Kiddushin 144

היום יושב בחיקו של אברהם היום נולד רב יהודה בבבל

to-day he sits in Abraham's lap;<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Some say that this is a euphemism for death, in which case R. Adda b. Ahabah, who is frequently mentioned in the Talmud, is not meant, for he lived long after Rabbi's death. Others explain it as referring to circumcision; then it does refer to him.');">¹</span> to-day Rab Judah was born in Babylon.' ² Raba died, R'Ashi was born.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' In all cases, on the same day.');">³</span>

דאמר מר כשמת ר' עקיבא נולד רבי כשמת רבי נולד רב יהודה כשמת רב יהודה נולד רבא כשמת רבא נולד רב אשי ללמדך שאין צדיק נפטר מן העולם עד שנברא צדיק כמותו שנאמר (קהלת א, ה) וזרח השמש ובא השמש עד שלא כבתה שמשו של עלי זרחה שמשו של שמואל הרמתי שנאמר (שמואל א ג, ג) ונר אלהים טרם יכבה ושמואל שוכב וגו'

This teaches that a righteous man does not depart from the world until [another] righteous man like himself is created, as it is said, the sun riseth and the sun goeth down:<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Ecc. I, 5.');">⁴</span> before Eli's sun was extinguished, the sun of Samuel of Ramoth rose, as it is said, and the lamp of God was not yet gone out, and Samuel was laid down [etc.]"&gt;.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I Sam. III, 3. Metaphorically. Eli's sun was not yet extinguished. etc.,');">⁵</span> The Lord hath commanded concerning Jacob, that they that are round about hint should be his adversaries.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lam. I, 17.');">⁶</span>

(איכה א, יז) צוה ה' ליעקב סביביו צריו רב יהודה אמר כגון הומניא לפום נהרא

Said Rab Judah: E.g. , Humania [in its relation] to Pum-Nehara.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' As stated above, Humania was entirely a non-Jewish town, while Pum-Nehara had an all-Jewish population. The former was inimical to the latter.');">⁷</span> And it came to pass, when I prophesied, that Pelatiah the son of Benaiah died. Then fell I down upon my face, and cried with a loud voice, and said: Ah Lord God!<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Ezek. XI, 13.');">⁸</span>

(יחזקאל יא, יג) ויהי כהנבאי ופלטיהו בן בניהו מת ואפול על פני ואזעק קול גדול ואומר אהה אדני ה' רב ושמואל חד אמר לטובה וחד אמר לרעה מאן דאמר לטובה כי הא דאיסתנדרא דמישן חתניה דנבוכדנצר הוה שלח ליה מכולי האי שבייה דאייתית לך לא שדרת לן דקאי לקמן

Rab and Samuel - one said: It was in his favour;<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' That the prophet cried out.');">⁹</span> the other, that it was in his disfavour. He who said that it was in his favour [explains it] as follow For the governor<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' [Istandar, A high Persian military and administrative rank, v. Funk, Schwarz Festschrift p. 433.]');">¹⁰</span>

בעי לשדורי ליה מישראל א"ל פלטיהו בן בניהו אנן דחשבינן ניקו מקמך הכא ועבדין ניזלו להתם ואמר נביא מי שעשה טובה בישראל ימות בחצי ימיו

of Mesene was Nebuchadnezzar's son-in-law. He sent [word] to him: 'Of all the captivity which you have brought for yourself, you have sent none to stand before us.' He wanted to send him of the Israelites, [but] Pelatiah son of Benaiah said to him, 'We, who are more worthy [of higher rank], let us stand before thee here; and let our slaves go thither.'

מאן דאמר לרעה דכתיב (יחזקאל יא, א) ותבא אותי אל שער בית ה' הקדמוני הפונה קדימה והנה בפתח השער עשרים וחמשה איש ואראה בתוכם את יאזניה בן עזר ואת פלטיהו בן בניהו שרי העם וכתיב (יחזקאל ח, טז) ויבא אותי אל חצר בית ה' הפנימית והנה פתח היכל ה' בין האולם ובין המזבח כעשרים וחמשה איש אחוריהם אל היכל ה' ופניהם קדמה

Thus the prophet cried, 'That he who did good for Israel should die in middle age!' And he who maintained that it was in his disfavour - for it is written, [Moreover the spirit lifted me up,] and brought me unto the east gate of the Lord's house, which looketh eastward: and behold, at the door of the gate five and twenty men; and I saw in the midst of them Joazaniah the son of Azzur, and Pelatiah the son of Benaiah, princes of the people.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Ezek. XI, 1.');">¹¹</span> And it is said: And he brought me into the inner court of the Lord's house, and behold, at the door of the Temple of the Lord, between the porch and the altar, were about five and twenty men, with their backs toward the temple of the Lord, and their faces toward the east.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Ibid. VIII, 16.');">¹²</span> Now, from the implication of what is said: 'and their faces toward the east,' do I not know that their backs were toward the west?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The hekal, the Temple proper, was to the west of the Temple court, where they stood.');">¹³</span>

ממשמע שנאמר ופניהם קדמה איני יודע שאחוריהם כלפי מערב מה תלמוד לומר [אחוריהם] אל היכל ה' מלמד שהיו מפריעין עצמם ומתריזין עצמם כלפי מעלה וקאמר נביא מי שעשה הרעה הזאת בישראל ימות על מיטתו

Why then is it stated: 'with their backs toward the temple of the Lord'? This teaches that they uncovered themselves and committed a nuisance against the Most High. Therefore the prophet said: 'Shall he who did this evil in Israel die [peacefully] on his bed!'<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The mention of twenty-five in both places shews that the same group is referred to.');">¹⁴</span>

תסתיים דשמואל דאמר לרעה דאמר רבי חייא בר אבין אמר שמואל מושכני הרי היא כגולה ליוחסים מישון לא חשו לה לא משום עבדות ולא משום ממזרות אלא כהנים שהיו בה לא הקפידו על הגרושות

It may be proved that it was Samuel who interpreted it to his discredit. For R'Hiyya B'Abin said in Samuel's name: Moxoene is as the Exile in respect to genealogy. As for Mesene, no fear was entertained for it, either on account of slavery or bastardy,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' It was not feared that slaves or mamzerim had intermarried with the Jews there. - This shews that Samuel did not agree that the slaves of the Israelites were sent thither.');">¹⁵</span>

לעולם אימא לך שמואל אמר לטובה ושמואל לטעמיה דאמר המפקיר עבדו יצא לחירות ואינו צריך גט שחרור שנא' (שמות יב, מד) כל עבד איש מקנת כסף עבד איש ולא עבד אשה אלא עבד שיש לו רשות לרבו עליו קרוי עבד עבד שאין לרבו רשות עליו אין קרוי עבד

but that the priests who dwelt there were not scrupulous about divorced women!<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Disregarding the injunction of Lev. XXI, 7.');">¹⁶</span> - After all, I may tell you that it was Samuel who explained it in his favour; yet Samuel is consistent with his view: for he said: If one renounces ownership of his slave, he goes out free and does not require a deed of manumission, for it is said, but every man's slave that is bought for money:<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Ex. XII, 44.');">¹⁷</span> a man's slave, but not a woman's slave?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Surely not!');">¹⁸</span>

אמר רב יהודה אמר שמואל זו דברי ר"מ אבל חכמים אומרים כל ארצות בחזקת כשרות הם עומדות

Hence [it means this]: a slave whose master has authority over him is called a slave; a slave whose master has no authority over him is not called a slave.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Hence, when their masters renounced ownership and sent them to Mesene, they ipso facto ceased to be slaves.');">¹⁹</span> Rab Judah said in Samuel's name: This<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Sc. the Mishnah on 69a, which implies that only Babylon enjoys the legal status of unquestioned family purity, as explained by R. Eleazar in the GEMARA:');">²⁰</span> is R'Meir's view.

אמימר שרא ליה לרב הונא בר נתן למינסב איתתא מחוזייתא אמר ליה רב אשי מאי דעתיך דאמר רב יהודה אמר שמואל זו דברי ר' מאיר אבל חכ"א כל ארצות בחזקת כשרות הן עומדות והא בי רב כהנא לא מתני הכי ובי רב פפא לא מתני הכי ובי רב זביד לא מתני הכי אפ"ה לא קיבלה מיניה משום דשמיע ליה מרב זביד דנהרדעא

But the Sages maintain: All countries have the legal status of fitness. Amemar permitted R'Huna B'Nathan to take a wife from Hozae.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' [Khuzistan, province S. of Babylon which lay outside the boundaries of Babylon as defined by the Amoraim supra.]');">²¹</span> Said R'Ashi to him: [On] what [do you base] your ruling?

ת"ר ממזירי ונתיני טהורים לעתיד לבא דברי ר' יוסי ר' מאיר אומר אין טהורים אמר לו ר' יוסי והלא כבר נאמר (יחזקאל לו, כה) וזרקתי עליכם מים טהורים וטהרתם אמר לו ר' מאיר כשהוא אומר מכל טומאותיכם ומכל גלוליכם ולא מן הממזרות אמר לו ר' יוסי כשהוא אומר אטהר אתכם הוי אומר אף מן הממזרות

Because Rab Judah said in Samuel's name: This is R'Meir's view. But the Sages maintain: All countries have the legal status of fitness? But the School of R'Kahana did not learn thus,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' On the contrary, they taught in Samuel's name that all countries are presumed to be unfit; supra 71b.');">²²</span>

בשלמא לרבי מאיר היינו דכתיב (זכריה ט, ו) וישב ממזר באשדוד אלא לר' יוסי מאי וישב ממזר באשדוד כדמתרגם רב יוסף יתבון בית ישראל לרוחצן בארעהון דהוו דמו בה לנוכראין

and the School of R'Papa did not learn thus, and the School of R'Zebid did not learn thus? Nevertheless he did not accept this [ruling] from him, because he had heard it [sc. his own view] from R'Zebid of Nehardea. Our Rabbis taught: Mamzerim and Nethinim will become pure in the future: this is R'Jose's view.

אמר רב יהודה אמר שמואל הלכה כרבי יוסי אמר רב יוסף אי לאו דאמר רב יהודה אמר שמואל הלכה כרבי יוסי הוה אתי אליהו מפיק מינן צוורני צוורני קולרין

R'Meir said: They will not become pure. Said R'Jose to him: But was it not already stated: And I will sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Ezek. XXXVI. 25.');">²³</span> R'Meir replied.

ת"ר גר נושא ממזרת דברי ר' יוסי ר' יהודה אומר גר לא ישא ממזרת אחד גר אחד עבד משוחרר וחלל מותרים בכהנת מ"ט דרבי יוסי חמשה קהלי כתיבי

When it is added, from all your filthiness and from all your idols,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Ezek. XXXVI. 25.');">²³</span> [it implies] but not from bastardy. Said R'Jose to him: When it is [further] said, will cleanse you,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Ezek. XXXVI. 25.');">²³</span> you must say: From bastardy too. As for R'Meir, it is well: hence it is written, and the bastard shall dwell in Ashdod.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Zech. IX, 6. I.e., apart from other Jews, because they will remain impure and forbidden to marry.');">²⁴</span> But according to R'Jose, why 'and the bastard shall dwell in Ashdod'? - As R'Joseph translated it: The house of Israel shall dwell in security in their land, where [formerly] they were as strangers.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' So he translates mamzer. Joshua counted Ashdod as part of the land of Israel (Josh. XIII, 1-3) ; but it was not conquered, and so they were as strangers there. Now they should possess it. [V. Targum Pseudo-Jonathan on the Prophets, a.l.; cf. also Geiger, Urschrift p. 52ff who proves from rznn rz ogn here that, is a compound word from 'a strange people', and had originally an ethnical connotation, which was subsequently transferred to denote offspring from forbidden marriages.]');">²⁵</span> Rab Judah said in Samuel's name: The halachah agrees with R'Jose. R'Joseph said: Had not Rab Judah ruled in Samuel's name that the halachah is as R'Jose, Elijah would have come and sent entire gangs away from us.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Of mamzerim or their descendants. The lit., translation is: necks and necks (tied together) by chains. According to another reading: necks');">²⁶</span> Our Rabbis taught: A proselyte may marry a mamzereth: this is R'Jose's view. R'Judah ruled: A proselyte may not marry a mamzereth. A proselyte, a freed slave, and a halal are permitted to [marry] a priest's daughter. What is R'Jose's reason? - 'Assembly' [kahal] is written five times:<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' V. Deut. XXIII, 3f and 9. 'Assembly' in v. 2 is not counted, because it does not deal with unfitness on account of birth.');">²⁷</span>