Sanhedrin 75

והיא נתעברה מעומד דבר אחר שלתיאל שנשאל על אלתו אל זרובבל שנזרע בבבל ומה שמו נחמיה בן חכליה שמו

yet she<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' His mother. ');">¹</span> did conceive standing.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' For lack of room in prison, v. Lev. Rab. XIX. ');">²</span>

יהודה וחזקיה בני רבי חייא הוו יתבי בסעודתא קמי רבי ולא הוו קא אמרי ולא מידי אמר להו אגברו חמרא אדרדקי כי היכי דלימרו מילתא כיון דאיבסום פתחו ואמרו אין בן דוד בא עד שיכלו שני בתי אבות מישראל ואלו הן ראש גולה שבבבל ונשיא שבארץ ישראל שנאמר (ישעיהו ח, יד) והיה למקדש ולאבן נגף ולצור מכשול לשני בתי ישראל

Another interpretation: Shealtiel, because God obtained<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' [H] 'God asked'. ');">³</span> [of the Heavenly court] absolution from His oath.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Which He had made, to punish Jechoniah with childlessness. ');">⁴</span>

אמר להם בניי קוצים אתם מטילין לי בעיניי א"ל רבי חייא רבי אל ירע בעיניך יין ניתן בשבעים אותיות וסוד ניתן בשבעים אותיות נכנס יין יצא סוד

Zerubbabel [was so called] because he was sown in Babylon.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' [H]. ');">⁵</span> But [his real name was] Nehemiah the son of Hachaliah.

א"ר חסדא אמר מר עוקבא ואמרי לה א"ר חסדא דרש מרי בר מר מאי דכתיב (דניאל ט, יד) וישקד ה' על הרעה ויביאה עלינו כי צדיק ה' אלהינו משום דצדיק ה' וישקד ה' על הרעה ויביאה עלינו אין צדקה עשה הקב"ה עם ישראל שהקדים גלות צדקיהו ועוד גלות יכניה קיימת

Judah and Hezekiah, the sons<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' They were twins. Cf. Yeb. 65b. ');">⁶</span> of R. Hiyya, once sat at table with Rabbi and uttered not a word. Whereupon he said: Give the young men plenty of strong wine,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'Make the wine strong for the young men.' ');">⁷</span>

דכתיב ביה בגלות יכניה (מלכים ב כד, טז) החרש והמסגר אלף חרש כיון שפותחין הכל נעשו כחרשין מסגר כיון שסוגרין בהלכה שוב אין פותחין וכמה היו אלף

so that they may say something. When the wine took effect, they began by saying: The son of David<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I.e., the Messiah. ');">⁸</span> cannot appear ere the two ruling houses in Israel shall have come to an end, viz., the Exilarchate, in Babylon and the Patriarchate in Palestine, for it is written, And he shall be for a Sanctuary, for a stone of stumbling and for a rock of offence to both houses of Israel.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Isa. VIII, 14. ');">⁹</span>

עולא אמר שהקדים שתי שנים לונושנתם

Thereupon he [Rabbi] exclaimed: You throw thorns in my eyes, my children!<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' They were foretelling the abolition of the Nasi's office which he, Rabbi, occupied. ');">¹⁰</span> At this, R. Hiyya [his disciple] remarked: Master, be not angered, for the numerical value of the letters of yayin<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' [H] 10 + 10 + 50 = 70. [Ms.M. omits [H] letters. If retained it must be taken as a direct translation of the Gr. grammata derived from gramma 'letter', hence the equivalent of [H], cf. Rashi. V. Gandz, S., op. cit. 90 and J.E. V, 589.] ');">¹¹</span>

א"ר אחא בר יעקב שמע מינה מהרה דמרי עלמא תמני מאה וחמשין ותרתין הוו:

is seventy, and likewise the letters of sod:<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' [H] 60 + 6 + 4 = 70. ');">¹²</span> When yayin [wine] goes in, sod [secrets] comes out.

לפיכך כו': תנו רבנן אדם יחידי נברא ומפני מה שלא יהו המינים אומרין הרבה רשויות בשמים דבר אחר מפני הצדיקים ומפני הרשעים שלא יהו הצדיקים אומרים אנו בני צדיק ורשעים אומרים אנו בני רשע

R. Hisda said in Mar 'Ukba's name — others state, R. Hisda quoted from a lecture of Mari b. Mar: What is meant by the verse, And so the Lord hath hastened<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' For this meaning of [H] (E.V. 'watched over'), cf. Jer. I, 12: [H] hasten. ');">¹³</span> the evil and brought it upon us, for the Lord our God is righteous?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Dan. IX, 14. ');">¹⁴</span>

דבר אחר מפני המשפחות שלא יהו משפחות מתגרות זו בזו ומה עכשיו שנברא יחיד מתגרות נבראו שנים על אחת כמה וכמה דבר אחר מפני הגזלנין ומפני החמסנין ומה עכשיו שנברא יחידי גוזלין וחומסין נבראו שנים על אחת כמה וכמה:

Because God is righteous He hastened with the evil and brought it upon us! — Even so: the Holy One, blessed be He, did a righteous [i.e., charitable] thing unto Israel in that he anticipated the exile of Zedekiah while the exile of Jechoniah was yet in being,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' So that the great scholars who were exiled with Jechoniah were still alive to transmit their traditional teachings to their posterity (Rashi.) ');">¹⁵</span> for it is written with reference to the latter, And the craftsmen [he-harash] and the smiths [masger], a thousand.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' II Kings XXIV, 16. ');">¹⁶</span>

ולהגיד גדולתו כו': תנו רבנן להגיד גדולתו של מלך מלכי המלכים הקדוש ברוך הוא שאדם טובע כמה מטבעות בחותם אחד וכולן דומין זה לזה אבל הקדוש ברוך הוא טובע כל אדם בחותמו של אדם הראשון ואין אחד מהן דומה לחבירו שנא' (איוב לח, יד) תתהפך כחומר חותם ויתיצבו כמו לבוש

Harash,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' [H], 'craftsman' or 'deaf' (with different pointing in each case). ');">¹⁷</span> implies, as soon as they opened a [learned] discussion, all [the others] became as though deaf.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I.e., they overwhelmed them with the depth of their wisdom ');">¹⁸</span>

ומפני מה אין פרצופיהן דומין זה לזה שלא יראה אדם דירה נאה ואשה נאה ויאמר שלי היא שנאמר (איוב לח, טו) וימנע מרשעים אורם וזרוע רמה תשבר

Masger:<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' [H] (E.V. 'smith') from [H] 'to close'. ');">¹⁹</span> i.e., when they closed [the discussion of] a <i>halachah</i>, it was not reopened.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' None would presume to cast the least doubt on their ruling. ');">²⁰</span>

תניא היה רבי מאיר אומר בשלשה דברים אדם משתנה מחבירו בקול במראה ובדעת בקול ובמראה משום ערוה ובדעת מפני הגזלנין והחמסנין

And how many were they? — A thousand. 'Ulla said: He advanced [the exile by] two years as compared with the period indicated by we-noshantem.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' And ye shall have been long (lit., 'grown old'). Deut. IV, 25. The numerical value of [H] (6 + 50 + 6 + 300 + 50 + 400 + 40) is eight hundred and fifty-two. Subtracting two years according to this Haggadah, there are eight hundred and fifty years left, which is the length of time between Israel's entry into Palestine and the destruction of the Temple. The Temple was erected in the four hundred and eightieth year from the Exodus out of Egypt, and it stood for four hundred and ten years. Subtracting forty years for the period of their wanderings in the desert, we reach a total of eight hundred and fifty years that acceleration by two years is here regarded as a 'righteous' (i.e., charitable) act, since it averted the complete destruction threatened in Deut. IV, 26. ');">²¹</span>

ת"ר אדם נברא בערב שבת ומפני מה שלא יהו המינים אומרים שותף היה לו להקדוש ברוך הוא במעשה בראשית דבר אחר שאם תזוח דעתו עליו אומר לו יתוש קדמך במעשה בראשית דבר אחר כדי שיכנס למצוה מיד

R. Aha b. Jacob said: We infer from this that the 'speediness' of the Lord of the universe meant eight hundred and fifty-two years.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' For the following verse states, Ye shall speedily perish completely from off the land. Thus by 'speedily' God meant 852 years, alluded to by we-noshantem. ');">²²</span> THEREFORE etc.

דבר אחר כדי שיכנס לסעודה מיד משל למלך בשר ודם שבנה פלטרין ושיכללן והתקין סעודה ואחר כך הכניס אורחין שנא' (משלי ט, א) חכמת בנתה ביתה חצבה עמודיה שבעה (משלי ט, ב) טבחה טבחה מסכה יינה אף ערכה שולחנה (משלי ט, ג) שלחה נערותיה תקרא על גפי מרומי קרת

Our Rabbis taught: Man was created alone.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I.e., only one man was created. ');">²³</span> And why so? — That the Sadducees<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Many early versions have Minim in this place and in several other instances further on. [H] must have been inserted by the censors, v. p. 234. n. 4. ');">²⁴</span>

חכמת בנתה ביתה זו מידתו של הקב"ה שברא את כל העולם כולו בחכמה חצבה עמודיה שבעה אלו שבעת ימי בראשית טבחה טבחה מסכה יינה אף ערכה שולחנה אלו ימים ונהרות וכל צורכי עולם שלחה נערותיה תקרא זה אדם וחוה

might not say: There are many ruling powers in Heaven. Another answer is: For the sake of the righteous and the wicked; that the righteous might not say: 'Ours is a righteous heredity.'<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' And therefore we have no need to avoid temptation. ');">²⁵</span> and that the wicked might not say: 'Ours is an evil heredity.'<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' And therefore we have no power to resist temptation. ');">²⁶</span>

על גפי מרומי קרת רבה בר בר חנה רמי כתיב על גפי וכתיב על כסא בתחלה על גפי ולבסוף על כסא

Another answer is: For the sake of [the different] families, that they might not quarrel with each other.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' On the superiority of their respective ancestry. ');">²⁷</span> Now, if at present, though but one was [originally] created,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I.e., when they all descend from one father. ');">²⁸</span>

(משלי ט, ד) מי פתי יסור הנה חסר לב אמרה לו אמר הקדוש ברוך הוא מי פתאו לזה אשה אמרה לו דכתיב (משלי ו, לב) נואף אשה חסר לב

they quarrel. how much more if two had been created!<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I.e., if they came from different stocks. ');">²⁹</span> Another answer is: Because of robbers and plunderers: I.e., If at present, though but one was originally created, people rob and plunder, how much more had two been created.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' In which case some might claim that the land originally belonged to their first ancestor. ');">³⁰</span>

תניא היה ר' מאיר אומר אדם הראשון מכל העולם כולו הוצבר עפרו שנאמר (תהלים קלט, טז) גלמי ראו עיניך (וכתיב (דברי הימים ב טז, ט) כי ה' עיניו משוטטות בכל הארץ) אמר רב אושעיא משמיה דרב אדם הראשון

AND AGAIN, TO PROCLAIM THE GREATNESS OF etc. Our Rabbis taught: [The creation of the first man alone] was to show forth the greatness of the Supreme King of kings, the Holy One, blessed be He. For if a man mints many coins from one mould, they are all alike, but the Holy One, blessed be He, fashioned all men in the mould of the first man, and not one resembles the other, for it is written, It is changed as clay under the seal and they stand as a garment.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Job XXXVIII, 14. ');">³¹</span> And why are men's faces not like one another? — Lest a man see a beautiful dwelling or a beautiful woman and say, 'She is mine for it is written, But from the wicked their light is withholden and the high arm is broken.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Ibid. 15, their light = 'their visage', i.e., it is not like their neighbour's; the high arm = 'the excuse for high-handed action'. ');">³²</span> It has been taught: R. Meir used to say: In three things man differs from his fellow: In voice, appearance and mind [i.e., thoughts]. In voice and appearance', to prevent unchastity;<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' In order that the sexes might not be confused either in the darkness or the light. ');">³³</span> 'In mind', because of thieves and robbers.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Who cannot be trusted to know the secrets of others ');">³⁴</span> Our Rabbis taught: Adam was created [last of all beings] on the eve of Sabbath. And why? — Lest the Sadducees say: The Holy One, blessed be He, had a partner [viz., Adam] in His work of creation. Another answer is: In order that, if a man's mind becomes [too] proud, he may be reminded that the gnats preceded him in the order of creation. Another answer is: That he might immediately enter upon the fulfilment of a precept.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The hallowing of the Sabbath. ');">³⁵</span> Another answer is: That he might straightway go in to the banquet.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I.e., that all nature should be ready for his use. ');">³⁶</span> The matter may be compared to a king of flesh and blood who built palaces and furnished them, prepared a banquet, and thereafter brought in the the guests. For it is written: Wisdom hath builded her house, she hath hewn out her seven pillars. She hath prepared her meat, she hath mingled her wine, she hath also furnished her table. She hath sent forth her maidens, she calleth upon the highest places of the city.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Prov. IX, 1-3. ');">³⁷</span> Wisdom hath builded her house, — this is the attribute of the Holy One, blessed be He, who created the world by wisdom. She hath hewn out her seven pillars, — these are the seven days of creation. She hath prepared her meat, she hath mingled her wine, she hath also furnished her table, — these are the seas and the rivers and all the other requirements of the world. She hath sent forth her maidens, she calleth, — this refers to Adam and Eve. Upon the highest places of the city; Rabbah b. Bar Hana opposed [two verses]. It is written, Upon the top of the highest places.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Prov. IX, 3. ');">³⁸</span> But elsewhere it is written, On a seat on the high places.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Prov. IX 14, which denotes a lower station (Rashi). Tosaf. reverses their significance. ');">³⁹</span> — At first<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Before his sin. Tosaf. At first, before Eve was created, he merely sat on the top etc., but afterwards, Eve's creation raised him to a higher pinnacle, so that he had a throne set for him. ');">⁴⁰</span> he was seated upon the 'top' of the highest places, but subsequently upon a 'seat'. Whoso is thoughtless, let him turn in hither; as for him that lacketh understanding, she saith to him.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Ibid. 4. ');">⁴¹</span> The Holy One, blessed be He, said: Who was it that enticed him? — A woman<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Who is referred to as enticing. ');">⁴²</span> hath spoken to him, for it is written, He that committeth adultery with a woman, lacketh understanding.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Ibid. VI, 32. ');">⁴³</span> It has been taught: R. Meir used to say: The dust of the first man was gathered from all parts of the earth, for it is written, Thine eyes did see mine unformed substance,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Ps. CXXXIX, 16. ');">⁴⁴</span> and further it is written, The eyes of the Lord run to and fro through the whole earth.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Zech. IV, 10. Adam's substance was seen by the look of the Lord which sweeps through the whole world. [This is perhaps another way of teaching the 'equality of man', all men having been formed from one and the same common clay, v. Bacher, AT, II, 65.] ');">⁴⁵</span> R. Oshaiah said in Rab's name: Adam's trunk came from Babylon,