Pesachim 188

בן בנו של נמרוד הרשע שהמריד את כל העולם כולו עלי במלכותו כמה שנותיו של אדם שבעים שנה ואם בגבורות שמונים שנה שנאמר (תהלים צ, י) ימי שנותינו בהם שבעים שנה ואם בגבורות שמונים שנה

descendant of the wicked Nimrod, who incited the whole world to rebel [himrid]<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' This is a play on the name Nimrod, deriving it from marad, to rebel.');">¹</span> against Me during his reign!<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' According to Talmudic tradition Nimrod instigated the building of the tower of Babel to storm heaven.');">²</span>

מן הארץ עד לרקיע מהלך חמש מאות שנה ועוביו של רקיע מהלך ה' מאות שנה ובין (כל) רקיע לרקיע מהלך ה' מאות שנה וכן בין כל רקיע ורקיע (ישעיהו יד, טו) אך אל שאול תורד אל ירכתי בור תיובתא

How many are the years of man? Seventy years; and if by reason of strength, eighty years, for it is said, The days of our years are threescore years and ten, or even by reason of strength fourscore years.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Ps. XC, 10.');">³</span>

ת"ר חכמי ישראל אומרים גלגל קבוע ומזלות חוזרין וחכמי אומות העולם אומרים גלגל חוזר ומזלות קבועין א"ר תשובה לדבריהם מעולם לא מצינו עגלה בדרום ועקרב בצפון

Now from earth to heaven is a five hundred years journey, the thickness of heaven Is a five hundred years' journey, and between the first heaven and the next lies a five hundred years' journey, and similarly between each heaven,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' According to the ancient tradition there were seven heavens.');">⁴</span> 'Yet thou shalt be brought down to the nether-world, to the uttermost parts of the pit' -<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Isa. XIV, 15. [In Hag. ');">⁵</span>

מתקיף לה רב אחא בר יעקב ודילמא כבוצינא דריחיא א"נ כצינורא דדשא

This is [indeed] a refutation. Our Rabbis taught: The Sages of Israel maintain: The Galgal<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' ['Wheel sphere' probably the celestial sphere, v. n. 7.]');">⁶</span>

חכמי ישראל אומרים ביום חמה מהלכת למטה מן הרקיע ובלילה למעלה מן הרקיע וחכמי אומות העולם אומרים ביום חמה מהלכת למטה מן הרקיע ובלילה למטה מן הקרקע א"ר ונראין דבריהן מדברינו שביום מעינות צוננין ובלילה רותחין

is stationary [fixed], while the mazzaloth<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Here fixed stars.');">⁷</span> revolve; while the Sages of the nations of the world maintain: The Galgal revolves and the mazzaloth are stationary.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' [This will probably represent the Ptolemaic view according to which the stars are fixed on the surface of the celestial sphere which moves round the earth carrying the stars with it, v. op. cit. p. 71.]');">⁸</span>

תניא ר' נתן אומר בימות החמה חמה מהלכת בגובה של רקיע לפיכך כל העולם כולו רותח ומעינות צוננין בימות הגשמים חמה מהלכת בשיפולי רקיע לפיכך כל העולם כולו צונן ומעינות רותחין

Rabbi observed: This disproves their view [viz. ,] we never find the Wain in the south or Scorpio in the north.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' But if the Galgal revolves, the mazzaloth too would change their position. The view of the Jewish Sages is difficult to explain.');">⁹</span> To this R'Aha B'Jacob demurred: Perhaps it is like the pivot<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Rashi. 'Aruch: the socket.');">¹⁰</span>

תנו רבנן בארבעה שבילין חמה מהלכת ניסן אייר וסיון מהלכת בהרים כדי לפשר את השלגין תמוז אב ואלול מהלכת בישוב כדי לבשל את הפירות תשרי מרחשון וכסליו מהלכת בימים כדי ליבש את הנהרות טבת שבט ואדר מהלכת במדבר שלא ליבש את הזרעים:

of a millstone,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' " which="" remains="" fixed="" in="" its="" place.');"="">¹¹</span> or like the door socket?

ורבי אליעזר אומר מאסקופת כו': ואע"ג דמצי עייל ולא אמרינן ליה קום עייל והתניא יהודי ערל שלא מל ענוש כרת דברי רבי אליעזר

The Sages of Israel maintain: The sun travels beneath the sky by day and above the sky at night; while the Sages of the nations of the world maintain: It travels beneath the sky by day and below the earth at night. Said Rabbi: And their view is preferable to ours, for the wells are cold by day but warm at night.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' [On this passage v. op. cit. p. 72.]');">¹²</span>

אמר אביי דרך רחוקה לטהור ואין דרך רחוקה לטמא

It was taught, R'Nathan said: In summer the sun travels in the heights of the heaven,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Above the earth.');">¹³</span> therefore the whole world is hot while the wells [springs] are cold; in winter the sun travels at the lower ends of the sky,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Not above the earth but at its side.');">¹⁴</span>

רבא אמר תנאי היא דתניא רבי אליעזר אומר נאמר ריחוק מקום בפסח ונאמר ריחוק מקום במעשר מה להלן חוץ לאכילתו אף כאן חוץ לאכילתו

therefore the whole world is cold while the wells are hot. Our Rabbis taught: The sun travels over four courses: [during] Nisan,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The first month of the Jewish civil year, commencing some time in March. The remaining eleven months are enumerated in order.');">¹⁵</span>

רבי יוסי בר רבי יהודה אומר משום רבי אליעזר חוץ לעשייתו

Iyar and Sivan, it travels over the mountains, in order to melt the snows; [in] Tammuz, Ab and Elul, over the inhabited world, to ripen the fruits; [in] Tishri, Marheshwan and Kislev, over seas, to dry up the rivers; in Tebeth, Shebat and Adar, through the wilderness, so as not to dry up the seeds [in the ground]. R'ELIEZER SAID: FROM THE THRESHOLD etc. Even though he can enter, and we do not say to him, 'Arise and enter'?

כמאן אזלא הא דאמר רבי יצחק בר רב יוסף בטמאים הלך אחר רוב העומדין בעזרה כמאן כרבי יוסי בר רבי יהודה שאמר משום רבי אליעזר:

but it surely was taught: An uncircumcised Jew who did not circumcise himself is punished by kareth: this is the opinion of R'Eliezer? - Said Abaye: 'A journey afar off' [is stated] in respect of a clean person, but 'a journey afar off is not [stated] in respect of an unclean person.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' v. supra 93b. Similarly, a man must make himself fit for the Passover, and otherwise he incurs kareth. But it is not his duty to bring himself within the area of obligation. Tosaf. points out an obvious difficulty: if he is uncircumcised or unclean and standing without the Temple court, as he must be in that case, he must make himself fit and keep the Passover on penalty of kareth; whereas if he is already circumcised or clean and standing without he is exempt! Tosaf explains it with the principle laid down by R. Zera, v. Yeb. 104b.');">¹⁶</span> Raba said: It is [a controversy of] Tannaim.

אמר לו רבי יוסי לפיכך וכו': תניא רבי יוסי הגלילי אומר דרך שומע אני מהלך שנים או שלשה ימים כשהוא אומר (במדבר ט, יג) ובדרך לא היה מגיד שמאסקופת העזרה ולחוץ קרוי דרך:

For it was taught, R'Eliezer said: Distance of place is stated in connection with the Passover, and distance of place is stated in connection with tithe:<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Deut. XIV, 24 q.v.');">¹⁷</span> just as there [it means] without [the boundaries of] its eating,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The second tithe must be eaten in Jerusalem. Anywhere outside Jerusalem is regarded as a distant place and the law of redemption applies.');">¹⁸</span> so here too it means outside [the place of] its eating.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' When Scripture states that if a man is on a journey afar off he is exempt, it means if he is anywhere outside Jerusalem, in the whole of which the Passover-offering was eaten. Hence if he is merely outside the Temple Court but in Jerusalem he is not exempt.');">¹⁹</span> R'Jose son of R'Judah said on R'Eliezer's authority: [It means] outside [the place] where it is sacrificed.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' viz., the Temple Court. Thus we have a controversy of Tannaim as to R. Eliezer's view.');">²⁰</span> With whom does the following dictum of R'Isaac son of R'Joseph agree. [viz. :] In respect of those who are unclean, decide by the majority who are standing in the Temple Court.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' when the majority of those in the Temple Court are unclean, the Passover is sacrificed in uncleanness (supra 79a) . But those who are not in the Temple Court are disregarded entirely. as they are on a 'journey afar off'.');">²¹</span> With whom [does it agree]? With R'Jose son of R'Judah, as he stated [the law] on R'Eliezer's authority.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' For according to the first Tanna a majority of all in Jerusalem would be required.');">²²</span> SAID R'JOSE TO HIM, THEREFORE etc. It was taught, R'Jose the Galilean said: [BY] 'a journey afar off' I may understand a distance of two or three days: but when it is said, and is not in a journey, it teaches that from the threshold of the Temple Court and without is designated a journey.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Since 'afar off' is not mentioned here.');">²³</span> M I S H N A H