Sanhedrin 164

Chapter 164

א נשען והולך על מקלו וכיון שהגיע אצל שבטו של שמעון אמר היכן מצינו ששבטו של לוי גדול משל שמעון אמרו הניחו לו אף הוא לעשות צרכיו נכנס התירו פרושין את הדבר
1 leaning upon the stock [of the spear, into which the pointed blade is inserted], and as soon as he reached the tribe of Simeon, he exclaimed, 'Where do we find that the tribe of Levi is greater<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I.e., more sanctimonious. ');"><sup>1</sup></span>
ב א"ר יוחנן ששה נסים נעשו לו לפנחס אחד שהיה לו לזמרי לפרוש ולא פירש ואחד שהיה לו לדבר ולא דבר ואחד שכוון בזכרותו של איש ובנקבותה של אשה ואחד שלא נשמטו מן הרומח ואחד שבא מלאך והגביה את המשקוף ואחד שבא מלאך והשחית בעם
2 than that of Simeon? [i.e., I too wish to indulge]. Thereupon they said, 'Let him pass too. He enters to satisfy his lust. These abstainers have now declared the matter permissible.' R. Johanan said: Six miracles were wrought for Phinehas: — [i] Zimri should have withdrawn [from the woman] but did not;<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Had he withdrawn, Phinehas could not have punished him. ');"><sup>2</sup></span>
ג בא וחבטן לפני המקום אמר לפניו רבש"ע על אלו יפלו כ"ד אלף מישראל שנאמר (במדבר כה, ט) ויהיו המתים במגפה ארבעה ועשרים אלף והיינו דכתיב (תהלים קו, ל) ויעמד פנחס ויפלל
3 [ii] he should have cried out [for help], but did not; [iii] he [Phinheas] succeeded [in driving his spear] exactly through the sexual organs of the man and woman;<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Thus showing that he was punishing immorality, and not satisfying a private hate. ');"><sup>3</sup></span>
ד אמר רבי אלעזר ויתפלל לא נאמר אלא ויפלל מלמד כביכול שעשה פלילות עם קונו בקשו מלאכי השרת לדחפו אמר להן הניחו לו קנאי בן קנאי הוא משיב חימה בן משיב חימה הוא
4 [iv] they did not slip off the spear; [v] an angel came and lifted up the lintel;<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' So that it should not interfere with the spear as he was carrying them out aloft. ');"><sup>4</sup></span>
ה התחילו שבטים מבזין אותו ראיתם בן פוטי זה שפיטם אבי אמו עגלים לעבודת כוכבים והרג נשיא שבט מישראל בא הכתוב ויחסו פנחס בן אלעזר בן אהרן הכהן
5 [vi] an angel came and wrought destruction amongst the people.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Thereby distracting their attention: otherwise Zimri's partisans would have slain him. ');"><sup>5</sup></span>
ו א"ל הקב"ה למשה הקדם לו שלום שנאמר (במדבר כה, יב) לכן אמור הנני נותן לו את בריתי שלום וראויה כפרה זו שתהא מכפרת והולכת לעולם
6 Then he [Phinehas] came and struck them down before the Almighty, saying. 'Sovereign of the Universe! shall twenty-four thousand perish because of these.' even as it is written, And those that died in the plague were twenty and four thousand.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Ibid. 9. ');"><sup>6</sup></span>
ז אמר רב נחמן אמר רב מאי דכתיב (משלי ל, לא) זרזיר מתנים או תיש ומלך אלקום עמו ד' מאות ועשרים וארבע בעילות בעל אותו רשע אותו היום והמתין לו פנחס עד שתשש כחו והוא אינו יודע שמלך אלקום עמו
7 Hence it is written, then stood up Phinehas, and executed judgement [wa-yefallel]<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Ps. CVI, 30. ');"><sup>7</sup></span>
ח במתניתא תנא ששים עד שנעשה כביצה המוזרת והיא היתה כערוגה מליאה מים אמר רב כהנא ומושבה בית סאה תני רב יוסף קבר שלה אמה
8 R. Eleazar said: [wa-yispallel] [he prayed] is not written, but wa-yefallel,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Fr. [H], to argue. ');"><sup>8</sup></span>
ט אמר רב ששת לא כזבי שמה אלא שוילנאי בת צור שמה ולמה נקרא שמה כזבי שכזבה באביה ד"א כזבי שאמרה לאביה כוס בי עם זה
9 as though he argued with his maker [on the justice of punishing so many]. Thereupon the ministering angels wished to repulse him, but He said to them, 'Let him be, for he is a zealot and the descendant of a zealot; a turner away of wrath and the son of a turner away of wrath.'<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Levi, the first ancestor of his tribe, had shewn zeal for his sister's honour (Gen. XXXIV, 25f.); Aaron, Phinehas' grandfather, had turned away God's wrath on the occasion of Korah's revolt. Num. XVII, 13. ');"><sup>9</sup></span>
י והיינו דאמרי אינשי בין קני לאורבני שוילנאי מאי בעיא בהדי קלפי דקני שוילנאי מאי בעיא גפתה לאמה
10 The tribes now began abusing him: 'See ye this son of Puti [= Putiel] whose maternal grandfather fattened [pittem] cattle for idols,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' V. Ex. VI. 25: And Eleazar, Aaron's son, took him one of the daughters of Putiel to wife. According to the legend, Putiel was Jethro, so called because as a priest of Midian he had fattened ([H], with which Putiel is here connected) cattle for idolatrous sacrifices. ');"><sup>10</sup></span>
יא א"ר יוחנן חמשה שמות יש לו זמרי ובן סלוא ושאול ובן הכנענית ושלומיאל בן צורי שדי זמרי על שנעשה כביצה המוזרת בן סלוא על שהסליא עונות של משפחתו שאול על שהשאיל עצמו לדבר עבירה בן הכנענית על שעשה מעשה כנען ומה שמו שלומיאל בן צורי שדי שמו:
11 and who has now slain the prince of a tribe of Israel!' Therefore Scripture detailed his ancestry: Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the Priest.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Num. XXV, 11. ');"><sup>11</sup></span>
יב כהן ששימש בטומאה: בעא מיניה רב אחא בר הונא מרב ששת כהן ששימש בטומאה חייב מיתה בידי שמים או אין חייב מיתה בידי שמים
12 [Moreover,] the Holy One, blessed be He said to Moses, 'Be the first to extend a greeting of peace to him', as it is written, Wherefore say, Behold, I give unto him my covenant of peace;<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Ibid. 12. ');"><sup>12</sup></span>
יג א"ל תניתוה כהן ששימש בטומאה אין אחיו הכהנים מביאין אותו לב"ד אלא פירחי כהונה מוציאין אותו חוץ לעזרה ופוצעין את מוחו בגיזרין ואי ס"ד מחייב בידי שמים לישבקיה דליקטול בידי שמים אלא מאי אינו חייב
13 and this atonement, [that Phinehas has made] is worthy of being an everlasting atonement.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Cf. ibid. 13. ');"><sup>13</sup></span>
יד מי איכא מידי דרחמנא פטריה ואנן ניקום וניקטול ליה ולא והתנן מי שלקה ושנה ב"ד מכניסין אותו לכיפה רחמנא פטריה ואנן קטלינן ליה האמר ר' ירמיה אמר ר"ל במלקות של כריתות עסקינן דגברא בר קטלא הוא
14 R. Nahman said in Rab's name: What is meant by, <i>A greyhound</i> [<i>zarzir mathnaim</i>, lit, 'energetic of loins']: <i>an he goat also [tayish]; and a king, against whom there is no rising up</i>?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Prov. XXX, 31. ');"><sup>14</sup></span>
טו והא גונב הקסוה האמר רב יהודה בכלי שרת עסקינן ורמיזא (במדבר ד, כ) לא יבואו לראות כבלע את הקדש ומתו
15 — That wicked man, [sc. Zimri] cohabited four hundred and twenty-four times,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The numerical value of zarzir [H], whilst cohabitation is understood from 'loins'. ');"><sup>15</sup></span>
טז והא המקלל את הקוסם הא תני רב יוסף יכה קוסם את קוסמו דמיחזי כמברך את השם
16 that day, &nbsp; &nbsp; and Phinehas waited for his strength to weaken,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Heb. [H], (weakened) is connected here with [H]. ');"><sup>16</sup></span>
יז והא בועל את הכותית הא אקריוה לרב כהנא בחלמיה ואדכריה רב לגמריה
17 not knowing that [God is] a King, against whom there is no rising up.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I.e., he need not have waited, for Zimri was already doomed. ');"><sup>17</sup></span>
יח איתיביה היוצק והבולל והפותת המולח המניף המגיש והמסדר את השולחן המטיב את הנרות והקומץ והמקבל דמים בחוץ פטור
18 <font>In the Baraitha we learnt: Sixty [time], until he became like an addled egg</font>, whilst <font>she became like a furrow filled with water</font>. R. Kahana said: And <font>her seat was a <i>beth s'eah</i></font>.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I.e., she became very bloated. Beth se'ah is a field requiring one se'ah of seed. ');"><sup>18</sup></span>
יט ואין חייבין עליהן
19 R. Joseph learned: <font>Her womb opening was a cubit</font>. R. Sheshet said: Her name was not Cozbi, but Shewilanai the daughter of Zur. Why then was she called Cozbi? Because she falsified<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' From [H] falsehood. ');"><sup>19</sup></span> her father's teachings.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' V. 82a; he had instructed her to surrender only to the greatest man in Israel. ');"><sup>20</sup></span> Another interpretation is: She said to her father, 'Devour me [kosbi]<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' [H] ');"><sup>21</sup></span> this people,' And thus it is a popular proverb, 'What business hath Shewilanai<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' A common name for a dissolute woman. [The word is connected with the Arabic denoting 'womb opening', v. MGWJ. LXXIII, p. 398]. ');"><sup>22</sup></span> by the reeds of the lake? What hath Shewilanai to do amongst the peeling rushes?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I.e., surely she goes to these secluded spots only for immoral purposes. ');"><sup>23</sup></span> She prostitutes her mother.'<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I.e., she transfers her own harlotry to her mother — an unchaste woman being generally called a harlot, the daughter of a harlot (Rashi). Jast. renders, 'Did she embrace her mother?' ');"><sup>24</sup></span> R. Johanan said: [Zimri] had five names: Zimri, the son of Salu, Saul, the son of the Canaanitish woman, and Shelumiel, the son of Zurishaddai. Zimri, because he became like an addled egg [beza hamuzereth]; the son of Salu, because he outweighed [hisli]<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' From [H]. ');"><sup>25</sup></span> the sins of his family;<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' From [H]. Others: he caused the sins of the family to rise, i.e., became notorious. (Jast.); Rashi (one version) caused his sins to be searched out, probed. ');"><sup>26</sup></span> Saul, because he lent himself [hish'il fr. sha'al] to sin; the son of the Canaanitish woman, because he acted in a Canaanitish fashion, [i.e., depravedly]; whilst his real name was Shelumiel the son of Zurishaddai. IF A PRIEST PERFORMED THE TEMPLE SERVICE WHILST UNCLEAN R. Abba b. Huna propounded a problem to R. Shesheth: Does a priest who performed the Temple service whilst unclean merit death at the hands of Heaven or not? — He replied: We learnt it: IF A PRIEST PERFORMED THE TEMPLE SERVICE WHILST UNCLEAN, HIS BROTHER PRIESTS DO NOT CHARGE HIM AT <i>BETH DIN</i>, BUT THE YOUNG PRIESTS TAKE HIM OUT OF THE TEMPLE COURT AND BREAK HIS SKULL WITH CLUBS. But should you think that he merits death at the hands of Heaven, should he not be left to be slain by Him? Will you say then that he is not so liable? Is there anything for which the Merciful One did not impose a penalty, for which we may kill? — And is there not? But we learnt, ONE WHO WAS TWICE FLAGELLATED IS PLACED BY <i>BETH DIN</i> IN A CELL: thus, the Merciful One exempted him, yet we slay him! — [That is no difficulty;] for did not R. Jeremiah say in the name of Resh Lakish: The reference is to flagellation for an offence punishable by extinction?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' V. supra 81b. ');"><sup>27</sup></span> hence he is liable to death. But what of one who steals a Kiswah? — [That too causes no difficulty], for did not Rab Judah say: This refers to service vessels, [death for the theft of which] being alluded to in the verse, That they come not to see how the holy things are stolen, lest they [the purloiners] die.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Num. IV, 20. ');"><sup>28</sup></span> But what of one who CURSES BY ENCHANTMENT?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The reading here in our printed texts differs slightly from that of the Mishnah on 81b; the latter has been followed; cp. DS. a.l. ');"><sup>29</sup></span> — [There too,] did not R. Joseph learn, [He curses thus:] May the charm slay the enchanter? So that it is somewhat analagous to blasphemy.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' V. supra 56a. May Jose Smite Jose: blasphemy was punished by death. ');"><sup>30</sup></span> But what of ONE WHO COHABITS WITH A HEATHEN WOMAN? — There too, R. Kahana was made to read [a verse] in his dream, which [on being told to Rab], entirely reminded him of the law.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' That verse hints at death. ');"><sup>31</sup></span> He objected: He who pours [the oil on the meal-offering], mingles [it with the flour], breaks up [the meal-offering cakes], salts [the meal-offering], waves it, presents it [opposite the south west corner of the altar], sets the table [with the shew bread], trims the lamps, takes off the handful [of flour from the meal-offering] or receives the blood. — [if he did any of these] outside [the Temple Court], he is not liable [to extinction]. Nor is punishment incurred for any of these acts