1. Hebrew Bible, Deuteronomy, 23.9 (9th cent. BCE - 3rd cent. BCE)
| 23.9. בָּנִים אֲשֶׁר־יִוָּלְדוּ לָהֶם דּוֹר שְׁלִישִׁי יָבֹא לָהֶם בִּקְהַל יְהוָה׃ | 23.9. The children of the third generation that are born unto them may enter into the assembly of the LORD." |
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2. Mishnah, Avot, 3.2 (1st cent. CE - 3rd cent. CE)
| 3.2. Rabbi Hanina, the vice-high priest said: pray for the welfare of the government, for were it not for the fear it inspires, every man would swallow his neighbor alive. R. Haiah ben Teradion said: if two sit together and there are no words of Torah [spoken] between them, then this is a session of scorners, as it is said: “nor sat he in the seat of the scornful…[rather, the teaching of the Lord is his delight]” (Psalms 1:1); but if two sit together and there are words of Torah [spoken] between them, then the Shekhinah abides among them, as it is said: “then they that feared the Lord spoke one with another; and the Lord hearkened and heard, and a book of remembrance was written before Him, for them that feared the Lord and that thought upon His name” (Malachi 3:16). Now I have no [scriptural proof for the presence of the Shekhinah] except [among] two, how [do we know] that even one who sits and studies Torah the Holy One, blessed be He, fixes his reward? As it is said: “though he sit alone and [meditate] in stillness, yet he takes [a reward] unto himself” (Lamentations 3:28)." |
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3. Mishnah, Eduyot, 5.2 (1st cent. CE - 3rd cent. CE)
| 5.2. Rabbi Yose says: there are six instances of lenient rulings by Beth Shammai and stringent rulings by Beth Hillel.A fowl may be put on a table [together] with cheese but may not be eaten [with it], according to the opinion of Beth Shammai. But Beth Hillel says: it may neither be put on [the table together with it] nor eaten [with it]. Olives may be given as terumah for oil and grapes for wine, according to the opinion of Beth Shammai. But Beth Hillel says: they may not be given. One who sows seed [within] four cubits of a vineyard: Beth Shammai says: he has caused one row [of vines] to be prohibited. But Beth Hillel says: he has caused two rows to be prohibited. Flour paste [flour that had been mixed with boiling water]: Beth Shammai exempts [from the law of hallah]; But Beth Hillel pronounces it liable. One may immerse oneself in a rain-torrent, according to the opinion of Beth Shammai; But Beth Hillel say: one may not immerse oneself [therein]. One who became a proselyte on the eve of Passover: Beth Shammai says: he may immerse himself and eat his Passover sacrifice in the evening. But Beth Hillel says: one who separates himself from uncircumcision is as one who separates himself from the grave." |
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4. Mishnah, Hulin, 1.1-1.2, 9.2, 9.4 (1st cent. CE - 3rd cent. CE)
| 1.1. All may slaughter, and their slaughtering is valid, except a deaf-mute, an imbecile or a minor, lest they mess up [the animal] through their slaughtering. And if any of these slaughtered while others were standing over them, their slaughtering is valid. That which is slaughtered by a non-Jew is a nevelah and defiles by carrying. If one slaughtered at night, and also a blind man that slaughtered, the slaughtering is valid. One who slaughtered on Shabbat or Yom Kippur, even though he is liable for his own life, the slaughtering is valid." 1.2. If one slaughtered with [the smooth edge of] a hand sickle, with a flint or with a reed, the slaughtering is valid. All may slaughter; at all times one may slaughter; and with any implement one may slaughter, except a scythe, a saw, teeth or a finger nail, since these strangle. One who slaughtered with a scythe, moving it forward only: Bet Shammai declare it invalid, But Bet Hillel declare it valid. If the teeth of the scythe were filed away it is regarded as an ordinary knife." 9.2. In the following cases the skin is considered flesh: The skin of a person, The skin of the domesticated pig. Rabbi Yose says: even the skin of the wild pig. The skin of the hump of a young camel. The skin of the head of a young calf. The skin around the hooves. The skin of the pudenda. The skin of a fetus. The skin beneath the fat tail. The skin of the gecko, the monitor, the lizard and the skink. Rabbi Judah says: the lizard is like the weasel. If any of these skins was tanned or trampled upon as much as [was usual] for tanning, it becomes clean, excepting the skin of a man. Rabbi Yoha ben Nuri says: the eight reptiles have [real] skins." 9.4. A hide which had an olive’s bulk of [unclean] flesh clinging to it, one who touches a shred hanging from it, or a hair that was opposite to it, he becomes unclean. If there were two pieces of flesh attached to it, each the size of half an olive, they convey uncleanness by carrying but not by contact, the words of Rabbi Ishmael. Rabbi Akiva says: neither by contact nor by carrying. Rabbi Akiva agrees that if there were two pieces of flesh, each the size of half of an olive, that he stuck on a twig and he waved them, he becomes unclean. Why then does Rabbi Akiva declare him clean in the [case where they cling to the] hide? Because the hide renders them negligible." |
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5. Mishnah, Miqvaot, 8.3-8.4 (1st cent. CE - 3rd cent. CE)
| 8.3. If he emitted thick drops from his member, he is unclean, the words of Rabbi Elazar Hisma. If one had sexual dreams in the night and arose and found his flesh heated, he is unclean. If a woman discharged semen on the third day, she is clean, the words of Rabbi Elazar ben Azariah. Rabbi Ishmael says: sometimes there are four time periods, and sometimes five, and sometimes six. Rabbi Akiva says: there are always five." 8.4. If a non-Jewish woman discharged semen from an Israelite, it is unclean. If an Israelite woman discharged semen from a non-Jewish man, it is clean. If a woman had intercourse and then went down and immersed herself but did not sweep out the house, it is as though she had not immersed herself. If a man who had a seminal emission immersed himself but did not first pass urine, he again becomes unclean when he passes urine. Rabbi Yose says: if he was sick or old he is unclean, but if he was young and healthy he remains clean." |
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6. Mishnah, Negaim, 7.1, 11.1, 12.1 (1st cent. CE - 3rd cent. CE)
| 7.1. The following bright spots are clean:Those that one had before the Torah was given, Those that a non-Jew had when he converted; Or a child when it was born, Or those that were in a crease and were subsequently uncovered. If they were on the head or the beard, on a boil, a burn or a blister that is festering, and subsequently the head or the beard became bald, and the boil, burn or blister turned into a scar, they are clean. If they were on the head or the beard before they grew hair, and they then grew hair and subsequently became bald, or if they were on the body before the boil, burn or blister before they were festering and then these formed a scar or were healed: Rabbi Eliezer ben Jacob said that they are unclean since at the beginning and at the end they were unclean, But the sages say: they are clean." 11.1. All garments can contract the uncleanness of negaim except those of non-Jews. One who buys garments [with signs of negaim] from non-Jews they must be inspected as if the signs had then first appeared. The hides [of animals] of the sea do not contract the uncleanness of negaim. If one joined to them anything which grows on land, even if it is only a thread or a cord, as long as it is something that is susceptible to uncleanness, they also become susceptible to uncleanness." 12.1. All houses may contract negaim uncleanness, except those of non-Jews. If one bought houses from non-Jews, any it must be inspected as if they had then first appeared. A round house, a triangular house, or a house built on a ship, on a raft or on four beams, is not susceptible to negaim uncleanness. But if it was four-sided, even if it was built on four pillars, it is susceptible to uncleanness." |
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7. Mishnah, Niddah, 4.2, 7.3 (1st cent. CE - 3rd cent. CE)
| 4.2. The daughters of the Sadducees, so long as they are accustomed to walking in the paths of their fathers, are to be regarded as Samaritan women. If they left those paths to walk in the paths of Israel, they are to be regarded as Israelite women. Rabbi Yose says: they are always regarded as Israelite women unless they leave the paths of Israel to walk in the paths of their fathers." 7.3. All bloodstains that come from Rekem are clean. Rabbi Judah declares them unclean, because the people who live there are proselytes though misguided. Those that come from non-Jews are clean. Those that come from Israelites or from Samaritans: Rabbi Meir declares them unclean, But the sages declare them clean because they are not suspected in regard to their stains." |
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8. Mishnah, Yadayim, 4.4 (1st cent. CE - 3rd cent. CE)
| 4.4. On that day Judah, an Ammonite convert, came and stood before them in the house of study. He said to them: Do I have the right to enter into the assembly? Rabban Gamaliel said to him: you are forbidden. Rabbi Joshua said to him: you are permitted. Rabban Gamaliel said to him: the verse says, \"An Ammonite or a Moabite shall not enter into the assembly of the Lord: even to the tenth generation\" (Deuteronomy 23:4). R. Joshua said to him: But are the Ammonites and Moabites still in their own territory? Sanheriv, the king of Assyria, has long since come up and mingled all the nations, as it is said: \"In that I have removed the bounds of the peoples, and have robbed their treasures, and have brought down as one mighty the inhabitants\" (Isaiah 10:1. Rabban Gamaliel said to him: the verse says, \"But afterward I will bring back the captivity of the children of Ammon,\" (Jeremiah 49:6) they have already returned. Rabbi Joshua said to him: [another] verse says, \"I will return the captivity of my people Israel and Judah\" (Amos 9:14). Yet they have not yet returned. So they permitted him to enter the assembly." |
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9. Mishnah, Zavim, 2.1, 2.3 (1st cent. CE - 3rd cent. CE)
| 2.1. All persons become unclean through zivah, even converts, even slaves whether freed or not, a deaf-mute, a person of unsound senses, and a minor, a eunuch whether [he had been castrated] by man, or was a eunuch from [the time of seeing] the sun. With regard to a tumtum and an androgynous [person], they place upon him the stringencies for a man and the stringencies for a woman: they defile through blood like a woman, and through eggy [substance] like a man. Their uncleanness still remains in doubt." 2.3. One who had [a discharge of] semen does not defile due to zivah for a period of twenty-four hours. Rabbi Yose says: [only] that day. A non-Jew who had a discharge of semen and then converted, he immediately becomes unclean due to zivah. [A woman] who had [an issue] of blood, or had experienced difficulty [in childbirth], [the time prescribed] is twenty-four hours. One who strikes his slave, the \"day or two\" is twenty-four hours. A dog that eats a corpse's flesh, for three days from one time of day to the same time of day, it is considered to be in its natural state. |
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10. Tosefta, Niddah, 5.5 (1st cent. CE - 2nd cent. CE)
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11. Tosefta, Zavim, 2.1 (1st cent. CE - 2nd cent. CE)
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12. Babylonian Talmud, Bava Batra, None (3rd cent. CE - 6th cent. CE)
| 115b. הא כיצד נחלה ממשמשת והולכת עד ראובן ולימא עד יעקב אמר אביי גמירי דלא כלה שבטא,אמר רב הונא אמר רב כל האומר תירש בת עם בת הבן אפילו נשיא שבישראל אין שומעין לו שאינן אלא מעשה צדוקין דתניא בארבעה ועשרים בטבת תבנא לדיננא שהיו צדוקין אומרין תירש הבת עם בת הבן,נטפל להן רבן יוחנן בן זכאי אמר להם שוטים מנין זה לכם ולא היה אדם שהחזירו דבר חוץ מזקן אחד שהיה מפטפט כנגדו ואומר ומה בת בנו הבאה מכח בנו תירשנו בתו הבאה מכחו לא כל שכן,קרא עליו את המקרא הזה (בראשית לו, כ) אלה בני שעיר החורי יושבי הארץ לוטן ושובל וצבעון וענה וכתיב (בראשית לו, כד) אלה בני צבעון ואיה וענה אלא מלמד שבא צבעון על אמו והוליד ענה,ודלמא תרי ענה הוו אמר רבה אמינא מלתא דלא אמרה שבור מלכא ומנו שמואל איכא דאמרי אמר רב פפא אמינא מלתא דלא אמרה שבור מלכא ומנו רבה אמר קרא (בראשית לו, כד) הוא ענה הוא ענה דמעיקרא,אמר ליה רבי בכך אתה פוטרני אמר לו שוטה | 115b. The Gemara asks: bHow so,i.e., how is the investigation performed when he has no offspring at all? The Gemara answers: The family lineage that determines the binheritance is successively examined up to Reuben,son of Jacob, i.e., the heirs are determined by investigating the family genealogy, and that investigation can extend all the way to Reuben, son of our forefather Jacob. The Gemara asks: bAnd letit bsay: Until Jacobhimself, rather than until Reuben, since if none of Reuven’s descendants survive, one would have to examine Jacob’s descendants. bAbaye saidin reply: It bis learnedas a tradition bthat a tribe will not be eliminatedentirely, and some descendants will always remain.,§ bRav Huna saysthat bRav says:With regard to banyone who saysthat ba daughterof the deceased bshould inheritthe estate of her father along bwith the daughter of the sonof the deceased, bevenif he is ba prince of the Jewish people,one bshould not listen to him, as this is nothing other than an act of the Sadducees,and runs counter to the ruling of the mishna that the descendants of a son inherit before a daughter. bAs it is taughtin a ibaraitain iMegillat Ta’anit /i, which describes various minor holidays on which it is forbidden to fast or eulogize: bOn the twenty-fourth of Tevet, we returned to our law,i.e., the ihalakhawas reestablished in accordance with the opinion of the Sages after having been dictated by the Sadducees. bAs the Sadducees would say: A daughter should inheritthe estate of her father along bwith the daughter of the sonof the deceased.,The ibaraitacontinues: bRabban Yoḥa ben Zakkai joined themto discuss their ruling, and bsaid to them: Imbeciles, from wheredo byouderive bthisruling? bAnd there was no person that answered him anything, except for one oldman bwho was chattering at him and sayingthat it is an ia fortioriinference: bAnd just as a daughter ofthe deceased’s bson, who comesto claim her inheritance from her grandfather bby virtue of his son, inheritsher grandfather’s property, so too, with regard to the deceased’s own bdaughter, who comesto inherit bby virtue ofthe deceased, ball the more sois it bnotclear that she should inherit his property?,Rabban Yoḥa ben Zakkai brecited this verse about him: “These are the sons of Seir the Horite, the inhabitants of the land: Lotan and Shobal and Zibeon and Anah”(Genesis 36:20), band it is written: “And these are the children of Zibeon: Aiah and Anah”(Genesis 36:24). The first verse portrays Zibeon and Anah as brothers, while the second states that they are father and son. bRather,this bteaches that Zibeon engaged in sexual intercourse with his mother and begot Anah,so that he was both Anah’s father and his brother. From the fact that the first verse equates Zibeon and Anah by referring to both of them as Seir’s sons despite Anah being a grandson of Seir, it is clear that grandchildren are equal to children, contrary to the Sadducees’ assertion.,The Gemara interrupts the recounting of the ibaraitaand questions Rabban Yoḥa ben Zakkai’s inference: bBut perhaps there were twopeople named bAnah,so that one Anah was Zibeon’s son, and the other his brother? bRabba said: I will state a matterthat even bKing Shapur did not state. And who isthis King Shapur? This cannot be a reference to Shapur, king of Persia; rather, it must be a moniker for someone else. He is bShmuel,whose legal rulings were accepted by the public like the edicts of a king by his subjects. bSome statea different version, that it was bRav Pappawho bsaid: I will state a matterthat even bKing Shapur did not state. And who isthis King Shapur? He is bRabba. The versegoes on to bstate: “This is Anah”(Genesis 36:24), indicating that bhe isthe same bAnahmentioned binitially,earlier in the verse. Accordingly, there was only one Anah, who was both Zibeon’s brother and Zibeon’s son.,The ibaraitacontinues: The Sadducee bsaid toRabban Yoḥa ben Zakkai: bMy teacher, you dismiss me with thisretort? I agree that the son of a son precedes a daughter, as the verse you quoted suggests; I am asserting that a daughter inherits together with the daughter of a son, and the verse you quoted has no bearing on that claim. Rabban Yoḥa ben Zakkai bsaid to him: Imbecile, /b |
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13. Babylonian Talmud, Berachot, None (3rd cent. CE - 6th cent. CE)
| 56a. אמר ליה קיסר לר' יהושע בר' (חנינא) אמריתו דחכמיתו טובא אימא לי מאי חזינא בחלמאי אמר ליה חזית דמשחרי לך פרסאי וגרבי בך ורעיי בך שקצי בחוטרא דדהבא הרהר כוליה יומא ולאורתא חזא אמר ליה שבור מלכא לשמואל אמריתו דחכמיתו טובא אימא לי מאי חזינא בחלמאי אמר ליה חזית דאתו רומאי ושבו לך וטחני בך קשייתא ברחייא דדהבא הרהר כוליה יומא ולאורתא חזא,בר הדיא מפשר חלמי הוה מאן דיהיב ליה אגרא מפשר ליה למעליותא ומאן דלא יהיב ליה אגרא מפשר ליה לגריעותא אביי ורבא חזו חלמא אביי יהיב ליה זוזא ורבא לא יהיב ליה אמרי ליה אקרינן בחלמין (דברים כח, לא) שורך טבוח לעיניך וגו' לרבא אמר ליה פסיד עסקך ולא אהני לך למיכל מעוצבא דלבך לאביי א"ל מרווח עסקך ולא אהני לך למיכל מחדוא דלבך,אמרי ליה אקרינן (דברים כח, מא) בנים ובנות תוליד וגו' לרבא אמר ליה כבישותיה לאביי א"ל בנך ובנתך נפישי ומינסבן בנתך לעלמא ומדמיין באפך כדקא אזלן בשביה,אקריין (דברים כח, לב) בניך ובנותיך נתונים לעם אחר לאביי א"ל בנך ובנתך נפישין את אמרת לקריבך והיא אמרה לקריבה ואכפה לך ויהבת להון לקריבה דהוי כעם אחר לרבא א"ל דביתהו שכיבא ואתו בניה ובנתיה לידי איתתא אחריתי דאמר רבא אמר ר' ירמיה בר אבא אמר רב מאי דכתיב בניך ובנותיך נתונים לעם אחר זו אשת האב,אקרינן בחלמין (קהלת ט, ז) לך אכול בשמחה לחמך לאביי אמר ליה מרווח עסקך ואכלת ושתית וקרית פסוקא מחדוא דלבך לרבא אמר ליה פסיד עסקך טבחת ולא אכלת ושתית וקרית לפכוחי פחדך,אקרינן (דברים כח, לח) זרע רב תוציא השדה לאביי א"ל מרישיה לרבא א"ל מסיפיה,אקרינן (דברים כח, מ) זיתים יהיו לך בכל גבולך וגו' לאביי א"ל מרישיה לרבא א"ל מסיפיה,אקרינן (דברים כח, י) וראו כל עמי הארץ וגו' לאביי א"ל נפק לך שמא דריש מתיבתא הוית אימתך נפלת בעלמא לרבא אמר ליה בדיינא דמלכא אתבר ומתפסת בגנבי ודייני כולי עלמא קל וחומר מינך למחר אתבר בדיינא דמלכא ואתו ותפשי ליה לרבא.,אמרי ליה חזן חסא על פום דני לאביי א"ל עיף עסקך כחסא לרבא א"ל מריר עסקך כי חסא,אמרי ליה חזן בשרא על פום דני לאביי אמר ליה בסים חמרך ואתו כולי עלמא למזבן בשרא וחמרא מינך לרבא אמר ליה תקיף חמרך ואתו כולי עלמא למזבן בשרא למיכל ביה,אמרי ליה חזן חביתא דתלי בדיקלא לאביי אמר ליה מדלי עסקך כדיקלא לרבא אמר ליה חלי עסקך כתמרי,אמרי ליה חזן רומנא דקדחי אפום דני לאביי אמר ליה עשיק עסקך כרומנא לרבא אמר ליה קאוי עסקך כרומנא,אמרי ליה חזן חביתא דנפל לבירא לאביי א"ל מתבעי עסקך כדאמר נפל פתא בבירא ולא אשתכח לרבא א"ל פסיד עסקך ושדי' ליה לבירא,אמרי ליה חזינן בר חמרא דקאי אאיסדן ונוער לאביי אמר ליה מלכא הוית וקאי אמורא עלך לרבא א"ל פטר חמור גהיט מתפילך א"ל לדידי חזי לי ואיתיה אמר ליה וא"ו דפטר חמור ודאי גהיט מתפילך,לסוף אזל רבא לחודיה לגביה אמר ליה חזאי דשא ברייתא דנפל אמר ליה אשתך שכבא אמר ליה חזיא ככי ושני דנתור א"ל בנך ובנתך שכבן אמר ליה חזאי תרתי יוני דפרחן א"ל תרי נשי מגרשת אמר ליה חזאי תרי גרגלידי דלפתא אמר ליה תרין קולפי בלעת אזל רבא ההוא יומא ויתיב בי מדרשא כוליה יומא אשכח הנהו תרי סגי נהורי דהוו קמנצו בהדי הדדי אזל רבא לפרוקינהו ומחוהו לרבא תרי דלו למחוייה אחריתי אמר מסתיי תרין חזאי,לסוף אתא רבא ויהיב ליה אגרא א"ל חזאי אשיתא דנפל א"ל נכסים בלא מצרים קנית א"ל חזאי אפדנא דאביי דנפל וכסיין אבקיה א"ל אביי שכיב ומתיבתיה אתיא לגבך א"ל חזאי אפדנא דידי דנפיל ואתו כולי עלמא שקיל לבינתא לבינתא א"ל שמעתתך מבדרן בעלמא א"ל חזאי דאבקע רישי ונתר מוקרי א"ל אודרא מבי סדיא נפיק א"ל אקריון הללא מצראה בחלמא א"ל ניסא מתרחשי לך,הוה קא אזיל בהדיה בארבא אמר בהדי גברא דמתרחיש ליה ניסא למה לי בהדי דקא סליק נפל סיפרא מיניה אשכחיה רבא וחזא דהוה כתיב ביה כל החלומות הולכין אחר הפה רשע בדידך קיימא וצערתן כולי האי כולהו מחילנא לך בר מברתיה דרב חסדא יהא רעוא דלמסר ההוא גברא לידי דמלכותא דלא מרחמו עליה,אמר מאי אעביד גמירי דקללת חכם אפילו בחנם היא באה וכ"ש רבא דבדינא קא לייט אמר איקום ואגלי דאמר מר גלות מכפרת עון,קם גלי לבי רומאי אזל יתיב אפתחא דריש טורזינא דמלכא ריש טורזינא חזא חלמא א"ל חזאי חלמא דעייל מחטא באצבעתי א"ל הב לי זוזא ולא יהב ליה לא א"ל ולא מידי א"ל חזאי דנפל תכלא בתרתין אצבעתי א"ל הב לי זוזא ולא יהב ליה ולא א"ל א"ל חזאי דנפל תכלא בכולה ידא א"ל נפל תכלא בכולהו שיראי שמעי בי מלכא ואתיוה לריש טורזינא קא קטלי ליה א"ל אנא אמאי אייתו להאי דהוה ידע ולא אמר אייתוהו לבר הדיא אמרי ליה אמטו זוזא דידך חרבו | 56a. On a similar note, the Gemara relates that the Roman bemperor said to Rabbi Yehoshua, son of Rabbi Ḥaya: YouJews bsay that you are extremely wise.If that is so, btell me what I will see in my dream.Rabbi Yehoshua bsaid to him: You will see the Persians capture you, and enslave you, and force you to herd unclean animals with a golden staff. He thought the entire dayabout the images described to him by Rabbi Yehoshua band that night he sawit in his dream. bKing Shapurof Persia bsaid to Shmuel: YouJews bsay that you are extremely wise.If that is so, btell me what I will see in my dream. Shmuel said to him: You will see the Romans come and take you into captivityand force you bto grind date pits in mills of gold. He thought the entire dayabout the images described to him by Shmuel, band that night he sawit in his dream.,The Gemara relates: bBar Haddaya was an interpreter of dreams.For bone who gave him a fee, he would interpretthe dream bfavorably, andfor bone who did not give him a fee, he would interpretthe dream bunfavorably.The Gemara relates: There was an incident in which both bAbaye and Rava saw anidentical bdreamand they asked bar Haddaya to interpret it. bAbaye gave him moneyand paid his fee, bwhile Rava did not give himmoney. bThey said to him:The verse: b“Your ox shall be slain before your eyesand you shall not eat thereof” (Deuteronomy 28:31) bwas read to us in our dream. Heinterpreted their dream and bto Rava he said: Your business will be lost and you will derive no pleasure from eating because of theextreme bsadness of your heart. To Abaye he said: Your business will profit and you will be unable to eat due to the joy in your heart. /b, bThey said to him:The verse, b“You shall beget sons and daughters, but they shall not be yours; for they shall go into captivity”(Deuteronomy 28:41), bwas read to usin our dream. He interpreted their dreams, and bto Rava he said itsliteral, badversesense. bTo Abaye he said: Your sons and daughters will be numerous, and your daughters will be married to outsiders and it will seem to you as if they were taken in captivity. /b,They said to him: bThe verse: “Your sons and your daughters shall be given unto another people”(Deuteronomy 28:32), bwas read to usin our dream. bTo Abaye he said: Your sons and daughters will be numerous. You say,that they should marry byour relatives andyour wife bsaysthat they should marry bher relatives and she will imposeher will bupon you and they will be givenin marriage bto her relatives, which is like another nationas far as you are concerned. bTo Rava he said: Your wife will die and your sons and daughters will come into the hands of another woman. As Rava saidthat bRabbi Yirmeya bar Abba saidthat bRav said: What isthe meaning of bthat which is writtenin the verse: b“Your sons and your daughters shall be given unto another people”? Thisrefers to bthe father’s wife,the stepmother.,They said to him: The verse: b“Go your way, eat your bread with joy,and drink your wine with a merry heart” (Ecclesiastes 9:7) bwas read to us in our dream. To Abaye he said: Your business will profit and you will eat and drink and read the verse out of the joy of your heart. To Rava he said: Your business will be lost, you will slaughter but not eat, you will drinkwine and breadpassages from the Bible in order bto allay your fears. /b,They said to him: The verse: b“You shall carry much seed out into the field,and shall gather little in; for the locust shall consume it” (Deuteronomy 28:38), bwas read to usin our dream. bTo Abaye he said from the beginningof the verse, that he will enjoy an abundant harvest. bTo Rava he said from the endof the verse, that his harvest will be destroyed.,They said to him: The verse: b“You shall have olive-trees throughout all your borders,but you shall not anoint yourself with the oil; for your olives shall drop off” (Deuteronomy 28:40), bwas read to usin our dream. And again, bto Abaye he said from the beginningof the verse. bTo Rava he said from the endof the verse.,They said to him: The verse: b“All the peoples of the earth shall seethat the name of the Lord is called upon you; and they shall be afraid of you” (Deuteronomy 28:10), bwas read to usin our dream. bTo Abaye he said: Your name will become well-known as head of the yeshiva, and you will be feared by all. To Rava he said: The king’s treasury was brokeninto band you will be apprehended as a thief, and everyone will draw an ia fortioriinference from you:If Rava who is wealthy and of distinguished lineage can be arrested on charges of theft, what will become of the rest of us? Indeed, bthe next day, the king’s treasury was burglarized, and they came and apprehended Rava. /b,Abaye and Rava bsaid to him: We saw lettuce on the mouth of the barrels. To Abaye he said: Your business will double like lettucewhose leaves are wide and wrinkled. bTo Rava he said: Your work will be bitter likea blettucestalk., bThey said to him: We saw meat on the mouth of barrels. To Abaye he said: Your wine will be sweet and everyone will come to buy meat and wine from you. To Rava he said: Your wine will spoil, and everyone will go to buy meat in order to eat with it,to dip the meat in your vinegar., bThey said to him: We saw a barrel hanging from a palm tree. To Abaye he said: Your business will rise like a palm tree. To Rava he said: Your work will be sweet like dateswhich are very cheap in Babylonia, indicating that you will be compelled to sell your merchandise at a cheap price., bThey said to him: We saw a pomegranate taking root on the mouth of barrels. To Abaye he said: Your business will increase in value like a pomegranate. To Rava he said: Your work will go sour like a pomegranate. /b, bThey said to him: We saw a barrel fall into a pit. To Abaye he said: Your merchandise will be in demand asthe adage bsays: Bread falls in a pit and is not found.In other words, everyone will seek your wares and they will not find them due to increased demand. bTo Rava he said: Your merchandise will be ruined and you will throw itaway binto a pit. /b, bThey said to him: We saw a donkey-foal standing near our heads, braying. To Abaye he said: You will be a king,that is to say, bhead of the yeshiva, and an interpreter will stand near youto repeat your teachings to the masses out loud. bTo Rava he said:I see the words ipeter ḥamor /i, first-born donkey, erased from your phylacteries.Rava bsaid to him: I myself saw it and it is there.Bar Haddaya bsaid to him:The letter ivavofthe word ipeter ḥamoris certainly erased from your phylacteries. /b, bUltimately, Rava went tobar Haddaya balone.Rava bsaid to him: I saw the outer door of my house fall.Bar Haddaya bsaid to him: Your wife will die,as she is the one who protects the house. Rava bsaid to him: I saw my front and back teeth fall out. He said to him: Your sons and daughters will die.Rava bsaid to him: I saw two doves that were flying. He said to him: You will divorce two women.Rava bsaid to him: I saw two turnip-heads [ igargelidei /i]. He said to him: You will receive two blows with a clubshaped like a turnip. bThat same day Rava went and sat in the study hall the entire day. He discovered these two blind people who were fighting with each other. Rava went to separate them and they struck Rava twoblows. When bthey raisedtheir staffs bto strike him an additional blow, he said:That is benough for me, Ionly bsaw two. /b, bUltimately, Rava came and gave him,bar Haddaya, ba fee. Andthen Rava, bsaid to him: I saw my wall fall.Bar Haddaya bsaid to him: You will acquire property without limits.Rava bsaid to him: I saw Abaye’s house [ iappadna /i] fall and its dust covered me.Bar Haddaya bsaid to him: Abaye will die and his yeshiva will come to you.Rava bsaid to him: I saw my house fall, and everyone came and took the bricks. He said to him: Your teachings will be disseminated throughout the world.Rava bsaid to him: I saw that my head split and my brain fell out. He said to him: A feather will fall out of the pillownear your head. Rava bsaid to him: The Egyptian ihallel /i,the ihallelthat celebrates the Exodus, bwas read to me in a dream. He said to him: Miracles will be performed for you. /b,Bar Haddaya bwas going withRava bon a ship;bar Haddaya bsaid: Why am Igoing bwith a person for whom miracles will be performed,lest the miracle will be that the ship will sink and he alone will be saved. bAsbar Haddaya bwas climbingonto the ship ba book fell from him. Rava foundit band saw: All dreams follow the mouth, written therein. He saidto bar Haddaya: bScoundrel. It wasdependent bon you, and you caused me so much suffering. I forgive you for everything except for the daughterof bRav Ḥisda,Rava’s wife, whom bar Haddaya predicted would die. bMay it beYour bwill that this man be delivered into the hands of a kingdom that has no compassion on him. /b,Bar Haddaya bsaidto himself: bWhat will I do? We learnedthrough tradition bthat the curse of a Sage,even if bbaseless, comestrue? bAnd all the more soin the case of bRava, as he cursedme bjustifiably. He saidto himself: bI will get up and go into exile,as bthe Master said: Exile atones for transgression. /b, bHe arose and exiled himself to the seat of the Romangovernment. bHe went and sat by the entrance,where bthe keeper of the king’s wardrobestood. bThe wardrobe guard dreamed a dream.He bsaid tobar Haddaya: bI saw in the dream that a needle pierced my finger.Bar Haddaya bsaid to him: Give me a izuz /i. He did not give himthe coin bsobar Haddaya bsaid nothing to him.Again, the guard bsaid to him: I saw a worm that fellbetween bmy two fingers,eating them. Bar Haddaya bsaid to him: Give me a izuz /i. He did not give himthe coin, bsobar Haddaya bsaid nothing to him.Again, the guard bsaid to him: I saw that a worm fellupon bmy entire hand,eating it. Bar Haddaya bsaid to him: A worm fellupon and ate ball the silkgarments. bThey heardof this bin the king’s palace and they brought the wardrobe keeper and werein the process of bexecuting him. He said to them: Why me? Bring the one who knew and did not saythe information that he knew. bThey broughtbar Haddaya band said to him: Because of your izuz /i, ruincame upon |
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14. Babylonian Talmud, Hagigah, None (3rd cent. CE - 6th cent. CE)
| 5a. ומחריא תנורא שקלתא ואנחתא אגבה דכרעה קדחא ואיתרע מזלה ואייתיתה,א"ל רב ביבי בר אביי אית לכו רשותא למיעבד הכי אמר ליה ולא כתיב ויש נספה בלא משפט א"ל והכתיב (קהלת א, ד) דור הולך ודור בא,אמר דרעינא להו אנא עד דמלו להו לדרא והדר משלימנא ליה לדומה א"ל סוף סוף שניה מאי עבדת אמר אי איכא צורבא מרבנן דמעביר במיליה מוסיפנא להו ליה והויא חלופיה,רבי יוחנן כי מטי להאי קרא בכי (איוב ב, ג) ותסיתני בו לבלעו חנם עבד שרבו מסיתין לו וניסת תקנה יש לו רבי יוחנן כי מטי להאי קרא בכי (איוב טו, טו) הן בקדושיו לא יאמין אי בקדושיו לא יאמין במאן יאמין,יומא חד הוה קא אזיל באורחא חזייה לההוא גברא דהוה מנקיט תאני שביק הנך דמטו ושקיל הנך דלא מטו א"ל לאו הני מעלן טפי א"ל הני לאורחא בעינן להו הני נטרן והני לא נטרן אמר היינו דכתיב הן בקדושיו לא יאמין,איני והא ההוא תלמידא דהוה בשיבבותיה דרבי אלכסנדרי ושכיב אדזוטר ואמר אי בעי האי מרבנן הוה חיי ואם איתא דלמא מהן בקדושיו לא יאמין הוה ההוא מבעט ברבותיו הוה,רבי יוחנן כי מטי להאי קרא בכי (מלאכי ג, ה) וקרבתי אליכם למשפט והייתי עד ממהר במכשפים ובמנאפים ובנשבעים לשקר ובעושקי שכר שכיר עבד שרבו מקרבו לדונו וממהר להעידו תקנה יש לו,אמר רבי יוחנן בן זכאי אוי לנו ששקל עלינו הכתוב קלות כחמורות,אמר ריש לקיש כל המטה דינו של גר כאילו מטה דינו של מעלה שנאמר (מלאכי ג, ה) ומטי גר ומטי כתיב א"ר חנינא בר פפא כל העושה דבר ומתחרט בו מוחלין לו מיד שנאמר (מלאכי ג, ה) ולא יראוני הא יראוני מוחלין להם מיד,רבי יוחנן כי מטי להאי קרא בכי (קהלת יב, יד) כי את כל מעשה האלהים יביא במשפט על כל נעלם עבד שרבו שוקל לו שגגות כזדונות תקנה יש לו,מאי על כל נעלם אמר רב זה ההורג כינה בפני חברו ונמאס בה ושמואל אמר זה הרק בפני חבירו ונמאס,מאי אם טוב ואם רע אמרי דבי ר' ינאי זה הנותן צדקה לעני בפרהסיא כי הא דרבי ינאי חזייה לההוא גברא דקא יהיב זוזא לעני בפרהסיא אמר ליה מוטב דלא יהבת ליה מהשתא דיהבת ליה וכספתיה,דבי ר' שילא אמרי זה הנותן צדקה לאשה בסתר דקא מייתי לה לידי חשדא רבא אמר זה המשגר לאשתו בשר שאינו מחותך בערבי שבתות,והא רבא משגר שאני בת רב חסדא דקים ליה בגווה דבקיאה,רבי יוחנן כי מטי להאי קרא בכי (דברים לא, כא) והיה כי תמצאן אותו רעות רבות וצרות עבד שרבו ממציא לו רעות וצרות תקנה יש לו,מאי רעות וצרות אמר רב רעות שנעשות צרות זו לזו כגון זיבורא ועקרבא,ושמואל אמר זה הממציא לו מעות לעני בשעת דוחקו אמר רבא היינו דאמרי אינשי זוזא לעללא לא שכיחא לתליתא שכיח,(דברים לא, יז) וחרה אפי בו ביום ההוא ועזבתים והסתרתי פני מהם אמר רב ברדלא בר טביומי אמר רב כל שאינו בהסתר פנים אינו מהם כל שאינו בוהיה לאכול | 5a. band sweeping the oven. She tookthe fire band set it on her foot; she was scalded and her luck suffered,which gave me the opportunity, band I brought her. /b, bRav Beivai bar Abaye said tothe Angel of Death: Do byou have the right to act in thismanner, to take someone before his time? The Angel of Death bsaid to him: Andis it bnot written: “But there are those swept away without justice”(Proverbs 13:23)? Rav Beivai bsaid to him: And isn’t it written: “One generation passes away, and another generation comes”(Ecclesiastes 1:4), which indicates that there is a predetermined amount of time for the life of every generation., bHe saidto him: bI shepherd them,not releasing them buntilthe years of bthe generation are completed, and then I pass them on tothe angel bDumawho oversees the souls of the dead. Rav Beivai bsaid to him: Ultimately, what do you dowith bhisextra byears,those taken away from this individual? The Angel of Death bsaidto him: bIf there is a Torah scholar who disregards hispersonal bmatters,i.e., who overlooks the insults of those who wrong him, bI add thoseyears bto him and he becomesthe deceased’s breplacementfor that time.,§ The Gemara returns to the previous topic. bWhen Rabbi Yoḥa reached this verse, he cried,as God said to the Satan about Job: b“Although you did incite Me against him, to destroy him without cause”(Job 2:3). Rabbi Yoḥa said: With regard to ba slave whose masteris one whom others binciteto act harshly against the slave bandthe master bis incitedto do so, bis there a remedy forthe slave? Additionally, bwhen Rabbi Yoḥa reached this verse, he cried: “Behold He puts no trust in His sacred ones”(Job 15:15), saying: bIf He does not place trust in His sacred ones, in whomdoes bHe place trust? /b,The Gemara relates: bOne dayRabbi Yoḥa bwas walking along the road,and bhe saw a certain man who was picking figsin an unusual manner: bHe left the ones that had reachedthe stage of ripeness band took those that had notyet breachedthat state. Rabbi Yoḥa bsaid to him: Aren’t theseripe ones bmuch better? He said to him: I need thesedates bfor the road; thesethat are not yet ripe bwill be preserved, and thesethat are already ripe bwill not be preserved.Rabbi Yoḥa bsaid: This isthe same bas is written: “Behold He puts no trust in His sacred ones”;there are righteous people whom God takes from this world before their time, as He knows that in the future they will stumble.,The Gemara asks: bIs that so? But there was a certain student in the neighborhood of Rabbi Alexandri, and he died whilehe was still byoung. AndRabbi Alexandri bsaid: If thisyoung bSage had wanted, he would have lived,i.e., his actions caused him to die young. bAnd if it is so,as Rabbi Yoḥa suggested, bperhapsthis student was bfromthose concerning whom it is written: b“Behold he puts no trust in his sacred ones,”and it was not his sins that caused his death. The Gemara answers: bThatstudent bwasone who acted birreverently toward his teachers,and Rabbi Alexandri knew of his improper behavior., bWhen Rabbi Yoḥa reached this verse, he cried: “And I will come near to you to judgment; and I will be a swift witness against the sorcerers, and against the adulterers, and against false witnesses, and against those who oppress the hireling in his wages,the widow, and the fatherless, and who turn aside the convert from his right, and do not fear Me, says the Lord” (Malachi 3:5). He said: With regard to ba slave whose master comes near to him to judge him and is swift to testifyagainst bhim,is bthere a remedy for him? /b,With regard to that same verse, bRabbi Yoḥa ben Zakkai said: Woe to us, as the verse weighs lenientmitzvot bfor us likemore bstringentmitzvot, as it lists both those who violate sins punishable by death, e.g., sorcerers and adulterers, with those who violate apparently less severe sins, e.g., those who withhold payment from a hired worker., bReish Lakish said: Anyone who distorts the judgment of a convert, it isconsidered bas if he distorted the judgment ofthe One babove, as it is stated: “And who turn aside [ iumattei /i] the convert”(Malachi 3:5). This term bis writtenas: iUmatti /i,turn Me aside, i.e., one who distorts the judgment of a convert it considered as though he distorts the judgment of God, as it were. bRabbi Ḥanina bar Pappa said: Anyone who does somethingsinful band regrets it, he is forgiven immediately, as it is stated: “And do not fear Me”(Malachi 3:5), which indicates that if btheydo bfear Meand are embarrassed to sin before God, bthey are forgiven immediately. /b,Additionally, bwhen Rabbi Yoḥa reached this verse, he cried: “For God shall bring every work into the judgment concerning every hidden thing”(Ecclesiastes 12:14). He said: With regard to ba slave whose master weighs his unwittingsins blike intentionalones, i.e., God punishes him even for an action that was hidden from him, bis there a remedy for him? /b,The Gemara asks: bWhatsin is the verse referring to when it states: b“Concerning every hidden thing”? Rav said: Thisis referring to bone who kills a louse in the presence of another andhis friend bis disgusted by it.God judges him for the unintentional discomfort he caused. bAndsimilarly, bShmuel said: Thisis referring to bone who spits in the presence of anotherand his friend bis disgustedby his action.,The Gemara asks: bWhatis the meaning of the end of that verse: b“Whether it be good, or whether it be evil”(Ecclesiastes 12:14)? This verse indicates that God judges man harshly even for the good deeds he performs. The Sages bfrom the school of Rabbi Yannai say: Thisverse is referring to bone who gives charity to a poor person in public.Although he performed a good deed, he embarrassed the pauper, bas in thiscase bof Rabbi Yannai,who bsaw a certain man who was giving a dinar to a poor person in public. He said to him:It would have been bbetter had you not givenit bto him thanwhat you did, as bnow you gaveit to bhim and embarrassed him. /b,The Sages from bthe school of Rabbi Sheila say: Thisverse is referring to bone who gives charity to a woman in private, as he subjects her to suspicion,for people might think that he is engaging her services as a prostitute. bRava said: Thisis referring to bone who sends his wife meat that is not sliced,i.e., that has not yet had the prohibited sciatic nerve removed, bon Shabbat eve.Since she is in a hurry she might not notice and will perhaps cook the prohibited meat.,The Gemara asks: bButyet bRavahimself would bsendthis type of meat to his wife on Shabbat eve. The Gemara answers: bThe daughter of Rav Ḥisda,Rava’s wife, bis different, as he was certain about her that she was an expertin this matter. Rava trusted that his wife would realize the sciatic nerve had not been removed even when she was in a hurry on Shabbat eve.,Additionally, bwhen Rabbi Yoḥa reached this verse, he cried: “Then it shall come to pass, when many evils and troubles are come upon them”(Deuteronomy 31:21). He said: With regard to ba slave whose master brings upon him evils and troubles, is there a remedy for him? /b,The Gemara asks: bWhatis the verse referring to when it states: b“Evils and troubles”? Rav said: Evils that become troubles for one another,i.e., the remedy for one problem has a deleterious effect on the other. bFor example,one who is stung by a bhornet and a scorpion.The sting of a hornet must be treated only with a cold ointment, while that of a scorpion must be treated with a hot ointment. As these medicaments are mutually exclusive, one cannot treat both stings at the same time., bAnd Shmuel said: Thisverse is referring to bone who provides money to a poor personas a loan bduring his exigentficial bcircumstances,but immediately after the borrower is released from the initial pressure by receiving the loan, the lender begins to demand repayment, subjecting the recipient to further pressure. bRava saidthat bthisexplains the folk saying bthat people say: A dinar for produce is not found; for hangingit can be bfound.A poor person cannot find money to buy basic necessities; however, when the lenders hang on and pressure him he must come up with the money somehow.,On the same topic the Gemara states: b“Then My anger shall be kindled against them in that day, and I will forsake them, and I will hide My face from them,and they shall be devoured” (Deuteronomy 31:17). bRav Bardela bar Tavyumei saidthat bRav said: Anyone who is not subject toHis bhiding of the face,i.e., whose prayers are invariably answered, bis not fromthe Jewish people, as the verse states about the Jewish people that God will hide His face from them as a result of their sins. Similarly, banyonewho bis not subject to: “And they shall be devoured,”i.e., gentiles do not steal his money |
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15. Babylonian Talmud, Moed Qatan, None (3rd cent. CE - 6th cent. CE)
| 26a. ואלו קרעין שאין מתאחין הקורע על אביו ועל אמו ועל רבו שלימדו תורה ועל נשיא ועל אב ב"ד ועל שמועות הרעות ועל ברכת השם ועל ספר תורה שנשרף ועל ערי יהודה ועל המקדש ועל ירושלים וקורע על מקדש ומוסיף על ירושלים,אביו ואמו ורבו שלימדו תורה מנלן דכתיב (מלכים ב ב, יב) ואלישע ראה והוא מצעק אבי אבי רכב ישראל ופרשיו אבי אבי זה אביו ואמו רכב ישראל ופרשיו זה רבו שלימדו תורה,מאי משמע כדמתרגם רב יוסף רבי רבי דטב להון לישראל בצלותיה מרתיכין ופרשין,ולא מתאחין מנלן דכתיב (מלכים ב ב, יב) ויחזק בבגדיו ויקרעם לשנים קרעים ממשמע שנאמר ויקרעם איני יודע שלשנים אלא מלמד שקרועים ועומדים לשנים לעולם,אמר ליה ריש לקיש לרבי יוחנן אליהו חי הוא אמר ליה כיון דכתיב (מלכים ב ב, יב) ולא ראהו עוד לגבי דידיה כמת דמי,נשיא ואב בית דין ושמועות הרעות מנלן דכתיב (שמואל ב א, יא) ויחזק דוד בבגדיו ויקרעם וגם כל האנשים אשר אתו ויספדו ויבכו ויצומו עד הערב על שאול ועל יהונתן בנו ועל עם ה' ועל בית ישראל כי נפלו בחרב,שאול זה נשיא יהונתן זה אב ב"ד על עם ה' ועל בית ישראל אלו שמועות הרעות,א"ל רב בר שבא לרב כהנא ואימא עד דהוו כולהו א"ל על על הפסיק הענין,ומי קרעינן אשמועות הרעות והא אמרו ליה לשמואל קטל שבור מלכא תריסר אלפי יהודאי במזיגת קסרי ולא קרע לא אמרו אלא ברוב צבור וכמעשה שהיה,ומי קטל שבור מלכא יהודאי והא א"ל שבור מלכא לשמואל תיתי לי דלא קטלי יהודי מעולם התם אינהו גרמי לנפשייהו דא"ר אמי לקל יתירי דמזיגת קסרי פקע שורא דלודקיא,על ברכת השם מנלן דכתיב (מלכים ב יח, לז) ויבא אליקים בן חלקיה אשר על הבית ושבנא הסופר ויואח בן אסף המזכיר אל חזקיהו קרועי בגדים,ת"ר אחד השומע ואחד השומע מפי השומע חייב לקרוע והעדים אינן חייבין לקרוע שכבר קרעו בשעה ששמעו,בשעה ששמעו מאי הוי הא קא שמעי השתא לא ס"ד דכתיב (מלכים ב יט, א) ויהי כשמוע המלך חזקיהו ויקרע את בגדיו המלך קרע והם לא קרעו,ולא מתאחין מנלן אתיא קריעה קריעה,ספר תורה שנשרף מנלן דכתיב (ירמיהו לו, כג) ויהי כקרא יהודי שלש דלתות וארבעה ויקרעה בתער הסופר והשלך אל האש אשר אל האח וגו' מאי שלש דלתות וארבעה,אמרו ליה ליהויקים כתב ירמיה ספר קינות אמר להו מה כתיב ביה (איכה א, א) איכה ישבה בדד אמר להו אנא מלכא א"ל (איכה א, ב) בכה תבכה בלילה אנא מלכא (איכה א, ג) גלתה יהודה מעוני אנא מלכא (איכה א, ד) דרכי ציון אבלות אנא מלכא,(איכה א, ה) היו צריה לראש אמר להו מאן אמרה (איכה א, ה) כי ה' הוגה על רוב פשעיה מיד קדר כל אזכרות שבה ושרפן באש והיינו דכתיב (ירמיהו לו, כד) ולא פחדו ולא קרעו את בגדיהם מכלל דבעו למיקרע,אמר ליה רב פפא לאביי אימר משום שמועות הרעות א"ל שמועות רעות בההיא שעתא מי הוו,א"ר חלבו אמר רב הונא הרואה ספר תורה שנקרע חייב לקרוע שתי קריעות אחד על הגויל ואחד על הכתב שנאמר (ירמיהו לו, כז) אחרי שרוף המלך את המגלה ואת הדברים,רבי אבא ורב הונא בר חייא הוו יתבי קמיה דרבי אבא בעא לאפנויי שקליה לטוטפתיה אחתיה אבי סדיא אתאי בת נעמיתא בעא למיבלעיה,אמר השתא איחייבין לי שתי קריעות א"ל מנא לך הא והא בדידי הוה עובדא ואתאי לקמיה דרב מתנה ולא הוה בידיה אתאי לקמיה דרב יהודה ואמר לי הכי אמר שמואל לא אמרו אלא בזרוע וכמעשה שהיה,ערי יהודה מנלן דכתיב (ירמיהו מא, ה) ויבאו אנשים משכם משילו ומשמרון שמונים איש מגולחי זקן וקרועי בגדים ומתגודדים ומנחה ולבונה בידם להביא בית ה' וגו',א"ר חלבו אמר עולא ביראה אמר ר' אלעזר הרואה ערי יהודה בחורבנן אומר (ישעיהו סד, ט) ערי קדשך היו מדבר וקורע ירושלים בחורבנה אומר (ישעיהו סד, ט) ציון מדבר היתה ירושלם שממה וקורע בית המקדש בחורבנו אומר (ישעיהו סד, י) בית קדשנו ותפארתנו אשר הללוך אבותינו היה לשריפת אש וכל מחמדינו היה לחרבה וקורע:,קורע על מקדש ומוסיף על ירושלים: ורמינהו אחד השומע ואחד הרואה כיון שהגיע לצופים קורע וקורע על מקדש בפני עצמו ועל ירושלים בפני עצמה,לא קשיא הא דפגע במקדש ברישא הא דפגע בירושלים ברישא,תנו רבנן וכולן רשאין לשוללן ולמוללן וללוקטן ולעשותן כמין סולמות אבל לא לאחותן,אמר רב חסדא | 26a. bAnd these are the rentsof mourning bthat may never beproperly bmended: One who rendshis garments bforthe death bhis father, or for his mother, or for his teacher who taught him Torah, or forthe iNasi /i, or forthe bpresident of the court; or uponhearing bevil tidings; orhearing God’s bname being blessed,which is a euphemism for hearing God’s name being cursed; bor when a Torah scroll has been burned; or uponseeing bthe cities of Judeathat were destroyed bor thedestroyed bTemple or Jerusalemin ruins. This is the way one conducts himself when approaching Jerusalem when it lies in ruin: bHefirst brendshis garments bfor the Temple andthen bextendsthe rent bfor Jerusalem. /b,The Gemara elaborates upon the ihalakhotmentioned in this ibaraita /i: bFrom where do wederive that one must rend his clothing for bhis father, his mother, and his teacher who taught him Torah? As it is writtenwith regard to the prophet Elijah, when he ascended to Heaven in a tempest: b“And Elisha saw it, and he cried, My father, my father, the chariots of Israel and their horsemen”(II Kings 2:12). The Gemara interprets this verse as follows: b“My father, my father”; thiscomes to teach that one must rend his garments for the death of bhis father or mother. “The chariots of Israel and their horsemen”; thiscomes to include also bone’s teacher who taught him Torah. /b,The Gemara asks: bFrom wheremay it bbe inferredthat this is referring to one’s teacher? The Gemara explains: bAsthe verse bwas translated by Rav Yosef: My teacher, my teacher, who was better forthe protection of the bJewish people with his prayers thanan army with bchariots and horsemen. /b, bAnd from where do wederive that these rents bare neverto be properly bmended? As it is written: “And he took hold of his own clothes, and rent them in two pieces”(II Kings 2:12). bFrom the fact thatit bis stated: “And he rent them,” do I not know thathe rent them bin twopieces? bRather,when the verse adds that they were torn into two pieces, bit teaches that they must remain torn in twopieces bforever.Accordingly, this rent must never be properly mended., bReish Lakish said to Rabbi Yoḥa:But isn’t bElijahstill balive?Why, then, did Elisha rend his garments for him? bHe said to him: Since it is written: “And he saw him no more”(II Kings 2:12), Elijah was bconsidered dead fromElisha’s perspective, and so Elisha rent his clothing for him.,§ bFrom where do wederive that one must rend his clothing for the death of the iNasiorthe bpresident of the court andupon hearing bevil tidings? As it is written,when David heard about the defeat of Israel and the death of Saul and his sons: b“Then David took hold of his clothes, and rent them; and likewise all the men that were with him: And they mourned, and wept, and fasted until evening, for Saul and for Jonathan his son, and for the people of the Lord, and for the house of Israel; because they were fallen by the sword”(II Samuel 1:11–12).,The Gemara explains how the aforementioned ihalakhotare derived from the verse: b“Saul”; this isa reference to the iNasi /i,as Saul was king of Israel. b“Jonathan”; this isa reference to the bpresident of the court. “For the people of the Lord, and for the house of the Israel”; these area reference to bevil tidings. /b, bRav bar Shaba said to Rav Kahana: Butperhaps you can bsaythat one need not rend his clothing buntil all thesecalamities occur together, and that rending clothing is performed only over a tragedy of this magnitude. bHe said to him:The repetition of the word “for”: b“ForSaul,” b“forJonathan,” and “for the people of the Lord” bdivides the matterand teaches that each individual misfortune is sufficient cause to rend one’s garments.,The Gemara asks: bBut do weactually brendour clothing upon hearing bevil tidings? But didn’t they say to Shmuel: King Shapur killed twelve thousand Jews in Mezigat Caesarea, andShmuel bdid not rendhis clothing?The Gemara answers: bThey saidthat one must rend his clothing upon hearing evil tidings bonlyin a case where the calamity involved bthe majority of the communityof Israel band resembles the incident that occurredwhen Saul was killed and the entire nation of Israel suffered defeat.,The Gemara tangentially asks: bDid King Shapurreally bkill Jews? But didn’t King Shapur say to Shmuel: I havea blessing bcoming to me, for I have never killed a Jew?The Gemara answers: King Shapur never instigated the killing of Jews; bthere,however, bthey brought it upon themselves, as Rabbi Ami saidin an exaggerated manner: bDue to the noise of theharp bstringsof bMezigat Caesarea, the walls of Laodicea were breached,for the residents of the city celebrated when they rebelled against King Shapur. Because they rebelled against him and threatened his rule, he was forced to kill them.,§ The Gemara continues its analysis of the ibaraita /i: bFrom where do wederive that one must rend his garments buponhearing God’s bname being blessed,i.e., cursed? bAs it is writtenwith regard to the blasphemous words said by Rab-shakeh: b“Then came Eliakim, son of Hilkiya, who was over the household, and Shebna the scribe, and Joah, son of Asaph, the recorder, to Hezekiah with their clothes rent”(II Kings 18:37)., bThe Sages taughta ibaraitawith regard to this issue: Both bone whoactually bhearsthe curse band one who hears from the mouth ofthe one bwho heardthe curse bare obligated to rendtheir garments. bBut the witnesseswho testify against the person who uttered the blasphemy bare not obligated to rendtheir clothing when they testify as to what they heard bbecause they already renttheir clothing bwhen they heardthe curse the first time.,The Gemara asks: bWhatdifference bdoesit make that they rent their garments bwhen they heardthe curse the first time? bDidn’t they hearit again bnow?The Gemara rejects this argument: bThis will not enter your mind, as it is written: “And it came to pass, when King Hezekiah heard it, that he rent his clothes”(II Kings 19:1). This indicates that bthe king renthis garments, bbutthose who reported the blasphemy to him bdid not rendtheirs, as they had already rent their garments the first time., bAnd from where do wederive that these rents bmay not beproperly bmended? This is derivedby way of a verbal analogy between the verb brendingused here with regard to Hezekiah and the verb brendingused in the case of Elijah and Elisha.,§ bFrom where do wederive that one must rend his garments when ba Torah scroll has been burned? As it is written: “And it came to pass, that when Jehudi had read three or four leaves, he would cut it with a penknife, and cast it into the fire that was in the brazier”(Jeremiah 36:23). With regard to the verse itself the Gemara asks: bWhatis meant by b“three or four leaves,”and why did he cut the book only at that point?,The Gemara explains: bThey said to Jehoiakim: Jeremiah has written a book of Lamentationsover the future downfall and destruction of Jerusalem. bHe said to them: What is written in it?They read him the first verse: b“How does the city sit solitary”(Lamentations 1:1). bHe said to them: I am king,and this does not apply to me. bThey read himthe second verse: b“She weeps sore in the night”(Lamentations 1:2). He said to them: bI am king,and this does not apply to me. They read him the third verse: b“Judah is gone into exile due to affliction”(Lamentations 1:3). He said to them: bI am king.They read to him: b“The ways of Zion do mourn”(Lamentations 1:4). He said to them: bI am king.These are the four leaves, or verses, that he read first.,They read him an additional verse: b“Her adversaries have become the chief”(Lamentations 1:5), i.e., the reigning king will be removed from power. Once he heard this, bhe said to them: Who saidthis? They said to him: This is the continuation of the verse: b“For the Lord has afflicted her for the multitude of her transgressions”(Lamentations 1:5). bImmediately, he cut out all the namesof God bfromthe book band burned them in fire. This is as it is written: “Yet they were not afraid, nor rent their garments,neither the king, nor any of his servants that heard all these words” (Jeremiah 36:24). bBy inference,this shows bthatthey bwere required to rendtheir clothing when they saw this., bRav Pappa said to Abaye:Perhaps you can bsaythat they should have rent their garments bdue to the evil tidingscontained in the scroll and not because of the destruction of the book? Abaye bsaid to him: Were they evil tidings at that time?This was a prophecy and not an account of current events., bRabbi Ḥelbo saidthat bRav Huna said: One who sees a Torah scroll that was torn is obligated to make two rents, one for the parchmentthat was damaged band one for the writing, as it is stated:“Then the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah, bafter the king had burned the scroll and the words”(Jeremiah 36:27). This implies that a separate rent must be made for each of them, both the parchment and the writing.,It was related that bRabbi Abba and Rav Huna bar Ḥiyya were sitting before Rabbi Abba.Rabbi Abba bneeded to relieve himself. He removed his phylacteriesfrom his head and bplaced them on the cushionon which he was sitting. bAn ostrich came and wanted to swallowthe phylacteries., bHe said: Now,had it succeeded to swallow it, bI would have been obligated to make two rents. He said to him: From where do youderive bthis? There was an incident in which Iwas involved band I came before Rav Mattanaasking what to do, bbut he did not havean answer readily available. bIthen bcame before Rav Yehuda, and he said to me: Shmuel said as follows: They saidthat one is obligated to rend his clothing bonlywhen a Torah scroll or some other sacred book is torn bby force, and it resembles the incident that occurredwith Jehoiakim.,§ bFrom where do wederive that one must rend his garments upon seeing bthe cities of Judeain ruin? bAs it is written: “There came certain men from Shechem, from Shiloh, and from Samaria, eighty people, their beards shaven, and their clothes rent, and having cut themselves, with offerings and incense in their hand, to bring to the house of the Lord”(Jeremiah 41:5). This indicates that they rent their garments upon seeing the destruction., bRabbi Ḥelbo saidthat bUlla Bira’a saidthat bRabbi Elazar said: One who sees the cities of Judea in their desolation says: “Your sacred cities are become a wilderness”(Isaiah 64:9), bandthen brendshis garments. One who sees bJerusalem in its desolation says: “Zion is a wilderness, Jerusalem a desolation”(Isaiah 64:9), bandthen brendshis garments. One who sees bthe Temple in its desolation says: “Our sacred and our beautiful house, where our fathers praised You, is burned with fire; and all our pleasant things are laid waste” ( /bIsaiah 64:10), bandthen brendshis garments.,It was taught in the ibaraita /i: bHefirst brendshis garments bfor the Temple andthen bextendsthe rent bfor Jerusalem. And they raise a contradictionfrom another ibaraitathat states: Both bone who hearsthat Jerusalem is in ruin band one who seesthe destruction, bonce he reachesMount bScopus [ iTzofim /i], rendshis garments. bAnd he rendshis garments bfor the Temple separately and for Jerusalem separately. /b,The Gemara answers: bThis is not difficult. This ibaraita /i, which states that instead of making a separate rent for Jerusalem one may extend the first rent that he had made for the Temple, is referring to the case where bone reached the Temple first,before seeing the rest of Jerusalem, and saw it in ruin. bThat ibaraita /i, which states that one must make separate rents for Jerusalem and for the Temple, is referring to the case where bone reached Jerusalem first,and only afterward the Temple.,§ bThe Sages taughtthe following ibaraita /i: bAnd all of theserents, bone may tack themtogether with loose stitches, band hem them, and gather them, and fix themwith imprecise bladder-likestitches. bBut one may not mend themwith precise stitches., bRav Ḥisda said: /b |
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16. Babylonian Talmud, Niddah, None (3rd cent. CE - 6th cent. CE)
| 34a. רגל הוה וטומאת עם הארץ ברגל כטהרה שוינהו רבנן דכתיב (שופטים כ, יא) ויאסף כל איש ישראל אל העיר כאיש אחד חברים הכתוב עשאן כולן חברים, big strongמתני׳ /strong /big דם עובדת כוכבים ודם טהרה של מצורעת ב"ש מטהרים ובית הלל אומרים כרוקה וכמימי רגליה,דם היולדת שלא טבלה ב"ש אומרים כרוקה וכמימי רגליה וב"ה אומרים מטמא לח ויבש,ומודים ביולדת בזוב שהיא מטמאה לח ויבש, big strongגמ׳ /strong /big ולית להו לב"ש (ויקרא טו, ב) דבר אל בני ישראל ואמרת אליהם איש איש כי יהיה זב בני ישראל מטמאין בזיבה ואין העובדי כוכבים מטמאין בזיבה אבל גזרו עליהן שיהו כזבין לכל דבריהם,אמרי לך ב"ש (ההוא בזכרים איתמר דאי בנקבות) היכי לעביד ליטמא לח ויבש עשיתו כשל תורה ליטמי לח ולא ליטמי יבש חלקת בשל תורה,אי הכי רוקה ומימי רגליה נמי כיון דעבדינן היכרא בדמה מידע ידיע דרוקה ומימי רגליה דרבנן,ולעביד היכרא ברוקה ומימי רגליה ולטמויי לדמה רוקה ומימי רגליה דשכיחי גזרו בהו רבנן דמה דלא שכיחא לא גזרו ביה רבנן,אמר רבא זובו טמא אפילו לב"ש קריו טהור אפילו לב"ה,זובו טמא אפילו לב"ש דהא איכא למעבד היכרא בקריו,קריו טהור אפי' לב"ה עבוד ביה רבנן היכרא כי היכי דלא לשרוף עליה תרומה וקדשים,ולעביד היכרא בזובו ולטמויי לקריו זובו דלא תלי במעשה גזרו ביה רבנן קריו דתלי במעשה לא גזרו ביה רבנן,לימא מסייע ליה עובדת כוכבים שפלטה שכבת זרע מישראל טמאה ובת ישראל שפלטה שכבת זרע מן העובד כוכבי' טהורה מאי לאו טהורה גמורה לא טהורה מדאורייתא טמאה מדרבנן,ת"ש נמצאת אומר שכבת זרע של ישראל טמאה בכל מקום | 34a. This incident occurred during ba pilgrimage Festival,either Passover, iSukkot /i, or iShavuot /i, band the Sages rendered the ritual impurity of an iam ha’aretzduring a pilgrimage Festival as purity. As it is written: “And all the men of Israel gathered to the city, like one man, united [ iḥaverim /i]”(Judges 20:11). Whenever all the Jewish people gather in a single place, such as on a pilgrimage Festival, bthe verse renders all of them iḥaverim /i,even one who is an iam ha’aretz /i. There was therefore no concern for impurity due to the saliva of an iam ha’aretz /i. Yet, the High Priest was concerned that this Sadducee was one who engages in intercourse with a menstruating woman., strongMISHNA: /strong With regard to the bblood ofa menstruating bgentile womanor a gentile izava /i, bandthe bblooddischarged bbya female Jewish bleperduring the days bof purityof a woman who gives birth, bBeit Shammai deemthem britually pure, and Beit Hillel say:The halakhic status of the blood of the gentile woman is blikethat of bher saliva and her urine,which impart impurity only while moist. Likewise, the blood discharged by a Jewish leper during the days of purity imparts impurity only when moist.,With regard to bthe blood of a woman who gave birthand reached the conclusion of her days of impurity, i.e., seven days after giving birth to a male or fourteen days after giving birth to a female, but bwho did notyet bimmersein a ritual bath, bBeit Shammai say:Although she has yet to immerse in a ritual bath, the blood does not retain the halakhic status of menstrual blood. Rather, the status of the blood is blikethat of bher saliva and her urine,and it imparts impurity only while moist. bAnd Beit Hillel say:Since she did not immerse in a ritual bath, her blood is considered like that of a menstruating woman, and it bimparts impuritywhether it is bmoist or dry. /b, bAndBeit Shammai bconcedeto Beit Hillel binthe case of ba woman who gives birth as a izava /i,where the woman must count seven clean days from the conclusion of her days of impurity, bthatany blood bshesees during those seven days bimparts impuritywhether it is bmoist or dry. /b, strongGEMARA: /strong The mishna teaches that according to Beit Shammai the blood of a gentile woman does not impart impurity. The Gemara objects: bAnd do Beit Shammai not acceptthat which is taught with regard to the verse: b“Speak to the children of Israel and say to them, when any man has an issue [ izav /i]out of his flesh, his issue is impure” (Leviticus 15:2), from which it is inferred: By Torah law, bthe children of Israel become impure through izivaand gentiles do not become impure through iziva /i, butthe Sages bdecreed concerning them that they shall be like izavinin all their mattersof ritual purity.,The Gemara responds: bBeit Shammaicould bsay to youthat bthis was statedonly bwith regard to males,not females. bAs, ifit was stated even bwith regard to females, how should one actwith regard to this impurity? bShouldtheir blood bimpart impuritywhether it is bmoist or dry?If so, byou have rendered it likeblood that imparts impurity bby Torahlaw, and people will mistakenly come to burn iterumathat comes into contact with it. Perhaps one will suggest that it bshould impart impurityonly while it is bmoist and it should not impart impuritywhen it is bdry.But if so, byouwill have bdifferentiatedbetween moist and dry blood even bwith regard toblood bthatis impure by bTorahlaw, i.e., one might mistakenly conclude that the blood of Jewish women imparts impurity only when it is moist, when in fact it imparts impurity whether it is moist or dry.,The Gemara objects: bIf so,then with regard to bthe saliva and urine ofa gentile izava /i, which impart impurity by rabbinic law only when moist, Beit Shammai should balsorule that they do not impart impurity at all, in order to distinguish their saliva and urine from that of a Jewish izava /i, which by Torah law impart impurity only when moist (see 54b). The Gemara responds: bSince we implement a conspicuous marker with regard to the blood ofa gentile woman, i.e., it is clear that her status is different from that of a Jewish woman in that her blood does not impart impurity whatsoever, everyone bwill know thatthe impurity of bher saliva and her urineis only bby rabbiniclaw, and there is no concern that people might come to mistakenly burn iterumathat comes into contact with the saliva and urine of a gentile izava /i.,The Gemara persists: bAnd let them implement a conspicuous marker with regard to the saliva and urine ofa gentile woman, that they should not impart impurity whatsoever, band let them deem her blood impureeven when dry. In this manner, everyone will know that the impurity of a gentile woman applies only by rabbinic law, and they will not come to treat that which is impure by Torah law in the same manner. The Gemara responds: With regard to bher saliva and her urine, which arerelatively bcommon, the Sages decreedthat btheyare impure, but with regard to bher blood, which is notas bcommon, the Sages did not decreethat bitis impure.,§ With regard to a gentile man, bRava says: The izivaofa gentile man is britually impure, even according tothe opinion of bBeit Shammai,who maintain that the izivaof a gentile woman does not impart impurity whatsoever. By contrast, bthe semen ofa gentile is bpure, even according tothe opinion of bBeit Hillel,who hold that the blood of menstruating gentiles and the blood of their izivaimparts impurity when it is moist.,Rava elaborates: bThe izivaofa gentile man is bimpure, even according tothe opinion of bBeit Shammai, as it ispossible bto implement a conspicuous marker with his semen,i.e., since his semen does not impart impurity whatsoever, everyone will know that the impurity imparted by the izivaof a gentile applies by rabbinic law, and they will not come to burn iterumathat comes in contact with the izivaof a gentile.,And bthe semen ofa gentile is britually pure, even according tothe opinion of bBeit Hillel.This is because bthe Sageshad to bimplement a conspicuous marker with regard to itto indicate that the izivaof a gentile imparts impurity only by rabbinic law bin order that they will notcome bto burn iterumaand consecrateditems bthatcome into contact with their iziva /i, as must be performed with iterumaand consecrated items that contract impurity by Torah law.,The Gemara objects: bAnd letthe Sages bimplement a conspicuous marker with regard to the izivaofa gentile man, that it should not impart impurity whatsoever, band let them deem his semen impure.The Gemara explains: With regard to bhis iziva /i, which is not dependent on an actionhe performs but is emitted on its own, bthe Sages decreedthat bitis impure; with regard to bhis semen, which is dependent on an actionhe performs, bthe Sages did not decreethat bitis impure.,The Gemara suggests: bLet us saythat the following mishna ( iMikvaot8:4) bsupportsRava’s opinion: In the case of ba gentile woman who discharged sementhat came bfrom a Jewwho engaged in intercourse with her, the semen is bimpure,as it came from a Jew. bAndin the case of ba Jewish woman who discharged sementhat came bfrom a gentile,the semen is bpure. What, is it notcorrect to say that the mishna means the semen of the gentile is bentirely pure,in accordance with the opinion of Rava? The Gemara refutes this suggestion: bNo,perhaps the mishna means that the semen of a gentile is bpure by Torah lawbut bimpure by rabbinic law,whereas according to Rava, the semen of a gentile is pure even by rabbinic law.,The Gemara cites another source that possibly supports Rava’s opinion: bComeand bheara ibaraita /i: bYou are foundto bsay the semen of a Jew is impure whereverit is found |
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17. Babylonian Talmud, Pesahim, None (3rd cent. CE - 6th cent. CE)
| 54a. ואיש תבונה ידלנה מים עמוקים עצה בלב איש זה עולא ואיש תבונה ידלנה זה רבה בר בר חנה ואינהו כמאן סברוה כי הא דאמר ר' בנימן בר יפת אמר רבי יוחנן מברכין על האור בין במוצאי שבת בין במוצאי יום הכפורים וכן עמא דבר,מיתיבי אין מברכין על האור אלא במוצאי שבת הואיל ותחילת ברייתו הוא וכיון שרואה מברך מיד רבי יהודה אומר סודרן על הכוס ואמר רבי יוחנן הלכה כרבי יהודה,לא קשיא כאן באור ששבת כאן באור היוצא מן העצים ומן האבנים,תני חדא אור היוצא מן העצים ומן האבנים מברכין עליו ותני חדא אין מברכין עליו לא קשיא כאן במוצאי שבת כאן במוצאי יום הכפורים,רבי מפזרן רבי חייא מכנסן אמר רבי יצחק בר אבדימי אע"פ שרבי מפזרן חוזר וסודרן על הכוס כדי להוציא בניו ובני ביתו,ואור במוצאי שבת איברי והא תניא עשרה דברים נבראו בערב שבת בין השמשות אלו הן באר והמן וקשת כתב ומכתב והלוחות וקברו של משה ומערה שעמד בו משה ואליהו פתיחת פי האתון ופתיחת פי הארץ לבלוע את הרשעים,רבי נחמיה אומר משום אביו אף האור והפרד ר' יאשיה אומר משום אביו אף האיל והשמיר רבי יהודה אומר אף הצבת הוא היה אומר צבתא בצבתא מתעבדא וצבתא קמייתא מאן עבד הא לאי בריה בידי שמים היא אמר ליה אפשר יעשנה בדפוס ויקבענה כיון הא לאי בריה בידי אדם היא,לא קשיא הא באור דידן הא באור דגיהנם אור דידן במוצאי שבת אור דגיהנם בערב שבת ואור דגיהנם בערב שבת איברי והא תניא *שבעה דברים נבראו קודם שנברא העולם ואלו הן תורה ותשובה וגן עדן וגיהנם וכסא הכבוד ובית המקדש ושמו של משיח,תורה דכתיב (משלי ח, כב) ה' קנני ראשית דרכו תשובה דכתיב (תהלים צ, ב) בטרם הרים יולדו וכתיב (תהלים צ, ג) תשב אנוש עד דכא ותאמר שובו בני אדם,גן עדן דכתיב (בראשית ב, ח) ויטע ה' אלהים גן בעדן מקדם גיהנם דכתיב (ישעיהו ל, לג) כי ערוך מאתמול תפתה,כסא הכבוד ובית המקדש דכתיב (ירמיהו יז, יב) כסא כבוד מרום מראשון מקום מקדשנו שמו של משיח דכתיב (תהלים עב, יז) יהי שמו לעולם לפני שמש ינון שמו,אמרי חללה הוא דנברא קודם שנברא העולם ואור דידיה בערב שבת,ואור דידיה בערב שבת איברי והתניא רבי יוסי אומר אור שברא הקב"ה בשני בשבת אין לו כבייה לעולם שנאמר (ישעיהו סו, כד) ויצאו וראו בפגרי האנשים הפושעים בי כי תולעתם לא תמות ואשם לא תכבה ואמר רבי בנאה בריה דרבי עולא מפני מה לא נאמר כי טוב בשני בשבת מפני שנברא בו אור של גיהנם ואמר רבי אלעזר אע"פ שלא נאמר בו כי טוב חזר וכללו בששי שנאמר (בראשית א, לא) וירא אלהים את כל אשר עשה והנה טוב מאד,אלא חללה קודם שנברא העולם ואור דידיה בשני בשבת ואור דידן במחשבה עלה ליבראות בערב שבת ולא נברא עד מוצאי שבת דתניא ר' יוסי אומר שני דברים עלו במחשבה ליבראות בערב שבת ולא נבראו עד מוצאי שבת ובמוצאי שבת נתן הקב"ה דיעה באדם הראשון מעין דוגמא של מעלה והביא שני אבנים וטחנן זו בזו ויצא מהן אור והביא שתי בהמות והרכיב זו בזו ויצא מהן פרד רבן שמעון בן גמליאל אומר פרד בימי ענה היה שנאמר (בראשית לו, כד) הוא ענה אשר מצא את הימים במדבר,דורשי חמורות היו אומרים ענה פסול היה לפיכך הביא פסול לעולם שנאמר (בראשית לו, כ) אלה בני שעיר החורי וכתיב אלה בני צבעון ואיה וענה אלא מלמד שבא צבעון על אמו והוליד ממנה ענה,ודילמא תרי ענה הוו אמר רבא אמינא מילתא דשבור מלכא לא אמרה ומנו שמואל איכא דאמרי אמר ר"פ אמינא מילתא דשבור מלכא לא אמרה ומנו רבא אמר קרא הוא ענה הוא ענה דמעיקרא,תנו רבנן עשרה דברים נבראו בערב שבת בין השמשות ואלו הן באר ומן וקשת הכתב והמכתב והלוחות קברו של משה ומערה שעמד בה משה ואליהו פתיחת פי האתון ופתיחת פי הארץ לבלוע את הרשעים ויש אומרים אף מקלו של אהרן שקדיה ופרחיה ויש אומרים אף המזיקין ויש אומרים אף | 54a. bbut a man of understanding will draw it out”(Proverbs 20:5). bCounsel in the heart of man is like deep water; that isa reference to bUlla,who had a thought but did not articulate it. bBut a man of understanding will draw it out; that isa reference to bRabba bar bar Ḥana,who understood the allusion even though it was not articulated. The Gemara asks: bAnd in accordance with whoseopinion bdoUlla and Rabba bar bar Ḥana bhold,leading them to reject Rabbi Abba’s statement of Rabbi Yoḥa’s opinion? The Gemara answers: They hold bin accordance with thatwhich bRabbi Binyamin bar Yefet saidthat bRabbi Yoḥa said: One recites the blessing over fire both at the conclusion of Shabbat and at the conclusion of Yom Kippur. And that ishow bthe people act. /b,The Gemara braises an objectionfrom that which was previously taught: bOne recites a blessing over fire only at the conclusion of Shabbatand not at the conclusion of Festivals or Yom Kippur, bsincethe conclusion of Shabbat bisthe time of bits original creation.And once bhe sees it, he recites the blessing immediately. Rabbi Yehuda says:One does not recite the blessing immediately; rather, he waits and barrangesand recites the blessings over fire and spices bover the cupof wine that accompanies the recitation of havdala. bAnd Rabbi Yoḥa said: The ihalakhais in accordance withthe opinion of bRabbi Yehuda.How does Rabbi Yoḥa explain the baraita?,The Gemara answers: This is bnot difficult. Here,where Rabbi Yoḥa said that one recites the blessing at the conclusion of Yom Kippur, it is referring to bfire that restedon Yom Kippur, i.e., fire for which no prohibition was involved in its kindling, either because it was kindled before Yom Kippur or because it was kindled in a permitted manner, e.g., for a dangerously ill person. bThere,where Rabbi Yoḥa said that the blessing is recited only at the conclusion of Shabbat, it is referring to fire bgenerated from wood and from stonesafter Shabbat, similar to the primordial fire, which was created at the conclusion of Shabbat.,It was btaughtin bone ibaraita /i: With regard to bfire generated from wood and stones, one recites a blessing over it; andit was btaughtin boneother ibaraita /i: bOne does not recite a blessing over it.This apparent contradiction is bnot difficult. Here,where the ibaraitastates that one recites a blessing, it is referring bto the conclusion of Shabbat. There,where the ibaraitastates that one does not recite a blessing, it is referring bto the conclusion of Yom Kippur. /b, bRabbiYehuda HaNasi would bdistributethe blessings over the fire and the spices, reciting each when the opportunity arose. bRabbi Ḥiyyawould bcollect them,reciting all the blessings at the same time in the framework of ihavdala /i. bRabbi Yitzḥak bar Avdimi said: Even though RabbiYehuda HaNasi bdistributes themand recites each blessing at his first opportunity, bhe repeatsthe blessings band arrangesand recites bthem over the cupof wine bin order to discharge the obligation of his children and the members of his household. /b,The Gemara stated that fire was originally created at the conclusion of Shabbat. The Gemara asks: bWas fire created at the conclusion of Shabbat? Wasn’tit btaughtin a ibaraita /i: bTenmiraculous bphenomena were createdin heaven bon Shabbat eve during twilight,and were revealed in the world only later? bThey were:Miriam’s bwell, and the mannathat fell in the desert, band the rainbow, writing [ iketav/b], bandthe bwriting instrument [ imikhtav /i], and the tabletsof the Ten Commandments, band the grave of Moses, and the cave in which Moses and Elijah stood, the opening of the mouth ofBalaam’s bdonkey, and the opening of the earth’s mouth to swallow the wickedin the incident involving Korah., bRabbi Neḥemya said in the name of his father: Even the fire and the mule,which is a product of crossbreeding, were created at that time. bRabbi Yoshiya said in the name of his father: Even the ramslaughtered by Abraham in place of Isaac, band the ishamir /iworm used to shape the stones for the altar, were created at that time. bRabbi Yehuda says: Even the tongswere created at this time. bHe would say: Tongscan be bfashionedonly bwithother btongs, but who fashioned the first tongs? Indeed,the first pair of tongs bwas fashioned at the hand of Heaven.An anonymous questioner bsaid to him: It is possible to fashiontongs bwith a mold and align itwithout the need for other tongs. bIndeed,the first tongs bwere a creation of man.In any event, fire was originally created before Shabbat, not at the conclusion of Shabbat.,The Gemara answers: This is bnot difficult. This ibaraitais referring bto our fire, and that ibaraitais referring bto the fireof bGehenna.The Gemara explains: bOur firewas created bat the conclusion of Shabbat,but bthe fire of Gehenna was created on Shabbat eve.The Gemara proceeds to ask: bWas the fire of Gehenna created on Shabbat eve? Wasn’tit btaughtin a ibaraita /i: bSeven phenomena were created before the world was created, and they are: Torah, and repentance, and the Garden of Eden, and Gehenna, and the Throne of Glory, and the Temple, and the name of Messiah. /b,The Gemara provides sources for the notion that each of these phenomena was created before the world was. bTorahwas created before the world was created, bas it is written: “The Lord made me as the beginning of His way,the first of His works of old” (Proverbs 8:22), which, based on the subsequent verses, is referring to the Torah. bRepentancewas created before the world was created, bas it is written: “Before the mountains were brought forth,or ever You had formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, You are God,” band it is writtenimmediately afterward: b“You return man to contrition; and You say: Repent, children of man”(Psalms 90:2–3)., bThe Garden of Edenwas created before the world was created, bas it is written: “And God planted the Garden of Eden in the east [ imikedem /i]”(Genesis 2:8). The term: In the east [ imikedem /i] is interpreted in the sense of: Before [ imikodem /i], i.e., before the world was created. bGehennawas created before the world was created, bas it is written: “For its hearth is ordained of old”(Isaiah 30:33). The hearth, i.e., Gehenna, was created before the world was created., bThe Throne of Glory and the Templewere created before the world was created, bas it is written: “Your Throne of Glory on high from the beginning, in the place of our Sanctuary”(Jeremiah 17:12). bThe name of Messiahwas created before the world was created, bas it is writtenin the chapter discussing the Messiah: b“May his name endure forever; his name existed before the sun”(Psalms 72:17). The name of Messiah already existed before the creation of the sun and the rest of the world. This ibaraitastates that Gehenna was created before the world was created and not during twilight before the first Shabbat., bThey sayin answer: The bvoidof Gehenna bwas created before the world, but its fire was created on Shabbat eve. /b,The Gemara asks: bAnd was its fire created on Shabbat eve? Wasn’tit btaughtin a ibaraitathat bRabbi Yosei says: The fire that the Holy One, Blessed be He, created on the second day of the week will never be extinguished, as it is stated: “And they shall go forth, and look upon the carcasses of the men who have rebelled against Me; for their worm shall not die, nor will their fire be extinguished;and they shall be an abhorrence to all flesh” (Isaiah 66:24)? bAnd Rabbi Bana’a, sonof bRabbi Ulla, said: Why doesn’t the verse state: That it was good,at the end of the bsecond day of the weekof Creation, as it does on the other days? It is bbecause onthat day bthe fire of Gehenna was created. And Rabbi Elazar saidthat beven though: That it was good, was not stated with regard tothe creations of the second day, bHe later included iton the bsixth day, as it is stated: “And God saw all that He had done and behold, it was very good”(Genesis 1:31)., bRather, the voidof Gehenna was created bbefore the world was created, and its firewas created only bon the second day of the week. Andthe thought barosein God’s bmind to create our fire on Shabbat eve;however, bit was notactually bcreated until the conclusion of Shabbat, as it was taughtin a ibaraitathat bRabbi Yosei says:The thoughts of btwo phenomena arose inGod’s bmind on Shabbat eve, but were notactually bcreated until the conclusion of Shabbat. At the conclusion of Shabbat, the Holy One, Blessed be He, granted Adam, the firstman, creative bknowledge similar to divineknowledge, band he brought two rocks and rubbed them against each other, andthe first bfire emerged from them. Adamalso bbrought two animals,a female horse and a male donkey, band mated them with each other, andthe resultant offspring that bemerged from themwas ba mule. Rabban Shimon ben Gamlieldisagrees and bsaysthat the first bmule was in the days of Anah, as it is stated:“And these are the children of Zibeon: Aiah and Anah; bthis is Anah who found the mules in the wilderness,as he fed the donkeys of Zibeon his father” (Genesis 36:24)., bThe interpretersof Torah bsymbolism [ iḥamurot /i] would say: Anah wasthe product of an incestuous relationship, and as a result he was spiritually bunfitto produce offspring. bTherefore,he bbroughtan example of bunfitness,i.e., an animal physically unfit to produce offspring, binto the world, as it is stated: “These are the sons of Seir the Horite,the inhabitants of the land: Lotan, and Shoval, and Zibeon, and Anah” (Genesis 36:20). bAnd it isalso bstated: “And these are the sons of Zibeon: Aiah and Anah”(Genesis 36:24). One verse describes both Anah and Zibeon as sons of Seir, meaning that they are brothers, while the other verse describes Anah as Zibeon’s son. bRather, this teaches that Zibeon cohabited with his mother,the wife of Seir, band fathered Anah from her.He is called Seir’s son although in fact he was the offspring of Seir’s son and Seir’s wife.,The Gemara asks: bAnd perhaps there were twopeople named bAnah,one the son of Zibeon and the other the son of Seir? bRava said: I will state a matterthat even bKing Shapur did not state. And who isthis King Shapur? This cannot be a reference to Shapur, king of Persia; rather, it must be an epithet for someone else. He is bShmuel,whose legal rulings were accepted by the public like the edicts of a king by his subjects. bSome saya different version, that it was bRav Pappawho bsaid: I will state a matterthat even bKing Shapur did not state. And who is hethat Rav Pappa is referring to by the epithet King Shapur? He is bRava. The verse said: “This is Anahwho found the mules,” indicating that bhe isthe same bAnahmentioned binitiallyin the earlier verse., bThe Sages taught: Ten phenomena were created on Shabbat eve during twilight, and they were:Miriam’s bwell, and manna, andthe brainbow, writing, and the writing instrument, and the tablets, the grave of Moses, and the cave in which Moses and Elijah stood, the opening of the mouth ofBalaam’s bdonkey, and the opening of the mouth of the earth to swallow the wickedin the time of Korah. bAnd some saythat beven Aaron’s staffwas created then with bits almonds and its blossoms. Some saythat beven the demonswere created at this time. bAnd some saythat beven /b |
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18. Babylonian Talmud, Sanhedrin, None (3rd cent. CE - 6th cent. CE)
| 98a. מלכים יראו וקמו שרים וישתחוו,אמר לו רבי אליעזר והלא כבר נאמר (ירמיהו ד, א) אם תשוב ישראל נאום ה' אלי תשוב אמר לו רבי יהושע והלא כבר נאמר (דניאל יב, ז) ואשמע את האיש לבוש הבדים אשר ממעל למימי היאור וירם ימינו ושמאלו אל השמים וישבע בחי העולם כי למועד מועדים וחצי וככלות נפץ יד עם קדש תכלינה כל אלה וגו' ושתק רבי אליעזר,ואמר רבי אבא אין לך קץ מגולה מזה שנאמר (יחזקאל לו, ח) ואתם הרי ישראל ענפכם תתנו ופריכם תשאו לעמי ישראל וגו' רבי (אליעזר) אומר אף מזה שנאמר (זכריה ח, י) כי לפני הימים (האלה) [ההם] שכר האדם לא נהיה ושכר הבהמה איננה וליוצא ולבא אין שלום מן הצר,מאי ליוצא ולבא אין שלום מן הצר רב אמר אף תלמידי חכמים שכתוב בהם שלום דכתיב (תהלים קיט, קסה) שלום רב לאהבי תורתך אין שלום מפני צר ושמואל אמר עד שיהיו כל השערים כולן שקולין,אמר רבי חנינא אין בן דוד בא עד שיתבקש דג לחולה ולא ימצא שנאמר (יחזקאל לב, יד) אז אשקיע מימיהם ונהרותם כשמן אוליך וכתב (בתריה) (יחזקאל כט, כא) ביום ההוא אצמיח קרן לבית ישראל,אמר רבי חמא בר חנינא אין בן דוד בא עד שתכלה מלכות הזלה מישראל שנאמר (ישעיהו יח, ה) וכרת הזלזלים במזמרות וכתיב בתריה בעת ההיא יובל שי לה' צבאות עם ממשך ומורט,אמר זעירי אמר רבי חנינא אין בן דוד בא עד שיכלו גסי הרוח מישראל שנאמר (צפניה ג, יא) כי אז אסיר מקרבך עליזי גאותך וכתיב (צפניה ג, יב) והשארתי בקרבך עם עני ודל וחסו בשם ה',אמר רבי שמלאי משום רבי אלעזר בר"ש אין בן דוד בא עד שיכלו כל שופטים ושוטרים מישראל שנאמר (ישעיהו א, כה) ואשיבה ידי עליך ואצרוף כבור סיגיך וגו' ואשיבה שופטיך,אמר עולא אין ירושלים נפדית אלא בצדקה שנאמר (ישעיהו א, כז) ציון במשפט תפדה ושביה בצדקה אמר רב פפא אי בטלי יהירי בטלי אמגושי אי בטלי דייני בטלי גזירפטי אי בטלי יהירי בטלי אמגושי דכתיב (ישעיהו א, כה) ואצרוף כבור סיגיך ואסירה כל בדיליך ואי בטלי דייני בטלי גזירפטי דכתיב (צפניה ג, טו) הסיר ה' משפטיך פנה אויבך,אמר ר' יוחנן אם ראית דור שמתמעט והולך חכה לו שנאמר (שמואל ב כב, כח) ואת עם עני תושיע וגו' אמר רבי יוחנן אם ראית דור שצרות רבות באות עליו כנהר חכה לו שנאמר (ישעיהו נט, יט) כי יבא כנהר צר (ו) רוח ה' נוססה בו וסמיך ליה ובא לציון גואל,ואמר רבי יוחנן אין בן דוד בא אלא בדור שכולו זכאי או כולו חייב בדור שכולו זכאי דכתיב (ישעיהו ס, כא) ועמך כולם צדיקים לעולם יירשו ארץ בדור שכולו חייב דכתיב (ישעיהו נט, טז) וירא כי אין איש וישתומם כי אין מפגיע וכתיב (ישעיהו מח, יא) למעני אעשה,אמר רבי אלכסנדרי רבי יהושע בן לוי רמי כתיב (ישעיהו ס, כב) בעתה וכתיב אחישנה זכו אחישנה לא זכו בעתה,אמר רבי אלכסנדרי רבי יהושע בן לוי רמי כתיב (דניאל ז, יג) וארו עם ענני שמיא כבר אינש אתה וכתיב (זכריה ט, ט) עני ורוכב על חמור זכו עם ענני שמיא לא זכו עני רוכב על חמור,אמר ליה שבור מלכא לשמואל אמריתו משיח על חמרא אתי אישדר ליה סוסיא ברקא דאית לי אמר ליה מי אית לך בר חיור גווני,ר' יהושע בן לוי אשכח לאליהו דהוי קיימי אפיתחא דמערתא דרבי שמעון בן יוחאי אמר ליה אתינא לעלמא דאתי אמר ליה אם ירצה אדון הזה אמר רבי יהושע בן לוי שנים ראיתי וקול ג' שמעתי,אמר ליה אימת אתי משיח אמר ליה זיל שייליה לדידיה והיכא יתיב אפיתחא דקרתא ומאי סימניה יתיב ביני עניי סובלי חלאים וכולן שרו ואסירי בחד זימנא איהו שרי חד ואסיר חד אמר דילמא מבעינא דלא איעכב,אזל לגביה אמר ליה שלום עליך רבי ומורי אמר ליה שלום עליך בר ליואי א"ל לאימת אתי מר א"ל היום אתא לגבי אליהו א"ל מאי אמר לך א"ל שלום עליך בר ליואי א"ל אבטחך לך ולאבוך לעלמא דאתי א"ל שקורי קא שקר בי דאמר לי היום אתינא ולא אתא א"ל הכי אמר לך (תהלים צה, ז) היום אם בקולו תשמעו,שאלו תלמידיו את רבי יוסי בן קיסמא אימתי בן דוד בא אמר מתיירא אני שמא תבקשו ממני אות אמרו לו אין אנו מבקשין ממך אות,א"ל לכשיפול השער הזה ויבנה ויפול ויבנה ויפול ואין מספיקין לבנותו עד שבן דוד בא אמרו לו רבינו תן לנו אות אמר להם ולא כך אמרתם לי שאין אתם מבקשין ממני אות,אמרו לו ואף על פי כן אמר להם אם כך יהפכו מי מערת פמייס לדם ונהפכו לדם,בשעת פטירתו אמר להן העמיקו לי ארוני | 98a. bKings shall see and arise, princes shall prostrate themselves,because of the Lord, Who is faithful, and the Holy One of Israel, Who has chosen you” (Isaiah 49:7), indicating that redemption will come independent of repentance?, bRabbi Eliezer said to him: But isn’t it already stated: “If you will return, Israel, says the Lord, return to Me”(Jeremiah 4:1), indicating that redemption is contingent upon repentance? bRabbi Yehoshua said to him: But isn’t it already stated: “And I heard the man clothed in linen, who was above the waters of the river, when he lifted up his right hand and his left hand to heaven and swore by the One Who lives forever that it shall be for a period, periods, and a half; when the crushing of the power of the holy people shall have been completed, all thesethings shall be finished” (Daniel 12:7), indicating that the time for redemption is set and unrelated to repentance? bAnd Rabbi Eliezer was silent,unable to refute the proof from that verse.,§ bAnd Rabbi Abba says: You have nomore bexplicitmanifestation of the bendof days bthan thisfollowing phenomenon, bas it is stated: “But you, mountains of Israel, you shall give your branches, and yield your fruit to My people of Israel,for they will soon be coming” (Ezekiel 36:8). When produce will grow in abundance in Eretz Yisrael, it is an indication that the Messiah will be coming soon. bRabbi Eliezer says:You have no greater manifestation of the end of days bthan thisfollowing phenomenon bas well, as it is stated: “For before these days there was no hire for man, nor any hire for beast; nor was there peace from the oppressor to him who exits and to him who enters”(Zechariah 8:10). When there are no wages for work and no rent paid for use of one’s animal, that is an indication that the coming of the Messiah is at hand.,The Gemara asks: bWhatis the meaning of the phrase: b“Nor was there peace from the oppressor to him who exits and to him who enters”? Rav says:It means that bevenfor bTorah scholars, with regard to whomthe promise of bpeace is written, as it is written: “Great peace have they who love Your Torah;and there is no obstacle for them” (Psalms 119:165), bthere will be no peace from the oppressor. And Shmuel says:It means that the Messiah will not come buntil all the prices are equal. /b, bRabbi Ḥanina says: The son of David will not come until a fish will be sought for an ill person and will not be found, as it is statedwith regard to the downfall of Egypt: b“Then I will make their waters clear and cause their rivers to run like oil”(Ezekiel 32:14), meaning that the current in the rivers will come to a virtual standstill. bAnd it is written thereafter: “On that day I will cause the glory of the house of Israel to flourish”(Ezekiel 29:21)., bRabbi Ḥama bar Ḥanina says: The son of David will not come until the contemptuous [ ihazalla /i] kingdomof Rome bwill cease from the Jewish people, as it is stated: “And He shall sever the sprigs [ ihazalzallim /i] with pruning hooks”(Isaiah 18:5). bAnd it is written thereafter: “At that time shall a present be brought to the Lord of hosts, by a people scattered and hairless”(Isaiah 18:7)., bZe’eiri saysthat bRabbi Ḥanina says: The son of David will not come until the arrogant will ceaseto exist bfromamong bthe Jewish people, as it is stated: “For then I will remove from your midst your proudly exulting ones”(Zephaniah 3:11), band it is writtenafterward: b“And I will leave in your midst a poor and lowly people, and they shall take refuge in the name of the Lord”(Zephaniah 3:12)., bRabbi Simlai says in the name of Rabbi Elazar, son of Rabbi Shimon: The son of David will not come until all the judges and officers will ceaseto exist bfromamong bthe Jewish people,and there will be no more autonomous government in Eretz Yisrael, bas it is stated: “And I will turn My hand against you and purge away your dross as with lyeand take away your base alloy. bAnd I will restore your judgesas at the first” (Isaiah 1:25–26)., bUlla says: Jerusalem is redeemed only by means of righteousness, as it is stated: “Zion shall be redeemed with justice and those who return to it with righteousness”(Isaiah 1:27). bRav Pappa says: If the arrogant will ceaseto exist, bthePersian bsorcerers will ceaseto exist as well. bIf thedeceitful bjudgeswill bceaseto exist, bthe royal officers [ igazirpatei /i]and taskmasters bwill ceaseto exist. Rav Pappa elaborates: bIf the arrogant will cease, thePersian bsorcerers will cease, as it is written: “And I will purge away your dross [ isigayikh /i] as with lye, and I will remove all your alloy [ ibedilayikh /i].”When the arrogant [ isigim /i] are purged, the sorcerers, who are separated [ imuvdalim /i] from the fear of God, will also cease. bAnd if thedeceitful bjudges ceaseto exist, bthe royal officersand taskmasters bwill ceaseto exist, bas it is written: “The Lord has removed your judgments; cast out your enemy”(Zephaniah 3:15)., bRabbi Yoḥa says: If you saw a generation whosewisdom and Torah study bis steadily diminishing, awaitthe coming of the Messiah, bas it is stated: “And the afflicted people You will redeem”(II Samuel 22:28). bRabbi Yoḥa says: If you saw a generationwhose btroubles inundate it like a river, awaitthe coming of the Messiah, bas it is stated: “When distress will come like a river that the breath of the Lord drives”(Isaiah 59:19). bAnd juxtaposed to itis the verse: b“And a redeemer will come to Zion”(Isaiah 59:20)., bAnd Rabbi Yoḥa says: The son of David will come only in a generation that is entirely innocent,in which case they will be deserving of redemption, borin a generation that is bentirely guilty,in which case there will be no alternative to redemption. He may come bin a generation that is entirely innocent, as it is written: “And your people also shall be all righteous; they shall inherit the land forever”(Isaiah 60:21). He may come bin a generation that is entirely guilty, as it is written: “And He saw that there was no man, and was astonished that there was no intercessor;therefore His arm brought salvation to Him, and His righteousness, it sustained Him” (Isaiah 59:16). bAnd it is written:“For My own sake, bfor My own sake will I do it;for how should it be profaned? And My glory I will not give it to another” (Isaiah 48:11).,§ bRabbi Alexandri says: Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi raises a contradictionin a verse addressing God’s commitment to redeem the Jewish people. In the verse: “I the Lord in its time I will hasten it” (Isaiah 60:22), bit is written: “In its time,”indicating that there is a designated time for the redemption, band it is written: “I will hasten it,”indicating that there is no set time for the redemption. Rabbi Alexandri explains: bIf they meritredemption through repentance and good deeds bI will hastenthe coming of the Messiah. bIf they do not meritredemption, the coming of the Messiah will be bin itsdesignated btime. /b, bRabbi Alexandri says: Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi raises a contradictionbetween two depictions of the coming of the Messiah. bIt is written: “There came with the clouds of heaven, one like unto a son of man… /band there was given him dominion and glory and a kingdom…his dominion is an everlasting dominion” (Daniel 7:13–14). bAnd it is written:“Behold, your king will come to you; he is just and victorious; blowly and riding upon a donkeyand upon a colt, the foal of a donkey” (Zechariah 9:9). Rabbi Alexandri explains: bIfthe Jewish people bmeritredemption, the Messiah will come in a miraculous manner bwith the clouds of heaven. If they do not meritredemption, the Messiah will come blowly and riding upon a donkey. /b, bKing Shapurof Persia bsaid to Shmuelmockingly: bYou saythat the bMessiahwill bcome on a donkey; I will send him the riding [ ibarka /i] horse that I have.Shmuel bsaid to him: Do you havea horse bwith one thousand colors [ ibar ḥivar gavanei /i]like the donkey of the Messiah? Certainly his donkey will be miraculous., bRabbi Yehoshua ben Levi found Elijahthe prophet, bwho was standing at the entrance of theburial bcave of Rabbi Shimon ben Yoḥai.Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi bsaid to him: Will Ibe privileged to bcome to the World-to-Come?Elijah bsaid to him: If this Master,the Holy One, Blessed be He, bwill wishit so. bRabbi Yehoshua ben Levi says: Two I saw,Elijah and me, band the voice of three I heard,as the Divine Presence was also there, and it was in reference to Him that Elijah said: If this Master will wish it so.,Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi bsaid toElijah: bWhenwill the bMessiah come?Elijah bsaid to him: Go ask him.Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi asked: bAnd where is he sitting?Elijah said to him: bAt the entrance ofthe city of bRome.Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi asked him: bAnd what is hisidentifying bsignby means of which I can recognize him? Elijah answered: bHe sits among the poor who suffer from illnesses. And all of them untietheir bandages band tiethem all bat once,but the Messiah bunties onebandage band ties oneat a time. bHe says: Perhaps I will be neededto serve to bring about the redemption. Therefore, I will never tie more than one bandage, so bthat I will not be delayed. /b,Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi bwent tothe Messiah. bHe said tothe Messiah: bGreetings to you, my rabbi and my teacher.The Messiah bsaid to him: Greetings to you, bar Leva’i.Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi bsaid to him: When will the Master come?The Messiah bsaid to him: Today.Sometime later, Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi bcame to Elijah.Elijah bsaid to him: What didthe Messiah bsay to you? He said toElijah that the Messiah said: bGreetings [ ishalom /i] to you, bar Leva’i.Elijah bsaid to him:He thereby bguaranteedthat byou and your fatherwill enter bthe World-to-Come,as he greeted you with ishalom /i. Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi bsaid toElijah: The Messiah blied to me, as he said to me: I am coming today, and he did not come.Elijah bsaid to himthat bthisis what bhe said to you:He said that he will come b“today, if you will listen to his voice”(Psalms 95:7).,§ bRabbi Yosei ben Kisma’s students asked him: When will the son of David come?Rabbi Yosei ben Kisma bsaid: I am hesitantto answer you, blest you request from me a signto corroborate my statement. bThey said to him: We are not asking you for a sign. /b,Rabbi Yosei ben Kisma bsaid to them:You will see bwhen thisexisting bgateof Rome bfalls and will be rebuilt, and will falla second time band will be rebuilt, and will falla third time. bAnd they will not manage to rebuild it until the son of David comes.The students bsaid to him: Our rabbi, give us a sign.Rabbi Yosei ben Kisma bsaid to them: But didn’t you say to me that you are not asking me for a sign? /b, bThey said to him: And nevertheless,provide us with a sign. Rabbi Yosei ben Kisma bsaid to them: If it isas I say, bthe water of the Cave of Pamyas will be transformed into blood.The Gemara relates: bAndit bwas transformed into blood. /b, bAt the time of his death,Rabbi Yosei ben Kisma bsaid tohis students: bPlace my coffin deepin the ground |
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19. Babylonian Talmud, Shabbat, None (3rd cent. CE - 6th cent. CE)
| 83a. ורבי עקיבא למאי הלכתא איתקש לנדה למשא לוקשיה לנבלה אין הכי נמי אלא מה נדה אינה לאברין אף ע"ז אינה לאברין אלא הא דבעי רב חמא בר גוריא ע"ז ישנה לאברים או אינה לאברים תיפשוט ליה מהא בין לרבנן בין לרבי עקיבא דאינה לאברים רב חמא בר גוריא כרבה מתני ובעי לה אליבא דרבי עקיבא,מיתיבי ע"ז כשרץ ומשמשיה כשרץ רבי עקיבא אומר ע"ז כנדה ומשמשיה כשרץ בשלמא לרבי אלעזר ניחא אלא לרבה קשיא אמר לך רבה מי אלימא ממתני' דקתני עציו ואבניו ועפריו מטמאין כשרץ ואוקימנא מאי כשרץ דלא מטמא באבן מסמא ה"נ דלא מטמא באבן מסמא,מיתיבי נכרי ונכרית ע"ז ומשמשיה הן ולא היסטן רבי עקיבא אומר הן והיסטן בשלמא לרבי אלעזר ניחא אלא לרבה קשיא אמר לך רבה וליטעמיך נכרי ונכרית נמי הן ולא היסטן והתניא (ויקרא טו, ב) דבר אל בני ישראל וגו' בני ישראל מטמאין בזיבה ואין נכרים מטמאין בזיבה אבל גזרו עליהן שיהו כזבין לכל דבריהן,אלא רבה מתרץ לטעמיה נכרי ונכרית הן והיסטן ואבן מסמא שלהן ע"ז היא והיסטה אבל לא אבן מסמא שלה רבי עקיבא אומר ע"ז היא והיסטה ואבן מסמא שלה ורבי אלעזר מתרץ לטעמיה נכרי ונכרית הן והיסטן ואבן מסמא שלהן ע"ז היא ולא היסטה ורבי עקיבא אומר ע"ז היא והיסטה,מתקיף לה רב אשי מאי הן אלא אמר רב אשי הכי קאמר נכרי ונכרית בין הן שהסיטו את אחרים ובין אחרים שהסיטו אותן טמאים ע"ז שהסיטה אחרים טהורין אחרים שהסיטו אותה טמאים משמשיה בין הן שהסיטו את אחרים ובין אחרים שהסיטו אותן טהורים רבי עקיבא אומר נכרי ונכרית וע"ז בין הן שהסיטו את אחרים ובין אחרים שהסיטו אותן טמאים משמשיה בין הן שהסיטו אחרים ובין אחרים שהסיטו אותן טהורין,ע"ז בשלמא אחרים שהסיטו אותה משכחת לה אלא היא שהסיטה את אחרים היכי משכחת לה אמר רמי בריה דרב ייבא כדתנן הזב בכף מאזנים ואוכלין ומשקין בכף שנייה כרע הזב טמאין | 83a. bAndaccording to the opinion of bRabbi Akiva,with regard bto what ihalakhawasidolatry bjuxtaposed to a menstruating woman?If it was to teach the ihalakhaof impurity imparted by bcarrying, let it be juxtaposed to ananimal bcarcassand not to a menstruating woman and creeping animals. The Gemara answers: bYes, it is indeed so. However,the juxtaposition to a menstruating woman teaches: bJust as a menstruating woman does nottransmit impurity bthroughher blimbs,as a menstruating woman who leans on an object by a single limb does not transmit impurity imparted by carrying (Ra’avad), bso too, an idol does nottransmit impurity bthroughits blimbs,and a section of an idol does not transmit impurity. The Gemara asks: bBut that which Rav Ḥama bar Guria raised as a dilemma: Does idolatry havethe capacity to transmit impurity through blimbs or does it nothave the capacity to transmit impurity bthrough its limbs; resolvethe dilemma bfrom this, as according to both the Rabbis and Rabbi Akiva, it does nottransmit impurity bthrough limbs.According to this explanation, Rabbi Akiva agrees with the Rabbis. The Gemara rejects this: bRav Ḥama bar Guria taught in accordance withthe explanation of bRabba and raised the dilemma in accordance withthe opinion of bRabbi Akiva. /b,The Gemara now clarifies the explanations of Rabba and Rabbi Elazar in light of other sources. The Gemara braises an objectionfrom that which was taught in a ibaraita /i: The ritual impurity of bidolatryis blikethat of ba creeping animal, andthe ritual impurity of bits accessoriesis blikethat of ba creeping animal. Rabbi Akiva says:The ritual impurity of bidolatryis blikethat of ba menstruating woman, andthe ritual impurity of bits accessoriesis blikethat of ba creeping animal. Granted,according btothe opinion of bRabbi Elazar,it works out bwell. However,according btothe opinion of bRabba, it is difficult.The dispute between Rabbi Akiva and the Rabbis in this ibaraitais whether idolatry is likened to a creeping animal and does not transmit impurity imparted by carrying or whether it is likened to a menstruating woman and it does transmit impurity imparted by carrying. According to Rabba, the Rabbis agree that it does transmit impurity imparted by carrying. bRabbacould have bsaid to you: Isthe proof from this ibaraita bstronger thanthe bmishnain tractate iAvoda Zara /i, bwhich taught: Its wood and stones and dirt transmit impurity like a creeping animal?With regard to that mishna bwe established: Whatis the meaning of blike a creeping animal?It means that it is like a creeping animal in the sense bthat it does not transmit impurity by means of a very heavy stone. Here too,the analogy to a creeping animal in the ibaraitais in the sense that bit does not transmit impurity via a very heavy stone. /b,The Gemara braises an objectionfrom what we learned: bA gentile man and a gentile woman,with regard to whom the Rabbis issued a decree that they transmit impurity like a izav /i, bidolatry and its accessories,all transmit impurity. bTheytransmit impurity, band not their movement,i.e., they do not transmit impurity to one who moves them. bRabbi Akiva says:Both bthey and their movementtransmit impurity. bGranted,according btothe explanation of bRabbi Elazar,this works out bwell; however,according btothe explanation of bRabba, it is difficult. Rabbacould have bsaid to you: And according to your reasoning,with regard to ba gentile man and a gentile woman as well,do btheytransmit impurity band their movementdoes bnottransmit impurity? bWasn’t it taughtin a ibaraitawith regard to the verse: b“Speak to the children of Israeland say to them, when any man has an emission from his body, his emission is impure” (Leviticus 15:2), by Torah law, only bthe children of Israel become impure throughthe bemission of a izav /i, and gentiles do not become impure throughthe bemission of a izav /i? Butthe Sages bdecreed that they should beconsidered blike a izavfor all theirhalakhic bmatters.Since gentiles have the legal status of a izav /i, they should transmit impurity through carrying. Therefore, the ibaraitathat states that gentiles do not transmit impurity through carrying is corrupted and must be emended., bRather, Rabba explainsand adds to the ibaraita bin accordance with his reasoning: A gentile man and a gentile womantransmit impurity, bthey and their movement and their very heavy stone.And bidolatrytransmits impurity, bit and its movement but not its very heavy stone. Rabbi Akiva says: Idolatrytransmits impurity, bit and its movement and its very heavy stone. And Rabbi Elazar explainsand adds to the ibaraita bin accordance with his reasoningas follows: bA gentile man and a gentile womantransmit impurity, bthey and their movement and their very heavy stone. Idolatrytransmits impurity, bit and not its movement. And Rabbi Akiva says: Idolatrytransmits impurity, bit and its movement. /b, bRav Ashi strongly objects tothis explanation: According to this explanation, bwhatis the meaning of the word btheyin the context of this ibaraita /i? It would have been sufficient to say that their movement transmits impurity. The fact that the gentiles themselves are ritually impure is obvious. Apparently, the word they is emphasized in order to teach an additional ihalakha /i. bRather, Rav Ashi said, this is whatthe ibaraita bis saying:With regard to ba gentile man and a gentile woman, whether they moved others or others moved them,the others bare ritually impure.The impurity of a gentile is like that of a izav /i, which is unique in that anything that a izavmoves becomes impure even if he did not touch it directly. bIdolatry that moved others,the others remain britually pure;however, bothers who moved it are ritually impure.With regard to bits accessories, whether they moved others or others moved them,the others remain britually pure. Rabbi Akiva says: A gentile man and a gentile woman and idolatry, whether they moved others or others moved them,the others bare ritually impure. Its accessories, whether they moved others or others moved them,the others remain britually pure.According to this explanation, both the word they and the word movement, both of which appear in the ibaraita /i, are significant.,Rav Ashi’s explanation explains the ibaraita /i, but the Gemara questions the matter itself. With regard to bidolatry, granted,a case bwhere others moved itcan be easily bfound. However,a case where the idolatry bmoved others,under what circumstances bcan it be found?How can an idol move another object? bRami, son of Rav Yeiva, said,a case like that is possible, bas we learnedin a mishna: In a case where bthe izav /isat bonone bpan of abalance bscale, and food and drinkswere bonthe bsecond pan,if bthe izavtippedthe scales, the food and drinks on the other pan bare ritually impurebecause the izavmoved them. |
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20. Babylonian Talmud, Sukkah, None (3rd cent. CE - 6th cent. CE)
| 53a. אשה היתה בוררת חטים לאור של בית השואבה:,חסידים ואנשי מעשה כו': ת"ר יש מהן אומרים אשרי ילדותנו שלא ביישה את זקנותנו אלו חסידים ואנשי מעשה ויש מהן אומרים אשרי זקנותנו שכפרה את ילדותנו אלו בעלי תשובה אלו ואלו אומרים אשרי מי שלא חטא ומי שחטא ישוב וימחול לו,תניא אמרו עליו על הלל הזקן כשהיה שמח בשמחת בית השואבה אמר כן אם אני כאן הכל כאן ואם איני כאן מי כאן הוא היה אומר כן למקום שאני אוהב שם רגלי מוליכות אותי אם תבא אל ביתי אני אבא אל ביתך אם אתה לא תבא אל ביתי אני לא אבא אל ביתך שנאמר (שמות כ, כד) בכל המקום אשר אזכיר את שמי אבא אליך וברכתיך,אף הוא ראה גלגולת אחת שצפה על פני המים אמר לה על דאטפת אטפוך ומטיפיך יטופון אמר רבי יוחנן רגלוהי דבר איניש אינון ערבין ביה לאתר דמיתבעי תמן מובילין יתיה,הנהו תרתי כושאי דהוו קיימי קמי שלמה (מלכים א ד, ג) אליחרף ואחיה בני שישא סופרים דשלמה הוו יומא חד חזייה למלאך המות דהוה קא עציב א"ל אמאי עציבת א"ל דקא בעו מינאי הני תרתי כושאי דיתבי הכא מסרינהו לשעירים שדרינהו למחוזא דלוז כי מטו למחוזא דלוז שכיבו,למחר חזיא מלאך המות דהוה קבדח א"ל אמאי בדיחת א"ל באתר דבעו מינאי תמן שדרתינהו מיד פתח שלמה ואמר רגלוהי דבר איניש אינון ערבין ביה לאתר דמיתבעי תמן מובילין יתיה,תניא אמרו עליו על רבן שמעון בן גמליאל כשהיה שמח שמחת בית השואבה היה נוטל שמנה אבוקות של אור וזורק אחת ונוטל אחת ואין נוגעות זו בזו וכשהוא משתחוה נועץ שני גודליו בארץ ושוחה ונושק את הרצפה וזוקף ואין כל בריה יכולה לעשות כן וזו היא קידה,לוי אחוי קידה קמיה דרבי ואיטלע והא גרמא ליה והאמר רבי אלעזר לעולם אל יטיח אדם דברים כלפי מעלה שהרי אדם גדול הטיח דברים כלפי מעלה ואיטלע ומנו לוי הא והא גרמא ליה,לוי הוה מטייל קמיה דרבי בתמני סכיני שמואל קמיה שבור מלכא בתמניא מזגי חמרא אביי קמיה (דרבא) בתמניא ביעי ואמרי לה בארבעה ביעי,תניא אמר ר' יהושע בן חנניה כשהיינו שמחים שמחת בית השואבה לא ראינו שינה בעינינו כיצד שעה ראשונה תמיד של שחר משם לתפלה משם לקרבן מוסף משם לתפלת המוספין משם לבית המדרש משם לאכילה ושתיה משם לתפלת המנחה משם לתמיד של בין הערבים מכאן ואילך לשמחת בית השואבה,איני והאמר רבי יוחנן שבועה שלא אישן שלשה ימים מלקין אותו וישן לאלתר אלא הכי קאמר לא טעמנו טעם שינה דהוו מנמנמי אכתפא דהדדי:,חמש עשרה מעלות: אמר ליה רב חסדא לההוא מדרבנן דהוי קמסדר אגדתא קמיה א"ל שמיע לך הני חמש עשרה מעלות כנגד מי אמרם דוד א"ל הכי אמר רבי יוחנן בשעה שכרה דוד שיתין קפא תהומא ובעי למשטפא עלמא אמר דוד חמש עשרה מעלות והורידן אי הכי חמש עשרה מעלות יורדות מיבעי ליה,אמר ליה הואיל ואדכרתן (מלתא) הכי אתמר בשעה שכרה דוד שיתין קפא תהומא ובעא למשטפא עלמא אמר דוד מי איכא דידע אי שרי למכתב שם | 53a. It was so bright that ba woman wouldbe able to bsort wheat by the light of theCelebration of the bPlace of the Drawingof the Water.,§ The mishna continues: bThe pious and the men of actionwould dance before the people who attended the celebration. bThe Sages taughtin the iToseftathat bsome of them would sayin their song praising God: bHappy is our youth,as we did not sin then, bthat did not embarrass our old age. These are the pious and the men of action,who spent all their lives engaged in Torah and mitzvot. bAnd some would say: Happy is our old age, that atoned for our youthwhen we sinned. bThese are the penitents.Both bthese and those say: Happy is he who did not sin; and he who sinned should repent andGod bwill absolve him. /b, bIt is taughtin the iTosefta /i: bThey said about Hillel the Elder that when he was rejoicing at the Celebration of the Place of the Drawingof the Water bhe said this: If I am here, everyone is here; and if I am not here, who is here?In other words, one must consider himself as the one upon whom it is incumbent to fulfill obligations, and he must not rely on others to do so. bHe wouldalso bsay this: To the place that I love, there my feet take me,and therefore, I come to the Temple. And the Holy One, Blessed be He, says: bIf you come to My house, I will come to your house; if you do not come to My house, I will not come to your house, as it is stated: “In every place that I cause My name to be mentioned, I will come to you and bless you”(Exodus 20:21).,The Gemara cites another statement of Hillel the Elder. bAdditionally, he saw one skull that was floating on the waterand bhe said to it: Because you drownedothers, bthey drowned you, and those that drowned you will be drowned.That is the way of the world; everyone is punished measure for measure. Apropos following one’s feet, bRabbi Yoḥa said: The feet of a person are responsible for him; to the place where he is in demand, there they lead him. /b,The Gemara relates with regard to bthese two Cushites who would stand before Solomon: “Elihoreph and Ahijah, the sons of Shisha”(I Kings 4:3), and bthey were scribes of Solomon. One daySolomon bsaw that the Angel of Death was sad. He said to him: Why are you sad? He said to him: They are asking meto take the lives of bthese two Cushites who are sitting here.Solomon bhanded them to the demonsin his service, band sent them to the district of Luz,where the Angel of Death has no dominion. bWhen they arrived at the district of Luz, they died. /b, bThe following day,Solomon bsaw that the Angel of Death was happy. He said to him: Why are you happy? He replied: In the place that they asked meto take them, bthere you sent them.The Angel of Death was instructed to take their lives in the district of Luz. Since they resided in Solomon’s palace and never went to Luz, he was unable to complete his mission. That saddened him. Ultimately, Solomon dispatched them to Luz, enabling the angel to accomplish his mission. That pleased him. bImmediately, Solomon beganto speak band said: The feet of a person are responsible for him; to the place where he is in demand, there they lead him. /b,§ bIt is taughtin a ibaraita /i: bThey said about Rabban Shimon ben Gamliel that when he would rejoice at the Celebration of the Place of the Drawingof the Water, bhe would take eight flaming torches and toss one and catch another,juggling them, band,though all were in the air at the same time, bthey would not touch each other. And when he would prostrate himself, he would insert his two thumbs into the ground, and bow, and kiss the floorof the courtyard band straighten, andthere was bnot anyother bcreaturethat bcould do thatdue to the extreme difficulty involved. bAnd this was theform of bowing called ikidda /iperformed by the High Priest.,The Gemara relates: bLevi demonstrated a ikiddabefore RabbiYehuda HaNasi and strained his thigh band came up lame.The Gemara asks: bAnd is that what caused himto be lame? bBut didn’t Rabbi Elazar say: One should never speak impertinently towardGod babove; as a great persononce bspoke impertinently towardGod babove,and even though his prayers were answered, he was still punished band came up lame. And whowas this great person? It was bLevi.Apparently his condition was not caused by his bow. The Gemara answers: There is no contradiction. Both bthis and that caused himto come up lame; because he spoke impertinently toward God, he therefore was injured when exerting himself in demonstrating ikidda /i.,Apropos the rejoicing of Rabban Shimon ben Gamliel at the Celebration of the Place of the Drawing of the Water, the Gemara recounts: bLevi would walk before RabbiYehuda HaNasi juggling bwith eight knives. Shmuelwould juggle bbefore King Shapur with eight glasses of winewithout spilling. bAbayewould juggle bbefore Rabba with eight eggs. Some sayhe did so bwith four eggs.All these were cited., bIt is taughtin a ibaraitathat bRabbi Yehoshua ben Ḥaya said: When we would rejoicein bthe Celebration of the Place of the Drawingof the Water, bwe did not see sleep in our eyesthe entire Festival. bHow so?In the bfirst hourof the day, bthe daily morning offeringwas sacrificed and everyone came to watch. bFrom therethey proceeded btoengage in bprayerin the synagogue; bfrom there, towatch the sacrifice of bthe additional offerings; from there,to the synagogue btorecite bthe additional prayer. From therethey would proceed bto the study hallto study Torah; bfrom there to the eating and drinkingin the isukka /i; bfrom there to the afternoon prayer. From therethey would proceed bto the daily afternoon offeringin the Temple. bFrom thispoint bforward,they proceeded bto the Celebration of the Place of the Drawingof the Water.,The Gemara wonders: bIs that so? But didn’t Rabbi Yoḥa say:One who took ban oath that I will not sleep three days, one flogs himimmediately for taking an oath in vain, band hemay bsleep immediatelybecause it is impossible to stay awake for three days uninterrupted. bRather, this is whatRabbi Yehoshua bis saying: We did not experience the sense ofactual bsleep, because they wouldmerely bdoze on each other’s shoulders.In any case, they were not actually awake for the entire week.,§ The mishna continues: The musicians would stand on the bfifteen stairsthat descend from the Israelites’ courtyard to the Women’s Courtyard, corresponding to the fifteen Songs of the Ascents in Psalms. bRav Ḥisda said to one of the Sages who was organizing iaggadabefore him: Did you hearwith regard to bthese fifteenSongs of bAscentsin Psalms, bcorresponding to what did David say them? He said to himthat bthisis what bRabbi Yoḥa said: At the time that David dug the drainpipesin the foundation of the Temple, the waters of bthe depths rose and sought to inundate the world.Immediately, bDavid recited the fifteenSongs of the bAscents and caused them to subside.Rav Ḥisda asked: bIf so,should they be called bfifteenSongs of the bAscents? They should have beencalled Songs of the bDescents. /b,Rav Ḥisda continued and bsaid to him: Since you reminded meof this bmatter, this iswhat bwasoriginally bstated: At the time that David dug the drainpipes,the waters of bthe depths rose and sought to inundate the world. David said: Is there anyone who knows whether it is permitted to write thesacred bname /b |
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21. Babylonian Talmud, Taanit, None (3rd cent. CE - 6th cent. CE)
| 24b. בנזיקין הוה ואנן קא מתנינן בשיתא סדרין וכי הוה מטי רב יהודה בעוקצין האשה שכובשת ירק בקדירה ואמרי לה זיתים שכבשן בטרפיהן טהורין אמר הויי' דרב ושמואל קא חזינא הכא,ואנן קא מתנינן בעוקצין תליסר מתיבתא ואילו רב יהודה כי הוה שליף חד מסאנא אתי מיטרא ואנן קא צווחינן כולי יומא וליכא דאשגח בן אי משום עובדא אי איכא דחזא מידי לימא אבל מה יעשו גדולי הדור שאין דורן דומה יפה,רב יהודה חזא הנהו בי תרי דהוו קא פרצי בריפתא אמר שמע מינה איכא שבעא בעלמא יהיב עיניה הוה כפנא אמרו ליה רבנן לרב כהנא בריה דרב נחוניא שמעיה מר דשכיח קמיה ניעשייה דליפוק בפתחא דסמוך לשוקא עשייה ונפק לשוקא חזא כנופיא,אמר להו מאי האי אמרו ליה אכוספא דתמרי קיימי דקא מזדבן אמר שמע מינה כפנא בעלמא אמר ליה לשמעיה שלוף לי מסאניי שלף ליה חד מסאנא ואתא מיטרא כי מטא למישלף אחרינא אתא אליהו ואמר ליה אמר הקדוש ברוך הוא אי שלפת אחרינא מחריבנא לעלמא,אמר רב מרי ברה דבת שמואל אנא הוה קאימנא אגודא דנהר פפא חזאי למלאכי דאידמו למלחי דקא מייתי חלא ומלונהו לארבי והוה קמחא דסמידא אתו כולי עלמא למיזבן אמר להו מהא לא תיזבנון דמעשה נסים הוא למחר אתיין ארבי דחיטי דפרזינא,רבא איקלע להגרוניא גזר תעניתא ולא אתא מיטרא אמר להו ביתו כולי עלמא בתעניתייכו למחר אמר להו מי איכא דחזא חילמא לימא אמר להו ר' אלעזר מהגרוניא לדידי אקריון בחלמי שלם טב לרב טב מריבון טב דמטוביה מטיב לעמיה אמר שמע מינה עת רצון היא מבעי רחמי בעי רחמי ואתי מיטרא,ההוא גברא דאיחייב נגדא בבי דינא דרבא משום דבעל כותית נגדיה רבא ומית אשתמע מילתא בי שבור מלכא בעא לצעורי לרבא אמרה ליה איפרא הורמיז אימיה דשבור מלכא לברה לא ליהוי לך עסק דברים בהדי יהודאי דכל מאן דבעיין ממרייהו יהיב להו,אמר לה מאי היא בעין רחמי ואתי מיטרא אמר לה ההוא משום דזימנא דמיטרא הוא אלא לבעו רחמי האידנא בתקופת תמוז וליתי מיטרא שלחה ליה לרבא כוין דעתך ובעי רחמי דליתי מיטרא בעי רחמי ולא אתי מיטרא,אמר לפניו רבונו של עולם (תהלים מז, ב) אלהים באזנינו שמענו אבותינו ספרו לנו פועל פעלת בימיהם בימי קדם ואנו בעינינו לא ראינו אתא מיטרא עד דשפוך מרזבי דצפורי לדיגלת אתא אבוה איתחזי ליה בחלמיה ואמר ליה מי איכא דמיטרח קמי שמיא כולי האי אמר ליה שני דוכתיך שני דוכתיה למחר אשכחיה דמרשם פורייה בסכיני,רב פפא גזר תעניתא ולא אתא מיטרא חלש ליביה שרף פינכא דדייסא ובעי רחמי ולא אתא מיטרא אמר ליה רב נחמן בר אושפזתי אי שריף מר פינכא אחריתי דדייסא אתי מיטרא איכסיף וחלש דעתיה ואתא מיטרא,ר' חנינא בן דוסא הוה קא אזיל באורחא אתא מיטרא אמר לפניו רבונו של עולם כל העולם כולו בנחת וחנינא בצער פסק מיטרא כי מטא לביתיה אמר לפניו רבונו של עולם כל העולם כולו בצער וחנינא בנחת אתא מיטרא,אמר רב יוסף מאי אהניא ליה צלותא דכהן גדול לגבי רבי חנינא בן דוסא דתנן היה מתפלל תפלה קצרה בבית החיצון מאי מצלי רבין בר אדא ורבא בר אדא דאמרי תרוייהו משמיה דרב יהודה יהי רצון מלפניך ה' אלהינו שתהא השנה הזו גשומה ושחונה שחונה מעלייתא היא אדרבה גריעותא היא,אלא אם שחונה תהא גשומה וטלולה ואל יכנס לפניך תפלת עוברי דרכים רב אחא בריה דרבא מסיים משמיה דרב יהודה לא יעדי עביד שולטן מדבית יהודה ואל יהו עמך ישראל צריכין להתפרנס זה מזה ולא לעם אחר,אמר רב יהודה אמר רב בכל יום ויום בת קול יוצאת ואומרת כל העולם כולו ניזון בשביל חנינא בני וחנינא בני דיו בקב חרובים מע"ש לע"ש הוה רגילא דביתהו למיחמא תנורא כל מעלי דשבתא ושדייא אקטרתא | 24b. bwasconnected to the order bof iNezikin /i,while they were largely unfamiliar with the rest of the Mishna, band we learnall bsix ordersof the Mishna. bAnd when Rav Yehuda reachedtractate iUktzin /i,which discusses the extent to which various fruits and vegetables are considered an integral part of the produce in terms of becoming ritually impure, which is the basis for the ihalakhathat ba woman who pickles a vegetable in a pot,etc. ( iTeharot2:1), band some saythat when he reached the ihalakhathat bolives that are pickled with their leaves are ritually pure,etc., as they are no longer considered part of the fruit ( iUktzin2:1), bhe would say:Those are bthe disputes between Rav and Shmuel that we see here.He felt it was an extremely challenging passage, as difficult as the most complex arguments between Rav and Shmuel., bAnd we,in contrast, blearntractate iUktzinin thirteen iyeshivot /i, while,with regard to miracles, after declaring a fast to pray for a drought to end, bwhen Rav Yehuda would remove one of his shoesas a sign of distress, bthe rain wouldimmediately bcome,before he could remove his second shoe. bAndyet bwe cry out all day and no one notices us.Rabba continued: bIfthe difference between the generations is bdue toinappropriate bdeeds, if there isanyone bwho has seen me do anythingimproper, blet him sayso. I am not at fault, bbut what can the greatleaders bof the generation do when their generation is not worthy,and rain is withheld on account of the people’s transgressions?,The Gemara explains the reference to Rav Yehuda’s shoe. bRav Yehuda saw two people wasting bread,throwing it back and forth. bHe said: Ican blearn fromthe fact that people are acting like bthisthat bthere is plenty in the world. He cast his eyesangrily upon the world, band there was a famine. The Sages said to Rav Kahana, son of Rav Neḥunya, the attendant ofRav Yehuda: bThe Master, who is frequently presentbefore Rav Yehuda, should bpersuade him to leave by way of the door nearest the market,so that he will see the terrible effects of the famine. Rav Kahana bpersuadedRav Yehuda, band he went out to the market,where bhe saw a crowd. /b, bHe said to them: What is thisgathering? bThey said to him:We are standing bby a container [ ikuspa /i] of dates that is for sale. He said:If so many people are crowding around to purchase a single container of dates, bIcan blearn from thisthat there is ba famine in the world. He said to his attendant:I want to fast over this; bremove my shoesas a sign of distress. bHe removed one of his shoes and rain came. When he began to take off the othershoe, bElijah came and said to him: The Holy One, Blessed be He, said: If you removeyour bothershoe, bI will destroy theentire bworldso that you will not be further distressed., bRav Mari, son of Shmuel’s daughter, said:At that moment, bI was standing on the bank of the Pappa River. I saw angels who appeared as sailors bringing sand and filling shipswith it, band it became fine flour. Everyone came to buythis flour, but bI said to them: Do not purchase thisflour, bas it is the product of miracles. Tomorrow, boats filled with wheat will come from Parzina,and you may purchase that produce.,§ The Gemara relates another story. bRava happenedto come btothe city of bHagrunya. He decreed a fast, but rain did not come. He said tothe local residents: bEveryone, continue your fastand do not eat tonight. bThe next morning he said to them: Whoever had a dream last night, let him sayit. bRabbi Elazar of Hagronya said to them:The following bwas recited to me in my dream. Good greetings to a good master from a good Lord, Who in His goodness does good for His people.Rava bsaid: Ican blearn from thisthat bit is a favorable time to pray for mercy. He prayed for mercy and rain came. /b,The Gemara relates another story that deals with prayer for rain. There was ba certain man who was sentenced to be flogged by Rava’s court because he had relations with a gentile woman. Rava floggedthe man band he diedas a result. When this bmatter was heardin bthe house ofthe Persian bKing Shapur, he wanted to punish Ravafor imposing the death penalty, as he thought, without the king’s permission. bIfra Hormiz, mother of King Shapur, said to her son: Do not interfereand quarrel bwith the Jews, as whatever they request fromGod, btheir Master, He gives them. /b, bHe said to her: What is thisthat He grants them? She replied: bThey pray for mercy and rain comes. He said to her:This does not prove that God hears their prayers, bas thatoccurs merely bbecause it is the time for rain,and it just so happens that rain falls after they pray. bRather,if you want to prove that God answers the prayers of the Jews, blet them pray for mercy now, inthe summer bseason of Tammuz, and let rain come.Ifra Hormiz bsenta message bto Rava: Direct your attention and pray for mercy that rain may come. He prayed for mercy, but rain did not come. /b, bHe said beforeGod: bMaster of the Universe,it is written: b“O God, we have heard with our ears, our fathers have told us, what work You did in their days, in days of old”(Psalms 44:2), bbut we have not seen it with ourown beyes.As soon as he said this, brain came until the gutters of Meḥozaoverflowed and bpoured into the TigrisRiver. Rava’s bfather cameand bappeared to him in a dream and said to him: Is thereanyone bwho troubles Heaven so muchto ask for rain out of its season? In his dream, his father further bsaid to him: Change your placeof rest at night. bHe changed his place, and the next day he found that his bed had been slashed by knives. /b,The Gemara relates: bRav Pappa decreed a fast, but rain did not come. His heart became weakfrom hunger, so bhe swallowed [ iseraf /i] a bowl [ ipinka /i] of porridge, and prayed for mercy, but rainstill bdid not come. Rav Naḥman bar Ushpazti said to him: If the Master swallows another bowl of porridge, rain will come.He was mocking Rav Pappa for eating while everyone else was fasting. Rav Pappa was bembarrassed and grew upset, and rain came. /b,The Gemara tells another story about prayer for rain. bRabbi Ḥanina ben Dosa was traveling along a roadwhen bitbegan bto rain. He said beforeGod: bMaster of the Universe, the entire world is comfortable,because they needed rain, bbut Ḥanina is suffering,as he is getting wet. bThe rain ceased. When he arrived at his home, he said beforeGod: bMaster of the Universe, the entire world is sufferingthat the rain stopped, band Ḥanina is comfortable? The rainbegan to bcomeagain., bRav Yosef said,in reaction to this story: bWhat effect does the prayer of the High Priest have againstthat of bRabbi Ḥanina ben Dosa? As we learnedin a mishna: After leaving the Holy of Holies on Yom Kippur, the High Priest bwould recite a brief prayer in the outer chamber.The Gemara asks: bWhatwould bhe pray? Ravin bar Adda and Rava bar Adda both say in the name of Rav Yehudathat this was his prayer: bMay it be Your will, Lord our God, that this year shall be rainy and hot.The Gemara expresses surprise at this request: bIs heat a goodmatter? bOn the contrary, it is unfavorable.Why should he request that the year be hot?, bRather,say that he recited the following: bIfthe upcoming year is bhot, may italso bbe rainy and moistwith dew, lest the heat harm the crops. The High Priest would also pray: bAnd let not the prayer of travelers enter Your presence. Rav Aḥa, son of Rava, in the name of Rav Yehuda, concludedthe wording of this prayer: bMay the rule of power not depart from the house of Judea. And may Your nation Israel not depend upon each other for sustece, nor upon another nation.Instead, they should be sustained from the produce of their own land. Evidently, the High Priest’s prayer that God should not listen to the prayer of individual travelers was disregarded in the case of Rabbi Ḥanina ben Dosa.,§ The Gemara continues to discuss the righteous Rabbi Ḥanina ben Dosa and the wonders he performed. bRav Yehuda saidthat bRav said: Each and every day a Divine Voice emergesfrom Mount Horeb band says: The entire world is sustained bythe merit of bMy son Ḥaninaben Dosa, bandyet for bḤanina, My son, a ikavof carobs,a very small amount of inferior food, bis sufficientto sustain him for an entire week, bfromone bShabbat eve tothe next bShabbat eve.The Gemara relates: Rabbi Ḥanina ben Dosa’s bwife would heat the oven every Shabbat eve and createa great amount of bsmoke, /b |
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