat I must separate from my wife. bAnd from where do wederive that bthe Holy One, Blessed be He, agreed with him? As it is writtenafter the revelation at Sinai: b“Go say to them: Return to your tents”(Deuteronomy 5:26), meaning to your homes and wives. bAnd afterward it is writtenthat God told Moses: b“And you, stand here with Me”(Deuteronomy 5:27), indicating that Moses was not allowed to return home, as he must constantly be prepared to receive the word of God. bAnd some saya different source indicating that God agreed with his reasoning. When Aaron and Miriam criticized Moses’ separation from his wife, God said: b“With him do I speak mouth to mouth,even manifestly, and not in dark speeches; and the similitude of the Lord does he behold; why then were you not afraid to speak against My servant, against Moses?” (Numbers 12:8). This indicates that God agreed with his reasoning.,And bhe broke the tabletsfollowing the sin of the Golden Calf. bWhatsource bdid he interpretthat led him to do so? Moses bsaid: Withregard to the bPaschallamb, bwhich isonly bone of six hundred and thirteen mitzvot, the Torah stated:“And the Lord said unto Moses and Aaron: This is the ordice of the Paschal offering; bno alien shall eat of it”(Exodus 12:43), referring not only to gentiles, but to apostate Jews as well. Regarding the tablets, which represented bthe entire Torah, and Israelat that moment were bapostates,as they were worshipping the calf, ball the more soare they not worthy of receiving the Torah. bAnd from where do wederive that bthe Holy One, Blessed be He, agreed with hisreasoning? bAs it is stated:“The first tablets bwhich you broke [ iasher shibarta /i]”(Exodus 34:1), band Reish Lakish said:The word iasheris an allusion to the phrase: bMay your strength be true [ iyishar koḥakha/b] bdue to the fact that you brokethe tablets., bComeand bhearan additional difficulty from the verse: b“And be prepared for the third day,for on the third day God will descend onto Mount Sinai before the eyes of the entire nation” (Exodus 19:11). This indicates that God said that the Torah would be given on the third day after two days of separation. This is bdifficultaccording btothe opinion of bRabbi Yosei.The Gemara answers: bDidn’t we saythat bMoses added one daybased bon hisown bperception? Comeand bheara proof against this from what was taught in a ibaraita /i. That which is stated in the Torah: “For on the bthirdday,” means bthe thirdday bof the month and the thirdday bof the week.Apparently, the New Moon was on Sunday. This is bdifficultaccording btothe opinion of bthe Rabbis.The Gemara answers: bThe Rabbiscould have bsaid to you: Whoseis the opinion in bthis ibaraita /i? It is the opinion of bRabbi Yosei.Therefore, this ibaraitaposes no difficulty to the opinion of the Rabbis.,According to the opinion of the Rabbis, that day was the bthirdday of bwhatreckoning? bAs it was taughtin a ibaraita /i: It is written: b“And Moses reported the words of the people to the Lord”(Exodus 19:8). bAnd it is writtenimmediately thereafter: “And God said to Moses: Behold I will come to you in a thick cloud so that the people will hear when I speak with you, and they will also believe in you forever. bAnd Moses told the words of the people to the Lord”(Exodus 19:9).,The Gemara asks: bWhat did the Holy One, Blessed be He, say to Moses, and what did Moses say to Israel, and what did Israel say to Moses, and what did Moses report to the Almighty?The verses do not elaborate on the content of God’s command to Moses, which Moses then told the people and which they accepted. It must be that bthisrefers to bthe mitzva of setting boundaries,which Moses told the people and which they accepted. He then went back and reported to God that the people accepted the mitzva; this is bthe statement of Rabbi Yosei bar Yehuda. RabbiYehuda HaNasi bsays: At first, he explainedthe bpunishmentand the hardship involved in receiving the Torah, bas it is written: “And Moses reported [ivayashevb],”which is interpreted homiletically as: bMatters that shatter [imeshabbevinb](Rav Hai Gaon) ba person’s mind; and, ultimately, he explained its reward, as it is written: “And Moses told [ivayaggedb],”which is interpreted homiletically as: bMatters that draw a person’s heart like iaggada /i. And some saythat bat first, he explained its reward, as it is written: “And Moses reported,”which is interpreted homiletically as: bMatters that restore [ imeshivin /i]and calm ba person’s mind; and ultimately, he explained its punishment, as it is written: “And Moses told,” matters that are as difficult for a person as wormwood [ igidin /i]. /b, bComeand bheara proof from that which was taught in a ibaraita /i: The bsixthwas bthe sixthday bof the monthand bthe sixthday bof the week.This is also bdifficultaccording btothe opinion of bthe Rabbis.The Gemara answers: bThis ibaraitais balsoaccording to the opinion of bRabbi Yosei.But if so, according to the opinion of the Rabbis, that day was the bsixthday of bwhatreckoning? bRava said: /b |
|
21. Babylonian Talmud, Yevamot, None (3rd cent. CE - 6th cent. CE)
| 49b. ועל הסוטה שאין הולד ממזר,נדה דהא תפסי בה קידושין שנאמר (ויקרא טו, כד) ותהי נדתה עליו אפי' בשעת נדתה תפסי בה קידושין,סוטה נמי דהא תפסי בה קידושין,תניא נמי הכי הכל מודים בבא על הנדה ועל הסוטה ועל שומרת יבם שאין הולד ממזר,ואביי שומרת יבם מספקא ליה אי כרב אי כשמואל:,א"ר שמעון בן עזאי כו': תני שמעון בן עזאי אומר מצאתי מגלת יוחסין בירושלים וכתוב בה איש פלוני ממזר מאשת איש וכתוב בה משנת ר' אליעזר בן יעקב קב ונקי וכתוב בה מנשה הרג את ישעיה,אמר רבא מידן דייניה וקטליה אמר ליה משה רבך אמר (שמות לג, כ) כי לא יראני האדם וחי ואת אמרת (ישעיהו ו, א) ואראה את ה' יושב על כסא רם ונשא משה רבך אמר (דברים ד, ז) מי כה' אלהינו בכל קראנו אליו ואת אמרת (ישעיהו נה, ו) דרשו ה' בהמצאו משה רבך אמר (שמות כג, כו) את מספר ימיך אמלא ואת אמרת (מלכים ב כ, ו) והוספתי על ימיך חמש עשרה שנה,אמר ישעיה ידענא ביה דלא מקבל מה דאימא ליה ואי אימא ליה אישוייה מזיד אמר שם איבלע בארזא אתיוה לארזא ונסרוה כי מטא להדי פומא נח נפשיה משום דאמר (ישעיהו ו, ה) ובתוך עם טמא שפתים אנכי יושב,מכל מקום קשו קראי אהדדי,ואראה את ה' כדתניא כל הנביאים נסתכלו באספקלריא שאינה מאירה משה רבינו נסתכל באספקלריא המאירה,דרשו ה' בהמצאו הא ביחיד הא בצבור ויחיד אימת אמר רב נחמן אמר רבה בר אבוה אלו עשרה ימים שבין ראש השנה ליום הכפורים,את מספר ימיך אמלא תנאי היא דתניא את מספר ימיך אמלא | 49b. bor with a isota /i, that the offspring is not a imamzer /i. /b,With regard to ba menstruating womanthe offspring is not a imamzer bbecauseone’s bbetrothal of her takes effect, as it is stated: “And her impurity shall be upon him”(Leviticus 15:24). The phrase “shall be” alludes to the fact that a betrothal with her takes effect. The verse teaches that beven at the time of hermenstrual bimpurity, betrothal with her takes effect. /b,With regard to ba isota /i, too,the offspring is not a imamzer bbecauseone’s bbetrothal of her takes effect. /b,The Gemara notes: bThisteaching of Abaye bis also taughtin a ibaraita /i: bAll agree with regard to one who engages in sexual relations with a menstruating woman, or with a isota /i, or with a widow waiting for her iyavam /ito perform levirate marriage, bthat the offspring is not a imamzer /i. /b,The Gemara explains: bAnd Abayedid not mention the case of a bwidow waiting for her iyavam /ibecause bhe is uncertain whether,if someone other than the iyavambetrothed her, the ihalakhais bin accordance withthe opinion of bRavthat it does not take effect or bin accordance withthe opinion of bShmuelthat it might take effect.,§ The mishna states: bRabbi Shimon ben Azzai said:I found a scroll recording people’s lineages. The Gemara cites an expanded version of the contents of the scroll. bIt is taughtin a ibaraitathat bRabbi Shimon ben Azzai said: I found a scrollrecording people’s blineages, in Jerusalem, and it was written in itthat bso-and-so is a imamzerfroman adulterous union with ba married woman. And it wasalso bwritten in it: The teachings of Rabbi Eliezer ben Ya’akovmeasure only ba ikavbut are cleanand accurate, and so the ihalakhais decided in accordance with his opinions. bAnd it was written in it: Manasseh,king of Israel, bkilled Isaiahthe prophet.,The Gemara expands on the events surrounding Isaiah’s death: bRava said:Manasseh bjudged himas a false witness for issuing statements contradicting the Torah bandonly then bkilled him.Manasseh bsaid toIsaiah: bMoses your master saidin the Torah: “And He said: You cannot see My face, bfor man cannot see Me and live”(Exodus 33:20), bandyet byou said: “I saw the Lord sitting upon a high and lofty throne”(Isaiah 6:1). bMoses your master said:“For bwhichgreat nation is there, that has God so near to it, bas the Lord our God is, whenever we call upon Him?”(Deuteronomy 4:7), bandyet byou said: “Seek the Lord while He may be found, call upon Him while He is near”(Isaiah 55:6), which implies that God is not always near. bMoses your master said: “I will fulfill the number of your days”(Exodus 23:26), which implies that each individual has a preordained allotted lifespan that he cannot outlive, bandyet byou saidin a prophecy to King Hezekiah: b“And I will add to your days, fifteen years”(II Kings 20:6)., bIsaiah saidto himself: bI know him,i.e., Manasseh, bthat he will not accept whateverexplanation bthat I will say to himto resolve my prophecies with the words of the Torah. bAndeven bif I say it to him, I will make him into an intentional transgressorsince he will kill me anyway. Therefore, in order to escape, bhe uttered adivine bnameand bwas swallowed within a cedartree. Manasseh’s servants bbrought the cedartree band sawed through itin order to kill him. bWhenthe saw breached to where his mouth was,Isaiah bdied.He died specifically as this point bdue to that which he said: “In the midst of a people of unclean lips, I dwell”(Isaiah 6:5). He was punished for referring to the Jewish people in a derogatory manner.,The Gemara asks: bIn any case,as Manasseh pointed out, these bverses contradict each other;how are these contradictions to be resolved?,The Gemara resolves the first contradiction: b“I saw the Lord”is to be understood bas it is taughtin a ibaraita /i: bAll of the prophets observedtheir prophecies bthrough an obscure looking glass [ iaspaklaria /i],i.e., their prophecies were given as metaphoric visions but were not a direct perception of the matter. However, bMoses our master observedhis prophecies bthrough a clear looking glass,i.e., he gained a direct and accurate perception of the matter.,The Gemara resolves the second contradiction: Isaiah’s prophecy: b“Seek the Lord while He may be found,”does not contradict the verse in the Torah that God is near to His nation “whenever we call upon Him,” because bthisprophecy of Isaiah was made bwith regard to the individualand bthisverse in the Torah is stated bwith regard to a community,as the prayer of the community is always accepted. The Gemara asks: bAnd whenis the time that God is to be found near bthe individual? Rav Naḥman said Rabba bar Avuh said: These are the ten days between Rosh HaShana and Yom Kippur. /b,The resolution of the third contradiction from the verse: b“I will fulfill the number of your days,” issubject to a dispute between itanna’im /i, as it is taughtin a ibaraita /i: The verse states: b“I will fulfill the number of your days”; /b |
|
22. Nag Hammadi, The Gospel of Thomas, 22 (3rd cent. CE - 3rd cent. CE)
|
23. Anon., Exodus Rabbah, 45.5 (4th cent. CE - 9th cent. CE)
| 45.5. וַיֹּאמַר הַרְאֵנִי נָא אֶת כְּבֹדֶךָ, רַבִּי תַּנְחוּמָא בַּר אַבָּא פָּתַח (משלי כה, ז); כִּי טוֹב אֲמָר לְךָ עֲלֵה הֵנָּה מֵהַשְׁפִּילְךָ, הִלֵּל אוֹמֵר הַשְׁפָּלָתִי זוֹ הַגְבָּהָתִי וְהַגְבָּהָתִי הִיא הַשְׁפָּלָתִי, מוּטָב לָאָדָם שֶׁיֹּאמְרוּ לוֹ עֲלֵה לְמַעְלָן וְלֹא יֹאמְרוּ לוֹ רֵד לְמַטָּן. אָמַר דָּוִד (תהלים קיג, ה): הַמַּגְבִּיהִי לָשָׁבֶת, כְּשֶׁאֲנִי מַגְבִּיהַּ אֶת עַצְמִי הֵם מַשְׁפִּילִים יְשִׁיבָתִי, הֱוֵי: הַמַּגְבִּיהִי לָשָׁבֶת, וּכְשֶׁאֲנִי מַשְׁפִּיל אֶת עַצְמִי הֵם מַגְבִּיהִין אוֹתִי, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (תהלים קיג, ו): הַמַּשְׁפִּילִי לִרְאוֹת, מִי גָרַם לִי לִרְאוֹת כָּל הָאֲרָצוֹת, שֶׁכָּתוּב (דברי הימים א יד, יז): וַיֵּצֵא שֵׁם דָּוִיד בְּכָל הָאֲרָצוֹת, עַל שֶׁהִשְׁפַּלְתִּי אֶת עַצְמִי. דָּבָר אַחֵר, כִּי טוֹב אֲמָר לְךָ עֲלֵה הֵנָּה, זֶה משֶׁה, כְּשֶׁנִּגְלָה עָלָיו הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא בַּסְּנֶה, כְּמָה דְתֵימָא (שמות ג, ב): וַיֵּרָא מַלְאַךְ ה' וגו', אָמַר רַבִּי יְהוּדָה בַּר נְחֶמְיָה טִירוֹן הָיָה משֶׁה לַנְּבוּאָה, אָמַר הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא אִם נִגְלָה אֲנִי עָלָיו בְּקוֹל גָּבֹהַּ אֲנִי מְבַעֲתוֹ, וְאִם בְּקוֹל נָמוּךְ בּוֹסֵר הוּא עַל הַנְּבוּאָה, מֶה עָשָׂה הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא, נִגְלָה עָלָיו בְּקוֹלוֹ שֶׁל אָבִיו, אָמַר בָּא אָבִי מִמִּצְרַיִם, אָמַר לוֹ אֵינִי אָבִיךָ אֶלָּא (שמות ג, ו): אֱלֹהֵי אָבִיךָ, (שמות ג, ו): וַיַּסְתֵּר משֶׁה פָּנָיו, רַבִּי יְהוֹשֻׁעַ בֶּן קָרְחָה אָמַר לֹא עָשָׂה משֶׁה יָפֶה שֶׁהִסְתִּיר פָּנָיו, שֶׁאִלּוּלֵי שֶׁהִסְתִּיר פָּנָיו הָיָה מְגַלֶּה לוֹ הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא מַה לְּמַעְלָן וּמַה לְּמַטָּן וּמַה שֶּׁהָיָה וּמֶה עָתִיד לִהְיוֹת, וּבָאַחֲרוֹנָה בִּקֵּשׁ לִרְאוֹת, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: הַרְאֵנִי נָא אֶת כְּבוֹדֶךָ, אָמַר הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא כְּשֶׁבִּקַּשְׁתִּי לֹא בִקַּשְׁתָּ, עַכְשָׁו שֶׁבִּקַּשְׁתָּ אֵינִי מְבַקֵּשׁ. אָמַר רַבִּי יְהוֹשֻׁעַ דְּסִכְנִין בְּשֵׁם רַבִּי לֵוִי אַף עַל פִּי כֵן הֶרְאָה לוֹ שָׁלשׁ, בִּשְֹּׂכַר שָׁלשׁ זָכָה לְשָׁלשׁ, בִּשְׂכַר וַיַּסְתֵּר, וַיְדַבֵּר ה' אֶל משֶׁה. בִּשְׂכַר (שמות ג, ו): כִּי יָרֵא, (שמות לד, ל): וַיִּירְאוּ מִגֶּשֶׁת אֵלָיו. בִּשְׂכַר (שמות ג, ו): מֵהַבִּיט, (במדבר יב, ח): וּתְמֻנַת ה' יַבִּיט. רַבִּי הוֹשַׁעְיָא רַבָּה אָמַר כָּבוֹד גָּדוֹל עָשָׂה משֶׁה שֶׁהִסְתִּיר פָּנָיו, אֲבָל נָדָב וַאֲבִיהוּא פָּרְעוּ רָאשֵׁיהֶן וְזָנוּ עֵינֵיהֶן מִן הַשְּׁכִינָה, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (שמות כד, יא): וְאֶל אֲצִילֵי בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל לֹא שָׁלַח יָדוֹ. דָּבָר אַחֵר, וַיֹּאמַר הַרְאֵנִי נָא אֶת כְּבֹדֶךָ, נִתְאַוָּה לַעֲמֹד עַל מַתַּן שְׂכָרָן שֶׁל צַדִּיקִים וְשַׁלְוָתָן שֶׁל רְשָׁעִים, וּמִנַּיִן שֶׁמַּתַּן שְׂכָרָן שֶׁל צַדִּיקִים נִקְרָא כָּבוֹד, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (משלי ג, לה): כָּבוֹד חֲכָמִים יִנְחָלוּ, וְכֵן הוּא אוֹמֵר (ישעיה כד, כג): וְנֶגֶד זְקֵנָיו כָּבוֹד. וּמִנַּיִן שֶׁשַּׁלְוָתָן שֶׁל רְשָׁעִים נִקְרָא כָבוֹד, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (תהלים עג, כד): וְאַחַר כָּבוֹד תִּקָּחֵנִי. מָה הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא מְשִׁיבוֹ, (שמות לג, כ): וַיֹּאמֶר לֹא תוּכַל לִרְאֹת אֶת פָּנָי, אֵין לָשׁוֹן פָּנָי הָאָמוּר כָּאן אֶלָּא שַׁלְוָתָן שֶׁל רְשָׁעִים, כְּדִכְתִיב (דברים ז, י): וּמְשַׁלֵּם לְשׂנְאָיו אֶל פָּנָיו לְהַאֲבִידוֹ. | |
|
24. Anon., Avot Derabbi Nathan A, 2 (6th cent. CE - 8th cent. CE)
|
25. Anon., Avot Derabbi Nathan B, 2 (6th cent. CE - 8th cent. CE)
|
26. Anon., Gospel of Thomas, 22
|
27. Anon., Pirqe Rabbi Eliezer, 46, 41
|
28. Anon., Letter of Aristeas, 311
| 311. alteration should be made in it. And when the whole company expressed their approval, they bade them pronounce a curse in accordance with their custom upon any one who should make any alteration either by adding anything or changing in any way whatever any of the words which had been written or making any omission. This was a very wise precaution to ensure that the book might be preserved for all the future time unchanged. |
|
