Sanhedrin 212:1

(יהושע יג, כב) הרגו בני ישראל [בחרב] אל חלליהם אמר רב שקיימו בו ארבע מיתות סקילה ושריפה הרג וחנק

&nbsp; <u><i>Did the children of Israel slay with the sword among them that were slain by them.</i><span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Ibid. ');">¹</span></u> Rab said: <font>They subjected him to four deaths, stoning, burning, decapitation and strangulation</font>.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' This is suggested by the use of the plural 'among them that were slain by them,' intimating that the various deaths inflicted upon others were all suffered by Balaam. Thus he was hung (strangulation), a fire was lit under him (burning), his head was struck off (decapitation), and then he was allowed to fall to earth (stoning); v. supra 45a. ');">²</span>

א"ל ההוא מינא לר' חנינא מי שמיע לך בלעם בר כמה הוה א"ל מיכתב לא כתיב אלא מדכתיב (תהלים נה, כד) אנשי דמים ומרמה לא יחצו ימיהם בר תלתין ותלת שנין או בר תלתין וארבע א"ל שפיר קאמרת לדידי חזי לי פנקסיה דבלעם והוה כתיב ביה בר תלתין ותלת שנין בלעם חגירא כד קטיל יתיה פנחס ליסטאה

<font>A certain min</font><span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Heretic, v. Glos. ');">³</span> said to R. Hanina: Hast thou heard how old <font>Balaam</font> was? — He replied: It is not actually stated, but since it is written, <font>Bloody and deceitful men shall not live out half their days</font>,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Ps. LV, 24. ');">⁴</span>

א"ל מר בריה דרבינא לבריה בכולהו לא תפיש למדרש לבר מבלעם הרשע דכמה דמשכחת ביה דרוש ביה

[it follows that] <font>he was thirty-three or thirty-four years old</font>.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' cf. p. 471, n. 1. ');">⁵</span> He rejoined: Thou hast said correctly; I personally have seen <font>Balaam's Chronicle</font>, in which it is stated, '<font>Balaam</font> the lame was thirty years old when <font>Phinehas the Robber</font> killed him.'<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' [According to the view that all the Balaam passages are anti-Christian in tendency, Balaam being used as an alias for Jesus, Phinehas the Robber is thus taken to represent Pontius Pilatus, and the Chronicle of Balaam probably to denote a Gospel (v. Herford op. cit. 72ff.). This view is however disputed by Bacher and others: cf. Ginzberg, Journal of Biblical Literature, XLI, 121.] ');">⁶</span>

כתיב דואג וכתיב דוייג אמר ר' יוחנן בתחילה יושב הקב"ה ודואג שמא יצא זה לתרבות רעה לאחר שיצא אמר ווי שיצא זה

&nbsp; &nbsp; Mar, the son of Rabina, said to his sons: <font>In the case of all [those mentioned as having no portion in the future world]</font> you should not take [the Biblical passages dealing with them] to expound them [to their discredit], <font>excepting in the case of the wicked Balaam: whatever you find [written] about him, lecture upon it [to his disadvantage]</font>. Scripture writes Doeg<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I Sam. XXI, 8. [H] denoting 'anxious'. ');">⁷</span>

(סימן גבור ורשע וצדיק חיל וסופר)

and Doeeg:<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Ibid. XXII, 18. [H] with letters [H] 'woe' being inserted, ');">⁸</span> R. Johanan said: At first the Holy One, blessed be He, sits and is anxious lest one go out on an evil course. But when he has done so, He exclaims, 'Woe, that he has entered [on an evil path]!'

א"ר יצחק מאי דכתיב (תהלים נב, ג) מה תתהלל ברעה הגבור חסד אל כל היום אמר לו הקב"ה לדואג לא גבור בתורה אתה מה תתהלל ברעה לא חסד אל נטוי עליך כל היום

(Mnemonic: <i>The Mighty, Wicked, Righteous, Riches, Scribe</i>.) R. Isaac said: What is meant by the verse, Why boastest thou thyself in mischief, O mighty man? The goodness of God endureth continually?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Ps. LII, 3. ');">⁹</span>

וא"ר יצחק מאי דכתיב (תהלים נ, טז) ולרשע אמר אלהים מה לך לספר חוקי אמר לו הקב"ה לדואג הרשע מה לך לספר חוקי כשאתה מגיע לפרשת מרצחים ופרשת מספרי לשון הרע מה אתה דורש בהם (תהלים נ, טז) ותשא בריתי עלי פיך אמר ר' אמי אין תורתו של דואג אלא משפה ולחוץ

— The Holy One, blessed be He, said to Doeg,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The psalm deals with Doeg; v. superscription in v. 2. ');">¹⁰</span> 'Art thou not a mighty man in Torah? Why then boastest thou thyself in mischief?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I.e., to slander David and Abimelech for succouring him. ');">¹¹</span>

ואמר רבי יצחק מאי דכתיב (תהלים נב, ח) ויראו צדיקים וייראו ועליו ישחקו בתחילה ייראו ולבסוף ישחקו

Is not the love of God continually spread over thee?' R. Isaac also said: What is meant by the verse; But unto the wicked God sayeth, What hast thou to do to declare my statutes?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Ibid. L, 16. ');">¹²</span> The Holy One, blessed be He, said to the wicked Doeg, 'What hast thou to do to declare [i.e., study] my statutes: when thou comest to the sections dealing with murderers and slanderers, how dost thou expound them?'<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Seeing that thou art both. ');">¹³</span>

וא"ר יצחק מאי דכתיב (איוב כ, טו) חיל בלע ויקיאנו מבטנו יורישנו אל אמר דוד לפני הקב"ה רבש"ע ימות דואג אמר לו חיל בלע ויקיאנו אמר לפניו מבטנו יורישנו אל

Or that thou shouldst take my covenant in thy mouth?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Ibid. ');">¹⁴</span> R. Ammi said: Doeg's learning was only from the lips without.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I.e., it did not penetrate into his heart and mould his character. ');">¹⁵</span>

וא"ר יצחק מאי דכתיב (תהלים נב, ז) גם אל יתצך לנצח אמר הקב"ה לדוד ניתי דואג לעלמא דאתי אמר לפניו גם אל יתצך לנצח מאי דכתיב (תהלים נב, ז) יחתך ויסחך מאהל ושרשך מארץ חיים סלה אמר הקב"ה לימרו שמעתא בי מדרשא משמיה אמר לפניו יחתך ויסחך מאהל ליהוי ליה בנין רבנן ושרשך מארץ חיים סלה

R. Isaac also said: What is meant by the verse, The righteous also shall see, and fear, and shall laugh at him?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Ibid, LII, 8. ');">¹⁶</span> — At first they shall fear [the wicked person], but subsequently laugh at him. R. Isaac also said: What is meant by the verse, He hath swallowed down riches, and he shall vomit them up again: God shall cast them out of his belly?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Job XX, 15. ');">¹⁷</span>

וא"ר יצחק מאי דכתיב (ישעיהו לג, יח) איה סופר איה שוקל איה סופר את המגדלים איה סופר כל אותיות שבתורה איה שוקל ששוקל כל קלים וחמורים שבתורה איה סופר את המגדלים שהיה סופר שלש מאות הלכות פסוקות במגדל הפורח באויר

David pleaded before the Holy One, blessed be He, 'Sovereign of the Universe! Let Doeg die!' He replied, 'He hath swallowed down riches, and he shall vomit them up again.'<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' He has studied the Torah; wait till he forgets it. ');">¹⁸</span> He rejoined, 'Let God cast them out of his belly!'<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Do not wait for him to forget it naturally, but speed his forgetfulness. ');">¹⁹</span>

א"ר ארבע מאה בעיי' בעו דואג ואחיתופל במגדל הפורח באויר [ולא איפשט להו חד] אמר רבא רבותא למבעי בעיי בשני דרב יהודה כולי תנויי בנזיקין ואנן קא מתנינן טובא בעוקצין

R. Isaac also said: What is meant by God shall likewise destroy thee for ever?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Ps. LII, 7. ');">²⁰</span> — The Holy One, blessed be He, said to David, 'Let us bring Doeg to the future world.' He replied to Him, 'God shall likewise destroy thee for ever.' What is meant by the verse, He shall take thee away, and pluck thee out of the tent, and root thee out of the land of the living. Selah?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Ibid. ');">²¹</span>

וכי הוה מטי רב יהודה אשה שכובשת ירק בקדירה ואמרי לה זיתים שכבשן בטרפיהן טהורים אמר הויות דרב ושמואל קא חזינא הכא ואנן קא מתנינן בעוקצין תלת סרי מתיבתא

The Holy One, blessed be He, urged, 'Let a law be stated in his name in the schoolhouse,' but he [David] replied to Him, 'He shall take thee away and pluck thee out of the tent. 'Then let his children be Rabbis!' — 'And thy root [shall be torn out] of the land of the living. Selah!' R. Isaac also said: What is meant by the verse, Where is the enumerator, where is the weigher! Where is he that counted the towers!<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Isa. XXXIII, 18. ');">²²</span> — Where is he who enumerated all the letters of the Torah?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' V. J.E. s.v. Masorah VIII, 366. It is there suggested that the Numerical Masorah, which counted and grouped the various elements of the Biblical text, developed on account of the copyists, who were paid according to the amount. The Talmud regards this as a work of piety and devotion, undertaken with the object of guarding the Bible from the introduction of spurious matter. ');">²³</span>

ורב יהודה שליף מסאני ואתא מטרא ואנן צוחינן וליכא דמשגח בן אלא הקב"ה ליבא בעי דכתיב (שמואל א טז, ז) וה' יראה ללבב

Where is he who weighed all the light [comparatively unimportant] and heavy [important] [precepts] of the Torah?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I.e., who can draw conclusions by means of ad majus arguments. ');">²⁴</span> Where is he that counted the towers — who counted three hundred fixed laws on a 'tower flying in the air.'<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Rashi offers a number of interpretations: (i) who deduced three hundred laws from the upper stroke of the k; (ii) who stated three hundred laws in respect of the defilement of one who enters the land of heathens in a tower-shaped conveyance; (iii) three hundred laws relating to the suspension of a tower in the air by means of enchantment. Another reading is, 'on a tower standing in the air,' i.e., not immediately situated upon the grounds but supported by pillars. The laws will refer to the cleanliness or otherwise of its contents (v. Ohal. IV, 1). ');">²⁵</span>

אמר רב משרשיא דואג ואחיתופל לא [הוו] סברי שמעתא מתקיף לה מר זוטרא מאן דכתיב ביה איה סופר איה שוקל איה סופר את המגדלים ואת אמרת לא הוו סברי שמעתא אלא דלא הוה סלקא להו שמעתא אליבא דהלכתא דכתיב (תהלים כה, יד) סוד ה' ליראיו

R. Ammi said: Doeg and Ahitophel propounded four hundred problems with respect to a tower flying in the air, and not one was solved. Raba observed: Is there any greatness in propounding problems? In the years of Rab Judah the whole study was confined to Nezikin,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' 'Damages', the fourth Order ([H]) of the Talmud. When Rab Judah was head of the academy of Pumbeditha, only the fourth Order was studied, but not the other Orders. This would appear to be the meaning of the passage. But Weiss, Dor III, 196ff, having regard to the abundance of contributions in Rab's name by Rab Judah on the other orders, explains the passage to mean; 'only as far as Nezikin.' i.e., the first four Orders. These being of practical utility, were intensively studied, and new laws stated. But as for the last two Orders dealing with sacrifices and ritual purity, though taught in the academy, no effort was made to formulate new laws, since the subjects were of no practical interest to Babylon, and Rab Judah contented himself with teaching only what had been transmitted to him. ');">²⁶</span> whilst we study a great deal even of 'Ukzin;<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Name of a treatise of the Mishnah and the Tosefta, belonging to the sixth Order; lec. var. 'we study intensively the six Orders.' ');">²⁷</span>

א"ר אמי לא מת דואג עד ששכח תלמודו שנא' (משלי ה, כג) הוא ימות באין מוסר וברוב אולתו ישגה רב (אשי) אמר נצטרע שנאמר (תהלים עג, כז) הצמתה כל זונה ממך

and when Rab Judah came to the law, 'If a woman preserves vegetables in a pot' — or as others say, 'olives which were preserved with their leaves are clean,'<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I.e., if their stalks came into contact with anything unclean, the vegetables or the olives themselves are unaffected. ');">²⁸</span> — he observed, 'I see here the discussion of Rab and Samuel;'<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Rashi interprets: He did not know why they should be clean — i.e., he regarded these subjects as extremely difficult. Weiss a.l. explains: It is sufficient to deal with these matters on the basis of the discussions of Rab and Samuel, without endeavouring to formulate new reasons or laws in connection with them. ');">²⁹</span>

כתיב התם (ויקרא כה, ל) לצמיתות ומתרגמינן לחלוטין ותנן אין בין מוסגר ומוחלט אלא פריעה ופרימה

whilst we, on the other hand, have studied Ukzin at thirteen sessions, yet Rab Judah merely took off his shoes, and the rain came down,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' When special intercessory prayers for rain had to be offered, at which the shoes were removed, Rab Judah merely had to make resort to this self-humiliation in preparation for prayer, and they were immediately answered. ');">³⁰</span> whilst we cry out [in supplication] but there is none to heed us. But it is because the Holy One, blessed be He, requires the heart, as it is written, But the Lord looketh on the heart.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I Sam. XVI, 7. ');">³¹</span>

(סימן שלשה ראו וחצי וקראו)

R. Mesharsheya said: Doeg and Ahitophel did not comprehend legal discussions. Mar Zutra objected: Those of whom it is written, Where is the enumerator, where is the weigher? Where is he that counted the towers?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' V. p. 727. ');">³²</span> yet you say that they did not comprehend legal discussions! — But their views were not in accordance with the <i>halachah</i> [final ruling], as it is written, The secret of the Lord is with them that fear him.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Ps. XXV, 14. ');">³³</span>

א"ר יוחנן שלשה מלאכי חבלה נזדמנו לו לדואג אחד ששכח תלמודו ואחד ששרף נשמתו ואחד שפיזר עפרו בבתי כנסיות ובבתי מדרשות

R. Ammi said: Doeg did not die until he forgot his learning,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' V. supra. ');">³⁴</span> as it is written, He shall die without instruction, and in the greatness of his folly he shall go astray.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Prov. V, 23. ');">³⁵</span>

(א"ר) יוחנן דואג ואחיתופל לא ראו זה את זה דואג בימי שאול ואחיתופל בימי דוד

R. Ashi said: He was smitten with leprosy, for it is said, Thou hast destroyed all them that go a whoring from thee;<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Ps. LXXIII, 27. ');">³⁶</span> whilst elsewhere it is written, [And if it be not redeemed within the space of a full year, then the house&nbsp;… shall be established] la-zemithuth<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' [H]. ');">³⁷</span>

וא"ר יוחנן דואג ואחיתופל לא חצו ימיהם תניא נמי הכי אנשי דמים ומרמה לא יחצו ימיהם כל שנותיו של דואג לא היו אלא שלשים וארבע ושל אחיתופל אינן אלא שלשים ושלש

[to him that hath bought it],<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lev. XXV, 30. ');">³⁸</span> which we translate la-halutin<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' [H], v. Targum Onkelos and Jonathan. ');">³⁹</span>

וא"ר יוחנן בתחלה קרא דוד לאחיתופל רבו ולבסוף קראו חבירו ולבסוף קראו תלמידו בתחילה קראו רבו (תהלים נה, יד) ואתה אנוש כערכי אלופי ומיודעי ולבסוף קראו חבירו (תהלים נה, טו) אשר יחדו נמתיק סוד בבית אלהים נהלך ברגש ולבסוף קראו תלמידו (תהלים מא, י) גם איש שלומי אשר בטחתי בו

[i.e., 'absolutely and definitely the purchasers']. And we learnt: The only difference between him who is a mezora' muhlat [definitely a leper] and one who is locked up [for observation] is in respect of letting the hair grow wild and tearing the garments.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Which shows that the term [H] is employed to denote a leper. Hence, the first verse is to be rendered, Thou hast smitten with definite (leprosy) all them that go a whoring from thee. ');">⁴⁰</span> (Mnemonic: <i>Three, Saw, and Half; and Called</i>.) R. Johanan said: Three destroying angels appeared before Doeg: one caused him to forget his learning, one burnt his soul, and the third scattered his ashes in the synagogues and schoolhouses. R. Johanan also said: Doeg and Ahitophel did not see each other [i.e., were not contemporaries], Doeg living in Saul's reign, Ahitophel in David's. R. Johanan also said: Doeg and Ahitophel did not live out half their days. It has been taught likewise: Bloody and deceitful men shall not live out half their days:<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Ps. LV, 24. ');">⁴¹</span> Doeg's entire lifetime amounted only to thirty four years, and Ahitophel's to thirty three. R. Johanan also said: At first David called Ahitophel his teacher, then his companion [colleague], and finally his disciple. At first he called him his teacher, as it is written, But it was thou, a man mine equal, my guide, and mine acquaintance.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Ibid. 14. ');">⁴²</span> Then his companions [as it is written] We took sweet counsel together, and walked into the house of God in company.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Ibid. 15. ');">⁴³</span> Finally his disciple — Yea, mine own familiar friend, in whom I trusted,