Shabbat 60

כל יומא דשבתא הוה יתיב וגריס כולי יומא ההוא יומא דבעי למינח נפשיה קם מלאך המות קמיה ולא יכיל ליה דלא הוה פסק פומיה מגירסא אמר מאי אעביד ליה הוה ליה בוסתנא אחורי ביתיה אתא מלאך המות סליק ובחיש באילני נפק למיחזי הוה סליק בדרגא איפחית דרגא מתותיה אישתיק ונח נפשיה

Now, every Sabbath day he would sit and study all day.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The angel of death cannot approach one who is studying the Torah; Sot. 21a. ');">¹</span> On the day that his soul was to be at rest,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' A euphemism for death. ');">²</span> the Angel of death stood before him but could not prevail against him, because learning did not cease from his mouth. 'What shall I do to him?' said he. Now, there was a garden before his house; so the Angel of death went, ascended and soughed in the trees. He [David] went out to see: as he was ascending the ladder, it broke under him. Thereupon he became silent [from his studies] and his soul had repose. Then Solomon sent to <i>Beth Hamidrash</i>: My father is dead and lying in the sun; and the dogs of my father's house are hungry; what shall I do? They sent back, Cut up a carcase and place it before the dogs; and as for thy father, put a loaf of bread or a child upon him and carry him away.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' V. infra 156b. ');">³</span>

שלח שלמה לבי מדרשא אבא מת ומוטל בחמה וכלבים של בית אבא רעבים מה אעשה שלחו ליה חתוך נבלה והנח לפני הכלבים ואביך הנח עליו ככר או תינוק וטלטלו ולא יפה אמר שלמה (קהלת ט, ד) כי לכלב חי הוא טוב מן האריה המת ולענין שאילה דשאילנא קדמיכון נר קרויה נר ונשמתו של אדם קרויה נר מוטב תכבה נר של בשר ודם מפני נרו של הקב"ה:

Did then not Solomon well say, for a living dog is better than a dead lion?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' For the sake of the living dogs it was permitted to handle the carcase without further ado, yet the great king David might not be handled this! Or, the answer concerning the dogs was given precedence over that concerning David. ');">⁴</span> And as for the question which I asked before you,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Supra a. This was said in a spirit of humility, instead of 'which you asked before me.' ');">⁵</span> — a lamp is designated lamp, and the soul of man is called a lamp:<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Prov. XX, 27: the soul of man is the lamp of the Lord. ');">⁶</span>

אמר רב יהודה בריה דרב שמואל בר שילת משמיה דרב בקשו חכמים לגנוז ספר קהלת מפני שדבריו סותרין זה את זה ומפני מה לא גנזוהו מפני שתחילתו דברי תורה וסופו דברי תורה תחילתו דברי תורה דכתיב (קהלת א, ג) מה יתרון לאדם בכל עמלו שיעמול תחת השמש ואמרי דבי ר' ינאי תחת השמש הוא דאין לו קודם שמש יש לו סופו דברי תורה דכתיב (קהלת יב, יג) סוף דבר הכל נשמע את האלהים ירא ואת מצותיו שמור כי זה כל האדם מאי כי זה כל האדם אמר רבי (אליעזר) כל העולם כולו לא נברא אלא בשביל זה ר' אבא בר כהנא אמר שקול זה כנגד כל העולם כולו שמעון בן עזאי אומר ואמרי לה שמעון בן זומא אומר לא נברא כל העולם כולו אלא לצוות לזה

better it is that the lamp of flesh and blood be extinguished before the lamp of the Holy One, blessed be He.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Where life is endangered, the lamp may certainly be extinguished. ');">⁷</span> Rab Judah son of R. Samuel b. Shilath said in Rab's name: The Sages wished to hide the Book of Ecclesiastes,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' V. supra p. 55, n. 2. Weiss, Dor, 1, p. 212 conjectures that this was at the time of the Synod in the upper chamber of Hanania b. Hezekiah b. Garon (v. p. 54, n. 1), when it was desired to 'hide' Ezekiel too. This activity was occasioned by the spread of books of Hellenistic tendencies, in consequence of which existing material was closely scrutinized as to its fitness. ');">⁸</span> because its words are self-contradictory; yet why did they not hide it? Because its beginning is religious teaching<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'words of the Torah'. ');">⁹</span>

ומאי דבריו סותרין זה את זה כתיב (קהלת ז, ג) טוב כעס משחוק וכתיב (קהלת ב, ב) לשחוק אמרתי מהלל כתיב (קהלת ח, טו) ושבחתי אני את השמחה וכתיב (קהלת ב, ב) ולשמחה מה זה עושה לא קשיא טוב כעס משחוק טוב כעס שכועס הקב"ה על הצדיקים בעוה"ז משחוק שמשחק הקב"ה על הרשעים בעולם הזה ולשחוק אמרתי מהלל זה שחוק שמשחק הקב"ה עם הצדיקים בעולם הבא

and its end is religious teaching. Its beginning is religious teaching, as it is written, What profit hath man of all his labour wherein he laboureth under the sun?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Eccl. 1, 3. ');">¹⁰</span> And the School of R. Jannai commented: Under the sun he has none, but he has it [sc. profit] before the sun.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I.e., one profits if he toils in the Torah, which existed before the sun; Pes. 54a; Ned. 39b. ');">¹¹</span> The end thereof is religious teaching, as it is written, Let us hear the conclusion of the matter, fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole of man.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Ibid. XII, 13. ');">¹²</span>

ושבחתי אני את השמחה שמחה של מצוה ולשמחה מה זה עושה זו שמחה שאינה של מצוה ללמדך שאין שכינה שורה לא מתוך עצבות ולא מתוך עצלות ולא מתוך שחוק ולא מתוך קלות ראש ולא מתוך שיחה ולא מתוך דברים בטלים אלא מתוך דבר שמחה של מצוה שנאמר (מלכים ב ג, טו) ועתה קחו לי מנגן והיה כנגן המנגן ותהי עליו יד ה' אמר רב יהודה וכן לדבר הלכה אמר רבא וכן לחלום טוב

What is meant by, 'for this is the whole of man'? — Said R. Eleazar, The entire world was created only for the sake of this [type of] man. Simeon b. 'Azzai-others state, Simeon b. Zoma-said: The entire world was created only to be a companion to this man. And how are its words self-contradictory? — It is written, anger is better than play;<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Ibid. VII, 3. ');">¹³</span> but it is written, I said of laughter, It is to be praised.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Ibid. II, 2. ');">¹⁴</span>

איני והאמר רב גידל אמר רב כל תלמיד חכם שיושב לפני רבו ואין שפתותיו נוטפות מר תכוינה שנאמר (שיר השירים ה, יג) שפתותיו שושנים נוטפות מור עובר אל תקרי מור עובר אלא מר עובר אל תקרי שושנים אלא ששונים לא קשיא הא ברבה והא בתלמיד ואיבעית אימא הא והא ברבה ולא קשיא הא מקמי דלפתח הא לבתר דפתח כי הא דרבה מקמי דפתח להו לרבנן אמר מילתא דבדיחותא ובדחי רבנן לסוף יתיב באימתא ופתח בשמעתא

It is written, Then I commended joy;<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Ibid. VIII, 15. ');">¹⁵</span> but it is written, and of joy [I said] What doeth it?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Ibid. II, 2. ');">¹⁶</span> There is no difficulty: 'anger is better than laughter': the anger which the Holy One, blessed be He, displays to the righteous in this world is better than the laughter which the Holy One, blessed be He, laughs with the wicked in this world.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The latter is an idiom for prosperity and well being: the sufferings inflicted upon the righteous are preferable to the prosperity conferred upon the wicked. ');">¹⁷</span>

ואף ספר משלי בקשו לגנוז שהיו דבריו סותרין זה את זה ומפני מה לא גנזוהו אמרי ספר קהלת לאו עיינינן ואשכחינן טעמא הכא נמי ליעיינן ומאי דבריו סותרים זה את זה כתיב (משלי כו, ד) אל תען כסיל כאולתו וכתיב (משלי כו, ה) ענה כסיל כאולתו לא קשיא הא בדברי תורה הא במילי דעלמא

'And I said of laughter, it is to be praised': that refers to the laughter which the Holy One, blessed be He, laughs with the righteous in the world to come. 'Then I commended joy': this refers to the joy of a precept.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The celebrations of such, e.g., a marriage. ');">¹⁸</span> 'And of joy [I said], what doeth it': this refers to joy [which is] not in connection with a precept.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The Rabbis frowned upon this. But in all probability this does not apply to a simple and harmless gathering, but to attendance at theatres and circuses, at which the Jewish authorities looked askance, perhaps because they originated in idolatry and also because images of royalty were placed there. — Lev. R. XXXIV. The early Christians too were opposed to this, Tertullian (De Spectaculis, X) describing the theatre as a place of sexual immorality, ');">¹⁹</span> This teaches you that the Divine Presence rests [upon] man] neither through gloom,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Judaism does not encourage asceticism; cf. Ned. 10a. ');">²⁰</span>

כי הא דההוא דאתא לקמיה דרבי אמר ליה אשתך אשתי ובניך בני אמר ליה רצונך שתשתה כוס של יין שתה ופקע ההוא דאתא לקמיה דרבי חייא אמר ליה אמך אשתי ואתה בני אמר ליה רצונך שתשתה כוס של יין שתה ופקע אמר רבי חייא אהניא ליה צלותיה לרבי דלא לשווייה בני ממזירי דרבי כי הוה מצלי אמר יהי רצון מלפניך ה' אלהינו שתצילני היום מעזי. פנים ומעזות פנים

nor through sloth, nor through frivolity, nor through levity, nor through talk, nor through idle chatter,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Or, vain pursuits. ');">²¹</span> save through a matter of joy in connection with a precept, as it is said, But now bring me a minstrel. And it came to pass, when the minstrel played, that the hand of the Lord came upon him.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' II Kings III, 15. Maharsha observes that the verse is quoted merely to show that the Divine Presence does not rest on a man plunged in gloom, Elisha requiring the minstrel to dissipate the gloom occasioned by Jehoram's visit. ');">²²</span> Rab Judah said: And it is likewise thus for a matter of <i>halachah</i>.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Serious study must be preceded by some light-hearted conversation. ');">²³</span>

בדברי תורה מאי היא כי הא דיתיב רבן גמליאל וקא דריש עתידה אשה שתלד בכל יום שנאמר (ירמיהו לא, ח) הרה ויולדת יחדיו ליגלג עליו אותו תלמיד אמר אין כל חדש תחת השמש א"ל בא ואראך דוגמתן בעוה"ז נפק אחוי ליה תרנגולת

Raba said: And it is likewise thus for a good dream.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' If one goes to sleep in good spirits, he has happy dreams. ');">²⁴</span> But that is not so, for R. Giddal said in Rab's name: If any scholar sits before his teacher and his lips do not drip bitterness,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Caused by his awe and reverence. ');">²⁵</span> they shall be burnt, for it is said, his lips are as lilies [shoshanim], dropping liquid myrrh [mor'ober]:<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Cant. V, 13. ');">²⁶</span>

ותו יתיב רבן גמליאל וקא דריש עתידים אילנות שמוציאין פירות בכל יום שנאמר (יחזקאל יז, כג) ונשא ענף ועשה פרי מה ענף בכל יום אף פרי בכל יום ליגלג עליו אותו תלמיד אמר והכתיב אין כל חדש תחת השמש א"ל בא ואראך דוגמתם בעולם הזה נפק אחוי ליה צלף

read not mor'ober, but mar'ober [dropping bitterness]; read not shoshanim but sheshonin [that study]?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Translating: the lips of those who study drop bitterness.-This shows that one must not study light-heartedly. ');">²⁷</span> There is no difficulty: the former applies to the teacher; the latter to the disciple. Alternatively, both refer to the teacher, yet there is no difficulty: the one means before he commences; the other, after he commences. Even as Rabbah before he commenced [his discourse] before the scholars used to say something humorous, and the scholars were cheered; after that he sat in awe and began the discourse. The Book of Proverbs too they desired to hide, because its statements are self-contradictory. Yet why did they not hide it? They said, Did we not examine the Book of Ecclesiastes and find a reconciliation? So here too let us make search. And how are its statements self-contradictory? — It is written, Answer not a fool according to his folly;<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Prov. XXVI, 4. ');">²⁸</span>

ותו יתיב רבן גמליאל וקא דריש עתידה ארץ ישראל שתוציא גלוסקאות וכלי מילת שנאמר (תהלים עב, טז) יהי פסת בר בארץ ליגלג עליו אותו תלמיד ואמר אין כל חדש תחת השמש אמר ליה בא ואראך דוגמתן בעולם הזה נפק אחוי ליה כמיהין ופטריות ואכלי מילת נברא בר קורא:

yet it is also written, Answer a fool according to his folly?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Ibid. 5. ');">²⁹</span> There is no difficulty: the one refers to matters of learning;<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Then he may be answered. ');">³⁰</span> the other to general matters. Even as a certain person came before Rabbi and said to him, 'Your wife is my wife and your children are mine.'<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Thus accusing his wife of adultery and his children of illegitimacy, ');">³¹</span>

. ת"ר לעולם יהא אדם ענוותן כהלל ואל יהא קפדן כשמאי מעשה בשני בני אדם

'Would you like to drink a glass of wine?' asked he. He drank and burst. A certain man came before R. Hiyya and said to him, 'Your mother is my wife and you are my son! Would you like to drink a glass of wine?' asked he. He drank and burst. R. Hiyya observed: Rabbi's prayer was in-so-far effective that his sons were not made illegitimate.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The man's miraculous death proved his accusation unfounded. [The text is not clear. Var. lec.: that he was not made (accused to be) illegitimate unlike R. Hiyya, who was declared by the man to be his son; only the character of Rabbi's son was impugned but not of Rabbi himself]. ');">³²</span> For when Rabbi prayed he used to say, May it be Thy will, O Lord our God, to save me this day from the impudent and from impudence.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Private prayers were added after the Eighteen Benedictions (v. p. 32, n. 3); Elbogen, Der Judische Gottesdienst, p. 75. This prayer has become incorporated in the daily liturgy. Weiss, Dor, II, 192 conjectures, though on insufficient grounds, that it was occasioned by the opposition he met with among the Rabbis. ');">³³</span> 'Matters of learning'-what is that? — As R. Gamaliel sat and lectured, Woman is destined to bear every day, for it is said, the woman conceived and beareth simultaneously.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Jer. XXXI, 7. (E.V. 8: the woman with child and her that travaileth with child, together). ');">³⁴</span> But a certain disciple scoffed at him, quoting, 'there is no new thing under the sun.'<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Eccl. I, 9. ');">³⁵</span> Come, and I will show you its equal in this world,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' 'This world' is here contrasted with the destined future of change, while generally it is contrasted with the 'world to come'. Whether these two are synonymous it is difficult to say; v. Sanh. p. 601, n. 3. But perhaps the phrase here means, 'the world under present conditions.' ');">³⁶</span> be replied. He went forth and showed him a fowl. On another occasion R. Gamaliel sat and lectured, Trees are destined to yield fruit every day, for it is said, and it shall bring forth boughs and bear fruit:<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Ezek. XVII, 23. ');">³⁷</span> just as the boughs [exist] every day, so shall there be fruit every day. But a certain disciple scoffed at him, saying, but it is written, 'there is no new thing under the sun!' Come, and I will show you its equal in this world, replied he. He went forth and showed him the caper bush.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Jast: of which the various products are eaten successively; v. B.B. 28b. ');">³⁸</span> On another occasion R. Gamaliel sat and expounded, Palestine is destined to bring forth cakes and wool robes, for it is said, There shall be an handful of corn in the land.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Ps. LXXII, 16. Rashi: this implies, corn as wide as a handbreadth, i.e., cakes as wide. The Hebrew pissath bar may also be translated pure wool (or, silken) garments'. ');">³⁹</span> But a certain disciple scoffed at him, quoting, 'there is no new thing under the sun!' 'Come, and I will show you their equal in this world,' replied he. He went forth and showed him morels and truffles;<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Which resemble cakes. ');">⁴⁰</span> and for silk robes [he showed him] the bark of a young palm-shoot.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' This has a downy, silk-like substance on the inside. ');">⁴¹</span> Our Rabbis taught: A man should always be gentle like Hillel, and not impatient like Shammai. It once happened that two men