Narratives of the Talmud - Volume 1

הועתק והוכנס לאינטרנטrww.hebrewbooks.oi

ע״י חיים תשס״טNarratives of the Talmud

A collection of aggadot in the Babylonian and Jerusalem Talmuds and the Tosefta

by

Moshe Basri

translated by Edward Levin

Volume I

Berakhot

JERUSALEM — 5754 (1994)

הוצאת

Narratives of the Talmud

כל הזכויות שמורות

יוצא לאור בסיוע המשרד לעניני דתות, אגף ארגונים ומוסדות תורה, המחלקה לישיבות.

tykyw tnsctcuce

sa\Rch yvrxi the publuÂCion6faLtoyh R 1 / / הכחב 1 ד פ/A7I of aysnuscRipcs yvxl pfgnced twsks J"" ^

Vcnr» ,60*10 *!.מ fax 972-2-894317

02-280^-735 : ל ט

ספר זה יצא לאור ע״י הנדיב היקר

תו יצ״ו רעי ר >וגגר«ז ו י א מר מ לעי״נ

W J K ר ש ק בן הרב א ח צ אביו הרב יי יוגגרייז זצ״ל ו ל ה

ולעי״נ האדמו״ר מללוב

י כ ד ר ה מ ש הרב מ

ע בידרמן זצ״ל ט ן נ ת ן נ ו ב שמע ר בן ה

יהי וצק שזכות התורה וזכות ספר קדוש זה תגן עליו

ועל בל* משפחתו היקרה ובכל1 אשר יפנה ישכיל1

ויצליח ברוחניות ובגשמיות

Preface

King Solomon in his wisdom wrote, " A wise son makes a glad father" (Proverbs 10:1) and "The fruit o f the righteous is a tree o f life, and he that is wise wins souls" (ibid., 11:30). These verses served to inspire the author to edit and publish this book, the fruit o f the tree o f life o f our holy Torah, to win souls and draw them near to the service o f our Creator.

Moshe Basri, who "meditates day and night" on the Torah, has translated and explained the sayings and deeds of the Tannaim and A m o r aim, the heavenly giants of the Mishnah and Talmud, making them accessible to the general public. I t is our hope that he w i l l continue this holy enterprise, and produce additional books in this series, and other books from our sacred wellsprings, all w i th the goal o f drawing Jews closer to love o f Torah and love o f God , enabling them to strengthen their observance of the commandments wi th j oy and wi th renewed faith and desire.

Special thanks to Edward Levin, who faithfully rendered the Hebrew text into English, to M r . Yehoshua Schwab, who painstakingky went over the entire manuscript, and to the staff o f Haktav Institute, who labored to produce the English edition, thereby fulfi l l ing the verse, "This is my God and I w i l l glorify H i m . "

M y we speedily see the realization o f the verse, " A n d I w i l l appoint a place for M y people Israel, and w i l l plant them, that they may dwell in their own place, and shall tremble no more. Evi l men shall not oppress them any more, as in the past" ( I I Samuel 7:10), wi th the arrival o f the righteous Messiah, speedily in our days, Amen.

Rabbi Ezra Basri Jerusalem Rabbinical Court Head

iv Introduction

Introduction

Tell me, you whom I love so well, where do you pasture your sheep, where do you rest them at noon?

If you do not know, O fairest of women, Go follow the tracks of the sheep, and raise your kids by the tents of

the shepherds. Song of Songs 1:7-8

Knesset Yisrael, the community o f the Jewish people, addresses the Ho ly One, blessed be He, wi th a question: "Te l l me, Y o u whom I love so well , where do Y o u pasture Your flock Israel among these wolves, the nations o f the world? Where do You rest them in the difficult hours of the Exile, as difficult for them as the noon hour for the sheep?"

Its beloved, the Ho ly One, blessed be He, responds: " I f you do not know, O fairest o f nations, where to pasture and not to lose yourself among the nations, where to pasture and be saved from those who bother you in the Exi le—go follow the tracks of the sheep, go and look at the steps taken by your forefathers, gaze upon the ways o f your early forefathers who keep M y charge, M y commandments, M y statutes, and M y laws. Go in their way unt i l I send the anointed King , the Messiah, who shall lead you and guide you to the tents o f the shepherds, to the Temple."

" G o follow the tracks of the sheep" is the imperative for all generations, unt i l the complete Redemption, to go forth and walk in the footsteps of our fathers, the shepherds and leaders of the nation, those mentioned in the Bible, the men of the Great Assembly, the Tannaim, the Amora im, and the other righteous and pious ones who formed and defined the nature and content o f the Israelite nation.

We, for our part, are obligated to learn from their attributes and practices, to learn the attributes of our holy God and King by observing their actions and deeds.

Introduction v

Each tale in the Jerusalem Talmud begins wi th the word dilma, "this is to say" — this is to say and to tell people, that they may learn ethical teachings.

A n d indeed, the tales in the Talmud serve as the "pi l lar o f c loud" and the "pi l lar o f f i re" to light the path of life for us. I pray to the Creator that the moral of each o f these tales w i l l enter our hearts and improve our conduct, and that I merit to continue this holy work for all the tractates o f the Talmud.

The Structure of the Book:

I t is a well-known principle that the teachings of the Torah are "poor in one place, and rich in another." There are many tales which are repeated in several tractates, or which also appear in the Jerusalem Talmud and in the midrashim. I n general, however, one version of the tale sheds new light on another and complements i t or differs wi th i t ; in any event, in most cases there are differences between two parallel versions.

Since the tales were collected and ordered according to the pagination of the Talmud (and in the Jerusalem Talmud according to the order of the haiakhot, since pagination differs from one edition o f the Jerusalem Talmud to another), in order to prevent duplication, and in order to present each tale in its entirety, as reflected in the totali ty of sources, each tale is brought where i t appears in its own right, and not where i t appears as secondary to the main topic — wi th the addition o f supplementary material from the other places i t appears (for the complete documentation o f sources, the serious student is referred to the notes appearing at the end of the Hebrew edition o f this book).

I f there are significant differences between two versions, this may indicate the existence of two different incidents; in such a case, both tales are included (such as Aggadatah 63 in

v i Introduction

the Babylonian Talmud section and Aggadatah 31 in the Jerusalem Talmud section).

Th ׳ s book does not include all the aggadic material in the Talmud, but only the narratives which tell o f actual events.

Halakhic discussions are included only when necessary for an understanding o f the tale; obviously, no conclusions regarding the law as practiced may be drawn from this material.

The tales generally follow the pagination o f the Gemara, but not always; when a number o f short tales relating to the same topic were collected under a single tit le, the page or halakhah number cited refers to the beginning o f this topic.

Narratives of a purely halakhic nature, as well as those which are based on esoteric teachings, were not included in this collection.

Special efforts were made to ensure the precision of the text o f each tale; explanatory material not appearing in the original text is set off by brackets or parentheses. Extensive use was made of the version o f Ein Yaakov for the Babylonian Talmud, and those of Rabbi Shlomo Sirillo and the Vilna Gaon for the Jerusalem Talmud; preference was given to the earlier and more generally accepted commentaries.

Similarly, efforts were taken to ensure the proper pronunciation of names, fol lowing the Sefardic tradit ion. The translation o f Biblical verses follows the traditional "reading" o f the verse, i f this differs from the manner in which i t is writ ten. Short explanations have been included in the body of the text; more detailed explanations and references are to be found in the Hebrew edition. Due to the great respect given Rabbi Yehudah ha-Nasi, the redactor of the Mishnah, he was called simply "Rabbi" ; this practice is followed in this book.

Introduction v i i

Fol lowing the dictum of Rabbi Eliezer, "Beware o f their (the Sages) glowing coals" (Chapters o f the Fathers 2:10), I view i t as my obligation to ask for forgiveness i f I have committed any mistakes in the wri t ing o f this book: R e a d e r comments w i l l be gratefully received.

*

I wish to take this opportunity to thank all those who aided me through all stages o f the wri t ing and publication o f Narratives of the Talmud, first and foremost to my distinguished father, Rabbi Ezra Basri, the guiding spirit behind the Haktav Institute, who encouraged me to write this book. Likewise, the wri t ing o f this book would not have been possible without the support of my devoted wife Mi r i am.

Moshe Basri

Contents v i i i

Contents

The Babylonian Talmud 1 Rabbi Yose^ Encounter wi th the Prophet

Elijah 1 2 King David , s Custom 3 3 "The Prisoner Does Not Release Himself

from the P r i s o n 5 י 54 A Reason for Weeping 6 5 The Taste o f Theft 7 6 Seeing the Damaging Demons 8 7 As T w o Powers 8 8 " I t Is Not Good for the Righteous to Also

Punish 9 9 Moses5 Requests and His Reward 10 10 Public Prayer 11 11 Arising Early for the Synagogue 12 12 A Prayer in the Study Ha l l 12 13 Twice the Text and Once the Translation 13 14 The Bed of an Aramean Woman 14 15 Prayer Like the Early Pious Ones 15 16 Rabbi Meir and the Ruffians 16 17 Hezekiah and Isaiah 17 18 A Stringency Not in Accordance wi th the

Law 21 19 Gog and Magog 23 20 Proper Methods of Conduct during the

Reading of the Shema 24 21 Condolences for Servants 28 22 The Prayers o f Scholars 29 23 Sayings o f the Sages 33 24 The Blessings o f the Sages 35 25 D o the Dead Know What Is Happening in

this World? 36 26 Spirits Speak 38

Contents ix

27 A n Invitat ion to the W o r l d to Come 40 28 The Pledge 41 29 The Honor of the Sages 43 30 For What Does One Meri t a Miracle? 46 31 The Gates of Purity 47 32 Torah Study in Purity 48 33 Maintaining A State o f Sanctity 51 34 The Times o f Prayer 55 35 A Disagreement for the Sake o f Heaven 59 36 Adherence to the Torah and Its Students 67 37 The Lesson o f Rav Yosef 68 38 The Prayer o f Rabbi Nechunya ben

Hakanah 69 39 The W i l l of Rabbi Eliezer the Great 70 40 The Death o f Rabbi Yochanan ben Zakkai 70 41 The Shemoneh Esreh Prayer 72 42 The Traveler^ Prayer 74 43 Complete Prayer 75 44 " A n d Rejoice wi th Trembl ing" 77 45 Taking One?s Leave while Discussing the

Law 79 46 Troubling the Congregation 80 47 The Prayer o f Channah 81 48 The Golden Calf and the Prayer o f Moses 85 49 Standing before the K ing 89 50 Rabbi Chanina ben Dosa and the Arvad 90 51 Proper Prayer 91 52 A Long Prayer and a Short Prayer 93 53 His Prayer is Fluent i n His M o u t h 93 54 Make Your Torah Study a Fixed Habi t 95 55 Blessings for Enjoyment 97 56 The Breaking of the Bread 100 57 The Order o f Priority i n the Seven Species 102 58 Go There for a Resting-Place 103 59 The Fruits o f the Land o f Israel 104

x Contents

60 A Proper Meal 106 61 Honor at the Entrance 116 62 Even a Chi ld Is K n o w n by His Doings 117 63 Extol Her, and She WilLExal t Y o u 117 64 Grace after Meals 119 65 The Communal Grace in a Mult i tude o f

People 121

66 The Disgrace of Food 123 67 Warnings from Angels 124 68 The Cup of Blessing 125 69 The Blessing " W h o Creates the Lights o f

the Fi re" 128 70 The Blessing in the Place of the Meal 129 71 The Thanksgiving of an Individual 131 72 Who Performed Miracles for Our Fathers 132 73 The Wisdom of Bezalel 136 74 The Messages in Dreams 137 75 Bar-Hadya, the Interpreter o f Dreams 140 76 The Interpretation o f Dreams 148 77 The Curse o f Babylon 152 78 Seeing the Righteous Person 153 79 The Miracle of Judgment 154 80 The Decree Against the Houses o f the

Righteous 156 81 Blessed Be the Wise One of Secrets 158 82 A n Earthquake 160 83 Fear for Nothing 161 84 The Miracle o f the Bathhouse 162 85 A l l for the Best 163 86 The Death o f Rabbi Ak iva 164 87 Modesty in the Toilet 167 88 Saul and David 173 89 The Intercalation o f Years outside the Land

of Israel 176 90 I n Honor of Hospitality 178

Contents xi

The Jerusalem Talmud 1 The Redemption as Ayelet Ha־Shacha r 181 2 Sleeping While Reading the Shema 183 3 I n a Dispute between an Individual and the

Many, the Law Follows the Many 183 4 Reading the Shema at Its Proper Time 186 5 The L o r d Raises Up Those Who Are Bowed

D o w n 188 6 Moving Gently the Lips o f Those Who Are

Asleep 189 7 The Love o f the Commandment of Tefil in 191 8 The Bir th of the Messiah 195 9 The Custodian Who Prayed 197 10 N o H a r m Befalls the Righteous 198 11 Mourn ing on the Sabbath 198 12 The Passing o f the Righteous 199 13 Take Care from Their Burning Coals 203 14 Excessive Piety 206 15 Mourn ing 209 16 Impur i ty for a Priest 210 17 A n d the Liv ing W i l l Take I t to Heart 216 18 The Immersion o f Ezra 218 19 Words o f Torah i n a Place That Is Unclean 221 20 Praying Out Loud 222 21 The Time for Prayer 223 22 Innovation in Prayer 226 23 A W i l l — for Every Dangerous Situation 227 24 Prayer and Taking One5s Leave wi th Words

o f Torah 227 25 " . . . A n d They Shall Be Afra id o f Y o u " 229 26 Be Infatuated wi th Love o f Her Always 231 27 "He W i l l Hear Their Cry, and He W i l l Save

T h e m " 232 28 Importuning and Refusal — in the Proper

Degree 233

x i i Contents

29 A n d You Shall Be Clear before the L o r d and before Israel 234

30 The Blessing over a Commandment and the Blessing over Something That Provides Benefit 235

31 Shimon ben Shetach and King Yannai 237 32 The Faultfinders Take to Task 240 33 D o Not Disagree wi th Someone in His

Place 241 34 Making Use o f the Priests 241 35 Fire and Kilayim 242 36 The Blessing of the Non-Jew 245 37 Who Can Express the Mighty Acts o f the

Lord? 246 38 The Argument between Rabbi Samlai and

the Heretics 247 39 Who Is as the Lord , Whenever We Call

upon Him? 251 40 Whoever Shall Call on the Name of the

Lord Shall Be Delivered 254 41 Earthquakes, Unclean Creatures, and

Crawling Things — for What Purpose? 258 42 Jonathan the Son of Gershom 260 43 The Greatness of Rabbi Shimon bar Yohai 262

The Tosefta 1 Compassion at the Time of Judgement 264 2 Why D o They Meri t At ta ining the Kingship? 264 3 A Meal on the Eve o f the Sabbath 268

Tractate Berakhot 3a 1

Narratives of the Talmud Tractate Berakhot

Chapter 1

3a 1. Rabbi Yose's Encounter with the Prophet

Elijah

Rabbi Yose said: "One time I was going along, and I entered one of the ruins of Jerusalem to pray.

"Whi le praying, the prophet Elijah, of blessed memory, came and waited for me at the entrance, unt i l I had finished.

"He then said to me, 'Peace be unto you, my master!'

" 'Peace be unto you, my master and teacher! I answered h im. 5

"Then he asked me, ' M y son, why did you enter this ruin? 5

" 'To pray, 5 I replied. " ' Y o u could have prayed on the way / ' I feared lest passersby would interrupt my prayer.' " 'You should have said a short version of the

Amidah prayer [on the way, instead o f entering the ruin] , ' the prophet instructed me.

" A t that time I learned three things from him: not to enter a ruin [for fear of a collapse and for fear o f the demons who dwell in such ruins], that it is permissible to pray while traveling, and that the person who prays while traveling recites only a short version o f the Amidah.

"El i jah then asked me, ' M y son, what voice did you hear in this ruin?'

2 Aggadatah 1

" I replied, '1 heard a heavenly voice cooing like a dove, saying: "Woe to the children, on account o f whose sins I have destroyed M y dwelling,

" 4 "and burned M y Temple, "and I exiled them among the nations P" ' ״" ' M y son, by your life and by your head!5 the

prophet exclaimed, ' I t does not say this only now. Every day three times it says this! Furthermore, every time that Israel enters the synagogues and study halls and responds, "Amen , may His great Name be blessed/ 5 the Ho ly One, blessed be He, shakes His head, as i t were, and says:

Happy is the K" ' ״ ing who is praised thusly in His house!

,Woe to the father who has exiled His sons" ' ״ and woe to the sons who have been exiled" ' ״

from the table of their Father!" י "

Tractate Berakhot 3b 3

3b 2. King DavicTs Custom

I t was the custom of King Dav id to arise every night at midnight to study the Torah.

But who was i t who awakened him? A harp was suspended above his bed, facing the

window. When midnight came, a north wind would blow and shake the harp, which would play by itself.

The king would wake up immediately, rising like a l ion to serve his Master, and proceed to study Torah unt i l the dawn.

When dawn broke, the sages would come to h im. They said to h im, "Our lord the king! Your people Israel is in need of l ivel ihood!"

He said to them, "Let them earn their livelihood from one another."

"But a locust does not satisfy the l i o n , " they said to h im, "and the well is not filled from its earthwork [that is, i f a well is dug and earth is put back in i t , i t w i l l not be as ful l as before]."

He said to them, "So then, stretch forth your hands like a band [of marauders]. Go forth to fight and live from the spoils."

They immediately took counsel wi th Achithophel how to fight, requested the Sanhedrin to pray for them, and asked the U r i m and T u m i m i f they would be successful. Then they went forth wi th Joab, the commander of the army, attacked the enemy, and brought home the spoils.

David then prayed to the Ho ly One, blessed be He, "Master o f the Universe! 'Guard my soul, for I am pious' [(Psalms 86:2); i.e., he required extra guarding,

4 Aggadatah 2

because the greater the person, the greater his Evi l Inclination]. A l l the kings of the East and the West sleep unt i l the th i rd hour [of the day], while I , ' A t midnight I w i l l rise to give thanks to Y o u ' (Psalms 119:62). A l l the kings of the East and the West sit gathered together wi th their honor, while my hands are immersed in blood [i.e., wi th questions concerning the laws o f niddah], unborn fetuses, and the placenta, in order to declare a woman spiritually clean for [relations wi th] her husband. Furthermore, in everything I consult wi th my teacher Mephibosheth. I ask h im, 'Have I judged well?5 'Have I done well in declaring guilty?' 'Have I done well by declaring innocent?' 'Have I done well by declaring clean?' 'Have I done well by declaring unclean?' — and I have not been ashamed to do so!"

Because David was wil l ing to shame himself, for at times he would err and his teacher would tell h im, he merited that his son Daniel, who was born to Abigai l and was called Kilav, would be a master o f the Law. There were instances in which Mephibosheth stated that the law was not as David had ruled, and Ki lav [a contraction of mekalim av, one who shames the master, i.e., Mephibosheth] would come and show that the law was in accordance wi th David's ruling.


5b 3. The Prisoner Does Not Release Himself

from the Prison

Rabbi Chiyya bar Abba fell i l l , and Rabbi Yochanan came to visit h im.

He asked h im, "Are sufferings dear to you [as divinely ordained trials]?"

He replied, "Neither them nor their reward." Rabbi Yochanan saw that Rabbi Chiyya did not

want to suffer, so he said to h im, "Give me your hand."

Rabbi Chiyya gave h im his hand, and Rabbi Yochanan raised h im from his bed, now healthy.

Another time Rabbi Yochanan himself fell i l l . Rabbi Chanina came to visit h im , and asked, " A r e sufferings dear to you?"

"Neither them nor their reward / 5 he replied So he said to h im, "Give me your hand." Rabbi Yochanan gave h im his hand, and Rabbi

Chanina raised h im from his bed, healthy. Why did Rabbi Yochanan not raise himself up on

his own merits, as he had done for Rabbi Chiyya? Because, as they say, "the prisoner does not release himself from the pr ison" — he needs the merit of others in order to overcome his illness.

6 Aggadatah 4

4. A Reason for Weeping

When Rabbi Eliezer fell i l l , Rabbi Yochanan came to visit h im. He saw that Rabbi Eliezer was sleeping in a dark house, so he immediately uncovered his arm, the room was filled wi th light, and Rabbi Yochanan saw that the sick man was weeping.

He asked h im, " W h y are you crying? Is i t because you did not study sufficient Torah? I f so, we have learned, ' I t is the same whether one [learns] much or li t t le, provided that he directs his heart to Heaven.'

"Is i t because of lack o f livelihood? I f so, not every person attains two tables [this wor ld and the W o r l d to Come].

"Is it because you lack sons? This is the bone of my tenth son!'' [Rabbi Yochanan had ten sons, and they all died strange deaths. The tenth died from falling into a boiling urn , which dissolved his flesh. He took a bone from his son's little finger and tied it in a piece of cloth. He would go about and console others by saying, "See, I had ten sons, and nothing has remained of them!"]

A t last, Rabbi Eliezer answered h im, " I weep for this beauty which wi l l be shriveled in the dust." [Rabbi Yochanan was the only scholar remaining after the destruction of the Temple who still had a special brilliance such as had existed during the time of the Temple. This reminded Rabbi Eliezer of the destruction o f Jerusalem]. Rabbi Yochanan said to h im, "Inded, you certainly should weep for this," and they both wept. As they were crying, Rabbi Yochanan asked h im, "Are sufferings dear to you?"

He replied, "Neither them nor their reward."


He said to h im, "Give me your hand." Rabbi Eliezer gave h im his hand, and Rabbi

Yochanan raised h im from his bed, healthy.

5. The Taste of Theft

Four hundred casks of wine belonging to Rav Huna went sour. The Sages came to h im and said, "Examine your deeds, Master."

" A m I suspect in your eyes?" he demanded of them. They replied, " A n d is the Ho ly One, blessed be He,

suspect of punishing without justice?" Then he said to them, " I f there is anyone who has

heard anything improper about me, let h im speak!י י "We have heard that you do not give any o f the

cuttings to your sharecropper/' they answered. To this he replied, " A n d does he leave me anything

[from the harvest itself]? — he steals everything!" "This is an example o f the saying, 'Steal from the

thief, and taste the taste,' " they said to h im, "for the one who steals from a thief also senses the taste o f theft."

A t this, he consented, " I agree to give h i m . " Some say that the vinegar turned back into wine,

while others say that the price o f vinegar rose, and i t was sold for the same price as wine.

8 Aggadatah 6/7

6a 6. Seeing the Damaging Demons

I f a person wants to see the damaging demons, he should take the placenta of a black she-cat born of a black she-cat, the firstborn o f a firstborn to its mother. He must burn it in fire, grind the ashes, place some of them on his eyes, and he w i l l see them.

He must put the ashes in an i ron container, and seal it wi th an i ron seal, so that the demons wi l l not steal from h im, for they have no control over something which is closed and sealed. He should also close his mouth so that he wi l l not be harmed.

Rabbi Bebai bar Abbaye did so. He saw them, and he was harmed. The Sages asked for mercy for h im, and he was cured.

6b 7. As Two Powers

A person was praying behind the synagogue. But instead o f turning his face in the direction o f the synagogue, he turned his face in the opposite direction, and i t seemed as i f he was denying the existence of the One to W h o m the congregation was praying.

The prophet Elijah passed by there in the guise of an Arab merchant, and asked h im, " D o you stand before your Creator as one who stands before two divine powers?'י

A t this, the prophet drew his sword and slew him.


7a 8. It Is Not Good for the Righteous, Too, to

Punish

A Sadducee who was a neighbor of Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi constantly troubled h im, baiting h im wi th Biblical verses.

Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi knew that each day there is a moment, one 888th o f an hour, in which the Ho ly One, blessed be He, is angry. He also knew a curse which is said, or even begun, during this moment comes to pass.

Only the wicked Balaam knew when this moment came, and would direct his curses accordingly. Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi , however, had a sign: i t came during the first three hours o f the morning, when the rooster stands on one leg and his comb turns white, wi th none of the usual red visible.

So Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi took a rooster and tied i t between the posts o f his bed. He began to stare at i t constantly, intending that when this moment came, he would curse the Sadducee. When the time arrived, however, he had fallen asleep.

Later, the Sage commented, "Apparently i t is not proper to act this way. I t is writ ten, 'His mercies extend to all His works ' (Psalms 145:9). After al l , the rooster suffered by being tied to the bedposts. As i t says, ' I t is not good for the righteous, too, to punish' (Proverbs 17:26), for i t is not one o f the attributes o f the righteous to punish people, even when they deserve to be punished. Nor is i t wise to do so, lest people become accustomed to taking advantage o f this power, and everyone would punish his enemy."

10 Aggadatah 9

9. Moses9 Requests and His Reward

Moses made three requests o f the Ho ly One, blessed be He, and they were granted h im.

He requested that the Divine Presence would dwell among Israel, and he was granted this, as i t says, " . . . is i t not in that You go wi th us?" (Exodus 33:16).

He requested that the Divine Presence would not dwell among the idolators, and he was granted this also, as i t says, '...that we are distinguished, I and Your People [from all the people that are on the face o f the earth]' (ibid.).

He requested to learn the ways o f the Ho ly One, blessed be He [such as why the righteous person suffers while the wicked one prospers], and he was granted this, too, as i t says, "Show me Your ways" (ibid., v.13), and at the end of this passage, " I w i l l also do this thing that you have spoken" (v. 17).

As reward for three things, he merited three rewards.

As the reward for "and Moses h id his face" [(Exodus 3:6), at the burning bush], he merited a shining face (Exodus 34:29).

As the reward for " for he was afraid' ' (Exodus 3:6), he merited "and they were afraid to come near to h i m " (Exodus 34:30), and as reward for "[ for he was afraid] to look [upon G o d ] " (3:6), he merited "and he looks upon the image o f the L o r d " (Numbers 12:8).

He merited to see the knot o f the tefil l in that the Ho ly One, blessed be He, puts on, as i t says, " A n d I w i l l take away M y hand, and you shall see M y back; but M y face shall not be seen" (Exodus 33:23).

When Moses asked for mercy for Israel after the

Tractate Berakhot 7a/7b 11

Golden Calf, the Ho ly One, blessed be He, said to h im, "Let Me alone, that I may destroy them ... and I w i l l make o f you a nation mightier and greater than they" (Deuteronomy 9:14).

Al though Moses' prayer was accepted — the L o r d did not destroy Israel — sti l l , since the H o l y One, blessed be He, had spoken favorably about Moses, the promise that He would make o f h im a mighty nation was fulfilled i n his offspring, as i t says, "The sons o f Moses: Gershom and Eliezer...And the sons of Eliezer were: Rehabiah the chief...the sons of Rehabiah were very many" ( I Chronicles 23:15, 17).

On this verse, Rav Yosef taught: " M a n y more than the 600,000 which Israel numbered."

7b 10. Public Prayer

Rav Nachman became weak, and did not go to the synagogue. Rabbi Yitzchak said to h im, " W h y do you not come to the synagogue to pray?' 5

" I cannot, I have become weak," he replied "Then let ten j o i n you and pray wi th a minyan

[quorum] . " "This is a hardship for me." Rabbi Yitzchak persisted: "Te l l the chazan [Reader]

that he should come and tell you when the congregation begins to pray. ' '

" W h y is this so important?" he asked h im. He replied, "Thus said Rabbi Yochanan in the name

o f Rabbi Shimon ben Yochai: 'Regarding what is writ ten, "Bu t as for me, let my prayer to Y o u , O L o r d , be at an acceptable t ime" (Psalms 69:14), what is "an acceptable time"? When the congregation prays.' "

12 Aggadatah 11/12

8a 11. Arising Early for the Synagogue

Rabbi Yochanan lived to an extremely old age — the age o f four hundred. When he was to ld that there were people as o ld as h im also in Babylon, he was surprised and said, " I t is writ ten, 'That your days may be multiplied, and the days o f your children, on the L a n d [referring to the land o f Israel]' (Deuteronomy 11:21), but not abroad!"

When they to ld h im that the people in Babylon go early in the morning and the evening to the synagogues, he said, "This is what causes them to live long lives, for Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi to ld his sons, 'Enter the synagogues early in the morning and in the evening, so that you w i l l live long. ' "

12. A Prayer in the Study Hall

Abbaye said, " A t first, I would study at home and pray in the synagogue. But since I heard Rabbi Chiyya ben A m m i say in the name of Ul la , ' F rom the day that the Temple was destroyed, all that remains for the Holy One, blessed be He, is the four cubits o f the halakhah [ law], ' I would pray only in the place in which I study."

Al though Rabbi A m m i and Rabbi Assi had thirteen synagogues in which to pray in Tiberias, they would pray only between the pillars o f the study hall in which they studied.


8b 13. Twice the Text and Once the Targum

Rabbi Bebai bar Abbaye was one o f the descendants o f E l i , all of whom were short-lived, and he sought a remedy which insured long life. Then he heard that Rav Huna said, "Whoever completes his reading o f the Torah por t ion wi th the congregation, twice the text and once the Targum [the Aramaic translation o f Onkelos], gains additional years."

Rabbi Bebai feared that he would not live out the year, and so he thought to read all the Torah portions for the entire year early, on the eve o f Y o m Kippur , i n order that he would immediately be inscribed for life.

Chiyya bar Rav, of D i f t i , said to h im, "The eve o f Y o m Kippur is a day for eating and dr inking, as i t is writ ten, 'and you shall afflict your souls on the ninth day o f the month at evening' (Leviticus 23:32). D o we afflict ourselves on the ninth? Rather, we do so on the tenth. This teaches us that whoever eats and drinks on the ninth is regarded as i f he afflicts himself on the ninth and on the tenth [i.e., this reading you intend is not appropriate for the eve o f Y o m K i p p u r ] . "

He then considered reading [all the portions] before the eve o f Y o m Kippur . One elder to ld h im, "We have learned, Neither be early nor late. I t is as Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi ordered his sons: 'Complete [your readings of] the Torah portions wi th the congregation each week, twice the text and once the Targum.9 "

14 Aggadatah 14

14. The Bed of an Aramean Woman

Rava said to his sons, "When you cut meat, do not cut i t on the back o f your hand. Some say this is because i t is dangerous, while others say that this w i l l ru in the meal [for even from a small cut, blood w i l l come forth and soil the meat, and those sitting to eat w i l l be repelled by i t ] .

" D o not walk behind the synagogue when the congregation is praying [for this appears as i f you are fleeing from the prayer].

" D o not sit on the bed o f an Aramean w o m a n " Some say that he meant that they should not go to sleep without reciting the Shema, so that their bed should not be as that o f an Aramean, over which the destructive demons have power.

Others say that he meant, " D o not marry a convert," for they were priests. Others say that he meant the actual bed o f an Aramean, because o f an incident that occurred wi th Rav Pappa.

A n Aramean woman owed Rav Pappa money and evaded repaying her debt. He would enter her house every day to collect the debt. I n order to free herself from h im, she falsely accused h im of k i l l ing someone, thinking thereby to r id herself o f h im. She smothered her son, placed h im on her bed, and covered the body.

When Rav Pappa came, she said to h im, "Sit on the bed, and I w i l l go and bring you the money."

He said to her, " I w i l l not sit down un t i l you l if t [the coverings of] the bed / '

She lifted them, and the dead child was revealed. This is why the Sages said that i t is forbidden to sit

on the bed o f an Aramean woman.


9b 15. Prayer Like the Early Pious Ones

I n Jerusalem there was a group of Sages, including Rabbi Yose ben Hameshulam and Rabbi Shimon ben Menasya, who were called "the holy congregation in Jerusalem. י י

Why were they called this? Some say i t is because they divided the day into three: one th i rd for prayer, one th i rd for Torah [study], and one th i rd for work.

Others say i t is because they engaged in the Torah during the winter, and in work during the summer.

Rabbi Yose ben El iakim said in their name: "Whoever [mentions] Redemption close to Prayer [the Shemoneh Esreh] as d id the early pious ones [who recited the Shemoneh Esreh precisely at sunrise] is not harmed the entire day.י י

Rabbi Zeira said, "But I [mentioned] them close together and I was harmed!"

They said to h im, " H o w were you harmed? Y o u were taken for the king's service, to bring h im myrtles? This is actually a great honor! There are people who are wi l l ing to pay great sums of money merely to see the king's chamber. On the contrary, you should have paid money for seeing the king's countenance, for Rabbi Yochanan said, ' A person should always exert himself to run towards the kings o f Israel; and not only towards the kings o f Israel, but also towards the kings o f the non-Jewish nations. I f he merits [the W o r l d to Come], there he w i l l distinguish between the kings o f Israel and the kings o f the non-Jewish nations [i.e., the Jewish kings w i l l be much more exalted].' "

16 Aggadatah 16

Rabbi I l ia said to Ulla , "When you go to the land o f Israel, ask there after my brother Rabbi Brona, in the presence o f the entire group, for he is a great man and is happy to observe the commandments. One time he recited Redemption close to Prayer, and he did not stop smiling the entire day, for joy at having been able to fulf i l l the commandment."

10a 16. Rabbi Meir and the Ruffians

There were ruffians i n Rabbi Meir 's quarter, and they troubled h im greatly. He requested mercy for them, that they would die and not continue to sin, that they die in their wickedness.

His wife, Bruria, then asked h im, "What do you think, that i t is better to pray that the wicked die, because i t is said, 'May sins cease from the earth' (Psalms 104:35)? But is i t writ ten, chotim [sinners]? [No,] i t is written, chato'im [sins]. Furthermore, read the end of the verse: 'and let the wicked be no more.' I f the sinners cease, there certainly w i l l be [no need to state,] 'and let the wicked be no more.' "

Rather, request mercy for them, that they repent, [thereby fulfill ing] "and let the wicked be no more."

He requested mercy for them, and they d id , indeed, repent.


17. Chezekiah and Isaiah

Three days before Passover, Sennacherib and his army fell upon Jerusalem, and the nation of Israel was in great danger.

The Ho ly One, blessed be He, desired that [King] Chezekiah and Isaiah meet.

Chezekiah thought to himself, "Isaiah must come to me, for we have found regarding the prophet Elijah that he went to Ahab, even though he was a wicked king. I cannot forgo my honor, for a king cannot forgo the honor due h im, even i f he so desires."

Isaiah thought to himself, "Chezekiah must come to me, for we have found regarding Jehoram the son o f Ahab that he went to the prophet Elisha when he wanted to wage war against Moab . " Isaiah's intent was that Chezekiah conquer his desires and come to h im, so that this merit would be to his credit, for Isaiah knew that i t had been decreed that Chezekiah was to die.

What d id the Holy One, blessed be He, do? He brought sufferings upon Chezekiah, for he had not married a woman and fulfilled the commandment to be fruitful and mult iply. He said to Isaiah, " G o and visit the sick one."

Isaiah went to h im and to ld h im, "Wri te a w i l l for your house! For i t is writ ten, 'for you shall die, and not live' ( I I Kings 20:1). 'For you shall die' — in this wor ld , 'and not live' — in the W o r l d to Come.

Chezekiah asked h im, "What is the reason for this?" He replied, "Because you have not attempted to

fulf i l l the obligation to be fruitful and mul t ip ly . " Chezekiah said, "This was because I saw, wi th

Divine inspiration, that unworthy children would issue forth from me."

18 Aggadatah 17

He replied, " O f what concern to you are the ways of Divine Providence? What you have been commanded, you must do, and what the Ho ly One, blessed be He, wills, He w i l l do ."

" N o w give me your daughter that I may marry her. Perhaps my merit combined wi th yours w i l l cause me to have worthy children."

"The decree has already been issued against you , " he replied.

Then Chezekiah said to h im, "Son of Amoz, end your prophecy and go forth! Thus I received from the house o f my forefather [David, who, when he saw the angel wi th an unsheathed sword in his hand, d id not restrain himself from praying for Divine mercy]. 'Even i f a sharp sword is placed on a person's throat — he should not restrain himself from praying for Divine mercy.' "

Then immediately, "He turned his face to the wal l , and he prayed" ( I I Kings 20:2). He prayed to the L o r d from the depths o f his heart, saying to H i m , "Master of the Universe, i f the Shunemite only made a litt le chamber on the roof, and You revived her son (see I I Kings 4], how much more so should You do so [for me, by the merit of] my forefather [Solomon] who covered the entire Temple wi th silver and gold!"

U n t i l the time of Chezekiah, i f anyone fell i l l he would not recover from his illness. Chezekiah prayed that everyone would see that repentance and prayer avert the evil decree. He said to H i m , "Remember now, O L o r d , I beseech Y o u , how I have walked before Y o u in t ru th and wi th a whole heart, and have done what is good in Your eyes" (ibid., v.3).

The Holy One, blessed be He, accepted his prayer. Due to the merit o f David , He added fifteen years to his life [he had then turned forty; th i r ty years


remained from his normal life span o f seventy years; his prayer was efficacious for half of this, i.e., fifteen years].

What is the meaning of " I have done what is good in Your eyes"?

Rav Yehudah said, i n the name of Rav, "He recited Redemption close to Prayer [as d id the early pious ones]."

Rabbi Levi said, "He concealed the Book o f Remedies. י י

Our masters have taught: " K i n g Chezekiah d id six things; regarding three of them [the Sages] agreed wi th h im, and regarding three they did not agree wi th h i m " (Pesachim 4:9).

The three wi th which they agreed: he concealed the Book of Remedies, so that people would pray for Divine compassion for the i l l , for their hearts would not be submissive [to the Lord] i f they were healed immediately — and they agreed wi th h im.

"He crushed the brass serpent which Moses made in the desert, for he saw that the people erred. They thought that i t cured them, and therefore burned incense before i t — and they agreed wi th h im.

"He dragged the bones o f his father, K ing Ahaz, on a bier o f ropes, because he was a wicked king. Furthermore, he d id not bury h im wi th the ful l honors afforded kings, bringing h im forth on biers o f gold and silver, as atonement for his sins and to sanctify the Name of God. I n this way, so that he would be put to shame for his wickedness and the wicked would correct their ways — and they agreed wi th h im.

" A n d the three in which they did not agree wi th h im: He closed up the waters o f the Gihon [the spring o f Shiloah], so that the kings o f Assyria would not

20 Aggadatah 17

f ind dr inking water there — and they did not agree wi th h im, for he should have relied upon the Lord's promise to protect the city and save i t .

"He removed [the gold from] the doors o f the Heikhal in the Temple, and sent it to the king of Assyria — and they did not agree wi th h im.

"He declared a leap year in the month of Nissan — after the new month had been declared as the month of Nissan, he changed his mind and declared it to be Adar I I [because the majority of the people had not yet cleansed the impurities of his father in preparation for the Passover sacrifice] — and they did not agree with h im. Even though this was on the thirt ieth day of Adar, since i t was f i t to be declared Nissan, i t was regarded as the beginning of Nissan, and i t was no longer possible to declare a leap year [by declaring the new month to be Adar I I ] . "

Isaiah wed his daughter to Chezekiah, and two sons were born to them, Manasseh and Rab-shakeh.

One day Chezekiah brought them to the study hall . He put them on his shoulders so that the Torah would be loved by them.

One o f them said, "Father's head is f i t to gr i l l fish o n . " The other said, "Father's head is fit to offer on i t a

sacrifice to idolatry." When he saw that his sons were so wicked and his

merits and those o f Isaiah were of no avail, he loosened his grip and smashed them to the ground. Manasseh lived, and Rab-shakeh died.


10b 18. A Stringency Not in Accordance with the

Law

The School o f Shammai and the School o f Hi l l e l disagreed regarding the reading of the Shema. The School o f Shammai said, " I n the evening each person should recline on his side and read, and in the morning he should stand and read, as i t says, 'when you lie down, and when you rise up J (Deuteronomy 6:7) — in the evening, in the manner o f lying down, and in the morning, i n the manner of rising up . "

The School o f Hi l le l said, "He reads as he is, whether lying or rising. What is writ ten, 'when you lie down, and when you rise u p / refers to the time of the reading of the Shema, which is to say, that i t must be read when people lie down and when people rise up . "

Rabbi Tarfon was a disciple o f the School o f Shammai, but in every legal matter he followed the rulings o f the School o f Hi l le l .

When the Sanhedrin [the Rabbinic High Court] sat in Yavneh, a heavenly voice came forth and said, "Bo th these and these are the words o f the l iving God, but the law is in accordance wi th the School o f H i l l e l . "

Rabbi Tarfon said, " I was going on the way and I reclined to read [the Shema, in accordance wi th the opinion o f the School of Shammai], and I put myself in danger from robbers."

They said to h im, " Y o u deserved to be in danger o f your life, because you did not follow the opinion o f the School o f H i l l e l . "

*

22 Aggadatah 18

I t once happened that Rabbi Ishmael and Rabbi Eliezer ben Azariah were eating together. The former was reclining, while Rabbi Eliezer ben Azariah was standing.

When the time for the evening reading of the Shema arrived, Rabbi Eliezer reclined, while Rabbi Ishmael stood up.

Rabbi Eliezer ben Azariah said to Rabbi Ishmael, "Ishmael my brother, I w i l l tell you a parable, to [teach you] what this resembles. This is like a person to whom people said, 'Your beard is nice and long. '

"He replied to them, ' I t shall be close to that which wi l l destroy [their beards; i.e., since you praised i t , I w i l l take a razor to i t and shave i t off ] . ' Thus i t is wi th you: as long as I am upright, you recline; now that I inclined — you are upright.

[When i t got dark, Rabbi Eliezer reclined in order to rest, not because he desired to follow the stringency of the School o f Shammai. Rabbi Ishmael in any case was already reclining and could have read in this position, thereby fulfi l l ing his obligation even according to the School o f Shammai. But when Rabbi Eliezer reclined, thereby seemingly praising his companion's actions — Rabbi Ishmael stood up.]

Rabbi Ishmael said to Rabbi Eliezer, " I acted in accordance wi th the School of Hi l l e l , while you acted in accordance wi th the School of Shammai [for he thought that Rabbi Eliezer reclined in order to read the Shema, thereby following the opinion o f the School of Shammai]! Furthermore, we fear lest the students w i l l see this [act o f reclining wi th the sunset], and determine the law for all time [in accordance wi th the School o f Shammai]."


13a 19. Gog and Magog

I n the war between Gog and Magog, the Ho ly One, blessed be He, w i l l perform for Israel miracles and wonders so great that they w i l l forget the first miracles which were done for them in prior exiles — they w i l l be secondary to these miracles. This is the meaning o f the verse, "Therefore, a time is coming, says the L o r d , when they shall no more say, 'As the L o r d lives, who brought the Israelites out o f Egypt / but rather, 'As the L o r d lives, who brought out and led the offspring o f the House o f Israel from the nor th country, and from all the lands to which I banished them' " (Jeremiah 23:7-8).

To what may this be compared? To a person who was traveling along, who was attacked by a wol f and was saved from i t . He to ld about the encounter wi th the wolf, and then he was attacked by a l ion. He to ld about the encounter wi th the l ion , and then he was attacked by a serpent and was saved from i t — he forgot about both o f the previous incidents, and spoke only about the encounter w i th the serpent.

Thus i t is wi th Israel: the latest troubles cause them to forget the earlier ones. They went down to Egypt — and were saved. A l ion came up from Babylon [Nebuchadnezzar] — and they were saved. The serpent, which is Edom [as is writ ten, "The sound thereof shall go like the serpent's" (Jeremiah 46:22) came, and caused both o f these to be forgotten. For the troubles of the latest exile cause to be forgotten the troubles o f the earlier oppressions, un t i l the time of the Messiah.

24 Aggadatah 20

Chapter T w o

13b 20. Proper Methods of Conduct during the

Reading of the Shema

Rabbi Jeremiah was sitting before Rabbi Chiyya bar Abba. He heard that he drew out the word "Ehad" [One] in Shema Yisrael ["Hear, O Israel, the L o r d our God, the L o r d is One"], for whoever draws out the word "Ehad" extends his life.

He said to h im, "Since you have drawn this out long enough to think to yourself that the L o r d is One in the heavens and the earth, and in all four directions, you need draw it out no more.

" A n d even i f you desire to draw i t out further, wi th sublime intents, i t is preferable for you to spend less time on this, thereby enabling you to continue praying wi th the congregation.

*

Rav said to Rabbi Chiyya: "When I sat in the lesson o f Rabbi Yehudah ha-Nasi, he began the lesson before the time for reading the Shema, and when its time came, I d id not see that he stopped and read."

He said to h im, "Son of great ones! [Rabbi Chiyya was accustomed to so call Rav, because he was the son o f a scholar.] When he passes his hand before his face, he accepts upon himself the yoke o f the Kingdom of Heaven.

"After my master would read the first chapter o f the Shema, he would continue wi th the lesson, and he would study wi th the pupils a topic in which the


Exodus from Egypt was mentioned, in order to mention the Exodus at its proper time. Only after the lesson, so as not to detract f rom the Torah study of many, he would read the paragraph of tzitzit [ri tual fringes] and Emet ve-yatziv [True and certain]."

*

Rav Nachman said to his servant Daru: " I f you see me drowsing off during the reading o f the Shema, then i f i t is during the first verse — awaken me that I may read i t wi th the proper intent, and do not fear that you bother me. I f during the rest [of the Shema] — do not bother me, for the main intent o f the Shema is in the first verse."

Similarly, Rav Yosef asked Rav Yosef, the son o f Rabbah, " H o w did your father act?"

He replied, " D u r i n g the first verse he would take great pains to read wi th the proper intent, after this, he would not so exert himself."

*

I t once happened that someone lead the prayers in the presence of Rabbah. He heard h im say at the conclusion o f the Shema, "Emet, emet ["True, t rue" — instead o f "Emet veyatziv" — "True and certain"]."

Rabbah said, "Whoever says thusly thinks that he adds thereby, by reinforcing the concept of the t ru th of the Lord ; in practice, he detracts."

*

Rav Yosef said, " H o w excellent is the teaching delivered by Rav Shmuel bar Yehudah when he

26 Aggadatah 20

returned from the land of Israel. He taught that i t was the practice of those in the land of Israel to omit the chapter o f tzitzit in the reading o f the Shema. They would read thusly: 'Speak to the Children of Israel and say to them, I am the L o r d your God, true.' Their reasoning is that the commandment of tzitzit does not apply at night, therefore they omit i t during the reading of this chapter.י י

Abbaye said to h im, " O f what benefit is this teaching? Rav Kahana said that a person should not begin this chapter, and i f he began i t , he must complete i t . "

Rav Pappa said, " I n the land of Israel, the words ' A n d say to them' are not regarded as the beginning of this chapter, but rather 'make for them tzitzit9 "

Abbaye said, "Therefore, we begin this chapter as is the practice o f those in the land of Israel, and since we have begun i t , we complete i t , as is the practice o f Rav Kahana: i f one begins, one must complete i t ; and according to our opinion, this is the beginning [i.e., the very first verse, " A n d God spoke to Moses, saying . . . " ] . "

*

Ravina said to Rava, " D i d you see that a scholar came from the land o f Israel and said, ' I f someone does not have water wi th which to wash his hands, he cleans them wi th earth, or wi th a pebble, or wi th chips of wood'?"

He answered h im, "That scholar spoke well! Is i t writ ten, T shall wash wi th water'? Rather, i t is writ ten, ' I shall wash wi th nikayon [literally, cleanness]' (Psalms 26:6) — wi th anything that cleanses. Rav Chisda would curse anyone who sought water for the reading of the Shema, lest its time pass and he miss i t . I f so,


water is not needed for the reading o f the Shema, but rather, for the Shemoneh Esreh, for we do not fear that its time w i l l pass (because the time for the reading o f the Shemoneh Esreh is later than that o f the Shema]."

*

Rabbi A m m i and Rabbi Assi were preparing the wedding canopy for Rabbi Eleazar. As they were occupied wi th the preparations, he said to them, " I w i l l go to the study hall to hear some new interpretation, and I w i l l return to tell i t to you . "

He went and he found a Tanna [one of the Sages of the Mishnah] teaching before Rabbi Yochanan the laws applying to someone who erred in the reading of the Shema — from which point he must repeat i t . He returned and to ld them the laws he had heard.

They said to h im, " I f we had come only to hear this, i t would have been enough!"

*

I t happened that Rabban Gamliel married, and read the Shema on his wedding night.

His pupils said to h im, " D i d you not teach us, our master, that a groom is exempt from the reading o f the Shema [because he is occupied and cannot have the proper intent for the reading]?' י

He said to them, " I shall not listen to you, to nullify for myself the Kingdom o f Heaven, even for a single hour."

When his wife died, he washed during the first night of the mourning period.

His pupils said to h im, " D i d you not teach us, our master, that a mourner is forbidden to wash?"

28 Aggadatah 21

He replied, " I am not like other people. I am an istanis ["delicate," and he would suffer greatly i f he were not to wash; therefore he was permitted to wash]."

16b 21. Condolences for Servants

When Tavi , Rabban Gamliel's servant, died, he received condolences for h im.

His pupils said to h im, "Have we not learned, our master, that condolences are not to be received for servants?"

He replied to them, "Tav i was not my servant as all the other servants. Rather, he was a decent person."

*

When Rabbi Eliezer's maidservant died, his pupils entered to offer h im condolences.

When he saw them, he went up into the upper chamber, and they went up after h im. He went into the entrance room, and they went in after h im. He went into the salon, and they went i n after h im.

He said to them, " I t seems to me that you would be burnt in lukewarm water; now, you are not burnt even in boil ing water [i.e., I thought that you would understand a discrete hint that I have reason not to receive you, but even a blunt hint you do not comprehend]!

"Have I not taught you: For servants and maidservants people do not stand in a line [to console the mourner upon leaving the cemetery], nor is the mourner's blessing recited for them [in the meal o f consolation], nor are the condolences extended to


mourners [so that proper lineage would not be erroneously attributed to their children]. Rather, what is said about them? That which is said to a person for the death of his ox or his donkey: 'May the Omnipresent f i l l what you lack' — the same is said to him for his servant or maidservant: 'May the Omnipresent f i l l what you lack.' "

Thus have we learned: Servants and maidservants are not eulogized.

Rabbi Yose says: " I f a servant is decent, they say over h im, 'Oh, what a good and faithful person, who derives benefit f rom his labor!' "

They said to h im, " I f so, what have you left for those o f proper lineage?"

22. The Prayers of Scholars

The Tannaim and Amora im [the Sages o f the Talmud] were accustomed to add supplications and entreaties after they completed the Shemoneh Esreh, not so that these would become a fixed part o f the prayer service, but as special requests for mercy.

After Rabbi Eleazar finished the Shemoneh Esreh, he would say:

May it be Your will, O Lord our God, that there abide in our fate [others interpret this as "our bed," i.e., a prayer for children] love, brotherhood, peace, and companionship; may our borders be expanded with pupils, may our end be good, and may we see what we hoped for [for he was one of the Ten Martyrs, and he offered this prayer for his many pupils]; may You place our portion in the Garden of Eden, and provide us with a good companion and a good inclination in Your world; may we arise early to find our

30 Aggadatah 22

hearts drawn to the fear of Your Name; and may we find fulfillment of our needs and satisfaction in You for good.

After Rabbi Yochanan finished the Shemoneh Esreh, he would say:

May it be Your will, O Lord our God, that You view our disgrace, and observe our evilness [i.e., may our punishment be according to our baseness; according to another interpretation, if a person who commits a sin is ashamed of it, he is pardoned — therefore he requested that He view our disgrace after having committed the sin, and afterwards observe the sin we have committed]; garb Yourself in Your compassion, cover Yourself in Your strength, clothe Yourself in Your kindness, gird Yourself in Your graciousness, and may the attribute of Your goodness and humility come before You.

After Rabbi Zeira finished the Shemoneh Esreh, he would say:

May it be Your will, O Lord our God, that we not sin, nor be embarrassed or ashamed more than our forefathers.

After Rabbi Chiyya prayed, he would say:

May it be Your will, O Lord our God, that Your Torah be our profession; may our hearts not grieve; and may our eyes not grow dim.

After his prayer, Rav would say:

May it be Your will, O Lord our God, that You grant us long life, a life of peace, a life of good, a life of blessing, a life of livelihood, a life of healthful energy, a life in which there is the fear of sin, a life in which there is no shame or embarrassment, a life of wealth and honor, a life in which we shall possess the love of Torah and the fear of Heaven, a life in which all our requests shall be fulfilled for good.

(Rav's prayer was answered, and he lived a " long l i fe" ; some say that he is the Rabbi Abba mentioned in the Zohar, and that he lived for 400 years.)


After his prayer, Rabbi ] to signify the great esteem in which he was held, Rabbi Yehudah ha־Nasi , the redactor of the Mishnah, is called simply "Rabbi , " the only Tanna or Amora to be so honored would say:

May it be Your will, O Lord our God, that You save us from the insolent [that they will not provoke me], from insolence [that they not slander me with the charge of illegitimate birth], from a bad man and from bad happenstance, from a bad companion and from the Evil Inclination, from a bad neighbor, from the destructive instigator, and from a harsh judgement and from a harsh litigant, whether he is Jewish or non-Jewish.

Even though officers were sent to beat and take revenge against those guarding Rabbi, upon the order o f the emperor Anthony, he nevertheless would recite this prayer.

After his prayer, Rabbi Safra would say:

May it be Your will, O Lord our God, that You grant peace in the heavenly entourage and in the earthly entourage; among the pupils occupied with Your Torah, whether they are occupied with it for its own sake or not; and regarding all those who are occupied with it not for its sake, may it be Your will that they will be occupied with it for its sake.

After his prayer, Rabbi Alexandri would say:

May it be Your will, O Lord our God, that You place us in a beam of light and not in a beam of darkness; may we not grieve; and may our eyes not dim.

Some say that this was the prayer o f Rav Hamnuna, and that instead, after praying, Rabbi Alexandri would say:

Master of the universe! It is revealed and known to You that it is our will to do Your Will, and what prevents us? The leaven in the dough [the Evil Inclination in our hearts which causes us to "ferment" — just as dough rises due to fermentation, so, too, does the Evil Inclination cause our pride to rise, thus interfering with our service of God], and our oppression by foreign governments. May it be Your will that You save us from them, and that we may return to wholeheartedly do the laws of Your will.

32 Aggadatah 22

After his prayer, Rava would say:

My God, before I was formed I was worthless, and now that I have been formed, I am dust in my life — how much more so after I die; behold, I stand before You as a vessel full of shame and embarrassment. May it be Your will, O Lord my God, that I sin no more, and may what I have sinned before You be expunged in Your great compassion, but not through sufferings and evil illnesses.

This was the confession of Rav Hamnuna Zu t i on Y o m Kippur .

After Mar the son o f Ravina finished the Shemoneh Esreh, he would say:

My God, guard my tongue from evil and my lips from speaking deceitfully; regarding those who curse me, may my soul fall silent; and may my soul be as dust to all. Open my heart to Your Torah and may my soul pursue Your commandments. Save me from an evil happenchance, from the Evil Inclination, from an evil woman, and from all the evils that will be in the world. For all those who think evil of me, may their counsel speedily be overturned, and may their thoughts be spoiled. May the sayings of my mouth and the thoughts of my mind be acceptable to You, O Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer.

When Rav Sheshet would sit and fast after praying, he would say:

Master of the universe! It is revealed before You that when the Temple existed, if a person sinned and offered a sacrifice, only its fat and its blood would be offered, and he would be pardoned. Now I have sat in a fast, and my fat has diminished. May it be Your will that my fat and my blood which have diminished be accounted as if I had offered them on the Altar, and may You be pleased with me.


17a 23. Sayings of the Sages

When Rabbi Yochanan concluded the Book of Job [the end o f which relates that Job died wi th a good name], he would say:

The end of man is to die and the end of a beast is to be slaughtered; all await death. Happy is the man who was raised in the Torah, who labored in the Torah, and who caused satisfaction to his Maker; who was raised with a good name, and who departed the world with a good name. About him, Solomon said: "A good name is better than precious oil, and the day of death, than the day of one5s birth" (Ecclesiastes 7:1).

Rabbi Meir was accustomed to say:

Learn with all your heart and with all your soul to know My ways, and to persevere at the doors of My Torah. Store My Torah in your heart, and let the fear of Me be before your eyes. Guard your mouth from every sin, and purify and sanctify yourself from all guilt and iniquity; and I will be with you everywhere.

The Sages of Yavneh were accustomed to say:

I [who is occupied in the Torah] am a human being, and my [ignorant] fellow is a human being. My work is in the city, while his work is in the field. I arise early for my work, and he arises early for his work. Just as he does not presume to take over my work, so, too, I do not presume to take over his work. Lest you say that I do more and he does less [and that he is right not to presume to take over my work, for if he were to assume my profession he would not have the capability to be occupied so greatly in the Torah as I , but rather would engage less, and accordingly, would not receive any reward] — we have learned [regarding the bringing of sacrifices]: it is the same whether one brings more or whether one brings less, provided that he has directed his heart to heaven.

Abbaye was accustomed to say:

A person should always be prudent in his fear [of God]. A person who replies gently turns away anger, and increases peace with his brethren, with his relatives, and with all men, even with a Gentile in the marketplace, so that he will be loved above, below, and accepted by his fellow men.

34 Aggadatah 23

I t was said o f Rabban Yochanan ben Zakkai that no one preceded h im in issuing a greeting, not even a Gentile in the marketplace.

Rava was accustomed to say:

The ultimate purpose of wisdom is repentance and good deeds, so that a person will not study [and yet] reject the authority of his father and his mother, that of his teacher, and that of anyone greater than he in wisdom and in number [of students], as it is said, "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; all who practice it gain good understanding" (Psalms 111:10). It is not written "all who learn it," but rather, "all who practice it" — who practice it for its own sake, not those who do not practice it for its own sake; regarding anyone who practices it not for its sake, it would have been better had he not been created.

Rav was accustomed to say:

The World to Come is not like this world. In the World to Come there is no eating or drinking, no being fruitful and multiplying, no business dealings, no jealousy, hatred, or competition. Rather, the righteous sit with their crowns on their heads, and enjoy the brilliance of the Divine Presence.

Rav said to Rabbi Chiyya:

Why have women received a greater assurance regarding the World to Come than men — for the prophet Isaiah calls women "at ease and confident ones" (Isaiah 32:11) — though they are not occupied in the Torah?

This is the reward they receive for bringing their sons to the synagogue so that they will study Bible before their teacher, and for sending their husbands to the study hall for Mishnah and Gemara, for waiting until they return from the study hall, and for giving them permission to go to another city to study Torah.


24. The Blessings of the Sages

When the Sages would take their leave o f each other, each would ask the other for permission to return to his home and his land; and they were accustomed to give a special blessing to the person from whom they had learned Torah and wisdom.

When the Sages took their leave from the house o f Rabbi A m m i [others say, from the house o f Rabbi Chanina] to go home, they blessed h im as follows:

You shall see your world in your lifetime, in the end you will attain the World to Come; your hope shall be for generations; your heart shall contemplate comprehension, your mouth shall speak wise sayings, and your tongue shall utter songs of joy, and your eyelids shall remain straight in front of you; your eyes shall see the Torah properly; and your face shall shine as the brilliance of the firmament; your lips shall express knowledge; your innermost self shall rejoice with right things; and your steps shall run to hear the words of the Ancient One.

When the Sages took their leave from the house o f Rav Chisda [others say, from the house of Rabbi Shmuel bar Nachmani] to go home, they blessed h im as follows:

"Our oxen are well laden; with no breach, and no going forth, and no outcry in our broad places5' (Psalms 144:14):

"Our oxen [lit., champions]" in the Torah "are well laden" with commandments; others say: "Our oxen" in the Torah and the commandments "are well laden'5 with suffering.

"With no breach": that our party shall not be as that of Saul, from whom issued Doeg the Edomite, who turned to a bad life.

"And no going forth": that our party shall not be as that of David, from whom issued Achithophel, who caused a breach in the kingdom of the Davidic line.

"And no outcry": that our party shall not be as that of Elisha, from whom issued Gehazi, who spoiled his deeds and became a leper, who cried out and shall be called exceedingly impure. "In our broad places": that we shall not have a son or a pupil who disgraces his education in public.

36 Aggadatah 25

Chapter 3

18a 25. Do the Dead Know What Is Happening in

This World?

There was a disagreement among the Sages as to whether the dead know what is happening in this wor ld , and whether they are capable of rejoicing at the j oy o f those close to them, or o f being sorrowful at the sorrow of those close to them.

Rabbi Yitzhak said, "Whoever speaks i l l of the dead, i t is as i f he speaks i l l of a stone." Some say that this is because the dead know only what pertains to them; others say that this is because they know, but they do not care, like a stone.

Rav Pappa said, " I t once happened that someone spoke [i l l ] after the bier o f Shmuel. A large and heavy beam fell from the roof, and tore the membrane o f his skull. This is not a proof that the dead know that people are talking about them, however; rather, that concerning a Torah scholar, the Ho ly One, blessed be He, repays the affront to h i m / '

*

Rabbi Chiyya and Rabbi Yonatan were going before the bier of Rabbi Shimon. They arrived in the cemetery, and the tzitziyot o f Rabbi Yonatan were dragging on the graves.

Rabbi Chiyya said to h im, "Raise them up, so that they [the dead] w i l l not say: T o m o r r o w they come to us, and now they disgrace us [for tzitzit are considered equivalent to all the commandments, and this would


appear to be mocking the dead, who cannot fulf i l l any of the commandments]. " י

He replied, " D o they know so much? I t is said, ' A n d the dead know nothing' (Ecclesiastes 9:5)."

" I f you read i t , you did not repeat i t ; i f you repeated i t you d id not study i t a th i rd time; and i f you studied i t a th i rd time, it was not interpreted to you correctly, he corrected his fellow. "This verse was stated about the wicked, who even in their lifetime are called 'dead.' The righteous, however, even after they have died, are called 'alive,' as it is said about Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, 'the son of a l iving man' ( I I Samuel 23:20). Does this imply that all the rest of the wor ld are the children of the dead? Rather, he was the son of a man who, even after his death, was called ' l iv ing. ' "

I n the end, Rabbi Yonatan agreed wi th Rabbi Chiyya that the dead know, and even expounded this from the sources.

After the death o f Rabbi Chiyya, his sons went out one time to engage in the work of their estate.

They forgot their studies, and they were troubled by their efforts to recall what they had learned.

One said to another: "Does our father know of this anguish of ours?"

The other replied: " H o w w i l l he know, for i t is writ ten, 'His sons are honored, and he knows i t not ' (Job 14:21)?"

"But i t is written, 'but his flesh grieves for h im, and his soul mourns over h im ' (ibid., v.22)," the first one argued, "and Rabbi Yitzhak said, ' A worm in the flesh of a corpse is as difficult as a needle in the flesh o f a l iving person.'"

They concluded that "They are aware o f their own anguish; they are not aware o f the anguish of others."

38 Aggadatah 26

[The following three occurrences are cited in the Talmud as proof for the opinion that the dead know. They are rejected, however, and the question remains undecided.]

18b 26. Spirits Speak

I t once happened that there was a pious man who was extremely poor, who gave his last dinar [a valuable coin] to a poor man on the eve o f Rosh Hashanah, during a drought.

His wife was angry wi th h im and annoyed him unt i l he went to the cemetery to sleep. There, he heard the spirits o f two dead girls talking to each other.

The first one said to the other, " M y friend, let's go wander through the wor ld and hear behind the Partition what troubles are in store for the w o r l d " [for the wor ld is judged on Rosh Hashanah].

The other replied, " M y friend, I cannot, for I am buried in a reed mat [which does not rot as quickly as shrouds, thus preventing the body from decomposing. As long as the body has not completely rotted away, the soul cannot part from it and ascend to the heights]. You go and tell me what you hear." The other spirit went forth and then returned.

Her friend asked her, " M y friend, what d id you hear behind the Partition?"

She replied, " I heard that whoever sows in the first period o f rain wi l l be stricken by ha i l . " [There are three periods of rain: the first is on the 17th of Heshvan, the second on the 23rd, and the th i rd on Rosh Hodesh Kislev. I n this year, the hail would fall close to the


second period of rain, and whatever was planted in the first period would already be hard and damaged by the hail , while that which was planted in the second period would still be soft and not be harmed.]

The man went and planted in the second period, and while everyone else's crops were damaged, his was unharmed.

The following year he went once again to the cemetery to spend the night, and he heard the same two spirits talking to each other.

One said to the other, "Let's go wander through the wor ld and hear behind the Partit ion what troubles are in store for the w o r l d " [for she thought that the other's body had by then had sufficient time to decompose].

Her friend replied, " D i d n ' t I tell you I cannot, for I am buried in a reed mat? But you go and come and tell me what you hear."

The other spirit went forth and then returned. Her friend asked her, " M y friend, what d id you hear

behind the Partition?" She replied, " I heard that whoever sows in the second

period w i l l be stricken by blight [for blight strikes plants when they are soft, and not when they are hard] ."

He went and planted in the first period, and while the crops o f everyone else were blighted, his was unharmed.

His wife said to h im, " H o w did i t happen that last year everyone's crop was smitten, while yours was unharmed, and now everyone's has been blighted, while yours is not blighted?"

He to ld her all these things. Soon afterward, this man's wife quarreled wi th the

mother o f the gir l [who had been buried in a reed mat].

40 Aggadatah 27

She said, "Go and I w i l l show you that your daughter is buried in a reed mat."

The following year the man went and spent the night in the cemetery, and he heard the two spirits talking to each other.

One said to the other, " M y friend, let's go wander through the wor ld and hear behind the Partition what troubles are in store for the w o r l d . "

The other replied, " M y friend, leave me alone. Words that are spoken between me and you have already been heard by the l iv ing!"

27. An Invitation to the World to Come

Zeiri entrusted some coins wi th the keeper o f the inn where he stayed. Between the time he went to his teacher's house and returned, she had died. He went after her to the hatzer - mavet [the place where the spirits gather before their ascent to heaven].

He said to her, "Where are my coins?" She replied, "Go and take them from the hole in the

threshold [where the hinge turns] in such-and-such a place. A n d tell my mother to send me my comb and blue eye-color stick, wi th so-and-so who w i l l come here tomorrow."

[Since she had died young, she said this in her distress, for it is the way of young women to comb themselves and to apply makeup. But how did she know that so-and-so was about to die?] There is an angel in heaven named Dumah who is appointed over the dead, and he announces to them, " N o w so-and-so is coming!"


28. The Pledge

Abba, Shmuers father, is always mentioned in the Talmud as "the father o f Shmuel," and not by his own name, " A b b a , " because of the following incident:

Once he went to a distant place. A Median woman who knew the language of birds found h im. She wanted to give h im one thousand silver coins, provided that he would agree to transgress wi th her.

He asked her the reason for her fierce desire. She replied, " I heard that this night a son w i l l be

conceived by you who wi l l have no equal i n wisdom." When he heard this, he went that night to his home,

wi th the miraculous shortening of the way reserved for the righteous. He had relations wi th his wife, and she became pregnant, and he returned, once again wi th this miraculous shortening o f the way.

When people saw that she was pregnant, they were sure that this was as a result of a sinful relationship, and when the matter came before the Court, she was whipped.

Afterwards, she gave b i r th to a son and named h im Shmuel. His father came and testified that he was his son, and in order to inform everyone that he was indeed the father, thereafter he himself was called "the father of Shmuel." Shmuel would say, "When my mother was whipped, I felt this: that they were striking me wi th a whip on my head; and the place on my head where I was wounded by the whip is visible."

*

Once the money of some orphans was entrusted to "the father of Shmuel." Some time later he died.

Shmuel was not at his father's side, and knew nothing about what had been entrusted to h im, yet people

42 Aggadatah 27

would call h im "the son who consumes the money of orphans. י י

I n a [mystically induced] dream, Shmuel was shown the hatzer-mavet, and he saw the dead sitting in a circle outside their graves.

He said to them, " I seek Abba [for " A b b a " means "Father" in Hebrew]."

They said to h im, "There are many here whose name is Abba . "

He said to them, " I seek Abba ben Abba . " They replied, "There are also many here who are

named Abba ben Abba.י י Then he said to them, " I seek Abba ben Abba, the

father o f Shmuel. Where is he?*' A t this, they replied, "He has ascended to the

Heavenly Academy.י י I n the meantime, Shmuel saw his friend Levi , who had

died, sitting outside the circle o f the other dead. He asked h im, " W h y are you sitting outside? A n d why

did you not ascend?" Levi replied, "They to ld me, 'Just as all the years that

you did not enter the academy of Rabbi Afes and caused h im to fell bad, just so, you shall not enter the Heavenly Academy.י "

I n the meanwhile, his father came. Shmuel saw that he was both weeping and laughing.

He said to h im, " W h y are you weeping?" "Because you wi l l soon come here," he replied. " A n d why are you laughing?" "Because you are very important in this wor ld [the

wor ld o f the living].י י

He said to h im, " I f I am important, have Levi brought into the Heavenly Academy." A n d Levi was brought in .

Theb he asked his father, "Where are the coins o f the orphans?5 י


He replied, "Go , take them from the foundation of the millstone. The upper and lower coins are ours, and the middle ones are those of the orphans."

He asked h im, " W h y did you do so?" He replied, " I f any were to be stolen, i t would be ours

that would be stolen; and i f the ground were to ru in them, i t would be ours that would be ruined."

19a 29. The Honor of the Sages

Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi said, " I n twenty-four places the Court excommunicates because o f the honor o f the rabbi, and we have learned all o f them in our mishnah."

Rabbi Eleazar asked h im, "Where?" He replied, " G o search for them." After searching carefully, he found three: the one

who makes light of washing the hands [and is regarded as making light of the honor of the Sages who decreed this]; the one who speaks i l l after the bier [i.e., after the death] o f Torah scholars; and the one who acts haughtily towards Heaven.

What is the case o f "the one who speaks i l l after the bier of Torah scholars"? As we have learned: Akavya ben Mehalalel ... would say, The water of the sotah is not given to the woman convert, nor to the freed [maidservant]. The Sages say, I t is given.

They said to h im, " I t once happened that Kurkemit [either her name, or the name of the place she came from], a freed maidservant in Jerusalem, was given the water by Shemaya and Avta lyon . "

To this he answered, " L i k e ones [dugma] gave her to dr ink [Shemaya and Avtalyon, like her, were converts,

44 Aggadatah 29

from among the descendants of Sennacherib]. Others say that dugma refers to something similar to bitter waters, and i t was this they gave her to dr ink, not the actual water of the sotah, in order to frighten her into confessing. But this is not to be done, so that people wi l l not say that this water has no effect" (Eduyot 5:6).

Since he made little of Shemaya and Avtalyon, he was excommunicated; he died while still in this state, and the Court stoned his coffin.

What is the case of "the one who makes light o f washing the hands"? As we have learned: Rabbi Yehudah said, "Heaven forbid that Akavya ben Mehalalel was excommunicated! For the Temple Court was not closed on any man in Israel possessing wisdom, purity, and the fear of sin, as Akavya ben Mehalalel. [The Israelites would enter the Temple Court in three divisions to slaughter the Paschal lamb. When they completely filled the Temple Court, none of them was as important as Akavya in terms o f wisdom, puri ty, and the fear of sin.] Rather, who did they excommunicate? Eleazar ben Chanokh, who questioned the washing of the hands. When he died, the Court had a large stone placed on his coffin, to teach that i f anyone is excommunicated and died in such a state, the Court stones his coffin (ibid.)."

What is the case o f "the one who acts haughtily towards Heaven"? As we have learned: Shimon ben Shetach informed Choni ha-Me'agel, " Y o u should be excommunicated [because he troubled Heaven for rain by saying several times, "This is not what I asked fo r" [when the rain was not to his satisfaction] (Ta'anit 23a)]. I f you were not Choni, I would decree that you be excommunicated. But what can I do? When you ask petulantly before the Omnipresent, He does your w i l l ,


as a son who asks frivolously o f his father, who yet does his w i l l . "

About you i t is writ ten, "Le t your father and mother be glad, and let her that bore you rejoice" (Proverbs 23:25).

I n another place, mention is made of an excommunication related to the honor due the Sages.

Rav Yosef taught: "Todos of Rome accustomed the Romans to be fed whole roasted kids on Passover eve, in memory of the Paschal sacrifice. Shimon ben Shetach sent the following message to h im: ' I f you were not Todos, I would decree that you be excommunicated, for you feed Israel sacrifices outside the Temple [for Jews who saw this thought that i t had been sanctified for the Paschal sacrifice]. " י

Since, however, this was taught in a beraita and not in a mishnah, Rabbi Eleazar d id not regard this as one of the above- mentioned three instances. [Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi includes every instance in which an individual disagrees wi th the majority i n a major disagreement, or, any in which one o f the Sages would speak harshly against a scholar greater than h im and deserved to be excommunicated.]

46 Aggadatah 30

20a 30. For What Does One Merit a Miracle?

Rav Pappa said to Abbaye: " I n what were the early ones, for whom miracles were performed, different from us, for whom miracles are not performed?

" I f this was because they learned more, then during the time of Rav Yehudah, they mainly studied the Order of Nezikin, while we study all six Orders.

" A n d when Rav Yehudah came to the mishnah in Tractate Ukatzin [which contains especially difficult mishnayot] o f 'The woman who is pickling a vegetable in the dish,' and according to some, to the mishnah of 'Olives which were pickled in their leaves are pure,' he said: T see the arguments of Rav and Shmuel here!' and he did not know why they are pure, while we learn thirteen methods o f interpretation in Ukatzin.

"Nevertheless, when Rav Yehudah would merely take off one shoe out of his distress that rain had not fallen, the rains immediately came; while we, whose souls are distressed and scream, are not noticed!"

Abbaye answered, "The early ones would give their lives for the Sanctification o f the Name, while we do not do so."

This is similar to what once happened to Rav Ada bar Ahavah. He saw a Cuthean woman wearing a red garment, which Israelite women would not wear out of modesty. He thought that she was an Israelite woman, and he tore i t from her. I t became known that she was a Cuthean woman, and the value o f the garment was appraised at 400 zuz [which he then had to pay].

He said to her, "What is your name?" She replied, " M a t u n . " He said to her, "Ma tun , Matun is wor th 400 zuz." [For

i f I had been more moderate [matun] I would not lose on


account o f Matun 400 zuz. According to another interpretation, he stated her name, which resembles the Aramaic word for " two hundred," twice, i.e., the 400 zuz he lost on account o f her].

31. The Gates of Purity

Rav Gidal was accustomed to sit at the gates of the r i tual bath, so that i f any question were to arise regarding a woman's immersion, he would be able to instruct her how to act.

The Sages asked h im, "Are you not afraid o f the Evi l Inclination?"

He replied, "They appear to me as white geese [i.e., he had no inclination for any thought that was not pure] ."

Rabbi Yochanan [also] was accustomed to sit at the gates o f the r i tual bath, but for another reason. He was the only person still possessing any of the bri l l iant splendor possessed by Jerusalemites before the destruction of the Temple. Since the first thing a woman encounters after her immersion makes an impression on her as well as leaving an effect on her unborn child, Rabbi Yochanan wanted the women to encounter h im first, so that they would have sons who would be luminaries in the Torah and righteous, as he was.

The Sages said to h im, "Does not our master fear the Evi l Eye?"

He replied, " I am descended from the stock of Yosef, over which the Evi l Eye has no power, as i t is said, 'Yosef is a fruitful vine, a fruitful vine by a fountain' (Genesis 49:22)", concerning which Rabbi Abbahu said: ' D o not read, alei ayin [a. fruitful vine by a fountain], but rather olei ayin — removed from the eye [ayin] which does not have power over his descendants.' "

48 Aggadatah 31

Rabbi Yose bar Chanina learned this f rom the following verse [the blessing to Yosefs sons, Ephraim and Manasseh]: " M a y they increase in the land like f ish" (Genesis 48:16). Just as fish in the sea are covered by water and the Evi l Eye has no power over them, so, too, the Evi l Eye has no power over the stock of Yosef. Some learn out: the eye which did not wish to derive benefit f rom what did not belong to i t [the wife of his master], over this eye the Evi l Eye has no power.

22a 32. Torah Study in Purity

Ezra the Scribe instituted ten regulations. One of them was that a man who had a seminal emission may not study Torah unt i l he immerses in a r i tual bath. This is because the Torah must be studied in a state of fear, awe, and trembling, as on the day in which Israel stood at Mount Sinai and received the Torah [and preceding which they had made themselves ri tually pure].

The Sages who came after h im saw that this regulation had not spread throughout Israel, and that most people were not capable of complying wi th i t . Thus, they cancelled i t , but in order that the regulation would not be completely nullified, they ruled that nine kabs of water be poured over the person's body, on the assumption that this quantity would cover the entire body. Rav Nachman prepared for the students a vessel holding this quantity o f water, which they would pour over themselves in the morning before the reading of the Torah.

After a while this pouring of water also was cancelled. Rabbi Yehudah ben Beteira stated a great rule: The

words of Torah do not receive impuri ty.


I t once happened that a pupi l was sitting before Rabbi Yehudah ben Beteira and reading in the Torah. When he came to the Divine Name in it he stuttered [for he had had an emission, but had not immersed].

He said to h im: " M y son, open your mouth and may your words give light! For the words o f Torah do not receive impuri ty , as i t is said, Ts not M y W o r d like as fire? says the L o r d 5 (Jeremiah 23:29). Just as fire does not receive impuri ty , so, too, words o f Torah do not receive impur i ty . י י

A t any rate, this immersion is an act o f great sanctity, and therefore, i t is customary to immerse on the eve o f Rosh Hashanah and on the eve of Y o m Kippur , which are days of exceptional forgiveness and prayer.

Furthermore, at times a person is saved from transgression thanks to immersion, as was the case regarding a man who demanded that a woman sin wi th h im. She to ld h im, " Y o u empty man, do you have forty seah o f water in which to immerse [after the act]?" The man immediately left her.

The law that someone who has had an emission is purified i f nine kabs of water are poured over h im was whispered by Nachum of Gamzo to Rabbi Akiva ; Rabbi Ak iva whispered i t to Ben Azzai; and Ben Azzai went forth and taught i t to his pupils in the marketplace, because people would refrain from studying Torah and from engaging in the commandment to be fruitful and mult iply, because of the bother entailed in immersion.

According to others, Ben Azzai also transmitted this law to his pupils in a whisper, so that Torah scholars would not spend all their time wi th their wives as do roosters.

Rabbi Yannai said, " I heard that some are lenient regarding this law, while others are strict regarding i t ; and whoever is strict wi th himself regarding i t w i l l be granted long l i fe ."

50 Aggadatah 32

I t once happened that Rabbi Yehudah had an emission, and he was walking alongside the river. His students said to h im, "Our master, teach us a chapter in the laws of derekh eretz [proper conduct]." He first immersed himself, and then he taught them.

His pupils said to h im, "Has not our master taught us, 'The law of conduct is different 5 [for only the Bible, the Mishnah, and the Gemara are not to be studied before emission]?"

He said to them, "Even though I am lenient for others, for myself I am strict."

*

Rav Pappa, Rav Huna the son of Rabbi Yehoshua, and Rava bar Shmuel were eating together. When they finished eating, they wished to recite the Grace after Meals together.

Rav Pappa said, " A l l o w me to bless, for I have poured nine kabs on myself, and I am pure."

Rava bar Shmuel said to them, "We have learned, 'To what does this [the requirement of pouring nine kabs] refer? To himself; but [to recite the Grace] for others, forty seah [are required]. 5 Rather, allow me to bless, for I have immersed in forty seah"

Rav Huna said to them, " A l l o w me to bless, for I have needed neither nine kabs nor forty seah [i.e., he did not become impure at a l l ] . "


23a 33. Maintaining A State of Sanctity

[During the time of the Sages of the Talmud, they were accustomed to wear their tefillin the entire day, for they knew how to maintain themselves in a state of sanctity and puri ty, wi th no diversion of thought. There was a difficulty, however, when they had to go to the bathroom.]

We have learned: Originally, people would place tefillin in holes close to the toilet, inside the fence, and mice would come and take them.

I t was then ordained that they be placed in the windows close to the public domain [in the holes in the walls separating fields, because mice were not to be found where many people pass by; the person would then go behind the fence to attend to his needs], but passersby would come and take the tefillin.

I t once happened that a student placed his tefillin i n the holes next to the public domain, and a harlot came and took them. She came to the study hall and said, " L o o k what so-and-so has given me as my payment."

When the student heard this, he went up on top o f the roof, fell , and died.

A t that time the regulation was established that tefillin were to be held in one5s garments and one ,s hand when he enters the toilet. " I n one ,s hand" in this regulation was in regard to the daytime. Then, they were to be wrapped in their straps as a scroll, so that the Name o f the L o r d [i.e., the letters ,ש ד and י which appear in the tefillin] would not be seen. Instead, the person would hold them in his right hand, opposite his heart. The intent o f " i n one ,s garments" was to the nighttime, when tefillin are not worn. Then, a person was to make a pocket i n his garment for the tefillin, so that the space

52 Aggadatah 33

inside would legally be considered a tent, separating the tefillin f rom the ground.

*

Rabbah bar Bar Channah said: "When we were walking after Rabbi Yochanan and he wanted to enter the toilet when he had a holy book in his hand, he would give i t to us to watch for h im. But when he had tefillin in his hand, he would not give them to us. He said: 'Since the Sages have permitted entering wi th them, I shall bring them in wi th me — they wi l l protect me from the destructive forces. י י י

*

Bar Kappara would wrap the tefillin in the curtain spread around his bed, turning the protruding part of the knot [bearing a letter of the Name of the Lord] outside, so that i t would not be facing the bed.

*

Rav Hamnuna the son of Rav Yosef said, "Once I was standing before Rava, and he said to me: 'Go and bring me the tefillin.' I found them on his bed, between the bolster and the cushion, rather than opposite his head. I understood that the night before had been [his wife ,s ri tual] immersion, and his order to me was meant to teach me a practical law: a person may put tefillin next to his head when he sleeps, even i f his wife is wi th h im, for i t is preferable that they be well-guarded from mice and thieves, than that they be placed respectfully in a place where they wi l l not be properly guarded. י י


Ravina would stand behind Rav Ashi during prayer. I t happened that the latter had some spittle, and he spat i t out behind h im.

" D o you not hold that the law is like Rav Yehudah, who said, 'He puts i t in the r i m of his turban 5 [because i t is forbidden to spit during prayer]?" Ravina asked h im.

" I am fastidious, י .he replied י

*

Rabbi Abba would hide from Rav Yehudah, for he wanted to go up to the land o f Israel, while Rav Yehudah was of the opinion that anyone who went up to the land of Israel before the advent of the Redemption transgresses a positive commandment, as i t is said, "They shall be carried to Babylon, and there shall they be, unt i l the day that I remember them, says the L o r d " (Jeremiah 27:22).

He said, " I wi l l go to the study hall and hear some of the teaching from h im before I go to the land of Israel."

He went and stood outside the study hall , and heard one of the laws pertaining to cleanliness during prayer which was taught before Rav Yehudah.

" I f I came only to hear this, i t would be sufficient,י Rabbi יAbba mused.

*

Rabbi Abbahu was walking after Rabbi Yochanan and reading the Shema. When he came to fi l thy alleys, he was silent.

When they went away from there, he asked Rabbi Yochanan whether he should repeat the prayer from the beginning, or continue from where he stopped.

" I f you stopped for a period of time long enough to complete all o f i t , then return to the beginning,י his יteacher answered.

54 Aggadatah 33

Rabbi Achai was marrying off his son, and made the wedding preparations in the house of Rav Yitzchak.

After the wedding, his son sought to fulf i l l the commandment to be fruitful and mult iply , but he was not successful.

His father went to investigate the matter, and he discovered a Torah scroll in the couple ,s room.

He said to the owners of the house, " I f I had not come now, you would have endangered my son, for we have learned: ' I n a house in which there is a Torah scroll or tefillin, i t is forbidden to have relations, unt i l they are removed or are placed in a vessel wi th in a vessel.5 י י


Chapter Four

26b 34. The Times of Prayer

The Shemoneh Esreh is recited three times each day, as i t is said, "Evening, and morning, and at noonday w i l l I complain and moan; and He has heard my voice" (Psalms 55:18). These prayers were instituted by the three Patriarchs:

Abraham instituted the Shacharit [morning] prayer, as i t is said, " A n d Abraham got up early in the morning to the place where he had stood" (Genesis 19:27). Standing implies prayer, as i t is said, "Then Phineas stood up and prayed" (Psalms 106:30).

Isaac instituted the Minchah [afternoon, or "noonday"] prayer, as i t is said, " A n d Isaac went out to meditate [la-suach] i n the field toward evening" (Genesis 24:63). La-suach implies prayer, as i t is said, " A prayer o f the afflicted, when he is faint and pours out his plea [sicho] before the L o r d " (Psalms 102:1).

Jacob instituted the Maariv [evening] prayer, as i t is said, "He came upon [va-yifga] the place and stopped there for the night" (Genesis 28:11). Va-yifga implies prayer, as i t is said, "As for you, do not pray for this people, do not raise a cry o f prayer on their behalf, do not plead [tifga] w i th M e " (Jeremiah 7:16).

The Sages linked the prayers to the sacrifices, and established the time o f the prayer as the time o f the corresponding sacrifice.

The time of the Shacharit prayer is unt i l midday, for the morning continual-offering may be offered unt i l midday. According to Rabbi Yehudah, who was of the opinion that i t could be offered only during the first four

56 Aggadatah 34

hours of the day, the time of Shacharit is during the first four hours.

The time of the Minchah prayer is unt i l the evening, for the afternoon continual offering may be offered unt i l the evening. According to Rabbi Yehudah, who was of the opinion that i t could be offered unt i l pelag ha-minhah [1 1/4 hours before sunset], the time of Minchah is unt i l pelag ha-minchah.

The time of the Maariv prayer is the entire night, for the parts of the burnt-offering and the fat-pieces of the other sacrifices, the blood of which was dashed before sunset and which were not consumed before the evening, could be offered the entire night.

The time of the additional Mussaf prayer is the entire day, for the Mussaf-sdicvifice could be offered the entire day. According to Rabbi Yehudah, who was of the opinion that i t could be offered only during the first seven hours o f the day, the time of Mussaf is during the first seven hours.

*

Rav happened to be in the home of Geniva, and he recited the Sabbath night Maariv before Sabbath eve ]following the opinion of Rabbi Yehudah, that the time of Minchah is unt i l pelag ha-minchah, and when the time of Minchah ends, the time of Maariv begins.

Rabbi Yermiyah bar Abba came, and he stood behind h im and recited the weekday Minchah prayer. [Although i t is forbidden for a pupi l to pray behind his teacher, Rabbi Yermiyah was Rav5s fellow scholar as well as his pupil .]

While he was praying, Rav completed his prayer, but he did not step in front of Rabbi Yermiyah in order to sit down in his place. Rather, he remained standing unt i l


Rabbi Yermiyah completed his prayer. [ I t is forbidden to walk in front of someone praying the Shemoneh Esreh, for this would form a part i t ion between the person and the Divine Presence, and disturb his concentration.]

When Rabbi Yermiyah completed his prayer, he said to his student, "Have you kept yourself from forbidden Sabbath labor? For you have accepted upon yourself an addition to Sabbath time [preceding sunset] in your prayer. י י

He replied, "Yes, I have restrained myself."

*

Rabbi recited the Sabbath Maariv on the eve o f the Sabbath, went into the bathhouse, and taught his daily lesson to his pupils, yet i t still was not dark.

Al though the Sages prohibited washing wi th hot water on the Sabbath, Rabbi entered only to sweat, for at that time, the prohibi t ion against sweating in the bathhouse had not yet been instituted. [Ini t ia l ly, people would bathe on the Sabbath in hot water that had been heated before the Sabbath. Then the bathhouse attendants began to heat the water on the Sabbath itself, claiming that i t had been heated previously. Thus, washing became prohibited, while sweating was permitted. But people would then wash on the Sabbath, claiming that they were merely sweating. A t that point , sweating was prohibited and the use o f the hot waters o f Tiberias was permitted. People then continued to wash in water heated by fire, claiming that they washed in the waters of Tiberias. So the waters o f Tiberias were prohibited, and i t was permitted to wash in cold water. Finally, when the Sages saw that the people were not capable of maintaining the total prohibi t ion against using hot water, the use o f the waters o f Tiberias was permitted,

58 Aggadatah 34

while the prohibi t ion against sweating remained in effect.]

*

Abbaye permitted Rav D i m m i bar Liva i to smoke wicker baskets wi th sulfur in order to whiten them [or to whiten the clothes wi th in them] after he had recited the Sabbath [Maariv] prayer on Friday afternoon. The reason for this was that Rav D i m m i erred on a cloudy day: he thought that i t was already dark, and then the sun came out once again, and the additional time he had added to the Sabbath was based on this error. Rav D i m m i was required to recite the Sabbath night prayer once again.

I f a congregation errs on a cloudy day, we do not require them to repeat the prayer. As Avidan said: "One time, the skies were covered wi th thick clouds and the people thought that night had fallen. They entered the synagogue and recited the [Maariv] prayer for the conclusion o f the Sabbath on the Sabbath itself. When the clouds dispersed and the sun shone, they came and asked Rabbi, who said: 'Since they prayed, their prayer is val id. ' "


27b 35. A Disagreement for the Sake of Heaven

I t once happened that a pupi l came before Rabbi Yehoshua. " M y master, is the Maariv prayer optional [implying that a person who is occupied wi th another religious obligation is therefore exempt from this prayer], or is i t obligatory?'י

He replied, " I t is opt ional ." He came before Rabban Gamliel , and asked, "Is the

Maariv prayer optional or obligatory?' י

" I t is obligatory," he replied. He said, "But Rabbi Yehoshua to ld me that i t is

opt ional ." He responded, "Wa i t unt i l the debaters [the scholars

who debate points of law wi th each other] enter the Study H a l l . "

When the debaters entered, the pupi l stood and asked, "Is the Maariv prayer optional or obligatory?"

Rabban Gamliel said, " I t is obligatory," and then he asked the scholars, "Is there anyone who disagrees wi th me in this matter?"

Rabbi Yehoshua replied, " N o . " He said to h im, "But i t was said in your name that i t is

optional!" He continued, "Yehoshua, stand on your feet and let them testify against you!"

Rabbi Yehoshua stood on his feet and said, " I f I were alive and he dead, the l iving one could contradict the dead one. But now that I am alive and he is alive, how can a l iving person contradict another l iving person? [ A n d I admit that I erred when I said that i t was opt ional . ]"

Rabban Gamliel was sitting and expounding, while Rabbi Yehoshua was standing, unt i l all the people

60 Aggadatah 35

became rebellious and said to Chutzpit ha-Turgeman: "Silence!" and he was silent.

[I t was customary then for the teacher to expound in Hebrew while an interpreter stood next to h im and translated the discourse into Aramaic, the common language at the time. When Rabban Gamliel expounded, they did not dare to silence h im, but when the interpreter came to translate, they silenced him:]

They murmered, "For how long w i l l he [Rabban Gamliel] continue to cause h im [Rabbi Yehoshua] to suffer? [He decreed that Rabbi Yehoshua come to h im wi th his staff and bag on the day which,according to Rabbi Yehoshua's reckoning, was actually Y o m Kippur , to demonstrate to all that i t was not.] Regarding the firstborn, in the case of Rabbi Tzadok, he caused h im to suffer. [A firstborn lamb was born to Rabbi Tzadok. The vessel from which i t was fed had sharp edges, and the lamb's l ip was split, making i t unfit as a sacrifice. Rabbi Tzadok asked Rabbi Yehoshua i f i t was permitted, because the defect was not caused intentionally. But Rabbi Tzadok also asked Rabban Gamliel. He prohibited its use, so that people would not come to cause a defect wi th their hands, thereby contradicting Rabbi Yehoshua's opinion]. Here, too, he caused h im to suffer. Let us remove him from his position!

" W h o m shall we install in his place? Shall we install Rabbi Yehoshua? He is the aggrieved party! [He is liable to increase the suffering of Rabban Gamliel, and, in addition, people are liable to think that Rabbi Yehoshua disagreed with Rabban Gamliel only in order to be appointed in his place].

"Should we install Rabbi Ak iva — [Rabban Gamliel's anger] might cause h im to be punished, for he has no ancestral merits. [He was the descendant o f Sisera, who converted.].


"Rather, let us install Rabbi Eleazar ben Azariah, who is both wise, wealthy, and a tenth-generation descendant of Ezra:

"He is wise — so that i f he w i l l be asked difficult questions, he w i l l respond to them.

"He is wealthy — so that i f the Emperor w i l l demand money, he w i l l be able to give i t , and therefore the Emperor w i l l not delay his appointment, because he knows that Rabbi Eleazar w i l l bring h im gifts.

"He is a tenth-generation descendant of Ezra — and has ancestral merit, and w i l l not be harmed by Rabban Gamlie l ."

They came and said to Rabbi Eleazar ben Azariah: "Is our master wil l ing to be Head of the Academy?"

He replied, " I w i l l go and consult the members of my household. י י

He went and consulted his wife. She to ld h im, "Perhaps [when they f ind someone else] they w i l l depose you?"

He replied to her, " 'Let a person use a precious cup one day — and let i t break the following day/ " [Which is to say, it is worthwhile to enjoy the use o f a precious cup even for a single day, whether or not i t breaks afterwards.]

Finally she said to h im, " Y o u do not have white hair; i t is more fi t t ing for someone who expounds the Torah to be o l d . "

A t that time he was eighteen years old. A miracle occurred, and he sprouted a beard wi th eighteen rows of white hair, a sign from Heaven in favor of his appointment. This is the meaning o f what he said [when discussing wi th the Sages whether the Exodus from Egypt is to be mentioned at night]: "Behold, I am as a seventy-year-old man," and not "a seventy-year-old man . י When the Sages went in to Rabbi Dosa ben י

62 Aggadatah 35

Harkynas, who was very old , he saw Rabbi Eleazar ben Azariah, and applied to h im the verse, " '1 have been young, and now am o ld ' (Psalms 37:25). '1 have been young' — when I saw Ezra the Scribe; 'and now am o ld ' — now that I see Rabbi Eleazar, whose face resembles that of Ezra. Furthermore, Rabbi Eleazar is young — but appears to be o l d . "

Rabbi Akiva sat, distressed. He said, " N o t because he is greater in Torah than I , but because he is of better lineage. Happy is the person who enjoys the merit o f his ancestors! Happy is the person who has a foundation on which to base himself!"

What was this "foundat ion" of Rabbi Eleazar ben Azariah? — that he was a tenth-generation descendant of Ezra.

On the same day that Rabbi Eleazar was appointed, the gatekeeper of the Study H a l l was removed, and the students were given permission to enter, for unt i l then, not everyone had been granted permission. Rabban Gamliel had declared: " A n y pupi l whose inner qualities are not as his exterior appearance may not enter the Study H a l l . " Rabban Gamliel was o f the opinion that teaching a pupi l who is unworthy is like throwing a stone to Mercury [i.e., engaging in idolatry]. Rabbi Eleazar, on the other hand, was of the opinion that a person was not to be closely examined, unless i t were known that he was not worthy, for even i f he studied Torah not for its own sake, i t would lead h im to study for its own sake.

That same day many benches were added in the Study Hal l : some say four hundred, while others say seven hundred.

Rabban Gamliel was grieved by this. He said, "Perhaps I kept Torah away from Israel...."

In a dream he was shown white pitchers filled wi th


dirt , to hint to him that those students whose inner self was not consistent wi th their external appearance were like these pitchers: white on the outside, and black on the inside. Even though Rabban GamliePs opinion had been incorrect, he was shown this by Heaven to relieve his mind. [And indeed, the pupils who came that day were not worthy ones.]

That day they studied in the Study H a l l the Tractate o f Eduyot, most of which consists of testimonies regarding laws transmitted from one person to another. Every place in the Talmud in which the phrase "on that day" is used, the reference is to this day. Not a single law remained undecided in the study hall; they all were interpreted.

Even Rabban Gamliel d id not keep himself from the Study H a l l , not even for a single hour. As we have learned:

That day Yehudah, an Ammoni te convert, came before them in the Study H a l l and asked i f he were permitted to enter into the assembly.

Rabban Gamliel said to h im, " Y o u are forbidden to enter into the assembly."

Rabbi Yehoshua said to h im, " Y o u are permitted to enter into the assembly/י

Rabban Gamliel said to h im , "But i t is said, ' A n Ammonite or a Moabite shall not enter into the assembly o f the L o r d 5 (Deuteronomy 23:4)."

%Rabbi Yehoshua said to h im, " A n d do A m m o n and Moab reside in their places? Sennacherib, K ing of Assyria, came and intermingled all the nations, as i t is said, ' I have removed the bounds o f the peoples' (Isaiah 10:13), and 'whoever separated himself separated from the majority. ' [I.e., i f a small quantity o f prohibited people mingled wi th permitted people and left the place o f the mingling, i t is regarded as i f he left the

64 Aggadatah 35

majority, and the majority of the wor ld does not consist of Ammonites] . י י

Rabban Gamliel answered h im, "But i t has already been said, 'But afterward I w i l l bring back the captivity of the children o f A m m o n ' (Jeremiah 49:6) — and they have already come back."

Rabbi Yehoshua said to h im, "But i t has already been said, ' A n d I w i l l return the captivity of M y people IsraeP (Amos 9:14) — they have not yet returned, but they wi l l return; the Ammonites also wi l l return to their place."

They immediately permitted h im to enter into the assembly, and Rabban Gamliel said, "This being the case, I w i l l go and be reconciled wi th Rabbi Yehoshua."

When he came to his house, he saw that the walls were black.

He said to h im, " I t can be seen from the walls of your house that you are charcoal-maker [according to another interpretation: a blacksmith; both were low-paying occupations]."

"Rabbi Yehoshua answered, "Woe to the generation whose leader you are! Woe to the ship whose captain you are! For you do not know the troubles of Torah scholars, how they earn a livelihood, and from what they eat!"

" " I agree wi th you, forgive me," Rabban Gamliel replied, but Rabbi Yehoshua paid no attention to h im.

He implored h im, " D o this for the sake of Father's honor! Rabban Gamliel was a fifth-generation] י,descendant o f Hi l le l , who traced his lineage to King David.] They were reconciled.

" " W h o wi l l inform the Sages that we have been reconciled?" they wondered.

A washer said to them, " I w i l l go." So Rabbi Yehoshua sent a message to the Study Hal l :

"The one who is accustomed to wear a uniform shall


wear a uniform; but shall the one who did not wear a uniform say to the one who is accustomed to wear a uniform, 'Remove your uniform, that I may wear i t ' ?" [I.e., that Rabban Gamliel, who was from the line of Nesi'im, should return to his position o f Nasi, rather than Rabbi Eleazar ben Azariah.]

Rabbi Ak iva said to the Sages: "Close the doors, so that the servants of Rabban Gamliel w i l l not come and distress the Sages."

Rabbi Yehoshua said, " I t is better that I arise and go to them. י He came and knocked on the door, and to י ld them, " A sprinkler, the son of a sprinkler, shall sprinkle. A n d shall the one who is neither a sprinkler nor the son of a sprinkler say to the sprinkler who is a son o f a sprinkler, 'Your water is bitter, and your ashes are roasted ashes'? " [I.e., a priest whose father would sprinkle the water of the sin-offering is certainly worthy to sprinkle, but it is inconceivable that someone who is not a priest who sprinkles, nor the son o f a priest who sprinkled, shall say to a priest who sprinkles, the son of a priest who sprinkled, "The water that you sprinkle is bitter and foul , and your ashes are plain ashes which have been roasted in an oven, rather than of a red heifer."] Rabbi Yehoshua sought to hint to them that Rabban Gamliel was of royal descent, suitable for wearing regal garb, while Rabbi Eleazar ben Azariah was of priestly lineage. Just as i t is not proper for a king to assume the priesthood — as we have seen regarding King Uzziah, who burnt the incense, and became a leper as a result — so, too, it is not proper for a priest to assume kingship. For the Hasmonean kings, who were priests, were punished for having taken the throne. The verse "The scepter shall not depart from Judah" (Genesis 49:10) is interpreted as referring to the Exilarchs in Babylon, and "nor the ruler's staff from

66 Aggadatah 35

between his feet" (ibid.) as referring to the descendants of Hi l le l . ]

Rabbi Akiva then said to h im, "Rabbi Yehoshua! Have you been reconciled? A l l that we have done has been in your honor, [but i f you have been reconciled,] tomorrow you and I w i l l go early to his door."

They said, "What shall we do? Shall we depose Rabbi Eleazar? But we follow the principle that 'We ascend in holy matters, and do not descend. י

" I f Rabban Gamliel were to expound one Sabbath and Rabbi Eleazar the following Sabbath, this is liable to arouse jealousy. Rather, let Rabban Gamliel expound two Sabbaths, followed by Rabbi Eleazar, who shall expound one Sabbath." [For Rabban Gamliel had already held this post, and came from the line of Nesi'im; Rabban Gamliel was restored to his position of Nasi, while Rabbi Eleazar was appointed the Head of the Rabbinical Court.]

The following related story is to ld about Rabbi Yochanan ben Beroka and Rabbi Eleazar Chisma when they went to receive Rabbi Yehoshua in Peki'in:

He said to them, "What new interpretation was learned today in the Study Hal l?"

They replied, "We are your pupils, and from your water we drink [what can we tell you that is new?]."

He said to them, "Nevertheless, i t is impossible that nothing new was taught in the Study Ha l l . Whose Sabbath was i t?"

They replied, " I t was the one o f Rabbi Eleazar ben Azar iah . י י

The pupi l who asked whether the Maariv prayer was optional or obligatory was Rabbi Shimon ben Yochai, in his youth.


28a 36. Adherence to the Torah and Its Students

When he had become too weak to study, Rabbi Zeira would go sit at the entrance to the Study H a l l of Rabbi Natan bar Tovi . He thought to himself, "When the scholars pass by, I shall arise in their honor and receive [spiritual] reward [for fulfi l l ing the commandment of " Y o u shall honor the face o f the old man" ] . "

Rabbi Natan bar Tov i came out and he asked h im, " W h o taught the law in the Study Hal l?"

Rabbi Natan replied, "Thus said Rabbi Yochanan: 'The law is not in accordance wi th Rabbi Yehudah, who said, " A person recites the Mussaf prayer, and afterwards recites the Minchah prayer'' [when he was late in reciting Mussaf and the time for Minchah had arrived]. ' "

He asked h im, "Rabbi Yochanan said this?" "Yes," he replied. [For he had learned this from h im

forty times.] He then asked h im, "Is it the only one for you, or is it

new for you [i.e., is this the only thing you learned from Rabbi Yochanan, and therefore you treasure i t so greatly that you repeated it forty times, or did you think that someone else had said i t , and you learned now that Rabbi Yochanan taught this law]?"

He replied, " I t is new for me, for I was in doubt —׳ perhaps Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi had said i t . "

68 Aggadatah 37

28b 37. The Lesson of Rav Yosef

Rav Yosef was the Head of the Academy of Pumbedita. He would deliver a discourse in the Study Hal l before the Mussaf prayer, and after the discourse, people would go to the synagogue to pray.

Rav Avya became weak [because he had not eaten], and did not come to the discourse. The following day, when he came, Abbaye wanted to satisfy Rav Yosef, so that the latter would not think that he was not interested in hearing his discourse.

Rav Yosef asked Rav Avya, " W h y did you not come to the discourse?"

He replied, " I was weak and could not come." He asked h im, " W h y didn' t you eat something and

come?" He replied, " D o you not agree wi th the law which was

stated by Rav Huna: ' A person may not eat anything before he has recited the Mussaf prayer'?"

He said, " Y o u should have recited the Mussaf prayer by yourself, eaten something, and come."

He replied, " D o you not agree wi th the law which was stated by Rabbi Yochanan: ' A person may not pray before the communal prayer'?"

He said to h im, "But it was stated about this: 'Rabbi Abba said, "This was taught regarding the congregation." י " [ I f he is in the synagogue wi th the congregation, he may not pray earlier, but i f he is in his house, he may do so.]


38. The Prayer of Rabbi Nechunya ben Hakanah

Rabbi Nechunya ben Hakanah would recite a short prayer upon entering or leaving the Study Hal l . [When the Sages saw this, they were surprised, because the law requires that a person enter the distance of two entranceways before praying, and they saw that he prayed as soon as he entered.] They said to h im, "What place is there for this prayer?"

He replied, "When I enter, I pray that no stumbling block should occur through me, and when I leave, I give thanks for my lo t . "

The Rabbis taught: " U p o n entering, what did he say? " M a y i t be Your w i l l , O L o r d my God, that no stumbling block should occur through me, that I shall not fail in a point o f law so that my colleagues rejoice because o f me, that I shall not declare the impure pure or the pure impure, and that my colleagues shall not fail in a point of law so that I w i l l rejoice because o f them.

" U p o n leaving, what d id he say?

"I thank You, O Lord my God, that You have put my lot with those who sit in the Study Hall, and that You did not put my lot with those who sit at the street corners. Both I and they arise early — I arise for words of Torah, and they arise for worthless things. Both I and they labor — I labor and receive reward, and they labor and do not receive reward. Both I and they run — I run to the World to Come, and they run to the nethermost Pit."

70 Aggadatah 39/40

39. The Will of Rabbi Eliezer the Great

When Rabbi Eliezer fell i l l and was about to pass away, his pupils entered to visit h im. They said to h im, "Our master! Teach us the ways of conduct, that we may merit life in the W o r l d to Come through them."

He said to them, "Be careful of the honor of your fellows; withhold from your children logic [the wisdom and philosophy of the non-Jews] and sit them between the knees of the scholars [while they are still l i t t le, so that their ears wi l l absorb words of Torah and good attributes]; and when you pray, know before W h o m you stand. For this you shall merit life in the W o r l d to Come."

40. The Death of Rabbi Yochanan ben Zakkai

When Rabbi Yochanan ben Zakkai fell i l l and was about to pass away, his pupils entered to visit h im.

When he saw them, he began to weep. They said to h im, "Our master, the lamp of Israel, the

right pillar [a reference to the two pillars Solomon erected in the Temple, the right one o f which was more important — Rabbi Yochanan ben Zakkai had saved some scholars from the destruction wreaked by Vespasian], the strong hammer [whose arguments were as strong as a hammer] — why are you weeping?"

He said to them, " I f I were being brought before a king of flesh and blood, who is here today and in the grave tomorrow; who, i f he were to be angry wi th me, his anger would not be eternal; who, i f he were to imprison me, his imprisonment would not be eternal; who, i f he were to have me put to death, this death would not be eternal; and I could appease him wi th words and bribe him wi th money — and nevertheless, I would weep...


"And now, that I am being brought before the King who rules over kings; the Holy One, blessed be He, who lives and exists forever and ever; who, if He were to be angry with me, His anger would be eternal; and if He were to imprison me, His imprisonment would be eternal; and if He were to put me to death, this death would be eternal; and I cannot appease Him with words or bribe Him with money [for in the W o r l d to Come i t is not possible to pray or to give charity, which protects a person]...

A n d , in addition, there are two paths before me, one of the Garden of Eden and the other o f Gehinnom, and I do not know on which I am being led — should I not weep?"

They said to h im, "Our master, bless us!" " M a y it be His wi l l that the fear of Heaven be upon you,

like the fear of flesh and b lood ." "This much [and not more than the fear o f flesh and

blood]?" He replied, " O , that i t were so [that i t would be as the

fear o f flesh and blood]! Know, that when a person commits a sin [in secret], he says, 'That no person w i l l see me.... " י

A t the hour of his death, he to ld them, "Remove the vessels because of the impuri ty [caused by a corpse throughout the building], and prepare a chair for K ing Hezekiah, who comes to accompany me."

72 Aggadatah 41

41. The Shemoneh Esreh Prayer

Ezra and the Men of the Gsreat Assembly instituted that a silent prayer of eighteen blessings is to be recited every day. Many years later, when the Sages saw that the heretics and unbelievers increased, they added another blessing, the Sadducee Blessing [the twelfth blessing, which begins, A n d for the slanderers... י .[י

To what do these blessings correspond? Rabbi Hi l le l said that they correspond to the eighteen

times the Lord is mentioned by David in Psalms 29; and the Sadducee Blessing corresponds to the God of glory thunders י י (ibid.).

Rav Yosef said that they correspond to the eighteen times the Divine Name is mentioned in the reading of the Shema, and the Sadducee Blessing corresponds to the word One" in the first verse of the Shema.

Rabbi Tanchum said that they correspond to the eighteen disks in the spinal column, and the Sadducee Blessing corresponds to the smallest disk — because the worshiper must bend [at the appropriate place] unt i l all the disks in the spinal cord are visible.

The Rabbis taught: Shimon Ha־Pako l i [the cotton dealer] arranged the Eighteen Blessings before Rabban Gamliel according to the order in Yavneh [because they had forgotten the order of the blessings, and he reestablished i t ] . "

Rabban Gamliel said to the Sages: Is there no man who is capable of instituting the Sadducee Blessing?"

Shmuel H a ־ K a t a n arose and established it [by Divine inspiration].


I n another year, when he stood at the Reader's lectern [to lead the prayer], he forgot it [for i t was originally recited only on a communal fastday]. After several hours of contemplation, he recalled the blessing and completed his prayer. Even though Rav Yehudah had said, I f the Reader errs in the Sadducee Blessing, he is replaced, lest he has become a heretic," they waited for Shmuel and did not replace h im. Abbaye said that this was because Shmuel himself had instituted i t . Rava said i t was because he had begun the blessing, and had merely forgotten its conclusion.

74 Aggadatah 42

29b 42. The Travelers Prayer

The prophet Elijah saw Rav Yehudah, the brother of Rav Sala he-Chasid, and ordered h im to adopt three good habits. He said to him: D o not become angry, and you wi l l not sin.

D o not be filled wi th pleasure, and you wi l l not sin. A n d when you set out on the way, consult your Maker

and go fo r th . י י

What is the meaning o f consult your Maker and go f o r t h " [i.e., can a person ask Heaven whether or not he is going on a good path]?

Rabbi Yaakov said in the name of Rav Chasda: This refers to the Traveler's Prayer."

*

Rav Chasda and Rav Sheshet were going on the way. Rav Chasda stood up to recite the Traveler's Prayer [for he thought that i t is necessary to stop walking and stand in order to recite i t ] .

Rav Sheshet [who was bl ind] asked h im, What is Rav Chasda doing?"

Standing and praying," he replied. He said to h im, Help me to get up and I also wi l l pray.

Even though, in my opinion, a person may continue walking and pray, since my company is standing in any event, 'Rather, you should be good, do not be called bad.' "


30a 43. Complete Prayer

When Levi and the father o f Shmuel wanted to set out on a journey, they would pray early, before sunrise, and they would read the Shema later, at its proper time. For they considered i t preferable to pray while standing than to juxtapose the mention of Redemption [after the reading of the Shema] to Prayer [the Shemoneh Esreh], and while on the way, they could not stand.

Merimar and Mar Zutra were expounders o f the law, each in his city. I t was their custom to expound each Sabbath preceding a Festival, so that the people would know the laws pertaining to the Festival. That Sabbath the people would go in the morning to the Study H a l l . When the time for reading the Shema arrived, they would read, the expounder would deliver his discourse, and the people would slip away and pray individually. I n order that they would not lose the opportunity to j o i n in the communal prayer as well as the juxtaposition of Redemption to Prayer, Merimar and Mar Zutra would assemble ten men before they went to the discourse and pray wi th a quorum.

Rav Ashi was the Head of the Academy in the city o f Mahseia. He also would deliver a discourse on these Sabbaths, but he would not pray before the discourse. Rather, in the middle o f the discourse, when the time for reading the Shema arrived, he would whisper a great deal to the interpreter to translate, and while the interpreter was speaking to the audience, he would read the Shema, thus jo in ing Redemption to the Shemoneh Esreh Prayer. He would recite the Shemoneh Esreh while sitting, so as not to trouble the public to stand for h im, and also, so that the people

76 Aggadatah 43

would not realize that he was not paying attention to the interpreter, which would have caused them to doubt what he said. When he returned to his home, he would pray once again, to himself.

The Sages said to h im, Y o u should do as Merimar and Mar Zutra, and not pray alone."

I t is difficult for me to delay those who come to the Study H a l l unt i l I pray," he answered.

Then do as the father of Shmuel and Levi , who pray before the day in their homes, standing. Thus, you wi l l not have to pray twice; the jo ining of Redemption to the Shemoneh Esreh is not a sufficient reason for not doing so, for the Shemoneh Esreh was already recited [and therefore there is no requirement to j o i n i t to Redemption] before the time for the reading of the Shema."

I have not seen the Sages who are older than I do so when they deliver a discourse," he replied. The father of Shmuel and Levi acted in this manner because i t was not possible afterwards for them to pray while standing and wi th proper concentration, due to the trouble o f the journey. When, however, i t is possible to j o i n Redemption to the Shemoneh Esreh, although sitting, and afterwards to pray once again while standing — this is preferable. י י


Chapter Five

30b 44. And Rejoice with Trembling

Abbaye was sitting before Rabbah, and Rabbah saw that he was in an extremely cheerful mood. He said to h im, I t is writ ten, ' A n d rejoice wi th trembling 5 (Psalms 2:11)!"

I am wearing tefillin" Abbaye replied. They testify that the dominion and reign of my Maker are upon me."

*

Rabbi Yermiyah was sitting before Rabbi Zeira. Rabbi Zeira saw that he was in an extremely cheerful mood. He said to h im, I t is writ ten, ' F rom all sorrow there is gain' (Proverbs 14:23)!"

I am wearing tefillin" he replied.

*

Mar the son o f Ravina made a banquet for the wedding of his son. He saw that the Sages were jok ing excessively. Fearing lightheadedness, he brought an expensive glass cup wor th four hundred zuz, and he broke i t before them. They were then grieved.

* Rav Ashi made a banquet for the wedding o f his son. He

saw that the Sages were jok ing excessively, so he brought an extremely expensive white glass cup [which was very difficult to obtain after the destruction of the Temple]. He proceeded to break i t before them, and they were grieved [for the Sages remembered their situation — living after the Destruction].

78 Aggadatah 44

The Sages said to Rav Hamnuna Zu t i during the wedding banquet of Mar the son of Ravina, Sing for us."

He said to them, Woe to us, for we shall die! Woe to us, for we shall die!"

They asked h im, What shall we respond after you?" Where is the Torah and where is the commandment

that shall protect us!" he answered. [I.e., have we studied a sufficient amount o f Torah, or have we engaged in the commandments properly that they wi l l protect us from the judgment of Gehinnom? He wanted them to understand that the purpose of weddings is to maintain the existence of the wor ld . They are necessary because Adam was punished by being made mortal . Therefore, i t was actually proper on that occasion to recall the day o f death and for each one to examine his deeds.]

*

Rabbi Yochanan said in the name of Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai: A person is forbidden to fill his mouth wi th laughter in this wor ld , as i t is said, 'Then our mouth w i l l be filled wi th laughter, and our tongue wi th singing' (Psalms 126:2). When w i l l this be? When 'They wi l l say among the nations: The L o r d has done great things wi th these" (ibid.)9 " [ In the future, in the Messianic era when the Evil Inclination w i l l be nullified and there w i l l be no fear that laughter w i l l lead to a strengthening o f the Evi l Inclination, then our mouth w i l l be filled wi th laughter.]

I t was said about Reish Lakish that after he heard this from his teacher Rabbi Yochanan he never again filled his mouth with laughter during his entire lifetime.


31a 45. Taking One's Leave while Discussing the

Law

M a r i , the grandson of Rav Huna, the son o f Rabbi Yermiyah, the son of Abba, taught: A person should take leave o f his fellow only while discussing a point o f law, because by this he w i l l remember h im. [By thinking of what he to ld h im, i t is as i f he continues to accompany his fellow, as well as causing h im to remember other interpretations connected wi th the same subject]."

So i t was when Rav Kahana accompanied Rav Shimmi bar Ashi on the way from the river embankment to the place o f the palm trees in Babylon. i

When they arrived there, he said to h imi Is i t true what people say, that these palm trees have been here since the time of Adam [and since they were created during the six days of Creation, the blessing, plessed be the One who makes the work of Creation" is to be recited upon seeing them]?"

He responded, You have reminded me i f a teaching o f Rabbi Yose the son of Rabbi Hanina:

'What is the meaning o f the verse, Through a land that no man passed though, and where no man dwelled" (Jeremiah 2:6) — i f no one passed through, how could anyone dwell there? I

'Rather, this comes to tell you, that dvery land that Adam decreed would be settled woi^ld indeed be settled, and every land that Adam did not decree to be settled was not settled [and therefore ^\dam decreed that palm trees would be grown here. TJiese particular

80 Aggadatah 46

trees, however, are not from that period, and the blessing is not be recited over them]. ' "

46. Troubling the Congregation

Rabbi Yehudah said: Thus was the custom of Rabbi Akiva : when he prayed wi th the congregation, he would shorten his prayer, to avoid troubling them. But when he prayed by himself, a person would leave h im in one corner and f ind h im in another corner. What caused this? — his bowings and kneelings."


31b 1 47. The Prayer of Hannah

And she vowed a vow, and said: O Lord of Hojsts, if You will indeed look upon the affliction of Your handmaid,! and remember me, and not forget Your handmaid, but will give to Your handmaid a male child, then I will give him to the Lord all the days of his life...." j

Now Hannah, she spoke in her heart ... therefore Eli thought she was drunk. Eli said to her, How long will you be drunk? Put away your wine from you." j

Hannah answered and said: No, my lord, I am a woman of a sorrowful spirit; I have drunk neither wine nor strong drink...."

I Samuel 1:11-15

Rabbi Eleazar said: F rom the day that the Holy One, blessed be He, created His wor ld , no one (failed the Ho ly One, blessed be He, 'Hosts' un t i l H a n n i h called H i m 'Hosts. '

Hannah said to the Holy One, blessed be He: 'Master o f the universe! Out of all the multitude of hosts that Y o u created in Your wor ld , is i t so difficult ih Your eyes to give me a single son?'

To what may this be compared? To a a fjesh-and-blood king who made a banquet for his servants. A poor man came and stood at the door. He said to them, 'Give me a single piece,' but they paid no attentioiji to h im. He pushed his way inside and stood before the king, and said to h im, ' M y lord the king! Out o f the entire banquet you have made, is i t so difficult in your eyes to give me a single piece?' j

Hannah said, ' I f You wi l l indeed look [ra\oh tirehY — i f Y o u look [ra'oh], good; and i f not, you w i l l see {tirehY I am capable o f closeting myself wi th a stranger away from my husband Elkanah. Since I closeted myself, they w i l l give me the water of the sot ah to drink; then Y o u wi l l not make Your Torah false, as i t says, 'Th^n she shall be

82 Aggadatah 47

cleared, and she shall conceive seed' (Numbers 5:28)— i f i t becomes clear that she is innocent, she shall conceive seed" ־ i f she is barren, she w i l l conceive. [ I do not choose this method, however, because of the prohibi t ion o f being alone wi th another man, and also, so that the Name of the L o r d wi l l not be effaced on the water. By my merit for not doing so, please look upon my affliction]. י

Three times in her prayer Hannah mentioned the phrase 'Your handmaid': 'the affliction of Your handmaid,' 'and not forget Your handmaid,' and 'but wi l l give to Your handmaid.' She said to H i m : 'Master of the Universe! You created three tests o f death [a woman is examined for three things in time of danger, and i f she is found negligent in one of them, she shall die], namely: family purity, the taking of challah, and the lighting o f the Sabbath lamp.

'Have I transgressed any of these [and therefore Y o u do not want to give me a son, so that I w i l l not come into danger during labor]?' "

But w i l l give to Your handmaid a male child [literally, o f men"]" — an important person, worthy of being counted among men.

Shmuel [the Amora] said: Seed which anoints two men [i.e., he w i l l anoint two kings. Her prayer was fulfilled, for Samuel anointed Saul and Dav id ] . "

Rabbi Yochanan said: Seed that is equal to two men — Moses and Aaron, as i t is said, 'Moses and Aaron among His priests, and Samuel among those that call upon His Name' (Psalms 99:6)."

The Sages said: Seed that is not noticed among men." When Rav D i m m i came, he explained this [the above

statement]: Neither tal l nor short, neither small nor large, neither white nor red, neither wise nor foolish."


Now Hannah, she spoke in her hear t י 5 : Rabbi Eleazar said in the name o f Rabbi Yose ben Zimra:

About matters on her heart. She said to H i m : 'Master of the Universe! Everything that You creajted in woman has a purpose: eyes to see, ears to hear, aj nose to smell, a mouth to speak, hands wi th which to do work, feet wi th which to walk, breasts f rom which tjo nurse. These breasts, which You have placed on my heart, for what are they? Are they not to nurse from? Give jme a son that I may nurse from them.' " j

Since, at the time she said this she motioned wi th her hands over her heart, this appeared strange to E l i — therefore E l i thought she was drunk. E l i said to her, ' H o w long wi l l you be drunk? Put away ))our wine from you. ' " 1

Hannah answered and said: 'No , my master' " — Y o u are not a master regarding this matter, apd you do not have Divine inspiration, because you Suspect me of this.

According to another interpretation, she' said to h im as follows: Have you no Divine inspiration, f;hat you judge me unfavorably rather than favorably. A p d do you not see that I am a woman of a sorrowful spirit? I have drunk neither wine nor strong d r ink . "

[According to a th i rd interpretation, sh^ said: No , my lord! As Sarah [כשרה]!" For E l i had aspced the U r i m ve־Tumim about her, and the letters ,ה, כ, ש and ר had been illuminated. He joined them to form the word שכרה [drunk], when he should have joined them to form the word כשרה — as Sarah our mother who was barren, or ,כשרה fit in her deeds. Therefore she wondered why he did not judge her favorably.]

I And it came to pass, when the time was come about, that Hannah

conceived, and bore a son.... And when she had weaned him, she took him up with her, with three bullocks ... and broiight him to the

84 Aggadatah 47

house of the Lord in Shiloh ... And when the bullock was slain, the child was brought to Eli.

She said, "O, my lord, as your soul lives, my lord, I am the woman that stood by you here, praying to the Lord. For this child I prayed...

I Samuel 1:20-27

For this child I prayed" — Rabbi Eleazar said: Samuel dared to teach the law before his teacher, for it says, 4 A n d when the bullock was slain, the child was brought to E l i . Was the child brought to E י l i because the bullock was slaughtered? Rather, when they brought the bullock to be sacrificed, E l i said to them, 'Call a priest to come and slaughter i t . '

Samuel saw that they were searching for a priest to slaughter i t . He said to them, 'Why are you searching for a priest to do the slaughtering? Slaughtering by a nonpriest [a Levite or an Israelite] is also acceptable.'

They brought h im before E l i , who asked h im, ' H o w do you know this?'

He replied, 'Is i t said, A n d the priest shall slaughter"? Rather, i t is written, A n d the priests ... shall offer" (Leviticus 1:5) — from the acceptance of the blood onwards is the task of the priest; i t follows from this that slaughtering by a nonpriest is acceptable.'

El i said to h im, 'You have spoken well, but you have dared to teach the law before your teacher, and whoever teaches the law before his teacher is liable the death penalty.'

Hannah came and shouted before h im, ' I am the woman that stood by you here! ...'

He said to her, 'Let me punish h im, and I w i l l ask for mercy from the Lord , that He give you a son greater than this one.'

She replied, 'For this child I prayed.' "


85

32a j 48. The Golden Calf and the Prayer of Moses

These are the words which Moses spoke to all Israel beyond the Jordan; in the wilderness, in the Aravah, ovef against Suph, between Paran and Tophel, and Lavan, and j Hazeroth, and Di-zahav.

Deuteronomy 1:1

What is the meaning of and D i - z a h a v ' לI t was said in the Study H a l l o f Rabbi Yaiinai: Thus spoke

Moses before the Ho ly One, blessed be! He: Master o f the Universe! The silver and the gold [zaîav] which Y o u have given in abundance to Israel upt i l they said, 'Enough [dai]\\ that is what has caused the Golden Calf ."

The l ion does not roar [from joy , and! cause damage] because of a heap of straw, but rathej because of a heap of meat.

Rabbi Oshaya said: This is like a man tyho had a lean cow wi th [large] limbs. He fed i t katshinin [animal fodder], and i t would kick h im. !

He said to i t , 'What caused you to ijick me — the karshinin? "

Rabbi Chiyya bar Abba said in the rjame of Rabbi Yochanan: This is like a man who had a ôn. He washed h im, anointed h im, gave h im food and dr i j ik , put a purse [of money] on his neck, and sat h im i lown opposite harlots. What should this son do, i f not sip?"

Rav Acha the son o f Rav Huna said in t(1e name of Rav Sheshet: This is what people say, 'The stbmach is filled — wi th all types o f evil sins.' "

Rabbi Shmuel bar Nachmani said in the name of Rabbi Yonatan: F rom where do we know that the Ho ly One, blessed be He, admitted this to Moses? As it is said, ' A n d

86 Aggadatah 48

I multiplied to her silver and gold, which they used for Baal' (Hosea 2:10)."

A n d the Lord spoke to Moses: 'Go , get down, for your people ... have dealt corruptly ' " (Exodus 32:7). What is the meaning of go, get down"?

Rabbi Eleazar said: The Ho ly One, blessed be He, said to Moses: 'Moses, go down from your greatness; I gave you greatness only on account of Israel. Now that Israel have sinned, why should you have greatness?'

Immediately Moses lost his strength, and he did not have the power to speak. When He said to h im, 'Let Me alone, that I may destroy them' (Deuteronomy 9:14), Moses said, 'This depends upon me.' He immediately stood and became stronger in prayer, and sought mercy.

This is similar to a f lesh־and־blood king who became angry wi th his son. He struck h im a mighty blow while his friend sat before h im, but he was afraid to say anything.

When the king said, ' I f i t were not for my friend who sits before me, I would k i l l you, ' the friend said, 'This depends on me,' and he immediately arose to save h i m . "

Now therefore let Me alone, that M y wrath may wax hot against them, and that I may consume them; and I w i l l make o f you a great na t ion" (Exodus 32:10) — Rabbi Abbahu said: I f this were not writ ten in the Torah, i t would be forbidden for us to say i t . This teaches that Moses grabbed hold, as i t were, o f the Ho ly One, blessed be He, as a person grabs hold o f his fellow by his garment, and said to H i m , 'Master o f the Universe, I shall not let Y o u alone unt i l Y o u pardon and forgive the iniquities of Israel.' "


A n d I w i l l make of you a great na t ion" — Rabbi Eleazar said: Moses said to the Ho ly One, tjlessed be He: 'Master of the Universe! Just as a chair wi th three legs [the merit o f the three Patriarchs] cannck stand before You in the hour of Your anger, how much more so a chair w i th one leg [my merit, for my children] cannot stand.

'Furthermore, I am ashamed in front of my fathers. Now they w i l l say: Look at the leader He has placed over them. He sought greatness for himself, j>ut he did not seek mercy for them." י "

A n d Moses implored [va-yechal] the Iôrd his G o d " (ibid., v . l l ) — Rabbi Eleazar said, Thfe teaches that Moses prayed unt i l he became i l l [chalah].]9

We have learned, Rabbi Eleazar the G^־eat says: This teaches that Moses prayed unt i l he yas seized by achilo". j

What is achilol Rabbi Eleazar said, ]?ire o f bones" [trembling seized h im, and his bones b u r i e d as i f a fire had taken hold of them]. !

Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, Your servants, to whom You did swear by Your own Self" (ibid., v. 13) — Rabbi Eleazar said: Moses said to tjie Ho ly One, blessed be He, ' I f Y o u had sworn to them by heaven and earth, I would have said, Just as heaven aijid earth are of transitory, so is Your oath transitory"; j iow that You

- just as Your ever, so, too,

have sworn to them by Your great Name -great Name lives and exists forever and your oath exists forever and ever.' "

A n d all this land that I have spoken o f ' (ibid.) — it should have read that You have spoken of" [sinc^ i t was Moses who was originally speaking]? Rabbi Eleazar said: Un t i l

88 Aggadatah 48

here were the words o f the pupi l [Moses]; from this point on are the words o f the Master."

Rabbi Shmuel bar Nachmani said: Both are the words of the pupi l , who spoke thusly: 'The things about which You said to me, Go speak them to Israel in my name," I went and I said them in Your Name [i.e., Moses quoting God] — now what shall I say to them?' "

Because the L o r d was not able [yekholet, the feminine verb f o r m ] " (Numbers 14:16) — should i t have said, the L o r d ... was able [yakhol, the masculine form]"?

Rabbi Eleazar said: Moses said to the Ho ly One, blessed be He, 'Now the nations of the wor ld w i l l say, His strength is exhausted, like a woman, and He is incapable of saving them." '

The Holy One, blessed be He, answered Moses, 'But have they not already seen the miracles and the mighty acts I performed for them at the sea?'

He said to H i m , 'Master o f the Universe, they still can say, He is capable of withstanding one king [Pharaoh]; He is not capable of withstanding thirty-one kings [who rule the land o f Canaan]." י "

Rabbi Yochanan said: F rom where do we know that the Ho ly One, blessed be He, agreed wi th Moses? As i t is said, ' I have pardoned according to your word ' (ibid., v.20)."

I t was taught i n the Study H a l l o f Rabbi Yishmael: according to your w o r d " — in days to come, the nations of the wor ld w i l l speak thusly. Happy is the pupi l whose master agrees wi th h im!

As I l ive" (ibid., v.21) — Rabbi Yitzchak said: This teaches that the Holy One, blessed be He, said to Moses: 'Moses, you have kept Me alive [in the eyes o f the nations] by your word . ' "

Tractate Berakhot 32b j 89

32b ! 49. Standing before the King

I t once happened that a pious person was praying while on the way, and a high government official greeted him. He did not return the greeting, however,!and the official waited for h im unt i l he finished his prayer.

After he finished, the man said to h im, foo l i sh fellow. I t is writ ten in your Torah, 'Only take heed to yourself, and guard your soul diligently' (Deuteronomy 4:9), and i t is writ ten, 'You shall be most careful to ^vatch yourself (ibid., v.15). When I greeted you, why di<^ you not return my greeting? I f I had cut off your head wi^h a sword, who would have blamed me?" !

He replied, Give me an opportunity to placate you. I f you were standing before a flesh-and-blood king, and your friend came and greeted you, would you return his greeting?"

N o , " he replied. ! A n d i f you had returned his greeting, What would they

have done to you?" j He replied, They would have cut off npy head wi th a

sword." ן He said to h im, There is a minor to major inference to be

learned here: I f you behave in this manner before a flesh-and-blood king, who is here todky and in the grave tomorrow, then when I stand before the K ing Who rules kings, the Ho ly One, blesse4 be He, Who lives and endures forever and ever, I certainly should act this way!"

The official immediately was reconciled, and he left the pious man in peace.

90 Aggadatah 50

33a 50. Rabbi Chanina ben Dosa and the Arvad

I t once happened that in a certain place an arvad [a type o f poisonous reptile] was menacing the people. They came and told this to Rabbi Chanina ben Dosa.

He said to them, Show me its hole." They went and showed h im its hole. He put his heel on the hole, and the arvad came forth

and bit h im. [The nature of the arvad was such that when it bit a person, i f the person reached water first, the arvad would die, and i f the arvad reached water first, the person would die.]

A miracle occurred for Rabbi Chanina ben Dosa: a spring burst forth under the soles o f his feet, and the arvad died.

They put h im on their shoulders and carried h im to the Study Hal l . He skid to them, See, my children, the arvad does not k i l l ; rather, i t is sin that k i l l s . "

A t that time they said: Woe to the person who encounters an arvad, and woe to the arvad that encounters Rabbi Chanina ben Dosa!


33b | 51. Proper Prayer

We have learned: " I f a person says, ' ^ lay Your mercy extend to the bird's nest,' he is silenced. [ l i e reveals that he intends to request mercy, saying, " Y o u ^re merciful and compassionate, and may Your mercy extend to the bird's nest. For You have said, ' Y o u shall surely l0t the mother go,' and afterwards, 'but the young, you may take to yourself (Deuteronomy 22:7), so that the mother shalll not see that her children are being taken and come to grieve. Similarly, be merciful to us." His eror lies in ascribing the reason for the commandment of Sending Away as being entirely explained by God's mercy]. I

What is the reason for this? ! I n the West [i.e., in the land o f Israel], Rabbi Yose bar

A v i n and Rabbi Yose bar Zevida disagreed regarding this law. One said: "Because he arouses jealousy wi th in the Creation by saying that He takes pi ty on thepe, implying that on all the other creatures He does not take p i ty . "

A n d the other one said: "Because he ascribes the attributes of the Holy One, blessed be He, as consisting solely of mercy, while actually they are strict decrees [for which no reason can be given] — for there are many commandments, the reason for which is Unknown to us."

I t once happened that someone was leading the prayers before Rabbah. He said, "Master of the Universe! Y o u took pity on the bird's nest. I n the same manner,!take pi ty and be compassionate towards us."

Rabbah said, " H o w greatly did this scholar know how to gratify his Maker." (

Abbaye said to h im, "But have we notj learned, 'He is silenced'?"

92 Aggadatah 51

Rabbah merely wanted to sharpen Abbaye's mind, to see i f he would answer as he did.

I t once happened that a person led the prayers before Rabbi Chanina, and he said: "The great, mighty, awesome, tremendous, strong, fearsome, powerful and brave, and certain and honored G o d . "

He waited unt i l he finished, and then Rabbi Chanina said to h im, "Have you completed all the praises of your Master? Why do you need so many praises? Even the three that we say ["the great, mighty, and awesome"] could not be said by us i f they had not been stated by Moses in the Torah (Deuteronomy 10:17), and i f the Men of the Great Assembly had not established them in the Shemoneh Esreh — and you add and state so many!?

"This is like a flesh-and-blood king who possessed a thousand thousands of gold dinarim, and who is praised on account o f his money — in fact, this is an insult to h i m ! "

Tractate Berakhot 34a/'34b 93

34a j 52. A Long Prayer and a Short Prayer

It once happened that a pupi l led the praytrs before Rabbi Eliezer, and he drew them out excessively[

His other pupils said to h im, "Our fas ter , what a protractor this one is!"

He answered them, "He does not protract any more than Moses, about whom i t was said, 'So I fell cjlown before the L o r d the forty days and the forty nights'j (Deuteronomy 9:25)!" |

I t happened on another occasion that a pupi l led the prayers before Rabbi Eliezer, and he shortened the prayers excessively. j

His pupils said to h im, "Our master, how brief are this one's prayers!"

He said to them, "He is no briefer than Moses, who, when he prayed for M i r i a m , said, 'Heal her now, O God, I beseech You [(Numbers 12:13) — five words in Hebrew]."

34b | 53. His Prayer is Fluent in His Mouth

I t was said of Rabbi Chanina ben Dosa thkt he would pray for the sick and then say, "This one w i l l live, ^nd this one wi l l die." i

They asked h im, " H o w do you know tlîs?" He replied, " I f my prayer is fluent in my rtiouth [ I do not

stutter, and all the entreaties I wish to include in my prayer flow from my heart into my mouth] , then i jknow that i t is accepted. I f not, I know that he is torn [his time is torn and he w i l l not l ive] . " '

94 Aggadatah 53

I t once happened that the son of Rabban Gamliel fell i l l . Two scholars were sent to Rabbi Chanina ben Dosa, that he ask for mercy for h im.

When he saw them [before he had asked them what they sought], he went up to the upper chamber and prayed for the boy.

When he descended, Rabbi Chanina said to them, " G o , for his fever has broken."

They said to h im, "Are you a prophet?" " I am neither a prophet nor the son o f a prophet," he

replied. "Rather this is what I have received: i f my prayer is fluent in my mouth, I know that it is accepted; and i f not, I know that he is t o rn . "

They sat and wrote what time this took place. When they returned and related this to Rabban Gamliel, he said to them, " B y the Temple service [the language of adjuration]! You neither detracted anything nor added anything. Rather, this is what happened: A t that hour [exactly], his fever broke and he asked for water to d r ink . "

I t happened on another occasion that Rabbi Chanina ben Dosa went to study Torah from Rabbi Yochanan ben Zakkai , and the latter's son fell i l l .

He said to h im, "Chanina my son, ask for mercy for h im, that he may l ive ."

He put his head between his knees and prayed for h im, and he lived.

Rabbi Yochanan ben Zakkai said, " I f ben Zakkai had put his head between his knees for the entire day, no attention would have been paid h im [in Heaven, to receive his prayer]."

His wife asked h im, "Is Chanina greater than you?" He replied, " N o , but he is like a servant before the King

[i.e., he is a member of the royal household, and enters and leaves without having to ask permission], while I am like a minister before the King [who is not accustomed to appear before him without permission]."

Tractate Berakhot 35b

1

95

Chapter Six 1

35b : 54. Make Your Torah Study a Fixed Habit

Our Rabbis have taught: "that you ma^ gather in your gra in" (Deuteronomy 11:14) — what does this come to teach us? '

According to what is writ ten, "This bojok o f the Torah shall not depart from your mouth, but yc)u shall meditate therein day and night" (Yehoshua 1:8), on^ could interpret literally [i.e., to be occupied the entire da^ in Torah study, rather than engaging in labor at all] .

"That you may gather in your gra in" therefore comes to teach: Deal wi th i t in the way of the wor^d [engage in the Torah together wi th wordly affairs, for! i f you are not occupied wi th your livelihood, you wi l l come to be dependent upon other people, and in the jend your Torah study wi l l be nullified as well]. This is the (^pinion o f Rabbi Yishmael. j

Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai says, "Is i t possible? Because i f a person plows at the time for plowing, soys at the time for sowing, reaps at the time of reaping, threshes at the time for threshing, and winnows at the time of the Wind, what w i l l be wi th his Torah study? j

"Rather, when Israel do the w i l l o f tl}e Master of the Universe, their labor is done by others, a£ i t is said, ' A n d strangers shall stand and feed your flocks' Îsaiah 61:5). But when Israel do not do the w i l l o f the Maste^r o f the Universe [i.e., they serve the L o r d wi th all their heart ^nd wi th all their soul, but not wi th all their might] , their labor is done by themselves, as i t is said, 'That you may gather in your grain. ' A n d not only this, the labor of others is also [done by them, as i t is said, 'Therefore you shall servp your enemy' (Deuteronomy 28:48)." I

96 Aggadatah 54

Abbaye said, "Many did in accordance wi th Rabbi Yishmael and they were successful; as Rabbi Shimon bar Yohai , and they were not successful [for his teaching is suitable only for exceptional individuals, who serve the L o r d wi th all their might ] . "

Rava said to the Sages: "Please do not come before me during the month of Nissan or during the month o f Tishrei, so that you wi l l not be troubled regarding your livelihood the entire year [for Nissan is the harvest season, and Tishrei is the month in which grapes are pressed for wine, and olives for o i l ] . "

Rabba bar bar Channah said, in the name of Rabbi Yochanan, in the name of Rabbi Yehudah the son of Rabbi I la i : "Come and see that the later generations are not like the early ones. The early generations made their Torah study a fixed habit, and their labor temporary — and both endured for them; the later generations made their labor a fixed habit and their Torah study temporary — and neither endured for them."

Rabba bar bar Channah also said, in the name of Rabbi Yochanan, in the name of Rabbi Yehudah the son o f Rabbi I la i : "Come and see that the later generations are not like the early ones. The early generations would bring their produce in through the gates of the courtyard and house, so that they would be liable tithes. The later generations bring their produce in through the roofs, through the courtyards, and through the enclosured spaces behind the house in order to exempt them from tithes, for Rabbi Yannai said, 'Tevel [produce from which tithes and terumah have not been taken] is not liable for tithes unt i l it sees the entranceway of the house' — therefore their produce is not blessed."


37a 55. Blessings for Enjoyment

We have learned: For whatever is from tljie Seven Species [with which the land of Israel was blessed], Rabban Gamliel says: "He blesses three blessings after i t . " A n d the Sages say: "One blessing, which contains tike essence of the three." j

I t once happened that Rabban Gamlielj and the Elders were dining in an upper chamber in Jericho. Dates were brought before them, and they ate. Rabbdn Gamliel gave Rabbi Ak iva permission to bless [for he thought that he would recite three blessings, in accordance wi th his teaching]. j

Rabbi Ak iva sprang up and recited the one Essence-of־Three blessing. I

Rabban Gamliel said to h im, " A k i v a , how long w i l l you stick your head into a disagreement?' ; י

He replied, "Our master, even though yqu say thus, and your colleagues say thus, you have taught jus, our master: ' [ I n a difference o f opinion between the (opinion of] an individual and [that of] the many, the law is as the majority. ' "

Our masters have taught: What does a person recite over bread? " . . . Who brings forth bread from the earth."

Rabbi Nechemiah says, 4"Brings for th [motzi] bread from the earth,' for 'Who brings forth [ha-\M0tz1J implies the future, while a person blesses over the i bread that has already come forth from the earth."

The Sages, however, are of the opinioiJ that ha-Motzi also refers to the past, and i t is preferable to separate

98 Aggadatah 55

between the final letter מ in the word ha-olam and the ini t ia l letter מ in the word motzi [which follows ha-olam].

The Sages praised the son of Rabbi Zevid, the brother o f Rabbi Shimon bar Rav Zevid, to Rabbi Zeira, saying that he was a great man, expert in the blessings.

He said to them: "When he comes to you, bring h im to יי _ _״me.

Once he happened to be wi th h im. He brought forth bread, and he began by reciting Motzi.

Rabbi Zeira said: "Is this the person about whom it was said that he is a great person, and expert in the blessings? I t would have been better i f he had said *,Ha-motzi9 for then he would have given us an interpretation and taught us a law:

"He would have given us an interpretation of the verse, ' A n d you shall know that I am the L o r d your God, who brought you out [ha-Motzi] from under the burdens o f the Egyptians' (Exodus 6:7), for the intent is not that He wi l l bring them out in the future, but rather, that He did miraculous acts for them so that they would know that He is the One who brought them out from Egypt.

" A n d he would have taught us a law: that the law follows the Sages, who state that 'ha-Motz? is to be recited.

" N o w that he recited, ''Motzi9 what new thing did he teach us?

"The son of Rav Zevid did so in order to remove himself from the disagreement. [For the person who says "Motzi" has fulfilled his obligation according to the Sages as well, for "Motzi" implies the past; however, he must take care to separate between the word ha-olam and the word motzi, so that i t w i l l not sound like a single word , and he was careful regarding this.]

*

I t once happened that two pupils were sitting before Bar Kappara. They brought before h im cabbage, dormaskin [a


type of boiled vegetable], and young hens. [In their time, i t was the custom to eat while reclining. Orie person would recite the blessing, thereby fulfi l l ing everyone's obligation to bless. The Tannaim disagreed which blessing, " W h o creates the fruit of the earth" or " for everything was created according to His w o r d , " is to be recited over cooked vegetables.]

Bar Kappara gave one o f them permission to recite the blessing. He made haste to recite the blessing over the young hens. [For he thought that the| blessing, "for everything was created according to His tyord" was to be recited over the cabbage and the dormaskik as well, and he blessed on the one he most preferred of the three.]

His fellow mocked him. [For he thought that the blessing " W h o creates the fruit of the earth!' is to be recited over them, and i f so, then he should have first recited the blessing over the vegetables.] Bar Kappark became angry [and addressed the mocker by himself, so p not to shame him before his fellow] and said: " I am not angry wi th the one who blessed, but rather wi th the one who mocked. I f your fellow seems as one who never tasted t}he taste of meat — why did you mock him?" 1

He stated further [to the first pupil] : " I am not angry wi th the one who mocked, but rather wi th the one who blessed. I f there is no wisdom here — is ther^ not age here?" [I.e., you should have consulted wi th m^ regarding the blessing]. i

We have learned: The two did not livb out the year. [Because they were not careful of the honor ° f their teacher, who was advanced in years, and did not ask h im how to act, but rather, ruled for themselves, they were punished by Heaven and died that year. Eyen though Bar Kappara himself forgave them, Heaven dijd not waive the honor due him.] |

100 Aggadatah 56

39b 56. The Breaking of Bread

Large pieces o f bread and small whole loaves were brought before them. Rav Huna said: " A person blesses over the larger pieces, for they are more important, and includes in his blessing the whole ones."

Rabbi Yochanan said: "[Blessing over] a whole one is a choice [fulfillment of the] commandment."

Rav Nachman bar Yitzchak said: "One who fears God wi l l fulf i l l his obligation wi th both. A n d who is this? Mar the son of Ravina, for Mar the son of Ravina places a slice wi th in the whole one and then breaks bread."

The one who repeated the teachings before Rav Nachman bar Yitzchak taught: "He places a slice wi th in the whole one, breaks bread, and blesses."

He said to h im, "What is your name?" He replied, "Shalman." He said to h im, " Y o u are peace [shalom], and your

teachings are complete [sheleimah], for you have brought peace among the pupils."

Rabbi Abba said: " A n d on the Sabbath a person is obligated to bless over two loaves. What is the reason? Because i t was said, 'twice as much bread' (Exodus 16:22)."

Rav Ashi said: " I saw Rav Kahana take two and break one."

Rabbi Zeira would break one large slice which would suffice h im for that entire meal, because of his love for the commandment.

Ravina said to Rav Ashi: "Does this not appear as gluttony?"


He replied: "Since he does not do so every flay, but only on the Sabbath, this does not appear as glut tony."

* !

When Rav A m m i and Rav Assi came across a loaf which had been used for eruv hatzerot [to permjt carrying in a public space] on Sabbath eve, they would bless over it "Ha-Motzi." They said that since one commandment had been performed wi th i t , then another commandment should be performed with i t . j

I

*

Rava bar Shmuel said in the name of Rabbi Chiyya: "The person breaking bread is not permitted to break unt i l salt or a spread for the bread is brought."

Rava bar Shmuel happened to be in thje house o f the Exilarch. They brought h im bread, and lie broke bread immediately, without waiting unt i l he was brought salt or a spread. j

They asked h im, "Have you revoked your teaching?" He replied, " N o waiting was required in this instance,

because the bread was pure and o f excellent quality, and no spread was needed." I

Rabbi Chama the son of Rabbi Chanina sîd: "One who is in the habit of using ketzah [black seeds; so$1e say caraway seeds] w i l l never have heart-ache." I

They replied to h im, "But Rabban Shimon ben Gamliel says: 'One part in sixty o f ketzah is a deadly dose, and i f anyone sleeps to the east o f his threshing f |oor [where the ketzah is stored, and the west wind brings the smell to his body], his blood is on his own hands'!" I

"This is no difficulty. One Tanna refers to i|s smell and one to its taste. Its smell is severe, but its taste! is good."

102 Aggadatah 57

The mother o f Rabbi Yermiyah would bake h im a loaf o f bread and stick to i t ketzah, un t i l the taste had been absorbed. Then she would take it off, to remove its smell.

41b 57. The Order of Priority in the Seven Species

Rav Chasda and Rav Hamnuna were sitting at a banquet. They were brought dates and pomegranates for dessert.

Rav Hamnuna took a date and blessed over it first. Rav Chasda said to him: " D o you not think in accordance

wi th the teaching of Rav Yosef: 4 Whatever is first in the verse is first in the blessing'? [ In the verse, " A land of wheat and barley, and vines and fig-trees and pomegranates; a land of olive-trees and honey" (Deuteronomy 8:8), the pomegranate is written before the date [from which we derive "honey"]) ."

He replied, "This one [the date] is the second after the word 'the land,' while this one [the pomegranate] is the fifth after 'the land' [the second mention o f the word "the land" interrupts the order, and therefore the olive and the date are more important than the pomegranate]."

He said to h im, " W o u l d that He grant us legs of i ron that we could follow you always!"


42b ! 58. Go There for a Resting Place

We have learned: I f people sit and eat, each blesses [recites Grace after Meals] for himself. I f tjiey reclined, one blesses for them all [for it is not considefed a fixed meal unless the diners recline]. !

When Rav died, his pupils went after the bier and they buried h im in another city. When they returned, they said, "Let us go and eat bread by the Dank R^ver."

After they had made sandwiches wi th j their bread and eaten their f i l l , they sat and were in doubt ifjthey could recite the communal Grace. For we have learned, " I f they reclined — one blesses for them a l l , " and they hac^ sat and did not recline. Since, however, they had said, "Ijet us go and eat bread in such-and-such a place," i t is possible that they thereby made this a fixed meal, and that this is to be considered as i f they had reclined. They coup not resolve the question.

Rav Ada bar Ahavah arose, turned the garment around so that the tear [which he had made in his garment during the eulogy for his teacher] was in back, and m^de another tear. He said, "Our master's soul is at rest andj we have not yet learned [the laws of] Grace after Meals!" fThe pupils were sorely grieved, because they needed instruction, and d id not know how to act; they felt the great loss >f their teacher.]

A n old man came to them who revealed a contradiction between this mishnah [from which we (infer that only reclining makes a meal " f ixed" and, thereby, obligates them for the communal Grace] and another beraita, f rom which i t could be inferred that merely sitting also obligates them for the communal Grace. He reconciled thel two sources by explaining that the beraita teaches that whbn they said, "Let us go and eat bread in such-and-such k place," this is considered as reclining. Their doubt was resolved, and they sat to recite the communal Grace. i

104 Aggadatah 59

44a 59. The Fruits of the land of Israel

Rabbah bar Bar Channah said: "When we were going after Rabbi Yochanan to eat the fruits o f Ginosar [the Valley of Ginosar, near the Sea of Galilee], when we were one hundred people, each one would take to h im ten fruits; and when we were ten people, each of us would take to h im one hundred fruits, for each hundred would f i l l a basket wi th the capacity of three se'ah [i.e., a large quantity]. He would eat them and swear that he did not taste the taste o f food." [For fruit does not satisfy a person, and because of their great sweetness, people would eat a great deal without being satiated.]

Rabbi Abbahu ate unt i l a fly slid off his forehead, for his face was so shiny that his flesh became smooth.

Rav A m m i and Rav Assi would eat unt i l their hair fell out.

Rabbi Shimon ben Lakish ate unt i l he lost his mind; Rabbi Yochanan informed the Nasi's household about this, and Rabbi Yehudah ha־Nasi would send a group of people after h im, to bring h im home. [These anecdotes appear to illustrate the love of the rabbis for the land of Israel and its produce.]

*

When Rav D i m m i came [from the land of Israel], he said: " K i n g Yannai had a city i n Har-Hamelekh [the name of the district], from which they would take out 600,000 cups of tarit [pieces of tuna] to the fig choppers from one Sabbath eve to another [because there were so many workers there, and they had to eat something salty to satisfy themselves after eating figs]."

Tractate Berakhot 44a 105 1

When Rabin came, he said: " K i n g Yanpai had a tree in Har-Hamelekh from which they would t^ke down forty se'ah o f newly hatched birds from three b i r th cycles per mon th . י I י

When Rabbi Yitzchak came, he said: "Thbre was a city in the land o f Israel named Gufnit , in which tljere were eighty pairs of brothers of priestly families marrie^ to eighty pairs of sisters of priestly families [for the priests were careful o f their lineage, and married only women from J;heir tribe]. The Sages searched from Sura to Nehardea, butl could not f ind any o f their offspring, for they had perished, except for the daughters of Rav Chasda, who were married to Rami Bar-Chama and to Mar Ukva Bar-Chama. A n d even though the women were from priestly families, th^ men were not priests. I י,

106 Aggadatah 60

Chapter Seven

45b 60. A Proper Meal

What is the order of a meal? The guests come in and sit on benches and on special chairs

unt i l they have all entered. When all have entered, water is brought to them. Each one

washes one hand [in which to hold the cup o f wine which is drunk before the meal, because o f the honor given to the blessing].

The cups are poured for them, and each one recites the blessing by himself.

They are brought appetizers [such as young chicks and fish], and each one recites the blessing by himself.

They recline [on the couches], they are brought water for their hands, and even i f each one had already washed one hand, once again he washes both hands [for one eats wi th both hands].

The cup is poured for them, and even though he blessed on the first one, he blesses on the second — one blesses for all of them. I f appetizers are brought before them, even though he blessed on the first one, he blesses on the second — one blesses for all of them. After three appetizers, no guest is permitted to enter [so as not to embarrass the householder, i f he has nothing to give].

Rabban Shimon ben Gamliel says: "There was a grand custom in Jerusalem: They spread a tablecloth over the entrance. When the tablecloth is spread, guests enter; after i t is removed, guests may not enter."

There was also another custom in Jerusalem: the meal is entrusted to the cook. I f anything in the meal is spoiled, the cook is punished, all in accordance wi th the honor o f the


householder and all in accordance with ttê honor of the guests.

Slices [of bread] are an important sign fdr the guests: as long as the guests see slices, they know that something else is following them; a whole loaf, they know that nothing is coming to them in the meal after i t .

What is the order of reclining? | They lie on the left side, so that they would Jiot swallow the

wrong way, thereby leading to danger, wi th their feet on the ground, each person on a separate couch. 1

I f there are two, the greater o f them reclines first, at the head of the first couch, wi th the other low^r than h im [so that i f the first wishes to converse wi th the second, he wi l l not have to raise his head toward him] . j

I f there are three, the greatest reclines at the head o f the middle one, the second to h im above h im, the th i rd to h im below h im [for even i f the first w i l l have to ijise up to speak wi th the second, this is preferable to humiliating the second one before one who is lesser to h im, by being lower than the thi rd] . J

The water for washing before the meal begins wi th the one of greatest standing, and he does not sit and guard his hands [from impuri ty] unt i l they all have washe<pl. Instead, the table is immediately brought before h im, ahd he does not wait unt i l all have washed.

The water for washing after the medl, up to five participants, begins wi th the one of greatest jstanding; from five and more, i t begins wi th the one of least standing unt i l they come to five, when they once again begirt wi th the one of greatest standing [for when they are many, it is disgraceful to remove the table from the one of greatest standing, and to have h im remain idle un t i l all wash]. j

*

108 Aggadatah 60

The Exilarch said to Rav Sheshet, "Even though you are Sages and elderly, the Persians are more knowledgeable in matters of meals than are you. When there are two couches, the greater one reclines at the head, and one secondary to h im is above h i m . "

He asked h im, " I f the one of greater standing wishes to talk wi th h im, he gets up and sits, and then talks wi th him?"

He replied, "The Persians are different, for they talk by gestures, which is to say, they gesture wi th their fingers, so as not to talk during the meal, and the one of greatest standing w i l l not have to raise his head to be on the same level wi th the face of the one secondary to h i m . "

" F r o m where do they begin wi th the water before the meal?"

He replied, " F r o m the one o f greatest stature." "Does the greatest sit and guard his hands from impuri ty

unt i l they all wash?" He replied, "They bring a table before h im [so that he may

begin eating] forth w i t h . " " F r o m where do they begin wi th the water after the

meal?" He replied, " F r o m the one o f least stature." "Does the greatest sit wi th dir ty hands unt i l they all

wash?" He replied, "They do not remove the table from before h im

[and he may continue eating] unt i l water is brought before h im. ' '

Rav Sheshet said, " I know a mishnah that was taught in the Tosefta: 'What is the order o f reclining? When there are two couches, the one of greatest standing reclines at the head, and one secondary to h im is below him.. . . For the water before the meal, they begin from the one of greatest stature; the water after the meal, when they are less than five participants — they begin from the one o f greatest stature; from five or more, they begin wi th the one o f least standing unt i l they come to five, when they once again begin wi th the one of greatest standing [for when they are many, i t is


disgraceful to remove the table from the jone of greatest standing, and have h im remain idle unt i l ftll wash].

" ' A n d to the place where the water after the meal returns [after completing a ful l circle] — to th^re the blessing returns [i.e., the one who washed first recitep the communal Grace].' "

This provides support for Rav, for Rav Chiyya bar Ashi said in the name of Rav: "Whoever first washes his hands wi th the water after the meal, i t is he who leads the communal Grace." !

Rav and Rabbi Chiyya were sitting befpre Rabbi at a banquet. ן

Rabbi said to Rav, "Get up, wash your !hands!" Rabbi Chiyya saw Rav begin to tremble (out o f fear, for

he thought that perhaps his hands were dir ty or perhaps he had spent too much time eating. He could n o | conceive of the possibility that Rabbi intended to honor hitn wi th leading the Grace, for Rabbi Chiyya was his uncle and was o f greater stature than he was]. !

Rabbi Chiyya said to Rav, "Son o f the great ones! 'Look at Grace after Meals,' he to ld you ! " [I.e., Rabbi's intention was that he prepare to recite the Grace properly, and he gave h im permission to lead the Grace, for the one [who washes his hands first is the one who leads the Grace. Ra^bi preferred to honor Rav either because o f the merit o f h s ancestors, or because he was at the banquet before Rabbi phiyya, and he had already made up his mind to honor hhn.]

110 Aggadatah 60

" T w o wait for each other for the bowl , three do not wai t " — when three sit to eat and one wishes to finish and recite the communal Grace, he must wait unt i l the others finish. I f , however, two wish to finish, the th i rd must interrupt his meal and respond to the communal Grace, and only afterwards finish his meal.

Rav Pappa sat in a meal wi th Abba Mar his son and wi th another person. Abba Mar his son wished to recite Grace and leave. Rav Pappa and the other one wi th h im interrupted their meal and responded to the communal Grace recited by Abba Mar.

Although according to strict law, Rav Pappa was not required to interrupt, he did so beyond the strict requirements o f the law, in order to honor his son.

*

Yehudah bar Merimar, Mar bar Rav Ashi , and Rav Acha of D i f t i sat to eat together, and none of them exceeded his fellows in wisdom or in age.

They sat and discussed what has been taught: " I f three sit together, they are obligated to recite the communal Grace." Perhaps this applies only when there is one of greater stature among them, but when they all are equal, i t is preferable that each blesses by himself; or perhaps i t even applies when they are equal, that they are required to bless together. Each o f them blessed individually.

They came before Merimar, who to ld them, " Y o u have fulfilled your obligation to bless, you have not fulfilled your obligation for the communal Grace. A n d i f you were to say, let us return and recite the communal Grace — there is no retroactive communal Grace."

Tractate Berakhot 45b \ 111

We have learned in one place: " I f a person responds iAmen> after his own blessings, this is praiseworthy.י י

A n d we have learned in another pkce: "This is improper.י יי

There is no difficulty here, because thej first refers to the blessing of " W h o builds Jerusalem," yh i l e the latter refers to the other blessings. After every tylessing, this is improper; after the conclusion of all his blessings, as in the blessing " W h o builds Jerusalem," !which is the conclusion of the blessings in the Gr^ce which are Torah obligations, this is praiseworthy. j

Abbaye would say this "Amen" i n a loud voice, so that the workers would hear [and know that th^ entire Grace had been concluded, for the person blessing recites "Amen" only at the end] and return to tjieir work, for they were not obligated to recite the blessing "the One who is good and Who does good" [the fburth blessing in the Grace, which is not a Torah obligation, but which was instituted by the Rabbis in comnjemoration of those slain in Betar].

Rav Ashi would whisper this "Amen" io that people would not make light o f "the One who is good and Who does good" [i.e., the blessing following], j

* '!

A t the conclusion of the meal they wodld sit and eat desserts such as roasted wheat grains and filled cookies, and the mugmar would be bijought before them. This is the spice box put on the fire jn which types of spices are burnt.

The person who recited the Grace bldsses over the mugmar. j

112 Aggadatah 60

The blessing which is recited depends on circumstances: i f fragrant trees were brought, such as myrtles, he recites the blessing, " W h o creates fragrant trees"; i f musk [a spice made from animals] was brought, the blessing, " W h o creates types of spices" is recited.

I n the house of Rabbi and in the houses of the emperors, they would burn expensive persimmon wood.

*

Rabbi Zeira fell i l l , and Rabbi Abbahu came to h im. The latter vowed that i f "the little one wi th singed

thighs" would recover, he would make a feast for the Sages. [This was an appellation for Rabbi Zeira, for he was humble and always denigrated himself and always checked himself to see whether the fire burned h im; once the Sages cast their gaze upon h im and his thighs were singed.]

He recovered, and Rabbi Abbahu made a banquet for all the Sages.

When the time came for the Hamotzi blessing, Rabbi Abbahu honored Rabbi Zeira, and said, "Break bread for us. י י

He said to h im, "Are you not of the same opinion as the teaching of Rabbi Yochanan, which states that the householder breaks bread?"

Rabbi Abbahu blessed over the bread. When the time came for Grace, Rabbi Abbahu said to

Rabbi Zeira, "Bless for us." He said to h im, "Are you not o f the same opinion as

the teaching of Rav Huna of Babylon which states that the one who broke bread recites the Grace?"

Rabbi Abbahu was o f the same opinion as Rabbi Yochanan, who said, in the name of Rabbi Shimon bar


Yochai: "The householder breaks bread ן and the guest recites Grace. The householder breaks bijead so that he w i l l break bread generously; and the guest recites Grace in order to bless the householder." j

What blessing does he recite? " M a y it tye His w i l l that the householder not be embarrassed in tjhis wor ld , nor be shamed in the Wor ld to Come." !

Rabbi added the following to this blessing:

And may he prosper greatly with his possession^, and may his property and our property prosper and be close t<f> the city; may the Adversary not rule the work of his hands nor the work of our hands; may there not occur to him or to us any thought of sin, transgression, and iniquity from this time forth and'forever.

i

Rav Yehudah, the son o f Rav Shmuel âr Shilat, said in the name o f Rav: "Those reclining [at !the meal] may not eat unt i l the one blessing over tîe bread has tasted." j

Rav Safra sat and noted, "We have learned, 'tasted' [and not 'eaten']." j

Alhough there is no difference in meaning between these two terms, he wanted to teach us (that a person must cite teachings using the precise language used by his teacher. 1

* 1

Rabbah bar Bar Channah was occupied wi th the preparations for his son's wedding in the house of Rav Shmuel bar Rav Katina. I

Before the banquet, Rabbah sat dowri early at the table, in order to teach his son the laws pertaining to a meal. j

He taught him: "The person blessing c^ver the bread may not break the bread before all have finished

114 Aggadatah 60

responding 'Amen.' " [Since i t is customary for the groom to bless over the bread, his father taught h im how this was to be done.]

*

Rav and Shmuel were sitting at a meal. Rav Shimmi bar Chiyya came, and he made haste to eat, so that he could j o in them in the communal Grace.

Rav said to h im, "What do you think, to j o i n us? We have already concluded our meal before you came, and you cannot obligate us for the communal Grace."

Shmuel said to h im, " I f they had brought me truffles and mushrooms [which he liked] and young birds for Abba [an affectionate term for Rav], would we not eat? [And i f so, our meal is not concluded, and he may j o i n us.]"

*

Rav's pupils were sitting in a meal, and Rav Acha came.

They said, " A great man has come, who w i l l lead the Grace for us."

He said to them, " D o you think that the greatest one blesses? One who was at the main part [i.e., the beginning] o f the meal blesses."

The law, however, was decided according to their opinion: the greatest one blesses, even i f he came at the end.

*

We have learned: "The communal Grace is not recited with an ignorant person."


Who is "an ignorant person"? "Anyone who does not read the Shema in the morning and at night ' the — יopinion of Rabbi Eliezer. Rabbi Yehoshua says, "Anyone who does not wear tefilin" Ben Azzai says, "Anyone who does not have tzitzit [ri tual fringes] on his garment." Rabbi Natan says, "Anyone who does not have a mezuzah on his door." Rabbi Natan bar Yosef says, "Anyone who has sons and does not raise them to Torah study." Others say, Even i f a person read and studied, but d id not serve Torah scholars, he is an ignorant person.

*

Rammi bar Chamma did not want to j o i n Rav Menashya bar Tachlifa to the communal Grace. Indeed, he had learned Sifra, Sifri, and laws, but Gemara — to learn the reasoning of the mishnayot — he had not learned.

When Rammi bar Chamma died, Rava said, "Rammi bar Chamma died only because he d id not want to recite the communal Grace wi th Rav Menashya bar Tachlifa."

"But have we not learned: 'Even i f a person read and studied, but d id not serve Torah scholars, he is an ignorant person'?"

"Rav Menashya bar Tachlifa d id not fi t into this category, because he did serve the scholars, but Rammi bar Chamma did not properly examine h i m . "

According to another version, since he heard teachings from the mouths o f scholars and stated them, he is like a Torah scholar.

116 Aggadatah 61

47a 61. Honor at the Entrance

Our masters have taught: "Honor is not to be given on the ways or at bridges [to tell someone greater, " G o before me"], nor wi th dirty hands [in washing wi th the water after the meal]."

Rabin and Abbaye were going along riding their donkeys. The two of them met in a narrow place, where only one could pass. Rabin's donkey went before that o f Abbaye, and he passed before h im and did not honor Abbaye by letting h im pass before h im, nor d id he say, " Y o u go first ." [Rabin was accustomed to go to the land of Israel from Babylon, and upon his return to tell the scholars of Babylon the teachings of Rabbi Yochanan.

Abbaye thought that since Rabin had recently returned from the land o f Israel, he was haughty and proud.] He said to h im, "Since this one has come up from the West, he has become presumptuous."

When they arrived at the entrance to the synagogue, Rabin honored Abbaye and said, " M a y my lord go i n . "

He responded, " A n d unt i l now I was not 'my lord'?" He replied, "Thus said Rabbi Yochanan: 'One gives

honor only at an entrance worthy of a mezuzah9 "


48a 62. Even a Child Is Known by His Doings

Rav Nachman said: " A minor who knows to W h o m he blesses is included in the communal Grace."

When Abbaye and Rava were children, they would sit before Rabbah.

Rabbah asked them, " T o W h o m do we bless?" They replied, " T o the Ho ly One, blessed be He . " " A n d where does the Ho ly One, blessed be He,

dwell?" Rava pointed wi th his finger to the ceiling. Abbaye

went outside and pointed to the sky. Rabbah said to them, " B o t h of you w i l l be scholars." This is the meaning of the saying, "The young

pumpkin is known by what comes out o f its shaft" [i.e, as soon as a pumpkin sprouts and emerges, i t is possible to tell whether i t is good or not] .

63. Extol Her and She Will Exalt You

King Yannai, of the Hasmonean dynasty, ki l led the Torah Sages because they wanted to disqualify h im for the priesthood because of a fault i n his family. Of all o f them remained only Rabbi Shimon ben Shetah, who was the brother of the Queen [Yannai's wife], and she h id h im.

King Yannai and the Queen dined together. Yannai craved to receive the "guest's blessing" in the

Grace after Meals from an important person, but since he had killed all the Sages, there was no one who could so bless them.

118 Aggadatah 63

He said to his wife, " W o u l d that we have a great man to bless us! י י

She said to h im, "Swear to me that i f I bring you one of the Sages, that you wi l l not cause h im to suffer."

He swore to her. Then she brought forth Shimon ben Shetah, her

brother. Yannai sat h im between h im and her, and he said to

h im, "See how much honor I give y o u . " He responded, " I t is not you who honors me, but

rather the Torah which honors me, as i t is said, 'Extol her, and she wi l l exalt you; she w i l l bring you honor i f you embrace he^ (Proverbs 4:8)."

Yannai said to his wife, " Y o u see that he does not accept authority. יי

They gave him the cup of blessing [for Grace after Meals, even though they had not brought h im anything to eat]. He said, " H o w shall I bless, 'Blessed of Whose Yannai and his fellows have eaten'?"

He drank that cup, and they brought h im another cup and he recited the Grace.


48b 64. Grace after Meals

Rav Nachman said, "Moses established for Israel the blessing o f food [the first blessing in the Grace] when the manna descended for them.

"Joshua established for them the second blessing, the blessing o f the land, when they entered the Land.

" D a v i d and Solomon established the th i rd blessing, 'Who builds Jerusalem. Dav י id established, 'on Israel Your people and on Jerusalem Your city, ' and Solomon established 'on the great and holy House.'

"The fourth blessing, 'Who is good and Who does good, ' was established in Yavneh, for those slain in Betar. For Rav Matana said: 'The same day that the dead of Betar were permitted to be buried, " W h o is good and Who does good" was established in Yavneh. " W h o is good", because the bodies d id not smell, and "and Who does good" because permission was granted to bury them.' "

[Betar was a large city, wi th a population o f tens of thousands of Jews. When the Romans won the war, they captured the city and kil led all its inhabitants. Israel was totally powerless then. The bodies were left as prey for vultures for a long time. This was a great disgrace for Israel, un t i l Rabban Gamliel and his Court sat for several days and expended the treasures o f our fathers un t i l they were granted permission to bury them. Then the blessing of " W h o is good and Who does good" was established, i n commemoration o f this great boon. I t was established as part o f the meal, for this is a time of joy , and similarly over a change to a better wine in a meal, on hearing good news, and for rain.]

120 Aggadatah 64

Our Rabbis taught: F rom where do we know that the Grace after Meals is from the Torah? As i t is said (Deuteronomy 8:10): " A n d you shall eat and be satisfied, and you shall bless" — this is the blessing over food; "for the good land": " for the l and" — this is the blessing of the Land, "the good" — this is " W h o builds Jerusalem.יי [Similarly, i t says, "that goodly h i l l country, and Lebanon" (Deuteronomy 3:25).] "which He has given y o u " — this is " W h o is good and Who does good."

*

We have learned: Rabbi Eliezer says, "Whoever does not say 'a desirable, good, and spacious land 5 in the blessing of the Land, and the kingship o f the Davidic line in 'Who builds Jerusalem/ has not fulfilled his obligation." Nachum the Elder says, "He must mention in it the covenant." Rabbi Yose says, "He must mention in i t the Torah." A n d whoever does not mention the covenant and the Torah in the blessing o f the Land and the kingship of the Davidic line in " W h o builds Jerusalem, .has not fulfilled his obligation י,

Rabbi Zeira said to Rav Chasda, "Let my lord come and we wi l l learn [Mishnah]."

He said to h im, " I have not yet learned the Grace after Meals, and I should sit to study mishnayot?"

He asked h im, " T o what are you referring?" He said to h im, "When I happened to be in the house

of the Exilarch and I led the communal Grace, Rav Sheshet lifted his nose at me like a snake."

"Why?" "Because I mentioned neither Covenant, nor Torah,

nor Kingship. י,


" A n d why didn't you mention them?" "As Rav Chananel said in the name of Rav: ' I f a person

did not mention Covenant, Torah, and Kingship, he has fulfilled his obligation. Covenant, because i t does not apply to women, and Torah and Kingship, because they apply neither to women nor to servants."

" A n d you abandoned all those Tannaim [who are o f the opinion that they must be mentioned] and acted as Rav?"

50a 65. The Communal Grace in a Multitude of

People

H o w is the communal Grace recited? Rabbi Yose ha־Gali l i says: "They bless according to

the number of people: "For three — he says, 'Let us bless'; "For ten — 'Let us bless our God ' ; "For 100 — 'Let us bless the L o r d our God ' ; "For 1,000 — 'Let us bless the L o r d our God , the God

of Israel'; "For 10,000 — 'Let us bless the L o r d our God, the

God of Israel, the L o r d o f Hosts, for the food we have eaten.' "

Rabbi Ak iva says: "What is the situation in the synagogue: whether there are many or few [people], he says, 'Bless the Lord ' ; so too, regarding the communal Grace, i t is the same whether there are ten or ten thousand: he says, 'Let us bless our God. ' "

Ravina and Rav Chamma bar Buzi happened to be in the house o f the Exilarch.

Rav Chamma saw that only a few people were lacking to reach the number of one hundred. He went to search

122 Aggadatah 65

for additional people who would j o i n their meal, so they could recite the communal grace wi th one hundred and say, "Blessed be the L o r d our G o d . "

Ravina said to h im, " Y o u need not do so, for Rava has already said, 'The law is in accordance wi th Rabbi Akiva , and there is no difference between ten and one hundred.' "

*

Rava said: "When we would eat bread in the house of the Exilarch, we would bless in groups of three each."

The reason for this was that there was a large crowd, and i t was too noisy to hear the communal Grace by the leader. Therefore they would divide into groups and recite the communal Grace, and they remained there unt i l after the Exilarch concluded his meal, which was protracted.

Al though they were obligated to recite the communal Grace for ten and bless wi th the Divine Name, they did not want to make large groups o f ten and bless, for then the person leading the communal Grace would have to raise his voice; the Exilarch would hear this and become angry. [This teaches the importance of the honor due to people, which supersedes even a Torah prohibi t ion.]


50b 66. The Disgrace of Food

Our Rabbis have taught: Four things were stated regarding bread:

Raw meat is not to be placed on bread; A ful l cup is not to be passed over bread [lest i t spill on

the bread and make i t abhorrent]; Bread is not to be thrown out [so as not to make light

of i t ] ; A bowl is not to be supported by bread. The Rabbis further taught: Wine may be drawn

through tubes before the groom and before the bride [this does not constitute disgrace and waste, because the wine is received in a vessel from the mouth o f the tube]; roasted wheat grains may be cast before them, and nuts during the summer, when there is no mud on the road, but not during the rainy season; but not cookies, either during the summer or during the rainy season [for they always become abhorrent when they are thrown].

Amimar , Mar Zutra, and Rav Ashi sat to eat bread together, and dates and pomegranates were brought before them.

Mar Zutra took a por t ion o f cooked meat and cast i t before Rav Ashi .

Rav Ashi said to h im, " D o you not th ink as we have learned: 'Food is not to be thrown'?"

He replied, "That refers to bread." "But we have learned: 'Just as bread is not to be

thrown, so, too, [other] foods are not to be thrown out ' !"

124 Aggadatah 67

He replied, "But we have learned: 'Al though bread is not to be thrown, [other] foods may be th rown ' ! "

There is no contradiction here: the former beraita refers to something that becomes loathesome; the latter, to something that does not become loathesome. [Something that becomes loathesome when thrown, such as completely ripe figs and berries, may not be thrown. Something that does not become loathesome, however, such as pomegranates, nuts, and other hard things, may be thrown.]

51a 67. Warnings from Angels

Rabbi Yishmael ben Elisha ascended to heaven by mentioning the Divine Name, and he conversed wi th the angels.

Rabbi Yishmael ben Elisha said, "Three things were to ld me by Suriel, the Prince o f the Divine Face [an important angel who came before the King] :

" ' D o not take your cloak in the morning from the attendant and don i t ; do not wash your hands from someone who has not washed his hands; and return a cup o f asparagos [a. beverage drunk in the morning for health reasons] only to the one who gave i t to you, because takhsaflt [the name of a band of demons]; some say — istalganit [the name of a band of] angels of destruction which await a person and say, 'When shall he do one of these things, that we may ensnare him?' "

*

Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi said: "The Angel of Death said three things to me:

" ' D o not take your cloak in the morning from the attendant and don i t ;


" ' D o not wash your hands from someone who has not washed his hands;

" ' A n d do not stand before women when they return from the dead [i.e., a funeral], because then I dance and come before them wi th my sword in my hand, and I have permission to cause destruction [because the woman brought death to man, and the power of the serpent, which is the Evi l Inclination, which is the Angel o f Death, rules then].י

" A n d i f he encounters them, what can he do to remedy this? He should move from his place four cubits; i f there is a river there, he should cross i t ; i f there is another path, he should take i t ; i f there is a wall , he should stand behind i t ; and i f not, he should turn his face and say, ' A n d the L o r d said to Satan: "The L o r d rebuke you, O Satan ... י ״ (Zechariah 3:2) unt i l they pass from h i m . "

68. The Cup of Blessing

"Ten things were stated regarding the cup o f blessing [over which the Grace after Meals is recited]:

" I t requires washing and rinsing, i t must be undiluted and fu l l , surrounding and covering, he takes i t wi th both hands and places i t in his right hand, he raises i t f rom the ground a handbreadth, and he looks at i t . Some say, he also sends i t as a present to the members of his household."

" I t requires washing" — on the inside. "and rinsing" — on the outside. "undi lu ted" — he dilutes i t wi th water only after i t has

been poured into the cup, when he come to the blessing of "the land" [the second blessing].

" f u l l " — whoever blesses over a ful l cup is given an inheritance without boundaries, as i t is said, " A n d full

126 Aggadatah 68

with the blessing of the Lord : possess the west and the south" (Deuteronomy 33:23). He inherits two worlds, this wor ld and the W o r l d to Come [the imperative in this verse is spelled ירשה, instead of the normative imperative form,רש; wi th the two extra letters,י and ה, two worlds were created, as i t says (Isaiah 26:4): "Fo r the L o r d [ה־י] is God, an everlasting Rock [tzur olamimV — He created [tzar] worlds [olamim],

"surrounding' ' — Rav Yehudah would surround i t wi th his pupils, who were around h im when he blessed.

Rav Hasda would surround it wi th fine glasses, placed around i t on the table.

"covering" — Rav Pappa would cover himself wi th his talit and sit; Rav Ashi would spread a scarf over his head.

"he takes i t wi th both hands" — as it is said, " L i f t up your hands to the sanctuary, and bless the L o r d " (Psalms 134:2).

"and places it in his right hand" — to signify importance. Rabbi Hiyya bar Abba said, in the name of Rabbi Yohanan: "The early ones asked whether the left hand could aid the right in holding the cup [ i f the cup is large, or Grace after Meals is lengthy, such as that of Rosh Hodesh Tevet which falls on a Sabbath, in which case " M a y i t please," "may there rise and come," and "For the miracles" are added, or that recited at a wedding feast]." Rav Ashi said: "Since the early ones were in doubt regarding this, and did not f ind a simple answer, we follow the strict interpretation [not to permit the left hand to aid the right one]."

"he raises it from the ground a handbreadth" — as i t is said, " I w i l l l if t up the cup of salvation, and call upon the Name of the L o r d " (Psalms 116:13).

"and he looks at i t " — so that his attention wi l l not be diverted from i t .


"he also sends i t as a present to the members of his household" — so that his wife w i l l be blessed.

*

Ulla happened to be in the house o f Rav Nahman. He ate bread and recited the Grace after Meals over a cup [of wine], and gave the cup o f blessing to Rav Nahman.

Rav Nahman said to h im, "Le t my lord send the cup of blessing to Yalta [Rav Nahman's wife; she was an important woman, and the daughter o f the Nasi] ."

He said to h im, "Thus said Rabbi Yohanan: T h e fruit o f the stomach of the woman is blessed only from the fruit of the stomach of the man, as i t is said, "He w i l l also bless the fruit of your stomach" (Deuteronomy 7:13) — it d id not say, "the fruit o f her stomach," but rather, "the fruit of your [m.] stomach" [and i t is not appropriate to send her the cup after a stranger blessed over i t ] . "

Yalta heard that he would not send the cup of blessing to her. She became angry and went up to the wine store, and smashed four hundred casks o f wine.

Rav Nahman said to Ul la , "Le t my lord send another cup to Yal ta . י י

He sent [a message] to her: " A l l the wine in the cask is that o f blessing, drink from i t . "

She sent [a reply] to h im: " F r o m the peddlers — talk, and from the rags — lice." [I.e., his message that he sent her is like the worthless chatter o f the peddlers who go through the towns and speak a lot about nothing o f importance, like the many lice that come for th f rom the rags.]

128 Aggadatah 69

Chapter Eight

53a 69. The Blessing "Who Creates the Lights of the

Fire"

Our masters have taught: "They were sitting in the study hall and they brought a flame [the Havdalah candle] before them. The School of Shammai say: 'Each individual blesses for himself. A י n d the School o f Hi l le l say: 'One blesses for them all , as i t is said, " I n the multitude o f people is the king's g lory" (Proverbs 14:28).'

"What was the reasoning of the School of Shammai? Not wishing to cancel [the time spent in] the study ha l l . " [For when one blesses for al l , they must interrupt their studies to concentrate on what he is saying and to respond Amen. Al though when each one blesses for himself, he also must interrupt his studies for some time, nevertheless, when they all listen to one, they must interrupt their studies in the middle of a topic; they also must respond Amen, and this additional word causes an additional loss of Torah study.]

We also have learned: The students of Rabban Gamliel would not respond "marpe" [your health, as we say, "Bless you , " after someone sneezes], because it caused an interruption in the study hall .

*

We have learned: "The blessing over the candle is not recited unti l he derives benefit f rom its l ight ."

Rava said: "He must derive actual benefit. A n d how much?"


Ulla said: "Sufficient to distinguish between an issar and a fundyon [types of coins]; therefore, Rava would bless on the light which came forth from the house of his neighbor Gurya bar-Hamma, who lived close to h i m . "

Rav Yehudah was o f the opinion that one may bless also when the light is distant from h im, and he would bless on the light which came forth from the house of Dayala, who lived far from h im.

Rabbi Zeira said, " In i t i a l ly , I would seek out the light to bless over i t . When I heard that Rav Yehudah said: ' A person does not seek out the light in the manner that he seeks out the commandments, I also ceased to seek i י t out, rather, i f I happen to come upon i t , I bless."

53b 70. The Blessing in the Place of the Meal

We have learned: " I f a person ate and forgot to bless [Grace after Meals], the School of Shammai say: He returns to the place and blesses, and the School of Hi l l e l say: He blesses in the place where he remembered."

The School of Hi l l e l said to the School of Shammai: "According to your opinion, i f a person ate at the top of a tower, and forgot and descended without blessing, he must return to the top of the tower and bless?' י

The School of Shammai said to the School of Hi l le l : "According to your opinion, i f a person forgot a purse at the top of the tower, he would not go up and take it? I f he w i l l ascend for his own sake, w i l l he surely not ascend for the sake of Heaven?

130 Aggadatah 70

There were two pupils. One unwitt ingly acted in accordance wi th the School o f Shammai: he forgot that he ate and went away; when he remembered, he returned to the place where he had eaten — and he found a purse filled wi th gold.

The other one acted intentionally in accordance wi th the School of Hi l le l : he ate and said, " I w i l l bless on the way י and a l — י ion killed h im.

*

Rabbah bar Bar-Hannah was going wi th a caravan. He ate, but forgot to bless.

He said, "What shall I do? I f I were to say to them, T forgot to bless/ they would say to me, 'Bless here, for wherever you do so, it is to the Ho ly One, blessed be He, that you bless.5 I t would be better i f I were to say to them, T forgot a gold dove/ י י

he said to them, "Wai t for me, I forgot a gold dove." He returned there, blessed, and found a gold dove. Why a dove? For Israel is compared to a dove, as i t

says, "The wings of the dove are covered wi th silver, and her pinions wi th the shimmer o f go ld" (Psalms 68:14).

Just as a dove is saved only by its wings, similarly Israel is saved only by the commandments.


Chapter Nine

54a 71. The Thanksgiving of an Individual

A person was walking in Ever Yemina [a place to the south o f the Euphrates River]. A l ion attacked h im, but he was miraculously saved.

He came to Rava, who said to h im, "Whenever you pass by this place, recite the blessing: 'Blessed be the One who has performed a miracle for me in this place.' "

*

Mar the son of Ravina was going in the Aravot Valley and was thirsty for water. A miracle occurred for h im: a spring was created for h im, and he drank.

Further, once he was passing through the marketplace of Machoza. A camel that was running amok attacked h im and chased h im. The wall of a house close to Mar the son of Ravina collapsed. He entered through the breach and escaped from the camel.

When he once again happened to be in the Aravot Valley, he recited the blessing: "Blessed be the One who performed a miracle for me in Aravot and wi th the camel."

A n d when he happened to be in the marketplace o f Machoza a second time, he recited the blessing: "Blessed be the One who performed a miracle for me wi th the camel and in Aravo t . "

*

Rav Yehudah fell i l l and recovered. Rav Chana from Baghdad and the Sages came to visit h im. They said to

132 Aggadatah 72

him, "Blessed be the Merciful One who has given you to us and not to the dust. , י

He said to them, " Y o u have exempted me from giving thanks [from reciting the Hagomel blessing, since ten men were there and he responded Amen after them, thereby freeing himself of the obligation to recite the blessing]."

72. Who Performed Miracles for Our Fathers

Our Rabbis taught: Whoever sees the crossings of the Sea, the crossings of the Jordan River, the crossings o f the valleys of Arnon , the great hailstones at the descent of Beth-Choron, the stone that Og, King of Bashan, wished to throw upon Israel, the stone upon which Moses sat when Joshua waged war wi th Amalek, the wife o f Lot , and the wall of Jericho that was swallowed — for all of them he must give thanks and praise to the Omnipresent. [For a miracle that was performed for many, each individual is required to recite the blessing, "Blessed is the One who performed miracles for our fathers in this place"].

"the crossings of the Sea" — the place where the Israelites crossed the Reed Sea [when the sea was split for them and they crossed over on dry land].

"the crossings of the Jordan River" — the places where the Israelites crossed the Jordan River during the time of Joshua when they entered the land of the land of Israel, and crossed through the river on the dry land, as i t is said, " A n d the priests that bore the A r k of the Covenant of the L o r d stood f i rm on dry ground in the midst o f the Jordan while all Israel passed over on dry ground, unt i l all the Nat ion were passed clean over the Jordan" (Joshua 3:17).

"the crossings of the valleys o f A r n o n " — as it is said, "Therefore i t is said in the book of the Wars of the Lord :


Vaheb [et vahav] in Suphah, and the valleys of Arnon י 5

(Numbers 21:14). Thus we have learned: There were two lepers, named

" E t " and " H a b " who were walking at the end o f the camp of Israel [for the leper is sent outside the three camps, and may not enter the camp of Israel]. When Israel came to cross the valley o f Arnon , the way went through the valley, between two very high and steep mountains, such that i f a person were to stand on one mountain he could talk wi th his fellow on the other mountain.

On the two sides o f the mountains there were large caves, and the Emorites entered into them; some hid below in the valley, and others above, in the caves alongside the mountains, and they said, "When Israel w i l l pass, we shall attack them and k i l l them a l l . " But the Emorites d id not know that the A r k o f the Covenant which went before the camp of Israel would level the way for them and lower the mountains, spreading them out in both directions, unt i l the valley was level. When the A r k of the Covenant arrived there, the two mountains were joined to each other and the projections on the side o f one mountain entered into the crevices and caves o f the other. They were all crushed and died, and the way was flattened out. When Israel passed, they were unaware of the miracle that had been performed for them.

When Et and Hab saw the blood coming out from between the mountains, they came and to ld this to Israel. The Israelites went back and saw that the well of M i r i a m which accompanied them had descended into the valley, increased in strength, and disintegrated all the Emorites who were there. I t brought forth countless arms, legs, and heads. A t that time the Israelites sang, "Spring up, O well, sing to i t " (Numbers 21:17).

This is the meaning of the verse, " A n d the slope of the

134 Aggadatah 72

valleys that inclines toward the seat of A r , and leans upon the border of M o a b " (ibid., v. 15) — the torrent of the streams of blood of the Emorites, when the mountain inclined from its place and spread towards the mountain on the side of the land of Moab, which is called " A r . "

"the great hailstones at the descent of Beth-Choron" — stones that stood because o f a man, and descended because of a man: "they stood because of a man" — this refers to Moses, for it is said, " N o w the man Moses was very humble" (Numbers 12:3), and i t is said, regarding the plague of hail , "and the thunders and hail ceased, and the rain was not poured upon the earth" (Exodus 9:33). For the moment the plague of hail ceased, the hailstones did not become rain and descend to earth, but rather, remained suspended in the air.

" A n d descended because o f a man" — this refers to Joshua, for i t is said, "Take Joshua the son of Nun, a man in whom is spir i t" (Numbers 27:18). A n d when the five Emorite kings assembled at Gibeon to make war with Joshua, it is said: " A n d i t was, as they fled from before Israel, while they were at the descent of Beth-Choron, that the L o r d cast down great stones from heaven upon them to Azekah, and they died; there were more who died wi th the hailstones than they whom the Children of Israel slew wi th the sword " (Joshua 10:11). [ In the future, in the war of Gog and Magog, the remaining stones wi l l descend, as i t is said in the prophecy of Ezekiel: " A n d I w i l l do justice to h im [Gog and Magog] wi th pestilence and wi th blood; and ...an overflowing shower, and great hailstones" (Ezekiel 38:22).

These stones, which were sent during the time of Moses to fulf i l l their mission, whose mission was cancelled by his prayer that the hail stop, were not


cancelled entirely. Rather, they remained there to fulf i l l their mission against the enemies of the L o r d during the time of Joshua, and during the time of Gog and Magog.)

"the stone that Og, King o f Bashan, wished to throw upon Israel" — He said, " H o w large is the site o f the camp of Israel? — three parsaot by three parsaot. I w i l l go and uproot a mountain measuring three parsaot, and I w i l l cast i t upon them and k i l l them." He went and uprooted a mountain measuring three parsaot, and placed i t on his head. The Holy One, blessed be He, set ants upon h im, and they pierced the mountain and i t fell upon his neck. When he sought to take i t off, his teeth stretched to the side, and he could not take i t off. What was Moses' measure? Ten cubits. He took an axe o f ten cubits, jumped ten cubits, and smote h im on his ankle, k i l l ing h im.

"the stone upon which Moses sat" — in the war wi th Amalek, as i t is said, "But Moses' hands were heavy; and they took a stone, and put i t under h im, and he sat on i t " (Exodus 17:12).

"the wife o f L o t " — as i t is said, "But his wife looked back from behind h im, and she became a pillar o f salt" (Genesis 19:26). Since this miracle was one of punishment, whoever sees the wife o f Lo t recites the blessing: "Blessed be the true Judge." Whoever sees the grave o f Lo t offers praise and says, "Blessed be the One who remembers the righteous." As Rabbi Yochanan said, "Even when the Ho ly One, blessed be He, is angry, He remembers the righteous, as i t is said, *And i t was when G o d destroyed the cities o f the Plain, that God remembered Abraham, and sent Lo t out o f the midst o f the overthrow' (Genesis 19:29)."

"and the wall o f Jericho that was swallowed" — as i t is said, " A n d i t came to pass, when the people heard the

136 Aggadatah 73

sound of the horn, that the people shouted wi th a great shout, and the wall collapsed entirely" (Joshua 6:20). Its height and width were equivalent, and when i t collapsed, i t was actually swallowed in the earth [and Israel could enter Jericho wi th no obstacles in their way, not even rubble].

55a 73. The Wisdom of Bezalel

Rabbi Shmuel bar Nachmani said in the name of Rabbi Yonatan, "Bezalel was named after his wisdom.

"When the Holy One, blessed be He, said to Moses, 4 Go and tell Bezalel, "Make Me a Sanctuary, an A r k , and vessels, י Moses went and changed the order. He said י יto h im, 'Make an A r k , and vessels, and a Sanctuary. 5

"He said to h im, 'Moses our master! I t is the custom of the wor ld that a person builds a house and afterwards he brings vessels into i t , while you say, "Make Me an A r k , and vessels, and a Sanctuary." In what shall I place the vessels that I make? [For the Temple vessels have to be in a holy place;] perhaps the Holy One, blessed be He, said thusly to you: "Make a Sanctuary, an A r k , and vessels." י

"He said to h im, 'Perhaps you were in the shade of God [betzel-E-I] and you know! 5 "

Rav Yehudah said in the name of Rav: "Bezalel knew how to j o i n together the letters wi th which heaven and earth were created [according to the combinations mentioned in Sefer Hayetzirah]."

Rabbi Yitzchak said, " A leader is appointed for the public only when the public is consulted, as i t is said, ' A n d Moses said to the children of Israel: "See, the Lord has called by name Bezalel" ' (Exodus 35:30).


"The Ho ly One, blessed be He, said to Moses, 'Moses, do you find Bezalel to be worthy?'

"He replied, 'Master o f the Universe! I f You find h im to be worthy, then how much more so is he worthy for me.'

He said to h im, 'Nevertheless, you go and speak to them.'

"He went and spoke to Israel: ' D o you find Bezalel to be worthy?'

"They said to h im, 'Moses our master, i f the Ho ly One, blessed be He, and you find h im worthy, then how much more so is he worthy for us.' "

55b 74. The Messages in Dreams

Amimar , Mar Zutra, and Rav Ashi were sitting together. They said, "Let each of us state a new interpretation which his fellow does not know."

One of them began and said: " I f someone sees a dream and does not know what he saw [i.e., he does not know its interpretation whether i t is favorable or unfavorable], he should stand before the priests when they are blessing the congregation and say thusly:

Master of the Universe! I am Yours and my dreams are Yours. I have dreamed a dream, but I do not know what it means. Whether I dreamed of myself, my fellows dreamed of me, or I dreamed of others — if they are good, strengthen and encourage them, as the dreams of Joseph, and if they need healing, heal them as the bitter waters by Moses, as Miriam from her leprosy, and Hezekiah from his sickness, and as the waters of Jericho by Elisha; and just as You changed the curse of the wicked Balaam into a blessing, so, too, turn all my dreams to good.

"He concludes together wi th the priests, so that the congregation may respond 'Amert. A n d i f not [ i f he did not finish all this], he says:

138 Aggadatah 74

The Mighty One in the heights, who dwells in might, You are peace and Your Name is Peace; may it be Your will that You grant us peace/'

The other one began and said: " I f someone enters a city and fears the Evi l Eye, he should grasp the thumb of his right hand in his left hand, and the thumb of his left hand in his right hand, and say thusly:

I , so-and-so the son of [mother's name], I come from the seed of Joseph, over which the Evil Eye has no power.

"And if he fears the effect of his own Evil Eye, he should point at the left side of his left nostril."

The other one began: " I f someone became weak and became i l l , on the first day he should not reveal this to anyone, lest his luck worsen; from then on, he may reveal this, and do as did Rava: when Rava fell i l l , on the first day he did not reveal this to anyone. After that, he said to his attendant, 'Go for th and announce: "Rava is i l l ! י ' Whoever likes me w i l l seek mercy for me, and whoever hates me w i l l rejoice, and i t is said, "Rejoice not when your enemy falls, and let not your heart be glad when he stumbles; lest the L o r d see i t , and i t displease H i m , and He turn away His wrath from h im [and as a result of his rejoicing, the L o r d w i l l see and turn away His wrath from me, and I w i l l recover]" (Proverbs 24:17-18).' "

*

When Shmuel would have a bad dream, he would say, " A n d the dreams speak falsely" (Zechariah 10:2).

A n d when he had a good dream, he would say wonderingly, " A n d the dreams speak falsely? For i t is said, ' I do speak wi th h im in a dream י (Numbers 12:6)."

Rava questioned this: " I t is writ ten, ' I do speak wi th


h im in a dream/ and i t is writ ten, ' A n d the dreams speak falsely' [is there not a contradiction here]!"

"There is no difficulty here, for one was said when the dream is by the medium of an angel, while the other was said when the dream is by the medium of a demon."

Rabbi Bizna bar Zavda said in the name of Rabbi Akiva , who said in the name of Rabbi Panda, who said in the name of Rabbi Nachum, who said in the name of Rabbi Biryam, who said in the name of a certain Elder, and who was he — Rabbi Bana'ah: "There were twenty-four interpreters o f dreams in Jerusalem.

"One time I dreamed a dream, and I went to all of them. The interpretation given by one was not the same as the interpretation given by another — and they all came true for me, thereby confirming what is said, ' A l l dreams follow the mouth. ' "

Rabbi Shmuel bar Nachmani said: " A person is shown only what he thinks; this is as what Daniel said to Nebuchadnezzar: 'O king, your thoughts came [into your mind] upon your bed' (Daniel 2:29) — the thoughts that you contemplated during the day came into your bed."

Rava said, " K n o w that this is so, for a person is not shown in a dream a gold palm-tree, nor an elephant that enters through the hole o f a needle."

Caesar, the Emperor o f Rome, and Sapor, the K i n g o f Persia, were at war wi th each other.

The Roman Caesar said to Rabbi Yehoshua ben Chananya, " Y o u said that you are very wise [for the wise man is superior to the prophet]. Tell me, what w i l l I see this night in my dream?"

He said to h im, " Y o u w i l l see that the Persians force you to work at the King's works, and force you to herd unclean animals [of the Persian king] wi th a gold staff."

140 Aggadatah 75

He thought about this the entire day, and that night he saw it in his dream.

King Sapor said to Shmuel, " Y o u said that you are very wise. Tell me, what w i l l I see in my dream?"

He said to h im, " Y o u wi l l see in your dream that Romans came, captured you, and forced you to grind date pits in a golden millstone."

He thought about this the entire day, and that night he saw it in his dream.

56a 75. Bar-Hadya, the Interpreter of Dreams

Bar-Hadya was an interpreter o f dreams [in Aramaic, hadya means "the interpreter of dreams"]. I f someone paid h im, he gave h im a favorable interpretation, but i f someone did not pay h im, he gave h im an unfavorable interpretation.

Abbaye and Rava saw a dream. Abbaye gave the interpreter a zuz [a coin], but Rava d id not give h im.

They said to h im, " I n our dream, the following verse was read to us: 'Your ox shall be slain before your eyes, and you shall not eat of i f (Deuteronomy 28:31)."

To Rava he said, " Y o u shall lose in your business, and you w i l l not enjoy your eating, for sadness."

To Abbaye he said, " Y o u w i l l profi t in your business, and you wi l l have no appetite to eat, for you wi l l feel sated from happiness."

" I n our dream, the following verse was read to us: 'You shall beget sons and daughters, but they shall not be yours; for they shall go into captivity' (Deuteronomy 28:41)."

To Rava he said, "As its literal meaning, which is bad." To Abbaye he said, "Your sons and daughters w i l l be


numerous, and your daughters w i l l marry men and leave the house; this w i l l seem to you as their going into captivity. י י

" I n our dream, the following verse was read to us: 'Your sons and daughters shall be given to another people 5 {ibid., v. 32). י י

To Abbaye he said, "Your sons and daughters w i l l be numerous; you wi l l wish to marry them to your relatives, and your wife w i l l wish to marry them to her relatives. She shall compel you, and they w i l l be married to her relatives, and this w i l l seem to you as i f they shall be given to another people."

To Rava he said that his wife would die, and his sons and daughters would come to another woman [i.e., he would remarry, and the stepmother would raise his children].

" I n our dream, the following verse was read to us: 'Go your way, eat your bread wi th joy , and dr ink your wine wi th a merry heart 5 (Ecclesiastes 9:7). 5 5

To Abbaye he said: " Y o u w i l l profi t in your business, you w i l l eat and drink, and you w i l l read this verse out o f j o y . "

To Rava he said: " Y o u w i l l lose in your business, and you w i l l not eat or dr ink, rather you w i l l read this verse to assuage your care.5 5

" I n our dream, the following verse was read to us: ' Y o u shall carry much seed out into the field 5

(Deuteronomy 28:38)." For Abbaye he interpreted this favorably, as the beginning o f the verse, and for Rava he interpreted i t unfavorably, as its end: "and shall gather little i n , for the locust shall consume i t . 5 5

" I n our dream, the following verse was read to us: ' A n d all the peoples o f the earth shall see that the Name of the L o r d is called upon you; and they shall be afraid of you 5 (ibid., v. 10)."

142 Aggadatah 75

To Abbaye he said: " A name shall go out for you in the wor ld that you have been made Head of the Academy, and the fear o f you shall fall on a l l . "

To Rava he said: " A treasury containing the King's jewels shall be smashed by thieves, and you shall be accused of having stolen them. A l l w i l l be afraid and say, *If Rava is suspected and arrested, how much more so for us.5 This is the meaning of *and the fear of you shall fall on a l l . ' "

The following day, the King's treasury was broken into, and they came and seized Rava; everyone feared and said, **If Rava has been arrested, how much more so is this likely to happen to us."

[Abbaye and Rava dealt in wine, and they had several dreams about barrels o f wine.]

They said to h im, "We saw lettuce on the barrels." To Abbaye he said: *'Your business w i l l double, and

wi l l expand like lettuce, which is wide and doubled over in its leaves."

To Rava he said: "Your business shall be as bitter as lettuce, and hated by people."

"We saw meat on the barrel ." To Abbaye he said: "Your wine w i l l be sweet, and all

w i l l come to purchase meat and wine from y o u . " To Rava he said: " Y o u r wine w i l l sour, and all w i l l

come to purchase meat to eat wi th i t [i.e., to dip the meat in the vinegar]."

"We have seen a barrel suspended from a palm-tree." To Abbaye he said: "Your business w i l l go up, like a

palm- tree." To Rava he said: "Your wares w i l l be as sweet to

purchasers as dates, because you w i l l sell cheaply." "We have seen a pomegranate growing on a barrel ." To Abbaye he said: "Your wares w i l l be expensive like


a pomegranate, and its price w i l l increase like the seeds of a pomegranate, which are numerous."

To Rava he said: "Your wares wi l l be as blunt as a pomegranate [like a sour pomegranate which blunts the teeth, and everyone w i l l refrain from purchasing i t ] . "

"We saw a barrel which fell into a p i t . " To Abbaye he said: "Your wares w i l l be desired, and

people w i l l seek after you to purchase them, as the proverb, 'The bread fell into the pi t , and is not found. ' " [I.e., healing qualities are ascribed to all kinds of remedies, but there are remedies for which many conditions must be fulfilled for them to be effective, yet there is no one capable o f fulfi l l ing these conditions. About this, people say, "This remedy has fallen into the pit and cannot be found." For i t is extremely unlikely that all these conditions can be fulfilled. So i t w i l l be wi th your wares — they w i l l be very hard to obtain, and since they w i l l be so scarce, they w i l l be sold at a high price.]

To Rava he said: " Y o u w i l l lose your wares, and you w i l l be cast into the p i t . "

"We have seen a young ass at our heads, braying." To Abbaye he said: " Y o u w i l l be the Head of an

Academy, and an interpreter w i l l stand next to you. [For the interpreter would stand on the lectern and raise his voice to translate and interpret the discourse of the head of the academy.] ' י

To Rava he said: "The words 'every firstling o f an ass' in the passage ' A n d i t shall be' (Exodus 13:11-16) are missing from your tefillin"

He responded, " I myself saw them, and they are there."

He said, "The letter ו o f the words [חמור ^ f i r s t l i n g of an ass] is certainly rubbed out, for i n the Torah the word

144 Aggadatah 75

chamor is written without the letter vav, the scribe erred and added in the tefillin the letter vav, and then erased i t . "

Rava examined his tefillin, and he found that this was indeed the case.

I n the end, Rava went to h im alone. He said to h im, " I saw the outer door of a house which fell down ."

He told h im, "Your wife is dead [for the wife guards the house like a door ] . "

" I saw that my inner and outer teeth fell out." He to ld h im, "Your sons and daughters shall die." " I saw two doves that flew away."

He to ld h im, " Y o u shall divorce two wives [for a man's wife is called a dove, as i t is said, " M y dove, my undefiled" (Song of Songs 6:9)]."

" I saw two heads of turnip [which are narrow on the bot tom and wide at the top ] . "

He to ld h im, " Y o u w i l l suffer two [blows from] a club [which is thick at the top and resembles a turnip].יי

That day Rava went and sat the entire day in the Study Ha l l , thinking that he would thereby prevent the dream from coming true and show that the interpreter's words were false, for there was certainly no one in the study hall who would strike h im.

He found two bl ind men who were quarreling. When he went to separate them, they gave h im two blows. When they lifted the stick to strike h im again, Rava said, "Enough! I saw [in my dream] two [turnip heads, and no more]!"

I n the end, Rava came to h im and paid h im. He to ld h im, " I saw a wall that f e l l . " He responded, " Y o u have purchased property


without bounds, i.e., you w i l l have many broad tracts of land, without borders."

" I saw Abbaye's building falling and covering me wi th dust."

He said, "Abbaye w i l l die and his academy w i l l be turned over to you, and you w i l l have pupils as numerous as dust."

" I saw my building fal l , and everyone came and took a br ick ."

He to ld h im, "Your teachings w i l l spread throughout the w o r l d . י י

" I saw my head split open and my brains fall out ." He to ld h im, "The feathers come out o f the pi l low

under your head." "They read to me in in my dream the Hallel of Egypt

[Psalms 113-114, which are read in the Passover Seder]."

He to ld h im, "Miracles w i l l be performed for y o u . "

Bar Hadya sailed on a ship wi th Rava. Bar Hadya said, " W h y should I sail on a ship wi th a person for whom a miracle w i l l be performed? Perhaps the miracle wi l l be that the ship w i l l sink and he alone w i l l be saved [just as Israel alone were saved, while the Egyptians drowned]?'*

He got up to leave the boat, and the book by which he interpreted dreams fell. Rava found i t , and saw that i t was writ ten in i t , " A l l dreams follow the mouth [of the interpreter]" [Rava knew this rule, but he thought that Bar Hadya did not know i t , and that he interpreted dreams innocently].

He said to h im, "Wicked one! Whether the interpretation was favorable or not depended on you, and I grieved so much! For everything I forgive you, except for the daughter of Rav Chasda [Rava's wife, who,

146 Aggadatah 75

according to his interpretation, would die, and so i t was]. May it be His w i l l that this man [i.e., Bar Hadya] be given over to the authorities, who wi l l have no mercy on h i m . י י

Bar Hadya said, "What can I do? I t is known that the curse of a scholar, even i f groundless, w i l l be fulfilled, and certainly for Rava, who is justified in cursing me." He continued, " I w i l l arise and go into exile, for the Sages said, 'Exile atones for sin 5 [especially for one who kil led unintentionally]. י,

He arose and went into exile to Rome. He went and sat at the door of the guard o f the royal treasury.

The guard of the royal treasury had a dream, and he related i t to Bar Hadya. " I saw in my dream that a needle entered my finger. י י

He said to h im, "Give me a zuz and I w i l l interpret i t for you . "

He d id not give h im a zuz, and Bar Hadya did not tell hhim anything.

Again, the guard said to h im, " I saw a worm on two of my fingers.י י

He did not give h im [a zuz], and Bar Hadya did not interpret.

Once again the guard said to h im, " I saw that a worm fell upon my entire hand."

He asked h im, "What is entrusted wi th you in the treasury?"

He replied, "The coats o f the K i n g . " He to ld h im, "Moths have eaten all the coats/ 5

The royal household heard o f this, and the guard was taken to be put to death for not properly guarding the clothes. He said to them, " W h y me? Bring the one who knew about this, but d id not say anyth ing/ 5

They brought Bar Hadya, and said to h im, "Because o f your zuz [for he did not want to reveal this i f he were


not given a zuz], the King , s coats have been lost!" They tied two cedars together wi th a rope, and tied each o f his legs to one o f the trees, and then they loosened the ropes. The trees separated, and his body was torn in half.

Rava [who knew of this by Divine inspiration], said, " I w i l l not forgive h im unt i l his head splits." A n d so i t was. [The dream that Rava had had, in which his head would split and his brains would fall out, came true for Bar Hadya, and Rava agreed to forgive h im for everything concerning Rava himself. For having caused the death o f the righteous daughter o f Rav Chasda, however, he did not want to forgive h im. Bar Hadya was punished by means o f a cedar, for the righteous person is compared to a cedar. His body was split in two, because a man and his wife are a single entity, and he separated Rava and his wife, therefore his body was split in two. Since he interpreted unfavorably for Rava because he did not receive a zuz, therefore his death was brought about by the zuz he did not receive from the guard.]

148 Aggadatah 76

76. The Interpretation of Dreams Ben-Damma, the nephew of Rabbi Yishmael, inquired o f

Rabbi Yishmael: " I saw in my dream that my two cheeks fe l l . "

He to ld h im, "Two Roman troops spoke i l l o f you and died [the cheeks symbolize the mouths that spoke against you; their falling symbolizes their death]."

Bar Kappara said to Rabbi, " I saw my nose fall off ." He to ld h im, "Anger has left you [for anger is noticeable in

the nose, which heats up and emits breath]." He said to h im, " I saw that both my hands were cut." He to ld h im, " Y o u wi l l not need the work o f your hands,

you w i l l become r i ch . " He said to h im, " I saw that both my feet were cut off ." He to ld h im, " Y o u w i l l ride on a horse." " I saw that they told me, You w i l l die in Adar and Nissan

you w i l l not see.5 " " Y o u w i l l die wi th honor and glory [hadar], and you wi l l

not be put to the test [nisayon]."

*

A heretic said to Rabbi Yishmael, " I saw that I was giving the olive-tree o i l . "

He to ld h im, " Y o u had relations wi th your mother [like the oi l that came from the olive-tree and was given back to i t , he came from his mother and gave back to her] ."

" I saw that I uprooted a star." " Y o u stole from Israel, who are compared to stars." " I saw that I swallowed a star." " Y o u sold an Israelite and consumed the money for

h i m . " " I saw my eyes kissing one another."


" Y o u had relations wi th your sister [for the two eyes are in one body, and he and his sister came from one body] ."

" I saw that I kissed the moon ." " Y o u had relations wi th the wife of an Israelite." " I saw that I was trodding in the shade of a myrt le ." " Y o u had relations wi th a betrothed gir l [because i t was

the custom to make a canopy draped wi th myrtles, which provided shade, for the wedding ceremony]."

" I saw a load above me, and me below." " Y o u lie reversed [in bed]." " I saw ravens returning to my bed." " Y o u r wife has played the harlot wi th many men." " I saw doves returning to my bed." " Y o u have defiled many w o m e n " " I saw that I was holding two doves, and they flew

away. י י

" Y o u married two women, and you sent them away without a wr i t of divorce."

" I saw that I was peeling eggs." " Y o u undressed the dead." He said to h im, " A l l of these happened to me, except for

this ." (As they were talking,) a woman came and said to h im,

"The cloak you are wearing belonged to so-and-so who died, and you took i t off h i m . "

He said to h im, " I saw that they said to me: Your father left you property in Cappadocia/ "

He asked h im, " D o you have property in Cappadocia?" " N o . " " D i d your father ever go to Cappadocia?" " N o . " " I f so, then the interpretation is that Cappadocia means

kapa-deka. Kapa in Persian and in Greek meansbeam/ and deka in Greek means t en / Go and examine the top o f the tenth beam (of the roof o f the house), and you w i l l f ind that i t is ful l o f zuzim [coins].י י

150 Aggadatah 76

He went and he found that i t was indeed filled wi th coins.

*

I f a person sees barley grains [seorim] in a dream, this means his sins have been removed, as i t is said, " A n d your iniquity is taken away [sar], and your sin expiated" (Isaiah 6:7).

Rabbi Zeira said, " I d id not come up from Babylon to the land o f Israel unt i l I saw barley grains in a dream."

*

I f a person sees a goose in a dream, he can anticipate wisdom, as i t is said, "Wisdom cries aloud in the street" (Proverbs 1:20). A n d whoever comes to i t , w i l l be the head of an academy. Rav Ashi said, " I saw i t and I came to i t — and I attained greatness."

*

Someone who enters a lake in a dream w i l l become the head o f an academy; a forest — he w i l l become the tutor o f Benei Kallah [a row of students]. ( In a lake there are large and small reeds next to each other, symbolizing the head of the academy, for great and small ones come together to hear his discourses. I n a forest there are large trees which are not close to each other, symbolizing the tutor o f Benei Kallah, who is the senior student and interprets for the students who repeat their studies what they heard from the teacher but d id not understand properly.)

Rav Pappa and Rav Huna, the son of Rav Yehoshua, each saw a dream. Rav Pappa, who saw himself entering a lake, became the head o f an academy, and Rav Huna, the son of


Rav Yehoshua, who dreamed that he entered a forest, became the head of the Benei Kallah.

Others say that both dreamed that they entered a lake; Rav Pappa, who saw a bell hanging from his neck and making a sound, became the head of the academy who makes his voice heard to many. Rav Huna, the son o f Rav Yehoshua, who did not see the bell hanging from his neck, became the head of the Benei Kallah.

Rav Ashi said, " I saw that I entered the lake, a bell was hanging from my neck, and I rung i t loudly ."

*

I t was taught before Rav Sheshet: "Whoever sees a serpent in his dream is assured of livelihood. I f i t bi t h im — his livelihood is doubled. I f he kil led i t — he has lost his l ivel ihood."

Rav Sheshet said to h im, "His livelihood is certainly doubled, because he overcame i t . "

This is not so, rather Rav Sheshet dreamed thusly, and he interpreted i t favorably.

A l l types of vegetables are favorable i f seen in a dream, except for the heads of turnips. Has not Rav said: " I d id not become rich unt i l I saw the heads o f turnips!"

[The reply to his objection:] "When he saw them, they were connected to the ground [but i f someone sees heads of turnips when they are uprooted, this is a sign that he w i l l receive blows from clubs]."

152 Aggadatah 77

57b 77. The Curse of Babylon

Rav Hamnuna expounded: " I f a person sees Babylon the wicked, there are five blessings which must be recited: " I f he saw Babylon, he says: Blessed be the One who destroyed Babylon the wicked. 5

" I f he saw the palace of Nebuchadnezzar, he says:Blessed be the One who destroyed the house o f Nebuchadnezzar the wicked.'

" I f he saw the fiery furnace from which Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah were saved, or the lions 5 den from which Daniel was saved, he says: Blessed be the One who performed miracles for our fathers in this place.5

" I f he saw Mercury [i.e., idolatry], he says: Blessed be the One who granted long sufferance to those who do His w i l l . 5

" I f he saw the place from which dir t is taken, he says :Blessed be the One who says and does, decrees and fulfills (who decreed to destroy them, and fulfilled this decree).5

"What is the place from which dir t is taken5? There was a place in Babylon which i f an animal passed over i t , i t could not move from there unt i l the dir t o f the place was put on i t . This is a sign o f the destruction from the curses o f Babylon.

According to another interpretation, dir t was taken from there for mortar for buildings, but in that place itself there was no settlement, nor any agriculture.

When Rava saw donkeys taking the dir t o f this place, he would clap wi th his hand on their backs (as a sign of affection), and say, "Run, righteous ones, to do the wi l l o f your Maker [for He decreed destruction for Babylon]. 5 5

When Mar the son of Ravina would arrive in Babylon, he ould take dirt in his scarf and cast i t out, to fulf i l l what was said in the curse of Babylon, "and I w i l l sweep i t wi th the broom of destruction 5 5 (Isaiah 14:23).


58a 78. Seeing the Righteous Person

Rabbi Yohanan said: A person should always attempt to run to greet the kings of Israel, and not only the kings of Israel, but also the kings of the idolators, so that i f he merits [the W o r l d to Come, and w i l l see the honor of the anointed King , the Messiah], he w i l l distinguish between the kings of Israel and the kings of the idolators [seeing how much greater is the honor of those who receive reward for the commandments than the honor of the other nations in this world] .

Rav Sheshet was bl ind. When everyone went to receive the king, Rav Sheshet arose and went wi th them.

A Sadducee came upon him. He said to h im, "The pitchers to the river; the broken ones, to where [i.e., the whole pitchers are taken to the river to be filled wi th water, but there is no reason to take the broken ones; similarly, what reason is there for you to go and receive the king, since you cannot see]?*'

He said to h im, "Come and see that I know more than you do."

The first legion o f the king's troops who precede the king passed by them. When the roar of the crowd and the tumult of those passing by was heard, the Sadducee said to Rav Sheshet, "The king is coming."

Rav Sheshet replied, "He is not coming." The second legion passed by, and when the noise o f its

passing was heard, he said to Rav Sheshet, " N o w the king is coming."

Rav Sheshet replied, "He is not coming." The th i rd legion passed by, silently. Rav Sheshet said,

"The king surely is coming now." The Sadducee asked h im, " H o w do you know this?" He replied, "The earthly kingdom is like the heavenly

154 Aggadatah 78

kingdom, and it is said, A n d behold, the L o r d passed by, and a great and strong wind rent the mountains, and broke in piece כ the rocks before the Lord ; but the L o r d was not in the wind; and after the wind an earthquake; but the L o r d was not in the earthquake; and after the earthquake a fire; but the L o r d was not in the fire; and after the fire a still small voice* ( I Kings 19:11-12)."

When the king came, Rav Sheshet said, "Blessed be the One who gave of His glory to flesh and b lood ."

The Sadducee said to h im, "But you did not see, how can you bless?"

A n d what happened in the end to that Sadducee? Some say, his fellows gouged out his eyes; others say, Rav Sheshet cast his eyes upon h im and turned h im into a heap of bones; while still others say, Rav Sheshet said something, and sparks came forth and extinguished his eyesight.

79. The Miracle of Judgement Rabbi Shilo sentenced a person to be whipped for having

relations wi th an Egyptian woman. This man went and informed against h im to the king, saying: "There is a person among the Jews who sits in judgement without the permission o f the k ing . "

The king sent Rabbi Shilo an order to appear before h im.

When he came, the authorities said, " W h y d id you have h im whipped?*'

He replied, "Because he had relations wi th an ass." They asked, " D o you have witnesses?" He replied, "Yes." They said to h im, " I f so, then he deserves the death

penalty[and why did you content yourself wi th a lesser punishment?].*'

He replied, " F r o m the time that we were exiled from our land, we have no authority to judge capital cases and order executions. You , however, are free to do wi th h im as you


please [i.e., this was not an actual sentence, because he was not punished as he deserved to be, rather the whipping was a chastisement]. י י

While they were studying the judgement, Rabbi Shilo said, "Yours , O Lord , is the greatness, the power, the glory, the victory, and the majesty; for all that is in the heaven and in the earth [is Yours]" ( I Chronicles 29:11) [praising God, and implying that earthly kingship resembles Divine kingship].

They said to h im, "What are you saying?" He replied, "This is what I say: Blessed be the Merciful One

who has granted kingship on earth as the kingship on heaven, and who has given you power and the love of justice. י,

They said, "The honor o f the kingdom is so beloved by him. , They gave h י im a staff as a sign of authority, and to ld h im, "Deliver judgement."

When he went out from there, that man said to h im, "Does the Ho ly One, blessed be He, do miracles for those who lie like this?"

He replied, "Wicked one! Are they not called asses, for i t is said, whose flesh is as the flesh of assesי (Ezekiel 23:20)."

He [Rabbi Shilo] saw that he was going to tell [the non-Jewish authorities] that they were called asses; he said, "This one is a "rodef" [pursuer], and the Torah says, I f someone comes to k i l l you, arise early to k i l l him* " ; he struck h im wi th the staff and kil led h im.

He said, "Since a miracle was performed for me through this verse, I shall deliver a discourse on i t . " He went to the study hall and expounded on the entire verse, "Yours , O Lord , is the greatness...."

156 Aggadatah 80

58b 80. The Decree Against the Houses of the Righteous

U71a and Rav Hasda were going on the way. When they came to the entrance of the house of Rav Hana Bar-Hanilai , Rav Hasda gave a great sigh.

Ulla asked h im, " W h y are you sighing? For Rav said, A sigh destroys half a person's body, as i t is said, "Sigh, therefore, you son of man; wi th the breaking of your loins . . ." (Ezekiel 21:11) [and the loins are in the middle of the body] ' , and Rabbi Yohanan said, Even a person's entire body, as i t is said, " A n d i t shall be, when they say to you, Why do you sigh? that you shall say: Because of the tidings, for i t comes; and every heart shall melt, and all hands shall be slack, and every spirit shall be faint, and all knees shall quiver as water" (ibid., v. 12).' "

He said to h im, " H o w can I not sigh? This was a house in which sixty women baked during the day and sixty women baked during the night. They baked for anyone who needed, and Rav Hana did not take his hand out o f the bag [containing baked goods], for he thought, lest a poor person o f well-to-do background come, and become embarrassed before I reach into the bag. I n addition, there were entrances open to the four directions, and anyone who entered hungry left fu l l ; in drought years they would throw outside wheat and barley, so anyone who was ashamed to take during the day could come and take at night. Now this house has fallen and has become a heap of rubble — and I should not sigh?"

He said to h im, "Thus said Rabbi Yohanan: F rom the day that the Temple was destroyed, a decree was issued that the houses of the righteous be destroyed, as i t is said, " I n my ears said the L o r d o f Hosts: Surely many houses shall be desolate, spacious and splendid ones, without inhabitant" (Isaiah 5:9).'


"Rabbi Yohanan also said, The Holy One, blessed be He, w i l l resettle them, as i t is said,' T h e y that trust in the L o r d are as Mount Zion , which cannot be moved, but abides forever" (Psalms 125:1). Just as Moun t Z ion w i l l be resettled, so too the Ho ly One, blessed be He, w i l l resettle the houses of the righteous. He saw that he was not satisfied " יby this, and he said to h im, " I t is sufficient for the servant that he be like his master [for the destroyed Temple is the house o f the Ho ly One, blessed be He, and one should not grieve more for these houses than for the Temple. A n d just as the Temple w i l l be rebuilt a thousand times more magnificently than what was, so too the houses of the righteous shall be rebuilt to be much more magnificent and spacious than they were.]"

158 Aggadatah 81

81. Blessed Be the Wise One of Secrets

Our Rabbis have taught: I f a person sees an ukhlosin of [a large group of 600,000] Jews, he says: "Blessed be the Wise One of secrets," for the thoughts o f one are not like those of another, and their countenances are not similar [but nevertheless the Ho ly One, blessed be He, knows what is in the heart of each one, and before H i m the innermost thoughts of humans are revealed].

Ben Zoma saw an ukhlosin on the upper part of the Temple Mount . He said, "Blessed be the Wise One of secrets, and blessed be the One who created all these to serve me [for all of them labor, and I f ind everything ready for me, for people have many views and accordingly many skills, and one complements the other]."

He would say: " H o w many labors did Adam perform unt i l he had bread to eat: he plowed, sowed, reaped, heaped the piles, threshed, winnowed, sorted, ground, sifted, kneaded, and baked, and only afterwards ate, while I arise early and find all this ready before me. A n d how many labors d id Adam perform unt i l he had a garment to wear: he sheared, bleached, beat, spun, and wove, and only afterwards had a garment to wear, while I arise early and find all this ready before me. A l l the nations are diligent and come to the entrance of my house, and I arise early and find all this ready before me.''

He would say: "What does a good guest say? ' H o w many troubles did the master of the house trouble himself for me, how much meat d id he set before me, how much wine did he bring before me, how many fine breads did he bring before me, and all this trouble he took only on my account.' But what does a bad guest


say? 4 What trouble did this master o f the house take? One piece of bread I ate, one piece [of meat] I ate, one cup I drank, all the trouble that he took was only on account of his wife and his c h i l d r e n . 5 י 5

*

Our Rabbis have taught: I f a person sees Jewish scholars, he says: "Blessed be the One who shared His wisdom wi th those who fear H i m . "

Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi said, " I f a person sees his fellow after thir ty days, he says: *Blessed be the One who has kept us alive, and sustained us, and brought us to this t ime. :After twelve months, he says י*Blessed be the One who revives the dead* [for a dead person is forgotten after twelve months]. 5 5

Rav Pappa and Rav Huna the son o f Rav Yehoshua were going on the way. They encountered Rav Chanina the son of Rav Ika . They said to h im, *'When we saw you, we recited two blessings over you: '... Who shared His wisdom wi th those who fear H i m ' [the blessing recited when seeing a Jewish scholar], and '... Who has kept us alive 5 [as one does upon seeing his fellow after thi r ty days]. "

He said to them, " I also, when I saw you, who are as important to me as 600,000 Israelites, recited three blessings: the two that you recited, and 'Blessed be the Wise One of secrets,5 as one who sees 600,000 o f Israel."

They said to h im, "Have you become so wise?55

They cast their eyes upon h im, and he died.

160 Aggadatah 82

59a 82. An Earthquake

We have learned: For zikin, zvaot, thunder, winds, and lighting, a person says: "Blessed is the One whose power and might f i l l the w o r l d . "

What is zikiril Shmuel said, " A comet." Shmuel said, "The paths of heaven [i.e., the ways of

the stars and the Zodiac] are as clear to me as the paths of [my city] Nehardea, except for a comet, which is unknown to me."

What are zvaotl Rav Katina said, Earthquakes.

Rav Katina was going on the way, when he came to the house of a diviner [who uses the bones of the dead to perform magic], and the earth trembled.

He said, "Does the diviner know the meaning of this earthquake?"

The diviner raised his voice and said, "Kat ina , Katina, why should I not know? When the Holy One, blessed be He, recalls His children who are suffering among the nations o f the wor ld , He drops two tears, as i t were, into the ocean, and His voice is heard from one end of the wor ld to the other — this is an earthquake."

Rav Katina said, "The diviner is a liar, and his words are false, for i f it were as he said, the earth should tremble twice — corresponding to the two tears."

Indeed, the earth did tremble twice, but Rav Katina did not admit to the t ruth of what he said, so that others would not err and follow him.


60a 83. Fear for Nothing

I t once happened that Hi l l e l was coming on the way and he heard screaming in the city. He said, " I am certain that this is not wi th in my house." About h im the Bible says, "He shall not be afraid of evil tidings; his heart is steadfast, trusting in the L o r d " (Psalms 112:7).

Rava said, "This verse is interpreted from its beginning for its end, and from its end for its beginning: 'He shall not be afraid o f evil tidings' because 'his heart is steadfast, trusting in the L o r d ' ; 'his heart is steadfast, trusting in the Lord , ' because 'He shall not be afraid o f evil tidings.' "

[Hil le l trusted in the L o r d that nothing bad would befall h im, and he was certain that i f something had happened in his house, the members of the household would be as accepting as he, because he had taught them not to raise their voice about suffering, but rather, to accept i t wi th love.]

*

A student who was carrying a burden was walking behind Rabbi Yishmael the son of Rabbi Yose in the marketplace of Zion. He [Rabbi Yose] saw that he was afraid.

He said to h im, " Y o u are a sinner, for i t is said, 'The sinners in Zion are afraid' (Isaiah 33:14)."

The student said to h im, "But i t is said, 'Happy is the man who fears always' (Proverbs 28:14)!"

He replied, "This refers to the words of the Torah. [A person should be afraid lest he forget what he has learned, and, as a result, he always repeats what he has learned.]"

162 Aggadatah 83

Yehudah bar Natan was carrying a burden and walking behind Rav Hamnuna, who saw that he sighed.

He said to h im, "This person wants to bring suffering upon himself, as i t is said, 'For the thing which I did, fear has come upon me, and that of which I was afraid has overtaken me' (Job 3:25) [i.e., the fear of a bad thing causes it to come; he referred to Yehudah, but he did not want to state this explici t ly] . י י

"But it is said, 'Happy is the man who fears always* ! י י

He replied, "This refers to the words of the Torah . י י

84. The Miracle of the Bathhouse Our Rabbis have taught: I f a person enters a

bathhouse, he says:

May it be Your will, O Lord my God, that You save me from this the fires of the bathhouse and similar things the fire of Gehinnom, and may no matter of iniquity and spoiling happen to me; and if a matter of iniquity and spoiling happen to me, may my death atone for all my sins.

Abbaye said: " A person should not say this [the latter part of the prayer: "and i f a matter o f iniquity . . . י י ] , so as not to invite misfortune. י י

A n d when he leaves, what does he say? Rabbi Acha said:

I thank You, O Lord my God, for having saved me from the fire.

Rabbi Abbahu entered the bathhouse. The floor collapsed into the pi t through which the water passed. A miracle occurred for h im: he stood on a pillar and held f i rmly to the hand of the person standing next to h im, and the person standing next to h im took hold of the arm of the person standing next to h im, and so on. Thus 101 people were saved by his one arm.


He said, "This is proof o f what Rav Acha said [that on leaving the bathhouse a person has to give thanks for emerging unscathed]."

60b 85. All for the Best

A person must bless for misfortune just as he blesses for good, as i t is said, " A n d you shall love the L o r d your God. . .with all your might" (Deuteronomy 6:5) — wi th every attribute that He measures you, measure H i m [i.e., bless h im accordingly].

I t was taught in the name of Rabbi Akiva : " A person should always be accustomed to say, 'Everything that the Ho ly One, blessed be He, does, He does for good. י ' י

One time Rabbi Ak iva was going on the way. He sought lodging for the night in an inn, but he was refused. He said, "Everything that the Holy One, blessed be He, does, is for good."

He went and spent the night in a field, and had wi th h im a rooster, a donkey, and a lamp. The rooster, to waken him from his sleep; the donkey, on which to ride; and the lamp, to provide h im wi th light at night.

A l ion came and ate the donkey; a cat came and ate the rooster; and a wind came and extinguished the lamp. He said, "Everything that the Ho ly One, blessed be He, does, is for good."

That night troops came and took captive the people of the city.

He said to his pupils: "Have I not to ld you, 'Everything that the Holy One, blessed be He, does, is for good [for i f I were in the inn, or i f the lamp had been burning, or i f the donkey had brayed, or i f the rooster had crowed,

164 Aggadatah 86

they would have taken me captive and I would have been in danger, and now that I opened my mouth for good [i.e., justified God's actions], the decree against me was cancelled']."

61b 86. The Death of Rabbi Akiva

" A n d you shall love the L o r d your God wi th all your heart, and wi th all your soul, and wi th all your might" (Deuteronomy 6:5). Rabbi Eliezer says: " I f it says, 'wi th all your soul,' then why does i t say, 'wi th all your might?' A n d i f i t says, 'wi th all your might, ' why does i t say, 'and wi th all your soul?' Rather, i f there is a person who regards his body more than his money, therefore i t says, 'wi th all your soul'; and i f there is a person who regards his money more than his body, therefore i t says, 'and wi th all your might [referring to wealth]. ' "

Rabbi Ak iva says, " ' W i t h all your soul' — even i f He takes your soul."

Our Rabbis have taught: Once the evil authorities decreed that Israel shall not engage in Torah study. Pappus ben Yehudah came and found Rabbi Ak iva teaching Torah in public.

He said to h im, " A k i v a , do you not fear the authorities?"

" Y o u are Pappus, of whom it is said that you are wise — you are but a fool! I w i l l tell you a parable, to show what this resembles.

" I t resembles a fox who was walking along the riverbank. He saw fish gathering together from place to place, and going quickly from one place to another. He said to them, 'F rom what are you fleeing?'


"They answered h im, ' F rom the nets and the traps humans set for us.5

He said to them, 'Are you wil l ing to come up on the dry land, and I and you w i l l dwell together, as my fathers dwelled wi th your fathers?*

" 'You , o f whom it i t is said that you are the smartest o f the animals — you are not intelligent, but rather a fool! I f we fear in the place o f our l iving [the water], in the place of our death [the dry land], how much more so should we fear!'

"So, too, it is wi th us Jews: Now, when we sit and engage in the Torah, about which i t is writ ten, 'For i t is your life and the length of your days' (Deuteronomy 30:20), and we fear, i f we were to cease our words of Torah and cancel our occupation wi th them, how much more so would we fear!"

I t was said: Only a short while passed before Rabbi Ak iva was arrested and put in prison. Pappus be Yehudah was also arrested, and imprisoned together wi th h im.

He said to h im, "Pappus! Who brought you here?" He said to h im, "Happy is your lot , Rabbi Ak iva , for you

were arrested for words o f Torah; woe to Pappus, who was arrested for worthless things!"

Rabbi Ak iva was taken out to be executed. They combed his flesh wi th i ron combs, and wi th each combing, he would say, "The Rock, His work is perfect; for all His ways are justice; a G o d of faithfulness and without iniquity, just and right is H e " (Deuteronomy 32:4).

The time for the reciting o f the Shema came, and he read i t wi th the intent of accepting upon himself wi th love the yoke of the kingdom of Heaven.

His pupils said to h im, "Our master! H o w long [despite these deathly tortures, you still read, wi th the proper intent]!"

166 Aggadatah 86

He said to them, " A l l my life I grieved over this verse: 'and wi th al l your soul' — meaning even i f He takes your soul, for I said, 'When wi l l I have the opportunity to fulf i l l this?' Now that I have the opportunity — shall I not fulf i l l i t?"

The wicked Turnus Rufus saw a smile on Rabbi Akiva's face. He said to h im, " O l d man, either one of two: either you are a sorcerer, and you perform sorcery so that you wi l l not feel these agonies, or, you resist these agonies and laugh, in order to anger me!"

Rabbi Akiva said to h im, "Cursed be the man [who thinks so], by the life of your head, I am not a sorcerer, nor do I resist these agonies. Rather, all my life I read over this verse, and I grieved and said, 'When w i l l I have the opportunity to fulf i l l all three: " w i t h all your heart, and wi th all your soul, and wi th all your m i g h t . I ' ״loved the L o r d wi th all my heart, I loved H i m wi th all my money, but I did not have the opportunity to prove my love for H i m wi th all my soul. Now this opportunity has come that He takes my soul, and I do not divert my attention from His love."

He extended the word Echad [One, the last word o f the verse, "Hear, O Israel, the L o r d our God, the L o r d is One"], and he died with "Echad."

A Heavenly voice declared, "Happy are you, Rabbi Akiva , that you died wi th Echad."

The ministering angels said to the Ho ly One, blessed be He, "Master of the Universe, is this the reward for the Torah? ' [ I desire] death by Your hand, O Lord , than from men of the wor ld ' (Psalms 17:14) [i.e., Rabbi Akiva , who engaged in the Torah, which was given by Your right hand, should have died by Your hand, and not by a base mortal , an inhabitant of this wor ld ] . "

He said to them, " 'Whose port ion is in this life' (ibid.) [in the eternal life, for the reward o f the righteous is in the Land of L i f e ] . "


A Heavenly voice declared, "Happy are you, Rabbi Akiva , for you are destined for the W o r l d to Come!"

87. Modesty in the Toilet

We have learned: A person who attends to his needs in Judea shall not do so to the east or the west [i.e., he shall not uncover himself, in front or in back, in the direction o f Jerusalem, out o f respect for the Temple], but rather, to the north or the south; in Galilee [which is to the north of Jerusalem], to the north and the south is prohibited, to the east and the west is permitted. Rabbi Yose permits, for Rabbi Yose would say, "They prohibited only in [a place from which] one sees [the Temple M o u n t ] . " Rabbi Yehudah says, "When the Temple is in existence, i t is prohibited; when the Temple is not in existence, i t is permitted." Rabbi Ak iva prohibits everywhere [even outside the land of Israel].

The bricks in the toilet o f Rabbah were arranged from east to west, so that when he attended to his needs he was standing between the nor th and the south.

Abbaye went and changed their location, placing them to the north and to the south, for he wanted to see whether Rabbah was exacting in this matter because he held the opinion, as that o f Rabbi Ak iva , that even outside the land of Israel this is prohibited; or whether he was not exacting, and therefore the law is not in accordance wi th Rabbi Akiva .

When Rabbah entered, he moved them back to their original position. He said, " W h o is the one who causes me distress? I am of the same opinion as Rabbi Ak iva , who said, ' I t is prohibited everywhere. " י

168 Aggadatah 87

Rabbi Ak iva said, "One time I entered the toilet after Rabbi Yehoshua, and I learned from h im three things: I learned that one does not attend to one's needs to the east or to the west, rather, to the north or to the south; I learned that one does not uncover oneself while standing, but only while sitting [out of modesty]; and I learned that one does not wipe oneself wi th the right hand, but rather wi th the left."

Ben Azzai said to h im, " T o this degree you were insolent wi th your teacher?"

He replied, "This is Torah, and I have to learn [for there are things, which unt i l a person sees them, he does not think to inquire whether they are prohibi ted] . י י

Ben Azzai says, "One time I entered the toilet after Rabbi Akiva , and I learned from h im three things: I learned that one does not attend to one ,s needs to the east or to the west, rather to the north or to the south; I learned that one does not uncover oneself while standing, but only while sitting; and I learned that one does not wipe oneself wi th the right hand, but rather, wi th the left."

Rabbi Yehudah said to h im, " T o this degree you were insolent wi th your teacher?"

He replied, "This is Torah, and I have to learn.'י

A n d why is it prohibited to wipe wi th one ,s right hand, but only wi th the left?

Rava said, "Because the Torah was given wi th the right hand, as i t is said, ' A t His right hand was a fiery law to thenf (Deuteronomy 33:2)."

Rabbah bar bar Channah said, "Because it is close to the mouth [people are accustomed to extend the right hand to the mouth] . "


Rabbi Shimon ben Lakish said, "Because i t is used to tie the tefillin"

Rav Nachman bar Yitzchak said, "Because a person shows the cantillation signs wi th i t [a person moves his hand in accordance wi th the cantillation signs, whether they are read, or whether they are sung]."

Rabbi Tanchum bar Chanilai said, "Whoever is modest i n the toilet is saved from three things: from serpents, from scorpions, and from the destructive agents [because of his modesty, the serpents are not jealous of h im, and even the destructive agents take pi ty on h i m ] . י Others say, "Also his dreams are יsettled [the destructive agents do not alarm h i m ] . "

There was a toilet in Tiberias which, i f two people entered together, even during the day, they would be harmed.

Rabbi A m m i and Rabbi Assi would enter separately, and they were not harmed.

The Sages asked them, "Are you not afraid that you might be harmed?"

They said to them, "We have received a tradit ion: 'For the toilet — modesty and silence [are appropriate]; for sufferings — silence and requesting mercy.' "

The mother o f Abbaye raised for h im a lamb, and trained i t to go wi th h im everywhere, and to enter the toilet wi th h im to guard h im and to assuage his fear. She did not want to raise for h im a k i d [even though i t bleats louder than a lamb], because the toilet demon resembles a goat, and they were liable to be exchanged.

170 Aggadatah 87

Before Rava became the Head of the Academy, his wife [the daughter of Rav Chasda], would take a nut and place i t in a brass cup, and she would shake i t and make noise in the house when he attended to his needs opposite her, outside.

After he became Head of the Academy, and required greater guarding because the destructive agents are more jealous o f high officials and Torah scholars than of other people, she made a small window in the house opposite the place where he attended to his needs behind the house, and she would extend her hand through the window and place it on his head, to protect h im.

*

A eulogizer came before Rav Nachman to deliver a eulogy. He said, "The deceased was modest in his ways. י י

Rav Nachman said to h im, " D i d you enter the toilet together wi th h im, to know whether or not he was modest? A person is called 'modest 1 only i f he is modest in the to i le t . י י

Why did i t matter to Rav Nachman i f the eulogizer praised the deceased wi th a quality he d id not possess?

Because we have learned: "Just as the dead are punished [ i f they are sinners], so, too, are the eulogizers [who say that the deceased was righteous], and those who agree to them, punished/ יי [Rav Nachman did not want to be among those who responded, and thereby agreed, wi th this.]


Bar Kappara would say wise sayings and would sell then for dinarim, so that those hearing them would think more highly of them.

He would say, "While you are still hungry, eat [for i f you wait, your appetite w i l l pass, and the food wi l l be of no benefit].

"Whi le you are still thirsty — drink. "Whi le your pot boils, pour [i.e., do not delay

attending to your needs]. " [ I f you hear] the sound of the horn in Rome, sell

your father's figs [for this is a sign for those seeking to purchase to go to another place; i f your father is not at home, take care to sell his figs while there are customers]."

* Abbaye said to the Sages, "When you enter the

paths o f Machoza to go to the fields, do not look to either side, lest women are sitting there and attending to their needs, and i t is not polite to look at them."

*

Rav Safra entered the toilet. Rabbi Abba came and made a noise to h im at the entrance [to enquire whether there was anyone inside, because there was no door there].

Rav Safra said to Rabbi Abba, " M y lord may enter!" After he went out, Rabbi Abba said to Rav Safra,

" Y o u have not yet gone to the land o f Seir [Rome], where they are not modest, and you have already learned their culture, and abandoned the culture of the Persians, who are modest in the toilet?

"Have we not learned: 'There was a fire there [in the Temple Courtyard] and a respectful toilet [so

172 Aggadatah 87

that the priests who attended their needs could immerse in warm water, for one who attends to his needs must immerse]. This was how it was respectful: I f the one who required this found i t closed, he knew that someone was there; i f he found i t open, he knew that no one was there, for i t is not polite to talk in the toilet, or to call to the second one to enter when someone is still inside* (Tamid 26a)."

Rav Safra feared that Rabbi Abba was in danger [and this was why he spoke in the toilet], for we have learned: Rabban Shimon ben Gamliel says: " A pillar that returns brings a person to hidrokan [a person who has to attend to his needs and delays this, forcing his excretions to go back wi th in h im, is liable to fall i l l wi th hidrokan — his stomach swells up, and he is in danger]. י י

*

Rabbi Eleazar entered the toilet. A Persian came and urged h im to leave [for he wanted to attend to his needs].

Rabbi Eleazar arose and left. The Persian entered, and a serpent came and drew

out his large intestines. Rabbi Eleazar said about h im, " '1 w i l l give a man

for you י (Isaiah 43:4) — do not read adam [man], but rather Edom [i.e., idol worshiper]."


88. Saul and David

And it came to pass, when Saul returned from following the Philistines, he was told that David was in the wilderness of En־gedi. Then Saul took three thousand chosen men from all Israel and went to seek David and his men upon the rocks of the wild goats. And he came to the sheepfolds along the way, where there was a cave; and Saul went in to relieve himself.

Now David and his men were sitting in the innermost parts of the cave. And David's men said to him, "This is the day of which the Lord said to you, 'Behold, I will deliver your enemy into your hands; and you shall do to him as you please.י "

Then David arose, and stealthily cut off the skirt of Saul's robe.... Then David also went out of the cave and called after Saul, saying, "My lord the King!" ... And David said to Saul.. . "Behold, this day your eyes have seen how the Lord delivered you today into my hand in the cave. Although some urged me to kill you, I showed you pity, and said, 'I will not put forth my hand against my lord.' "

I Samuel 24:2-12

"Al though some [ l i t . , he] urged me to k i l l you, I [ l i t . , i t [feminine]] showed you p i t y " — "he urged"? Should i t not have said, " I urged"? " Y o u showed you pity"? Should i t not have said, " I showed you pity"?

Rabbi Eleazar said, " D a v i d said to Saul, 'By Torah law, you should be deserving death, for you are a rodef [pursuer], and the Torah said, " I f someone comes to k i l l you, arise early to k i l l h i m . " However, your modesty showed you pity.*

" A n d what was i t [his modesty]? As i t was said, ' A n d he came to the sheepfolds [ l i t . , fences] ... where there was a cave': there was a fence wi th in a fence, and a cave wi th in a cave."

" T o relieve [le-hasakh, l i t . , cover] himself Rabbi — יEleazar said, "This teaches that he covered himself [his feet, wi th his garment] like a booth [sukkah]."

"Then David arose, and stealthily cut off the skirt o f Saul's robe" — Rabbi Yose the son o f Rabbi Chanina

174 Aggadatah 88

said, "Whoever acts contemptuously towards garments, in the end wi l l not benefit f rom them, as i t is said, 'Now King David was old and stricken in years; and they covered h im wi th clothes, but he could get no heat* ( I Kings 1:1). [Although he had to cut SauPs garment, he could have cut only a l i t t le, not the entire skirt; or, he could have torn in the middle of the garment and not from its edges, so that he would not have caused Saul to be a single moment without the commandment o f tzitzit [ritual fringes], which are required to be on the corner of one's garment.]"

And the Ziphites came to Saul to Gibeah, saying, "David is hiding in the hill of Hachilah" ... And Saul encamped on the hill of Hachilah ... David sent out spies and understood ... So David took the spear and the cruse of water from Saul's head ... and no man saw it, nor knew it, neither did any awake, for they all were asleep....

And David cried to the people and to Abner ... "So why did you not keep watch over your lord the king?" ... And Saul knew David's voice, and said, "Is this your voice, my son David?" And David said, "It is my voice, my lord, O King." And he went on, "But why does my lord continue to pursue his servant? ... If the Lord has incited you against me, let Him accept an offering...."

I Samuel 26:1-20

" I f the L o r d has incited y o u " — Rabbi Eleazar said, "The Holy One, blessed be He, said to David: ' Y o u called Me an inciter? I shall cause you to fail i n something that even schoolchildren know, as i t is said, "When you take the sum of the Children of Israel, according to their number, each shall give a ransom for his soul to the Lo rd , when you number them; that there be no plague among them, when you number them" (Exodus 30:12).'

"Immediately, 'Then Satan stood up against Israel [and moved David to number Israel]' ( I Chronicles 21:1), and i t is said, ' A n d He moved David against them,


saying, " G o , number Israel" 5 ( I I Samuel 24:1). But when he numbered them, he d id not take a ransom from them, as it is said, 'So the L o r d sent a pestilence upon Israel from the morning unt i l the appointed time* (ibid., v. 15)."

What is the meaning o f "the appointed time"? Shmuel the Elder, the son-in-law of Rabbi Chanina, said i n the name o f Rabbi Chanina: " F r o m the time o f the ki l l ing o f the continual offering unt i l the time of the dashing of its b lood ." Rabbi Yochanan said, " U n t i l midday, exactly.5י

" A n d when the angel stretched out his hand toward Jerusalem to destroy i t , the L o r d renounced further evil, and said to the angel that destroyed the people, ' I t is enough, now stay your hand 5 " (ibid., v. 16). Rabbi Eleazar said, "The Holy One, blessed be He, said to the angel: 'Take for Me the greatest o f them, who w i l l repay for them several debts [i.e., whose death w i l l atone for several sins].5

" A t that time, Avishai ben Zeruyah, who was considered the head of the Sanhedrin, died.

" A n d as he was about to destroy, the L o r d saw, and He renounced י 5 ( I Chronicles 21:15) — what d id He see?

Rav said, "He saw Jacob, as i t is said, ' A n d Jacob said when he saw them 5 (Genesis 32:3) [Jacob's merits arose before H i m , for the L o r d had promised Israel that during time o f trouble He would see the image of Jacob which is engraved on the Throne o f Glory, and He would have mercy on them]. 5 5

Shmuel said, " 'God w i l l provide [ l i t . , make seen] Himself the lamb 5 (Genesis 22:8; for God had promised Abraham that in time o f trouble He would make i t seem as i f the ashes of Isaac were piled up on the altar]. 5 5

Rabbi Isaac Nafcha said, "He saw the ashes o f Isaac,

176 Aggadatah 89

as i t is said, ' A n d you shall take the atonement money from the Children of Israel ... that i t may be a memorial for the Children of Israel before the L o r d , to make atonement for your souls* (Exodus 30:16)."

Rabbi Yochanan said, "He saw the Temple [for i t w i l l be rebuilt and they w i l l come to fulf i l l the commandment of seeing], as i t is said, Tn the mount where the L o r d w i l l be seen' (Genesis 22:14)."

63a 89. The Intercalation of Years outside the Land

of Israel

Rav Safra said: "Rabbi Abbahu would relate, 'When Chananiah, the nephew of Rabbi Yehoshua, went to the Diaspora, he would intercalate years [determine the leap years in which an additional month is added] and determine the months outside the land of Israel. [The Court in Jerusalem alone was responsible for the intercalation of years, which is to say, the determining of leap years; only i f there was no one capable of determining this in Jerusalem was i t permitted to do so outside the land of Israel.]

" 'Two scholars, Rabbi Yose ben Kippar, and the grandson of Zechariah ben Kevutal, were sent to h im. When he saw them, he asked, " W h y have you come?"

" 'They said to h im, "We have come to study Torah ." " 'He announced about them: "These men are the

leading scholars of the generation, and their ancestors served in the Temple, as the one about whom we have learned: 'Zechariah ben Kevutal says, "Many times I read before h im [the High Priest, on Y o m Kippur night] in the Book of Daniel [so that the High Priest would not sleep]." י "


" 'He [Hananiah] began to declare impure, while they declared pure; he prohibited, while they permitted [regarding matters in which it was possible to be lenient, so that people would not follow him] .

" 'He announced about them: "These men are false, they are idle ones."

" ' " Y o u hav already buil t [publicly praiseed us]," they said to h im. " Y o u cannot contradict this; you have already fenced in , and now you cannot break through."

" 'He said to them, " W h y do I declare impure and you declare pure, I prohibit and you permit?"

" '"Because you intercalate years and determine the months outside the land of Israel," they to ld h im.

" 'He said to them, "But Ak iva ben Yosef would intercalate years and determine the months outside the land o f Israel!"

" ' " D o not speak of Rabbi Ak iva , for he did not leave [anyone as great as he] in the land o f Israel."

" " T also did not leave anyone as [great as] myself in the land of Israel."

" 'They said to h im, "The kids that you left have become goats wi th horns [the minor students you left have become major Torah scholars], and they sent us to you. They said to us: 'Go and tell h im in our name: I f he listens, i t w i l l be well; and i f not, he w i l l be under the ban. A n d tell our brethren in the Diaspora: i f they listen, i t well be well; and i f not — they w i l l go up to one o f the hills to bui ld a prayer platform: Achiyah, the Exilarch, w i l l bui ld an altar, Chananiah w i l l play on the lute [for Chananiah, the nephew of Rabbi Yehoshua, was a Levite], and all w i l l blaspheme and say: "They have no por t ion in the God of Israel.י ״

" 'When they heard this, all the people burst out in tears, and said, "Heaven forbid! We do have a por t ion in the God of Israel!"

178 Aggadatah 90

" 4 A n d why [were they so strict regarding the intercalation of years]? Because of what is writ ten, "For out of Zion shall go forth the Torah, and the word of the L o r d from Jerusalem.י ״ "

63b 90. In Honor of Hospitality

When our masters entered the Vineyard o f Yavne [the Academy in Yavne, in which they sat in rows as the rows o f a vineyard], Rabbi Yehudah, Rabbi Yose, Rabbi Nechemiah, and Rabbi Eliezer the son of Rabbi Yose ha־Gelili were there.

They all began with words in honor o f the place where they were lodging, and they expounded.

Rabbi Yehudah, who was the first to speak everywhere in honor o f the Torah, expounded: " 'Now Moses used to take the tent and pitch i t outside the camp* (Exodus 33:7) — there is an a minori ad majus inference here: if, regarding the A r k o f the L o r d , which was at a distance of only twelve mil, the Torah said: ' A n d it came to pass, that every one that sought the Lord went out to the tent o f meeting* (ibid.), then how much more so regarding Torah scholars, who go from city to city and from country to country to study Torah [which they could not do without receiving hospitali ty]."

Rabbi Yehudah expounded further in honor of the Torah: " 'Keep silence, and hear, O Israel; this day you have become a people* (Deuteronomy 27:9) — and was the Torah given that day? Rather, was i t not given forty years earlier? This teaches that the Torah is beloved by those who study i t , each day, as the day in which i t was given at Mount Sinai."


Rabbi Nehemiah expounded in honor o f hospitality to scholars: "Is there not an a minori ad majus inference in what is written: ' A n d Saul said to the Kenites, " G o , depart, get down from among the Amalekites, lest I destroy you with them; for you showed kindness to all the Children o f Israel" ' ( I Samuel 15:6)? I f this is so for Jethro, who drew Moses close only to aggrandize himself, how much more so for the person who extends hospitality to a Torah scholar wi th in his home, giving h im food and drink, and having h im enjoy his possessions. י י

Rabbi Yose expounded in honor o f hospitality to scholars: " 'You shall not abhor an Egyptian, because you were a stranger in his land* (Deuteronomy 23:8) — is there not an a minori ad majus inference here? I f this is so for the Egyptians, who drew near Israel only for their own needs, as i t is said, ' A n d i f you know any able men among them, then make them rulers over my c a t t ^ (Genesis 47:6), how much more so for the person who extends hospitality to a Torah scholar wi th in his home, giving h im food and drink, and letting h im enjoy his possessions."

Rabbi Eliezer the son of Rabbi Yose ha־Gelil i expounded in honor o f hospitality to scholars: " ' A n d the L o r d blessed ... the house o f Obed-edom ... because of the A r k of God* ( I I Samuel 6:11-12) — is there not an a minori ad majus inference here? I f this is so for the A r k , which neither ate nor drank, but [only required] sweeping and the sprinkling [of water], how much more so for the person who extends hospitality to a Torah scholar wi th in his home, giving h im food and drink, and letting h im enjoy his possessions.יי

180 Aggadatah 90

What is the blessing which was given? Rav Yehudah bar Zevida said, "This Chamot [the

wife of Obed-edom] and her eight daughters-in-law each gave bi r th to six at a time, as i t is said, ' A n d Obed-edom had sons: Shemaiah the firstborn, Jehozabad the second...Puellethai the eighth; for God blessed him.. . A l l these were o f the sons of Obed-edom, they and their sons and their brethren, able men in strength for the service, threescore and two of Obed-edom' ( I Chronicles 26:4- 8) ." [The count is as follows: after he begot 8 sons, his wife and daughters-in-law, a total of 9 women, each gave bi r th to sextuplets, for a total o f 54 children, which, together wi th the original 8, totaled 62.]

Chapter One/Halakhah 1 181

The Jerusalem Talmud Berakhot Chapter One

Halakhah 1

1. The Redemption as Ayelet Ha־Shachar

"For the leader; on ayelet ha-shachar" — just as the antlers o f a hind [ayalah] split to one side and the other, so too does the dawn [shachar] split to one side and the other [for each morning, before sunrise, the dawn provides light for a distance o f four mil; this is known as alot ha-shachar; and before this, for the period o f time i t takes to walk four mil, the rays o f ayelet ha-shachar shine in the east].

Rabbi Yose bar Bun said, "One who says that ayelet ha- shachar is the star that rises before the dawn, errs, for at times this star rises before [the dawn], and at times i t rises after [the dawn]; i t has no fixed time. Rather, ayelet ha- shachar is like two rays o f light that rise f rom the east and i l luminate."

Rabbi Hiyya the Hreat and Rabbi Shimon ben Halafta were walking together in the Arbe l Valley early in the morning, and they saw the light of ayelet ha-shachar breaking through.

Rabbi Hiyya the Great said to Rabbi Shimon ben Halafta, "Ber ibi [a contraction o f ben rebbe, a term of respect reserved for the greatest of the generation], thus is the redemption o f Israel — in the beginning, little by l i t t le, all the while becoming greater.

182 Aggadatah 1

"What is the reason for this? As i t is said, 'Though I sit in darkness, the L o r d is a light to me* (Micah 7:8): Just as the light at dawn comes bit by bit and increases, so too the redemption of Israel shines through the darkness o f the Exile bi t by bit and increases.

"Thus was the redemption of Israel during the time of Mordecai and Esther. I n the beginning, 'While Mordecai sat in the king's gate, Bigthan and Teresh were wroth ... and Esther to ld the king thereof in Mordecai's name' [(Esther 2:21-22); this was the remedy that preceded the blow of Hainan's plot t ing, and i t was about this that Esther said, wi t Divine inspiration, "For the leader; on ayelet ha-shachar"].

" A n d afterwards: 'Then Haman took the apparel and the horse' (Esther 6:11; this was as the beginning of the sunrise].

" A n d after this: ' A n d Mordecai went forth from the presence of the king in royal apparel' (Esther 8:15; similar to the coming forth o f the entire sun over the earth].

" A n d after this: 'The Jews had light and gladness, and joy and honor' [(ibid., v. 16); like the force o f the sun at midday] ."


2. Sleeping While Reading the Shema

When Rabbi Shmuel bar Nahmani went outside the land o f Israel to intercalate the year, he would stay in the house o f Rabbi Yaakov Grusa [the wheat grinder].

Rabbi Zeira came there, and wanted to see and learn from the practices o f Rabbi Shmuel bar Nahmani. Rabbi Zeira h id among the baskets that were next to Rabbi Shmuel's bed, because he was embarrassed, and so that he would not be seen. He saw Rabbi Shmuel reading the Shema several times, unt i l he fell asleep during his reading.

He did this to ful f i l l the verse, "tremble, and sin not; commune wi th your own heart upon your bed, and be s t i l l " (Psalms 4:5) — he read i t close to falling asleep, when one is sti l l .

3. In a Dispute between an Individual and the Many, the Law Follows the Many

We have learned: " F r o m when is the Shema read at night, f rom the time that the priests enter to eat their terumah, un t i l the end o f the first watch; the opinion o f Rabbi Eliezer. But the Sages say, ' U n t i l the middle of the night. ' Rabban Gamliel says, ' U n t i l the pillar o f dawn rises.' I t once happened, that his sons came from a house o f feasting. They said to h im, 'We have not read the Shema. He said to them, ' I f the pillar of dawn has not yet risen, you are obligated to read.' "

The Sages wondered: Does Rabban Gamliel disagree wi th the Sages, and act i n accordance wi th his opinion, which is the opinion o f an individual?

Rabbi Meir disagreed wi th the Sages, but d id not act in accordance wi th his opinion.

184 Aggadatah 3

Rabbi Akiva disagreed wi th the Sages, but d id not act in accordance wi th his opinion.

Rabbi Shimon disagreed wi th the Sages, but d id not act in accordance wi th his opinion.

Where do we find that Rabbi Meir disagreed wi th the Sages, but did not act in accordance wi th his opinion? We have learned: They may anoint wi th aluntit [old wine, clear water, and persimmon o i l , which were mixed together and used as a remedy] a sick person on the Sabbath. When? When they mixed the wine and o i l before the eve o f the Sabbath 21i.e., Friday night]; but i f they had not mixed before the eve of the Sabbath, i t is prohibited. Rabbi Shimon ben Eleazar said, "Rabbi Meir permitted mixing wine and o i l and anointing a sick person on the Sabbath. When he fell i l l and we sought to do so for h im, he would not allow us; we said to h im, 'Our master, do you cancel your own words in your lifetime?'

"He said to us, 'Even though I am lenient for others, I am strict regarding myself, for my colleagues disagree wi th me.' "

A n d where do we find that Rabbi Ak iva disagreed wi th the Sages, but d id not act in accordance wi th his own opinion? We have learned: Regarding the spinal cord and the skull from two corpses; a revi'it o f blood from two corpses, and a rova of bones from two corpses; a l imb from a corpse from two corpses; a l imb torn from a l iving person from two people: Rabbi Ak iva declares impure, and the Sages declare pure.

We have also learned: I t once happened that they brought a basket ful l o f bones from Kfar Tavei and put i t down in the air of the synagogue of copper workers in L o d [so that they would not come to unintentionally touch the bones and thereby become impure. They


wanted to know whether there was a sufficient quantity of bones to cause impuri ty , and they summoned surgeons to determine whether they were from one corpse or f rom two]. Turdus the physician entered, and all the physicians entered wi th h im.

Turdus said: "There is no whole spinal column from a single corpse, nor a whole skull f rom a single corpse."

They said: "Since there are those here who declare pure and there are those who declare impure [and perhaps those who disagreed wi th Rabbi Ak iva reversed their opinion], let us take a count [and act in accordance wi th the major i ty] ."

They began wi th Rabbi Ak iva , who was the leader o f those declaring impure — and he declared pure.

They said to h im, "Since you had declared impure, and now you declared pure, i t is pure [and we do not need to hear the opinion o f the others]."

A n d where do we find that Rabbi Shimon disagreed wi th the Sages, but did not act i n accordance wi th his own opinion? We have learned: Rabbi Shimon says: " A l l the aftergrowths are permitted, except for the aftergrowths o f cabbage, which are not like other field vegetables [i.e., vegetables which grew in the sixth year of the shemittah [Sabbatical year] cycle and which were picked in the shemittah year are permitted, because i t is obvious from their size that they are from the sixth year; cabbage, however, is composed of leaves, and i t cannot be determined whether i t is new or old , and often the leaves are removed, leaving the root in the ground to grow new leaves; therefore cabbage from the shemittah year is liable to be mistaken for that from the sixth year]." But the Sages say, " A l l the aftergrowths are prohibited [the Sages did not accept this distinction, and prohibited them a l l ] . "

186 Aggadatah 4

Once Rabbi Shimon ben Yohai passed by during the shemittah year and saw someone picking shemittah aftergrowths.

He said to h im, "Is this not prohibited? Are these not aftergrowths?* י

He replied, "But are not you the one who permits?" He said to h im, "But do not my colleagues disagree

wi th me?" He [Rabbi Shimon] They applied to h im the verse,

" A n d whoever breaks through a fence, a serpent shall bite h i m " (Ecclesiastes 10:8), and so i t was wi th him.7

But Rabban Gamliel disagreed wi th the Sages and acted in accordance wi th his own opinion?

This case was different; in the other cases i t was possible to act in accordance wi th the Sages. I n this case, however, since i t was already past the middle of the night, i t was not possible to act in accordance wi th the Sages, and therefore he to ld them to act in accordance wi th his opinion.

Halakhah 2 4. Reading the Shema at Its Proper Time

We have learned: F rom when is the Shema read in the morning? From the time that a person can distinguish between tekhelet [a bluish color] and white. Rabbi Eliezer says, "Between tekhelet and green, and he concludes i t unt i l sunrise." Rabbi Yehoshua says, " T i l l three hours."

Rabbi Yehudah said, "Once I was going on the way after Rabbi Eleazar ben Azariyah and after Rabbi Akiva . They were occupied wi th religious obligations [i.e., public affairs], and the time for the reading o f the Shema arrived. I thought that perhaps they had


despaired of reading the Shema [for he thought they held the same opinion as that of Rabbi Eliezer, that its time was unt i l sunrise, and because o f their occupation in these matters they had not read the Shema, for one who is engaged in the fulfillment of a commandment is exempt from the fulfillment o f another commandment]. I read and repeated, and afterwards they began to read, and the sun was already at the top o f the hills [for they thought that the time o f reading began at sunrise, and not before]."

Rabbi Zeira said, in the name of Rabbi Ammai : " D u r i n g the time of Rabbi Yohanan we would go forth [to the center of the city when a communal fast had been decreed] and read the Shema after three hours [because of the lengthy piyutim [liturgical poetry] and special prayers], and he did not prohibi t us [for they had already read i t earlier, to fulf i l l the obligation o f reading i t at its proper t ime] ."

Rabbi Yose and Rabbi Aha went for th during a fast. The congregation came and they wanted to read the Shema after three hours.

Rabbi Aha wanted to prevent them from doing so. Rabbi Yose said to h im, "Bu t they have already read i t

at its proper time [when they recited, at the beginning of the prayers, "We declare the Uni ty of Your Name twice each day ... " ] , and they read i t again before the Shemoneh Esreh only in order to enter the Shemoneh Esreh wi th words of Torah?"

He replied, "Because o f the common people, so that they would not say that they are reading i t in its proper time [and would think that i t could always be read after three hours]."

188 Aggadatah 5

Halakhah 5 5. The Lord Raises Up Those Who Are Bowed Down

We have learned: These are the blessings [in the Shemoneh Esreh] in which one bows: in the first blessing, at the beginning and at the end, and Modim [We thank You] , at the beginning and at the end ... provided that he does not bow excessively.

Rabbi Yermiyah said, "Provided that he does not bow like the turtle who bows wi th a raised head, rather he bows his head like a reed, as i t is said, ' A l l my bones [i.e., including his head] shall say, " L o r d " ' (Psalms 35:10)."

Hanan bar Ba disagrees wi th Rabbi Yermiyah, for Hanan bar Ba said to his colleagues, " I w i l l tell you a good thing I saw wi th Rav A v i d , and which when I to ld i t to Shmuel, he arose and kissed me on the mouth: The person who is standing in the Shemoneh Esreh bows when he says 'Blessed are You ' , and stands up straight when he mentions the Divine Name."

Shmuel said, " I related the reason for this, for i t is said, 'The L o r d raises up those who are bowed down* (Psalms 146:8) — this implies that at the mention o f the Divine Name one is to stand straight."

Rabbi A m m a i said, "This does not logically follow, for i t is said, ' A n d because of M y Name he was in awe* (Malachi 2:5); this implies that one is to bow at the mention of the Divine Name."

Rabbi A v u n said, " I f i t were writ ten, ' W i t h M y Name he stands in awe/ his argument would be good; since, however, i t was writ ten, 'because o f M y Name,' [this implies] before he mentioned M y Name he was in awe." [The Hebrew wordmipnei has two meanings: "because" and "before."]

Chapter Two/Halakhah 1 189

Rabbi Shmuel bar Natan said, in the name of Rabbi Hama bar Hanina: " I t once happened that a person bowed excessively, and Rabbi removed h im from the prayer leader's lectern [for i t gives the appearance of haughtiness]."

Rabbi A m m a i said, "Rabbi Yohanan would remove anyone who bowed excessively."

Rabbi Hiyya bar Abba said to h im, "Rabbi Yohanan did not remove, he rather rebuked."

Chapter Two

Halakhah 1 6. Moving Gently the Lips of Those Who Are Asleep

Rabbi Yohanan was supported by Rabbi Yaakov bar I d i , and he walked wi th h im.

He was seen by Rabbi Eleazar ben Pedat, his pupi l who had come up from Babylon and who hid from him. Rabbi Yohanan spotted h im, became angry, and said, "This Babylonian did two things against me; the first, that he did not inquire about my well-being, and the second, that he d id not state a teaching in my name."

Rabbi Yaakov bar I d i said to h im , "Thus they conduct themselves in Babylon: the less important person does not inquire about the well-being of the more important one, so that he w i l l not be troubled to respond, for they fulf i l l the verse, 'The young men saw me and hid themselves' (Job 29:8), and they conceal themselves out o f embarrassment."

They continued to walk along the way. As they were walking along, Rabbi Yaakov bar I d i pointed out to Rabbi Yohanan an ancient study hall , and he said to

190 Aggadatah 6

him, "Here Rabbi Meir would sit and expound, and when he would mention the teachings of Rabbi Yishmael, he would state them in his name, and when he related what he had heard from Rabbi Akiva , his outstanding teacher, from whom he received most o f his wisdom, he would not mention the name of Rabbi Akiva , the author of the statement."

Rabbi Yohanan said to h im, "The entire wor ld knows that Rabbi Meir is the pupi l o f Rabbi Akiva , and all know that whatever he says without at tr ibution, is f rom h i m . "

He said to h im, "Similarly, all know that Rabbi Eleazar is the pupi l o f Rabbi Yohanan, and whatever he says without mentioning the name of the author of the teaching, he learned from you . "

They continued walking, and Rabbi Yaakov bar I d i asked Rabbi Yohanan i f i t is permitted to pass before an idol which happens to stand on the way.

He said to h im, " A n d do you honor it? To the contrary, you should pass before i t , and bl ind its eyes [i.e., i f you turn away because of i t , you impart to it significance; to the contrary, you should pass before i t upright, as i f i t does not exist]."

Rabbi Yaakov bar I d i said to h im, " I f so, Rabbi Eleazar did well in not passing before you, for since he is o f the opinion that he should not inquire after your well-being and thereby trouble you to respond, i f he had passed before you without greeting you, this would appear as making light of your honor, Heaven forb id ."

Rabbi Yohanan said to Rabbi Yaakov bar I d i . "Yaakov, you know how to effect a reconciliation.י י

Rabbi Yohanan wanted that teachings would be said in his name, because even David sought Divine compassion to this end, and said, " I w i l l dwell in Your tent forever" (Psalms 61:5) — and did the thought cross David's mind that he would live forever? Rather,


David said to the Ho ly One, blessed be He, "Master o f the Universe, may i t be Your w i l l that I merit that my words be stated in my name in the synagogues and in the study halls, for the lips o f every Torah scholar in whose name teachings are given in this wor ld move wi th h im in the grave [and therefore he lives in both worlds, as implied by the Hebrew term olamim, which can also mean " two worlds"] , as i t is said, ' A n d the palate o f your mouth like fine wine, that glides down smoothly for my beloved, moving gently the lips o f those who are asleep' (Song o f Songs 7:10) — just as a komer of grapes [a vessel in which grapes are placed unt i l they heat up, and then drips of itself]: just as wi th a komer, when a person puts his finger on i t , i t immediately drips [dovev], so too Torah scholars, when a teaching is stated in their name in this wor ld , their lips move [dovevot] in the grave."

Halakhah 2 7. The Love of the Commandment of Tefilin

Rabbi Yannai said, "Tefilin require a clean body, and why are they [people who wear tefilin] not presumed [to be fit and reliable]?

"Because of the deceivers [who make themselves out to be pious].

" I t once happened that a person happened to find himself in a certain place on Sabbath eve, and he had bags o f coins wi th h im, and he did not know where he could put them for safekeeping.

"He saw a person praying wi th tefillin on his head, and he said to himself, ' I should entrust my money only to someone who observes the commandments. י

"He entrusted the money wi th h im, but when the

192 Aggadatah 7

Sabbath went out and he asked for his money back, this person denied having received anything.

"He said to h im, 4 I t was not in you that I trusted when I entrusted them to you, but in the Name of the Ho ly One, blessed be He, which is on your forehead.

"He enwrapped himself in his talit, and stood and prayed there. He said to H i m , 'Master of the Universe, I trusted only in Your great Name which was on his head.'

"As he was standing in prayer, a torpor fell on h im, and Elijah the prophet, o f blessed memory, was revealed to h im. He said to h im, 'Go and say to his wife, "Your husband said you should bring me what is in such-and-such a place," and give her a sign, that on the Seder night they ate from a donkey, and on Y o m Kippur night from that sort.' A n d so i t was; he to ld her these signs, and she gave him what had been entrusted.

"When her husband came and saw that what had been entrusted to h im was not there, he began to beat his wife.

"She said to h im, 'What do you want from me? He gave me the sign that we agreed upon, and I gave i t to h im. ' "

*

Rabbi Yannai was very careful regarding the sanctity of tefilin. When he fell i l l and saw that he was liable to divert his attention from them because of his pains, he did not put them on unt i l three days after he had arisen from his illness, when he felt that he could have the proper intent.

As for Rabbi Yohanan ben Zakkai , his tefilin d id not move from h im neither in summer nor in winter; Rabbi Eliezer, his pupil , acted in the same manner.


I n the winter, when Rabbi Yohanan did not suffer from headaches, he would wear both tefilin, that o f the hand and that of the head; in the summer, however, when he suffered from headaches, he would wear only that of the hand.

The tefilin never left h im. Even at night, when he was about to go to sleep, he would tie them in his garment and sleep. When he went to bathe, he would attempt to spend as little time as possible without tefilin. I n the bathhouse there were three rooms: the external one, in which people removed their clothes; the middle one, in which the keepers of clothes were; and the inner one, in which they bathed.

Rabbi Yohanan would remove his clothes in the outer chamber and don a cloak, out o f respect for the tefilin; only in the middle chamber would he remove his tefilin and entrust them to the attendant, Yaakov Turmusra. After he had bathed and came out of the inner chamber, they would immediately bring them to h im. He would tell them this discourse: " T w o arks went wi th Israel in the wilderness, the ark o f the eternal life, in which the tablets of the covenant were placed, and the coffin of Joseph. The non-Jewish nations would say: 'What is the nature o f these two containers?'

" A n d Israel would say to them, 'This is the coffin of Joseph, wi th the ark o f the eternal life. '

"The non-Jewish nations would denigrate Israel and say: ' H o w can the coffin of a dead person go together wi th the ark of the eternal life?'

"Israel would reply, 'Because this one observed what was written in the other one.' "

Why did he deliver this discourse? Rabbi Hanina said: "Because it is prohibited to speak

words of Torah in the bathhouse, and immediately upon leaving he wanted to adhere to words o f Torah ."

194 Aggadatah 7

Rabbi Mana said to h im, " A n d he would not say anything else, only this? Rather, he wanted to chide those who say that they [tefilin] are not to be worn the entire day. He also wanted to hasten the attendants that they would bring h im the tefilin quickly, and he would say, 'Joseph attained royal status only because he observed the commandments of the Ho ly One, blessed be He, and we have attained all this honor [to be a kingdom of priests and a holy nation] only because we have observed the commandments of the Holy One, blessed be He — and you want us to desist from the commandments?' "

*

Rabbi Abbahu said, in the name of Rabbi Eleazar: " A person who puts on tefilin at night transgresses a positive commandment, for i t is said, ' Y o u shall therefore keep this ordinance in its season from year [miyamim, l i t . , from days] to year [yamimah, l i t . , to days]' (Exodus 13:10): ' f rom days' — implying days and not nights; ' to days' ־ excluding Sabbaths and Festivals."

But Rabbi Abbahu would sit and learn at night wi th tefilin on his head?

I t was on the side, like a pledge given for sakekeeping[he would move them to the side o f his head, not where they must be positioned for the fulfillment o f the commandment, so that he could guard them; he was not wearing them as a fulfillment of the commandment].


Halakhah 4 8. The Birth of the Messiah

For these things I weep; my eye, my eye runs down with water; far from me is the comforter [menahem] who might revive my spirit.

Lamentations 1:16

One Jew lived in a place distant from Jerusalem. On the day that the Temple was destroyed, he did not know of this, and he went out to his work as usual, and plowed his field wi th a pair of cattle.

His cow lowed, and an Arab who passed by and understood the language of animals and birds heard the sound of its lowing.

The Arab called to h im, "Jew, Jew, release your cow and release your plow [i.e., stop working and release the cow from the goad], for the Temple has been destroyed. י י

He said to h im, " H o w do you know this?" He replied, " F r o m the lowing of your cow." I n the meantime, the cow lowed a second time. The

Arab to ld h im, "Jew, Jew, tie your cow and tie your plow, for the anointed king, the Messiah, the savior of Israel, has been born . "

He asked, "What is his name?" "Menahem.יי " A n d what is his fathers name?" "Hezekiah." He asked h im, " F r o m what place is he?" The Arab replied, " F r o m the capital of the king, in

Bethlehem in Judah." The Jew sold his cows and his plow, and became a

seller o f the cloths uses to diaper infants. He traveled from city to city and from country to country, unt i l he arrived at that place. Women came from all the villages

196 Aggadatah 8

to purchase clothes from h im, but the mother o f Menahem did not come. He heard the voices of the women saying, "Moher o f Menahem, mother o f Menahem! Come and buy clothes for your son."

She said, " I want to strangle the enemies o f Israel [i.e., the infant, but she did not want to explicitly say so], for on the day he was born the Temple was destroyed [and his sign is bad, and his upbringing wi l l be dif f icul t ] ."

He said to her, "We are certain that in his wake it was destroyed, and in his wake it w i l l be rebuilt. Come and buy!"

She said to h im, " I have no money." He said to her, " O f what concern is this to you? Come

and buy for h im. I f you cannot pay today, I w i l l come some time later and you wi l l repay me." She took them and went.

Some time later he returned to that city. He said, " I w i l l go and see what is wi th that ch i ld . " He came to her, and asked about the doings o f the child.

She told h im, " D i d I not tell you that his manner and his fate are the very worst, for he was born in a difficult time; from the time that you saw me, winds and tempests came and snatched h im from me, and they carried him away."

Rabbi Bun said, "What may we learn from this Arab? There is a complete verse relating to this: ' A n d Lebanon [the Temple] shall fall by a mighty one 1 (Isaiah 10:34). A n d what is written after i t : ' A n d there shall come forth a shoot out of the stock o f Jesse, and a twig shall grow forth out o f his roots 5 (ibid., 11:1) [i.e., the Messiah, who is from the line of David , the son o f Jesse, w i l l be born immediately]. י י


Halakhah 5 9. The Custodian Who Prayed

Rabbi Hezekiah and Rabbi Yaakov bar Aha were sitting in one place in a field. I n Rabbi Yaakov bar Aha 5s hands were coins [which had been deposited with h im; he was holding them in his hand, because a custodian who received money as a deposit may not put them in his pocket, lest they fall and be lost, in which case he would be considered negligent in guarding, and he would be obligated for them].

The time for prayer arrived. Rabbi Yaakov bar Aha gave the coins to Rabbi Hezekiah, so that he could pray wi th a clear mind.

Rabbi Hezekiah took them and he put them in his belt, which was wide, and he tied and tightened the ends so that they would not fal l , and he also stood to pray. I n the middle o f his prayer, the knot loosened, and the ends became loose. The coins fell and were lost.

When Rabbi Yaakov bar Aha saw that Rabbi Hezekiah was grieved, because he had not guarded them properly, he said to h im, " D o not grieve, you are exempt, for what could you do [you did not have any possibility o f guarding them any better, and this was a circumstance beyond your control ] ."

198 Aggadatah 10

Halakhah 6 10. No Harm Befalls the Righteous

Benjamin Ginzakhya [i.e., from Ginzakh] went forth and said, in the name of Rav, that a groom may marry a virgin on the Sabbath.

Shmuel heard this and he became angry wi th h im, for he knew that Rav prohibited this, and this one lied in the name of Rav; and this Benjamin died.

Shmuel said about h im, "Blessed be the Omnipresent who struck h im down [for his iniquity, and cancelled his teaching]." About Rav he said, " N o harm befalls the righteous" [(Proverbs 12:21), for they had not had time to act in accordance wi th the erroneous teaching of Benjamin].

Halakhah 7 11. Mourning on the Sabbath

Rabbi Ushiya the Great went to a certain place, saw mourners on the Sabbath, and greeted them. He said to them, " I do not know the custom of your place [whether you greet mourners on the Sabbath or not] , rather, 'Peace be to y o u / as is the custom of our place."

*

Rabbi Yose bar Halafta would praise Rabbi Meir before the people of Sepphoris: "He is a great man, a holy man, a modest m a n "

One time Rabbi Meir happened to be there on the Sabbath. He saw mourners and he greeted them.


The people of Sepphoris said to Rabbi Yose bar Halafta, "This is the one whose praises you to ld to us?"

He asked them, "What has he done?" They told h im, "He saw mourners on the Sabbath and

he greeted them.י י

He said to them, " D o you want to know what he really did? He came to inform you that there is no mourning on the Sabbath.

"This is the meaning o f the verse, 'The blessing o f the L o r d makes r ich 5 (Proverbs 10:22) — this is the blessing o f the Sabbath [which was blessed with the two loaves and the extra soul], ' A n d to i l [etzev] adds nothing to i f — this is mourning, as i t is said, 'For ... the king grieves [ne'etzav] for his son 5 ( I I Samuel 19:3)."

Halakhah 8 12. The Passing of the Righteous

When Rabbi Hiyya bar Ada , the nephew of Bar Kappara, passed away, his teacher Reish Lakish accepted consolances over h im, for a person's pupi l is beloved as his son.

He eulogized him: " ' M y beloved is gone down to his garden, to the beds o f spices, to feed in the gardens, and to gather lilies 5 (Song of Songs 6:2). I t would have sufficed had i t said, ' M y beloved is gone down to his garden, to feed in the gardens.5

"What then is the meaning o f ' to feed in the gardens?5

" ' M y beloved 5 refers to the Ho ly One, blessed be He. " 'Is gone down to his garden 5 — this refers to the

wor ld . " 'To the beds of spices5 — these are Israel. " 'To feed in the gardens5 — these are the

non-Jewish nations of the wor ld .

200 Aggadatah 12

" ' A n d to gather lilies 5 — these are the righteous whom He removes from among them.

"What is this like? To a king who had a son, whom he loved excessively.

"What did the king do? He planted a garden for h im. "When the son did his fathers w i l l , he would search

the entire wor ld , and when he saw a beautiful plant in the wor ld he would plant it in his garden. But when he angered h im, he would cut down all the plants.

"Thus, when Israel do the wi l l o f the Omnipresent, He searches through His entire wor ld , and when He sees a righteous person among the nations of the wor ld , He brings h im and joins h im to Israel, such as Jethro and Rahab. But when they anger H i m , He removes the righteous from among them."

*

Rabbi Hiyya the Great and his colleagues [and some say, Rabbi Yose ben Halafta and his colleagues, while yet others say, Rabbi Akiva and his colleagues] were accustomed to rise early to sit and study Torah under a fig tree. The owner of the fig tree would rise early every day to collect the ripe figs.

They said, "Perhaps he suspects us [of picking his figs, therefore he makes haste to collect them every day]; let us change our place," and they did so.

The following day the owner of the fig tree rose early as usual, but he did not f ind them.

He went and searched for them, unt i l he found them. He came to them and said, " M y masters! There was one commandment that you were accustomed to fulf i l l when you were wi th me, thereby acquiring merit for me, [and now] you have kept i t from me?"

They said to h im, "Heaven forb id . "


"Then why have you left your place and sit elsewhere?"

They said to h im, "We said, Perhaps you suspect us." He was reconciled wi th them, and they immediately

returned to their place. The owner of the fig tree said. " I n the morning they

w i l l know that i t was not out of suspicion that I d id so." The fol lowing day, he left the figs on the tree and did not pick them. The sun shone on them, and his figs became wormy.

A t that time they said: "Just as the owner o f the fig tree knows when i t is the time to pick the fig and he picks i t , so, too, the Ho ly One, blessed be He, knows when i t is is the time for the righteous to leave the wor ld , and He removes them."

*

When Rabbi Bun bar Rabbi Hiyya passed away, Rabbi Zeira entered to eulogize h im. He applied to h im the verse, " 'Sweet is the sleep o f a laboring man, whether he eats little or much 5 (Ecclesiastes 5:11) — the verse begins wi th sleep and ends wi th food.

" T o what could Rabbi Bun be compared? To a king who hired many workers, and there was one worker who specially exerted himself in his work. What d id the king do? He took h im and went for long and short walks wi th h im. Towards evening the workers came to receive their wages, and he gave h im his wages like the others. The workers complained and said, 'We have labored the entire day, and this one labored only two hours, but he gave h im his wages like the others. 5

"The king said to them, 'His labor for two hours was more than your labor during the entire day. 5 "Thus did Rabbi Bun labor in the Torah for twenty-eight years,

202 Aggadatah 12

that which a conscientious pupi l could not learn in one hundred years." [This is the meaning of the sweetness of the sleep of the laborer: his death is sweet whether he learned for few years or for many years; "he eats" — he wi l l receive reward according to his labor.]

*

When Rabbi Simon bar Zavid passed away, Rabbi Liya entered to eulogize h im, as follows: "There are four things which are for the service of the wor ld , and for each there is a replacement i f i t is lost: 'For there is a mine for silver, and a place for gold which they refine. Iron is taken out of the dust, and brass is molten out of the stone5

(Job 2 8 : 1 ־ 2 ) . These, i f they are lost, may be replaced, but i f a Torah scholar dies, who w i l l bring us his replacement? Who w i l l bring us his substitute?"

"But wisdom, where shall i t be found? A n d where is the place of understanding? ... Seeing i t is h id from the eyes o f all l i v ing" (Job 28:12-21). Rabbi Levi said, " I f , regarding the brothers of Joseph, their heart failed them for having found something [the treasure that was found in their sacks], as i t is said, ' A n d their heart failed them 5 (Genesis 42:28), how much more so i t this so for us, at the loss of Rabbi Simon."

*

When Levi bar Sisi passed away, the father o f Shmuel entered and eulogized h im: " 'The end o f the matter, all having been heard: fear God , and keep his commandments; for this is the whole [ l i t . , all] man 5

(Ecclesiastes 12; 13). " T o what could Levi bar Sisi be compared? To a king


who had a vineyard wi th one hundred vines, and each year they produced one hundred barrels o f wine. I t came down to fifty [vines], i t came down to forty, i t came down to thir ty , i t came down to twenty, i t came down to ten, i t came down to one, and i t would produce one hundred barrels o f wine, and this vine was as beloved to h im as the entire vineyard.

"Thus was Levi bar Sisi beloved by the Ho ly One, blessed be He, as all men. This is the meaning o f what is said, 'for this is al l man 5 — this one was equivalent to all men. 5 '

13. Take Care from Their Burning Coals

§ When Rav Kahana came up from Babylon to the land of Israel, he was a wise youth, o f tender age. When he arrived in the land o f Israel, a wicked charcoal-burner saw h im and wanted to mock h im.

He said to h im, "What voice d id you hear in heaven?" [For once Rabbi Yohanan had become angry wi th Rav Kahana and he had died; when Rabbi Yohanan realized that he had erred, he brought h im back to life; the charcoal-burner d id not believe that Rav Kahana had indeed died and come back to life.]

He said to h im, " I heard that the judgement o f that man [i.e., the charcoal-burner] had been sealed for death." A n d this came true, and he died.

Another person met h im, and he also asked h im, "What voice d id you hear in heaven?"

He replied, "That the judgement of that man had been sealed." A n d that man also died.

Rav Kahana said, "What , I came here to attain Torah, and I w i l l sin [i.e., punish people]? What, I came to k i l l the inhabitants o f the land of Israel? I shall go back to the place from where I came."

204 Aggadatah 13

He came before Rabbi Yohanan, and he said to h im, " A man whose mother humiliates h im while the wife o f his father honors h im, to which one should he go?" [Wi th the land of Israel being compared to the mother and the wor ld outside the land of Israel to his stepmother; in the land o f Israel people grieved and shamed h im, while abroad they honored h im; he asked in an allusion, because he d id not want Rabbi Yohanan to prevent his leaving, but, on the other hand, he also did not want to leave without asking his teacher for permission.]

Rabbi Yohanan did not discern the hidden intent o f his question, and answered h im, "He should go to the place where they honor h i m . "

Rav Kahana went back to his place in Babylon. They came and to ld Rabbi Yohanan: "Kahana has

gone back down to Babylon. ייHe said, " W h y did he go, without asking my

permission?" They to ld h im, "That question that he asked of you

constituted his asking your permission."

When Rabbi Zeira came up to the land of Israel, he went and had his blood let. He went and sought to purchase a pound of meat from the butcher [it was customary to have meat and wine on the day of bloodletting, so as to restore the person's strength and keep h im from danger].

He asked the butcher, " H o w much is this pound?" The butcher saw that Rabbi Zeira was a newcomer,

and he wanted to make fun of h im. He to ld h im, "F i f ty maneh and one stroke of the lash." He said to h im, "Take sixty maneh, provided that you

not whip me."


The butcher d id not agree. "Take seventy/' but the butcher d id not agree. "Take eighty," but the butcher d id not agree. "Take ninety," and finally one hundred, but the

butcher would not agree not to whip h im. Rabbi Zeira said to h im, " D o as is your custom." That evening he went down to the meeting place [for

scholars], and he said to the scholars: " H o w bad is the custom here, that a person cannot eat a pound of meat un t i l he receives a stroke o f the lash."

They asked h im, " A n d who is this?" He replied, "The butcher so-and-so." They sent messengers to have h im brought for t r ia l ,

and they found his coffin [for in the meantime he had been punished by Heaven and had died].

They said to h im, " M y master, so much [were you angry that you punish wi th death]!"

He replied, " M a y i t come upon me, for I was not angry [may evil come upon me, Heaven forbid, i f I became angry and caused his death, rather he was punished by Heaven], for I thought: this is the custom of the place."

*

When Rabbi Yeisa came up to the land o f Israel, he went to have a haircut, and afterwards he wanted to bathe in the hot waters o f Tiberias, to recover from the rigors o f the journey.

He encountered an insolent one, who gave h im a slap on the back, and said, jokingly , " Y o u r neck is still weak, I thought i t would be strengthened by the b low."

While he was laughing and jok ing , the city judge was sitting in the marketplace and trying a thief. He was beating h im, so that he would reveal who was his partner in the theft.

206 Aggadatah 14

The thief raised his eyes, and he saw the laughing insolent one.

He thought that this one was making fun o f h im, and he said to the judge, "That one who is laughing over there was my partner."

The judge took h im and tried h im, and he admitted to having killed a man.

When Rabbi Yeisa went out of the bathhouse, he saw that they were leading both of them to the gallows, wi th an i ron chain around their necks.

The insolent one said to h im, " M y master, the neck that was weak has already become strong [unti l i t demanded vengeance of me, and look, here is the chain on my neck]."

Rabbi Yeisa said to h im, "Bad luck, and did you not know the words of the prophet, who said, 'Now therefore be not scoffers, lest your bands be made strong' [(Isaiah 28:22); i.e., you are not being punished for the insult to me, for I waived my honor, but the very fact of your scoffing brought about the rope around your neck]."

Halakhah 9 14. Excessive Piety

We have learned: Rabban Shimon ben Gamliel says, "Anyth ing entailing suffering may be done by someone who wishes to make himself a yahid [a scholar worthy o f being appointed as communal leader, and wants to be strict wi th himself, acting as a unique individual]; a Torah scholar [who is actually appointed to be a communal leader] is recomended to do so, and may he be blessed for this.

"Anyth ing entailing praise: not everyone who wishes


to make himself a yahid may do so, unless he has been appointed communal leader."

A n d we have learned: They go to the sides because of the way-marks of hardened pegs, and when he sinks, even in a field ful l o f saffron.

[When Israel entered the land o f Israel, Joshua enacted ten stipulations for the benefit o f the Jewish settlement o f the land. One o f them was that during the summer, when the land is dry, and there are many pits filled wi th water wi th high banks, which when they dry up are hard and planed like pegs and i t is difficult to walk on them, a person may enter the fields and pass through them, and the owners of the fields cannot protest against the passersby.

Dur ing the winter, when people sink in the mud of the pits i n the roads, i t is permitted to pass through the fields, even i f they are planted wi th saffron, which is a precious plant and its being crushed underfoot w i l l entail a financial loss; because of the great bother involved, passersby are not obligated to circumvent the entire field.]

I t once happened that Rabban Gamliel and Rabbi Yehoshua were walking along the way, and they went to the sides because of the way-marks of hardened pegs. They saw that Rabbi Yehudah ben Nekosa was sinking [in the mud, for he was careful not to pass through the field as they did] , and he came towards them.

Rabban Gamliel said to Rabbi Yehoshua, " W h o is this who shows himself wi th a finger [i.e., as i f he points to himself and says, " L o o k , I am pious"]?"

Rabbi Yehoshua said to h im, " I t is Yehudah ben Nekosa, all of whose actions are for the sake of Heaven [and who does not do so in order to aggrandize himself]."

208 Aggadatah 14

He said to h im, "Have we not learned: Anything entailing praise: not everyone who wishes to make himself a yahid may do so, unless he has been appointed communal leader."

He said to h im, "Have we not learned: Anyth ing entailing suffering may be done by someone who wishes to make himself a yahid; a Torah scholar may do so, and may he be blessed for this [for he is sinking in the mud, and there is no greater suffering than this].

* Rabbi Zeira said, " I f a person wishes to be strict wi th

himself, he may do so, provided that he does not humiliate others [that he does not act strictly before others, wi th i t appearing that they are not as God-fearing as he]."

Rabbi Yeisa and Rabbi Shmuel bar Yitzhak were sitting and eating in one of the upper chambers in the synagogue in which they were accustomed to eat.

The time for prayer arrived. Rabbi Shmuel bar Yitzhak stood up and stopped eating in order to pray.

Rav Yeisa said to h im, "This is not what our teacher taught us, that i f they begin [to eat and the time for prayer arrives], they need not interrupt.

" A n d Hezekiah taught: 'Whoever is exempt from doing something and nevertheless does i t is called ignorant. ' "

He said to h im, "But we have learned: A groom is exempt from reading the Shema, and we have also learned, I f he wishes to read, he may read."

He said to h im, " I am capable o f resolving [this mishnah] according to Rabban Gamliel , for he said, '1 do not heed you to cancel for me the kingdom of Heaven, not even for a single hour. ' "

Chapter Three/Halakhah I 209

He said to h im, "Is i t not so that the opinion o f Rabban Gamliel is that o f an individual, and is opposed to that of the many?"

He replied, "Since Rabbi concluded the mishnah for us according to the opinion o f Rabban Gamliel , I may act as he does."

Chapter Three

Halakhah 1 15. Mourning

When Rabbi Yeisa passed away, Rabbi Hiyya bar Ba received the mourners in the seudat havra'ah [the "meal of consolation/ ' the first meal eaten after the interment; in this meal, the mourner is forbidden to eat his own food, rather i t must be prepared by others]. He gave them meat to eat and wine to dr ink [for after the interment, the interim period of aninut ends and the mourning period begins, and a mourner is permitted meat and wine].

When Rabbi Hiyya bar Ba passed away, Rabbi Shmuel bar Rav Yitzhak received the mourners and gave them meat to eat and wine to drink.

When Shmuel bar Rav Yitzhak passed away, Rabbi Zeira received his mourners, and fed them lentils, according to the custom [for lentils are round, and death also is a cycle which returns in the wor ld ; and just as the lentil has no mouth, so too the mourner has no mouth].

210 Aggadatah 16

Rabbi Zeira fell i l l and was about to die. He ordered: " D o not receive for me the seudat havra'ah on the day o f the interment, rather fast that day, and the following day you may eat from your own food."

Rabbi Yitzhak, the son o f Rabbi Hiyya, was in Thuba, when he heard that one of his relatives had passed away.

Rabbi Mana and Rabbi Yudan entered to console h im. There was fine wine there, and they drank excessively, unt i l they became merry.

The following day they came and desired to come in to h im. He said to them, "Sages! Is this how a person acts wi th his fellow, when he comes to console him? The only thing we did not do yesterday was to get up and dance."

16. Impurity for a Priest

And the Lord said to Moses: Speak to the priests the sons of Aaron, and say to them: None shall defile himself for the dead among his people, except for the relatives that are closest to him: his mother, his father, his son, his daughter, and his brother; and for his virgin sister, close to him because she has no husband, for her he may defile himself.

Leviticus 21:1-3

May a priest defile himself in honor of his teacher? Rabbi Yannai Zeira was a priest. When his

father-in-law, who was also his teacher, passed away, he asked Rabbi Yose whether he could defile himself in his honor, and he [Rabbi Yose] prohibited this [for he doubted whether his pupi l is regarded as his son regarding defilement for the dead, and is permitted to engage in his burial , or not; because of the doubt, he followed the rule that "Inact ion is preferable"].

Chapter Three/Halakhah 1 211

When Rabbi Aha heard, he permitted this, and said, "His pupils may defile themselves for h i m . "

*

When Rabbi Yose died, the priests among his pupils defiled themselves for h im, and they ate meat and drank wine.

Rabbi Mana said to them, "One of the two cannot escape being prohibited: i f you are mourners [regarding yourselves as his sons], why did you eat meat and why did you drink wine while you were still onenirnt [before the interment, a mourner is forbidden meat and wine, which are permitted to h im after the burial] .

" A n d i f you are not mourning, then why did you defile yourselves?"

*

May a priest defile himself in honor of the Torah? Rabbi Yose was sitting and teaching his pupils in the

synagogue. They brought the body of a Torah scholar there, to

deliver the eulogy. A por t ion o f the pupils who were priests went outside

before they brought in the corpse, so as not to defile themselves by the impuri ty imparted wi th in a building, while another port ion remained.

Rabbi Yose said nothing, nor d id he protest, neither to those who went out nor to those who remained sitting to study [because he was in doubt whether they were permitted to defile themselves for a Torah scholar who was not their teacher].

212 Aggadatah 16

Rabbi Nehemiah, the son of Rabbi Hiyya bar Abba, said, "Father [who was a priest], would not pass under the dome of the gate of Caesarea for fear of impuri ty there, while Rabbi A m m i passed [for he was of the opinion that there was no fear of impuri ty] . , י

*

Rabbi Hezekiah, Rabbi Kohen, and Rabbi Yaakov bar Aha were walking in the plaza of the city of Sepphoris, and were engaged in words of Torah.

They came to the dome of the city gate, which constituted a building [in terms of imparting impuri ty] over a grave, and Rabbi Kohen [a priest] withdrew from them. When they arrived at a pure place, he rejoined them.

He said to them, " I n what [Torah study] were you engaged?"

Rabbi Hezekiah said to Rabbi Yaakov, " D o not tell h im anything. י י

I t was not known to the pupils whether he spoke thusly because he looked disfavorably upon his withdrawing, because he was o f the opinion that he was permitted to defile himself, or because he [Rabbi Kohen] had made haste to leave, and had not waited to ask their opinion, and i t appeared that he did not regard their opinion [regarding the necessity for h im to withdraw] as important.

*

We have learned: A priest may defile himself and go outside the land o f Israel . . . to study Torah or to marry a woman [for the Rabbis have decreed that the lands o f the non-Jews are impure for the priests].


Rabbi Yehudah says, " I f he has someplace to study, he may not defile himself."

Rabbi Yose says, "Even i f he has someplace to study, he may defile himself, for not f rom everyone is a person capable o f learning."

I t was said o f Rabbi Yosef h a ־ K o h e n [a priest], that he would defile himself and follow his teacher to Sidon, but they said, A priest may not leave the land o f Israel unless he is assured of a wife [because for the purpose of marrying a wife, one may leave the land o f Israel].

*

May a priest defile himself to deliver the Priestly Blessing?

Movi lah , the brother o f Rabbi Abba Ben Kohen, said before Rabbi Yose, in the name of Rabbi Aha: " A priest may defile himself to deliver the Priestly Blessing.י י

Rabbi Aha heard this and said, " I did not tell h im anything.יי He continued, " O r perhaps he did not hear this from me, rather I said what Rabbi Yehudah ben Pazi had stated in the name of Rabbi Eleazar: 'Every priest who is present in the synagogue and who does not deliver the Priestly Blessing transgresses a positive commandment, 5 and he thought to say that the fulfillment o f a positive commandment takes precedence over the transgression o f a negative commandment. I d id not tell h im anything; bring h im and I w i l l have h im lashed [for he said in my name something which I never said, for the defilement o f a priest also includes a positive commandment, and a positive commandment does not take precedence over both a positive commandment and a negative commandment]. י,

214 Aggadatah 16

Rabbi Abbahu was sitting and teaching his pupils in the great synagogue of Caesarea, and there was a corpse there.

The pupils who were priests remained to learn and did not go out because of the corpse. The time arrived for the Priestly Blessing [in another quorum that was praying there, at a later time], and the priests did not ask their teacher whether they should deliver the Priestly Blessing, for they thought that they were permitted to remain there only for the purpose o f Torah study, and not for the purpose of delivering the Priestly Blessing.

The time arrived for eating, and the corpse was still there. They asked their teacher whether they could remain there and eat, so that they would not waste time going back and forth from their homes.

He said to them, "Abou t the Priestly Blessing you did not ask me, but to eat you do ask me!"

When they heard this, each one slipped away, ashamed, and went out.

Rabbi Yannai said: " A priest may defile himself to see the k ing . "

When the emperor Diocletian came to the land o f Israel, Rabbi Hiyya bar Vo was seen stepping over graves in Tyre to see h im, for they said, i n the name o f Rabbi Yohanan, " I t is a religious obligation to see the great kings, so that when the kingship of the House of David w i l l be restored, one w i l l know how to distinguish between one kingdom and another."

May a priest defile himself in honor o f the Nasi? When Rabbi Yehudah ha-Nasi [the redactor of the

Mishnah] passed away, Rabbi Yannai declared, "There is no priesthood today!" [I.e., the priests are permitted to participate in his funeral and to engage in his


interment, as i f he were a met mitzvah, an anonymous corpse whom everyone is commanded to bury.]

When Rabbi Yehudah Nesiah, the grandson of Rabbi Yehudah ha- Nasi, passed away, Rabbi Hiyya bar Abba pushed Rabbi Zeira [who was a priest] into the synagogue among the vines in Sepphoris [to which the corpse had been brought], and he caused h im to defile himself.

*

When Nehorai, the sister of Rabbi Yehudah ha-Nasi, passed away [after he had passed away], Rabbi Hanina summoned Rabbi Mona, but he did not come [because he was a priest].

He said to h im, " I f in their [the Nasi ,s] lifetime, a person does not defile himself for their sisters, is this not surely so after the death o f the Nasi?"

Rabbi Nasa said, "After the death o f the Nasi, they regarded her as a met mitzvah, for during his life, the honor o f the Nasi himself being occupied wi th her was sufficient, which is not so after his death.'י

*

When may a priest defile himself in honor o f his father and his mother?

Rabbi Yeisa [Rav Isa] heard that his mother had come to Basra, outside of the land o f Israel. He came and asked Rabbi Yohanan whether he could leave the land of Israel [for he was a priest, and the Sages decreed that the lands o f the non-Jews are impure].

Rabbi Yohanan said to h im, " I f you desire to leave because o f the danger, to assist her on her way and protect her from robbers, go. But i f this is because o f

216 Aggadatah 17

honoring one's father and mother, I do not know [for he was in doubt whether honoring one's father and mother takes precedence over the prohibi t ion against defilement]."

Rabbi Yeisa stayed for a short while, and once again he came back and troubled Rabbi Yohanan about his question, for his conscience was troubled about her.

Rabbi Yohanan said to h im, " I f you have decided to go, then go and return safely."

Rabbi Shmuel bar Rav Yitzhak said, "We still do not know whether i t is permitted to go; i t is possible that Rabbi Yohanan was undecided on this issue, but because Rabbi Zeira bothered h im wi th his words, he permitted h i m . "

Rabbi Eleazar heard this and said, " A n d there is no greater permission than this [ i f Rabbi Yohanan gave him his blessing, and to ld h im to go and return safely, he undoubtedly granted h im total permission]."

17. And the Living Will Take It to Heart

One may not inquire about a law in front o f the bier o f a dead person [out o f respect for the dead, because this appears as i f he is mocking the dead].

"But Rabbi Yohanan asked Rabbi Yannai before the bier of Rabbi Shimon ben Yotzedek: ' I f a person dedicated his burnt-offering for the Temple upkeep, does this sanctity adhere [to money in its stead], and therefore he may give its value?' " A n d he answered h im.

"They were distant from the corpse, or this was after they had raised the coffin to its appointed place."

"But Rabbi Yermiah asked Rabbi Zeira before the bier o f Rabbi Yishmael bar Rav Yitzhak?"


"When he was distant f rom the corpse he responded to h im, and when he was near the corpse, he did not respond to h i m . "

Rabbi Zeira would avoid speaking, even of mundane matters, when he was in the funeral entourage, and he would walk after the bier wi th a bowed head.

They came to ask h im, and they expected that he would look at them and raise his head. But they found that he was listening wi th the eulogizers, and he did not want to answer them. They asked h im why he acted in this manner.

He said to them, " I t was for this purpose that we came here, and we must not divert our attention from the eulogy, as i t is said, ' A n d the l iving w i l l take it to heart' (Ecclesiastes 7:2)."

Another interpretation: Rabbi Zeira eulogized a dead person in the cemetery,

and became so excited that he fainted and fell down. They came to help h im get up, and they found that he

was suffering and weak. They asked h im, " W h y did you fall?" He said to them, " I took things too much to heart, in

accordance wi th ' A n d the l iving w i l l take i t to heart.' "

218 Aggadatah 18

Halakhah 4 18. The Immersion of Ezra

We have learned: On Y o m Kippur eating and drinking and washing...are prohibited, and we have learned regarding this: Those who have had an emission immerse as is usual, [but] in private.

Does this not disagree wi th Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi , who said, "The only emission is that from relations" [and relations are prohibited on Y o m Kippur]?

Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi can be consistent wi th this mishnah, [ if this refers to a case in which] a person had relations during the day [preceding Y o m Kippur ] , and forgot and did not immerse.

But we have learned: I t once happened that Rabbi Yose ben Halafta was seen immersing privately on Y o m Kippur; is i t possible to say about that holy one that he forgot to immerse?

Rather he had an emission not as a result o f any thoughts on his part, and as was taught by the one who taught before Rav Nahman: I f a person sees an emission on Y o m Kippur [without intent or any thoughts], his sins are forgiven h im; and i t was taught i n the study hall o f Rabbi Yishmael: I f a person sees an emission on Y o m Kippur , he should worry the entire year; i f he survived the year, he is assured of meriting the W o r l d to Come.

Rabbi Hanina passed by the gates of the hot baths [at the hot springs of Tiberias] early in the day, before


dawn, and he saw the students waiting for the gates to be opened so that they could enter and immerse.

He said, "What are the morning immersers doing here? They should go and study [for the regulation enacted by Ezra, not to study Torah before immersing, had been abolished]!"

I n the morning, when the day broke, he passed by there again, and saw workmen coming to immerse.

He said, "Whoever has work should go and work , and not waste his time for this immersion."

*

Rabbi Hiyya bar Abba studied wi th his son Rabbi Nehemiah, and they studied at night, even before he immersed.

I n the morning he said, "Whoever has work should go on his way without immersion [in order to publicize the cancellation o f this immersion]."

*

Dur ing the time of Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi , people wanted to cancel this immersion, because of the women of Galilee who would refrain [from their husbands] because of the cold [it is cold in Galilee, and men would keep away from their wives, for they knew that the following morning they would have to immerse in cold water].

Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi said to them, " D o you want to uproot something that guards Israel from sin?"

" I n what does i t guard Israel from sin?" " I t once happened that a vineyard watchman came to

be occupied wi th a married woman. While they were looking for a place to immerse [for people were careful

220 Aggadatah 18

to immerse, even i f they committed serious transgressions], people passed by, and their transgression came to naught."

*

I t once happened that a person came to be occupied wi th the maidservant of Rabbi.

She said to h im, " I f my mistress does not immerse, I do not immerse [for I go together wi th my mistress to immerse; she has not gone yet, and I am menstrually impure] ."

He said to her, "Are you not as a beast [for menstrual impuri ty does not apply to a non-Jewess, for the nations of the wor ld were compared to a beast, as a people resembling an ass]?"

She said to h im, " A n d did you not hear that a person who has relations wi th a beast is stoned, as i t is said, 4Whoever lies wi th a beast shall surely be put to death' (Exodus 22:18)?"

*

Rabbi Yose ben Halafta came into an alley in the night, and an ass-driver was following h im.

As they went past a deep pit filled wi th water, the ass-driver said to h im, " I wish to bathe."

Rabbi Yose said to h im, " D o not risk your life [either because i t was dark, or because the pi t was very deep, and he was liable to drown]!"

He said to h im, " I wish to wash from the impuri ty of menstruation and a married woman [i.e., he had had relations wi th a married woman who was menstrually impure, and he wished to immerse and purify himself]."

He said to h im, "Nevertheless, do not risk your l i fe!"


Since he did not heed h im, and he went down to immerse, he said to h im, " G o down and do not come up.. ." and so i t was.

*

Rabbi Yose ben Yose was coming in a ship. He saw a person tying himself wi th a rope, in order to go down into the sea and immerse.

He said to h im, " D o not risk your l i fe!" He said to h im, " I wish to eat [and I cannot recite a

blessing and mention the Divine Name unt i l I immerse]."

He said to h im, "Eat [and bless, without immersion]!" He said to h im, " I wish to d r ink . " He said to h im, " D r i n k [and bless, without

immersion]! י י

When they reached the port , he said to h im, "There I permitted this to you only because o f the mortal danger; here, however, you may not eat anything unt i l you bathe. י י

19. Words of Torah in a Place That Is Unclean

What is thinking of words o f Torah in a toilet? [Is thinking regarded as speaking, which is prohibited, or does the prohibi t ion apply only to expressing wi th one's lips a holy matter i n a place that is unclean?]

Hezekiah said that i t is permitted, and Rabbi Tisa said that i t is prohibited.

Rabbi Zeira said, " A n y difficulty in logic that I had, I thought about i t there [in the toilet].י י

Rabbi Eleazar bar Shimon said, " A n y difficulty in logic that I had regarding 'The one who immerses

222 Aggadatah 20

during the day 5 [a particularly difficult chapter of the Mishnah], I thought about i t there."

*

Rabbi Liya and his fellows were sitting in front of an inn in the night, and there were asses coming from the road there, from whose excrement a person has to remove himself a distance o f four cubits.

They said, " W o u l d you say words of Torah?" He replied, "Since, i f i t were day, we would see what is

before us, now [that we cannot see] i t is prohibi ted."

Chapter Four

Halakhah 1 20. Praying Out Loud

When Rabbi Abba bar Zivda would pray wi th the congregation, he would pray in a whisper [so as not to disturb the rest of the congregation], and when he prayed in his house, he would pray in a loud voice, so that the members of his household would learn the prayer from h im.

Rabbi Mana said, "The members of Fathers household learned the prayer from h i m . "

Chapter Four/Halakhah 1 223

21. The Time for Prayer

From where is the obligation o f three prayers [each day] learned?

Rabbi Shmuel bar Nahmani says, "Corresponding to the three times that the day changes for people:"

" I n the morning, a person must say: T thank Y o u , O Lord , my God and the God of my fathers, for having brought me forth from darkness to l ight . י

" I n the afternoon a person must say: ' I thank You , O Lord , my God and the God of my fathers, for just as I have merited seeing the sun in the east, so may I merit seeing i t in the west.'

" I n the evening a person must say: T thank You , O Lord , my God and the God of my fathers, for just as I was in darkness and You brought me forth into the light, so may You bring me forth f rom the darkness into the l ight. ' "

Rabbi Yose bar Hanina would pray at sunrise, and at sunset, so that the fear o f Heaven would be upon h im the entire day.

Rabbi Yose said, " M a y my port ion be wi th those who pray at sunrise and at sunset."

"Why?" "As i t is said, 'Therefore let every faithful man pray to

Y o u , in a time when Y o u may be found' (Psalms 32:6). What is, ' i n a time when Y o u may be found [m'tzoYI I n the time of the exhaustion [mitzui] o f the day [i.e., at its end]."

*

224 Aggadatah 21

The brother o f the mother of Rav Adda was preparing tzitziyot [ritual fringes] in the cloak o f Rav.

He said to h im, "When you see the sun at the top o f the palm trees, bring me my cloak, that we may recite the Minhah prayer."

*

What is the time of the Neilah prayer on Y o m Kippur? Our masters in Caesarea said: "Rav and Rabbi

Yohanan disagreed about this: Rav said, ' A t the closing [neilai] of the gates of Heaven [at sunset, when the gates of Heaven close behind the sun and conceal i t ] . '

"Rabbi Yohanan said, ' A t the closing of the gates of the Temple [from plag ha-minhah on, 1 1/4 hours before the night, for from this time the work o f the Temple — the lighting of the menorah and the burning of the afternoon incense — was finished].' "

The brother of the mother o f Rav Adda kept Rav's cloak, and held i t in his hand between prayers.

He said to h im, "When you see the sun at the top of the palm trees, bring me my cloak [based on, "Prepare to meet your God, O Israel" (Amos 4:12)] that we might recite the prayer of the closing o f the gates."

" D i d Rav change his opinion? There he said, at the closing of the gates of Heaven, and here he said, at the closing of the gates of the Temple."

"Rav Matana said, 'Because Rav drew out his prayer, he would reach the closing of the gates of Heaven [i.e., he would complete his prayer close to sunset].' "

* We have learned: the Maariv prayer is not fixed [it is

optional, and its time is the entire night].

Chapter Four/Halakhah 1 225

Rabbi ordered Avdan his Amora [his interpreter and constant attendant] to announce in public: "The one who prays, must recite the Maariv prayer while i t is still day."

Rabbi Hiyya the Great [also] ordered his Amora to announce in public: "The one who prays, must recite Maariv while it is still day."

Rabbi Hanina said: "Rabbi Yishmael the son of Rabbi Yose brought me along to an inn, and he said to me, 'Here father prayed [Maariv] of Sabbath nights on Sabbath eve [while i t was still day]. ' "

Rabbi A m m i said, "Rabbi Yohanan disagrees, but he did not have to disagree about this."

"Why?" "Because we add from the mundane to the holy;

further, the ass-drivers would come from [the village of] Arab to Sepphoris and say, 'Rabbi Hanina ben Dosa is already celebrating the Sabbath in his city. ' "

*

I n the study hall o f Rabbi Yannai they said, " I f a person has gone to bed, and he remembers that he did not recite Maariv, they do not bother h im to get out o f bed and pray. י י

Rabbi Zeira said, "Every time that I would do so [rely upon this dictum], I would fear at night [bad dreams and visions would terrify me]. There is no other way than what Rabbi would order his Amora to announce in public: 'The one who prays, must recite Maariv while it is still day 5 [for then there is no fear that a person w i l l forget and go to sleep without praying]."

226 Aggadatah 22

Halakhah 4 22. Innovation in Prayer

We have learned: Rabbi Eleazar says, " I f a person makes his prayer fixed, his prayer is not a supplication."

Rabbi Abbahu explained, in the name of Rabbi Eleazar: "That he should not be as one reading an epistle [for he reads i t quickly, to fulf i l l his fixed task, and be finished]."

Rabbi Aha explained, in the name of Rabbi Yose: "He must do something new in i t every day [for the person who recites a fixed prayer, wi th today's prayer the same as that of the previous day, does not intend to renew anything in i t , and this does not constitute a supplication]."

Ahithophel would recite three new prayers every day.

Rabbi Zeira said, "Every day that I would do so [do something new in his prayer], I would err. There is no other way than what Rabbi Abbahu said: 'That he should not be as one reading an epistle.' "

Rabbi Eleazar would recite a new prayer every day [in each of the middle blessings, he would recite something new].

Rabbi Abbahu would recite a new blessing each day [he would recite something new in only one of these blessings].

Chapter Five/Halakhah 1 227

23. A Will — for Every Dangerous Situation

Rabbi Shimon bar Abba said, in the name of Rabbi Hanina, " A l l roads are presumed to be dangerous."

When Rabbi Yonah would go forth [from his city] on a journey, he would leave a w i l l wi th in his house [for the members of his household, lest he not return].

When Rabbi Mana would go to bathe in the heated bathhouse [under which is a pit in which wood was burned for heating], he would leave a wi l l wi th in his house.

Rabbi Hanina the son of Rabbi Abbahu and Rabbi Shimon bar Abba said, in the name of Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi: " A l l i l l people are presumed to be in danger [and it is a good idea for them to make a w i l l while their minds are still clear]."

Chapter Five

Halakhah 1 24. Prayer and Taking One's Leave with Words of

Torah

We have learned: A person should not stand in prayer [i.e., the Shemoneh Esreh] after talking, after laughter, after lightheadedness, after worthless things, but rather after words of Torah. A n d similarly a person should not take his leave of his fellow while talking, wi th laughter, wi th lightheadedness, or wi th worthless things, but wi th words of Torah.

228 Aggadatah 24

Elijah also took his leave of Elisha only wi th words of Torah, as it is said, " A n d i t came to pass, as they still went on, and talked" ( I I Kings 2:11).

W i t h what were they occupied? Rabbi Ahvah bar Zeira said, "They were occupied

wi th the reading of the Shema, as i t is said, ' A n d you shall talk of them 5 (Deuteronomy 6:7)."

Rabbi Yehudah ben Pazi said, "They were occupied wi th the Creation, as i t is said, 'By the word o f the L o r d were the heavens made' (Psalms 33:6)."

Rabbi Yuden the son o f Rabbi A i v u said, "They were occupied wi th the consolation o f Jerusalem, as i t is said, 'Speak to the heart o f Jerusalem' (Isaiah 40:2)."

A n d the Sages say, "They were occupied wi th the Merkavah [the Heavenly Chariot] , as i t is said, '... there appeared a chariot of fire, and horses o f fire' ( I I Kings, ibid.)." [ A l l the above verses contain the root ***, except for the last, which is learned in context.]

*

Rav Yermiyah said, " A person should stand in prayer only after [discussing] a fixed halakhic ruling [so that he w i l l not be occupied by a discussion of a point that has not been resolved, and he w i l l be able to concentrate properly on his prayer]."

Rav Huna would say, " I f a woman sees a drop of blood as a mustard seed, she keeps seven clean [days] for i t " — and then he would pray [for this is a fixed halakhic ruling].

Zeira bar Hinena said, " I f a person lets blood from sacrifices, he is guilty of misuse o f Temple property" — which also is a fixed halakhic ruling.


Bar Kappara said, "Eleven days between menstrual impuri ty and menstrual impuri ty [referring to the status of zivah, not niddah]; this is a law given to Moses at Sinai. 5 '

Rav Ushaya taught, " A person may put grain in the straw, and use an artifice to feed his beast."

Avdan asked Rabbi, " H o w many qualities are there in sanctified articles [ In how many matters are sacrifices more strict than the sanctity o f terumahV"

He to ld h im, "Four . " " H o w many [stricter] qualities are there in terumah

[than in sacrifices]?" He to ld h im, "Three." A n d he stood and prayed [for all these are fixed

halakhic rulings].

25. "...And They Shall Be Afraid of You"

Rabbi Yohanan was sitting and reading before the synagogue of the Babylonian Jews in Sepphoris. A government minister passed by there, but he did not stand up.

The servants of the minister came and sought to beat h im. The minister said to them, "Leave h im alone, he is occupied in the commandment o f his Creator."

* Rabbi Hanina and Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi came

before Antipores, the ruler o f Caesarea. He saw them, and he arose before them. They [his people] said to h im, " Y o u stand before

these Jews?" He replied, " I saw the countenances of angels."

230 Aggadatah 25

Rabbi Yonah and Rabbi Yose passed before Ursicinus, the king of Antiochia.

He saw them, and he arose before them. They said to h im, " Y o u stand before these Jews?" He replied, " I see the countenances of these ones in

battle, and then I am victorious."

*

Rabbi Avon went in before the king. When he left, he turned around and went out [and was not careful to back out, with his face towards the king].

They sought to k i l l h im, but they saw two sparks o f fire come forth from his back [the two straps coming from the knot of the tefilin, which lay on his back], and they let h im be, This fulfills what is writ ten, " A n d all the peoples of the earth shall see that the Name of the L o r d is called upon you; and they shall be afraid of y o u " (Deuteronomy 28:10).

*

Rabbi Shimon ben Yohai taught: " ' A n d all the peoples of the earth shall see that the Name of the Lo rd is called upon you' : A l l — even spirits, even demons."

*

Rabbi Yannai and Rabbi Yonatan were walking in the street. A demon saw them and said to them, " M a y you have abundant peace!"

They said, "Even though he did not address us wi th the [deferential language of] 'Shalom, rabotai [Peace, my masters]', but rather 'Shlomkhem [ l i t . , your [pi.] peace],' in the manner one addresses one's fellows, we


should not be strict about this, and he has no power over us. י י

Another interpretation: Rabbi Yannai and Rabbi Yonatan were walking in the

marketplace. A n important official saw them. He said to them, "Peace, Nesi'im [Princes]! י י

They said, "Even the title of Haver we do not know [because of their humil i ty they said this: we have not even reached the title of Haver, of one who is careful regarding the laws of impuri ty and p u r i t y ] . י י

26. Be Infatuated with Love of Her Always

Reish Lakish would contemplate the Torah a great deal, and he would exceed the Sabbath bounds, without being aware o f this [because he was so involved in his thoughts].

This fulfills what is writ ten, "Be infatuated wi th love of her always" (Proverbs 5:19).

*

Rabbi Yuden ben Rabbi Yishmael would contemplate the Torah a great deal, and his cloak would slip and fall f rom h im, without his being aware o f this.

This fulfills what is writ ten, "Be infatuated wi th love o f her always. יי

*

Rabbi Eleazar ben Rabbi Shimon would contemplate the Torah a great deal; his cloak slipped and fell from h im, and a serpent came and wound herself around i t , to guard i t .

232 Aggadatah 27

His pupils said to h im, " M y master! Your cloak has slipped off [and is lying on the ground]."

He said to them, " D o you not see that this wicked one is guarding i t?"

27. "He Will Hear Their Cry, and He Will Save Them"

I t was said o f Rabbi Hanina ben Dosa that while he was standing in prayer a havarbar [a species of lizard, the offspring of a serpent and a turtle, which is extremely dangerous] came and bit h im, but he did not interrupt his prayer. They went and they found this havarbar dead, lying on the hole in which i t lives.

They said, "Woe to the man who is bitten by a havarbar, and woe to the havarbar that bi t Rabbi Hanina ben Dosa."

What is the nature of the havarbar! When it bites a human, i f the human reaches water

first, the havarbar dies, and i f the havarbar reaches water first, the human dies.

They asked h im, "Our master, did you not feel i t?" He replied, " M a y some of what my heart intended in

my prayer come upon me i f I felt i t [ i .e. , , if I was thinking of a snake during prayer, may it come upon me]."

Rabbi Yitzhak bar Eleazar said, "The Holy One, blessed be He, created a spring under the soles of His feet, to fulf i l l what is writ ten, 'He wi l l fulf i l l the desire of those who fear H i m ; He w i l l hear their cry, and He wi l l save them' (Psalms 145:19)."


Halakhah 3 28. Importuning and Refusal — in the Proper Degree

Our masters have taught: The one who leads the prayers must refuse, and i f he does not refuse, he is like a cooked dish which lacks salt; but i f he refuses excessively, he is like a cooked dish which was spoiled by too much salt. H o w should he act? The first time, he should refuse; the second — he wavers [moves his head, as one who is wi l l ing and unwill ing]; the th i rd time — he moves his feet and goes down [to the Reader's lectern].

Rabbi Yehoshua Daromya said, "Three things too much o f which or too little of which are bad, and a medium degree of which is good: leavening, salt, and refusal.

" I n the beginning, a person refuses; the second time, he hesitates; the th i rd time - he comes running."

Rav Huna was sitting in a synagogue. The synagogue attendant came in , and greatly entreated someone to lead the prayers, but he did not accept.

I n the end, this person came before Rabbi Eleazar. He said, " M a y my lord not be angry wi th me, I d id not go to lead the prayers because I was not alert."

He responded, " I was not angry wi th you, but rather wi th the one who excessively entreated y o u . "

234 Aggadatah 29

Halakhah 4 29. And You Shall Be Clear before the Lord and

§before Israel §

Rabbi Yehudah ben Pazi said, in the name of Rabbi Eleazar, " A n y priest who stands in the synagogue and does not deliver the Priestly Blessing violates a positive commandment. י י

When Rabbi Yehudah ben Pazi was exhausted and could not deliver the Priestly Blessing, he would tie his head and stand behind the column in the synagogue, so that i t would be evident that i t was because of his exhaustion that the did not go to deliver the blessing.

When Rabbi Eleazar was not capable of delivering the Priestly Blessing, he would go outside the synagogue.

Chapter Six/Halakhah 1 235

Chapter Six

Halakhah 1 30. The Blessing over a Commandment and the

Blessing over Something That Provides Benefit

Rabbi Haggai and Rabbi Yermiyah sanctified the water of the cleansing [in order to sprinkle from this water on people who had become impure; in their time the water o f the cleansing was still in existence, and they took care to eat terumah and hallah [the priest's share o f the dough] in a state o f puri ty, as during the time of the Temple].

Rabbi Haggai hastened and recited the blessing over them [for this was the first time in his life he had had the opportunity to perform this commandment].

Rabbi Yermiyah said to h im, " Y o u have done well, for all the commandments require a blessing [and the commandment of preparing the water of the cleansing also requires a blessing]."

*

Rabbi Yohanan took a [whole] olive and blessed before and after i t , and Rabbi Hiyya looked at h im [wonderingly].

Rabbi Yohanan said to h im, "Babylonian! Why are you looking at me, are you not of the opinion that any of the seven species [with which the land of Israel is blessed] requires a blessing before and after?"

Why then did Rabbi Hiyya wonder at him? Because its pi t detracts from i t [the pi t is discarded,

and then the total amount is less than a k'zayit [olive],

Aggadatah 30

and this minimum amount is necessary in order to recite a blessing afterwards].

A n d why did Rabbi Yohanan act in this manner? Because i t is a complete creation [since he put i t in his

mouth while i t was still whole, its wholeness is significant, and even i f i t is not in the amount of k'zayit i t requires a blessing, just as a whole unit of a prohibited thing in its complete condition, such as a worm, is not neutralized in a mixture o f a larger quantity].

*

Rabbi would recite a blessing over each barrel [of wine] that he would open. What would he say? "Blessed be the One who is good and who does good."

I t once happened that Rabbi Ak iva made a [wedding] banquet for his son Shimon. Over each barrel that he opened, he would recite a blessing ["Blessed be the One who is good and who does good"] , and would say: " G o o d wine to the life o f our masters and to their pupils ! , י

Chapter Seven/Halakhah 2 237

Chapter Seven

Halakhah 2 31. Shimon ben Shetah and King Yannai

When King Yannai killed the Sages, the world was desolate until Shimon ben Shetah came and restored the Torah to its former glory.

Kiddushin 66a

Dur ing the time of Shimon ben Shetah, three hundred Nazirites came up [from abroad to Jerusalem, and sought to offer their sacrifice, for the period o f their Nazirite vow was completed. They required nine hundred sacrifices, for each Nazirite is required to bring three sacrifices: a male sheep for a sin- offering, a ewe for a burnt-offering, and a ram for a peace-offering; but they were poor and did not have these animals to offer].

For one hundred and fifty o f them Shimon ben Shetah found an "opening' to release them from their] יvows wi th no need for a sacrifice], and for one hundred and fifty he could not f ind such an "opening."

He came before K ing Yannai and said to h im, "There are three hundred Nazirites here; they require nine hundred sacrifices, which they do not possess. Y o u give half f rom what is yours, and I half f rom what is mine [that they may go and offer their sacrifices. He did not tell h im that he had released half o f them from their v o w ] . "

He sent h im four hundred and fifty [sacrifices, the half that he had requested].

Slanderers came and to ld K i n g Yannai, " Y o u should know that all that they sacrificed was from what is

238 Aggadatah 31

yours, and Shimon ben Shetah did not give anything from what is his."

King Yannai heard this, and became angry. Shimon ben Shetah became afraid, and he fled to

Alexandria in Egypt. Some time later important people from the Persian

empire came to K ing Yannai. When they sat to eat, they said to h im, "We remember

that there was an old man here, and he would speak to us words of wisdom. י י

He to ld them what had happened. They said to h im, "[Nevertheless,] summon h im and bring h i m . "

Yannai said to his wife, who was the sister o f Shimon ben Shetah, "Summon h im and bring h i m . "

She said to h im, "Promise me [that you w i l l not harm him], and send h im your ring [as a sign that no harm w i l l befall h im] , and he w i l l come."

He promised her and sent h im his r ing, and he came. When he arrived, he sat between the king and the queen.

Yannai said to h im, " W h y did you deceive me [saying that you would give half]?"

He replied, "Heaven forbid! I d id not deceive you. You gave from your money, and I from my Torah, as i t is said, 'For to be in the shelter o f wisdom is to be also in the shelter o f money 5 [(Ecclesiastes 7:12); therefore, you gave from what is yours — from your money, and I gave from what is mine — from my wisdom, for I found an "opening" to release their v o w ] . "

He said to h im, " A n d why did you flee?" He replied, " I heard that my lord the king was angry

wi th me, and I was distressed and afraid lest you have me kil led, thereby fulfil l ing the verse, 'Hide yourself for a litt le moment, unt i l the indignation passes5 (Isaiah 26:20). He [Yannai] applied [to Shimon ben Shetah]

Chapter Seven/Halakhah 2 239

the verse: 'but the advantage of intelligence is that wisdom preserves the life o f h im who possesses i t 5

[(Ecclesiastes 7:12) — this is the conclusion of the verse which Shimon ben Shetah began; i t teaches that not only is wisdom not inferior to money, but even is superior to i t , for wisdom keeps its possessors alive, as Shimon ben Shetah both saved money for himself wi th his wisdom and was saved from Yannai's ire, for he promised not to harm h i m ] . "

He said to h im, " A n d why did you not tell me that only one hundred and fifty were left who required a sacrifice?"

He replied, " I f I had to ld you, you would not have given [when you heard that I want to give, you decided that you certainly should give]."

He said to h im, " A n d why did you sit between the king and the queen?"

He replied, " I n the Book of Ben Sira i t is writ ten, ' H o l d her [the Torah] high, and she w i l l uplift you and sit you between princes. " י

Yannai said, "Br ing h im a cup that he may bless." He took the cup and said, "Let us bless for the food

that K ing Yannai and those sitting wi th h im ate." He said, " A r e you still being difficult?" He replied, " A n d what should I have said, 'For the

food that we did not eat5?" He said, "Br ing h im that he may eat." They brought

h im, and he ate and then recited, "Let us bless for the food that we have eaten."

240 Aggadatah 32

Halakhah 3 32. The Faultfinders Take to Task

H o w does a person lead the communal Grace? W i t h three he says, "Let us bless"; wi th three and h im,

he says, "Bless."

I t once happened that Rabbi Zeira, Rabbi Yaakov bar Aha, Rabbi Hiyya bar Abba, and Rabbi Hanina, the colleagues of the Sages, sat and ate.

Rabbi Yaakov bar Aha took a cup and blessed [the Grace after Meals], and said "Let us bless," instead of "Bless."

Rabbi Hiyya bar Abba asked h im, " W h y did you not say, 4Bless'?"

He replied: "Have we not learned: We are not precise in this matter, whether he said 'Let us bless,' or whether he said 'Bless.' We do not take h im to task for this; the faultfinders [ha-nakranim, those who are precise unnecessarily, like the rooster that pecks [menaker] in the garbage; according to another version, ha-nakdanim, those who are excessively precise] take h im to task for this."

Rabbi Zeira viewed this unfavorably, for Rabbi Yaakov bar Aha cried out to Rabbi Hiyya bar Abba, "Faultfinder!"

Chapter Eight/Halakhah 1,5 241

Chapter Eight

Halakhah 1 33. Do Not Disagree with Someone in His Place

When Rabbi Abbahu went to the South [of Eretz Israel], he would act as Rabbi Hanina [on a Festival which began at the conclusion o f the Sabbath, to light the candle and recite Havdalah before reciting Kiddush for the Festival]. A n d when he went to Tiberias [the place o f Rabbi Yohanan], he would act as Rabbi Yohanan [to recite Kiddush before Havdalah].

He did this so as not to disagree wi th someone in his place.

Halakhah 5 34. Making Use of the Priests

And I said to them, "You are holy to the Lord, and the vessels are holy."

Ezra 8:28

Just as the person who uses the vessels is guilty of misappropriation o f sacred property, so too is the person who uses the priests guilty of misappropriation of sacred property.

The School o f Shammai say, The cup in his right and sweet o i l i n his left. The School of Hi l l e l say, Sweet o i l i n his right, and the cup in his left. [ I t was customary to bring a cup o f wine and a cup o f sweet o i l after the meal; the points of disagreement were, in which hand he holds them and over which he blesses first.]

242 Aggadatah 35

Abba bar Bar Hannah and Rav Hunai were sitting and eating, and Rabbi Zeira was standing and serving them.

When they concluded their meal, he brought before them wine and sweet o i l , and carried both cups in one hand.

Abba bar Bar Hannah said to h im, "What , is your other hand amputated?"

His father became angry wi th h im [for having expressed himself in this manner to Rabbi Zeira], and said to h im, "Is i t not enough that you are lying down and he is standing and serving?

" A n d furthermore, he is a priest, and Shmuel said, 'The person who uses the priesthood is guilty of misappropriation of sacred property' — and you make light of him?

" I t is decreed that he shall sit, and you shall stand and serve h i m . "

35. Fire and Kilayim

We have learned: Al though fire and kilayim [prohibited mixtures] were not created during the six days o f Creation, they were thought of to be created during the six days of Creation.

When were kilayim created? Dur ing the time of Anah, as i t is said, " A n d these are the children o f Zibeon: Aiah and Anah — this is Anah who found the yemim in the wilderness, as he fed the asses of Zibeon his father" (Genesis 36:24). What is "yemim"'} Rabbi Yehudah bar Simon said, "Hamyones [a mule, whose father is an ass and whose mother is a horse]." A n d the Sages say, "Heimeiso [whose father is a horse and whose mother is a she-ass]."

A n d what are the signs [enabling one to tell whether a mule has for its mother a she-ass and its father a horse,

Chapter Eight/Halakhah 5 243

or the opposite]? Rabbi Yehudah said, " I f its ears are small, its mother is a horse and its father an ass; i f they are large — its mother is a she-ass and its father a horse. י Rabbi Mana would order the officials in charge יof the house o f the Nasi: " I f you wish to purchase mules, take those whose ears are small, whose mother is a horse and its father an ass [for these are not dangerous; furthermore, i f sometimes you purchase one k ind and sometimes the other k ind , you are liable to to work them when they are yoked together, thereby transgressing the prohibi t ion o f kilayim]"

This Anah was unfit, for his father Zibeon had relations wi th his mother and begat Anah; this Anah, who was born as the result o f a forbidden union, brought forth unfit ones to the world . What did he do?

He brought a she-ass and had a male horse have relations wi th i t , and a she-mule issued from this union. [He was the first person to have a species beget from one that was not of its species; his generation regarded h im as a wise man, because he knew species which were closely related and whose union would produce issue. He was known for this act; the offspring was called yemimy because they cast fear [eimah] on people.]

The Ho ly One, blessed be He, said to h im: " Y o u have brought into the wor ld something that is harmful. I also shall bring on this person [Anah] something that is harmful ." What d id the Ho ly One, blessed be He, do? He brought a serpent and had a turtle have relations wi th i t ; the havarbar issued forth from this union [and bit h im] .

There has never been a person who was bitten by a havarbar and lived; who was bitten by a mad dog and lived; who was kicked by a white mule and lived.

244 Aggadatah 35

What is the source of fire? Rabbi Levi said, in the name of Rabbi Nezira, "The

light which was created on the first day lasted for thirty-six hours: twelve on Friday, twelve on the Sabbath night, and twelve on the Sabbath day. A d a m gazed upon i t from one end of the wor ld to the other. When the light d id not cease, the entire wor ld began to sing [meshorer], as i t is said, 'He sends i t forth [yishrehu] under the entire heavens, His lightning, to the ends of the earth' (Job 37:3).

"What does He send forth? His light, to the ends o f the earth.

"When the Sabbath ended, the darkness began to appear. Adam became afraid, and said, ' I t is to this that the verse refers: " I t shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise its heel" (Genesis 3:15), lest i t comes to bite me, as i t is said, "Surely the darkness shall envelop me" (Psalms 139:11).' "

Rabbi Levi said, " A t that time the Ho ly One, blessed be He, provided h im wi th two flints which he struck against each other and produced fire.

"This is the meaning o f the verse, ' A n d the light about me shall be night' (Psalms, ibid.); and he recited over i t the blessing, 'Who creates the lights of fire. ' "

Chapter Eight/Halakhah 8 245

Halakhah 8 36. The Blessing of the Non-Jew

Rabbi Tanhuma said, " I f a non-Jew blesses you, answer after h im, 1Amen9 for i t is said, ' Y o u w i l l be blessed above [or, from] all nations' (Deuteronomy 7:14; even i f the nations bless you wi th their mouths while intending in their hearts to curse you, the Ho ly One, blessed be He, w i l l fulf i l l what they said)."

A non-Jew met Rabbi Yishmael and blessed h im. He said to h im, "Your word has already been said [i.e.,

I need not bless you in return, for your response has already been said and decreed]. י,

Another non-Jew met h im, and cursed h im. He said to h im, "Your word has already been said." His pupils said to h im, "Our master, you said the same

thing to each one!" He said to them, "Thus i t is said: 'Cursed be every one

that curses you, and blessed be every one that blesses you ' (Genesis 27:29)."

246 Aggadatah 37

Chapter Nine

Halakhah 1 37. Who Can Express the Mighty Acts of the Lord?

Rabbi Yohanan and Rabbi Yonatan were going [from their place in Tiberias] to establish peace among the cities of the South.

They entered one place where they found a Reader who said [in the Shemoneh Esreh], "The great, mighty, awesome, noble, and brave God . . ." and they silenced h im.

They said to h im, " Y o u may not add to the language coined by the Sages in the blessings."

Rabbi Shmuel bar Nahman said, " 'Who can express the mighty acts of the L o r d (Psalms 106:2) as I יand my colleagues?' י

Rabbi A v i n said, "Yaakov of Kfar Nevorya interpreted in Tyre, ' " T o You , silence is praise, O God, in Z i o n " (Psalms 65:2) — the essence of all is silence. י

"This is comparable to a gem of unparalleled value: whoever praises i t , detracts from i t . "

Chapter Nine/Halakhah 1 247

38. The Argument between Rabbi Samlai and the Heretics

The heretics asked Rav Samlai: " H o w many divinities created the world? י 5

He said to them, " Y o u ask mel Go and ask Adam [i.e., go and learn from the verse which speaks o f Adam] , as i t is said, T o r ask now of the days past, which were before you, since the day that God created man [Adam] upon the earth 5 (Deuteronomy 4:32) — i t is writ ten here, 'that God created man upon the earth. 5 5 5

They said to h im, "But i t is writ ten, ' I n the beginning God [e-lohim, which is a plural construction] created (Genesis 1:1)?55

He replied, " A n d is it writ ten, 'baru' [they created]? Rather, what is writ ten here is 'bara* [[He] created [ third person singular]]. 5 5

Rav Samlai said, "Every place [in a Biblical passage] where the heretics find support for their skepticism, their refutation is always nearby. 5 5

They asked h im further, "What is the meaning o f what is writ ten, 'Let us make man in our image, after our likeness5 (Genesis 1:26)?55

He said to them, " I t is not writ ten here (ibid., v. 27), ' A n d God created [va-yiv'reu, pi . ] man in their own image [be-tzalmam, p i . ] , 5 rather, ' A n d God created [va-yiv'ra, s.] man in His own image [be- tzalmoY 55

His pupils said to h im, "Our master, those you rejected easily, but what do you say to us?55

He said to them, " I n the past, Adam was created from the dust, and Eve was created from Adam. F rom Adam on, ' i n our image, after our likeness5 — it is impossible for a man without a woman, i t is impossible for a woman

248 Aggadatah 38

without a man, and i t is impossible for both of them without the Divine Presence."

They asked h im further, "What is the meaning of what is writ ten, 'God [£־/], God [E-lohim], the L o r d [A-donai], God, God, the L o r d , He knows' (Joshua 22:22)?"

He said to them, " I t is not written here, 'they know, ' rather, 'He knows.' "

His pupils said to h im, "Our master, those you rejected easily, but what do you say to us?"

He said to them, "The three o f them are synonymous, as the person who says 'Basilius,' 'Augustus,' 'Caesar' [all three are synonymous for " k i n g " ] . "

They asked h im further, "What is the meaning of what is writ ten, 'God [£־׳/], God [E-lohim], the L o r d [A-donai], has spoken, and called the earth' (Psalms 50:1)?"

He said to them. "Is i t writ ten here, 'Dibru [they have spoken [pi.]] V-karu [and they called [pi.]]'? Rather, i t is writ ten, 'Diber va-yikra aretz [He has spoken [s.], and called [s.] the earth].' "


He said to them, "The three o f them are synonymous, as a person who says, 'craftsman,' 'builder', and 'architect' [for all three can be applied to the same person]."

They asked h im further, "What is the meaning o f what is writ ten, 'For He is a holy [kedoshim [pi.] G o d ' (Joshua 24:19)?"

He said to them, " I t is not writ ten here, 'kedoshim heima [they [pi.] are holy] , ' but rather, 'Hu [He [s.]]. ' "


Rabbi Yitzhak said, " H o l y wi th all types o f holinesses. As Rabbi Yudan said, in the name of Rabbi Aha: 'The way


of the Ho ly One, blessed be He, is i n holiness, His going is in holiness, His sitting is in holiness, His speaking is in holiness, His arm is bared in holiness, He is awesome and majestic in holiness:

" 'His way is in holiness — " O God , Your way is in holiness" (Psalms 77:14);

" 'His going is in holiness — "The goings of my God, my King , in holiness" (Psalms 68:25);

" 'His sitting is in holiness — " G o d sits upon His holy throne" (Psalms 47:9);

" 'His speaking is in holiness — " G o d spoke in His holiness*' (Psalms 60:8);

" 'His arm is bared in holiness — "The L o r d has bared His holy a r m " (Isaiah 52:10);

" 'He is awesome and majestic in holiness — " W h o is like Y o u , majestic in holiness?" (Exodus 15:11).' "

They asked h im further, "What is the meaning o f what is writ ten, 'For what great nation is there, that has God so close [kerovim [pi.]] to i t ' [Deuteronomy 4:7]?"

He said to them, " I t is not writ ten here [ in the continuation o f the verse], 'as the L o r d our G o d is, whenever we call upon them [aleihem [p i . ] ] , ' but rather, 'whenever we call upon H i m [eilav [s.]]. ' "


He said to them, "Close wi th all types o f closeness, as Rabbi Pinhas said, in the name of Rabbi Yehudah bar Simon, ' Idolatry appears close to One, but actually is distant.'

"What is the meaning o f this? ' I t [the idol] is borne upon the shoulder, i t is carried, and set in its place, and it stands, i t does not move from its place; i f they cry out to i t , i t does not answer, nor save them from their distress' (Isaiah 46:7]. I n the final analysis, his god is

250 Aggadatah 38

with h im at home, and he cries out unt i l he dies, but i t wi l l not hear, nor save h im from his distress.

"The Ho ly One, blessed be He, appears distant, but there is none closer than H i m . For Rabbi Levi said, 'F rom the earth to the firmament is a distance of 500 years, and the thickness of the firmament is 500 years, and similarly for each firmament. '

" A n d Rabbi Berakhiyah and Rabbi Helbo said, in the name of Rabbi Abba Semoka, 'The hoofs of the hayot [the heavenly l iving creatures] are a distance o f 515 years.'

"What is the meaning of this? As i t is said, ' A n d their feet were straight [ישרה] feet' (Ezekiel 1:7) — as the numerical value o f [the letters in the word] [ 515ישרה]. See how high He is above His wor ld .

" A n d a person enters the synagogue, stands behind the lectern, and prays silently, and [nevertheless] the Ho ly One, blessed be He, listens to his prayer, as i t is said, 'Now Hannah spoke in her heart; only her lips moved, but her voice could not be heard' ( I Samuel 1:13), and the Ho ly One, blessed be He, listened to her prayer.

" A n d similarly regarding all His creatures, as i t is said, ' A prayer o f the afflicted, when he is enveloped in affliction, and pours out his complaint before the L o r d ' (Psalms 102:1) — as a person speaking in the ear o f his fellow, and he hears. A n d is there a God closer than this, who is as close to His creatures as mouth to ear?."


39. Who Is as the Lord, Whenever We Call upon Him?

Rabbi Yuden said, in the name of Rabbi Yitzhak, regarding [the closeness of the Ho ly One, blessed be He], that there are four examples [in which we find that He is close and He saved].

1. Flesh and blood creatures have a patron: They said to h im, " A member of Your household has been seized."

He said to them, " I exert myself to save h i m . " They said to h im, "But he is going to be t r ied ." He said to them, " I exert myself to save h i m . " They said to h im, "But he is to be hung. Where is his

patron?" But the Ho ly One, blessed be He, saved Moses from

the sword o f Pharaoh; this is the meaning o f the verse, " A n d He delivered me from the sword of Pharaoh" (Exodus 18:4).

Rabbi Yannai asked, " I t is said, 'But Moses fled from Pharaoh' (Exodus 2:15), and is i t possible for a flesh-and- blood creature to flee from the king?

"Rather, when Pharaoh seized Moses, he ordered that his head be cut off, but the blade o f the sword became dul l over the neck o f Moses and broke; this is the meaning of the verse, 'Your neck is as a tower of ivory ' (Song of Songs 7:5) — this is the neck o f Moses."

Rabbi Avyatar said, "Furthermore, the sword slid off the neck of Moses and cut the neck o f Kosantro [the royal executioner] and kil led h im; this is the meaning o f the verse, ' A n d He delivered me from the sword o f Pharaoh' — He delivered me, but Kosantro he k i l l ed . "

Rabbi Berakhiyah applied to this the verse, "The wicked is a ransom for the righteous" (Proverbs 21:18 — after the attribute o f strict justice went for th , i t had to fall upon someone instead o f the righteous one, for i t would not return empty-handed].

252 Aggadatah 39

Rabbi Abba applied to this the verse, "The righteous is delivered from trouble, and the wicked comes in his stead" (Proverbs 11:8).

Bar Kappara taught: " A n angel came, and i t appeared to them as the image of Moses; they seized the angel, and Moses escaped."

Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi said, "When Moses fled from Pharaoh, of all his soldiers, some became dumb, some became deaf, and some became bl ind.

"Pharaoh said to the dumb ones, 'Where is Moses?5

but they did not speak. He spoke to the deaf ones, but they did not hear. He spoke to the bl ind ones, but they did not see.

This is the meaning of what the Ho ly One, blessed be He, said to Moses: 'Who has made man's mouth? Or who makes a man dumb, or deaf, or seeing, or blind? Is i t not I the Lord?' (Exodus 4:11) — there [in your hour of distress], I stood by you; and here [when you wi l l stand before Pharaoh], I w i l l not stand by you?"

2. Rabbi Yuden related, in the name of Rabbi Yitzhak, another example: Flesh and blood creatures have a patron: They said to h im, "Bu t he is going to be t r ied ."

He said to them, " I exert myself to save h i m . " They said to h im, "But he is to be cast into the water.

Where is his patron?" But the Holy One, blessed be He, saved Jonah from

the belly of the fish, for He said: " A n d the L o r d spoke to the fish, and i t vomited out Jonah on the dry land" (Jonah 2:11).

3. Rabbi Yuden related, in the name of Rabbi Yitzhak, another example: Flesh and blood creatures have a patron: They said to H i m , " A member o f your household has been seized."


He said to them, " I exert myself to save h i m . " They said to h im, "But he is to be cast into the fire.

Where is his patron? י 5

But the Ho ly One, blessed be He, saved Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah from the fiery furnace. This is the meaning o f what is said: "Nebuchadnezar said, 'Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Mesach, and Abed-nego [the Babylonian names of Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah], who has sent His angel and delivered His servants who trusted in H i m 5 " (Daniel 3:28).

4. Rabbi Yuden related, in the name of Rabbi Yitzhak, another example: Flesh and blood creatures have a patron: They said to h im, "But he is going to be t r ied ."

He said to them, " I exert myself to save h i m . " They said to h im, "But he is to be cast to the wi ld

beasts. Where is his patron? י 5

But the Ho ly One, blessed be He, saved Daniel from the lions 5 den. This is the meaning o f what is said: " M y G o d has sent His angel, and has shut the lions 5 mouths, and they have not hurt me 5 5 (Daniel 6:23).

254 Aggadatah 40

40. Whoever Shall Call on the Name of the Lord Shall Be Delivered

Rabbi Yuden said [in his own name], "Flesh and blood creatures have a patron. I f he is in time of trouble, he does not go in to h im all o f a sudden, rather he stands at the entrance of his patron and calls to his servant or to a member of his household, and he says to h im, 'So-and-so is standing at the entrance to your courtyard'; perhaps he keeps h im out, perhaps he lets h im in .

"The Holy One, blessed be He, is not like this. I f trouble comes to a person, he does not cry out to [the angel] Michael, nor to [the angel] Gabriel, rather he cries out to Me, and I answer h im immediately. This is the meaning of what is said: 'Whoever shall call on the Name of the L o r d shall be delivered' (Joel 3:5)."

Rabbi Pinhas said, " I t once happened that Rav went up from Hamatan to Tiberias. Romans encountered h im. They said to h im, 'F rom where are you?'

"He said to them, 'F rom the people of Sophianus [the ruler of the ci ty] , ' and they let h im go on his way.

" I n the evening, the Romans came to h im [to Sophianus, and they saw that Rav was not there]. They said to h im, ' H o w long w i l l you stand by these Jews?'

"He asked them, 'Why?' "They said to h im, 'We met one and we said to h im,

"Who are you?" and he said to us, " A Jew." We asked h im, "Whose are you?" and he said to us, " F r o m the people of Sophianus" '

"He asked them, ' A n d what did you do wi th him?' "They replied, 'We cleared the way for h im. ' "He said to them, 'You did well [by letting h im go on

his way], ' [for he was glad that Rav aggrandized himself


wi th his name, by saying he was one o f his people]. " A n d i f someone who depends upon flesh and blood

is saved, how much more so is this true for someone who depends upon the K ing who rules kings, the Ho ly One, blessed be He [and is proud of his Jewishness]. This then is the meaning of the verse, 'Whoever shall call on the Name of the L o r d shall be delivered.י י י

Rabbi Alexandri said, " I t once happened that a judge named Alexandros was trying a thief.

"The judge asked the thief, 'What is your name?5

"He replied, 'Alexandri . ' He said to h im, 'Alexandros w i l l acquit Alexandri* [so

that i t would not be said, "Alexandros was whipped," and people would think that this was the judge, and his name would be disgraced].

" A n d i f someone wi th a name resembling that of a flesh-and- blood creature is saved, how much more so is this true for someone whose name is as that o f the H o l y One, blessed be He [i.e., who walkes in God's ways, for man is commanded to walk in His ways: just as He is compassionate, so too should man be compassionate, etc.].

"This then is the meaning o f the verse, 'Whoever shall call [yikra] on the Name of the L o r d shall be delivered' [as i f i t were writ ten, "Whoever shall be called [yikare] by the Name of the L o r d " ] . "

Rabbi Pinhas said two things about this, one in the name of Rabbi Zeira, and one in the name of Rabbi Tanhum bar Hanilai .

Rabbi Pinhas said, in the name of Rabbi Zeira: " I f a flesh- and-blood creature has a patron: i f he implores H i m excessively, he says, T have found so-and-so who bothers me [i.e., he complains, and says, "Once again I have encountered this bothersome one"]! '

256 Aggadatah 40

"The Ho ly One, blessed be He, however, is not like this; rather, no matter how much you trouble H i m , He accepts you. This is the meaning of what is writ ten, 4Cast your entreaty on the Lo rd , and He w i l l sustain you ' (Psalms 55:23)."

Rabbi Pinhas said, in the name of Rabbi Tanhum bar Hanilai : 4 4 I f a flesh-and-blood creature has a patron: i f his enemies come to the courtyard o f his patron to seize h im, unt i l he cries out to h im, and unt i l he [the patron] comes out, the sword passes over his neck and kills h im. The Holy One, blessed be He, however, saved Jehoshaphat from the sword of A r a m , as i t is said, 4 When the chariot captains saw Jehoshaphat, they said, 4 4 I t is the king o f Israel." Therefore they turned around to fight h im, but Jehoshaphat cried out, and the L o r d helped h im, and God caused them to depart from him* ( I I Chronicles 18:31) — this teaches that they were on the verge o f cutting off his head, but God caused them to depart from h i m . "

Rabbi Tanhuma said: 4 4 I t once happened that a ship of non-Jews was sailing in the great sea [i.e., the Mediterranean], and there was a Jewish child on board.

4 4 A great storm came upon them, and each one stood and began to take his fear [the idol which he feared] in his hand and to call to i t , but this was of no avail. When they saw that this was of no help, they said to this Jew, 4 M y son, arise and call to your God, for we have heard that He answers you when you cry out to H i m , and that He is migh ty / The child stood and cried out wi th all his might. The Holy One, blessed be He, received his prayer, and the sea quieted down.

4 'When they went onto the dry land, each one went to purchase what he needed [and the child stayed on board the ship].


"They said to the child, 'Don ' t you want to purchase anything?'

"He said to them, 'What do you want from this sorry traveler'

They said to h im, 'You are the sorry traveler? They are the sorry travelers! They are here and their idols are in Babylon, or they are here and their idols are in Rome, or they are here and their idols are wi th them, but they are of no help to them. But you, wherever you go, your God goes wi th you. This is the meaning of the verse, 'For what great nation is there, that has God so nigh to them, as the L o r d our God is whenever we call upon Him?' (Deuteronomy 4:7)."

258 Aggadatah 41

Halakhah 2 41. Earthquakes, Unclean Creatures, and

Crawling Things — for What Purpose?

Elijah, of blessed memory, asked Rabbi Nehorai, " W h y do earthquakes come upon the world?"

He said to h im, "Because of the sin of [improperly dealing with] terumot [heave-offerings given to the priests] and tithes. One verse says, ' A land which the L o r d your God cares for; the eyes of the L o r d are always upon i t 5 (Deuteronomy 11:12); and another verse says, 'Who looks on the earth, and i t trembles; He touches the mountains, and they smoke* (Psalms 104:32). H o w can these two verses be reconciled? When Israel do the w i l l o f the Omnipresent, and take out their tithes in the proper manner, then 'the eyes o f the L o r d are always upon i t , from the beginning o f the year to the end of the year' and no harm befalls i t ; when Israel does not do the w i l l o f the Omnipresent, and do not take out their tithes in the proper manner, then 'Who looks on the earth, and it trembles' [since they do not observe the commandments applicable only in Eretz Israel, the land trembles]."

Elijah said to h im, " M y son, by your life you thought that this is the explanation o f this matter. But this is the basic principle: when the Ho ly One, blessed be He, looks at the theaters and circuses which sit securely and serenely, while the Temple is destroyed, He looks at the inside of the wor ld to destroy i t [a sign o f which is an earthquake]. This is the meaning o f the verse, 'He roars aloud over His abode' (Jeremiah 25:30)."

Elijah, o f blessed memory, asked Rabbi Nehorai, " W h y did the Holy One, blessed be He, create unclean


creatures and crawling things in His wor ld [referring to the small, weak creatures which do no harm]?"

He said to h im, "They were created for a purpose. When humans sin, He looks at them and says, ' I f I maintain these creatures, which serve no purpose, then should I not surely do so for creatures which do serve a purpose?' "

Elijah said to h im, "Furthermore, they [themselves] serve a purpose.

"The fly — for the hornet [a crushed fly is used as a poultice for the sting o f a hornet];

"The bedbug — for the leech [ i f someone swallowed a leech, the cure is to grind a bedbug and mix i t wi th water; from drinking this, the leech w i l l exit through his mouth, due to the foul odor o f the bedbug];

"The serpent — for the eruption [a sort of boi l ; a poultice for this is made by crushing the serpent and boil ing i t in olive o i l ] ;

"The snail — for a compress [a snail is placed on flesh that has been bruised by a stone or a wall] ;

"The spider — for the scorpion [a crushed spider is a remedy for the bite of a scorpion]."

260 Aggadatah 42

42. Jonathan the Son of Gershom

There was a man in the hill country of Ephraim whose name was Micah.... And the man Micah had a shrine; he had made an ephod [priestly robe] and teraphim [objects of worship] ... In those days there was no king in Israel; every man did what was right in his eyes. There was a young man from Bethlehem of Judah, in the family of Judah, who was a Levite, and he sojourned there. This man had left the city of Bethlehem in Judah, to sojourn wherever he could find a place; and he came to the hill country of Ephraim to the house of Micah, as he journeyed.... And Micah said to him, "Dwell with me, and be to me a father and a priest, and I will give you ten pieces of silver a year, and a suit of apparel, and your food. י And the Levite was content to dwell with the man ... And ... יthe children of Dan sent of their family five men ... to spy out the land ... and they came to the house of Micah ... And they took what Micah had made, and the priest whom he had ... And the children of Dan set up for themselves the graven image; and Jonathan, the son of Gershom, the son of Manasseh, he and his sons were priest to the tribe of the Danites until the day of the captivity of the land.

Judges 17-18

The letter nun in the word ''Manasseh 5 ' [ in "son of Manasseh"] is raised, implying: i f he was meritorious, he was regarded as a son of Moses [without this letter]; and i f not, he was regarded as a son of Manasseh [who is associated wi th wrongdoing].

The colleagues raised the question before Rabbi Shmuel bar Nahman: Jonathan was a priest o f idolatry, and yet he lived a long life.

He said to them, "Because he was stingy regarding his idol . H o w so? I f a person came to offer an ox, or a sheep, or a k id to the idol , he would say to h im: 'Appease it wi th me [appease the idol that i t accept my sacrifice, and that i t may do good for me].' Jonathan would say to h im, ' O f what benefit is i t to you? I t neither makes better nor worsens; i t does not speak, i t does not see, i t does not hear, and i t does not eat.'

"He said to h im, 'By your life [ i f i t is really true that i t can be o f no benefit], [nevertheless] what shall we do [for it]?'


"He said to h im, 'Go and prepare a bowl of fine flour and bring i t to me. Put eggs on i t and bring i t before the idol , and I w i l l appease i t for you. ' When the person would go, Jonathan would eat everything.

"One time an intelligent person came to h im and Jonathan acted in this manner.

"The man said to h im, ' I f i t is of no benefit, why are you here?'

"He said to h im, 'For my livelihood. ' " [When the children of Dan came there, they said to

h im, " W h o brought you here? A n d what do you do in this place? A n d what have you here?" (Judges 18:3).

They said to h im: "But you are descended from Moses, and now you have become a priest of idolatry!"]

When King David found h im worshipping idolatry, he had h im brought before h im. He said to h im, " Y o u are the son of the son o f that righteous one, and you worship idolatry?"

He said to h im, "Thus I received from the house of my grandfather: 'Sell yourself to idolatry [avodah zarah], instead of being dependent upon public charity. ' "

David said to h im, "Heaven forbid! He d id not say so, rather, 'Sell yourself to work [avodah] that is strange [zarah] to you [to which you are unaccustomed and which is difficult for you], instead of being dependent upon public charity.' "

When David saw that he [Jonathan] loved money, what d id he do? He appointed h im over his treasury, as i t is said, "Shebuel the son o f Gershom, the son o f Moses, was ruler over the treasuries" ( I Chronicles 26:24) — "Shebuel" because he returned to God [shav le-E-l] with all his heart and wi th all his strength.

The question was posed to Rabbi Shmuel bar Nahman: But i t is said, " u n t i l the day o f the captivity of

262 Aggadatah 43

the land" [i.e., he continued to serve as a priest of idolatry unt i l the period o f the Exile]?

He said to them, "When David died, Solomon deposed his officials, and he returned to his sinful ways. This is the meaning of the verse, 'Now there dwelt an old prophet in Beth-EF ( I Kings 13:11) — it was said that this was Jonathan [and he remained a priest of the tribe of Dan unt i l the exile of Sennacherib]."

43. The Greatness of Rabbi Shimon bar Yohai

Rabbi Hezekiah said, in the name of Rabbi Yermiyah, " A l l the days of Rabbi Shimon ben Yohai , no rainbow was seen" [his merit protected the generation, and there was no need to show the rainbow to recall the covenant that there would not be another Flood].

A n d thus would Rabbi Shimon ben Yohai say: "Valley, valley, be filled wi th gold dinars!" — and i t would be filled.

[I t once happened that a pupi l o f Rabbi Shimon ben Yohai engaged in business and became wealthy. The other pupils saw the money he made, and they were grieved by this. What d id Rabbi Shimon ben Yohai do? He took his pupils and brought them to the valley, and said, "Valley, valley, be filled wi th gold dinars!" and the valley immediately was filled wi th gold dinars.

He said to his pupils, "Each of you may take whatever he wants"; they knew, however, that whatever they took was on account of their reward in the W o r l d to Come. When they realized this, they began to say, "For You , Lord , have made me glad through Your work; I w i l l exult in the works of Your hands" (Psalms 92:5).]

Rabbi Shimon ben Yohai would say, " I have seen those who wi l l merit the W o r l d to Come, and they are


few. I f they are thir ty — I and my son are among them. I f they are two — I and my son are among them."

Rabbi Shimon ben Yohai would say, " M a y Abraham bring close from h im to me [i.e., may his merits atone for us and protect us from his generation unt i l ours], and I w i l l atone from mine unt i l the end o f all time. A n d i f not, Ahiyah ha־Shiloni w i l l j o i n together wi th me, and I w i l l protect all the people."

264 Aggadatah 1

Tosefta Berakhot

4:14 1. Compassion at the Time of Judgement

I t once happened that Rabbi Tarfon was sitting in the shade of a dovecote on a Sabbath afternoon. A bucket of cold water was brought before h im.

Rabbi Tarfon said to his pupils, " I f a person drinks water to quench his thirst, which blessing should he recite?''

They replied, " M a y our master teach us." He said to them, " W h o creates souls and what they

lack." [For according to Rabbi Tarfon, this blessing is to be recited before drinking; he sat and explained to them that this blessing contains thanks, both for the the need for food, which is what l iving creatures lack, and for what G o d created to keep alive the soul of every l iving thing, including the things from which we derive pleasure.]

He said to them, " D o you wish to hear another new interpretation?"

They replied, " M a y our master teach us." He said to them, "Regarding the selling of Joseph i t is

written, ' A n d they sat down to eat bread; and they lifted up their eyes and looked, and behold, a caravan of Ishmaelites came from Gilead, wi th their camels bearing gum, balsam, and laudanum' (Genesis 37:25).

"But the Arabs [i.e., Ishmaelites] usually bear only bad-smelling things: pelts and itran [a sort of resin]. The righteous one, however, was placed among congenial things [with spices to revive h im, that he might derive pleasure from their good smell].

Tosefta 4:14 265

"There is an a minor i ad majus inference here: I f during a time of anger [from Heaven] against the righteous, compassion is extended to the righteous, how much more so at a time of compassion!"

" A n d similarly: 'So they drew near, and carried them [Nadab and A b i h u , when they had been burned] in their tunics' [(Leviticus 10:5); their souls had been burned, but their bodies remained, and could be borne in their tunics]..

"There is an a minor i ad majus inference here: I f during a time of anger against the righteous, compassion is extended to the righteous, how much more so at a time of compassion!"

" A n d similarly: 'The l ion had not eaten the carcass, nor to rn the ass' [ ( I Kings 13:28); this speaks o f the prophet who had been commanded by the L o r d not to eat bread or dr ink water on the way in which he went; he listened to the false prophet and violated the commandment. The l ion kil led h im, but d id not eat his body, which remained whole, for his righteousness protected him]. I f during a time of anger this is so, how much more so at a time of compassion!"

He said to them, "Shall I tell you another new interpretation?"

They replied, " M a y our master teach us." He said to them, " W h y d id Judah merit attaining the

kingship? "Because he confessed regarding the incident wi th

Tamar."

266 Aggadatah 2

4:16 2. Why Do They Merit Attaining the Kingship?

I t once happened that four elders were sitting in the gatehouse of Rabbi Yehoshua: Eleazar ben Mattya, Hanina ben Hakhinai , Shimon ben Azzai, and Shimon ha־Timni , and they were engaged in what Rabbi Tarfon had taught them [see the end o f the preceding story — M . B.] .

Rabbi Ak iva said to them, " W h y did Judah merit attaining the kingship?

"Because he confessed regarding the incident wi th Tamar."

They added by themselves, "Which wise men have to ld from their fathers, and have not h id i t ; to them alone the land was given" [(Job 15:18-19); Reuben, who confessed regarding Bilhah, and Judah, who confessed regarding Tamar, merited to settle their portions, and they were not expelled from their inheritances for their sins since they had confessed; Judah attained eternal kingship].

He said to them, " A n d is a reward given for a transgression [i.e., even though they had repented, they should not be more important than those who had not sinned at all]?"

They said to h im, "Then why did Judah merit attaining the kingship?

"Because he saved his brothers from death, as i t is said, ' A n d Judah said to his brothers, "What profit is i t i f we slay our brother and conceal his blood? Come, and let us sell h im to the Ishmaelites, and let not our hand be upon h i m " ' (Genesis 37:26-27)."

He said to them, "The saving was sufficient to atone for the selling. Then why did Judah merit attaining the kingship? — Because of humil i ty , as i t is said,

Tosefta 4:16 267

'Therefore, please let your servant remain a slave to my lord ' (Genesis 44:33)."

"Saul also merited attaining the kingship only as a result of humil i ty , as i t is said, 'Lest my father leave caring for the asses, and become anxious about us* ( I Samuel 9:5) — he compared his servant to himself [as i t is said, "and become anxious about us" — both o f us]. Samuel, however, spoke as follows: 'Your father has left off caring for the asses, and is anxious concerning you, saying, What shall I do for my son?' (ibid., 10:2).

" A n d when he flees from assuming power, what does i t say? 'They inquired of the L o r d again, "Has anyone else come here?" and the L o r d replied, "Yes; he is hiding among the baggage" [an expression used to portray humi l i ty ] ' (ibid., v. 22)."

Rabbi Ak iva said to them, "Was he not a guarantor [Judah for Benjamin]? A n d in the end, the guarantor must fulf i l l his guarantee. Then why did Judah merit attaining the kingship?"

They replied, " M a y our master teach us." He said to them, "Because he sanctified the Name o f

the Ho ly One, blessed be He. When the tribes came up and stood by the [Red] Sea, each one said, T am not going down [into the water]. ' Then the tribe o f Judah jumped and went down first, thus sanctifying the Name of the Ho ly One, blessed be He. About this time i t is said, 'Save me, O Lord , for the waters have reached my soul' [(Psalms 69:2) — the water had reached their neck; after they exhibited selflessness, the water parted for them], and i t also is said, 'When Israel came forth out o f Egypt, the house of Jacob from a people o f strange language; Judah became His sanctuary' (Psalms 114:1-2) — Judah sanctified the Name o f the Ho ly One, blessed be He, at the sea, and therefore, 'Israel his dominion ' (ibid.) — Judah merited that his seed would rule Israel]."

268 Aggadatah 3

5:1 3. A Meal on the Eve of the Sabbath

" A person may not eat on the eve of the Sabbath from the time of Minah on [i.e., f rom the time one may pray Minhah — 1/2 hour past midday], so that he w i l l enter the Sabbath wi th an appetite"; the opinion o f Rabbi Yehudah. Rabbi Yose says, " A person may eat unt i l i t is dark . י Regarding a person whose meal continues from] יFriday afternoon to the Sabbath night:] "They stop for Sabbaths"; the opinion o f Rabbi Yehudah. Rabbi Yose says, "They need not stop." [According to Rabbi Yehudah, a person must stop his meal and recite Grace, and then recite Kiddush and begin a new Sabbath meal; according to Rabbi Yose, he may eat unt i l i t becomes dark, then he spreads a tablecloth, recites Kiddush, and continues wi th his meal.]

I t once happened that Rabban Shimon ben Gamliel, Rabbi Yehudah, and Rabbi Yose were eating a meal in Acco [on Friday afternoon], and the Sabbath entered [while they were in the middle o f their meal].

Rabban Shimon ben Gamliel said to Rabbi Yose, "Beribi [a title o f respect for the leading scholar o f the time], do you wish to stop for the Sabbath?"

He replied, "Every day you prefer my opinion over that of Yehudah, now you want to prefer the opinion o f Yehudah over mine [for you wish to stop the meal, according to the opinion o f Rabbi Yehudah] — 'Does he mean to ravish the queen in my own palaceי (Esther 7:8)?"

He said to h im, " I f so, we shall not stop, lest the law be determined forever [in accordance wi th the strict opinion of Rabbi Yehudah]."

I t was said, They did not move from there unt i l the law was determined in accordance wi th Rabbi Yose.

Documents

Narratives of the Talmud - Volume 1