Sanhedrin 77

Chapter 77

א (יחזקאל יח, ב) אבות יאכלו בוסר ושיני בנים תקהינה (ויקרא יט, לו) מאזני צדק אבני צדק (משלי יא, ח) צדיק מצרה נחלץ ויבא רשע תחתיו
1 [as illustrations to the verses]. [a] The fathers have eaten sour grapes and the children's teeth are set on edge;<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Ezek. XVIII, 2. ');"><sup>1</sup></span> [b] Just balances, just weights,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lev. XIX, 36. ');"><sup>2</sup></span> [c] The righteous is delivered out of trouble and the wicked comes in in his stead.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Prov. XI, 8 Rashi gives the parables in question, as follows, combined in a single story. [Cf. however, Ms.M.: 'We have only one'.] A fox once craftily induced a wolf to go and join the Jews in their Sabbath preparations and share in their festivities. On his appearing in their midst the Jews fell upon him with sticks and beat him. He therefore came back determined to kill the fox. But the latter pleaded: 'It is no fault of mine that you were beaten, but they have a grudge against your father who once helped them in preparing their banquet and then consumed all the choice bits.' 'And was I beaten for the wrong done by my father?' cried the indignant wolf. 'Yes,' replied the fox, 'the fathers have eaten sour grapes and the children's teeth are set on edge. However,' he continued, 'come with me and I will supply you with abundant food. He led him to a well which had a beam across it from either end of which hung a rope with a bucket attached. The fox entered the upper bucket and descended into the well whilst the lower one was drawn up. 'Where are you going?' asked the wolf. The fox, pointing to the cheese-like reflection of the moon, replied: 'Here is plenty of meat and cheese; get into the other bucket and come down at once.' The wolf did so, and as he descended, the fox was drawn up. 'And how am I to get out?' demanded the wolf. 'Ah' said the fox 'the righteous is delivered out of trouble and the wicked cometh in in his stead. Is it not written, Just balances, just weights'? ');"><sup>3</sup></span>
ב א"ל כופר לרבן גמליאל אלהיכם גנב הוא דכתיב (בראשית ב, כא) ויפל ה' אלהים תרדמה על האדם ויישן אמרה ליה ברתיה שבקיה דאנא מהדרנא ליה אמרה ליה תנו לי דוכוס אחד א"ל למה ליך ליסטין באו עלינו הלילה ונטלו ממנו קיתון של כסף והניחו לנו קיתון של זהב אמר לה ולוואי שיבא עלינו בכל יום ולא יפה היה לו לאדם הראשון שנטלו ממנו צלע אחת ונתנו לו שפחה לשמשו
2 The Emperor<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' [H] So. Ms.M. Cur. edd. [H] 'an infidel'. ');"><sup>4</sup></span> once said to Rabban Gamaliel:<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Gamaliel II, also known as Gamaliel of Jabneh [He visited Rome twice — once during the reign of Domitian and again during that of Nerva, his successor, and the disputations that follow may have taken place on one of these occasions, probably the latter, v. Graetz, MGWJ I, 192ff] ');"><sup>5</sup></span> Your God is a thief, for it is written, And the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man [Adam] and he slept [and He took one of his ribs etc.]<a rel="footnote" href="#56a_6"><sup>6</sup></a>
ג אמר לה הכי קאמינא אלא לשקליה בהדיא אמרה ליה אייתו לי אומצא דבישרא אייתו לה אותבה תותי בחשא אפיקתה אמרה ליה אכול מהאי אמר לה מאיסא לי אמרה ליה ואדם הראשון נמי אי הות שקילה בהדיא הוה מאיסא ליה
3 Thereupon his [the Emperor's]<a rel="footnote" href="#56a_7"><sup>7</sup></a> daughter said to him: Leave him to me and I will answer him, and [turning to the Emperor] said: 'Give me a commander.'<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' [H], guard in charge of a military company. ');"><sup>8</sup></span> 'Why do you need him?' asked he. — 'Thieves visited us last night and robbed us of a silver pitcher, leaving a golden one in its place.' 'Would that such visited us every day!' he exclaimed. 'Ah!' she retorted, 'was it not to Adam's gain that he was deprived of a rib and a wife<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'a handmaid'. ');"><sup>9</sup></span>
ד א"ל כופר לרבן גמליאל ידענא אלהייכו מאי קא עביד (והיכן יתיב) איתנגד ואיתנח א"ל מאי האי א"ל בן אחד יש לי בכרכי הים ויש לי גיעגועים עליו בעינא דמחוית ליה ניהלי אמר מי ידענא היכא ניהו א"ל דאיכא בארעא לא ידעת דאיכא בשמיא ידעת
4 presented to him in its stead to serve him?' He replied: 'This is what I mean: he should have taken it from him openly.'<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I.e., when he was awake. ');"><sup>10</sup></span> Said she to him: 'Let me have a piece of raw meat.' It was given to her. She placed it under her armpit,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Rashi translates: She placed it under the hot ashes, and after roasting it, etc. ');"><sup>11</sup></span> then took it out and offered it to him to eat. 'I find it loathsome,' he exclaimed. 'Even so would she [Eve] have been to Adam had she been taken from him openly,' she retorted.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' One often takes an instinctive dislike to food or other objects if they are first seen in their raw state (Rashi). According to the rending adopted, the flesh was repulsive because it had come into contact with her body. Likewise, had Adam known that Eve was part of his body, he might have been repelled. ');"><sup>12</sup></span>
ה אמר ליה כופר לרבן גמליאל כתיב (תהלים קמז, ד) מונה מספר לכוכבים מאי רבותיה אנא מצינא למימנא כוכבי אייתי חבושי שדינהו בארבילא וקא מהדר להו אמר ליה מנינהו א"ל אוקמינהו א"ל רקיע נמי הכי הדרא
5 The Emperor also said to Rabban Gamaliel: I know what your God is doing, and where He is seated. Rabban Gamaliel became, [as it were] overcome and sighed, and on being asked the reason, answered. 'I have a son in one of the cities of the sea, and I yearn for him. Pray tell me about him.'<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'show him to me.' ');"><sup>13</sup></span> 'Do I then know where he is,' he replied. 'You do not know what is on earth, and yet [claim to] know what is in heaven!' he retorted. Again the Emperor said to Rabban Gamaliel: 'It is written, He counteth the number of the stars etc.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Ps. CXLVII, 4. ');"><sup>14</sup></span>
ו איכא דאמרי הכי א"ל מני לי כוכבי א"ל אימא לי ככיך ושיניך כמה הוה שדא ידיה לפומיה וקא מני להו א"ל דאיכא בפומיך לא ידעת דאיכא ברקיעא ידעת
6 In what way is that remarkable; I too can count them!' Rabban Gamaliel brought some quinces, put them into a sieve, whirled them around, and said: 'Count them.' 'Keep them still,' he requested. Thereupon Rabban Gamaliel observed, 'But the Heavens revolve so.' Some say that the Emperor spoke thus to him: 'The number of the stars is known to me.' Thereupon Rabban Gamaliel asked him, 'How many molars and [other] teeth have you' Putting his hand to his mouth, he began to count them. Said he to him, 'You know not what is in your mouth and yet wouldst know what is in Heaven!' Again the Emperor said to Rabban Gamaliel, 'He who created the mountains did not create the wind, for it is written, For lo, there is a former of mountains and creator of wind.'<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Amos IV, 13. That is how the Emperor must have translated the verse, drawing an inference from the two different words used to denote creation (E.V. = he that formeth the mountains and createth the wind. ');"><sup>15</sup></span> — According to this reasoning, when we find it written of Adam, And He created…<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Gen I, 27. ');"><sup>16</sup></span>
ז א"ל כופר לרבן גמליאל מי שברא הרים לא ברא רוח שנאמר (עמוס ד, יג) כי הנה יוצר הרים ובורא רוח אלא מעתה גבי אדם דכתיב ויברא וייצר הכי נמי מי שברא זה לא ברא זה
7 and, And he formed:<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Ibid. II, 7. ');"><sup>17</sup></span> would you also say that He who created this [one limb] did not create that [another limb]? Further there is a part of the human body just a handbreadth square, which contains two holes,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The part containing both eye and ear. ');"><sup>18</sup></span> and because it is written, He that planteth ear, shall he not hear; he that formeth the eye, shall he not see?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Ps. XCIV, 9. Two different expressions are used for the creation of the eye and ear respectively. ');"><sup>19</sup></span>
ח טפח על טפח יש בו באדם ושני נקבים יש בו מי שברא זה לא ברא זה שנאמר (תהלים צד, ט) הנוטע אוזן הלא ישמע ואם יוצר עין הלא יביט א"ל אין א"ל ובשעת מיתה כולן נתפייסו
8 would you maintain there too that He who created the one did not create the other? 'Even so,' he answered. 'Yet,' he [Rabban Gamaliel] rejoined, 'at death both<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The one who planted and the one who created. I.e., assuming that there were two creators of man, he could not completely die unless both agreed; otherwise, the creator of the eye might insist that the eye goes on living, whilst the creator of the ear might wish it to die. ');"><sup>20</sup></span> are brought to agree! A magi<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' A priest of the Zoroastrian Religion. ');"><sup>21</sup></span>
ט א"ל ההוא אמגושא לאמימר מפלגך לעילאי דהורמיז מפלגך לתתאי דאהורמיז א"ל א"כ היכי שביק ליה אהורמיז להורמיז לעבורי מיא בארעיה
9 once said to Amemar: From the middle of thy [body] upwards thou belongest to Ormuzd;<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Ormuzd, the principle of light, life and good, in the Zoroastrian system, constantly at war with Ahriman (q.v.). ');"><sup>22</sup></span> from the middle downwards, to Ahriman.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Angra Mainyus Lit., 'the Destroyer', the head of the forces of darkness, death and evil. Warfare must be waged between the two, Ormuzd and Ahriman, for twelve thousand years, at the end of which Abriman will be defeated by Ormuzd V. J.E. I, 294. s. v. Ahriman. Hence the upper part of the body, which contains the head and heart, and consequently what is good in man, belongs to the former; the lower half of the body, the seat of the sexual and excretory organs, to the latter. ');"><sup>23</sup></span> The latter asked: Why then does Ahriman permit Ormuzd to send water<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I.e., the excreta. ');"><sup>24</sup></span>
י אמר ליה קיסר לר' תנחום תא ליהוו כולן לעמא חד אמר לחיי אנן דמהלינן לא מצינן מיהוי כוותייכו אתון מהליתו והוו כוותן א"ל מימר שפיר קאמרת מיהו כל דזכי למלכא לשדיוה לביבר שדיוה לביבר ולא אכלוה א"ל ההוא מינא האי דלא אכלוה משום דלא כפין הוא שדיוה ליה לדידיה ואכלוה
10 through his territory? The Emperor proposed to R. Tanhum, 'Come, let us all be one people.' 'Very Well,' he answered, 'but we who are circumcised cannot possibly become like you;<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Circumcision cannot be effaced entirely. ');"><sup>25</sup></span> do ye become circumcised and like us.' The Emperor replied: 'You have spoken well; nevertheless, anyone who gets the better of the king [in debate] must be thrown into the vivarium,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' An enclosure in which wild beast or fish are kept. Perhaps the arena. ');"><sup>26</sup></span>
יא א"ל כופר לר"ג אמריתו כל בי עשרה שכינתא שריא כמה שכינתא איכא קרייה לשמעיה מחא ביה באפתקא א"ל אמאי על שמשא בביתיה דכופר א"ל שמשא אכולי עלמא ניחא ומה שמשא דחד מן אלף אלפי רבוא שמשי דקמי קודשא בריך הוא ניחא לכולי עלמא שכינתא דקב"ה על אחת כמה וכמה
11 So they threw him in, but he was not eaten. Thereupon a heretic remarked: 'The reason they did not eat him is that they are not hungry.' They threw him [the heretic] in, and he was eaten.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' [Herford, op. cit. 253, suggests this Emperor to have been Julian the Apostate (361-363). ');"><sup>27</sup></span> The Emperor said to Rabban Gamaliel: 'Ye maintain that upon every gathering of ten [Jews] the <i>Shechinah</i> rests:<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Cf. Aboth III, 6. ');"><sup>28</sup></span> how many Shechinahs are there then?' Rabban Gamaliel called [Caesar's] servant, and tapped him on the neck,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' So Rashi. Others translate: Struck him with his ladle. ');"><sup>29</sup></span>
יב א"ל ההוא מינא לרבי אבהו אלהיכם גחכן הוא דקאמר ליה ליחזקאל (יחזקאל ד, ד) שכב על צדך השמאלי וכתיב (יחזקאל ד, ו) ושכבת על צדך הימני אתא ההוא תלמידא א"ל מ"ט דשביעתא א"ל השתא אמינא לכו מילתא דשויא לתרוייהו
12 saying, 'Why does the sun enter into Caesar's house?'<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' So Rashi. Others translate: Struck him with his ladle. ');"><sup>29</sup></span> 'But,' he<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I.e., why doest thou permit it to enter? ');"><sup>30</sup></span> exclaimed, 'the sun shines<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Rashi: the infidel. ');"><sup>31</sup></span>
יג אמר הקב"ה לישראל זרעו שש והשמיטו שבע כדי שתדעו שהארץ שלי היא והן לא עשו כן אלא חטאו וגלו מנהגו של עולם מלך בשר ודם שסרחה עליו מדינה אם אכזרי הוא הורג את כולן אם רחמן הוא הורג חצים אם רחמן מלא רחמים הוא מייסר הגדולים שבהן ביסורין אף כך הקב"ה מייסר את יחזקאל כדי למרק עונותיהם של ישראל
13 upon the whole world!' 'Then if the sun, which is but one of the countless myriads of the servants of the Holy One, blessed be He, shines on the whole world, how much more the <i>Shechinah</i> of the Holy One, blessed be He, Himself!' A certain Min said to R. Abbahu: 'Your God is a jester,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'rests'. ');"><sup>32</sup></span> for He said to Ezekiel. Lie down on thy left side,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I.e., He makes His prophets ridiculous. ');"><sup>33</sup></span>
יד א"ל ההוא מינא לרבי אבהו אלהיכם כהן הוא דכתיב (שמות כה, ב) ויקחו לי תרומה כי קבריה למשה במאי טביל וכי תימא במיא והכתיב (ישעיהו מ, יב) מי מדד בשעלו מים
14 and it is also written, Lie on thy right side.'<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Ezek. IV, 4. ');"><sup>34</sup></span> [Just then] a disciple came and asked him: 'What is the reason for the Sabbatical year?' 'Now,' said R. Abbahu, 'I shall give you an answer which will suit you both equally. The Holy One, blessed be He, said to Israel, Sow your seed six years but omit the seventh, that ye may know that the earth is mine<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Ibid. verse 6. ');"><sup>35</sup></span> They, however, did not do so, but sinned and were exiled. Now, it is the universal practice that a king of flesh and blood against whom his subjects<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Cf. Lev. XXV, 3; 21. ');"><sup>36</sup></span>
טו א"ל בנורא טביל דכתיב (ישעיהו סו, טו) כי הנה ה' באש יבא ומי סלקא טבילותא בנורא א"ל אדרבה עיקר טבילותא בנורא הוא דכתיב (במדבר לא, כג) וכל אשר לא יבא באש תעבירו במים
15 have rebelled, if he be cruel, kills them all; if merciful, he slays half of them; but if he is exceptionally merciful,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'His country.' ');"><sup>37</sup></span> he only chastises the great ones.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'A merciful one full of mercy.' ');"><sup>38</sup></span> So also, the Holy One, blessed be He, afflicted Ezekiel in order to cleanse Israel from their iniquities.'
טז אמר ליה ההוא מינא לרבי אבינא כתיב (שמואל ב ז, כג) מי כעמך כישראל גוי אחד בארץ מאי רבותייהו אתון נמי ערביתו בהדן דכתיב (ישעיהו מ, יז) כל הגוים כאין נגדו אמר ליה מדידכו אסהידו עלן דכתיב
16 A certain Min said to R. Abbahu: Your God is a priest, since it is written, That they take for me <i>Terumah</i> [wave offering].<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I.e., the leaders. ');"><sup>39</sup></span> Now, when He had buried Moses,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Ex. XXV. 2. Wave offering, as a rule, were given to Priests. ');"><sup>40</sup></span> wherein did He bathe [after contact with the corpse]?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Deut. XXXIV, 6. ');"><sup>41</sup></span> Should you reply, 'In water: is it not written, Who hath measured the waters in the hollow of His hand?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' V. Lev. XXII, 4-6. ');"><sup>42</sup></span> — 'He bathed in fire,' he answered, 'for it is written, Behold the Lord will come in fire.'<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Isa. XL, 12. I.e., He could not bathe in water, relatively so scanty compared with Himself. ');"><sup>43</sup></span> 'Is then purification by fire effective?' 'On the contrary,' he replied, 'bathing [for purposes of purification] should essentially be in fire, for it is written, And all that abideth not the fire ye shall make to go through the water.'<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Ibid. LXVI, 15. ');"><sup>44</sup></span> A Min once said to R. Abina: It is written, And what one nation in the earth is like Thy people, [like] Israel.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Num. XXXI, 23. Essentially therefore, purification is by fire. ');"><sup>45</sup></span> Wherein lies their superiority: ye too are combined with us, for it is written, All the nations are as nothing before Him?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' II Sam. VII, 23. ');"><sup>46</sup></span> He answered: One of yourselves [Balaam] has already testified for us, as it is written,
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