Rosh Hashanah 48

Chapter 48

א של חמשה ושל ששה ושל שמונה ושל שבעה לא יעשה אפי' של שאר מיני מתכות רבי יוסי בר יהודה אומר אף של עץ לא יעשה כדרך שעשו מלכי בית חשמונאי
1 with five or six or eight lamps, but with seven he should not make, even of other metals.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Since a candlestick of other metal besides gold would have been permissible in the Temple. V. Men. 28.');"><sup>1</sup></span> R'Jose B'Judah said: He should not make one even of wood, this being the way in which the kings of the house of the Hasmoneans made it.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' When they first recaptured the Temple from the Syrians, and were still too poor to provide a gold candlestick.');"><sup>2</sup></span>
ב אמרו לו משם ראייה שפודין של ברזל היו וחיפום בבעץ העשירו עשאום של כסף חזרו העשירו עשאום של זהב
2 They said to him: Can you adduce this as a proof? The spits<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I.e., the branches of the candlestick, so called because they had no ornaments. V. Tosaf. s.v.');"><sup>3</sup></span>
ג ושמשין שאי אפשר לעשות כמותן מי שרי והתניא (שמות כ, יט) לא תעשון אתי לא תעשון כדמות שמשיי המשמשין לפני במרום אמר אביי לא אסרה תורה אלא דמות ארבעה פנים בהדי הדדי
3 were of iron and they overlaid them with tin.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' [MS.M.: with wood].');"><sup>4</sup></span> When they grew richer they made them of silver.
ד אלא מעתה פרצוף אדם לחודיה תשתרי אלמה תניא כל הפרצופות מותרין חוץ מפרצוף אדם א"ר הונא בריה דרב אידי מפרקיה דאביי שמיעא לי לא תעשון אתי לא תעשון אותי
4 When they grew richer still, they made them of gold. But is it allowed [to make likenesses] of attendants of which it is impossible to make copies, seeing that i has been taught: 'Ye shall not make with me': [this implies], ye shall not make the likeness of My attendants who minister before Me on high? ' - Abaye replied: The Torah forbade only the likeness of the four faces<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' V. Ezek. I, 10.');"><sup>5</sup></span>
ה ושאר שמשין מי שרי והא תניא לא תעשון אתי לא תעשון כדמות שמשיי המשמשין לפני במרום כגון אופנים ושרפים וחיות הקודש ומלאכי השרת אמר אביי לא אסרה תורה אלא שמשין שבמדור העליון
5 all together. If that is so, the portrait of a human being by himself should be allowed; why then has it been taught: All portraits are allowed, save the portrait of man? - R'Huna the son of R'Idi replied: From a discourse of Abaye I learnt: 'Ye shall not make with me' [implies], ye shall not make Me.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' [And since man was made in God's image (Gen. I, 27) , the reproduction of the human face is not allowed.]');"><sup>6</sup></span>
ו ושבמדור התחתון מי שרי והתניא (שמות כ, ג) אשר בשמים לרבות חמה ולבנה כוכבים ומזלות ממעל לרבות מלאכי השרת כי תניא ההיא לעבדם
6 Still, are the other attendants permitted, seeing that it has been taught: '"Ye shall not make with me": ye shall not make the likeness of My attendants who serve before Me on high, such as Ofanim and Seraphim and holy Hayyoth and ministering angels'? - Abaye replied: The Torah forbade only the attendants in the upper sphere.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' In the seventh heaven.');"><sup>7</sup></span> But are those in the lower sphere<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' E.g., the second heaven, that of the sun and moon. V. Hag. 12.');"><sup>8</sup></span>
ז אי לעבדם אפילו שלשול קטן נמי אין ה"נ דתניא (שמות כ, ג) אשר בארץ לרבות הרים וגבעות ימים ונהרות אפיקים וגאיות מתחת לרבות שלשול קטן
7 permitted? Has it not been taught: 'Which are in the heaven:<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Ex. XX, 4 in the Ten Commandments.');"><sup>9</sup></span>
ח ועשייה גרידתא מי שרי והתניא לא תעשון אתי לא תעשון כדמות שמשיי המשמשין לפני כגון חמה ולבנה כוכבים ומזלות
8 this brings under the rule the sun, the moon, the stars and constellations; "above":<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Ibid.');"><sup>10</sup></span> this brings under the rule the ministering angels? ' - That statement refers to the prohibition of [making a likeness] for serving them.
ט שאני ר"ג דאחרים עשו לו והא רב יהודה דאחרים עשו לו וא"ל שמואל לרב יהודה שיננא סמי עיניה דדין
9 If for serving, then the tiniest worm should also [be prohibited]? - Yes, that is so, as it has been taught: Which are in the earth:<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Ex. XX, 4.');"><sup>11</sup></span> this brings under the rule mountains, hills, seas, rivers, streams and valleys.
י התם חותמו בולט הוה ומשום חשדא כדתניא טבעת חותמו בולט אסור להניחה ומותר לחתום בה חותמו שוקע מותר להניחה ואסור לחתום בה
10 Beneath:<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Ibid.');"><sup>12</sup></span> this brings under the rule the tiniest worm.
יא ומי חיישינן לחשדא והא ההיא בי כנישתא דשף ויתיב בנהרדעא דהוה ביה אנדרטא והוו עיילי רב ושמואל ואבוה דשמואל ולוי ומצלו התם ולא חיישי לחשדא רבים שאני
11 But is the mere making allowed? Has it not been taught: "'Ye shall not make with me": ye shall not make a likeness of My attendants who minister before Me, such as the sun, the moon, the stars and constellations'? - R'Gamaliel's case was different, because others<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Non-Jews.');"><sup>13</sup></span>
יב והא ר"ג יחיד הוא כיון דנשיא הוא שכיחי רבים גביה איבעית אימא דפרקים הוה
12 made for him. But what of Rab Judah who [had a figure on a seal which] others had made for him, and yet Samuel said to him, Shinena,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' You clever person. Lit.. 'sharp-toothed'. V. B.B., Sonc. ed. p. 561, n. 14.');"><sup>14</sup></span>
יג ואיבעית אימא להתלמד עבד וכתיב (דברים יח, ט) לא תלמד לעשות אבל אתה למד להבין ולהורות:
13 put out that fellow's eye?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Deface the image. This shows that the fact that it had been made by others does not render it permissible.');"><sup>15</sup></span> - In that case the seal was projecting, and [Samuel forbade it] so that it should not arouse suspicion,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' That he used it for idolatrous purposes.');"><sup>16</sup></span>
יד <big><strong>מתני׳</strong></big> מעשה שבאו שנים ואמרו ראינוהו שחרית במזרח
14 as it has been taught: 'A ring of which the seal projects must not be worn on the finger, but it i permitted to sign with it. If the seal is sunk in, it is permitted to wear it but forbidden to sign with it'. Bu does it matter if we do arouse suspicion? Was there not a synagogue which 'moved and settled' in Nehardea<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Rashi states that according to a legend this synagogue was originally built by King Jeconiah with stones brought from Jerusalem; v. Meg., Sonc. ed. p. 175, n. 5.');"><sup>17</sup></span> and in it was a statue [of a king] and Rab and Samuel and the father of Samuel used to go in there to pray, and were not afraid of arousing suspicion? - Where a whole body of persons is concerned it is different. But Rabban Gamaliel was an individual? - Since he was the Nasi,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'the Prince', the President of the Sanhedrin.');"><sup>18</sup></span> a large company was always with him. If you like I can say that it was [drawn] in sections,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' And so was not a complete likeness.');"><sup>19</sup></span> or if you like I can say that he did i for purposes of study, and it is written, Thou shalt not learn to do,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Deut. XVIII, 9.');"><sup>20</sup></span> which implies that you may learn to understand and to teach. <big><b>MISHNAH: </b></big>ON ONE OCCASION TWO WITNESSES CAME AND SAID, WE SAW IT IN THE MORNING IN THE EAST
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