Chullin 13

אלא מקום הניחו לו אבותיו להתגדר בו אף אני מקום הניחו לי אבותי להתגדר בו

It must therefore be that his ancestors left something undone whereby he [Hezekiah] might distinguish himself; so in my case, my ancestors left room for me to distinguish myself.

מכאן לתלמיד חכם שאמר דבר הלכה שאין מזיחין אותו ואמרי לה

From this is to be learnt that whenever a scholar reports a decision [however strange it may sound], he should not be made to move [mezihin] from his tradition.

אין מזניחין אותו ואמרי לה

Others say.

אין מזחיחין אותו

He should not be rejected [maznihin].

מאן דאמר מזיחין כדכתיב

And others say: He should not be regarded as arrogant [mazhihin].

(שמות כח, כח) ולא יזח החשן

Those who say.

ומאן דאמר אין מזניחין דכתיב

He should not be made to move from his tradition, base it on the verse.

(איכה ג, לא) כי לא יזנח לעולם ה'

And the breastplate be not moved [yizzah] from the ephod.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Ex. XXVIII, 28. Heb, , which word is of the same root as . jbzh ihjhbzn');">¹</span>

ומאן דאמר מזחיחין דתנן

Those who say: He should not be rejected, base it on the verse: For the Lord will not reject [yiznah] for ever.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lam. III, 31. Heb. , which word is of the same root as . hjujz ihjhjzn');">²</span>

משרבו זחוחי הלב רבו מחלוקות בישראל

And those who say.

מתקיף לה יהודה בריה דר' שמעון בן פזי

He should not be regarded as arrogant, base it on the following:<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' V. Sot. 47a. Heb. , which word is of the same root as .');">³</span>

ומי איכא למאן דאמר דבית שאן לאו מארץ ישראל היא

For we learnt: When the arrogant increased, disputes increased in Israel.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The difference between the versions is merely textual, each version supporting its reading by a verse from the Bible or by a passage from the MISHNAH:');">⁴</span>

והכתיב

To this, Judah, son of R'Simeon B'Pazzi, demurred: Is there anyone who holds the view that Bethshean was not part of Palestine?

(שופטים א, כז) ולא הוריש מנשה את בית שאן ואת בנותיה ואת תענך ואת בנותיה

Is it not written: And Manasseh did not drive out the inhabitants of Bethshean and its towns, nor of Taanach and its towns?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Judg. I, 27.');">⁵</span>

אישתמיטתיה הא דאמר ר' שמעון בן אליקים משום ר' אלעזר בן פדת שאמר משום ר' אלעזר בן שמוע

- [When he raised his objection] there must have escaped his attention the statement of R'Simeon B'Eliakim who reported R'Eleazar B'Pedath in the name of R'Eleazar B'Shammu'a [as follows]: Many cities which were conquered by the Israelites who came up from Egypt<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' At the first settlement in Palestine under the leadership of Joshua.');">⁶</span>

הרבה כרכים כבשום עולי מצרים ולא כבשום עולי בבל וקסבר

were not re-conquered by those who came up from Babylon,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' At the second settlement in Palestine under Ezra. The Holy land had to be consecrated a second time by the returning exiles, and therefore those towns which were not included in the re-consecration were not part of Palestine. Bethshean was one of the cities not included.');">⁷</span>

קדושה ראשונה קדשה לשעתה ולא קדשה לעתיד לבא והניחום כדי שיסמכו עליהן עניים בשביעית

for he held the view that the consecration of the Holy land on the first occasion [by Joshua] consecrated it for the time being but not for the future.

אמר ליה ר' ירמיה לרבי זירא

They therefore did not annex these cities in order that the poor might have sustenance therefrom in the Seventh Year.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The law of the Seventh Year did not apply to land outside Palestine; therefore, certain towns near the boundary of Palestine were purposely not included in the re-consecration of the land so that these might be cultivated even in the seventh year.');">⁸</span>

והא ר' מאיר עלה בעלמא הוא דאכיל

R'Jeremiah said to R'Zera: But R'Meir ate a mere leaf [of a vegetable]!<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' This point destroys the basis of the preceding argument, for the eating of a snack, such as one leaf of a vegetable, is permitted even in Palestine without first tithing it. There is, therefore, no proof that Bethshean was regarded as being outside Palestine.');">⁹</span>

אמר ליה

- He replied: He ate it from a bundle, and we have learnt: Vegetables which are usually tied in bundles [become due for tithing] on being tied up.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' And once the duty of tithing has arisen one may not eat even a snack. V. Ma'as. I, 5.');">¹⁰</span>

מאגודה אכליה ותנן

But perhaps R'Meir forgot [to tithe it]? - [This cannot be.] Surely, if the Holy One, Blessed be He, would not permit the beast of the righteous to sin in error, how much less the righteous themselves! But perhaps he set aside from other produce the tithe due for this [Vegetable]! - One would not suspect a haber of setting aside the dues for the produce that is before us out of produce that is not before us.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'from that which is not brought near'. For there is a danger that the produce which is not before us, and upon which he relies, may have been destroyed at the time that he purports to set it aside as tithe, and he would therefore be eating untithed produce.');">¹¹</span>

ירק הנאגד משיאגד

But perhaps he had in mind to set aside the tithe from one end of the bundle, whilst he ate from the other end! - He replied: See how great a man testified concerning this!<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' R. Joshua b. Zeruz stated categorically that R. Meir did not tithe the vegetable, and a Rabbi of such eminence could certainly be relied upon in his testimony.');">¹²</span>

ודלמא לאו אדעתיה

What was the incident about the beast of the righteous? - Once, R'Phinehas B'Jair was on his way to redeem captives, and came to the river Ginnai.'

השתא בהמתן של צדיקים אין הקב"ה מביא תקלה על ידן צדיקים עצמן לא כל שכן

O Ginnai' , said he, 'divide thy waters for me, that I may pass through thee'.

ודלמא עישר עליהם ממקום אחר

It replied.'

לא נחשדו חברים לתרום שלא מן המוקף

Thou art about to do the will of thy Maker; I, too, am doing the will of my Maker.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' By divine command all rivers flow to the sea. V. Eccl. I, 7.');">¹³</span>

ודלמא נתן עיניו בצד זה ואכל בצד אחר

Thou mayest or mayest not accomplish thy purpose;<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' He may not succeed in redeeming the captives.');">¹⁴</span>

אמר ליה

I am sure of accomplishing mine'.

חזי מאן גברא רבה קמסהיד עליה

He said: 'If thou wilt not divide thyself, I will decree that no waters ever pass through thee'.

מאי בהמתן של צדיקים

It, thereupon, divided itself for him.

דרבי פנחס בן יאיר הוה קאזיל לפדיון שבויין פגע ביה בגינאי נהרא אמר ליה

There was also present a certain man who was carrying wheat for the Passover, and so R'Phinehas once again addressed the river: 'Divide thyself for this man, too, for he is engaged in a religious duty'.

גינאי חלוק לי מימך ואעבור בך

It, thereupon, divided itself for him too.

אמר ליה

There was also an Arab who had joined them [on the journey], and so R'Phinehas once again addressed the river, 'Divide thyself for this one, too, that he may not say. "Is this the treatment of a fellow traveller? "' It, thereupon, divided itself for him too.

אתה הולך לעשות רצון קונך ואני הולך לעשות רצון קוני אתה ספק עושה ספק אי אתה עושה אני ודאי עושה

R'Joseph exclaimed: How great is this man! Greater than Moses and the sixty myriads of Israel! For the latter [the sea divided itself] but once, whilst for the former thrice! May it not be, however, for the former also only once?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' It may be that R. Phinehas addressed the river on the second and third occasions merely to ensure that the waters should remain parted and not resume their natural course.');">¹⁵</span>

אמר ליה

- Rather say.

אם אי אתה חולק גוזרני עליך שלא יעברו בך מים לעולם

As great as Moses and the sixty myriads of Israel!

חלק ליה

R'Phinehas happened to come to a certain inn.

הוה ההוא גברא דהוה דארי חיטי לפיסחא אמר ליה

They placed barley before his ass, but it would not eat.

חלוק ליה נמי להאי דבמצוה עסיק

חלק ליה

הוה ההוא טייעא דלווה בהדייהו אמר ליה

חלוק ליה נמי להאי דלא לימא

כך עושים לבני לויה

חלק ליה

אמר רב יוסף

כמה נפיש גברא ממשה ושתין רבוון דאילו התם חד זימנא והכא תלתא זימנין

ודלמא הכא נמי חדא זימנא

אלא כמשה ושתין רבוון

אקלע לההוא אושפיזא רמו ליה שערי לחמריה לא אכל