Yevamot 127

מלמד שאין השכינה שורה על פחות משני אלפים ושני רבבות מישראל הרי שהיו ישראל שני אלפים ושני רבבות חסר אחד וזה לא עסק בפריה ורביה לא נמצא זה גורם לשכינה שתסתלק מישראל

teaches that the Divine Presence does not rest on less than two thousand and two myriads of Israelites.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The pl. number, [H] (myriads) and [H] (thousands), having been used in both cases. The pl. signifies not less than two. ');">¹</span> Should the number of Israelites happen to be two thousand and two myriads less one, and any particular person has not engaged in the propagation of the race, does he not thereby cause the Divine Presence to depart From Israel! Abba Hanan said in the name of R. Eliezer: He deserves the penalty of death; for it is said, And they had no children,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Num. III, 4, referring to the deaths of Nadab and Abihu. ');">²</span> but if they had children they would not have died. Others say: He causes the Divine Presence to depart from Israel; for it is said, To be a God unto thee and to thy seed after thee;<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Gen. XVII, 7. ');">³</span>

אבא חנן אמר משום רבי אליעזר חייב מיתה שנאמר (במדבר ג, ד) ובנים לא היו להם הא היו להם בנים לא מתו אחרים אומרים גורם לשכינה שתסתלק מישראל שנאמר (בראשית יז, ז) להיות לך לאלהים ולזרעך אחריך בזמן שזרעך אחריך שכינה שורה אין זרעך אחריך על מי שורה על העצים ועל האבנים:

where there exists 'seed after thee' the Divine Presence dwells [among them]; but where no 'seed after thee' exists, among whom should it dwell! Among the trees<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Or 'wood'. ');">⁴</span> or among the stones? <b><i>MISHNAH</i></b>. IF A MAN TOOK A WIFE AND LIVED WITH HER FOR TEN YEARS AND SHE BORE NO CHILD, HE MAY NOT ABSTAIN [ANY LONGER FROM THE DUTY OF PROPAGATION].<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' He must take another wife. ');">⁵</span>

<big><strong>מתני׳</strong></big> נשא אשה ושהה עמה עשר שנים ולא ילדה אינו רשאי לבטל גירשה מותרת לינשא לאחר ורשאי השני לשהות עמה י' שני ואם הפילה מונה משעה שהפילה:

IF HE DIVORCED HER SHE IS PERMITTED TO MARRY ANOTHER, AND THE SECOND HUSBAND MAY ALSO LIVE WITH HER [NO MORE THAN] TEN YEARS.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' If she had no issue from him also. ');">⁶</span> IF SHE MISCARRIED [THE PERIOD OF TEN YEARS] IS RECKONED FROM THE TIME OF HER MISCARRIAGE. <b><i>GEMARA</i></b>. Our Rabbis taught: If a man took a wife and lived with her for ten years and she bore no child, he shall divorce her and give her her <i>kethubah</i>,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' V. Glos. ');">⁷</span>

<big><strong>גמ׳</strong></big> ת"ר נשא אשה ושהה עמה עשר שנים ולא ילדה יוציא ויתן כתובה שמא לא זכה להבנות ממנה

since it is possible that it was he who was unworthy to have children from her.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' She, therefore, must not be deprived of her kethubah, ');">⁸</span> Although there is no definite proof for this statement<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' As to the period of ten years. ');">⁹</span> there is nevertheless a [Scriptural] allusion to it: After Abram had dwelt ten years in the land of Canaan.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Gen. XVI, 3, with reference to Abram's marriage to Hagar. ');">¹⁰</span>

אע"פ שאין ראיה לדבר זכר לדבר (בראשית טז, ג) מקץ עשר שנים לשבת אברם בארץ כנען ללמדך שאין ישיבת חו"ל עולה לו מן המנין לפיכך חלה הוא או שחלתה היא או שניהם חבושים בבית האסורים אין עולין לו מן המנין

This<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The explicit statement, dwelt … in the land. ');">¹¹</span> teaches you that the years of his stay outside the Land<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Palestine. ');">¹²</span> were not included in the number.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Living outside Palestine being a sin, it is presumed that this might have been the cause of 'their childlessness. ');">¹³</span>

א"ל רבא לרב נחמן ולילף מיצחק דכתיב (בראשית כה, כ) ויהי יצחק בן ארבעים שנה בקחתו את רבקה וגו' וכתיב (בראשית כה, כו) ויצחק בן ששים שנה בלדת אותם א"ל יצחק עקור היה

Hence, if the man or the woman was ill, or if both were in prison, [these years] are not included in the number.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Since no propagation was possible in such circumstances. ');">¹⁴</span> Said Raba to R. Nahman: Let deduction be made from Isaac, concerning whom it is written, And Isaac was forty years old when he took Rebecca etc.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Gen. XXV, 20. ');">¹⁵</span> and it is also written, And Isaac was threescore years old when she bore them!<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Ibid. 26, which shews that he waited (60 - 40 =) twenty years! ');">¹⁶</span>

א"ה אברהם נמי עקור היה ההוא מיבעי ליה לכדר' חייא בר אבא דא"ר חייא בר אבא א"ר יוחנן למה נמנו שנותיו של ישמעאל כדי לייחס בהן שנותיו של יעקב

— The other replied: Isaac was barren.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Knowing that the disability was due to his weakness he waited ten years longer than Abraham. ');">¹⁷</span> If so,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' V. supra n. 13. ');">¹⁸</span> Abraham also was barren!<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Why then did he not wait more than ten years? ');">¹⁹</span>

אמר רבי יצחק יצחק אבינו עקור היה שנאמר (בראשית כה, כא) ויעתר יצחק לה' לנכח אשתו על אשתו לא נאמר אלא לנוכח מלמד ששניהם עקורים היו א"ה ויעתר לו ויעתר להם מיבעי ליה לפי שאינו דומה תפלת צדיק בן צדיק לתפלת צדיק בן רשע

— That text<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The age of Isaac, Gen, XXV, 20. ');">²⁰</span> is required For a deduction in accordance with the statement of R. Hiyya b. Abba. For R. Hiyya b. Abba stated in the name of R. Johanan: Why were the years of Ishmael counted? In order to determine thereby the years of Jacob.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' And for the same reason was it necessary to give the age of Isaac. V. Meg. 17a. As the text is required for this purpose, no other deduction may be made from it. The text of the ten years of Abraham's waiting, however, as it is required for no other deduction, rightly serves the purpose of the allusion mentioned. ');">²¹</span> R. Isaac stated: Our father Isaac was barren; for it is said, And Isaac entreated the Lord opposite<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' So lit., E.V. 'for'. ');">²²</span>

א"ר יצחק מפני מה היו אבותינו עקורים מפני שהקב"ה מתאוה לתפלתן של צדיקים א"ר יצחק למה נמשלה תפלתן של צדיקים כעתר מה עתר זה מהפך התבואה ממקום למקום כך תפלתן של צדיקים מהפכת מדותיו של הקב"ה ממדת רגזנות למדת רחמנות אמר רבי אמי אברהם ושרה טומטמין היו שנאמר (ישעיהו נא, א) הביטו אל צור

his wife.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Gen. XXV, 21. ');">²³</span> It does not say 'for his wife' but opposite. This teaches that both were barren.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' He had to pray not only for her but for himself also. ');">²⁴</span> If so, And the Lord let Himself be entreated of him<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Gen. XXV, 21. ');">²³</span> should have read, And the Lord let Himself be entreated of them!<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Since Isaac's prayer was not on behalf of his wife only but on behalf of himself as well. ');">²⁵</span> — Because the prayer of a righteous man the son of a righteous man is not like the prayer of a righteous man the son of a wicked man.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Rebekah's father, Bethuel, was a wicked man. The implication of 'him' in 'entreated of him' is that Isaac's prayer was accepted before Rebekah's. ');">²⁶</span> R. Isaac stated: Why were our ancestors barren? — Because the Holy One, blessed be He, longs to hear the prayer of the righteous. R. Isaac further stated: Why is the prayer of the righteous compared to a pitchfork?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' [H] or [H] of the same rt. as [H] and he entreated. ');">²⁷</span> As a pitchfork turns the sheaves of grain from one position to another, so does the prayer of the righteous turn the dispensations of the Holy One, blessed be He, from the attribute of anger to the attribute of mercy. R. Ammi stated: Abraham and Sarah were originally of doubtful sex;<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' [H], Glos, s.v. tumtum. ');">²⁸</span> for it is said, Look unto to the rock