1. Hebrew Bible, Deuteronomy, 32.10 (9th cent. BCE - 3rd cent. BCE)
| 32.10. He found him in a desert land, and in the waste, a howling wilderness; He compassed him about, He cared for him, He kept him as the apple of His eye." |
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2. Hebrew Bible, Genesis, 2.6, 49.25 (9th cent. BCE - 3rd cent. BCE)
| 2.6. וְאֵד יַעֲלֶה מִן־הָאָרֶץ וְהִשְׁקָה אֶת־כָּל־פְּנֵי־הָאֲדָמָה׃ 49.25. מֵאֵל אָבִיךָ וְיַעְזְרֶךָּ וְאֵת שַׁדַּי וִיבָרְכֶךָּ בִּרְכֹת שָׁמַיִם מֵעָל בִּרְכֹת תְּהוֹם רֹבֶצֶת תָּחַת בִּרְכֹת שָׁדַיִם וָרָחַם׃ | 2.6. but there went up a mist from the earth, and watered the whole face of the ground." 49.25. Even by the God of thy father, who shall help thee, And by the Almighty, who shall bless thee, With blessings of heaven above, Blessings of the deep that coucheth beneath, Blessings of the breasts, and of the womb." |
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3. Hebrew Bible, Psalms, 42.8 (9th cent. BCE - 3rd cent. BCE)
| 42.8. תְּהוֹם־אֶל־תְּהוֹם קוֹרֵא לְקוֹל צִנּוֹרֶיךָ כָּל־מִשְׁבָּרֶיךָ וְגַלֶּיךָ עָלַי עָבָרוּ׃ | 42.8. Deep calleth unto deep at the voice of Thy cataracts; all Thy waves and Thy billows are gone over me." |
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4. Hebrew Bible, 1 Samuel, 7.6 (8th cent. BCE - 5th cent. BCE)
| 7.6. וַיִּקָּבְצוּ הַמִּצְפָּתָה וַיִּשְׁאֲבוּ־מַיִם וַיִּשְׁפְּכוּ לִפְנֵי יְהוָה וַיָּצוּמוּ בַּיּוֹם הַהוּא וַיֹּאמְרוּ שָׁם חָטָאנוּ לַיהוָה וַיִּשְׁפֹּט שְׁמוּאֵל אֶת־בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל בַּמִּצְפָּה׃ | 7.6. And they gathered together to Miżpa, and drew water, and poured it out before the Lord, and fasted on that day, and said there, We have sinned against the Lord. And Shemu᾽el judged the children of Yisra᾽el in Miżpa." |
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5. Hebrew Bible, Zechariah, 14.17 (5th cent. BCE - 4th cent. BCE)
| 14.17. וְהָיָה אֲשֶׁר לֹא־יַעֲלֶה מֵאֵת מִשְׁפְּחוֹת הָאָרֶץ אֶל־יְרוּשָׁלִַם לְהִשְׁתַּחֲוֺת לְמֶלֶךְ יְהוָה צְבָאוֹת וְלֹא עֲלֵיהֶם יִהְיֶה הַגָּשֶׁם׃ | 14.17. And it shall be, that whoso of the families of the earth goeth not up unto Jerusalem to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, upon them there shall be no rain." |
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6. Mishnah, Rosh Hashanah, 1.2 (1st cent. CE - 3rd cent. CE)
| 1.2. At four set times the world is judged:On Pesah in respect to the produce. On Shavuot in respect to the fruit of the tree. On Rosh Hashanah all the people of the world pass before Him like a division of soldier [a numerus], as it says, “He who fashions the hearts of them all, who discerns all their doings” (Psalms 33:15). And on Sukkot they are judged in respect of rain." |
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7. Mishnah, Sukkah, 4.9-4.10, 5.4 (1st cent. CE - 3rd cent. CE)
| 4.9. How was the water libation [performed]? A golden flask holding three logs was filled from the Shiloah. When they arrived at the water gate, they sounded a teki'ah [long blast], a teru'ah [a staccato note] and again a teki'ah. [The priest then] went up the ascent [of the altar] and turned to his left where there were two silver bowls. Rabbi Judah says: they were of plaster [but they looked silver] because their surfaces were darkened from the wine. They had each a hole like a slender snout, one being wide and the other narrow so that both emptied at the same time. The one on the west was for water and the one on the east for wine. If he poured the flask of water into the bowl for wine, or that of wine into that for water, he has fulfilled his obligation. Rabbi Judah says: with one log he performed the ceremony of the water-libation all eight days. To [the priest] who performed the libation they used to say, “Raise your hand”, for one time, a certain man poured out the water over his feet, and all the people pelted him with their etrogs." 4.10. As it was performed on weekdays, so was it was performed on Shabbat, save that on the eve of Shabbat he would fill a non-sanctified golden barrel from the Shiloah, and place it in the chamber. If it was poured away or uncovered, he would refill it from the laver, for wine or water which has become uncovered is invalid for the altar." 5.4. Men of piety and good deeds used to dance before them with lighted torches in their hands, and they would sing songs and praises. And Levites with innumerable harps, lyres, cymbals and trumpets and other musical instruments stood upon the fifteen steps leading down from the Court of the Israelites to the Court of the Women, corresponding to the fifteen songs of ascents in the Psalms, and it was on these [steps] that the Levites stood with their musical instruments and sang their songs. Two priests stood by the upper gate which leads down from the Court of the Israelites to the Court of the Women, with two trumpets in their hands. When the cock crowed they sounded a teki'ah [drawn-out blast], a teru'ah [staccato note] and again a teki'ah. When they reached the tenth step they sounded a teki'ah, a teru'ah and again a teki'ah. When they reached the Court [of the Women] they sounded a teki'ah, a teru'ah and again a teki'ah. They would sound their trumpets and proceed until they reached the gate which leads out to the east. When they reached the gate which leads out to the east, they turned their faces from east to west and said, “Our fathers who were in this place ‘their backs were toward the Temple of the Lord, and their faces toward the east, and they worshipped the sun toward the east’, but as for us, our eyes are turned to the Lord.” Rabbi Judah said: they used to repeat [the last words] and say “We are the Lord’s and our eyes are turned to the Lord.”" |
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8. Mishnah, Zevahim, 6.2 (1st cent. CE - 3rd cent. CE)
| 6.2. The hatat of a bird was sacrificed by the southwest horn [of the altar]. It is valid [if done] in any place, but this was its [particular] place. That horn served for three things below, and three things above: Below: for the hatat of the bird, For the presenting [of meal-offerings]. And for the residue of the blood. Above: for the pouring out of wine and water, and for the olah of a bird when there was too much on the east." |
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9. New Testament, John, 7.38 (1st cent. CE - 1st cent. CE)
| 7.38. He who believes in me, as the Scripture has said, from within him will flow rivers of living water. |
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10. Tosefta, Sukkah, 3.3, 3.8, 3.11-3.12, 3.15-3.16, 3.18, 4.1, 4.6 (1st cent. CE - 2nd cent. CE)
| 3.3. Why is the name \"Water Gate\"? It is so called because through it they take the flask of water used for the libation at the Feast. R. Eliezer b. Jacob says of it, \"The waters are dripping, intimating that water oozing out and rising, as if from this flask, will in future days come forth from under the threshold of the Temple, and so it says, ‘When the man went forth eastward with the line in his hand, he measured a thousand cubits, and caused me to pass through the waters, waters that were to the ankles, intimating that a man can pass through waters up to his ankles ; and again he measured a thousand, and caused me to pass through the waters, waters that were to the knees, intimating that a man can pass through waters up to his knees.’”Another interpretation of waters that were to the knees, \"intimating that after they have been blessed, they flow out. Again, he measured a thousand, and caused me to pass through the waters, waters that were to the loins, intimating that a man can pass through waters up to his loins. Afterwards he measured a thousand, and it was a river that I could not pass through. Though one cannot cross it on foot, yet one may be able to do so by swimming; though one cannot cross it in a small boat, as we learn from the Scripture, For the waters were risen, waters to swim in they were risen too high for swimming. Though one cannot cross it in a small boat, yet one may be able to do so in a large boat, as we learn from the Scripture, There shall not go thereon any rowing ship. Though one cannot cross it in a large boat, yet one may be able to do so in a fast sailing vessel, as we learn from the Scripture, And gallant ship shall not pass over it. 2 And so it is said, And it shall come to pass in that day, that living waters shall go out from Jerusalem, half of them toward the eastern sea, and half of them toward the western sea ; in summer and in winter shall it be. It may be other fountains will be mixed with them, as we learn from the Scripture, In that day shall there be a fountain opened to the house of David, and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, for sin and for uncleanness. Whither do the waters go ? To the Mediterranean, and to the sea of Tiberias, and to the Dead Sea, that their waters may be healed, as it is said : And he said to me, These waters issue forth towards the eastern region that is the Dead Sea ; and shall go down into the Arabah that is the Sea of Tiberias ; and they shall go towards the other sea that is the Mediterranean Sea ; and the waters shall be healed ; and it shall come to pass that every living creature that swarms, in every place whither the river comes, shall live ; and there shall be a very great multitude of fish; for these waters are come hither, that all things may be healed and live, whithersoever the river cometh. And it also says : And it shall come to pass that fishers shall stand by it ; from Engedi even unto Englaim shall be a place for the spreading of nets ; their fish shall be after their kinds, as the fish of the Great Sea, exceeding many. And it also says : But the miry places thereof and the marishes thereof, shall not be healed ; they shall be given for salt. And also : By the river, upon the bank thereof, on this side and on that side, shall grow every tree for meat, whose leaf shall not wither, neither shall the fruit thereof fail ; it shall bring forth first-fruits every month, because the waters thereof issue out of the sanctuary ; and the fruit thereof shall be for meat, and the leaf thereof for healing intimating that all \"the waters of creation\" will come forth as from the mouth of this flask. So the well, which was with Israel in the wilderness, was like a rock of the size of a k'bara, 6 and was oozing out and rising as from the mouth of this flask, travelling with them up the mountains and going down with them to the valleys. Wherever Israel encamped it encamped opposite them before the door of the Tabernacle. The princes of Israel with their slaves surrounded it, and said over it this song, Spring up, O well, sing ye unto it. Then the waters bubbled forth, and rose on high like a pillar; and every one drew out the staff of his tribe and family, as it is said, The well which the princes digged, Which the nobles of the people delved, With the sceptre and with their staves. And from Mattanah to Nahaliel ; and from Nahaliel to Bamoth ; and from Bamoth to the valley, etc. going round every camp of the Lord, and watering all Jeshimon ; and it made mighty streams, as it is said, And streams overflowed. 3 And they were sitting in skiffs, going from place to place, as it is written, They ran in the dry places like a river. If Israel went up on the right, it would come down on the right ; if on the left, it would come down on the left. The waters which emptied themselves from it became a great river, pouring themselves into the Mediterranean, and bringing thence all the precious things of the world, as it is said, These forty years the Lord thy God hath been with thee ; thou hast lacked nothing." 4.1. Formerly when they were beholding the joy at the ceremony of the water drawing, the men were beholding it from within the Temple precincts and the women from without. But when the supreme court saw that they behaved in a frivolous manner they erected three balconies in the court, facing the three sides, that from them the women might behold the rejoicing at the ceremony. So when they were beholding the rejoicing at the ceremony the sexes were not mixed up together." 4.6. Why did they blow three blasts? To make the people cease from work. The sexton took the trumpets, and went to the top of the highest roof in the city to summon those near the city to cease from work. Those near the limits of the city assembled themselves together and came to the schoolhouse. They did not come immediately the trumpets blew, but waited till all were gathered together, and then all came at once. When did they assemble? After one could fill a bottle of water, or fry a fish, or light his lamp. " |
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11. Anon., Sifre Deuteronomy, 353 (2nd cent. CE - 4th cent. CE)
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12. Palestinian Talmud, Sukkah, None (2nd cent. CE - 5th cent. CE)
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13. Babylonian Talmud, Eruvin, None (3rd cent. CE - 6th cent. CE)
| 19a. למטעי כרם,וא"ר ירמיה בן אלעזר בא וראה שלא כמדת הקב"ה מדת בשר ודם מדת בשר ודם מתחייב אדם הריגה למלכות מטילין לו חכה לתוך פיו כדי שלא יקלל את המלך,מדת הקב"ה אדם מתחייב הריגה למקום שותק שנאמר (תהלים סה, ב) לך דומיה תהלה ולא עוד אלא שמשבח שנאמר תהלה ולא עוד אלא שדומה לו כאילו מקריב קרבן שנאמר (תהלים סה, ב) ולך ישולם נדר,היינו דא"ר יהושע בן לוי מאי דכתיב (תהלים פד, ז) עוברי בעמק הבכא מעין ישיתוהו גם ברכות יעטה מורה,עוברי אלו בני אדם שעוברין על רצונו של הקב"ה עמק שמעמיקין להם גיהנם הבכא שבוכין ומורידין דמעות כמעיין של שיתין גם ברכות יעטה מורה שמצדיקין עליהם את הדין ואומרים לפניו רבונו של עולם יפה דנת יפה זכית יפה חייבת ויפה תקנת גיהנם לרשעים גן עדן לצדיקים,איני והאמר רבי שמעון בן לקיש רשעים אפילו על פתחו של גיהנם אינם חוזרין בתשובה שנאמר (ישעיהו סו, כד) ויצאו וראו בפגרי האנשים הפושעים בי וגו' שפשעו לא נאמר אלא הפושעים שפושעים והולכין לעולם,ל"ק הא בפושעי ישראל הא בפושעי עובדי כוכבים,הכי נמי מסתברא דא"כ קשיא דר"ל אדריש לקיש דאמר ריש לקיש פושעי ישראל אין אור גיהנם שולטת בהן ק"ו ממזבח הזהב,מה מזבח הזהב שאין עליו אלא כעובי דינר זהב עמד כמה שנים ולא שלטה בו האור פושעי ישראל שמליאין מצות כרמון שנאמר (שיר השירים ו, ז) כפלח הרמון רקתך ואמר ר"ש בן לקיש אל תיקרי רקתך אלא ריקתיך שאפי' ריקנין שבך מליאין מצות כרמון עאכ"ו,אלא הא דכתיב עוברי בעמק הבכא ההוא דמחייבי ההיא שעתא בגיהנם ואתי אברהם אבינו ומסיק להו ומקבל להו בר מישראל שבא על בת עובד כוכבים דמשכה ערלתו ולא מבשקר ליה,מתקיף לה רב כהנא השתא דאמרת הפושעים דפשעי ואזלי אלא מעתה דכתיב המוציא והמעלה דמסיק ודמפיק הוא אלא דאסיק ואפיק הכי נמי דפשעי הוא,ואמר רבי ירמיה (בר) אלעזר שלשה פתחים יש לגיהנם אחד במדבר ואחד בים ואחד בירושלים במדבר דכתיב (במדבר טז, לג) וירדו הם וכל אשר להם חיים שאולה,בים דכתיב (יונה ב, ג) מבטן שאול שועתי שמעת קולי,בירושלים דכתיב (ישעיהו לא, ט) נאם ה' אשר אור לו בציון ותנור לו בירושלים ותנא דבי רבי ישמעאל אשר אור לו בציון זו גיהנם ותנור לו בירושלים זו פתחה של גיהנם,ותו ליכא והאמר ר' מריון אמר ר' יהושע בן לוי ואמרי לה תנא רבה בר מריון בדבי רבי יוחנן בן זכאי שתי תמרות יש בגי בן הנום ועולה עשן מביניהן וזו היא ששנינו ציני הר הברזל כשירות וזו היא פתחה של גיהנם דילמא היינו דירושלים,א"ר יהושע בן לוי ז' שמות יש לגיהנם ואלו הן שאול ואבדון ובאר שחת ובור שאון וטיט היון וצלמות וארץ התחתית,שאול דכתיב (יונה ב, ג) מבטן שאול שועתי שמעת קולי אבדון דכתיב (תהלים פח, יב) היסופר בקבר חסדך אמונתך באבדון באר שחת דכתיב (תהלים טז, י) כי לא תעזוב נפשי לשאול לא תתן חסידך לראות שחת ובור שאון וטיט היון דכתיב (תהלים מ, ג) ויעלני מבור שאון מטיט היון וצלמות דכתיב (תהלים קז, י) יושבי חשך וצלמות וארץ התחתית גמרא הוא,ותו ליכא והאיכא גיהנם גיא שעמוקה (בגיהנם) שהכל יורד לה על עסקי (הנם),והאיכא תפתה דכתיב (ישעיהו ל, לג) כי ערוך מאתמול תפתה ההוא שכל המתפתה ביצרו יפול שם,גן עדן אמר ריש לקיש אם בארץ ישראל הוא בית שאן פתחו ואם בערביא בית גרם פתחו ואם בין הנהרות הוא דומסקנין פתחו בבבל אביי משתבח בפירי דמעבר ימינא רבא משתבח בפירי דהרפניא:,וביניהן כמלוא שתי וכו': פשיטא כיון דתנא ליה דקשורות הוו אנן ידעינן דלא הוו מותרות,מהו דתימא קשורות כעין קשורות אבל ממש לא קמ"ל ולא מותרות:,אחת נכנסת ואחת יוצאת: תנא רבקה נכנסת ורבקה יוצאת ת"ר כמה ראשה ורובה של פרה שתי אמות וכמה עוביה של פרה אמה ושני שלישי אמה | 19a. bfor planting vines”(Micah 1:6), which benefits all the surrounding inhabitants., bAnd Rabbi Yirmeya ben Elazaralso bsaid: Come and see that the attribute of flesh and blood is unlike the attribute of the Holy One, Blessed be He.For bthe attribute of flesh and bloodis to bplace aniron or wooden bhook in the mouthof ba person who was sentenced to death by the government, so that he should notbe able to bcurse the kingwhen he is taken away for execution.,But bthe attribute of the Holy One, Blessed be Heis that bone iswillingly bsilentwhen he bis sentenced to death by the Omnipresent, as it is stated: “For You silence is praise,O God in Zion, and to You shall the vow be performed” (Psalms 65:2). bAnd what is more, he praisesGod for his sufferings, bas it is stated: “Praise.” And what is more, it appears to him as though he were offering a sacrificein atonement for his sin, bas it is stated: “And to You shall the vow be performed.” /b, bAnd this iswhat bRabbi Yehoshua ben Levi said: What isthe meaning of that bwhich is written: “Those who pass through the valley of weeping turn it into a water spring; moreover, the early rain covers it with blessings”(Psalms 84:7)?, b“Those who pass through [ ioverei /i],” these are people who transgress [ ioverin /i] the will of the Holy One, Blessed be He. “Valley [ iemek /i]”indicates that their punishment is that bGehenna is deepened [ ima’amikin /i] for them. “of weeping [ ibakha /i]”and “turn it into a water spring [ ima’ayan yeshituhu /i],” indicates that bthey weep [ ibokhin /i] and make tears flow like a spring [ ima’ayan /i] of the foundations [ ishitin /i],meaning like a spring that descends to the foundations of the earth. b“Moreover, the early rain covers it with blessings,”indicates that bthey acceptthe justice of God’s bjudgment, and say before Him: Master of the Universe, You have judged properly, You have acquitted properly, You have condemned properly, and it is befitting that You have prepared Gehenna for the wicked and the Garden of Eden for the righteous. /b,The Gemara raises a difficulty: bIs that so? Didn’t Rabbi Shimon ben Lakish say: The wicked do not repent, even at the entrance to Gehenna, as it is stated: “And they shall go forth, and look upon the carcasses of the men who rebel against Me;for their worm shall not die, neither shall their fire be quenched; and they shall be an abhorrence to all flesh” (Isaiah 66:24)? The verse bdoes not say: Who rebelled, butrather: b“Who rebel,”in the present tense, meaning bthey continue rebelling forever. /b,The Gemara answers: This is bnot difficult; here,i.e., where it is said that they accept God’s judgment, it is referring bto the sinners of the Jewish people; there,i.e., where it is said that they do not recant, it is referring bto the rebels among the nations of the world. /b, bSo too, it is reasonableto say this, for bifyou do not say bso,there would be ba contradictionbetween one statement bof Reish Lakish andanother statement bof Reish Lakish. As Reish Lakish said:With regard to bthe sinners of the Jewish people, the fire of Gehenna has no power over them,as may be learned by ia fortiori /ireasoning bfrom the golden altar. /b, bIf the golden altarin the Temple, bwhich was only covered bygold bthe thickness of a golden dinar, stood for many years and the fire did not burn it,for its gold did not melt, so too bthe sinners of the Jewish people, who are filled with good deeds like a pomegranate, as it is stated: “Your temples [ irakatekh /i] are like a split pomegranatebehind your veil” (Song of Songs 6:7), will not be affected by the fire of Gehenna. bAnd Rabbi Shimon ben Lakish saidabout this: bDo not read: Your temples [ irakatekh /i], butrather: bYour empty ones [ ireikateikh /i],meaning that beven the sinners among you are full of mitzvot like a pomegranate; how much more soshould the fire of Gehenna have no power over them., bHowever, that which is written: “Those who pass through the valley of weeping”(Psalms 84:7), which implies that the sinners nonetheless descend to Gehenna, should be explained as follows: bThereit speaks of bthose who are liable at that timefor punishment bin Gehenna, but our father Abraham comes and raises them up and receives them.He does not leave the circumcised behind and allow them to enter Gehenna, bexcept for a Jew who had relations with a gentile woman,in punishment for which bhis foreskin is drawn, andour father Abraham bdoes not recognize himas one of his descendants., bRav Kahana strongly objected to this: Nowthat byou have saidthat the words bthose who rebelare referring to bthose who go on rebelling, if so,in those verses in which bit is written ofHim: b“He Who brings out”(see Exodus 6:7) band “He Who raises up”Israel from Egypt (see Leviticus 11:45), do these expressions mean: bHe Who iscurrently braisingthem bup and bringingthem bout? Rather,you must understand these terms to mean: bHe Whoalready braisedthem bup and broughtthem bout; here toothen, the phrase those who rebel means bthose whoalready brebelled. /b, bAnd Rabbi Yirmeya ben Elazaralso bsaid: There are three entrances to Gehenna, one in the wilderness, one in the sea, and one in Jerusalem.There is one entrance bin the wilderness, as it is writtenwith regard to Korah and his company: b“And they, and all that appertained to them, went down alive into the pit [ iShe’ol /i],and the earth closed upon them, and they perished from among the congregation” (Numbers 16:33)., bIn the seathere is a second entrance to Gehenna, bas it is writtenabout Jonah in the fish’s belly: b“Out of the belly of the netherworld [ iShe’ol /i] I cried, and You did hear my voice”(Jonah 2:3).,And there is a third entrance to Gehenna bin Jerusalem, as it is written: “Says the Lord, Whose fire is in Zion, and Whose furnace is in Jerusalem”(Isaiah 31:9). bAndit was btaughtin bthe school of Rabbi Yishmael: “Whose fire is in Zion,” this is Gehenna; and “Whose furnace is in Jerusalem,” this is an entrance to Gehenna. /b,The Gemara asks: bAre there no moreentrances? bDidn’t Rabbi Maryon say in the name of Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi, and some sayit was bRabba bar Maryonwho btaught inthe name of bthe school of Rabbi Yoḥa ben Zakkai: There are two date trees in the valley of ben Hinnom, and smoke rises from between them,and with regard to bthisstatement about date trees that differ from other palms bwe learned: The palms of Har HaBarzel are fitfor the mitzva of palm branches [ ilulav /i], band this is the entrance to Gehenna.The Gemara answers: This is not difficult, for bperhaps this is theentrance bin Jerusalem. /b, bRabbi Yehoshua ben Levi said: Gehenna has seven names, and they are as follows: She’ol, Avadon, Be’er Shaḥat, Bor Shaon, Tit HaYaven, Tzalmavet, and Eretz HaTaḥtit. /b, bShe’ol, as it is written: “Out of the belly of the netherworld [ ishe’ol /i] I cried and You did hear my voice”(Jonah 2:3). bAvadon, as it is written: “Shall Your steadfast love be reported in the grave or Your faithfulness in destruction [ iavadon /i]?”(Psalms 88:12). bBe’er Shaḥat, as it is written: “For You will not abandon my soul to the netherworld; nor will You suffer Your pious one to see the pit [ ishaḥat /i]”(Psalms 16:10). bAnd Bor Shaon and Tit HaYaven, as it is written: “He brought me up also out of the gruesome pit [ ibor shaon /i], out of the miry clay [ itit hayaven /i]”(Psalms 40:3). bAnd Tzalmavet, as it is written: “Such as sat in darkness and in the shadow of death [ itzalmavet /i],bound in affliction and iron” (Psalms 107:10). bAndwith regard to bEretz Taḥtit,i.e., the underworld, bit isknown by btraditionthat this is its name.,The Gemara poses a question: bAre there no morenames? bIsn’t therethe name bGehenna?The Gemara answers that this is not a name rather a description: bA valley that is as deep as the valley [ igei /i] ofben bHinnom.An alternative explanation is: bInto which all descend for vain [ ihinnam /i]and wasteful bacts,understanding the word ihinnamas if it were written iḥinnam /i, meaning for naught.,The Gemara asks: bIsn’t therealso the name bTofte, as it is written: “For its hearth [ itofte /i] is ordained of old”(Isaiah 30:33). The Gemara answers: bThatname too is a description, meaning bthat anyone who allows himself to be seduced [ imitpateh /i] by hisevil binclination will fall there. /b,Having discussed the entrances to Gehenna, the Gemara also mentions the entrance to bthe Garden of Eden. Reish Lakish said: If it is in Eretz Yisrael, its entrance is Beit She’an, and ifit is bin Arabia, its entrance is Beit Garem, and ifit is bbetween the riversof Babylonia, bits entrance is Dumsekanin,for all these places feature a great abundance of vegetation and fertile land. The Gemara relates that bAbayewould bpraise the fruits of the right bankof the Euphrates River, band Ravawould bpraise the fruits of Harpanya. /b,The Gemara goes back to the mishna in which we learned: bAnd between them,i.e., between the upright boards and the double posts, there may be a gap bthe size of two teamsof four oxen each, as measured when tied together and not when they are untied. The Gemara asks: This is bobvious; since the itannataughtthat bthey are tied, we know that they are not untied. /b,The Gemara answers: This is specified, blest you saythat btiedmeans bsimilar to tied,i.e., close to each other, bbut notnecessarily that they are bactuallytied. Therefore, the mishna bteaches usthat it is not enough that they be close; rather, they must be actually tied band not untied. /b,The mishna continued: There must be sufficient space left so that bone can enter and another can leave.A iTosefta bwas taughtthat explains the mishna: Enough space so that bone team can enter andanother bteam can leave. Our Sages taughtin a ibaraita /i: bHow much isthe length of bthe head and most of the body of a cow? Two cubits. And how much is the thickness of a cow? A cubit and two-thirds of a cubit, /b |
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14. Babylonian Talmud, Sukkah, None (3rd cent. CE - 6th cent. CE)
| 34a. אבא שאול אומר ערבי שתים אחת ללולב ואחת למקדש,ורבנן למקדש מנא להו הלכתא גמירי להו דא"ר אסי א"ר יוחנן עשר נטיעות ערבה וניסוך המים הלכה למשה מסיני,ת"ר ערבי נחל הגדילות על הנחל פרט לצפצפה הגדילה בין ההרים א"ר זירא מאי קראה (יחזקאל יז, ה) קח על מים רבים צפצפה שמו,א"ל אביי ודילמא פרושי קא מפרש קח על מים רבים ומאי ניהו צפצפה א"כ מאי שמו א"ר אבהו אמר הקב"ה אני אמרתי שיהו ישראל לפני כקח על מים רבים ומאי ניהו ערבה והן שמו עצמן כצפצפה שבהרים,איכא דמתני לה להאי קרא אמתניתא קח על מים רבים צפצפה שמו מתקיף לה ר' זירא ודילמא פרושי קא מפרש קח על מים רבים מאי ניהו צפצפה אם כן מאי שמו א"ר אבהו אמר הקב"ה אני אמרתי שיהו ישראל לפני כקח על מים רבים ומאי ניהו ערבה והן שמו עצמן כצפצפה שבהרים,ת"ר אי זהו ערבה ואיזהו צפצפה ערבה קנה שלה אדום ועלה שלה משוך ופיה חלק צפצפה קנה שלה לבן ועלה שלה עגול ופיה דומה למגל והא תניא דומה למגל כשר דומה למסר פסול אמר אביי כי תניא ההיא בחילפא גילא,אמר אביי שמע מינה האי חילפא גילא כשר להושענא פשיטא מהו דתימא הואיל ואית ליה שם לווי לא נתכשר קמ"ל,ואימא הכי נמי ערבי נחל אמר רחמנא מכל מקום,אמר רב חסדא הני תלת מילי אשתני שמייהו מכי חרב בית המקדש חלפת' ערבתא ערבתא חלפתא מאי נ"מ ללולב,שיפורא חצוצרתא חצוצרתא שיפורא מאי נפקא מינה לשופר של ראש השנה,פתורתא פתורא פתורא פתורתא למאי נפקא מינה למקח וממכר,אמר אביי אף אני אומר בי כסי הובלילא הובלילא בי כסי,למאי נפקא מינה למחט הנמצא בעובי בית הכוסות,אמר רבא בר יוסף אף אני אומר בבל בורסיף בורסיף בבל למאי | 34a. bAbba Shaul says: “Willows”in the plural teaches that there are btwomitzvot that involve use of the willow branch. bOneis the willow branch bfor the ilulav /i, and one isthe willow branch taken bfor the Temple,with which the people would circle the altar on iSukkot /i., bAnd the Rabbis,who do not interpret the verse that way, bfrom wheredo btheyderive the mitzva of the willow branch bfor the Temple?It is ba ihalakha /itransmitted to Moses from Sinai that bthey learned through traditionand not from a verse, bas Rabbi Asi saidthat bRabbi Yoḥa said:There are three ihalakhotfor which the Sages unsuccessfully sought a Torah source. The first is the ihalakha of bten saplings.There is a mitzva by Torah law to extend the sanctity of the Sabbatical Year and to begin refraining from plowing thirty days before the Sabbatical Year begins. However, one may plow around individual saplings to sustain them. In a field that is one ibeit se’a /i, fifty by fifty cubits, in which there are ten evenly spaced saplings, it is permitted to plow the entire field until the onset of the Sabbatical Year to sustain the saplings. The second ihalakhais the mitzva of the bwillow branchin the Temple. bAndthe third ihalakhais the mitzva of bthe water libationon the altar, which accompanies the daily offerings each day of iSukkot /i, together with the daily wine libation. No Torah source was found for these ihalakhot /i, as each is a ihalakha /itransmitted bto Moses from Sinai. /b, bThe Sages taughtan additional ibaraita /i: b“Willows of the brook”is referring to those bthat grow by the river,which comes bto exclude a itzaftzafa /i, which grows among the mountainsand not near a brook. bRabbi Zeira said: What is the versefrom which the fact that the itzaftzafais unfit is derived? It is derived from the reprimand that is written: b“He placed it by great waters, and set it as a itzaftzafa /i”(Ezekiel 17:5). The Jewish people were planted like a willow on great waters, but ultimately became like a itzaftzafa /i. Apparently, a itzaftzafadoes not grow on great waters., bAbaye said toRabbi Zeira: bAnd perhapsthe second part of the verse bismerely bexplainingthe first part, and it means: bHe placed it by great waters, and what is itthat He placed there? It is ba itzaftzafa /i.Rabbi Zeira answered: bIf so,and that is the meaning of the verse, bwhat isthe meaning of the term b“set it”?Rather, the verse means that the willow branch was transformed into a itzaftzafa /i. That is how Rabbi Abbahu explained the verse, as bRabbi Abbahu saidthat bthe Holy One, Blessed be He, said: I said that the Jewish people should be before Me asa plant bplaced by great waters, and what isthat plant? It is ba willow. And they set themselves as a itzaftzafaof the mountains. /b, bSome taught this verse asthe conclusion of bthe ibaraita /iand Rabbi Zeira raised the objection, and the response to his objection is unattributed: bHe placed it by great waters, and set it as a itzaftzafa /i. Rabbi Zeira strongly objects: And perhapsthe second part of the verse bismerely bexplainingthe first part, and it means: bHe placed it by great waters, and what is itthat He placed there? It is ba itzaftzafa /i.The Gemara rejects this suggestion: bIf so,and that is the meaning of the verse, bwhat isthe meaning of the term b“set it”? Rabbi Abbahu saidthat bthe Holy One, Blessed be He, said: I said that the Jewish people should be before Me asa plant bplaced by great waters, and what isthat plant? It is ba willow. And they set themselves as a itzaftzafaof the mountains. /b,Apropos the defining characteristics of the willow branch, in contrast to similar species that are unfit, bthe Sages taught: What is a willow and what is a itzaftzafa /i?With regard to ba willowbranch, bits stem is red, and its leaf is elongated, andthe bedgeof bitsleaf bis smooth.With regard to ba itzaftzafa /i, its stem is white, its leaf is round, andthe bedgeof bitsleaf bis serrated like a sickle.The Gemara objects: bBut isn’t it taughtin a ibaraita /i: If the edge of its leaf is serrated blike a sickle it is fit,but if it is serrated blike a saw,whose teeth are uneven in both size and sequence, bit is unfit? Abaye said: When that ibaraita bwas taught, it wasreferring btoa particular type of willow called iḥilfa gila /i,whose leaves are serrated. However, all other types of willow branches have leaves with a smooth edge., bAbaye said: Conclude from itthat bthis iḥilfa gilais fit foruse in bthe ihoshana /iof the four species. The Gemara wonders: That is bobvious.The Gemara answers: bLest you say that since itsname is accompanied by ba modifier,as it is called iḥilfa gila /i, bit should not be fit.Therefore, Abaye bteaches usthat it is fit.,The Gemara asks: bAnd say it is indeed so,that since its name is accompanied by a modifier it is unfit. The Gemara answers: bThe Merciful One states: “Willows of the brook,”in the plural, teaching that the branches of willows are fit bin any case. /b,Apropos the branches of the willow and the itzaftzafa /i, the Gemara cites what bRav Ḥisda said: These three objects’ names changed since the Temple was destroyed.That which was called bwillowwas called in later generations iḥalfata /i,which is another name for itzaftzafa /i, and that which was called iḥalfatawascalled bwillow.The Gemara asks: bWhat is thepractical halakhic bdifferencethat emerges from the name change? The Gemara answers: It is with regard btothe mitzva of taking the ilulav /i,as one of the species bound with the ilulavis a willow branch, which is now called itzaftzafa /i.,In addition, that which was called btrumpetwas called ishofar /iin later generations, and that which was called ishofar /iwas called btrumpetin later generations. The Gemara asks: bWhat is thepractical halakhic bdifferencewhether a ishofaris called ishofaror trumpet? The Gemara answers: It is significant with regard btothe ihalakhotof ishofarof Rosh HaShana.On Rosh HaShana, one fulfills his obligation only by sounding a ishofar /i. If one comes today and asks what instrument he should use to sound the requisite blasts, he should be told to use a trumpet.,Also, that which was called ipetorata/b, originally meaning a small table, was called in later generations ipetora /i,and that which was called ipetora /i, originally meaning a large table, was called ipetorata /iin later generations.The Gemara asks: bWhat is thepractical halakhic bdifferencethat emerges from the change of name? The Gemara answers: It is with regard btothe laws of bbuying and selling.One who orders a ipetorashould know that he ordered a small table and not a large one., bAbaye said: I tooshall bspeakof changes in the meaning of terms in this generation. That which was called ihuvlila /i,the first compartment of the stomach of animals that chew their cud, is, in recent generations, called ibei kasei /i,the name of the second compartment of the animal’s stomach. Similarly, that which was once called ibei kasei /iis called ihuvlila /iin recent generations., bWhat is thepractical halakhic bdifferencethat emerges from this change of names? It is bwith regard to a needle that is found in the thickwall bof the second compartment of the stomach.In the ihalakhotof itereifot /i, it is prohibited to eat animals with a life expectancy of less than a year. It was established that if a needle punctures the wall of the second compartment of the stomach from only one side, the animal is kosher. If the needle penetrates the wall in a manner visible from both sides, the animal assumes the halakhic status of a itereifa /i. In the first stomach, even if the needle penetrated only one side of the wall, the animal assumes the halakhic status of a itereifa /i. Therefore, it is crucial to distinguish between the first and the second compartments of the stomach., bRava bar Yosef said: I tooshall bspeakof changes in the meaning of terms in this generation. The city that in biblical times was called bBabylonwas called bBursifin later generations, and bBursifwas called bBabylonin later generations. The Gemara asks: bWhat is /b |
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15. Babylonian Talmud, Taanit, None (3rd cent. CE - 6th cent. CE)
| 25b. אין גזעו מחליף אף צדיק ח"ו אין גזעו מחליף לכך נאמר ארז אילו נאמר ארז ולא נאמר תמר הייתי אומר מה ארז אין עושה פירות אף צדיק ח"ו אין עושה פירות לכך נאמר תמר ונאמר ארז,וארז גזעו מחליף והתניא הלוקח אילן מחבירו לקוץ מגביהו מן הקרקע טפח וקוצץ בסדן השקמה שני טפחים בבתולת השקמה שלשה טפחים בקנים ובגפנים מן הפקק ולמעלה בדקלים ובארזים חופר למטה ומשריש לפי שאין גזעו מחליף,הכא במאי עסקינן בשאר מיני ארזים כדרבה בר הונא דאמר רבה בר הונא עשרה מיני ארזים הן שנאמר (ישעיהו מא, יט) אתן במדבר ארז שיטה והדס וגו',ת"ר מעשה ברבי אליעזר שגזר שלש עשרה תעניות על הצבור ולא ירדו גשמים באחרונה התחילו הצבור לצאת אמר להם תקנתם קברים לעצמכם געו כל העם בבכיה וירדו גשמים,שוב מעשה בר' אליעזר שירד לפני התיבה ואמר עשרים וארבע ברכות ולא נענה ירד רבי עקיבא אחריו ואמר אבינו מלכנו אין לנו מלך אלא אתה אבינו מלכנו למענך רחם עלינו וירדו גשמים הוו מרנני רבנן יצתה בת קול ואמרה לא מפני שזה גדול מזה אלא שזה מעביר על מדותיו וזה אינו מעביר על מדותיו,ת"ר עד מתי יהו הגשמים יורדין והצבור פוסקין מתעניתם כמלא ברך המחרישה דברי רבי מאיר וחכמים אומרים בחרבה טפח בבינונית טפחיים בעבודה שלשה טפחים,תניא רבי שמעון בן אלעזר אומר אין לך טפח מלמעלה שאין תהום יוצא לקראתו שלשה טפחים והא תניא טפחיים לא קשיא כאן בעבודה כאן בשאינה עבודה,א"ר אלעזר כשמנסכין את המים בחג תהום אומר לחבירו אבע מימיך קול שני ריעים אני שומע שנאמר (תהלים מב, ח) תהום אל תהום קורא לקול צנוריך וגו',אמר רבה לדידי חזי לי האי רידיא דמי לעיגלא (תלתא) ופירסא שפוותיה וקיימא בין תהומא תתאה לתהומא עילאה לתהומא עילאה א"ל חשור מימיך לתהומא תתאה א"ל אבע מימיך שנא' (שיר השירים ב, יב) הנצנים נראו בארץ וגו':,היו מתענין וירדו גשמים קודם הנץ החמה כו': ת"ר היו מתענין וירדו להם גשמים קודם הנץ החמה לא ישלימו לאחר הנץ החמה ישלימו דברי ר' מאיר ר' יהודה אומר קודם חצות לא ישלימו לאחר חצות ישלימו,רבי יוסי אומר קודם ט' שעות לא ישלימו לאחר ט' שעות ישלימו שכן מצינו באחאב מלך ישראל שהתענה מתשע שעות ולמעלה שנאמר (מלכים א כא, כט) הראית כי נכנע אחאב וגו',ר' יהודה נשיאה גזר תעניתא וירדו להם גשמים לאחר הנץ החמה סבר לאשלומינהו א"ל רבי אמי קודם חצות ואחר חצות שנינו שמואל הקטן גזר תעניתא וירדו להם גשמים קודם הנץ החמה כסבורין העם לומר שבחו של צבור הוא,אמר להם אמשול לכם [משל] למה הדבר דומה לעבד שמבקש פרס מרבו אמר להם תנו לו ואל אשמע קולו,שוב שמואל הקטן גזר תעניתא וירדו להם גשמים לאחר שקיעת החמה כסבורים העם לומר שבחו של צבור הוא אמר להם שמואל לא שבח של צבור הוא אלא אמשול לכם משל למה הדבר דומה לעבד שמבקש פרס מרבו ואמר להם המתינו לו עד שיתמקמק ויצטער ואחר כך תנו לו,ולשמואל הקטן שבחו של צבור היכי דמי אמר משיב הרוח ונשב זיקא אמר מוריד הגשם ואתא מיטרא:,מעשה וגזרו תענית בלוד כו': ונימא הלל מעיקרא אביי ורבא דאמרי תרווייהו לפי שאין אומרים הלל | 25b. bits shoots do not replenishthemselves when its stump is cut down, bso too, Heaven forbid,with regard to ba righteous person, his shoots will not replenishthemselves, i.e., he will be unable to recover from misfortune. bTherefore, it is stated “cedar”in the verse. Just as the cedar grows new shoots after its stump is cut down, so too, a righteous individual will thrive again. Conversely, bwere it stated “cedar” and were it not stated “palm tree,” I would saythat bjust asin the case of ba cedar, it does not produce fruit, so too, a righteous man, God forbid, does not produce fruit,i.e., he will have no reward in the World-to-Come. bTherefore, it is stated “palm tree” and it isalso bstated “cedar.” /b,§ The Gemara asks: bAnddo ba cedar’s shootsreally breplenishthemselves? bBut isn’t it taughtin a ibaraita /i: With regard to bone who bought a tree from another to chopit down for wood, without acquiring total ownership of the tree, he must blifthis ax ba handbreadth and chopthere, so as to allow the tree to grow back? However, bina case where he purchased ba large sycamore,he must leave btwo handbreadths. Inthe case of ban untrimmed sycamore,he must leave bthree handbreadths. Ina situation where one bbought reeds or grapevines,he may chop only bfrom thefirst bknot and above. Inthe case of bpalms or cedars,one may bdig down and uprootit, bas its shootswill bnot replenishthemselves. This ibaraitaindicates that cedars will not grow new shoots after they have been cut down.,The Gemara answers: bWith what are we dealing here? With other species of cedars.This is bin accordance withthe opinion of bRabba bar Huna, as Rabba bar Huna said: There are ten species of cedars, as it is stated: “I will plant in the wilderness the cedar, the acacia tree and myrtleand the oil tree; I will set in the desert cypress, the plane tree and the larch together” (Isaiah 41:19). The seven species mentioned in this verse are all called cedars, as are three additional species., bThe Sages taught: An incidentoccurred binvolving Rabbi Eliezer, who decreeda complete cycle of bthirteen fasts upon the congregation, but rain did not fall. Atthe end of bthe lastfast, bthe congregation began to exitthe synagogue. bHe said to them: Have you prepared graves for yourselves?If rain does not fall, we will all die of hunger. bAll the people burst into tears, and rain fell. /b,There was banother incident involvingRabbi Eliezer, bwho descendedto serve as prayer leader bbefore the arkon a fast day. bAnd he recited twenty-four blessings, but he was not answered. Rabbi Akiva descended before the arkafter him band said: Our Father, our King, we have no king otherthan bYou. Our Father, our King, for Your sake, have mercy on us. And rainimmediately bfell. The Sages were whisperingamong themselves that Rabbi Akiva was answered while his teacher, Rabbi Eliezer, was not. bA Divine Voice emerged and said:It is bnot because thisSage, Rabbi Akiva, bis greater than that one,Rabbi Eliezer, bbut that this one is forgiving, and that one is not forgiving.God responded to Rabbi Akiva’s forgiving nature in kind by sending rain.,§ bThe Sages taughtin a ibaraita /i: bHow much rain must fall for the community to cease their fastfor rain? If the rain penetrates the soil bby the fulldepth of the blade of ba plowuntil the spot where it bbends,they may cease fasting; this is bthe statement of Rabbi Meir. And the Rabbis saya different measurement: If the earth is completely bdry,the soil must become moist to the depth of a single bhandbreadth.For baveragesoil, they must wait until the moisture reaches a depth of btwo handbreadths.If it is bworkedsoil, i.e., soil that has been plowed, the moisture must reach to a depth of bthree handbreadths. /b, bIt is taughtin a ibaraitathat bRabbi Shimon ben Elazar says: There is no handbreadthof rain bfrom above toward whichthe water of bthe deep does not rise three handbreadths.The Gemara raises an objection: bBut isn’t it taughtin another ibaraitathat the water of the deep rises btwo handbreadths?The Gemara explains: This is bnot difficult. Here,in first ibaraita /i, it is referring bto workedland, which water penetrates faster, whereas bthere,in the second ibaraita /i, it is referring bto unworkedland, which water does not penetrate as easily, and therefore the water of the deep rises only two handbreadths., bRabbi Elazar said: When the waterlibation bwas poured during the festivalof iSukkot /i, these waters of the bdeep say to the otherwaters of the deep: bLet your water flow, as I hear the voices of twoof our bfriends,the wine libation and the water libation, which are both poured on the altar. bAs it is stated: “Deep calls to deep at the sound of your channels,all Your waves and Your billows are gone over me” (Psalms 42:8), i.e., the upper waters of the deep call to the lower waters of the deep when they hear the sound of the libations., bRabba said: I have seen thisangel in charge of water, bRidya, in the form of a calf whose lips were parted, standing between the lowerwaters of the bdeep and the upperwaters of the bdeep. To the upperwaters of the bdeep, he said: Distill your waterand let it rain. bTo the lowerwaters of the bdeep, he said: Let your water flowfrom below, bas it is stated: “The flowers appear on the earth;the time of the singing has come, and the voice of the turtledove [ itur /i] is heard in our land” (Song of Songs 2:12). The appearance of flowers in this verse alludes to the libations, as both the blooming of flowers and pouring of these libations are annual events. The time of the singing is referring to the singing of the Festival. Finally, the term iturin Aramaic can also mean an ox; in this context, it is interpreted as a reference to the angel Ridya.,§ The mishna teaches: If bthey were fastingfor rain band rain fell for them before sunrise,they need not complete their fast until the evening. bThe Sages taught:If bthey were fastingfor rain band rain fell for them before sunrise,they need bnot completetheir fast, as the obligation to fast does not come into effect until sunrise. However, if rain fell bafter sunrise, theymust bcompletetheir fast. This is bthe statement of Rabbi Meir. Rabbi Yehuda says:If rain fell bbefore midday,they need bnot completetheir fast; however, if it rains bafter midday, theymust bcompletetheir fast.,Rabbi Yosei says: If rain falls bbefore the ninth hour,three hours into the afternoon, they need bnot completetheir fast; if it rains bafter the ninth hourof the day, they must bcompletetheir fast, bas we found with regard to Ahab, king of Israel, who fasted from the ninth hour and onward,as it bis stated:“And it came to pass, when Ahab heard these words, that he rent his clothes, and put sackcloth upon his flesh, and fasted, and lay in sackcloth, and went softly. And the word of the Lord came to Elijah the Tishbite saying: bDo you see how Ahab humbles himself before Me?”(I Kings 21:27–29). According to tradition, this occurred in the ninth hour., bRabbi Yehuda Nesia decreed a fast, and rain fell for them after sunrise. He thought to completethe fast, but bRabbi Ami said to himthat bwe learned: Before noon and after noon,i.e., the ihalakhais in accordance with the opinion of Rabbi Yehuda. bShmuel HaKatan decreed a fast, and rain fell for them before sunrise. The people thought to say:This bisa sign of bthe praiseworthiness of the community,as we merited rainfall even before we prayed., bHe said to them: I will tell you a parable. To what is this matter comparable? Toa situation where there is ba slave who requests a reward from his master,either food or livelihood, bandthe master bsays tohis ministers: bGive himwhat he asks for band let me not hear his voice,as I would rather not have to listen to him. Here, too, evidently God has no desire to hear our prayers., bAgain,on another occasion, bShmuel HaKatan decreed a fast, and rain fell for them after sunset.Based on his previous response, bthe people thought to say:This bisa sign of bthe praiseworthiness of the community,as God listened to our prayers all day. bShmuelHaKatan bsaid to them: It is nota sign of bthe praiseworthiness of the community. Rather, I will tell you a parable. To what is this matter comparable? Toa situation where there is ba slave who requests a reward from his master, andthe master bsays tohis ministers: bWait until he pines away and suffers, and afterward giveit bto him.Here too, the delay is not to the congregation’s credit.,The Gemara asks: bButif so, baccording tothe opinion of bShmuel HaKatan,what is considered bthe praiseworthiness of the community; what are the circumstancesin which approval is shown from Heaven? The Gemara explains: When the prayer leader brecites: He Who makes the wind blow, and the wind blows;and when bhe recites:And bthe rain fall, and rain falls. /b,The mishna teaches: bAn incidentoccurred in bwhichthe court bdecreed a fast in Lod,and when rain fell they ate and drank, and afterward they recited ihallel /i. The Gemara asks: bAnd let us recite ihallelat the outset,without delay. Why did they first go home and eat? bAbaye and Rava both said: Because one recites ihallel/b |
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