Commentary for Shabbat 259:18

א"ר אבא בר רב אדא א"ר יצחק פעם אחת שכחו ולא הביאו איזמל מערב שבת והביאוהו בשבת [דרך גגות ודרך חצירות]

R. Isaac said: There was one town in Palestine where they followed R. Eliezer,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' In respect of circumcision. ');">¹⁵</span> and they died there at the [proper] time,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Never prematurely. ');">¹⁶</span> Moreover, the wicked State<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Rome. ');">¹⁷</span> once promulgated a decree against Israel concerning circumcision,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Forbidding it; v. p. 649, n. 3. ');">¹⁸</span> yet did not decree [it] against that town. It was taught, R. Simeon b. Gamaliel said: Every precept which they accepted with joy, e.g., circumcision, as it is written, I rejoice at thy word, as one that findeth great spoil,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Ps. CXIX, 162. This is understood to refer to circumcision, which is a single 'word', i.e., command, which preceded the bulk of Mosaic legislation (this dating back to Abraham, Gen. XVII, 10), and which the Jew, in virtue of being circumcised, ceaselessly performs. ');">¹⁹</span> they still observe with joy. While every precept which they accepted with displeasure,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'quarrelling'. ');">²⁰</span> e.g., the forbidden degrees of consanguinity, as it is written, And Moses heard the people weeping throughout their families,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Num. XI, 10. ');">²¹</span> [i.e.,] on account of the affairs of their families,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' viz., because they were now interdicted in marriage. ');">²²</span> they still perform them with strife, for there is no marriage settlement which does not contain a quarrel.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'in which they (the parties concerned) throw no discord'. ');">²³</span> It was taught, R. Simeon b. Eleazar said: Every precept for which Israel submitted to death at the time of the royal decree, e.g., idolatry and circumcision,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Cf. p. 649, n. 3. Antiochus demanded idol worship too; later, Caligula made a similar demand; v. Graetz, History (Eng. trans.) Vol. II, pp. 188 seqq.; cf. also Weiss, Dor, II, p. 5. ');">²⁴</span> is still held firmly in their minds. Whereas every precept for which Israel did not submit to death at the time of the royal decree, e.g., tefillin, is still weak in their hands.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' V. Weiss, op. cit., p. 134. ');">²⁵</span> For R. Jannai said: Tefillin demand a pure body, like Elisha-the-man-of-the-wings. What does this mean? — Abaye said: That one must not pass wind while wearing them; Raba said: That one must not sleep in them. And why is he called 'the man-of-the-wings'? Because the wicked State once proclaimed a decree against Israel that whoever donned tefillin should have his brains pierced through; yet Elisha put them on and went out into the streets. A quaestor saw him: he fled before him, and the latter gave pursuit. As he overtook him, he [Elisha] removed them from his head and held them in his hand, 'What is that in your hand?' he demanded, 'The wings of a dove,' was his reply. He stretched out his hand and the wings of a dove were found therein. Hence he is called 'Elisha-the-man-of-the-wings.' And why did he tell him the wings of a dove rather than that of other birds? Because the Congregation of Israel is likened to a dove, as it is said, as the wings of a dove covered with silver, and her pinions with yellow gold:<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Ps. LXVIII, 14. ');">²⁶</span> just as a dove is protected by its wings, so with the Israelites, their precepts protect them.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Cf. also supra 49a and notes a.l. ');">²⁷</span> R. Abba b. R. adda said in R. Isaac's name: they once forgot to bring a knife on Sabbath eve, so they brought it on the Sabbath through roofs and courtyards,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' For which no 'erub (q.v. Glos) had been provided. It is normally forbidden to carry through such by Rabbinical law. ');">²⁸</span>

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