1. Hebrew Bible, Leviticus, 18.3 (9th cent. BCE - 3rd cent. BCE)
18.3. וּשְׁמַרְתֶּם אֶת־מִשְׁמַרְתִּי לְבִלְתִּי עֲשׂוֹת מֵחֻקּוֹת הַתּוֹעֵבֹת אֲשֶׁר נַעֲשׂוּ לִפְנֵיכֶם וְלֹא תִטַּמְּאוּ בָּהֶם אֲנִי יְהוָה אֱלֹהֵיכֶם׃ 18.3. כְּמַעֲשֵׂה אֶרֶץ־מִצְרַיִם אֲשֶׁר יְשַׁבְתֶּם־בָּהּ לֹא תַעֲשׂוּ וּכְמַעֲשֵׂה אֶרֶץ־כְּנַעַן אֲשֶׁר אֲנִי מֵבִיא אֶתְכֶם שָׁמָּה לֹא תַעֲשׂוּ וּבְחֻקֹּתֵיהֶם לֹא תֵלֵכוּ׃ | 18.3. After the doings of the land of Egypt, wherein ye dwelt, shall ye not do; and after the doings of the land of Canaan, whither I bring you, shall ye not do; neither shall ye walk in their statutes." |
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2. Hebrew Bible, Psalms, 1.1-1.2 (9th cent. BCE - 3rd cent. BCE)
1.1. אַשְׁרֵי־הָאִישׁ אֲשֶׁר לֹא הָלַךְ בַּעֲצַת רְשָׁעִים וּבְדֶרֶךְ חַטָּאִים לֹא עָמָד וּבְמוֹשַׁב לֵצִים לֹא יָשָׁב׃ 1.2. כִּי אִם בְּתוֹרַת יְהוָה חֶפְצוֹ וּבְתוֹרָתוֹ יֶהְגֶּה יוֹמָם וָלָיְלָה׃ | 1.1. HAPPY IS the man that hath not walked in the counsel of the wicked, Nor stood in the way of sinners, nor sat in the seat of the scornful." 1.2. But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in His law doth he meditate day and night." |
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3. Josephus Flavius, Jewish Antiquities, 15.267-15.290 (1st cent. CE - 1st cent. CE)
| 15.267. 1. On this account it was that Herod revolted from the laws of his country, and corrupted their ancient constitution, by the introduction of foreign practices, which constitution yet ought to have been preserved inviolable; by which means we became guilty of great wickedness afterward, while those religious observances which used to lead the multitude to piety were now neglected; 15.268. for, in the first place, he appointed solemn games to be celebrated every fifth year, in honor of Caesar, and built a theater at Jerusalem, as also a very great amphitheater in the plain. Both of them were indeed costly works, but opposite to the Jewish customs; for we have had no such shows delivered down to us as fit to be used or exhibited by us; 15.269. yet did he celebrate these games every five years, in the most solemn and splendid manner. He also made proclamation to the neighboring countries, and called men together out of every nation. The wrestlers also, and the rest of those that strove for the prizes in such games, were invited out of every land, both by the hopes of the rewards there to be bestowed, and by the glory of victory to be there gained. So the principal persons that were the most eminent in these sorts of exercises were gotten together 15.271. He also proposed no small rewards to those who ran for the prizes in chariot races, when they were drawn by two, or three, or four pair of horses. He also imitated every thing, though never so costly or magnificent, in other nations, out of an ambition that he might give most public demonstration of his grandeur. 15.272. Inscriptions also of the great actions of Caesar, and trophies of those nations which he had conquered in his wars, and all made of the purest gold and silver, encompassed the theater itself; 15.273. nor was there any thing that could be subservient to his design, whether it were precious garments, or precious stones set in order, which was not also exposed to sight in these games. He had also made a great preparation of wild beasts, and of lions themselves in great abundance, and of such other beasts as were either of uncommon strength, or of such a sort as were rarely seen. 15.274. These were prepared either to fight with one another, or that men who were condemned to death were to fight with them. And truly foreigners were greatly surprised and delighted at the vastness of the expenses here exhibited, and at the great dangers that were here seen; but to natural Jews, this was no better than a dissolution of those customs for which they had so great a veneration. 15.275. It appeared also no better than an instance of barefaced impiety, to throw men to wild beasts, for the affording delight to the spectators; and it appeared an instance of no less impiety, to change their own laws for such foreign exercises: 15.276. but, above all the rest, the trophies gave most distaste to the Jews; for as they imagined them to be images, included within the armor that hung round about them, they were sorely displeased at them, because it was not the custom of their country to pay honors to such images. 15.277. 2. Nor was Herod unacquainted with the disturbance they were under; and as he thought it unseasonable to use violence with them, so he spake to some of them by way of consolation, and in order to free them from that superstitious fear they were under; yet could not he satisfy them, but they cried out with one accord, out of their great uneasiness at the offenses they thought he had been guilty of, that although they should think of bearing all the rest yet would they never bear images of men in their city, meaning the trophies, because this was disagreeable to the laws of their country. 15.278. Now when Herod saw them in such a disorder, and that they would not easily change their resolution unless they received satisfaction in this point, he called to him the most eminent men among them, and brought them upon the theater, and showed them the trophies, and asked them what sort of things they took these trophies to be; 15.279. and when they cried out that they were the images of men, he gave order that they should be stripped of these outward ornaments which were about them, and showed them the naked pieces of wood; which pieces of wood, now without any ornament, became matter of great sport and laughter to them, because they had before always had the ornaments of images themselves in derision. 15.281. but still some of them continued in their displeasure against him, for his introduction of new customs, and esteemed the violation of the laws of their country as likely to be the origin of very great mischiefs to them, so that they deemed it an instance of piety rather to hazard themselves [to be put to death], than to seem as if they took no notice of Herod, who, upon the change he had made in their government, introduced such customs, and that in a violent manner, which they had never been used to before, as indeed in pretense a king, but in reality one that showed himself an enemy to their whole nation; 15.282. on which account ten men that were citizens [of Jerusalem] conspired together against him, and sware to one another to undergo any dangers in the attempt, and took daggers with them under their garments [for the purpose of killing Herod]. 15.283. Now there was a certain blind man among those conspirators who had thus sworn to one another, on account of the indignation he had against what he heard to have been done; he was not indeed able to afford the rest any assistance in the undertaking, but was ready to undergo any suffering with them, if so be they should come to any harm, insomuch that he became a very great encourager of the rest of the undertakers. 15.284. 4. When they had taken this resolution, and that by common consent, they went into the theater, hoping that, in the first place, Herod himself could not escape them, as they should fall upon him so unexpectedly; and supposing, however, that if they missed him, they should kill a great many of those that were about him; and this resolution they took, though they should die for it, in order to suggest to the king what injuries he had done to the multitude. These conspirators, therefore, standing thus prepared beforehand, went about their design with great alacrity; 15.285. but there was one of those spies of Herod, that were appointed for such purposes, to fish out and inform him of any conspiracies that should be made against him, who found out the whole affair, and told the king of it, as he was about to go into the theater. 15.286. So when he reflected on the hatred which he knew the greatest part of the people bore him, and on the disturbances that arose upon every occasion, he thought this plot against him not to be improbable. Accordingly, he retired into his palace, and called those that were accused of this conspiracy before him by their several names; 15.287. and as, upon the guards falling upon them, they were caught in the very fact, and knew they could not escape, they prepared themselves for their ends with all the decency they could, and so as not at all to recede from their resolute behavior 15.288. for they showed no shame for what they were about, nor denied it; but when they were seized, they showed their daggers, and professed that the conspiracy they had sworn to was a holy and pious action; that what they intended to do was not for gain, or out of any indulgence to their passions, but principally for those common customs of their country, which all the Jews were obliged to observe, or to die for them. 15.289. This was what these men said, out of their undaunted courage in this conspiracy. So they were led away to execution by the king’s guards that stood about them, and patiently underwent all the torments inflicted on them till they died. Nor was it long before that spy who had discovered them was seized on by some of the people, out of the hatred they bore to him; and was not only slain by them, but pulled to pieces, limb from limb, and given to the dogs. |
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4. Mishnah, Avodah Zarah, 1.7, 2.1, 4.4 (1st cent. CE - 3rd cent. CE)
| 1.7. One should not sell them bears, lions or anything which may injure the public. One should not join them in building a basilica, a scaffold, a stadium, or a platform. But one may join them in building public or private bathhouses. When however he reaches the cupola in which the idol is placed he must not build." 2.1. One should not place animals in inns of non-Jews, because they are suspected of bestiality. A woman should not be alone with them, because they are suspected of licentiousness; Nor should a man be alone with them, because they are suspected of shedding blood. A Jewish woman should not act as midwife to a non-Jewish woman, because she would be delivering a child for idolatry. But a non-Jewish woman may act as midwife to a Jewish woman. A Jewish woman should not suckle the child of a non-Jewish woman, But a non-Jewish woman may suckle the child of a Jewish woman in her premises." 4.4. The idol of an idolater is prohibited immediately; but if it belonged to a Jew it is not prohibited until it is worshipped. An idolater can annul an idol belonging to himself or to another idolater, but a Jew cannot annul the idol of an idolater. He who annuls an idol annuls the things that pertain to it. If he only annulled the things that pertain to it these are permitted but the idol itself is prohibited." |
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5. Tosefta, Avodah Zarah, 2.5-2.6, 3.3, 5.1 (1st cent. CE - 2nd cent. CE)
| 5.1. \"It's better for a person to live in Israel in a city inhabited mostly by idol worshippers/non-Jews, rather than outside the Land in a city that is completely Jewish. It's taught that living in Israel is equal to all the mitzvot of the Torah.\"" |
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6. Tosefta, Shabbat, 15.17 (1st cent. CE - 2nd cent. CE)
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7. Tosefta, Yevamot, 14.7 (1st cent. CE - 2nd cent. CE)
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8. Tosefta, Kippurim, 2.16 (1st cent. CE - 2nd cent. CE)
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9. Tosefta, Terumot, 2.13 (1st cent. CE - 2nd cent. CE)
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10. Anon., Genesis Rabba, 33.3 (2nd cent. CE - 5th cent. CE)
33.3. טוֹב ה' לַכֹּל וְרַחֲמָיו עַל כָּל מַעֲשָׂיו (תהלים קמה, ט), אָמַר רַבִּי לֵוִי טוֹב ה' לַכֹּל, עַל הַכֹּל, שֶׁהוּא מַעֲשָׂיו. אָמַר רַבִּי שְׁמוּאֵל טוֹב ה' לַכֹּל וְרַחֲמָיו עַל הַכֹּל שֶׁהֵן מִדּוֹתָיו הוּא מְרַחֵם. רַבִּי יְהוֹשֻׁעַ דְּסִכְנִין בְּשֵׁם רַבִּי לֵוִי אָמַר טוֹב ה' לַכֹּל, וּמֵרַחֲמָיו הוּא נוֹתֵן לִבְרִיּוֹתָיו. רַבִּי תַּנְחוּמָא וְרַבִּי אַבָּא בַּר אָבִין בְּשֵׁם רַב אַחָא לְמָחָר שְׁנַת בַּצֹּרֶת בָּאָה וְהַבְּרִיּוֹת מְרַחֲמִין אֵלּוּ עַל אֵלּוּ, וְהַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא מִתְמַלֵּא עֲלֵיהֶן רַחֲמִים. בְּיוֹמֵי דְּרַבִּי תַּנְחוּמָא הָיוּ צְרִיכִין יִשְׂרָאֵל לְתַעֲנִית, אָתוֹן לְגַבֵּיהּ אָמְרִין לֵיהּ רַבִּי גְּזָר תַּעֲנִיתָא, גָּזַר תַּעֲנִיתָא יוֹם קַדְמָאי יוֹם ב' יוֹם ג' וְלָא נְחַת מִטְרָא, עָאל וְדָרַשׁ לְהוֹן אֲמַר לְהוֹן בָּנַי הִתְמַלְּאוּ רַחֲמִים אֵלּוּ עַל אֵלּוּ וְהַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא מִתְמַלֵּא עֲלֵיכֶם רַחֲמִים. עַד שֶׁהֵן מְחַלְּקִין צְדָקָה לַעֲנִיֵּיהֶם רָאוּ אָדָם אֶחָד נוֹתֵן מָעוֹת לִגְרוּשָׁתוֹ, אָתוֹן לְגַבֵּיהּ וַאֲמַרוּ לֵיהּ, רַבִּי מָה אֲנַן יָתְבִין הָכָא וַעֲבֵרְתָּא הָכָא. אֲמַר לָהֶן מָה רְאִיתֶם, אָמְרוּ לוֹ רָאִינוּ אָדָם פְּלוֹנִי נוֹתֵן מָעוֹת לִגְרוּשָׁתוֹ, שְׁלַח בַּתְרֵיהוֹן וְאַיְיתִינוֹן לְגוֹ צִבּוּרָא. אָמַר לֵיהּ מָה הִיא לָךְ זוֹ, אָמַר לוֹ גְּרוּשָׁתִי הִיא. אָמַר לוֹ מִפְּנֵי מָה נָתַתָּ לָהּ מָעוֹת, אָמַר לוֹ רַבִּי רָאִיתִי אוֹתָהּ בְּצָרָה וְהִתְמַלֵּאתִי עָלֶיהָ רַחֲמִים. בְּאוֹתָהּ שָׁעָה הִגְבִּיהַּ רַבִּי תַּנְחוּמָא פָּנָיו כְּלַפֵּי מַעְלָה וְאָמַר רִבּוֹן כָּל הָעוֹלָמִים מָה אִם זֶה שֶׁאֵין לָהּ עָלָיו מְזוֹנוֹת רָאָה אוֹתָהּ בְּצָרָה וְנִתְמַלֵּא עָלֶיהָ רַחֲמִים, אַתָּה שֶׁכָּתוּב בְּךָ (תהלים קמה, ח): חַנּוּן וְרַחוּם, וְאָנוּ בְּנֵי יְדִידֶיךָ בְּנֵי אַבְרָהָם יִצְחָק וְיַעֲקֹב עַל אַחַת כַּמָּה וְכַמָּה שֶׁתִּתְמַלֵּא עָלֵינוּ רַחֲמִים, מִיָּד יָרְדוּ גְּשָׁמִים וְנִתְרַוָּה הָעוֹלָם. רַבֵּנוּ הֲוָה יָתֵיב לָעֵי בְּאוֹרַיְתָא קַמֵּי כְּנִשְׁתָּא דְּבַבְלָאי בְּצִפּוֹרִין, עֲבַר חַד עֵגֶל קוֹדָמוֹי, אָזֵל לְמִתְנְכָסָה וְשָׁרֵי גָּעֵי כְּמֵימַר שֵׁיזִבְנִי. אֲמַר לֵיהּ וּמָה אֲנִי יָכוֹל לְמֶעְבַּד לָךְ לְכָךְ נוֹצַרְתָּ, וְחָשַׁשׁ רַבִּי אֶת שִׁנָּיו שְׁלשׁ עֶשְׂרֵה שָׁנָה. אָמַר רַבִּי יוֹסֵי בַּר אָבִין כָּל אוֹתָן שְׁלשׁ עֶשְׂרֵה שָׁנָה שֶׁהָיָה חוֹשֵׁשׁ רַבִּי אֶת שִׁנָּיו, לֹא הִפִּילָה עֻבָּרָה בְּאֶרֶץ יִשְׂרָאֵל, וְלֹא נִצְטַעֲרוּ הַיּוֹלְדוֹת, בָּתַר יוֹמִין עֲבַר חַד שֶׁרֶץ קַמֵּי בְּרַתֵּיהּ וּבְעָא לְמִקְטְלָא, אֲמַר לָהּ בְּרַתִּי שַׁבְקֵיהּ, דִּכְתִיב: וְרַחֲמָיו עַל כָּל מַעֲשָׂיו. רַבֵּנוּ הֲוָה עִנְוָתָן סַגֵּי, וַהֲוָה אֲמַר כָּל מַה דְּיֹאמַר לִי בַּר נַשׁ אֲנָא עָבֵיד חוּץ מִמַּה שֶּׁעָשׂוּ בְּנֵי בְתֵירָא לִזְקֵנִי, שֶׁיָּרְדוּ מִגְדֻלָּתָן וְהֶעֱלוּ אוֹתוֹ, וְאִין סָלֵיק רַב הוּנָא רֵישׁ גָּלוּתָא לְהָכָא, אֲנָא קָאֵים לִי מִן קֳדָמוֹהִי, לָמָּה דְּהוּא מִן יְהוּדָה וַאֲנָא מִן בִּנְיָמִין, וְהוּא מִן דִּכְרַיָא דִּיהוּדָה וַאֲנָא מִן נֻקְבְתָא. אֲמַר לֵיהּ רַבִּי חִיָּא רַבָּה וַהֲרֵי הוּא עוֹמֵד בַּחוּץ, נִתְכַּרְכְּמוּ פָּנָיו שֶׁל רַבִּי וְכֵיוָן שֶׁרָאָה שֶׁנִּתְכַּרְכְּמוּ פָּנָיו אָמַר לוֹ אֲרוֹנוֹ הוּא, אֲמַר לֵיהּ פּוֹק חֲזֵי מַאן בָּעֵי לָךְ לְבָרָא, נָפַק וְלָא אַשְׁכַּח בַּר נָשׁ, וְיָדַע דְּהוּא נָזוּף וְאֵין נְזִיפָה פְּחוּתָה מִשְּׁלשִׁים יוֹם. אָמַר רַבִּי יוֹסֵי בַּר רַבִּי אָבִין כָּל אוֹתָן שְׁלשִׁים יוֹם שֶׁהָיָה רַבִּי חִיָּא רַבָּה נָזוּף מֵרַבֵּנוּ, אַלֵּיף לְרַב בַּר אֲחָתֵיהּ כָּל כְּלָלֵי דְאוֹרַיְתָא, וְאִלֵּין אִינוּן כְּלָלַיָיא דְאוֹרַיְתָא הִלְכְתָא דְּבַבְלָאֵי. לְסוֹף תְּלָתִין יוֹמִין אָתָא אֵלִיָּהוּ זָכוּר לַטּוֹב בִּדְמוּתֵיהּ דְּרַבִּי חִיָּא רַבָּה אֵצֶל רַבֵּנוּ וִיְהַב יְדֵיהּ עַל שִׁנֵּיהּ וְאִתְּסֵי, כֵּיוָן דְּאָתָא רַבִּי חִיָּא רַבָּה לְגַבֵּי רַבֵּנוּ אֲמַר לֵיהּ מָה עֲבַדְתְּ בְּשִׁנָּךְ, אֲמַר לֵיהּ מִן עוֹנָתָא דִּיהַבְתְּ יְדָךְ עִלּוֹהִי אִתְנְשֵׁימַת, אֲמַר לֵיהּ לֵית אֲנָא הֲוָה יָדַע מָה הוּא. כֵּיוָן דְּשָׁמַע כֵּן שָׁרֵי נָהֵיג בֵּיהּ יְקָרָא, וְקָרַב תַּלְמִידִים וּמְעַיֵּיל לֵיהּ מִלְּגַאו. אָמַר רַבִּי יִשְׁמָעֵאל בֶּן רַבִּי יוֹסֵי וְלִפְנִים מִמֶּנִּי, אָמַר לֵיהּ חַס וְשָׁלוֹם לֹא יֵעָשֶׂה כֵן בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל. רַבֵּנוּ הֲוָה מְתַנֵּי שִׁבְחֵיהּ דְּרַבִּי חִיָּא רַבָּה קַמֵּיהּ דְּרַבִּי יִשְׁמָעֵאל בֶּן רַבִּי יוֹסֵי, אָמַר לֵיהּ אָדָם גָּדוֹל, אָדָם קָדוֹשׁ. חַד זְמַן חֲמִיתֵיהּ בֵּי בָנֵי וְלָא אִתְכְּנַע מִנֵּיהּ, אֲמַר לֵיהּ הַהוּא תַּלְמִידָךְ דַּהֲוַת מִשְׁתַּבַּח בֵּיהּ חֲמִיתֵּיהּ בֵּי בָנֵי וְלָא אִתְכְּנַע מִנָּאי. אֲמַר לֵיהּ וְלָמָּה לָא אִתְכְּנָעַת מִנֵּיהּ, אָמַר לֵיהּ רַבִּי חִיָּא מִסְתַּכֵּל הָיִיתִי בְּאַגָּדַת תְּהִלִּים, כֵּיוָן דְּשָׁמַע כֵּן מְסַר לֵיהּ תְּרֵין תַּלְמִידוֹי וַהֲווֹ עָיְילִין עִמֵּיהּ לַאֲשׁוּנָה, דְּלָא יִשְׁהֵי וְתִזְעַר נַפְשֵׁיהּ. דָּבָר אַחֵר, טוֹב ה' לַכֹּל וגו', וַיִּזְכֹּר אֱלֹהִים אֶת נֹחַ וגו', אָמַר רַבִּי שְׁמוּאֵל בַּר נַחְמֵנִי אוֹי לָהֶם לָרְשָׁעִים שֶׁהֵם הוֹפְכִים מִדַּת רַחֲמִים לְמִדַּת הַדִין, בְּכָל מָקוֹם שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר ה', מִדַּת רַחֲמִים, (שמות לד, ו): ה' ה' אֵל רַחוּם וְחַנּוּן, וּכְתִיב (בראשית ו, ה): וַיַּרְא ה' כִּי רַבָּה רָעַת הָאָדָם בָּאָרֶץ, (בראשית ו, ו): וַיִּנָּחֶם ה' כִּי עָשָׂה אֶת הָאָדָם (בראשית ו, ז): וַיֹּאמֶר ה' אֶמְחֶה וגו', אַשְׁרֵיהֶם הַצַּדִּיקִים שֶׁהֵן הוֹפְכִים מִדַּת הַדִּין לְמִדַּת רַחֲמִים. בְּכָל מָקוֹם שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר אֱלֹהִים הוּא מִדַּת הַדִּין (שמות כב, כז): אֱלֹהִים לֹא תְקַלֵּל, (שמות כב, ח): עַד הָאֱלֹהִים יָבֹא דְּבַר שְׁנֵיהֶם, וּכְתִיב (שמות ב, כד): וַיִּשְׁמַע אֱלֹהִים אֶת נַאֲקָתָם וַיִּזְכֹּר אֱלֹהִים אֶת בְּרִיתוֹ וגו' (בראשית ל, כב): וַיִּזְכֹּר אֱלֹהִים אֶת רָחֵל וגו', וַיִּזְכֹּר אֱלֹהִים אֶת נֹחַ, מַה זְּכִירָה נִזְכַּר לוֹ שֶׁזָּן וּפִרְנֵס אוֹתָם כָּל שְׁנֵים עָשָׂר חֹדֶשׁ בַּתֵּבָה, וַיִּזְכֹּר אֱלֹהִים אֶת נֹחַ, וְהַדִּין נוֹתֵן מִזְּכוּת הַטְּהוֹרִים שֶׁהִכְנִיס עִמּוֹ בַּתֵּבָה. רַבִּי אֱלִיעֶזֶר אוֹמֵר לְשֵׁם קָרְבָּנוֹ נִקְרָא, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (בראשית ח, כא): וַיָּרַח ה' אֶת רֵיחַ הַנִּיחֹחַ. רַבִּי יוֹסֵי בַּר חֲנִינָא לְשֵׁם נַחַת הַתֵּבָה נִקְרָא, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (בראשית ח, ד): וַתָּנַח הַתֵּבָה בַּחֹדֶשׁ הַשְּׁבִיעִי וגו'. רַבִּי יְהוֹשֻׁעַ אוֹמֵר (בראשית ח, כב): לֹא יִשְׁבֹּתוּ, מִכְּלַל שֶׁשָּׁבָתוּ. אָמַר רַבִּי יוֹחָנָן לֹא שִׁמְשׁוּ מַזָּלוֹת כָּל שְׁנֵים עָשָׂר חֹדֶשׁ, אָמַר לֵיהּ רַבִּי יוֹנָתָן שִׁמְשׁוּ אֶלָּא שֶׁלֹא הָיָה רִשּׁוּמָן נִכָּר. | 33.3. bGod is good to all and His mercies are upon all of His works (Psalms 145:9):Rabbi Levi said, \"'God is good to all,' upon all, that He is their maker.\" Rabbi Shmuel said, \"'God is good to all and His mercies' - upon all that are His traits, He has mercy.” Rabbi Yehoshua of Sakhnin said in the name of Rabbi Levi, \"'God is good to all' and His merciful ones He give to His creatures.\" Rabbi Tanchuma and Rabbi Abba bar Avin [said] in the name of Rav Acha, “Tomorrow a famine will arrive and the creatures will have mercy, these upon those, and the Holy One, blessed be He, will be filled with mercy on them.” In the days of Rabbi Tanchuma, Israel required a fast (to bring about rain). They came to [Rabbi Tanchuma and] said to him, “Rabbi, decree a fast.” [So] he decreed a fast on the first day, on the second day, on the third day and rain did not fall. He got up and expounded to them. He said to them, \"My children, have mercy, these upon those, and the Holy One, blessed be He, will be filled with mercy on you.\" While they were still distributing charity to the poor, they saw a man giving money to his ex-wife. They came to [Rabbi Tanchuma] and said to him, \"Rabbi, how are we sitting here [while] there is a sin here.\" He said [back] to them, \"What did you see?\" They said to him, \"We saw Mr. x give money to his ex-wife.\" They sent for them and they brought them in front of the community. [Rabbi Tanchuma] said to him, \"What is she to you?\" He said [back] to him, \"She is my ex-wife.\" He said to him, \"Why did you give her money?\" He said to him, \"Rabbi, I saw her in distress and I was filled with mercy on her.\" At that time, Rabbi Tanchuma lifted his head towards above and said, \"Master over the worlds, just like this one that does not have an obligation to sustain [her] saw her in distress and he was filled with mercy for her, all the more so, You, that it is written about You, 'Compassionate and Merciful' and we are the children of Your friends, Avraham, Yitschak and Yaakov, will You be filled with mercy on us.\" Immediately, rains fell and the world was irrigated. Our rabbi (Yehuda Hanassi) was sitting, involved in Torah in front of the synagogue of the Babylonian [Jews] in Tzippori [when] a calf passed in front of him [and] was going to be slaughtered and started to yell out as if to say, \"Save me.\" He said to it, \"And what can I do for you? That is what you were created for.\" [As a result, Rabbi Yehuda Hanassi] had toothaches for thirteen years. Rabbi Yoss bar Avin said, \"[During] those entire thirteen years that [he] had toothaches, no pregt woman had a miscarriage in the Land of Israel and no birthing mother had pain. After some time, a crawling animal passed in front of his daughter and she wanted to kill it. He said to her, \"My daughter, let it go, as it is written, \"and His mercies are upon all of his works.\" Our rabbi had great modesty and said, \"I will do anything that people tell me except what the sons of Batira did to my forefather - that they came down from their greatness (office) and brought him up; and [even] if Rabbi Huna, the Exilarch, came here, I would get up in front of him. Why? As he is from [the tribe of] Yehuda and I am from Binyamin, and he is from the males of Yehuda and I am from the females.\" Rabbi Chiya the Great said to him, \"And behold, he is [waiting] outside.\" [Rabbi Yehuda Hanassi]'s face changed colors. And when he saw that his face changed colors, [Rabbi Chiya] said to him, \"It is [Rabbi Huna]'s coffin.\" He said [back] to [Rabbi Chiya], \"Go out and see who needs you outside.\" He went out and did not find a person and he knew that he was excommunicated - and there is no excommunication less than thirty days. Rabbi Yossi bar Avin said, \"[During] the entire thirty days that Rabbi Chiya the Great was excommunicated from our rabbi, he taught Rav, the son of his sister, the principles of the Torah.\" And what are the principles of the Torah? They are the laws of the Babylonians. At the end of thirty days, Eliyahu - may he be remembered for good - came in the likeness of Rabbi Chiya the Great to our rabbi and put his hand on his teeth and he became healed. When Rabbi Chiya the Great came to our rabbi, he said to him, \"What did you do to your teeth?\" He said [back] to him, \"From the time that you put your hand on them, they became better. He said, \"I do not know what this is.\" When he heard this, he began to treat him with respect and he brought close the students and brought up [Rabbi Chiya] to the top. Rabbi Yishmael bar Yose said, \"And [should he] come closer than I?\" He said [back] to him, \"God forbid, such should not be done in Israel.\" Our rabbi was teaching the praises of Rabbi Chiya the Great in front of Rabbi Yishmael bar Yose - he said, \"He is a great man, he is a holy man.\" One time, [Rabbi Yishmael bar Yose] saw [Rabbi Chiya] in the bathhouse and [the latter] did not humble himself before him. He said to [Rabbi Yehuda Hanassi], \"Is this your student that you have been praising? I saw him in the bathhouse and he did not humble himself before me.\" He said to him, \"Why did you not humble yourself before him?\" Rabbi Chiya said [back], I was looking at the homilies (aggadot) of Psalms.\" Once [Rabbi Yehudah Hanassi] heard this, he gave him two students to go with him to the dark places, that he not get confounded and lose himself. Another explanation: \"God is good to all, etc.\" \"And God remembered Noach, etc.\" - Rabbi Shmuel bar Nachmani said, \"Woe to the evildoers who switch the [Divine] trait of mercy to the [Divine] trait of [strict] justice. In every place that it states 'the Lord,' it is the trait of mercy: 'The Lord, the Lord, merciful and compassionate God' (Exodus 34:6). And [yet] it is written (Genesis 6:5-6), 'And the Lord saw that the evil of man on the earth was very great[...] And the Lord regretted that He had made man on the earth, and the Lord said, \"I will erase, etc.\"' Happy are the righteous who switch the trait of [Divine] justice to the [divine] trait of mercy. In every place that it states ' iElohim /i,' it is the trait of mercy: 'Judges ( iElohim /i) you shall not curse' (Exodus 22:27); 'to the judges ( ielohim /i) the matter of both of them will come' (Exodus 22:8). And [yet] it is written (Exodus 2:24), 'And God heard their cries and God remembered His covet'; '(Genesis 30:22), 'And God remembered Rachel'; 'And God remembered Noach.' And what memory did He remember for him? That he fed and sustained them all of the twelve months in the ark.\" \"And God remembered Noach\" - and justice requires it, from the merit of the pure ones that he brought with him into the ark. Rabbi Eliezer says, \"[Noach] was named corresponding to his sacrifice, as it states, 'And the Lord smelled the pleasant ( inichoach /i) fragrance.'\" Rabbi Yose bar Chaninah [says], \"He was named corresponding to the resting of the ark, as it states, 'And the ark rested ( itanach /i) on the seventh month, etc.'\" Rabbi Yehoshua says, \"'Will not cease' (Genesis 8:22) implies that they ceased.\"" |
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11. Anon., Sifre Deuteronomy, 343 (2nd cent. CE - 4th cent. CE)
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12. Palestinian Talmud, Avodah Zarah, 1.7, 2.3 (2nd cent. CE - 5th cent. CE)
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13. Palestinian Talmud, Kilayim, None (2nd cent. CE - 5th cent. CE)
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14. Babylonian Talmud, Avodah Zarah, None (3rd cent. CE - 6th cent. CE)
18b. ומי יימר דהכי איכא [א"ל השתא חזית] הוו הנהו כלבי דהוו קא אכלי אינשי שקל קלא שדא בהו הוו קאתו למיכליה אמר אלהא דמאיר ענני שבקוה ויהבה ליה,לסוף אשתמע מילתא בי מלכא אתיוה אסקוה לזקיפה אמר אלהא דמאיר ענני אחתוה אמרו ליה מאי האי אמר להו הכי הוה מעשה,אתו חקקו לדמותיה דר' מאיר אפיתחא דרומי אמרי כל דחזי לפרצופא הדין לייתיה יומא חדא חזיוהי רהט אבתריה רהט מקמייהו על לבי זונות איכא דאמרי בשולי עובדי כוכבים חזא טמש בהא ומתק בהא איכא דאמרי אתא אליהו אדמי להו כזונה כרכתיה אמרי חס ושלום אי ר' מאיר הוה לא הוה עביד הכי,קם ערק אתא לבבל איכא דאמרי מהאי מעשה ואיכא דאמרי ממעשה דברוריא:,תנו רבנן ההולך לאיצטדינין ולכרקום וראה שם את הנחשים ואת החברין בוקיון ומוקיון ומוליון ולוליון בלורין סלגורין הרי זה מושב לצים ועליהם הכתוב אומר (תהלים א, א) אשרי האיש אשר לא הלך וגו' כי אם בתורת ה' חפצו הא למדת. שדברים הללו מביאין את האדם לידי ביטול תורה,ורמינהי [הולכין] לאיצטדינין מותר מפני שצווח ומציל ולכרקום מותר מפני ישוב מדינה ובלבד שלא יתחשב עמהם ואם נתחשב עמהם אסור קשיא איצטדינין אאיצטדינין קשיא כרקום אכרקום,בשלמא כרקום אכרקום ל"ק כאן במתחשב עמהן כאן בשאין מתחשב עמהן אלא איצטדינין אאיצטדינין קשיא,תנאי היא דתניא אין הולכין לאיצטדינין מפני מושב לצים ור' נתן מתיר מפני שני דברים אחד מפני שצווח ומציל ואחד מפני שמעיד עדות אשה להשיאה,תנו רבנן אין הולכין לטרטיאות ולקרקסיאות מפני שמזבלין שם זיבול לעבודת כוכבים דברי ר' מאיר וחכמים אומרים מקום שמזבלין אסור מפני חשד עבודת כוכבים ומקום שאין מזבלין שם אסור מפני מושב לצים,מאי בינייהו אמר ר' חנינא מסורא נשא ונתן איכא בינייהו,דרש ר' שמעון בן פזי מאי דכתיב אשרי האיש אשר לא הלך בעצת רשעים ובדרך חטאים לא עמד ובמושב לצים לא ישב וכי מאחר שלא הלך היכן עמד ומאחר שלא עמד היכן ישב ומאחר שלא ישב היכן לץ,אלא לומר לך שאם הלך סופו לעמוד ואם עמד סופו לישב ואם ישב סופו ללוץ ואם לץ עליו הכתוב אומר (משלי ט, יב) אם חכמת חכמת לך ואם לצת לבדך תשא,א"ר אליעזר כל המתלוצץ יסורין באין עליו שנאמר (ישעיהו כח, כב) ועתה אל תתלוצצו פן יחזקו מוסריכם אמר להו רבא לרבנן במטותא בעינא מינייכו דלא תתלוצצו דלא ליתו עלייכו יסורין,אמר רב קטינא כל המתלוצץ מזונותיו מתמעטין שנאמר (הושע ז, ה) משך ידו את לוצצים אמר רבי שמעון בן לקיש כל המתלוצץ נופל בגיהנם שנאמר (משלי כא, כד) זד יהיר לץ שמו עושה בעברת זדון ואין עברה אלא גיהנם שנאמר (צפניה א, טו) יום עברה היום ההוא,אמר ר' אושעיא כל המתייהר נופל בגיהנם שנאמר זד יהיר לץ שמו עושה בעברת זדון ואין עברה אלא גיהנם שנאמר יום עברה היום ההוא אמר רבי חנילאי בר חנילאי כל המתלוצץ גורם כלייה לעולם שנאמר ועתה אל תתלוצצו פן יחזקו מוסריכם כי כלה ונחרצה שמעתי,אמר רבי אליעזר קשה היא שתחילת' יסורין וסופו כלייה דרש ר' שמעון בן פזי אשרי האיש אשר לא הלך לטרטיאות ולקרקסיאות של עובדי כוכבים ובדרך חטאים לא עמד זה שלא עמד בקנגיון ובמושב לצים לא ישב שלא ישב בתחבולות,שמא יאמר אדם הואיל ולא הלכתי לטרטיאות ולקרקסיאות ולא עמדתי בקנגיון אלך ואתגרה בשינה ת"ל ובתורתו יהגה יומם ולילה,אמר רב שמואל בר נחמני א"ר יונתן אשרי האיש אשר לא הלך בעצת רשעים זה | 18b. bAnd who can say that this isthe case, that I will be saved by this utterance? Rabbi Meir bsaid to him: You will now see. There were thesecarnivorous bdogs that would devour people;Rabbi Meir btook a clodof earth, bthrewit bat them,and when bthey came to devour him, he said: God of Meir answer me!The dogs then bleft himalone, bandafter seeing this the guard bgavethe daughter of Rabbi Ḥanina ben Teradyon btoRabbi Meir., bUltimately the matter was heardin bthe king’s court,and the guard, who bwas brought and taken to be hanged, said: God of Meir answer me!They then blowered him down,as they were unable to hang him. bThey said to him: What is this? He said to them: This was the incidentthat occurred, and he proceeded to relate the entire story to them., bTheythen bwentand bengraved the image of Rabbi Meir at the entrance of Romewhere it would be seen by everyone, and they bsaid: Anyone who seesa man with bthis face should bring himhere. bOne day,Romans bsawRabbi Meir and bran after him,and bhe ran away from themand bentered a brothelto hide. bSome sayhe then escaped capture because bhe sawfood bcooked by gentilesand bdipped [ itemash /i] thisfinger binthe food band tastedit bwith thatother finger, and thereby fooled them into thinking that he was eating their food, which they knew Rabbi Meir would not do. And bsome saythat he escaped detection because bElijah came, appeared to them as a prostituteand bembracedRabbi Meir. The Romans who were chasing him bsaid: Heaven forbid, if this were Rabbi Meir, he would not actin bthatmanner.,Rabbi Meir barose, fled,and barrived in Babylonia.The Gemara notes: bThere arethose bwho saythat he fled because bof this incident, and there arethose bwho saythat he fled due to embarrassment bfrom the incident involvinghis wife bBerurya. /b,§ bThe Sages taught:With regard to bone who goes to stadiums [ ile’itztadinin /i]where people are killed in contests with gladiators or beasts, bor to a camp of besiegers [ iulkharkom /i]where different forms of entertainment are provided for the besieging army, bandhe bsees therethe acts of bthe diviners and those who cast spells,or the acts of the clowns known as ibukiyon /i, or imukiyon /i, or imuliyon /i, or iluliyon /i,or ibelurin /i,or isalgurin /i, this iscategorized as b“the seat of the scornful”; and with regard tosuch places bthe verse states: “Happy is the man that has not walkedin the council of the wicked, nor stood in the way of sinners, nor sat in the seat of the scornful. bBut his delight is in the Torah of the Lord”(Psalms 1:1–2). bYou learnfrom here bthat these matters bring a person to derelictionof the study bof Torah,since had he not sat in “the seat of the scornful,” he would delight in the study of Torah., bAndthe Gemara braises a contradictionfrom another ibaraita /i: bOne is permittedto bgo to stadiums, because he can scream and savethe life of a Jew who would otherwise be killed there; band it is permittedto go bto a camp of besiegers, becauseat times one can provide for the public bwelfareby petitioning the besiegers and saving the residents of the btown, provided that he is not countedas one bof them; but if he is countedas one bof them, it is prohibited.This is bdifficult,as there is a contradiction between the statement about attending bstadiumsin the first ibaraitaand the statement baboutattending bstadiumsin the second ibaraita /i, and is similarly bdifficultas there is a contradiction between the statement about ba camp of besiegersin the first ibaraitaand the statement babout a camp of besiegersin the second ibaraita /i.,The Gemara continues: bGranted,the apparent contradiction between one statement about ba camp of besiegersand the other statement babout a camp of besiegersis bnot difficult,as bhere,the first ibaraitais referring to a case bwhere he is countedas one bof them,and bthere,the second ibaraitais referring to a case bwhere he is not countedas one bof them. Butwith regard to the contradiction between the ruling about attending bstadiumsin the first ibaraitaand the ruling baboutattending bstadiumsin the second ibaraita /i, it is bdifficult. /b,The Gemara answers: This issue bisa dispute between itanna’im /i, as it is taughtin a ibaraita /i: bOne may not go to stadiums, becausethey are considered b“the seat of the scornful.” And Rabbi Natan permitsattending stadiums bdue to tworeasons; boneis bbecause he can scream and savethe life of someone who would otherwise be killed, bandthe other boneis bbecauseeven if he cannot save the man’s life, bhe can provide testimonythat ba woman’shusband died, which will enable her bto marryagain., bThe Sages taught: One may not go to theaters [ iletarteiot /i] or circuses [ iulkirkaseiot /i] because they sacrifice offerings there toobjects of bidol worship;this is bthe statement of Rabbi Meir. And the Rabbis say: It is prohibitedto go to ba place where they sacrificeofferings, bdue to a suspicion of idol worship, and it isalso bprohibitedto go to ba place where they do not sacrificeofferings, bdue toit being considered b“the seat of the scornful.” /b,The Gemara asks: bWhat isthe practical difference bbetweenthe opinion of the Rabbis and that of Rabbi Meir? After all, according to both opinions it is prohibited to attend theaters or circuses. bRabbi Ḥanina of Sura said:The difference bbetween themarises in the case of one who bengaged in businessthere. According to Rabbi Meir, the profits are forbidden as the proceeds of idol worship, as Rabbi Meir maintains that the gentiles certainly worship idols at theaters or circuses. Conversely, according to the Rabbis, the profits are forbidden only if it is established that they worshipped idols there.,§ Apropos the earlier discussion of the evils of scornfulness, the Gemara cites several statements that criticize such behavior. bRabbi Shimon ben Pazi taught: Whatis the meaning of that bwhich is written: “Happy is the man that has not walked in the counsel of the wicked, nor stood in the way of sinners, nor sat in the seat of the scornful”(Psalms 1:1)? bSince he did not walkin the counsel of the wicked, bhowcould bhe standwith them? bAnd since he did not stand, howcould bhe sitwith them? bAnd since he did not sitwith them, bhowcould bhehave bscorned?Since he never joined the company of the wicked, he would have no reason to be involved with them in any manner., bRather,the verse serves bto say to you that if he walkedwith the wicked, bhe will ultimately standwith them. bAnd if he stoodwith them, bhe will ultimately sitin their company, band if he sat, he will ultimately scornalong with them. bAnd if he scorned, the verse says about him: “If you are wise, you are wise for yourself; and if you scorn, you alone shall bear it”(Proverbs 9:12)., bRabbi Eliezer says:Concerning banyone who scoffs, suffering will befall him, as it is stated: “Now therefore do not be scoffers, lest your suffering be made strong”(Isaiah 28:22). Similarly, bRava said to the Sageswho were sitting before him: bPlease, I ask of you that you not scoff, so that suffering will not befall you. /b, bRav Ketina says:Concerning banyone who scoffs, his sustece is lessened, as it is stated: “He stretches out his hand with scorners”(Hosea 7:5), meaning that God withdraws His providence from scoffers and does not provide for them. bRabbi Shimon ben Lakish says: Anyone who scoffs falls into Gehenna, as it is stated: “A proud and haughty man, scorner is his name, he acts in arrogant wrath”(Proverbs 21:24). bAnd wrathmeans bnothing other than Gehenna, as it is statedwith regard to the Day of Judgment: b“That day is a day of wrath”(Zephaniah 1:15)., bRabbi Oshaya says,based on the same verse: bAnyone who is haughty falls into Gehenna, as it is stated: “A proud and haughty man, scorner is his name, he acts in arrogant wrath”(Proverbs 21:24). bAnd wrath means nothing other than Gehenna, as it is stated: “That day is a day of wrath”(Zephaniah 1:15). bRabbi Ḥanilai bar Ḥanilai says: Anyone who scoffs causes exterminationto be wrought bupon the world, as it is stated: “Now therefore do not be scoffers, lest your suffering be made strong; for an extermination wholly determined have I heardfrom the Lord, the God of hosts, upon the whole land” (Isaiah 28:22)., bRabbi Eliezer says:Scoffing bis a severesin, bas at firstone is punished with bsuffering, and ultimatelyone is punished with bextermination. Rabbi Shimon ben Pazi taught: “Happy is the man that has not walkedin the counsel of the wicked,” this is referring btothe btheaters and circuses of gentiles; “nor stood in the way of sinners,” thisis referring to bone who has not stoodas an observer bat bestial contests [ ibekinigiyyon /i]; “nor sat in the seat of the scornful,”this is referring to bone who has not sat in the bad companyof people who engage in scoffing and jeering., bLest a person say: Since I did not go to theaters and circuses, and did not stand in bestial contests, I will go and indulge in sleep, the verse states: “And he meditates in His law day and night”(Psalms 1:2). This demonstrates that it is not sufficient simply to avoid transgressions; rather, it is necessary to engage actively in Torah study.,§ The Gemara relates an alternative homiletic interpretation of the verse discussed above. bRav Shmuel bar Naḥmani saysthat bRabbi Yonatan says: “Happy is the man that has not walked in the counsel of the wicked”(Psalms 1:1); bthis /b |
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15. Babylonian Talmud, Berachot, None (3rd cent. CE - 6th cent. CE)
63a. ואימא הר הבית דאסור במנעל לילפא ממנעל אבל (ב"ה) דשרי במנעל אדיליף ממנעל ולהיתר נילף מקפנדריא ולאסור,אלא אמר רבא כי ביתו מה ביתו אקפנדריא קפיד אינש ארקיקה ומנעל לא קפיד אינש אף ב"ה קפנדריא הוא דאסור רקיקה ומנעל שרי:,כל חותמי ברכות שבמקדש וכו':,כל כך למה לפי שאין עונין אמן במקדש ומנין שאין עונין אמן במקדש שנאמר (נחמיה ט, ה) קומו ברכו את ה' אלהיכם מן העולם עד העולם ואומר (נחמיה ט, ה) ויברכו (את) שם כבודך ומרומם על כל ברכה ותהלה,יכול כל הברכות כולן תהא להן תהלה אחת ת"ל ומרומם על כל ברכה ותהלה על כל ברכה וברכה תן לו תהלה:,התקינו שיהא אדם שואל בשלום חברו וכו': מאי ואומר,וכי תימא בעז מדעתיה דנפשיה קאמר ת"ש (שופטים ו, יב) ה' עמך גבור החיל וכי תימא מלאך הוא דקאמר ליה לגדעון ת"ש (משלי כג, כב) אל תבוז כי זקנה אמך,ואומר (תהלים קיט, קכו) עת לעשות לה' הפרו תורתך אמר רבא האי קרא מרישיה לסיפיה מדריש מסיפיה לרישיה מדריש,מרישיה לסיפיה מדריש עת לעשות לה' מאי טעם משום הפרו תורתך מסיפיה לרישיה מדריש הפרו תורתך מ"ט משום עת לעשות לה',תניא הלל הזקן אומר בשעת המכניסין פזר בשעת המפזרים כנס ואם ראית דור שהתורה חביבה עליו פזר שנאמר (משלי יא, כד) יש מפזר ונוסף עוד ואם ראית דור שאין התורה חביבה עליו כנס שנא' עת לעשות לה' הפרו תורתך,דרש בר קפרא זלת קבוץ קנה מינה באתר דלית גבר תמן הוי גבר אמר אביי ש"מ באתר דאית גבר תמן לא תהוי גבר,פשיטא לא נצרכה אלא בששניהם שוין,דרש בר קפרא איזוהי פרשה קטנה שכל גופי תורה תלוין בה (משלי ג, ו) בכל דרכיך דעהו והוא יישר ארחותיך אמר רבא אפילו לדבר עבירה,דרש בר קפרא לעולם ילמד אדם את בנו אומנות נקיה וקלה מה היא אמר רב חסדא מחטא דתלמיותא:,תניא ר' אומר לעולם אל ירבה אדם רעים בתוך ביתו שנא' (משלי יח, כד) איש רעים להתרועע,תניא ר' אומר אל ימנה אדם אפטרופוס בתוך ביתו שאלמלי לא מינה פוטיפר את יוסף אפטרופוס בתוך ביתו לא בא לאותו דבר,תניא ר' אומר למה נסמכה פרשת נזיר לפרשת סוטה לומר לך שכל הרואה סוטה בקלקולה יזיר עצמו מן היין,אמר חזקיה בריה דר' פרנך אמר רבי יוחנן למה נסמכה פרשת סוטה לפרשת תרומות ומעשרות לומר לך כל שיש לו תרומות ומעשרות ואינו נותן לכהן סוף נצרך לכהן על ידי אשתו שנאמר (במדבר ה, י) ואיש את קדשיו לו יהיו וסמיך ליה איש איש כי תשטה אשתו וכתיב והביא האיש את אשתו וגו' ולא עוד אלא סוף שנצרך להן שנאמר ואיש את קדשיו לו יהיו,אמר רב נחמן בר יצחק ואם נתנן סוף מתעשר שנאמר (במדבר ה, י) איש אשר יתן לכהן לו יהיה לו יהיה ממון הרבה,א"ר הונא בר ברכיה משום רבי אלעזר הקפר כל המשתף שם שמים בצערו כופלין לו פרנסתו שנאמר (איוב כב, כה) והיה שדי בצריך וכסף תועפות לך,ר' שמואל בר נחמני אמר פרנסתו מעופפת לו כצפור שנאמר וכסף תועפות לך,א"ר טבי א"ר יאשיה כל המרפה עצמו מדברי תורה אין בו כח לעמוד ביום צרה שנאמר (משלי כד, י) התרפית ביום צרה צר כחכה א"ר אמי בר מתנה אמר שמואל ואפילו מצוה אחת שנאמר התרפית מכל מקום,אמר רב ספרא ר' אבהו הוה משתעי כשירד חנינא בן אחי רבי יהושע לגולה היה מעבר שנים וקובע חדשים בחוצה לארץ,שגרו אחריו שני ת"ח רבי יוסי בן כיפר ובן בנו של זכריה בן קבוטל כיון שראה אותם אמר להם למה באתם אמרו ליה ללמוד תורה באנו הכריז [עליהם] אנשים הללו גדולי הדור הם ואבותיהם שמשו בבית המקדש כאותה ששנינו זכריה בן קבוטל אומר הרבה פעמים קריתי לפניו בספר דניאל,התחיל הוא מטמא והם מטהרים הוא אוסר והם מתירים הכריז עליהם אנשים הללו של שוא הם של תהו הם אמרו לו כבר בנית ואי אתה יכול לסתור כבר גדרת ואי אתה יכול לפרוץ,אמר להם מפני מה אני מטמא ואתם מטהרים אני אוסר ואתם מתירים אמרו לו מפני שאתה מעבר שנים וקובע חדשים בחו"ל,אמר להם והלא עקיבא בן יוסף היה מעבר שנים וקובע חדשים בחו"ל אמרו לו הנח רבי עקיבא שלא הניח כמותו בארץ ישראל א"ל אף אני לא הנחתי כמותי בא"י אמרו לו גדיים שהנחת נעשו תישים בעלי קרנים והם שגרונו אצלך וכן אמרו לנו לכו ואמרו לו בשמנו אם שומע מוטב ואם לאו יהא בנדוי | 63a. band sayas follows: With regard to bthe Temple Mount,where one is bprohibitedfrom wearing bshoes, let us derivethe prohibition of spitting bfromthe case of bshoes. However,with regard to ba synagogue,where one is bpermittedto wear bshoes, instead of derivingthe law with regard to spitting bfromthe case of bshoes and permittingit, bderive it fromthe case of ba shortcut, and prohibitit., bRather, Rava saida different reason: The synagogue is blike one’s house. Just as one objects toa person using bhis house as a shortcut,but bdoes not mind spitting andwearing bshoestherein, bso tooin the case of a bsynagogue, a shortcut is prohibitedwhile bspitting andwearing bshoes are permitted. /b,We learned in the mishna: bAt the conclusion of all blessingsrecited bin the Temple,the one reciting the blessing would say: Blessed are You Lord, God of Israel, until everlasting.,The Gemara explains: bWhywere they insistent upon this formula bto that extent? Because one does not answer amen in the Temple.Because there is a unique response to the blessings in the Temple, a unique formula for their conclusion was instituted. bFrom whereis it derived bthat one does not answer amen in the Temple? As it is stated: “Stand up and bless the Lord, your God, from everlasting to everlasting”(Nehemiah 9:5), which refers to the conclusion. bThe versein Nehemiah bcontinues: “And let them say: Blessed be Your glorious name, that is exalted above all blessing and praise”(Nehemiah 9:5). The response is exalted above other blessings.,From the beginning of the verse, I bmighthave thought that ball of the blessings there will haveonly ba singleexpression of bpraise,amen. Therefore, bthe verse teaches: “That is exalted above all blessing and praise”; for every blessing, aunique bpraise is offered.Therefore, the appropriate response to a blessing in the Temple is: Blessed are You Lord, God of Israel, from everlasting until everlasting.,We learned in the mishna that the Sages binstituted that a person will greet anotherwith the name of God, and several biblical sources were cited. The Gemara asks: bWhyis it necessary for the mishna to cite all of those sources, introduced with the phrase: bAnd it says?Why was the proof from Boaz’s statement to the harvesters: The Lord is with you, insufficient?,The Gemara explains: bAnd if you say: Boaz said this on his own,and it proves nothing with regard to normative practice, bcome and heara proof from the verse: b“The Lord is with you, mighty man of valor”(Judges 6:12). bAnd if you saythat bit was an angel who saidthis bto Gideon,that perhaps this verse was the angel informing Gideon that the Lord is with him, but it is not the standard formula of a greeting, bcomeand bhearproof from the verse: b“And despise not your mother when she is old”(Proverbs 23:22); the customs of the nation’s elders are an adequate source from which to derive ihalakha /i., bAndthe verse bstates: “It is time to work for the Lord; they have made void Your Torah”(Psalms 119:126). of this, bRava said: This versecan be binterpreted from beginning to end, andcan be binterpreted from end to beginning. /b,The Gemara elaborates: This verse can be binterpreted from beginning to end: It is time to work for the Lord; what is the reason? Because they have made void Your Torah,so it must be remedied. Conversely, it can be binterpreted from end to beginningas follows: bThey have made void Your Torah; what is the reason? Because it is time to work for the Lord.By means of violating the Torah, it is possible to fundamentally rectify the situation.,With regard to this verse, bit was taughtin a ibaraitathat bHillel the Elder says: At the time of gathering,if the Sages of the generation see to it that the Torah remains the purview of the few, bdisseminateit to the public at large. bAt the time of dissemination, gather,and leave it to others to disseminate the Torah. bAnd if you see a generation for whom Torah is beloved, disseminate, as it is stated: “There is who scatters, and yet increases”(Proverbs 11:24). However, bif you see a generation for whom Torah is not beloved, gather;do not cause the Torah to be disgraced, bas it is stated: “It is time to work for the Lord; they have made void Your Torah.”Preventing Torah study in that situation is a manifestation of work for the Lord.,On a similar note, bbar Kappara taught:If the price of the merchandise has bdeclined, jump and purchase from it; and where there is no man, there be a man;where there is no one to fill a particular role, accept that role upon yourself. bAbaye said: Infer from thisthat bwhere there is a man, there do not be a man. /b,The Gemara asks: Isn’t Abaye’s conclusion bobvious?The Gemara explains: bThisstatement bis only necessaryin a case bwherethere are btwo who are equal.Although you, too, are suited to fill that role, since another qualified person is already filling that role, allow him to succeed., bBar Kappara taught: Which is a brief passage upon which all fundamentalprinciples of bTorah are dependent? “In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will direct your paths”(Proverbs 3:6). bRava said:One must apply this principle beven to acts of transgression,as even then one must adhere to God and refrain from sinning excessively., bBar Kappara taught: A person should always teach his child a clean and simple craft.The Gemara asks: bWhatcraft is considered clean and simple? bRav Ḥisda said: Cutting precious stones. /b,Several ethical tenets and guidelines for life bwere taughtin a ibaraita /i. bRabbiYehuda HaNasi bsays: One should never have too many friends in his house,i.e., people should not become accustomed to being overly intimate in his house, bas it is stated: “There are friends that one has to his own hurt”(Proverbs 18:24); one with friends of that kind will ultimately come to quarrel., bIt was taughtin a ibaraitathat bRabbiYehuda HaNasi bsays: Do not appoint an administrator [ iapitropos /i] within your house, as had Potiphar not appointed Joseph as administrator within his house,Joseph bwould not have come to that incidentinvolving him in allegations of sexual impropriety., bIt was taughtin a ibaraita /i, bRabbiYehuda HaNasi bsays: Why is the portion of the Nazirite(Numbers ch. 6) bjuxtaposed with the portion of the isota /i(Numbers ch. 5)? They are juxtaposed bto tell you that anyone who sees a isotain her disgrace,her transgression, bshould renounce wine,as wine is one of the causes of that transgression., bḤizkiya, son of Rabbi Parnakh, saidthat bRabbi Yoḥa said: Why is the portion of isotajuxtaposed with the portion of iterumotand tithes(Numbers ch. 5)? They are juxtaposed bto tell you: Anyone who has iterumotand tithes and does not give them to a priest,will bultimately requirethe services of ba priest by means of his wife, as it is stated: “And every man’s hallowed things shall be his” ( /bNumbers 5:10). This refers to one who keeps those hallowed items for himself. bTo thisthe Torah bjuxtaposed: “If any man’s wife go aside and act unfaithfully against him”(Numbers 5:12). bAnd it is written: “Then shall the man bring his wife unto the priest”(Numbers 5:15). bMoreover, ultimatelythat man bwill requireassistance from the tithe given to the poor, bas it is stated: “And every man’s hallowed things shall be his”(Numbers 5:10). He will himself need those very hallowed items that he was unwilling to give to others., bRav Naḥman bar Yitzḥak said: And if he gave them, ultimatelyhe will bbecome wealthy, as it is said: “Whatsoever any man gives the priest, it shall be his”(Numbers 5:10); bmuch property shall be his. /b, bRav Huna bar Berekhya said in the name of Rabbi Elazar HaKappar: Anyone who includes the name of heaven in his distress,i.e., who turns and prays to God in his time of trouble, bhis livelihood willultimately bbe doubled, as it is stated: “And the Almighty be your treasure, and precious [ itoafot /i] silver unto you”(Job 22:25). If you include God in your trouble, your silver will be doubled. iEif /i, which in Aramaic means double, is etymologically similar to itoafot /i., bRabbi Shmuel bar Naḥmani saida different explanation: This means that bhis sustece flies [ imeofefet /i] to him like a bird, as it is stated: “And precious silver [ itoafot /i] unto you.” /b, bRabbi Tavi said in the name of Rabbi Yoshiya: Anyone who is lax in hisstudy of bmatters of Torah willultimately black the strength to stand on a day of adversity, as it is stated: “If you faint in the day of adversity, your strength is small indeed”(Proverbs 24:10). bRav Ami bar Mattana saidthat bShmuel said: And evenif he was lax in the performance of ba singlemitzva, bas it is stated: If you faint;this applies bin any case,even in the case of a single mitzva., bRav Safra said: Rabbi Abbahu would relate: When Ḥanina, son of Rabbi Yehoshua’s brother, went to the Diaspora,Babylonia, bhe would intercalate years and establish months outside of EretzYisrael. Because Judaism in Eretz Yisrael had declined in the wake of the bar Kokheva rebellion, he considered it necessary to cultivate the Jewish community in Babylonia as the center of the Jewish people. Among other things, he intercalated the years and established the months even though the ihalakharestricts those activities to Eretz Yisrael.,Eventually, the Sages of Eretz Yisrael bsent two Torah scholars after him, Rabbi Yosei ben Keifar and the grandson of Zekharya ben Kevutal. WhenḤanina bsaw them, he asked them: Why did you come? They responded: We came to study Torah.Since he saw his standing enhanced by the Sages of Eretz Yisrael coming to study Torah from him, bhe proclaimed about them: These people are eminentscholars bof our generation, and their fathers served in the Temple. As we learnedin tractate iYoma /i: bZekharya ben Kevutal says: Many times I read beforethe High Priest from bthe book of Danielon the eve of Yom Kippur.,These two scholars, however, began to dispute every decision Ḥanina rendered in response to questions raised in the study hall. bHeruled it bimpure and theyruled it bpure; he prohibitedit band they permittedit. Eventually, bhe proclaimed about them: These people are worthless. They aregood bfor nothingand they know nothing. bThey said to him: You have already builtup our names and glorified us; byou cannot now demolish. You have already built a fence and you cannot break through it. /b, bHe said to them: Why is it thatwhen bIrule something bimpure, yourule it bpure;when bI prohibitit, byou permitit? bThey said to him:We do this bbecause you intercalate the years and establish the months outside of EretzYisrael., bHe said to them: Didn’tRabbi bAkiva ben Yosefalso bintercalate years and establish months outside of EretzYisrael? bThey replied to him: Leavethe case of bRabbi Akiva, as,when he left, bhe did not leave behind anyoneas great in Torah bas he in Eretz Yisrael.Rabbi Ḥanina bsaid to them: I also did not leave behind anyoneas great bas me in Eretz Yisrael. They said to him: The kids who you left behind have grown into goats with horns;they are greater than you are. bAnd they sent us to you, and this is what they said to us: Go and tell him in our name: If he obeys, fine; and ifhe does bnotobey, bhe will be ostracized. /b |
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16. Babylonian Talmud, Gittin, None (3rd cent. CE - 6th cent. CE)
47a. פירקן אמר ליה תנן המוכר עצמו ואת בניו לעובדי כוכבים אין פודין אותו אבל פודין את הבנים משום קלקולא וכ"ש הכא דאיכא קטלא,אמרו לי' רבנן לר' אמי האי ישראל מומר הוא דקא חזו ליה דקאכיל נבילות וטריפות אמר להו אימא לתיאבון הוא דקאכיל,אמרו ליה והא זמנין דאיכא היתירא ואיסורא קמיה ושביק היתירא ואכיל איסורא א"ל זיל לא קא שבקי לי דאפרקינך:,ריש לקיש זבין נפשיה ללודאי שקל בהדיה חייתא וגלגלתא אמר גמירי דיומא בתרא כל דבעי מינייהו עבדי ליה כי היכי דליחול אדמיה,יומא בתרא אמרו ליה מאי ניחא לך אמר להו בעינא אקמטינכו ואותבינכו וכל חד מינייכו אמחי' חייתא ופלגא קמטינהו ואותבינהו כל חד מינייהו כד מחייה חד חייתא נפק נשמתיה חרקיניה לשיניה א"ל אחוכי קא מחייכת בי אכתי פש לך גבי פלגא דחייתא קטלינהו כולהו,נפק ואתא יתיב קאכיל ושתי אמרה ליה ברתיה לא בעית מידי למזגא עליה אמר לה בתי כריסי כרי כי נח נפשיה שבק קבא דמוריקא קרא אנפשיה (תהלים מט, יא) ועזבו לאחרים חילם:, big strongמתני׳ /strong /big המוכר את שדהו לעובד כוכבים לוקח ומביא ממנו בכורים מפני תיקון העולם:, big strongגמ׳ /strong /big אמר רבה אע"פ שאין קנין לעובד כוכבים בארץ ישראל להפקיע מידי מעשר שנאמר (ויקרא כה, כג) כי לי הארץ לי קדושת הארץ אבל יש קנין לעובד כוכבים בא"י לחפור בה בורות שיחין ומערות שנאמר (תהלים קטו, טז) השמים שמים לה' והארץ נתן לבני אדם,ור"א אומר אע"פ שיש קנין לעובד כוכבים בא"י להפקיע מידי מעשר שנאמר דגנך ולא דגן עובד כוכבים אבל אין קנין לעובד כוכבים בא"י לחפור בה בורות שיחין ומערות שנאמר לה' הארץ,במאי קמיפלגי מ"ס דגנך ולא דגן עובד כוכבים ומר סבר דיגונך ולא דיגון עובד כוכבים,אמר רבה מנא אמינא לה דתנן הלקט והשכחה והפאה של עובד כוכבים חייבין במעשר אלא א"כ הפקיר,היכי דמי אילימא דישראל וליקטינהו עובד כוכבים אלא א"כ הפקיר הא מפקרי וקיימי אלא לאו דעובד כוכבים וליקטינהו ישראל,טעמא דהפקיר הא לא הפקיר חייב,לא לעולם דישראל וליקטינהו עובד כוכבים ודקא אמרת הא מפקרי וקיימי נהי דמפקרי אדעתא דישראל אדעתא דעובד כוכבים מי מפקרי,ת"ש ישראל שלקח שדה מעובד כוכבים עד שלא הביאה שליש וחזר ומכרה לו משהביאה שליש חייבת במעשר שכבר נתחייבה נתחייבה אין לא נתחייבה לא,הכא במאי עסקינן בסוריא וקסבר כיבוש יחיד לא שמיה כיבוש,תא שמע ישראל ועובד כוכבים שלקחו שדה בשותפות | 47a. bRedeem me.Rabbi Ami bsaid to him: We learnedin a mishna: With regard to bone who sells himself and his childrenas slaves bto gentiles, he is not redeemed. However, his children are redeemed due to the harmof becoming assimilated among the gentiles, band all the more so here, where there isa concern that leaving him in bondage may lead to his bdeath,he should be redeemed., bThe Sages said to Rabbi Ami: Thisman bis a Jewish apostate, as they saw him when he was eatingunslaughtered banimal carcasses and animals with a wound that will cause them to die within twelve months [ itereifot /i]. He said to them: Saythat bhe was eatingthem bdue tohis bappetite,not because he is an apostate, but because he was overcome by temptation., bThey said to him: Butthere are btimes when there are permitted and forbiddenfoods bbefore him, and he sets aside the permittedfood band eats the forbiddenfood, indicating that it is not temptation alone that causes him to transgress. Once he heard this, Rabbi Ami bsaid tothat man: bGo,because bthey do not allow me to redeem you. /b,The Gemara recounts a related incident: bReish Lakish sold himself to gladiators. He took a bag and a round stoneinside of it bwith him. He said:There is ba tradition thaton bthe final dayof a captive’s life, before his captors kill him, bthey do for him anything that he requests of them, so that he would forgivethem for the spilling bof his blood. /b, bOn the final daybefore they were set to kill him bthey said to him: What is amenable to you? He said to them: I want to tie youup band have you sit, and I will strike each one of you one and a halftimes. bHe tied themup band had each one of them sit. When he struckeach of them with bone strikewith the stone in the bag, the one whom he struck bdied,because Reish Lakish was of great strength. Reish Lakish bgritted his teethin anger, and bsaid tothe one whom he killed, in order to prevent the others from realizing what was happening: bAre you laughing at me? You stillhave bhalf of a strike remainingwith bme,as I struck you only once. bHe killed them all,and Reish Lakish escaped his captors., bHe left and cameback home, and after some time had passed bhe was sitting, eating, and drinking,without concern for his livelihood. bHis daughter said to him: You don’t want something to lie upon? He said to her: My daughter, my belly is my pillow,and this is enough for me. bWhen he died he leftonly ba ikavof saffronas an inheritance, and even so bhe recitedthis verse babout himself: “And they leave their wealth for others”(Psalms 49:11), meaning that he was pained that he did not use all of his property. He exhibited his confidence that God would provide his needs by not saving money for the future., strongMISHNA: /strong bOne who sells his field to a gentile must purchase and bringthe bfirst fruits fromthe field that he sold, bfor the betterment of the world. /b, strongGEMARA: /strong bRabba says: Even though a gentile has nocapability of bacquisitionof land bin Eretz Yisrael tocause the babrogationof the sanctity of the land, thereby removing it bfromthe obligation to btitheits produce, bas it is stated: “For the land is Mine”(Leviticus 25:23), which teaches: bThe sanctity of the land is Mine,and it is not abrogated when the land is sold to a gentile; ba gentile does have, however,the capability of bacquisitionof land bin Eretz Yisraelto allow him bto dig pits, ditches, and cavesin the land he has purchased, bas it is stated: “The heavens are the heavens of the Lord; but the earth has He given to the children of men”(Psalms 115:16)., bAnd Rabbi Elazar says: Even though a gentile hasthe capability of bacquisitionof land bin Eretz Yisrael tocause the babrogationof the sanctity of the land, removing it bfromthe obligation to btitheits produce, bas it is statedwith regard to tithes: “The tithe of byour grain”(Deuteronomy 12:17), which teaches that it is only the grain of a Jew that is obligated in tithes band not the grain of a gentile; a gentile does not have, however,the capability of bacquisitionof land bin Eretz Yisraelto allow him bto dig pits, ditches, and caves,in the land he has purchased, bas it is stated: “The earth is the Lord’s”(Psalms 24:1).,The Gemara asks: bWith regard to whatprinciple bdoRabba and Rabbi Elazar bdisagree?The Gemara answers: One bSage,Rabbi Elazar, bholdsthat b“your grain”teaches that only grain grown in the field of a Jew is obligated in tithes, bbut not the graingrown in the field bof a gentile. Andone bSage,Rabba, bholdsthat “your grain” is not referring to the produce itself, but rather to byour accumulationof the produce binto a pile,which obligates the produce in tithes, band not the accumulationof the produce binto a pileby ba gentile,as Rabba holds that if a gentile harvests and gathers grain, the grain is not obligated in tithes., bRabba said: From where do I saythat a gentile’s acquisition of land in Eretz Yisrael does not cause the abrogation of the sanctity of the land with regard to tithes? bAs we learnedin a mishna ( iPe’a4:9): With regard to bthe gleaningsleft for the poor, band the forgottensheaves left for the poor, band the produce in the corner of the field, which is given to the poor [ ipe’a /i], of a gentile,one is bobligated to tithethem bunlessthe owner brendered them ownerless. /b,The Gemara discusses: bWhat are the circumstances? If we saythat this is referring to the gleanings, forgotten sheaves, and ipe’a bof a Jew, and a gentile collected themand sold them to a Jew, then how could the mishna write: bUnless he rendered them ownerless? But they are already ownerless,since gleanings, forgotten sheaves, and ipe’aare already ownerless, as anyone can take them. bRather, is it notthe case that the mishna is referring to produce bof a gentile,who then separated gleanings, forgotten sheaves, and ipe’a /i, and declared them to be ownerless, band a Jew gathered them. /b,Rabba explains his inference: bThe reasonthat this produce is exempt from tithes is specifically bbecausethe gentile brendered it ownerless, butif bhe did not render it ownerless,then it would be bobligatedin tithes. One can infer from this mishna that the acquisition of land by a gentile does not cause the abrogation of the sanctity of the land with regard to tithes.,The Gemara rejects this: bNo, actuallyit may be that these were gleanings, forgotten sheaves, and ipe’a bof a Jew, and a gentile collected them. And that which you said: But they are already ownerless,is incorrect. bLet it be that he rendered them ownerless with the intent that a Jewwould collect them, but bdid he render them ownerless with the intent that a gentilewould collect them? He did not in fact render them ownerless, as he expected only a Jew to collect them. Therefore, if a gentile collects them and sells them to a Jew, the Jew is obligated to tithe them.,The Gemara suggests: bComeand bhearanother proof from a ibaraita /i: If there was ba Jew who acquired a field from a gentile beforeits produce breached a thirdof its growth, at which point one is obligated to tithe the produce, band he then sold it tothe gentile bafterits produce breached a thirdof its growth, then the owner is bobligated to tithethe produce bbecausethe produce balready became obligatedin tithes when it reached a third of its growth while under Jewish ownership. The Gemara deduces from here: It is only when the produce bbecame obligatedin tithes while under Jewish ownership, that byes,the owner is obligated to tithe, but if the produce bdid not become obligatedin tithes while under Jewish ownership, then bno,the owner is not obligated to tithe. This teaches that produce that grows while the field is owned by a gentile is exempt from tithes, and a gentile’s acquisition in Eretz Yisrael abrogates the sanctity of the land with regard to tithes.,The Gemara rejects this: bWith what are we dealing here?We are not dealing with Eretz Yisrael proper, but with land bin Syria, andthis itanna bholdsthat bthe conquest of an individual is not called a conquest.Since Syria was conquered in battle by King David, and not by the Jewish people as a whole, it is not bound by all the same ihalakhotthat apply in Eretz Yisrael.,The Gemara suggests: bComeand bheara proof from a ibaraita( iTosefta /i, iTerumot2:10): If there were ba Jew and a gentile who purchased a field in partnership, /b |
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17. Babylonian Talmud, Ketuvot, None (3rd cent. CE - 6th cent. CE)
5a. משום חשבונות,אמר ליה אביי וחשבונות של מצוה מי אסירי והא רב חסדא ורב המנונא דאמרי תרוייהו חשבונות של מצוה מותר לחשבן בשבת וא"ר אלעזר פוסקין צדקה לעניים בשבת ואמר ר' יעקב אמר ר' יוחנן הולכין לבתי כנסיות ולבתי מדרשות לפקח על עסקי רבים בשבת ואמר רבי יעקב בר אידי אמר רבי יוחנן מפקחין פיקוח נפש בשבת,ואמר רב שמואל בר נחמני אמר רבי יונתן הולכין לטרטייאות ולקרקייאות לפקח על עסקי רבים בשבת ותנא דבי מנשיא משדכין על התינוקת ליארס בשבת ועל התינוק ללמדו ספר וללמדו אומנות,אלא אמר רבי זירא גזירה שמא ישחוט בן עוף א"ל אביי אלא מעתה יום הכפורים שחל להיות בשני בשבת ידחה גזירה שמא ישחוט בן עוף התם דלנפשיה לא טריד הכא דלאחרים טריד אי נמי התם אית ליה רווחא הכא לית ליה רווחא,השתא דאתית להכי ערב שבת נמי גזירה שמא ישחוט בן עוף,איבעיא להו בתולה נשאת ברביעי ונבעלת ברביעי ולא חיישינן לאיקרורי דעתא או דלמא בתולה נשאת ברביעי ונבעלת בחמישי דחיישינן לאיקרורי דעתא,ת"ש דתני בר קפרא בתולה נשאת ברביעי ונבעלת בחמישי הואיל ונאמרה בו ברכה לדגים אלמנה נשאת בחמישי ונבעלת בששי הואיל ונאמרה בו ברכה לאדם טעמא משום ברכה אבל משום איקרורי דעתא לא חיישינן,אי הכי אלמנה נמי תיבעל בחמישי הואיל ונאמרה בו ברכה לדגים ברכה דאדם עדיפא ליה,ואי נמי משום שקדו דתניא מפני מה אמרו אלמנה נשאת בחמישי ונבעלת בששי שאם אתה אומר תיבעל בחמישי למחר משכים לאומנתו והולך לו שקדו חכמים על תקנת בנות ישראל שיהא שמח עמה שלשה ימים חמישי בשבת וערב שבת ושבת,מאי איכא בין ברכה לשקדו איכא בינייהו אדם בטל אי נמי יום טוב שחל להיות בערב שבת,דרש בר קפרא גדולים מעשה צדיקים יותר ממעשה שמים וארץ דאילו במעשה שמים וארץ כתיב (ישעיהו מח, יג) אף ידי יסדה ארץ וימיני טפחה שמים ואילו במעשה ידיהם של צדיקים כתיב (שמות טו, יז) מכון לשבתך פעלת ה' מקדש אדני כוננו ידיך,השיב בבלי אחד ור' חייא שמו (תהלים צה, ה) ויבשת ידיו יצרו ידו כתיב והכתיב יצרו א"ר נחמן בר יצחק יצרו אצבעותיו כדכתיב (תהלים ח, ד) כי אראה שמיך מעשה אצבעותיך ירח וכוכבים אשר כוננת,מיתיבי (תהלים יט, ב) השמים מספרים כבוד אל ומעשה ידיו מגיד הרקיע הכי קאמר מעשה ידיהם של צדיקים מי מגיד הרקיע ומאי ניהו מטר,דרש בר קפרא מאי דכתיב (דברים כג, יד) ויתד תהיה לך על אזנך אל תקרי אזנך אלא על אוזנך שאם ישמע אדם דבר שאינו הגון | 5a. It is bdue to calculationsperformed on Shabbat to prepare for the wedding. He would thereby engage in weekday matters on Shabbat., bAbaye said to him: And are calculations for a mitzva prohibitedon Shabbat? bBut wasn’t it Rav Ḥisda and Rav Hamnuna who both said:With regard to bcalculations for a mitzva,it is bpermitted to reckon them on Shabbat? And Rabbi Elazar said: One may allocate charity to the poor on Shabbat. And Rabbi Ya’akov saidthat bRabbi Yoḥa said: One goes to synagogues and study halls to supervise mattersaffecting the bmultitudes on Shabbat. And Rabbi Ya’akov bar Idi saidthat bRabbi Yoḥa said: One supervises matters of saving a life on Shabbat. /b, bAnd Rabbi Shmuel bar Naḥmani saidthat bRabbi Yoḥa said: One goes to theaters [ itartiyyaot /i] and circuses [ ikarkiyyaot /i] to supervise mattersaffecting the bmultitudes on Shabbat,because the fate of the Jewish people or of individual Jews is often decided there and one’s presence could prevent calamity. bAndthe Sage bof the school of Menashya taught:One bmakes matches [ imeshadkhin /i]among the families concerned bfor a young girl to be betrothed on Shabbat, andsimilarly one may make arrangements bfor a young boy to teach him Torah and to teach him a craft.Apparently, calculations for a mitzva may be reckoned on Shabbat, including calculations for a wedding. Therefore, this cannot be the reason for the prohibition against marrying at the conclusion of Shabbat., bRather, Rabbi Zeira said: It is a decree lest one slaughter a young fowl onShabbat, due to his preoccupation with the preparations for that night’s wedding feast. bAbaye said to him: Ifthat is bso, Yom Kippur that occurs on Monday should be postponedwhen fixing the calendar, due to ba decree lest one slaughter a young fowlon Shabbat for the meal on Yom Kippur eve, which is a mitzva. The Gemara distinguishes between the cases. bThere,with regard to Yom Kippur eve, when one is preparing a meal bfor himself, he is not preoccupied,and he will not overlook the fact that it is Shabbat. bHere,in the case of a wedding, one is preparing a meal bfor othersand is bpreoccupied. Alternatively, there,on Yom Kippur eve, bhe has an intervalof time during which he can slaughter the bird, as the mitzva is to eat the meal on Yom Kippur eve the next day. bHere, he does not have an intervalof time, because the wedding and the feast take place at night at the conclusion of Shabbat.,The Gemara says: bNow that we have come to thisunderstanding of the prohibition against marrying at the conclusion of Shabbat, the prohibition not to engage in sexual intercourse on bShabbat evening, too,is not due to the intercourse. Rather, it is ba decree lest one slaughter a young fowlfor the wedding feast.,§ The Gemara braises a dilemma: Is a virgin married on Wednesday anddoes she bengage in intercourse onthat bWednesday, and we are not concernedlest bhis resolveto take his bride to court upon discovering that she was not a virgin bcoolovernight? Rather, he will certainly go to court the next morning. bOr perhaps, a virgin is married on Wednesday but engages in intercourse on Thursday, as we are concerned that his resolve will cool. /b, bCome and hearproof, bas bar Kappara taught: A virgin is married on Wednesday and engages in intercourse on Thursday, since the blessing to the fish:Be fruitful and multiply, bwas statedon the fifth day of Creation. bA widow is married on Thursday and engages in intercourse on Friday, since the blessingof procreation bwas stated to manon the sixth day of Creation. It may be inferred that bthe reason is due to the blessing, but with regard tothe possibility lest bhis resolve cool, we are not concerned. /b,The Gemara asks: bIf so, a widow should also engage in intercourse on Thursday, since the blessing to the fish was stated then.The Gemara answers: Since there is the option to postpone engaging in relations to the day on which bthe blessing of manwas stated, doing so bis preferable for him. /b, bAlternatively,that day was established as the day for a widow to engage in sexual relations bdue tothe fact that the Sages bwere assiduousin seeing to the well-being of Jewish women, bas it is taughtin a ibaraita /i: bWhy didthe Sages bsay that a widow is married on Thursday and engages in intercourse on Friday?It is bbecause if you say that she should engage in intercourse on Thursday, on the next daythe groom will bgo toply bhis craft earlyand leave his wife alone. When a man marries a widow, there is no observance of the seven days of rejoicing, whose legal status is like that of a Festival, during which he does not go to work. Therefore, bthe Sages were assiduous in seeing to the well-being of Jewish womenand ensured bthatthe groom brejoice with herfor bthree days: Thursday,the day of the wedding; band Shabbat eve,the day when they engage in sexual relations; band Shabbat. /b, bWhatpractical difference bis there betweenthe two reasons given to engage in relations on Friday, i.e., the bblessingof procreation for man bandthe fact that the Sages bwere assiduous?The Gemara answers: bThere isa practical difference bbetween themin the case of ban idle person,who has no job, in which case the reason of blessing applies and the reason that the Sages were assiduous does not, as no matter what he will not go to work early. bAlternatively,there is a practical difference in the case of ba Festival that occurs on Shabbat eve.There too, the reason of blessing applies but the Sages’ assiduousness does not apply, as one does not work on a Festival.,§ The Gemara cites additional aggadic statements of bar Kappara. bBar Kappara taught: The handiwork of the righteous is greater than the creation of heaven and earth, as with regard to the creation of heaven and earth it is written: “My hand also has laid the foundation of the earth, and My right hand has spanned the heavens”(Isaiah 48:13). There, hand is written in the singular. bWhereas with regard to the handiwork of the righteous it is written: “The place which You have made for Yourself to dwell in, Lord, the Sanctuary, Lord, which your hands have established” (Exodus 15:17).The reference is to the Temple, which is the handiwork of man, and hand is written in the plural., bA certain Babylonian, and his name is Rabbi Ḥiyya, respondedwith a challenge. It is written with regard to creation of the earth: b“And His hands formed the dry land”(Psalms 95:5). The Gemara answers: b“His hand”is the way it bis written.Although the word is vocalized in the plural, it is written in the singular, without the letter iyod /i. bBut isn’t it written: “Formed,”in the plural? Rav Naḥman bar Yitzḥak said: The plural is referring to bHis fingers, as it is written: “When I see Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, the moon and stars, which You have established”(Psalms 8:4)., bThe Gemara raises an objection: “The heavens declare the glory of God, and the firmament proclaims the work of His hands”(Psalms 19:2). The heavens were created by His hands. The Gemara answers that bthisis what the verse bis saying: Who attests to the handiwork of the righteous,that they are performing the will of God? It is bthe heavens. And what isthe avenue through which the heavens do so? It is by means of brainthat falls due to the prayers of the righteous., bBar Kappara taught: What isthe meaning of that which bis written: And you shall have a peg among your weapons [ iazenekha /i]”(Deuteronomy 23:14)? bDo not readit as: bYour weapons [ iazenekha /i]. Rather,read it: bOn your ear [ ioznekha /i],meaning bthat if a person hears an inappropriate matter, /b |
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18. Babylonian Talmud, Taanit, None (3rd cent. CE - 6th cent. CE)
24a. יומא חד שמעיה דקא גריס אמר שמואל השולה דג מן הים בשבת כיון שיבש בו כסלע חייב א"ל ולימא מר ובין סנפיריו אמר ליה ולא סבר לה מר דההיא רבי יוסי בן רבי אבין אמרה אמר ליה אנא ניהו,א"ל ולאו קמיה דר' יוסי דמן יוקרת הוה שכיח מר א"ל (הין) א"ל ומ"ט שבקיה מר ואתא הכא אמר ליה גברא דעל בריה ועל ברתיה לא חס עלי דידי היכי חייס,בריה מאי היא יומא חד הוו אגרי ליה אגירי בדברא נגה להו ולא אייתי להו ריפתא אמרו ליה לבריה כפינן הוו יתבי תותי תאינתא אמר תאנה תאנה הוציאי פירותיך ויאכלו פועלי אבא אפיקו ואכלו,אדהכי והכי אתא אבוה אמר להו לא תינקטו בדעתייכו דהאי דנגהנא אמצוה טרחנא ועד השתא הוא דסגאי אמרו ליה רחמנא לישבעך כי היכי דאשבען ברך אמר להו מהיכא אמרו הכי והכי הוה מעשה אמר לו בני אתה הטרחת את קונך להוציא תאנה פירותיה שלא בזמנה יאסף שלא בזמנו,ברתיה מאי היא הויא ליה ברתא בעלת יופי יומא חד חזיא לההוא גברא דהויא כריא בהוצא וקא חזי לה אמר לו מאי האי אמר ליה רבי אם ללוקחה לא זכיתי לראותה לא אזכה אמר לה בתי קא מצערת להו לברייתא שובי לעפריך ואל יכשלו ביך בני אדם,הויא ליה ההוא חמרא כדהוו אגרי לה כל יומא לאורתא הוו משדרי לה אגרה אגבה ואתיא לבי מרה ואי טפו לה או בצרי לה לא אתיא יומא חד אינשו זוגא דסנדלי עלה ולא אזלה עד דשקלונהו מינה והדר אזלה,אלעזר איש בירתא כד הוו חזו ליה גבאי צדקה הוו טשו מיניה דכל מאי דהוה גביה יהיב להו יומא חד הוה סליק לשוקא למיזבן נדוניא לברתיה חזיוהו גבאי צדקה טשו מיניה,אזל ורהט בתרייהו אמר להו אשבעתיכו במאי עסקיתו אמרו ליה ביתום ויתומה אמר להן העבודה שהן קודמין לבתי שקל כל דהוה בהדיה ויהב להו פש ליה חד זוזא זבן ליה חיטי ואסיק שדייה באכלבא,אתא דביתהו אמרה לה לברתיה מאי אייתי אבוך אמרה לה כל מה דאייתי באכלבא שדיתיה אתיא למיפתח בבא דאכלבא חזת אכלבא דמליא חיטי וקא נפקא בצינורא דדשא ולא מיפתח בבא מחיטי אזלא ברתיה לבי מדרשא אמרה ליה בא וראה מה עשה לך אוהבך אמר לה העבודה הרי הן הקדש עליך ואין לך בהן אלא כאחד מעניי ישראל,ר' יהודה נשיאה גזר תעניתא בעי רחמי ולא אתא מיטרא אמר כמה איכא משמואל הרמתי ליהודה בן גמליאל אוי לו לדור שכן נתקע אוי לו למי שעלתה בימיו כך חלש דעתיה ואתא מיטרא,דבי נשיאה גזר תעניתא ולא אודעינהו לרבי יוחנן ולריש לקיש לצפרא אודעינהו אמר ליה ריש לקיש לרבי יוחנן הא לא קבילנא עלן מאורתא אמר ליה אנן בתרייהו גררינן,דבי נשיאה גזר תעניתא ולא אתא מיטרא תנא להו אושעיא זעירא דמן חברייא (במדבר טו, כד) והיה אם מעיני העדה נעשתה לשגגה,משל לכלה שהיא בבית אביה כל זמן שעיניה יפות אין כל גופה צריכה בדיקה עיניה טרוטות כל גופה צריכה בדיקה,אתו עבדיה ורמו ליה סודרא בצואריה וקא מצערו ליה אמרו (ליה) בני מאתיה שבקיה דהא נמי מצער לן כיון דחזינן דכל מיליה לשום שמים לא אמרי ליה מידי ושבקינן ליה אתון נמי שבקוהו,רבי גזר תעניתא ולא אתא מיטרא נחית קמיה אילפא ואמרי לה רבי אילפי אמר משיב הרוח ונשא זיקא מוריד הגשם ואתא מיטרא אמר ליה מאי עובדך אמר ליה דיירנא בקוסטא דחיקא דלית ביה חמרא לקידושא ואבדלתא טרחנא ואתינא חמרא לקידושא ואבדלתא ומפיקנא להו ידי חובתייהו,רב איקלע לההוא אתרא גזר תעניתא ולא אתא מיטרא נחית קמיה שליחא דצבורא אמר משיב הרוח ונשב זיקא אמר מוריד הגשם ואתא מיטרא אמר ליה מאי עובדך אמר ליה מיקרי דרדקי אנא ומקרינא לבני עניי כבני עתירי וכל דלא אפשר ליה לא שקלינא מיניה מידי ואית לי פירא דכוורי וכל מאן דפשע משחדינא ליה מינייהו ומסדרינן ליה ומפייסינן ליה עד דאתי וקרי,רב נחמן גזר תעניתא בעא רחמי ולא אתא מיטרא אמר שקלוה לנחמן חבוטו מן גודא לארעא חלש דעתיה ואתא מיטרא,רבה גזר תעניתא בעי רחמי ולא אתא מיטרא אמרו ליה והא רב יהודה כי הוה גזר תעניתא אתא מיטרא אמר להו מאי אעביד אי משום תנויי אנן עדיפינן מינייהו דבשני דרב יהודה כל תנויי | 24a. bOne dayRabbi Yosei bar Avin bheardRav Ashi bstudyingand reciting the following statement. bShmuel said:With regard to bone who removes a fish from the seaon Shabbat, bwhenan area bonthe skin of the fish bthe size of a isela /icoin bhas dried up,he is bliablefor violating the prohibition against slaughtering an animal on Shabbat. A fish in that condition cannot survive, and therefore one who removed it from the water is liable for killing it. Rabbi Yosei bar Avin bsaid toRav Ashi: bAnd let the Master saythat this is the case provided that the skin that dried is bbetween its fins.Rav Ashi bsaid to him: And doesn’t the Master maintain that Rabbi Yosei ben Rabbi Avin said thisruling? Why didn’t you state it in his name? Rabbi Yosei bar Avin bsaid to him: I am he. /b,Rav Ashi bsaid to him: And didn’t the Mastersit bbeforeand bfrequentthe study hall bof Rabbi Yosei from Yokrat?Rabbi Yosei bar Avin bsaid to him: Yes.Rav Ashi bsaid to him: And what is the reasonthat bthe Master lefthim band came here?Rabbi Yosei bar Avin bsaid to him:I was concerned and departed because he is so severe and unforgiving. He is ba man who has no mercy on hisown bson, and no mercy on his daughter. How,then, bcould he have mercy on me? /b,The Gemara asks: bWhat isthe incident involving bhis son? One dayRabbi Yosei from Yokrat bhiredday blaborers towork his bfield. It grew late and he did not bring them food.The workers bsaid to the son ofRabbi Yosei from Yokrat: bWe are starving. They were sitting under a fig tree,so the son bsaid: Fig tree, fig tree. Yield your fruits,so that my bfather’s workers may eat.The fig tree byieldedfruit, band they ate. /b, bIn the meantime, his father cameand bsaid tothe workers: bDo not be angry with me for being late, as I was engaged in a mitzva, and until just now I was travelingfor that purpose and could not get here any sooner. bThey said to him:May bthe Merciful One satisfy you just as your son satisfied usand gave us food. bHe said to them: From wheredid he find food to give you? bThey said: Such-and-such an incident occurred.Rabbi Yosei from Yokrat bsaid tohis son: bMy son, you troubled your Creatorto cause bthe fig to yield its fruit not in itsproper btime,so too, you will die young. And indeed, his son bdied before his time. /b,The Gemara asks: bWhat isthe incident involving bhis daughter? He hada very bbeautiful daughter. One dayRabbi Yosei from Yokrat bsaw a certain man piercing a hole in the hedgesurrounding his property band looking athis daughter. Rabbi Yosei bsaid to him: What is this?The man bsaid to him: My teacher, if I have not merited taking herin marriage, shall bI notat least bmerit to look at her? Rabbi Yosei said to her: My daughter, you are causing people distress. Return to your dust, and let people nolonger bstumbleinto sin bdue to you. /b,§ The Gemara relates another story involving Rabbi Yosei from Yokrat. bHe had a certain donkey that people hired each dayfor work. bIn the evening they would send it backwith bthe money for its hire on its back, andthe animal would bgo to its owner’s house. But if they added or subtracted fromthe appropriate sum, the donkey bwould not go. One daysomeone bforgot a pair of sandals onthe donkey, band it did not move until they removedthe sandals bfromits back, bafter which it went off. /b,The Gemara cites more stories about miracles that occurred to righteous individuals. bWhenever the charity collectors would see Elazar ofthe village of bBirta, they would hide from him, as anymoney Elazar bhad with him he would give them,and they did not want to take all his property. bOne day,Elazar bwent to the market to purchasewhat he needed bfor his daughter’s dowry. The charity collectors saw him and hid from him. /b, bHe went and ran after them, saying to them: I adjure you,tell me, bin whatmitzva bare you engaged? They said to him:We are collecting money for the wedding bof an orphan boy and an orphan girl. He said to them:I swear bby the Temple service that they take precedence over my daughter. He took everything he had with him and gave it to them. He was left with onesingle bdinar,with which bhe bought himself wheat, andhe then bascendedto his house band threw it into the granary. /b,Elazar’s bwife came and said to her daughter: What has your father brought? She said toher mother: bWhatever he brought he threw into the granary. She went to open the door of the granary,and bsaw that the granary was full of wheat,so much so that bit was coming out through the doorknob, and the door would not opendue bto the wheat.The granary had miraculously been completely filled. Elazar’s bdaughter went to the study halland bsaid toher father: bCome and see what He Who loves You,the Almighty, bhas performed for you. He said to her:I swear bby the Temple service,as far bas youare concerned this wheat bis consecratedproperty, band you havea share bin it only as one of the poor Jews.He said this because he did not want to benefit from a miracle.,The Gemara returns to the topic of fasting for rain. bRabbi Yehuda Nesia decreed a fastand bprayed for mercy, but rain did not come. He said,lamenting: bHow greatis the difference bbetweenthe prophet bSamuel of Rama,for whom rain fell even when he prayed for it in summer, bandmyself, bYehuda ben Gamliel. Woe to the generation that is stuckwith this leadership; bwoe to him in whose days this has occurred. He grew upset, and rain came. /b,The Gemara relates another story involving a iNasi’sdecree of a fast for rain. bIn the house of the iNasia fast was declared, but they didn’t inform Rabbi Yoḥa and Reish Lakishof the fast the day before. bIn the morning they informed them. Reish Lakish said to Rabbi Yoḥa:What are we to do? bWe did not acceptthis fast bupon ourselves the evening before,and a fast must be accepted in the afternoon service of the day preceding the fast. Rabbi Yoḥa bsaid to him: We are drawn afterthe community, and therefore, when the iNasideclares a public fast there is no need for an individual to accept it upon himself the day before.,The Gemara further states that on another occasion, ba fast was declared in the house of the iNasi /i, but rain did not come. Oshaya, the youngestmember bof the groupof Sages, btaught thema ibaraita /i. It is written: b“Then it shall be, if it shall be committed in error by the congregation, it being hidden from their eyes”(Numbers 15:24). This verse indicates that the leaders are considered the eyes of the congregation.,Oshaya continued: There is ba parablethat illustrates this, binvolving a bride who is in her father’s homeand has not yet been seen by her bridegroom. bAs long as her eyes are beautiful, her body need not be examined,as certainly she is beautiful. However, if bher eyes are bleary [ iterutot /i], her entire body requires examination.So too, if the leaders of the generation are flawed, it is a sign that the entire generation is unworthy. By means of this parable, Oshaya was hinting that rain was withheld from the entire nation due to the evil committed by the household of the iNasi /i.,The bservantsof the iNasi bcame and placed a scarf around his neck and tormented himas punishment for insulting the house of the iNasi /i. bHis townsmen said to them: Let him be, as he also causes us painwith his harsh reproof, but bsince we see that all his actions are for the sake of Heaven we do not say anything to him and let him be. You tooshould blet him be. /b,§ The Gemara relates: bRabbiYehuda HaNasi bdeclared a fast but rain did not come. Ilfa descendedto lead the service bbefore him, and some sayit was bRabbi Ilfi. He recited: He Who makes the wind blow, and the windindeed bblew.He continued to recite: And bWho makes the rain come, andsubsequently, bthe rain came.Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi bsaid to him: What are yourgood bdeeds,in the merit of which your prayers are answered so speedily? bHe said to him: I live in an impoverished city, in which there is no wine for ikiddushor ihavdala /i. I go to the effort of bringingthe residents bwine for ikiddushand ihavdala /i, and Ithereby enable them to bfulfill their duty.In reward for this mitzva, my prayers for rain were answered.,The Gemara relates a similar incident. bRav happenedto come to ba certain placewhere bhe decreed a fast but rain did not come. The prayer leader descendedto lead the service bbefore himand brecited: He Who makes the wind blow, and the wind blew.He continued and bsaid:And bWho makes the rain fall, and the rain came.Rav bsaid to him: What are yourgood bdeeds? He said to him: I am a teacher of children, and I teach the Bible to the children of the poor as to the children of the rich, andif there is banyone who cannotpay, bI do not take anything from him. And I have a fishpond, and anychild bwho neglectshis studies, bI bribe him withthe fish band calm him, and soothe him until he comes and reads. /b,The Gemara further relates: bRav Naḥman decreed a fast, prayed for mercy, but rain did not come.In his misery, he bsaid: Take Naḥmanand bthrow him from the wall to the ground,as the fast he decreed has evidently had no effect. bHe grew upset, and rain came. /b,The Gemara relates: bRabba decreed a fast. He prayed for mercy, but rain did not come. They said to him: But whenthis bRav Yehuda decreed a fast, rain would come. He said to them: What can I do? Ifthe difference between us is bdue toTorah bstudy, we are superior tothe previous generation, bas in the years of Rav Yehuda all of their learning /b |
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19. Anon., Pesiqta De Rav Kahana, 15.2
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