1. Hebrew Bible, Deuteronomy, 23.15, 32.8-32.9, 33.2-33.3 (9th cent. BCE - 3rd cent. BCE)
| 23.15. כִּי יְהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ מִתְהַלֵּךְ בְּקֶרֶב מַחֲנֶךָ לְהַצִּילְךָ וְלָתֵת אֹיְבֶיךָ לְפָנֶיךָ וְהָיָה מַחֲנֶיךָ קָדוֹשׁ וְלֹא־יִרְאֶה בְךָ עֶרְוַת דָּבָר וְשָׁב מֵאַחֲרֶיךָ׃ 32.8. בְּהַנְחֵל עֶלְיוֹן גּוֹיִם בְּהַפְרִידוֹ בְּנֵי אָדָם יַצֵּב גְּבֻלֹת עַמִּים לְמִסְפַּר בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל׃ 32.9. כִּי חֵלֶק יְהֹוָה עַמּוֹ יַעֲקֹב חֶבֶל נַחֲלָתוֹ׃ 33.2. וַיֹּאמַר יְהוָה מִסִּינַי בָּא וְזָרַח מִשֵּׂעִיר לָמוֹ הוֹפִיעַ מֵהַר פָּארָן וְאָתָה מֵרִבְבֹת קֹדֶשׁ מִימִינוֹ אשדת [אֵשׁ] [דָּת] לָמוֹ׃ 33.2. וּלְגָד אָמַר בָּרוּךְ מַרְחִיב גָּד כְּלָבִיא שָׁכֵן וְטָרַף זְרוֹעַ אַף־קָדְקֹד׃ 33.3. אַף חֹבֵב עַמִּים כָּל־קְדֹשָׁיו בְּיָדֶךָ וְהֵם תֻּכּוּ לְרַגְלֶךָ יִשָּׂא מִדַּבְּרֹתֶיךָ׃ | 23.15. For the LORD thy God walketh in the midst of thy camp, to deliver thee, and to give up thine enemies before thee; therefore shall thy camp be holy; that He see no unseemly thing in thee, and turn away from thee." 32.8. When the Most High gave to the nations their inheritance, when He separated the children of men, He set the borders of the peoples according to the number of the children of Israel." 32.9. For the portion of the LORD is His people, Jacob the lot of His inheritance." 33.2. And he said: The LORD came from Sinai, And rose from Seir unto them; He shined forth from mount Paran, And He came from the myriads holy, At His right hand was a fiery law unto them." 33.3. Yea, He loveth the peoples, All His holy ones—they are in Thy hand; And they sit down at Thy feet, Receiving of Thy words." |
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2. Hebrew Bible, Job, 1.6, 2.1 (9th cent. BCE - 3rd cent. BCE)
| 1.6. וַיְהִי הַיּוֹם וַיָּבֹאוּ בְּנֵי הָאֱלֹהִים לְהִתְיַצֵּב עַל־יְהוָה וַיָּבוֹא גַם־הַשָּׂטָן בְּתוֹכָם׃ 2.1. וַיֹּאמֶר אֵלֶיהָ כְּדַבֵּר אַחַת הַנְּבָלוֹת תְּדַבֵּרִי גַּם אֶת־הַטּוֹב נְקַבֵּל מֵאֵת הָאֱלֹהִים וְאֶת־הָרָע לֹא נְקַבֵּל בְּכָל־זֹאת לֹא־חָטָא אִיּוֹב בִּשְׂפָתָיו׃ 2.1. וַיְהִי הַיּוֹם וַיָּבֹאוּ בְּנֵי הָאֱלֹהִים לְהִתְיַצֵּב עַל־יְהוָה וַיָּבוֹא גַם־הַשָּׂטָן בְּתֹכָם לְהִתְיַצֵּב עַל־יְהוָה׃ | 1.6. Now it fell upon a day, that the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan came also among them." 2.1. Again it fell upon a day, that the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan came also among them to present himself before the LORD." |
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3. Hebrew Bible, Numbers, 31.16 (9th cent. BCE - 3rd cent. BCE)
| 31.16. הֵן הֵנָּה הָיוּ לִבְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל בִּדְבַר בִּלְעָם לִמְסָר־מַעַל בַּיהוָה עַל־דְּבַר־פְּעוֹר וַתְּהִי הַמַּגֵּפָה בַּעֲדַת יְהוָה׃ | 31.16. Behold, these caused the children of Israel, through the counsel of Balaam, to revolt so as to break faith with the LORD in the matter of Peor, and so the plague was among the congregation of the LORD." |
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4. Hebrew Bible, Psalms, 29.1, 77.14, 89.6-89.9, 96.4, 97.9, 148.2 (9th cent. BCE - 3rd cent. BCE)
| 29.1. מִזְמוֹר לְדָוִד הָבוּ לַיהוָה בְּנֵי אֵלִים הָבוּ לַיהוָה כָּבוֹד וָעֹז׃ 29.1. יְהוָה לַמַּבּוּל יָשָׁב וַיֵּשֶׁב יְהוָה מֶלֶךְ לְעוֹלָם׃ 77.14. אֱלֹהִים בַּקֹּדֶשׁ דַּרְכֶּךָ מִי־אֵל גָּדוֹל כֵּאלֹהִים׃ 89.6. וְיוֹדוּ שָׁמַיִם פִּלְאֲךָ יְהוָה אַף־אֱמוּנָתְךָ בִּקְהַל קְדֹשִׁים׃ 89.7. כִּי מִי בַשַּׁחַק יַעֲרֹךְ לַיהוָה יִדְמֶה לַיהוָה בִּבְנֵי אֵלִים׃ 89.8. אֵל נַעֲרָץ בְּסוֹד־קְדֹשִׁים רַבָּה וְנוֹרָא עַל־כָּל־סְבִיבָיו׃ 89.9. יְהוָה אֱלֹהֵי צְבָאוֹת מִי־כָמוֹךָ חֲסִין יָהּ וֶאֱמוּנָתְךָ סְבִיבוֹתֶיךָ׃ 96.4. כִּי גָדוֹל יְהוָה וּמְהֻלָּל מְאֹד נוֹרָא הוּא עַל־כָּל־אֱלֹהִים׃ 97.9. כִּי־אַתָּה יְהוָה עֶלְיוֹן עַל־כָּל־הָאָרֶץ מְאֹד נַעֲלֵיתָ עַל־כָּל־אֱלֹהִים׃ 148.2. הַלְלוּהוּ כָל־מַלְאָכָיו הַלְלוּהוּ כָּל־צבאו [צְבָאָיו׃] | 29.1. A Psalm of David. Ascribe unto the LORD, O ye sons of might, Ascribe unto the LORD glory and strength." 77.14. O God, Thy way is in holiness; Who is a great god like unto God?" 89.6. So shall the heavens praise Thy wonders, O LORD, Thy faithfulness also in the assembly of the holy ones." 89.7. For who in the skies can be compared unto the LORD, Who among the sons of might can be likened unto the LORD," 89.8. A God dreaded in the great council of the holy ones, And feared of all them that are about Him?" 89.9. O LORD God of hosts, Who is a mighty one, like unto Thee, O LORD? And Thy faithfulness is round about Thee." 96.4. For great is the LORD, and highly to be praised; He is to be feared above all gods. ." 97.9. For Thou, LORD, art most high above all the earth; Thou art exalted far above all gods." 148.2. Praise ye Him, all His angels; Praise ye Him, all His hosts." |
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5. Hebrew Bible, 1 Kings, 22.17, 22.19-22.23 (8th cent. BCE - 5th cent. BCE)
| 22.17. וַיֹּאמֶר רָאִיתִי אֶת־כָּל־יִשְׂרָאֵל נְפֹצִים אֶל־הֶהָרִים כַּצֹּאן אֲשֶׁר אֵין־לָהֶם רֹעֶה וַיֹּאמֶר יְהוָה לֹא־אֲדֹנִים לָאֵלֶּה יָשׁוּבוּ אִישׁ־לְבֵיתוֹ בְּשָׁלוֹם׃ 22.19. וַיֹּאמֶר לָכֵן שְׁמַע דְּבַר־יְהוָה רָאִיתִי אֶת־יְהוָה יֹשֵׁב עַל־כִּסְאוֹ וְכָל־צְבָא הַשָּׁמַיִם עֹמֵד עָלָיו מִימִינוֹ וּמִשְּׂמֹאלוֹ׃ 22.21. וַיֵּצֵא הָרוּחַ וַיַּעֲמֹד לִפְנֵי יְהוָה וַיֹּאמֶר אֲנִי אֲפַתֶּנּוּ וַיֹּאמֶר יְהוָה אֵלָיו בַּמָּה׃ 22.22. וַיֹּאמֶר אֵצֵא וְהָיִיתִי רוּחַ שֶׁקֶר בְּפִי כָּל־נְבִיאָיו וַיֹּאמֶר תְּפַתֶּה וְגַם־תּוּכָל צֵא וַעֲשֵׂה־כֵן׃ 22.23. וְעַתָּה הִנֵּה נָתַן יְהוָה רוּחַ שֶׁקֶר בְּפִי כָּל־נְבִיאֶיךָ אֵלֶּה וַיהוָה דִּבֶּר עָלֶיךָ רָעָה׃ | 22.17. And he said: ‘I saw all Israel scattered upon the mountains, as sheep that have no shepherd; and the LORD said: These have no master; let them return every man to his house in peace.’" 22.19. And he said: ‘Therefore hear thou the word of the LORD. I saw the LORD sitting on His throne, and all the host of heaven standing by Him on His right hand and on his left." 22.20. And the LORD said: Who shall entice Ahab, that he may go up and fall at Ramoth-gilead. And one said: On this manner; and another said: On that manner." 22.21. And there came forth the spirit, and stood before the LORD, and said: I will entice him." 22.22. And the LORD said unto him: Wherewith? And he said: I will go forth, and will be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets. And He said: Thou shalt entice him, and shalt prevail also; go forth, and do so." 22.23. Now therefore, behold, the LORD hath put a lying spirit in the mouth of all these thy prophets; and the LORD hath spoken evil concerning thee.’" |
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6. Hebrew Bible, Isaiah, 6.1-6.13 (8th cent. BCE - 5th cent. BCE)
| 6.1. בִּשְׁנַת־מוֹת הַמֶּלֶךְ עֻזִּיָּהוּ וָאֶרְאֶה אֶת־אֲדֹנָי יֹשֵׁב עַל־כִּסֵּא רָם וְנִשָּׂא וְשׁוּלָיו מְלֵאִים אֶת־הַהֵיכָל׃ 6.1. הַשְׁמֵן לֵב־הָעָם הַזֶּה וְאָזְנָיו הַכְבֵּד וְעֵינָיו הָשַׁע פֶּן־יִרְאֶה בְעֵינָיו וּבְאָזְנָיו יִשְׁמָע וּלְבָבוֹ יָבִין וָשָׁב וְרָפָא לוֹ׃ 6.2. שְׂרָפִים עֹמְדִים מִמַּעַל לוֹ שֵׁשׁ כְּנָפַיִם שֵׁשׁ כְּנָפַיִם לְאֶחָד בִּשְׁתַּיִם יְכַסֶּה פָנָיו וּבִשְׁתַּיִם יְכַסֶּה רַגְלָיו וּבִשְׁתַּיִם יְעוֹפֵף׃ 6.3. וְקָרָא זֶה אֶל־זֶה וְאָמַר קָדוֹשׁ קָדוֹשׁ קָדוֹשׁ יְהוָה צְבָאוֹת מְלֹא כָל־הָאָרֶץ כְּבוֹדוֹ׃ 6.4. וַיָּנֻעוּ אַמּוֹת הַסִּפִּים מִקּוֹל הַקּוֹרֵא וְהַבַּיִת יִמָּלֵא עָשָׁן׃ 6.5. וָאֹמַר אוֹי־לִי כִי־נִדְמֵיתִי כִּי אִישׁ טְמֵא־שְׂפָתַיִם אָנֹכִי וּבְתוֹךְ עַם־טְמֵא שְׂפָתַיִם אָנֹכִי יוֹשֵׁב כִּי אֶת־הַמֶּלֶךְ יְהוָה צְבָאוֹת רָאוּ עֵינָי׃ 6.6. וַיָּעָף אֵלַי אֶחָד מִן־הַשְּׂרָפִים וּבְיָדוֹ רִצְפָּה בְּמֶלְקַחַיִם לָקַח מֵעַל הַמִּזְבֵּחַ׃ 6.7. וַיַּגַּע עַל־פִּי וַיֹּאמֶר הִנֵּה נָגַע זֶה עַל־שְׂפָתֶיךָ וְסָר עֲוֺנֶךָ וְחַטָּאתְךָ תְּכֻפָּר׃ 6.8. וָאֶשְׁמַע אֶת־קוֹל אֲדֹנָי אֹמֵר אֶת־מִי אֶשְׁלַח וּמִי יֵלֶךְ־לָנוּ וָאֹמַר הִנְנִי שְׁלָחֵנִי׃ 6.9. וַיֹּאמֶר לֵךְ וְאָמַרְתָּ לָעָם הַזֶּה שִׁמְעוּ שָׁמוֹעַ וְאַל־תָּבִינוּ וּרְאוּ רָאוֹ וְאַל־תֵּדָעוּ׃ 6.11. וָאֹמַר עַד־מָתַי אֲדֹנָי וַיֹּאמֶר עַד אֲשֶׁר אִם־שָׁאוּ עָרִים מֵאֵין יוֹשֵׁב וּבָתִּים מֵאֵין אָדָם וְהָאֲדָמָה תִּשָּׁאֶה שְׁמָמָה׃ 6.12. וְרִחַק יְהוָה אֶת־הָאָדָם וְרַבָּה הָעֲזוּבָה בְּקֶרֶב הָאָרֶץ׃ 6.13. וְעוֹד בָּהּ עֲשִׂרִיָּה וְשָׁבָה וְהָיְתָה לְבָעֵר כָּאֵלָה וְכָאַלּוֹן אֲשֶׁר בְּשַׁלֶּכֶת מַצֶּבֶת בָּם זֶרַע קֹדֶשׁ מַצַּבְתָּהּ׃ | 6.1. In the year that king Uzziah died I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne high and lifted up, and His train filled the temple." 6.2. Above Him stood the seraphim; each one had six wings: with twain he covered his face and with twain he covered his feet, and with twain he did fly." 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." 6.4. And the posts of the door were moved at the voice of them that called, and the house was filled with smoke." 6.5. Then said I: Woe is me! for I am undone; Because I am a man of unclean lips, And I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; For mine eyes have seen the King, The LORD of hosts." 6.6. Then flew unto me one of the seraphim, with a glowing stone in his hand, which he had taken with the tongs from off the altar;" 6.7. and he touched my mouth with it, and said: Lo, this hath touched thy lips; And thine iniquity is taken away, And thy sin expiated." 6.8. And I heard the voice of the Lord, saying: Whom shall I send, And who will go for us? Then I said: ‘Here am I; send me.’" 6.9. And He said: ‘Go, and tell this people: Hear ye indeed, but understand not; and see ye indeed, but perceive not." 6.10. Make the heart of this people fat, and make their ears heavy, and shut their eyes; lest they, seeing with their eyes, and hearing with their ears, and understanding with their heart, return, and be healed.’" 6.11. Then said I: ‘Lord, how long?’ And He answered: ‘Until cities be waste without inhabitant, and houses without man, And the land become utterly waste," 6.12. And the LORD have removed men far away, and the forsaken places be many in the midst of the land." 6.13. And if there be yet a tenth in it, it shall again be eaten up; as a terebinth, and as an oak, whose stock remaineth, when they cast their leaves, so the holy seed shall be the stock thereof.’" |
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7. Hebrew Bible, Jeremiah, 23.18, 23.23 (8th cent. BCE - 5th cent. BCE)
| 23.18. כִּי מִי עָמַד בְּסוֹד יְהוָה וְיֵרֶא וְיִשְׁמַע אֶת־דְּבָרוֹ מִי־הִקְשִׁיב דברי [דְּבָרוֹ] וַיִּשְׁמָע׃ 23.23. הַאֱלֹהֵי מִקָּרֹב אָנִי נְאֻם־יְהוָה וְלֹא אֱלֹהֵי מֵרָחֹק׃ | 23.18. For who hath stood in the council of the LORD, That he should perceive and hear His word? Who hath attended to His word, and heard it?" 23.23. Am I a God near at hand, saith the LORD, And not a God afar off?" |
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8. Hebrew Bible, Joshua, 22.16 (8th cent. BCE - 5th cent. BCE)
| 22.16. כֹּה אָמְרוּ כֹּל עֲדַת יְהוָה מָה־הַמַּעַל הַזֶּה אֲשֶׁר מְעַלְתֶּם בֵּאלֹהֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל לָשׁוּב הַיּוֹם מֵאַחֲרֵי יְהוָה בִּבְנוֹתְכֶם לָכֶם מִזְבֵּחַ לִמְרָדְכֶם הַיּוֹם בַּיהוָה׃ | 22.16. ’Thus saith the whole congregation of the LORD: What treachery is this that ye have committed against the God of Israel, to turn away this day from following the LORD, in that ye have builded you an altar, to rebel this day against the LORD?" |
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9. Hebrew Bible, Zechariah, 3.1-3.10 (5th cent. BCE - 4th cent. BCE)
| 3.1. בַּיּוֹם הַהוּא נְאֻם יְהוָה צְבָאוֹת תִּקְרְאוּ אִישׁ לְרֵעֵהוּ אֶל־תַּחַת גֶּפֶן וְאֶל־תַּחַת תְּאֵנָה׃ 3.1. וַיַּרְאֵנִי אֶת־יְהוֹשֻׁעַ הַכֹּהֵן הַגָּדוֹל עֹמֵד לִפְנֵי מַלְאַךְ יְהוָה וְהַשָּׂטָן עֹמֵד עַל־יְמִינוֹ לְשִׂטְנוֹ׃ 3.2. וַיֹּאמֶר יְהוָה אֶל־הַשָּׂטָן יִגְעַר יְהוָה בְּךָ הַשָּׂטָן וְיִגְעַר יְהוָה בְּךָ הַבֹּחֵר בִּירוּשָׁלִָם הֲלוֹא זֶה אוּד מֻצָּל מֵאֵשׁ׃ 3.3. וִיהוֹשֻׁעַ הָיָה לָבֻשׁ בְּגָדִים צוֹאִים וְעֹמֵד לִפְנֵי הַמַּלְאָךְ׃ 3.4. וַיַּעַן וַיֹּאמֶר אֶל־הָעֹמְדִים לְפָנָיו לֵאמֹר הָסִירוּ הַבְּגָדִים הַצֹּאִים מֵעָלָיו וַיֹּאמֶר אֵלָיו רְאֵה הֶעֱבַרְתִּי מֵעָלֶיךָ עֲוֺנֶךָ וְהַלְבֵּשׁ אֹתְךָ מַחֲלָצוֹת׃ 3.5. וָאֹמַר יָשִׂימוּ צָנִיף טָהוֹר עַל־רֹאשׁוֹ וַיָּשִׂימוּ הַצָּנִיף הַטָּהוֹר עַל־רֹאשׁוֹ וַיַּלְבִּשֻׁהוּ בְּגָדִים וּמַלְאַךְ יְהוָה עֹמֵד׃ 3.6. וַיָּעַד מַלְאַךְ יְהוָה בִּיהוֹשֻׁעַ לֵאמֹר׃ 3.7. כֹּה־אָמַר יְהוָה צְבָאוֹת אִם־בִּדְרָכַי תֵּלֵךְ וְאִם אֶת־מִשְׁמַרְתִּי תִשְׁמֹר וְגַם־אַתָּה תָּדִין אֶת־בֵּיתִי וְגַם תִּשְׁמֹר אֶת־חֲצֵרָי וְנָתַתִּי לְךָ מַהְלְכִים בֵּין הָעֹמְדִים הָאֵלֶּה׃ 3.8. שְׁמַע־נָא יְהוֹשֻׁעַ הַכֹּהֵן הַגָּדוֹל אַתָּה וְרֵעֶיךָ הַיֹּשְׁבִים לְפָנֶיךָ כִּי־אַנְשֵׁי מוֹפֵת הֵמָּה כִּי־הִנְנִי מֵבִיא אֶת־עַבְדִּי צֶמַח׃ 3.9. כִּי הִנֵּה הָאֶבֶן אֲשֶׁר נָתַתִּי לִפְנֵי יְהוֹשֻׁעַ עַל־אֶבֶן אַחַת שִׁבְעָה עֵינָיִם הִנְנִי מְפַתֵּחַ פִּתֻּחָהּ נְאֻם יְהוָה צְבָאוֹת וּמַשְׁתִּי אֶת־עֲוֺן הָאָרֶץ־הַהִיא בְּיוֹם אֶחָד׃ | 3.1. And he showed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the LORD, and Satan standing at his right hand to accuse him." 3.2. And the LORD said unto Satan: ‘The LORD rebuke thee, O Satan, yea, the LORD that hath chosen Jerusalem rebuke thee; is not this man a brand plucked out of the fire?’" 3.3. Now Joshua was clothed with filthy garments, and stood before the angel." 3.4. And he answered and spoke unto those that stood before him, saying: ‘Take the filthy garments from off him.’ And unto him he said: ‘Behold, I cause thine iniquity to pass from thee, and I will clothe thee with robes.’" 3.5. And I said: ‘Let them set a fair mitre upon his head.’ So they set a fair mitre upon his head, and clothed him with garments; and the angel of the LORD stood by." 3.6. And the angel of the LORD forewarned Joshua, saying:" 3.7. ’Thus saith the LORD of hosts: If thou wilt walk in My ways, and if thou wilt keep My charge, and wilt also judge My house, and wilt also keep My courts, then I will give thee free access among these that stand by." 3.8. Hear now, O Joshua the high priest, thou and thy fellows that sit before thee; for they are men that are a sign; for, behold, I will bring forth My servant the Shoot." 3.9. For behold the stone that I have laid before Joshua; upon one stone are seven facets; behold, I will engrave the graving thereof, saith the LORD of hosts: And I will remove the iniquity of that land in one day." 3.10. In that day, saith the LORD of hosts, shall ye call every man his neighbour under the vine and under the fig-tree." |
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10. Hebrew Bible, Daniel, 7.10 (2nd cent. BCE - 2nd cent. BCE)
| 7.10. A fiery stream issued And came forth from before him; thousand thousands ministered unto him, And ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him; The judgment was set, And the books were opened." |
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11. Mishnah, Avot, 1.4-1.12 (1st cent. CE - 3rd cent. CE)
| 1.4. Yose ben Yoezer (a man) of Zeredah and Yose ben Yoha [a man] of Jerusalem received [the oral tradition] from them [i.e. Shimon the Righteous and Antigonus]. Yose ben Yoezer used to say: let thy house be a house of meeting for the Sages and sit in the very dust of their feet, and drink in their words with thirst." 1.5. Yose ben Yocha (a of Jerusalem used to say:Let thy house be wide open, and let the poor be members of thy household. Engage not in too much conversation with women. They said this with regard to one’s own wife, how much more [does the rule apply] with regard to another man’s wife. From here the Sages said: as long as a man engages in too much conversation with women, he causes evil to himself, he neglects the study of the Torah, and in the end he will inherit gehinnom." 1.6. Joshua ben Perahiah and Nittai the Arbelite received [the oral tradition] from them. Joshua ben Perahiah used to say: appoint for thyself a teacher, and acquire for thyself a companion and judge all men with the scale weighted in his favor." 1.7. Nittai the Arbelite used to say: keep a distance from an evil neighbor, do not become attached to the wicked, and do not abandon faith in [divine] retribution." 1.8. Judah ben Tabbai and Shimon ben Shetach received [the oral tradition] from them. Judah ben Tabbai said: do not [as a judge] play the part of an advocate; and when the litigants are standing before you, look upon them as if they were [both] guilty; and when they leave your presence, look upon them as if they were [both] innocent, when they have accepted the judgement." 1.9. Shimon ben Shetach used to say: be thorough in the interrogation of witnesses, and be careful with your words, lest from them they learn to lie." 1.10. Shemaiah and Abtalion received [the oral tradition] from them. Shemaiah used to say: love work, hate acting the superior, and do not attempt to draw near to the ruling authority." 1.11. Abtalion used to say: Sages be careful with your words, lest you incur the penalty of exile, and be carried off to a place of evil waters, and the disciples who follow you drink and die, and thus the name of heaven becomes profaned." 1.12. Hillel and Shammai received [the oral tradition] from them. Hillel used to say: be of the disciples of Aaron, loving peace and pursuing peace, loving mankind and drawing them close to the Torah." |
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12. Mishnah, Hagigah, 2.2 (1st cent. CE - 3rd cent. CE)
| 2.2. Yose ben Yoezer says that [on a festival] the laying of the hands [on the head of a sacrifice] may not be performed. Yosef ben Joha says that it may be performed. Joshua ben Perahia says that it may not be performed. Nittai the Arbelite says that it may be performed. Judah ben Tabai says that it may not be performed. Shimon ben Shetah says that it may be performed. Shamayah says that it may be performed. Avtalyon says that it may not be performed. Hillel and Menahem did not dispute. Menahem went out, Shammai entered. Shammai says that it may not be performed. Hillel says that it may be performed. The former [of each] pair were patriarchs and the latter were heads of the court." |
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13. Mishnah, Megillah, 3.5 (1st cent. CE - 3rd cent. CE)
| 3.5. On Pesah we read from the portion of the festivals in Leviticus (Torat Kohanim) (Leviticus 23:4). On Shavuot, “Seven weeks” (Deuteronomy 16:9). On Rosh Hashanah “On the seventh day on the first of the month” (Leviticus 23:2. On Yom Hakippurim, “After the death” (Leviticus. On the first day of the Festival [of Sukkot] they read from the portion of the festivals in Leviticus, and on the other days of the Festival [of Sukkot] the [sections] on the offerings of the Festival." |
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14. Mishnah, Peah, 2.6 (1st cent. CE - 3rd cent. CE)
| 2.6. It happened that Rabbi Shimon of Mitzpah planted his field [with two different kinds] and came before Rabban Gamaliel. They both went up to the Chamber of Hewn Stone and asked [about the law]. Nahum the scribe said: I have a tradition from Rabbi Meyasha, who received it from Abba, who received it from the pairs [of sage], who received it from the prophets, a halakhah of Moses from Sinai, that one who plants his field with two species of wheat, if he makes up of it one threshing-floor, he gives only one peah, but if two threshing-floors, he gives two peahs." |
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15. Mishnah, Sanhedrin, 10.2 (1st cent. CE - 3rd cent. CE)
| 10.2. Three kings and four commoners have no portion in the world to come:The three kings are Jeroboam, Ahab, and Manasseh. Rabbi Judah says: “Manasseh has a portion in the world to come, for it says, “He prayed to him, and He granted his prayer, and heard his plea and he restored him to Jerusalem, to his kingdom” (II Chronicles 33:13). They [the sages] said to him: “They restored him to his kingdom, but not to [his portion in] the world to come.” The four commoners are: Bilaam, Doeg, Ahitophel, and Gehazi." |
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16. Mishnah, Yadayim, 4.3 (1st cent. CE - 3rd cent. CE)
| 4.3. On that day they said: what is the law applying to Ammon and Moab in the seventh year? Rabbi Tarfon decreed tithe for the poor. And Rabbi Elazar ben Azariah decreed second tithe. Rabbi Ishmael said: Elazar ben Azariah, you must produce your proof because you are expressing the stricter view and whoever expresses a stricter view has the burden to produce the proof. Rabbi Elazar ben Azariah said to him: Ishmael, my brother, I have not deviated from the sequence of years, Tarfon, my brother, has deviated from it and the burden is upon him to produce the proof. Rabbi Tarfon answered: Egypt is outside the land of Israel, Ammon and Moab are outside the land of Israel: just as Egypt must give tithe for the poor in the seventh year, so must Ammon and Moab give tithe for the poor in the seventh year. Rabbi Elazar ben Azariah answered: Babylon is outside the land of Israel, Ammon and Moab are outside the land of Israel: just as Babylon must give second tithe in the seventh year, so must Ammon and Moab give second tithe in the seventh year. Rabbi Tarfon said: on Egypt which is near, they imposed tithe for the poor so that the poor of Israel might be supported by it during the seventh year; so on Ammon and Moab which are near, we should impose tithe for the poor so that the poor of Israel may be supported by it during the seventh year. Rabbi Elazar ben Azariah said to him: Behold, you are like one who would benefit them with gain, yet you are really as one who causes them to perish. Would you rob the heavens so that dew or rain should not descend? As it is said, \"Will a man rob God? Yet you rob me. But you: How have we robbed You? In tithes and heave-offerings\" (Malakhi 3:8). Rabbi Joshua said: Behold, I shall be as one who replies on behalf of Tarfon, my brother, but not in accordance with the substance of his arguments. The law regarding Egypt is a new act and the law regarding Babylon is an old act, and the law which is being argued before us is a new act. A new act should be argued from [another] new act, but a new act should not be argued from an old act. The law regarding Egypt is the act of the elders and the law regarding Babylon is the act of the prophets, and the law which is being argued before us is the act of the elders. Let one act of the elders be argued from [another] act of the elders, but let not an act of the elders be argued from an act of the prophets. The votes were counted and they decided that Ammon and Moab should give tithe for the poor in the seventh year. And when Rabbi Yose ben Durmaskit visited Rabbi Eliezer in Lod he said to him: what new thing did you have in the house of study today? He said to him: their votes were counted and they decided that Ammon and Moab must give tithe for the poor in the seventh year. Rabbi Eliezer wept and said: \"The counsel of the Lord is with them that fear him: and his covet, to make them know it\" (Psalms 25:14). Go and tell them: Don't worry about your voting. I received a tradition from Rabbi Yoha ben Zakkai who heard it from his teacher, and his teacher from his teacher, and so back to a halachah given to Moses from Sinai, that Ammon and Moab must give tithe for the poor in the seventh year." |
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17. Tosefta, Hagigah, 2.9 (1st cent. CE - 2nd cent. CE)
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18. Tosefta, Sukkah, 3.1 (1st cent. CE - 2nd cent. CE)
| 3.1. The lulav suspends the Sabbath in the beginning of its duty, and the willow in the end of its duty. There is a story that some Boethusians once hid the willows under some great stones on the Sabbath eve; but when this had become known to the common people they came and dragged them out from under the stones on the Sabbath, for the Boethusians do not acknowledge that the beating of the willow suspends the Sabbath." |
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19. Babylonian Talmud, Berachot, None (3rd cent. CE - 6th cent. CE)
| 55b. וההיא שעתא אמיה לא הות,אמר א"ר לוי לעולם יצפה אדם לחלום טוב עד כ"ב שנה מנלן מיוסף דכתיב (בראשית לז, ב) אלה תולדות יעקב יוסף בן שבע עשרה שנה וגו' וכתיב (בראשית מא, מו) ויוסף בן שלשים שנה בעמדו לפני פרעה וגו' מן שבסרי עד תלתין כמה הוי תלת סרי ושב דשבעא ותרתי דכפנא הא כ"ב,אמר רב הונא לאדם טוב אין מראין לו חלום טוב ולאדם רע אין מראין לו חלום רע,תניא נמי הכי כל שנותיו של דוד לא ראה חלום טוב וכל שנותיו של אחיתופל לא ראה חלום רע,והכתיב (תהלים צא, י) לא תאונה אליך רעה ואמר רב חסדא אמר רב ירמיה בר אבא שלא יבהילוך לא חלומות רעים ולא הרהורים רעים ונגע לא יקרב באהלך שלא תמצא אשתך ספק נדה בשעה שאתה בא מן הדרך אלא איהו לא חזי ליה אחריני חזו ליה,וכי לא חזא איהו מעליותא הוא והאמר ר' זעירא כל הלן שבעה ימים בלא חלום נקרא רע שנאמר (משלי יט, כג) ושבע ילין בל יפקד רע אל תקרי שבע אלא שבע אלא הכי קאמר דחזא ולא ידע מאי חזא,אמר רב הונא בר אמי אמר ר' פדת א"ר יוחנן הרואה חלום ונפשו עגומה ילך ויפתרנו בפני שלשה יפתרנו והאמר רב חסדא חלמא דלא מפשר כאגרתא דלא מקריא אלא אימא יטיבנו בפני שלשה ליתי תלתא ולימא להו חלמא טבא חזאי ולימרו ליה הנך טבא הוא וטבא ליהוי רחמנא לשוייה לטב שבע זימנין לגזרו עלך מן שמיא דלהוי טבא ויהוי טבא ולימרו ג' הפוכות וג' פדויות ושלש שלומות,שלש הפוכות (תהלים ל, יב) הפכת מספדי למחול לי פתחת שקי ותאזרני שמחה (ירמיהו לא, יג) אז תשמח בתולה במחול ובחורים וזקנים יחדיו והפכתי אבלם לששון וגו' (דברים כג, ו) ולא אבה ה' אלהיך לשמוע אל בלעם ויהפוך וגו',שלש פדויות דכתיב (תהלים נה, יט) פדה בשלום נפשי מקרב לי וגו' (ישעיהו לה, י) ופדויי ה' ישובון וגו' (שמואל א ד, ג) ויאמר העם אל שאול היונתן ימות אשר עשה הישועה וגו',שלש שלומות דכתיב (ישעיהו נז, יט) בורא ניב שפתים שלום שלום לרחוק ולקרוב אמר ה' ורפאתיו (דברי הימים א יב, יט) ורוח לבשה את עמשי וגו' (שמואל א כה, ו) ואמרתם כה לחי ואתה שלום וביתך שלום וגו',אמימר ומר זוטרא ורב אשי הוו יתבי בהדי הדדי אמרי כל חד וחד מינן לימא מלתא דלא שמיע ליה לחבריה פתח חד מינייהו ואמר האי מאן דחזא חלמא ולא ידע מאי חזא ליקום קמי כהני בעידנא דפרסי ידייהו ולימא הכי רבש"ע אני שלך וחלומותי שלך חלום חלמתי ואיני יודע מה הוא בין שחלמתי אני לעצמי ובין שחלמו לי חבירי ובין שחלמתי על אחרים אם טובים הם חזקם ואמצם כחלומותיו של יוסף ואם צריכים רפואה רפאם כמי מרה על ידי משה רבינו וכמרים מצרעתה וכחזקיהו מחליו וכמי יריחו על ידי אלישע וכשם שהפכת קללת בלעם הרשע לברכה כן הפוך כל חלומותי עלי לטובה ומסיים בהדי כהני דעני צבורא אמן ואי לא לימא הכי אדיר במרום שוכן בגבורה אתה שלום ושמך שלום יהי רצון מלפניך שתשים עלינו שלום,פתח אידך ואמר האי מאן דעייל למתא ודחיל מעינא בישא לנקוט זקפא דידא דימיניה בידא דשמאליה וזקפא דידא דשמאליה בידא דימיניה ולימא הכי אנא פלוני בר פלוני מזרעא דיוסף קאתינא דלא שלטא ביה עינא בישא שנאמר (בראשית מט, כב) בן פורת יוסף בן פורת עלי עין וגו' אל תקרי עלי עין אלא עולי עין ר' יוסי בר' חנינא אמר מהכא (בראשית מח, טז) וידגו לרוב בקרב הארץ מה דגים שבים מים מכסים עליהם ואין עין רעה שולטת בהם אף זרעו של יוסף אין עין רעה שולטת בהם ואי דחיל מעינא בישא דיליה ליחזי אטרפא דנחיריה דשמאליה,פתח אידך ואמר האי מאן דחליש יומא קמא לא לגלי כי היכי דלא לתרע מזליה מכאן ואילך לגלי כי הא דרבא כי הוה חליש יומא קמא לא מגלי מכאן ואילך א"ל לשמעיה פוק אכריז רבא חלש מאן דרחים לי לבעי עלי רחמי ומאן דסני לי לחדי לי וכתיב (משלי כד, יז) בנפול אויבך אל תשמח ובכשלו אל יגל לבך פן יראה ה' ורע בעיניו והשיב מעליו אפו,שמואל כי הוה חזי חלמא בישא אמר (זכריה י, ב) וחלומות השוא ידברו כי הוה חזי חלמא טבא אמר וכי החלומות השוא ידברו והכתיב (במדבר יב, ו) בחלום אדבר בו,רבא רמי כתיב בחלום אדבר בו וכתיב וחלומות השוא ידברו לא קשיא כאן ע"י מלאך כאן ע"י שד,א"ר ביזנא בר זבדא א"ר עקיבא א"ר פנדא א"ר נחום א"ר בירים משום זקן אחד ומנו ר' בנאה עשרים וארבעה פותרי חלומות היו בירושלים פעם אחת חלמתי חלום והלכתי אצל כולם ומה שפתר לי זה לא פתר לי זה וכולם נתקיימו בי לקיים מה שנאמר כל החלומות הולכים אחר הפה,אטו כל החלומות הולכים אחר הפה קרא הוא אין וכדרבי אלעזר דא"ר אלעזר מנין שכל החלומות הולכין אחר הפה שנאמר (בראשית מא, יג) ויהי כאשר פתר לנו כן היה אמר רבא והוא דמפשר ליה מעין חלמיה שנאמר (בראשית מא, יב) איש כחלומו פתר,(בראשית מ, טז) וירא שר האופים מנא ידע א"ר אלעזר מלמד שכל אחד ואחד הראוהו חלומו ופתרון חלומו של חבירו,א"ר יוחנן השכים ונפל לו פסוק לתוך פיו הרי זו נבואה קטנה,ואמר ר' יוחנן ג' חלומות מתקיימין חלום של שחרית וחלום שחלם לו חבירו וחלום שנפתר בתוך חלום ויש אומר אף חלום שנשנה שנאמר (בראשית מא, לב) ועל השנות החלום וגו',אמר ר' שמואל בר נחמני א"ר יונתן אין מראין לו לאדם אלא מהרהורי לבו שנאמר (דניאל ב, כט) אנת מלכא רעיונך על משכבך סליקו ואיבעית אימא מהכא (דניאל ב, ל) ורעיוני לבבך תנדע אמר רבא תדע דלא מחוו ליה לאינש לא דקלא דדהבא ולא פילא דעייל בקופא דמחטא: | 55b. and eleven stars bowed down to me” (Genesis 37:9), band at that time his mother was no longeralive. According to the interpretation of the dream, the moon symbolizes Joseph’s mother. Even this dream that was ultimately fulfilled contained an element that was not fulfilled.,From the same source, bRabbi Levi said: One should always anticipatefulfillment of a bgood dream up to twenty-two yearsafter the dream. bFrom where do wederive this? bFrom Joseph, as it is writtenin the story of Joseph’s dream: b“These are the generations of Jacob. Joseph, being seventeen years old,was feeding the flock with his brethren” (Genesis 37:2); band it is written: “And Joseph was thirty years old when he stood before PharaohKing of Egypt” (Genesis 41:46). bFrom seventeen to thirty how manyyears bare they? Thirteen; andadd bseven years of plenty and two of famine;the total is btwenty-twoand only then was the dream fulfilled when his brothers came and bowed down to him., bRav Huna said: A good person is not shown a good dream and a wicked person is not shown a bad dream;rather, a good person is punished for his relatively few transgressions with bad dreams and a wicked person is rewarded for his relatively few merits with good dreams., bThat was also taughtin a ibaraita /i: bAll ofKing bDavid’s life he never saw a good dream, and all of Ahitophel’s life he never saw a bad dream. /b,The Gemara raises a difficulty: bIs it not written: “No evil shall befall you,neither shall any plague come near your tent” (Psalms 91:10)? bAnd Rav Ḥisda saidthat bRav Yirmeya bar Abba saidin explanation of that verse: This means bthat you will be frightened neither by bad dreams nor by evil thoughts. Neither shall any plague come near your tent,means bthat you will never find your wifewith the buncertainstatus of a bmenstruating woman when you return from a journey.This proves that it is impossible that a righteous person will experience bad dreams throughout his life. bRather,one might say that bhe does not seebad dreams; bothers seebad dreams about him.,The Gemara asks: bAnd when he does not seea dream, bisthat ba virtue? Didn’t Rabbi Zeira say: Anyone who sleeps seven days without a dream is called evil,as it indicates that God does not wish to appear to him even in that indirect manner. Allusion to this is, bas it is stated: “And he that has it shall lie satisfied [ ivesave’a /i], he shall not be visited with evil”(Proverbs 19:23). The Sages said: bDo not readit as bsatisfied [ ivesave’a /i], ratherread it as bseven [ ivesheva /i],which is an allusion to the fact that one who sleeps seven times and does not experience a dream is considered evil. bRather,one must say that David saw dreams band the ibaraita bsays as follows:David certainly bsawdreams, bbut he did not understand what he saw. /b, bRav Huna bar Ami saidthat bRabbi Pedat saidthat bRabbi Yoḥa said: One who sees a dreamfrom which bhis soul is distraught, should go andhave bit interpreted before three.The Gemara is surprised by this: bInterpreted? Didn’t Rav Ḥisda say: A dream not interpreted is like a letter not read?If one is concerned about a dream, why would he actively promote its fulfillment? bRather, sayas follows: bHe should better it before three.He should bbring threepeople band say to them: I saw a good dream. And theyshould bsay to him: It is good, and let it be good,may bGod make it good.May bthey decree upon you from heaven seven times that it will be good, and it will be good.Afterwards bthey recite threeverses of btransformationfrom bad to good, bthreeverses of bredemption, and threeverses which mention bpeace. /b,The Gemara elaborates: bThree transformations:br b“You transformed my mourning into dancing;br bYou loosed my sackcloth, and girded me with gladness”(Psalms 30:12); br b“Then shall the virgin rejoice in the dance, and the young men and the old together;br bfor I will transform their mourning into joy, and will comfort them, and make them rejoice from their sorrow”(Jeremiah 31:12); brand: b“Nevertheless the Lord your God would not hearken unto Balaam;br bbut the Lord your God transformed the curse into a blessing unto you”(Deuteronomy 23:6)., bAnd three redemptions, as it is written:br b“He has redeemed my soul in peace so that none came near me;for they were many that strove with me” (Psalms 55:19); br b“The redeemed of the Lord shall return,and come with singing unto Zion, and everlasting joy shall be upon their heads; brthey shall obtain gladness and joy, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away” (Isaiah 35:10); brand: b“The people said to Saul: Shall Jonathan die, who has wrought this great salvationin Israel? brSo the people rescued Jonathan, that he died not” (I Samuel 14:45)., bAnd threementions of bpeace, as it is written:br b“Peace, peace, to him that is far off and to him that is near, says the Lord that creates the expression of the lips; and I will heal him”(Isaiah 57:19); br b“Then the spirit clothed Amasai,who was chief of the captains: Yours are we, David, and on your side, you son of Yishai; br bpeace, peace be unto you, and peace be to your helpers”(I Chronicles 12:19); brand: b“Thus you shall say: All hail and peace be both unto you,br band peace be to your house,and peace be unto all that you have” (I Samuel 25:6).,The Gemara relates: bAmeimar and Mar Zutra and Rav Ashi were sitting together. They said: Let each and every one of us say something that the other has not heard. One of them began and said: One who saw a dream and does not know what he saw should stand before the priests when they lift their handsduring the Priestly Blessing band say the following: br bMaster of the Universe, I am Yours and my dreams are Yours,br bI dreamed a dream and I do not know what it is.br bWhether I have dreamed of myself, whether my friends have dreamed of me or whether I have dreamed of others,br bifthe dreams bare good, strengthen them and reinforce them like the dreams of Joseph.br bAnd ifthe dreams brequire healing,br bheal them like thebitter bwaters of Mara by Moses our teacher, and like Miriam from her leprosy,br band like Hezekiah from his illness, and like thebitter bwaters of Jericho by Elisha.br bAnd just as You transformed the curse of Balaam the wicked into a blessing,br bso transform all of my dreams for me for the best.br bAndhe should bcompletehis prayer btogether with the priests so the congregation responds amenboth to the blessing of the priests and to his individual request. bAnd ifhe is bnotable to recite this entire formula, bhe should say:br bMajestic One on high, Who dwells in power,br bYou are peace and Your name is peace.br bMay it be Your will that You bestow upon us peace. /b, bAnother began and said: One who enters a city and fears the evil eyeshould bhold the thumb [ izekafa /i] of his right hand in his left hand and the thumb of his left hand in his right hand and recite the following: I, so-and-so son of so-and-so, come from the descendants of Joseph,over whom bthe evil eye has no dominion, as it is stated: “Joseph is a fruitful vine, a fruitful vine by a fountain [ ialei ayin /i];its branches run over the wall” (Genesis 49:22). bDo not readit as ialei ayin /i; but rather,read it as iolei ayin /i, who rise above the eyeand the evil eye has no dominion over him. bRabbi Yosei, son of Rabbi Ḥanina, said:Derive it bfrom here,from what is stated in Jacob’s blessing of Joseph’s sons: b“And let them grow like fish into a multitude in the midst of the earth”(Genesis 48:16): bJust as fish in the sea are covered by water and the evil eye has no dominion over themas they cannot be seen, bso too the offspring of Joseph, the evil eye has no dominion over them. And if he is concerned about his own evil eye,lest it damage others, he should blook at the side of his left nostril. /b, bAnother began and said: One who is sick should not revealit bon the first dayof his illness bso that his luck should not suffer; from there onhe may brevealit. bLike that which Ravadoes bwhen he falls ill; on the first day he does not reveal it, from there on he says to his servant: Go out and announce: Rava is sick. Those who love me will praythat God have bmercy on me and those who hate me will rejoiceover bmydistress. bAnd it is written: “Rejoice not when your enemy falls, and let not your heart be glad when he stumbles; lest the Lord see it, and it displease Him, and He turn away His wrath from him”(Proverbs 24:17–18). The joy of my enemy over my distress will also assist my healing.,The Gemara relates: bShmuel, when he would see a bad dream,would bsay: “And the dreams speak falsely”(Zechariah 10:2). bWhen he would see a good dream,he would bsay: And do dreams speak falsely? Isn’t it written: “I speak with him in a dream”(Numbers 12:6)?, bRava raised a contradictionbetween these verses: On the one hand, bit is written: “I speak with him in a dream”; andon the other hand, bit is written: “And the dreams speak falsely.”The Gemara resolves this contradiction: This is bnot difficultbecause there are two types of dreams. bHere,the verse, “I speak with him in a dream,” refers to dreams that come bby means of an angel; here,the verse, “And the dreams speak falsely,” refers to dreams that come bby means of a demon. /b,In a long chain of those transmitting this statement, it is said that bRabbi Bizna bar Zavda saidthat bRabbi Akiva saidthat bRabbi Panda saidthat bRav Naḥum saidthat bRabbi Birayim said in the name of one elder, and who is he, Rabbi Bena’a: There were twenty-four interpreters of dreams in Jerusalem. One time, I dreamed a dream and went to each of themto interpret it. bWhat one interpreted for me the other did not interpret for me, and,nevertheless, ball ofthe interpretations bwere realized in me, to fulfill that which is stated: All dreams follow the mouthof the interpreter.,The Gemara asks: bIs that to say that all dreams follow the mouth is a versecited as corroboration? The Gemara responds: bYes, and in accordance withthe opinion of bRabbi Elazar, as Rabbi Elazar said: From whereis it derived bthat all dreams follow the mouthof the interpreter? bAs it is statedin the story of the dreams of Pharaoh’s two ministers. The butler said to Pharaoh: b“And it came to pass, as he interpreted to us, so it was”(Genesis 41:13). bRava said,one must attach a caveat to this: bThis is onlyin a case where bit is interpreted for himin a manner bakin to the dream,where the interpretation is relevant to the dream, bas it is statedin the story of Joseph’s interpretation of the dreams of Pharaoh’s two ministers: b“Each man according to his dream he did interpret”(Genesis 41:12).,With regard to Joseph’s interpretation of these dreams, the Gemara asks, it is written: b“The baker sawthat the interpretation was good” (Genesis 40:16); bfrom where didthe baker bknowthat the interpretation was good? bRabbi Elazar said:This bteaches that eachof them bwas shown his dream and the interpretation of the other’s dream.That is how he knew that it was the correct interpretation.,With regard to the veracity of dreams, bRabbi Yoḥa said: One who awakenedin the morning band aspecific bverse happens into his mouth, it is a minor prophecyand an indication that the content of the verse will be fulfilled., bRabbi Yoḥa also said: Three dreams are fulfilled: A dream of the morning, a dream that one’s fellow dreamed about him, and a dream that is interpreted within a dream. And some say that a dream that is repeatedseveral times is also fulfilled, bas it is stated: “And for that the dream was doubledunto Pharaoh twice, it is because the thing is established by God, and God will shortly bring it to pass” (Genesis 41:32)., bRabbi Shmuel bar Naḥmani saidthat bRabbi Yonatan said: A person is shownin his dream bonly the thoughts of his heartwhen he was awake, as evidenced by what Daniel said to Nebuchadnezzar, bas it is stated: “As for you, O king, your thoughts came upon your bed,what should come to pass hereafter” (Daniel 2:29). bAnd if you wish, sayinstead that it is derived bfrom here,a related verse: b“And that you may know the thoughts of yourheart” (Daniel 2:30). How will you know the thoughts of your heart? By their being revealed to you in a dream. bRava said: Knowthat this is the case, bfor one is neither shown a golden palm tree nor an elephantgoing through bthe eye of a needlein a dream. In other words, dreams only contain images that enter a person’s mind. |
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20. Babylonian Talmud, Hagigah, None (3rd cent. CE - 6th cent. CE)
| 15b. לינוקא פסוק לי פסוקך א"ל (ירמיהו ד, ל) ואת שדוד מה תעשי כי תלבשי שני כי תעדי עדי זהב כי תקרעי בפוך עיניך לשוא תתיפי וגו',עייליה לבי כנישתא אחריתי עד דעייליה לתליסר בי כנישתא כולהו פסקו ליה כי האי גוונא לבתרא א"ל פסוק לי פסוקך א"ל (תהלים נ, טז) ולרשע אמר אלהים מה לך לספר חקי וגו' ההוא ינוקא הוה מגמגם בלישניה אשתמע כמה דאמר ליה ולאלישע אמר אלהים איכא דאמרי סכינא הוה בהדיה וקרעיה ושדריה לתליסר בי כנישתי ואיכא דאמרי אמר אי הואי בידי סכינא הוה קרענא ליה,כי נח נפשיה דאחר אמרי לא מידן לידייניה ולא לעלמא דאתי ליתי לא מידן לידייניה משום דעסק באורייתא ולא לעלמא דאתי ליתי משום דחטא אמר ר"מ מוטב דלידייניה וליתי לעלמא דאתי מתי אמות ואעלה עשן מקברו כי נח נפשיה דר' מאיר סליק קוטרא מקבריה דאחר,אמר ר' יוחנן גבורתא למיקלא רביה חד הוה ביננא ולא מצינן לאצוליה אי נקטיה ביד מאן מרמי ליה מאן אמר מתי אמות ואכבה עשן מקברו כי נח נפשיה דר' יוחנן פסק קוטרא מקבריה דאחר פתח עליה ההוא ספדנא אפילו שומר הפתח לא עמד לפניך רבינו,בתו של אחר אתיא לקמיה דרבי אמרה ליה רבי פרנסני אמר לה בת מי את אמרה לו בתו של אחר אני אמר לה עדיין יש מזרעו בעולם והא כתיב (איוב יח, יט) לא נין לו ולא נכד בעמו ואין שריד במגוריו אמרה לו זכור לתורתו ואל תזכור מעשיו מיד ירדה אש וסכסכה ספסלו של רבי בכה ואמר רבי ומה למתגנין בה כך למשתבחין בה על אחת כמה וכמה,ור"מ היכי גמר תורה מפומיה דאחר והאמר רבה בר בר חנה אמר רבי יוחנן מאי דכתיב (מלאכי ב, ז) כי שפתי כהן ישמרו דעת ותורה יבקשו מפיהו כי מלאך ה' צבאות הוא אם דומה הרב למלאך ה' צבאות יבקשו תורה מפיהו ואם לאו אל יבקשו תורה מפיהו,אמר ר"ל ר"מ קרא אשכח ודרש (משלי כב, יז) הט אזנך ושמע דברי חכמים ולבך תשית לדעתי לדעתם לא נאמר אלא לדעתי,רב חנינא אמר מהכא (תהלים מה, יא) שמעי בת וראי והטי אזנך ושכחי עמך ובית אביך וגו',קשו קראי אהדדי לא קשיא הא בגדול הא בקטן,כי אתא רב דימי אמר אמרי במערבא ר"מ אכל תחלא ושדא שיחלא לברא דרש רבא מאי דכתיב (שיר השירים ו, יא) אל גנת אגוז ירדתי לראות באבי הנחל וגו' למה נמשלו ת"ח לאגוז לומר לך מה אגוז זה אע"פ שמלוכלך בטיט ובצואה אין מה שבתוכו נמאס אף ת"ח אע"פ שסרח אין תורתו נמאסת,אשכחיה רבה בר שילא לאליהו א"ל מאי קא עביד הקב"ה א"ל קאמר שמעתא מפומייהו דכולהו רבנן ומפומיה דר"מ לא קאמר א"ל אמאי משום דקא גמר שמעתא מפומיה דאחר א"ל אמאי ר"מ רמון מצא תוכו אכל קליפתו זרק א"ל השתא קאמר מאיר בני אומר בזמן שאדם מצטער שכינה מה לשון אומרת קלני מראשי קלני מזרועי אם כך הקב"ה מצטער על דמן של רשעים ק"ו על דמן של צדיקים שנשפך,אשכחיה שמואל לרב יהודה דתלי בעיברא דדשא וקא בכי א"ל שיננא מאי קא בכית א"ל מי זוטרא מאי דכתיב בהו ברבנן (ישעיהו לג, יח) איה סופר איה שוקל איה סופר את המגדלים איה סופר שהיו סופרים כל אותיות שבתורה איה שוקל שהיו שוקלים קלין וחמורין שבתורה איה סופר את המגדלים שהיו שונין ג' מאות הלכות במגדל הפורח באויר,ואמר רבי אמי תלת מאה בעיי בעו דואג ואחיתופל במגדל הפורח באויר ותנן ג' מלכים וארבעה הדיוטות אין להם חלק לעולם הבא אנן מה תהוי עלן א"ל שיננא טינא היתה בלבם,אחר מאי זמר יווני לא פסק מפומיה אמרו עליו על אחר בשעה שהיה עומד מבית המדרש הרבה ספרי מינין נושרין מחיקו,שאל נימוס הגרדי את ר"מ כל עמר דנחית ליורה סליק א"ל כל מאן דהוה נקי אגב אימיה סליק כל דלא הוה נקי אגב אימיה לא סליק,ר"ע עלה בשלום וירד בשלום ועליו הכתוב אומר (שיר השירים א, ד) משכני אחריך נרוצה ואף רבי עקיבא בקשו מלאכי השרת לדוחפו אמר להם הקב"ה הניחו לזקן זה שראוי להשתמש בכבודי | 15b. ba child: Recite your verse to me. He recited to him: “And you, spoiled one, what are you doing, that you clothe yourself with scarlet, that you deck yourself with ornaments of gold, that you enlarge your eyes with paint? In vain you make yourself fair”(Jeremiah 4:30)., bHe brought him to another synagogue, until he had brought him into thirteen synagogues,where ballthe children brecited to him similarverses that speak of the hopeless situation of the wicked. bAt the last one, he said to him: Recite your verse to me. He recited to him: “And to the wicked [ ivelerasha /i] God says, what is it for you to declare My statutes”(Psalms 50:16). The Gemara relates: bThat child had a stutter,so bit sounded as though he were saying to him: iVele’elisha /i,i.e., and to Elisha, bGod says.This made Elisha think the child was deliberately insulting him. bSome say iAḥer bhad a knife, and he torethe child bapart and sent him tothe bthirteen synagogues. And others saythat iAḥermerely bsaid: Had I a knife, I would have torn him apart. /b,The Gemara relates: bWhen iAḥer bpassed away,the Heavenly Court bdeclaredthat bhe should not be judged, nor brought into the World-to-Come. He should not be judgedin a manner befitting his deeds, bbecause he occupiedhimself bwith Torah,whose merit protects him. bAnd he should not be brought into the World-to-Come because he sinned. Rabbi Meir said: It is better that he be judgedproperly band be brought into the World-to-Come. When I dieI will request this of Heaven, band I will cause smoke to rise up from his grave,as a sign that he is being sentenced in Gehenna. The Gemara relates: bWhen Rabbi Meir passed away, smoke rose up fromthe bgrave of iAḥer /i,implying that Rabbi Meir’s wish was granted., bRabbi Yoḥa said:Was this ba mightydeed on Rabbi Meir’s part, bto burn his teacher?Was this the only remedy available? Can it be that there bwas oneSage bamong uswho left the path band we cannot save him? If we hold him by the hand, who will remove himfrom our protection; bwho?Rabbi Yoḥa continued and bsaid: When I die I will havethe bsmoke extinguished from his grave,as a sign that he has been released from the sentence of Gehenna and brought to the World-to-Come. Indeed, bwhen Rabbi Yoḥa passed away,the bsmoke ceasedto rise up bfromthe bgrave of iAḥer /i. A certain eulogizerbegan his eulogy of Rabbi Yoḥa with the following: bEven the guard at the entrance could not stand before you, our rabbi.The guard at the entrance to Gehenna could not prevent Rabbi Yoḥa from arranging the release of iAḥer /i.,The Gemara relates: bThe daughter of iAḥercame before RabbiYehuda HaNasi and bsaid to him: Rabbi, provide me with sustece,as she was in need of food. bHe said to her: Whose daughter are you? She said to him: I am the daughter of iAḥer /i. He said to her,angrily: bIs there still of his seedremaining bin the world? But isn’t it stated: “He shall have neither son nor grandson among his people or any remaining in his dwellings”(Job 18:19)? bShe said to him: Remember his Torah, and do not remember his deeds. Immediately, fire descended and licked RabbiYehuda HaNasi’s bbench. RabbiYehuda HaNasi bwept and said: IfGod protects the honor of bthose who treatthe Torah bwith contemptin bsucha manner, as iAḥerdespised the Torah and relinquished its teachings, bhow much more sowould He do bfor those who treat it with honor. /b,The Gemara poses a question: bAnd Rabbi Meir, how could he learn Torah fromthe bmouth of iAḥer /i? But didn’t Rabba bar bar Ḥana saythat bRabbi Yoḥa said: What isthe meaning of that bwhich is written: “For the priest’s lips should keep knowledge, and they should seek Torah from his mouth; for he is an angel of the Lord of hosts”(Malachi 2:7)? The verse teaches: bIf the rabbi is similar to an angel of the Lord of hosts,perfect in his ways, bthey should seek Torah from his mouth; but if not, they should not seek Torah from his mouth. /b, bReish Lakish said: Rabbi Meir found a verse and interpreted it homiletically: “Incline your ear, and hear the words of the wise, and apply your heart to My knowledge”(Proverbs 22:17). bIt does not state “to their knowledge,” but “to My knowledge.”In other words, one must listen to the words of bthe Sages,despite their flaws, provided that their opinion concurs with that of God., bRav Ḥanina saidthat one can find support for this idea bfrom here: “Listen, daughter and consider, and incline your ear; forget also your own people and your father’s house”(Psalms 45:11), which likewise indicates that one must listen to the words of a Sage while forgetting, i.e., ignoring, the faulty aspects of his teachings.,The Gemara asks: If so, bthe verses contradict each other,for one source states that one may learn only from a scholar who is perfect in his ways, while the other indicates that it is permitted even to learn from one whose character is flawed. The Gemara answers: This is bnot difficult. Thiscase, in which it is permitted to a flawed scholar, is referring bto an adult;whereas bthatcase, which prohibits doing so, is referring bto a minor,who should learn only from a righteous person, so that his ways are not corrupted by a teacher with flawed character., bWhen Rav Dimi camefrom Eretz Yisrael to Babylonia, bhe said: In the West,Eretz Yisrael, they bsay: Rabbi Meir ate a half-ripe date and threw the peel away.In other words, he was able to extract the important content from the inedible shell. bRava taught: What isthe meaning of that bwhich is written: “I went down into the garden of nuts, to look at the green plants of the valley”(Song of Songs 6:11)? bWhy are Torah scholars compared to nuts? To tell you: Just as this nut, despite being soiled with mud and excrement, its content is not made repulsive,as only its shell is soiled; bso too a Torah scholar, although he has sinned, his Torah is not made repulsive. /b,The Gemara relates: bRabba bar Sheila found Elijahthe prophet, who had appeared to him. He bsaid toElijah: bWhat is the Holy One, Blessed be He, doing?Elijah bsaid to him: He is stating ihalakhottransmitted by all of the Sages, but in the name of Rabbi Meir He will not speak. He said to him: Why?He replied: bBecause he learned ihalakhotfrom the mouth of iAḥer /i. He said to him: Whyshould he be judged unfavorably for that? bRabbi Meir found a pomegranateand bate its contentswhile bthrowing away its peel. He said to him:Indeed, your defense has been heard above. bNowGod bis saying: My son, Meir, says: When a person suffers,e.g., by receiving lashes or the death penalty at the hands of the court, bhow does the Divine Presence express itself? Woe is Me from My head, woe is Me from My arm,as God empathizes with the sufferer. bIf the Holy One, Blessed be He, suffersto bsuchan extent bover the blood of the wicked, how much more sodoes He suffer bover the blood of the righteous that is spilled. /b,The Gemara relates: bShmuel found Rav Yehuda leaning on the bar of the door, crying. He said to him: Long-toothed one [ ishina /i], what are you cryingfor? bHe said to him: Isit ba smallmatter, bthat which is written with regard to Sageswho have sinned: b“Where is he who counted, where is he who weighed? Where is he who counted the towers?”(Isaiah 33:18). He proceeded to explain: b“Where is he who counted”; for they would count all the letters of the Torah. “Where is he who weighed”; for they would weighand compare the bminor and majortransgressions bof the Torah. “Where is he who counted the towers”; for they would teach three hundred ihalakhot /iconcerning the details of tent impurity binvolvinga wooden bcloset floating in the air.If they studied a subject so removed from reality in such depths, how much more so did they analyze other issues., bAnd Rabbi Ami said: Doeg asked Ahithophel three hundred questions with regard to a closet floating in the air,as they were both great Torah scholars. bAnd we learnedin a mishna ( iSanhedrin90a): bThree kings and four commoners have no portion in the World-to-Come,a list that includes Doeg and Ahithophel. If such great Sages could sin and forfeit their share in the World-to-Come, bwe,who are less knowledgeable than they, bwhat will be of us? He said to him: Long-toothed one, there was mud [ itina /i] in their hearts,i.e., they had certain flaws that prevented their Torah learning from protecting them.,The Gemara explains: iAḥer /i, whatwas his failing? bGreek tunes never ceased from his mouth.He would constantly hum Greek songs, even when he was among the Sages. This shows that from the outset he was drawn to gentile culture and beliefs. Similarly, bthey said about iAḥer /i: When he would standafter learning bin the study hall, many heretical books,which he had been reading, would bfall from his lap.Therefore, he was somewhat unsound even when among the Sages.,The gentile philosopher, bNimos HaGardi, asked Rabbi Meir:Does ball wool that enters the cauldronto be dyed bemerge colored?In other words, do all those who learn Torah emerge as decent and worthy? bHe said to him: Whoever was clean whenhe was bwith his mother,from the outset, will bemergedecent and worthy, but ballthose who were bnot clean whenthey were bwith their motherwill bnot emergeworthy. One who approaches Torah study having been flawed from the outset will not be properly influenced by it.,§ The Gemara returns to the four who entered the orchard. It is stated above that bRabbi Akiva ascended in safety and descended safely. With regard to him, the verse states: “Draw me, we will run after you;the king has brought me into his chambers” (Song of Songs 1:4). The Gemara relates: bAnd even Rabbi Akiva, the ministering angels sought to pushhim out of the orchard. bThe Holy One, Blessed be He, said to them: Leave this Elder, for he is fit to serve My glory. /b |
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21. Babylonian Talmud, Sanhedrin, None (3rd cent. CE - 6th cent. CE)
| 106b. (יהושע יג, כב) הרגו בני ישראל [בחרב] אל חלליהם אמר רב שקיימו בו ארבע מיתות סקילה ושריפה הרג וחנק,א"ל ההוא מינא לר' חנינא מי שמיע לך בלעם בר כמה הוה א"ל מיכתב לא כתיב אלא מדכתיב (תהלים נה, כד) אנשי דמים ומרמה לא יחצו ימיהם בר תלתין ותלת שנין או בר תלתין וארבע א"ל שפיר קאמרת לדידי חזי לי פנקסיה דבלעם והוה כתיב ביה בר תלתין ותלת שנין בלעם חגירא כד קטיל יתיה פנחס ליסטאה,א"ל מר בריה דרבינא לבריה בכולהו לא תפיש למדרש לבר מבלעם הרשע דכמה דמשכחת ביה דרוש ביה,כתיב דואג וכתיב דוייג אמר ר' יוחנן בתחילה יושב הקב"ה ודואג שמא יצא זה לתרבות רעה לאחר שיצא אמר ווי שיצא זה,(סימן גבור ורשע וצדיק חיל וסופר),א"ר יצחק מאי דכתיב (תהלים נב, ג) מה תתהלל ברעה הגבור חסד אל כל היום אמר לו הקב"ה לדואג לא גבור בתורה אתה מה תתהלל ברעה לא חסד אל נטוי עליך כל היום,וא"ר יצחק מאי דכתיב (תהלים נ, טז) ולרשע אמר אלהים מה לך לספר חוקי אמר לו הקב"ה לדואג הרשע מה לך לספר חוקי כשאתה מגיע לפרשת מרצחים ופרשת מספרי לשון הרע מה אתה דורש בהם (תהלים נ, טז) ותשא בריתי עלי פיך אמר ר' אמי אין תורתו של דואג אלא משפה ולחוץ,ואמר רבי יצחק מאי דכתיב (תהלים נב, ח) ויראו צדיקים וייראו ועליו ישחקו בתחילה ייראו ולבסוף ישחקו,וא"ר יצחק מאי דכתיב (איוב כ, טו) חיל בלע ויקיאנו מבטנו יורישנו אל אמר דוד לפני הקב"ה רבש"ע ימות דואג אמר לו חיל בלע ויקיאנו אמר לפניו מבטנו יורישנו אל,וא"ר יצחק מאי דכתיב (תהלים נב, ז) גם אל יתצך לנצח אמר הקב"ה לדוד ניתי דואג לעלמא דאתי אמר לפניו גם אל יתצך לנצח מאי דכתיב (תהלים נב, ז) יחתך ויסחך מאהל ושרשך מארץ חיים סלה אמר הקב"ה לימרו שמעתא בי מדרשא משמיה אמר לפניו יחתך ויסחך מאהל ליהוי ליה בנין רבנן ושרשך מארץ חיים סלה,וא"ר יצחק מאי דכתיב (ישעיהו לג, יח) איה סופר איה שוקל איה סופר את המגדלים איה סופר כל אותיות שבתורה איה שוקל ששוקל כל קלים וחמורים שבתורה איה סופר את המגדלים שהיה סופר שלש מאות הלכות פסוקות במגדל הפורח באויר,א"ר ארבע מאה בעיי' בעו דואג ואחיתופל במגדל הפורח באויר [ולא איפשט להו חד] אמר רבא רבותא למבעי בעיי בשני דרב יהודה כולי תנויי בנזיקין ואנן קא מתנינן טובא בעוקצין,וכי הוה מטי רב יהודה אשה שכובשת ירק בקדירה ואמרי לה זיתים שכבשן בטרפיהן טהורים אמר הויות דרב ושמואל קא חזינא הכא ואנן קא מתנינן בעוקצין תלת סרי מתיבתא,ורב יהודה שליף מסאני ואתא מטרא ואנן צוחינן וליכא דמשגח בן אלא הקב"ה ליבא בעי דכתיב (שמואל א טז, ז) וה' יראה ללבב,אמר רב משרשיא דואג ואחיתופל לא [הוו] סברי שמעתא מתקיף לה מר זוטרא מאן דכתיב ביה איה סופר איה שוקל איה סופר את המגדלים ואת אמרת לא הוו סברי שמעתא אלא דלא הוה סלקא להו שמעתא אליבא דהלכתא דכתיב (תהלים כה, יד) סוד ה' ליראיו,א"ר אמי לא מת דואג עד ששכח תלמודו שנא' (משלי ה, כג) הוא ימות באין מוסר וברוב אולתו ישגה רב (אשי) אמר נצטרע שנאמר (תהלים עג, כז) הצמתה כל זונה ממך,כתיב התם (ויקרא כה, ל) לצמיתות ומתרגמינן לחלוטין ותנן אין בין מוסגר ומוחלט אלא פריעה ופרימה,(סימן שלשה ראו וחצי וקראו),א"ר יוחנן שלשה מלאכי חבלה נזדמנו לו לדואג אחד ששכח תלמודו ואחד ששרף נשמתו ואחד שפיזר עפרו בבתי כנסיות ובבתי מדרשות,(א"ר) יוחנן דואג ואחיתופל לא ראו זה את זה דואג בימי שאול ואחיתופל בימי דוד,וא"ר יוחנן דואג ואחיתופל לא חצו ימיהם תניא נמי הכי אנשי דמים ומרמה לא יחצו ימיהם כל שנותיו של דואג לא היו אלא שלשים וארבע ושל אחיתופל אינן אלא שלשים ושלש,וא"ר יוחנן בתחלה קרא דוד לאחיתופל רבו ולבסוף קראו חבירו ולבסוף קראו תלמידו בתחילה קראו רבו (תהלים נה, יד) ואתה אנוש כערכי אלופי ומיודעי ולבסוף קראו חבירו (תהלים נה, טו) אשר יחדו נמתיק סוד בבית אלהים נהלך ברגש ולבסוף קראו תלמידו (תהלים מא, י) גם איש שלומי אשר בטחתי בו | 106b. With regard to the latter part of the verse: “And Balaam, son of Beor, the diviner, bdid the children of Israel slay with the sword among the rest of their slain”(Joshua 13:22), bRav says:It means bthat they accomplished in himall bfourmeans of court-imposed bexecutions: Stoning, and burning, beheading, and strangulation. /b, bA certain heretic said to Rabbi Ḥanina: Have you heard how old Balaam waswhen he died? Rabbi Ḥanina bsaid to him: It is not writtenexplicitly in the Torah. bBut fromthe fact bthat it is written: “Bloody and deceitful men shall not live half their days”(Psalms 55:24), this indicates that he was bthirty-two or thirty-four years old,less than half the standard seventy-year lifespan. The heretic bsaid to him: You have spoken well, I myself saw the notebook of Balaam and it was written therein: Balaam the lame was thirty-two years old when Pinehas the highwayman killed him. /b, bMar, son of Ravina, said to his son:With regard to ball of thoseenumerated as not having a share in the World-to-Come, bdo not extensively interpretverses bhomileticallyin order to denigrate them, bexceptwith regard to bBalaam the wicked, as anynegative element bthat you discover in hisregard, continue to binterpret homiletically concerning him,as it is appropriate to attribute wickedness to one so wicked.,§ bIt is writtenin one verse: b“Doegthe Edomite” (I Samuel 22:9), band it is writtenin another verse: “And the king said to bDoyeig”(I Samuel 22:18). bRabbi Yoḥa saysin explaining the discrepancy: bInitially, the Holy One, Blessed be He, sat and was concerned [ idoeg /i]that bperhaps thisperson bwould emerge toundertake ban evil path. After he emergedon that path, God bsaid: Alas [ ivai /i], thatperson bhas emerged toundertake an evil path.,The Gemara cites ba mnemonicfor the statements of Rabbi Yitzḥak that follow: bMighty, wicked, and righteous, riches, and counter. /b, bRabbi Yitzḥak says: Whatis the meaning of that bwhich is written: “Why boast of your evil mighty one? The mercy of God endures continually”(Psalms 52:3)? bThe Holy One, Blessed be He, said to Doeg: Aren’t you mighty in Torah? Why do you boast of evil? Isn’t God’s mercy extended over you continuallywhen you engage in His Torah?, bAnd Rabbi Yitzḥak says: Whatis the meaning of that bwhich is written: “But to the wicked, God says: What have you to do to declare My statutes,and that you have taken My covet in your mouth” (Psalms 50:16)? bThe Holy One, Blessed be He, said to Doeg the wicked: Why do you speak of My statutesand My Torah? bWhen you reachthe Torah bportion of murderers andthe Torah bportion of slanderers, how do you teach them?You have violated both. With regard to the end of that verse: b“And that you have taken My covet in your mouth”(Psalms 50:16), bRabbi Ami says: Doeg’s Torah is onlyinsincere blip service,as it is in his mouth but not in his heart. He does not have a profound understanding of the Torah and does not commit himself to the performance of its mitzvot., bAnd Rabbi Yitzḥak says: Whatis the meaning of that bwhich is written: “And the righteous shall see, and fear, and shall laugh at him”(Psalms 52:8)? bInitially, they will fearDoeg due to his success, band ultimately they will laughwhen they witness his downfall., bAnd Rabbi Yitzḥak says: Whatis the meaning of that bwhich is written: “He has swallowed riches and he shall vomit them again; God shall cast them out of his belly”(Job 20:15)? bDavid said before the Holy One, Blessed be He: Master of the Universe, Doeg shall die.God bsaid to him: “He has swallowed riches and he shall vomit them again.”He is filled with Torah and wisdom; wait until he forgets what he has learned. David bsaid before Him: “God shall cast them out of his belly.”God can remove his Torah knowledge from him before he will forget it on his own., bAnd Rabbi Yitzḥak says: Whatis the meaning of that bwhich is written: “God shall likewise destroy you forever”(Psalms 52:7)? bThe Holy One, Blessed be He, said to David: Let Doeg enter the World-to-Come.David bsaid before Him: “God shall likewise destroy you forever,”i.e., let Doeg not have eternal life. bWhatis the meaning of that bwhich is written: “He shall pluck you away, and pluck you from your tent, and root you out from the land of the living. Selah”(Psalms 52:7)? bThe Holy One, Blessed be He, saidto David: At least blet them state a ihalakhain the study hall in his name.David bsaid before Him: “He shall pluck you away, and pluck you from your tent,”i.e., let him be completely removed from the tents of Torah. God said to him: bLet him have sons who are Sages.David said: b“And root you out from the land of the living. Selah,”i.e., let Doeg be entirely uprooted., bAnd Rabbi Yitzḥak says: Whatis the meaning of that bwhich is written: “Where is he that counts; where is he that weighs; where is he that counts the towers [ imigdalim /i]”(Isaiah 33:18)? bWhere is he that counts all the letters of the Torah? Where is he that weighs, who considers all theelements of ia fortioriinferences in the Torah? Where is he who counts the towers?This is Doeg, bwho would count three hundred halakhic conclusions with regard tothe purity of ba cupboard [ imigdal /i] that floats in the air [ iavir /i]. /b, bRabbiYehuda HaNasi bsays: Doeg and Ahithophel raised four hundred dilemmas with regard tothe purity of ba cupboard that floats in the air, and they did not resolveeven bone,an indication of their great knowledge. bRava says:Is it bgreatness to raise dilemmas?That is not a barometer of greatness, as bin the years of Rav Yehuda all of theirTorah bstudywas confined to the order of iNezikin /i, and we study muchmore than that, and are expert even bintractate iOkatzin /i,the final tractate in the difficult order of iTeharot /i., bMoreover, when Rav Yehuda would encounterthe mishna in tractate iOkatzinthat discusses the extent to which the stems of various fruits and vegetables are considered an integral part of the produce in terms of contracting ritual impurity, where the mishna discusses the ihalakhaconcerning ba woman who pickles a vegetable in a pot, and some saywhen he would reach the mishna ( iOkatzin2:1): bOlives pickled with their leaves are pure,because after pickling, it is no longer possible to lift the fruit by its leaves, so they are no longer considered part of the fruit; he would find it difficult to understand. bHe would say:Those are bthe discussions between Rav and Shmuel that we see here. And we,by contrast, bteachtractate iOkatzinin thirteen academies. /b, bButnevertheless, bwhen Rav Yehuda would remove one of his shoes the rain wouldimmediately bfall,whereas bwe cry out and no one notices us. Rather, the Holy One, Blessed be He, seeks the heart,and the barometer of greatness is devotion of the heart and not the amount of Torah that one studies, bas it is written: “But the Lord looks on the heart”(I Samuel 16:7)., bRav Mesharshiyya says: Doeg and Ahithophel did not comprehend halakhic discussions. Mar Zutra objects to thisstatement: These are people bwith regard to whom it is written: “Where is he that counts; where is he that weighs; where is he that counts the towers”(Isaiah 33:18), band you saythat bthey did not comprehend halakhic discussions? Rather,Doeg and Ahithophel bwould not conclude halakhic discussions in accordance with halakhicrulings, bas it is written: “The secret of the Lord is with those who fear Him”(Psalms 25:14). Since they did not fear God, they did not arrive at halakhic conclusions despite their keen intellect., bRabbi Ami says: Doeg died only when he forgot what he learned, as it is stated: “He shall die for want of instruction, and in his folly he shall go astray”(Proverbs 5:23). bRav Ashi says: He was afflicted with leprosybefore his death, bas it is stated: “Those that go far from You shall perish; You destroy [ ihitzmatta /i] all those who go astray from You”(Psalms 73:27).,Where is the allusion to leprosy in this verse? bIt is written there:“And the land shall not be sold bin perpetuity [ ilitzmitut /i]”(Leviticus 25:23), band we translateit into Aramaic as: iLaḥalutin /i. And we learnedin a mishna with regard to lepers ( iMegilla8b): bThe difference between a quarantinedleper, i.e., one examined by a priest who found his symptoms to be inconclusive, and who must therefore remain in isolation for a period of up to two weeks to see if conclusive symptoms develop; band a confirmed [ imuḥlat /i]leper, i.e., one whose symptoms were conclusive and the priest declared him a confirmed leper, bis onlywith regard to blettingthe hair on one’s head bgrow and rendingone’s garments. The derivation is based on the etymological similarity between ihitzmattaand ilitzmitut /i; the translation of ilitzmitutas ilaḥalutin /i, and the etymological similarity between ilaḥalutinand imuḥlat /i.,The Gemara cites ba mnemonicfor the ihalakhotthat follow: bThree, saw, and half, and called him. /b, bRabbi Yoḥa says: Three angels of destruction encountered Doeg: One who caused him to forget his Torahknowledge, bone who burned his soul, and one who dispersed the ashes ofhis soul bin synagogues and in study hallsto be trampled beneath the feet of the righteous., bRabbi Yoḥa says: Doeg and Ahithophel did not see one another,as both died at a young age. bDoeglived bin the days of Saul, and Ahithophellived bin the days of David,toward the end of David’s life., bAnd Rabbi Yoḥa says: Doeg and Ahithophel did not reach half of theirallotted bdays,as they died before the age of thirty-five, half of the standard lifetime mentioned in the verse: “The days of our years are seventy years” (Psalms 90:10). bThis is also taughtin a ibaraita /i: b“Bloody and deceitful men shall not live half their days”(Psalms 55:24); ball the years of Doeg were only thirty-four, andthe years bof Ahithophel were only thirty-three. /b, bAnd Rabbi Yoḥa says: Initially, David called Ahithophel his teacher, and eventually, he called him his colleague, and ultimately, he called him his student. Initially,David bcalledAhithophel bhis teacher,as it is stated: b“But it was you, a man my equal, my master [ ialufi /i], and my familiar friend”(Psalms 55:14); a teacher is known as ialufas he trains [ ime’alef] his students. bAnd eventually, he called him his colleague,as it is stated: b“We took sweet counsel together, and walked to the house of God with the throng”(Psalms 55:15); the term together indicates that they were equals. bAnd ultimately, he called him his student,as it is stated: b“Even my own familiar friend, in whom I trusted, /b |
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22. Babylonian Talmud, Sotah, None (3rd cent. CE - 6th cent. CE)
| 21a. הן תהוי ארכא לשלותיך וכתיב (דניאל ד, כה) כלא מטא על נבוכדנצר מלכא וכתיב (דניאל ד, כו) לקצת ירחין תרי עשר,לעולם רבי ישמעאל ואשכח קרא דאמר ותני דכתיב (עמוס א, יא) כה אמר ה' על שלשה פשעי אדום,ומאי אע"פ שאין ראיה לדבר זכר לדבר דלמא שאני עובדי כוכבים דלא מפקיד דינא עלייהו,ויש זכות תולה ג' שנים כו' זכות דמאי אילימא זכות דתורה הא אינה מצווה ועושה היא אלא זכות דמצוה,זכות דמצוה מי מגנא כולי האי והתניא את זו דרש רבי מנחם בר יוסי (משלי ו, כג) כי נר מצוה ותורה אור תלה הכתוב את המצוה בנר ואת התורה באור את המצוה בנר לומר לך מה נר אינה מגינה אלא לפי שעה אף מצוה אינה מגינה אלא לפי שעה,ואת התורה באור לומר לך מה אור מגין לעולם אף תורה מגינה לעולם ואומר (משלי ו, כב) בהתהלכך תנחה אותך וגו' בהתהלכך תנחה אותך זה העוה"ז בשכבך תשמור עליך זו מיתה והקיצות היא תשיחך לעתיד לבא,משל לאדם שהיה מהלך באישון לילה ואפילה ומתיירא מן הקוצים ומן הפחתים ומן הברקנים ומחיה רעה ומן הליסטין ואינו יודע באיזה דרך מהלך,נזדמנה לו אבוקה של אור ניצל מן הקוצים ומן הפחתים ומן הברקנים ועדיין מתיירא מחיה רעה ומן הליסטין ואינו יודע באיזה דרך מהלך כיון שעלה עמוד השחר ניצל מחיה רעה ומן הליסטין ועדיין אינו יודע באיזה דרך מהלך הגיע לפרשת דרכים ניצל מכולם,ד"א עבירה מכבה מצוה ואין עבירה מכבה תורה שנאמר (שיר השירים ח, ז) מים רבים לא יוכלו לכבות את האהבה,א"ר יוסף מצוה בעידנא דעסיק בה מגנא ומצלא בעידנא דלא עסיק בה אגוני מגנא אצולי לא מצלא תורה בין בעידנא דעסיק בה ובין בעידנא דלא עסיק בה מגנא ומצלא,מתקיף לה רבה אלא מעתה דואג ואחיתופל מי לא עסקי בתורה אמאי לא הגינה עלייהו אלא אמר רבא תורה בעידנא דעסיק בה מגנא ומצלא בעידנא דלא עסיק בה אגוני מגנא אצולי לא מצלא מצוה בין בעידנא דעסיק בה בין בעידנא דלא עסיק בה אגוני מגנא אצולי לא מצלא,רבינא אמר לעולם זכות תורה ודקאמרת אינה מצווה ועושה נהי דפקודי לא מפקדא באגרא דמקרין ומתניין בנייהו ונטרן להו לגברייהו עד דאתו מבי מדרשא מי לא פלגאן בהדייהו,מאי פרשת דרכים א"ר חסדא זה ת"ח ויום מיתה רב נחמן בר יצחק אמר זה ת"ח ויראת חטא מר זוטרא אמר זה ת"ח דסלקא ליה שמעתתא אליבא דהלכתא,ד"א עבירה מכבה מצוה ואין עבירה מכבה תורה א"ר יוסף דרשיה רבי מנחם בר יוסי להאי קרא כי סיני ואילמלא דרשוה דואג ואחיתופל הכי לא רדפו בתר דוד דכתיב (תהלים עא, יא) לאמר אלהים עזבו וגו',מאי דרוש (דברים כג, טו) ולא יראה בך ערות דבר וגו' והן אינן יודעין שעבירה מכבה מצוה ואין עבירה מכבה תורה,מאי (שיר השירים ח, ז) בוז יבוזו לו אמר עולא לא כשמעון אחי עזריה ולא כר' יוחנן דבי נשיאה,אלא כהלל ושבנא דכי אתא רב דימי אמר הלל ושבנא אחי הוו הלל עסק בתורה שבנא עבד עיסקא לסוף א"ל תא נערוב וליפלוג יצתה בת קול ואמרה (שיר השירים ח, ז) אם יתן איש את כל הון ביתו וגו' | 21a. band then there shall be an extension to your tranquility”(Daniel 4:24). bAnd it is written: “All this came upon King Nebuchadnezzar”(Daniel 4:25), band it is writtenin the following verse that this occurred: b“At the end of twelve months”(Daniel 4:26). None of the opinions in the ibaraitaare in accordance with the mishna’s statement that merit can delay punishment for up to three years.,The Gemara answers: bActually,the mishna is in accordance with the opinion of bRabbi Yishmael,who states that merit delays punishment for one year, band he found a verse which states and repeatsthe possibility that punishment can be delayed, indicating that merit can delay punishment up to three times, bas it is written: “Thus says the Lord: For three transgressions of Edom,yes, but for four, I will not reverse it” (Amos 1:11). Punishment can therefore be delayed for three consecutive periods of one year.,The Gemara asks: bAnd whatdoes Rabbi Yishmael mean by stating: bAlthough there is noexplicit bproof for the conceptof merit delaying punishment for twelve months, there is ban allusion to the concept?The verses he cites state explicitly that punishment can be delayed for twelve months. The Gemara answers: The proof is not explicit, as bperhaps gentiles are different, asswift bjudgment is not administered upon themas readily as it is upon the Jewish people, with whom God is more precise in executing judgment.,§ The mishna states: bAnd there is a meritthat bdelayspunishment for bthree years.The Gemara asks: bWhich meritcan delay the punishment of a isota /i? bIf we sayit is the bmerit ofthe bTorahthat she has studied; bbuta woman who studies Torah bisone who is bnot commandedto do so band performsa mitzva, whose reward is less than that of one who is obligated? Therefore, it would be insufficient to suspend her punishment. bRather,perhaps it is the bmerit of a mitzvathat she performed.,The Gemara asks: bDoesthe bmerit of a mitzva protectone bso muchas to delay her punishment? bBut isn’t it taughtin a ibaraita /i: bRabbi Menaḥem bar Yosei interpreted thisverse bhomiletically: “For the mitzva is a lamp and the Torah is light”(Proverbs 6:23). bThe verse associates the mitzva with a lamp and the Torah withthe blightof the sun. bThe mitzvais associated bwith a lampin order bto say to you: Just as a lamp does not protectone by its light extensively but bonly temporarily,while the lamp is in one’s hand, bso too, a mitzva protectsone bonly temporarily,i.e., while one is performing the mitzva., bAnd the Torahis associated bwith lightin order bto say to you: Just asthe blightof the sun bprotectsone bforever, so too,the bTorahone studies bprotectsone bforever; and it statesin the previous verse with regard to the Torah: b“When you walk, it shall lead you;when you lie down, it shall watch over you; and when you awake, it shall talk with you” (Proverbs 6:22). The Gemara explains: b“When you walk, it shall lead you”; this isreferring to when one is in bthis world. “When you lie down, it shall watch over you”; this isreferring to the time of bdeath,when one lies in his grave. b“And when you awake, it shall talk with you”;this is referring bto the time to comeafter the resurrection of the dead. The Torah that one studies protects and guides him both in this world and in the next world.,This can be illustrated by ba parable,as it is comparable bto a man who is walking inthe bblackness of night and the darkness, and he is afraid of the thorns, and of the pits, and of the thistles,which he cannot see due to the darkness. bAndhe is also afraid bofthe bwild animals and of the banditsthat lurk at night, band he does not know which way he is walking. /b,If ba torch of fire comes his way,which is analogous to a mitzva, bhe is safe from the thorns and from the pits and from the thistles, but he is still afraid ofthe bwild animals and of the bandits, andstill bdoes not know which way he is walking. Once the light of dawn rises,which is analogous to Torah study, bhe is safe fromthe bwild animals and from the bandits,which no longer roam the roads, bbut he still does not know which way he is walking.If bhe arrives at a crossroadsand recognizes the way, bhe is saved from all of them. /b, bAlternatively,the verse associates the mitzva with a lamp and the Torah with the light of the sun in order to teach that ba transgression extinguishesthe merit of ba mitzvaone performed, bbut a transgression does not extinguishthe merit of the bTorahone studied, bas it is stated: “Many waters cannot extinguish the love,neither can the floods drown it” (Song of Songs 8:7). The Torah is compared to love several times in the Song of Songs. One can conclude from the ibaraitathat the merit of performing a mitzva is insufficient to suspend punishment., bRav Yosef saidthat with regard to ba mitzva, at the time when one is engaged in itsperformance it bprotectsone from misfortune band savesone from the evil inclination; bat the time when one is not engaged in itsperformance, it bprotectsone from misfortune but it bdoes not saveone from the evil inclination. With regard to bTorahstudy, bboth at the time when one is engaged in it and at the time when one is not engaged in it,it bprotectsone from misfortune band savesone from the evil inclination. Therefore, the merit of the woman’s mitzvot does protect her from misfortune and delay her punishment., bRabba objects to thisexplanation: bIf that is so,then with regard to bDoeg(see I Samuel, chapters 21–22) band Ahithophel(see II Samuel, chapter 16), who were both wise scholars despite their wickedness, bdid they not engage in thestudy of bTorah? Why didit bnot protect themfrom sinning? bRather, Rava said:With regard to bTorahstudy, bat the time when one is engaged in it, it protects and saves; at the time when one is not engaged in it, it protectsone from misfortune but bit does not saveone from the evil inclination. With regard to ba mitzva, both at the time when one is engaged in itsperformance band at the time when one is not engaged in itsperformance, bit protectsone from misfortune but it bdoes not saveone from the evil inclination., bRavina said: Actually,the merit that delays the punishment of the isotais the bmerit of Torahstudy, bandwith regard to that bwhich you say,i.e., that bshe is not commandedto do so band performsa mitzva, the mishna is not referring to the merit of her own Torah study. bGranted, she is not commandedto study Torah herself; however, bin reward for causing their sons to readthe Written Torah band to learnthe Mishna, bandfor bwaiting for their husbands until they comehome bfrom the study hall, don’t they sharethe reward bwith theirsons and husbands? Therefore, if the isotaenabled her sons and husband to study Torah, the merit of their Torah study can protect her and delay her punishment.,With regard to the aforementioned parable, the Gemara asks: bWhatis the meaning of the bcrossroads,which provide clarity? bRav Ḥisda says: Thisis referring to ba Torah scholar andhis bday of death.Due to his continued commitment to the Torah, when the time comes for him to die, it is clear to him that he will go to the place of his eternal reward. bRav Naḥman bar Yitzḥak says: This is a Torah scholarwho has also acquired bfear of sin,as his fear of sin guides him to the correct understanding of the Torah. bMar Zutra says: This is a Torah scholar who reachesconclusions from bhis discussion in accordance with the ihalakha /i,as that is an indication that he is following the right path.,The ibaraitastates: bAlternatively: A transgression extinguishesthe merit of ba mitzva, but a transgression does not extinguishthe merit of the bTorah. Rav Yosef says: Rabbi Menaḥem bar Yosei interpreted this verse asit was given on Mount bSinai, and had Doeg and Ahithophel only interpreted it in this way they would not have pursued David, as it is written:“For my enemies speak concerning bme…saying, God has forsaken him;pursue and take him, for there is none to deliver” (Psalms 71:10–11). Doeg and Ahithophel incorrectly thought that since David had sinned, his sins had extinguished his merits and God had forsaken him.,The Gemara asks: bWhatverse bdidDoeg and Ahithophel binterpretincorrectly, causing them to err? They interpreted this verse: “For the Lord your God walks in the midst of your camp…to give up your enemies before you… bthat He see no licentious matter in you,and turn away from you” (Deuteronomy 23:15), to indicate that God turns away from one who engaged in forbidden relations, and since David had sinned with Bathsheba God must have turned away from him. bBut they did not know that a transgression extinguishesthe merit of ba mitzva, but a transgression does not extinguishthe merit of the bTorah. /b,The Gemara interprets the continuation of the verse cited by the ibaraitawith regard to Torah study: bWhatis the meaning of: “Many waters cannot extinguish the love…if a man would give all the fortune of his house for love, bhe would utterly be condemned”(Song of Songs 8:7)? The Torah is compared to love several times in the Song of Songs. Therefore, the verse indicates that one cannot acquire a share in the reward for Torah study with money. bUlla says:The verse is bnotspeaking of individuals blike Shimon, brother of Azarya,whose brother Azarya supported him and enabled him to study Torah. bAndit is bnotspeaking of individuals blike Rabbi Yoḥa of the house of the iNasi /i,whom the iNasisupported so that he could study Torah., bRather,it is speaking of individuals blike Hillel and Shevna, as when Rav Dimi cameto Babylonia bhe said: Hillel and Shevna were brothers; Hillel engaged in Torahstudy and remained impoverished, whereas bShevna entered into abusiness bventureand became wealthy. bIn the end,Shevna bsaid toHillel: bCome, let us joinour wealth btogether and divideit between us; I will give you half of my money and you will give me half of the reward for your Torah study. In response to this request ba Divine Voice issued forth and said: “If a man would give all the fortune of his housefor love, he would utterly be condemned” (Song of Songs 8:7). |
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