Quoting%20commentary for Sanhedrin 202:15

מאי ויועץ אמר רבי יהודה שהושיב רשע אצל צדיק אמר להו חתמיתו על כל דעבידנא אמרו ליה הין אמר להו מלכא בעינא למיהוי אמרו ליה הין כל דאמינא לכו עבידתו אמרו ליה הין אפילו למפלח לעבודת כוכבים אמר ליה צדיק ח"ו אמר ליה רשע לצדיק ס"ד דגברא כירבעם פלח לעבודת כוכבים אלא למינסינהו הוא דקא בעי אי קבליתו למימריה

What is meant by And this was the cause that he lifted up his hand against the king?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I.e., what did he actually do? ');">²⁵</span> — R. Nahman said: He took off his phylacteries in front of him.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' This was regarded as a mark of disrespect. Another version: he removed his phylacteries, so as to be unconstrained in his abuse of Solomon, which he would not wish to do with these religious symbols upon him. ');">²⁶</span> R. Nahman said: The conceit which possessed Jeroboam drove him out of the world,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I.e., led him into destruction. ');">²⁷</span> as it is written, Now Jeroboam said in his heart, Now shall the kingdom return to the house of David: if this people go up to do sacrifice in the house of the Lord at Jerusalem, then shall the heart of this people turn unto their Lord, even unto Rehoboam king of Judah, and they shall kill me, and go again to Rehoboam king of Judah.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I Kings XII, 26f. ');">²⁸</span> He reasoned thus: it is a tradition that none but the kings of the house of Judah may sit in the Temple Court.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' This was a special prerogative of Davidic kings. V. Kid. 78a, and cf. Josephus Ant. VIII, 4, 2. ');">²⁹</span> Now, when they [the people] see Rehoboam sitting and me standing, they will say, The former is the king and the latter his subject; whilst if I sit too, I am guilty of treason,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'a rebel against royal authority.' ');">³⁰</span> and they will slay me, and follow him. Straightway, Wherefore the king took counsel, and made two calves of gold, and said unto them, it is too much for you to go up to Jerusalem: behold thy gods, O Israel, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Ibid. 28. ');">³¹</span> How did he 'take counsel'? — R Judah said: He set a wicked man by the side of the righteous [in the council chamber] and said to him, 'Will ye sign [your approval] of all that I may do?' They replied, 'Yes.' 'I wish to be king,' he went on; and they again said, 'Yes.' 'Will ye execute all my commands?' he asked. Again they replied 'Yes.' 'Even for the worship of idols?' Whereupon the righteous man rejoined, 'God forbid!' 'But,' urged the wicked upon the righteous, 'dost thou really think that a man like Jeroboam would serve idols? He only wishes to test us, to see whether we will give full acceptance to his orders?'<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Thus he received the signature of the righteous under false pretences, and it could not be subsequently withdrawn. ');">³²</span>

Explore quoting%20commentary for Sanhedrin 202:15. In-depth commentary and analysis from classical Jewish sources.