1. Hebrew Bible, Psalms, 19.15, 51.17 (9th cent. BCE - 3rd cent. BCE)
| 19.15. יִהְיוּ לְרָצוֹן אִמְרֵי־פִי וְהֶגְיוֹן לִבִּי לְפָנֶיךָ יְהוָה צוּרִי וְגֹאֲלִי׃ 51.17. אֲדֹנָי שְׂפָתַי תִּפְתָּח וּפִי יַגִּיד תְּהִלָּתֶךָ׃ | 19.15. Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable before Thee, O LORD, my Rock, and my Redeemer." 51.17. O Lord, open Thou my lips; and my mouth shall declare Thy praise." |
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2. Babylonian Talmud, Berachot, None (3rd cent. CE - 6th cent. CE)
| 13b. (דברים ו, ו) אשר אנכי מצוך היום על לבבך מכאן אתה למד שכל הפרשה כולה צריכה כוונה,אמר רבה בר בר חנה אמר ר' יוחנן הלכה כר"ע,איכא דמתני לה אהא דתניא הקורא את שמע צריך שיכוין את לבו ר' אחא משום ר' יהודה אומר כיון שכוון לבו בפרק ראשון שוב אינו צריך אמר רבה בר בר חנה אמר ר' יוחנן הלכה כר' אחא שאמר משום ר' יהודה,תניא אידך והיו שלא יקרא למפרע על לבבך ר' זוטרא אומר עד כאן מצות כוונה מכאן ואילך מצות קריאה רבי יאשיה אומר עד כאן מצות קריאה מכאן ואילך מצות כוונה,מ"ש מכאן ואילך מצות קריאה דכתיב לדבר בם הכא נמי הא כתיב ודברת בם,ה"ק עד כאן מצות כוונה וקריאה מכאן ואילך קריאה בלא כוונה,ומאי שנא עד כאן מצות כוונה וקריאה דכתיב על לבבך ודברת בם התם נמי הא כתיב על לבבכם לדבר בם,ההוא מבעי ליה לכדרבי יצחק דאמר (דברים יא, יח) ושמתם את דברי אלה צריכה שתהא שימה כנגד הלב:,אמר מר ר' יאשיה אומר עד כאן מצות קריאה מכאן ואילך מצות כוונה מ"ש מכאן ואילך מצות כוונה משום דכתיב על לבבכם הכא נמי הא כתיב על לבבך,ה"ק עד כאן מצות קריאה וכוונה מכאן ואילך כוונה בלא קריאה,ומ"ש עד כאן מצות קריאה וכוונה דכתיב על לבבך ודברת בם התם נמי הא כתיב על לבבכם לדבר בם,ההוא בדברי תורה כתיב וה"ק רחמנא אגמירו בנייכו תורה כי היכי דליגרסו בהו:,ת"ר (דברים ו, ד) שמע ישראל ה' אלהינו ה' אחד עד כאן צריכה כוונת הלב דברי ר"מ אמר רבא הלכה כר"מ,תניא סומכוס אומר כל המאריך באחד מאריכין לו ימיו ושנותיו אמר רב אחא בר יעקב ובדלי"ת אמר רב אשי ובלבד שלא יחטוף בחי"ת,ר' ירמיה הוה יתיב קמיה דר' [חייא בר אבא] חזייה דהוה מאריך טובא א"ל כיון דאמליכתיה למעלה ולמטה ולארבע רוחות השמים תו לא צריכת:,אמר רב נתן בר מר עוקבא אמר רב יהודה על לבבך בעמידה על לבבך סלקא דעתך אלא אימא עד על לבבך בעמידה מכאן ואילך לא ורבי יוחנן אמר כל הפרשה כולה בעמידה,ואזדא ר' יוחנן לטעמיה דאמר רבה בר בר חנה א"ר יוחנן הלכה כר' אחא שאמר משום ר' יהודה:,ת"ר שמע ישראל ה' אלהינו ה' אחד זו ק"ש של ר' יהודה הנשיא א"ל רב לר' חייא לא חזינא ליה לרבי דמקבל עליה מלכות שמים אמר ליה בר פחתי בשעה שמעביר ידיו על פניו מקבל עליו עול מלכות שמים,חוזר וגומרה או אינו חוזר וגומרה בר קפרא אומר אינו חוזר וגומרה רבי שמעון ברבי אומר חוזר וגומרה א"ל בר קפרא לר"ש ברבי בשלמא לדידי דאמינא אינו חוזר וגומרה היינו דמהדר רבי אשמעתא דאית בה יציאת מצרים אלא לדידך דאמרת חוזר וגומרה למה ליה לאהדורי,כדי להזכיר יציאת מצרים בזמנה,אמר ר' אילא בריה דרב שמואל בר מרתא משמיה דרב אמר שמע ישראל ה' אלהינו ה' אחד ונאנס בשינה יצא אמר ליה רב נחמן לדרו עבדיה בפסוקא קמא צערן טפי לא תצערן אמר ליה רב יוסף לרב יוסף בריה דרבה אבוך היכי הוה עביד אמר ליה בפסוקא קמא הוה קא מצער נפשיה טפי לא הוה מצער נפשיה,אמר רב יוסף פרקדן לא יקרא קריאת שמע מקרא הוא דלא ליקרי הא מיגנא שפיר דמי והא רבי יהושע בן לוי לייט אמאן דגני אפרקיד,אמרי מיגנא כי מצלי שפיר דמי מקרא אע"ג דמצלי נמי אסור,והא ר' יוחנן מצלי וקרי,שאני ר' יוחנן דבעל בשר הוה:,ובפרקים שואל וכו',משיב מחמת מאי אילימא מפני הכבוד השתא משאל שאיל אהדורי מבעיא אלא שואל מפני הכבוד ומשיב שלום לכל אדם אימא סיפא ובאמצע שואל מפני היראה ומשיב,משיב מחמת מאי אילימא מפני היראה השתא משאל שאיל אהדורי מבעיא אלא מפני הכבוד היינו דר"י דתנן ר"י אומר באמצע שואל מפני היראה ומשיב מפני הכבוד ובפרקים שואל מפני הכבוד ומשיב שלום לכל אדם,חסורי מחסרא והכי קתני בפרקים שואל מפני הכבוד ואין צריך לומר שהוא משיב ובאמצע שואל מפני היראה ואין צריך לומר שהוא משיב דברי ר"מ רבי יהודה אומר באמצע שואל מפני היראה ומשיב מפני הכבוד | 13b. b“Which I command you this day, will be upon your heart.”Surely the word these, does not come to limit the mitzva of intent. On the contrary, bfrom here you derive that the entire portion requires intent. /b, bRabba bar bar Ḥana saidthat bRabbi Yoḥa said: The ihalakhais in accordance withthe opinion of bRabbi Akiva;the entire portion requires intent., bSome teach this ihalakhastated by Rabbi Yoḥa bwith regard to that which was taughtin a iTosefta /i, where there is a tannaitic dispute. The first itannaholds: bOne who recites iShemamust focus his heartfor the entire iShema /i. bRabbi Aḥa says in the name of Rabbi Yehuda: Once he focused his heart for the first paragraphalone, bhe no longer requiresintent. With regard to this iTosefta /i, bRabba bar bar Ḥana saidthat bRabbi Yoḥa said: The ihalakhais in accordance with Rabbi Aḥa who said in the name of Rabbi Yehuda.While this differs from the previous version in form, it arrives at the same conclusion., bIt was taughtin banother ibaraitaon this subject, which cited different opinions. From: bAnd they will be,recited in iShema /i, it is derived that bit may not be recited out of order.From: bUpon your heart, Rav Zutra says: To this point,there is bthe mitzva of intent; from here on,beginning with the second paragraph, there is only bthe mitzva of recitation. Rabbi Yoshiya saysthat it means the opposite: bTo this point,there is bthe mitzva of recitation; from here onthere is only bthe mitzva of intent. /b,At first the Gemara understands that Rav Zutra required recitation only in the second paragraph, while in the first paragraph only intent was required. Therefore, the Gemara asks: bWhat is different,that bfrom here on,beginning with the second paragraph, there is bthe mitzva of recitation?Is it because bit is written:“And you shall teach them to your children, bto speak of them”(Deuteronomy 11:19)? This is no proof, as bhere too,in the first paragraph bit is written: “And you shall speak of them.”The mitzva of recitation applies to the first paragraph as well.,Rather, bhe is saying as follows: To this pointthere is bthe mitzva ofboth bintent and recitation,but bfrom here on,there is only the mitzva of brecitation without intent. /b,Again the Gemara asks: According to Rav Zutra, bwhat is different,that bto this point,in the first paragraph, there is bthe mitzva ofboth bintent and recitationbecause there are two requirements in the first paragraph, bas it is written: “Upon your heart…and you shall speak of them”? There, too,in the second paragraph bit is also written: “And you shall place these words upon your heart…to speak of them,”indicating that intent is also required in that paragraph.,The Gemara responds: bThat verse is necessary to derivethat which was taught by bRabbi Yitzḥak, who said: “And you shall place these words”refers literally to the paragraphs of iShemafound in the phylacteries. The verse teaches bthat the placementof the phylacteries of the arm bmust be opposite the heart. /b,The Gemara now attempts to clarify the second opinion in the ibaraita /i. bThe Master said, Rabbi Yoshiya says: To this pointat the end of the first paragraph, there is bthe mitzva of recitation; from here onthere is bthe mitzva of intent.The Gemara asks: bWhat is different,that bfrom here on,beginning with the second paragraph, there is bthe mitzva of intent?Is it bbecause it is writtenin the second paragraph: “And you shall place these words bupon your heart”?That is no proof, as bhere too,in the first paragraph bit is written: “Upon your heart.” /b,The Gemara responds that bhe is saying as follows: To this point,there is bthe mitzva ofboth brecitation and intent,but bfrom here on,there is only the mitzva of bintent without recitation. /b,The Gemara continues: bAnd what is different,that bto this point,in the first paragraph, there is bthe mitzva of recitation and intentbecause there are two requirements, bas it is written: Upon your heartas well as: bAnd you shall speak of them? There, too,with regard to the second paragraph bisn’t it written:And you shall place these words bupon your heart /b…and you shall teach them to your children, bto speak of them? /b,Rabbi Yoshiya responded: bThatverse refers to bTorah studyin general, not to the recitation of iShemain particular. bAnd the Torah says the following: Teach your children Torah, that they will be well-versed in them. /b, bThe Sages taughtin another ibaraitawith regard to one who recites iShemaand utters the verse, b“Hear, Israel, the Lord is our God, the Lord is One.” Intent of the heart isonly brequired to this point.This is bthe statement of Rabbi Meir. Rava said:In this matter, bthe ihalakhais in accordance withthe opinion of bRabbi Meir. /b, bIt was taughtin a ibaraita /i, bSumakhos says: One who extendshis intonation bofthe word bOne [ ieḥad /i]while reciting iShema /i, is rewarded that bhis days and years are extended. Rav Aḥa bar Ya’akov said:This is only true if he extends btheletter idalet /i,so the word ieḥadis sounded in its entirety. bRav Ashi said:This is bonly so long as one does notpronounce the letter iḥethurriedly. /b,The Gemara relates that bRabbi Yirmeya was seated before Rabbi Ḥiyya bar Abba. He saw that he was greatly extendinghis pronunciation of ieḥad /i. bHe said to him: Once you have crowned Himin your thoughts bovereverything babove,in Heaven, bbelow,on earth, band in the four corners of the heavens, you need notextend any bfurther. /b, bRav Natan bar Mar Ukva saidthat bRav Yehuda said:One must recite bupon your heart, while standingin one place. The Gemara is perplexed: bDoes it enter your mindthat bupon your heartalone must be recited while standing in one place? What distinguishes that phrase from the rest of iShema /i? bRather, say:One must recite buntil upon your heartwhile bstandingin one place. bFrom here on,one need bnotstand in one place. bRabbi Yoḥa said:One must recite bthe entirefirst bportionwhile bstandingin one place.,The Gemara notes: bRabbi Yoḥais consistent band follows his reasoningexpressed elsewhere, as bRabba bar bar Ḥana saidthat bRabbi Yoḥa said: The ihalakhais in accordance withthe opinion of bRabbi Aḥa who said in the name of Rabbi Yehuda;one is required to recite the entire first paragraph of iShemawith intent., bThe Sages taughtin a ibaraita /i: The single verse, b“Hear, Israel, the Lord is our God, the Lord is One”; this is Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi’s recitation of iShema /i.The Gemara relates: bRav said tohis uncle, bRabbi Ḥiyya: I did not see RabbiYehuda HaNasi baccept the kingship of Heaven upon himself,meaning that he did not see him recite iShema /i. Rabbi Ḥiyya bsaid to him: Son of noblemen [ ibar paḥtei/b], bwhenRabbi Yehuda HaNasi bpassed his hands over his facein the study hall in the middle of his lesson, bhe accepted the yoke of the kingdom of Heaven upon himself,as his iShemawas comprised of a single verse.,Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi’s students and members of his household disputed: bDoes he complete iShema blater or does he not complete it later? Bar Kappara says: He does not complete it later. Rabbi Shimon, son of RabbiYehuda HaNasi, bsays: He completes it later. Bar Kappara said to Rabbi Shimon, son of RabbiYehuda HaNasi: bGranted, according to myposition, bthat I say thatRabbi Yehuda HaNasi bdoes not complete iShema blater, that is whywhen he taught, bRabbiYehuda HaNasi would specifically bseek a topic that included the exodus from Egypt,as by so doing he fulfills the mitzva to remember the Exodus; a mitzva that others fulfill in their recitation of the last paragraph of iShema /i. bBut according to you, who says that he completeshis recitation of iShema blater, why,when he teaches, bwouldhe specifically bseeka topic that included the exodus from Egypt?,Rabbi Shimon responded: Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi did so bin order to mention the exodus from Egypt at itsappointed btime,during the time of the recitation of iShema /i.,Based on this ihalakha /i, bRabbi Ila, son of Rav Shmuel bar Marta, said in the name of Rav: One who recitedthe verse, b“Hear, Israel, the Lord is our God, the Lord is One,” and wasimmediately bovercome by sleep, fulfilledhis obligation to recite iShema /i. Similarly, bRav Naḥman said to his slave, Daru:If you see that I have fallen asleep, bbother meto recite bthe first verse, do not bother meto recite any bmorethan that. Similarly, bRav Yosef said to Rav Yosef, son of Rabba: What would your father do?Rav Yosef, son of Rabba, bsaid to him: He would exert himselfnot to fall asleep in order to recite bthe first verse, he would not exert himselfto recite any bmorethan that., bRav Yosef said: One who is lying [ iperakdan /i] on his back may not recite iShema /i,for lying that way is unbecoming. The Gemara asks: Is that to say that bone may not recite iShemain this position, bbut tosleep blyingin that position bis permissible? Didn’t Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi curse one whosleeps blying on his back? /b,The Gemara answers: bIf onelies on his back bwhile leaningslightly to the side, bit is permissible.Nonetheless, bto recite iShemain this position, beven though he is leaning, is prohibited. /b,The Gemara asks: bWouldn’t Rabbi Yoḥalie on his back, bleanslightly band recite iShema /i?,The Gemara responds: The case of bRabbi Yoḥa is different,because bhe was corpulentand it was difficult for him to read any other way.,The mishna cited Rabbi Meir’s statement: bAt thebreaks between bparagraphs, one may greetan individual due to the respect that he is obligated to show him, and may respond. And in the middle of each paragraph, one may greet an individual due to the fear that the individual may harm him if he fails do so, and may respond.,About this, the Gemara asks: He may brespond due to whatcircumstance? bIf you saythat one may respond bdue to respect; now thatwe learned that bone may greetanother due to respect, bis it necessaryto say that bone may responddue to respect? bRather,it must be explained as follows: bOne may greet due to respect and respond with a greeting to any person.But if that is the case, bsay the latter clauseof the mishna: bIn the middleof each paragraph bone may greet due to fear and returnanother’s greeting due to fear.,Here too, it must be clarified: He may brespond due to whatcircumstance? bIf you saythat one may respond bdue to fear; now thatwe have learned that bone may greetanother due to fear, bis it necessaryto say that bone may responddue to fear? bRather,it must mean that one may respond to another’s greeting even bdue to honor.If so, bthat isidentical to the opinion of bRabbi Yehuda, as we learnedin the mishna: bIn the middleof each paragraph, bone may greetanother bdue to fear and respond due to respect. At thebreaks between bparagraphs, one may greetanother bdue to respect and respond with a greeting to any person.If so, what is the dispute between them?,The Gemara says: The mishna bis incomplete;it is missing an important element, band it teaches the following: At thebreaks between the bparagraphs, one may greet due to respect, and, needless to say, he may responddue to respect. bIn the middleof each paragraph bone may greet due to fear, and, needless to say, he may responddue to fear. This is the bstatement of Rabbi Meir. Rabbi Yehuda says: In the middleof each paragraph bone may greet due to fear and respond due to respect. /b |
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3. Babylonian Talmud, Megillah, None (3rd cent. CE - 6th cent. CE)
| 22a. אין מתחילין בפרשה פחות משלשה פסוקים ליקרי תרי מהא ותלתא מהך פשו להו תרי,אמר לו זו לא שמעתי כיוצא בה שמעתי דתנן ביום הראשון בראשית ויהי רקיע ותני עלה בראשית בשנים יהי רקיע באחד,והוינן בה בשלמא יהי רקיע באחד דתלתא פסוקי הוו אלא בראשית בשנים חמשה פסוקי הוו ותניא הקורא בתורה לא יפחות משלשה פסוקים,ואיתמר עלה רב אמר דולג ושמואל אמר פוסק,רב אמר דולג מאי טעמא לא אמר פוסק קסבר כל פסוקא דלא פסקיה משה אנן לא פסקינן ליה,ושמואל אמר פסקינן ליה והא אמר רבי חנניא קרא צער גדול היה לי אצל רבי חנינא הגדול ולא התיר לי לפסוק אלא לתינוקות של בית רבן הואיל ולהתלמד עשויין,התם טעמא מאי משום דלא אפשר הכא נמי לא אפשר,ושמואל אמר פוסק מאי טעמא לא אמר דולג גזירה משום הנכנסין ומשום היוצאין,מיתיבי פרשה של ששה פסוקים קורין אותה בשנים ושל חמשה פסוקים ביחיד קרא ראשון שלשה השני קורא שנים מפרשה זו ואחד מפרשה אחרת ויש אומרים שלשה לפי שאין מתחילין בפרשה פחות משלשה פסוקים,ואם איתא למאן דאמר דולג נדלוג ולמאן דאמר פוסק נפסוק,שאני התם דאפשר בהכי,אמר רבי תנחום אמר ריב"ל הלכה כיש אומרים ואמר רבי תנחום אמר ריב"ל כשם שאין מתחילין בפרשה פחות מג' פסוקים כך אין משיירין בפרשה פחות משלשה פסוקים,פשיטא השתא ומה אתחלתא דקא מקיל תנא קמא מחמירי יש אומרים שיור דמחמיר ת"ק לא כ"ש דמחמירי יש אומרים,מהו דתימא נכנסין שכיחי יוצאין לא שכיחי דמנחי ספר תורה ונפקי קמ"ל,ות"ק מ"ש שיורי דלא משום יוצאין אתחולי נמי גזירה משום הנכנסין אמרי מאן דעייל שיולי שייל,שלח ליה רבה בריה דרבא לרב יוסף הלכתא מאי שלח ליה הלכתא דולג ואמצעי דולגן:,זה הכלל כל שיש בו מוסף וכו': איבעיא להו תענית צבור בכמה ראש חדש ומועד דאיכא קרבן מוסף ארבעה אבל הכא דליכא קרבן מוסף לא או דלמא הכא נמי איכא מוסף תפלה,ת"ש בראשי חדשים ובחולו של מועד קורין ארבעה הא בתענית צבור ג' אימא רישא בשני ובחמישי ובשבת במנחה קורין ג' הא תענית צבור ארבעה אלא מהא ליכא למישמע מינה,ת"ש דרב איקלע לבבל בתענית צבור קם קרא בסיפרא פתח בריך חתים ולא בריך נפול כולי עלמא אאנפייהו ורב לא נפל על אפיה,מכדי רב בישראל קרא מאי טעמא חתם ולא בריך לאו משום דבעי למיקרי אחרינא בתריה,לא רב בכהני קרא דהא רב הונא קרי בכהני,בשלמא רב הונא קרי בכהני דהא אפילו רב אמי ורב אסי דכהני חשיבי דארעא ישראל מיכף כייפו ליה לרב הונא אלא רב הא איכא שמואל דכהנא הוה ודבר עליה,שמואל נמי מיכף הוה כייף ליה לרב ורב הוא דעבד ליה כבוד וכי עביד ליה בפניו שלא בפניו לא עביד ליה,הכי נמי מסתברא דרב בכהני קרא דאי סלקא דעתך בישראל קרא לפניה מאי טעמא בריך לאחר תקנה,אי הכי לאחריה נמי לבריך שאני היכא דיתיב רב דמיעל עיילי | 22a. bone may not begina new bparagraphand read bfewer than three versesfrom it. And if you say bhe should read twoverses bfrom thisparagraph, i.e., the entire second paragraph, bandthen bthreeverses bfrom thatfinal paragraph, bonly twoverses will bremainfrom the final paragraph. This is problematic because one may not conclude a reading with fewer than three verses left until the end of a paragraph and because the fourth reader will not have a sufficient number of verses to read.,Rava bsaid to him: I have not hearda solution for bthisproblem from my teachers. However, bwith regard to a similarproblem bI hearda solution from them, bas we learnedin a mishna ( iTa’anit26a): bOn Sunday,the non-priestly watches would read two paragraphs from the Torah: b“In the beginning”(Genesis 1:1–5) band “Let there be a firmament”(Genesis 1:6–8). bAnd it is taught in that regardthat the paragraph b“In the beginning”was read bby tworeaders and the paragraph b“Let there be a firmament” by onereader., bAnd we discussedthis ruling and raised difficulties with bit: Granted,the paragraph b“Let there be a firmament”was read bby onereader, bas itconsists of bthree verses. Buthow was the paragraph b“In the beginning”read bby two?It consists of only bfive verses, and it was taughtin a mishna (23b): bOne who reads from the Torah should notread bfewer than three verses. /b, bAnd it was stated with regard tothat mishna that the iamora’imdisagreed about how to divide the verses. bRav said:The second reader brepeatsthe last verse that the first reader had recited, so that each of them reads three verses. bAnd Shmuel said:The first reader bdividesthe third verse and reads half of it, and the second reader begins with the second half of that verse, as though each half were its own verse.,The Gemara explains the opinions of Rav and Shmuel. bRav saidthat the second reader brepeatsthe last verse that the first reader recited. bWhat is the reasonthat bhe did not statethat the first reader bdividesthe third verse, in accordance with the opinion of Shmuel? The Gemara answers: bHe holdsthat bany verse that Moses did not divide, we may not divide. /b,The Gemara asks: bDoes Shmuel saythat bwe may dividea verse into two parts? bDidn’t Rabbi Ḥaya Kara,the Bible expert, bsay: I had great distress with Rabbi Ḥanina the Great;there were many times I had to ask his permission to divide a verse, band he permitted me to divideit bonly for thebenefit of bschoolchildren, since theyneed bto be taughtin this manner, as it is difficult for children to learn long verses all at once? In other cases, however it is prohibited to divide a verse.,The Gemara answers: bThere,in the case of schoolchildren, bwhat is the reasonthat it is permitted to divide a verse? bBecause it is not possibleto teach the children without doing so. bHere, too,when a paragraph of five verses must be divided between two readers, bit is not possibleto divide them without dividing the middle verse.,The Gemara now examines the opinion of Shmuel. bAnd Shmuel said:The first reader bdividesthe third verse and reads half of it. The Gemara asks: bWhat is the reasonthat bhe did not statethat the second reader brepeatsthe last verse recited by the first reader, in accordance with the opinion of Rav? The Gemara answers: It is because of a rabbinic bdecreethat was instituted bdue to those who enter and those who leavethe synagogue between the readings. These individuals might erroneously conclude that since the reading they heard consisted of three verses, the reading they missed consisted of only two verses. Therefore, the middle verse is divided into two parts, so that all will realize that no reader recites only two verses.,The Gemara braises an objectionto the opinions of Rav and Shmuel from the following ibaraita /i: bTwopeople may bread a paragraph of six verses, buta paragraph bof fiveverses may be read only by ba singlereader. If bthe firstone bread threeverses, bthe secondone breadsthe remaining btwoverses bfrom this paragraphand then boneverse bfrom another,i.e., the following, bparagraph. And some saythat it does not suffice to read one verse from the next paragraph; rather, he must read bthreeverses, as bone may not begina new bparagraphand read bfewer than three versesfrom it., bAnd if it is so,if it is permissible to do as Rav and Shmuel suggested, baccording to the one who saidthat the second reader brepeatsa verse that the previous reader recited, i.e., Rav, blet him repeatthe verse in this case as well. bAnd according to the one who saidthat the second reader bdividesthe verse, i.e., Shmuel, blet him dividethe verse in this case as well.,The Gemara answers: bThere,in the case of the ibaraita /i, bit is different, as it is possible tosolve the problem bin thismanner by reading additional verses. On the New Moon, however, the next paragraph deals with an entirely different subject, and consequently it cannot be included in the Torah reading. Therefore, Rav and Shmuel presented alternate solutions.,With regard to the dispute cited in the ibaraita /i, bRabbi Tanḥum said that Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi said: The ihalakhais in accordance withthe opinion introduced by the phrase: bSome say,which maintains that at least three verses must be read from the next paragraph. bAndfurthermore, bRabbi Tanḥum said that Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi said: Just as one may not begina new bparagraphand read bfewer than three versesfrom it, bso too, one may not leave fewer than three versesbefore the end of ba paragraphat the conclusion of a reading.,The Gemara challenges this statement: This bis obvious. Now,if with regard to bthe beginningof a paragraph, where bthe first itannais lenientand holds that it is sufficient to read one verse from the next paragraph, the opinion introduced with the phrase: bSome say, is stringent,then with regard to bleavingverses at the end of a paragraph, where even bthe first itannais stringentand holds that one may not conclude a reading with fewer than three verses remaining until the end of a paragraph, is it bnot all the more soobvious that the opinion introduced with: bSome say, is stringent? /b,The Gemara answers: bLest you say: Enteringin the middle of the Torah reading bis common,and therefore one should not conclude a reading after having read fewer than three verses of a paragraph, but bleavingin the middle of the Torah reading, whereby one babandons a Torah scroll and leaves, is not common,and therefore one may conclude a reading with fewer than three verses left in the paragraph, Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi bteaches usthat the second opinion cited in the ibaraitais also concerned that people may leave in the middle of the Torah reading, and consequently one may not conclude a reading with fewer than three verses left in the paragraph.,The Gemara asks: bAndaccording to bthe first itanna /i, what is differentabout bleavingfewer than three verses at the end of a paragraph, bwhichis bnotpermitted bdue toconcern about bthose who leavethe synagogue in the middle of the Torah reading? In the case of bbeginninga paragraph without reading at least three verses, he should balsohold that there is a rabbinic bdecree due to those who enter,lest the latecomer think that the previous reader read fewer than three verses. The Gemara responds: bSayin answer to this question that bone who entersin the middle of the Torah reading baskshow the Torah was read until then, and those present will explain to him that the reader started in the previous paragraph. Therefore, he will not erroneously think that the reader recited fewer than three verses., bRabba, son of Rava, senta messenger btoask bRav Yosef: What is the ihalakha /iwith regard to dividing a small Torah portion? Rav Yosef bsent himthe following answer: bThe ihalakhaisthat bone repeatsa verse, in accordance with the opinion of Rav, bandit is bthe middlereader who brepeatsit, and not the last reader, so that it will not be necessary to leave fewer than three verses until the end of the paragraph.,§ We learned in the mishna: bThis is the principle: Anyday bon which there is an additional offeringsacrificed in the Temple and that is not a Festival, four people read from the Torah. bA dilemma was raised beforethe Sages: On ba public fast, how manypeople read from the Torah? Does the mishna mean to say that only on bthe New Moon andthe intermediate days of ba Festival, when there is an additional offering, fourpeople read; bbut here,on a public fast day, bwhen there is no additional offering, no,only three people read? bOr perhaps here, too, there is an additional prayer,as on public fast days the prayer: iAneinu /i, is inserted into the iAmidaprayer, and so too an additional reader is called to read from the Torah.,The Gemara attempts to adduce a proof: bComeand bhear that whichwe learned in the mishna: bOnthe days of the bNew Moon and on the intermediate days of a Festival, fourpeople breadfrom the Torah. bDoesn’tthis indicate that bon a public fast,only bthreepeople read? The Gemara responds: bSay the first clauseof the mishna: bOn Mondays and Thursdaysduring the morning service band on Shabbat during the afternoon service, threepeople breadfrom the Torah. bDoesn’tthis indicate that on ba public fast, fourpeople read from the Torah? bRather,it must be concluded that bnothing can be derived from thismishna with regard to a public fast day, as the mishna does not mean to indicate the ihalakhain every possible case.,A different proof is now suggested. bComeand bhearthe following incident: bRavonce bhappenedto come bto Babylonia on a public fast. He stood and read froma Torah bscroll.When bhe beganto read, bhe recited a blessing,but when bhe concluded, he did not recite a blessing. Everyoneelse bfell on their faces,i.e., bowed down on the floor, during the iTaḥanunsupplication, as was the custom, bbut Rav did not fall on his face. /b,The Gemara attempts to clarify the ihalakhabased upon Rav’s conduct. bNow, Ravmust have breadthe portion that is designated for ban Israelite,as he was neither a priest nor a Levite, and therefore he was the third person to read from the Torah. bWhat,then, bis the reasonthat when bhe concludedhis reading bhe did not recite a blessing? Was it not because anotherperson bwas to read after him,and since only the last reader recites a blessing, Rav did not recite a blessing upon completion of his portion? This would indicate that four readers are called to the Torah on public fasts.,The Gemara rejects this proof: bNo, Rav readthe first reading, which is generally designated for bpriests.He was the leading Torah authority of his generation, and one who holds this position is called to read from the Torah even before a priest, bas Rav Huna would readthe first reading, which is generally designated for bpriests,and Rav would do the same.,The Gemara raises a difficulty: bGranted, Rav Huna readthe portion designated for bpriests, as even Rav Ami and Rav Asi,who were bthe most esteemed priests in Eretz Yisrael, were subordinate to Rav Huna,and he was considered the undisputed rabbinic leader of the Jewish people. bHowever,in the case of bRav, there was Shmuel, who was a priest, andRav had belevatedhim babove himself,showing Shmuel deference in all matters of honor. Consequently, Rav was not the singular leader of his generation and would not have read the first reading in place of a priest.,The Gemara answers: In fact, bShmuel was also subordinate to Rav,as Rav was indeed the leading authority in Babylonia, band it was Rav who showedShmuel bhonorof his own volition, in order to appease him for having cursed him. bAnd he did thisonly when Shmuel was bin his presence,but bwhen he was not in his presence,Rav bdid not do this,and therefore Rav would read first from the Torah when Shmuel was not present.,The Gemara comments: bSo too, it is reasonableto assume that bRav readfirst bfromthe portion that is generally designated for bpriests, because if it enters your mind to saythat bhe readthird, bfromthe portion designated for banordinary bIsraelite, what is the reason he recited a blessing beforereading his portion? Only the first reader recites a blessing before reading from the Torah. The Gemara rejects this argument: This incident took place bafter it was institutedthat all those called to read from the Torah recite a blessing.,The Gemara asks: bIf so, he should also have recited a blessing afterhis reading, as the rabbinic enactment requires those who read from the Torah to recite blessings both before and after their reading. The Gemara answers: The reason that the Sages required all the readers to recite blessings both before and after their readings was to prevent misunderstandings on the part of both those who enter the synagogue in the middle of the reading and those who leave early. But bit was different where Rav was present, aspeople bwould enterthe synagogue in the middle of the reading |
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4. Babylonian Talmud, Rosh Hashanah, None (3rd cent. CE - 6th cent. CE)
| 24b. של חמשה ושל ששה ושל שמונה ושל שבעה לא יעשה אפי' של שאר מיני מתכות רבי יוסי בר יהודה אומר אף של עץ לא יעשה כדרך שעשו מלכי בית חשמונאי,אמרו לו משם ראייה שפודין של ברזל היו וחיפום בבעץ העשירו עשאום של כסף חזרו העשירו עשאום של זהב,ושמשין שאי אפשר לעשות כמותן מי שרי והתניא (שמות כ, יט) לא תעשון אתי לא תעשון כדמות שמשיי המשמשין לפני במרום אמר אביי לא אסרה תורה אלא דמות ארבעה פנים בהדי הדדי,אלא מעתה פרצוף אדם לחודיה תשתרי אלמה תניא כל הפרצופות מותרין חוץ מפרצוף אדם א"ר הונא בריה דרב אידי מפרקיה דאביי שמיעא לי לא תעשון אתי לא תעשון אותי,ושאר שמשין מי שרי והא תניא לא תעשון אתי לא תעשון כדמות שמשיי המשמשין לפני במרום כגון אופנים ושרפים וחיות הקודש ומלאכי השרת אמר אביי לא אסרה תורה אלא שמשין שבמדור העליון,ושבמדור התחתון מי שרי והתניא (שמות כ, ג) אשר בשמים לרבות חמה ולבנה כוכבים ומזלות ממעל לרבות מלאכי השרת כי תניא ההיא לעבדם,אי לעבדם אפילו שלשול קטן נמי אין ה"נ דתניא (שמות כ, ג) אשר בארץ לרבות הרים וגבעות ימים ונהרות אפיקים וגאיות מתחת לרבות שלשול קטן,ועשייה גרידתא מי שרי והתניא לא תעשון אתי לא תעשון כדמות שמשיי המשמשין לפני כגון חמה ולבנה כוכבים ומזלות,שאני ר"ג דאחרים עשו לו והא רב יהודה דאחרים עשו לו וא"ל שמואל לרב יהודה שיננא סמי עיניה דדין,התם חותמו בולט הוה ומשום חשדא כדתניא טבעת חותמו בולט אסור להניחה ומותר לחתום בה חותמו שוקע מותר להניחה ואסור לחתום בה,ומי חיישינן לחשדא והא ההיא בי כנישתא דשף ויתיב בנהרדעא דהוה ביה אנדרטא והוו עיילי רב ושמואל ואבוה דשמואל ולוי ומצלו התם ולא חיישי לחשדא רבים שאני,והא ר"ג יחיד הוא כיון דנשיא הוא שכיחי רבים גביה איבעית אימא דפרקים הוה,ואיבעית אימא להתלמד עבד וכתיב (דברים יח, ט) לא תלמד לעשות אבל אתה למד להבין ולהורות:, big strongמתני׳ /strong /big מעשה שבאו שנים ואמרו ראינוהו שחרית במזרח | 24b. a candelabrum bof five or of six or of eightlamps. bBut one may not fashiona candelabrum with bsevenlamps bevenif he constructs it bfrom other kinds of metalrather than gold, as in exigent circumstances the candelabrum in the Temple may be fashioned from other metals. bRabbi Yosei bar Yehuda says: Also, one may not fashiona candelabrum bof wood, in the manner that the kings of the Hasmonean monarchy fashionedit. When they first purified the Temple they had to prepare the candelabrum out of wood, as no other material was available. Since this candelabrum is fit for the Temple, it is prohibited to fashion one of this kind for oneself.,The other Sages bsaid toRabbi Yosei bar Yehuda: bFrom thereyou seek to bring ba proof?There the branches of the candelabrum bwerecomprised of bspits [ ishippudin /i] of iron and they covered them with tin.Later, when bthey grew richerand could afford a candelabrum of higher-quality material, bthey fashioned them from silver.When bthey grew even richer, they fashioned them from gold.Still, Abaye proves from this ibaraitathat the prohibition against forming an image applies only to items that can be reconstructed in an accurate manner. Since this is not possible in the case of the moon, Rabban Gamliel’s forms were permitted.,The Gemara asks: bAnd is itreally bpermittedto form images of bthose attendantsconcerning bwhich it is impossible to reproduce their likeness? Isn’t it taughtin a ibaraitathat the verse: b“You shall not make with Megods of silver” (Exodus 20:19), comes to teach: bYou shall not make images of My attendants that serve before Me on high.Apparently, this includes the sun and the moon. bAbaye said:This does not include the sun and the moon, as bthe Torah prohibited onlythe fashioning of ban image ofall bfour facesof the creatures of the Heavenly Chariot btogether(see Ezekiel, chapter 1). However, all other images, which are not the likeness of the ministering angels, are permitted.,The Gemara raises a difficulty: bHowever, ifthat is bso, letthe fashioning of an image of ba human face [ ipartzuf] alone be permitted. Why,then, bis it taughtin a ibaraita /i: bAll faces are permittedfor ornamental purposes, bexcept for the face of a person? Rav Huna, son of Rav Idi, said: From a lecture of Abaye I heardthat there is a different reason why one may not form an image of a human face, as the verse states: b“You shall not make with Me [ iiti /i]”(Exodus 20:19). This can be read as: bYou shall not make Me [ ioti /i].Since man is created in the image of God, it is prohibited to form an image of a human being.,The Gemara asks: bAnd is it permittedto form images of bother attendants? Isn’t it taughtin another ibaraitathat the verse: b“You shall not make with Megods of silver” (Exodus 20:19), teaches that byou shall not make images of My attendants that serve before Me on high, for example, iofanimand seraphim and the sacred iḥayyotand the ministering angels. Abaye said: The Torah prohibited onlythose battendants that arefound bin the upper Heaven,i.e., the supreme angels in the highest firmament, but not the celestial bodies, e.g., the sun and the moon, despite the fact that they too are located in heaven.,The Gemara raises another difficulty: bAnd is it permittedto form images of bthosebodies found bin the lower heaven? Isn’t it taughtin a ibaraita /i: “You shall not make for yourself any graven image, nor any manner of likeness, of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth” (Exodus 20:3). The phrase b“that is in heaven”comes bto includethe bsun,the bmoon,the bstars, andthe bconstellations.The term b“above”serves bto include the ministering angels.Apparently, it is prohibited to form an image even of the celestial bodies found in the lower Heaven. The Gemara answers: bWhen that ibaraita bis taught,it is in reference to the prohibition bagainst worshipping them.However, there is no prohibition against forming an image in their likeness.,The Gemara asks: bIfthat ibaraitais referring to bthe prohibition against worshipping them,then beven a tiny wormshould balsobe prohibited. The Gemara answers: bYes, it is indeed so, as it is taughtin the same ibaraitawith regard to the continuation of the verse, b“in the earth”comes bto include mountains and hills, seas and rivers, streams and valleys; “beneath”comes bto include a tiny worm.If so, it is indeed possible to explain that the entire ibaraitais referring to the prohibition against idol worship.,The Gemara raises yet another objection: bAnd is the mere fashioningof images of the celestial bodies bpermitted? Isn’t it taughtin another ibaraita /i: b“You shall not make with Megods of silver” (Exodus 20:19). This verse teaches that byou shall not make images of My attendants that serve before Me, for examplethe bsun,the bmoon,the bstars andthe bconstellations.This is explicit proof that it is prohibited to form images of the sun and the moon; consequently, the solution proposed by Abaye is rejected, leaving the difficulty with Rabban Gamliel’s diagram unresolved.,The Gemara proposes an alternative resolution: The case of bRabban Gamliel is different, as others,i.e., gentiles, bfashionedthose images bfor him,and it is prohibited only for a Jew to fashion such images; there is no prohibition against having them in one’s possession. The Gemara raises a difficulty: bButthere is the case of bRav Yehuda, as others fashioned for hima seal in the form of a human being, band Shmuel said to Rav Yehuda,who was his student: bSharp-witted one, blind this one’s eyes,i.e., disfigure the image, as it is prohibited even to have the image of a human being in one’s possession.,The Gemara answers: bThere,in the case of Rav Yehuda, bhis was a protruding seal,i.e., the image projected from the ring, and Shmuel prohibited it bdue tothe potential bsuspicionthat he had an object of idol worship in his hand. bAs it is taughtin a ibaraita /i: With regard to ba ring,if bits seal protrudes it is prohibited to place iton one’s finger, due to the suspicion of idol worship, bbut it is permitted to sealobjects bwith it.In this case, the act of sealing creates an image that is sunken below the surface, which is not prohibited. However, if bits seal is sunken, it is permitted to place iton one’s finger, bbut it is prohibited to sealobjects bwith it,as that creates a protruding image.,The Gemara asks: bAnd are we concerned aboutarousing bsuspicionin a case of this kind? bButwhat about that bcertain synagogue that had beendestroyed in Eretz Yisrael and its stones were brelocated andit was rebuilt so that it bsat in Neharde’a,and bthere was a statue [ iandarta /i]of the king bin it. Andnevertheless bRav and Shmuel and Shmuel’s father and Levi wouldall benter and pray there and they were not concerned aboutarousing bsuspicion.The Gemara answers: When bmanyJews are present it bis different,as a large group is not suspected of having idolatrous intentions. Rather, it is assumed that the statue is there exclusively for purposes of ornamentation.,The Gemara asks: bBut isn’t Rabban Gamliel an individual?According to this reasoning, his images of the moon should have been prohibited, as they would have aroused suspicion. The Gemara answers: bSince he is the iNasi /i,the head of the Great Sanhedrin, bmanypeople bwerealways bfound with him,and therefore there was no room for suspicion. The Gemara suggests an alternative answer: bIf you wish, saythat these images were not whole; rather, they bwereformed bfrom piecesof images that had to be put together. Only complete images are prohibited.,The Gemara suggests yet another answer: bIf you wish, say:Rabban Gamliel bdidthis bto teach himself,which is not prohibited, as bit is written: “You shall not learn to doafter the abominations of those nations” (Deuteronomy 18:9), which indicates: bHowever, you may learn to understand and to teach.In other words, it is permitted to do certain things for the sake of Torah study which would otherwise be prohibited., strongMISHNA: /strong There was ban incidentin bwhich twowitnesses bcameto testify about the new moon, band they said: We sawthe waning moon bin the morning in the east, /b |
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5. Babylonian Talmud, Shabbat, None (3rd cent. CE - 6th cent. CE)
| 12b. רבי יהודה אומר המקום ירחם עליך ועל חולי ישראל רבי יוסי אומר המקום ירחם עליך בתוך חולי ישראל שבנא איש ירושלים בכניסתו אומר שלום וביציאתו אומר שבת היא מלזעוק ורפואה קרובה לבא ורחמיו מרובין ושבתו בשלום כמאן אזלא הא דאמר רבי חנינא מי שיש לו חולה בתוך ביתו צריך שיערבנו בתוך חולי ישראל כמאן כר' יוסי,ואמר רבי חנינא בקושי התירו לנחם אבלים ולבקר חולים בשבת אמר רבה בר בר חנה כי הוה אזלינן בתריה דרבי אלעזר לשיולי בתפיחה זימנין אמר המקום יפקדך לשלום וזימנין אמר (ליה) רחמנא ידכרינך לשלם היכי עביד הכי והאמר רב יהודה לעולם אל ישאל אדם צרכיו בלשון ארמי ואמר רבי יוחנן כל השואל צרכיו בלשון ארמי אין מלאכי השרת נזקקין לו שאין מלאכי השרת מכירין בלשון ארמי שאני חולה דשכינה עמו,דאמר רב ענן אמר רב מנין ששכינה סועד את החולה שנאמר (תהלים מא, ד) ה' יסעדנו על ערש דוי תניא נמי הכי הנכנס לבקר את החולה לא ישב לא על גבי מטה ולא על גבי כסא אלא מתעטף ויושב לפניו מפני ששכינה למעלה מראשותיו של חולה שנאמר ה' יסעדנו על ערש דוי ואמר רבא אמר רבין מנין שהקב"ה זן את החולה שנאמר ה' יסעדנו על ערש דוי:,ולא יקרא לאור הנר: אמר רבה אפילו גבוה שתי קומות ואפי' שתי מרדעות ואפילו עשרה בתים זו על גב זו חד הוא דלא ליקרי הא תרי שפיר דמי והתניא לא אחד ולא שנים אמר ר' אלעזר לא קשיא כאן בענין אחד כאן בשני ענינים אמר רב הונא ובמדורה אפי' עשרה בני אדם אסור,אמר רבא אם אדם חשוב הוא מותר מיתיבי לא יקרא לאור הנר שמא יטה אמר ר' ישמעאל בן אלישע אני אקרא ולא אטה פעם א' קרא ובקש להטות אמר כמה גדולים דברי חכמים שהיו אומרים לא יקרא לאור הנר ר' נתן אומר קרא והטה וכתב על פנקסו אני ישמעאל בן אלישע קריתי והטיתי נר בשבת לכשיבנה בהמ"ק אביא חטאת שמנה א"ר אבא שאני ר' ישמעאל בן אלישע הואיל ומשים עצמו על דברי תורה כהדיוט,תני חדא שמש בודק כוסות וקערות לאור הנר ותניא אידך לא יבדוק לא קשיא כאן בשמש קבוע כאן בשמש שאינו קבוע ואי בעית אימא הא והא בשמש קבוע ולא קשיא הא בדמשחא והא בדנפטא,איבעיא להו שמש שאינו קבוע בדמשחא מהו אמר רב הלכה ואין מורין כן ור' ירמיה בר אבא אמר הלכה ומורין כן ר' ירמיה בר אבא איקלע לבי רב אסי קם שמעיה קא בדיק לנהורא דשרגא אמרה ליה דביתהו ומר לא עביד הכי אמר לה שבקיה כרביה ס"ל:,באמת אמרו החזן כו': והאמרת רישא רואה מאי לאו לקרות לא לסדר ראשי פרשיותיו וכן אמר רבה בר שמואל אבל מסדר הוא ראשי פרשיותיו וכולה פרשה לא | 12b. bRabbi Yehuda saysthat it is appropriate to say: bMay the Omnipresent have compassion upon you and upon all the sick people of Israel. Rabbi Yosei saysthat it is appropriate to say: bMay the Omnipresent have compassion upon you among the sick people of Israel,thereby including this sick person within the community of Israel. When bShevna of Jerusalemwould visit a sick person on Shabbat, bupon entering, he would say ishalomb. And when he exited he would say: It is Shabbatwhen one is prohibited bto cry out, and healing is soon to come, and His compassion is abundant, and reston Shabbat bin peace.The Gemara asks: bIn accordance with whoseopinion bisthe ihalakhathat bRabbi Ḥanina said: One who has a sick person in his house must include him among the sick people of Israelin his prayer? bIn accordance with whoseopinion? bIn accordance withthe opinion of bRabbi Yosei. /b, bAnd Rabbi Ḥanina said: It wasonly bwith great difficulty thatthe Sages bpermitted to comfort the mourners and visit the sick on Shabbat,as both the visitor and the comforter experience suffering on Shabbat. They permitted it only due to the mitzva involved in these activities. bRabba bar bar Ḥana said: When we would follow Rabbi Elazar to inquire aboutthe health of ba sick person; sometimes he would sayin Hebrew: bMay the Omnipresent remember you for peace /b, band sometimes he would say to himin Aramaic: bMay the all-Merciful remember you for peace.He would say it in Aramaic when the sick person did not understand Hebrew (Rav Elazar Moshe Horovitz). The Gemara asks: bHow did he do this,pray in Aramaic? bDidn’t Rav Yehuda say: A person should never requestthat bhis needsbe met bin the Aramaic language /b? bAnd,similarly, bRabbi Yoḥa said: Anyone who requeststhat bhis needsbe met bin the Aramaic language /b, bthe ministering angels do not attend to himto bring his prayer before God, bas the ministering angels are not familiar with the Aramaic language,but only with the sacred tongue, Hebrew, exclusively. The Gemara responds: bA sick person is different.He does not need the angels to bring his prayer before God because bthe Divine Presence is with him. /b, bAs Rav A saidthat bRav said: From where is it derived that the Divine Presence cares forand aids bthe sick person? As it is stated: “God will support him on the bed of illness”(Psalms 41:4). The Gemara comments: bThat was also taughtin a ibaraita /i: bOne who enters to visit the sick person should sit neither on the bed nor on a chair; rather, he should wrap himselfin his prayer shawl with trepidation and awe, band sit beforethe sick person below him, bas the Divine Presence is above the head of the sick person, as it is stated: “God will support him on the bed of illness,”and he must treat the Divine Presence with deference. On a similar note, bRava saidthat bRavin said: From whereis it derived bthat the Holy One, Blessed be He, feeds the sick personduring his illness? bAs it is stated: “God will support him on the bed of illness.” /b,We learned in the mishna that bone may not reada book bby candlelighton Shabbat. bRabba said:Since a decree was issued, there is no distinction whether or not the lamp was near enough to him to enable him to adjust the wick. The prohibition applies bevenif the lamp was btwo staturesof a person bhigh, and evenas high as btwo plow handles, and evenif it was as high as bten houses one atop the other.We learned in the mishna that one may not read, and the Gemara infers: bOne may not read, butfor btwo,apparently, he may bwelldo so. They will not violate any prohibition, as two people together will certainly not forget the Shabbat prohibition. The Gemara asks: bWasn’t it taughtin a ibaraitathat bneither one nor twoare permitted to read by the light of the lamp? bRabbi Elazar said:This is bnot difficult,as there is room to distinguish between them and say that bhere,where two were permitted to read by candlelight, it is referring to a case where they are both engaged bin one matterand will remind each other to refrain from adjusting the wick. bThere,where two were prohibited to read by candlelight it is referring to a case where they are engaged bin twodifferent bmatters.Since each is preoccupied with a different text, they will not pay attention and remind each other. bRav Huna said: And with regard to a bonfire,where everyone is sitting around it and not adjacent to it, bevenif they were bten people, it is prohibitedto read by its light. When sitting around a bonfire, everyone sits at a distance from the others, and therefore they do not notice each other, and each is liable to adjust the firebrands to provide himself with more light., bRava said:Even though they prohibited reading by candlelight due to a decree lest they adjust the wick, bif he is an important person, it is permitted,as even on weekdays he is not accustomed to adjust a lamp that is dirty with oil. The Gemara braises an objectionfrom that which was taught in a iTosefta /i: bOne may not reada book on Shabbat bby the light of the lamp, lest he adjust it.The iToseftarelates that bRabbi Yishmael ben Elisha said: I will read and will not adjust,as I will certainly not forget that it is Shabbat. However, bonce he reada book by candlelight bandhe bsought to adjustthe wick. bHe said: How great are the words of the Sages, who would saythat bone may not read by candlelight,as even a person like me sought to adjust the wick. bRabbi Natan says:That was not the way it happened. Rather, bhe read andactually badjustedthe wick, band he wroteafterward bin his notebook [ ipinkas /i]: I, Yishmael ben Elisha, read and adjusted a lamp on Shabbat. When the Temple will be rebuilt I will bring a fat sin-offeringas atonement for this sin. This proves that even an important person like Rabbi Yishmael ben Elisha is liable to adjust the wick. bRabbi Abba said: Rabbi Yishmael ben Elisha is different, since with regard to the study of Torah, he comports himself like a simple manwith no air of importance, but generally, an important person would not dirty his hands and adjust the wick.,On this subject, the Gemara cites two apparently contradictory ibaraitot /i. bIt was taughtin bone ibaraitathat a bservant may examine cups and bowls by candlelightto check if they are clean. bAnd it was taughtin banother ibaraitathat bhe may not examinethem. The Gemara explains: This is bnot difficult.Rather, bhere,the ibaraitathat prohibited examining the cups, is referring bto a regularlyemployed bservantwho fears his master and examines the dishes meticulously. Therefore, there is concern lest he come to adjust the wick. While bthere,the ibaraitathat permitted examining the cups, is referring bto a servant who is not regularlyemployed, does not fear his master, and therefore will not check meticulously. There is no concern lest he come to adjust the wick. bAnd if you wish, sayinstead that bthis ibaraita band that ibaraitaare both referring bto a regularlyemployed bservant. Andthis is bnot difficult,as they are not referring to the same kind of lamp. bThis ibaraita /i, which prohibited examining the dishes, is referring bto an oil lamp,where there is room for concern lest he adjust it. bAnd that ibaraita /i, which permitted examining the dishes, is referring bto a naphtha[inafta/b] blamp.Since the naphtha lamp is dirty, the servant certainly will not touch it while checking the cups and dishes., bA dilemma was raised beforethe Sages: bWhat isthe ruling with regard to ba servant who is not regularlyemployed in terms of examining cups and dishes by the light of ban oil lamp?Is he permitted to examine the cups by candlelight, or not? From the perspective of his being a servant not regularly employed, it should be permitted. On the other hand, because it is an oil lamp it should be prohibited. bRav said: The ihalakha /iis that it is permitted, band,however, iab initio bapublic bruling is not issued to that effectso that they will not come to sin. However, one who knows the ihalakhathat it is permitted may practice accordingly. bRabbi Yirmeya bar Abba said: That ihalakhaisthat it is permitted band apublic bruling is issued to that effect.The Gemara relates that bRabbi Yirmeya bar Abba happened tocome to bthe house of Rav Asion Shabbat. Rabbi Yirmeya’s bservant stood and examined the cups by the light of a lamp[isheraga/b], as he was not a regularly employed servant in the house of Rav Asi. Rav Asi’s bwife said toRav Asi: But bthe Master,you, bdoes not do so.You prohibit doing so. Why is the servant of Rabbi Yirmeya examining the cups? bHe said to her: Leave him, he holds in accordance withthe opinion of bhis master. /b,We learned in the mishna that bin truth they saidthat bthe attendantsees where in the book the children under his supervision are reading, but he himself should not read. The Gemara asked: bDidn’t you say in the first clauseof the mishna that the attendant bsees? Doesn’tthat mean that he sees in order bto read?How can that part of the mishna conclude by saying that he may not read? The Gemara answers: bNo,it does not mean that the attendant is permitted to actually read; rather, he is only permitted btolook and barrange the beginning of his sectionsof the Torah that bhemust read the next day. bAnd so too, Rabba bar Shmuel said: However, he may arrange the beginning of his sectionsthat he must read the next day. The Gemara asks: bAndmay he bnotread bthe entire section? /b |
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6. Babylonian Talmud, Sotah, None (3rd cent. CE - 6th cent. CE)
| 33a. כל התורה בכל לשון נאמרה דאי סלקא דעתך בלשון הקודש נאמרה והיו דכתב רחמנא למה לי,איצטריך משום דכתיב שמע,לימא קסברי רבנן כל התורה כולה בלשון קודש נאמרה דאי סלקא דעתך בכל לשון שמע דכתב רחמנא למה לי,איצטריך משום דכתיב והיו,תפלה רחמי היא כל היכי דבעי מצלי,ותפלה בכל לשון והאמר רב יהודה לעולם אל ישאל אדם צרכיו בלשון ארמית דאמר רבי יוחנן כל השואל צרכיו בלשון ארמי אין מלאכי השרת נזקקין לו לפי שאין מלאכי השרת מכירין בלשון ארמי,לא קשיא הא ביחיד הא בצבור,ואין מלאכי השרת מכירין בלשון ארמי והתניא יוחנן כהן גדול שמע ב"ק מבית קדש הקדשים שהוא אומר נצחו טליא דאזלו לאגחא קרבא לאנטוכיא ושוב מעשה בשמעון הצדיק ששמע בת קול מבית קדש הקדשים שהוא אומר בטילת עבידתא דאמר שנאה לאייתאה על היכלא ונהרג גסקלגס ובטלו גזירותיו וכתבו אותה שעה וכיוונו ובלשון ארמי היה אומר,אי בעית אימא בת קול שאני דלאשמועי עבידא ואי בעית אימא גבריאל הוה דאמר מר בא גבריאל ולימדו שבעים לשון,ברכת המזון דכתיב (דברים ח, י) ואכלת ושבעת וברכת את ה' אלהיך בכל לשון שאתה מברך,שבועת העדות דכתיב (ויקרא ה, א) ונפש כי תחטא ושמעה קול אלה בכל לשון שהיא שומעת,שבועת הפקדון אתיא תחטא תחטא משבועת העדות,ואלו נאמרין בלשון הקודש מקרא ביכורים וחליצה כו' עד מקרא ביכורים כיצד (דברים כו, ה) וענית ואמרת לפני ה' אלהיך ולהלן הוא אומר (דברים כז, יד) וענו הלוים ואמרו אל כל איש ישראל מה ענייה האמורה להלן בלשון הקודש אף כאן בלה"ק,ולוים גופייהו מנלן אתיא קול קול ממשה כתיב הכא קול רם וכתיב התם (שמות יט, יט) משה ידבר והאלהים יעננו בקול מה להלן בלשון הקודש אף כאן בלשון הקודש,חליצה כיצד וכו' ורבנן האי ככה מאי עבדי ליה מיבעי להו לדבר שהוא מעשה מעכב,ור' יהודה מכה ככה ורבנן כה ככה לא משמע להו | 33a. that bthe entire Torah may be recited in any language, as, if it should enter your mindto say bthatthe entire Torah bmay be recitedonly bin the sacred tongueand not in any other language, bwhy do Ineed bthat which the Merciful One writes: “Andthese words, which I command you this day, bwill be”?If in fact it is prohibited for one to recite any portion of the Torah in a language other than Hebrew, then prohibiting the recitation of iShemain a language other than Hebrew is superfluous. Since the Torah specifically requires iShemato be recited in Hebrew, it must be because the rest of the Torah may be recited in any language.,The Gemara rejects this suggestion: This is not unquestionably so, as the phrase “and these words, which I command you this day, will be” bis necessaryin this case bbecause “hear” isalso bwritten.Had it not said “and these words, which I command you this day, will be,” it would have been derived from the word “hear” that iShemamay be recited in any language, in accordance with the opinion of the Rabbis. Therefore, the phrase “and these words, which I command you this day, will be” is necessary.,The Gemara asks: bShall we saythat bthe Rabbis holdthat bthe entire Torah may be recitedonly bin the sacred tongueand not in any other language? bAs, if it should enter your mindto say bthatthe Torah bmay be recited in any language, why do Ineed bthat which the Merciful One writes: “Hear”?It is permitted for one to recite the entire Torah in any language, rendering a specific requirement with regard to iShemasuperfluous.,The Gemara rejects this: The word “hear” bis necessaryin any case, bbecause “andthese words, which I command you this day, bwill be” isalso bwritten.Had it not been for the word “hear,” the Rabbis would have understood that it is prohibited to recite iShemain any other language, in accordance with the opinion of Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi. Therefore, the word “hear” is necessary.,§ It is stated in the mishna that the iAmida bprayermay be recited in any language. The reason for this is that since prayer bisa request for divine bmercy, one may pray in any way that one desires. /b,The Gemara asks: bButmay bprayerreally be recited bin any language? But didn’t Rav Yehuda say: A person should never request in the Aramaic languagethat bhis needsbe met, bas Rabbi Yoḥa saidthat with regard to banyone who requests in the Aramaic languagethat bhis needsbe met, bthe ministering angels do not attend to him, as the ministering angels are not familiar [ imakkirin /i] with the Aramaic language? /b,The Gemara answers: This is bnot difficult,as bthatstatement of Rabbi Yoḥa is referring btothe prayer of ban individual,who needs the support of the angels, whereas bthisstatement of the mishna is referring bto communalprayer.,The Gemara asks: bAnd are the ministering angels not familiar with the Aramaic language? But isn’t it taughtin a ibaraita( iTosefta13:5): bYoḥa the High Priest heard a Divine Voiceemerging bfrom the House of the Holy of Holies that was saying: The youth who went to wage war in Antokhya have been victorious. Andthere was banother incident involving Shimon HaTzaddik, who heard a Divine Voiceemerging bfrom the House of the Holy of Holies that was saying: The decree that the enemy intended to bring against the Temple is annulled, and Gaskalgas,Caligula, bhas been killed and his decrees have been voided. Andpeople bwrotedown bthat timethat the Divine Voice was heard, bandlater found that it bmatchedexactly the moment that Caligula was killed. The Gemara concludes: bAndthis Divine Voice bwas speaking in the Aramaic language. /b,The Gemara answers: bIf you wish, saythat the bDivine Voice is different, as its purpose is to communicatea message, and therefore it also communicates in Aramaic. bAnd if you wish, sayinstead that bit wasthe angel bGabriel, as the Master saidwith regard to Joseph: bGabriel came and taught him seventy languages,as he knows all of the languages, as opposed to the other angels, who do not.,§ It is stated in the mishna that bGrace after Mealsmay be recited in any language. bAs it is written: “And you shall eat, and be satisfied, and bless the Lord your God”(Deuteronomy 8:10). The word “bless” is homiletically interpreted to mean: bIn any language that you bless. /b,It is stated in the mishna that ban oath of testimonymay be said in any language, bas it is written: “And if anyone sins, in that he heard the voice of adjuration”(Leviticus 5:1). The emphasis on hearing in the verse is interpreted to mean that it can be recited bin any language that a person hears,i.e., understands.,It is stated in the mishna that ban oath on a depositmay be taken in any language. This bis derivedby means of a verbal analogy bfromthe word b“sins”(Leviticus 5:21) that appears in the portion of an oath on a deposit, and the word b“sins”(Leviticus 5:1) that is mentioned in the portion of ban oath of testimony. /b,§ It is stated in the mishna: bAnd these are recitedonly bin the sacred tongue: The recitation ofthe verses that one recounts when bringing the bfirst fruitsto the Temple; band iḥalitza /i…howis it derived that the brecitationwhen bringing the bfirst fruitsis recited specifically in Hebrew? When the Torah discusses this mitzva it states: b“And you shall speak and say before the Lord your God”(Deuteronomy 26:5), band below,in the discussion of the blessings and curses, bit states: “And the Levites shall speak and say to all the men of Israel”(Deuteronomy 27:14). bJust as there,in the portion of the Levites, they speak bin the sacred tongue, so too here,in the portion of the first fruits, the recitation is bin the sacred tongue. /b,The Gemara asks: bAnd from where do wederive that bthe Levites themselvesanswered in Hebrew? The Gemara answers: It is bderived froma verbal analogy between the word b“voice”that appears here, in the portion of the blessings and curses, and the word b“voice”in the verse that relates to bMoses. It is written here: “With a loud voice”(Deuteronomy 27:14), band it is written there: “Moses spoke, and God answered him by a voice”(Exodus 19:19). bJust as there,the Ten Commandments were stated bin the sacred tongue, so too here,the Levites spoke bin the sacred tongue. /b,It is stated in the mishna: bHowis it derived that the recitation at ba iḥalitza /iceremony must be in Hebrew? The verse states: “And she shall speak and say: So shall it be done to the man that doth not build up his brother’s house” (Deuteronomy 25:9). Rabbi Yehuda derives this ihalakhafrom the phrase: “And she shall speak and say: So” (Deuteronomy 25:9). The Gemara asks: bAnd what do the Rabbis do with,i.e., how do they interpret, bthisword b“so”? They requireit btoteach that any bmatterdetailed in the portion bthat is an action is indispensableto the iḥalitzaceremony, as the verse states: “So shall it be done.” However, the other aspects of the ritual, e.g., the recitations, are not indispensable, and in their absence the ritual is valid after the fact., bAnd Rabbi Yehudaderives this ihalakha bfromthe fact that the verse could have used the shorter form of the word bso [ iko /i],and instead uses the longer form of the word bso [ ikakha /i].He therefore derives both ihalakhotfrom this word. bAnd the Rabbis do not learn anything fromthe difference between iko /iand ikakha /i. /b |
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7. Babylonian Talmud, Taanit, None (3rd cent. CE - 6th cent. CE)
| 22b. (דברי הימים ב לה, כא) וישלח אליו מלאכים לאמר מה לי ולך מלך יהודה לא עליך אתה היום כי אל בית מלחמתי ואלהים אמר לבהלני חדל לך מאלהים אשר עמי ואל ישחיתך,מאי אלהים אשר עמי אמר רב יהודה אמר רב זו ע"ז אמר הואיל וקא בטח בע"ז יכילנא ליה,(דברי הימים ב לה, כג) ויורו היורים למלך יאשיהו ויאמר המלך לעבדיו העבירוני כי החליתי מאד מאי כי החליתי מאד אמר רב יהודה אמר רב מלמד שעשו כל גופו ככברה,אמר ר' שמואל בר נחמני אמר רבי (יוחנן) מפני מה נענש יאשיהו מפני שהיה לו לימלך בירמיהו ולא נמלך מאי דרש (ויקרא כו, ו) וחרב לא תעבור בארצכם,מאי חרב אילימא חרב שאינה של שלום והכתיב ונתתי שלום בארץ אלא אפילו של שלום והוא אינו יודע שאין דורו דומה יפה,כי הוה ניחא נפשיה חזא ירמיהו שפוותיה דקא מרחשן אמר שמא ח"ו מילתא דלא מהגנא אמר אגב צעריה גחין ושמעיה דקא מצדיק עליה דינא אנפשיה אמר (איכה א, יח) צדיק הוא ה' כי פיהו מריתי פתח עליה ההיא שעתא (איכה ד, כ) רוח אפינו משיח ה':,מעשה וירדו זקנים מירושלים לעריהם כו' איבעיא להו כמלא תנור תבואה או דלמא כמלא תנור פת,תא שמע כמלא פי תנור ועדיין תיבעי להו ככיסויא דתנורא או דלמא כי דרא דריפתא דהדר ליה לפומא דתנורא תיקו:,ועוד גזרו תענית על שאכלו זאבים כו' אמר עולא משום ר' שמעון בן יהוצדק מעשה ובלעו זאבים שני תינוקות והקיאום דרך בית הרעי ובא מעשה לפני חכמים וטיהרו את הבשר וטמאו את העצמות:,על אלו מתריעין בשבת כו': תנו רבנן עיר שהקיפוה נכרים או נהר ואחד ספינה המיטרפת בים ואחד יחיד שנרדף מפני נכרים או מפני לסטין ומפני רוח רעה על כולן יחיד רשאי לסגף את עצמו בתענית,רבי יוסי אומר אין היחיד רשאי לסגף את עצמו בתענית שמא יצטרך לבריות ואין הבריות מרחמות עליו אמר רב יהודה אמר רב מ"ט דרבי יוסי דכתיב (בראשית ב, ז) ויהי האדם לנפש חיה נשמה שנתתי בך החייה:,שמעון התימני אומר אף על הדבר כו': איבעיא להו לא הודו לו חכמים בשבת אבל בחול הודו לו או דלמא לא הודו לו כלל,ת"ש דתניא מתריעין על הדבר בשבת ואצ"ל בחול ר' חנן בן פיטום תלמידו של ר' עקיבא משום רבי עקיבא אומר אין מתריעין על הדבר כל עיקר:,על כל צרה שלא תבא על הצבור כו': ת"ר על כל צרה שלא תבא על הצבור מתריעין עליה חוץ מרוב גשמים מ"ט אמר ר' יוחנן לפי שאין מתפללין על רוב הטובה,ואמר רבי יוחנן מניין שאין מתפללין על רוב הטובה שנאמר (מלאכי ג, י) הביאו את כל המעשר אל בית האוצר וגו' מאי עד בלי די אמר רמי בר רב (יוד) עד שיבלו שפתותיכם מלומר די,אמר רמי בר רב יוד ובגולה מתריעין עליה תניא נמי הכי שנה שגשמיה מרובין אנשי משמר שולחין לאנשי מעמד תנו עיניכם באחיכם שבגולה שלא יהא בתיהם קבריהם,שאלו את ר' אליעזר עד היכן גשמים יורדין ויתפללו שלא ירדו אמר להם כדי שיעמוד אדם בקרן אפל וישכשך רגליו במים והתניא ידיו רגליו כידיו קאמינא,אמר רבה בר בר חנה לדידי חזיא לי קרן אפל דקם ההוא טייעא כי רכיב גמלא ונקיט רומחא בידיה מתחזי איניבא,ת"ר (ויקרא כו, ד) ונתתי גשמיכם בעתם לא שכורה ולא צמאה אלא בינונית שכל זמן שהגשמים מרובין מטשטשין את הארץ ואינה מוציאה פירות דבר אחר | 22b. b“But he sent ambassadors to him saying: What have I to do with you, king of Judea? I do not come against you this day, but against the house with which I am at war; and God has commanded me to make haste. Forbear from meddling with God, Who is with me, so that He will not destroy you”(II Chronicles 35:21). This clearly shows that Pharaoh Neco had no intention of engaging Josiah in battle.,The Gemara asks: bWhat isthe meaning of the phrase b“God, Who is with me”? Rav Yehuda saidthat bRav said: Thisis referring to Neco’s bidolatry,which he brought for assistance. In other words, it is a secular reference and should be read as: The god that is with me, in my possession. Josiah bsaid: Sincehe trusts in idolatry, bI will be ableto defeat bhim. /b,With regard to Josiah’s battle with Pharaoh Neco, the verse states: b“And the archers shot at King Josiah and the king said to his servants: Move me away, for I am seriously wounded”(II Chronicles 35:23). bWhat isthe meaning of the phrase: b“For I am seriously wounded”? Rav Yehuda saidthat bRav said:This bteaches thatthe Egyptian archers bmade his entire body like a sievefrom the many arrows they shot at him., bRabbi Shmuel bar Naḥmani saidthat bRabbi Yoḥa said: For whatreason bwas Josiah punished? Because he should have consulted withthe prophet bJeremiahto find out if he should go to war, bbut he did not consultwith him. bHow didJosiah binterpretthe verses of the Torah? How did they lead him to go to war? The verse states: b“Neither shall a sword go through your land”(Leviticus 26:6)., bWhat isthe meaning of the term: b“Sword”? If we saythat it is referring to ba sword that is not of peace, but isn’t it writtenearlier in the same verse: b“And I will give peace in the land”? Rather,the verse must mean that bevena sword bof peaceshall not pass through the land, and Josiah sought to prevent this occurrence, in fulfillment of the blessing. bBut he did not know that his generation did not meritthese blessings, and he would therefore not receive divine assistance in this regard.,The Gemara discusses Josiah’s deathbed reflections. bWhenJosiah bwas dying, Jeremiah saw his lips moving.Jeremiah bsaid: Perhaps, Heaven forbid, he is saying something improperand complaining about God’s judgment bon account of hisgreat bdistress.Jeremiah bbent over and heard that he was justifyingGod’s bjudgment against himself.Josiah bsaid: “The Lord is righteous, for I have rebelled against His word”(Lamentations 1:18). bAt that moment,Jeremiah bbeganhis eulogy bforJosiah: b“The breath of our nostrils, the anointed of the Lord,was trapped in their pits” (Lamentations 4:20).,§ The mishna taught: bAn incidentoccurred in bwhich Elders descended from Jerusalem to their citiesand decreed a fast throughout the land because a small amount of blight was seen in the city of Ashkelon, enough to fill the mouth of an oven. bA dilemma was raised beforethe Sages: Did they mean enough bgrain to fillan entire boven, or perhapsthey meant enough grain to prepare bbread to fill an oven?This is far less, as bread is stuck to the walls of the oven and does not fill its inner area.,The Gemara answers: bComeand bhearthe phrase of the mishna: Enough bto fill the mouth of an oven.This indicates that the bread referred to does not fill the entire oven, but rather covers the mouth of the oven. The Gemara further asks: bAnd still you can raise this dilemma before them:Is the mishna referring to the bread bof the cover of the oven? Perhapsit is referring bto a row of bread around the mouth of the oven.No resolution was found, and the Gemara states that the dilemma bshall standunresolved.,§ The mishna taught: bAnd furthermore, they decreed a fast because wolves had eatentwo children in Transjordan. bUlla said in the name of Rabbi Shimon ben Yehotzadak: An incidentoccurred in bwhich wolves swallowed two children and excreted them. And the incident came before the Sagesfor a ruling. They were asked if the remains were ritually impure even after they had passed through the animal’s digestive tract, band they pronounced the flesh ritually pure,as it had been digested, but they bpronouncedthe intact bbones ritually impure. /b,§ The mishna further taught: bFor the followingcalamities bthey sound the alarmeven bon Shabbat:For a city that is surrounded by gentile troops, for a place in danger of being flooded by a river that has swelled its banks, or for a ship tossed about at sea. bThe Sages taught:In the case of ba city that is surrounded by gentiletroops bor a riverthat has swelled beyond its banks, and this also applies to bboth a ship tossed about at sea and an individual who is being pursued by gentiles, or by thieves, or by an evil spirit,which may lead him to harm himself, bthey sound the alarmeven bon Shabbat. And in all thesecases, ban individual is permitted to afflict himself by fastingto annul the evil decrees against him., bRabbi Yosei says: An individual is not permitted to afflict himself by fasting, lesthe become too weak to work and bbe beholden to other beings, andthose bbeings will not have mercy on him. Rav Yehuda saidthat bRav said: What is the reason of Rabbi Yosei?It is bas it is written: “And man became a living soul”(Genesis 2:7). Rabbi Yosei interprets this verse as a command: bThe soul I placed within you,preserve and bsustain it. /b,§ The mishna taught that bShimon the Timnite says:One may cry out on Shabbat beven for pestilence,but the Rabbis did not agree with him. bA dilemma was raised beforethe Sages: Does this mean that bthe Rabbis did not agree with himwith regard to crying out in these cases bon Shabbat,but if they occur bon a weekday they agreed with him? Or perhaps they did not agree with him at all,as they maintain that one never cries out over pestilence.,The Gemara answers: bComeand bhear, as it is taughtin a ibaraita /i: bOne cries out fora plague of bpestilence on Shabbat, and needless to say on weekdays. Rabbi Ḥa ben Pitom, the student of Rabbi Akiva, says in the name of Rabbi Akiva: One does not cry out for pestilence at all.This opinion attributed to Rabbi Akiva is the ruling of the Rabbis in the mishna.,§ The mishna further states that they sound the alarm bonaccount of any btrouble that should not befall the community,a euphemism for trouble that may befall the community, except for an overabundance of rain. bThe Sages taughtin a ibaraita /i: bFor any trouble that should not befall the community, they sound the alarm for it, except for an overabundance of rain.The Gemara asks: bWhat is the reasonfor this? bRabbi Yoḥa said: Because one does not pray over an excess of good.Since rain is generally good for the world, it is not appropriate to pray for it to stop, even when it falls in excess., bAnd Rabbi Yoḥa said: From whereis it derived bthat one does not pray over an excess of good?It bis stated: “Bring the whole tithe into the storeroom,that there may be food in My house, and test Me now by this, said the Lord of hosts, if I will not open for you the windows of heaven, and pour out for you a blessing that there shall be more than sufficiency” (Malachi 3:10). bWhatis the meaning of the phrase: b“That there shall be more than sufficiency [ iad beli dai /i]”? Rami bar Ḥama said:It means that the abundance will be so great bthat your lips will be worn out [ iyivlu /i],similar to the word ibeli /i, bfrom saying enough [ idai /i].In other words, even when a blessing is delivered in gross excess, one should not pray for it to cease, as the verse blesses the people with an excess., bRami bar Rav Yud said:This is true in Eretz Yisrael, but in the Diaspora, i.e., Babylonia, bthey do sound the alarm overexcessive rain. The reason is that Babylonia is in a low-lying region, where excessive rain poses a real danger. bThatopinion bis also taughtin a ibaraita /i: In ba year whose rains are abundant, the members of the priestly watchin the Temple bwould senda message bto the members of the non-priestly watch: Cast your eyes on your brothers in the Diasporaand have them in mind when you pray, so bthat their housesshould not collapse from excessive rain and bbecome their graves. /b, bThey asked Rabbi Eliezer: How much rain must falluntil btheyshould bpray that it should not fallanymore? bHe said to themby way of exaggeration: Enough rain must fall bso that a person stands atthe colossal cliff bKeren Ophel and dips his feet in water.The Gemara asks: bBut isn’t it taughtin a ibaraitathat Rabbi Eliezer said he must be able to place bhis handsin water? Rabbi Eliezer could answer: When bI said to youthat he must be able to place bhis feet,I meant blike his hands,i.e., the water must be high enough that he can dip both his hands and feet into the water with ease.,With regard to the height of this great cliff, bRabba bar bar Ḥana said: Ipersonally bsaw Keren Ophel,and when I peered down I saw bthat an Arab was positioned below,and bwhile riding a camel andholding ba spear in his hand, he looked like a worm [ iiniva /i]. /b, bThe Sages taught: “Then I will give your rains in their season”(Leviticus 26:4). This means that the earth will be bneither drunk nor thirsty; rather, a moderateamount of rain will fall. bFor as long as the rains are abundant, they muddythe soil of bthe land, and it does not give outits bproduce. Alternatively, /b |
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