Sanhedrin 37

ואין עשה דוחה לא תעשה ועשה אלא מן האירוסין אמאי יבא עשה וידחה לא תעשה

and a positive command<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Sc. Her husband's brother shall go in into her and take her to him to wife. Deut. XXV, 5. ');">¹</span> cannot abrogate a positive and a negative command. But in the case of a widow after erusin, why [is he not permitted to marry her]?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Since he is interdicted only by a negative command, viz., a widow he shall not take, Lev. XXI, 14. ');">²</span>

גזירה ביאה ראשונה אטו ביאה שניה

The positive command<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Of yibbum. — This is a general rule, where two precepts come into opposition. ');">³</span> should set aside the negative? — The first act of connubial intercourse was forbidden as a preventive measure against further acts.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Which would be a transgression, the precept having been fulfilled by the first. ');">⁴</span>

תניא נמי הכי אם קדמו ובעלו ביאה ראשונה קנו ואסור לקיימן בביאה שניה:

It has been taught likewise: [Where the widow is forbidden in marriage to the brother-in-law by a negative or positive command] and he has connubial relations at all with her, he acquires [her in marriage] but may not retain her for further cohabitation.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' V. Yeb. 20b. This proves that a second act of connubial relationship is forbidden. ');">⁵</span> IF A DEATH HAPPENS IN HIS FAMILY. Our Rabbis taught: Neither shall he go out of the Sanctuary:<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lev. XXI, 12. ');">⁶</span>

מת לו מת כו': ת"ר (ויקרא כא, יב) ומן המקדש לא יצא לא יצא עמהן אבל יוצא הוא אחריהן כיצד הן נכסין והוא נגלה הן ניגלין והוא נכסה:

[this means,] he shall not go out with them, but he may go after them. How so? — When they [the other mourners] disappear, he may reveal himself [to the public]; and when they appear [in a street], he must be hidden [in another].<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' V. notes on Mishnah. ');">⁷</span> AND HE MAY GO WITH THEM AS FAR AS THE ENTRANCE GATE OF THE CITY. [R. JUDAH SAID… BECAUSE IT IS WRITTEN&nbsp;…]. Surely R. Judah's argument is correct? — R. Meir will tell you: in that case,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' If the verse is meant literally. ');">⁸</span>

ויוצא עד פתח כו': שפיר קאמר ר' יהודה

he must not [leave the Temple] even for his house!<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Which is absurd. He must go home sometimes. ');">⁹</span> Hence this must be the meaning of, Neither shall he go out of the Sanctuary: He must not depart from [i.e., profane] his holy status, and in this case, since he has something to remind him [of his status]<a rel="footnote" href="#56a_10">¹⁰</a>

אמר לך רבי מאיר אי הכי לביתו נמי לא אלא ה"ק מן המקדש לא יצא מקדושתו לא יצא וכיון דאית ליה הכירא לא אתי למינגע

he will not come into contact [with the dead]. And R. Judah? — Owing to his bitter grief, he might be tempted to overlook that, and thus come into contact [therewith]. WHEN HE GOES TO CONSOLE OTHERS. Our Rabbis taught: When he passes along the row to comfort others, the Segan<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' V. p. 91, n. 11. [The Segan generally rendered 'deputy high priest' Schurer, II, 421, identifies him with the [G] mentioned in Josephus, the superintendent of the Temple service. V., however, Schwarz, A., in MGWJ., LXIV, 30ff. ');">¹¹</span>

ורבי יהודה אגב מרריה דילמא מקרי ואתי ונגע:

and the former High Priest<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' [H] lit., 'the anointed who has passed (from his office)'. Provisional High Priest — a Priest who is appointed to act as a substitute for the High Priest when temporarily disqualified by uncleanness. When the first returns to office, this one is known as the ex-anointed. ');">¹²</span> stand on his right; whilst the Rosh-Beth-Ab,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' [H]. Priests were divided into eight divisions, each called Mishmar; and each Mishmar was again divided into six subdivisions, called Beth-Ab, for the service of each week-day. The chief of these sub-divisions was called Rosh-beth-ab. Cf. Maim, Yad, Kele Hamikdash, IV, 3-11. ');">¹³</span>

כשהוא מנחם: ת"ר כשהוא עובר בשורה לנחם את אחרים סגן ומשוח שעבר בימינו וראש בית אב ואבלים וכל העם משמאלו וכשהוא עומד בשורה ומתנחם מאחרים סגן מימינו וראש בית אב וכל העם משמאלו

the mourners and all the people are on his left. And when he stands in the row to be comforted by others, the Segan is stationed on his right and the Rosh Beth Ab and all the public on his left. But the former High Priest is not present on this latter occasion. Why? — He [the High Priest] might feel depressed by the thought, 'He rejoices at my misfortune.'<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Probably because the Mashuah she-'abar would be reluctant to hand over the office, and so bear ill-feelings against the rightful occupant. ');">¹⁴</span> From this Baraitha. says R. Papa, we can infer three things: [i] that the Segan [here] and the Memunneh [in the Mishnah] are identical;<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' This is deduced from the fact that the High Priest here also is placed between the mourners and the public. ');">¹⁵</span>

אבל משוח שעבר לא אתי גביה מ"ט חלשא דעתיה סבר קא חדי בי א"ר פפא ש"מ מהא מתניתא תלת שמע מינה היינו סגן היינו ממונה ושמע מינה אבלים עומדין וכל העם עוברין ושמע מינה אבלים לשמאל המנחמין הן עומדין

[ii] that the mourners stand, while the people pass by; [iii] that the mourners are placed to the left of the comforters. Our Rabbis taught: Formerly the mourners used to stand still while the people passed by. But there were two families in Jerusalem who contended with one another, each maintaining, 'We shall pass first'. So the Rabbis established the rule that the public should remain standing and the mourners pass by.

ת"ר בראשונה היו אבלים עומדין וכל העם עוברין והיו ב' משפחות בירושלים מתגרות זו בזו זאת אומרת אני עוברת תחלה וזאת אומרת אני עוברת תחלה התקינו שיהא העם עומדין ואבלים עוברין:

Rammi bar Abba said: R. Jose restored the earlier custom in Sepphoris,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' [H] (lit. 'bird'). Important city in Galilee, at one time its capital. Frequently identified in the Talmud (Meg. 6a) with Kitron (Judges I, 30). R. Jose was born in Sepphoris and knew it well. [V. Klein, S. [H] rt. [H], 54ff.] ');">¹⁶</span> that the mourners should stand still and the public pass by. He also said: R. Jose enacted in the same town that a woman should not walk in the street followed by her child,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' But that she should follow the child. ');">¹⁷</span>

(חזר והלך וסיפר סימן):

owing to an incident that once happened.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Rashi says: Once immoral men kidnapped a child which was following its mother, and she was searching for it, lured her into a house and there assaulted her. ');">¹⁸</span> Further, Rammi B. Abba said: R. Jose also enacted in that town that women while in the closet should talk to one another for the sake of privacy. [from the intrusion of men].

אמר רמי בר אבא החזיר רבי יוסי את הדבר ליושנו בציפורי שיהיו אבלים עומדין וכל העם עוברין ואמר רמי בר אבא התקין רבי יוסי בציפורי שלא תהא אשה מהלכת בשוק ובנה אחריה משום מעשה שהיה ואמר רמי בר אבא התקין ר' יוסי בציפורי שיהיו נשים מספרות בבית הכסא משום ייחוד

R. Manashia b. 'Awath said: I inquired of R. Josiah the Great, in the grave-yard of Huzal,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' [A place between Nehardea and Sura. Obermeyer op. cit. p. 299]. ');">¹⁹</span> and he told me that a row [for condolence] must consist of not less than ten people, excluding the mourners, and that it was immaterial whether the mourners stood still and the public passed by, or the mourners passed by and the public remained standing.

אמר רב מנשיא בר עות שאילית את רבי יאשיה רבה בבית עלמין דהוצל ואמר לי אין שורה פחותה מעשרה בני אדם ואין אבלים מן המנין בין שאבלים עומדין וכל העם עוברין בין שאבלים עוברין וכל העם עומדין:

WHEN HE IS COMFORTED BY OTHERS etc. The schoolmen asked: When he consoled others, what did he say to them? — Come and hear! 'And he said [to them], Be comforted'. On what occasion [did he actually say this]? Shall we say, when others comforted him? But how could he say, 'Be comforted'? He would suggest ill-omen to them! — it must therefore be taken that when he comforted others, he said: 'Be comforted'. Draw your own conclusion! THE KING MAY NEITHER JUDGE etc. R. Joseph said: This refers only to the Kings of Israel, but the Kings of the House of David may judge and be judged, as it is written, O House of David, thus saith the Lord, execute justice in the morning;<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Jer. XXI, 12. ');">²⁰</span>

כשהוא מתנחם כו': איבעיא להו כי מנחם הוא אחריני היכי אמר להו ת"ש והוא אומר תתנחמו היכי דמי אילימא כי מנחמי אחריני לדידיה אמר להו איהו תתנחמו נחשא קא רמי להו אלא כי מנחם לאחריני אמר להו תתנחמו ש"מ:

and if they may not be judged, how could they judge: is it not written, Hithkosheshu wakoshshu,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Zeph. II, 1. ');">²¹</span> which Resh Lakish interpreted. 'adorn yourself first and then adorn others'?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' V. p. 92. n. 6. ');">²²</span>

מלך לא דן כו': אמר רב יוסף לא שנו אלא מלכי ישראל אבל מלכי בית דוד דן ודנין אותן דכתיב (ירמיהו כא, יב) בית דוד כה אמר ה' דינו לבקר משפט ואי לא דיינינן ליה אינהו היכי דייני והכתיב (צפניה ב, א) התקוששו וקושו ואמר ר"ל קשט עצמך ואחר כך קשט אחרים

But why this prohibition of the kings of Israel? Because of an incident which happened with a slave of King Jannai.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Alexander Jannaeus (Jonathan) lived 103-76 B.C.E. third son of John Hyrcanus, King of Judea but not of the House of David. ');">²³</span> who killed a man. Simeon b. Shetah<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' He was a brother of the queen (v. Ber. 48a), yet the relationship of the ruler with the Pharisees, of whom Simeon b. Shetah was the head, was one of bitter antagonism. History relates most cruel acts which Jannai committed against them (v. Graetz, Geschichte III, 146ff.) At times during his reign, the Sanhedrin consisted almost entirely of Sadducees, Simeon being the only Pharisee among them (v. Meg. Ta'anith 10). This fact might be traced also from this incident [V. Hyman, A., Toledoth, III, 124. A similar story is related by Josephus. (Ant. XIV, 9, 4) of Herod who, as 'servant' of Hyrcanus was charged with murder. The identification of the incident related here with that reported by Josephus, involving a confusion of names on the part of the Talmud, as suggested by Krauss, Sanhedrin-Makkot, 103, is quite unwarranted.] ');">²⁴</span>

אלא מלכי ישראל מ"ט לא משום מעשה שהיה דעבדיה דינאי מלכא קטל נפשא אמר להו שמעון בן שטח לחכמים תנו עיניכם בו ונדוננו שלחו ליה עבדך קטל נפשא שדריה להו שלחו לי' תא אנת נמי להכא (שמות כא, כט) והועד בבעליו אמרה תורה יבא בעל השור ויעמוד על שורו

said to the Sages: 'Set your eyes boldly upon him and let us judge him.' So they sent the King word, saying: 'Your slave has killed a man.' Thereupon he sent him to them [to be tried]. But they again sent him a message 'Thou too must come here, for the Torah says, If warning has been given to its owners,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Ex. XXI, 29. ');">²⁵</span> [teaching], that the owner of the ox must come and stand by his ox.'<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' So too in the case of a slave, who is regarded as one of the chattels of his master. ');">²⁶</span>

אתא ויתיב א"ל שמעון בן שטח ינאי המלך עמוד על רגליך ויעידו בך ולא לפנינו אתה עומד אלא לפני מי שאמר והיה העולם אתה עומד שנאמר (דברים יט, יז) ועמדו שני האנשים אשר להם הריב וגו' אמר לו לא כשתאמר אתה אלא כמה שיאמרו חבריך

The king accordingly came and sat down. Then Simeon b. Shetah said: 'Stand on thy feet, King Jannai, and let the witnesses testify against thee; yet it is not before us that thou standest, but before Him who spoke and the world came into being, as it is written, Then both the men between whom the controversy is, shall stand etc.'<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Deut. XIX, 17. ');">²⁷</span> 'I shall not act in accordance with what thou sayest, but in accordance with what thy colleagues say,' he answered.