Kiddushin 141

מטהר שבטים שבטו של לוי מטהר תחילה שנא' (מלאכי ג, ג) וישב מצרף ומטהר כסף וטיהר את בני לוי וזיקק אותם כזהב וככסף והיו לי"י מגישי מנחה בצדקה

purifies the tribes, He will first purify the tribe of Levi, for it is said: And he shall sit as a refiner and p of silver, and he shall purify the sons of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver; and they shall offer unto the Lord offerings in righteousness.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Mal. III, 3.');">¹</span> R'Joshua B'Levi said: Money purifies mamzerim,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' By means of their wealth they intermarry with Israel, and having thus mingled, they will not be separated in the future.');">²</span> for it is said. And he shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I.e., those who married by means of their silver, He will purify by retaining them in Israel.');">³</span>

אמר רבי יהושע בן לוי כסף מטהר ממזרים שנאמר וישב מצרף ומטהר כסף מאי מגישי מנחה בצדקה א"ר יצחק צדקה עשה הקב"ה עם ישראל שמשפחה שנטמעה נטמעה

What is meant by, and they shall offer unto the Lord offerings in righteousness? - Said R'Isaac: The Holy One, blessed be He, shewed charity<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Heb. zedakah: the same word denotes righteousness and charity, because charity is righteousness.');">⁴</span> to Israel, in that a famil once mixed up<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' With illegitimate elements.');">⁵</span> remains so.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' And no attempt is to be made to excise it.');">⁶</span> The [above] text [states]: Rab Judah said in Samuel's name: All countries are as dough in comparison with Palestine, and Palestine is as dough relative to Babylon.

גופא אמר רב יהודה אמר שמואל כל ארצות עיסה לארץ ישראל וארץ ישראל עיסה לבבל בימי רבי בקשו לעשות בבל עיסה לארץ ישראל אמר להן קוצים אתם משימים לי בין עיני רצונכם יטפל עמכם ר' חנינא בר חמא

In the days of Rabbi<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' C. 135-220 C.E.');">⁷</span> it was desired to render Babylon as dough vis a vis Palestine.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' To declare the families of Palestine of purer birth, so that if a Babylonian desired to marry into a Palestine family he would have to prove the purity of his own descent. - It was thought that by now the Palestinian families were pure, and so it was due to the honour of Palestine to make this change; Halevi, Doroth, 1, 3, p. 105.');">⁸</span> Said he to them, You are putting thorns between my eyes!<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Rabbi was a descendant of Hillel, a Babylonian, and so this would cast a stigma upon his birth.');">⁹</span> If you wish, R'Hanina B'Hama will join [issue] with you.

נטפל עמהם ר' חנינא בר חמא אמר להם כך מקובלני מר' ישמעאל בר' יוסי שאמר משום אביו כל ארצות עיסה לארץ ישראל וארץ ישראל עיסה לבבל

So R'Hanina B'Hama joined [issue] with them and said to them, 'I have this tradition from R'Ishmael son of R'Jose who stated on his father's authority: All countries are as dough in comparison with Palestine, and Palestine is as dough relative to Babylon.'<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I.e., a mere declaration cannot change an historical fact.');">¹⁰</span> In the days of R'Phineas it was desired to declare Babylon as dough vis a vis Palestine.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Since he was a contemporary of Rabbi (R. Judah I) , this is probably the same as referred to above.');">¹¹</span> Said he to his slaves, 'When I have made two statements in the Beth Hamidrash, take me up in my litter and flee.' When he entered he said to them, A fowl does not require slaughter by Biblical law.

בימי רבי פנחס בקשו לעשות בבל עיסה לארץ ישראל אמר להם לעבדיו כשאני אומר שני דברים בבית המדרש טלוני בעריסה ורוצו כי עייל אמר להם אין שחיטה לעוף מן התורה

Whilst they were sitting and meditating thereon, he said to them, All countries are as dough in comparison with Palestine, and Palestine is as dough relative to Babylon. [Thereupon] they [his slaves] took him up in his litter and fled. They ran after, but could not overtake him. Then they sat and examined [their genealogies], until they came to danger;<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' They discovered that some powerful families were of impure birth, and it would endanger their own lives to reveal it.');">¹²</span>

אדיתבי וקמעייני בה אמר להו כל ארצות עיסה לארץ ישראל וארץ ישראל עיסה לבבל נטלוהו בעריסה ורצו רצו אחריו ולא הגיעוהו ישבו ובדקו עד שהגיעו לסכנה ופירשו

so they refrained.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'separated themselves.'');">¹³</span> R'Johanan said: By the Temple! It is in our power;<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' To reveal the families of impure birth in Palestine.');">¹⁴</span> but what shall I do, seeing that the greatest men of our time are mixed up therein. [Thus] he holds with R'Isaac, who said: Once a family becomes mixed up, it remains so.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' V. p. 359, n. 10.');">¹⁵</span>

א"ר יוחנן היכלא בידינו היא אבל מה אעשה שהרי גדולי הדור נטמעו בה סבר לה כר' יצחק דאמר ר' יצחק משפחה שנטמעה נטמעה

Abaye said: We have learnt likewise: There was a family, Beth ha-Zerifa, in Transjordania, which Ben Zion<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' A person of great importance and power. In 'Ed. VIII, 7 the reading is 'bene Zion,' the citizens of Jerusalem.');">¹⁶</span> forcibly expelled.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I.e., he declared them unfit, so that other families would not intermarry with them.');">¹⁷</span> There was another, which Ben Zion forcibly admitted.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit, 'brought near.' He compelled their pure birth to be recognised.');">¹⁸</span> Such as these, Elijah will come to declare unclean or clean, to expel and admit.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' 'Ed. (Sonc. ed.) p. 50 notes 4-6.');">¹⁹</span>

אמר אביי אף אנן נמי תנינא משפחת בית הצריפה היתה בעבר הירדן וריחקה בן ציון בזרוע עוד אחרת היתה וקירבה בן ציון בזרוע כגון אלו אליהו בא לטמא ולטהר לרחק ולקרב כגון אלו דידעין אבל משפחה שנטמעה נטמעה

[Hence, only] such as these, who are known; but once a family becomes mixed up, it remains so. It was taught: There was yet another, which the Sages declined to reveal, but the Sages confided it to their children and disciples once a septennate - others say, twice a septennate. Said R'Nahman B'Isaac: Reason supports the view that it was once a septennate. Even as it was taught: [If one vows,] 'Behold, I will be a nazir<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' V. Glos.');">²⁰</span>

תאנא עוד אחרת היתה ולא רצו חכמים לגלותה אבל חכמים מוסרים אותו לבניהם ולתלמידיהן פעם אחת בשבוע ואמרי לה פעמים בשבוע אמר רב נחמן בר יצחק מסתברא כמאן דאמר פעם אחת בשבוע כדתניא הריני נזיר אם לא אגלה משפחות יהיה נזיר ולא יגלה משפחות

if I do not reveal the families [which are impure],' he must be a nazir, and not reveal the families.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' This shews how inadvisable and dangerous such action might be; hence once a septennate would have been enough.');">²¹</span> Rabbah B'Bar Hanah said in R'Johanan's name: The [pronunciation of the Divine] Name of four letters the Sages confide to their disciples once a septennate - others state, twice a septennate. Said R'Nahman B'Isaac: Reason supports the view that it was once a septennate, for it is written, this is my name for ever [le'olam]<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Ex. III, 15.');">²²</span> which is written le'allem.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Defectively without a waw, hence to be read le'allem, To be kept secret.');">²³</span>

אמר רבה בר בר חנה אמר ר' יוחנן שם בן ארבע אותיות חכמים מוסרין אותו לתלמידיהן פעם אחת בשבוע ואמרי לה פעמים בשבוע אמר רב נחמן בר יצחק מסתברא כמאן דאמר פעם אחת בשבוע דכתיב (שמות ג, טו) זה שמי לעולם לעלם כתיב רבא סבר למידרשיה בפירקא א"ל ההוא סבא לעלם כתיב

Raba thought to lecture upon it at the public sessions. Said a certain old man to him, It is written, le'allem [to be kept secret]. R'Abina opposed [two verses]: It is written: 'this is my mame'; but it is also written: 'and this is my memorial'?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Ibid. This implies that he gave him two names. One, His real Name, and the other, by which He was to be generally designated.');">²⁴</span> - The Holy One, blessed be He, said: I am not called as I am written: I am written with yod he, but I am read, alef daleth.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The Tetragrammaton is yod he waw he; but it is read adonai _ alef dateth nun yod.');">²⁵</span>

רבי אבינא רמי כתיב (שמות ג, טו) זה שמי וכתיב (שמות ג, טו) זה זכרי אמר הקב"ה לא כשאני נכתב אני נקרא נכתב אני ביו"ד ה"י ונקרא באל"ף דל"ת

Our Rabbis taught: At first [God's] twelve-lettered Name<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' V. n. 6 [This would suggest that they also hesitated to write or pronounce this latter name in full, but wrote or pronounced it merely Ad or Alef dateth. Lauterbach. J.Z. Proceedings of the Americas Academy for Jewish Research 1930-1931. p. 43.]');">²⁶</span> used to be entrusted to all people. When unruly men increased,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' And it was not fit that they should pronounce this.');">²⁷</span> it was confided to the pious of the priesthood,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' [To utter it at the priestly benediction, v. Sot. 38a.]');">²⁸</span>

ת"ר בראשונה שם בן שתים עשרה אותיות היו מוסרין אותו לכל אדם משרבו הפריצים היו מוסרים אותו לצנועים שבכהונה והצנועים שבכהונה מבליעים אותו בנעימת אחיהם הכהנים תניא אמר רבי טרפון פעם אחת עליתי אחר אחי אמי לדוכן והטיתי אזני אצל כהן גדול ושמעתי שהבליע שם בנעימת אחיו הכהנים

and these 'swallowed it'<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I.e., pronounced it indistinctly.');">²⁹</span> during the chanting of their brother priests.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' [I.e., while they were chanting the Tetragrammaton at the benediction.]');">³⁰</span> It was taught: R'Tarfon said: 'I once ascended the dais<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Where the priests stood when they blessed the people.');">³¹</span> after my mother's brother, and inclined my ear to the High Priest, and heard him swallowing the Name during the chanting of his brother priests.

אמר רב יהודה אמר רב שם בן ארבעים ושתים אותיות אין מוסרין אותו אלא למי שצנוע ועניו ועומד בחצי ימיו ואינו כועס ואינו משתכר ואינו מעמיד על מדותיו וכל היודעו והזהיר בו והמשמרו בטהרה אהוב למעלה ונחמד למטה ואימתו מוטלת על הבריות ונוחל שני עולמים העולם הזה והעולם הבא

Rab Judah said in Rab's name: The forty-two lettered Name<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Maim. in 'Moreh' I, 62, conjectures that these multiliteral Names, of which no trace is found, were perhaps composed of several other divine names; also that not only the names were communicated, but their real meanings too. [On these names v. further Blau L. Das altjudische Zauberwesen pp. 137ff and Bacher. JE XI 264.] gubm');">³²</span> is entrusted only to him who is pious,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' [ denotes simply a modest man careful to carry out his religious obligations, a pious man, and not a member of a particular sect - an Essene. v. Buchler Types, pp. 59ff.]');">³³</span> meek, middle-aged,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'stands in the middle of his days'.');">³⁴</span> free from bad temper, sober,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'he does not get angry, does not get drunk'.');">³⁵</span>

אמר שמואל משמיה דסבא בבל בחזקת כשרה עומדת עד שיודע לך במה נפסלה שאר ארצות בחזקת פסול הן עומדות עד שיודע לך במה נכשרה ארץ ישראל מוחזק לפסול פסול מוחזק לכשר כשר

and not insistent on his rights. And he who knows it, is heedful thereof,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Not to use it lightly.');">³⁶</span> and observes it in purity, is beloved above and popular below, feared by man,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'his fear lies upon mankind.'');">³⁷</span> and inherits two worlds, this world and the future world.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' In general the name of God was regarded more than a mere designation, but represented His nature or character and His relation to His people. It thus came to partake of His essence, His glory and power. This probably explains the mystic awe with which its pronunciation was surrounded, on the one hand, and the powers attributed to the right manipulation thereof on the other. Cf. Sanh. 91a: 'He who pronounces the Divine Name according to its letters loses his portion in the world to come; also ');">³⁸</span>

הא גופא קשיא אמרת מוחזק לפסול פסול הא סתמא כשר והדר תני מוחזק לכשר כשר הא סתמא פסול אמר רב הונא בר תחליפא משמיה דרב לא קשיא

Samuel said on the authority of an old man: Babylon stands in the presumption of being fit, until you know wherewith it became unfit;<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I.e., a Babylonian Jew is presumed to be of pure descent and fit to marry into any Jewish family, unless we definitely know the contrary.');">³⁹</span> other countries are presumed to be unfit, until you know wherewith they are fit.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' As stated on 76a; the four preceding generations must be examined.');">⁴⁰</span> As for Palestine, he who has the presumption of unfitness is unfit; he who has the presumption of fitness is fit. But this is self contradictory: you say, he who has the presumption of unfitness is unfit - hence, when undetermined,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I.e., there is no presumption at all about him.');">⁴¹</span> he is fit; then you teach, he who has the presumption of fitness is fit hence, when undetermined, he is unfit? - Said R'Huna B'Tahlifa in Rab's name: There is no difficulty: