1. Hebrew Bible, Deuteronomy, 33.4 (9th cent. BCE - 3rd cent. BCE)
| 33.4. תּוֹרָה צִוָּה־לָנוּ מֹשֶׁה מוֹרָשָׁה קְהִלַּת יַעֲקֹב׃ | 33.4. Moses commanded us a law, An inheritance of the congregation of Jacob." |
|
2. Anon., Jubilees, 41.25-41.26 (2nd cent. BCE - 2nd cent. BCE)
| 41.25. and he began to lament and to supplicate before the Lord because of his transgression.<>br>And we told him in a dream that it was forgiven him because he supplicated earnestly, and lamented, and did not again commit it. 41.26. And he received forgiveness because he turned from his sin and from his ignorance, for he transgressed greatly before our God; |
|
3. Mishnah, Hagigah, 1.8 (1st cent. CE - 3rd cent. CE)
| 1.8. [The laws concerning] the dissolution of vows hover in the air and have nothing to rest on. The laws concerning Shabbat, hagigot, and trespassing are as mountains hanging by a hair, for they have scant scriptural basis but many halakhot. [The laws concerning] civil cases and [Temple] worship, purity and impurity, and the forbidden relations have what to rest on, and they that are the essentials of the Torah." |
|
4. Mishnah, Niddah, 8.3 (1st cent. CE - 3rd cent. CE)
| 8.3. It happened that a woman came in front of Rabbi Akiva and said. She said to him: I have seen a bloodstain. He said to her: Perhaps you had a wound? She said to him: Yes, but it has healed. He said to her: Perhaps it could have opened again and let out some blood.\" She said to him: Yes. And Rabbi Akiva declared her clean. He saw his disciples looked at each other in astonishment. He said to them: Why do you find this difficult, for the sages did not say this rule in order to be stringent but rather to be lenient, for it is said, \"And if a woman have issue, and her issue in her flesh be blood\" blood but not a bloodstain." |
|
5. Mishnah, Taanit, 3.9 (1st cent. CE - 3rd cent. CE)
| 3.9. If while they are fasting rain falls: If before sunrise they do not complete the fast, If after sunrise, they do complete the fast. Rabbi Eliezer says: if before noon they do not complete the fast, if after noon they do complete it. It happened that the rabbis decreed a fast in Lod and rain fell before noon. Rabbi Tarfon said to them: go, eat and drink and make a holiday. They went and ate and drank and observed the day as a holiday and at evening time they came and recited the Hallel Hagadol." |
|
6. Mishnah, Yadayim, 3.1 (1st cent. CE - 3rd cent. CE)
| 3.1. If a person puts his hands inside a house with scale disease, his hands have first degree uncleanness, the words of Rabbi Akiba. But the sages say: his hands have second degree uncleanness. Whoever defiles garments: at the time when he touches [the uncleanness], he defiles hands so that they have first degree uncleanness, the words of Rabbi Akiba. But the sages say: such that they have second degree of uncleanness. They said to Rabbi Akiba: where do we find anywhere that hands have first degree uncleanness? He said to them: but how is it possible for them to become unclean with first degree uncleanness without his whole body becoming unclean? Only in these cases [can they have first degree uncleanness]. Foods and vessels which have been defiled by liquids convey second degree of uncleanness to the hands, the words of Rabbi Joshua. But the sages say: that which has been defiled by a father of uncleanness conveys uncleanness to the hands, but that which has been defiled by an offspring of uncleanness does not defiled the hands. Rabban Shimon ben Gamaliel said: it happened that a certain woman came before my father and said to him, \"My hands went into the air-space inside an earthenware vessel.\" He said to her: \"My daughter, what was the cause of its uncleanness?\" But I did not hear what she said to him. The sages said: the matter is clear that which has been defiled by a father of uncleanness conveys uncleanness to the hands, but that which has been rendered unclean by an offspring of uncleanness does not defiled the hands." |
|
7. Anon., Leviticus Rabba, 9.3 (2nd cent. CE - 5th cent. CE)
| 9.3. דָּבָר אַחֵר, וְשָׂם דֶּרֶךְ, אָמַר רַבִּי יַנַּאי וְשָׁם כְּתִיב דְּשָׁיֵם אָרְחֵיהּ, סַגֵּי שָׁוֵי, מַעֲשֶׂה בְּרַבִּי יַנַּאי שֶׁהָיָה מְהַלֵּךְ בַּדֶּרֶךְ וְרָאָה אָדָם אֶחָד שֶׁהָיָה מְשֻׁפַּע בְּיוֹתֵר, אֲמַר לֵיהּ מַשְׁגַּח רַבִּי מִתְקַבְּלָא גַבָּן, אֲמַר לוֹ אִין, הִכְנִיסוֹ לְבֵיתוֹ הֶאֱכִילוֹ וְהִשְׁקָהוּ, בְּדָקוֹ בְּמִקְרָא וְלֹא מְצָאוֹ, בְּמִשְׁנָה וְלֹא מְצָאוֹ, בְּאַגָּדָה וְלֹא מְצָאוֹ, בְּתַלְמוּד וְלֹא מְצָאוֹ, אֲמַר לֵיהּ סַב בְּרִיךְ, אֲמַר לֵיהּ יְבָרֵךְ יַנַּאי בְּבֵיתֵיהּ, אֲמַר לֵיהּ אִית בָּךְ אֲמַר מַה דַּאֲנָא אֲמַר לָךְ, אֲמַר לֵיהּ אִין, אֲמַר לֵיהּ אֱמֹר אָכוֹל כַּלְבָּא פִּיסְתְּיָא דְּיַנַּאי, קָם תַּפְסֵיהּ אֲמַר לֵיהּ יְרוּתָתִי גַבָּךְ דְּאַתְּ מוֹנֵעַ לִי, אֲמַר לֵיהּ וּמַה יַרְתּוּתָךְ גַבִּי, אֲמַר לֵיהּ חַד זְמַן הֲוֵינָא עָבַר קַמֵּי בֵּית סִפְרָא, וּשְׁמָעִית קָלְהוֹן דְּמֵנִיקַיָא אָמְרִין (דברים לג, ד): תּוֹרָה צִוָּה לָנוּ משֶׁה מוֹרָשָׁה קְהִלַּת יַעֲקֹב, מוֹרָשָׁה קְהִלַּת יַנַּאי אֵין כְּתִיב כָּאן אֶלָּא קְהִלַּת יַעֲקֹב. אֲמַר לֵיהּ לָמָּה זָכִיתָ לְמֵיכְלָא עַל פְּתוֹרִי, אֲמַר לוֹ מִיּוֹמַי לָא שְׁמָעִית מִילָא בִּישָׁא וְחִזַּרְתִּי לְמָרַהּ, וְלָא חָמֵית תְּרֵין דְּמִתְכַּתְּשִׁין דֵּין עִם דֵּין וְלָא יְהַבִית שְׁלָמָא בֵּינֵיהוֹן. אֲמַר לֵיהּ כָּל הֲדָא דֶּרֶךְ אֶרֶץ גַּבָּךְ וְקָרִיתָךְ כַּלְבָּא, קָרָא עֲלֵיהּ שָׁם דֶּרֶךְ, דְּשָׁיֵם אָרְחֵיהּ סַגֵּי שָׁוֵי, דְּאָמַר רַבִּי יִשְׁמָעֵאל בַּר רַב נַחְמָן עֶשְׂרִים וְשִׁשָּׁה דוֹרוֹת קָדְמָה דֶּרֶךְ אֶרֶץ אֶת הַתּוֹרָה, הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב (בראשית ג, כד): לִשְׁמֹר אֶת דֶּרֶךְ עֵץ הַחַיִּים, דֶּרֶךְ, זוֹ דֶּרֶךְ אֶרֶץ, וְאַחַר כָּךְ עֵץ הַחַיִּים, זוֹ תּוֹרָה. אַרְאֶנּוּ בְּיֵשַׁע אֱלֹהִים, אָמַר רַבִּי אַבָּהוּ זֶה אֶחָד מִן הַמִּקְרָאוֹת שֶׁיְשׁוּעָתוֹ שֶׁל הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא יְשׁוּעָתָן שֶׁל יִשְׂרָאֵל (תהלים פ, ג): וּלְכָה לִישֻׁעָתָה לָּנוּ. | 9.3. Another opinion regarding the verse (Ps. 50:23) “And there is a path, I will show him the salvation of God”- Rabbi Yanai said: the it is written the one who puts a path[with a sin and not a shin], meaning that two ways are similar [in bringing one to salvation] Rabbi Yannai was once walking along the road, and saw a man who was extremely well dressed. Rabbi Yannai said to him: Would you like to come over to my house? The man replied: Yes. Rabbi Yannai brought him into his home, and gave him food and drink. As they were eating and drinking together, he examined him in his knowledge of Bible, and found out that he had none; examined his knowledge of Mishnah, and realized that he had none; his knowledge of legends, and saw that he had none; his knowledge of Talmud and saw he had none. Rabbi Yannai then told him: Wash and recite grace. Said the guest: Let Yannai recite grace in his own home. Seeing that he could not even recite a blessing, Yannai told him: Can you at least repeat what I say? Said he: Yes. Said Rabbi Yannai: repeat the following: 'A dog has eaten Yannai's bread.' offended, the man stood up, and grabbed Rabbi Yannai by the coat! He then said: My inheritance is with you, and you are withholding it from me! Said Rabbi Yannai with puzzlement: What legacy of yours is there with me? He replied: Once I passed by a school, and I heard the voices of the little children saying: 'Moses gave us the Torah, the inheritance of the congregation of Jacob.' They did not say 'the inheritance of the congregation of Yannai,' but the 'congregation of Jacob.' Rabbi Yannai asked, “How then are you worthy to eat at my table?” The guest replied, “Never have I heard an evil word spoken against me and returned to argue with the person who spoke it. Never have I seen two people arguing without making peace between them.” Rabbi Yannai then said, “you have so much Derech Eretz and I called you a dog.” On him rabbi Yanai said the verse “And there is a path” – meaning not one, but two paths take you to salvation – since rabbi Ishmael son of rav Nachman said: Derech eretz precedes Torah by 26 generations, since it is written “and to guard the way to the Tree of Life” (Genesis 3). “Way” is the derech eretz, and only after that comes “Tree of Life” which is Torah. [Back to the verse in question, Ps 50:23] I will show him the salvation of God, said rabbi Abahu: this is one of the sources for the idea that God’s salvation is Israel’s salvation (Ps. 80:3) “and come and save us”" |
|
8. Babylonian Talmud, Hulin, None (3rd cent. CE - 6th cent. CE)
| 106a. חזנהו דקא שדו מיא מפומא דחצבא אמר אי הוה ידענא דרגיליתו למיעבד הכי לא איעכבי,כי אתא רב דימי אמר מים הראשונים האכילו בשר חזיר,אחרונים הוציאו את האשה מבעלה,כי אתא רבין אמר ראשונים האכילו בשר נבלה אחרונים הרגו את הנפש אמר רב נחמן בר יצחק וסימניך אתא רב דימי אפקה אתא רבין קטלה,ר' אבא מתני חדא מהני וחדא מהני לחומרא,איתמר חמי האור חזקיה אמר אין נוטלים מהן לידים ורבי יוחנן אמר נוטלין מהם לידים אמר רבי יוחנן שאלתי את רבן גמליאל בנו של רבי ואוכל טהרות ואמר לי כל גדולי גליל עושין כן,חמי טבריא חזקיה אמר אין נוטלין מהם לידים אבל מטבילין בהן הידים ורבי יוחנן אמר כל גופו טובל בהן אבל לא פניו ידיו ורגליו,השתא כל גופו טובל בהם פניו ידיו ורגליו לא כ"ש אמר רב פפא במקומן דכולי עלמא לא פליגי דשרי משקל מינייהו במנא דכ"ע לא פליגי דאסיר כי פליגי דפסקינהו בבת בירתא מר סבר גזרינן בת בירתא אטו מנא ומר סבר לא גזרינן,כתנאי מים שנפסלו משתיית בהמה בכלים פסולים בקרקע כשרין רבי שמעון בן אלעזר אומר אף בקרקע טובל בהן כל גופו אבל לא פניו ידיו ורגליו,השתא כל גופו טובל בהן ידיו ורגליו לא כ"ש אלא לאו דפסקינהו בבת בירתא ובהא פליגי דמר סבר גזרינן בת בירתא אטו מנא ומר סבר לא גזרינן,אמר רב אידי בר אבין אמר רב יצחק בר אשיאן נטילת ידים לחולין מפני סרך תרומה,ועוד משום מצוה מאי מצוה אמר אביי מצוה לשמוע דברי חכמים רבא אמר מצוה לשמוע דברי ר"א בן ערך דכתיב (ויקרא טו, יא) וכל אשר יגע בו הזב וידיו לא שטף במים אמר ר"א בן ערך מכאן סמכו חכמים לנטילת ידים מן התורה,אמר ליה רבא לרב נחמן מאי משמע דכתיב וידיו לא שטף במים הא שטף טהור הא טבילה בעי אלא הכי קאמר ואחר שלא שטף טמא,אמר ר' אלעזר אמר רבי אושעיא לא אמרו נטילת ידים לפירות אלא משום נקיות סבור מינה חובה הוא דליכא הא מצוה איכא אמר להו רבא לא חובה ולא מצוה אלא רשות ופליגא דרב נחמן דאמר רב נחמן הנוטל ידיו לפירות אינו אלא מגסי הרוח,אמר רבה בר בר חנה הוה קאימנא קמיה דרבי אמי ורבי אסי אייתו לקמייהו כלכלה דפירי ואכלו ולא משו ידייהו ולא יהבו לי מידי ובריך חד חד לחודיה שמע מינה תלת שמע מינה אין נטילת ידים לפירות וש"מ אין מזמנין על הפירות ושמע מינה שנים שאכלו מצוה ליחלק,תניא נמי הכי שנים שאכלו מצוה ליחלק במה דברים אמורים שהיו שניהם סופרים אבל אחד סופר ואחד בור סופר מברך ובור יוצא,תנו רבנן נטילת ידים לחולין עד הפרק לתרומה | 106a. the demon bsawthe members of Rav Pappa’s household bpouring water from the mouth of the pitcherbefore drinking from it. The demon bsaidto them: bIf I had known that you regularly do this, I would not have delayed.I would have brought the water straight from the river, knowing you would pour out the foul waters.,§ bWhen Rav Dimi camefrom Eretz Yisrael bhe said:Due to the failure to wash with bthe first waters,they ultimately bfeda Jew bpig meat.This case involved a storekeeper who would sell different meat to his Jewish and gentile customers. When a Jew who came to eat with him neglected to wash before eating, the storekeeper assumed he was a gentile and fed him pig meat.,And due to the failure to wash with bfinalwaters ba womanwas ultimately bdivorced from her husband.In this incident, a host who had stolen his guests’ money had lentils on his mustache from a previous meal because he had not washed his hands and mouth after eating. Realizing he had eaten lentils that day, his victims approached the man’s wife and said that her husband had instructed them to tell her to return their money. They then claimed that the man told them to tell her that he had eaten lentils that day as proof that they were telling the truth. They thereby fooled his wife into thinking he wanted her to give their money back. Out of anger, the host divorced his wife., bWhen Ravin camefrom Eretz Yisrael bhe saidthe statement slightly differently: Due to the failure to wash with bfirstwaters, they bfeda Jew meat from ban animal carcass,and the failure to wash with bfinalwaters bkilled a person,as in the second incident the host was so angry with his wife that he killed her. bRav Naḥman bar Yitzḥak said: And your mnemonicto remember which Sage said which version is: bRav Dimi cameand bdivorced herfrom her husband, i.e., according to his version she was divorced, and bRavin cameand bkilled her,since in his version the husband killed his wife., bRabbi Abba would teach one of theseversions involving first waters band one of themwith regard to final waters, and in both cases he taught bthe more severeversion, i.e., he specified the meat of a pig and that the husband killed his wife.,A disagreement bwas statedwith regard to bwater heated by fire: Ḥizkiyya saysthat bone may not washhis bhands withsuch water, band Rabbi Yoḥa saysthat bone may washhis bhands with it. Rabbi Yoḥa said: I asked Rabban Gamliel, son of RabbiYehuda HaNasi, about this ihalakha /i, bandhe was one who would beatonly in a state of britual purityand was therefore careful about washing his hands; band he said to methat ball the great men of the Galilee would do so,i.e., wash their hands in heated water.,Likewise, with regard to bthe hot springs of Tiberias, Ḥizkiyya saysthat bone may not washhis bhands withwater from them before eating, bbutif there are forty ise’a /i, the requisite size of a ritual bath, then bone may immerse the handsdirectly bin them,and this is effective for the ritual of washing the hands before a meal. bAnd Rabbi Yoḥa saysthat an impure person bmay immerse his entire body insuch water to become pure, bbutone may still bnotuse it for the immersion of part of his body, such as bhis face, hands, and feet,as this immersion is not considered equivalent to washing the hands.,The Gemara asks: bNowthat it has been said that one bmay immerse his entire body inthe hot springs of Tiberias, is it bnot all the more sopermitted for bhis face, hands, and feet? Rav Pappa said:When the water in the hot springs stands bin place, everyone,both Ḥizkiyya and Rabbi Yoḥa, bagrees that it is permittedto immerse one’s hands in it. Likewise, beveryone agrees thatto btake fromthese waters bin a vesseland wash one’s hands from it bis prohibited. They disagree when one drawsthe waters bthrough a ditch.One bSage,Rabbi Yoḥa, bholdsthat bwe decreeagainst the use of bditchwater bdue tothe concern that one might come to use water in ba vessel, andone bSage,Ḥizkiyya, bholdsthat bwe do not decreeagainst it.,The Gemara comments: This dispute is blikea dispute between itanna’im /i,as it was taught: When bwater that has ceased to be fit for drinkingeven bby an animalis bin vessels,it is bunfitfor washing the hands, but when it is bin the groundit is bfitfor immersion, like a ritual bath. bRabbi Shimon ben Elazar says: Evenwhen the water is bin the ground,one bmay immerse his entire body in it, buthe may bnotimmerse bhis face, hands, and feet. /b,As above, one might ask: bNowthat one bmay immerse his entire body inthe water, is it bnot all the more sothe case that one may immerse bhis hands and feetin it? bRather,must it bnotbe referring to a case bwhen one drawsthe waters bthrough a ditch? Andif so, bthey disagree about this:One bSage,Rabbi Shimon ben Elazar, bholdsthat bwe decreeagainst the use of bditchwater bdue toconcern that one may come to use ba vessel, andone bSage,the first itannaof that ibaraita /i, bholdsthat bwe do not decreeagainst it.,§ bRav Idi bar Avin saysthat bRav Yitzḥak bar Ashiyan says:The obligation of bwashing handsbefore eating bnon-sacredfood is bdue to an ancillarydecree on account of iteruma /i,the portion of produce designated for the priest, which must be consumed in a state of ritual purity. By rabbinic decree, one’s hands are considered impure with second-degree ritual impurity, as they may have touched impure items. Therefore, they render iterumaimpure. Consequently, priests who partake of iterumaare obligated to wash their hands first. The Sages therefore decreed that all must wash their hands even before eating non-sacred food, so that people not become accustomed to eating without washing their hands, which would in turn lead the priests to partake of iterumawithout washing their hands., bAndthe obligation is bfurther due toits being ba mitzva.The Gemara asks: bWhat mitzvadoes it involve? bAbaye says:It is ba mitzva to listen toand obey bthe statements of the Sages,who instituted this washing of the hands. bRava says:It is ba mitzva to listen to the statement of Rabbi Elazar ben Arakh, as it is writtenwith regard to a man who experiences a gonorrhea-like discharge [ izav /i]: b“And whomever he that has the issue touches, without having rinsed his hands in water,”he contracts ritual impurity (Leviticus 15:11), and bRabbi Elazar ben Arakh says: From here the Sages based washing of the handsupon a verse bfrom the Torah. /b, bRava said to Rav Naḥman: From whereis this binferred?How can this verse, which concerns a izav /i, be interpreted as referring to washing the hands before a meal? Rava explains: bAs it is written: “Without having rinsed his hands in water.” Consequently,one could infer that if he brinsedhis hands the izavbecomes britually pure. Butthis cannot be correct, as verses elsewhere prove that a izav brequiresthe bimmersionof his entire body. bRather, thisis what the verse bis saying: Andthere is banothertype of person bwho,if he bhas not rinsedhis hands in water, is considered like one who is bimpure.The verse thereby serves as the basis for washing the hands., bRabbi Elazar saysthat bRabbi Oshaya says:The Sages bsaidthat bwashing of the handsbefore eating bfruitis mandatory bonly due to cleanliness.The Gemara comments: bThey understood from thisstatement that bthere is notrue bobligationto wash the hands before eating fruit, bbut there is a mitzvato do so. bRava said to them:This practice is bnot an obligation nor a mitzva, butmerely boptional. Andthe Gemara notes that Rava bdisagrees with Rav Naḥmanin this regard, bas Rav Naḥman said: One who washes his handsbefore eating bfruit is nothing other thanone bof the arrogant,i.e., it is actually prohibited to do so., bRabba bar bar Ḥana said: I was standing before Rabbi Ami and Rabbi Asiwhen attendants bbrought a basket of fruit before them, and they ate and did not wash their hands. And they did not give me anythingto eat, to enable me to join the izimmun /i, the quorum required for communal Grace after Meals, band they each recited a blessingafter eating, bseparately.One may blearn three ihalakhot bfromthis incident. bLearn from itthat bthere is no washing of the handsbefore bfruit. And learn from itthat bone does not issue a izimmunon fruit,i.e., the ihalakhathat when three people eat together, one leads the Grace after Meals does not apply when they ate fruit. bAndfinally, blearn from itthat if only btwopeople bate,it is ba mitzvafor them bto separate,i.e., each should recite the blessing after eating for himself.,The Gemara notes: bThis ihalakha bis also taughtin a ibaraita /i: If only btwoindividuals bate,it is ba mitzvafor them bto separate. In whatcase bis this statement said?It is said bwhen they were both scribes,i.e., Torah scholars, who know how to recite Grace after Meals properly. bButif boneof them was ba scribe and onewas ban ignoramus,the bscribe recites Graceafter Meals bandthe bignoramus fulfillshis obligation by listening to the scribe., bThe Sages taughtin a ibaraita /i: In bwashing of the hands forconsumption of bnon-sacredfood, one must pour the water on the area that extends buntil the jointof the fingers. In washing hands bforconsumption of iteruma /i, /b |
|
9. Babylonian Talmud, Sanhedrin, None (3rd cent. CE - 6th cent. CE)
| 104b. א"ל אחד מהם לחבירו גמל שמהלכת לפנינו סומא באחת מעיניה וטעונה שתי נודות אחת של יין ואחת של שמן ושני בני אדם המנהיגים אותה אחד ישראל ואחד נכרי אמר להן [שבאי] עם קשה עורף מאין אתם יודעין,אמרו לו גמל מעשבים שלפניה מצד שרואה אוכלת מצד שאינה רואה אינה אוכלת וטעונה שתי נודות אחת של יין ואחת של שמן של יין מטפטף ושוקע ושל שמן מטפטף וצף ושני בני אדם המנהיגים אותה אחד נכרי ואחד ישראל נכרי נפנה לדרך וישראל נפנה לצדדין,רדף אחריהם ומצא כדבריהם בא ונשקן על ראשן והביאן לביתן ועשה להן סעודה גדולה והיה מרקד לפניהם ואמר ברוך שבחר בזרעו של אברהם ונתן להם מחכמתו ובכל מקום שהן הולכים נעשין שרים לאדוניהם ופטרן [והלכו] לבתיהם לשלום,(איכה א, ב) בכה תבכה בלילה שתי בכיות הללו למה אמר רבה אמר רבי יוחנן אחד על מקדש ראשון ואחד על מקדש שני בלילה על עסקי לילה שנאמר (במדבר יד, א) ותשא כל העדה ויתנו את קולם ויבכו העם בלילה ההוא,אמר רבה א"ר יוחנן אותו (היום) ליל ט' באב היה אמר להן הקב"ה לישראל אתם בכיתם בכיה של חנם ואני אקבע לכם בכיה לדורות,ד"א בלילה שכל הבוכה בלילה קולו נשמע ד"א בלילה שכל הבוכה בלילה כוכבים ומזלות בוכין עמו ד"א בלילה שכל הבוכה בלילה השומע קולו בוכה כנגדו מעשה באשה אחת שכנתו של רבן גמליאל שמת בנה והיתה בוכה עליו בלילה שמע רבן גמליאל קולה ובכה כנגדה עד שנשרו ריסי עיניו למחר הכירו בו תלמידיו והוציאוה משכונתו,(איכה א, ב) ודמעתה על לחיה אמר רבא אמר ר' יוחנן כאשה שבוכה על בעל נעוריה שנאמר (יואל א, ח) אלי כבתולה חגורת שק על בעל נעוריה (איכה א, ה) היו צריה לראש אמר רבא אמר רבי יוחנן כל המיצר לישראל נעשה ראש שנאמר (ישעיהו ח, כג) כי לא מועף לאשר מוצק לה כעת הראשון הקל ארצה זבולון וארצה נפתלי והאחרון הכביד דרך הים עבר הירדן גליל הגוים אמר רבא אמר ר' יוחנן כל המציק לישראל אינו עיף,(איכה א, יב) לא אליכם כל עוברי דרך אמר רבא אמר ר' יוחנן מכאן לקובלנא מן התורה כל עוברי דרך אמר רב עמרם אמר רב עשאוני כעוברי על דת דאילו בסדום כתיב (בראשית יט, כד) וה' המטיר על סדום ואילו בירושלים כתיב (איכה א, יג) ממרום שלח אש בעצמותי וירדנה וגו' וכתיב (איכה ד, ו) ויגדל עון בת עמי מחטאת סדום,וכי משוא פנים יש בדבר אמר רבא אמר ר' יוחנן מדה יתירה היתה בירושלים שלא היתה בסדום דאילו בסדום כתיב (יחזקאל טז, מט) הנה זה היה עון סדום אחותך גאון שבעת לחם ויד עני ואביון לא החזיקה וגו' ואילו בירושלים כתיב (איכה ד, י) ידי נשים רחמניות בשלו ילדיהן,(איכה א, טו) סלה כל אבירי ה' בקרבי כאדם שאומר לחברו נפסלה מטבע זו,(איכה ב, טז) פצו עליך פיהם אמר רבא אמר רבי יוחנן בשביל מה הקדים פ"א לעי"ן בשביל מרגלים שאמרו בפיהם מה שלא ראו בעיניהם,(תהלים יד, ד) אוכלי עמי אכלו לחם ה' לא קראו אמר רבא אמר ר' יוחנן כל האוכל מלחמן של ישראל טועם טעם לחם ושאינו אוכל מלחמן של ישראל אינו טועם טעם לחם ה' לא קראו רב אמר אלו הדיינין ושמואל אמר אלו מלמדי תינוקות,מי מנאן אמר רב אשי אנשי כנסת הגדולה מנאום אמר רב יהודה אמר רב בקשו עוד למנות אחד באה דמות דיוקנו של אביו ונשטחה לפניהם ולא השגיחו עליה באה אש מן השמים ולחכה אש בספסליהם ולא השגיחו עליה,יצאה בת קול ואמרה להם (משלי כב, כט) חזית איש מהיר במלאכתו לפני מלכים יתיצב בל יתיצב לפני חשוכים מי שהקדים ביתי לביתו ולא עוד אלא שביתי בנה בשבע שנים וביתו בנה בשלש עשרה שנה לפני מלכים יתיצב [בל יתיצב] לפני חשוכים ולא השגיח עליה יצאה בת קול ואמרה (איוב לד, לג) המעמך ישלמנה כי מאסת כי אתה תבחר ולא אני וגו',דורשי רשומות היו אומרים כולן באין לעולם הבא שנאמר (תהלים ס, ט) לי גלעד ולי מנשה ואפרים מעוז ראשי יהודה מחוקקי מואב סיר רחצי על אדום אשליך נעלי עלי פלשת התרועעי לי גלעד (ולי מנשה) זה אחאב שנפל ברמות גלעד מנשה כמשמעו אפרים מעוז ראשי זה ירבעם דקאתי מאפרים יהודה מחוקקי זה אחיתופל | 104b. bOne ofthe captives bsaid to the other:The bcamel that is walking ahead of us is blind in one of its eyes and ladenwith btwo wineskins, onefilled bwith wine and onefilled bwith oil. And two people are drivingthe camel, bone a Jew and one a gentile. The captor said to them: Stiff-necked people, from where do you knowthese matters that you cannot see?, bThey said to him:We know that the bcamelis blind bfrom the grass that is before it,as bfromthe grass on bthe side that it sees, it eats,and bfromthe grass on bthe side that it does not see, it does not eat,i.e., it eats grass from only one side. bAndwe know that bit is ladenwith btwo wineskins, onefilled bwith wine and onefilled bwith oil,as bwine drips and sinks intothe ground band oil drips and floatson the surface, and we see the difference on the ground. bAndwe know that btwo people are drivingthe camel, bone a Jew and one a gentile,as bthe gentile defecates on the road and the Jew,in the interests of modesty, goes bto the sidesof the road to bdefecate. /b,The captor bpursuedthe camel and its drivers to determine whether the statements of the captives were accurate, band foundthat the reality was bin accordance with their statements. He came andrespectfully bkissed them on their head, and brought them to their house and prepared a great feast for them. And he was dancing before them and said: Blessedis He bwho chose the descendants of Abraham and granted of His wisdom to them, and in every place that they go they become princes to their lords. And he released them and they went to their houses in peace. /b,§ The Gemara returns to its interpretation of verses in Lamentations: b“She cries [ ibakho tivke /i] at night”(Lamentations 1:2). bThese two cries,indicated by the use of a compound verb, bwhyare they written? bRabba saysthat bRabbi Yoḥa says: Oneis a cry boverthe destruction of bthe First Temple, and oneis a cry boverthe destruction of bthe Second Temple,which was destined to be destroyed. The term b“at night”indicates that the crying is bover matters of night, as it is statedwith regard to the response of the Jewish people to the report of the spies after their return from the land of Canaan: b“And all the congregation lifted up their voice, and the people cried that night”(Numbers 14:1)., bRabba saysthat bRabbi Yoḥa says: That daythat they heard the spies’ report bwas the evening of the Ninth of Av. The Holy One, Blessed be He, said to the Jewish people: You cried an unwarranted cry, andso bI will establish for youa reason to bcry for generations. /b, bAlternatively,the term b“at night”indicates bthatwith regard to banyone who cries at night, his voice is hearddue to the ambient silence. bAlternatively,the term b“at night”indicates bthatin the case of banyone who cries at night, the stars and the constellations cry with him. Alternatively,the term b“at night”indicates bthatin the case of banyone who cries at night, one who hears his voiceis touched by his suffering and bcries with him.There was ban incident involving one woman, the neighbor of Rabban Gamliel, whose son died, and she would cry over hisdeath bat night. Rabban Gamliel heard her voice and cried with her until his eyelashes fellout. bThe next day his students noticed that hehad been crying, band they removedthe woman bfrom his neighborhoodso that Rabban Gamliel could sleep.,With regard to the verse: b“And her tears are on her cheeks”(Lamentations 1:2), bRava saysthat bRabbi Yoḥa says:This is blike a woman who cries over the husband of her youth, as it is stated: “Lament like a virgin girded with sackcloth for the husband of her youth”(Joel 1:8). With regard to the verse: b“Her adversaries have become the head”(Lamentations 1:5), bRava saysthat bRabbi Yoḥa says:This indicates that banyone who torments the Jewish people becomes a leader, as it is stated: “For there is no weariness to him that is set against her; at the first He lightly afflicted the land of Zebulun, and the land of Naphtali and afterward He afflicted her more grievously by the way of the sea, beyond the Jordan and the Galilee of the nations”(Isaiah 8:23). bRava saysthat bRabbi Yoḥa says:From this verse one derives that banyone who harasses Israel does notgrow bweary. /b,With regard to the verse: b“It is nothing to you, all you who pass by”(Lamentations 1:12), bRava saysthat bRabbi Yoḥa says: From herethere is a source bfrom the Torah for complaint,i.e., it is appropriate for one to make his suffering public so that others will have compassion for him. With regard to the phrase b“all you who pass by,” Rav Amram saysthat bRav saysthat it is as though Jerusalem said: bThey have rendered me likea city of bthose who violate themost fundamental bpreceptsof law and morality, bas, with regard to Sodom, it is written: “Then the Lord rained upon Sodombrimstone and fire from the Lord out of Heaven” (Genesis 19:24), bwhile with regard to Jerusalem, it is written: “From above He has sent fire into my bones, and it prevailsagainst them” (Lamentations 1:13). In both cities, fire rained down from Heaven. bAnd it is written: “For the iniquity of the daughter of my people is greater than the sin of Sodom”(Lamentations 4:6).,The Gemara asks: bAnd is there partiality in the matter?Why was Jerusalem not overturned like Sodom? bRava saysthat bRabbi Yoḥa says:It is because there bwas an additional measureof suffering bin Jerusalem that was not in Sodom, as with regard to Sodom it is written: “Behold this was the iniquity of your sister Sodom; pride, surfeit of breadand careless ease was in her and in her daughters; band yet she did not strengthen the hand of the poor and needy”(Ezekiel 16:49). The people of Sodom were not subject to the afflictions of hunger and famine. bWhereas, with regard to Jerusalem it is written: “The hands of compassionate women cooked their own children”(Lamentations 4:10). The residents of Jerusalem were punished with great severity.,The verse: b“The Lord has spurned all my mighty men in the midst of me”(Lamentations 1:15), means bthatthis is blike a person who says to another: This coin was invalidated.The prominent residents of Jerusalem were crushed and discredited, and their reputations were irreversibly tainted.,With regard to the verse: b“They have opened their mouths against you”(Lamentations 2:16), bRava saysthat bRabbi Yoḥa says: For whatreason did the prophet bprecedethe verse beginning with the letter ipehtothe verse beginning with the letter iayin /iin several chapters of Lamentations? Since ipehmeans mouth and iayinmeans eye, it is bforthe bspies who said with their mouths [ ibefihem /i] what they did not see with their eyes [ ibe’eineihem /i]. /b,With regard to the verse: b“The eaters of My people ate bread, and they call not upon the Lord”(Psalms 14:4), bRava saysthat bRabbi Yoḥa says: Anygentile thief bwho eats the bread of the Jewish people tastes the flavor of bread, and one who does not eat from the bread of the Jewish people does not taste the flavor of bread.Apparently they enjoy only what they steal from the Jewish people. With regard to the people referred to in the phrase b“And they call not upon the Lord,” Rav says: These are the judgeswho are not God-fearing, band Shmuel says: These are schoolteacherswho do not perform their job in the name of God.,§ The Gemara resumes its discussion of the kings and commoners enumerated in the mishna who have no share in the World-to-Come. The Gemara asks: bWho enumerated them? Rav Ashi says: The members of the Great Assembly enumerated them. Rav Yehuda saysthat bRav says: They sought to enumerate one more,King Solomon, in the list of kings with no share in the World-to-Come. bThe image of the face of his father,King David, bcame and prostrated itself before them,pleading to omit Solomon from the list, band they paid it no heed. A fire came from Heaven and the fire scorched their benches [ isafseleihem /i], and they paid it no heed. /b, bA Divine Voice emerged and said tothe members of the Great Assembly: b“Do you see a man diligent in his business? He shall stand before kings; he shall stand not before obscure men”(Proverbs 22:29). See the greatness of Solomon, bwho precededconstruction of bMy House,the Temple, btothe construction of bhis house. Moreover, My House he builtquickly, binjust bseven years, and his house he constructed in thirteen years.Therefore, b“he shall stand before kings; he shall stand not before obscure men,”and it is inappropriate to enumerate him among the wicked. bAnd they paid it no heed. A Divine Voice emerged and said: “Shall His recompense be as you will it? For you loathe it, so that you must choose, and not I?Therefore, speak what you know” (Job 34:33). Only God, and not the people, determines who has a share in the World-to-Come.,The Gemara adds: bThose who interpret the Torah metaphorically would say: All ofthose enumerated who have no share ultimately benter the World-to-Come, as it is stated: “Gilead is Mine, and Manasseh is Mine, and Ephraim also is the strength of My head; Judah is My scepter; Moab is My washing pot; over Edom I will cast My shoe; Philistia, cry aloud because of Me”(Psalms 60:9–10, and see 108:9–10). b“Gilead is Mine and Manasseh is Mine”; thisis referring to bAhab, who fell in Ramoth Gilead. “Manasseh”, in its plain meaning,is referring to King Manasseh. b“Ephraim also is the strength of My head”; thisis referring to bJeroboam, who comesfrom the tribe of bEphraim. “Judah is My scepter”; thisis referring to bAhithophel, /b |
|
