Shabbat 231:1

שאין זה מקומה ר' אומר לא מן השם הוא זה אלא מפני שספר חשוב הוא בפני עצמו

that this is not its place. Rabbi said: It is not on that account,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'designation'. ');">¹</span> but because it ranks as a separate Book. With whom does the following dictum of R. Samuel b. Nahmani in R. Jonathan's name agree: <i>She [Wisdom] hath hewn out her seven pillars</i>:<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Prov. IX, 1. ');">²</span> this refers to the <i>seven</i> Books of the Law? With whom? With Rabbi.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Since that section is a separate Book, the portions of Numbers preceding and following it are also separate Books; hence there are seven in all. ');">³</span>

כמאן אזלא הא דא"ר שמואל בר נחמן א"ר יונתן (משלי ט, א) חצבה עמודיה שבעה אלו שבעה ספרי תורה כמאן כר'

Who is the Tanna that disagrees with Rabbi? It is R. Simeon b. Gamaliel. For it was taught, R. Simeon b. Gamaliel said: This section is destined to be removed from here and written in its [right place].<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Viz., in the section dealing with the disposition of the Israelites according to their banners and their travelling arrangements, Num. II. ');">⁴</span> And why is it written here? In order to provide a break between the first [account of] punishment and the second [account of] punishment.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' So as to relieve the gloomy effect that would otherwise be produced. ');">⁵</span> What is the second [account of] punishment? — <i>And the people were as murmurers</i>, [etc.].<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Num. XI, 1 seq. ');">⁶</span>

מאן תנא דפליג עליה דר' רשב"ג הוא דתניא רשב"ג אומר עתידה פרשה זו שתיעקר מכאן ותכתב במקומה ולמה כתבה כאן כדי להפסיק בין פורענות ראשונה לפורענות שנייה פורענות שנייה מאי היא (במדבר יא, א) ויהי העם כמתאוננים פורענות ראשונה (במדבר י, לג) ויסעו מהר ה' וא"ר חמא בר' חנינא שסרו מאחרי ה' והיכן מקומה אמר רב אשי בדגלים

The first [account of] punishment? — And they 'moved away from the mount of the Lord,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Ibid. X, 33. ');">⁷</span> which R. Hama b. R. Hanina expounded [as meaning] that they turned away from following the Lord. And where is its [rightful] place? — In [the chapter on] the banners.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' But in the future, when all evil and its consequent retribution has ceased, this section will be inserted in its right place. ');">⁸</span> The scholars asked: The blank spaces of a Scroll of the Law, may we rescue them from fire or not? — Come and hear: If a Scroll of the Law is decayed, if eighty-five letters can be gathered therein, such as the section 'and it came to pass when the ark set forward,' we must save it; if not, we may not save it. But why so? conclude [that it may be saved] on account of its blank space?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' And since we do not reason thus, it follows that the margin may not be saved. ');">⁹</span>

איבעיא להו הגליונין של ס"ת מצילין אותן מפני הדליקה או אין מצילין אותן מפני הדליקה ת"ש ס"ת שבלה אם יש בו ללקט שמונים וחמש אותיות כגון פרשת ויהי בנסוע הארון מצילין ואם לאו אין מצילין ואמאי תיפוק ליה משום גיליון דידיה בלה שאני

That which is decayed is different.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' For the parchment of the margins too is perished. The question is where the parchment is quite sound, but the writing is effaced. ');">¹⁰</span> Come and hear: If a Scroll of the Law is effaced, if eighty-five letters can be gathered therein, such as the section, '<i>and it came to pass when the ark set forward</i>,' we must save it; if not, we may not save it. But why so: conclude [that we must save it] on account of its blank space?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Which is now the entire Scroll. ');">¹¹</span> — As for the place of the writing, I have no doubt, for when it was sanctified it was on account of the writing, [and] when its writing goes its sanctity goes (too]. My problem is only in respect of [the blank spaces] above and below, between the sections, between the columns, [and] at the beginning and the end of the Scroll. Yet conclude [that it must be saved] on that account?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Even if the place of the writing is no longer sacred, if the margins must be saved, the entire Scroll must be saved ipso facto. ');">¹²</span>

ת"ש ס"ת שנמחק אם יש בו ללקט שמונים וחמש אותיות כגון פרשת ויהי בנסוע הארון מצילין ואם לאו אין מצילין ואמאי תיפוק ליה משום גיליון דידיה מקום הכתב לא קמיבעיא לי דכי קדוש אגב כתב הוא דקדוש אזל כתב אזלא לה קדושתיה כי קמיבעיא לי של מעלה ושל מטה שבין פרשה לפרשה שבין דף לדף שבתחלת הספר שבסוף הספר ותיפוק ליה משום ההוא דגייז ושדי

— It may mean [there] that one had cut off [the blank spaces] and thrown them away. Come and hear: The blank spaces above and below, between the sections, between the columns, at the beginning and at the end of the Scroll, defile one's hands.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Cf. supra 14a. This proves that they have the same sacred character as the rest of the Scroll. ');">¹³</span> — It may be that [when they are] together with the Scroll of the Law they are different.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The writing there being sound. ');">¹⁴</span>

ת"ש הגליונין של מעלה ושל מטה שבין פרשה לפרשה שבין דף לדף שבתחלת הספר שבסוף הספר מטמאין את הידים דילמא אגב ס"ת שאני

Come and hear: The blank spaces<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Jast. s.v. [H] translates, the gospels, though observing that here it is understood as blanks. V. Herford, R.T., 'Christianity in the Talmud', p. 155 n. ');">¹⁵</span> and the Books of the Minim<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Sectarians. The term denotes various kinds of Jewish sectarians, such as the Sadducces, Samaritans, Judeo-Christians, etc., according to the date of the passage in which the term is used. The reference here is probably to the last-named. V. J.E., art. Min; Bacher in REJ. XXXVIII, 38. Rashi translates: Hebrew Bibles written by men in the service of idolatry. ');">¹⁶</span> may not be saved from a fire, but they must be burnt in their place, they and the Divine Names occurring in them. Now surely it means the blank portions of a Scroll of the Law? No: the blank spaces in the Books of Minim. Seeing that we may not save the Books of Minim themselves, need their blank spaces be stated? — This is its meaning: And the Books of Minim are like blank spaces.

ת"ש הגיליונין וספרי מינין אין מצילין אותן מפני הדליקה אלא נשרפין במקומן הן ואזכרותיהן מאי לאו גליונין דספר תורה לא גליונין דספרי מינין השתא ספרי מינין גופייהו אין מצילין גליונין מבעיא הכי קאמר וספרי מינין הרי הן כגליונים

&nbsp; &nbsp; It was stated in the text: <font>The blank spaces and the Books of the Minim, we may not save them from a fire.</font> R. Jose said: On weekdays one must cut out the Divine Names which they contain, hide them,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' v. p. 429, n. 5. ');">¹⁷</span> and burn the rest. R. Tarfon said: <font>May I bury my son if I would not burn them together with their Divine Names if they came to my hand.</font> For even if one pursued me<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'him' — he meant himself but used the third person owing to a reluctance to speak even hypothetically of evil befalling himself. ');">¹⁸</span> to slay me, or <font>a snake pursued me to bite me, I would enter a heathen Temple [for refuge], but not the houses of these [people], for the latter know (of God] yet deny [Him],</font> whereas the former are ignorant and deny [Him], and of them the Writ saith, <i>and behind the doors and the posts hast thou set up thy memorial</i>.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Isa. LVII, 8; they know of the true God, but have rejected Him, thrusting Him out of sight, as it were. ');">¹⁹</span>

גופא הגליונים וספרי מינין אין מצילין אותם מפני הדליקה רבי יוסי אומר בחול קודר את האזכרות שבהן וגונזן והשאר שורפן א"ר טרפון אקפח את בני שאם יבאו לידי שאני אשרוף אותם ואת האזכרות שבהן שאפי' אדם רודף אחריו להורגו ונחש רץ להכישו נכנס לבית ע"ז ואין נכנס לבתיהן של אלו שהללו מכירין וכופרין והללו אין מכירין וכופרין ועליהן הכתוב אומר (ישעיהו נז, ח) [ו] אחר הדלת והמזוזה שמת זכרונך

R. Ishmael said: [One can reason] a minori: If in order to make peace between man and wife the Torah decreed, Let my Name, written in sanctity, be blotted out in water,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The reference is to the trial of a wife accused of adultery; v. Num. V, 23f. ');">²⁰</span> these, who stir up jealousy, enmity, and wrath between Israel and their Father in Heaven, how much more so;<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Not only do they themselves go astray from God, but lead many others astray from Him. ');">²¹</span> and <font>of them David said, <i>Do not I hate them, O Lord, that hate thee? And am I not grieved with those that rise up against thee? I hate then with perfect hatred: I count them mine enemies</i>.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Ps. CXXXIX, 21f. ');">²²</span></font>

א"ר ישמעאל ק"ו ומה לעשות שלום בין איש לאשתו אמרה תורה שמי שנכתב בקדושה ימחה על המים הללו שמטילין קנאה ואיבה ותחרות בין ישראל לאביהן שבשמים על אחת כמה וכמה ועליהם אמר דוד (תהלים קלט, כא) הלא משנאיך ה' אשנא ובתקוממיך אתקוטט תכלית שנאה שנאתים לאויבים היו לי וכשם שאין מצילין אותן מפני הדליקה כך אין מצילין אותן לא מן המפולת ולא מן המים ולא מדבר המאבדן

And just as we may not rescue them from a fire, so may we not rescue them from a collapse [of debris] or from water or from anything that may destroy them.</font> R. Joseph b. Hanin asked R. Abbahu: As for the Books of <i>Be Abedan</i>,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The meeting place of early Christians where religious controversies were held (Jast.). Rashi: the books written for the purpose of these controversies; v. also Weiss, Dor, III, p. 166 and n. 13. [The meaning of Be Abedan is still obscure in spite of the many and varied explanations suggested; e.g., (a) House of the Ebionites; (b) Abadan (Pers.) 'forum'; (c) Beth Mebedhan (Pers.) 'House of the chief Magi'; v. Krauss's Synagogale Altertumer, p. 31]. ');">²³</span> may we save them from a fire or not? — Yes and No, and he was uncertain about the matter.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' V. supra 113a. ');">²⁴</span>

בעי מיניה יוסף בר חנין מר' אבהו הני ספרי דבי אבידן מצילין אותן מפני הדליקה או אין מצילין אין ולאו ורפיא בידיה רב לא אזיל לבי אבידן וכ"ש לבי נצרפי שמואל לבי נצרפי לא אזיל לבי אבידן אזיל אמרו ליה לרבא מ"ט לא אתית לבי אבידן אמר להו דיקלא פלניא איכא באורחא וקשי לי ניעקריה דוכתיה קשי לי מר בר יוסף אמר אנא מינייהו אנא ולא מסתפינא מינייהו זימנא חדא אזיל בעו לסכוניה [הוספה מחסרונות הש"ס: רבי מאיר הוה קרי ליה און גליון רבי יוחנן הוה קרי ליה עון גליון.]

Rab would not enter a <i>Be Abedan</i>, and certainly not a <i>Be Nizrefe</i>;<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' [H]; a meeting place of the Nazarenes, Jewish Christians, where local matters were discussed and religious debates were held. (Levy). [Ginzberg, MGWJ LXXVIII, p. 23 regards it as the name of a Persian house of worship meaning the Asylum of Helplessness]. ');">²⁵</span> Samuel would not enter a <i>Be Nizrefe</i>, yet he would enter a <i>Be Abedan</i>. Raba was asked: Why did you not attend at the <i>Be Abedan</i>? A certain palm-tree stands in the way, replied he, and it is difficult for me [to pass it].<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' This of course was merely an evasion. ');">²⁶</span> Then we will remove it? — Its spot will present difficulties to me.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' It will leave a hole and render the road impassable. ');">²⁷</span>

אימא שלום דביתהו דרבי אליעזר אחתיה דרבן גמליאל הואי הוה ההוא פילוסופא בשבבותיה

Mar b. Joseph said: I am one of them<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I am well acquainted with them. ');">²⁸</span> and do not fear them. On one occasion he went there, [and] they wanted to harm him.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Uncensored text adds: R. Meir called it (the Gospel) 'Awen Gilyon, the falsehood of blank Paper; R. Johanan called it 'Awon Gilyon, the sin of etc. On the whole passage v. Herford, op. cit., pp. 161-171. ');">²⁹</span> Imma Shalom, R. Eliezer's wife, was R. Gamaliel's sister. Now, a certain philosopher<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Rashi: min (i.e., sectarian). ');">³⁰</span> lived in his vicinity,