Moed Katan 55

אלא חיה אבל שאר נשים מניחין

with reference to a woman who died in childbirth,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' For obvious reasons of delicacy; they might stain their clothing and bier.');">¹</span> but [that of] other women may be set down [in the broadway]. R'Eleazar says: [The rule applies] even to other women, as it is written: And there Miriam died and was buried there,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Num. XX, 1, 'There' being repeated twice.');">²</span> which shows that her death was close to her [place of] burial.

ר' אלעזר אמר אפילו שאר הנשים דכתיב (במדבר כ, א) ותמת שם מרים ותקבר שם סמוך למיתה קבורה

R'Eleazar also said tha Miriam also died by the Divine kiss [like Moses]: We interpret the expression 'there' [used at Miriam's death] in the same sense as that of the expression 'there' used of Moses.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Deut. XXXIV, 5: So Moses the servant of the Lord died there in the land of Moab by the mouth of the Lord. In the is passage 'there' could have been omitted, and in the above passage we have also a superfluous 'there', which suggests the Gezerah shawah, v. Glos.');">³</span> Wherefore then is it not said about her [that she died] by the mouth of the Lord?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Deut. XXXIV, 5: So Moses the servant of the Lord died there in the land of Moab by the mouth of the Lord. In the is passage 'there' could have been omitted, and in the above passage we have also a superfluous 'there', which suggests the Gezerah shawah, v. Glos.');">³</span> Because it would be unbecoming to say so. Said R'Ammi, Wherefore is the account of Miriam's death<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Num. XX, I.');">⁴</span>

ואמר ר' אלעזר אף מרים בנשיקה מתה אתיא שם שם ממשה ומפני מה לא נאמר בה על פי ה' מפני שגנאי הדבר לאומרו

placed next to the [laws of the] red heifer?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Ibid. XIX. It is called a 'sin-offering' and the ritual use of its ashes afforded the means of purification as well as the desire to sanctification.');">⁵</span> To inform you that even as the red heifer afforded atonement [by the ritual use of its ashes], so does the death of tie righteous afford atonement [for the living they have left behind]. R'Eleazar said, Wherefore is [the account of] Aaron's death closely followed by [the account of the disposal of] the priestly vestments?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Ibid. XX, 26, 28.');">⁶</span> [To inform you] that just as the priest's vestments were [means] to effect atonement,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lev. XVI, 4, 24, 32, 33. Cf. Zeb. 88b.');">⁷</span>

א"ר אמי למה נסמכה מיתת מרים לפרשת פרה אדומה לומר לך מה פרה אדומה מכפרת אף מיתתן של צדיקים מכפרת א"ר אלעזר למה נסמכה מיתת אהרן לבגדי כהונה מה בגדי כהונה מכפרין אף מיתתן של צדיקים מכפרת

so is the death of the righteous [conducive to procuring] atonement. Our Rabbis taught: If one die suddenly, this is [reckoned] as being 'snatched away'; if one is ill one day and dies, that is reckoned as being hustled away; R'Hanania B'Gamaliel says, That is death by a stroke, for it is said: Son of Man, behold I take away from thee the desire of thine eyes with a pestilential stroke,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Ezek. XXIV, 16.');">⁸</span> and it is written [there. after], So I spoke unto the people in the morning and at even my wife died.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Ibid. verse 18. hb,hvs vvs');">⁹</span>

ת"ר מת פתאום זו היא מיתה חטופה חלה יום אחד ומת זו היא מיתה דחופה ר' חנניא בן גמליאל אומר זו היא מיתת מגפה שנאמר (יחזקאל כד, טז) בן אדם הנני לוקח ממך את מחמד עיניך במגפה וכתיב (יחזקאל כד, יח) ואדבר אל העם בבקר ותמת אשתי בערב

After two days' [illness], it is a rather precipitous death.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Cf. P5. CXVIII, 13 , and XXXVI, 13.');">¹⁰</span> [After] three - it is one of reproof; [after] four - it is one rebuff [snubbing]; [after] five is the ordinary death of all men.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Here the quotation is interrupted.');">¹¹</span> ¹² 'Behold' [accounts for] one;<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The word , - hen - similar in sound to ** - hen - the Greek neuter for one. The quotation is now resumed.');">¹³</span> 'thy days' accounts for two [more]; 'are approached' [gives us] two [more], which makes five.'

שני ימים ומת זו היא מיתה דחויה ג' גערה ארבעה נזיפה חמשה זו היא מיתת כל אדם

Behold' makes one because the word for 'one' in Greek is hen"&gt;.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The word , - hen - similar in sound to ** - hen - the Greek neuter for one. The quotation is now resumed.');">¹³</span> 'If one dies [under]<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' So Sem. III, 8.');">¹⁴</span> fifty years [old] - that is death by kareth;<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' 'Cut off' for certain sins. E.g., Lev. XVIII. V. Mak. Chapter III, 13aff. (Sonc. ed., p. 90. n. 2) . Cf. Tosaf. here, s.v. vkfc');">¹⁵</span> at fifty-two years - that is the death of Samuel of Ramah; at sixty - that is by the hand of Heaven'.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Here the quotation is interrupted.');">¹¹</span>

א"ר חנין מאי קרא (דברים לא, יד) הן קרבו ימיך למות הן חד קרבו תרי ימיך תרי הא חמשה הן חד שכן בלשון יוני קורין לאחת הן

¹⁶ as the [numerical value of the] word for 'in ripe age' yields sixty."&gt; 'At seventy, it is the death of the hoary head; at eighty it is the death of a vigorous [old man]. for i written, The days of our years are three score and ten, or even by reason of strength four score years.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Ps. XC, 10.');">¹⁷</span> Said Rabbah,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Raba is probably more correct, as Rabbah himself died at forty.');">¹⁸</span> From fifty to sixty years [of age].

מת בחמשים שנה זו היא מיתת כרת חמשים ושתים שנה זו היא מיתתו של שמואל הרמתי ששים זו היא מיתה בידי שמים

that is death by kareth, and the reason why this has not been mentioned was out of deference to [the prophet] Samuel of Ramah. R'Joseph, on his attaining the age of sixty, made a festival day for the Rabbis [of the Academy] saying.' I have just passed beyond [the limit of] kareth'. Said Abaye to him: 'Granted, Sir, that you have passed the [limit of] kareth as to years.

אמר מר זוטרא מאי קרא דכתיב (איוב ה, כו) תבא בכלח אלי קבר בכלח בגימטריא שיתין הוו

but as to the [limit of sickening] days<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I.e., there is yet the danger of dying suddenly without any warning as cited above.');">¹⁹</span> have you escaped that'? He replied: 'Nevertheless, hold on to the half'.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Take what you get, a proverbial phrase.');">²⁰</span> R'Huna's soul went into repose suddenly<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' 297 C.E. Cf. supra 25a.');">²¹</span>

שבעים שיבה שמונים גבורות דכתיב (תהלים צ, י) ימי שנותינו בהם שבעים שנה ואם בגבורות שמונים שנה אמר רבה מחמשים ועד ששים שנה זו היא מיתת כרת והאי דלא חשיב להו משום כבודו של שמואל הרמתי

and the Rabbis [of the academy] were perturbed [thereat] when Zoga<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Or Zawa.');">²²</span> who hailed from Adiabene taught them:<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I.e., cited to them a Baraitha on the point.');">²³</span> 'What we learned applies only when one has not attained the "age of strength" [eighty] but if one has attained the "age of strength" [eighty] a sudden death is dying by the kiss'. Raba said: [Length of] life, children and sustenance depend not on merit but [rather on] mazzal.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' 'Destiny'. Cf. however, Shab. 156a.');">²⁴</span>

רב יוסף כי הוה בר שיתין עבד להו יומא טבא לרבנן אמר נפקי לי מכרת א"ל אביי נהי דנפק ליה מר מכרת דשני מכרת דיומי מי נפיק מר א"ל נקוט לך מיהא פלגא בידך

For [take] Rabbah and R'Hisda. Both were saintly Rabbis; one master prayed for rain and it came, the other master prayed for rain and it came. R'Hisda lived to the age of ninety-two,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Died 309 C.E.');">²⁵</span> Rabbah<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' 13. Nahmani, died 330 C.E.');">²⁶</span>

רב הונא נח נפשיה פתאום הוו קא דייגי רבנן תנא להו זוגא דמהדייב לא שנו אלא שלא הגיע לגבורות אבל הגיע לגבורות זו היא מיתת נשיקה

[only] lived to the age of forty. In R'Hisda's house there were held sixty marriage feasts, at Rabbah's house there were sixty<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' A proverbial number. The number sixty is a Babylonian unit, e.g., the hour and minute are divided into sixty.');">²⁷</span> bereavements. At R'Hisda's house there was the purest wheaten bread for dogs, and it went to waste;<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'was not wanted'.');">²⁸</span>

אמר רבא חיי בני ומזוני לא בזכותא תליא מילתא אלא במזלא תליא מילתא דהא רבה ורב חסדא תרוייהו רבנן צדיקי הוו מר מצלי ואתי מיטרא ומר מצלי ואתי מיטרא

at Rabbah's house there was barley bread for human beings and that not to be had. This too, Raba said: These three requests I made of Heaven; two were granted me and one was not. [I prayed for] the scholarship of R'Huna and the wealth of R'Hisda which were granted me; but the modest disposition of Rabbah son of R'Huna,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Died 322 C.E.');">²⁹</span> that was not granted me.

רב חסדא חיה תשעין ותרתין שנין רבה חיה ארבעין בי רב חסדא שיתין הלולי בי רבה שיתין תיכלי

R'Se'orim, Raba's brother, while sitting at Raba's bedside<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'in front of R.'');">³⁰</span> saw him [Raba] going into sleep [dying],<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' 252 C.E.');">³¹</span> when he [the invalid] said to his brother: 'Do tell him,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The Angel of Death.');">³²</span> Sir, not to torment me'.

בי רב חסדא סמידא לכלבי ולא מתבעי בי רבה נהמא דשערי לאינשי ולא משתכח

R'Se'orim replied: 'Are you, Sir, not his intimate friend? '<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'a bosom friend', cf. Sanh. III, 5. As a teacher of Torah, he is God's messenger himself. V. Mal. II, 6-7.');">³³</span> Said Raba: 'Since [my] mazzal<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The guardian Angel.');">³⁴</span> has been delivered [to him], he takes no heed of me'. R'Se'orim then said to the dying: 'Do, Sir, show yourself to me [in a dream]'.

ואמר רבא הני תלת מילי בעאי קמי שמיא תרתי יהבו לי חדא לא יהבו לי חוכמתיה דרב הונא ועותריה דרב חסדא ויהבו לי ענותנותיה דרבה בר רב הונא לא יהבו לי

He did show himself and when asked: 'Did you, Sir, suffer [pain]? ' He replied: 'As from the prick of the cupping instrument'. Raba, while seated at the bedside<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'in front of R.'');">³⁰</span> of R'Nahman, saw him sinking into slumber [death].<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' 320 C.E.');">³⁵</span> Said he to Raba: 'Tell him,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The Angel of Death.');">³⁶</span>

רב שעורים אחוה דרבא הוה יתיב קמיה דרבא חזייה דהוה קא מנמנם א"ל לימא ליה מר דלא לצערן א"ל מר לאו שושביניה הוא א"ל כיון דאימסר מזלא לא אשגח בי א"ל ליתחזי לי מר איתחזי ליה א"ל הוה ליה למר צערא א"ל כי ריבדא דכוסילתא

Sir, not to torment me'. Said Raba: 'Are you, Sir, not a man esteemed? '<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' To make your appeal direct to the Angel of Death; He would surely grant your request.');">³⁷</span> Said [R'Nahman] to him, 'Who is esteemed, who is regarded, who is distinguished [before the Angel of Death]? ' Said [Raba] to him: 'Do, Sir, show yourself to me [in a dream]'. He did show himself.

רבא הוה יתיב קמיה דר"נ חזייה דקא מנמנם א"ל לימא ליה מר דלא לצערן א"ל מר לאו אדם חשוב הוא א"ל מאן חשיב מאן ספין מאן רקיע

[Raba] asked him: 'Did you suffer pain, Sir'? He replied: 'As [little as] the taking of a hair from the milk; and were the Holy One, blessed be He to say to me, Go back to that world as you were, I wish it not, for the dread thereof [of death] is great'. R'Eleazar was eating some terumah [priest's holy food] when he<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The Angel of Death.');">³⁶</span> showed himself to him.

א"ל ליתחזי לי מר אתחזי ליה א"ל ה"ל למר צערא א"ל כמישחל בניתא מחלבא ואי אמר לי הקב"ה זיל בההוא עלמא כד הוית לא בעינא דנפיש בעיתותיה

Said he, Am I not [in the pious act of] eating terumah and is not that designated 'holy [meat]'?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Cf. Num. XVIII, 11-12. If he were to die just then the terumah would be defiled which is not a correct thing to do. Besides, 'a pious deed acts as a shield against tribulation'. Cf. Aboth. IV, 11, P.B. p. 107 (top) .');">³⁸</span> The [fatal] moment [thus] was past! R'Shesheth caught sight of him<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The Angel of Death.');">³⁶</span> in the market place. Quoth he: 'Do you [seize me] in the market place like a beast?

רבי אלעזר הוה קאכיל תרומה איתחזי ליה א"ל תרומה קא אכילנא ולאו קודש איקרי חלפא ליה שעתא

Come to [the] house'! R'Ashi<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Var. lec. Assi.');">³⁹</span> caught sight of him<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The Angel of Death.');">³⁶</span> in the market place. Quoth he: 'Grant me thirty days' respite and I shall revise my studies, inasmuch as you say [in Heaven above]: "Happy he that cometh hither [to Heaven] bringing his learning ready with him".'<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'in his hand'. Cf. Pes. 50a.');">⁴⁰</span>

רב ששת איתחזי ליה בשוקא אמר ליה בשוקא כבהמה איתא לגבי ביתא

he came [again] on the thirtieth day; quoth he, 'What is the urgency? ' He replied: R'Huna<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' So MS.M. V. Git. ');">⁴¹</span> B'Nathan is close on your heels<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I.e., waiting to succeed you.');">⁴²</span> and, 'No sovereignty encroaches upon the sphere of another even to a hair's breadth'. As for R'Hisda, he<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The Angel of Death.');">³⁶</span>

רב אשי איתחזי ליה בשוקא א"ל איתרח לי תלתין יומין ואהדרי לתלמודאי דאמריתו אשרי מי שבא לכאן ותלמודו בידו ביום תלתין אתא אמר ליה מאי כולי האי קא דחקא רגליה דבר נתן ואין מלכות נוגעת בחבירתה אפילו כמלא נימא

could never overcome him as his mouth was never silent from [repeating] his learning by rote. So he went and settled on the cedar tree of the Schoolhouse. The tree cracked; R'Hisda stopped [and] he overcame him. As for R'Hiyya.

רב חסדא לא הוה יכיל ליה דלא הוה שתיק פומיה מגירסא סליק יתיב בארזא דבי רב פקע ארזא ושתק ויכיל ליה

he<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The Angel of Death.');">³⁶</span> could not gain access to him. So one day he adopted the guise of a poor man and came and rapped at the gate, saying, 'Bring me out some bread'. They [others] brought out some bread to him.

ר' חייא לא הוה מצי למיקרבא ליה יומא חד אידמי ליה כעניא אתא טריף אבבא א"ל אפיק לי ריפתא אפיקו ליה א"ל ולאו קא מרחם מר אעניא אההוא גברא אמאי לא קא מרחם מר גלי ליה אחוי ליה שוטא דנורא אמצי ליה נפשיה:

Said he then to R'Hiyya: 'Don't you, Sir, treat the poor kindly? Why not, Sir, [also] treat kindly this ma [standing outside]? '<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Why not yourself befriend me, this poor man, and give me the bread with your own hand? vhkhkd kkhd');">⁴³</span> He [R'Hiyya] opened the door to him,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Cf. A.Z. ');">⁴⁴</span> whereupon, showing him a fiery rod, he made him yield his soul.