Moed Katan 33

תלמיד שנידה לכבודו נדויו נידוי דתניא מנודה לרב מנודה לתלמיד מנודה לתלמיד אינו מנודה לרב לרב הוא דאינו מנודה הא לכולי עלמא מנודה

if a disciple 'separates' someone in [defence of] his personal dignity his 'separation' is an [effective]. For taught: 'One who has been "separated" [as under a ban] by the Master is [deemed] "separated" from the disciple; but one who has been "separated" by the disciple is not [deemed] "separated" from the Master'.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Supra p. 98.');">¹</span> [That means], not 'separated' from the Master; but in regard to everybody else he is ['separated'].

למאי אי במילי דשמיא (משלי כא, ל) אין חכמה ואין תבונה ואין עצה לנגד ה' אלא לאו לכבוד עצמו

[Now let us see; 'separated'] for what [offence]? If [it was imposed] for some offence towards Heaven, then there is no wisdom nor understanding nor counsel against the Lord!<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Prov. XXI, 30. That is to say, there should be no distinctions: the offender must be debarred from all and everybody.');">²</span> Therefore [presumably] it is only so<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' That the 'separated' is not debarred from his Master. ibcrn tcrum');">³</span>

אמר רב יוסף צורבא מרבנן עביד דינא לנפשיה במילתא דפסיקא ליה

[where a disciple had pronounced it] in [defence of] his personal dignity. R'Joseph said that a Collegiate<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' , the Babylonian appellation of an acknowledged scholar, a member of the Academy. The term has not been satisfactorily crm ;rm rcj explained; but it is obviously from an Aramaic form, = Hebrew to be joined, adhere to, the equivalent of the Palestinian term = associate, colleague, Collegiate.');">⁴</span> may enforce his own rights in a matter where he is perfectly certain [as to the law].

ההוא צורבא מרבנן דהוו סנו שומעניה א"ר יהודה היכי ליעביד לשמתיה צריכי ליה רבנן לא לשמתיה קא מיתחיל שמא דשמיא

There was once a certain Collegiate whose reputation was objectionable. Said Rab Judah, How is one to act? To put the shammetha on him [we cannot], as the Rabbis have need of him [as an able teacher].

א"ל לרבב"ח מידי שמיע לך בהא א"ל הכי א"ר יוחנן מאי דכתיב (מלאכי ב, ז) כי שפתי כהן ישמרו דעת ותורה יבקשו מפיהו כי מלאך ה' צבאות הוא אם דומה הרב למלאך ה' יבקשו תורה מפיו ואם לאו אל יבקשו תורה מפיו

Not to put the shammetha on him [we cannot afford] as the name of Heaven is being profaned. Said he to Rabbah B'Bar Hana, Have you heard alight on that point? He replied: 'Thus said R'Johanan: What means the text, For the priest's lips should keep knowledge and they should seek the law at his mouth; for he is the messenger of the Lord of Hosts?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Mal. II, 7.');">⁵</span>

שמתיה רב יהודה לסוף איחלש רב יהודה אתו רבנן לשיולי ביה ואתא איהו נמי בהדייהו כד חזייה רב יהודה חייך

[It means, that] if the Master is like unto a messenger of the Lord of Hosts, they should seek the law at his mouth; but if [he be] not , they should not seek the law at his mouth'. [Thereupon] Rab Judah pronounced the shammetha on him. In the end Rab Judah became indisposed.

אמר ליה לא מסתייך דשמתיה לההוא גברא אלא אחוכי נמי חייך בי א"ל לאו בדידך מחייכנא אלא דכי אזלינא לההוא עלמא בדיחא דעתאי דאפילו לגברא כוותך לא חניפי ליה

The Rabbis came to enquire about him and that man came along with them. When Rab Judah beheld him he laughed. Said the man to him: Not enough for him that he put upon that man [me] the shammetha, but he even laughs at me! Replied he [Rab Judah]: I was not laughing at you: but as I am departing to that World [beyond] I am glad to think that even towards such a personage as you I showed no indulgence.

נח נפשיה דרב יהודה אתא לבי מדרשא אמר להו שרו לי אמרו ליה רבנן גברא דחשיב כרב יהודה ליכא הכא דלישרי לך אלא זיל לגביה דר' יהודה נשיאה דלישרי לך אזל לקמיה א"ל לר' אמי פוק עיין בדיניה אי מיבעי למישרא ליה שרי ליה

Rab Judah's soul came to rest.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' In 299 C.E. Succeeded after a short interregnum by Rabbah b. Nahmani. V. Sherira's Epistle, ed. B. M. Lewin, p. 86.');">⁶</span> The man [then] came to the College [and] said, 'Absolve me'. Said the Rabbis to him, There is no man here of the standing of Rab Judah who could absolve you; but go to R'Judah Nesi'ah<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' R. Judah II, grandson of Rabbi Judah l and son of Rabban Gamaliel III. Nesi'ah is the Aramaic form of Nasi 'the Prince'; it is conveniently used to indicate the second Judah (and sometimes the third) .');">⁷</span>

עיין ר' אמי בדיניה סבר למישרא ליה עמד ר' שמואל בר נחמני על רגליו ואמר ומה שפחה של בית רבי לא נהגו חכמים קלות ראש בנידויה שלש שנים יהודה חבירינו על אחת כמה וכמה

that he may absolve you. He went and presented himself to him. Said he to R'Ammi: 'Go forth and look into his case; if it be necessary to absolve him, absolve him'.

א"ר זירא מאי דקמן דאתא האידנא האי סבא בבי מדרשא דהא כמה שני לא אתא ש"מ לא מיבעי למישרא ליה לא שרא ליה נפק כי קא בכי ואזיל

R'Ammi looked into his case and had a mind to absolve him. Then R'Samuel B'Nahmani got up on his feet and said: 'Why, even a 'separation" imposed by one of the domestics in Rabbi's house was not lightly treated by the Rabbis for three years; how much more so one imposed by our colleague, Rab Judah!' Said R'Zera, From the fact that this venerable scholar<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' R. Samuel b. Nahmani.');">⁸</span> should just now have turned up at this College after not having come here for many years, you must take it that it is not desirable to absolve that man.

אתא זיבורא וטרקיה אאמתיה ושכיב עיילוהו למערתא דחסידי ולא קיבלוהו עיילוהו למערתא דדייני וקיבלוהו

He [R'Judah Nesi'ah]<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Or his Beth din, among whom were prominent R. Ammi and R. Zera.');">⁹</span> did not absolve him. He went away weeping.

מ"ט דעבד כר' אילעאי דתניא ר' אילעאי אומר אם רואה אדם שיצרו מתגבר עליו ילך למקום שאין מכירין אותו וילבש שחורים ויתעטף שחורים ויעשה מה שלבו חפץ ואל יחלל שם שמים בפרהסיא

A wasp then came and stung him in the privy member and he died. They brought him into 'The Grotto of the Pious', but they admitted him not.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' It is forbidden to bury a bad man next to a good man. V. Sanh. 47a.');">¹⁰</span> They brought him into 'The Grotto of the Judges' and they received him.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' He was such himself and had repented.');">¹¹</span>

שפחה של בית רבי מאי היא דאמתא דבי רבי חזיתיה לההוא גברא דהוה מחי לבנו גדול אמרה ליהוי ההוא גברא בשמתא דקעבר משום (ויקרא יט, יד) ולפני עור לא תתן מכשול דתניא ולפני עור לא תתן מכשול במכה לבנו גדול הכתוב מדבר

Why was he admitted there? - Because he had acted according to the dictum of R'Il'ai. For R'Il'ai says, If one sees that his [evil] yezer<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I.e., the evil (formative) imagining, prompting, 'urge'. V. Gen. VI, 5; VIII, 21; Deut. XXXI, 21. There is, however, a 'steady' (formative) urge for good. V. Isa. XXVI, 3 and P.B. p. 7.');">¹²</span> is gaining sway over him, let him go away where he is not known; let him put on sordid<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'black clothes'. He had probably in mind the Roman custom for a discredited official to be sordidatus. For an earlier reference v. Mid. V, 4; 37b. Cf however Hag. 16a.');">¹³</span>

ריש לקיש הוה מנטר פרדיסא אתא ההוא גברא וקאכיל תאיני רמא ביה קלא ולא אשגח ביה אמר ליהוי ההוא גברא בשמתא א"ל אדרבה ליהוי ההוא גברא בשמתא אם ממון נתחייבתי לך נידוי מי נתחייבתי לך

clothes, don a sordid wrap and do the sordid deed that his heart desires rather than profane the name of Heaven openly.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' V. kid., Sonc. ed. p. 199 notes.');">¹⁴</span> What [was the incident] of the domestic in Rabbi's house? It was one of the maidservants in Rabbi's house that had noticed a man beating his grown-up son and said, Let that fellow be under a shammetha! because he sinned against the words [of Holy Writ]: Put not a stumbling-block before the blind.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lev. XIX, 14.');">¹⁵</span>

אתא לבי מדרשא א"ל שלו נידוי שלך אינו נידוי

For it is taught: 'And put not a stumbling-block before the blind', that text applies<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'speaks of'.');">¹⁶</span> to one who beats his grown-up son.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' And this caused him to rebel.');">¹⁷</span> Resh Lakish was once guarding an orchard [when] a fellow came and ate [some] figs; he shouted at him, but the fellow heeded him not, [whereupon] he said: 'Let that fellow be under a shammetha!' He replied: 'Rather be that other fellow [Resh Lakish] under a shammetha! Though I have incurred a pecuniary liability towards you, did I incur a "separation"? ' [Resh Lakish] went to the College [and reported it]; they said to him: 'His "separation" is a [justified]<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' An effective ban, because deserved. J.M.K. III, 1 gives another version of this incident.');">¹⁸</span>

ומאי תקנתיה זיל לגביה דלישרי לך לא ידענא ליה אמרו ליה זיל לגבי נשיאה דלישרי לך דתניא נידוהו ואינו יודע מי נידהו ילך אצל נשיא ויתיר לו נדויו

"separation", yours was not a [justified] "separation".' And what is the remedy for it? - 'Go to him that he [himself] may absolve you'. [But] I know him not! Said they to him [to Resh Lakish]: 'Go to the Nasi that he absolve you;' for it is taught: '[If] they "separate" him and he knows not who he was that "separated" him, let him go to the Nasi and let him absolve him from his "separation".'

אמר רב הונא באושא התקינו אב בית דין שסרח אין מנדין אותו אלא אומר לו (מלכים ב יד, י) הכבד ושב בביתך חזר וסרח מנדין אותו מפני חילול השם

Said R'Huna, At [one of the Synods at] Usha<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' V. e.g., Keth. 49b-5o. J.M.K. III, 1.');">¹⁹</span> they made a regulation that if the Ab Beth din<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' V. Glos.');">²⁰</span> committed an offence he was not to be [formally] 'separated', but someone was to tell him, Save your dignity and remain at home.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' II Kings XIV, 10.');">²¹</span>

ופליגא דריש לקיש דאמר ריש לקיש תלמיד חכם שסרח אין מנדין אותו בפרהסיא שנאמר (הושע ד, ה) וכשלת היום וכשל גם נביא עמך לילה כסהו כלילה

Should he again offend they 'separate' him, because [otherwise there would be] a profanation of the Name [of God]. And this is at variance with Resh Lakish; for Resh Lakish said: If a scholar-disciple has committed an offensive deed they do not 'separate' him publicly, because it is said: Therefore shalt thou stumble' in the day and the prophet also shall stumble with thee in the night, [that is to say], Keep it dark,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Do it as quietly as possible for his sake and that of the community.');">²²</span> like night.

מר זוטרא חסידא כי מיחייב צורבא מרבנן שמתא ברישא משמית נפשיה והדר משמית לדידיה כי הוה עייל באושפיזיה שרי ליה לנפשיה והדר שרי ליה לדידיה

Mar Zutra, the Pious,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Seemingly one of the Exilarchs or of their family. Cf. Sanh. 7b.');">²³</span> if ever a Collegiate incurred the shammetha, pronounced the shammetha first on himself<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' So hateful was it to him. ,hnan');">²⁴</span> and then pronounced it on the culprit; as he entered his house he first absolved himself and then absolved the other.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' To be free himself before he freed another. Cf. Tosaf. s.v.');">²⁵</span>

אמר רב גידל אמר רב ת"ח מנדה לעצמו ומיפר לעצמו אמר רב פפא תיתי לי דלא שמיתי צורבא מרבנן מעולם אלא כי קא מיחייב צורבא מרבנן שמתא היכי עביד כי הא דבמערבא מימנו אנגידא דצורבא מרבנן ולא מימנו אשמתא

Said R'Giddal, as citing Rab: 'A scholar-disciple may Pronounce "separation" on himself and absolve himself'. Said R'Papa, 'May [good] befall me, for I have never put the shammetha on any Collegiate.'<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Some take it as an asseveration, 'May evil befall me if I ever did that'. Cf. II Sam. III, 35.');">²⁶</span> But then, when a Collegiate did incur the shammetha, how did he act? - As they do [in the West]; for in the West [Palestine] they appoint a tribunal for chastising a Collegiate but do not appoint a tribunal for pronouncing a shammetha.

מאי שמתא אמר רב שם מיתה ושמואל אמר שממה יהיה ומהניא ביה כי טיחיא בתנורא

What is [the etymology of the word] shammetha? - Said Rab, [It is], sham-mitha, 'death is there'. Samuel said, [It is], shemamah yihye,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Cf. fer. XLII, 18; Han. and Aruch have sham tehi, i.e., 'be it there'; let it stay there as a curse, citing Zech. V, 3-4.');">²⁷</span> 'he shall be a desolation'; and its effects adhere to one like grease to the oven.

ופליגא דריש לקיש דאמר ריש לקיש כשם שנכנסת במאתים וארבעים ושמונה איברים כך כשהיא יוצאה יוצאה ממאתים וארבעים ושמונה איברים

And this is in disagreement with [what] Resh Lakish said. For Resh Lakish said that just as when it [the herem] enters, it penetrates the two hundred and forty eight joints [on one's body],<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Cf. Mak. 23b.');">²⁸</span> so on its withdrawal it departs from the two hundred and forty eight joints.

כשהיא נכנסת דכתיב (יהושע ו, יז) והיתה העיר חרם חרם בגימטריא מאתים וארבעים ושמונה הוו כשהיא יוצאה דכתיב (חבקוק ג, ב) ברוגז רחם תזכור רחם בגימטריא הכי הוו

When it enters, as it is written; And the city shall be Herem, [a curse<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Josh. VI, 17, 'even it and all that; is therein'. v r x');">²⁹</span> [i.e.,] Herem being in its letter value two hundred and forty eight,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' =8; = 200; = 40.');">³⁰</span> So at its withdrawal, as it is written: In wrath remember Rahem [to have compassion]<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Hab. III, 2.');">³¹</span>

אמר רב יוסף שדי שמתא אגנובתא דכלבא ואיהי דידה עבדה דההוא כלבא דהוה אכיל מסאני דרבנן ולא הוו קא ידעי מנו ושמתו ליה איתלי ביה נורא בגנובתיה ואכלתיה

the letter value being the same. R'Joseph said, 'Cast a shammetha on the dog's tail and it will do its work'. For there was a dog that used to eat the Rabbis' shoes and they did not know what it was [that did it], so they pronounced a shammetha on the culprit, and the dog's tail caught fire and got burnt.

ההוא אלמא דהוה קא מצער ליה לההוא צורבא מרבנן אתא לקמיה דרב יוסף א"ל זיל שמתיה א"ל מסתפינא מיניה

There was a domineering fellow who bullied a certain Collegiate. The latter came before R'Joseph [for advice]. Said he to him: 'Go and put the shammetha on him'.'

אמר ליה שקילי פתיחא עליה כל שכן דמסתפינא מיניה א"ל שקליה אחתיה בכדא

I am afraid of him', he replied. Said he to him, 'Then go and take [out] a Writ<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., the Opening', preliminary action after a verbal shammetha. It is to write out the shammetha against him.');">³²</span> against him.' - 'I am all the more afraid to do that!' Said R'Joseph to him: 'Take that Writ, put it into a jar,