Bava Batra 219

אלא אי אבוה דאמיה מיוסף אמה דאמיה מיתרו אי אבוה דאמיה מיתרו אמה דאמיה מיוסף דיקא נמי דכתיב מבנות פוטיאל תרתי שמע מינה

But [this is really the explanation], if his mother's father [descended] from Joseph, his mother's mother<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' But not his own mother. ');">¹</span> [descended] from Jethro; if his mother's father [descended] from Jethro, his mother's mother [descended] from Joseph.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' In either ease, Phinehas was several generations removed from Jethro, while Jonathan, being the son of Gershom, was only two generations removed. ');">²</span> [This may] also [be confirmed by] deduction, for it is written, of the daughters of Putiel, from which two<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The Yod in Putiel is regarded as a sign of the plural. ');">³</span> [lines of ancestry]<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Joseph and Jethro. ');">⁴</span>

אמר רבא הנושא אשה צריך שיבדוק באחיה שנאמר (שמות ו, כג) ויקח אהרן את אלישבע בת עמינדב אחות נחשון ממשמע שנאמר בת עמינדב איני יודע שאחות נחשון היא מה תלמוד לומר אחות נחשון מכאן שהנושא אשה צריך שיבדוק באחיה תנא רוב בנים דומין לאחי האם

are to be inferred. Raba said: He who [wishes] to take a wife should inquire about [the character of] her brothers. For it is said, And Aaron took Elisheba, the daughter of Amminadab, the sister of Nahshon;<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Ex. VI, 23. ');">⁵</span> since it is stated the daughter of Amminadab, would it not he obvious that she is the sister of Nahshon? Then why should it be expressly stated, the sister of Nahshon? From here, [then], it is to be inferred that he who takes a wife should inquire about [the character of] her brothers. It was taught:<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Soph. XV, 20. ');">⁶</span> Most children resemble the brothers of the mother.

(שופטים יח, ג) ויסורו (שמה ויאמר) מי הביאך הלום ומה אתה עושה בזה ומה לך פה אמרו לו לאו ממשה קא אתית דכתיב ביה (שמות ג, ה) אל תקרב הלום לאו ממשה קא אתית דכתיב ביה (שמות ד, ב) מה זה בידך לאו ממשה קא אתית דכתיב ביה (דברים ה, לא) ואתה פה עמוד עמדי תעשה כהן לע"ז

<i>And they turned aside thither, and said unto him: 'Who brought thee hither?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' [H] ');">⁷</span></i> and what doest thou in this [<i>place</i>]?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' [H] ');">⁸</span> <i>and what hast thou here?</i><span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' [H] Judg. XVIII, 3. ');">⁹</span> They<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The Danites. ');">¹⁰</span>

אמר להן כך מקובלני מבית אבי אבא לעולם ישכיר אדם עצמו לע"ז ואל יצטרך לבריות

said unto him:<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Micah's priest. ');">¹¹</span> 'Are you not a descendant of Moses of whom it is written, <i>Draw not nigh hither?</i><span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Ex. III, 5. ');">¹²</span> Are you not a descendant of Moses of whom it is written, <i>What is</i> this<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' [H] ');">¹³</span> <i>in thy hand?</i><span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Ex. IV, 2. ');">¹⁴</span>

והוא סבר לע"ז ממש ולא היא אלא ע"ז עבודה שזרה לו כדאמר ליה רב לרב כהנא נטוש נבילתא בשוקא ושקול אגרא ולא תימא גברא רבא אנא וזילא בי מילתא

Are you not a descendant of Moses of whom it is written,<i> But as for thee, stand thou here<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' [H] ');">¹⁵</span></i> by me?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Deut. V, 28. ');">¹⁶</span> Would you be made a priest for idol-worship?' — He said unto them: I have the following tradition from my grandfather's family: At all times shall one [rather] hire himself out to idol-worship than be in need [of the help] of [his fellow] creatures. He thought that 'Abodah Zarah<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' [H] may mean both 'idolatry' and 'strange work'. ');">¹⁷</span> [meant] actual [idol worship], but it is not so, [the meaning being,] 'work which is strange to him';<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Uncongenial, below his dignity. ');">¹⁸</span>

כיון שראה דוד שממון חביב עליו ביותר מינהו על האוצרות שנאמר (דברי הימים א כו, כד) ושבואל בן גרשם בן מנשה נגיד על האוצרות וכי שבואל שמו והלא יהונתן שמו א"ר יוחנן ששב לאל בכל לבו:

as Rab said<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Cf. Pes. 113a. ');">¹⁹</span> to R. Kahana: Flay<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Or 'dress'. ');">²⁰</span> a carcass in the street and earn<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'take'. ');">²¹</span> a wage, and say not, 'I am a great man and the work is degrading to me'. When David saw that he had an exceptional liking for money, he put him in charge over the treasuries, for it is said, Shebuel the son of Gershom, the son of Manasseh<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' M.T. reads, Moses. ');">²²</span>

והבנים את האב: מנלן דכתיב (במדבר כז, ח) איש כי ימות וגו' טעמא דאין לו בן הא יש לו בן בן קודם אמר ליה רב פפא לאביי אימא אי איכא בן לירות בן איכא בת תירות בת איכא בן ובת לא האי לירות ולא האי לירות

was ruler over the treasuries.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I Chron. XXVI, 24. ');">²³</span> But was his name Shebuel? Surely his name was Jonathan! — R. Johanan said: [He was called Shebuel]<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' ktuca is composed of [H] (returned), and [H] (God). ');">²⁴</span> because he returned to God<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' ktuca is composed of [H] (returned), and [H] (God). ');">²⁴</span> with all his heart.

ואלא

AND SONS [INHERIT FROM, AND TRANSMIT TO THEIR] FATHER. Whence is this<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' That sons take precedence over daughters. ');">²⁵</span> derived? — It is written, <i>If a man die, [and have no son, then ye shall cause his inheritance to pass unto his daughter</i>].<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Num. XXVII, 8. ');">²⁶</span> [From this it is to he inferred that] the reason<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' For causing the inheritance to pass to a daughter. ');">²⁷</span> is because he have no son but if he have a son the son takes precedence.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Over the daughter, who, however, according to a Rabbinical provision, is entitled, if unmarried to a tenth of the estate. Cf. Keth, 68a. ');">²⁸</span> R. Papa said to Abaye: Might it not be inferred<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' From Num. XXVII, 8. ');">²⁹</span> that if there be a son, the son is to be the heir; [if] there be a daughter, the daughter is to be the heir; [and if] there be [both] a son and a daughter, neither the one is to he heir nor the other? — But