1. Plato, Euthyphro, None (5th cent. BCE - 4th cent. BCE)
| 14c. Euthyphro. Yes. Socrates. And sacrificing is making gifts to the god |
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2. Hebrew Bible, Daniel, 6.11 (2nd cent. BCE - 2nd cent. BCE)
| 6.11. וְדָנִיֵּאל כְּדִי יְדַע דִּי־רְשִׁים כְּתָבָא עַל לְבַיְתֵהּ וְכַוִּין פְּתִיחָן לֵהּ בְּעִלִּיתֵהּ נֶגֶד יְרוּשְׁלֶם וְזִמְנִין תְּלָתָה בְיוֹמָא הוּא בָּרֵךְ עַל־בִּרְכוֹהִי וּמְצַלֵּא וּמוֹדֵא קֳדָם אֱלָהֵהּ כָּל־קֳבֵל דִּי־הֲוָא עָבֵד מִן־קַדְמַת דְּנָה׃ | 6.11. And when Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went into his house—now his windows were open in his upper chamber toward Jerusalem—and he kneeled upon his knees three times a day, and prayed, and gave thanks before his God, as he did aforetime." |
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3. Septuagint, 2 Maccabees, 1.27-1.29 (2nd cent. BCE - 2nd cent. BCE)
| 1.27. Gather together our scattered people, set free those who are slaves among the Gentiles, look upon those who are rejected and despised, and let the Gentiles know that thou art our God.' 1.28. Afflict those who oppress and are insolent with pride. 1.29. Plant thy people in thy holy place, as Moses said.' |
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4. Septuagint, Ecclesiasticus (Siracides), 36.1-36.17 (2nd cent. BCE - 2nd cent. BCE)
| 36.1. Have mercy upon us, O Lord, the God of all, and look upon us 36.1. Crush the heads of the rulers of the enemy,who say, "There is no one but ourselves. 36.2. and cause the fear of thee to fall upon all the nations. 36.2. A perverse mind will cause grief,but a man of experience will pay him back. 36.3. Lift up thy hand against foreign nations and let them see thy might. 36.4. As in us thou hast been sanctified before them,so in them be thou magnified before us; 36.5. and let them know thee, as we have known that there is not God but thee, O Lord. 36.6. Show signs anew, and work further wonders;make thy hand and thy right arm glorious. 36.7. Rouse thy anger and pour out thy wrath;destroy the adversary and wipe out the enemy. 36.8. Hasten the day, and remember the appointed time,and let people recount thy mighty deeds. 36.9. Let him who survives be consumed in the fiery wrath,and may those who harm thy people meet destruction. 36.11. Gather all the tribes of Jacob,and give them their inheritance, as at the beginning. 36.12. Have mercy, O Lord, upon the people called by thy name,upon Israel, whom thou hast likened to a first-born son. 36.13. Have pity on the city of thy sanctuary,Jerusalem, the place of thy rest. 36.14. Fill Zion with the celebration of thy wondrous deeds,and thy temple with thy glory. 36.15. Bear witness to those whom thou didst create in the beginning,and fulfil the prophecies spoken in thy name. 36.16. Reward those who wait for thee,and let thy prophets be found trustworthy. 36.17. Hearken, O Lord, to the prayer of thy servants,according to the blessing of Aaron for thy people,and all who are on the earth will know that thou art the Lord, the God of the ages. |
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5. Septuagint, Judith, 9.1 (2nd cent. BCE - 0th cent. CE)
| 9.1. Then Judith fell upon her face, and put ashes on her head, and uncovered the sackcloth she was wearing; and at the very time when that evening's incense was being offered in the house of God in Jerusalem, Judith cried out to the Lord with a loud voice, and said |
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6. Anon., Didache, 10 (1st cent. CE - 2nd cent. CE)
| 10. But after you are filled, thus give thanks: We thank You, holy Father, for Your holy name which You caused to tabernacle in our hearts, and for the knowledge and faith and immortality, which You made known to us through Jesus Your Servant; to You be the glory forever. You, Master almighty, created all things for Your name's sake; You gave food and drink to men for enjoyment, that they might give thanks to You; but to us You freely gave spiritual food and drink and life eternal through Your Servant. Before all things we thank You that You are mighty; to You be the glory forever. Remember, Lord, Your Church, to deliver it from all evil and to make it perfect in Your love, and gather it from the four winds, sanctified for Your kingdom which You have prepared for it; for Yours is the power and the glory forever. Let grace come, and let this world pass away. Hosanna to the God (Son) of David! If any one is holy, let him come; if any one is not so, let him repent. Maran atha. Amen. But permit the prophets to make Thanksgiving as much as they desire. |
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7. Clement of Rome, 1 Clement, 34.7 (1st cent. CE - 1st cent. CE)
| 34.7. καὶ ἡμεῖς, οὖν, ἐν ὁμονοίᾳ ἐπὶ τὸ αὐτὸ συναχθέντες τῇ συνειδήσει, ὡς ἐξ ἑνὸς στόματος βοήσωμεν πρὸς αὐτὸν ἐκτενῶς εἰς τὸ μετόχους ἡμᾶς γενέσθαι τῶν μεγάλων καὶ ἐνδόξων ἐπαγγελιῶν αὐτοῦ. | |
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8. Josephus Flavius, Jewish Antiquities, 12.160 (1st cent. CE - 1st cent. CE)
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9. Mishnah, Berachot, 4.3 (1st cent. CE - 3rd cent. CE)
| 4.3. Rabban Gamaliel says: every day a man should pray the eighteen [blessings]. Rabbi Joshua says: an abstract of the eighteen. Rabbi Akiva says: if he knows it fluently he prays the eighteen, and if not an abstract of the eighteen." |
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10. Mishnah, Eduyot, 6.1 (1st cent. CE - 3rd cent. CE)
| 6.1. Rabbi Judah ben Bava testified concerning five things:That women who are minors are made to declare an annulment of their marriage; That a woman is allowed to re-marry on the evidence of one witness; That a rooster was stoned in Jerusalem because it had killed a human being; And about wine forty days old, that it was used as a libation on the altar; And about the morning tamid offering, that it is offered at the fourth hour." |
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11. New Testament, Matthew, 6.9-6.13 (1st cent. CE - 1st cent. CE)
| 6.9. Pray like this: 'Our Father in heaven, may your name be kept holy. 6.10. Let your kingdom come. Let your will be done, as in heaven, so on earth. 6.11. Give us today our daily bread. 6.12. Forgive us our debts, as we also forgive our debtors. 6.13. Bring us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. For yours is the kingdom, the power, and the glory forever. Amen.' |
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12. Tosefta, Berachot, 3.1 (1st cent. CE - 2nd cent. CE)
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13. Tosefta, Horayot, 2.5 (1st cent. CE - 2nd cent. CE)
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14. Tosefta, Sanhedrin, 13.2 (1st cent. CE - 2nd cent. CE)
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15. Anon., Qohelet Rabba, 2.8 (2nd cent. CE - 5th cent. CE)
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16. Anon., Genesis Rabba, 28, 78, 13 (2nd cent. CE - 5th cent. CE)
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17. Anon., Sifre Deuteronomy, 43 (2nd cent. CE - 4th cent. CE)
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18. Palestinian Talmud, Berachot, None (2nd cent. CE - 5th cent. CE)
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19. Babylonian Talmud, Bekhorot, None (3rd cent. CE - 6th cent. CE)
| 8b. מי כתיב מכל החיה ומכל הבהמה מכל הבהמה ומכל החיה כתיב ארור הוא מבהמה שנתקללה מחיה,ואימא כשם שנתקללה בהמה מחיה אחד לשלש ומאי ניהו עז מחתול כך נתקלל הוא מבהמה אחד לשלש דהוה ליה חמיסר ירחי,איבעית אימא מכל הבהמה כתיב אי בעית אימא קללה הוא קללה שדי עילויה,א"ל קיסר לרבי יהושע בן חנניה נחש לכמה מיעבר ומוליד א"ל לשב שני והא סבי דבי אתונא ארבעינהו ואוליד לתלת הנהו מיעברי הוו מעיקרא ד' [שנין] והא קמשמשי שמושי אינהו נמי משמשי כאדם,והא חכימי אינהו אנן חכימינן מינייהו אי חכימת זיל זכינהו ואיתינהו לי אמר ליה כמה הוו שיתין גברי,אמר ליה עביד לי ספינתא דאית בה שיתין בתי וכל ביתא אית בה שיתין ביסתרקי עבד ליה כי מטא להתם [על] לבי טבחא אשכחיה לההוא גברא דקא פשיט חיותא א"ל רישך לזבוני א"ל אין א"ל בכמה א"ל בפלגא דזוזא יהב ליה,לסוף א"ל אנא רישא דחיותא אמרי לך אמר ליה אי בעית דאישבקך סגי אחוי לי פיתחא דבי אתונא א"ל מסתפינא דכל דמחוי קטלי ליה א"ל דרי כריכא דקניא וכי מטית להתם זקפה כמאן דקא מתפח,אזל אשכח דרבנאי מגואי ודרבנאי מבראי דאי חזו כרעא דעיילא קטלי להו לבראי ודנפקא קטלי להו לגואי,אפכה לסנדליה קטלי להו לגואי אפכה לסנדליה קטלי להו לכולהו,[אזל] אשכח ינוקי מלעיל סבי מלתחת אמר אי יהיבנא שלמא להני קטלי לי הני סברי אנן עדיפינן דאנן קשינן טפי ואינהו דרדקי,אמר שלמא לכו אמרו ליה מאי עבידתיך אמר להו (אנא) חכימא דיהודאי אנא בעינא למיגמר חכמתא מינייכו אי הכי ניבעי לך אמר להו לחיי אי זכיתו [לי] כל דבעיתו עבידו בי ואי זכינא בכו איכלו גבאי בספינתא,א"ל ההוא גברא דאזיל ובעי אתתא ולא יהבו ליה מאי חזי ליה דאזיל היכא דמדלו מיניה שקל סיכתא דצה לתתאי לא עאל לעילאי עאל אמר האי נמי מיתרמי בת מזליה,גברא דאוזיף וטריף מאי חזא דהדר אוזיף אמר להו גברא אזל לאגמא קטל קמא טונא ולא מצי ביה קטיל ומנח עילויה עד דאיתרמי איניש מדלי ליה,אמרו ליה אימא לן מילי דבדיאי אמר להו הוה ההוא כודניתא דילידא והוה תלי ליה פיתקא וכתב ביה דמסיק בבי אבא מאה אלפא זוזי אמרו ליה וכודניתא מי ילדה אמר להו הי ניהו מילי דבדיאי,מילחא כי סריא במאי מלחי לה אמר להו בסילתא דכודניתא ומי איכא סילתא לכודנתא ומילחא מי סרי,בני לן ביתא באוירא דעלמא אמר שם תלא בין רקיעא לארעא אמר להו אסיקו לי ליבני וטינא מציעתיה דעלמא היכא זקפה לאצבעתיה אמר להו הכא א"ל ומי יימר אייתו אשלי ומשחו,אית לן בירא בדברא עיילא למתא א"ל אפשילו לי חבלי מפארי ואעייליה אית לן ריחיא דתבירא חייטיה אמר כרוכו לי מיניה גרדי ואיחייטיה,משרא דסכיני במאי קטלי בקרנא דחמרא ומי איכא קרנא לחמרא ומי איכא משרא דסכיני,אייתו ליה תרי ביעי א"ל הי דזגתא אוכמתי והי דזגתא חיוורתי אייתי להו איהו תרי גביני אמר להו הי דעיזא אוכמתי והי דעיזא חיוורתי,ורצוצא דמית מהיכא נפיק רוחיה מהיכא דעל נפק אחוי לן מנא דלא שוי חביליה אייתו (כל חד וחד) בודיא פשטוה לא הוה עייל בתרעא אמר להו אייתו מרי סיתרוה היינו מנא דלא שוו חביליה,איתינהו כל חד וחד כי חזי שיתין ביסתרקי אמר כולהו חבראי להכא אתו אמר ליה לספונא שרי ספינתך בהדי דקאתו שקל עפרא מעפרייהו | 8b. The Gemara responds: bIs it written:Cursed are you bfrom among all beasts, and from among all animals?No, bit is written: “From among all animals, and from among all beasts,”meaning that bit is cursed from among the domesticated animals, which were cursed from among the undomesticated animals. /b,The Gemara challenges: Why must it mean that the snake was cursed more than the donkey in the same proportion that the donkey was cursed more than the cat? bBut sayinstead that bjust as the domesticated animals were cursedmore bthan the undomesticated animalsby a measure of bone to three;the Gemara interjects: bAndin bwhatcase bis that?It is in the case of ba goat,whose gestation period is five months, compared bto a cat,whose gestation period is fifty-two days. The Gemara continues its challenge: bSo too,the snake bwas cursedmore bthan the domesticated animals,i.e., the goat, by a proportion of bone to three, which is fifteen months. /b,The Gemara answers: bIf you wish, saythat bit is written:“Cursed are you bfrom among all animals,”including the most accursed of them, i.e., the donkey. bIf you wish, sayinstead that since bit is a cursethat the snake received here, the verse bimposes upon itthe most extreme bcursethat can be derived from the text.,§ With regard to the gestation time of a snake, the Gemara relates that btheRoman bemperor said to Rabbi Yehoshua ben Ḥaya:In the case of ba snake, after how longa period of bgestation does it give birth?Rabbi Yehoshua ben Ḥaya bsaid to him: After seven years.The emperor said to him: bBut the elders,i.e., the sages, bof the school of Athens bredsnakes band they gave birth after threeyears. Rabbi Yehoshua ben Ḥaya responded: bThosesnakes bwerealready bpregt from beforehandfor bfouryears. The emperor asked: bBut they engaged in intercourse,and animals do so only in order to give birth, not when they are already pregt. Rabbi Yehoshua responded: Snakes balso engage in intercourse like people,i.e., they do not do so solely for reproduction.,The emperor said to him: bButhow can you disagree with the sages of Athens? bAren’t they wise?Rabbi Yehoshua ben Ḥaya responded: bWe are wiser than they.The emperor said: bIf you are wiserthan they, then bgo defeat themin debate band bring them to me.Rabbi Yehoshua bsaid to him: How many are there?The emperor answered: bSixty men. /b,Rabbi Yehoshua ben Ḥaya bsaid to him: Construct a ship that has sixty rooms for me, and each roomshould bhave sixty mattresses [ ibistarkei /i] in it.The emperor bconstructedit bfor him.Rabbi Yehoshua then set out on the ship for Athens. bWhenhe barrived there,he entered ba butcher shopand bfound a certain man,the butcher, bflaying an animal.Rabbi Yehoshua bsaid to him: Is your head for sale?The butcher bsaid to him: Yesit is. Rabbi Yehoshua bsaid to him: For how muchis it being sold? The butcher bsaid to him: For half a dinar.Rabbi Yehoshua bgave himthe money., bAfterRabbi Yehoshua paid the butcher, bhe said to him:Did bI say to youthat I wanted bthe head of the animal?I was referring to your head, and you must now keep your word and give me your head. Rabbi Yehoshua bsaid to him: If you wish for me to let you be, goand bshow me the entrance to the school ofthe sages of bAthens.The butcher bsaid to him: I am afraid, as they kill anyone who showsits location to another. Rabbi Yehoshua bsaid to him: Carry a bundle of reeds, and when you arrive there, stand it up like one who is resting,to mark the location. The butcher did this, and Rabbi Yehoshua successfully found the entrance.,Rabbi Yehoshua bfound guardsstationed bon the inside and guardsstationed bon the outsideto ensure that no one could enter or exit. They also spread sand on the ground in the entranceway so that they could detect if anyone entered or left. bIf they saw footsteps that were enteringthey would bkill the outerguards for allowing people to enter, bandif they saw footsteps bthat were exitingthey would bkill the innerguards for allowing people to leave.,Rabbi Yehoshua breversed his sandalso it was facing away from the entrance, walked on the sand, and snuck away, thereby creating the appearance of someone who had left the building. When the authorities saw the footsteps, bthey killed the innerguards. Rabbi Yehoshua then returned, breversed his sandal,and made footsteps in the sand indicating that someone had entered the building. They then bkilled allthe guards, including the outer ones, and Rabbi Yehoshua succeeded in entering the building.,Rabbi Yehoshua bfound the youngersages sitting in the bupper,more prominent section, and bthe elderones in the blowersection. bHe saidto himself: I must first greet the younger sages, as they are sitting in the upper section, prior to the elder sages; but bif I greet theseyounger sages first, bthoseelder sages will bkill me,as bthey maintain: We are better, because we are older and they are children. /b,Rabbi Yehoshua bsaid: Greetings to you,but did not directly address either group. bThey said to him: What are you doinghere? Rabbi Yehoshua bsaid to them: I am a Sage of the Jews,and bI desire to learn wisdom from you.They said to him: bIf so, we will ask youquestions and see if you are worthy of this privilege. Rabbi Yehoshua bsaid to them: Very well. If you win, you may do to me anything you wish, and if I defeat you,then beat with me on my ship. /b,The sages of Athens bsaid to him:In the case of ba certain man who goes and asksto marry ba woman andher family bdoes not giveher bto him, why would he seefit bto go toa family bthat is greater thanthe first? Rabbi Yehoshua btook a pegand bstuck itinto the blowerpart of the wall, but it did bnot go in.He then stuck it binto the upperportion of the wall where there was a hole, and it bwent in. He saidto them: In bthiscase btoo,where he goes to a more distinguished family than the first, perhaps he will bfind the girl destinedfor him.,The sages of Athens asked him another question: In the case of ba man who lendsmoney to an individual and the borrower does not repay the loan, bandthe lender brepossessesthe borrower’s property as payment instead, bwhy wouldhe bseefit bto lendto others bagain?Rabbi Yehoshua bsaid to them:This is what people do: If ba man goes to the pond, initially cuts a bundleof reeds, bbutfinds that he bcannotlift bit,he does not stop cutting wood. Instead, he bcutsmore wood band placesit buponthe first, buntil a person happensto pass by and helps him braise itupon his shoulders, so that he can carry it home. So too, a person continues to lend based on the assumption that he will eventually find an appropriate borrower.,The sages of Athens bsaid to him: Say to us a matter of nonsense.Rabbi Yehoshua bsaid to them: There was a certain mule that gave birth, and a note was hanging onthe newborn mule’s neck band on it was written that it is owed 100,000 dinars by its father’s household. They said to him: But can a mule give birth?Rabbi Yehoshua bsaid to them: This iswhy it is ba matter of nonsense,as it is impossible for a mule to give birth.,The sages of Athens then asked another question: bWhen salt is spoiling, with what does one salt itto preserve it? Rabbi Yehoshua bsaid to them: With the placenta of a mule.They said to him: bBut is there a placenta of a mule?Rabbi Yehoshua said to them: bAnd does salt spoil? /b,They said to him: bBuild us a house in the air of the world.Rabbi Yehoshua buttered a Nameof God and bhovered between the sky and the earth. He said to them: Bring up to me bricks and mortarand I will build you a house here. They asked him: bWhere is the center of the world?Rabbi Yehoshua braised his fingerand bsaid to them: Here. They said to him: And who saysthat you are correct? He said to them: bBring ropes and measure. /b,They said to him: bWe have a pit in the field; bring it to the city.Rabbi Yehoshua bsaid to them: Braid ropesmade bof bran for me and I will bring itto the city with them. They then said to him: bWe have a mill that broke; sew itback together. Rabbi Yehoshua bsaidto them: bPull out threads fromthe mill bfor me and I will sew themtogether.,They asked him another question: bWith what does one harvest a field of knives?Rabbi Yehoshua answered: bWith the horn of a donkey.They said to him: bBut is theresuch an item as ba horn of a donkey?He said to them: bBut is theresuch a thing as ba field of knives? /b, bThey brought him two eggsand bsaid to him: Which isthe egg bof a black hen and which isthe egg bof a white hen?Rabbi Yehoshua bbrought them two cheeses,and bsaid to them: Whichis the cheese bfrom the black goat and whichis bfrom the white goat? /b,They asked him: bAndin the case of ba chick that diesinside the egg, bfrom where does its spirit exit?Rabbi Yehoshua said to them: bFrom where it enters, it departs.They said to him: bShow us a utensil that is not worth the damagethat it causes. Rabbi Yehoshua said to them: bEach one of you bring a matand bspread it out.When they did so, each mat bdid not enter the gatedue to its size. Rabbi Yehoshua bsaid to them: Bring axesand bbreakthe gate so that you can bring it inside. bThis is a utensil that is not worth its damage. /b,§ After Rabbi Yehoshua defeated the sages of Athens in debate, bhe brought themto his ship as they had agreed. He then brought each one to a different room. bWhen each one saw the sixty mattressesin his room, bhe saidto himself: bAll of my colleagues are coming here,and waited for them without attempting to leave. Rabbi Yehoshua bsaid to the sailor: Release your ship,i.e., begin sailing. bWhile they were comingto the emperor in Rome, bhe tookout some bdirtthat he had taken bfrom the dirt ofAthens. |
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20. Babylonian Talmud, Berachot, None (3rd cent. CE - 6th cent. CE)
| 26b. תנו רבנן טעה ולא התפלל מנחה בערב שבת מתפלל בליל שבת שתים טעה ולא התפלל מנחה בשבת מתפלל במוצאי שבת שתים של חול מבדיל בראשונה ואינו מבדיל בשניה ואם הבדיל בשניה ולא הבדיל בראשונה שניה עלתה לו ראשונה לא עלתה לו,למימרא דכיון דלא אבדיל בקמייתא כמאן דלא צלי דמי ומהדרינן ליה,ורמינהו טעה ולא הזכיר גבורות גשמים בתחיית המתים ושאלה בברכת השנים מחזירין אותו הבדלה בחונן הדעת אין מחזירין אותו מפני שיכול לאומרה על הכוס קשיא,איתמר רבי יוסי ברבי חנינא אמר תפלות אבות תקנום רבי יהושע בן לוי אמר תפלות כנגד תמידין תקנום,תניא כוותיה דר' יוסי ברבי חנינא ותניא כוותיה דרבי יהושע בן לוי תניא כוותיה דרבי יוסי בר' חנינא אברהם תקן תפלת שחרית שנא' (בראשית יט, כז) וישכם אברהם בבקר אל המקום אשר עמד שם ואין עמידה אלא תפלה שנאמר (תהלים קו, ל) ויעמד פינחס ויפלל,יצחק תקן תפלת מנחה שנאמר (בראשית כד, סג) ויצא יצחק לשוח בשדה לפנות ערב ואין שיחה אלא תפלה שנאמר (תהלים קב, א) תפלה לעני כי יעטף ולפני ה' ישפוך שיחו,יעקב תקן תפלת ערבית שנאמר (בראשית כח, יא) ויפגע במקום וילן שם ואין פגיעה אלא תפלה שנאמר (ירמיהו ז, טז) ואתה אל תתפלל בעד העם הזה ואל תשא בעדם רנה ותפלה ואל תפגע בי,ותניא כוותיה דר' יהושע בן לוי מפני מה אמרו תפלת השחר עד חצות שהרי תמיד של שחר קרב והולך עד חצות ורבי יהודה אומר עד ארבע שעות שהרי תמיד של שחר קרב והולך עד ארבע שעות,ומפני מה אמרו תפלת המנחה עד הערב שהרי תמיד של בין הערבים קרב והולך עד הערב רבי יהודה אומר עד פלג המנחה שהרי תמיד של בין הערבים קרב והולך עד פלג המנחה,ומפני מה אמרו תפלת הערב אין לה קבע שהרי אברים ופדרים שלא נתעכלו מבערב קרבים והולכים כל הלילה,ומפני מה אמרו של מוספין כל היום שהרי קרבן של מוספין קרב כל היום רבי יהודה אומר עד שבע שעות שהרי קרבן מוסף קרב והולך עד שבע שעות,ואיזו היא מנחה גדולה משש שעות ומחצה ולמעלה ואיזו היא מנחה קטנה מתשע שעות ומחצה ולמעלה,איבעיא להו רבי יהודה פלג מנחה קמא קאמר או פלג מנחה אחרונה קאמר תא שמע דתניא ר' יהודה אומר פלג המנחה אחרונה אמרו והיא י"א שעות חסר רביע,נימא תיהוי תיובתיה דר' יוסי בר' חנינא אמר לך ר' יוסי בר' חנינא לעולם אימא לך תפלות אבות תקנום ואסמכינהו רבנן אקרבנות דאי לא תימא הכי תפלת מוסף לר' יוסי בר' חנינא מאן תקנה אלא תפלות אבות תקנום ואסמכינהו רבנן אקרבנות:,רבי יהודה אומר עד ארבע שעות: איבעיא להו עד ועד בכלל או דלמא עד ולא עד בכלל תא שמע ר' יהודה אומר עד פלג המנחה אי אמרת בשלמא עד ולא עד בכלל היינו דאיכא בין ר' יהודה לרבנן אלא אי אמרת עד ועד בכלל ר' יהודה | 26b. On a similar note, bthe Sages taughtin a ibaraita /i: bOne who erred and did not recite the afternoon prayer on the eve of Shabbat, prays inthe evening prayer btwo iAmidaprayers bon Shabbat evening. One who erred and did not recite the afternoon prayer on Shabbat, recites two weekday iAmidaprayers in the evening prayer bat the conclusion of Shabbat. He recites ihavdala[ /bthe prayer of bdistinction]between the sanctity of Shabbat and the profanity of the week by reciting: You have graced us, etc., in the fourth blessing of the iAmida,which is: Who graciously grants knowledge, bin the firstprayer, as it is the actual evening prayer, bbut he does not recite ihavdalain the secondprayer, which is in place of the afternoon prayer. Moreover, bif he recited ihavdalain the secondprayer band did not recite ihavdalain the first, the second prayer fulfilled hisobligation, the bfirst one did not fulfill hisobligation.,The Gemara comments: bIs that to saythat bsince he did not recite ihavdalain the firstprayer, he is bas one who did not pray and we require him to returnto the beginning of the prayer and repeat it? If so, the conclusion is that one who fails to recite ihavdalain the prayer must repeat that prayer.,The Gemara braises a contradictionto the above conclusion from the iTosefta /i: bOne who erred and did not mention the might of the rains:He makes the wind blow and rain fall binthe second blessing of the iAmida /i, the blessing on bthe revival of the dead, andone who erred and failed to recite bthe requestfor rain binthe ninth blessing of the iAmida /i, bthe blessing of the years, we require him to returnto the beginning of the prayer and repeat it. However, one who erred and failed to recite ihavdalainthe blessing: bWho graciously grants knowledge, we do not require him to returnto the beginning of the prayer and repeat it, bas he can recite ihavdala bover the cupof wine, independent of his prayer. This contradiction was not resolved and remains bdifficult. /b,The dispute between the Rabbis and Rabbi Yehuda with regard to the times beyond which the different prayers may not be recited is rooted in a profound disagreement, also manifest in a later amoraic dispute. bIt was stated: Rabbi Yosei, son of Rabbi Ḥanina, said:The practice of praying three times daily is ancient, albeit not in its present form; bprayers were instituted by the Patriarchs.However, bRabbi Yehoshua ben Levi saidthat the bprayers were instituted based on the daily offeringssacrificed in the Holy Temple, and the prayers parallel the offerings, in terms of both time and characteristics.,The Gemara comments: bIt was taughtin a ibaraita bin accordance withthe opinion of bRabbi Yosei, son of Rabbi Ḥanina, and it was taughtin a ibaraita bin accordance withthe opinion of bRabbi Yehoshua ben Levi.The Gemara elaborates: bIt was taughtin a ibaraita bin accordance withthe opinion of bRabbi Yosei, son of Rabbi Ḥanina: Abraham instituted the morning prayer, as it is statedwhen Abraham came to look out over Sodom the day after he had prayed on its behalf: b“And Abraham rose early in the morning to the place where he had stoodbefore the Lord” (Genesis 19:27), bandfrom the context as well as the language utilized in the verse, the verb bstandingmeans bnothing other than prayer,as this language is used to describe Pinehas’ prayer after the plague, bas it is stated: “And Pinehas stood up and prayedand the plague ended” (Psalms 106:30). Clearly, Abraham was accustomed to stand in prayer in the morning., bIsaac instituted the afternoon prayer, as it is stated: “And Isaac went out to converse [ ilasuaḥ /i] in the field toward evening”(Genesis 24:63), band conversationmeans bnothing other than prayer, as it is stated: “A prayer of the afflicted when he is faint and pours out his complaint [ isiḥo /i] before the Lord”(Psalms 102:1). Obviously, Isaac was the first to pray as evening approached, at the time of the afternoon prayer., bJacob instituted the evening prayer, as it is stated: “And he encountered [ ivayifga /i] the place and he slept therefor the sun had set” (Genesis 28:11). The word bencountermeans bnothing other than prayer, as it is statedwhen God spoke to Jeremiah: b“And you, do not pray on behalf of this nation and do not raise on their behalf song and prayer, and do not encounter [ itifga /i] Mefor I do not hear you” (Jeremiah 7:16). Jacob prayed during the evening, after the sun had set., bAnd it was taughtin a ibaraita bin accordance withthe opinion of bRabbi Yehoshua ben Levithat the laws of prayer are based on the laws of the daily offerings: bWhy didthe Rabbis bsaythat bthe morning prayermay be recited buntil noon? Because,although the bdaily morning offeringis typically brought early in the morning, it may be bsacrificed until noon. And Rabbi Yehuda says:My opinion, that the morning prayer may be recited buntil four hoursinto the day, is bbecause the daily morning offering is sacrificed until four hours. /b, bAnd why didthe Rabbis bsaythat bthe afternoon prayermay be recited buntil the evening? Because the daily afternoon offering is sacrificed until the evening. Rabbi Yehuda saysthat bthe afternoon prayermay be recited only buntil the midpoint of the afternoon because,according to his opinion, bthe daily afternoon offering is sacrificed until the midpoint of the afternoon. /b, bAnd why did they saythat bthe evening prayer is not fixed? Becausethe burning of the blimbs and fatsof the offerings that were bnot consumedby the fire on the altar buntil the evening.They remained on the altar and were boffered continuouslythroughout bthe entire night. /b, bAnd why didthe Rabbis bsaythat bthe additional prayermay be recited ball day? Because the additional offering is broughtthroughout bthe entire day.However, bRabbi Yehuda saysthat bthe additional prayermay be recited buntil the seventh hourof the day, bbecause the additional offering is sacrificed until the seventh hour. /b,The ibaraitacontinues and states that there are two times for the afternoon prayer. Greater, earlier iminḥa[ iminḥa gedola /i] and lesser, later iminḥa[ iminḥa ketana /i]. The Gemara clarifies the difference between them: bWhich is iminḥa gedola /i? From six-and-a-half hoursafter sunrise band on,which is a half an hour after noon and on. It is the earliest time that the daily afternoon offering may be sacrificed, as in the case on the eve of Passover that occurs on Shabbat. bWhich is iminḥa ketana /i? From nine-and-a-half hours and on,which is the standard time that the daily afternoon offering is sacrificed.,On that note, ba dilemma was raised before them: Rabbi Yehuda,who holds that the afternoon prayer may be recited only until the midpoint of the afternoon, does bhe say the midpoint of the first iminḥa /i, iminḥa gedola /i? bOr,does bhe say the midpoint of the last iminḥa /i? Come and hearan explicit resolution to this dilemma: bAs it was taughtin a ibaraita /i, bRabbi Yehuda says: They said the midpoint of the last iminḥa /i, and that is eleven hours minus a quarterof an hour after sunrise, i.e., an hour-and-a-quarter hours before sunset.,In any case, it is clear that according to this ibaraitathe ihalakhotof prayer are based on the Temple offerings. The Gemara suggests: bLet us say that this is a conclusive refutation ofthe opinion of bRabbi Yosei, son of Rabbi Ḥanina,who held that the forefathers instituted the prayers. bRabbi Yosei, son of Rabbi Ḥanina,could have bsaid to you: Actually, I will say to youthat bthe Patriarchs instituted the prayers and the Sages basedthe times and characteristics of prayer bon the Temple offerings,even though they do not stem from the same source. bAs, if you do not say so,that even Rabbi Yosei, son of Rabbi Ḥanina, would agree that the laws of offerings and those of prayers are related, bthen, according to Rabbi Yosei, son of Rabbi Ḥanina, who instituted the additional prayer?It is not one of the prayers instituted by the forefathers. bRather,even according to Rabbi Yosei, son of Rabbi Ḥanina, bthe prayers were instituted by the Patriarchs and the Sages based themon the laws of the bofferings. /b,We learned in the mishna that bRabbi Yehuda says:The morning prayer may be recited buntil four hoursof the day. bA dilemma was raised beforethe yeshiva students: When Rabbi Yehuda says buntil,does he mean buntil and includingthe fourth hour, bor, perhapswhen he says b“until”he means buntil and not including,in which case one may not pray during the fourth hour? bCome and heara resolution to this dilemma based on the mishna. bRabbi Yehuda says:The afternoon prayer may be recited only buntil the midpoint of the afternoon.Now, bgranted, if you saythat buntilmeans buntil and not including, then there isa difference bbetweenthe opinion of bRabbi Yehuda andthe opinion of bthe Rabbis. However, if you saythat buntilmeans buntil and including,then the opinion of bRabbi Yehuda /b |
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21. Babylonian Talmud, Eruvin, None (3rd cent. CE - 6th cent. CE)
| 101a. big strongמתני׳ /strong /big הדלת שבמוקצה וחדקים שבפרצה ומחצלות אין נועלין בהן אלא אם כן גבוהים מן הארץ:, big strongגמ׳ /strong /big ורמינהו דלת הנגררת ומחצלת הנגררת וקנקן הנגרר בזמן שקשורין ותלויין נועלין בהן בשבת ואין צריך לומר ביום טוב,אמר אביי בשיש להם ציר רבא אמר בשהיה להן ציר,מיתיבי דלת הנגררת ומחצלת הנגררת וקנקן הנגרר בזמן שקשורין ותלויין וגבוהים מן הארץ אפילו מלא נימא נועלין בהן ואם לאו אין נועלין בהן,אביי מתרץ לטעמיה ורבא מתרץ לטעמיה אביי מתרץ לטעמיה או שיש להן ציר או שגבוהין מן הארץ רבא מתרץ לטעמיה כשהיה להן ציר או שגבוהין מן הארץ,ת"ר סוכי קוצים וחבילין שהתקינן לפירצה שבחצר בזמן שקשורין ותלויין נועלין בהן בשבת וא"צ לומר ביו"ט,תני ר' חייא דלת אלמנה הנגררת אין נועלין בה היכי דמי דלת אלמנה איכא דאמרי דחד שיפא ואיכא דאמרי דלית ליה גשמה,אמר רב יהודה האי מדורתא ממעלה למטה שרי ממטה למעלה אסיר,וכן ביעתא וכן קידרא וכן פוריא וכן חביתא,א"ל ההוא צדוקי לרבי יהושע בן חנניה חדקאה דכתיב בכו (מיכה ז, ד) טובם כחדק אמר ליה שטיא שפיל לסיפיה דקרא דכתיב ישר ממסוכה ואלא מאי טובם כחדק כשם שחדקים הללו מגינין על הפירצה כך טובים שבנו מגינים עלינו דבר אחר טובם כחדק שמהדקין את הרשעים לגיהנם שנאמר (מיכה ד, יג) קומי ודושי בת ציון כי קרנך אשים ברזל ופרסותיך אשים נחושה והדיקות עמים רבים וגו':, big strongמתני׳ /strong /big לא יעמוד אדם ברשות היחיד ויפתח ברשות הרבים ברשות הרבים ויפתח ברשות היחיד אא"כ עשה מחיצה גבוה עשרה טפחים דברי ר' מאיר,אמרו לו מעשה בשוק של פטמים שהיה בירושלים שהיו נועלין ומניחין את המפתח בחלון שעל גבי הפתח רבי יוסי אומר שוק של צמרים הוה:, big strongגמ׳ /strong /big ורבנן אמר רבי מאיר רשות הרבים ומהדרו אינהו כרמלית דאמר רבה בר בר חנה אמר רבי יוחנן ירושלים אלמלא דלתותיה ננעלות בלילה חייבין עליה משום רשות הרבים,אמר רב פפא כאן קודם שנפרצו בה פרצות כאן לאחר שנפרצו בה פרצות,רבא אמר סיפא אתאן לשערי גינה והכי קאמר וכן לא יעמוד ברשות היחיד ויפתח בכרמלית בכרמלית ויפתח ברשות היחיד | 101a. strongMISHNA: /strong With regard to bthe door to a rear court,i.e., a door that opens from a house to the courtyard situated behind it, which is typically not a proper door but merely a wooden board without hinges that closes off the doorway; bandlikewise bbundles of thornsthat seal ba breach; andreed bmats, onemay bnot closean opening bwith themon Shabbat. This would be considered building or completing a building, bunless theyremain babove the groundeven when they are open., strongGEMARA: /strong bAndthe Gemara braises a contradictionfrom a ibaraita /i: With regard to ba door, or a mat, or a lattice [ ikankan /i] that dragalong the ground and are used for closing up openings, bwhen they are tied and suspendedin place bonemay bclosean opening bwith them on Shabbat; and needless to saythis is permitted bon a Festival.According to the ibaraita /i, the critical factor is apparently that they must be tied and suspended, not that they have to be held up above the ground., bAbaye said:The ibaraitais referring btoones bthat have a hinge.As they are considered proper doors, closing them does not appear like building. bRava said:The ibaraitais referring even btodoors bthatonce bhad a hinge,even though they no longer have one. These partitions also bear the clear form of a door, and therefore one’s action does not have the appearance of building.,The Gemara braises an objectionfrom another ibaraita /i: With regard to ba door, or a mat, or a lattice that dragalong the ground, bwhen they are tied and suspendedin place bandthey are held babove the ground even byas little as ba hairbreadth, onemay bclosean opening bwith them. However, ifthey are bnotraised in this manner, bonemay bnot closean opening bwith them.Clearly, these doors must indeed be raised above the ground as well.,The Gemara answers: bAbaye reconcilesthe objection bin accordance with his reasoning, and Rava reconcilesthe objection bin accordance with his reasoning.The Gemara elaborates: bAbaye reconcilesthe objection bin accordance with his reasoningby adding to the ibaraita /i: They must beither have a hinge orbe held babove the ground. Ravalikewise breconcilesthe objection bin accordance with his reasoning,as he reads: They must bhave had a hinge orelse be held babove the ground. /b, bThe Sages taughta ibaraita /i: With regard to bbranches of thorn bushes or bundlesof wood bthat were arrangedso that they sealed off ba breach in a courtyard, when they are tied and suspendedin place, bonemay bclosean opening bwith them on Shabbat; and needless to say,this is permitted bon a Festival. /b, bRabbi Ḥiyya taughta ibaraita /i: With regard to ba widowed door that dragsalong the ground, bonemay bnot closean opening bwith it.The Gemara asks: bWhat are the circumstancesof ba widowed door? Some sayit refers to a door built bfrom a single plank,which does not look like a door, band others sayit is ba door that does not have a lower doorsill( ige’onim /i) and that touches the ground when closed.,With regard to activities that are prohibited because of their similarity to building, the Gemara cites a teaching that bRav Yehuda said:When arranging a pile of wood for ba fireon a Festival, if the logs are arranged bfrom the top down,i.e., the upper logs are temporarily suspended in the air while the lower logs are inserted below them, bit is permitted.However, if the wood is placed from bthe bottom up, it is prohibited,as the arrangement of wood in the regular manner is a form of building., bAnd the sameapplies to beggsthat are to be arranged in a pile, band the sameapplies to ba cauldronthat is to be set down on a fire by means of supports, band the sameapplies to a bbedthat will be placed on its frame, band the sameapplies to bbarrelsarranged in a cellar. In all these cases, the part that goes on top must be temporarily suspended in the air while the lower section is inserted beneath it.,With regard to bundles of thorns used to seal a breach, the Gemara cites a related incident: bA certain hereticonce bsaid to Rabbi Yehoshua ben Ḥaya: Man of thorns! For it says about you: “The best of them is as a brier”(Micah 7:4), which indicates that even Israel’s best are merely thorns. bHe said to him: Fool, go down to the end of the verse: “The most upright is worse than a thorn hedge,”a derogatory expression meant as praise. bRather, what isthe meaning of bthe best of them is as a brier?It means that bjust as these thorns protect a breach, so the best among us protect us. Alternatively: The best of them is as a brier [ iḥedek /i]means bthat they grind [ imehaddekin /i] the nations of the world into Gehenna, as it is stated: “Arise and thresh, O daughter of Zion, for I will make your horn iron, and I will make your hoofs brass, and you shall beat in pieces [ ivahadikot /i] many peoples;and you shall devote their gain to God, and their substance to the God of the whole earth” (Micah 4:13)., strongMISHNA: /strong bA personmay bnot stand in the private domain and opena door located bin the public domainwith a key, lest he inadvertently transfer the key from one domain to the other. Likewise, one may not stand bin the public domain and opena door bin the private domainwith a key, bunlessin the latter case bhe erected a partition ten handbreadths higharound the door and stands inside it. This is bthe statement of Rabbi Meir. /b,The Rabbis bsaid to him:There was ban incident at the poultry dealers’ market in Jerusalem,where they would fatten fowl for slaughter (Rabbeinu Ḥael), band they would lockthe doors to their shops band place the key in the window that was over the door,which was more than ten handbreadths off the ground, and nobody was concerned about the possible violation of any prohibition. bRabbi Yosei says:That place bwas a market of wool dealers. /b, strongGEMARA: /strong The Gemara asks: bAndthose bRabbis,who cited the case of the poultry dealers of Jerusalem to rebut Rabbi Meir’s opinion, bRabbi Meir spoketo them about unlocking a door in a private domain while standing bin the public domain, and they respondedwith an incident involving ba ikarmelit /i. As Rabba bar bar Ḥana saidthat bRabbi Yoḥa said:With regard to bJerusalem, were it notfor the fact that bits doors are locked at night, one would be liable forcarrying in biton Shabbat, bbecauseits thoroughfares have the status of bthe public domain.However, since Jerusalem’s doors are typically locked, it is considered one large ikarmelit /i, which is subject to rabbinic prohibitions. How, then, could a proof be cited from the markets of Jerusalem with regard to the transfer of objects between a public domain and a private domain, which is prohibited by Torah law?, bRav Pappa said: Here,in the statement of Rabbi Yoha, Jerusalem was considered a ikarmelitduring the period bbefore breaches were made in itswalls. Its doors did not turn it into a public domain, as they were locked. Whereas bthere,the Rabbis in the mishna are referring to the time bafter breaches had been made inthe walls, and it therefore acquired the status of a public domain., bRava said: In the latter clauseof the mishna bwe came toa different issue, i.e., the final section of the mishna is not designed to counter Rabbi Meir’s statement with regard to the public domain. Rather, it refers btothe bgates of a gardenwith an area greater than two ibeit se’ain size, whose legal status is that of a ikarmelit /i. Consequently, the mishna bis saying as follows: And likewise,one may bnot stand in the private domain and opena door bin a ikarmelit /i;neither may one stand bin a ikarmelitand opena door bin the private domain, /b |
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22. Babylonian Talmud, Sanhedrin, None (3rd cent. CE - 6th cent. CE)
| 90b. וכתיב (מלכים ב ז, כ) ויהי לו כן וירמסו אותו העם בשער וימות ודילמא קללת אלישע גרמה ליה דאמר רב יהודה אמר רב קללת חכם אפי' על חנם היא באה אם כן לכתוב קרא וירמסוהו וימות מאי בשער על עסקי שער,(אמר ר' יוחנן) מניין לתחיית המתים מן התורה שנאמר (במדבר יח, כח) ונתתם ממנו [את] תרומת ה' לאהרן הכהן וכי אהרן לעולם קיים והלא לא נכנס לארץ ישראל שנותנין לו תרומה אלא מלמד שעתיד לחיות וישראל נותנין לו תרומה מכאן לתחיית המתים מן התורה,דבי רבי ישמעאל תנא לאהרן כאהרן מה אהרן חבר אף בניו חברים,א"ר שמואל בר נחמני אמר רבי יונתן מניין שאין נותנין תרומה לכהן עם הארץ שנאמר (דברי הימים ב לא, ד) ויאמר לעם ליושבי ירושלים לתת מנת (לכהנים ולוים) למען יחזקו בתורת ה' כל המחזיק בתורת ה' יש לו מנת ושאינו מחזיק בתורת ה' אין לו מנת,אמר רב אחא בר אדא אמר רב יהודה כל הנותן תרומה לכהן עם הארץ כאילו נותנה לפני ארי מה ארי ספק דורס ואוכל ספק אינו דורס ואוכל אף כהן עם הארץ ספק אוכלה בטהרה ספק אוכלה בטומאה,ר' יוחנן אמר אף גורם לו מיתה שנאמר (ויקרא כב, ט) ומתו בו כי יחללוהו דבי ר"א בן יעקב תנא אף משיאו עון אשמה שנאמר (ויקרא כב, טז) והשיאו אותם עון אשמה באכלם את קדשיהם,תניא ר' סימאי אומר מניין לתחיית המתים מן התורה שנאמר (שמות ו, ד) וגם הקימותי את בריתי אתם לתת להם את ארץ כנען לכם לא נאמר אלא להם מכאן לתחיית המתים מן התורה:,(צד"ק ג"ם גש"ם ק"ם סימן): שאלו מינין את רבן גמליאל מניין שהקדוש ברוך הוא מחיה מתים אמר להם מן התורה ומן הנביאים ומן הכתובים ולא קיבלו ממנו,מן התורה דכתיב (דברים לא, טז) ויאמר ה' אל משה הנך שוכב עם אבותיך וקם אמרו לו ודילמא וקם העם הזה וזנה,מן הנביאים דכתיב (ישעיהו כו, יט) יחיו מתיך נבלתי יקומון הקיצו ורננו שוכני עפר כי טל אורות טלך וארץ רפאים תפיל ודילמא מתים שהחיה יחזקאל,מן הכתובים דכתיב (שיר השירים ז, י) וחכך כיין הטוב הולך לדודי למישרים דובב שפתי ישנים ודילמא רחושי מרחשן שפוותיה בעלמא כר' יוחנן דאמר ר' יוחנן משום ר"ש בן יהוצדק כל מי שנאמרה הלכה בשמו בעולם הזה שפתותיו דובבות בקבר שנאמר דובב שפתי ישנים,עד שאמר להם מקרא זה (דברים יא, כא) אשר נשבע ה' לאבותיכם לתת להם לכם לא נאמר אלא להם מיכן לתחיית המתים מן התורה,וי"א מן המקרא הזה אמר להם (דברים ד, ד) ואתם הדבקים בה' אלהיכם חיים כלכם היום (פשיטא דחיים כולכם היום אלא אפילו ביום שכל העולם כולם מתים אתם חיים) מה היום כולכם קיימין אף לעוה"ב כולכם קיימין,שאלו רומיים את רבי יהושע בן חנניה מניין שהקב"ה מחיה מתים ויודע מה שעתיד להיות אמר להו תרווייהו מן המקרא הזה שנאמר (דברים לא, טז) ויאמר ה' אל משה הנך שוכב עם אבותיך וקם העם הזה וזנה,ודילמא וקם העם הזה וזנה אמר להו נקוטו מיהא פלגא בידייכו דיודע מה שעתיד להיות איתמר נמי א"ר יוחנן משום רבי שמעון בן יוחאי מניין שהקדוש ברוך הוא מחיה מתים ויודע מה שעתיד להיות שנאמר הנך שוכב עם אבותיך וקם וגו',תניא א"ר אליעזר בר' יוסי בדבר זה זייפתי ספרי מינים שהיו אומרים אין תחיית המתים מן התורה אמרתי להן זייפתם תורתכם ולא העליתם בידכם כלום שאתם אומרים אין תחיית המתים מן התורה הרי הוא אומר (במדבר טו, לא) הכרת תכרת הנפש ההיא עונה בה הכרת תכרת בעולם הזה עונה בה לאימת לאו לעולם הבא,א"ל רב פפא לאביי ולימא להו תרוייהו מהכרת תכרת אינהו הוו אמרי ליה דברה תורה כלשון בני אדם,כתנאי הכרת תכרת הכרת בעולם הזה תכרת לעולם הבא דברי ר"ע אמר לו ר' ישמעאל והלא כבר נאמר (במדבר טו, ל) את ה' הוא מגדף ונכרתה וכי שלשה עולמים יש אלא ונכרתה בעולם הזה הכרת לעולם הבא הכרת תכרת דברה תורה כלשון בני אדם,בין ר' ישמעאל ובין ר"ע עונה בה מאי עבדי ביה לכדתניא יכול אפילו עשה תשובה ת"ל עונה בה לא אמרתי אלא בזמן שעונה בה,שאלה קליאופטרא מלכתא את ר"מ אמרה ידענא דחיי שכבי דכתיב (תהלים עב, טז) ויציצו מעיר כעשב הארץ אלא כשהן עומדין עומדין ערומין או בלבושיהן עומדין אמר לה ק"ו מחיטה ומה חיטה שנקברה ערומה יוצאה בכמה לבושין צדיקים שנקברים בלבושיהן על אחת כמה וכמה,א"ל קיסר לרבן גמליאל אמריתו דשכבי חיי הא הוו עפרא ועפרא מי קא חיי | 90b. bAnd it is written: “And it was for him so, and the people trampled him in the gate, and he died”(II Kings 7:20). The Gemara challenges: bPerhapsit was bthe curse of Elishathat bcausedthe officer to die in that manner, not the principle of punishment measure for measure for his lack of belief, bas Rav Yehuda saysthat bRav says: The curse of a Sage, evenif bbaseless, comesto be fulfilled? This is all the more so true concerning the curse of Elisha, which was warranted. The Gemara answers: bIf so, let the verse write: And they trampled him and he died. Whatdoes the term b“in the gate”serve to teach? It teaches that he died bover mattersrelating bto the gate [ isha’ar /i].It was for the cynical dismissal of the prophecy of Elisha that the officer voiced at the city gate that he was punished measure for measure and was trampled at the city gate.,§ bRabbi Yoḥa says: From whereis the bresurrection of the deadderived bfrom the Torah?It is derived from this verse, bas it is statedwith regard to iterumaof the tithe: b“And you shall give the iterumaof the Lord to Aaron the priest”(Numbers 18:28). bAnd does Aaron exist foreverso that one can fulfill the mitzva by giving him the iterumaof the tithe? bBut is it notso that Aaron bdid not enter Eretz Yisrael,the only place bwherethe people would bgive him iteruma /i? Rather,the verse bteaches thatAaron is destined bto live in the future and the Jewish peoplewill bgive him iteruma /i. From hereit is derived that bthe resurrection of the dead is from the Torah. /b, bThe school of Rabbi Yishmael taughta different derivation from this verse. From the term b“to Aaron”one derives that iterumamust be given to a priest blike Aaron; just as Aaron is one devoted to the meticulous observance of mitzvot, particularly those relating to ritual purity, iteruma /i, and tithes [ iḥaver /i], so tooone gives iterumato bhis descendantswho are iḥaverim /i. /b, bRabbi Shmuel bar Naḥmani saysthat bRabbi Yonatan says: From whereis it derived bthat one does not give iterumato a priestwho is ban iam ha’aretz /i?It is derived from a verse, bas it is stated: “And he commanded the people who dwelled in Jerusalem to give the portion of the priests and of the Levites, so that they may firmly adhere to the Torah of the Lord”(II Chronicles 31:4). bEveryone who firmly adheres to the Torah of the Lord has a portion, and anyone who does not firmly adhere to the Torah of the Lord does not have a portion. /b, bRav Aḥa bar Adda saysthat bRav Yehuda says:With regard to banyone who gives iterumato a priestwho is ban iam ha’aretz /i, it is as though he placedthe iteruma bbefore a lion. Just aswith regard to ba lion,there is buncertaintywhether it will bmaulits prey band eatit, and buncertaintywhether it will bnot maulits prey bandinstead beatit alive, bso too,with regard to ba priestwho is ban iam ha’aretz /ito whom one gives iteruma /i, there is buncertaintywhether he will beat it in purity,and there is buncertaintywhether he will beat it in impurity,thereby violating a prohibition by Torah law., bRabbi Yoḥa says:One who gives iterumato a priest who is an iam ha’aretz beven causesthe priest’s bdeath, as it is statedwith regard to iteruma /i: b“And die therefore if they profane it”(Leviticus 22:9). Priests who partake of iterumain a state of ritual impurity profane it and are liable to be punished with death at the hand of Heaven. bThe school of Rabbi Eliezer ben Ya’akov taught:By giving iterumato a priest who is an iam ha’aretz /i, bone also brings upon him a sin of guilt,i.e., a sin that will lead to additional sins, bas it is stated: “And so bring upon them a sin of guilt when they eat their sacred items”(Leviticus 22:16).,§ bIt is taughtin a ibaraitathat bRabbi Simai says: From whereis bresurrection of the deadderived bfrom the Torah?It is derived from a verse, bas it is statedwith regard to the Patriarchs: b“I have also established My covet with them to give to them the land of Canaan”(Exodus 6:4). The phrase: To give bto youthe land of Canaan, bis not stated,as the meaning of the verse is not that God fulfilled the covet with the Patriarchs when he gave the land of Canaan to the children of Israel; brather,it is stated: “To give bto themthe land of Canaan,” meaning to the Patriarchs themselves. bFrom hereis it derived that bthe resurrection of the dead is from the Torah,as in the future the Patriarchs will come to life and inherit the land.,The Gemara records a mnemonic for those cited in the upcoming discussion: iTzadi /i, idalet /i, ikuf /i; igimmel /i, imem /i; igimmel /i, ishin /i, imem /i; ikuf /i, imem /i.Heretics asked Rabban Gamliel: From whereis it derived bthat the Holy One, Blessed be He, revives the dead?Rabban Gamliel bsaid to themthat this matter can be proven bfrom the Torah, from the Prophets, and from Writings, but they did not acceptthe proofs bfrom him. /b,The proof bfrom the Torahis bas it is written: “And the Lord said to Moses, behold, you shall lie with your fathers and arise”(Deuteronomy 31:16). The heretics bsaid to him: But perhapsthe verse should be divided in a different manner, and it should be read: “Behold, you shall lie with your fathers, band this people will arise and strayafter the foreign gods of the land.”,The proof bfrom the Prophetsis bas it is written: “Your dead shall live, my corpse shall arise. Awake and sing, you that dwell in the dust, for your dew is as the dew of vegetation, and the land shall cast out the dead”(Isaiah 26:19). The heretics said to him: bBut perhapsthe prophecy was fulfilled with bthe dead that Ezekiel revived.No proof may be cited from that verse with regard to any future resurrection.,The proof bfrom Writingsis bas it is written: “And your palate is like the best wine that glides down smoothly for my beloved, moving gently the lips of those that sleep”(Song of Songs 7:10), indicating that the dead will ultimately rise and speak. The heretics said to him: bBut perhaps merely their lips will move, in accordance withthe opinion of bRabbi Yoḥa, as Rabbi Yoḥa says in the name of Rabbi Shimon ben Yehotzadak: Anyone in whose name a ihalakhais stated in this world, his lips move in the graveas if repeating the statement cited in his name, bas it is stated: “Moving gently the lips of those that sleep.”No proof may be cited from that verse, as it is unrelated to resurrection.,This exchange continued buntilRabban Gamliel bstated to them this verse:“That your days may be multiplied, and the days of your children, upon the land bthat the Lord took an oath to your forefathers to give them”(Deuteronomy 11:21). The phrase: bTogive byou, is not stated; rather,it is stated: b“Togive bthem,”to the Patriarchs themselves, as in the future the Patriarchs will come to life and inherit the land. bFrom here resurrection of the deadis derived bfrom the Torah. /b, bAnd there are those who saythat it is bfrom thisfollowing bversethat bhe said to themhis ultimate proof: b“But you who cleave to the Lord your God every one of you is alive this day”(Deuteronomy 4:4). Wasn’t it bobviouswith regard to the children of Israel whom God was addressing, that b“every one of you is alive this day”? Rather,the meaning of the verse is: bEven on the day when everyone is dead you will live; just as today every one of you is alive, so too, in the World-to-Come every one of youwill be balive. /b, bThe Romans asked Rabbi Yehoshua ben Ḥaya: From whereis it derived bthat the Holy One, Blessed be He, revives the dead, andfrom where is it derived that bHe knows what is destined to be?Rabbi Yehoshua ben Ḥaya bsaid to them: Both of thosematters are derived bfrom this verse, as it is stated: “And the Lord said to Moses, Behold, you shall lie with your fathers and arise; this people will go astray”(Deuteronomy 31:16). This indicates that Moses will die and then arise from the dead and that the Holy One, Blessed be He, knows what the children of Israel are destined to do.,The Romans asked: bBut perhapsthe verse should be divided in a different manner, and it should be read: “Behold, you shall lie with your fathers band this people will arise and go astrayafter the foreign gods of the land.” Rabbi Yehoshua ben Ḥaya bsaid to them: Take at leasta response to bhalfof your question bin your handsfrom that verse, bthatGod bknows what is destined to be.The Gemara comments: bIt was also statedon a similar note by an iamoraciting a itanna /i, as bRabbi Yoḥa says in the name of Rabbi Shimon ben Yoḥai: From whereis it derived bthat the Holy One, Blessed be He, revives the dead, andfrom where is it derived that bHe knows what is destined to be?It is derived from a verse, bas it is stated: “Behold, you shall lie with your fathers and arise.” /b, bIt is taughtin a ibaraitathat bRabbi Eliezer, son of Rabbi Yosei, says: With thisfollowing bmatter, I refuted the books of the Samaritans, as they would saythat bthere is nosource for bthe resurrection of the dead from the Torah. I said to them: You falsified your torah and you accomplished nothing, as you say there is nosource for bthe resurrection of the dead from the Torah,and the Torah bstates: “That soul shall be excised; his iniquity shall be upon him”(Numbers 15:31). You interpret the phrase “that soul bshall be excised”to mean that a sinner will be punished with death bin this world.If so, with regard to the phrase b“his iniquity shall be upon him,” for whenis that destined to be? Is it bnot for the World-to-Come,i.e., the world as it will exist after the resurrection of the dead? Apparently, there is a World-to-Come and there is an allusion to it in the Torah., bRav Pappa said to Abaye: And letRabbi Eliezer, son of Rabbi Yosei, bsay tothe Samaritans that bboth of thosematters can be derived bfromthe phrase b“shall be excised [ ihikkaret tikkaret /i].”“ iHikkaret /i” indicates that the sinner is excised from this world, and “ itikkaret /i” indicates that the sinner is excised from the World-to-Come. Abaye answered: Rabbi Eliezer, son of Rabbi Yosei, preferred not to cite proof from the compound verb, because the Samaritans bwould say: The Torah spoke in the language of people,and the compound verb is merely a stylistic flourish.,The Gemara notes: These derivations of Rabbi Eliezer and Rav Pappa are bparallelto a dispute between itanna’im /iwith regard to b“ ihikkaret tikkaret /i,”as follows: b“ iHikkaret /i”indicates that the sinner is excised bin this world,and b“ itikkaret /i”indicates that the sinner is excised bin the World-to-Come;this is bthe statement of Rabbi Akiva. Rabbi Yishmael said to him: Isn’t it already statedin the previous verse: b“That person that blasphemes the Lord, that soul shall be excised [ ivenikhreta /i]”(Numbers 15:30), band are there three worldsfrom which the sinner is excised? bRather,from the term b“ ivenikhreta /i”it is derived that the sinner is excised bin this world,from b“ ihikkaret /i”it is derived that the sinner is excised bin the World-to-Come,and from the compound verb b“ ihikkaret tikkaret /i”nothing is derived, as bthe Torah spoke in the language of people. /b,The Gemara asks: According to bboth Rabbi Yishmael and Rabbi Akiva, what do they do with,i.e., what do they derive from, the phrase b“His iniquity shall be upon him”?The Gemara answers: That phrase is necessary bfor thatderivation bwhich is taughtin a ibaraita /i: One bmighthave thought that the sinner is excised bevenafter bhe repented.Therefore, bthe verse states: “His iniquity shall be upon him.”God states: bI saidthat the sinner will be excised bonly when his iniquityremains bupon him. /b,§ The Gemara relates: bQueen Cleopatra asked Rabbi Meira question. bShe said: I know that the dead will live, as it is written: “And may they blossom out of the city like grass of the earth”(Psalms 72:16). Just as grass grows, so too, the dead will come to life. bBut when they arise,will they barise naked orwill bthey arise with their garments?Rabbi Meir bsaid to her:It is derived ia fortiorifrom wheat. If wheat, which is buried naked,meaning that the kernel is sown without the chaff, bemerges with several garmentsof chaff, ball the more sowill bthe righteous, who are buried with their garments,arise with their garments.,The Roman bemperor said to Rabban Gamliel: You say that the dead will live. Aren’t they dust? And does dust come to life? /b |
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23. Babylonian Talmud, Shabbat, None (3rd cent. CE - 6th cent. CE)
| 119a. עבידנא יומא טבא לרבנן אמר רבא תיתי לי דכי אתא צורבא מרבנן לקמאי לדינא לא מזיגנא רישי אבי סדיא כמה דלא מהפיכנא בזכותי' אמר מר בר רב אשי פסילנא ליה לצורבא מרבנן לדינא מ"ט דחביב עלי כגופאי ואין אדם רואה חובה לעצמו,רבי חנינא מיעטף וקאי אפניא דמעלי שבתא אמר בואו ונצא לקראת שבת המלכה רבי ינאי לביש מאניה מעלי שבת ואמר בואי כלה בואי כלה רבה בר רב הונא איקלע לבי רבה בר רב נחמן קריבו ליה תלת סאוי טחיי א"ל מי הוה ידעיתון דאתינא אמרו ליה מי עדיפת לן מינה,רבי אבא זבן בתליסר אסתירי פשיטי בישרא מתליסר טבחי ומשלים להו אצינורא דדשא ואמר להו אשור הייא אשור הייא ר' אבהו הוה יתיב אתכתקא דשינא ומושיף נורא רב ענן לביש גונדא דתנא דבי רבי ישמעאל בגדים שבישל בהן קדירה לרבו אל ימזוג בהן כוס לרבו,רב ספרא מחריך רישא רבא מלח שיבוטא רב הונא מדליק שרגי רב פפא גדיל פתילתא רב חסדא פרים סילקא רבה ורב יוסף מצלחי ציבי ר' זירא מצתת צתותי רב נחמן בר יצחק מכתף ועייל מכתף ונפיק אמר אילו מקלעין לי ר' אמי ור' אסי מי לא מכתיפנא קמייהו ואיכא דאמרי ר' אמי ורבי אסי מכתפי ועיילי מכתפי ונפקי אמרי אילו איקלע לן רבי יוחנן מי לא מכתפינן קמיה,יוסף מוקיר שבי הוה ההוא נכרי בשבבותיה דהוה נפישי נכסיה טובא אמרי ליה כלדאי כולהו נכסי יוסף מוקר שבי אכיל להו אזל זבנינהו לכולהו ניכסי זבן בהו מרגניתא אותבה בסייניה בהדי דקא עבר מברא אפרחיה זיקא שדייה במיא בלעיה כוורא אסקוה אייתוה אפניא דמעלי שבתא אמרי מאן זבין כי השתא אמרי להו זילו אמטיוהו לגבי יוסף מוקר שבי דרגיל דזבין אמטיוה ניהליה זבניה קרעיה אשכח ביה מרגניתא זבניה בתליסר עיליתא דדינרי דדהבא פגע ביה ההוא סבא אמר מאן דיזיף שבתא פרעיה שבתא,בעא מיניה רבי מר' ישמעאל ברבי יוסי עשירים שבא"י במה הן זוכין א"ל בשביל שמעשרין שנאמר (דברים יד, כב) עשר תעשר עשר בשביל שתתעשר שבבבל במה הן זוכין א"ל בשביל שמכבדין את התורה,ושבשאר ארצות במה הן זוכין א"ל בשביל שמכבדין את השבת דאמר רבי חייא בר אבא פעם אחת נתארחתי אצל בעל הבית בלודקיא והביאו לפניו שלחן של זהב משוי ששה עשר בני אדם ושש עשרה שלשלאות של כסף קבועות בו וקערות וכוסות וקיתוניות וצלוחיות קבועות בו ועליו כל מיני מאכל וכל מיני מגדים ובשמים וכשמניחים אותו אומרים (תהלים כד, א) לה' הארץ ומלואה וגו' וכשמסלקין אותו אומרים (תהלים קטו, טז) השמים שמים לה' והארץ נתן לבני אדם אמרתי לו בני במה זכית לכך אמר לי קצב הייתי ומכל בהמה שהיתה נאה אמרתי זו תהא לשבת אמרתי לו [אשריך שזכית] וברוך המקום שזיכך לכך,א"ל קיסר לרבי יהושע בן חנניא מפני מה תבשיל של שבת ריחו נודף אמר לו תבלין אחד יש לנו ושבת שמו שאנו מטילין לתוכו וריחו נודף אמר לו תן לנו הימנו אמר לו כל המשמר את השבת מועיל לו ושאינו משמר את השבת אינו מועיל לו,א"ל ריש גלותא לרב המנונא מאי דכתיב (ישעיהו נח, יג) ולקדוש ה' מכובד א"ל זה יוה"כ שאין בו לא אכילה ולא שתיה אמרה תורה כבדהו בכסות נקיה וכבדתו רב אמר להקדים ושמואל אמר לאחר אמרו ליה בני רב פפא בר אבא לרב פפא כגון אנן דשכיח לן בישרא וחמרא כל יומא במאי נישנייה אמר להו אי רגיליתו לאקדומי אחרוה אי רגיליתו לאחרוה אקדמוה רב ששת בקיטא מותיב להו לרבנן היכא דמטיא שימשא בסיתוא מותיב להו לרבנן היכא דמטיא טולא כי היכי דליקומו הייא ר' זירא | 119a. bI make a feast for the Sages. Rava said: May I receivemy reward bbecause when a young Torah scholar comes before me for judgment, I do not put my head on the pillow until I seekas many of bhis meritsas possible, based on conditions and his claims. bMar bar Rav Ashi said: I am disqualified tosit in bjudgment of a young Torah scholar. What is the reasonthat I am disqualified? It is bbecausethe Torah scholar bis as beloved to me as myown bself, and a person does not find fault in himself. /b,The Gemara now returns to the issue of delight in and deference to Shabbat. bRabbi Ḥanina would wrap himselfin his garment band stand at nightfall on Shabbat eve,and bsay: Come and we will go out to greet Shabbat the queen. Rabbi Yannai put on his garment on Shabbat eve and said: Enter, O bride. Enter, O bride.The Gemara relates: bRabba bar Rav Huna happenedto come bto the house of Rabba bar Rav Naḥman. They broughtbefore bhim three se’a of oiled biscuits.He bsaid to them: Did you know I was comingand prepared all of this in my honor? bThey said to him: Are youmore bimportant to us thanShabbat? The biscuits were prepared in deference to Shabbat., bRabbi Abba bought thirteen plain staters [ iastirei peshitei /i]worth half a izuz bof meat from thirteen butchersin deference to Shabbat, so that he would have various types of fine meat. bAnd he would placethe meats bat the door hingeat the entrance to his house to hurry to bring another type of meat. bAndhe bsaid tothe cooks, in order to rush them: bHurry and prepare it, hurry and prepare it.The Gemara also relates: bRabbi Abbahu would sit on an ivory chair [ itakhteka /i] and fan the firecooking the food for Shabbat, in order to play a role in preparations for Shabbat. bRav A would don asimple bblack garmentfor the Shabbat preparations, bas the school of Rabbi Yishmael taught:While wearing the bgarments in which he cooked a potof food bfor his master, one should not dilute a cup of wine for his Master.One should wear a garment appropriate for the task at hand., bRav Safrawould broast the headof an animal to prepare it for Shabbat. bRava salteda ishibuta /ifish in deference to Shabbat. bRav Huna kindled lampsin deference to Shabbat. bRav Pappa spun the wicksfor the Shabbat lamp. bRav Ḥisda cut the beetsin preparation for Shabbat. bRabba and Rav Yosef cut wood. Rabbi Zeira prepared thin sticksfor kindling. bRav Naḥman bar Yitzḥakwould bloadobjects bon his shoulder and enter, loadobjects bon his shoulder and exit. He said: If Rabbi Ami and Rabbi Asi happened tovisit bme, would I not loadobjects bon my shoulder before them?So too, it is fitting to do so in deference to Shabbat. bAnd some saythat bRabbi Ami and Rabbi Asiwould bloadobjects bon their shoulders and enter, loadobjects bon their shoulders and exit. They said: If Rabbi Yoḥa happenedto come btovisit bus, would we not loadobjects bon our shoulders before him? /b,The Gemara relates with regard to bYosef who cherishes Shabbat: There was a gentile in his neighborhood whose property was extremely plentiful. The astrologers said tothe gentile with regard to ball his property: Yosef who cherishes Shabbat will consume it.The gentile bwent and sold all of his property,and with the money he received bhe bought a pearl,and he bplaced it in his hat. When he was crossing a riverin ba ferry, the wind blewhis hat band cast it into the water,and ba fish swallowed it.The fish bwascaught and bremovedfrom the water and bit was broughtto shore adjacent to bnightfall on Shabbat eve.The fishermen bsaid: Who buysfish at a time blike this?The townspeople bsaid tothe fishermen: bGo bring it to Yosef who cherishes Shabbat, as he regularly purchasesdelicacies in deference to Shabbat. bThey brought it to himand bhe purchased it. He rippedthe fish open and bfound a pearl inside it. He sold it for thirteen vessels filled with golden dinars( iTosafot /i). bThis elderly manwho bencountered him and said: One who lendsto bShabbat, Shabbat repays him. /b, bRabbiYehuda HaNasi braised a dilemma before Rabbi Yishmael, son of Rabbi Yosei:With regard to bthe wealthy of Eretz Yisrael, by whatvirtue bdo they merittheir wealth? He bsaid to him: Because they tithe, as it is stated: “A tithe you shall tithe [ iasser te’asser /i]from all the crops of your seed that come out of the field each year” (Deuteronomy 14:22). The Sages interpreted this homiletically: bTake a tithe [ iasser /i] so that you will become wealthy [ ititasher /i].He asked: With regard to bthe wealthy of Babylonia,who are not obligated to tithe, bby whatvirtue bdo they merittheir wealth? He bsaid to him: Because they honor the Torahand the Sages in Babylonia.,With regard to bthe wealthy of other countries,where there are no Sages, bby whatvirtue bdo they merittheir wealth? He bsaid to him: Because they honor Shabbat, as Rabbi Ḥiyya bar Abba said: One time I was hosted atthe home of ba homeowner in Laodicea andthey bbrought before him a table of goldthat was so heavy it required bsixteen people to carry it, andthere were bsixteen chains of silver attached to it, andthere were bbowls and cups and pitchers and flasks attached to it, andthere were ball sorts of food, and delicacies, and fragrant spices on it. And when they placed itthere btheywould bsay: “The earth and all that fills it is God’s,the world and all that inhabit it” (Psalms 24:1). bAnd when they removed it theywould bsay: “The heavens are God’s heavens, but the earth He gave to mankind”(Psalms 115:16). bI said to him: My son, what did youdo to bmerit this? He said to me: I was a slaughterer, andwhen I would come across parts bfrom every animalthat I slaughtered that was bfine, I would say: This will be for Shabbat. I said to him: Happy are you that you meritedthis, band blessed is God, Who has afforded you this merit. /b,The Roman bemperor said to Rabbi Yehoshua ben Ḥaya: Why does the fragrance of a cooked Shabbat dish diffuse?He bsaid to him: We have a certain spice called dill [ ishevet /i], which we place inthe cooked dishes band its fragrance diffuses.The emperor bsaid to him: Give ussome bof it.He bsaid to him: For anyone who observes Shabbat,the spice bis effective, and for one who does not observe Shabbat, it is not effective. /b, bThe Exilarch said to Rav Hamnuna: Whatis the meaning of that bwhich is written, “The holy one of God is honored”(Isaiah 58:13)? Rav Hamnuna bsaid to him: That is Yom Kippur, when there is no eating or drinking,and so the bTorah said: Honor it with a clean garment.And with regard to that which is stated about Shabbat, b“And you shall honor it,” Rav said: Tohonor Shabbat, bmakethe Shabbat feast bearlierthan on other days, in order to show that one delights in eating it. bAnd Shmuel said: Tohonor Shabbat, bmakethe Shabbat feast blater,so that one’s appetite will be greater. bThe sons of Rav Pappa bar Abba said to Rav Pappa:People blike us, for whom meat and wine is foundon our table bevery day, in whatmanner bcan we change iton Shabbat? He bsaid to them: If you are accustomed toeating your meal bearly, make it lateron Shabbat; bif you are accustomed to making it late, make it earlieron Shabbat. This difference will underscore the uniqueness of Shabbat. The Gemara relates: bIn the summer, Rav Sheshet would seat the Sageswho attended his lecture in a place bwhere the sun would reach; in the winter, he would seat the Sagesin a place bwhere the shade would reach.He did this bsothat bthey would stand quicklyafter the lecture ended and not engage in discussion, which would detract from the time devoted to delighting in Shabbat. bRabbi Zeira /b |
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24. Babylonian Talmud, Taanit, None (3rd cent. CE - 6th cent. CE)
| 7a. נימרינהו לתרוייהו אל ההודאות ורוב ההודאות,אמר ר' אבהו גדול יום הגשמים מתחיית המתים דאילו תחיית המתים לצדיקים ואילו גשמים בין לצדיקים בין לרשעים ופליגא דרב יוסף דאמר רב יוסף מתוך שהיא שקולה כתחיית המתים קבעוה בתחיית המתים,אמר רב יהודה גדול יום הגשמים כיום שניתנה בו תורה שנא' (דברים לב, ב) יערף כמטר לקחי ואין לקח אלא תורה שנא' (משלי ד, ב) כי לקח טוב נתתי לכם תורתי אל תעזובו רבא אמר יותר מיום שניתנה בו תורה שנאמר יערף כמטר לקחי מי נתלה במי הוי אומר קטן נתלה בגדול,רבא רמי כתיב יערף כמטר לקחי וכתיב תזל כטל אמרתי אם תלמיד חכם הגון הוא כטל ואם לאו עורפהו כמטר,תניא היה ר' בנאה אומר כל העוסק בתורה לשמה תורתו נעשית לו סם חיים שנאמר (משלי ג, יח) עץ חיים היא למחזיקים בה ואומר (משלי ג, ח) רפאות תהי לשרך ואומר (משלי ח, לה) כי מוצאי מצא חיים וכל העוסק בתורה שלא לשמה נעשית לו סם המות שנאמר יערף כמטר לקחי ואין עריפה אלא הריגה שנאמר (דברים כא, ד) וערפו שם את העגלה בנחל,א"ל ר' ירמיה לר' זירא ליתי מר ליתני א"ל חלש לבאי ולא יכילנא לימא מר מילתא דאגדתא א"ל הכי אמר ר' יוחנן מאי דכתיב (דברים כ, יט) כי האדם עץ השדה וכי אדם עץ שדה הוא,אלא משום דכתיב (דברים כ, יט) כי ממנו תאכל ואותו לא תכרת וכתיב אותו תשחית וכרת הא כיצד אם ת"ח הגון הוא ממנו תאכל ואותו לא תכרת ואם לאו אותו תשחית וכרת,אמר רבי חמא (אמר רבי) חנינא מאי דכתיב (משלי כז, יז) ברזל בברזל יחד לומר לך מה ברזל זה אחד מחדד את חבירו אף שני תלמידי חכמים מחדדין זה את זה בהלכה,אמר רבה בר בר חנה למה נמשלו דברי תורה כאש שנאמר (ירמיהו כג, כט) הלא כה דברי כאש נאם ה' לומר לך מה אש אינו דולק יחידי אף דברי תורה אין מתקיימין ביחידי,והיינו דאמר רבי יוסי בר חנינא מאי דכתיב (ירמיהו נ, לו) חרב אל הבדים ונואלו חרב על שונאיהן של תלמידי חכמים שעוסקין בד בבד בתורה ולא עוד אלא שמטפשין שנאמר ונואלו,ולא עוד אלא שחוטאין כתיב הכא ונואלו וכתיב התם (במדבר יב, יא) אשר נואלנו ואשר חטאנו ואיבעית אימא מהכא (ישעיהו יט, יג) נואלו שרי צוען [וגו'] והתעו את מצרים,אמר רב נחמן בר יצחק למה נמשלו דברי תורה כעץ שנאמר (משלי ג, יח) עץ חיים היא למחזיקים בה לומר לך מה עץ קטן מדליק את הגדול אף תלמידי חכמים קטנים מחדדים את הגדולים והיינו דאמר ר' חנינא הרבה למדתי מרבותי ומחבירי יותר מרבותי ומתלמידי יותר מכולן,רבי חנינא בר פפא רמי כתיב (ישעיהו כא, יד) לקראת צמא התיו מים וכתיב (ישעיהו נה, א) הוי כל צמא לכו למים אם תלמיד הגון הוא לקראת צמא התיו מים ואי לא הוי כל צמא לכו למים,רבי חנינא בר חמא רמי כתיב (משלי ה, טז) יפוצו מעינותיך חוצה וכתיב (משלי ה, יז) יהיו לך לבדך אם תלמיד הגון הוא יפוצו מעינותיך חוצה ואם לאו יהיו לך לבדך,(ואמר) רבי חנינא בר אידי למה נמשלו דברי תורה למים דכתיב הוי כל צמא לכו למים לומר לך מה מים מניחין מקום גבוה והולכין למקום נמוך אף דברי תורה אין מתקיימין אלא במי שדעתו שפלה,ואמר רבי אושעיא למה נמשלו דברי תורה לשלשה משקין הללו במים וביין ובחלב דכתיב הוי כל צמא לכו למים וכתיב (ישעיהו נה, א) לכו שברו ואכלו ולכו שברו בלא כסף ובלא מחיר יין וחלב לומר לך מה שלשה משקין הללו אין מתקיימין אלא בפחות שבכלים אף דברי תורה אין מתקיימין אלא במי שדעתו שפלה,כדאמרה ליה ברתיה דקיסר לר' יהושע בן חנניה אי חכמה מפוארה בכלי מכוער אמר לה אביך רמי חמרא במני דפחרא אמרה ליה אלא במאי נירמי אמר לה אתון דחשביתו רמו במאני דהבא וכספא,אזלה ואמרה ליה לאבוה רמייא לחמרא במני דהבא וכספא ותקיף אתו ואמרו ליה אמר לה לברתיה מאן אמר לך הכי אמרה ליה רבי יהושע בן חנניה קריוהו אמר ליה אמאי אמרת לה הכי אמר ליה כי היכי דאמרה לי אמרי לה והא איכא שפירי דגמירי | 7a. bwe will recite them both: God of thanksgivings, and: Abundant thanksgivings. /b,§ The Gemara cites statements in praise of rainfall. bRabbi Abbahu said: The day of rain is greater than the resurrection of the dead.The reason is that bwhile the resurrection of the deadbenefits only bthe righteous, rainbenefits bboth the righteous and the wicked.The Gemara comments: bAndthis statement bdisagrees withthe opinion of bRav Yosef, as Rav Yosef said: Sincerainfall bis equivalent to the resurrection of the dead,the Sages bestablishedits recitation binthe second blessing of the iAmida /i, the blessing of bthe resurrection of the dead.According to Rav Yosef, rainfall is the equivalent to, but not superior to, the resurrection of the dead.,Similarly, bRav Yehuda said: The day of the rains is as great as the dayon which bthe Torah was given, as it is stated: “My doctrine [ ilikḥi /i] shall drop as the rain”(Deuteronomy 32:2), band ilekaḥmeans nothing otherthan bTorah, as it is stated: “For I give you good doctrine [ ilekaḥ /i]; do not forsake My Torah”(Proverbs 4:2). bRava said:Rainfall is even bgreater than the day on which the Torah was given, as it is stated: “My doctrine shall drop as the rain,”and when one makes a comparison, bwhichobject bismade bdependent upon which? You must saythat bthe lesserobject bis dependent upon the greaterone. If Torah is compared to rain, it follows that rain is greater than Torah.,The Gemara cites another interpretation of the verse from Deuteronomy. bRava raised a contradiction:At the beginning of the verse bit is written: “My doctrine shall drop [ iya’arof /i] as the rain,”in a harsh manner, bandyet later in the verse, bit is written: “My speech shall distill as the dew,”in a gentle tone. He resolves this apparent contradiction as follows: bIf he is a worthy Torah scholar,the Torah flows through him blike the dew, but ifhe is bnotworthy, bit snaps his neck [ iorfehu /i] like thepowerful brain. /b, bIt is taughtin a ibaraitathat bRabbi Bena’a would say: Anyone who engages in Torah for its own sake, his Torahstudy bwill be an elixir of life for him, as it is stated: “It is a tree of life to them who lay hold upon it”(Proverbs 3:18), band it says: “It shall be health to your navel”(Proverbs 3:8), band it says: “For whoever finds Me finds life”(Proverbs 8:35). bAnd anyone who engages in Torah not for its own sake,e.g., for self-aggrandizement, his Torah bwill be an elixir of death for him, as it is stated: “My doctrine shall drop [ iya’arof] as the rain,” and iarifa /imeans bnothing otherthan bkilling, as it is stated: “And they shall break the heifer’s neck [ iarefu /i] there in the valley”(Deuteronomy 21:4)., bRabbi Yirmeyaonce bsaid to Rabbi Zeira: Let the Master come and teacha halakhic discourse. Rabbi Zeira bsaid to him: My heart is weak and I cannotstrain myself over a halakhic discourse. Rabbi Yirmeya replied to him: In that case, blet the Master tell us a matter of iaggada /i,which does not require as much effort. Rabbi Zeira bsaid to himthat bRabbi Yoḥa said as follows: What isthe meaning of that bwhich is written: “For man is a tree of the field”(Deuteronomy 20:19)? bAnd is manactually ba tree of the field? /b, bRather,it is bbecause it is writtenearlier in the same verse: b“You may eat of them but you may not cut them down,” and it is writtenin the next verse: b“Them you may destroy and cut down”(Deuteronomy 20:20). This indicates that there are certain trees which may be cut down, while others may not be destroyed. bHow so? If a Torah scholar is worthy: “You may eat of them but you may not cut them down,” but ifhe is bnotworthy: b“He you may destroy and cut down.” /b,The Gemara cites other expositions that deal with Torah study. bRabbi Ḥama, son of Rabbi Ḥanina, said: What isthe meaning of that bwhich is written: “Iron sharpens iron,so a man sharpens the countece of his friend” (Proverbs 27:17)? This verse comes bto tell youthat bjust aswith bthese iron implements, one sharpens the otherwhen they are rubbed against each other, bso too,when bTorah scholarsstudy together, they bsharpen one another in ihalakha /i. /b, bRabba bar bar Ḥana said: Why are matters of Torah compared to fire, as it is stated: “Is not My word like fire, says the Lord”(Jeremiah 23:29)? bTo tell you: Just as fire does not ignitein ba lonestick of wood but in a pile of kindling, bso too, matters of Torah are not retainedand understood properly by ba lonescholar who studies by himself, but by a group of Sages., bAnd this is what Rabbi Yosei bar Ḥanina said: What isthe meaning of that bwhich is written: “A sword is upon the boasters [ ihabaddim /i], and they shall become fools [ inoalu /i]”(Jeremiah 50:36)? This verse can be interpreted homiletically: There is a bsword upon the enemies of Torah scholars,a euphemism for Torah scholars themselves, bwho sit alone [ ibad bevad /i] and study Torah. And not only that, butthose who study by themselves bgrow foolishfrom their solitary Torah study, bas it is stated: “And they shall become fools.” /b, bAnd not only that, but they sin, as it is written here: “And they shall become fools,” and it is written there: “For that we have done foolishly [ inoalnu /i] and for that we have sinned”(Numbers 12:11). bAnd if you wish, sayinstead that it is derived bfrom here: “The princes of Zoan have become fools [ inoalu /i]…they have caused Egypt to go astray”(Isaiah 19:13)., bRav Naḥman bar Yitzḥak said: Why are Torah matters likened to a tree, as it is stated: “It is a tree of life to them who lay hold upon it”(Proverbs 3:18)? This verse comes bto tell youthat bjust as a smallpiece of bwood can ignite a large piece, so too, minor Torah scholars can sharpen greatTorah scholars and enable them to advance in their studies. bAnd this is what Rabbi Ḥanina said: I have learned much from my teachers and even more from my friends, but from my studentsI have learned bmore thanfrom ball of them. /b, bRabbi Ḥanina bar Pappa raised a contradiction.In one verse bit is written: “To him who is thirsty bring water”(Isaiah 21:14), which indicates that the one who has water must bring it to the thirsty person, band it is writtenelsewhere: b“Ho, everyone who thirsts, come for water”(Isaiah 55:1), from which it may be inferred that the thirsty person must seek out water himself. Rabbi Ḥanina bar Pappa resolves this apparent contradiction by explaining that bif he is a worthy studentthe teacher must seek him out, as in b“to him who is thirsty bring water,” but ifthe student is bnotworthy, then b“Ho, everyone who thirsts, come for water,”i.e., this student must seek out a teacher himself., bRabbi Ḥanina bar Ḥama raisedanother bcontradiction.In one verse bit is written: “Let your springs be dispersed abroad”(Proverbs 5:16), whereas in the next verse bit is written: “Let them be your own”(Proverbs 5:17). Rabbi Ḥanina bar Ḥama explains: bIf the studentsitting before you bis worthy,then b“Let your springs be dispersed abroad,”as you should teach him, but bifhe is bnotworthy, then b“Let them be your own.” /b, bAnd Rabbi Ḥanina bar Idi said: Why are matters of Torah likened to water, as it is written: “Ho, everyone who thirsts, come for water”(Isaiah 55:1)? This verse comes bto tell you: Just as water leaves a high place and flows to a low place, so too, Torah matters are retained only by one whose spirit is lowly,i.e., a humble person., bAnd Rabbi Oshaya said: Why are matters of Torah likened to these three liquids: To water, wine and milk? As it is writtenwith regard to water: b“Ho, everyone who thirsts, come for water,” and it is writtenin the same verse: b“Come, buy and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price.”This verse comes bto tell you: Just as these three liquids can be retained only in the least of vessels,e.g., clay pots, but not vessels of silver and gold, as they will spoil, bso too, matters of Torah are retained only by one whose spirit is lowly. /b,The Gemara cites a related incident: This bis as the daughter of theRoman bemperor said to Rabbi Yehoshua ben Ḥaya,who was an ugly man: bWoe to glorious wisdomsuch as yours, which is contained bin an ugly vessel.Rabbi Yehoshua ben Ḥaya bsaid to her,in a seemingly unrelated response: Does byour father keep his wine insimple bclay vessels?The emperor’s daughter bsaid to him: Rather, in what,then, bshould he keep it?Rabbi Yehoshua ben Ḥaya bsaid to her: You, who are so important,should bput it in vessels of gold and silver. /b,The emperor’s daughter bwent and saidthis bto her father. He put the wine in vessels of gold and silver and it turned sour.When his advisors bcame and told the emperorthat the wine had turned sour, bhe said tohis daughter: bWho told youto do bthis?His daughter bresponded: Rabbi Yehoshua ben Ḥaya.The emperor bsummoned himand bsaid to him: Why did you say this to her?Rabbi Yehoshua ben Ḥaya bsaid to him: Just as she said to me, so I said say to her,to demonstrate to her that fine material is best preserved in the least of vessels. The emperor said to him: bBut there are handsome people who are learned. /b |
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25. Anon., Ruthrabbah, 3.2
| 3.2. כְּתִיב (קהלת ט, ד): כִּי מִי אֲשֶׁר יְחֻבַּר וגו', תַּמָן תְּנֵינַן הָרוֹאֶה עֲבוֹדַת כּוֹכָבִים מַה הוּא אוֹמֵר, בָּרוּךְ נוֹתֵן אֶרֶךְ אַפַּיִם לְעוֹבְרֵי רְצוֹנוֹ. מָקוֹם שֶׁנֶּעֶקְרָה עֲבוֹדַת כּוֹכָבִים מִמֶּנּוּ, בָּרוּךְ שֶׁעָקַר עֲבוֹדַת כּוֹכָבִים מֵאַרְצֵנוּ. וְכֵן יְהִי רָצוֹן מִלְּפָנֶיךָ ה' אֱלֹהֵינוּ שֶׁתַּעֲקֹר אוֹתָהּ מִכָּל הַמְּקוֹמוֹת וְתָשׁוּב לֵב עוֹבְדֶיהָ לְעָבְדְּךָ בְּלֵב שָׁלֵם, וְלֹא נִמְצָא מִתְפַּלֵּל עַל הָרְשָׁעִים. אָמַר רַבִּי יוֹחָנָן יְבֻחַר כְּתִיב, אֲפִלּוּ כָּל אוֹתָן שֶׁפָּשְׁטוּ יְדֵיהֶם בַּזְּבוּל יֵשׁ בִּטָּחוֹן, לְהַחֲיוֹת אוֹתָם אִי אֶפְשָׁר שֶׁכְּבָר פָּשְׁטוּ יְדֵיהֶם בַּזְּבוּל, לְכַלּוֹתָם אִי אֶפְשָׁר שֶׁכְּבָר עָשׂוּ תְּשׁוּבָה, עֲלֵיהֶם הוּא אוֹמֵר (ירמיה נא, לט): וְיָשְׁנוּ שְׁנַת עוֹלָם וְלֹא יָקִיצוּ. תַּנְיָא קְטַנֵי גוֹיִם וְחֵילוֹתָיו שֶׁל נְבוּכַדְנֶצַּר לֹא חַיִּים וְלֹא נִדּוֹנִים, וַעֲלֵיהֶם הוּא אוֹמֵר: וְיָשְׁנוּ שְׁנַת עוֹלָם וְלֹא יָקִיצוּ. (קהלת ט, ד): כִּי לְכֶלֶב חַי הוּא טוֹב מִן הָאַרְיֵה הַמֵּת, בָּעוֹלָם הַזֶּה מִי שֶׁהוּא כֶּלֶב, לְהֵעָשׂוֹת אֲרִי הוּא יָכוֹל. וּמִי שֶׁהוּא אֲרִי, יָכוֹל לְהֵעָשׂוֹת כֶּלֶב. אֲבָל לֶעָתִיד לָבוֹא, מִי שֶׁהוּא אֲרִי אֵינוֹ יָכוֹל לְהֵעָשׂוֹת כֶּלֶב, וְכָל מִי שֶׁהוּא כֶּלֶב אֵינוֹ יָכוֹל לְהֵעָשׂוֹת אֲרִי. אַדְרִיָּאנוֹס שְׁחִיק טַמְיָא שָׁאַל לְרַבִּי יְהוֹשֻׁעַ בֶּן חֲנַנְיָה, אֲמַר לֵיהּ אֲנָא טָב מִמּשֶׁה רַבָּךְ, אֲמַר לֵיהּ, לָמָּה, דַּאֲנָא חַי וְהוּא מֵת, וּכְתִיב: כִּי לְכֶלֶב חַי טוֹב מִן הָאַרְיֵה הַמֵּת. אֲמַר לֵיהּ יָכוֹל אַתְּ לִגְזֹר דְּלָא יַדְלֵק בַּר נָשׁ נוּר תְּלָתָא יוֹמִין, אֲמַר לֵיהּ, אִין. לְעִידָּן עַמְיָא סָלְקוּן תַּרְוֵיהוֹן עַל אִיגַר פָּלָטִין חֲמֵי תְּנָנָא סָלֵיק מִן רְחִיק, אֲמַר לֵיהּ מַה כֵּן, אֲמַר לֵיהּ אִיפַרְכִּיָא בִּישׁ, עָאל אַסְיָא וּבַקַּר יָתֵיהּ, וַאֲמַר לֵיהּ עַד דְּשָׁתֵי חֲמִימֵי לָא מִיתַּסֵּי. אֲמַר לֵיהּ תִּפַּח רוּחֵיהּ, עַד דְאַתְּ קַיָּם בָּטְלָה גְּזֵרָתְךָ, וּמשֶׁה רַבֵּנוּ מִשָּׁעָה שֶׁגָּזַר עָלֵינוּ (שמות לה, ג): לֹא תְבַעֲרוּ אֵשׁ בְּכֹל משְׁבֹתֵיכֶם בְּיוֹם הַשַּׁבָּת, לָא מַדְלֵיק יְהוּדָאי נוּר בְּשַׁבְּתָא מִיּוֹמוֹהִי, וַעֲדַיִן לֹא נִתְבַּטְּלָה גְּזֵרָתוֹ עַד הַשְׁתָּא, אֲמַרְתְּ אַתְּ כֵּן דַּאֲנָא טָב מִינֵיהּ. (תהלים לט, ה): הוֹדִיעֵנִי ה' קִצִּי וּמִדַּת יָמַי מַה הִיא, אָמַר דָּוִד לִפְנֵי הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא, רִבּוֹן הָעוֹלָם אוֹדַע לִי אֵימָתַי אֲנָא מָיֵית, אֲמַר לֵיהּ רָזָא הִיא דְּלָא מִתְגַּלֵּי לְבַר נָשׁ וְלֵית אֶפְשָׁר דְּיִתְגַּלֵּי לָךְ. וּמִדַּת יָמַי מַה הִיא, אֲמַר לֵיהּ שַׁבְעִין שְׁנִין. וְאֵדְעָה מֶה חָדֵל אָנִי, אוֹדַע לִי בְּהָדֵין יוֹמָא אֲנָא מָיֵית, אָמַר לוֹ בְּשַׁבָּת. אֲמַר לֵיהּ פַּחֵית לִי חַד יוֹמָא, אָמַר לוֹ לֹא. אָמַר לוֹ לָמָּה, אָמַר לוֹ חֲבִיבָה עָלַי תְּפִלָּה אַחַת שֶׁאַתָּה עוֹמֵד וּמִתְפַּלֵּל לְפָנַי מֵאֶלֶף עוֹלוֹת שֶׁעָתִיד שְׁלֹמֹה בִּנְךָ לְהַעֲלוֹת לְפָנַי, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (מלכים א ג, ד): אֶלֶף עֹלוֹת יַעֲלֶה שְׁלֹמֹה עַל הַמִּזְבֵּחַ הַהוּא. אֲמַר לֵיהּ אוֹסֵיף לִי חַד יוֹמָא, אֲמַר לֵיהּ לָא. אֲמַר לֵיהּ לָמָּה, אָמַר לֵיהּ אַרְכִי שֶׁל בִּנְךָ דּוֹחֶקֶת, דְּאָמַר רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן בַּר אַבָּא בְּשֵׁם רַבִּי יוֹחָנָן, אַרְכִיּוֹת אַרְכִיּוֹת הֵן וְאֵין אֶחָד מֵהֶן נִכְנָס לְתוֹךְ אַרְכִי שֶׁל חֲבֵרוֹ אֲפִלּוּ כִּמְלֹא נִימָא. וּמֵת בַּעֲצֶרֶת שֶׁחָל לִהְיוֹת בְּשַׁבָּת, וְסָלְקָה סַנְהֶדְּרִין מֶחְמְיָיא אַפִּין לִשְׁלֹמֹה, אֲמַר לְהוֹן מַעֲבַר יָתֵיהּ מֵאֲתַר לַאֲתַר, אָמְרִין לֵיהּ וְלָאו מַתְנִיתָּא הִיא סָכִין וּמְדִיחִין וּבִלְבָד שֶׁלֹא יָזִיז אֵבָר. אָמַר כְּלָבִים שֶׁל בֵּית אַבָּא רְעֵבִין, אָמְרִין לֵיהּ וְלָא מַתְנִיתָּא הִיא מְחַתְּכִין אֶת הַדְּלוּעִים לִפְנֵי הַבְּהֵמָה וְאֶת הַנְּבֵלָה לִפְנֵי הַכְּלָבִים. מֶה עָשָׂה נָטַל פִּיפְקִין וּפָרַשׂ עָלָיו כְּדֵי שֶׁלֹא תֵּרֵד הַשֶּׁמֶשׁ, וְיֵשׁ אוֹמְרִים לַנְּשָׁרִים קְרָא וּפָרְשׂוּ עָלָיו אֲגַפֵּיהוֹן כְּדֵי שֶׁלֹא תֵּרֵד עָלָיו הַשֶּׁמֶשׁ. | |
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