Moed Katan 32

אף דברי תורה בסתר

so the [discussions on the] words of the Torah are also [to be] under cover).<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The motive of this new restriction is not given. It was an old common practice to teach in the open. perhaps it was to avoid misrepresentation on the part of the passing crowds who might mistake the heated discussions for acrimonious disputations. The quotation is now resumed.');">¹</span> - R'Hiyya went out and taught the sons of his two brothers in the [open] marketplace, Rab and Rabbah son of Kar Hana. Rabbi heard [of this and] was vexed.

יצא רבי חייא ושנה לשני בני אחיו בשוק לרב ולרבה בר בר חנה שמע ר' איקפד אתא ר' חייא לאיתחזויי ליה א"ל עייא מי קורא לך בחוץ ידע דנקט מילתא בדעתיה נהג נזיפותא בנפשיה תלתין יומין

[When] R'Hiyya [next] presented himself before him, Rabbi said to him, 'Iyya!<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Imitating Hiyya's defective pronunciation; he could not correctly pronounce the guttural letters. Cf. Meg. 24b.');">²</span> Who is calling you outside? ' He realized that he [Rabbi] had taken the matter to heart, and sub mitted himself to [the disability of] a 'reproof' for thirty days. On the thirtieth day Rabbi sent him a message saying 'Come!' Later he sent him a message not to come! (What<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The quotation is here again interrupted.');">³</span>

ביום תלתין שלח ליה תא הדר שלח ליה דלא ליתי

was his idea in sending the first [message] and what in sending the second? At first he thought 'part of the day may be deemed equivalent to the whole day' and in the end he thought, we do not say part of the day may be deemed equivalent to the whole day').<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Cf. infra p. 129 and Pes. ');">⁴</span> In the end he came.

מעיקרא מאי סבר ולבסוף מאי סבר מעיקרא סבר מקצת היום ככולו ולבסוף סבר לא אמרינן מקצת היום ככולו

Said Rabbi to him, Why have you come? R'Hiyya replied: 'Because you, Sir, sent for me to come'. But then I sent to you not to come! He replied: 'The one [messenger] I saw and the other I have not seen'.

לסוף אתא א"ל אמאי אתית א"ל דשלח לי מר דליתי והא שלחי לך דלא תיתי א"ל זה ראיתי וזה לא ראיתי קרי עליה (משלי טז, ז) ברצות ה' דרכי איש גם אויביו ישלים אתו

Thereupon he [Rabbi] cited [as appropriate] the text: When a man's ways please the Lord, He maketh even his enemies to be at peace with him.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Prov. XVI, 7.');">⁵</span> Wherefore, Sir, [asked Rabbi] did you act thus [contrary to order]? - Because, replied R'Hiyya, it is written: Wisdom crieth aloud it, the street: [She uttereth her voice in the broad places; she calleth at the head of the street; at the entrance of the gates, in the city she uttere her words].<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Ibid. I, 20-21.');">⁶</span> Said Rabbi to him: 'If you read Holy Writ [once], you have not read it a second time; if you have read it a second time, you have not react it a third time; and if you have read it a third time, they [who taught you] have not explained it to you'.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Cf. Ber. ');">⁷</span>

מ"ט עבד מר הכי א"ל דכתיב (משלי א, כ) חכמות בחוץ תרונה א"ל אם קרית לא שנית ואם שנית לא שילשת ואם שילשת לא פירשו לך

[The text] 'Wisdom crieth aloud in the streets' is [to be taken] in the sense in which Raba [explained it];<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Much later; Rabbi died about 200 C.E. and Raba lived 299-352 C.E.');">⁸</span> for Raba said: 'If one studies the Torah indoors, the Torah proclaims his merit abroad'. But then is it not written [otherwise]: 'From the beginning I have not spoken in secret'?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Isa. XLVIII, 16, the prophet speaking in the name of God. This is taken to refer to the Revelation when the Torah was given to all Israel assembled at Sinai and heard by all the other nations. Cf. Shab. ');">⁹</span>

חכמות בחוץ תרונה כדרבא דאמר רבא כל העוסק בתורה מבפנים תורתו מכרזת עליו מבחוץ

- That has [special] reference to the 'Kallah' days.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' These were half-yearly assemblies held in Adar and Elul, before the great Festivals.');">¹⁰</span> And what [use] does R'Hiyya make of the text - 'The roundings of thy thighs'? - He explained it in reference to the dispensing of charity and acts of lovingkindness.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I.e., to 'be practiced privately.');">¹¹</span> Thus<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Reverting to the original question.');">¹²</span>

והא כתיב (ישעיהו מח, טז) לא מראש בסתר דברתי ההוא ביומי דכלה

[you see] the disability of their 'reproof' [in Palestine] lasts thirty days! - The 'reproof' of a Nasi is different. And our 'reproof', how long [is its disability]? - One day [only], as in the case of Samuel and Mar 'Ukba.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' 'Mar' is a Babylonian title of rank and is sometimes also borne by Samuel, but mostly by the members of the Exilarch's family. Samuel was the principal of the Academy at Nehardea and the Chief justice, while Mar 'Ukba was both a disciple of Samuel and Exilarch, the supreme civil Head of the Jewish community invested with authority by the persian king. This Mar 'Ukba is probably the same as Nathan 'Ukban who succeeded his father 'Anan or Huna as Exilarch shortly before the rise of the Neo-Persian rule of the Sassanids (c. 226 C.E.) . V. W. Bacher, Jew. Encyc. Vol. V, ');">¹³</span> When they were sitting together [at the College] engaging in the revision of some theme, Mar 'Ukba sat before him<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I.e., in his presence, probably sitting at his right.');">¹⁴</span>

ור' חייא האי חמוקי ירכיך מאי עביד לה מוקי לה בצדקה ובגמילות חסדים

at a distance of four cubits; and when they sat together at a judicia session, Samuel sat before him<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I.e., in his presence, probably sitting at his right.');">¹⁴</span> at a distance of four cubits and a place was dug out<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Either a kind of recess or alcove in the wall or a marked-off enclosure with a rich matting for the Exilarch. [Aliter: A place was hollowed out in the ground over which the Exilarch's matting was spread for Mar 'Ukba to sit on, in order that his seat may not be on a higher level than that of Samuel; cf. Maharsha and D.S. a.l. The text is not clear.]');">¹⁵</span> for Mar 'Ukba where he sat on a matting so that what he<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Mar 'Ukba.');">¹⁶</span>

אלמא נזיפה דידהו תלתין יומין נזיפת נשיא שאני

said should be heard. Every day Mar 'Uba accompanied Samuel to his house. One day he<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Mar 'Ukba.');">¹⁶</span>

ונזיפה דידן כמה הוי חד יומא כי הא דשמואל ומר עוקבא כי הוו יתבי גרס שמעתא הוה יתיב מר עוקבא קמיה דשמואל ברחוק ד' אמות וכי הוו יתבי בדינא הוה יתיב שמואל קמיה דמר עוקבא ברחוק ד' אמות והוו חייקי ליה דוכתא למר עוקבא בציפתא ויתיב עילויה כי היכי דלישתמען מיליה

was [rather] engrossed in a suit, and Samuel walked behind him. When he<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Mar 'Ukba.');">¹⁶</span> had reached his house, Samuel said to him: 'Haven't you been rather a long time at it?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'is it not yet clear to you?'');">¹⁷</span>

כל יומא הוה מלוי ליה מר עוקבא לשמואל עד אושפיזיה יומא חד איטריד בדיניה הוה אזיל שמואל בתריה כי מטא לביתיה א"ל לא נגה לך לישרי לי מר בתיגריה ידע דנקט מילתא בדעתיה נהג נזיפותא בנפשיה חד יומא

Take up now my case!'<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' So MS.M. Cur. edd. 'his case'. V. Rashi.');">¹⁸</span> He<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Mar 'Ukba.');">¹⁶</span> then realized that he [Samuel] felt aggrieved and submitted himself to the [disability of a] 'reproof' for one day.

ההיא איתתא דהוות יתבה בשבילא הוות פשטה כרעה וקא מניפה חושלאי והוה חליף ואזיל צורבא מרבנן ולא איכנעה מקמיה אמר כמה חציפא ההיא איתתא אתאי לקמיה דר"נ אמר לה מי שמעת שמתא מפומיה אמרה ליה לא אמר לה זילי נהוגי נזיפותא חד יומא בנפשיך

There was a certain woman who sat sprawling on the footway fanning the husks out of her barley groats, and when a Collegiate was walking past her she did not make way for him. He said, 'How impudent is this woman!' She came before R'Nahman. Said he to her, Did you hear him utter the shammetha?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Which as a 'separation 'would take effect for seven days; v. R. Hisda's observation, supra 16a,');">¹⁹</span>

זוטרא בר טוביה הוה קפסיק סידרא קמיה דרב יהודה כי מטא להאי פסוקא (שמואל ב כג, א) ואלה דברי דוד האחרונים א"ל אחרונים מכלל דאיכא ראשונים ראשונים מאי נינהו

She replied [she had] not. Said he to her, Go and submit yourself to the [disability of a] 'reproof' for one day.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Which as a 'separation 'would take effect for seven days; v. R. Hisda's observation, supra 16a,');">¹⁹</span> Zutra B'Tobiah was [once] expounding a Scriptural lesson in the presence of Rab Judah.

שתיק ולא אמר ליה ולא מידי הדר א"ל אחרונים מכלל דאיכא ראשונים ראשונים מאי היא א"ל מאי דעתך דלא ידע פירושא דהאי קרא לאו גברא רבה הוא ידע דנקט מילתא בדעתיה נהג נזיפותא בנפשיה חד יומא

Coming to the verse: And these are the last words of David,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' II Sam. XXIII, 1.');">²⁰</span> he said to R'Judah.' Last words': this implies that there were former words; which are those former [words]?

ודאתן עלה מיהא אחרונים מכלל דאיכא ראשונים ראשונים מאי היא (שמואל ב כב, א) וידבר דוד לה' את דברי השירה הזאת ביום הציל ה' אותו מכף כל אויביו ומכף שאול

He [Rab Judah] kept silent, without saying anything. Again said the former: 'Last words! This implies there were former words; which are those former [words]'? - He [then] replied: What, think you that one who does not know an explanation of that text is not an eminent man? He [Zutra] realized that he [Rab Judah] had taken the matter to heart [and] submitted himself to the [disability of a] 'reproof' for one day.

אמר לו הקב"ה לדוד דוד שירה אתה אומר על מפלתו של שאול אלמלי אתה שאול והוא דוד איבדתי כמה דוד מפניו

Now, however, that we have come upon this question: '"Last words", this implies that there were former words', what were they? - [These:] And David spoke unto the Lord the words of this song in the day that the Lord delivered him out of the hand of all his enemies and out of the hand of Saul.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Ibid. XXII, 1. iuhda vda');">²¹</span> The Holy One, blessed 'be He, said to David, David do you compose a song on the downfall of Saul? Had you been Saul and he David, I would have annihilated many a David out of regard for him.

היינו דכתיב (תהלים ז, א) שגיון לדוד אשר שר לה' על דברי כוש בן ימיני וכי כוש שמו והלא שאול שמו אלא מה כושי משונה בעורו אף שאול משונה במעשיו

Hence it is written, 'Shiggaion<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' (from) is here taken to mean an error'. It was an error on his part to celebrate in song the downfall of Saul.');">²²</span> of David, which he said unto the Lord, concerning Cush a Benjamite.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Ps. VII, 1.');">²³</span> Was Cush that Benjamite's name?

כיוצא בדבר אתה אומר (במדבר יב, א) על אודות האשה הכושית אשר לקח וכי כושית שמה והלא ציפורה שמה אלא מה כושית משונה בעורה אף ציפורה משונה במעשיה כיוצא בדבר אתה אומר (ירמיהו לח, ז) וישמע עבד מלך הכושי וכי כושי שמו והלא צדקיה שמו אלא מה כושי משונה בעורו אף צדקיה משונה במעשיו

And was not his name Saul? - But, just as a Cushite [Ethiopian]<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Aithiops in Greek means 'fiery-looking', 'flashing'.');">²⁴</span> is distinguishable by his skin, so was Saul distinguished by his deeds. In like manner you explain: '[And Miriam and Aaron spoke against Moses] because of the Cushite woman that he had take;, to wife.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Num. XII, 1.');">²⁵</span>

כיוצא בדבר אתה אומר (עמוס ט, ז) הלא כבני כושיים אתם לי (בית) ישראל וכי כושיים שמן והלא ישראל שמן אלא מה כושי משונה בעורו אף ישראל משונין במעשיהן מכל האומות

Was she a Cushite [woman]? Was not her name Zipporah? But as a Cushite woman is distinguishable by her skin so was also Zipporah distinguished by her deeds.

א"ר שמואל בר נחמני א"ר יונתן מאי דכתיב (שמואל ב כג, א) נאם דוד בן ישי ונאם הגבר הוקם על נאם דוד בן ישי שהקים עולה של תשובה

In like manner you explain: Now Ebed-Melek the Cushite. heard.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Jer. XXXVIII, 7ff.');">²⁶</span> Now was his name Cushite?

(שמואל ב כג, ג) אמר אלהי ישראל לי דבר צור ישראל מושל באדם צדיק מושל יראת אלהים מאי קאמר א"ר אבהו ה"ק אמר אלהי ישראל לי דבר צור ישראל אני מושל באדם מי מושל בי צדיק שאני גוזר גזרה ומבטלה

Was not his name Zedekiah?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Sifre on Num. XII, 1 has it obviously more correctly: Baruch, son of Neriah (Jer. XXXVI, 4ff) his disciple.');">²⁷</span> But as the Cushite is distinguishable by his skin so was Zedekiah distinguished by his deeds. In like manner you explain: Are ye not as the children of the Cushites unto me, O children of Israel, saith the Lord?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Amos IX, 7.');">²⁸</span>

(שמואל ב כג, ח) אלה שמות הגבורים אשר לדוד יושב בשבת וגו' מאי קאמר א"ר אבהו ה"ק ואלה שמות גבורותיו של דוד

Now is their name [children of] Cushites? Was not their name [children of] Israel? The truth is that as the Cushite is distinguishable by his skin, so are Israel distinguished by their ways<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Sifre. ibid. has: 'By their commandments'.');">²⁹</span>

יושב בשבת בשעה שהיה יושב בישיבה לא היה יושב על גבי כרים וכסתות אלא על גבי קרקע דכל כמה דהוה רביה עירא היאירי קיים הוה מתני להו לרבנן על גבי כרים וכסתות כי נח נפשיה הוה מתני דוד לרבנן והוה יתיב על גבי קרקע אמרו ליה ליתיב מר אכרים וכסתות לא קביל עליה

from all other nations.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' On this antiphrasis, cf. Juvenal, Sat. VIII, 32-33: 'Somebody's dwarf we call an Atlas and an Aethiopian a swan'. And L. Friedlander's note ad loc. quotes Isid. Origg. I, 36, 24, 'antiphrasis - hoc tropo et nani Atlantes - et vulgo Aethiopes appellantur argentei (?) '.');">³⁰</span> R'Samuel B'Nahmani citing R'Jonathan. explained: [And these tire the last words of David], The saying of David the son of Jesse and the saying of the man raised on high,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' II Sam. XXIII, 1.');">³¹</span>

תחכמוני אמר רב אמר לו הקב"ה הואיל והשפלת עצמך תהא כמוני שאני גוזר גזרה ואתה מבטלה

[means, it is] the saying of David the son of Jesse who established firmly the yoke [discipline] of repentance.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' He showed the way of repentance for a heinous sin. Cf. p5, LI, 15 and A.Z., Sonc. ed. p. 19.');">³²</span> [The spirit of the Lord spoke by the and His word was upon ny tongue]. The God of Israel said, The Rock of Israel spoke to me: Ruler over man shall be the righteous, even he that ruleth through the [reverent] fear of God.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' II Sam. XXIII, 2-3. V. Hananel.');">³³</span>

ראש השלישים תהא ראש לשלשת אבות הוא עדינו העצני כשהיה יושב ועוסק בתורה היה מעדן עצמו כתולעת ובשעה שיוצא למלחמה היה מקשה עצמו כעץ

What does this mean? - Said R'Abbahu, It means this: 'The God of Israel said, to the [David] spake the Rock of Israel; I rule man; who rules Me? [It is] the righteous: for I make a decree and he [may] annul it'.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The righteous have power to move God to change his adverse decree by prayer. Cf. Gen. XVIII, 20ff; Ex. XXXII, 7-14.');">³⁴</span> And these tire the names of the mighty of David: Josheb-basshebeth a Tahchemonite [etc.].<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' II Sam. XXIII, 8.');">³⁵</span>

על שמונה מאות חלל בפעם אחת שהיה זורק חץ ומפיל שמונה מאות חלל בפעם אחת והיה מתאנח על מאתים דכתיב (דברים לב, ל) איכה ירדף אחד אלף

What does this mean? - Said R'Abbahu, It means: And these are the mighty deeds of David: 'Josheb-basshebeth' - [which means], sitting at the session;<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Playing on the meaning of the words: josheb _ sitting; basshebeth _ at the 'sitting' or 'Session' (of scholars) .');">³⁶</span> [that is], When David sat at the College Session he was not seated on cushions and coverlets but on the [bare] ground.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Cf. Mar 'Ukba above.');">³⁷</span> For all the time that his Master, Ira the Jairite,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' II Sam. XX, 26.');">³⁸</span>

יצתה בת קול ואמרה (מלכים א טו, ה) רק בדבר אוריה החתי

was alive he taught the Rabbis whilst being himself seated on cushions and coverlets; when his soul found rest David used to teach the Rabbis being himself seated on the ground.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Cf. 'Er. ');">³⁹</span> Said they [the Rabbis] to him: 'Sit, sit on th cushions and coverlets'; but he would not accede to their request.' Tahchemoni'.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' II Sam. XXIII, 8. (From) , a session of the sages; but here Rab divides it into 'be (thou) like me'.');">⁴⁰</span>

אמר רבי תנחום בריה דרבי חייא איש כפר עכו אמר רבי יעקב בר אחא אמר ר' שמלאי ואמרי לה אמר ר' תנחום אמר רב הונא ואמרי לה אמר רב הונא לחודיה

Rab explained: The Holy One, blessed be He, said to him [to David], 'Since you have humbled yourself you shall be like Me [that is], that I make a decree and you [may] annul it'.' Chief of the Captains',<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Explained as Chief of the Trio, the three Patriarchs. isg');">⁴¹</span> [that is] you be chief next to the three Fathers. He is Adino<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' From = 'gentle'; he was gentle, tender.');">⁴²</span> the Eznite,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' ** _ wood; the wooden lance. Cf. I Sam. XVIl, 7. Cf. on this section, Seder Elijahu Rabbah Ed. M. Friedmann, III, pp. 15-16.');">⁴³</span> [that is] when he was sitting engaged in the [study of] Torah he rendered himself pliant as a worm, but when he went marching out to [wage] war he hardened himself like a lance.' On eight hundred slain at one time', [that is] when he threw a javelin he felled eight hundred slain at one time and moaned for the [shortage of] two hundred, for it is written: How one should chase a thousand.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Deut. XXXII, 30.');">⁴⁴</span> But an echo came forth and said: 'Save only for the matter of Uriah the Hittite'!<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I Kings XV, 5.');">⁴⁵</span> Said R'Tanhuni son of R'Hiyya a man of Kefar Acco as citing R'Jacob B'Aha who reported R'Simlai; and some say, R'Tanhun, said as reporting R'Huna; and again some say, R'Huna alone said that