1. Septuagint, Tobit, 12.12 (10th cent. BCE - 2nd cent. BCE)
| 12.12. And so, when you and your daughter-in-law Sarah prayed, I brought a reminder of your prayer before the Holy One; and when you buried the dead, I was likewise present with you. |
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2. Hebrew Bible, Deuteronomy, 28.32 (9th cent. BCE - 3rd cent. BCE)
| 28.32. בָּנֶיךָ וּבְנֹתֶיךָ נְתֻנִים לְעַם אַחֵר וְעֵינֶיךָ רֹאוֹת וְכָלוֹת אֲלֵיהֶם כָּל־הַיּוֹם וְאֵין לְאֵל יָדֶךָ׃ | 28.32. Thy sons and thy daughters shall be given unto another people, and thine eyes shall look, and fail with longing for them all the day; and there shall be nought in the power of thy hand." |
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3. Hebrew Bible, Exodus, 1.19, 12.2, 15.2, 17.11, 19.2, 19.8-19.9, 20.6, 24.1 (9th cent. BCE - 3rd cent. BCE)
| 1.19. וַתֹּאמַרְןָ הַמְיַלְּדֹת אֶל־פַּרְעֹה כִּי לֹא כַנָּשִׁים הַמִּצְרִיֹּת הָעִבְרִיֹּת כִּי־חָיוֹת הֵנָּה בְּטֶרֶם תָּבוֹא אֲלֵהֶן הַמְיַלֶּדֶת וְיָלָדוּ׃ 12.2. כָּל־מַחְמֶצֶת לֹא תֹאכֵלוּ בְּכֹל מוֹשְׁבֹתֵיכֶם תֹּאכְלוּ מַצּוֹת׃ 12.2. הַחֹדֶשׁ הַזֶּה לָכֶם רֹאשׁ חֳדָשִׁים רִאשׁוֹן הוּא לָכֶם לְחָדְשֵׁי הַשָּׁנָה׃ 15.2. עָזִּי וְזִמְרָת יָהּ וַיְהִי־לִי לִישׁוּעָה זֶה אֵלִי וְאַנְוֵהוּ אֱלֹהֵי אָבִי וַאֲרֹמְמֶנְהוּ׃ 15.2. וַתִּקַּח מִרְיָם הַנְּבִיאָה אֲחוֹת אַהֲרֹן אֶת־הַתֹּף בְּיָדָהּ וַתֵּצֶאןָ כָל־הַנָּשִׁים אַחֲרֶיהָ בְּתֻפִּים וּבִמְחֹלֹת׃ 17.11. וְהָיָה כַּאֲשֶׁר יָרִים מֹשֶׁה יָדוֹ וְגָבַר יִשְׂרָאֵל וְכַאֲשֶׁר יָנִיחַ יָדוֹ וְגָבַר עֲמָלֵק׃ 19.2. וַיִּסְעוּ מֵרְפִידִים וַיָּבֹאוּ מִדְבַּר סִינַי וַיַּחֲנוּ בַּמִּדְבָּר וַיִּחַן־שָׁם יִשְׂרָאֵל נֶגֶד הָהָר׃ 19.2. וַיֵּרֶד יְהוָה עַל־הַר סִינַי אֶל־רֹאשׁ הָהָר וַיִּקְרָא יְהוָה לְמֹשֶׁה אֶל־רֹאשׁ הָהָר וַיַּעַל מֹשֶׁה׃ 19.8. וַיַּעֲנוּ כָל־הָעָם יַחְדָּו וַיֹּאמְרוּ כֹּל אֲשֶׁר־דִּבֶּר יְהוָה נַעֲשֶׂה וַיָּשֶׁב מֹשֶׁה אֶת־דִּבְרֵי הָעָם אֶל־יְהוָה׃ 19.9. וַיֹּאמֶר יְהוָה אֶל־מֹשֶׁה הִנֵּה אָנֹכִי בָּא אֵלֶיךָ בְּעַב הֶעָנָן בַּעֲבוּר יִשְׁמַע הָעָם בְּדַבְּרִי עִמָּךְ וְגַם־בְּךָ יַאֲמִינוּ לְעוֹלָם וַיַּגֵּד מֹשֶׁה אֶת־דִּבְרֵי הָעָם אֶל־יְהוָה׃ 20.6. וְעֹשֶׂה חֶסֶד לַאֲלָפִים לְאֹהֲבַי וּלְשֹׁמְרֵי מִצְוֺתָי׃ 24.1. וַיִּרְאוּ אֵת אֱלֹהֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל וְתַחַת רַגְלָיו כְּמַעֲשֵׂה לִבְנַת הַסַּפִּיר וּכְעֶצֶם הַשָּׁמַיִם לָטֹהַר׃ 24.1. וְאֶל־מֹשֶׁה אָמַר עֲלֵה אֶל־יְהוָה אַתָּה וְאַהֲרֹן נָדָב וַאֲבִיהוּא וְשִׁבְעִים מִזִּקְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל וְהִשְׁתַּחֲוִיתֶם מֵרָחֹק׃ | 1.19. And the midwives said unto Pharaoh: ‘Because the Hebrew women are not as the Egyptian women; for they are lively, and are delivered ere the midwife come unto them.’" 12.2. ’This month shall be unto you the beginning of months; it shall be the first month of the year to you." 15.2. The LORD is my strength and song, And He is become my salvation; This is my God, and I will glorify Him; My father’s God, and I will exalt Him." 17.11. And it came to pass, when Moses held up his hand, that Israel prevailed; and when he let down his hand, Amalek prevailed." 19.2. And when they were departed from Rephidim, and were come to the wilderness of Sinai, they encamped in the wilderness; and there Israel encamped before the mount." 19.8. And all the people answered together, and said: ‘All that the LORD hath spoken we will do.’ And Moses reported the words of the people unto the LORD." 19.9. And the LORD said unto Moses: ‘Lo, I come unto thee in a thick cloud, that the people may hear when I speak with thee, and may also believe thee for ever.’ And Moses told the words of the people unto the LORD." 20.6. and showing mercy unto the thousandth generation of them that love Me and keep My commandments." 24.1. And unto Moses He said: ‘Come up unto the LORD, thou, and Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel; and worship ye afar off;" |
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4. Hebrew Bible, Leviticus, 19.19 (9th cent. BCE - 3rd cent. BCE)
| 19.19. אֶת־חֻקֹּתַי תִּשְׁמֹרוּ בְּהֶמְתְּךָ לֹא־תַרְבִּיעַ כִּלְאַיִם שָׂדְךָ לֹא־תִזְרַע כִּלְאָיִם וּבֶגֶד כִּלְאַיִם שַׁעַטְנֵז לֹא יַעֲלֶה עָלֶיךָ׃ | 19.19. Ye shall keep My statutes. Thou shalt not let thy cattle gender with a diverse kind; thou shalt not sow thy field with two kinds of seed; neither shall there come upon thee a garment of two kinds of stuff mingled together." |
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5. Hebrew Bible, Numbers, 21.9, 24.24, 27.21 (9th cent. BCE - 3rd cent. BCE)
| 21.9. וַיַּעַשׂ מֹשֶׁה נְחַשׁ נְחֹשֶׁת וַיְשִׂמֵהוּ עַל־הַנֵּס וְהָיָה אִם־נָשַׁךְ הַנָּחָשׁ אֶת־אִישׁ וְהִבִּיט אֶל־נְחַשׁ הַנְּחֹשֶׁת וָחָי׃ 24.24. וְצִים מִיַּד כִּתִּים וְעִנּוּ אַשּׁוּר וְעִנּוּ־עֵבֶר וְגַם־הוּא עֲדֵי אֹבֵד׃ 27.21. וְלִפְנֵי אֶלְעָזָר הַכֹּהֵן יַעֲמֹד וְשָׁאַל לוֹ בְּמִשְׁפַּט הָאוּרִים לִפְנֵי יְהוָה עַל־פִּיו יֵצְאוּ וְעַל־פִּיו יָבֹאוּ הוּא וְכָל־בְּנֵי־יִשְׂרָאֵל אִתּוֹ וְכָל־הָעֵדָה׃ | 21.9. And Moses made a serpent of brass, and set it upon the pole; and it came to pass, that if a serpent had bitten any man, when he looked unto the serpent of brass, he lived." 24.24. But ships shall come from the coast of Kittim, And they shall afflict Asshur, and shall afflict Eber, And he also shall come to destruction." 27.21. And he shall stand before Eleazar the priest, who shall inquire for him by the judgment of the Urim before the LORD; at his word shall they go out, and at his word they shall come in, both he, and all the children of Israel with him, even all the congregation.’" |
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6. Hebrew Bible, Psalms, 82.6-82.7, 141.2 (9th cent. BCE - 3rd cent. BCE)
| 82.6. אֲנִי־אָמַרְתִּי אֱלֹהִים אַתֶּם וּבְנֵי עֶלְיוֹן כֻּלְּכֶם׃ 82.7. אָכֵן כְּאָדָם תְּמוּתוּן וּכְאַחַד הַשָּׂרִים תִּפֹּלוּ׃ 141.2. תִּכּוֹן תְּפִלָּתִי קְטֹרֶת לְפָנֶיךָ מַשְׂאַת כַּפַּי מִנְחַת־עָרֶב׃ | 82.6. I said: Ye are godlike beings, and all of you sons of the Most High." 82.7. Nevertheless ye shall die like men, and fall like one of the princes.'" 141.2. Let my prayer be set forth as incense before Thee, The lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice." |
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7. Hebrew Bible, 1 Kings, 3.12, 8.54 (8th cent. BCE - 5th cent. BCE)
| 3.12. הִנֵּה עָשִׂיתִי כִּדְבָרֶיךָ הִנֵּה נָתַתִּי לְךָ לֵב חָכָם וְנָבוֹן אֲשֶׁר כָּמוֹךָ לֹא־הָיָה לְפָנֶיךָ וְאַחֲרֶיךָ לֹא־יָקוּם כָּמוֹךָ׃ 8.54. וַיְהִי כְּכַלּוֹת שְׁלֹמֹה לְהִתְפַּלֵּל אֶל־יְהוָה אֵת כָּל־הַתְּפִלָּה וְהַתְּחִנָּה הַזֹּאת קָם מִלִּפְנֵי מִזְבַּח יְהוָה מִכְּרֹעַ עַל־בִּרְכָּיו וְכַפָּיו פְּרֻשׂוֹת הַשָּׁמָיִם׃ | 3.12. behold, I have done according to thy word: lo, I have given thee a wise and an understanding heart; so that there hath been none like thee before thee, neither after thee shall any arise like unto thee." 8.54. And it was so, that when Solomon had made an end of praying all this prayer and supplication unto the LORD, he arose from before the altar of the LORD, from kneeling on his knees with his hands spread forth toward heaven." |
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8. Hebrew Bible, 1 Samuel, 1.26 (8th cent. BCE - 5th cent. BCE)
| 1.26. וַתֹּאמֶר בִּי אֲדֹנִי חֵי נַפְשְׁךָ אֲדֹנִי אֲנִי הָאִשָּׁה הַנִּצֶּבֶת עִמְּכָה בָּזֶה לְהִתְפַּלֵּל אֶל־יְהוָה׃ | 1.26. And she said, O my lord, as thy soul lives, my lord, I am the woman that stood by thee here, praying to the Lord." |
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9. Hebrew Bible, Joshua, 7.6 (8th cent. BCE - 5th cent. BCE)
| 7.6. וַיִּקְרַע יְהוֹשֻׁעַ שִׂמְלֹתָיו וַיִּפֹּל עַל־פָּנָיו אַרְצָה לִפְנֵי אֲרוֹן יְהוָה עַד־הָעֶרֶב הוּא וְזִקְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל וַיַּעֲלוּ עָפָר עַל־רֹאשָׁם׃ | 7.6. And Joshua rent his clothes, and fell to the earth upon his face before the ark of the LORD until the evening, he and the elders of Israel; and they put dust upon their heads." |
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10. Hebrew Bible, Ezekiel, 44.7 (6th cent. BCE - 5th cent. BCE)
| 44.7. בַּהֲבִיאֲכֶם בְּנֵי־נֵכָר עַרְלֵי־לֵב וְעַרְלֵי בָשָׂר לִהְיוֹת בְּמִקְדָּשִׁי לְחַלְּלוֹ אֶת־בֵּיתִי בְּהַקְרִיבְכֶם אֶת־לַחְמִי חֵלֶב וָדָם וַיָּפֵרוּ אֶת־בְּרִיתִי אֶל כָּל־תּוֹעֲבוֹתֵיכֶם׃ | 44.7. in that ye have brought in aliens, uncircumcised in heart and uncircumcised in flesh, to be in My sanctuary, to profane it, even My house, when ye offer My bread, the fat and the blood, and they have broken My covet, to add unto all your abominations." |
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11. Hebrew Bible, 2 Chronicles, 6.13 (5th cent. BCE - 3rd cent. BCE)
| 6.13. כִּי־עָשָׂה שְׁלֹמֹה כִּיּוֹר נְחֹשֶׁת וַיִּתְּנֵהוּ בְּתוֹךְ הָעֲזָרָה חָמֵשׁ אַמּוֹת אָרְכּוֹ וְחָמֵשׁ אַמּוֹת רָחְבּוֹ וְאַמּוֹת שָׁלוֹשׁ קוֹמָתוֹ וַיַּעֲמֹד עָלָיו וַיִּבְרַךְ עַל־בִּרְכָּיו נֶגֶד כָּל־קְהַל יִשְׂרָאֵל וַיִּפְרֹשׂ כַּפָּיו הַשָּׁמָיְמָה׃ | 6.13. for Solomon had made a brazen scaffold, of five cubits long, and five cubits broad, and three cubits high, and had set it in the midst of the court; and upon it he stood, and kneeled down upon his knees before all the congregation of Israel, and spread forth his hands toward heaven—" |
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12. Hebrew Bible, Ecclesiastes, 1.8 (5th cent. BCE - 2nd cent. BCE)
| 1.8. כָּל־הַדְּבָרִים יְגֵעִים לֹא־יוּכַל אִישׁ לְדַבֵּר לֹא־תִשְׂבַּע עַיִן לִרְאוֹת וְלֹא־תִמָּלֵא אֹזֶן מִשְּׁמֹעַ׃ | 1.8. All things toil to weariness; Man cannot utter it, The eye is not satisfied with seeing, Nor the ear filled with hearing." |
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13. Hebrew Bible, Ezra, 9.5 (5th cent. BCE - 4th cent. BCE)
| 9.5. וּבְמִנְחַת הָעֶרֶב קַמְתִּי מִתַּעֲנִיתִי וּבְקָרְעִי בִגְדִי וּמְעִילִי וָאֶכְרְעָה עַל־בִּרְכַּי וָאֶפְרְשָׂה כַפַּי אֶל־יְהוָה אֱלֹהָי׃ | 9.5. And at the evening offering I arose up from my fasting, even with my garment and my mantle rent; and I fell upon my knees, and spread out my hands unto the LORD my God;" |
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14. Septuagint, Tobit, 12.12 (4th cent. BCE - 2nd cent. BCE)
| 12.12. And so, when you and your daughter-in-law Sarah prayed, I brought a reminder of your prayer before the Holy One; and when you buried the dead, I was likewise present with you. |
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15. Anon., Testament of Levi, 3.5 (2nd cent. BCE - 2nd cent. CE)
| 3.5. In [the heaven next to] it are the archangels, who minister and make propitiation to the Lord for all the sins of ignorance of the righteous; |
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16. Dead Sea Scrolls, Testament of Levi, 3.5 (2nd cent. BCE - 1st cent. CE)
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17. 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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18. Philo of Alexandria, On The Confusion of Tongues, 59 (1st cent. BCE - 1st cent. CE)
| 59. For these men no longer obey reason as their ruler, but God, the governor of the universe, by whom they are assisted so as to display their energies in actions rather than in words. For when they hear of others doing such and such things, these men, which is a thing most contrary to what one would expect, say that, from some inspiration of God, they will act first and obey afterwards; in order that they may seem to have advanced to good actions, not in consequence of instruction and admonition, but by their own spontaneous and self-taught mind. And then, when they have accomplished these actions, they say that they will obey in order that they may form an opinion of what they have done, as to whether their actions are consistent with the divine injunctions and the sacred admonitions of scripture. XIV. |
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19. Josephus Flavius, Jewish Antiquities, 10.255, 12.98 (1st cent. CE - 1st cent. CE)
| 10.255. Accordingly, all the rest took care not to transgress those injunctions, and rested in quiet; but Daniel had no regard to them, but, as he was wont, he stood and prayed to God in the sight of them all; 12.98. who then stood in the midst of them, and prayed, that all prosperity might attend the king, and those that were his subjects. Upon which an acclamation was made by the whole company, with joy and a great noise; and when that was over, they fell to eating their supper, and to the enjoyment of what was set before them. |
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20. Josephus Flavius, Jewish War, 7.122-7.128 (1st cent. CE - 1st cent. CE)
| 7.122. So when notice had been given beforehand of the day appointed for this pompous solemnity to be made, on account of their victories, not one of the immense multitude was left in the city, but everybody went out so far as to gain only a station where they might stand, and left only such a passage as was necessary for those that were to be seen to go along it. 7.123. 4. Now all the soldiery marched out beforehand by companies, and in their several ranks, under their several commanders, in the nighttime, and were about the gates, not of the upper palaces, but those near the temple of Isis; for there it was that the emperors had rested the foregoing night. 7.124. And as soon as ever it was day, Vespasian and Titus came out crowned with laurel, and clothed in those ancient purple habits which were proper to their family, and then went as far as Octavian’s Walks; 7.125. for there it was that the senate, and the principal rulers, and those that had been recorded as of the equestrian order, waited for them. 7.126. Now a tribunal had been erected before the cloisters, and ivory chairs had been set upon it, when they came and sat down upon them. Whereupon the soldiery made an acclamation of joy to them immediately, and all gave them attestations of their valor; while they were themselves without their arms, and only in their silken garments, and crowned with laurel: 7.127. then Vespasian accepted of these shouts of theirs; but while they were still disposed to go on in such acclamations, he gave them a signal of silence. 7.128. And when everybody entirely held their peace, he stood up, and covering the greatest part of his head with his cloak, he put up the accustomed solemn prayers; the like prayers did Titus put up also; |
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21. Mishnah, Avot, 3.8-3.9, 5.20 (1st cent. CE - 3rd cent. CE)
| 3.8. Rabbi Dostai ben Rabbi Yannai said in the name of Rabbi Meir: whoever forgets one word of his study, scripture accounts it to him as if he were mortally guilty, as it is said, “But take utmost care and watch yourselves scrupulously, so that you do not forget the things that you saw with your own eyes” (Deuteronomy 4:9). One could [have inferred that this is the case] even when his study proved [too] hard for him, therefore scripture says, “that they do not fade from your mind as long as you live” (ibid.). Thus, he is not mortally guilty unless he deliberately removes them from his heart." 3.9. Rabbi Hanina ben Dosa said: anyone whose fear of sin precedes his wisdom, his wisdom is enduring, but anyone whose wisdom precedes his fear of sin, his wisdom is not enduring. He [also] used to say: anyone whose deeds exceed his wisdom, his wisdom is enduring, but anyone whose wisdom exceeds his deeds, his wisdom is not enduring." 5.20. Judah ben Tema said: Be strong as a leopard, and swift as an eagle, and fleet as a gazelle, and brave as a lion, to do the will of your Father who is in heaven. He used to say: the arrogant is headed for Gehinnom and the blushing for the garden of Eden. May it be the will, O Lord our God, that your city be rebuilt speedily in our days and set our portion in the studying of your Torah." |
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22. Mishnah, Berachot, 2.1, 2.3, 3.4-3.6, 4.4-4.5, 5.5 (1st cent. CE - 3rd cent. CE)
| 2.1. If one was reading in the Torah [the section of the Shema] and the time for its recital arrived, if he directed his heart [to fulfill the mitzvah] he has fulfilled his obligation. In the breaks [between sections] one may give greeting out of respect and return greeting; in the middle [of a section] one may give greeting out of fear and return it, the words of Rabbi Meir. Rabbi Judah says: in the middle one may give greeting out of fear and return it out of respect, in the breaks one may give greeting out of respect and return greeting to anyone." 2.3. One who recites the Shema without causing it to be heard by his own ear, he has fulfilled his obligation. Rabbi Yose says: he has not fulfilled his obligation. If he recited it without pronouncing the letters succinctly, Rabbi Yose says he has fulfilled his obligation. Rabbi Judah says: he has not fulfilled his obligation. If he recites it out of order, he has not fulfilled his obligation. If he recites it and makes a mistake he goes back to the place where he made the mistake. 3.4. One who has had a seminal emission utters the words [of the Shema] in his heart and he doesn’t say a blessing, neither before nor after. Over food he says a blessing afterwards, but not the blessing before. Rabbi Judah says: he blesses both before them and after them." 3.5. If a man was standing saying the tefillah and he remembers that he is one who has had a seminal emission, he should not stop but he should abbreviate [the blessings]. If he went down to immerse, if he is able to come up and cover himself and recite the Shema before the rising of the sun, he should go up and cover himself and recite, but if not he should cover himself with the water and recite. He should not cover himself either with foul water or with steeping water until he pours fresh water into it. How far should he remove himself from it and from excrement? Four cubits." 3.6. A zav who has had a seminal emission and a niddah from whom semen escapes and a woman who becomes niddah during intercourse require a mikveh. Rabbi Judah exempts them." 4.4. Rabbi Eliezer says: if a man makes his prayers fixed, it is not [true] supplication. Rabbi Joshua says: if one is traveling in a dangerous place, he says a short prayer, saying: Save, O Lord, Your people the remt of Israel. In every time of crisis may their needs be before You. Blessed are You, O Lord, who hears prayer." 4.5. If he is riding on a donkey, he gets down [and prays.] If he is unable to get down he should turn his face [towards Jerusalem], and if he cannot turn his face, he should direct his heart to the Holy of Holies." 5.5. One who is praying and makes a mistake, it is a bad sign for him. And if he is the messenger of the congregation (the prayer leader) it is a bad sign for those who have sent him, because one’s messenger is equivalent to one’s self. They said about Rabbi Hanina ben Dosa that he used to pray for the sick and say, “This one will die, this one will live.” They said to him: “How do you know?” He replied: “If my prayer comes out fluently, I know that he is accepted, but if not, then I know that he is rejected.”" |
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23. Mishnah, Hagigah, 2.1 (1st cent. CE - 3rd cent. CE)
| 2.1. They may not expound upon the subject of forbidden relations in the presence of three. Nor the work of creation in the presence of two. Nor [the work of] the chariot in the presence of one, unless he is a sage and understands of his own knowledge. Whoever speculates upon four things, it would have been better had he not come into the world: what is above, what is beneath, what came before, and what came after. And whoever takes no thought for the honor of his creator, it would have been better had he not come into the world." |
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24. Mishnah, Kilayim, 9.8 (1st cent. CE - 3rd cent. CE)
| 9.8. Only that which is spun or woven is forbidden under the law of kilayim, as it says, “You shall not wear shatnez” (Deuteronomy 22:1, that which is shua (combed) tavui (spun) and nuz (woven). Rabbi Shimon ben Elazar says: [the word shaatnez means that] he [the transgressor] is perverted (naloz) and causes his father in heaven to avert himself [from him]." |
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25. Mishnah, Megillah, 2.2 (1st cent. CE - 3rd cent. CE)
| 2.2. If one reads it with breaks, or naps [in between readings], he has fulfilled his obligation. If he was copying it, explaining it or correcting [a scroll of Esther], if he directed his heart, he has fulfilled his obligation, but if not, he has not fulfilled his obligation. If it was written with arsenic, with red chalk, with gum or with sulfate of copper, or on paper or on scratch paper, he has not fulfilled his obligation, unless it is written in Assyrian on parchment and in ink." |
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26. Mishnah, Menachot, 13.11 (1st cent. CE - 3rd cent. CE)
| 13.11. It is said of the olah of cattle, “An offering made by fire of pleasing odor” (Leviticus 1:9); and of the olah of birds, “An offering made by fire of pleasing odor (vs. 17); and of the minhah, “An offering made by fire of pleasing odor” (Leviticus 2:2): to teach you that it is the same whether one offers much or little, so long as one directs one’s heart to heaven. Congratulations! We have finished Tractate Menahot! It is a tradition at this point to thank God for helping us finish learning the tractate and to commit ourselves to going back and relearning it, so that we may not forget it and so that its lessons will stay with us for all of our lives. It is no accident that the last mishnah of the tractate finishes with the message that we learned today. After having learned 14 chapters of Zevahim and 13 chapters of Menahot, there is a grave danger that one could learn that all God cares about, and all that is important in Judaism, is bringing the proper sacrifice in the proper manner. Our mishnah teaches that the important issue is the proper intent, that one’s intent in sacrifice should be to worship God. This is not to deny that that the minutiae of rules are extremely important, both in the eyes of the rabbis and surely in the eyes of the priests who served in the Temple while it still stood. Rather, what today’s mishnah seems to say is that the rules are an outer manifestation of the inner kavannah, intent, of the worshipper. Without following the rules, there is no way to bring that intent into the world. But without the intent, the rules are just empty exercises devoid of meaning. I believe that this is a message that is as true of Judaism today as it was in Temple times. Mishnah Menahot has probably been a great challenge for many of you; I know it was for me. So please accept an extra congratulations on completing it. Tomorrow we begin Hullin, the one tractate in all of Seder Kodashim that does not deal with sacrifices or the Temple." |
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27. Mishnah, Rosh Hashanah, 3.7-3.8 (1st cent. CE - 3rd cent. CE)
| 3.7. One who blows into a pit or a cistern or a jug, if he heard the sound of the shofar, he has fulfilled his obligation, but if he hears the echo [also], he has not fulfilled his obligation. And also one who was passing behind a synagogue or if his house was next to the synagogue and he heard the sound of the shofar or of the megillah [being read], if he directed his heart (had intention), then he has fulfilled his obligation, but if not he has not fulfilled his obligation. Even though this one heard and this one heard, this one directed his heart and this one did not." 3.8. “And it came to pass, when Moses held up his hand Israel prevailed” etc. (Exodus 17:1. Did the hands of Moses wage war or break [Israel’s ability] to wage war? Rather this teaches that as long as Israel would look upwards and subject their hearts to their Father in heaven they prevailed, and if not they fell. Similarly, “Make for yourself a fiery serpent and mount it on a pole. And if anyone who is bitten shall look at it, he shall live” (Numbers 21:8). Did the serpent kill or did the serpent keep alive? Rather, when Israel would look upwards and subject their hearts to their Father in heaven, they were healed, and if not their [flesh] would melt away. A deaf-mute, a lunatic and a minor cannot cause others to fulfill their religious obligation. This is the general principle: one who is not himself obligated in the matter cannot perform it on behalf of others." |
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28. Mishnah, Sotah, 9.15 (1st cent. CE - 3rd cent. CE)
| 9.15. When Rabbi Meir died, the composers of fables ceased. When Ben Azzai died, the diligent students [of Torah] ceased. When Ben Zoma died, the expounders ceased. When Rabbi Joshua died, goodness ceased from the world. When Rabban Shimon ben Gamaliel died, locusts come and troubles multiplied. When Rabbi Elazar ben Azaryah died, the sages ceased to be wealthy. When Rabbi Akiba died, the glory of the Torah ceased. When Rabbi Hanina ben Dosa died, men of wondrous deeds ceased. When Rabbi Yose Katnuta died, the pious men (hasidim) ceased and why was his name called Katnuta? Because he was the youngest of the pious men. When Rabban Yoha ben Zakkai died, the splendor of wisdom ceased. When Rabban Gamaliel the elder died, the glory of the torah ceased, and purity and separateness perished. When Rabbi Ishmael ben Fabi died, the splendor of the priesthood ceased. When Rabbi died, humility and fear of sin ceased. Rabbi Phineas ben Yair says: when Temple was destroyed, scholars and freemen were ashamed and covered their head, men of wondrous deeds were disregarded, and violent men and big talkers grew powerful. And nobody expounds, nobody seeks, and nobody asks. Upon whom shall we depend? Upon our father who is in heaven. Rabbi Eliezer the Great says: from the day the Temple was destroyed, the sages began to be like scribes, scribes like synagogue-attendants, synagogue-attendants like common people, and the common people became more and more debased. And nobody seeks. Upon whom shall we depend? Upon our father who is in heaven. In the footsteps of the messiah insolence (hutzpah) will increase and the cost of living will go up greatly; the vine will yield its fruit, but wine will be expensive; the government will turn to heresy, and there will be no one to rebuke; the meeting-place [of scholars] will be used for licentiousness; the Galilee will be destroyed, the Gablan will be desolated, and the dwellers on the frontier will go about [begging] from place to place without anyone to take pity on them; the wisdom of the learned will rot, fearers of sin will be despised, and the truth will be lacking; youths will put old men to shame, the old will stand up in the presence of the young, “For son spurns father, daughter rises up against mother, daughter-in-law against mother-in-law a man’s own household are his enemies” (Micah 7:6). The face of the generation will be like the face of a dog, a son will not feel ashamed before his father. Upon whom shall we depend? Upon our father who is in heaven. Rabbi Pinchas ben Yair says, “Heedfulness leads to cleanliness, cleanliness leads to purity, purity leads to separation, separation leads to holiness, holiness leads to modesty, modesty leads to fear of sin, fear of sin leads to piety, piety leads to the Holy Spirit, The Holy Spirit leads to the resurrection of the dead, and the resurrection of the dead comes from Elijah, blessed be his memory, Amen.”" |
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29. Mishnah, Taanit, 2.2, 3.8 (1st cent. CE - 3rd cent. CE)
| 2.2. [When] they stand up to pray they bring down before the ark an old man conversant [with the prayers], one who has children and whose house is empty [of food], so that his heart is complete prayer. He recites before them twenty-four benedictions, the eighteen recited daily, to which he adds six." 3.8. For every trouble that should not come upon the community they sound a blast except on account of too much rain. It happened that they said to Honi the circle drawer: “Pray for rain to fall.” He replied: “Go and bring in the pesah ovens so that they do not dissolve.” He prayed and no rain fell. What did he do? He drew a circle and stood within it and exclaimed before Him: “Master of the universe, Your children have turned their faces to me because I am like one who was born in Your house. I swear by Your great name that I will not move from here until You have mercy upon Your children.” Rain then began to drip, and he exclaimed: “I did not request this but rain [which can fill] cisterns, ditches and caves. The rain then began to come down with great force, and he exclaimed: “I did not request this but pleasing rain of blessing and abudance.” Rain then fell in the normal way until the Jews in Jerusalem had to go up Temple Mount because of the rain. They came and said to him: “In the same way that you prayed for [the rain] to fall pray [now] for the rain to stop.” He replied: “Go and see if the stone of people claiming lost objects has washed away.” Rabbi Shimon ben Shetah sent to him: “Were you not Honi I would have excommunicated you, but what can I do to you, for you are spoiled before God and he does your will like a son that is spoiled before his father and his father does his request. Concerning you it is written, “Let your father and your mother rejoice, and let she that bore you rejoice” (Proverbs 23:25)." |
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30. Mishnah, Yevamot, 16.5 (1st cent. CE - 3rd cent. CE)
| 16.5. Even if he only heard from women saying, “so-and-so is dead”, this is enough. Rabbi Judah says: even if he only heard children saying, “behold we are going to mourn for a man named so-and-so and to bury him” [it is enough]. Whether [such statement was made] with the intention [of providing evidence] or was made with no such intention [it is valid]. Rabbi Judah ben Bava says: with an Israelite [the evidence is valid] only if the man had the intention [of acting as witness]. In the case of a non-Jew the evidence is invalid if his intention was [to act as witness]." |
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31. New Testament, 1 Corinthians, 14.25 (1st cent. CE - 1st cent. CE)
| 14.25. And thus the secrets of his heart are revealed.So he will fall down on his face and worship God, declaring that God isamong you indeed. |
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32. New Testament, Acts, 9.40 (1st cent. CE - 2nd cent. CE)
| 9.40. Peter put them all out, and kneeled down and prayed. Turning to the body, he said, "Tabitha, get up!" She opened her eyes, and when she saw Peter, she sat up. |
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33. New Testament, Apocalypse, 4.10, 5.5-5.6, 5.8, 7.11, 11.16, 12.11, 13.7, 15.2, 19.4, 19.10, 22.8 (1st cent. CE - 1st cent. CE)
| 4.10. the twenty-four elders fall down before him who sits on the throne, and worship him who lives forever and ever, and throw their crowns before the throne, saying 5.5. One of the elders said to me, "Don't weep. Behold, the Lion who is of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has overcome; he who opens the book and its seven seals. 5.6. I saw in the midst of the throne and of the four living creatures, and in the midst of the elders, a Lamb standing, as though it had been slain, having seven horns, and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God, sent out into all the earth. 5.8. Now when he had taken the book, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each one having a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. 7.11. All the angels were standing around the throne, the elders, and the four living creatures; and they fell before his throne on their faces, and worshiped God 11.16. The twenty-four elders, who sit before God's throne on their thrones, fell on their faces and worshiped God 12.11. They overcame him because of the Lamb's blood, and because of the word of their testimony. They didn't love their life, even to death. 13.7. It was given to him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them. Authority over every tribe, people, language, and nation was given to him. 15.2. I saw something like a sea of glass mixed with fire, and those who overcame the beast, and his image, and the number of his name, standing on the sea of glass, having harps of God. 19.4. The twenty-four elders and the four living creatures fell down and worshiped God who sits on the throne, saying, "Amen! Hallelujah! 19.10. I fell down before his feet to worship him. He said to me, "Look! Don't do it! I am a fellow bondservant with you and with your brothers who hold the testimony of Jesus. Worship God, for the testimony of Jesus is the Spirit of Prophecy. 22.8. Now I, John, am the one who heard and saw these things. When I heard and saw, I fell down to worship before the feet of the angel who had shown me these things. |
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34. New Testament, Ephesians, 3.14 (1st cent. CE - 1st cent. CE)
| 3.14. For this cause, I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ |
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35. New Testament, Luke, 5.12, 5.16, 6.12, 8.41, 9.28, 17.16, 18.11, 18.13, 22.41 (1st cent. CE - 1st cent. CE)
| 5.12. It happened, while he was in one of the cities, behold, there was a man full of leprosy. When he saw Jesus, he fell on his face, and begged him, saying, "Lord, if you want to, you can make me clean. 5.16. But he withdrew himself into the desert, and prayed. 6.12. It happened in these days, that he went out to the mountain to pray, and he continued all night in prayer to God. 8.41. Behold, there came a man named Jairus, and he was a ruler of the synagogue. He fell down at Jesus' feet, and begged him to come into his house 9.28. It happened about eight days after these sayings, that he took with him Peter, John, and James, and went up onto the mountain to pray. 17.16. He fell on his face at Jesus' feet, giving him thanks; and he was a Samaritan. 18.11. The Pharisee stood and prayed to himself like this: 'God, I thank you, that I am not like the rest of men, extortioners, unrighteous, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. 18.13. But the tax collector, standing far away, wouldn't even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, 'God, be merciful to me, a sinner!' 22.41. He was withdrawn from them about a stone's throw, and he knelt down and prayed |
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36. New Testament, Mark, 1.35, 6.46, 11.25, 14.35 (1st cent. CE - 1st cent. CE)
| 1.35. Early in the night, he rose up and went out, and departed into a deserted place, and prayed there. 6.46. After he had taken leave of them, he went up the mountain to pray. 11.25. Whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone; so that your Father, who is in heaven, may also forgive you your transgressions. 14.35. He went forward a little, and fell on the ground, and prayed that, if it were possible, the hour might pass away from him. |
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37. New Testament, Matthew, 6.5, 6.12-6.15, 14.23, 25.1-25.13, 26.39 (1st cent. CE - 1st cent. CE)
| 6.5. When you pray, you shall not be as the hypocrites, for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen by men. Most assuredly, I tell you, they have received their reward. 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.' 6.14. For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. 6.15. But if you don't forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses. 14.23. After he had sent the multitudes away, he went up into the mountain by himself to pray. When evening had come, he was there alone. 25.1. Then the Kingdom of Heaven will be like ten virgins, who took their lamps, and went out to meet the bridegroom. 25.2. Five of them were foolish, and five were wise. 25.3. Those who were foolish, when they took their lamps, took no oil with them 25.4. but the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. 25.5. Now while the bridegroom delayed, they all slumbered and slept. 25.6. But at midnight there was a cry, 'Behold! The bridegroom is coming! Come out to meet him!' 25.7. Then all those virgins arose, and trimmed their lamps. 25.8. The foolish said to the wise, 'Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.' 25.9. But the wise answered, saying, 'What if there isn't enough for us and you? You go rather to those who sell, and buy for yourselves.' 25.10. While they went away to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the marriage feast, and the door was shut. 25.11. Afterward the other virgins also came, saying, 'Lord, Lord, open to us.' 25.12. But he answered, 'Most assuredly I tell you, I don't know you.' 25.13. Watch therefore, for you don't know the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man is coming. 26.39. He went forward a little, fell on his face, and prayed, saying, "My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass away from me; nevertheless, not what I desire, but what you desire. |
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38. Tosefta, Avodah Zarah, 3.12 (1st cent. CE - 2nd cent. CE)
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39. Tosefta, Berachot, 2.13, 2.18, 3.6-3.7, 3.14, 3.18, 3.20 (1st cent. CE - 2nd cent. CE)
| 2.13. “A man who had a seminal emission (Baal Keri) who does not have water to dip in may read the Shema, but he may not [read it loud enough so that he can] hear [himself talking] with his own ear, and does not say the Beracha (blessing) not before it and not after it.” [These are] the words of Rebbi Meir. And the Chachamim (Sages) say, ”He may read the Shema and he may [read it loud enough so that he can] hear [himself talking] with his own ear, and he says the Beracha [both] before it and after it.” Rebbi Meir said, “One time we were sitting in the Bet Midrash (Study Hall) in front of Rebbi Akiva and we were reading the Shema, but we were not saying it loud enough to be able to hear ourselves, because of one inquisitor who was standing by the door.” They (i.e. Chachamim) said [back] to him, “The time of danger is not a proof.”" 3.6. [A person] who prays [Shmoneh Esreh] must pay attention [to the meaning of the words]. Abba Shaul says, “There is a reference for [the need of attention in] prayer [in the Tanach], ‘Prepare their hearts, pay attention.’ “ (Psalms 10:17)" 3.7. Rebbi Yehudah said, “When Rebbi Akiva would pray [Shmoneh Esreh] together with the congregation he would finish faster than everyone else. When he would pray by himself a person would leave him on one side [of the room] and when he would come back he would find him on a different side [of the room], because of all of the bending of the knees and bowing that he would do.”" 3.14. Any [holiday] on which there is no Mussaf [prayer] for example, Chanukah and Purim, on Shacharit and Mincha he prays [the Shmoneh Esreh with] eighteen [Berachot (blessings)] and he says [the paragraph] about the occasion in [the Beracha of] Hodaah (Thanks). And if he did not say [the paragraph] about the occasion, he does not have to go back [to the beginning of Shmoneh Esreh]. And any [holiday] which has on it [the] Mussaf [prayer], for example Rosh Chodesh (New Month), and Chol Hamoed (the intermediate days of Sukkot and Pesach), on Shacharit and Mincha10 he would pray [the prayer of Shmoneh Esreh with] eighteen [Berachot] and he says [the paragraph] about the holiness of the day11 in [the Beracha of] Avodah (Temple Service).12 Rebbi Eliezer says, “[he says the paragraph about the holiness of the day] in [the Beracha of] Hodaah, and if he did not say it then he has to go back [to the beginning of Shmoneh Esreh].” In [the] Mussaf [prayer] he prays [the Shmoneh Esreh consisting of] seven [Berachot] and he says [the paragraph about the] holiness of the day in the middle [Beracha]. [On] Shabbat that fell out on Rosh Chodesh or on Chol Hamoed, during Shacharit and during Mincha he prays [the Shmoneh Esreh prayer that consists of] seven [Berachot] and he says [the paragraph about the] occasion in [the Beracha of] Avodah. Rebbi Eliezer says, “[He says the paragraph about the holiness of the day] in [the Beracha of] Hodaah, and if he did not say it then he has to go back [to the beginning of Shmoneh Esreh].” In [the] Mussaf [prayer] he prays [the Shmoneh Esreh consisting of] seven [Berachot] and he says [the paragraph about the] holiness of the day in the middle [Beracha]. On Shabbat, on Yom Tov (Pesach, Shavuot and Sukkot), and on Yom Kippur] he prays [the Shmoneh Esreh consisting of] seven [Berachot] and he says [the paragraph about the] holiness of the day in the middle [Beracha]. Rabban Shimon Ben Gamliel and Rebbi Yishmael the son of Rebbi Yocha Ben Beroka say, “Any time that he is supposed to say seven [Berachot in Shmoneh Esreh] he says [the paragraph about the] holiness of the day in the middle [Beracha].”" 3.18. [If a person] was riding on top of a donkey [and it came time to pray Shmoneh Esreh], if there is someone there who can hold his donkey, he should get down and [only then] pray [Shemoneh Esreh], and if not [then] he [should] sit in his place [on the donkey] and pray [Shmoneh Esreh that way]. Rebbi says, “Either way he should pray [Shmoneh Esreh while sitting] in his place [on top of the donkey], as long as he will be paying attention.”" 3.20. [If a person] was standing and praying [Shemoneh Esreh] in a main road or on a plaza he may move [out of the way] for a donkey, or a donkey driver [who is walking behind a donkey], or a potter [who is selling pots], and he does not stop [his prayer of Shemoneh Esreh]. They said [a story] about Rebbi Chaninah Ben Dosa that [one day] he was standing and praying [Shemoneh Esreh]. [Suddenly] he was bitten by an Arod (snake), but he did not stop praying. [Later] his students went and found [the Arod] dead on top of [the opening to] his hole. They said, “Woe to the man who was bitten by an Arod, woe to an Arod who has bitten Ben Dosa.”" |
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40. Tosefta, Hagigah, 2.1 (1st cent. CE - 2nd cent. CE)
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41. Tosefta, Hulin, 2.24 (1st cent. CE - 2nd cent. CE)
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42. Tosefta, Rosh Hashanah, 2.6 (1st cent. CE - 2nd cent. CE)
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43. Anon., Genesis Rabba, 94.9 (2nd cent. CE - 5th cent. CE)
| 94.9. כָּל הַנֶּפֶשׁ הַבָּאָה וגו' וּבְנֵי יוֹסֵף אֲשֶׁר יֻלַּד לוֹ וגו' (בראשית מו, כו כז), רַבִּי לֵוִי בְּשֵׁם רַבִּי שְׁמוּאֵל בַּר נַחְמָן רָאִיתָ מִיָּמֶיךָ אָדָם נוֹתֵן לַחֲבֵרוֹ שִׁשִּׁים וְשִׁשָּׁה כּוֹסוֹת וְחוֹזֵר וְנוֹתֵן לוֹ אַף שְׁלשָׁה וְהוּא מוֹנֶה אוֹתָם שִׁבְעִים, אֶלָּא זוֹ יוֹכֶבֶד שֶׁהִשְׁלִימָה מִנְיָן שֶׁל יִשְׂרָאֵל בְּמִצְרָיִם. רַבִּי לֵוִי בְּשֵׁם רַבִּי שְׁמוּאֵל בַּר נַחְמָן אָמַר יוֹכֶבֶד עִבּוּרָהּ בְּאֶרֶץ כְּנַעַן, וְלֵדָתָהּ בְּאֶרֶץ מִצְרַיִם, הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב (במדבר כו, נט): וְשֵׁם אֵשֶׁת עַמְרָם יוֹכֶבֶד וגו', עַל פְּיָילֵי דְמִצְרַיִם נוֹלְדָה. וְרַבִּי לֵוִי בְּשֵׁם רַבִּי שְׁמוּאֵל בַּר נַחְמָן, לָמוּד הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא לִהְיוֹת מוֹנֶה אֶת הַשֵּׁבֶט הַזֶּה עַד שֶׁהוּא בִּמְעֵי אִמּוֹ, הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב (דברי הימים א כה, ג): לִידוּתוּן בְּנֵי יְדוּתוּן גְּדַלְיָהוּ וּצְרִי וִישַׁעְיָהוּ חֲשַׁבְיָהוּ וּמַתִּתְיָהוּ, חֲמִשָּׁה בִּפְרָט, וּבִכְלָלָן שִׁשָּׁה. אֶלָּא אַף (דברי הימים א כה, יז): שִׁמְעִי, מְנָאוֹ הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא עַד שֶׁהוּא בִּמְעֵי אִמּוֹ. וְאִם יֹאמַר לְךָ אָדָם עֲשִׂירִי שִׁמְעִי, אֱמֹר לוֹ עֲשִׂירִי לַדּוּכָן. וְרַבִּי לֵוִי בְּשֵׁם רַבִּי שְׁמוּאֵל בַּר נַחְמָן שִׁמֵּשׁ אָבִינוּ יַעֲקֹב מִטָּתוֹ וְהַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא קוֹרֵא אוֹתָם נְפָשׁוֹת, הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב (במדבר כג, י): וּמִסְפָּר אֶת רֹבַע יִשְׂרָאֵל, אָמַר רַבִּי בֶּרֶכְיָה כַּשָֹּׂרָף הַזֶּה שֶׁאֵינוֹ מַסְפִּיק לָצֵאת עַד שֶׁמַּסְפִּיגִין אוֹתוֹ. וְיֵשׁ אוֹמְרִים יַעֲקֹב הִשְׁלִים עִמָּהֶם אֶת הַמִּנְיָן. אָמַר רַבִּי יִצְחָק מָשָׁל לִשְׁתֵּי לִגְיוֹנוֹת שֶׁל מֶלֶךְ, דְּיוּקְמָנִיאוֹת וְגֵאוֹסְטַיינָא, בְּשָׁעָה שֶׁהַמֶּלֶךְ נִמְנָה עִם אֵלּוּ נִמְצְאוּ שְׁלֵמִים, וּבְשָׁעָה שֶׁהַמֶּלֶךְ עוֹד נִמְנָה עִם אֵלּוּ נִמְצְאוּ שְׁלֵמִים. וְיֵשׁ אוֹמְרִים הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא הִשְׁלִים עִמָּהֶם אֶת הַמִּנְיָן. וְיֵשׁ אוֹמְרִים חוּשִׁים בֶּן דָּן הִשְׁלִים עִמָּהֶן אֶת הַמִּנְיָן. בְּתוֹרָתוֹ שֶׁל רַבִּי מֵאִיר מָצְאוּ כָּתוּב (בראשית מו, כג): וּבֶן דָּן חוּשִׁים, הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב (שמואל ב כד, ו): וַיָּבֹאוּ הַגִּלְעָדָה וְאֶל אֶרֶץ תַּחְתִּים חָדְשִׁי וגו', בֵּית יֶרַח, יֶרַח סִינִים, מִדָּה כְּנֶגֶד מִדָּה, דָּן נִכְנַס בְּצַלְמוֹנִיתוֹ אֵצֶל אָבִיו וּמִתְבָּרֵךְ בְּשִׁבְעִים אֶלֶף, וּבִנְיָמִין נִכְנַס בַּעֲשָׂרָה וּמִתְבָּרֵךְ בְּאַרְבָּעִים אֶלֶף. וְיֵשׁ אוֹמְרִים סֶרַח בַּת אָשֵׁר הִשְׁלִימָה עִמָּהֶן אֶת הַמִּנְיָן, הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב (שמואל ב כ, טז יז): וַתִּקְרָא אִשָּׁה חֲכָמָה מִן הָעִיר וַיִּקְרַב אֵלֶיהָ וַתֹּאמֶר הָאִשָּׁה הַאַתָּה יוֹאָב, אָמְרָה שִׁמְךָ יוֹאָב לוֹמַר שֶׁאַתָּה אָב לְיִשְׂרָאֵל וְאֵין אַתָּה אֶלָּא קוֹצֵר וְלֵית אַתְּ לְפוּם שְׁמָךְ, וְלֵית אַתְּ וְדָוִד בְּנֵי תוֹרָה, עַד כָּאן תַּמּוּ דִּבְרֵי תוֹרָה, לֹא כְתִיב (דברים כ, י): כִּי תִקְרַב אֶל עִיר לְהִלָּחֵם עָלֶיהָ וְקָרָאתָ אֵלֶיהָ לְשָׁלוֹם, וְאָמַר לָהּ מַאן אַתְּ, אָמְרָה לֵיהּ (שמואל ב כ, יט): אָנֹכִי שְׁלֻמֵי אֱמוּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל, אֲנִי הוּא שֶׁהִשְׁלַמְתִּי מִנְיָינָן שֶׁל יִשְׂרָאֵל בְּמִצְרַיִם, אֲנִי הוּא שֶׁהִשְׁלַמְתִּי נֶאֱמָן לְנֶאֱמָן, יוֹסֵף לְמשֶׁה, מָה (שמואל ב כ, יט): אַתָּה מְבַקֵּשׁ לְהָמִית עִיר וְלִי שֶׁאֲנִי אֵם בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל, מִיָּד (שמואל ב כ, כ): וַיַּעַן יוֹאָב וַיֹּאמַר חָלִילָה חָלִילָה לִי וגו', חָלִילָה חָלִילָה שְׁתֵּי פְּעָמִים, חָלִילָה לְדָוִד, חָלִילָה לְיוֹאָב, חָלִילָה לְמַלְכוּת בֵּית דָּוִד, אֶלָּא (שמואל ב כ, כא): לֹא כֵן, אֶלָּא (שמואל ב כ, כא): כִּי אִישׁ מֵהַר אֶפְרָיִם שֶׁבַע בֶּן בִּכְרִי שְׁמוֹ נָשָׂא יָדוֹ בַּמֶּלֶךְ בְּדָוִד, אִם בַּמֶּלֶךְ לָמָּה בְּדָוִד, וְאִם בְּדָוִד לָמָּה בַּמֶּלֶךְ, אֶלָּא אָמַר רַבִּי עֲזַרְיָא בְּשֵׁם רַבִּי יְהוּדָה בְּרַבִּי סִימוֹן כָּל שֶׁמַּעֲמִיד פָּנָיו בַּמֶּלֶךְ כְּאִלּוּ הֶעֱמִיד פָּנָיו בְּתַלְמִיד חָכָם כָּל שֶׁכֵּן בַּמֶּלֶךְ וְתַלְמִיד חָכָם. רַבִּי יוּדָן אָמַר כָּל הַמֵּעִיז פָּנָיו בַּמֶּלֶךְ כְּאִלּוּ מֵעִיז פָּנָיו בַּשְּׁכִינָה. (שמואל ב כ, כא): וַתֹּאמֶר הִנֵּה רֹאשׁוֹ מֻשְׁלָךְ אֵלֶיךָ, מְנָא יָדְעָה, אֶלָּא אָמְרָה כָּל דְּמַחְצִיף אַפֵּיהּ בְּמַלְכוּת בֵּית דָּוִד מֵרִים הוּא רֵאשֵׁיהּ מִלְּעֵיל, מִיָּד (שמואל ב כ, כב): וַתָּבוֹא הָאִשָּׁה אֶל כָּל הָעָם בְּחָכְמָתָהּ, אָמְרָה לְהוֹן לֵית אַתּוּן יָדְעִין מִלַּיָּא דְדָוִד, הֵידָא אֻמָּה קָמַת בְּהוֹן הֵידָא מַלְכוּתָא קָמַת בְּהוֹן, אָמְרִין לָהּ וּמַהוּ בָּעֵי, אָמְרָה לְהוֹן אֶלֶף גּוּבְרִין, וְלָא טָב אֶלֶף גּוּבְרִין מִלְּמֶחָרְבָה מְדִינַתְכוֹן, אֲמָרוּ לָהּ כָּל חַד וְחַד לֵיהַב לְפוּם מַה דְּאִית לֵיהּ. אָמְרָה לְהוֹן דִּלְמָא אַגַּב פִּיּוּסָא שָׁבֵיק צִבְחַר. עָבְדָא נַפְשָׁהּ כְּמָה דְאָזְלָא מְפַיְסָא וְהָדְרָה מֵאֶלֶף לַחֲמֵשׁ מְאִין, לְמֵאָה, לַעֲשָׂרָה, לְחַד וְהוּא אַכְסַנָּאי, וּמַנּוֹ שֶׁבַע בֶּן בִּכְרִי, מִיָּד וַיִּכְרְתוּ אֶת רֹאשׁוֹ. תָּנֵי סִיעָה שֶׁל בְּנֵי אָדָם שֶׁאָמְרוּ לָהֶם גּוֹיִם תְּנוּ לָנוּ אֶחָד מִכֶּם וְנַהַרְגֶּנּוּ וְאִם לָאו אָנוּ הוֹרְגִים אֶתְכֶם, יֵהָרְגוּ כֻּלָּם וְאַל יִמְסְרוּ נֶפֶשׁ אַחַת מִיִּשְׂרָאֵל, וְאִם יִחֲדוּהוּ לָהֶן כְּשֶׁבַע בֶּן בִּכְרִי, נוֹתְנִין וְאַל יֵהָרְגוּ כֻּלָּם. אָמַר רַבִּי יְהוּדָה בַּמֶּה דְבָרִים אֲמוּרִים בִּזְּמַן שֶׁהוּא מִבִּפְנִים וְהֵן מִבַּחוּץ, אֲבָל הוּא מִבִּפְנִים וְהֵן מִבִּפְנִים, הוֹאִיל וְהוּא נֶהֱרַג וְהֵן נֶהֱרָגִים, יִתְּנוּ לָהֶם וְאַל יֵהָרְגוּ כֻּלָּם, כְּגוֹן שֶׁהוּא אוֹמֵר (שמואל ב כ, כב): וַתָּבוֹא הָאִשָּׁה אֶל כָּל הָעָם, הוֹאִיל וְהוּא נֶהֱרָג וְאַתֶּם נֶהֱרָגִים, תְּנוּהוּ לָהֶם וְאַל תֵּהָרְגוּ כֻּלְּכֶם. רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן אוֹמֵר כָּל הַמּוֹרֵד בְּמַלְכוּת בֵּית דָּוִד חַיָּב מִיתָה. עוּלָא בֶּן קִישָׁר תְּבַעְתֵּיהּ מַלְכוּתָא, קָם וַעֲרַק לְגַבֵּי רַבִּי יְהוֹשֻׁעַ בֶּן לֵוִי לְלוֹד, שְׁדַר פַּרְדִיסְקֵי בַּתְרֵיהּ, אִיטְפַּל לֵיהּ רַבִּי יְהוֹשֻׁעַ בֶּן לֵוִי וּפַיְסֵיהּ וְאָמַר לֵיהּ מוּטָב דְּלִיקְטִיל הַהוּא גַבְרָא וְלָא לֵיעָנְשֵׁי צִבּוּרָא עַל יְדֵיהּ, אִיפַיַּס לֵיהּ וְיַהֲבֵי נִיהֲלֵיהּ. הֲוָה קָא מִשְׁתָּעֵי אֵלִיָּהוּ בַּהֲדֵיהּ, כֵּיוָן דַּעֲבֵיד הָכֵי לָא אֲתָא לְגַבֵּיהּ, צָם עֲלוֹי תְּלָתִין יוֹמִין וְאִתְחֲזֵי לֵיהּ, אֲמַר לֵיהּ מַאי טַעְמָא אַפְגַר מָר, אֲמַר לֵיהּ וְכִי חָבֵר אֲנִי לְמָסוֹרוֹת, אֲמַר לֵיהּ וְלָא מַתְנִיתָּא הִיא, סִיעָה שֶׁל בְּנֵי אָדָם וכו', אָמַר וְכִי מִשְׁנַת חֲסִידִים הִיא, מִיבָּעֵי לְהַאי מִלְּתָא מִתְעַבְדָא עַל יְדֵי אַחֲרִינֵי וְלָא עַל יְדָךְ. תָּנֵי בְּשָׁעָה שֶׁעָלָה נְבוּכַדְנֶצַּר לִכְבּוֹשׁ אֶת יְהוֹיָקִים עָלָה וְיָשַׁב בְּדָפְנִי שֶׁל אַנְטוֹכְיָא, יָרְדָה סַנְהֶדְּרֵי גְדוֹלָה לִקְרָאתוֹ, אָמְרוּ לוֹ הִגִּיעַ זְמַנּוֹ שֶׁל בַּיִת הַזֶּה לֵחָרֵב, אָמַר לָהֶם לָאו, אֶלָּא יְהוֹיָקִים מֶלֶךְ יְהוּדָה מָרַד בִּי תְּנוּ אוֹתוֹ לִי וַאֲנִי אֵלֵךְ, אֲזַלּוּן וְאָמְרִין לִיהוֹיָקִים נְבוּכַדְנֶצַּר בְּעֵי לָךְ, אֲמַר לְהוּ וְכָךְ עוֹשִׂים, דּוֹחִים נֶפֶשׁ מִפְּנֵי נָפֶשׁ, לֹא כֵן כְּתִיב (דברים כג, טז): לֹא תַסְגִּיר עֶבֶד אֶל אֲדֹנָיו. אָמְרוּ לוֹ לֹא כָךְ עָשָׂה זְקֵנְךָ לְשֶׁבַע בֶּן בִּכְרִי, הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב (שמואל ב כ, כא): הִנֵּה רֹאשׁוֹ מֻשְׁלָךְ אֵלֶיךָ בְּעַד הַחוֹמָה, כֵּיוָן שֶׁלֹא שָׁמַע לָהֶם עָמְדוּ וּנְטָלוּהוּ וְשִׁלְשְׁלוּ אוֹתוֹ וּפַיְלֵיהּ. | |
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44. Anon., Sifre Deuteronomy, 306, 32, 48, 232 (2nd cent. CE - 4th cent. CE)
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45. Anon., Testament of Adam, 1.12 (2nd cent. CE - 5th cent. CE)
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46. Hippolytus, Apostolic Tradition, 41.7 (2nd cent. CE - 3rd cent. CE)
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47. Irenaeus, Refutation of All Heresies, 4.17.5-4.17.6 (2nd cent. CE - 3rd cent. CE)
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48. Justin, Dialogue With Trypho, 80.4 (2nd cent. CE - 2nd cent. CE)
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49. Palestinian Talmud, Berachot, 3.5 (2nd cent. CE - 5th cent. CE)
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50. Babylonian Talmud, Berachot, None (3rd cent. CE - 6th cent. CE)
| 21b. או צבור וצבור אבל יחיד לגבי צבור כמאן דלא צלי דמי קמ"ל ואי אשמעינן הכא משום דלא אתחיל בה אבל התם דאתחיל בה אימא לא צריכא,אמר רב הונא הנכנס לבית הכנסת ומצא צבור שמתפללין אם יכול להתחיל ולגמור עד שלא יגיע ש"ץ למודים יתפלל ואם לאו אל יתפלל ריב"ל אמר אם יכול להתחיל ולגמור עד שלא יגיע ש"צ לקדושה יתפלל ואם לאו אל יתפלל,במאי קא מפלגי מר סבר יחיד אומר קדושה ומר סבר אין יחיד אומר קדושה,וכן אמר רב אדא בר אהבה מנין שאין היחיד אומר קדושה שנאמר (ויקרא כב, לב) ונקדשתי בתוך בני ישראל כל דבר שבקדושה לא יהא פחות מעשרה,מאי משמע דתני רבנאי אחוה דרבי חייא בר אבא אתיא תוך תוך כתיב הכא ונקדשתי בתוך בני ישראל וכתיב התם (במדבר טז, כא) הבדלו מתוך העדה הזאת מה להלן עשרה אף כאן עשרה,ודכולי עלמא מיהת מפסק לא פסיק,איבעיא להו מהו להפסיק ליהא שמו הגדול מבורך כי אתא רב דימי אמר ר' יהודה ור"ש תלמידי דרבי יוחנן אמרי לכל אין מפסיקין חוץ מן יהא שמו הגדול מבורך שאפילו עוסק במעשה מרכבה פוסק ולית הלכתא כותיה:,ר' יהודה אומר מברך לפניהם ולאחריהם: למימרא דקסבר רבי יהודה בעל קרי מותר בדברי תורה והאמר ריב"ל מנין לבעל קרי שאסור בדברי תורה שנאמר (דברים ד, ט) והודעתם לבניך ולבני בניך וסמיך ליה יום אשר עמדת וגו' מה להלן בעלי קריין אסורין אף כאן בעלי קריין אסורין,וכי תימא רבי יהודה לא דריש סמוכים והאמר רב יוסף אפילו מאן דלא דריש סמוכים בכל התורה במשנה תורה דריש דהא רבי יהודה לא דריש סמוכין בכל התורה כולה ובמשנה תורה דריש,ובכל התורה כולה מנא לן דלא דריש דתניא בן עזאי אומר נאמר (שמות כב, יז) מכשפה לא תחיה ונאמר כל שוכב עם בהמה מות יומת סמכו ענין לו לומר מה שוכב עם בהמה בסקילה אף מכשפה נמי בסקילה,אמר ליה ר' יהודה וכי מפני שסמכו ענין לו נוציא לזה לסקילה אלא אוב וידעוני בכלל כל המכשפים היו ולמה יצאו להקיש להן ולומר לך מה אוב וידעוני בסקילה אף מכשפה בסקילה,ובמשנה תורה מנא לן דדריש דתניא רבי אליעזר אומר נושא אדם אנוסת אביו ומפותת אביו אנוסת בנו ומפותת בנו,ר' יהודה אוסר באנוסת אביו ובמפותת אביו ואמר רב גידל אמר רב מאי טעמא דר' יהודה דכתיב (דברים כג, א) לא יקח איש את אשת אביו ולא יגלה (את) כנף אביו כנף שראה אביו לא יגלה,וממאי דבאנוסת אביו כתיב דסמיך ליה ונתן האיש השוכב עמה וגו',אמרי אין במשנה תורה דריש והני סמוכין מבעי ליה לאידך דריב"ל דאמר ריב"ל כל המלמד לבנו תורה מעלה עליו הכתוב כאלו קבלה מהר חורב שנאמר (דברים ד, ט) והודעתם לבניך ולבני בניך וכתיב בתריה יום אשר עמדת לפני ה' אלהיך בחורב,תנן זב שראה קרי ונדה שפלטה שכבת זרע המשמשת וראתה דם צריכין טבילה ורבי יהודה פוטר,עד כאן לא פטר רבי יהודה אלא בזב שראה קרי דמעיקרא לאו בר טבילה הוא אבל בעל קרי גרידא מחייב,וכי תימא ה"ה דאפילו בעל קרי גרידא נמי פטר רבי יהודה והאי דקא מפלגי בזב שראה קרי להודיעך כחן דרבנן אימא סיפא המשמשת וראתה דם צריכה טבילה,למאן קתני לה אילימא לרבנן פשיטא השתא ומה זב שראה קרי דמעיקרא לאו בר טבילה הוא מחייבי רבנן המשמשת וראתה דם דמעיקרא בת טבילה היא לא כל שכן אלא לאו ר' יהודה היא ודוקא קתני לה | 21b. bora case where he prayed as part of ba congregation andbegan to repeat it as part of ba congregation; however,in a case where he initially prayed by himself and subsequently joined the congregation at the venue where it was praying, we might have said that ban individual vis-à-vis the congregation isconsidered bas one who has not prayed.Therefore, bhe taught usthat in this case, too, one may not repeat the prayer. bAnd,on the other hand, bif he had taught us hereonly with regard to one who entered a synagogue, we would have thought that the reason he may not pray again is bbecause he did notyet bbeginto recite the prayer, bbut there, in the case where healready bbeganto recite the prayer, bsaythat this is bnotthe case and he may continue to repeat the prayer. Therefore, both statements are bnecessary. /b, bRav Huna said: One whodid not yet pray and benters a synagogue and found that the congregation isin the midst of brecitingthe iAmida bprayer, if he is able to begin and completehis own prayer bbefore the prayer leader reachesthe blessing of bthanksgiving [ imodim /i], he shouldbegin to bpray, and, if not, he should notbegin to bpray. Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi said: If he is able to begin and completehis prayer bbefore the prayer leader reaches sanctification [ ikedusha /i], then he shouldbegin to bpray. If not, then he should notbegin to bpray. /b,The Gemara clarifies: bWith regard to what do they disagree?The basis for their dispute is that one bSage,Rav Huna, bholds: An individualis permitted to brecite ikedusha /ion his own, so he need not insist on reciting it along with the prayer leader; bandthe other bSage,Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi, bholdsthat ban individual may not recite ikedusha /ialone, and, therefore he is required to complete his prayer before the communal prayer leader reaches ikedusha /i., bSimilarly, Rav Adda bar Ahava stated,in accordance with the second opinion: bFrom where is it derived that an individual may not recite ikedusha /ialone? bAs it is stated: “And I shall be hallowed among the children of Israel”(Leviticus 22:32), bany expression of sanctity may not berecited in a quorum of bfewer than tenmen.,The Gemara asks: bHow is this inferredfrom that verse? The Gemara responds: This must be understood in light of a ibaraita /i, bwhich was taught by Rabbenai, the brotherof bRabbi Ḥiyya bar Abba: It is inferredby means of a verbal analogy [ igezera shava /i] between the words bamong, among. Here it is written: “And I shall be hallowed among the children of Israel,” and there,regarding Korah’s congregation, bit is written “Separate yourselves from among this congregation”(Numbers 16:21). bJust as thereamong connotes bten, so too here,among connotes bten.The connotation of ten associated with the word among written in the portion of Korah is, in turn, derived by means of another verbal analogy between the word congregation written there and the word congregation written in reference to the ten spies who slandered Eretz Yisrael: “How long shall I bear with this evil congregation?” (Numbers 14:27). Consequently, among the congregation there must be at least ten., bAnd, in any case, everyoneagrees that bone may not interrupthis prayer in order to respond to ikedusha /i.,However, ba dilemma was raisedbefore the Sages of the yeshiva: bWhat isthe ruling? Is one permitted bto interrupthis prayer in order btorecite: b“May His great name be blessed”in ikaddish /i? bWhen Rav Dimi camefrom Eretz Yisrael to Babylonia, bhe said: Rabbi Yehuda and Rabbi Shimon, disciples of Rabbi Yoḥa, said: One may not interrupthis prayer bfor anything, except for: “May His great name be blessed,” as evenif one was bengaged inthe exalted study of the bAct of theDivine bChariot[iMa’aseh Merkava /i](see Ezekiel 1) bhe stopsto recite it. However, the Gemara concludes: bThe ihalakhais not in accordance with hisopinion.,We learned in the mishna that bRabbi Yehuda sayswith regard to one who experiences a seminal emission; bhe recites a blessing beforehand and afterwardin both the case of iShemaand in the case of food. The Gemara asks: bIs that to say that Rabbi Yehuda holds that one who experienced a seminal emission is permittedto engage bin matters of Torah? Didn’t Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi say: From wherein the Torah is it derived bthat one who experiences a seminal emission is prohibited fromengaging bin matters of Torah? As it is stated:“Just take heed and guard your soul diligently lest you forget the things your eyes have seen, and lest they depart from your heart, for all the days of your life, band you shall impart them to your children and your children’s children”(Deuteronomy 4:9), from which we derive, among other things, the obligation to study Torah. bAnd, juxtaposed to it,is the verse: b“The day that you stoodbefore the Lord your God at Horeb” (Deuteronomy 4:10). This juxtaposition teaches us that bjust as below,at the revelation at Mount Sinai, bthose who experienced a seminal emission were prohibitedand were commanded to refrain from relations with their wives and immerse themselves, bso too here,throughout the generations, bthose who experience a seminal emission are prohibitedfrom engaging in Torah study., bAnd if you say that Rabbi Yehuda does not derive homiletic interpretations from juxtaposedverses, bdidn’t Rav Yosefalready say: bEven one who does not derive homiletic interpretations from juxtaposedverses throughout bthe entire Torah,nevertheless, bderivesthem bin Deuteronomy [ iMishne Torah /i], as Rabbi Yehuda does not derive homiletic interpretations from juxtaposedverses bthroughout the entire Torah and he does derive them in iMishne Torah /i. /b, bAnd from where do we derivethat Rabbi Yehuda bdoes not derive homiletic interpretationsfrom juxtaposed verses bthroughout the entire Torah? As it was taughtin a ibaraitawith regard to the punishment of a sorceress, bben Azzai says: It is stated: “You shall not allow a sorceress to live”(Exodus 22:17), although the manner of her execution is not specified, band it is stated: “Whoever lies with a beast shall surely be put to death”(Exodus 22:18). The fact that the Torah bjuxtaposed this matter to thatwas bto say: Just as one who lies with a beastis executed bby stoning(see Leviticus 20), bso too a sorceressis executed bby stoning. /b,With regard to this proof bRabbi Yehuda said to him: And doesthe fact bthatthe Torah bjuxtaposed this matter to that warrant takingthis person bout to be stoned?Should he be sentenced to the most severe of the death penalties on that basis bRather,the source is: bMediums and wizards were included among all sorcerers. And why were they singled outfrom the rest, in the verse: “And a man or a woman who is a medium or a wizard shall surely be put to death; they shall stone them with stones, their blood is upon them” (Leviticus 20:27)? In order to bdraw an analogy to them and say to you: Just as a medium and a wizardare executed bby stoning, so too is a sorceressexecuted bby stoning. /b, bAnd from where do we derivethat Rabbi Yehuda bderives homiletic interpretationsfrom juxtaposed verses bin iMishne Torah /i? As it was taughtin another ibaraita /i: bRabbi Eliezer said that a manmay bweda woman braped by his father andone bseduced by his father;a woman braped by his son andone bseduced by his son.Though one is prohibited by Torah law from marrying the wife of his father or the wife of his son, this prohibition does not apply to a woman raped or seduced by them., bAnd Rabbi Yehuda prohibitshim from marrying ba woman raped by his father and a woman seduced by his father. And Rav Giddel saidthat bRav said: What is the reason for Rabbi Yehuda’sopinion? bAs it is written: “A man shall not take his father’s wife, and shall not uncover his father’s skirt”(Deuteronomy 23:1). The last expression, “and shall not uncover his father’s skirt,” implies that: bA skirt that has been seen by his father,i.e., any woman who has had sexual relations with his father, bmay not be uncoveredby his son, i.e., his son may not marry her., bAnd from wheredo we know bthatthe verse bis written with regard to a woman raped by his father? Asthe previous section, bjuxtaposed to it,deals with the laws of rape: b“And the man who lay with her must giveher father fifty shekels…because he has violated her” (Deuteronomy 22:29).,At any rate, we see that in Deuteronomy, Rabbi Yehuda derives homiletic interpretations from juxtaposed verses. Why does he fail to derive that one who experiences a seminal emission is prohibited from engaging in matters of Torah from the juxtaposition of the verses? bThey replied: Indeed, in iMishne Torah /iRabbi Yehuda bdoes derive homiletic interpretationsfrom the juxtaposition of verses, bbuthe requires bthese juxtaposed versesin order btoderive banotherstatement of bRabbi Yehoshua ben Levi, as Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi said: One who teaches his son Torah, the verse ascribes to himcredit bas if he receivedthe Torah bfrom Mount Horeb. As it is stated: “And you shall impart them to your children and your children’s children”(Deuteronomy 4:9) bafter which it is written: “The day that you stood before the Lord your God at Horeb.”Therefore, Rabbi Yehuda cannot derive from that same juxtaposition a prohibition banning one who experienced a seminal emission from engaging in matters of Torah., bWe learnedin a mishna that ba izavwho experienced a seminal emission, and a menstruating woman who discharged semen, and a woman who engaged in intercoursewith her husband band she sawmenstrual bblood,all of whom are ritually impure for at least seven days due to the severity of their impurity, nevertheless brequire ritual immersionin order to purify themselves from the impurity of the seminal emission before they may engage in matters of Torah. bAnd Rabbi Yehuda exemptsthem from immersion.,However, bRabbi Yehuda only exemptedfrom immersion in the case bof a izavwho experienced a seminal emission, who was unfit to immerse himself from the outset,as even after immersion he would remain impure with the seven-day impurity of the izav /i. bBut,in the case of bone who experienced a seminal emission alone,with no concurrent impurity, even Rabbi Yehuda brequiresimmersion before he may engage in Torah matters., bAnd if you say: The same is true evenin the case of bone who experienced a seminal emission alone,that bRabbi Yehuda also exemptshim from immersion, band the fact that they disagreein the case of ba izavwho experienced a seminal emissionand not in the case of a person who experienced a seminal emission alone bis in order to convey the far-reachingnature of the opinion bof the Rabbis,who require immersion even in this case. If so, bsay the last caseof that same mishna: bA woman who was engaged in intercourse and she sawmenstrual bblood requires immersion. /b,The Gemara seeks to clarify: bIn accordance with whoseopinion bwas thiscase in the mishna btaught? If you saythat it is in accordance with the opinion of bthe Rabbis, that is obvious; ifin the case of ba izavwho experienced a seminal emission who was unfit to immerse himself from the outset,when he experienced the seminal emission, bthe Rabbisnevertheless brequire immersion, all the more sowouldn’t they require immersion for ba woman who engaged in intercourse andonly then bsaw blood,who bwas fit to immerse herself from the outset,when she came into contact with the seminal emission of her husband? bRather, isn’t this Rabbi Yehuda’sopinion, bandthis case bwas taught specificallyin order to teach |
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51. Babylonian Talmud, Hagigah, None (3rd cent. CE - 6th cent. CE)
| 22b. לעצמו טהרנו,אבל נטהר את הכלי שטהרתו לך ולו,תניא א"ר יהושע בושני מדבריכם ב"ש אפשר אשה לשה בעריבה אשה ועריבה טמאין שבעה ובצק טהור לוגין מלא משקין [לוגין] טמא טומאת שבעה ומשקין טהורין,נטפל לו תלמיד אחד מתלמידי ב"ש אמר לו אומר לך טעמן של ב"ש אמר לו אמור אמר לו כלי טמא חוצץ או אינו חוצץ א"ל אינו חוצץ כלי של עם הארץ טמא או טהור אמר לו טמא ואם אתה אומר לו טמא כלום משגיח עליך ולא עוד אלא שאם אתה אומר לו טמא אומר לך שלי טהור ושלך טמא,וזהו טעמן של ב"ש,מיד הלך ר' יהושע ונשתטח על קברי ב"ש אמר נעניתי לכם עצמות ב"ש ומה סתומות שלכם כך מפורשות על אחת כמה וכמה אמרו כל ימיו הושחרו שיניו מפני תעניותיו,קתני מיהת לך ולו אלמא שאלינן מינייהו כי שיילינן מינייהו מטבלינן להו,אי הכי ניהדרו להו ב"ה לב"ש כי שאלינן מינייהו מטבלינן להו טמא מת בעי הזאה ג' וז' ומנא לז' יומי לא מושלי אינשי,ואטבילה לא מהימני והתניא נאמנין עמי הארץ על טהרת טבילת טמא מת,אמר אביי ל"ק הא בגופו הא בכליו רבא אמר אידי ואידי בכליו ולא קשיא הא דאמר מעולם לא הטבלתי כלי בתוך כלי והא דאמר הטבלתי אבל לא הטבלתי בכלי שאין בפיו כשפופרת הנוד,והתניא נאמן עם הארץ לומר פירות לא הוכשרו אבל אינו נאמן לומר פירות הוכשרו אבל לא נטמאו,ואגופו מי מהימן והתניא חבר שבא להזות מזין עליו מיד עם הארץ שבא להזות אין מזין עליו עד שיעשה בפנינו שלישי ושביעי,אלא אמר אביי מתוך חומר שהחמרת עליו בתחילתו הקלת עליו בסופו:,אחורים ותוך: מאי אחורים ותוך,כדתנן כלי שנטמא אחוריו במשקין אחוריו טמאין תוכו אוגנו אזנו וידיו טהורין נטמא תוכו כולו טמא:,ובית הצביטה וכו': מאי בית הצביטה א"ר יהודה אמר שמואל מקום שצובטו וכן הוא אומר (רות ב, יד) ויצבט לה קלי רבי אסי א"ר יוחנן מקום שנקיי הדעת צובעין,תני רב ביבי קמיה דר"נ כל הכלים אין להם אחורים ותוך אחד קדשי המקדש ואחד קדשי הגבול א"ל קדשי הגבול מאי נינהו תרומה והתנן אחורים ותוך ובית הצביטה לתרומה,דלמא לחולין שנעשו על טהרת הקודש קאמרת,אדכרתן מילתא דאמר רבה בר אבוה אחת עשרה מעלות שנו כאן שש ראשונות בין לקודש בין לחולין שנעשו על טהרת הקודש אחרונות לקודש אבל לא לחולין שנעשו על טהרת הקודש:,הנושא את המדרס נושא את התרומה אבל לא את הקודש: קודש מאי טעמא לא משום מעשה שהיה דאמר רב יהודה אמר שמואל מעשה באחד שהיה מעביר חבית של יין קודש ממקום למקום | 22b. bwe declaredthem bpure forthe iam ha’aretz bhimself,not for iḥaverim /i, since iḥaverimin any event do not consider anything touched by an iam ha’aretzto be pure. A iḥaverwould therefore never relate to the food of an iam ha’aretzas pure, and he would not use the earthenware vessels of an iam ha’aretzfor preparation of pure food, since an earthenware vessel cannot be purified through immersion. However, he might borrow a metal vessel, for instance, and purify it through immersion before using it for pure food., bButhow bcan we purify a vesselof metal and other materials, bwhose puritywould be relevant both bfor you and for him?A iḥavermay one day borrow a metal vessel from the iam ha’aretz /i, and not realize that it was once inside an earthenware vessel in the same room as a corpse and as a result requires extensive purification from corpse contamination through the ashes of the red heifer, rather than mere immersion. Therefore, the iam ha’aretzis informed that his vessels of metal and other materials have contracted impurity from the corpse, and must undergo the extensive purification process, and after this is done these vessels will now be fit for use of the iḥaverafter mere immersion., bIt is taughtin a ibaraitawith regard to this debate between Beit Shammai and Beit Hillel: bRabbi Yehoshua said: I am ashamed of your words, Beit Shammai,for they are illogical. Is it bpossiblethat there should be a corpse on the first floor, with an earthenware vessel blocking the opening to the second story, and ba womanis standing upstairs bkneadingdough bin ametal bbowl,and the bwoman and the bowl are impurefor bsevendays owing to the impurity of the corpse, bwhilethe bdoughinside the trough bis pure?For that would be the result according to Beit Shammai, who distinguishes between food and earthenware vessels on the one hand and metal vessels on the other. Similarly: Is it possible that there is bametal bpitcher [ ilogin /i] full of liquidin the second story, and the bpitchershould be bimpure with impurity of sevendays, bwhile the liquidsremain bpure? /b,After Rabbi Yehoshua posed this question, bone student from among the students of Beit Shammai approached himand bsaid to him: I will tell you Beit Shammai’s reasoning. He said to him: Speak. He said to him: Does an impure vessel serve as a barrierto corpse contamination bor does it not serve as a barrier?Rabbi Yehoshua bsaid to him: It does not serve as a barrier.The student asked further: And bis a vessel of an iam ha’aretzpure or impure? He said to him: Impure.The student responded: bAnd if you tell himthat his vessel bis impure, will he pay attention to you at all?Clearly he will not. bWhat is more, if you say to himthat it is bimpure, he will say to you:On the contrary, bmyvessel bis pure and yours is impure. /b, bAnd that is Beit Shammai’s reasoning:Food, drink, and earthenware vessels inside a sealed earthenware vessel remain pure, as, since they belong to an iam ha’aretz /i, a iḥaverwill not eat the food or borrow the earthenware vessel. Vessels of metal or similar materials may one day be borrowed by a iḥaver /i, however, and therefore Beit Shammai declared these to be impure.,Once he heard the logic behind Beit Shammai’s opinion, bRabbi Yehoshua immediately went and prostrated himself on the graves of Beit Shammai,i.e., the students and proponents of Shammai, and bsaid: I humble myself before you, bones of Beit Shammai. If suchclarity and wisdom is bfound in yourrulings that you stated and left bunexplained, all the more somust this be the case bin yourrulings when they were stated and bexplained.People bsaidof Rabbi Yehoshua: bThroughout his days his teeth darkened because ofall bhis faststhat he undertook to atone for having spoken inappropriately of Beit Shammai.,The Gemara returns to its main point. bIn any event,this mishna bteachesthat the status of the vessels of an iam ha’aretzis relevant both bfor you and for him. Apparently,then, bwe iḥaverim bmay borrowvessels bfrom iamei ha’aretz /i. The question therefore arises: Why are the Sages not concerned that iamei ha’aretzmay immerse vessels inside of other vessels in an inappropriate way, so that they will remain unpurified when borrowed by a iḥaver /i? The Gemara answers: bFor when we iḥaverim bborrowvessels bfrom them we immerse thembefore using them. It is therefore inconsequential to us if their vessels were not immersed properly beforehand.,The Gemara asks: bIf so, let Beit Hillel respond to Beit Shammai.They can respond as follows: bWhen we borrowvessels bfrom them we immerse them,and that is why we rule that vessels of metal or similar materials are pure. The Gemara explains: That dispute is referring to the impurity of a corpse. bAnd that which becomes impure byproximity to ba corpse requires sprinklingof the red heifer’s ashes on the bthird and seventhdays of its purification, band people do notgenerally blend vessels for seven days.The solution the iḥaverimplements of immersing vessels that he borrows from an iam ha’aretzis effective only for other impurities, but not for the impurity imparted by a corpse.,The Gemara poses a question with regard to the ihalakhathat a iḥavermust immerse vessels that he borrows from an iam ha’aretz /i: bButis it so that iamei ha’aretz bare not trusted with regard to immersion? Isn’t it taughtin a ibaraita /i: iAmei ha’aretzare trusted with regard to the purificationprocess bof immersion of that which has become impure bycontact with ba corpse?In addition to being sprinkled with purification water on the third and seventh days, a person or article that has been in contact with a corpse must also undergo immersion on the seventh day. An iam ha’aretzis believed when he says that he has performed this immersion.,The Gemara presents two answers for this question. bAbaye saidone answer: This is bnot difficult. This ibaraita /i, which teaches that an iam ha’aretzis trusted, is referring btothe immersion of bhis body,whereas bthisteaching of the Gemara that iamei ha’aretzare not trusted concerning immersion deals bwith his vessels. Rava saida different answer: Both bthis and that,both the ibaraitaand the Gemara’s teaching, refer btothe bvesselsof an iam ha’aretz /i, band it isnevertheless bnot difficult. This ibaraita /i, which teaches that an iam ha’aretzis trusted, is referring to an iam ha’aretz bwho said: I never immersed one vessel inside another,which is a statement that we accept. bAnd thisteaching of the Gemara that iamei ha’aretzare not trusted deals with one bwho said: I have immersedvessels inside of other vessels, bbut I did not immerse with a vessel whose mouth does not havethe width of bthe tube of a wineskin.It is with regard to such details that an iam ha’aretzcannot be trusted., bAnd so it was taughtin a ibaraitato this effect: bAn iam ha’aretzis trusted to saythat bproduce has not been made susceptibleto impurity, i.e., that it has never come into contact with water, bbut he is not trusted to saythat the bproduce has been made susceptibleto impurity bbut has notactually bbecome impure.This ibaraitashows that iamei ha’aretzare trusted concerning basic facts, but not concerning matters that require detailed knowledge and scrupulous care.,The Gemara poses a question with regard to Abaye’s opinion: bAnd isan iam ha’aretzreally btrustedconcerning bhis body,when he claims to have immersed? bIsn’t it taughtin a ibaraita /i: Concerning ba iḥaverwho comesbefore those in charge of sprinkling water of purification bto be sprinkledwith that water, and claims that the requisite three days have passed since his contamination by a corpse, bthey may sprinkle upon him immediately. Butconcerning ban iam ha’aretzwho comesbefore them and claims that three days have passed, bthey may not sprinkle upon him until he performsand counts bin our presencethe bthirdday bandthe bseventhday? This shows that an iam ha’aretzis not trusted concerning the purity of his own body., bRather, Abaye said,modifying his previous explanation: bBecause of the stringency that you applied tothe iam ha’aretz bin his beginning,i.e., at the beginning of the purification process, by not allowing him to purify himself without first ensuring that he has not been in contact with a corpse for three days, byoumay bbe lenient with him in his end,in that he is trusted regarding having immersed at the end of the seven days, removing the impurity contracted through contact with a corpse.,§ The mishna teaches: The ihalakhotof bthe backof a vessel bandits binsideapply to vessels used for iteruma /i, but not for sacrificial food. The Gemara asks: bWhat isthe meaning of: bThe back andits binside? /b,The Gemara explains. bAs we learnedin a mishna ( iKeilim25:6): bA vessel whose backpart, as opposed to its inside, bwas defiled bycontact with impure bliquid. Its back is impure,while its other parts, such as bits inside, its rim, its ear-shaped handles, and itsstraight bhandles are pure.By Torah law, foods and liquids cannot impart ritual impurity to a vessel at all, but by rabbinic law liquids can. In order to clarify that it is only a rabbinic decree, they instituted that the impurity thereby imparted, if the liquid touched the outside of the vessel, should affect only the part touched by the liquid, but not its inside or the other parts of its outside. However, if bits inside was defiled,even by impurity only according to rabbinic law, bit is all impure.This ihalakhaapplies only to iteruma /i, but regarding offerings, the defilement of any part of the vessel renders it all impure.,§ The mishna teaches: bAnd its place for gripping.The Gemara asks: bWhat isthe meaning of: bPlace for gripping [ ibeit hatzevita /i]? Rav Yehuda saidthat bShmuel said:It is the bplacewhere bhegrips the vessel in order to bpass [ itzovet /i]it, a kind of indentation used for grasping the vessel. bAnd similarly it states: “And he pinched [ ivayitzbat /i] some parched corn for her”(Ruth 2:14), which means that he gave her a little of the corn. Therefore, the term is referring to a place on the vessel used to grasp it. bRabbi Asisaid that bRabbi Yoḥa said:It is the bplace that fastidious peopleuse for bdipping.A small receptacle for spices and the like would be attached to the sides of vessels for dipping one’s food., bRav Beivai taughtthe following ibaraita bbefore Rav Naḥman: No vessels havethis difference between bthe back and inside, whetherthey are vessels used for bconsecratedfoods bof the Temple orthose used for bconsecratedfoods bof outlying areas,i.e., outside the Temple. In these cases, if one of the parts of the vessel was defiled with impure liquids the entire vessel becomes impure. Rav Naḥman bsaid to him: What are these consecratedfoods bof outlying areasmentioned in the ibaraita /i? This term is usually applied to iteruma /i,but if so the ibaraitacontradicts the mishna. For bdidn’t we learnin the mishna: The ihalakhotof bthe backof a vessel bandits binside and its place for grippingapply btovessels used for iteruma /i? /b,Rav Naḥman continued: bPerhapswhen you said the consecrated foods of outlying areas you were not referring to iteruma /i, but rather byou are speaking of non-sacredfood bprepared according to thestandards of bpurity of sacrificialfood, and you called them consecrated foods of outlying areas because this level of purity can be observed outside the Temple as well.,In the course of this discussion Rav Naḥman said to Rav Beivai: bYou havenow breminded meof something that bRabba bar Avuh saidconcerning this issue: bThey taught eleven stringenciesof sacrificial food bherein the mishna. The bfirst sixapply bboth to sacrificialfood band to non-sacredfood bprepared according to thestandards of bpurity of sacrificialfood, whereas bthe lastfive bapplyonly bto sacrificialfood bs but not to non-sacredfood bprepared according to thestandards of bpurity of sacrificialfood. Rabba bar Avuh’s statement therefore corroborates the interpretation of the ibaraitaas dealing with non-sacred food prepared according to the standards of purity of sacrificial foods.,§ The mishna teaches: bOne who carries an object troddenby a izavmay bcarry iteruma /iat the same time, if he is careful that neither he nor the impure object come into contact with the iteruma /i, bbutthis may bnotbe done with bsacrificialfood. The Gemara asks: Concerning bsacrificialfood, bwhat is the reasonthat he may bnotcarry it? As long as contact with the food is prevented, why should he not carry sacrificial food as well? The Gemara answers: This enactment was made bdue to an incident that occurred. As Rav Yehuda saidthat bShmuel said:There was once ban incident involving someone who was transferring a barrel of sacrificial wine from one place to another, /b |
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52. Babylonian Talmud, Sanhedrin, None (3rd cent. CE - 6th cent. CE)
| 46b. ולא היו מתאבלין אבל אוננין שאין אנינות אלא בלב:, big strongגמ׳ /strong /big תנו רבנן אילו נאמר חטא ותלית הייתי אומר תולין אותו ואחר כך ממיתין אותו כדרך שהמלכות עושה תלמוד לומר (דברים כא, כב) והומת ותלית ממיתין אותו ואח"כ תולין אותו הא כיצד משהין אותו עד סמוך לשקיעת החמה וגומרין את דינו וממיתין אותו ואח"כ תולין אותו אחד קושר ואחד מתיר כדי לקיים מצות תלייה,ת"ר (דברים כא, כב) עץ שומע אני בין בתלוש בין במחובר ת"ל (דברים כא, כג) כי קבר מי שאינו מחוסר אלא קבורה יצא זה שמחוסר קציצה וקבורה,ר' יוסי אומר מי שאינו מחוסר אלא קבורה יצא זה שמחוסר תלישה וקבורה ורבנן תלישה לאו כלום היא:,כלומר מפני מה זה תלוי מפני שבירך כו': תניא אומר ר"מ משלו משל למה הדבר דומה לשני אחים תאומים בעיר אחת אחד מינוהו מלך ואחד יצא לליסטיות צוה המלך ותלאוהו כל הרואה אותו אומר המלך תלוי צוה המלך והורידוהו:,אמר ר' מאיר כו': מאי משמע אמר אביי כמאן דאמר קל לית אמר ליה רבא א"כ כבד עלי ראשי כבד עלי זרועי מיבעי ליה אלא אמר רבא כמאן דאמר קיל לי עלמא,האי מיבעי ליה לגופה א"כ נימא קרא מקלל מאי קללת ואימא כוליה להכי הוא דאתא א"כ נימא קרא קלת מאי קללת ש"מ תרתי:,ולא זו בלבד כו': א"ר יוחנן משום ר"ש בן יוחי מנין למלין את מתו שעובר עליו בל"ת ת"ל כי קבר תקברנו מכאן למלין את מתו שעובר בלא תעשה,איכא דאמרי אמר רבי יוחנן משום ר"ש בן יוחי רמז לקבורה מן התורה מניין ת"ל כי קבר תקברנו מכאן רמז לקבורה מן התורה,א"ל שבור מלכא לרב חמא קבורה מה"ת מניין אישתיק ולא א"ל ולא מידי אמר רב אחא בר יעקב אימסר עלמא בידא דטפשאי דאיבעי ליה למימר כי קבור,דליעבד ליה ארון תקברנו לא משמע ליה,ונימא מדאיקבור צדיקי מנהגא בעלמא מדקבריה הקב"ה למשה דלא לישתני ממנהגא,ת"ש (מלכים א יד, יג) וספדו לו כל ישראל וקברו אותו דלא לישתני ממנהגא,(ירמיהו טז, ד) לא יספדו ולא יקברו לדומן על פני האדמה יהיו דלישתנו ממנהגא,איבעיא להו קבורה משום בזיונא הוא או משום כפרה הוא,למאי נפקא מינה דאמר לא בעינא דליקברוה לההוא גברא אי אמרת משום בזיונא הוא לא כל כמיניה ואי אמרת משום כפרה הוא הא אמר לא בעינא כפרה מאי,ת"ש מדאיקבור צדיקי ואי אמרת משום כפרה צדיקי לכפרה צריכי אין דכתיב (קהלת ז, כ) אדם אין צדיק בארץ אשר יעשה טוב ולא יחטא,ת"ש וספדו לו כל ישראל וקברו אותו ואי אמרת כי היכי דתיהוי ליה כפרה הנך נמי ליקברו כי היכי דתיהוי להו כפרה האי דצדיק הוא תיהוי ליה כפרה הנך לא ליהוי להו כפרה,ת"ש לא יספדו ולא יקברו דלא תיהוי להו כפרה,איבעיא להו הספידא יקרא דחיי הוי או יקרא דשכבי הוי למאי נפקא מינה דאמר לא תספדוה לההוא גברא אי נמי לאפוקי מיורשין,ת"ש (בראשית כג, ב) ויבא אברהם לספוד לשרה ולבכותה ואי אמרת משום יקרא דחיי הוא משום יקרא דאברהם משהו לה לשרה שרה גופה ניחא לה כי היכי דמייקר בה אברהם,ת"ש וספדו לו כל ישראל וקברו אותו ואי אמרת משום יקרא דחיי הוא הנך בני יקרא נינהו ניחא להו לצדיקיא דמייקרי בהו אינשי,ת"ש לא יספדו ולא יקברו לא ניחא לצדיקיא דמייקרי ברשיעייא,תא שמע (ירמיהו לד, ה) בשלום תמות ובמשרפות אבותיך המלכים הראשונים אשר היו לפניך כן ישרפו לך והוי אדון יספדו לך ואי אמרת משום יקרא דחיי הוא מאי נפקא ליה מיניה הכי קאמר ליה לייקרו ביך ישראל כי היכי דמתייקרי באבהתך | 46b. bAndthe relatives of the executed man bwould not mournhim with the observance of the usual mourning rites, so that his unmourned death would atone for his transgression; bbut they would grieveover his passing, bsince grief isfelt bonly in the heart. /b, strongGEMARA: /strong bThe Sages taughtin a ibaraita /i: bWere it stated:And if a man has committed ba sinworthy of death byou shall hanghim on a tree, bI would have saidthat first bthey hang him andonly bafterward they put him to death, the way thegentile bgovernment does,executing the transgressor by hanging. Therefore, bthe verse states:“And if a man has committed a sin worthy of death, band he is put to death, and you shall hanghim on a tree” (Deuteronomy 21:22), teaching that first bthey put him to death, andonly bafterward they hang him. How so? They delaythe verdict buntilit is bnearto bsunset, andthen bthey conclude his judgment, and they put him to death, andimmediately bafterward hang him. One tieshim to the hanging post, band anotherimmediately buntieshim, bin order to fulfill the mitzva of hangingthe corpse of the executed transgressor., bThe Sages taught:From the verse: “And you shall hang him on ba tree,” Iwould bderivethat the body may be hung beitheron a tree that has been bdetachedfrom the ground boron one that is still battachedto the ground. Therefore, bthe verse states:“His body shall not remain all night upon the tree, bbut you shall buryhim [ikavor /i itikberennu /i] that day” (Deuteronomy 21:23). Based on the doubled verb, it is derived that not only must the transgressor’s body be buried, but the tree on which it is hung must also be buried. As the verse employs the same term to instruct that both must be buried, the verse teaches that the corpse must be hung on a tree bthathas already been detached from the ground and bis lacking only burial,just as the corpse is lacking only burial. This serves to bexcludehanging the corpse on a tree bthatis still attached to the ground and bis lackingboth bcutting down and burial. /b, bRabbi Yosei says:The tree upon which the corpse is hung is not sunk into the ground; rather, it is leaned against a wall, as the verse teaches that the tree must be blacking only burial.This serves to bexcludehanging the corpse on a tree bthat is lackingboth bdetachment and burial. And the Rabbissay: bDetachingfrom the ground a tree that had already been cut down and was later sunk back into the ground bis nothing,i.e., it is an insignificant act.,§ The mishna teaches: bThat is to say:Were the dead man’s corpse to remain hanging, reminding everyone of his transgression, people would ask: bFor whatreason bwas this one hung?They would be answered: bBecause he blessedGod, a euphemism for blasphemy, and the name of Heaven would be desecrated. bIt is taughtin a ibaraitathat bRabbi Meir says:The Sages btold a parable: To what is this matter comparable?It is comparable bto two brotherswho were btwinsand lived bin the same city. One was appointed king, while the other went out toengage in bbanditry. The king commandedthat his brother be punished, band they hangedhis twin brother for his crimes. bAnyone who sawthe bandit hanging bwould say: The kingwas bhanged. The king,therefore, bcommandedthat his brother be taken down, band they tookthe bandit bdown.Similarly, people are created in God’s image, and therefore God is disgraced when a corpse is hung for a transgression that the person has committed.,The mishna teaches that bRabbi Meir saidthat the phrase “For he that is hung is a curse [ ikilelat /i] of God” should be understood as follows: When a man suffers in the wake of his sin, the Divine Presence says: I am distressed [ ikallani /i] about My head, I am distressed about My arm. The Gemara asks: bFrom whereis this binferred?How does Rabbi Meir understand the word ikilelat /i? bAbaye says:When a man is hung after he is put to death, God is blike one who said: I am not light [ ikal leit /i],meaning: My head is heavy for Me, My arm is heavy for Me. God is in distress when He has to administer punishment. bRava said to him: If so, he should havesaid explicitly: bMy head is heavy for Me, My arm is heavy for Me. Rather, Rava said:When a man is hung after he is put to death, God is blike one who said: The world is light for me [ ikil li alma /i],meaning: I am light, and therefore the world is heavy for Me, and I am in distress.,The Gemara asks: bThisword “ ikilelat /i” bis needed forwhat it bitselfteaches, namely that a blasphemer is hung after he has been stoned. How, then, can it be interpreted as alluding to God’s distress at the death of a transgressor? The Gemara answers: bIf so, the verse should have stated: One who curses [ imekallel]. Whatis the meaning of ikilelat /i?It serves to teach the statement taught by Rabbi Meir. The Gemara asks: If so, bsayperhaps that bthe entireverse bcomes for thispurpose, to underscore the dignity of the transgressor, who was created in God’s image, and not to teach the ihalakhagoverning a blasphemer. The Gemara responds: bIf so, the verse should have stated: Lightness [ ikilat /i]. Whatis the meaning of ikilelat /i? Conclude twoconclusions bfrom it:Conclude that the blasphemer is hung after he has been stoned, and conclude that God is distressed at the death of a transgressor.,§ The mishna teaches that everyone, bnot onlyan executed transgressor, must be buried on the day of his death, if that is at all possible. bRabbi Yoḥa says in the name of Rabbi Shimon bar Yoḥai: From whereis it derived bthat one who leaves his deceasedrelative bovernightwithout burying him btransgresses a prohibition? The verse states: “But you shall bury him [ ikavor tikberennu /i]”(Deuteronomy 21:23), doubling the verb for emphasis. bFrom hereit is derived bthat one who leaves his deceasedrelative bovernightwithout burying him btransgresses a prohibition. /b, bThere arethose bwho saythat bRabbi Yoḥa says in the name of Rabbi Shimon bar Yoḥai: From where in the Torah is there a hint tothe mitzva of bburial? The verse states: “But you shall bury him [ ikavor tikberennu /i],”doubling the verb for emphasis. bFrom here there is a hint tothe mitzva of bburial in the Torah. /b,The Gemara relates: bKing Shapur,the monarch of Persia, once bsaid to Rav Ḥama: From where in the Torah is there a hint tothe mitzva of bburial?What proof is there that the dead must be buried and not treated in some other manner? Rav Ḥama bwas silent and said nothing to him,as he could not find a suitable source. bRav Aḥa bar Ya’akov said: The world has been handed over to the foolish, asRav Ḥama bshould have saidto King Shapur that the mitzva of burial is derived from the verse: b“But you shall buryhim” (Deuteronomy 21:23).,The Gemara explains: In that case, King Shapur could have replied that the verse merely proves bthat a coffin should be made forthe deceased so that he can be placed in it, not that the deceased should be buried in the ground, as the verse could be understood as instructing that the corpse be placed in some sort of receptacle, not in the ground. The Gemara challenges: Rav Ḥama could still have claimed that the mitzva of burial is derived from the doubled verb “you shall bbury him[ ikavor btikberennu/i b].”The Gemara answers: In that case, King Shapur could have replied that bhe does not learnanything from a doubled verb, which seems to be merely a stylistic choice and not the source of a new ihalakha /i.,The Gemara asks: bBut letRav Ḥama bsaythat the mitzva to bury the dead is derived bfromthe fact bthat the righteousforefathers, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, bwereall bburied.The Gemara answers: King Shapur could have said that this was bmerely a customof the time, but not a mitzva. The Gemara asks: Rav Ḥama could have derived the mitzva bfromthe fact bthat the Holy One, Blessed be He, buried Moses,which proves that this is the proper way to handle the dead. The Gemara answers: King Shapur could still have said that God acted in this manner bin order not to deviate from thegeneral bcustom,but this does not prove that burying the dead is a mitzva.,The Gemara suggests: bComeand bheara proof that burying the dead is a mitzva, as the prophet Ahijah the Shilonite said about Abijah, son of Jeroboam: b“And all Israel shall eulogize him and bury him”(I Kings 14:13). The Gemara answers: From here, too, there is no proof, as they may have buried Abijah bin order not to deviate from thegeneral bcustomof the world, and not because they were required to do so.,The Gemara proposes another proof: Jeremiah pronounced a curse upon the wicked, saying: b“They shall not be eulogized, nor shall they be buried; but they shall be as dung upon the face of the earth”(Jeremiah 16:4), which proves that when no curse has been pronounced, the dead should be buried. The Gemara rejects this proof: From here, too, there is no proof that it is a mitzva to bury the dead, as Jeremiah cursed the wicked, saying bthat they would deviate from thegeneral bcustomand not be buried. Due to all these difficulties, Rav Ḥama was unable to adduce incontrovertible proof that there is a mitzva to bury the dead.,§ bA dilemma was raised beforethe Sages: bIs burialobligatory bon account of disgrace,i.e., so that the deceased should not suffer the disgrace of being left exposed as his body begins to decompose, bor is it on account of atonement,i.e., so that the deceased will achieve atonement by being returned to the ground from which he was formed?,The Gemara asks: bWhat is thepractical bdifferencethat arises from knowing the reason that burial is necessary? The Gemara answers: There is a difference in a case bwhereone bsaidbefore he died: bI do not want them to bury that man,i.e., myself. bIf you saythat burial bisrequired bon account of disgrace, it is not in hispower to waive his own burial, as his family shares in the disgrace. bBut if you saythat burial bisrequired bon account of atonement, didn’t heeffectively bsay: I do not want atonement,and with regard to himself one should be able to do as he wishes? bWhat,then, is the ihalakha /i?,The Gemara suggests: bComeand bheara proof bfromthe fact bthat the righteouspatriarchs, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, bwereall bburied. And if you saythat burial is required bon account of atonement, do the righteous need atonement?The Gemara rejects this proof: bYes,even the righteous are in need of atonement, bas it is written:“For bthere is no righteous person on earth who does good and never sins”(Ecclesiastes 7:20), and so even the righteous need atonement for the few sins that they committed over the course of their lifetimes.,The Gemara suggests: bComeand bheara proof from the verse referring to Abijah, son of Jeroboam: b“And all Israel shall eulogize him and bury him,for he alone of Jeroboam shall come to the grave” (I Kings 14:13). bAnd if you saythat burial is required bso thatthe deceased bshould achieve atonement, these too,i.e., Jeroboam’s other sons, bshould also be buried so that they should achieve atonement.The Gemara rejects this argument: bThisson, Abijah, bwho was righteous, should achieve atonementthrough his death and burial, but btheseother sons, who were wicked, bshould not achieve atonementeven in death.,The Gemara suggests: bComeand bheara proof from the curse pronounced by Jeremiah upon the wicked: b“They shall not be eulogized, nor shall they be buried”(Jeremiah 16:4), which indicates that it is not on account of atonement that burial is required, as were that the case the wicked are certainly in need of atonement, and therefore they should be buried. The Gemara answers: This is no proof, as Jeremiah’s intention might be bthatthe wicked bshould not achieve atonement.Therefore, the question of whether burial is necessary in order to prevent disgrace or achieve atonement remains unresolved.,§ bA dilemma was raised beforethe Sages: bIs the eulogydelivered for bthe honor of the livingrelatives of the deceased, bor is itdelivered for bthe honor of the dead?The Gemara asks: bWhat is thepractical bdifferencebetween the two possible reasons? The Gemara answers: There is a difference in a case bwhereone bsaidbefore he died: bDo not eulogize that man,i.e., myself. If the eulogy is delivered to honor the deceased, he is able to forgo this honor, but if it is delivered to honor the living, he is not, as it is not in the power of one individual to forgo the honor of others. bAlternately,the difference is with regard to whether it is possible bto collectthe eulogist’s fee bfrom the heirs.If the eulogy is to honor the dead, it is possible to collect this fee from the heirs, even against their will, but if it is to honor the living, they are able to forgo this honor.,The Gemara suggests: bComeand bheara proof from the verse that states: b“And Abraham came to eulogize Sarah and weep over her”(Genesis 23:2), indicating that Sarah’s funeral was delayed until Abraham returned from Beersheba to Hebron to eulogize her. bAnd if you saythat a eulogy is delivered bdue to the honor of the living, would they haveunduly bdelayedburying bSarah due to Abraham’s honor?The Gemara rejects this argument: bIt was satisfactory to Sarah herselfthat her funeral was delayed bso that Abraham could be honored byeulogizing bher.Since Sarah herself would prefer that Abraham eulogize her, there was no disgrace in waiting for Abraham to arrive.,The Gemara suggests: bComeand bheara different resolution of this dilemma from the verse referring to Abijah, son of Jeroboam: b“And all Israel shall eulogize him and bury him”(I Kings 14:13). bAnd if you saythat a eulogy bisdelivered bdue to the honor of the living, are thesepeople, Jeroboam’s surviving family, bworthy ofthis bhonor?The Gemara answers: bIt is satisfactory to the righteous whenother bpeople are honored through them.Since that is their wish, they are eulogized even if their wicked relatives are honored as a result.,The Gemara suggests: bComeand bheara proof from the curse pronounced by Jeremiah upon the wicked: b“They shall not be eulogized, nor shall they be buried”(Jeremiah 16:4). If you say that a eulogy is delivered due to the honor of the living, why should the wicked not be eulogized, as perhaps they are survived by righteous people who are worthy of this honor? The Gemara answers: bIt is not satisfactory to the righteous when they are honored through the wicked,and therefore they prefer that a eulogy not be delivered for their wicked relatives.,The Gemara suggests: bComeand bheara resolution of this dilemma from what Jeremiah said to Zedekiah: b“You shall die in peace; and with the burnings of your fathers, the former kings that were before you, so shall they make a burning for you; and they will eulogize you, saying: Ah, master”(Jeremiah 34:5). bAnd if you saythat a eulogy bisdelivered bdue to the honor of the livingrelatives of the deceased, bwhat difference does it make to himif he is eulogized? The Gemara answers: It is possible that a eulogy is to honor the living, and bthisis what Jeremiah bis saying toZedekiah: Enjoy the thought that bIsrael shall be honored through youat your funeral just bas they were honored through your ancestorsat their funerals. |
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53. Babylonian Talmud, Taanit, None (3rd cent. CE - 6th cent. CE)
| 22b. (דברי הימים ב לה, כא) וישלח אליו מלאכים לאמר מה לי ולך מלך יהודה לא עליך אתה היום כי אל בית מלחמתי ואלהים אמר לבהלני חדל לך מאלהים אשר עמי ואל ישחיתך,מאי אלהים אשר עמי אמר רב יהודה אמר רב זו ע"ז אמר הואיל וקא בטח בע"ז יכילנא ליה,(דברי הימים ב לה, כג) ויורו היורים למלך יאשיהו ויאמר המלך לעבדיו העבירוני כי החליתי מאד מאי כי החליתי מאד אמר רב יהודה אמר רב מלמד שעשו כל גופו ככברה,אמר ר' שמואל בר נחמני אמר רבי (יוחנן) מפני מה נענש יאשיהו מפני שהיה לו לימלך בירמיהו ולא נמלך מאי דרש (ויקרא כו, ו) וחרב לא תעבור בארצכם,מאי חרב אילימא חרב שאינה של שלום והכתיב ונתתי שלום בארץ אלא אפילו של שלום והוא אינו יודע שאין דורו דומה יפה,כי הוה ניחא נפשיה חזא ירמיהו שפוותיה דקא מרחשן אמר שמא ח"ו מילתא דלא מהגנא אמר אגב צעריה גחין ושמעיה דקא מצדיק עליה דינא אנפשיה אמר (איכה א, יח) צדיק הוא ה' כי פיהו מריתי פתח עליה ההיא שעתא (איכה ד, כ) רוח אפינו משיח ה':,מעשה וירדו זקנים מירושלים לעריהם כו' איבעיא להו כמלא תנור תבואה או דלמא כמלא תנור פת,תא שמע כמלא פי תנור ועדיין תיבעי להו ככיסויא דתנורא או דלמא כי דרא דריפתא דהדר ליה לפומא דתנורא תיקו:,ועוד גזרו תענית על שאכלו זאבים כו' אמר עולא משום ר' שמעון בן יהוצדק מעשה ובלעו זאבים שני תינוקות והקיאום דרך בית הרעי ובא מעשה לפני חכמים וטיהרו את הבשר וטמאו את העצמות:,על אלו מתריעין בשבת כו': תנו רבנן עיר שהקיפוה נכרים או נהר ואחד ספינה המיטרפת בים ואחד יחיד שנרדף מפני נכרים או מפני לסטין ומפני רוח רעה על כולן יחיד רשאי לסגף את עצמו בתענית,רבי יוסי אומר אין היחיד רשאי לסגף את עצמו בתענית שמא יצטרך לבריות ואין הבריות מרחמות עליו אמר רב יהודה אמר רב מ"ט דרבי יוסי דכתיב (בראשית ב, ז) ויהי האדם לנפש חיה נשמה שנתתי בך החייה:,שמעון התימני אומר אף על הדבר כו': איבעיא להו לא הודו לו חכמים בשבת אבל בחול הודו לו או דלמא לא הודו לו כלל,ת"ש דתניא מתריעין על הדבר בשבת ואצ"ל בחול ר' חנן בן פיטום תלמידו של ר' עקיבא משום רבי עקיבא אומר אין מתריעין על הדבר כל עיקר:,על כל צרה שלא תבא על הצבור כו': ת"ר על כל צרה שלא תבא על הצבור מתריעין עליה חוץ מרוב גשמים מ"ט אמר ר' יוחנן לפי שאין מתפללין על רוב הטובה,ואמר רבי יוחנן מניין שאין מתפללין על רוב הטובה שנאמר (מלאכי ג, י) הביאו את כל המעשר אל בית האוצר וגו' מאי עד בלי די אמר רמי בר רב (יוד) עד שיבלו שפתותיכם מלומר די,אמר רמי בר רב יוד ובגולה מתריעין עליה תניא נמי הכי שנה שגשמיה מרובין אנשי משמר שולחין לאנשי מעמד תנו עיניכם באחיכם שבגולה שלא יהא בתיהם קבריהם,שאלו את ר' אליעזר עד היכן גשמים יורדין ויתפללו שלא ירדו אמר להם כדי שיעמוד אדם בקרן אפל וישכשך רגליו במים והתניא ידיו רגליו כידיו קאמינא,אמר רבה בר בר חנה לדידי חזיא לי קרן אפל דקם ההוא טייעא כי רכיב גמלא ונקיט רומחא בידיה מתחזי איניבא,ת"ר (ויקרא כו, ד) ונתתי גשמיכם בעתם לא שכורה ולא צמאה אלא בינונית שכל זמן שהגשמים מרובין מטשטשין את הארץ ואינה מוציאה פירות דבר אחר | 22b. b“But he sent ambassadors to him saying: What have I to do with you, king of Judea? I do not come against you this day, but against the house with which I am at war; and God has commanded me to make haste. Forbear from meddling with God, Who is with me, so that He will not destroy you”(II Chronicles 35:21). This clearly shows that Pharaoh Neco had no intention of engaging Josiah in battle.,The Gemara asks: bWhat isthe meaning of the phrase b“God, Who is with me”? Rav Yehuda saidthat bRav said: Thisis referring to Neco’s bidolatry,which he brought for assistance. In other words, it is a secular reference and should be read as: The god that is with me, in my possession. Josiah bsaid: Sincehe trusts in idolatry, bI will be ableto defeat bhim. /b,With regard to Josiah’s battle with Pharaoh Neco, the verse states: b“And the archers shot at King Josiah and the king said to his servants: Move me away, for I am seriously wounded”(II Chronicles 35:23). bWhat isthe meaning of the phrase: b“For I am seriously wounded”? Rav Yehuda saidthat bRav said:This bteaches thatthe Egyptian archers bmade his entire body like a sievefrom the many arrows they shot at him., bRabbi Shmuel bar Naḥmani saidthat bRabbi Yoḥa said: For whatreason bwas Josiah punished? Because he should have consulted withthe prophet bJeremiahto find out if he should go to war, bbut he did not consultwith him. bHow didJosiah binterpretthe verses of the Torah? How did they lead him to go to war? The verse states: b“Neither shall a sword go through your land”(Leviticus 26:6)., bWhat isthe meaning of the term: b“Sword”? If we saythat it is referring to ba sword that is not of peace, but isn’t it writtenearlier in the same verse: b“And I will give peace in the land”? Rather,the verse must mean that bevena sword bof peaceshall not pass through the land, and Josiah sought to prevent this occurrence, in fulfillment of the blessing. bBut he did not know that his generation did not meritthese blessings, and he would therefore not receive divine assistance in this regard.,The Gemara discusses Josiah’s deathbed reflections. bWhenJosiah bwas dying, Jeremiah saw his lips moving.Jeremiah bsaid: Perhaps, Heaven forbid, he is saying something improperand complaining about God’s judgment bon account of hisgreat bdistress.Jeremiah bbent over and heard that he was justifyingGod’s bjudgment against himself.Josiah bsaid: “The Lord is righteous, for I have rebelled against His word”(Lamentations 1:18). bAt that moment,Jeremiah bbeganhis eulogy bforJosiah: b“The breath of our nostrils, the anointed of the Lord,was trapped in their pits” (Lamentations 4:20).,§ The mishna taught: bAn incidentoccurred in bwhich Elders descended from Jerusalem to their citiesand decreed a fast throughout the land because a small amount of blight was seen in the city of Ashkelon, enough to fill the mouth of an oven. bA dilemma was raised beforethe Sages: Did they mean enough bgrain to fillan entire boven, or perhapsthey meant enough grain to prepare bbread to fill an oven?This is far less, as bread is stuck to the walls of the oven and does not fill its inner area.,The Gemara answers: bComeand bhearthe phrase of the mishna: Enough bto fill the mouth of an oven.This indicates that the bread referred to does not fill the entire oven, but rather covers the mouth of the oven. The Gemara further asks: bAnd still you can raise this dilemma before them:Is the mishna referring to the bread bof the cover of the oven? Perhapsit is referring bto a row of bread around the mouth of the oven.No resolution was found, and the Gemara states that the dilemma bshall standunresolved.,§ The mishna taught: bAnd furthermore, they decreed a fast because wolves had eatentwo children in Transjordan. bUlla said in the name of Rabbi Shimon ben Yehotzadak: An incidentoccurred in bwhich wolves swallowed two children and excreted them. And the incident came before the Sagesfor a ruling. They were asked if the remains were ritually impure even after they had passed through the animal’s digestive tract, band they pronounced the flesh ritually pure,as it had been digested, but they bpronouncedthe intact bbones ritually impure. /b,§ The mishna further taught: bFor the followingcalamities bthey sound the alarmeven bon Shabbat:For a city that is surrounded by gentile troops, for a place in danger of being flooded by a river that has swelled its banks, or for a ship tossed about at sea. bThe Sages taught:In the case of ba city that is surrounded by gentiletroops bor a riverthat has swelled beyond its banks, and this also applies to bboth a ship tossed about at sea and an individual who is being pursued by gentiles, or by thieves, or by an evil spirit,which may lead him to harm himself, bthey sound the alarmeven bon Shabbat. And in all thesecases, ban individual is permitted to afflict himself by fastingto annul the evil decrees against him., bRabbi Yosei says: An individual is not permitted to afflict himself by fasting, lesthe become too weak to work and bbe beholden to other beings, andthose bbeings will not have mercy on him. Rav Yehuda saidthat bRav said: What is the reason of Rabbi Yosei?It is bas it is written: “And man became a living soul”(Genesis 2:7). Rabbi Yosei interprets this verse as a command: bThe soul I placed within you,preserve and bsustain it. /b,§ The mishna taught that bShimon the Timnite says:One may cry out on Shabbat beven for pestilence,but the Rabbis did not agree with him. bA dilemma was raised beforethe Sages: Does this mean that bthe Rabbis did not agree with himwith regard to crying out in these cases bon Shabbat,but if they occur bon a weekday they agreed with him? Or perhaps they did not agree with him at all,as they maintain that one never cries out over pestilence.,The Gemara answers: bComeand bhear, as it is taughtin a ibaraita /i: bOne cries out fora plague of bpestilence on Shabbat, and needless to say on weekdays. Rabbi Ḥa ben Pitom, the student of Rabbi Akiva, says in the name of Rabbi Akiva: One does not cry out for pestilence at all.This opinion attributed to Rabbi Akiva is the ruling of the Rabbis in the mishna.,§ The mishna further states that they sound the alarm bonaccount of any btrouble that should not befall the community,a euphemism for trouble that may befall the community, except for an overabundance of rain. bThe Sages taughtin a ibaraita /i: bFor any trouble that should not befall the community, they sound the alarm for it, except for an overabundance of rain.The Gemara asks: bWhat is the reasonfor this? bRabbi Yoḥa said: Because one does not pray over an excess of good.Since rain is generally good for the world, it is not appropriate to pray for it to stop, even when it falls in excess., bAnd Rabbi Yoḥa said: From whereis it derived bthat one does not pray over an excess of good?It bis stated: “Bring the whole tithe into the storeroom,that there may be food in My house, and test Me now by this, said the Lord of hosts, if I will not open for you the windows of heaven, and pour out for you a blessing that there shall be more than sufficiency” (Malachi 3:10). bWhatis the meaning of the phrase: b“That there shall be more than sufficiency [ iad beli dai /i]”? Rami bar Ḥama said:It means that the abundance will be so great bthat your lips will be worn out [ iyivlu /i],similar to the word ibeli /i, bfrom saying enough [ idai /i].In other words, even when a blessing is delivered in gross excess, one should not pray for it to cease, as the verse blesses the people with an excess., bRami bar Rav Yud said:This is true in Eretz Yisrael, but in the Diaspora, i.e., Babylonia, bthey do sound the alarm overexcessive rain. The reason is that Babylonia is in a low-lying region, where excessive rain poses a real danger. bThatopinion bis also taughtin a ibaraita /i: In ba year whose rains are abundant, the members of the priestly watchin the Temple bwould senda message bto the members of the non-priestly watch: Cast your eyes on your brothers in the Diasporaand have them in mind when you pray, so bthat their housesshould not collapse from excessive rain and bbecome their graves. /b, bThey asked Rabbi Eliezer: How much rain must falluntil btheyshould bpray that it should not fallanymore? bHe said to themby way of exaggeration: Enough rain must fall bso that a person stands atthe colossal cliff bKeren Ophel and dips his feet in water.The Gemara asks: bBut isn’t it taughtin a ibaraitathat Rabbi Eliezer said he must be able to place bhis handsin water? Rabbi Eliezer could answer: When bI said to youthat he must be able to place bhis feet,I meant blike his hands,i.e., the water must be high enough that he can dip both his hands and feet into the water with ease.,With regard to the height of this great cliff, bRabba bar bar Ḥana said: Ipersonally bsaw Keren Ophel,and when I peered down I saw bthat an Arab was positioned below,and bwhile riding a camel andholding ba spear in his hand, he looked like a worm [ iiniva /i]. /b, bThe Sages taught: “Then I will give your rains in their season”(Leviticus 26:4). This means that the earth will be bneither drunk nor thirsty; rather, a moderateamount of rain will fall. bFor as long as the rains are abundant, they muddythe soil of bthe land, and it does not give outits bproduce. Alternatively, /b |
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54. Eusebius of Caesarea, Ecclesiastical History, 4.22.7 (3rd cent. CE - 4th cent. CE)
| 4.22.7. And he wrote of many other matters, which we have in part already mentioned, introducing the accounts in their appropriate places. And from the Syriac Gospel according to the Hebrews he quotes some passages in the Hebrew tongue, showing that he was a convert from the Hebrews, and he mentions other matters as taken from the unwritten tradition of the Jews. |
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55. Origen, Against Celsus, 8.17 (3rd cent. CE - 3rd cent. CE)
| 8.17. Celsus then proceeds to say that we shrink from raising altars, statues, and temples; and this, he thinks, has been agreed upon among us as the badge or distinctive mark of a secret and forbidden society. He does not perceive that we regard the spirit of every good man as an altar from which arises an incense which is truly and spiritually sweet-smelling, namely, the prayers ascending from a pure conscience. Therefore it is said by John in the Revelation, The odours are the prayers of saints; and by the Psalmist, Let my prayer come up before You as incense. And the statues and gifts which are fit offerings to God are the work of no common mechanics, but are wrought and fashioned in us by the Word of God, to wit, the virtues in which we imitate the First-born of all creation, who has set us an example of justice, of temperance, of courage, of wisdom, of piety, and of the other virtues. In all those, then, who plant and cultivate within their souls, according to the divine word, temperance, justice, wisdom, piety, and other virtues, these excellences are their statues they raise, in which we are persuaded that it is becoming for us to honour the model and prototype of all statues: the image of the invisible God, God the Only-begotten. And again, they who put off the old man with his deeds, and put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of Him that has created him, in taking upon them the image of Him who has created them, do raise within themselves a statue like to what the Most High God Himself desires. And as among statuaries there are some who are marvellously perfect in their art, as for example Pheidias and Polycleitus, and among painters, Zeuxis and Apelles, while others make inferior statues, and others, again, are inferior to the second-rate artists - so that, taking all together, there is a wide difference in the execution of statues and pictures - in the same way there are some who form images of the Most High in a better manner and with a more perfect skill; so that there is no comparison even between the Olympian Jupiter of Pheidias and the man who has been fashioned according to the image of God the Creator. But by far the most excellent of all these throughout the whole creation is that image in our Saviour who said, My Father is in Me. |
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56. Anon., Letter of Aristeas, 96, 95
| 95. the sacrifices. The most complete silence reigns so that one might imagine that there was not a single person present, though there are actually seven hundred men engaged in the work, besides the vast number of those who are occupied in bringing up the sacrifices. Everything is carried out with |
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