Shabbat 112

עבדך וירגל בעבדך אל אדוני המלך ואדוני המלך כמלאך האלהים ועשה הטוב בעיניך ויאמר לו המלך למה תדבר עוד דבריך אמרתי אתה וציבא תחלקו את השדה ויאמר מפיבשת אל המלך גם את הכל יקח אחרי אשר בא אדוני המלך בשלום אל ביתו אמר לו אני אמרתי מתי תבא בשלום ואתה עושה לי כך לא עליך יש לי תרעומות אלא על מי שהביאך בשלום

And he hath slandered thy servant unto my lord the king; but my lord the king is as an angel of God: do therefore what is good in thine eyes. For all my father's house were but dead men before my lord the king: yet didst thou set thy servant among them that did eat at thine own table. What right therefore have I yet that I should cry and more unto the king? And the king said unto him, Why speakest thou any more of thy matters? I say, Thou and Ziba divide the land. And Mephibosheth said unto the king, Yea, let him take all, forasmuch as my lord the king is come in peace unto his own house.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' II Sam. XIX, 25-30. ');">¹</span>

היינו דכתיב (דברי הימים א ח, לד) ובן יהונתן מריב בעל וכי מריב בעל שמו והלא מפיבשת שמו אלא מתוך שעשה מריבה עם בעליו יצתה בת קול ואמרה לו נצא בר נצא נצא הא דאמרן בר נצא דכתיב (שמואל א טו, ה) ויבא שאול עד עיר עמלק וירב בנחל אמר רבי מני על עסקי נחל

He said [thus] to him: I prayed,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'said'. ');">²</span>

אמר רב יהודה אמר רב בשעה שאמר דוד למפיבשת אתה וציבא תחלקו את השדה יצתה בת קול ואמרה לו רחבעם וירבעם יחלקו את המלוכה

when wilt thou return In peace? Yet thou treatest me so. Not against thee have I resentment, but against Him who restored thee in peace!<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Thus he confirmed Ziba's accusation. For David regarded Mephibosheth's unkempt appearance too as a sign that he grieved over his return. ');">³</span>

אמר רב יהודה אמר רב אילמלי לא. קיבל דוד לשון הרע לא נחלקה מלכות בית דוד ולא עבדו ישראל ע"ז ולא גלינו מארצנו:

Hence it is written, And the son of Jonathan was Meribbaal:<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I Chron. VIII, 34; IX, 40. ');">⁴</span>

אמר ר' שמואל בר נחמני א"ר יונתן כל האומר שלמה חטא אינו אלא טועה שנאמר (מלכים א יא, ד) ולא היה לבבו שלם עם ה' אלהיו כלבב דוד אביו כלבב דוד אביו הוא דלא הוה מיחטא נמי לא חטא

was then his name Merib-baal? Surely it was Mephibosheth? But because he raised a quarrel [meribah] with his Master,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Be'alaw fr. ba'al. ');">⁵</span>

אלא מה אני מקיים (מלכים א יא, ד) ויהי לעת זקנת שלמה נשיו הטו את לבבו ההיא כרבי נתן דר' נתן רמי כתיב ויהי לעת זקנת שלמה נשיו הטו את לבבו והכתיב כלבב דוד אביו כלבב דוד אביו הוא דלא הוה מיחטא נמי לא חטא הכי קאמר ויהי לעת זקנת שלמה נשיו הטו את לבבו ללכת אחרי אלהים אחרים ולא הלך

a Heavenly Echo went forth and rebuked him, Thou man of strife, [and] the son of a man of strife! Man of strife, as we have stated. Son of a man of strife, for it is written, And Saul came to the city of Amalek, and strove in the valley.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I Sam. XV, 5. ');">⁶</span>

והכתיב (מלכים א יא, ז) אז יבנה שלמה במה לכמוש שקוץ מואב שבקש לבנות ולא בנה

R. Manni said: [That means,] concerning the matter of the valley.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Saul argued: If the Torah decreed that a heifer should have its neck broken in the valley on account of a single murdered man (Deut. XXI, 1-9), how much greater is the sin of slaying all these Amalekites! (v. Yoma 22b). Thus he strove against God's command. ');">⁷</span>

אלא מעתה (יהושע ח, ל) אז יבנה יהושע מזבח לה' שבקש לבנות ולא בנה אלא דבנה הכא נמי דבנה

Rab Judah said in Rab's name: When David said to Mephibosheth, 'Thou and Ziba divide the land,' a Heavenly Echo came forth and declared to him, Rehoboam and Jeroboam shall divide the kingdom.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' This agrees with Rab's view (supra a) that David paid heed to slander and acted unjustly. Hence this punishment. ');">⁸</span>

אלא כדתניא רבי יוסי אומר (מלכים ב כג, יג) ואת הבמות אשר על פני ירושלים אשר מימין להר המשחה אשר בנה שלמה מלך ישראל לעשתרות שקוץ צדונים וגו'

Rab Judah said in Rab's name: Had not David paid heed to slander, the kingdom of the House of David would not have been divided, Israel had not engaged in idolatry,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The first step to idolatry was Jeroboam's setting up of the golden calves in order to maintain the independence of his kingdom (v. I Kings XII, 26 seq.). ');">⁹</span>

אפשר בא אסא ולא ביערם יהושפט ולא ביערם עד שבא יאשיה וביערם והלא כל ע"ז שבארץ ישראל אסא ויהושפט ביערום אלא מקיש ראשונים לאחרונים מה אחרונים לא עשו ותלה בהן לשבח אף ראשונים לא עשו ותלה בהן לגנאי

and we would not have been exiled from our country.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' As a punishment for idolatry. ');">¹⁰</span>

והכתיב (מלכים א יא, ו) ויעש שלמה הרע בעיני ה' אלא מפני שהיה לו למחות בנשיו ולא מיחה מעלה עליו הכתוב כאילו חטא

R. Samuel b. Nahmani said in R. Jonathan's name: Whoever maintains that Solomon sinned is merely making an error, for it is said, and his heart was not perfect with the Lord his God, as was the heart of David his father:<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I Kings XI, 4. ');">¹¹</span>

אמר רב יהודה אמר שמואל נוח לו לאותו צדיק שיהא שמש לדבר אחר ואל יכתב בו ויעש הרע בעיני ה'

it was [merely] not as the heart of David his father, but neither did he sin. Then how do I interpret, For it came to pass, when Solomon was old, that his wives turned away his heart?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Ibid. ');">¹²</span>

אמר רב יהודה אמר שמואל בשעה שנשא שלמה את בת פרעה הכניסה לו אלף מיני זמר ואמרה לו כך עושין לעבודה זרה פלונית וכך עושים לע"ז פלונית ולא מיחה בה

That is [to be explained] as R. Nathan. For R. Nathan opposed [two verses]: It is written, For it came to pass, when Solomon was old, that his wives turned away his heart,' whereas it is [also] written, and his heart was not perfect with the Lord his God, as was the heart of David his father, [implying that] it was [merely] not as the heart of David his father, but neither did he sin? This is its meaning: his wives turned away his heart to go after other gods, but he did not go.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' His wives attempted to seduce him, but failed. ');">¹³</span>

אמר רב יהודה אמר שמואל בשעה שנשא שלמה את בת פרעה ירד גבריאל ונעץ קנה בים ועלה בו שירטון ועליו נבנה כרך גדול [של רומי]

But it is written, Then would<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' E.V. 'did'. ');">¹⁴</span>

במתניתא תנא אותו היום שהכניס ירבעם שני עגלי זהב אחד בבית אל ואחד בדן נבנה צריף אחד וזהו איטליאה של יון:

Solomon build a high place for Chemosh the abomination of Moab?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I Kings XI, 7. ');">¹⁵</span>

א"ר שמואל בר נחמני א"ר יונתן כל האומר יאשיהו חטא אינו אלא טועה שנאמר (מלכים ב כב, ב) ויעש הישר בעיני ה' וילך בכל דרך דוד אביו אלא מה אני מקיים (מלכים ב כג, כה) וכמוהו לא היה לפניו מלך אשר שב וגו'

— That means, he desired to build, but did not.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Yibneh is imperfect, denoting uncompleted action; v. Driver's Hebrew Tenses, ch. III, 21 seq. ');">¹⁶</span>

שכל דין שדן מבן שמנה עד שמנה עשרה החזירן להן שמא תאמר נטל מזה ונתן לזה תלמוד לומר בכל מאודו שנתן להם משלו

If so, Then Joshua built [yibneh] an altar unto the Lord,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Josh. VIII, 30. ');">¹⁷</span>

ופליגא דרב דאמר רב אין לך גדול בבעלי תשובה יותר מיאשיהו בדורו ואחד בדורנו ומנו אבא אבוה דרבי ירמיה בר אבא ואמרי לה אחא אחוה דאבא אבוה דרב ירמיה בר אבא דאמר מר רבי אבא ואחא אחי הוו

[does this too mean,] he desired to build but did not! Hence it [surely means] that he [actually] built; so here too it means that he built? — Rather it<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The statement that Solomon did not sin. ');">¹⁸</span>

אמר רב יוסף ועוד אחד בדורנו ומנו עוקבן בר נחמיה ריש גלותא והיינו. נתן דצוציתא אמר רב יוסף הוה יתיבנא בפירקא והוה קא מנמנם וחזאי בחילמא דקא פשט ידיה וקבליה:

is as was taught: R. Jose said, and the high places that were before Jerusalem, which were on the right hand of the mount of corruption, which Solomon the king of Israel had builded for Ashtoreth the abomination of Moab.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' II Kings XXIII, 13. This refers to the religious reformations of Josiah. ');">¹⁹</span>

<br><br><big><strong>הדרן עלך במה בהמה</strong></big><br><br>

Now, is it possible that Assa came and did not destroy them, then Jehoshaphat, and he did not destroy them, until Josiah came and destroyed them! But surely Assa and Jehoshaphat destroyed all the idolatrous cults in Palestine? Hence [the explanation is that] the earlier are assimilated to the later: just as the later did not do, yet it was ascribed to them, to their glory, so the earlier ones too did not do, yet it was ascribed to them, to their shame.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Josiah merely removed the idols that were reintroduced after the deaths of the former two kings, but not all idols, since they had already been destroyed, yet it is all attributed to him. So Solomon too was not responsible for the building of the idolatrous high places; nevertheless, since he did not veto them, they are ascribed to him. ');">²⁰</span> But it is written, And Solomon did that which was evil in the sight of the Lord?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I Kings XI, 6. ');">²¹</span> — But because he should have restrained his wives, but did not, the Writ regards him as though he sinned. Rab Judah said in Samuel's name: Better had it been for that righteous man to be an acolyte to the unmentionable,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'something else' — i.e., to an idol, receiving pay for drawing water and hewing wood in its service, etc., though not believing in it. ');">²²</span> only that it should not be written of him, 'and he did that which was evil in the sight of the Lord'. Rab Judah said in Samuel's name: When Solomon married Pharaoh's daughter, she brought him a thousand musical instruments and said to him, Thus we play<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'do'. ');">²³</span> in honour of that idol, thus in honour of that idol, yet he did not forbid her. Rab Judah said in Samuel's name: When Solomon married Pharaoh's daughter, Gabriel descended and planted a reed in the sea, and it gathered a bank around it, on which the great city of Rome was built.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' This, of course, is an allegory. Solomon's unfaithfulness laid the seeds for the dissolution of the Jewish State. ');">²⁴</span> In a Baraitha it was taught: On the day that Jeroboam brought the two golden calves, one into Bethel and the other into Dan, a hut was built,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' On the site of Rome. ');">²⁵</span> and this developed into Greek Italy.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' This term was particularly applied to the southern portion of Italy, called Magna Graecia, Cf. Meg. 6b in the ed. Ven. (omitted in later ed.): Greek Italy, that means the great city of Rome, v. Meg., Sonc. ed., p. 31, nn. 5-6. ');">²⁶</span> R. Samuel b. Nahmani said in R. Jonathan's name: Whoever maintains that Josiah sinned is merely making an error, for it is said, And he did that which was right in the eyes of the Lord, and walked in all the ways of David his father.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' II Kings XXII. 2. ');">²⁷</span> Then how do I interpret, and like unto him there was no king before him, that returned [shab] to the Lord with all his heart etc.?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Ibid. XXIII, 25. Shab really means that he repented, and thus implies that he first sinned. ');">²⁸</span> [This teaches] that he revised every judgment which he had pronounced between the ages of eight and eighteen.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I.e., from his accession until the finding of the Book of the Law, i.e., the Torah (v. XXII, 1-8). He revised his judgments in the light of the Torah, and shab is translated accordingly. ');">²⁹</span> You might say that he took from one and gave to another:<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' In the course of this revision. ');">³⁰</span> therefore it is taught, 'with all me'odo [his might]', [teaching] that he gave of his own.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Me'odo ');">³¹</span> Now, he disagrees with Rab. For Rab said: There was no greater penitent than Josiah in his generation and a certain person in ours; and who is that? Abba the father of R. Jeremiah b. Abba, and some say Aha the brother of Abba the father of Jeremiah b. Abba. (For a Master said: R. Abba and Aha were brothers). R. Joseph said: And there is yet another in our generation. And who is he? 'Ukban b. Nehemiah the Resh Galutha.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' V. p. 217, n. 7. ');">³²</span> And he is 'Nathan with the ray of light.'<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Jast.: a repentant sinner with a halo; others: whom an angel seized by his forelock (accepting his repentance and bringing him to God). ');">³³</span> R. Joseph said: I was sitting at the session and dozing, and saw in a dream how one [an angel] stretched out his hand and received him.