1. Septuagint, 1 Esdras, 5.52 (th cent. BCE - 2nd cent. BCE)
| 5.52. and thereafter the continual offerings and sacrifices on sabbaths and at new moons and at all the consecrated feasts. |
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2. Hebrew Bible, Song of Songs, 2.14 (9th cent. BCE - 3rd cent. BCE)
| 2.14. יוֹנָתִי בְּחַגְוֵי הַסֶּלַע בְּסֵתֶר הַמַּדְרֵגָה הַרְאִינִי אֶתּ־מַרְאַיִךְ הַשְׁמִיעִינִי אֶת־קוֹלֵךְ כִּי־קוֹלֵךְ עָרֵב וּמַרְאֵיךְ נָאוֶה׃ | 2.14. O my dove, that art in the clefts of the rock, in the covert of the cliff, Let me see thy countece, let me hear thy voice; For sweet is thy voice, and thy countece is comely.’ |
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3. Hebrew Bible, Deuteronomy, 5.16 (9th cent. BCE - 3rd cent. BCE)
| 5.16. כַּבֵּד אֶת־אָבִיךָ וְאֶת־אִמֶּךָ כַּאֲשֶׁר צִוְּךָ יְהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ לְמַעַן יַאֲרִיכֻן יָמֶיךָ וּלְמַעַן יִיטַב לָךְ עַל הָאֲדָמָה אֲשֶׁר־יְהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ נֹתֵן לָךְ׃ | 5.16. Honour thy father and thy mother, as the LORD thy God commanded thee; that thy days may be long, and that it may go well with thee, upon the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee." |
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4. Hebrew Bible, Exodus, 14.13-14.14, 20.12, 21.16, 21.35 (9th cent. BCE - 3rd cent. BCE)
| 14.13. וַיֹּאמֶר מֹשֶׁה אֶל־הָעָם אַל־תִּירָאוּ הִתְיַצְבוּ וּרְאוּ אֶת־יְשׁוּעַת יְהוָה אֲשֶׁר־יַעֲשֶׂה לָכֶם הַיּוֹם כִּי אֲשֶׁר רְאִיתֶם אֶת־מִצְרַיִם הַיּוֹם לֹא תֹסִיפוּ לִרְאֹתָם עוֹד עַד־עוֹלָם׃ 14.14. יְהוָה יִלָּחֵם לָכֶם וְאַתֶּם תַּחֲרִישׁוּן׃ 20.12. כַּבֵּד אֶת־אָבִיךָ וְאֶת־אִמֶּךָ לְמַעַן יַאֲרִכוּן יָמֶיךָ עַל הָאֲדָמָה אֲשֶׁר־יְהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ נֹתֵן לָךְ׃ 21.16. וְגֹנֵב אִישׁ וּמְכָרוֹ וְנִמְצָא בְיָדוֹ מוֹת יוּמָת׃ 21.35. וְכִי־יִגֹּף שׁוֹר־אִישׁ אֶת־שׁוֹר רֵעֵהוּ וָמֵת וּמָכְרוּ אֶת־הַשּׁוֹר הַחַי וְחָצוּ אֶת־כַּסְפּוֹ וְגַם אֶת־הַמֵּת יֶחֱצוּן׃ | 14.13. And Moses said unto the people: ‘Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the LORD, which He will work for you to-day; for whereas ye have seen the Egyptians to-day, ye shall see them again no more for ever." 14.14. The LORD will fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace.’" 20.12. Honour thy father and thy mother, that thy days may be long upon the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee." 21.16. And he that stealeth a man, and selleth him, or if he be found in his hand, he shall surely be put to death." 21.35. And if one man’s ox hurt another’s, so that it dieth; then they shall sell the live ox, and divide the price of it; and the dead also they shall divide." |
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5. Hebrew Bible, Genesis, 6.9, 17.1, 24.40 (9th cent. BCE - 3rd cent. BCE)
| 6.9. אֵלֶּה תּוֹלְדֹת נֹחַ נֹחַ אִישׁ צַדִּיק תָּמִים הָיָה בְּדֹרֹתָיו אֶת־הָאֱלֹהִים הִתְהַלֶּךְ־נֹחַ׃ 17.1. זֹאת בְּרִיתִי אֲשֶׁר תִּשְׁמְרוּ בֵּינִי וּבֵינֵיכֶם וּבֵין זַרְעֲךָ אַחֲרֶיךָ הִמּוֹל לָכֶם כָּל־זָכָר׃ 17.1. וַיְהִי אַבְרָם בֶּן־תִּשְׁעִים שָׁנָה וְתֵשַׁע שָׁנִים וַיֵּרָא יְהוָה אֶל־אַבְרָם וַיֹּאמֶר אֵלָיו אֲנִי־אֵל שַׁדַּי הִתְהַלֵּךְ לְפָנַי וֶהְיֵה תָמִים׃ | 6.9. These are the generations of Noah. Noah was in his generations a man righteous and wholehearted; Noah walked with God." 17.1. And when Abram was ninety years old and nine, the LORD appeared to Abram, and said unto him: ‘I am God Almighty; walk before Me, and be thou wholehearted." 24.40. And he said unto me: The LORD, before whom I walk, will send His angel with thee, and prosper thy way; and thou shalt take a wife for my son of my kindred, and of my father’s house;" |
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6. Hebrew Bible, Leviticus, 20.19 (9th cent. BCE - 3rd cent. BCE)
| 20.19. וְעֶרְוַת אֲחוֹת אִמְּךָ וַאֲחוֹת אָבִיךָ לֹא תְגַלֵּה כִּי אֶת־שְׁאֵרוֹ הֶעֱרָה עֲוֺנָם יִשָּׂאוּ׃ | 20.19. And thou shalt not uncover the nakedness of thy mother’s sister, nor of thy father’s sister; for he hath made naked his near kin; they shall bear their iniquity." |
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7. Hebrew Bible, 1 Samuel, 1.11 (8th cent. BCE - 5th cent. BCE)
| 1.11. וַתִּדֹּר נֶדֶר וַתֹּאמַר יְהוָה צְבָאוֹת אִם־רָאֹה תִרְאֶה בָּעֳנִי אֲמָתֶךָ וּזְכַרְתַּנִי וְלֹא־תִשְׁכַּח אֶת־אֲמָתֶךָ וְנָתַתָּה לַאֲמָתְךָ זֶרַע אֲנָשִׁים וּנְתַתִּיו לַיהוָה כָּל־יְמֵי חַיָּיו וּמוֹרָה לֹא־יַעֲלֶה עַל־רֹאשׁוֹ׃ | 1.11. And she vowed a vow, and said, O Lord of hosts, if Thou wilt indeed look on the affliction of Thy handmaid, and remember me, and not forget Thy handmaid, but wilt give to Thy handmaid a man child, then I will give him to the Lord all the days of his life, and no razor shall come upon his head." |
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8. Hebrew Bible, Isaiah, 29.13 (8th cent. BCE - 5th cent. BCE)
| 29.13. וַיֹּאמֶר אֲדֹנָי יַעַן כִּי נִגַּשׁ הָעָם הַזֶּה בְּפִיו וּבִשְׂפָתָיו כִּבְּדוּנִי וְלִבּוֹ רִחַק מִמֶּנִּי וַתְּהִי יִרְאָתָם אֹתִי מִצְוַת אֲנָשִׁים מְלֻמָּדָה׃ | 29.13. And the Lord said: Forasmuch as this people draw near, and with their mouth and with their lips do honour Me, But have removed their heart far from Me, And their fear of Me is a commandment of men learned by rote;" |
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9. Hebrew Bible, Nehemiah, 8.5-8.8 (5th cent. BCE - 4th cent. BCE)
| 8.5. וַיִּפְתַּח עֶזְרָא הַסֵּפֶר לְעֵינֵי כָל־הָעָם כִּי־מֵעַל כָּל־הָעָם הָיָה וּכְפִתְחוֹ עָמְדוּ כָל־הָעָם׃ 8.6. וַיְבָרֶךְ עֶזְרָא אֶת־יְהוָה הָאֱלֹהִים הַגָּדוֹל וַיַּעֲנוּ כָל־הָעָם אָמֵן אָמֵן בְּמֹעַל יְדֵיהֶם וַיִּקְּדוּ וַיִּשְׁתַּחֲוֻּ לַיהוָה אַפַּיִם אָרְצָה׃ 8.7. וְיֵשׁוּעַ וּבָנִי וְשֵׁרֵבְיָה יָמִין עַקּוּב שַׁבְּתַי הוֹדִיָּה מַעֲשֵׂיָה קְלִיטָא עֲזַרְיָה יוֹזָבָד חָנָן פְּלָאיָה וְהַלְוִיִּם מְבִינִים אֶת־הָעָם לַתּוֹרָה וְהָעָם עַל־עָמְדָם׃ 8.8. וַיִּקְרְאוּ בַסֵּפֶר בְּתוֹרַת הָאֱלֹהִים מְפֹרָשׁ וְשׂוֹם שֶׂכֶל וַיָּבִינוּ בַּמִּקְרָא׃ | 8.5. And Ezra opened the book in the sight of all the people—for he was above all the people—and when he opened it, all the people stood up." 8.6. And Ezra blessed the LORD, the great God. And all the people answered: ‘Amen, Amen’, with the lifting up of their hands; and they bowed their heads, and fell down before the LORD with their faces to the ground." 8.7. Also Jeshua, and Bani, and Sherebiah, Jamin, Akkub, Shabbethai, Hodiah, Maaseiah, Kelita, Azariah, Jozabad, Ha, Pelaiah, even the Levites, caused the people to understand the Law; and the people stood in their place." 8.8. And they read in the book, in the Law of God, distinctly; and they gave the sense, and caused them to understand the reading." |
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10. Dead Sea Scrolls, Damascus Covenant, 12.22, 20.6 (2nd cent. BCE - 1st cent. CE)
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11. Dead Sea Scrolls, Community Rule, 3.20-3.21, 4.15 (2nd cent. BCE - 1st cent. CE)
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12. Philo of Alexandria, On The Embassy To Gaius, 187-198, 206-207, 215-217, 228, 235, 243-253, 266-329, 338, 346, 186 (1st cent. BCE - missingth cent. CE)
| 186. And while we were anxiously considering his intentions, for we were continually expecting to be summoned, a man arrived, with blood-shot eyes, and looking very much troubled, out of breath and palpitating, and leading us away to a little distance from the rest (for there were several persons near), he said, "Have you heard the news?" And then when he was about to tell us what it was he stopped, because of the abundance of tears that rose up to choke his utterance. |
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13. Josephus Flavius, Jewish Antiquities, 10.184, 13.297-13.298, 18.257-18.309 (1st cent. CE - 1st cent. CE)
| 10.184. Now as to Shalmanezer, he removed the Israelites out of their country, and placed therein the nation of the Cutheans, who had formerly belonged to the inner parts of Persia and Media, but were then called Samaritans, by taking the name of the country to which they were removed; but the king of Babylon, who brought out the two tribes, placed no other nation in their country, by which means all Judea and Jerusalem, and the temple, continued to be a desert for seventy years; 13.297. but of these matters we shall speak hereafter. What I would now explain is this, that the Pharisees have delivered to the people a great many observances by succession from their fathers, which are not written in the laws of Moses; and for that reason it is that the Sadducees reject them, and say that we are to esteem those observances to be obligatory which are in the written word, but are not to observe what are derived from the tradition of our forefathers. 13.298. And concerning these things it is that great disputes and differences have arisen among them, while the Sadducees are able to persuade none but the rich, and have not the populace obsequious to them, but the Pharisees have the multitude on their side. But about these two sects, and that of the Essenes, I have treated accurately in the second book of Jewish affairs. 18.257. 1. There was now a tumult arisen at Alexandria, between the Jewish inhabitants and the Greeks; and three ambassadors were chosen out of each party that were at variance, who came to Caius. Now one of these ambassadors from the people of Alexandria was Apion, who uttered many blasphemies against the Jews; and, among other things that he said, he charged them with neglecting the honors that belonged to Caesar; 18.258. for that while all who were subject to the Roman empire built altars and temples to Caius, and in other regards universally received him as they received the gods, these Jews alone thought it a dishonorable thing for them to erect statues in honor of him, as well as to swear by his name. 18.259. Many of these severe things were said by Apion, by which he hoped to provoke Caius to anger at the Jews, as he was likely to be. But Philo, the principal of the Jewish embassage, a man eminent on all accounts, brother to Alexander the alabarch, and one not unskillful in philosophy, was ready to betake himself to make his defense against those accusations; 18.261. 2. Hereupon Caius, taking it very heinously that he should be thus despised by the Jews alone, sent Petronius to be president of Syria, and successor in the government to Vitellius, and gave him order to make an invasion into Judea, with a great body of troops; and if they would admit of his statue willingly, to erect it in the temple of God; but if they were obstinate, to conquer them by war, and then to do it. 18.262. Accordingly, Petronius took the government of Syria, and made haste to obey Caesar’s epistle. He got together as great a number of auxiliaries as he possibly could, and took with him two legions of the Roman army, and came to Ptolemais, and there wintered, as intending to set about the war in the spring. He also wrote word to Caius what he had resolved to do, who commended him for his alacrity, and ordered him to go on, and to make war with them, in case they would not obey his commands. 18.263. But there came many ten thousands of the Jews to Petronius, to Ptolemais, to offer their petitions to him, that he would not compel them to transgress and violate the law of their forefathers; 18.264. “but if,” said they, “thou art entirely resolved to bring this statue, and erect it, do thou first kill us, and then do what thou hast resolved on; for while we are alive we cannot permit such things as are forbidden us to be done by the authority of our legislator, and by our forefathers’ determination that such prohibitions are instances of virtue.” 18.265. But Petronius was angry at them, and said, “If indeed I were myself emperor, and were at liberty to follow my own inclination, and then had designed to act thus, these your words would be justly spoken to me; but now Caesar hath sent to me, I am under the necessity of being subservient to his decrees, because a disobedience to them will bring upon me inevitable destruction.” 18.266. Then the Jews replied, “Since, therefore, thou art so disposed, O Petronius! that thou wilt not disobey Caius’s epistles, neither will we transgress the commands of our law; and as we depend upon the excellency of our laws, and, by the labors of our ancestors, have continued hitherto without suffering them to be transgressed, we dare not by any means suffer ourselves to be so timorous as to transgress those laws out of the fear of death 18.267. which God hath determined are for our advantage; and if we fall into misfortunes, we will bear them, in order to preserve our laws, as knowing that those who expose themselves to dangers have good hope of escaping them, because God will stand on our side, when, out of regard to him, we undergo afflictions, and sustain the uncertain turns of fortune. 18.268. But if we should submit to thee, we should be greatly reproached for our cowardice, as thereby showing ourselves ready to transgress our law; and we should incur the great anger of God also, who, even thyself being judge, is superior to Caius.” 18.269. 3. When Petronius saw by their words that their determination was hard to be removed, and that, without a war, he should not be able to be subservient to Caius in the dedication of his statue, and that there must be a great deal of bloodshed, he took his friends, and the servants that were about him, and hasted to Tiberias, as wanting to know in what posture the affairs of the Jews were; 18.271. and made supplication to him, that he would by no means reduce them to such distresses, nor defile their city with the dedication of the statue. Then Petronius said to them, “Will you then make war with Caesar, without considering his great preparations for war, and your own weakness?” They replied, “We will not by any means make war with him, but still we will die before we see our laws transgressed.” So they threw themselves down upon their faces, and stretched out their throats, and said they were ready to be slain; 18.272. and this they did for forty days together, and in the mean time left off the tilling of their ground, and that while the season of the year required them to sow it. Thus they continued firm in their resolution, and proposed to themselves to die willingly, rather than to see the dedication of the statue. 18.273. 4. When matters were in this state, Aristobulus, king Agrippa’s brother, and Helcias the Great, and the other principal men of that family with them, went in unto Petronius, and besought him 18.274. that since he saw the resolution of the multitude, he would not make any alteration, and thereby drive them to despair; but would write to Caius, that the Jews had an insuperable aversion to the reception of the statue, and how they continued with him, and left off the tillage of their ground: that they were not willing to go to war with him, because they were not able to do it, but were ready to die with pleasure, rather than suffer their laws to be transgressed: and how, upon the land’s continuing unsown, robberies would grow up, on the inability they would be under of paying their tributes; 18.275. and that perhaps Caius might be thereby moved to pity, and not order any barbarous action to be done to them, nor think of destroying the nation: that if he continues inflexible in his former opinion to bring a war upon them, he may then set about it himself. 18.276. And thus did Aristobulus, and the rest with him, supplicate Petronius. So Petronius, partly on account of the pressing instances which Aristobulus and the rest with him made, and because of the great consequence of what they desired, and the earnestness wherewith they made their supplication,— 18.277. partly on account of the firmness of the opposition made by the Jews, which he saw, while he thought it a horrible thing for him to be such a slave to the madness of Caius, as to slay so many ten thousand men, only because of their religious disposition towards God, and after that to pass his life in expectation of punishment; Petronius, I say, thought it much better to send to Caius, and to let him know how intolerable it was to him to bear the anger he might have against him for not serving him sooner, in obedience to his epistle 18.278. for that perhaps he might persuade him; and that if this mad resolution continued, he might then begin the war against them; nay, that in case he should turn his hatred against himself, it was fit for virtuous persons even to die for the sake of such vast multitudes of men. Accordingly, he determined to hearken to the petitioners in this matter. 18.279. 5. He then called the Jews together to Tiberias, who came many ten thousands in number; he also placed that army he now had with him opposite to them; but did not discover his own meaning, but the commands of the emperor, and told them that his wrath would, without delay, be executed on such as had the courage to disobey what he had commanded, and this immediately; and that it was fit for him, who had obtained so great a dignity by his grant, not to contradict him in any thing:— 18.281. I will, therefore, send to Caius, and let him know what your resolutions are, and will assist your suit as far as I am able, that you may not be exposed to suffer on account of the honest designs you have proposed to yourselves; and may God be your assistant, for his authority is beyond all the contrivance and power of men; and may he procure you the preservation of your ancient laws, and may not he be deprived, though without your consent, of his accustomed honors. 18.282. But if Caius be irritated, and turn the violence of his rage upon me, I will rather undergo all that danger and that affliction that may come either on my body or my soul, than see so many of you to perish, while you are acting in so excellent a manner. 18.283. Do you, therefore, every one of you, go your way about your own occupations, and fall to the cultivation of your ground; I will myself send to Rome, and will not refuse to serve you in all things, both by myself and by my friends.” 18.284. 6. When Petronius had said this, and had dismissed the assembly of the Jews, he desired the principal of them to take care of their husbandry, and to speak kindly to the people, and encourage them to have good hope of their affairs. Thus did he readily bring the multitude to be cheerful again. And now did God show his presence to Petronius, and signify to him that he would afford him his assistance in his whole design; 18.285. for he had no sooner finished the speech that he made to the Jews, but God sent down great showers of rain, contrary to human expectation; for that day was a clear day, and gave no sign, by the appearance of the sky, of any rain; nay, the whole year had been subject to a great drought, and made men despair of any water from above, even when at any time they saw the heavens overcast with clouds; 18.286. insomuch that when such a great quantity of rain came, and that in an unusual manner, and without any other expectation of it, the Jews hoped that Petronius would by no means fail in his petition for them. But as to Petronius, he was mightily surprised when he perceived that God evidently took care of the Jews, and gave very plain signs of his appearance, and this to such a degree, that those that were in earnest much inclined to the contrary had no power left to contradict it. 18.287. This was also among those other particulars which he wrote to Caius, which all tended to dissuade him, and by all means to entreat him not to make so many ten thousands of these men go distracted; whom, if he should slay, (for without war they would by no means suffer the laws of their worship to be set aside,) he would lose the revenue they paid him, and would be publicly cursed by them for all future ages. 18.288. Moreover, that God, who was their Governor, had shown his power most evidently on their account, and that such a power of his as left no room for doubt about it. And this was the business that Petronius was now engaged in. 18.289. 7. But king Agrippa, who now lived at Rome, was more and more in the favor of Caius; and when he had once made him a supper, and was careful to exceed all others, both in expenses and in such preparations as might contribute most to his pleasure; 18.291. hereupon Caius admired his understanding and magnificence, that he should force himself to do all to please him, even beyond such expenses as he could bear, and was desirous not to be behind Agrippa in that generosity which he exerted in order to please him. So Caius, when he had drank wine plentifully, and was merrier than ordinary, said thus during the feast, when Agrippa had drunk to him: 18.292. “I knew before now how great a respect thou hast had for me, and how great kindness thou hast shown me, though with those hazards to thyself, which thou underwentest under Tiberius on that account; nor hast thou omitted any thing to show thy good-will towards us, even beyond thy ability; whence it would be a base thing for me to be conquered by thy affection. I am therefore desirous to make thee amends for every thing in which I have been formerly deficient; 18.293. for all that I have bestowed on thee, that may be called my gifts, is but little. Everything that may contribute to thy happiness shall be at thy service, and that cheerfully, and so far as my ability will reach.” And this was what Caius said to Agrippa, thinking he would ask for some large country, or the revenues of certain cities. 18.294. But although he had prepared beforehand what he would ask, yet had he not discovered his intentions, but made this answer to Caius immediately: That it was not out of any expectation of gain that he formerly paid his respects to him, contrary to the commands of Tiberius, nor did he now do any thing relating to him out of regard to his own advantage, and in order to receive any thing from him; 18.295. that the gifts he had already bestowed upon him were great, and beyond the hopes of even a craving man; for although they may be beneath thy power, [who art the donor,] yet are they greater than my inclination and dignity, who am the receiver. 18.296. And as Caius was astonished at Agrippa’s inclinations, and still the more pressed him to make his request for somewhat which he might gratify him with, Agrippa replied, “Since thou, O my lord! declarest such is thy readiness to grant, that I am worthy of thy gifts, I will ask nothing relating to my own felicity; for what thou hast already bestowed on me has made me excel therein; 18.297. but I desire somewhat which may make thee glorious for piety, and render the Divinity assistant to thy designs, and may be for an honor to me among those that inquire about it, as showing that I never once fail of obtaining what I desire of thee; for my petition is this, that thou wilt no longer think of the dedication of that statue which thou hast ordered to be set up in the Jewish temple by Petronius.” 18.298. 8. And thus did Agrippa venture to cast the die upon this occasion, so great was the affair in his opinion, and in reality, though he knew how dangerous a thing it was so to speak; for had not Caius approved of it, it had tended to no less than the loss of his life. 18.299. So Caius, who was mightily taken with Agrippa’s obliging behavior, and on other accounts thinking it a dishonorable thing to be guilty of falsehood before so many witnesses, in points wherein he had with such alacrity forced Agrippa to become a petitioner, and that it would look as if he had already repented of what he had said 18.301. “If therefore,” said’ he, “thou hast already erected my statue, let it stand; but if thou hast not yet dedicated it, do not trouble thyself further about it, but dismiss thy army, go back, and take care of those affairs which I sent thee about at first, for I have now no occasion for the erection of that statue. This I have granted as a favor to Agrippa, a man whom I honor so very greatly, that I am not able to contradict what he would have, or what he desired me to do for him.” 18.302. And this was what Caius wrote to Petronius, which was before he received his letter, informing him that the Jews were very ready to revolt about the statue, and that they seemed resolved to threaten war against the Romans, and nothing else. 18.303. When therefore Caius was much displeased that any attempt should be made against his government as he was a slave to base and vicious actions on all occasions, and had no regard to What was virtuous and honorable, and against whomsoever he resolved to show his anger, and that for any cause whatsoever, he suffered not himself to be restrained by any admonition, but thought the indulging his anger to be a real pleasure, he wrote thus to Petronius: 18.304. “Seeing thou esteemest the presents made thee by the Jews to be of greater value than my commands, and art grown insolent enough to be subservient to their pleasure, I charge thee to become thy own judge, and to consider what thou art to do, now thou art under my displeasure; for I will make thee an example to the present and to all future ages, that they. may not dare to contradict the commands of their emperor.” 18.305. 9. This was the epistle which Caius wrote to. Petronius; but Petronius did not receive it while Caius was alive, that ship which carried it sailing so slow, that other letters came to Petronius before this, by which he understood that Caius was dead; 18.306. for God would not forget the dangers Petronius had undertaken on account of the Jews, and of his own honor. But when he had taken Caius away, out of his indignation of what he had so insolently attempted in assuming to himself divine worship, both Rome and all that dominion conspired with Petronius, especially those that were of the senatorian order, to give Caius his due reward, because he had been unmercifully severe to them; 18.307. for he died not long after he had written to Petronius that epistle which threatened him with death. But as for the occasion of his death, and the nature of the plot against him, I shall relate them in the progress of this narration. 18.308. Now that epistle which informed Petronius of Caius’s death came first, and a little afterward came that which commanded him to kill himself with his own hands. Whereupon he rejoiced at this coincidence as to the death of Caius 18.309. and admired God’s providence, who, without the least delay, and immediately, gave him a reward for the regard he had to the temple, and the assistance he afforded the Jews for avoiding the dangers they were in. And by this means Petronius escaped that danger of death, which he could not foresee. |
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14. Josephus Flavius, Jewish War, 2.184-2.203, 2.427, 7.412 (1st cent. CE - 1st cent. CE)
| 2.184. 1. Now Caius Caesar did so grossly abuse the fortune he had arrived at, as to take himself to be a god, and to desire to be so called also, and to cut off those of the greatest nobility out of his country. He also extended his impiety as far as the Jews. 2.185. Accordingly, he sent Petronius with an army to Jerusalem, to place his statues in the temple, and commanded him that, in case the Jews would not admit of them, he should slay those that opposed it, and carry all the rest of the nation into captivity: 2.186. but God concerned himself with these his commands. However, Petronius marched out of Antioch into Judea, with three legions, and many Syrian auxiliaries. 2.187. Now as to the Jews, some of them could not believe the stories that spake of a war; but those that did believe them were in the utmost distress how to defend themselves, and the terror diffused itself presently through them all; for the army was already come to Ptolemais. 2.188. 2. This Ptolemais is a maritime city of Galilee, built in the great plain. It is encompassed with mountains: that on the east side, sixty furlongs off, belongs to Galilee; but that on the south belongs to Carmel, which is distant from it a hundred and twenty furlongs; and that on the north is the highest of them all, and is called by the people of the country, The Ladder of the Tyrians, which is at the distance of a hundred furlongs. 2.189. The very small river Belus runs by it, at the distance of two furlongs; near which there is Memnon’s monument, and hath near it a place no larger than a hundred cubits, which deserves admiration; 2.191. And what is to me still more wonderful, that glassy sand which is superfluous, and is once removed out of the place, becomes bare common sand again. And this is the nature of the place we are speaking of. 2.192. 3. But now the Jews got together in great numbers, with their wives and children, into that plain that was by Ptolemais, and made supplication to Petronius, first for their laws, and, in the next place, for themselves. So he was prevailed upon by the multitude of the supplicants, and by their supplications, and left his army and statues at Ptolemais 2.193. and then went forward into Galilee, and called together the multitude and all the men of note to Tiberias, and showed them the power of the Romans, and the threatenings of Caesar; and, besides this, proved that their petition was unreasonable, because 2.194. while all the nations in subjection to them had placed the images of Caesar in their several cities, among the rest of their gods,—for them alone to oppose it, was almost like the behavior of revolters, and was injurious to Caesar. 2.195. 4. And when they insisted on their law, and the custom of their country, and how it was not only not permitted them to make either an image of God, or indeed of a man, and to put it in any despicable part of their country, much less in the temple itself, Petronius replied, “And am not I also,” said he, “bound to keep the law of my own lord? For if I transgress it, and spare you, it is but just that I perish; while he that sent me, and not I, will commence a war against you; for I am under command as well as you.” 2.196. Hereupon the whole multitude cried out that they were ready to suffer for their law. Petronius then quieted them, and said to them, “Will you then make war against Caesar?” 2.197. The Jews said, “We offer sacrifices twice every day for Caesar, and for the Roman people;” but that if he would place the images among them, he must first sacrifice the whole Jewish nation; and that they were ready to expose themselves, together with their children and wives, to be slain. 2.198. At this Petronius was astonished, and pitied them, on account of the inexpressible sense of religion the men were under, and that courage of theirs which made them ready to die for it; so they were dismissed without success. 2.199. 5. But on the following days he got together the men of power privately, and the multitude publicly, and sometimes he used persuasions to them, and sometimes he gave them his advice; but he chiefly made use of threatenings to them, and insisted upon the power of the Romans, and the anger of Caius; and besides, upon the necessity he was himself under [to do as he was enjoined]. 2.201. and told them that it was best for him to run some hazard himself; “for either, by the Divine assistance, I shall prevail with Caesar, and shall myself escape the danger as well as you, which will be a matter of joy to us both; or, in case Caesar continue in his rage, I will be ready to expose my own life for such a great number as you are.” Whereupon he dismissed the multitude, who prayed greatly for his prosperity; and he took the army out of Ptolemais, and returned to Antioch; 2.202. from whence he presently sent an epistle to Caesar, and informed him of the irruption he had made into Judea, and of the supplications of the nation; and that unless he had a mind to lose both the country and the men in it, he must permit them to keep their law, and must countermand his former injunction. 2.203. Caius answered that epistle in a violent-way, and threatened to have Petronius put to death for his being so tardy in the execution of what he had commanded. But it happened that those who brought Caius’s epistle were tossed by a storm, and were detained on the sea for three months, while others that brought the news of Caius’s death had a good voyage. Accordingly, Petronius received the epistle concerning Caius seven and twenty days before he received that which was against himself. 2.427. after which they carried the fire to the place where the archives were reposited, and made haste to burn the contracts belonging to their creditors, and thereby to dissolve their obligations for paying their debts; and this was done in order to gain the multitude of those who had been debtors, and that they might persuade the poorer sort to join in their insurrection with safety against the more wealthy; so the keepers of the records fled away, and the rest set fire to them. 7.412. but when the principal men of the senate saw what madness they were come to, they thought it no longer safe for themselves to overlook them. So they got all the Jews together to an assembly, and accused the madness of the Sicarii, and demonstrated that they had been the authors of all the evils that had come upon them. |
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15. Mishnah, Avot, 1.1, 1.3-1.13, 2.8, 3.11, 4.13, 5.5 (1st cent. CE - 3rd cent. CE)
| 1.1. Moses received the torah at Sinai and transmitted it to Joshua, Joshua to the elders, and the elders to the prophets, and the prophets to the Men of the Great Assembly. They said three things: Be patient in [the administration of] justice, raise many disciples and make a fence round the Torah." 1.3. Antigonus a man of Socho received [the oral tradition] from Shimon the Righteous. He used to say: do not be like servants who serve the master in the expectation of receiving a reward, but be like servants who serve the master without the expectation of receiving a reward, and let the fear of Heaven be upon you." 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." 1.13. He [also] used to say: one who makes his name great causes his name to be destroyed; one who does not add [to his knowledge] causes [it] to cease; one who does not study [the Torah] deserves death; on who makes [unworthy] use of the crown [of learning] shall pass away." 2.8. Rabban Yoha ben Zakkai received [the oral tradition] from Hillel and Shammai.He used to say: if you have learned much torah, do not claim credit for yourself, because for such a purpose were you created. Rabban Yoha ben Zakkai had five disciples and they were these: Rabbi Eliezer ben Hyrcanus, Rabbi Joshua ben Haiah, Rabbi Yose, the priest, Rabbi Shimon ben Nethaneel and Rabbi Eleazar ben Arach. He [Rabbi Joha] used to list their outstanding virtues: Rabbi Eliezer ben Hyrcanus is a plastered cistern which loses not a drop; Rabbi Joshua ben Haiah happy is the woman that gave birth to him; Rabbi Yose, the priest, is a pious man; Rabbi Simeon ben Nethaneel is one that fears sin, And Rabbi Eleazar ben Arach is like a spring that [ever] gathers force. He [Rabbi Yoha] used to say: if all the sages of Israel were on one scale of the balance and Rabbi Eliezer ben Hyrcanus on the other scale, he would outweigh them all. Abba Shaul said in his name: if all the sages of Israel were on one scale of the balance, and Rabbi Eliezer ben Hyrcanus also with them, and Rabbi Eleazar ben Arach on the other scale, he would outweigh them all." 3.11. Rabbi Elazar of Modiin said: one who profanes sacred things, and one who despises the festivals, and one who causes his fellow’s face to blush in public, and one who annuls the covet of our father Abraham, may he rest in peace, and he who is contemptuous towards the Torah, even though he has to his credit [knowledge of the] Torah and good deeds, he has not a share in the world to come." 4.13. Rabbi Judah said: be careful in study, for an error in study counts as deliberate sin. Rabbi Shimon said: There are three crowns: the crown of torah, the crown of priesthood, and the crown of royalty, but the crown of a good name supersedes them all." 5.5. Ten wonders were wrought for our ancestors in the Temple: [1] no woman miscarried from the odor of the sacred flesh; [2] the sacred flesh never became putrid; [3] no fly was ever seen in the slaughterhouse; [4] no emission occurred to the high priest on the Day of Atonement; [5] the rains did not extinguish the fire of the woodpile; [6] the wind did not prevail against the column of smoke; [7] no defect was found in the omer, or in the two loaves, or in the showbread; [8] the people stood pressed together, yet bowed down and had room enough; [9] never did a serpent or a scorpion harm anyone in Jerusalem; [10] and no man said to his fellow: the place is too congested for me to lodge overnight in Jerusalem." |
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16. Mishnah, Beitzah, 2.6-2.7 (1st cent. CE - 3rd cent. CE)
| 2.6. In three cases Rabban Gamaliel was strict like the words of Beth Shammai.One may not cover up hot food on Yom Tov for Shabbat; And one may not join together a lamp on a festival; And one may not bake [on Yom] thick loaves but only wafer-cakes. Rabban Gamaliel said: “In all their days, my father’s house never baked large loaves but only wafer-cakes.” They said to him: “What can we do with regards to your father’s house, for they were strict in respect to themselves but were lenient towards Israel to let them bake both large loaves and even charcoal-roasted loaves.”" 2.7. Also he declared three decisions of a lenient character:One may sweep up [on a festival] between the couches, And put spices [on the coals] on a festival; And roast a kid whole on the night of Passover. But the sages forbid them." |
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17. Mishnah, Hagigah, 2.2, 2.7 (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." 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." |
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18. Mishnah, Horayot, 3.8 (1st cent. CE - 3rd cent. CE)
| 3.8. A priest takes precedence over a levite, a levite over an israelite, an israelite over a mamzer, a mamzer over a natin, a natin over a convert, and a convert over a freed slave. When is this so? When all these were in other respects equal. However, if the mamzer was a scholar and the high priest an ignoramus, the scholar mamzer takes precedence over the ignorant high priest." |
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19. Mishnah, Negaim, 3.1 (1st cent. CE - 3rd cent. CE)
| 3.1. Everyone can become impure from negaim, except for a non-Jew and a resident alien. All are qualified to inspect negaim, but only a priest may declare them unclean or clean. He is told, \"Say: 'unclean,'\" and he repeats \"unclean,\" or \"Say: 'clean,'\" and he repeats \"clean.\" Two negaim may not be inspected simultaneously whether in one man or in two men; rather he inspects one first and isolates him, certifies him as unclean or pronounces him clean, and then he inspects the second. One who is isolated may not be isolated again nor may one who is certified unclean be certified unclean again. One who is certified unclean may not be isolated nor may one who is isolated be certified unclean. But in the beginning, or at the end of a week, he may isolate on account of the one nega and isolate him on account of another one; he may certify him unclean on account of one sign and also certify him unclean on account of another sign; he may isolated the one sign and declare the other clean, or certify the one unclean and declare the other clean." |
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20. Mishnah, Parah, 3.5 (1st cent. CE - 3rd cent. CE)
| 3.5. If they did not find the residue of the ashes of the seven [red cows] they performed the sprinkling with those of six, of five, of four, of three, of two or of one. And who prepared these? Moses prepared the first, Ezra prepared the second, and five were prepared from the time of Ezra, the words of Rabbi Meir. But the sages say: seven from the time of Ezra. And who prepared them? Shimon the Just and Yoha the high priest prepared two; Elihoenai the son of Ha-Kof and Hanamel the Egyptian and Ishmael the son of Piabi prepared one each." |
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21. Mishnah, Peah, 2.5-2.6 (1st cent. CE - 3rd cent. CE)
| 2.5. He who plants his field with one kind of seed, even though he makes up of it two threshing-floors, he gives only one peah [for the lot]. If he plants it of two kinds, even though he makes up of it one threshing-floor, he must give two peahs. 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." 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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22. Mishnah, Sanhedrin, 4.3, 10.1 (1st cent. CE - 3rd cent. CE)
| 4.3. The Sanhedrin was arranged like the half of a round threshing-floor so that they all might see one another. Before them stood the two scribes of the judges, one to the right and one to the left, and they wrote down the words of them that favored acquittal and the words of them that favored conviction. Rabbi Judah says: “There were three: one wrote down the words of them that favored acquittal, and one wrote down the words of them that favored conviction, and the third wrote down the words of both them that favored acquittal and them that favored conviction." 10.1. All Israel have a portion in the world to come, for it says, “Your people, all of them righteous, shall possess the land for ever; They are the shoot that I planted, my handiwork in which I glory” (Isaiah 60:2. And these are the ones who have no portion in the world to come: He who maintains that resurrection is not a biblical doctrine, that the torah was not divinely revealed, and an epikoros. Rabbi Akiva says: “Even one who reads non-canonical books and one who whispers [a charm] over a wound and says, “I will not bring upon you any of the diseases whichbrought upon the Egyptians: for I the lord am you healer” (Exodus 15:26). Abba Shaul says: “Also one who pronounces the divine name as it is spelled.”" |
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23. Mishnah, Sotah, 9.9 (1st cent. CE - 3rd cent. CE)
| 9.9. When murderers multiplied, the [ceremony of] breaking a heifer’s neck ceased. That was from the time of Eliezer ben Dinai, and he was also called Tehinah ben Perisha and he was afterwards renamed “son of the murderer”. When adulterers multiplied, the ceremony of the bitter waters ceased and it was Rabban Yoha ben Zakkai who discontinued it, as it is said, “I will not punish their daughters for fornicating, nor their daughters-in-law for committing adultery, for they themselves [turn aside with whores and sacrifice with prostitutes]” (Hosea 4:14). When Yose ben Yoezer of Zeredah and Yose ben Yoha of Jerusalem died, the grape-clusters ceased, as it is said, “There is not a cluster [of grapes] to eat; not a ripe fig I could desire [The pious are vanished from the land, none upright are left among men” (Micah 7:1-2)." |
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24. Mishnah, Yadayim, 4.3, 4.6-4.7 (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." 4.6. The Sadducees say: we complain against you, Pharisees, because you say that the Holy Scriptures defile the hands, but the books of Homer do not defile the hands. Rabban Yoha ben Zakkai said: Have we nothing against the Pharisees but this? Behold they say that the bones of a donkey are clean, yet the bones of Yoha the high priest are unclean. They said to him: according to the affection for them, so is their impurity, so that nobody should make spoons out of the bones of his father or mother. He said to them: so also are the Holy Scriptures according to the affection for them, so is their uncleanness. The books of Homer which are not precious do not defile the hands." 4.7. The Sadducees say: we complain against you, Pharisees, that you declare an uninterrupted flow of a liquid to be clean. The Pharisees say: we complain against you, Sadducees, that you declare a stream of water which flows from a burial-ground to be clean? The Sadducees say: we complain against you, Pharisees, that you say, my ox or donkey which has done injury is liable, yet my male or female slave who has done injury is not liable. Now if in the case of my ox or my donkey for which I am not responsible if they do not fulfill religious duties, yet I am responsible for their damages, in the case of my male or female slave for whom I am responsible to see that they fulfill mitzvot, how much more so that I should be responsible for their damages? They said to them: No, if you argue about my ox or my donkey which have no understanding, can you deduce from there anything concerning a male or female slave who do have understanding? So that if I were to anger either of them and they would go and burn another person's stack, should I be liable to make restitution?" |
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25. New Testament, Mark, 7.1-7.23 (1st cent. CE - 1st cent. CE)
| 7.1. Then the Pharisees, and some of the scribes gathered together to him, having come from Jerusalem. 7.2. Now when they saw some of his disciples eating bread with defiled, that is, unwashed, hands, they found fault. 7.3. (For the Pharisees, and all the Jews, don't eat unless they wash their hands and forearms, holding to the tradition of the elders. 7.4. They don't eat when they come from the marketplace, unless they bathe themselves, and there are many other things, which they have received to hold to: washings of cups, pitchers, bronze vessels, and couches.) 7.5. The Pharisees and the scribes asked him, "Why don't your disciples walk according to the tradition of the elders, but eat their bread with unwashed hands? 7.6. He answered them, "Well did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written, 'This people honors me with their lips, But their heart is far from me. 7.7. But in vain do they worship me, Teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.' 7.8. For you set aside the commandment of God, and hold tightly to the tradition of men -- the washing of pitchers and cups, and you do many other such things. 7.9. He said to them, "Full well do you reject the commandment of God, that you may keep your tradition. 7.10. For Moses said, 'Honor your father and your mother;' and, 'He who speaks evil of father or mother, let him be put to death.' 7.11. But you say, 'If a man tells his father or his mother, "Whatever profit you might have received from me is Corban, that is to say, given to God;"' 7.12. then you no longer allow him to do anything for his father or his mother 7.13. making void the word of God by your tradition, which you have handed down. You do many things like this. 7.14. He called all the multitude to himself, and said to them, "Hear me, all of you, and understand. 7.15. There is nothing from outside of the man, that going into him can defile him; but the things which proceed out of the man are those that defile the man. 7.16. If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear! 7.17. When he had entered into a house away from the multitude, his disciples asked him about the parable. 7.18. He said to them, "Are you thus without understanding also? Don't you perceive that whatever goes into the man from outside can't defile him 7.19. because it doesn't go into his heart, but into his stomach, then into the latrine, thus making all foods clean? 7.20. He said, "That which proceeds out of the man, that defiles the man. 7.21. For from within, out of the hearts of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, sexual sins, murders, thefts 7.22. covetings, wickedness, deceit, lustful desires, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, and foolishness. 7.23. All these evil things come from within, and defile the man. |
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26. New Testament, Matthew, 5.3, 5.4, 5.5, 5.6, 5.7, 5.8, 5.9, 5.10, 5.11, 5.12, 5.17, 5.21, 5.22, 5.23, 5.24, 5.25, 5.26, 5.27, 5.28, 5.29, 5.30, 5.31, 5.32, 5.33, 5.34, 5.35, 5.36, 5.37, 5.38, 5.39, 5.40, 5.41, 5.42, 5.43, 5.44, 5.45, 5.46, 5.47, 5.48, 6, 6.1, 6.2, 6.3, 6.4, 6.5, 6.6, 6.7, 6.8, 6.9, 6.10, 6.11, 6.12, 6.13, 6.14, 6.15, 6.16, 6.17, 6.18, 6.19-7.12, 7.12, 7.13, 7.14, 7.15, 7.16, 7.17, 7.18, 7.19, 7.20, 7.21, 7.22, 7.23, 7.24, 7.25, 7.26, 7.27, 12.6, 12.7, 12.8 (1st cent. CE - 1st cent. CE)
| 12.6. But I tell you that one greater than the temple is here. |
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27. Tosefta, Eduyot, 1.1 (1st cent. CE - 2nd cent. CE)
| 1.1. When the Sages entered the Vineyard in Yavneh, they said, \"In the future, there will come an hour when a person seeks a teaching from the teachings of the Torah and he will not find it, or in the teachings of the Scribes, and he will not find it.\" As it says, \"Behold, days are coming, says the Lord, etc. they will seek out the word of God and they will not find it (Amos 8).\" 'The word of God' refers to prophecy. 'The word of God' refers to the End (of Days). 'The word of God', so that there shall not be one word of Torah similar to its fellow. They said, \"Let us begin from Hillel and Shammai!\"..." |
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28. Tosefta, Megillah, 2.5 (1st cent. CE - 2nd cent. CE)
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29. Tosefta, Parah, 3.7-3.8 (1st cent. CE - 2nd cent. CE)
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30. Tosefta, Sotah, 13.3-13.6, 13.8 (1st cent. CE - 2nd cent. CE)
| 13.8. The year in which Shimon the Righteous died [he said to them] \"in this year I will die\" \"how do you know this?\" they responded. He (Shimon the Righteous) responded: \"all of the Yom Kippur days there was an old man dressed in all white who would go with me into the holy of holies and leave with me, on this year he went in with me but did not come out with me.\" Seven days passed after the holiday and he died. From the time of the death of Rebbi Shimon the Righteous they ceased blessing in the name of Hashem." |
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31. Tosefta, Sukkah, 4.2 (1st cent. CE - 2nd cent. CE)
| 4.2. Saints and pious men were dancing before them with torches, and saying words of praise. What were they saying? Happy is he who has not sinned, and whoever has sinned shall be forgiven. Some of them were saying, Happy am I whose youth has not shamed my old age, this was said by the pious men. And others of them were saying, Happy am I whose old age can atone for my youth, this was said by the penitents.Hillel the Elder used to say : To the place which my heart loves, there my feet lead me. If you come to my house (says God), I will go to there. If you do not come to My house, then I will not go to there. For it is said, “In every place where I record My name I will come unto you, and I will bless you.”" |
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32. Tosefta, Kippurim, 1.8 (1st cent. CE - 2nd cent. CE)
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33. Anon., Sifre Deuteronomy, 41 (2nd cent. CE - 4th cent. CE)
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34. Babylonian Talmud, Shabbat, None (3rd cent. CE - 6th cent. CE)
| 30b. כל יומא דשבתא הוה יתיב וגריס כולי יומא ההוא יומא דבעי למינח נפשיה קם מלאך המות קמיה ולא יכיל ליה דלא הוה פסק פומיה מגירסא אמר מאי אעביד ליה הוה ליה בוסתנא אחורי ביתיה אתא מלאך המות סליק ובחיש באילני נפק למיחזי הוה סליק בדרגא איפחית דרגא מתותיה אישתיק ונח נפשיה,שלח שלמה לבי מדרשא אבא מת ומוטל בחמה וכלבים של בית אבא רעבים מה אעשה שלחו ליה חתוך נבלה והנח לפני הכלבים ואביך הנח עליו ככר או תינוק וטלטלו ולא יפה אמר שלמה (קהלת ט, ד) כי לכלב חי הוא טוב מן האריה המת ולענין שאילה דשאילנא קדמיכון נר קרויה נר ונשמתו של אדם קרויה נר מוטב תכבה נר של בשר ודם מפני נרו של הקב"ה:,אמר רב יהודה בריה דרב שמואל בר שילת משמיה דרב בקשו חכמים לגנוז ספר קהלת מפני שדבריו סותרין זה את זה ומפני מה לא גנזוהו מפני שתחילתו דברי תורה וסופו דברי תורה תחילתו דברי תורה דכתיב (קהלת א, ג) מה יתרון לאדם בכל עמלו שיעמול תחת השמש ואמרי דבי ר' ינאי תחת השמש הוא דאין לו קודם שמש יש לו סופו דברי תורה דכתיב (קהלת יב, יג) סוף דבר הכל נשמע את האלהים ירא ואת מצותיו שמור כי זה כל האדם מאי כי זה כל האדם אמר רבי (אליעזר) כל העולם כולו לא נברא אלא בשביל זה ר' אבא בר כהנא אמר שקול זה כנגד כל העולם כולו שמעון בן עזאי אומר ואמרי לה שמעון בן זומא אומר לא נברא כל העולם כולו אלא לצוות לזה,ומאי דבריו סותרין זה את זה כתיב (קהלת ז, ג) טוב כעס משחוק וכתיב (קהלת ב, ב) לשחוק אמרתי מהלל כתיב (קהלת ח, טו) ושבחתי אני את השמחה וכתיב (קהלת ב, ב) ולשמחה מה זה עושה לא קשיא טוב כעס משחוק טוב כעס שכועס הקב"ה על הצדיקים בעוה"ז משחוק שמשחק הקב"ה על הרשעים בעולם הזה ולשחוק אמרתי מהלל זה שחוק שמשחק הקב"ה עם הצדיקים בעולם הבא,ושבחתי אני את השמחה שמחה של מצוה ולשמחה מה זה עושה זו שמחה שאינה של מצוה ללמדך שאין שכינה שורה לא מתוך עצבות ולא מתוך עצלות ולא מתוך שחוק ולא מתוך קלות ראש ולא מתוך שיחה ולא מתוך דברים בטלים אלא מתוך דבר שמחה של מצוה שנאמר (מלכים ב ג, טו) ועתה קחו לי מנגן והיה כנגן המנגן ותהי עליו יד ה' אמר רב יהודה וכן לדבר הלכה אמר רבא וכן לחלום טוב,איני והאמר רב גידל אמר רב כל תלמיד חכם שיושב לפני רבו ואין שפתותיו נוטפות מר תכוינה שנאמר (שיר השירים ה, יג) שפתותיו שושנים נוטפות מור עובר אל תקרי מור עובר אלא מר עובר אל תקרי שושנים אלא ששונים לא קשיא הא ברבה והא בתלמיד ואיבעית אימא הא והא ברבה ולא קשיא הא מקמי דלפתח הא לבתר דפתח כי הא דרבה מקמי דפתח להו לרבנן אמר מילתא דבדיחותא ובדחי רבנן לסוף יתיב באימתא ופתח בשמעתא,ואף ספר משלי בקשו לגנוז שהיו דבריו סותרין זה את זה ומפני מה לא גנזוהו אמרי ספר קהלת לאו עיינינן ואשכחינן טעמא הכא נמי ליעיינן ומאי דבריו סותרים זה את זה כתיב (משלי כו, ד) אל תען כסיל כאולתו וכתיב (משלי כו, ה) ענה כסיל כאולתו לא קשיא הא בדברי תורה הא במילי דעלמא,כי הא דההוא דאתא לקמיה דרבי אמר ליה אשתך אשתי ובניך בני אמר ליה רצונך שתשתה כוס של יין שתה ופקע ההוא דאתא לקמיה דרבי חייא אמר ליה אמך אשתי ואתה בני אמר ליה רצונך שתשתה כוס של יין שתה ופקע אמר רבי חייא אהניא ליה צלותיה לרבי דלא לשווייה בני ממזירי דרבי כי הוה מצלי אמר יהי רצון מלפניך ה' אלהינו שתצילני היום מעזי. פנים ומעזות פנים,בדברי תורה מאי היא כי הא דיתיב רבן גמליאל וקא דריש עתידה אשה שתלד בכל יום שנאמר (ירמיהו לא, ח) הרה ויולדת יחדיו ליגלג עליו אותו תלמיד אמר אין כל חדש תחת השמש א"ל בא ואראך דוגמתן בעוה"ז נפק אחוי ליה תרנגולת,ותו יתיב רבן גמליאל וקא דריש עתידים אילנות שמוציאין פירות בכל יום שנאמר (יחזקאל יז, כג) ונשא ענף ועשה פרי מה ענף בכל יום אף פרי בכל יום ליגלג עליו אותו תלמיד אמר והכתיב אין כל חדש תחת השמש א"ל בא ואראך דוגמתם בעולם הזה נפק אחוי ליה צלף,ותו יתיב רבן גמליאל וקא דריש עתידה ארץ ישראל שתוציא גלוסקאות וכלי מילת שנאמר (תהלים עב, טז) יהי פסת בר בארץ ליגלג עליו אותו תלמיד ואמר אין כל חדש תחת השמש אמר ליה בא ואראך דוגמתן בעולם הזה נפק אחוי ליה כמיהין ופטריות ואכלי מילת נברא בר קורא:,. ת"ר לעולם יהא אדם ענוותן כהלל ואל יהא קפדן כשמאי מעשה בשני בני אדם | 30b. What did David do? bEvery Shabbat he would sit and learn all daylong to protect himself from the Angel of Death. On bthat day on whichthe Angel of Death bwas supposed to put his soul to rest,the day on which David was supposed to die, bthe Angel of Death stood before him and was unableto overcome him because bhis mouth did not pause from study.The Angel of Death bsaid: What shall I do to him? David had a garden [ ibustana /i] behind his house; the Angel of Death came, climbed, and shook the trees.David bwent out to see.As bhe climbed the stair, the stair broke beneath him.He was startled and bwas silent,interrupted his studies for a moment, band died. /b,Since David died in the garden, bSolomon sentthe following question bto the study hall: Father died and is lying in the sun, and the dogs of father’s house are hungry.There is room for concern lest the dogs come and harm his body. What shall I do? bThey sentan answer bto him: Cut up ananimal bcarcass and place it before the dogs.Since the dogs are hungry, handling the animal carcass to feed them is permitted. bAndwith regard to byour father,it is prohibited to move his body directly. bPlace a loafof bread bor an infant on top of him, andyou can bmove himinto the shade due to the bread or the infant. bAndis it bnot appropriatewhat bSolomon said: “ /bF bor a living dog is better than a dead lion.”The ultimate conclusion of this discussion is that life is preferable to death. bAndnow, bwith regard to the question that I asked before you;Rav Tanḥum spoke modestly, as, actually, they had asked him the question. bA lamp is called inerand a person’s soul isalso bcalled iner /i,as it is written: “The spirit of man is the lamp [ iner /i] of the Lord” (Proverbs 20:27). bIt is preferablethat bthe lamp ofa being of bflesh and blood,an actual lamp, bwill be extinguished in favor of the lamp of the Holy One, Blessed be He,a person’s soul. Therefore, one is permitted to extinguish a flame for the sake of a sick person.,Since contradictions in Ecclesiastes were mentioned, the Gemara cites additional relevant sources. bRav Yehuda, son of Rav Shmuel bar Sheilat, said in the name of Rav: The Sages sought to suppress the book of Ecclesiastesand declare it apocryphal bbecause its statements contradict each otherand it is liable to confuse its readers. bAnd why did they not suppress it? Because its beginningconsists of bmatters of Torah and its endconsists of bmatters of Torah.The ostensibly contradictory details are secondary to the essence of the book, which is Torah. The Gemara elaborates: bIts beginningconsists of bmatters of Torah, as it is written: “What profit has man of all his labor which he labors under the sun?”(Ecclesiastes 1:3), bandthe Sages of bthe schoolof bRabbi Yannai said:By inference: bUnder the sun is whereman bhas noprofit from his labor; however, bbefore the sun,i.e., when engaged in the study of Torah, which preceded the sun, bhe does haveprofit. bIts endingconsists of bmatters of Torah, as it is written: “The end of the matter, all having been heard: Fear God, and keep His mitzvot; for this is the whole man” ( /bEcclesiastes 12:13). With regard to this verse, the Gemara asks: bWhat isthe meaning of the phrase: bFor this is the whole man? Rabbi Eliezer said: The entire world was only created for thisperson. bRabbi Abba bar Kahana said: Thisperson bis equivalent to the entire world. Shimon ben Azzai says and some saythat bShimon ben Zoma says: The entire world was only created as companion to thisman, so that he will not be alone., bAndto the essence of the matter, the Gemara asks: bWhat isthe meaning of: bIts statementsthat bcontradict each other? It is written: “Vexation is better than laughter”(Ecclesiastes 7:3), band it is written: “I said of laughter: It is praiseworthy”(Ecclesiastes 2:2), which is understood to mean that laughter is commendable. Likewise in one verse bit is written: “So I commended mirth”(Ecclesiastes 8:15), bandin another verse bit is written: “And of mirth: What does it accomplish?”(Ecclesiastes 2:2). The Gemara answers: This is bnot difficult,as the contradiction can be resolved. bVexation is better than laughtermeans: The bvexationof bthe Holy One, Blessed be He, toward the righteous in this world is preferable to the laughter which the Holy One, Blessed be He, laughs with the wicked in this worldby showering them with goodness. bI said of laughter: It is praiseworthy, that isthe blaughter which the Holy One, Blessed be He, laughs with the righteous in the World-to-Come. /b,Similarly, “ bSo I commended mirth,”that is bthe joy of a mitzva. “And of mirth: What does it accomplish?” that is joy that is notthe joy bof a mitzva.The praise of joy mentioned here is bto teach you that the Divine Presence restsupon an individual bneither froman atmosphere of bsadness, nor froman atmosphere of blaziness, nor froman atmosphere of blaughter, nor froman atmosphere of bfrivolity, nor froman atmosphere of bidle conversation, nor froman atmosphere of bidle chatter, but rather froman atmosphere imbued with bthe joy ofa bmitzva. As it was statedwith regard to Elisha that after he became angry at the king of Israel, his prophetic spirit left him until he requested: b“But now bring me a minstrel; and it came to pass, when the minstrel played, that the hand of the Lord came upon him”(II Kings 3:15). bRav Yehuda said: And, sotoo, one should be joyful before stating ba matter of ihalakha /i. Rava said: And, so too,one should be joyful before going to sleep in order btohave a bgood dream. /b,The Gemara asks: Is bthat so,that one should introduce matters of ihalakhajoyfully? bDidn’t Rav Giddel saythat bRav said: Any Torah scholar who sits before his teacher and his lips are not dripping with myrrhdue to fear of his teacher, those lips bshall be burnt,as bit is stated: “His lips are as lilies, dripping with flowing myrrh [ ishoshanim notefot mor over /i]”(Song of Songs 5:13)? He interpreted homiletically: bDo not read imor over /i, flowing myrrh; rather,read imar over /i, flowing bitterness.Likewise, bdo not read ishoshanim /i, lilies; rather,read isheshonim /i, that are studying,meaning that lips that are studying Torah must be full of bitterness. The Gemara explains: This is bnot difficult,there is no contradiction here, as bthis,where it was taught that one should introduce matters of ihalakhajoyfully, is referring bto a rabbi, and that,where it was taught that one must be filled with bitterness, is referring bto a student,who must listen to his teacher with trepidation. bAnd if you wish, sayinstead that bthis and thatare referring bto a rabbi, andit is bnot difficult. This,where it was taught that he must be joyful, is bbeforehe bbeginsteaching, whereas bthat,where it was taught that he must be filled with bitterness and trepidation, is bafterhe already bbeganteaching ihalakha /i. That explanation is blike that which Rabbadid. bBefore he beganteaching ihalakha bto the Sages, he would say something humorous and the Sages would be cheered. Ultimately, he sat in trepidation and beganteaching the ihalakha /i., bAnd,the Gemara continues, the Sages bsought to suppress the book of Proverbs as wellbecause bits statements contradict each other. And why did they not suppress it? They said:In the case of bthe book of Ecclesiastes, didn’t we analyze it and find an explanationthat its statements were not contradictory? bHere too, let us analyze it. And what isthe meaning of: bIts statements contradict each other?On the one hand, bit is written: “Answer not a fool according to his folly,lest you also be like him” (Proverbs 26:4), bandon the other hand, bit is written: “Answer a fool according to his folly,lest he be wise in his own eyes” (Proverbs 26:5). The Gemara resolves this apparent contradiction: This is bnot difficult,as bthis,where one should answer a fool, is referring to a case where the fool is making claims babout Torah matters;whereas bthat,where one should not answer him, is referring to a case where the fool is making claims babout mundane matters. /b,The Gemara relates how Sages conducted themselves in both of those circumstances. bAs inthe case bof thatman bwho came before RabbiYehuda HaNasi and bsaid to him: Your wifeis bmy wife and your childrenare bmy children,Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi bsaid to him:Would byou like to drink a cup of wine? He drank and burstand died. Similarly, the Gemara relates: bThere was that man who came before Rabbi Ḥiyya and said to him: Your motheris bmy wife, and youare bmy son. He said to him:Would byou like to drink a cup of wine? He drank and burstand died. bRabbi Ḥiyya saidwith regard to the incident involving Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi: bRabbiYehuda HaNasi’s bprayerthat bhis children will not be rendered imamzerim /i,children of illicit relations, bwas effective for him. As when RabbiYehuda HaNasi bwould pray, he saidafter his prayer: bMay it be Your will, O Lord, my God, that You will deliver me today from impudent people and from insolence.Insolence, in this case, refers to imamzerut /i. It was due to his prayer that that man burst and was unsuccessful in disparaging Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi’s children., bIn matters of Torah, what isthe case with regard to which the verse said that one should respond to a fool’s folly? bAs inthe case bwhere Rabban Gamliel was sitting and he interpreteda verse bhomiletically: In the future,in the World-to-Come, ba woman will give birth every day, as it says: “The woman with child and her that gives birth together”(Jeremiah 31:7), explaining that birth will occur on the same day as conception. bA certain student scoffed at himand bsaid:That cannot be, as it has already been stated: b“There is nothing new under the sun”(Ecclesiastes 1:9). Rabban Gamliel bsaid to him: Come and I will show you an exampleof this bin this world. He took him outside and showed him a chickenthat lays eggs every day., bAnd furthermore: Rabban Gamliel sat and interpreteda verse bhomiletically: In the future,in the World-to-Come, btrees will produce fruits every day, as it is stated: “And it shall bring forth branches and bear fruit”(Ezekiel 17:23); bjust as a branchgrows bevery day, so too, fruitwill be produced bevery day. A certain student scoffed at himand bsaid: Isn’t it written: There is nothing new under the sun? He said to him: Come and I will show you an exampleof this bin this world. He went outside and showed him a caper bush,part of which is edible during each season of the year., bAnd furthermore: Rabban Gamliel sat and interpreteda verse bhomiletically: In the future,the World-to-Come, bEretz Yisrael will produce cakes andfine bwool garmentsthat will grow in the ground, bas it is stated: “Let abundant grain be in the land /b.” bA certain student scoffed at him and said: There is nothing new under the sun. He said to him: Come and I will show you an example in this world. He went outsideand bshowed him truffles and mushrooms,which emerge from the earth over the course of a single night and are shaped like a loaf of bread. bAnd with regard to wool garments,he showed him bthe covering of a heart of palm,a young palm branch, which is wrapped in a thin net-like covering.,Since the Gemara discussed the forbearance of Sages, who remain silent in the face of nonsensical comments, it cites additional relevant examples. bThe Sages taughtin a ibaraita /i: bA person should always be patient like Hillel and not impatient like Shammai.The Gemara related: There was ban incidentinvolving btwo people /b |
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35. Babylonian Talmud, Yoma, None (3rd cent. CE - 6th cent. CE)
| 69a. וסיפא איצטריכא ליה פושטין ומקפלין ומניחין תחת ראשיהם,פושטין ומקפלין ומניחין אותן תחת ראשיהן שמעת מינה בגדי כהונה ניתנו ליהנות בהן אמר רב פפא לא תימא תחת ראשיהן אלא אימא כנגד ראשיהן אמר רב משרשיא שמעת מינה תפילין מן הצד שפיר דמי,הכי נמי מסתברא דכנגד ראשיהן דאי סלקא דעתך תחת ראשיהן ותיפוק לי משום כלאים דהא איכא אבנט ונהי נמי דניתנו ליהנות בהן הא מתהני מכלאים,הניחא למ"ד אבנטו של כהן גדול (בשאר ימות השנה) זה הוא אבנטו של כהן הדיוט אלא למאן דאמר אבנטו של כ"ג לא זה הוא אבנטו של כהן הדיוט מאי איכא למימר,וכי תימא כלאים בלבישה והעלאה הוא דאסור בהצעה שרי והתניא (ויקרא יט, יט) לא יעלה עליך אבל אתה מותר להציעו תחתיך אבל אמרו חכמים אסור לעשות כן שמא תיכרך נימא אחת על בשרו,וכ"ת דמפסיק ליה מידי ביני ביני והאמר ר"ש בן פזי אמר ר' יהושע בן לוי אמר רבי משום קהלא קדישא שבירושלים אפי' עשר מצעות זו על גב זו וכלאים תחתיהן אסור לישן עליהן אלא לאו שמע מינה כנגד ראשיהן שמע מינה,רב אשי אמר לעולם תחת ראשיהן והא קא מתהני מכלאים בגדי כהונה קשין הן כי הא דאמר רב הונא בריה דר' יהושע האי נמטא גמדא דנרש שריא,ת"ש בגדי כהונה היוצא בהן למדינה אסור ובמקדש בין בשעת עבודה בין שלא בשעת עבודה מותר מפני שבגדי כהונה ניתנו ליהנות בהן ש"מ,ובמדינה לא והתניא בעשרים וחמשה [בטבת] יום הר גרזים [הוא] דלא למספד,יום שבקשו כותיים את בית אלהינו מאלכסנדרוס מוקדון להחריבו ונתנו להם באו והודיעו את שמעון הצדיק מה עשה לבש בגדי כהונה ונתעטף בבגדי כהונה ומיקירי ישראל עמו ואבוקות של אור בידיהן וכל הלילה הללו הולכים מצד זה והללו הולכים מצד זה עד שעלה עמוד השחר,כיון שעלה עמוד השחר אמר להם מי הללו אמרו לו יהודים שמרדו בך כיון שהגיע לאנטיפטרס זרחה חמה ופגעו זה בזה כיון שראה לשמעון הצדיק ירד ממרכבתו והשתחוה לפניו אמרו לו מלך גדול כמותך ישתחוה ליהודי זה אמר להם דמות דיוקנו של זה מנצחת לפני בבית מלחמתי,אמר להם למה באתם אמרו אפשר בית שמתפללים בו עליך ועל מלכותך שלא תחרב יתעוך עובדי כוכבים להחריבו אמר להם מי הללו אמרו לו כותיים הללו שעומדים לפניך אמר להם הרי הם מסורין בידיכם,מיד נקבום בעקביהם ותלאום בזנבי סוסיהם והיו מגררין אותן על הקוצים ועל הברקנים עד שהגיעו להר גרזים כיון שהגיעו להר גריזים חרשוהו וזרעוהו כרשינין כדרך שבקשו לעשות לבית אלהינו ואותו היום עשאוהו יו"ט,אי בעית אימא ראויין לבגדי כהונה ואי בעית אימא (תהלים קיט, קכו) עת לעשות לה' הפרו תורתך,חזן הכנסת נוטל ספר תורה ש"מ חולקין כבוד לתלמיד במקום הרב אמר אביי כולה משום כבודו דכ"ג היא,וכהן גדול עומד מכלל שהוא יושב והא אנן תנן | 69a. That mishna’s teaching highlighting the prohibition to sleep in priestly vestments bis needed for the latter clauseof that mishna, which states: bThey removetheir priestly vestments band fold them and place them under their heads.Since they are allowed to sleep on them, it must be emphasized that they may not sleep while wearing them.,The Gemara considers resolving the dilemma from the latter clause: bThey removetheir priestly vestments band fold them and place them under their heads.The Gemara suggests: bLearn from thisthat bit is permitted to derive benefit from priestly vestments. Rav Pappa said: Do not saythat the mishna means they may actually place the vestments bunder their headsas a pillow; brather, saythat the mishna permits the vestments to be placed only bnext to their heads. Rav Mesharshiyya said:Given this understanding of that mishna, one can blearn from herethat one who places bphylacteries to the sideof his head when he sleeps has done bwell;there is no concern that he will turn over in his sleep and lie upon them., bSo too, it is reasonableto say bthatthe mishna permits the vestments to be placed only bnext to their headsand not under their heads; bas, if it could enter your mindto say that the mishna permits the vestments to be placed bunder their heads, and I would derivethat it is prohibited bdue tothe fact the priestly vestments contain a forbidden mixture of bdiverse kinds, asamong them bthere isthe bbelt,which is woven from a mixture of wool and linen. bAnd even ifit is assumed bthat it is permitted to derive benefit frompriestly vestments, it would still be prohibited to lie upon them because by doing so the priests would be bderiving benefit froma garment made of bdiverse kinds. /b,The Gemara elaborates on the preceding argument: If one claims that the mishna permits priests to sleep upon their vestments, bit works out well according to the one who said: The belt of the High Priestworn on Yom Kippur, which does not contain diverse kinds, bis the same as the belt of a common priest.According to this view, the common priest’s belt does not contain diverse kinds, and therefore it may be permitted for a priest to sleep upon it. bHowever, according to the one who saidthat bthe High Priest’s belton Yom Kippur bis not the same as the belt of a common priest,and that the belt of the common priest is made of diverse kinds, bwhat is there to say?How could the mishna possibly permit priests to sleep upon their vestments?, bAnd if you saythat with regard to the prohibition of bdiverse kindsonly bwearingor bplacingthe garment bupon oneself is prohibited, but spreading them outand lying upon them on bis permitted,and as such it should be permitted for the priests to sleep upon their vestments, this is incorrect. As, bwasn’t it taughtin a ibaraitathat the verse states: b“Neither shall there come upon youa garment of diverse kinds”(Leviticus 19:19), which implies: bBut you are permitted to spread it beneath youto lie upon. This is true according to Torah law, bbut the Sages said: It is prohibited to do so, lest a fiber wrap upon his flesh,which would lead to the transgression of the Torah prohibition., bAnd if you saythat a priest could still avoid the prohibition of diverse kinds by bplacing a separation betweenhimself and the belt containing diverse kinds, bdidn’t Rabbi Shimon ben Pazi saythat bRabbi Yehoshua ben Levi saidthat bRabbiYehuda HaNasi bsaid in the name of the holy community in Jerusalem: Evenif there are bten mattressespiled bone atop the other anda garment of bdiverse kindsis placed bunderneath themall, bit is prohibited to sleep upon them?This is because the rabbinic decree is applied equally to all cases irrespective of whether the original concern exists. Therefore, there can be no way for the priests to sleep upon the vestments without transgressing the prohibition of diverse kinds. bRather,must one bnot conclude fromthe preceding discussion that the mishna permits the vestments to be placed only bnext to their heads?The Gemara concludes: bLearn from itthat this is indeed so., bRav Ashi said: Actually,the mishna may be understood as permitting the vestments to be placed bunder their heads.One should not object that by doing so the priests would be bderiving benefit froma garment made of bdiverse kindsbecause bpriestly vestments,and specifically the belt, bare stiff,and therefore the prohibition of diverse kinds does not apply to them. This is bin accordance with thatwhich bRav Huna, son of Rabbi Yehoshua, said: This stiff felt [ inamta /i],made of diverse kinds, that is produced binthe city of bNeresh, is permitted,since a stiff object does not wrap around the body to provide warmth, and therefore the person wearing is not considered to have derived benefit from it.,Since the mishna’s intention is uncertain, it cannot provide a clear proof for the dilemma of whether it is permitted to derive benefit from priestly vestments. The Gemara therefore suggests another proof: bComeand bhearan explicit ibaraitaconcerning this issue: With regard to bpriestly vestments, it is prohibited to go out to the country,i.e., outside the Temple, while bwearing them, but in the Temple it is permittedfor the priests to wear them, bwhether during theTemple bservice or not during the service, due tothe fact bthat it is permitted to derive benefit from priestly vestments. Learn from thisthat it is indeed permitted.,§ The ibaraitataught that the priestly vestments may not be worn outside the Temple. The Gemara challenges this: Is it really bnotpermitted to wear priestly vestments bin the country? Wasn’t it taughtin another ibaraita /i, in iMegillat Ta’anit /i: bThe twenty-fifth of Tevetis known as bthe day of Mount Gerizim,which was established as a joyful day, and therefore beulogizingis bnotpermitted.,What occurred on that date? It was on that bday that the Samaritans [ ikutim /i] requested the House of our Lord from Alexander the Macedonian in order to destroy it, and he gave it to them,i.e., he gave them permission to destroy it. People bcame and informedthe High Priest, bShimon HaTzaddik,of what had transpired. bWhat did he do? He donned the priestly vestments and wrapped himself in the priestly vestments. And the nobles of the Jewish Peoplewere bwith him,with btorches of fire in their hands. And all that night, these,the representatives of the Jewish people, bapproached from this side, and those,the armies of Alexander and the Samaritans, bapproached from that side, until dawn,when they finally saw one another., bWhen dawn arrived,Alexander bsaid tothe Samaritans: bWho are thesepeople coming to meet us? bThey said to him:These are the bJews who rebelled against you. When he reached Antipatris, the sun shone andthe two camps bmet each other. WhenAlexander bsaw Shimon HaTzaddik, he descended from his chariot and bowed before him.His escorts bsaid to him:Should ban important king such as you bow to this Jew?He bsaid to them:I do so because bthe image of this man’s face is victorious before me on my battlefields,i.e., when I fight I see his image going before me as a sign of victory, and therefore I know that he has supreme sanctity., bHe saidto the representatives of the Jewish people: bWhy have you come? They saidto him: bIs it possible thatthe Temple, the bhouse in which we pray for you and for your kingdom not to be destroyed, gentiles willtry to bmislead you into destroying it,and we would remain silent and not tell you? bHe said to them: Who are thesepeople who want to destroy it? The Jews bsaid to him:They are bthese Samaritans who stand before you. He said to them:If so, bthey are delivered into your handsto deal with them as you please., bImmediately, they stabbedthe Samaritans bin their heels and hung them from their horses’ tails and continued to drag them over the thorns and thistles until they reached Mount Gerizim. When they arrived at Mount Gerizim,where the Samaritans had their temple, bthey plowed it over and seededthe area bwith leeks,a symbol of total destruction. This was bjust as they had sought to do to the House of our Lord. And they made that day a festivalto celebrate the salvation of the Temple and the defeat of the Samaritans.,It is apparent from the ibaraitathat Shimon HaTzaddik wore the priestly vestments even outside the Temple. This would seem to be in contravention of the ruling of the other ibaraitaprohibiting this. The Gemara resolves the contradiction: bIf you wish, sayShimon HaTzaddik did not wear a set of genuine, sanctified priestly vestments; rather, he wore garments that were bfitting to be priestly vestmentsin that they were made of the same material and design. bAnd if you wish, sayinstead that he indeed wore a set of genuine priestly vestments, but in times of great need, such as when one seeks to prevent the destruction of the Temple, it is permitted to violate the ihalakha /i, as indicated by the verse: b“It is time to act for the Lord, they have nullified your Torah”(Psalms 119:126).,§ It was taught in the mishna: bThe synagogue attendant takes a Torah scrolland gives it to the head of the synagogue, who gives it to the deputy High Priest, who gives it to the High Priest. The Gemara suggests: bLearn from herethat bhonor may be given to a student in the presence of the teacher.Although the High Priest is considered everyone’s teacher and master, honor was nevertheless extended to other individuals without fear of impugning the High Priest’s honor. bAbaye said:A proof may not be adduced from here because bthe entireprocess bis for the honor of the High Priest.The passing of the Torah scroll to people of increasing importance demonstrates that the High Priest is considered the most important of all those present.,§ It was further taught in the mishna: bThe High Priest standsand receives the scroll from the Deputy. bBy inference,until that point bhehad been bsitting. But didn’t we learnin a mishna: |
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36. Anon., Numbers Rabba, 18.21 (4th cent. CE - 9th cent. CE)
| 18.21. מנצפ"ך הָאוֹתִיּוֹת כְּפוּלוֹת, צוֹפִים אֲמָרוּם, כ"ך נִרְמַז לְאַבְרָהָם (בראשית יב, א): לֶךְ לְךָ לְמֵאָה שָׁנָה יוֹלִיד. מ"ם לְיִצְחָק (בראשית כו, טז): כִּי עָצַמְתָּ מִמֶּנּוּ מְאֹד, רְמָזוֹ שֶׁהוּא וְזַרְעוֹ עֲצוּמִים בִּשְׁנֵי עוֹלָמוֹת. נ"ן לְיַעֲקֹב (בראשית לב, יב): הַצִּילֵנִי נָא, מַצִּיל בִּשְׁנֵי עוֹלָמוֹת. פ"ף לְיִשְרָאֵל לְמשֶׁה (שמות ג, טז): פָּקֹד פָּקַדְתִּי אֶתְכֶם. צ"ץ (זכריה ו, יב): הִנֵּה אִישׁ צֶמַח שְׁמוֹ וגו', זֶה מָשִׁיחַ, וְאוֹמֵר (ירמיה כג, ה): וַהֲקִמֹתִי לְדָוִד צֶמַח צַדִּיק וּמָלַךְ מֶלֶךְ וְהִשְׂכִּיל וְעָשָׂה מִשְׁפָּט וּצְדָקָה בָּאָרֶץ. (ישעיה ג, ג): שַׂר חֲמִשִׁים, עֶשְׂרִים וְאַרְבָּעָה סְפָרִים, הוֹסֵף עֲלֵיהֶם אַחַד עָשָׂר מִן תְּרֵי עֲשַׂר, חוּץ מִן יוֹנָה שֶׁהוּא בִּפְנֵי עַצְמוֹ, וְשִׁשָּׁה סְדָרִים, וְתִשְׁעָה פְּרָקִים דְּתוֹרַת כֹּהֲנִים, הֲרֵי חֲמִשִּׁים. (שיר השירים ו, ח): שִׁשִּׁים הֵמָּה מְלָכוֹת, שִׁשִּׁים מַסֶּכְתּוֹת, (שיר השירים ו, ח): וּשְׁמֹנִים פִּילַגְשִׁים, שְׁמוֹנִים בָּתֵּי מִדְרָשׁוֹת שֶׁהָיוּ בִּירוּשָׁלַיִם, כְּנֶגֶד פְּתָחֶיהָ. (שיר השירים ו, ח): וַעֲלָמוֹת אֵין מִסְפָּר, מִשְׁנָה הַחִיצוֹנָה. (שיר השירים ג, ז): הִנֵּה מִטָּתוֹ שֶׁלִּשְׁלֹמֹה שִׁשִּׁים גִּבֹּרִים סָבִיב לָהּ, שִׁשִּׁים אוֹתִיּוֹת שֶׁבְּבִרְכַּת כֹּהֲנִים. (בראשית יד, יד): שְׁמֹנָה עָשָׂר וּשְׁלשׁ מֵאוֹת, הוּא אֱלִיעֶזֶר. (בראשית כו, ה): עֵקֶב אֲשֶׁר שָׁמַע אַבְרָהָם בְּקֹלִי וַיִּשְׁמֹר מִשְׁמַרְתִּי מִצְוֹתַי חֻקּוֹתַי וְתוֹרֹתָי. בֶּן שָׁלשׁ שָׁנִים הִכִּירוֹ. הַשָֹּׂטָן בְּגִימַטְרִיָּא שְׁלשׁ מֵאוֹת וְשִׁשִּׁים וְאַרְבָּעָה, מִנְּיַן יְמוֹת הַחַמָּה שַׁלִּיט לְהַלְשִׁין בְּכֻלָּן חוּץ מִיּוֹם כִּפּוּר. אָמַר רַב אַמֵּי בֵּי רַבִּי אַבָּא אַבְרָהָם עַד שֶׁלֹא נִמּוֹל וְלֹא הוֹלִיד הָיָה חָסֵר ה', נִתּוֹסַף ה' וְנַעֲשָׂה שָׁלֵם וְהוֹלִיד לְמִנְיַן אוֹתִיּוֹתָיו. (משלי יב, ד): אֵשֶׁת חַיִל עֲטֶרֶת בַּעֲלָהּ, זוֹ שָׂרָה, שָׂרַי הָיְתָה שְׁמָהּ. פְּלִיגֵי בָּהּ תְּרֵי אָמוֹרָאֵי, חַד אָמַר נֶחְלַק הַיו"ד לִשְׁנַיִם, ה' לְאַבְרָהָם ה' לְשָׂרָה. וְחַד אָמַר יו"ד שֶׁנִּטַּל מִן שָׂרָה קָרָא תִּגָר, עַד שֶׁבָּא יְהוֹשֻׁעַ וְהוֹסִיף לוֹ משֶׁה י', יָ"הּ יוֹשִׁיעֲךָ מֵעֲצַת הַמְרַגְּלִים. י' מִיִּצְחָק מוּל עֲשָׂרָה נִסְיוֹנוֹת. צ', לְתִשְׁעִים שָׁנָה לְשָׂרָה נוֹלַד. ח', לִשְׁמוֹנָה יָמִים נִמּוֹל. ק', מֵאָה שָׁנִים הָיוּ לְאַבְרָהָם. וְיַעֲקֹב עַל שְׁמוֹ נִקְרָא, יו"ד, מוּל הָעֲשִׂירִי, חֲשֹׁב מִבִּנְיָמִין עַד לֵוִי הוּא עֲשִׂירִי. ע', בְּשִׁבְעִים נֶפֶשׁ. ק', כְּנֶגֶד אוֹתִיּוֹת הַבְּרָכָה וְיִתֶּן לְךָ. נִשְׁתַּיְירוּ ב', כְּנֶגֶד שְׁנֵי מַלְאָכִים עוֹלִים. הַלּוּחוֹת הָיוּ בָּהֶן תרי"ג מִצְווֹת כְּנֶגֶד אוֹתִיּוֹת מִן (שמות כ, ב): אָנֹכִי, עַד (שמות כ, יד): אֲשֶׁר לְרֵעֶךָ, לֹא פָּחוֹת וְלֹא יוֹתֵר, וְכֻלָּן נִתְּנוּ לְמשֶׁה בְּסִינַי, שֶׁבָּהֶם חֻקִּים וּמִשְׁפָּטִים תּוֹרָה וּמִשְׁנָה תַּלְמוּד וְאַגָּדָה. (ישעיה לג, ו): יִרְאַת ה' הִיא אוֹצָרוֹ, אֵין בְּכָל הַמִּדּוֹת גָּדוֹל מִיִּרְאָה וַעֲנָוָה, (דברים י, יב): וְעַתָּה יִשְׂרָאֵל מָה ה' אֱלֹהֶיךָ שֹׁאֵל מֵעִמָּךְ כִּי אִם לְיִרְאָה אֶת ה' אֱלֹהֶיךָ לָלֶכֶת בְּכָל דְּרָכָיו וּלְאַהֲבָה אֹתוֹ וְלַעֲבֹד אֶת ה' אֱלֹהֶיךָ בְּכָל לְבָבְךָ וּבְכָל נַפְשֶׁךָ. יִרְאַת, בְּגִימַטְרִיָּא תרי"א, וְתוֹרָה תרי"א, וְיִרְאָה וְתוֹרָה עִמָּם הֲרֵי תרי"ג. צִיצִית, תָּנוּ רַבָּנָן ח' גְּרוּרִין וְה' קְשׁוּרִין, הֲרֵי תרי"ג, שְׁנַיִם לְמַעְלָה וּשְׁלשָׁה לְמַטָּה. יְמֵי אַבְרָהָם מֵאָה שִׁבְעִים וְחָמֵשׁ שָׁנָה, יִצְחָק מֵאָה וּשְׁמוֹנִים שָׁנָה, יַעֲקֹב מֵאָה אַרְבָּעִים וְשֶׁבַע שָׁנָה, כְּשֶׁאַתָּה כּוֹלְלָן נִמְצָא חֲמֵשׁ מֵאוֹת שָׁנָה וּשְׁתֵּי שָׁנִים, וְכֵן מַהֲלַךְ שָׁמַיִם לָאָרֶץ (דברים יא, כא): כִּימֵי הַשָּׁמַיִם עַל הָאָרֶץ. (שמואל ב כג, א): הֻקַם עָל, כְּנֶגֶד מֵאָה בְּרָכוֹת, שֶׁבְּכָל יוֹם הָיוּ מֵתִים מִיִּשְׂרָאֵל מֵאָה אֲנָשִׁים בָּא דָּוִד וְתִקֵּן לָהֶם מֵאָה בְּרָכוֹת, כֵּיוָן שֶׁתִּקְנָם נִתְעַצְּרָה הַמַּגֵּפָה. עָל עֻלָּהּ שֶׁל תּוֹרָה, וְעֻלָּהּ שֶׁל קְצָרָה. (הושע יד, ג): כָּל תִּשָֹּׂא עָוֹן וְקַח טוֹב וּנְשַׁלְמָה פָרִים שְׂפָתֵינוּ. אָמְרוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל רִבּוֹנוֹ שֶׁל עוֹלָם בִּזְּמַן שֶׁבֵּית הַמִּקְדָּשׁ קַיָּם הָיִינוּ מַקְרִיבִים קָרְבָּן וּמִתְכַּפֵּר, וְעַכְשָׁו אֵין בְּיָדֵנוּ אֶלָּא תְּפִלָּה, טוֹ"ב בְּגִימַטְרִיָּה שְׁבַע עֶשְׂרֵה, תְּפִלָּה תְּשַׁע עֶשְׂרֵה בְּרָכוֹת, הוֹצֵא מִשָּׁם בִּרְכַּת הַמִּינִין שֶׁתִּקְנוּהָ בְּיַבְנֶה, וְאֶת צֶמַח דָּוִד שֶׁתִּקְנוּ אַחֲרָיו עַל שׁוּם (תהלים כו, ב): בְּחָנֵנִי ה' וְנַסֵּנִי. וְרַבִּי סִימוֹן אוֹמֵר קַח טוֹב בְּגִימַטְרִיָּה נֶפֶ"שׁ, אָמְרוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל כְּשֶׁבֵּית הַמִּקְדָּשׁ קַיָּם הָיִינוּ מַקְטִירִים חֲלָבִים וְאֵמוּרִין וּמִתְכַּפְּרִין, וְעַכְשָׁו הֲרֵי חֶלְבֵּנוּ וְדָמֵנוּ וְנַפְשׁוֹתֵינוּ, יְהִי רָצוֹן מִלְּפָנֶיךָ שֶׁתְּהֵא כַּפָּרָה עָלֵינוּ, וּנְשַׁלְמָה פָרִים שְׂפָתֵינוּ. (רות ד, יג): וַיִּתֵּן ה' לָהּ הֵרָיוֹן, בְּגִימַטְרִיָּה מָאתַיִם שִׁבְעִים וְאֶחָד. שִׁעוּר מֵי מִקְוֶה אַרְבָּעִים סְאָה, כָּל מֵי בְאֵר שֶׁכָּתוּב בַּתּוֹרָה, וְכַמָּה בֵּיצִים בְּמִקְוֶה חֲמֵשֶׁת אֲלָפִים וּשְׁבַע מֵאוֹת וְשִׁשִּׁים, כָּל סְאָה מֵאָה אַרְבָּעִים וְאַרְבַּע בֵּיצִים. חַלָּה אַרְבָּעִים וְשָׁלשׁ בֵּיצִים וְחֹמֶשׁ. וּמִנַיִן לְמִקְוֶה שֶׁצָּרִיךְ אַרְבָּעִים סְאָה, (ישעיה ח, ו): מֵי הַשִּׁלֹחַ הַהֹלְכִים לְאַט, בְּגִימַטְרִיָּא אַרְבָּעִים. וּמַפְרִישׁ חַלָּה צָרִיךְ שֶׁיַּפְרִישׁ אַחַת מֵאַרְבָּעִים וְשָׁלשׁ וְחֹמֶשׁ מִן הַתּוֹרָה לְמִנְיַן חַלָּה. אֲבוֹת מְלָאכוֹת אַרְבָּעִים חָסֵר אַחַת, דִּכְתִיב (שמות לה, א): אֵלֶּה הַדְּבָרִים, אֵלֶּה, שְׁלשִׁים וָשֵׁשׁ, דְּבָרִים שְׁתַּיִם, הַדְּבָרִים שָׁלשׁ, הֲרֵי אַרְבָּעִים חָסֵר אֶחָת. (דברים כה, ג): אַרְבָּעִים יַכֶּנוּ לֹא יֹסִיף, כְּנֶגֶד אַרְבָּעִים קְלָלוֹת שֶׁנִּתְקַלְּלוּ נָחָשׁ וְחַוָּה וְאָדָם וַאֲדָמָה. וּפִחֲתוּ חֲכָמִים אֶחָת מִשּׁוּם לֹא יֹסִיף, רַבּוּ זְכֻיּוֹת מְלִיצֵי טוֹבוֹת וּפָחֲתוּ עֲוֹנוֹת, מוּטָב שֶׁיָּבוֹאוּ שְׁנַיִם וְיִדְחוּ אֶחָד. (ירמיה כה, כו, נא, מא): שֵׁשַׁךְ בְּא"ת ב"שׁ, בָּבֶל. (ישעיה ז, ו): טָבְאַל בְּאלב"ם, רמלא. (ויקרא טז, ג): בְּזֹאת יָבֹא אַהֲרֹן אֶל הַקֹּדֶשׁ בְּפַר בֶּן בָּקָר לְחַטָּאת וְאַיִל לְעֹלָה, בְּזֹאת רֶמֶז לְמִקְדָּשׁ רִאשׁוֹן שֶׁיַּעֲמֹד אַרְבַּע מֵאוֹת וְעֶשֶׂר שָׁנָה. | 18.21. 21 (Based on Sefaria Community Translation) The Seers (i.e., the prophets) were the ones who said the doubled letters, imantzepakh( imem, nun, tzadi, peh,and ikaf /i, which are the letters that have a different form when they appear at the end of a word). [The doubling of ikafthat is found in Genesis 12:1,] \" iLekh lekha(Go for yourself),\" hints to Avraham that he will father Yitschak at one hundred years [of age] (as the numerical value of these two words is one hundred). [The doubling of imemthat is found in Genesis 26:16,] \" iki atsamta memenu(as you have become more powerful than us)\" is a hint [to Yitschak] that hints that he and his seed will be powerful in both worlds. The doubling of inun[that is found in Genesis 32:12,] \" iHatsileini na(Save me)\" [is a hint to] Yaakov, [that] he will be saved in both worlds. The doubling of ipehis for Israel about Moshe [that is found in Exodus 3:16,] \" ipakod pakadati(I will surely remember).” The doubling of itzadi[that is found in Zachariah 6:12,] \" ihinei eesh, Tsemach shemo, ou'metachtav yitsmach(behold, a man called Branch shall branch out from the place where he is,)\" is [referring to] the messiah. And so is it stated (Jermiah 23:5), \" ivahikimoti leDaveed tsemach tsadeek […](and I will raise up a true branch of David […]).\" “The leader of fifty\" (Isaiah 3:3): Twenty-four books (of the Bible), and add to them eleven of the thirteen [books of the minor prophets] - besides Yonah which is by itself - and six orders of the Mishnah and nine chapters of Torat Kohanim, behold fifty. \"Sixty were the queens\" (Song of Songs 6:8): Sixty tractates. “And eighty concubines\" (Song of Songs 6:8): And eighty study halls that were in Jerusalem corresponding to its gates. \"And maidens without number\" (Song of Songs 6:8): The study outside. \"Behold the bed of Shlomo, sixty warriors\" (Song of Songs 3:7): [This] corresponds to the [number of] letters of [the priestly blessing,) \"May the Lord bless you and keep you, etc.\" (Numbers 6:24-26). --- The Satan ( iHaSatan /i) has the numerical equivalent of three hundred and sixty-four, the count of the days of the solar year, as he rules over all the year to slander, except for Yom Kippur. Rabbi Ami bar Abba said, \"Avraham was missing five organs before he was circumcised and [before he] fathered. The [letter] ihay(with a numerical value of five) was added [to his name] and he became complete and fathered, and he was called Avraham [corresponding to the complete set of organs, two hundred and forty-eight], the numerical count of his letters.\" --- [Regarding] Sarai, two Amoraim (later rabbinic teachers) differed. One said, \"The [letter] iyod[with a numerical count of ten that was taken from her] was divided into two, [to give] a ihayto Avaraham and a ihayto Sarah.\" And [the other] said, \"The iyodthat was taken from Sarah raised a protest until Yehshoua came and had a iyodadded, as it is stated (Numbers 13:16), \"and Moshe called Hoshea [...], Yehoshua.\" And it saved him from the counsel of the [other] spies. [The significance of the letters in the name,] Yitschak [is as follows]: iYod[with a numerical count of ten] corresponds to the ten trials [of Avraham]. [The letter] itsadi[with a numerical count of ninety, as] Sarah was ninety when he was born. [The letter] ichet[with a numerical count of eight, as] he was circumcised on the eighth day. And the letter ikof[with a numerical count of one hundred, as] Avraham was a hundred years old when he was born. Yaakov was called according to [the significance of the letters of] his [own] name: iYod[corresponds to] the tenth of his offspring going backwards, Levi. Count from (the last son), Binaymin to Levi - there are ten sons, and Levi was the tenth. (And he gave him as a tithe to the Omnipresent to fulfill [what he said] (Genesis 28:22), \"all that You give to me, I will surely tithe it to You.\") [The letter] iayin[with a numerical count of seventy corresponds to the number of offspring he took to Egypt], \"with seventy souls\" (Deuteronomy 10:22). iKofcorresponds to the [number of the] letters of the blessing [that he received], \"And may He give you [etc.]\" (Genesis 27:28). (Take away the name [of God] from there, and one hundred [letters] remain.) [The letter] ibet[with a numerical count of two] remains. It corresponds to two angels [that he saw on the ladder in his dream] rising. There were six hundred and thirteen letters on the tablets – corresponding to the six hundred and thirteen commandments. And they were all given to Moshe at [Mount] Sinai; and in them are statutes and judgments, Torah and Mishnah, Talmud and aggadah. \"The fear of the Lord is his treasure\" (Isaiah 33:6). There is no greater characteristic than fear and humility, as it is stated (Deuteronomy 10:12), \"And now Israel, what does the Lord, your God, ask of you besides to fear Him […].\" \"The fear of\" ( iYirat /i) has a numerical value of six hundred and eleven and Torah has a numerical value of six hundred and eleven; along with Torah and fear, behold that is six hundred and thirteen. The rabbis taught: [the numerical value of] fringes ( itsitsit /i) [is six hundred. Add] eight strings and five knots, behold that is six hundred and thirteen. --- As on every day, one hundred men of Israel were dying. [So] David ordained [the daily saying of] one hundred blessings, and the plague ended. [\"This is the law of the burnt-offering ( iolah /i), it is the burnt-offering\" (Leviticus 6:2), meaning] the yoke ( iulah /i) of Torah and the yoke of repentance. (Hosea 14:3). Israel said, \"Master of the world, at the time that the Temple existed, we would offer a sacrifice and be cleansed. But now all we have in our hand is prayer.\" The numerical value of itovis seventeen. Prayer [consists of] nineteen [blessings]. Take away from them the blessing for the malfeasers that was composed at Yavneh, and \"Let the sprout of David blossom,\" which they ordained for the sake of \"Probe me, Lord, and try me\" (Psalms 26:2). Rabbi Simon says, \"'Take the good ( itov /i).' The numerical value [of itovin iat-bash(matching letters based on how close they are to the center of the alphabet) is the same as] soul ( inefesh /i) […]. Israel said, 'Behold the fat from us, [from our souls]. May it be Your will that it be atonement for us and \"that we pay with the words of our lips\" (Hosea 14:3).'\" \"And the Lord gave her conception ( iherayon /i)\" (Ruth 4:13). [ iHerayon /i] has a numerical value of two hundred and seventy one (the number of the days of the nine months of birthing). The measure of the water of a mikveh (ritual bath) is forty iseah[corresponding to the forty times] well water is written in the Torah. And [the volume of] how many eggs is the measure of the mikveh? Five thousand seven hundred and sixty. And a iseahis a hundred and forty-four eggs. Forty-three and a fifth eggs is the measure of [what is required for] ihallah[tithe]. And from where [do we know] that a mikveh requires forty iseah /i? As it is written (Isaiah 8:6), \"Since this nation has rejected the waters of Shiloach that flow gently ( ile'at /i).\" The numerical value [of ile'at /i] is forty. And one who separates the measure of the ihallah[tithe] must separate one part in forty three and a fifth, from Torah writ, like the numerical value of ihallah /i. There are forty minus one principle categories of work, as it is written (Exodus 35:1), \"These ( ieleh /i) are the things which the Lord commanded.\" [The numerical count of] \" ieleh /i\" is thirty-six; \"things\" (being plural) is two; \"the things\" [indicates an additional] one - behold, forty minus one (thirty-nine). \"He shall strike him forty, he shall not add\" (Deuteronomy 25:3), corresponds to the forty curses received by the snake, Chava, Adam and the ground, and the sages lessened one, because of \"he shall not add.\" The merits of those that defended well and lessened iniquities are great; it is best for the two to come and push off one. Seshach is Bavel (Babylon) [according to] its numerical value in iat-bash /i. Tavel is Ramlah [according to] its numerical value in ial-bam /i. ---" |
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37. Anon., Avot Derabbi Nathan A, 40, 5, 3 (6th cent. CE - 8th cent. CE)
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38. Anon., 4 Baruch, 7.26, 8.7, 9.1-9.2
| 7.26. For it is like a father with an only son, who is given over for punishment; and those who see his father and console him cover his face, lest he see how his son is being punished, and be even more ravaged by grief. 8.7. And Jeremiah and Baruch and Abimelech stood up and said: No man joined with Babylonians shall enter this city! 9.1. Now those who were with Jeremiah were rejoicing and offeringsacrifices on behalf of the people for nine days. 9.2. But on the tenth, Jeremiah alone offered sacrifice. |
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