Sanhedrin 140

שאין לך דבר שמביא יללה לאדם אלא יין ר' יהודה אומר חטה היה שאין התינוק יודע לקרוא אבא ואימא עד שיטעום טעם דגן רבי נחמיה אומר תאנה היה שבדבר שקלקלו בו נתקנו שנאמר (בראשית ג, ז) ויתפרו עלה תאנה

for nothing else but wine brings woe to man. R. Judah said: It was the wheat plant,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' In which case, [H], (tree) in the Heb. must be understood as a generic noun for plant life. There is also a legend that in the distant future the wheat shall grow as tall as a palm tree; in the Garden of Eden story it is therefore called a tree on account of its future state. ');">¹</span> for an infant cannot say 'father' and 'mother' until it has tasted of wheat.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Thus, wheat is the first thing to induce knowledge. ');">²</span>

(משלי לא, א) דברי למואל מלך משא אשר יסרתו אמו אמר ר' יוחנן משום ר"ש בן יוחי מלמד שכפאתו אמו על העמוד ואמרה לו מה ברי ומה בר בטני ומה בר נדרי מה ברי הכל יודעים שאביך ירא שמים הוה עכשיו יאמרו אמו גרמה לו

R. Nehemiah said: It was the fig tree, for whereby they transgressed, they were taught to make amends, as it is written, And they sewed fig leaves together.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Gen. III, 7. ');">³</span> The words of King Lemuel, the burden wherewith his mother admonished him.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Prov. XXXI, 1. ');">⁴</span>

ומה בר בטני כל הנשים של בית אביך כיון שמתעברות שוב אינן רואות פני המלך ואני דחקתי ונכנסתי כדי שיהא לי בן מזורז ומלובן

R. Johanan said in the name of R. Simeon b. Yohai: This teaches that his mother thrust him against a post<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' To have him flagellated for his over-indulgence in worldly pleasures (Rashi). ');">⁵</span> and said to him, What my son? and what, the son of my womb? and what, the son of my vows? 'What my son?' All know that thy father was a God-fearing man, and therefore they will say that thou inheritest [thy sinfulness] from thy mother.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I.e., why should you thus be called my son? ');">⁶</span>

ומה בר נדרי כל נשים של בית אביך היו נודרות יהא לי בן הגון למלכות ואני נדרתי ואמרתי יהא לי בן זריז וממולא בתורה והגון לנביאות

'And what, the son of my womb?' All the women of thy father's harem, as soon as they conceived, no longer saw the king, but I forced myself in, so that my child might be vigorous and fair-skinned.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' And now he was employing his very strength and beauty in evil courses. ');">⁷</span> 'And what, the son of my vows?' All the women of thy father's household made vows [praying] that they might bear a son fit for the throne, but I vowed praying that I might bear a son zealous and filled with the knowledge of the Torah and fit for prophecy. It is not for Kings, O Lemuel, it is not for kings to drink wine, nor for princes [to say,] Where is strong drink?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Ibid. 3. ');">⁸</span>

אל למלכים למואל אל למלכים שתו יין אל למלכים אמרה לו מה לך אצל מלכים ששותים יין ומשתכרים ואומרים למה לנו אל ולרוזנים אי שכר מי שכל רזי עולם גלויים לו ישתה יין וישתכר איכא דאמרי מי שכל רוזני עולם משכימין לפתחו ישתה יין וישתכר

She spoke thus to him: What hast thou to do with kings who drink wine and say, 'What need have we of God?'<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' By a play on words [H] meaning 'not' is connected with 'to God', Lemuel read as lemo-el, ([H]), 'to God', the Heb. letters being the same, differing only in the vowels ');">⁹</span> R. Isaac said: whence do we know that Solomon repented and confessed to his mother [the justice of her rebukes]? — From the verse, Surely, 'I am more brutish than man, and' have not the understanding of a man.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Ibid. XXX, 2. ');">¹⁰</span>

אמר ר' יצחק מניין שחזר שלמה והודה לאמו דכתיב (משלי ל, ב) כי בער אנכי מאיש ולא בינת אדם לי כי בער אנכי מאיש מנח דכתיב (בראשית ט, כ) ויחל נח איש האדמה ולא בינת אדם לי זה אדם הראשון:

I am more brutish than a man [ish].<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' [H] ');">¹¹</span> — that is, than Noah, of whom it is written, And Noah began to be an husbandman [ish];<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' [H] ');">¹¹</span>

אכל בחבורת מצוה: אמר רבי אבהו אינו חייב עד שיאכל בחבורה שכולה סריקין

'and have not the understanding of a man' [adam]<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' [H] ');">¹²</span> — of Adam.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Both of whom were ensnared by wine, yet have I drank more than they. ');">¹³</span>

והאנן תנן אכל בחבורת מצוה אינו נעשה בן סורר ומורה טעמא דמצוה הא לאו מצוה אע"ג דלאו כולה סריקין הא קמ"ל דאע"ג דכולה סריקין כיון דבמצוה קא עסיק לא מימשיך:

IF HE ATE IT IN A COMPANY [CELEBRATING] A RELIGIOUS ACT. R. Abbahu said: He is not liable unless he eats in a company consisting entirely of good-for-nothings. But did we not learn, IF HE ATE IT IN A COMPANY [CELEBRATING] A RELIGIOUS ACT … HE DOES NOT BECOME A REBELLIOUS SON THEREBY. Hence, it is only because they were celebrating a religious act, but otherwise, [he becomes a rebellious son] even if they are not all wastrels? — The Mishnah teaches that even if they were all wastrels, yet if they were celebrating a precept, he is not punished.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' For in that case, the company will not cause him to err, seeing that they are thus engaged. But on the other hand, even if not engaged in celebrating a precept, if there is a single decent man amongst them, he may exercise a salutary influence, which may restrain this transgressor from a headlong course of evil. ');">¹⁴</span> OR GATHERED FOR THE PURPOSE OF INTERCALATING THE MONTH.

אכל בעיבור החודש: למימרא דבשר ויין מסקו והתניא אין עולין לה אלא בפת דגן וקטנית בלבד הא קמ"ל אע"ג דאין עולין לה אלא בפת וקטנית ואיהו אסיק בשר ויין ואכל כיון דבמצוה קא עסיק לא ממשיך

Shall we say that they ate<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit. 'brought up'. ');">¹⁵</span> meat and wine [on such occasions]? But it has been taught: They ascended<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' V. next note. ');">¹⁶</span>

תנו רבנן אין עולין בעיבור החודש פחות מעשרה בני אדם ואין עולין לה אלא בפת דגן וקטנית ואין עולין לה אלא לאור עיבורו ואין עולין לה ביום אלא בלילה והתניא אין עולין לה בלילה אלא ביום כדאמר רבי חייא בר אבא לבניה אחריפו ועולו אחריפו ופוקו כי היכי דלישמעו בכו אינשי:

for it with a meal consisting only of wheat bread and beans. — The Mishnah teaches thus; Though they normally ascended only with wheat bread and beans, whilst he brought up meat and wine and ate, Yet since they were engaged in a religious act, he would not be led astray. Our Rabbis taught; Not less than ten ascend for the purpose of proclaiming the month a full one,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I.e., of thirty days. This was not for the purpose of a formal declaration, but of making known the decision of the Sanhedrin to the people. In order to give it publicity, all this was done in an upper chamber, hence the use of the verb 'ascended' — when exposed to the public view. ');">¹⁷</span>

אכל מעשר שני בירושלים: כיון דכי אורחיה הוא קא אכיל ליה לא ממשיך:

nor do they ascend for it except with a meal consisting of wheat bread and beans; they ascend only on the evening following the intercalated day, and at night, not by day.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' This seems superfluous. Tosaf. explains that it might otherwise be thought that 'they ascend only on the evening following the additional day' merely emphasises that it must not be on the evening preceding, but that evening itself is not particularly taught. ');">¹⁸</span> But has it not been taught: They may not ascend for it by night, but only by day? — It is even as R. Hiyya b. Abba said to his sons: 'Go up there early, and come out early, so that the people may learn of your celebration.'<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'hear you.' I.e., they were not to wait until it was quite dark, as by then the streets are deserted, therefore they were to go up whilst it was yet day. But the essential ceremony took place at night. They were also to leave the chamber early in the morning: by so doing it became evident that they spent the night in the upper chamber and their purpose in going up also became evident. But if they tarried, it might be thought that they had gone up only in the morning and had some other purpose in view. ');">¹⁹</span>

אכל נבילות וטריפות שקצים ורמשים: אמר רבא אכל בשר עוף אינו נעשה בן סורר ומורה

IF HE ATE THE SECOND TITHE IN JERUSALEM. For since he eats it in the normal way [i.e.. in Jerusalem], he is not drawn [to wickedness].

והא אנן תנן אכל נבילות וטריפות שקצים ורמשים אינו נעשה בן סורר ומורה הא טהורין נעשה בן סורר ומורה כי תנן נמי מתני' להשלים:

IF HE ATE NEBELOTH OR TEREFOTH, ABOMINABLE OR CREEPING THINGS. Raba said: If he eats the flesh of fowl, he does not become a 'stubborn and rebellious son'. But did we not learn: IF HE ATE NEBELOTH OR TEREFOTH, ABOMINABLE OR CREEPING THINGS<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Denoting also unclean fowls; v. Lev. XI, 13 ff. ');">²⁰</span>

אכל דבר שהוא מצוה ודבר עבירה: דבר מצוה תנחומי אבלים דבר עבירה תענית ציבור

… HE DOES NOT BECOME A 'STUBBORN AND REBELLIOUS SON' THEREBY. [This implies;] but if he ate [the flesh of] clean [fowl], he does? — The Mishnah refers only to the completion [of the necessary amount].<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I.e., if he ate less than a tartemar of permitted flesh, and completed it by eating nebeloth etc. he is not punished. But if the whole tartemar was the flesh of clean fowl he would also be exempt. ');">²¹</span> IF HIS EATING INVOLVED A RELIGIOUS ACT OR A TRANSGRESSION.

וטעמא מאי אמר קרא (דברים כא, כ) איננו שומע בקולנו בקולנו ולא בקולו של מקום:

By a RELIGIOUS ACT is meant the meal for comforting mourners;<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Though this was only a Rabbinical enactment. For the earlier clause of the Mishnah IF HE ATE IN A COMPANY (CELEBRATING) A RELIGIOUS ACT might be interpreted as referring to a Biblical precept, e.g the eating of the Passover sacrifice. ');">²²</span> A TRANSGRESSION means eating on a public fast day.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Proclaimed by Rabbis. Though this too is only a Rabbinical ordinance. ');">²³</span>

אכל כל מאכל ולא אכל בשר שתה כל משקה ולא שתה יין וכו': אכל כל מאכל ולא אכל בשר לאיתויי דבילה קעילית שתה כל משקה ולא שתה יין לאיתויי דבש וחלב

And what is the reason?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' That the eating of forbidden food does not render one a rebellious son. ');">²⁴</span> — The Bible saith, he will not obey our voice:<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Deut. XXI, 20. ');">²⁵</span>

דתניא אכל דבילה קעילית ושתה דבש וחלב ונכנס למקדש

this excludes disobedience of God's voice.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'the Voice of Makom, the Place = Omnipresent [V. S. R. Hirsch, Jeshurun VII, pp. 225ff.] ');">²⁶</span> IF HE ATE ANY FOOD BUT MEAT, OR DRANK ANY DRINK BUT WINE ETC. IF HE ATE ANY FOOD BUT MEAT; this includes even pressed figs from Keilah.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' A town in the lowland district of Judea. These pressed figs were intoxicating, nevertheless, they do not render him a rebellious son. ');">²⁷</span> OR DRANK ANY DRINK BUT WINE: this includes even [liquid] honey and milk. For it has been taught: If one ate pressed figs from Keilah and drank honey or milk and then entered the Sanctuary,