Menachot 58

Chapter 58

א איפסיקא ליה כרעא דה"י דהעם בניקבא אתא לקמיה דר' אבא א"ל אם משתייר בו כשיעור אות קטנה כשר ואם לאו פסול:
1 that the [right] leg of the letter he in the word ha'am<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' , Ex. XIII, 3, in connection with the tefillin (Rashi) .');"><sup>1</sup></span> had been severed by a perforation; whereupon he came to R'Abba who ruled that if there still remained thereof the size of a small letter it is valid, otherwise it i invalid. It once happened to Rami B'Tamre, also known as<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' So in all MSS. and early edd. and so emended by Sh. Mek. Cur. edd. 'the father-in-law of'. drvhu');"><sup>2</sup></span>
ב ראמי בר תמרי דהוא חמוה דרמי בר דיקולי איפסיקא ליה כרעא דוי"ו דויהרג בניקבא אתא לקמיה דרבי זירא א"ל זיל אייתי ינוקא דלא חכים ולא טפש אי קרי ליה ויהרג כשר אי לא יהרג הוא ופסול
2 Rami B'Dikule, that the leg of the letter wow in the word wa-yaharog<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I.e., the initial waw in (meaning 'and he killed') , occurring in one of the Scriptural portions of the Tefillin, in Ex. XIII, 15. drvh drvhh');"><sup>3</sup></span> had been severed by a perforation; whereupon he came to R'Zera who said, Go, fetch a child that is neither too clever nor too foolish; if he is able to read the word as wa-yaharog, it is valid; otherwise, the word is yaharog<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' . Strictly speaking which would be read as yehareg (meaning 'will be killed') and being followed by 'the Lord' would have a blasphemous connotation. mdzbyga');"><sup>4</sup></span> and it is invalid.
ג אמר רב יהודה אמר רב בשעה שעלה משה למרום מצאו להקב"ה שיושב וקושר כתרים לאותיות אמר לפניו רבש"ע מי מעכב על ידך אמר לו אדם אחד יש שעתיד להיות בסוף כמה דורות ועקיבא בן יוסף שמו שעתיד לדרוש על כל קוץ וקוץ תילין תילין של הלכות
3 Rab Judah said in the name of Rab, When Moses ascended on high he found the Holy One, blessed be He, engaged in affixing coronets to the letters.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' These are the Taggin, i.e., three small strokes written on top of the letters in the form of a crown. V. infra Raba's statement, and note thereon.');"><sup>5</sup></span> Said Moses, 'Lord of the Universe, Who stays Thy hand? '<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I.e., is there anything wanting in the Torah that these additions are necessary?');"><sup>6</sup></span> He answered, 'There will arise a man, at the end of many generations, Akiba B'Joseph by name, who will expound upon each tittle heaps and heaps of laws'.'
ד אמר לפניו רבש"ע הראהו לי אמר לו חזור לאחורך הלך וישב בסוף שמונה שורות ולא היה יודע מה הן אומרים תשש כחו כיון שהגיע לדבר אחד אמרו לו תלמידיו רבי מנין לך אמר להן הלכה למשה מסיני נתיישבה דעתו
4 Lord of the Universe', said Moses; 'permit me to see him'. He replied, 'Turn thee round'. Moses went and sat down behind eight rows<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Of R. Akiba's disciples.');"><sup>7</sup></span>
ה חזר ובא לפני הקב"ה אמר לפניו רבונו של עולם יש לך אדם כזה ואתה נותן תורה ע"י אמר לו שתוק כך עלה במחשבה לפני אמר לפניו רבונו של עולם הראיתני תורתו הראני שכרו אמר לו חזור [לאחורך] חזר לאחוריו ראה ששוקלין בשרו במקולין אמר לפניו רבש"ע זו תורה וזו שכרה א"ל שתוק כך עלה במחשבה לפני
5 [and listened to the discourses upon the law]. Not being able to follow their arguments he was ill at ease, but when they came to a certain subject and the disciples said to the master 'Whence do you know it? ' and the latter replied 'It is a law given unto Moses at Sinai' he was comforted. Thereupon he returned to the Holy One, blessed be He, and said, 'Lord of the Universe, Thou hast such a man and Thou givest the Torah by me!' He replied, 'Be silent, for such is My decree'.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'so it has come to My mind'.');"><sup>8</sup></span>
ו אמר רבא שבעה אותיות צריכות שלשה זיונין ואלו הן שעטנ"ז ג"ץ אמר רב אשי חזינא להו לספרי דווקני דבי רב דחטרי להו לגגיה דחי"ת ותלו ליה לכרעיה דה"י
6 Then said Moses, 'Lord of the Universe, Thou hast shown me his Torah, show me his reward'.' Turn thee round', said He; and Moses turned round and saw them weighing out his flesh at the market-stalls.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' R. Akiba died a martyr's death at the hands of the Romans during the Hadrianic persecution. V. Ber. 61b. mdzbyga');"><sup>9</sup></span> 'Lord of the Universe', cried Moses, 'such Torah, and such a reward!' He replied, 'Be silent, for such is My decree'.
ז חטרי להו לגגיה דחי"ת כלומר חי הוא ברומו של עולם ותלו ליה לכרעיה דה"י כדבעא מיניה רבי יהודה נשיאה מר' אמי מאי דכתיב (ישעיהו כו, ד) בטחו ביי' עדי עד כי ביה יי' צור עולמים אמר ליה כל התולה בטחונו בהקב"ה הרי לו מחסה בעולם הזה ולעולם הבא
7 Raba said, There are seven letters which require each three strokes, and these are they: shin, 'ayin, teth, nun, zayin, gimmel, and zadde.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' . V. supra n. 2. There is diversity of opinion as to the proper placing of these strokes. V. Tosaf a.l. In the Scrolls of the Law used at a the present time in Ashkenazic communities the form of ornamentation is this, e.g., . hryj');"><sup>10</sup></span> R'Ashi said, I have observed that scribes who are most particular add a vertical stroke to the roof of the letter heth,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Here, too, there are diverse opinions as to the form. The word which has been translated in the text, following Rashi, by 'add a vertical tryuj t,ryj stroke' from , 'a stick', may also mean 'make hump-like', from 'the camel's hump'. The form of this letter in Scrolls of the present j day is . hj');"><sup>11</sup></span> and suspend the [inner] leg of the letter he.
ח אמר ליה אנא הכי קא קשיא לי מאי שנא דכתיב ביה ולא כתיב יה
8 They add a vertical stroke to the roof of the letter heth, signifying thereby that He lives in the heights of the word.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The letter heth is the initial letter of the word , 'He lives', and the stroke or tower above indicates that the abode of the living God is on high. ohnkug rum 'v vhc hf');"><sup>12</sup></span> And they suspend the [inner] leg of the letter he for the reason given in the following discussion. For R'Judah the patriarch asked R'Ammi, What is the meaning of the verse, Trust ye in the Lord for ever; for in Yah the Lord is an everlasting rock?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Isa. XXVI, 4. The latter half of the verse reads and this is interpreted as meaning 'for with Yah (i.e., with the letters yod and he) the Lord formed the worlds.'');"><sup>13</sup></span>
ט כדדרש ר' יהודה בר ר' אילעאי אלו שני עולמות שברא הקב"ה אחד בה"י ואחד ביו"ד ואיני יודע אם העולם הבא ביו"ד והעולם הזה בה"י אם העולם הזה ביו"ד והעולם הבא בה"י
9 He replied, It implies that if one puts his trust in the Holy One, blessed be He, behold He is unto him as a refuge in this world and in the world to come. This, retorted the other, was my difficulty: why does the verse say in Yah and not Yah? The reason is as was expounded by R'Judah B'R'Ila'i.
י כשהוא אומר (בראשית ב, ד) אלה תולדות השמים והארץ בהבראם אל תקרי בהבראם אלא בה"י בראם [הוי אומר העולם הזה בה"י והעולם הבא ביו"ד]
10 [Yah, he said,] refers to the two worlds which the Holy One, blessed be He, created, one with the letter he and the other with the letter yod. Yet I do not know whether the future world was created with the yod and this world with the he or this world with the yod and the future world with the he; but since it is written, These are the generations of the heaven and of the earth when they were created:<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Gen. II, 4. otrcvc');"><sup>14</sup></span> read not be-hibare'am,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' . otrc hvc');"><sup>15</sup></span>
יא ומפני מה נברא העולם הזה בה"י מפני שדומה לאכסדרה שכל הרוצה לצאת יצא ומ"ט תליא כרעיה דאי הדר בתשובה מעיילי ליה
11 when they were created, but be-he bera'am,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' .');"><sup>16</sup></span> He created them with the he; hence I may say that this world was created with the he and the future world with the yod. And wherefore was this world created with the he? - Because it is like an exedra<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The world is like an exedra, i.e., closed on three sides and open on the fourth (v. B.B. ');"><sup>17</sup></span>
יב וליעייל בהך לא מסתייעא מילתא כדריש לקיש דאמר ריש לקיש מאי דכתיב (משלי ג, לד) אם ללצים הוא יליץ ולענוים יתן חן בא לטהר מסייעין אותו בא לטמא פותחין לו ומ"ט אית ליה תאגא אמר הקב"ה אם חוזר [בו] אני קושר לו קשר
12 and whosoever wishes to go astray<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Sc. from the right path; i.e., to be rebellious.');"><sup>18</sup></span> may do so. And wherefore is the [left] leg [of the he] suspended? - To indicate that whosoever repents is permitted to re-enter.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Through the small opening at the side.');"><sup>19</sup></span>
יג מפני מה נברא העולם הבא ביו"ד מפני שצדיקים שבו מועטים ומפני מה כפוף ראשו מפני שצדיקים שבו כפוף ראשיהם מפני מעשיהן שאינן דומין זה לזה
13 And why should he not re-enter by the same [way as he went out]? - Such an opportunity would not arise;<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The repentant sinner requires encouragement and support, so that an additional entrance is made ready for him.');"><sup>20</sup></span> and this is consistent with Resh Lakish's view. For Resh Lakish said, What is the meaning of the verse, If it concerneth the scorners, He scorneth them, but unto the humble He giveth grace?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Prov. III, 34.');"><sup>21</sup></span>
יד אמר רב יוסף הני תרתי מילי אמר רב בספרים ותניא תיובתיה חדא הא דאמר רב ס"ת שיש בו שתי טעיות בכל דף ודף יתקן שלש יגנז
14 If a man comes to purify himself, they assist him; but if he comes to defile himself, they open the door for him. And wherefore has [the letter he] a coronet? - Because the Holy One, blessed be He, says, If a man repents I will set a crown upon him. And why was the future world created with the letter yod? - Because the righteous men therein are but few.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The letter yod is the smallest letter of the alphabet, and in shape its head droops downwards.');"><sup>22</sup></span>
טו ותניא תיובתיה שלש יתקן ארבע יגנז תנא אם יש בו דף אחת שלימה מצלת על כולו: א"ר יצחק בר שמואל בר מרתא משמיה דרב והוא דכתיב רוביה דספרא שפיר
15 And why is its head bent low? - Because the righteous men therein hang their heads low, for the good deeds of one are not like [the good deeds of] the other.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' So that each feels a certain sense of shame in the presence of the other.');"><sup>23</sup></span> R'Joseph said, Rab gave two rulings in connection with scrolls [of the Law] but to each there is a refutation. The first is this: Rab said, If a scroll of the Law has two mistakes in every column it may be corrected, but if three, it must be hidden away.
טז א"ל אביי לרב יוסף אי אית בההוא דף שלש טעיות מאי א"ל הואיל ואיתיהיב לאיתקוני מיתקן וה"מ חסירות אבל יתירות לית לן בה חסירות מ"ט לא אמר רב כהנא משום דמיחזי כמנומר:
16 And the refutation [is from the following]. It was taught: If three it may be corrected, but if four it must be hidden away. A Tanna taught: If there was one column free from mistakes it saves the whole scroll.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Even though in the other columns there are very many mistakes. Of course the mistakes have to he corrected.');"><sup>24</sup></span>
יז אגרא חמוה דרבי אבא הוה ליה יתירות בסיפריה אתא לקמיה דרבי אבא א"ל לא אמרן אלא בחסירות
17 R'Isaac B'Samuel B'Martha said in the name of Rab, provided only the scroll was for the most part written correctly. Abaye asked R'Joseph, How is it if in that column there were three mistakes?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Is this column to be regarded as free from mistakes since the three mistakes in it may be corrected?');"><sup>25</sup></span> - He replied, Since it is permitted to correct them they are regarded as already corrected. This rule<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' That a scroll with four mistakes in each column must be hidden away.');"><sup>26</sup></span> applies only when letters are missing, but when there are too many letters it does not matter.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Since the additional letters can easily be erased.');"><sup>27</sup></span> And why is it not so when letters are missing?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The missing letters can surely be inserted.');"><sup>28</sup></span> - R'Kahana answered, Because it would look speckled.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The insertion of missing letters above the lines would make the whole look irregular.');"><sup>29</sup></span> Agra, the father-in-law of R'Abba, had a scroll in which there were additional letters, so he came to R'Abba who told him the law: This rule applies only when letters are missing,