Nedarim 78

מתניתין קשיתיה מאי איריא דתני עומד אבל לא יושב שמע מינה דנכסי מבקר אסורין על החולה

Our Mishnah presents a difficulty to Samuel: Why particularly teach that he may stand but not sit? Hence it must refer to a case where the invalid is forbidden to benefit from his visitor.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' It is certainly true that one who forbids his neighbour to benefit from him does not do so at the cost of his own health. But then he would draw no distinction between standing and sitting, and would desire the visitor to have the benefit of sitting in his house too. Hence on 'Ulla's interpretation the distinction in the Mishnah is wrong; therefore Samuel reverses it. ');">¹</span>

אמר ריש לקיש רמז לביקור חולין מן התורה מנין שנאמר (במדבר טז, כט) אם כמות כל האדם ימותון אלה ופקודת כל אדם וגו' מאי משמע אמר רבא אם כמות כל האדם ימותון אלה שהן חולים ומוטלים בעריסתן ובני אדם מבקרים אותן מה הבריות אומרים לא ה' שלחני לזה

Resh Lakish said: Where is visiting the sick indicated in the Torah? In the verse, If these men die the common death of all men, or if they be visited after the visitation of all men etc.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Num. XVI, 29. ');">²</span>

דרש רבא (במדבר טז, ל) אם בריאה יברא ה' אם בריאה גיהנם מוטב תהיה אם לאו יברא ה'

How is it implied? — Raba answered: [The verse means this:] If these men die the common death of all men, who lie sick a-bed and men come in and visit them, what will people say? The Lord hath not sent me<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Ibid. ');">³</span>

איני והא תניא שבעה דברים נבראו קודם שנברא העולם אלו הן תורה ותשובה גן עדן וגיהנם כסא הכבוד ובית המקדש ושמו של משיח

for this [task]. Raba expounded: But if the Lord make a new thing:<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Ibid. 30. ');">⁴</span>

תורה דכתיב (משלי ח, כב) ה' קנני ראשית דרכו וגו'

if the Gehenna<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' V. p. 19, n. 6. ');">⁵</span>

תשובה דכתיב (תהלים צ, ב) בטרם הרים יולדו ותחולל וגו' (תהלים צ, ג) תשב אנוש עד דכא וגו'

is already created, 'tis well: if not, let the Lord create it. But that is not so, for it was taught: Seven things were created before the world, viz., The Torah, repentance, the Garden of Eden, Gehenna, the Throne of Glory, the Temple, and the name of the Messiah. The Torah, for it is written, The Lord possessed me [sc. the Torah] in the beginning of his way, before his works of old.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Prov. VIII, 22. ');">⁶</span>

גן עדן דכתיב (בראשית ב, ח) ויטע ה' אלהים גן בעדן מקדם וגו'

Repentance, for it is written, Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever thou hadst formed the earth and the world&nbsp;… Thou turnest man to destruction, and sayest, Repent, ye sons of men.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Ps. XC, 2f. 'Before', etc. applies to 'Repent'. ');">⁷</span>

גיהנם דכתיב (ישעיהו ל, לג) כי ערוך מאתמול תפתה

The Garden of Eden, as it is written, And the Lord God planted a garden in Eden from aforetime.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Gen. II, 8. ');">⁸</span>

כסא כבוד דכתיב (תהלים צג, ב) נכון כסאך מאז

Gehenna, as it is written, For Tophet<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Another name for Gehenna. ');">⁹</span>

בית המקדש דכתיב (ירמיהו יז, יב) כסא כבוד מרום מראשון

is ordained of old.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Isa. XXX, 33. ');">¹⁰</span>

שמו של משיח דכתיב (תהלים עב, יז) יהי שמו לעולם וגו'

The Throne of Glory, as it is written, Thy Throne is established from of old.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Ps. XCIII, 2. ');">¹¹</span>

אלא הכי קאמר אי איברי ליה פומא מוטב ואם לא יברא ה' והכתיב (קהלת א, ט) אין כל חדש תחת השמש הכי קאמר אי הכא לא מקרב פומא להכא ליקרב

The Temple, as it is written, A glorious high throne from the beginning is the place of our sanctuary.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Jer. XVII, 12. ');">¹²</span>

דרש רבא ואמרי לה אמר רבי יצחק מאי דכתיב (חבקוק ג, יא) שמש ירח עמד זבולה שמש וירח בזבול מאי בעיין והא ברקיע קביעי מלמד שעלו שמש וירח מרקיע לזבול ואמרו לפניו רבונו של עולם אם אתה עושה דין לבן עמרם אנו מאירים ואם לאו אין אנו מאירין

The name of the Messiah, as it is written, His name [sc. of Messiah] shall endure for ever, and [has existed] before the sun!<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Ps. LXXII, 17. Now, according to this, Gehenna was definitely created before the world; how then could Moses be doubtful? — The general idea of this Baraitha is that these things are the indispensable prerequisites For the orderly progress of mankind upon earth. The Torah, the supreme source of instruction, the concept of repentance, in recognition that 'to err is human', and hence, if man falls, he needs the opportunity to rise again; the garden of Eden and the Gehenna symbolising reward and punishment, which, without conceding a purely utilitarian basis for ethical striving, are nevertheless powerful incentives thereto; the Throne of Glory and the Temple, indicating that the goal of creation is that the kingdom of God (represented by the Temple) should be established on earth as it is in Heaven; and finally, the name of Messiah, the assurance that God's purpose shall be eventually achieved. ');">¹³</span>

באותה שעה ירה בהן חיצים וחניתות אמר להם בכל יום ויום משתחוים לכם ואתם מאירים בכבודי לא מחיתם בכבוד בשר ודם מחיתם ובכל יום ויום יורין בהן חיצין וחניתות ומאירים שנאמר (חבקוק ג, יא) לאור חציך יהלכו וגו'

— But Moses said thus: If a mouth has already been created for it [sc. Gehenna], 'tis well; if not, let the Lord create one. But is it not written, There is no new thing under the sun?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Ecc. I, 9. ');">¹⁴</span>

תניא ביקור חולים אין לה שיעור מאי אין לה שיעור סבר רב יוסף למימר אין שיעור למתן שכרה אמר ליה אביי וכל מצוות מי יש שיעור למתן שכרן והא תנן (משנה אבות ב א) הוי זהיר במצוה קלה כבחמורה שאין אתה יודע מתן שכרן של מצוות אלא אמר אביי אפילו גדול אצל קטן רבא אמר אפילו מאה פעמים ביום

— He said thus: If the mouth is not near to this spot, let it draw near.

אמר רבי אחא בר חנינא כל המבקר חולה נוטל אחד משישים בצערו אמרי ליה אם כן ליעלון שיתין ולוקמוה אמר ליה כעישורייתא דבי רבי ובבן גילו

Raba, or as others say, R. Isaac, lectured: What is meant by, The sun and the moon stood still in their zebul?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Hab. Ill, 11. ');">¹⁵</span>

דתניא רבי אומר בת הניזונית מנכסי אחין נוטלת עישור נכסים אמרו לו לרבי לדבריך מי שיש לו עשר בנות ובן אין לו לבן במקום בנות כלום אמר להן ראשונה נוטלת עישור נכסים שניה במה ששיירה שלישית במה ששיירה וחוזרות וחולקות בשוה

What were they doing in the zebul, seeing that they were set in the raki'a?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' According to tradition, there are seven heavens, zebul being one. ');">¹⁶</span>

רב חלבו חלש נפק אכריז רב כהנא

This teaches that the sun and the moon ascended from the raki'a to the zebul and exclaimed before Him, 'Sovereign of the Universe! If thou wilt execute judgment for Amram's son,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' By punishing Korah and his confederates. ');">¹⁷</span> we will give forth our light; if not, we will not shine.' In that moment He shot spears and arrows at them. 'Every day,' He rebuked them, 'men worship you, and yet you give your light. For My honour you do not protest, yet you protest for the honour of flesh and blood.' [Since then,] spears and arrows are shot at them every day before they consent to shine,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Accepting the Almighty's rebuke, they refuse to shine, because of the insult to His glory, until they are forced to. ');">¹⁸</span> as it is written, And at the light of thy arrows they go, etc.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Ibid. ');">¹⁹</span> It was taught: There is no measure for visiting the sick. What is meant by, 'there is no measure for visiting the sick?' R. Joseph thought to explain it: its reward is unlimited. Said Abaye to him: Is there a definite measure of reward for any precept? But we learnt: Be as heedful of a light precept as of a serious one, for thou knowest not the grant of reward for precepts? But Abaye explained it: Even a great person must visit a humble one. Raba said: [One must visit] even a hundred times a day. R. Abba son of R. Hanina said: He who visits an invalid takes away a sixtieth of his pain.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' A variant: his sickness. ');">²⁰</span> Said they to him: If so, let sixty people visit him and restore him to health? — He replied: The sixtieth is as the tenth spoken of in the school of Rabbi, and [providing further that] he [the visitor] is of his affinity.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' As the invalid. Born under the same planetary influence, Asheri; Rashi (and last.) 'of the same age'. ');">²¹</span> For it was taught: Rabbi said: A daughter who enjoys maintenance from her brothers' estate receives a tenth of the estate.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' She can, on marriage, demand a tenth of the estate for a dowry and trousseau. V. Keth. 68a. ');">²²</span> Said they to Rabbi: If so, if a man leaves ten daughters and one son, the latter receives nothing! He replied: The first [to marry] receives a tenth of the estate; the second, a tenth of the residue; the third, a tenth of what remains. [Now, if they all married at the same time], they redivide equally.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I.e., after taking one tenth of the estate, and another a tenth of what is left, and a third likewise, etc., they pool the lot together, and divide it equally. — Thus here too, the first visitor with the same affinity takes away a sixtieth of the sickness; the second a sixtieth of the remainder, and so on. Hence he would not be completely cured. ');">²³</span> R. Helbo fell ill. Thereupon R. Kahana went and proclaimed: