Sanhedrin 51

Chapter 51

א ומיגנזו כולי עלמא כי אתי א"ל ממאן נבעי

1 whereupon they all hid themselves. When the officer arrived [and rebukedhim for failing in his duty,] he would say: Of whom shall I make thedemand?1

ב כי ניחא נפשיה א"ל שקולו תליסר מעי דציירי לי בסדינאי והדרו ליה לפלניא דשקלתינהו מיניה ולא איצטריכו לי:

2 Before he died, he said: Take the thirteenma'ahs2

ג א"ר שמעון בתחילה היו קוראין אותן אוספי שביעית:

3 that are tied in my sheetsand return them to so and so, for I took them from him [by way of tax] andhave had no need for them.

ד מאי קאמר אמר רב יהודה ה"ק בתחילה היו אומרים אוספי שביעית כשרין סוחרין פסולין

4 R. SIMEON SAID, AT FIRST … GATHERERS OF THE PRODUCE OF THE SABBATICALYEAR. What does he mean? — Rab Judah said: This; at first they [the Rabbis]ruled that gatherers of the Sabbaticalproduce<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' It was permissible to gather Sabbatical produce and keep it as long as the same kind was available for the beasts of the field too. But when that was consumed, private possession was forbidden, and the produce had to be removed from the house and deposited in the fields, where it would be free to all. Now, in the case under discussion, it might have been possible for the gatherers to consume all they had gathered before the 'time of removal', in which case they committed no transgression; therefore they were not disqualified. [Yad Ramah adds 'even if they happened to sell any of the hoard'.] ');">3

ה משרבו ממציאי מעות לעניים ואזלי עניים ואספי להו ומייתו חזרו לומר אחד זה ואחד זה פסולין

5 are eligible, but tradersin it are not. But when they saw that large numbers offered money to thepoor,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The poor could gather from all fields irrespective of the 'time of removal' (cf. Sheb. IX, 8; Nahmanides on Lev. XXV, 7), but only for their personal use. Thus, these wealthy men were disqualified because they virtually bribed the poor to trade therein. According to this, the Mishnah must be explained thus: At first, these were only regarded as gatherers (from the poor), and therefore eligible. But subsequently, when owing to the increase of oppressors (q.v. Mishnah), the practice of making gifts to the poor grew apace, the donors were classed as traders, not merely gatherers, and therefore disqualified (Rashi). [According to Yad Ramah it was the poor who were declared disqualified, as traffickers in Sabbatical produce.] ');">4

ו קשו בה בני רחבה האי משרבו האנסים משרבו התגרין מיבעי ליה

6 who then went, gathered theproduce and brought it to them, they revised the law and enacted that both[gatherers and traders] are ineligible. The sons ofRehabah5

ז אלא בתחילה היו אומרים אחד זה ואחד זה פסולין משרבו האנסין ומאי נינהו ארנונא כדמכריז רבי ינאי פוקו וזרעו בשביעית משום ארנונא חזרו לומר אוספין כשרין סוחרין פסולין

7 objected to this: Does thismean, WHEN THE OPPRESSORS GREW IN NUMBER? It should then have been worded:When the traders grew in number! But we may explain it thus: At first theyruled that both [even gatherers] were ineligible. But when THE OPPRESSORSGREW IN NUMBER, viz., the [collectors of]Arnona6

ח ר' חייא בר זרנוקי ור"ש בן יהוצדק הוו קאזלי לעבר שנה בעסיא פגע בהו ריש לקיש איטפיל בהדייהו אמר איזיל איחזי היכי עבדי עובדא

8 (judging by R. Jannai'sproclamation, 'Go and sow your seed [even] in the Sabbatical year, becauseof the [collectors of] Arnona,')<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The observance of the Sabbatical year in post-Temple times was merely Rabbinical and therefore R. Jannai felt justified in abrogating it in the face of dire necessity (Rashi). [The privilege which the Jews enjoyed since the days of Caesar exempting them from taxes in the Sabbatical year (v. Josephus, Ant. XIV, 10, 5-6) was abrogated in the year 261 C.E. V. Graetz IV, 213, and Auerbach, M., Jahrb. d. jud. liter. Gesel. V, 155-188]. ');">7

ט חזייה לההוא גברא דקא כריב אמר להן כהן וחורש אמרו לו יכול לומר אגיסטון אני בתוכו

9 they revised the law and enacted that onlytraders were disqualified but notgatherers.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Accordingly, the Mishnah is thus to be interpreted: AT FIRST … GATHERERS etc. i.e., even gatherers were classed amongst the ineligibles; BUT … TRADERS, i.e., only the latter were so designated, but not the former. ');">8

י תו חזייה לההוא גברא דהוה כסח בכרמי אמר להן כהן וזמר א"ל יכול לומר לעקל בית הבד אני צריך אמר להם הלב יודע אם לעקל אם לעקלקלות

10 R. Hiyya b. Zarnuki and R. Simeon b. Jehozadak once went toAssia<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Tosaf. regards it as a district outside Palestine and, since it was thus not qualified as a place for the intercalation of a year (cf. supra 11b), suggests that they must have gone there only for the purpose of calculating. (V. Yeb. 164). It is, however, probably Essa, east of the lake Tiberias, Neub. p. 38. 'Weinstein maintains that it is identical with Callirhoe and its surroundings on the east of the Jordan, near the Dead Sea (Jast.). [Halevy, Doroth, Ie, 787, suggests that Assia was specially chosen for the Intercalation as it was considered a safe place owing to its hot springs which attracted many visitors from far and wide, and the arrival of the Rabbis would not rouse the suspicion of the Romans.] ');">9

יא הי אמר להו ברישא אילימא הא קמייתא אמר להו ברישא הא נמי לימרו אגיסטון אני בתוכו אלא הא אמר ליה ברישא והדר אמר להו הך

11 to intercalate theyear.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' From the context it appears that the incident must have happened in a Sabbatical year. But no intercalation could take place in such a year, (v. supra 12a) hence, as has been said, Tosaf. suggests that they must have gone there only for the purpose of making the necessary calculations. But even a Sabbatical year may be intercalated in an emergency. Cf. Yad, Kid. Hahodesh, 4, 16. ');">10

יב מאי שנא כהן משום דחשידי אשביעית

12 They were met by Resh Lakish,who joined them, saying, 'I will come and see their procedure.'11

יג (דתנן) סאה תרומה שנפלה למאה סאין של שביעית תעלה פחות מיכן ירקבו

13 On theway, he saw a man ploughing, and remarked to them, 'That man who is ploughingis a priest.'12

יד והוינן בה אמאי ירקבו ימכרנו לכהן בדמי תרומה חוץ מדמי אותה סאה

14 But they replied, 'Can he not say: I am an imperialservant<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Heb. [H] or [H] (Augustanus, Augustanius), a servant in a colonia Augustana (Jast.); an imperial servant, and therefore engaged in permissible labour. [Krauss, Lehnworter, derives it from [G], 'a farmer-tenant.'] ');">13

טו ואמר רב חייא משמיה דעולא זאת אומרת נחשדו כהנים אשביעית

15 on the estate?' Furtheron he saw a man pruning his vineyard, and again observed, 'That pruner isa priest.' 'But', they demurred, 'he might say: I need [the twigs] to makea bale14

טז אמרו טרודא הוא דין כי מטו להתם סליקו לאיגרא שלפוה לדרגא מתותיה

16 ['akkel] for the wine-press,[a legitimate purpose].' 'The heart knows whether it is for 'akkel' or'akalkaloth [perverseness]', heretorted.15

יז אתא לקמיה דרבי יוחנן א"ל בני אדם החשודין על השביעית כשרין לעבר שנה

17 — Now, which remark didhe make first? Shall we say, his first remark was the one first recorded:then for the other too they could have suggested [the same excuse], 'I aman imperial servant on the estate.' Hence the latter remark must have comefirst: and only subsequently did he make the other observation.

יח הדר אמר לא קשיא לי מידי דהוה אשלשה רועי בקר ורבנן אחושבנייהו סמוך

18 Why was each assumed to be a priest? — Because they [the priests] are suspected of breakingthe Sabbatical laws, as it has been taught; If a se'ah ofTerumah16

יט והדר אמר לא דמי התם הדור אימנו רבנן ועברוה לההוא שתא הכא קשר רשעים הוא וקשר רשעים אינו מן המנין אמר רבי יוחנן דא עקא

19 [accidentally] fall intoa hundred se'ahs of Sabbatical produce, it [the Terumah] isneutralised.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' So that the whole may be eaten by a non-priest. In the case of other forbidden objects, a quantity of permitted food in a ratio of 60-1, is necessary for neutralisation (v. Hul. 98a); but in the case of Terumah, a hundred fold is necessary. Cf. Ter. IV, 7. ');">17

כ כי אתו לקמיה דרבי יוחנן אמרו ליה קרי לן רועי בקר ולא אמר ליה מר ולא מידי אמר להו ואי קרי לכו רועי צאן מאי אמינא ליה

20 In case of a lesserquantity [of Sabbatical produce], the whole must be left torot.18

כא מאי קשר רשעים שבנא הוה דריש בתליסר רבוותא חזקיה הוה דריש בחד סר רבוותא

21 Now, we raised the question,Why must it be left to rot? Why not let it be sold to a priest at a priceof Terumah19

כב כי אתא סנחריב וצר עלה דירושלים כתב שבנא פתקא שדא בגירא שבנא וסיעתו השלימו חזקיה וסיעתו לא השלימו שנאמר (תהלים יא, ב) כי הנה הרשעים ידרכון קשת כוננו חצם על יתר

22 less the value of theone se'ah!<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Which in any case belonged to the priest. Sabbatical produce may be sold on condition that both the produce itself, and the money paid for it, be consumed before the 'time of removal'. ');">20

כג הוה קא מסתפי חזקיה אמר דילמא חס ושלום נטיה דעתיה דקוב"ה בתר רובא כיון דרובא מימסרי אינהו נמי מימסרי בא נביא ואמר לו (ישעיהו ח, יב) לא תאמרון קשר לכל אשר יאמר העם הזה קשר כלומר קשר רשעים הוא וקשר רשעים אינו מן המנין

23 To which R. Hiyya repliedon the authority of 'Ulla: Thisfact21

כד הלך לחצוב לו קבר בקברי בית דוד בא נביא ואמר לו (ישעיהו כב, טז) מה לך פה ומי לך פה כי חצבת לך פה קבר הנה ה' מטלטלך טלטלה גבר

24 proves that the priests weresuspected of violating the laws of the Sabbaticalyear.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' By benefiting from the produce after the 'time of removal'. This suspicion arose because they claimed that just as Terumah and other consecrated objects were permitted to them, though not to other Israelites, so should Sabbatical produce. ');">22

כה אמר רב טלטולא דגברא קשי מדאיתתא

25 [To resume the narrative.] Theysaid:23

כו (ישעיהו כב, יז) ועטך עטה אמר רבי יוסי ברבי חנינא מלמד שפרחה בו צרעת כתיב הכא ועטך עטה וכתיב התם (ויקרא יג, מה) ועל שפם יעטה

26 He is a troublesome person,and so, on reaching their destination, they ascended to the upperchamber,24

כז (ישעיהו כב, יח) צנוף יצנפך צנפה כדור אל ארץ רחבת ידים וגו' תנא הוא ביקש קלון בית אדניו לפיכך נהפך כבודו לקלון כי הוה נפיק איהו אתא גבריאל אחדיה לדשא באפי משרייתיה

27 and removed theladder.25 Thereupon he [Resh Lakish]went before R. Johanan and asked: Are people suspected of trespassing Sabbaticallaws26 qualified to intercalate theyear? But on second thoughts he said: This presents no difficulty, for thereis a similar case of threecowherds,27 upon whose calculationsthe Rabbis relied. Subsequently, however, he said: There is no comparisonbetween the two cases; there it was the Rabbis who eventuallydecided28 and declared the yearintercalated,29 whereas here, it isa confederacy of wicked men,30 suchas may not be counted [on the intercalary board]. R. Johanan replied: Thatis a misfortune.31 When they32 came before R. Johanan,they complained: He described us as cowherds, and you made no objectionwhatever.33 R. Johanan answered: Evenhad he called you shepherds,34 whatcould I have said? What is [the reference to] 'a confederacy of wicked men'? — [It is as follows:]Shebna35 expounded [the law] beforethirteen myriads,36 whereas Hezekiahexpounded it only before eleven. WhenSennacherib37 came and besieged Jerusalem,Shebna wrote a note, which he shot on an arrow [into the enemy's camp,declaring]: Shebna and his followers are willing to conclude peace; Hezekiahand his followers are not. Thus it is written, For lo, the wicked bend thebow, they make ready their arrow upon thestring.38 So Hezekiah was afraid,and said: Perhaps, Heaven forfend, the mind of the Holy One, blessed be He,is with the majority; and since they wish to surrender, we must do likewise!Thereupon the Prophet came and reassured him: Say ye not a confederacy,concerning all of whom this people do say, Aconfederacy;39 it is a confederacyof the wicked, and as such cannot be counted [for the purpose of a decision]. [Later, when] Shebna went to hew out for himself a sepulchre among the sepulchresof the house of David, the Prophet came and said to him: What hast thou hereand whom hast thou here that thou hast hewn here a sepulchre? Behold, theLord will hurl thee down as a man ishurled.40 Rab observed: Exile is agreater hardship for men than forwomen.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Deducing this from the verse quoted, 'hurl' referring to exile. Through exile a man loses the sphere of his livelihood, but a woman can assure hers by marriage. ');">41 Yea, He will surely cover thee42 R.Jose son of R. Hanina said: This teaches that he was stricken with leprosy:here it is written, surely cover; and elsewhere [in reference to a leper]it is said, And he shall cover his upperlip.43 He will violently roll and toss thee like a ball into a largecountry.44 It has been taught: He[Shebna] sought the shame of his master's house: therefore his own glorywas turned to shame.45 [For] whenhe went out [on his way to surrender to Sennacherib], Gabriel came and shutthe city gate in the face of his servants

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