Commentary for Kiddushin 78:16

כי הא דרבי חנינא בר פפי תבעתיה ההיא מטרוניתא אמר מלתא ומלי נפשיה שיחנא וכיבא עבדה היא מילתא ואיתסי ערק טשא בההוא בי בני דכי הוו עיילין בתרין אפילו ביממא הוו מיתזקי למחר אמרו ליה רבנן מאן נטרך אמר להו שני

'The mouth that uttered pearls licks the dust!' he exclaimed. [Thereupon] he went forth and sinned.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' According to this, it was the eternal question, why do the righteous suffer, which is even put into the mouth of Moses (Ber. 7a) , which led him to religious apostasy. For other conjectures v. J.E. s.v. Elishah ben Abuyah.');">³⁹</span> R'Tobi son of R'Kisna pointed out a contradiction to Raba: We learnt: HE WHO PERFORMS ONE PRECEPT IS WELL REWARDED; hence, only if he [actively] performs it, but not otherwise. But the following contradicts this: If he sits and commits no transgression he is rewarded as though he has fulfilled a precept! - Said he to him: There it means, e.g. , that he was tempted<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'a matter of transgression came to his hand.'');">⁴⁰</span> and successfully resisted.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'he was saved from it,'');">⁴¹</span> As in the case of R'Hanina B'Pappi, whom a certain matron urged [to immorality]. He pronounced a certain [magical] formula, whereupon his body was covered with boils and scabs;<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Belief in magic was very widespread in ancient times, and was even entertained by scholars. On the whole the Talmud was strongly opposed to it, as 'impairing the Divine Agencies' (Sanh. 67b; cf. Tosef. Sotah, XIV, 3; Sotah, IX, 3) , and being bound up with idolatry. Nevertheless, in case of need it was resorted to and permitted, so long as pagan means were not employed. Thus healing by means of an amulet was permitted and its use regulated by law (Shab. 61a-b) . Here, on the other hand, a Rabbi uses magic to cover himself with boils in order to resist immoral demands, and it is obviously permitted. The most potent means was an incantation, as here, particularly one which employed the name of God. V. Blau, Das altjudische Zauberwesen, pp. 117-146.');">⁴²</span> but she did something and he was healed. So he fled and hid himself in a bath-house in which when [even] two entered, even in daytime, they would suffer harm.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' From demons; yet he stayed there the night alone, and was unhurt.');">⁴³</span> The next morning the Rabbis asked him, 'Who guarded you? ' Said he to them, 'Two

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