Shabbat 110

מיתיבי אמרו מלאכי השרת לפני הקב"ה רבונו של עולם מפני מה קנסת מיתה על אדם הראשון אמר להם מצוה קלה צויתיו ועבר עליה א"ל והלא משה ואהרן שקיימו כל התורה כולה ומתו א"ל (קהלת ט, ב) מקרה אחד לצדיק ולרשע לטוב וגו'

An objection is raised: The ministering angels asked the Holy One, blessed be He: 'Sovereign of the Universe! Why didst Thou impose the penalty of death upon Adam?' Said He to them, I gave him an easy command, yet he violated it.' 'But Moses and Aaron fulfilled the whole Torah,' they pursued — 'yet they died'. <i>'There is one event to the righteous and to the wicked; to the good,</i> etc.,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Eccl. IX, 2. ');">¹</span> He replied.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Showing that death may come without sin. ');">²</span>

הוא דאמר כי האי תנא דתניא ר"ש בן אלעזר אומר אף משה ואהרן בחטאם מתו שנא' (במדבר כ, יב) יען לא האמנתם בי הא האמנתם בי עדיין לא הגיע זמנכם ליפטר מן העולם

— He maintains as the following Tanna. For it was taught: R. Simeon b. Eleazar said: Moses and Aaron too died through their sin, for it is said, Because ye believed not in me[...therefore ye shall not bring this assembly into the land which I have given them]:<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Num. XX, 12. ');">³</span> hence, had ye believed in Me, your time had not yet come to depart from the world.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' On the view that they died sinless, this deduction is made: but had ye believed, you would have led the assembly into the land, etc. The punishment therefore was that they would not lead, not that they should die, which would have been disproportionate to their fault (Maharsha). ');">⁴</span>

מיתיבי ארבעה מתו בעטיו של נחש ואלו הן בנימין בן יעקב ועמרם אבי משה וישי אבי דוד וכלאב בן דוד וכולהו גמרא לבר מישי אבי דוד דמפרש ביה קרא דכתיב (שמואל ב יז, כה) ואת עמשא שם אבשלום תחת יואב (שר) הצבא ועמשא בן איש ושמו יתרא הישראלי אשר בא אל אביגיל בת נחש אחות צרויה אם יואב

An objection is raised: Four died through the serpent's machinations,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I.e., because the serpent caused Adam and Eve to sin, but not on account of their own sin. — This is not to be confused with the doctrine of Original sin, which is rejected by Judaism, v. B.B., Sonc. ed., p. 86, n. 11. ');">⁵</span> viz., Benjamin the son of Jacob, Amram the father of Moses, Jesse the father of David, and Caleb the son of David. Now, all are known by tradition, save Jesse the father of David, in whose case the Writ gives an explicit intimation. For it is written, And Absalom set Amasa over the host instead of Joab. Now Amasa was the son of a man whose name was Ithra the Israelite, that went in to Abigail the daughter of Nahash, sister to Zeruiah Joab's mother.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' II Sam. XVII, 25. ');">⁶</span>

וכי בת נחש הואי והלא בת ישי הואי דכתיב (דברי הימים א ב, טז) ואחיותיהן צרויה ואביגיל אלא בת מי שמת בעטיו של נחש

Now, was she the daughter of Nahash? Surely she was the daughter of Jesse, for it is written, and their sisters were Zeruiah and Abigail?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I Chron. II, 16. 'Their sisters' refers to the sons of Jesse; v. preceding verse. ');">⁷</span> Hence it must mean, the daughter of one who died through the machinations of the nahash [serpent].<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' It may be observed that the Talmud calls this an explicit intimation. ');">⁸</span>

מני אילימא תנא דמלאכי השרת והא איכא משה ואהרן אלא לאו ר"ש בן אלעזר היא וש"מ יש מיתה בלא חטא ויש יסורין בלא עון ותיובתא דרב אמי תיובתא:

Who is [the author of this]? Shall we say, the Tanna [who taught] about the ministering angels? — Surely there were Moses and Aaron too! Hence it must surely be R. Simeon b. Eleazar, which proves that there is death without sin and suffering without iniquity. Thus the refutation of R. Ammi is [indeed] a refutation. R. Samuel b. Nahman said in R. Jonathan's name: Whoever maintains that Reuben sinned is merely making an error, for it is said, Now the sons of Jacob were twelve,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Gen. XXXV, 22. ');">⁹</span>

א"ר שמואל בר נחמני א"ר יונתן כל האומר ראובן חטא אינו אלא טועה שנאמר (בראשית לה, כב) ויהיו בני יעקב שנים עשר מלמד שכולן שקולים כאחת אלא מה אני מקיים (בראשית לה, כב) וישכב את בלהה פילגש אביו מלמד שבלבל מצעו של אביו ומעלה עליו הכתוב כאילו שכב עמה

teaching that they were all equal.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'balanced as one' — they were all equal in righteousness. ');">¹⁰</span> Then how do I interpret, and he lay with Bilhah his father's concubine?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Ibid. ');">¹¹</span>

תניא ר"ש בן אלעזר אומר מוצל אותו צדיק מאותו עון ולא בא מעשה זה לידו אפשר עתיד זרעו לעמוד על הר עיבל ולומר (דברים כז, כ) ארור שוכב עם אשת אביו ויבא חטא זה לידו אלא מה אני מקיים וישכב את בלהה פילגש אביו עלבון אמו תבע אמר אם אחות אמי היתה צרה לאמי שפחת אחות אמי תהא צרה לאמי עמד ובלבל את מצעה

This teaches that he transposed his father's couch,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Placing it in Leah's tent; v. infra. ');">¹²</span> and the Writ imputes [blame] to him as though he had lain with her. It was taught, R. Simeon b. Eleazar said: That righteous man was saved from that sin and that deed did not come to his hand.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' He did not even have the opportunity. ');">¹³</span>

אחרים אומרים שתי מצעות בלבל אחת של שכינה ואחת של אביו והיינו דכתיב (בראשית מט, ד) אז חללת יצועי עלה (אל תקרי יצועי אלא יצועיי)

Is it possible that his seed was destined to stand on Mount Ebal and proclaim, Cursed be he that lieth with his father's wife,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Deut. XXVII; 20; v. 13. ');">¹⁴</span> yet this sin should come to his hand? But how do I interpret, and he lay with Bilhah his father's concubine'? He resented his mother's humiliation. Said he, If my mother's sister was a rival to my mother, shall the bondmaid of my mother's sister be a rival to my mother? [Thereupon] he arose and transposed her couch. Others say, He transposed two couches, one of the <i>Shechinah</i> and the other of his father.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Rashi: Jacob set a couch for the Shechinah in the tents of each of his wives, and where the Shechinah came to rest, there he spent the night. ');">¹⁵</span>

כתנאי פחז כמים אל תותר ר' אליעזר אומר פזתה חבתה זלתה ר' יהושע אומר פסעתה על דת חטאת זנית ר"ג אומר פיללתה חלתה זרחה תפלתך

Thus it is written, Then thou defiledst, my couch on which [the <i>Shechinah</i>] went up.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Gen. XLIX, 4. This translation is based on the change of person from second (defiledst) to third (went), which implies a different subject for 'went'. ');">¹⁶</span> This is dependent on Tannaim. Unstable [Pahaz] as water, thou shalt not excel:<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Ibid. ');">¹⁷</span>

אמר ר"ג עדיין צריכין אנו למודעי ר' אלעזר המודעי אומר הפוך את התיבה ודורשה זעזעתה הרתעתה פרחה חטא ממך רבא אמר ואמרי לה ר' ירמיה בר אבא זכרת עונשו של דבר חלית עצמך חולי גדול פירשת מלחטוא:

R. Eliezer interpreted: Thou wast hasty [Paztah], thou wast guilty [Habtah] thou didst disgrace [Zaltah]. R. Joshua interpreted: Thou didst overstep [Pasatah] the law, thou didst sin [Hatatha], thou didst fornicate [Zanitha]. R. Gamaliel interpreted: Thou didst meditate [Pillaltah],<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' To be saved from sin. ');">¹⁸</span> thou didst supplicate [Haltah], thy prayer shone forth [Zarhah]. Said R. Gamaliel, We still need [the interpretation of] the Modiite. R. Eleazar the Modiite<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Of Modim, some fifteen miles north of Jerusalem. ');">¹⁹</span>

ראובן בני עלי בני שמואל דוד ושלמה ויואש סימן:

said, Reverse the word and interpret it: Thou didst tremble [Zi'az'atha], thou didst recoil [Halitha], thy sin fled [Parhah] from thee.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' All treat the word Pahaz (E.V. unstable) as a mnemonic, each letter indicating a word. Thus R. Eliezer and R. Joshua maintain that he sinned, while the others hold that his nobler feelings triumphed. ');">²⁰</span> Raba — others state, R. Jeremiah b. Abba interpreted: Thou didst remember [Zakarta] the penalty of the crime, thou wast [grievously] sick [Halitha],<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Through defying his lust. ');">²¹</span>

אמר ר' שמואל בר נחמני א"ר יונתן כל האומר בני עלי חטאו אינו אלא טועה שנאמר (שמואל א א, ג) ושם שני בני עלי (עם ארון ברית האלהים) חפני ופנחס כהנים לה'

thou heldest aloof [Pirashta] from sinning. (Mnemonic: <i>Reuben, the sons of Eli, the sons of Samuel, David, Solomon, and Josiah</i>.)<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' V. p. 149, n. 6. ');">²²</span>

סבר לה כרב דאמר רב פנחס לא חטא מקיש חפני לפנחס מה פנחס לא חטא אף חפני לא חטא אלא מה אני מקיים אשר ישכבון את הנשים מתוך ששהו את קיניהן שלא הלכו אצל בעליהן מעלה עליהן הכתוב כאילו שכבום

R. Samuel b. Nahmani said in R. Jonathan's name: Whoever maintains that the sons of Eli sinned is merely making an error, for it is said, And the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, priests unto the Lord, were there.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I Sam. I, 3. ');">²³</span> Now he agrees with Rab, who said, Phinehas did not sin. [Hence] Hophni is likened to Phinehas: just as Phinehas did not sin, so did Hophni not sin. Then how do I interpret, and how that they [sc. Eli's sons] lay with the women?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' lbid. II, 22. ');">²⁴</span>

גופא אמר רב פנחס לא חטא שנאמר (שמואל א יד, ג) ואחיה בן אחיטוב אחי אי כבוד בן פנחס בן עלי כהן ה' וגו' אפשר חטא בא לידו והכתוב מייחסו

Because they delayed their bird-offerings<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' After childbirth; v. Lev. XII, 6-8. ');">²⁵</span> so that they did not go to their husbands,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' They had to wait in Shiloh until their birds were sacrificed. ');">²⁶</span>

והלא כבר נאמר (מלאכי ב, יב) יכרת ה' לאיש אשר יעשנה ער ועונה מאהלי יעקב ומגיש מנחה לה' צבאות אם ישראל הוא לא יהיה לו ער בחכמים ולא עונה בתלמידים ואם כהן הוא לא יהיה לו בן מגיש מנחה אלא לאו שמע מינה פנחס לא חטא

the Writ stigmatizes them as though they had lain with them. It was stated above, 'Rab said, Phinehas did not sin,' for it is said, and Ahijah, the son of Ahitub, Ichabod's brother, the son of Phinehas, the son of Eli, the priest of the Lord, etc.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' lbid. XIV, 3. ');">²⁷</span>

אלא הא כתיב (שמואל א ב, כב) אשר ישכבון ישכבן כתיב

Now, is it possible that sin had come to his hand, yet the Writ states his descent? Surely It is said, The Lord will cut off to the man that doeth this, him that waketh ['er] and him that answereth, out of the tents of Jacob, and him that offereth an offering unto the Lord of hosts:<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Mal. II, 12. ');">²⁸</span> [this means:] if an Israelite,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I.e., not a priest. ');">²⁹</span>

והכתיב (שמואל א ב, כד) אל בני כי לא טובה השמועה א"ר נחמן בר יצחק בני כתיב

he shall have none awakening [i.e., teaching] among the Sages and none responding among the disciples; if a priest, he shall have no son to offer an offering? Hence it follows that Phinehas did not sin. But it is written, 'how that they lay [etc.']? — 'He lay' is written.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' [H], defectively, and to be treated as 3rd. person singular; cf. Arabic ending in an]. ');">³⁰</span> But it is written, Nay, my sons; for it is no good report that I hear?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I Sam. II, 24. ');">³¹</span>

והכתיב מעבירים א"ר הונא בריה דרב יהושע מעבירם כתיב

— Said R. Nahman b. Isaac: My son is written.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The sing. and the plural are the same in Heb. He must mean that the earlier traditional reading was my son. ');">³²</span> But it is written, ye make [the Lord's people] to transgress?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Ibid. ');">³³</span>

והכתיב בני בליעל מתוך שהיה לו לפנחס למחות לחפני ולא מיחה מעלה עליו הכתוב כאילו חטא

— Said R. Huna son of R. Joshua, It is written, he causes them to transgess.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' [H]: M.T. has [H], but in a number of places the Talmud version differs from ours. V. Tosaf and Marginal Gloss]. ');">³⁴</span> But it is written, sons of Belial?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Ibid. 12. ');">³⁵</span>

א"ר שמואל בר נחמני א"ר יונתן כל האומר

— Because Phinehas should have protested to Hophni but did not, the Writ regards him as though he [too] sinned. R. Samuel b. Nahmani said in R. Jonathan's name: Whoever maintains