Chullin 177

(בראשית יד, כג) אם מחוט ועד שרוך נעל זכו בניו לשתי מצות לחוט של תכלת ורצועה של תפילין

I will not take a thread or a shoe-strap,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Gen. XIV, 23.');">¹</span>

בשלמא רצועה של תפילין כתיב

his descendants were worthy to receive two commandments: the thread of blue,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' On the fringes of the garments; cf. Num. XV, 38.');">²</span>

(דברים כח, י) וראו כל עמי הארץ כי שם ה' נקרא עליך ותניא ר' אליעזר הגדול אומר

and the strap of the tefillin.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Commonly translated phylacteries, v. Glos.');">³</span>

אלו תפילין שבראש

Now as for the strap of the tefillin, [the blessing bestowed on it account] is clear, for it is written: And all the peoples of the earth shall see that the name of the Lord is ca upon thee; and they shall be afraid of thee,'<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Deut. XXVIII, 20.');">⁴</span>

אלא חוט של תכלת מאי היא

and it has been taught: R'Eliezer the Great says: This refers to the tefillin worn upon the head.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Men. 35b. Hence the tefillin inspire awe upon all people.');">⁵</span>

דתניא רבי מאיר

But what [is the blessing bestowed on account] of the thread of blue? - It has been taught:<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Men. 43b.');">⁶</span>

אומר מה נשתנה תכלת מכל הצבעונין

R'Meir says.

מפני שתכלת דומה לים וים דומה לרקיע ורקיע דומה לאבן ספיר ואבן ספיר דומה לכסא הכבוד דכתיב

Why is blue singled out from all the varieties of colours?

(שמות כד, י) ויראו את אלהי ישראל ותחת רגליו וגו' וכתיב

Because blue resembles the colour of the sea, and the sea resembles the colour of the sky, and the sky resembles the colour of a sapphire, and a sapphire resembles the colour of the Throne of Glory, as it is said: And they saw the God of Israel and there was under His feet as it were a paved work of sapphire stone;<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Ex. XXIV, 10.');">⁷</span>

(יחזקאל א, כו) כמראה אבן ספיר דמות כסא

and it is also written: The likeness of a throne as the appearance of a sapphire stone.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Ezek. I, 26. And whenever God sits upon His Throne of Glory He immediately thinks of the blue thread of the fringes worn by Israel, and bestows upon them blessings.');">⁸</span>

א"ר אבא

R'Abba said: Grave indeed is theft that has been consumed, for even the perfect righteous cannot make amends for it, as it is said: Save only that which the young men have eaten.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Gen. XIV, 24. Abraham could not restore or make good that which had been wrongfully eaten by the young men.');">⁹</span>

קשה גזל הנאכל שאפילו צדיקים גמורים אינן יכולין להחזירו שנאמר

R'Johanan said in the name of R'Eleazar son of R'Simeon, Wherever you find the words of R'Eleazar the son of R'Jose the Galilean in an Aggadah make your ear like a funnel.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' To receive the teaching; like the funnel or hopper at the top of the mill to receive the grain.');">¹⁰</span>

(בראשית יד, כד) בלעדי רק אשר אכלו הנערים

[For he said: It is written,] It was because you were greater than any people that the Lord set His love upon you and chose you.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Deut. VII, 7.');">¹¹</span>

אמר רבי יוחנן משום רבי אלעזר בר' שמעוןכל מקום שאתה מוצא דבריו של רבי אליעזר בנו של רבי יוסי הגלילי בהגדה עשה אזניך כאפרכסת

The Holy One, blessed be He, said to Israel, I love you because even when I bestow greatness upon you, you humble yourselves before me.

(דברים ז, ז) לא מרבכם מכל העמים חשק ה' בכם וגו' אמר להם הקדוש ברוך הוא לישראל

I bestowed greatness upon Abraham, yet he said to Me, I am but dust and ashes;<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Gen. XVIII. 27.');">¹²</span>

חושקני בכם שאפילו בשעה שאני משפיע לכם גדולה אתם ממעטין עצמכם לפני

Upon Moses and Aaron, yet they said: And we are nothing;<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Ex. XVI, 8. So according to Rabbinic interpretation. E.V. 'and what are we'.');">¹³</span>

נתתי גדולה לאברהם אמר לפני

upon David, yet he said: But I am a worm and no man.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Ps. XXII, 7.');">¹⁴</span>

(בראשית יח, כז) ואנכי עפר ואפר למשה ואהרן אמר

But with the heathens it is not so.

(שמות טז, ז) ונחנו מה לדוד אמר

I bestowed greatness upon Nimrod, and he said: Come, let us build us a city;<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Gen. XI, 4.');">¹⁵</span>

(תהלים כב, ז) ואנכי תולעת ולא איש

upon Pharaoh, and he said: Who is the Lord?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Ex. V, 2.');">¹⁶</span>

אבל עובדי כוכבים אינן כן נתתי גדולה לנמרוד אמר

Upon Sennacherib, and he said: Who are they among all the gods of the countries?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' II Kings XVIII, 35.');">¹⁷</span>

(בראשית יא, ד) הבה נבנה לנו עיר לפרעה אמר

upon Nebuchadnezzar, and he said: I will ascend above the heights of the clouds;<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Isa. XIV, 14.');">¹⁸</span>

(שמות ה, ב) מי ה' לסנחריב אמר

upon Hiram king of Tyre, and he said: I sit in the seat of God, in the heart of the seas.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Ezek. XXVIII, 2.');">¹⁹</span>

(מלכים ב יח, לה) מי בכל אלהי הארצות וגו' לנבוכדנצר אמר

Raba, others say R'Johanan, said: More significant is that which is said of Moses and Aaron than that which is said of Abraham.

(ישעיהו יד, יד) אעלה על במתי עב לחירם מלך צור אמר

Of Abraham it is said: I am but dust and ashes, whereas of Moses and Aaron it is said: And we are nothing.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Their humility was greater than that of Abraham. vnhkc hkc vn');">²⁰</span>

(יחזקאל כח, ב) מושב אלהים ישבתי בלב ימים

Raba, others say R'Johanan, also said: The world exists only on account of [the merit of] Moses and Aaron; for it is written here: And we are nothing, and it is written there [of the world]: He hangeth the earth upon nothing.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Job XXVI. 7; Heb. ; interpreted as two words: 'without' 'anything'. The world exists because of those who regard themselves vn ubjbu as nothing, like Moses and Aaron who said of themselves, . And we are nothing. vnhkc okc');">²¹</span>

אמר רבא ואיתימא ר' יוחנן

R'Ila'a said: The world exists only on account of [the merit of] him who restrains himself in strife, for i written: He hangeth the earth upon belimah.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' 'Restraint'. is connected with the root , 'to close up, to restrain'.');">²²</span>

גדול שנאמר במשה ואהרן יותר ממה שנאמר באברהם דאילו באברהם כתיב

R'Abbahu said: On account of [the merit of] him who abases himself,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Makes himself as if he were non-existent.');">²³</span>

ואנכי עפר ואפר ואילו במשה ואהרן כתיב

for it is written: And underneath are the everlasting arms.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Deut. XXXIII, 27. Those who are underneath (the humble and the lowly) are the arms (support) of the world.');">²⁴</span>

ונחנו מהואמר רבא ואיתימא ר' יוחנן

R'Isaac said: What is the meaning of the verse: Indeed in silence speak righteousness; judge uprightly the sons of men?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Ps, LVIII, 2. obntv ,ubnut');">²⁵</span>

אין העולם מתקיים אלא בשביל משה ואהרן כתיב הכא

What should be a man's pursuit<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' 'indeed', is homiletically associated with 'occupation, pursuit'. ohrahn ruahn');">²⁶</span>

ונחנו מה וכתיב התם

in this world?

(איוב כו, ז) תולה ארץ על בלימה

He should be silent.

אמר רבי אילעא

Perhaps he should be so with regard to the words of the Torah?

אין העולם מתקיים אלא בשביל מי שבולם את עצמו בשעת מריבה שנאמר

It says therefore, 'Speak righteousness'.

תולה ארץ על בלימה

Perhaps then he is to become arrogant?

רבי אבהו אמר

It says therefore, 'Judge uprightly<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' 'uprightly' is associated with 'evenness', i.e., not exalted nor haughty.');">²⁷</span>

מי שמשים עצמו כמי שאינו שנאמר

the sons of men.

(דברים לג, כז) ומתחת זרועות עולם

R'Ze'ira, others say Rabbah B'Jeremiah, said: One may cover up [the blood] with the dust<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' It is assumed that the ashes of this city which had (according to the Law) been destroyed by fire is meant.');">²⁸</span>

אמר רבי יצחק

of a 'condemned city'.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' A city whose citizens were enticed to serve idols. V. Deut. XIII, 23ff.');">²⁹</span>

מאי דכתיב (תהלים נח, ב) האמנם אלם צדק תדברון מישרים תשפטו בני אדם

Why is this?

מה אומנותו של אדם בעולם הזה ישים עצמו כאלם

Is it not forbidden for all uses?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' For it is written: And there shall cleave nought of the devoted thing to thine hand, ibid. 18.');">³⁰</span>

יכול אף לדברי תורה

- Ze'iri answered: It can only refer to the earth<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'to the dust of its dust'. But not to the ashes of the holocaust.');">³¹</span>

תלמוד לומר

of its soil; for the verse.

צדק תדברון

And thou shalt gather all the spoil of it into the midst of the broad place thereof and shalt burn with fire,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Deut. XIII, 17.');">³²</span>

יכול יגיס דעתו

applies only to that which requires to be gathered and burned; but that which requires to be dug up and then gathered and burned is excluded.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' And is permitted for use.');">³³</span>

ת"ל

Raba said: The [performance of] precepts is not accounted as a personal benefit.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Hence the use of a forbidden thing for the purpose of the fulfilment of a precept cannot be deemed an enjoyment or use of that thing. Accordingly one may cover up the blood with the ashes of a condemned city.');">³⁴</span>

מישרים תשפטו בני אדם

Rabina was sitting and reciting the above statement [of Raba]; whereupon R'Rehumi raised this objection against Rabina.

אמר רבי זעירא ואיתימא רבה בר ירמיה

[It was taught:]<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' R.H. 28a.');">³⁵</span>

מכסין בעפר עיר הנדחת

A man may not blow [on the New Year] a shofar which has been used for idolatrous purposes.

ואמאי

Now presumably if he did blow it he will not have fulfilled his obligation! - No.

איסורי הנאה הוא

If he did blow it he has fulfilled his obligation.

אמר זעירי

A man may not take [on the Festival] a lulab<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The palm branch which together with the citron, myrtle branches and willow branches had to be 'taken' on the First of Tabernacles. Cf. Lev. XXIII, 40.');">³⁶</span>

לא נצרכה אלא לעפר עפרה דכתיב

which has been used for idolatrous purposes.

(דברים יג, יז) ואת כל שללה תקבוץ אל תוך רחובה ושרפת מי שאינו מחוסר אלא קביצה ושרפה יצא זה שמחוסר תלישה קביצה ושרפה

Presumably if he did take it he will not have fulfilled his obligation! - No.

ורבא אמר

If he did take it he has fulfilled his obligation.

מצות לאו ליהנות ניתנו

But it has been taught: If he sounded it he has not fulfilled hi obligation; if he took it he has not fulfilled his obligation! - R'Ashi answered: There is no comparison at all.

יתיב רבינא וקאמר לה להא שמעתא

There<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' In the case of the lulab and the shofar, if they are not as large as the minimum size fixed, the former four handbreadths and the latter, a little more than a handgrasp, they are invalid.');">³⁷</span>

איתיביה רב רחומי לרבינא

שופר של עבודת כוכבים לא יתקע בו

מאי לאו אם תקע לא יצא

לא אם תקע יצא

לולב של עבודת כוכבים לא יטול

מאי לאו אם נטל לא יצא

לא אם נטל יצא

והתניא

תקע לא יצא נטל לא יצא

אמר רב אשי

הכי השתא

התם