Yoma 45

שאינו נוקם ונוטר כנחש אינו תלמיד חכם והכתיב (ויקרא יט, יח) לא תקום ולא תטור ההוא בממון הוא דכתיב דתניא איזו היא נקימה ואיזו היא נטירה נקימה אמר לו השאילני מגלך אמר לו לאו למחר אמר לו הוא השאילני קרדומך אמר לו איני משאילך כדרך שלא השאלתני זו היא נקימה

who does not avenge himself and retain anger like a serpent, is no [real] scholar.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Maharsha interprets this statement by reference to Gen. III, 15: And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; they shall bruise thy head and thou shalt bruise their heel. The man will endeavour to crush the serpent so as to deprive it of its life: whereas the serpent retaliates by bruising only the heel, a non-vital part of the human body. Thus, 'serpent-like' the scholar should retaliate most moderately even when great wrong was done to him. - This proverb may also be a reaction to too humble a scholar, who by reason of his extreme forbearance seemingly encourages impudent and cruel people in their nefarious conduct. - Another suggested interpretation: just as great serpents swallowing their prey, moisten it with so much saliva as to be deprived of a sense of what, subjectively, they are eating, knowing only, objectively. that they are eating something, so should the scholar, against whom a wrong was committed, not endeavour to avenge himself subjectively, but to avenge objectively the wrong that was perpetrated. [Bacher (ZDMG, 1874, p. 6) relates this dictum to the one preceding: Any scholar who does not avenge himself like Nahash (which is the Hebrew for serpent) is no scholar. The reference is to a tradition preserved in a fragment of the Jerusalem Targum on Isa. XI, 2 that the condition made by Nahash for the offered covenant was that the Gileadites remove the injunction from the Torah barring the Ammonites from the congregation of Israel - an injunction which he considered an affront.]');">¹</span> But is it not written: Thou shalt not take vengeance nor bear any grudge?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lev. XIX, 18.');">²</span> - That refers to monetary affairs, for it has been taught: What is revenge and what is bearing a grudge?

ואיזו היא נטירה א"ל השאילני קרדומך אמר ליה לא למחר א"ל השאילני חלוקך אמר לו הילך איני כמותך שלא השאלתני זו היא נטירה

If one said to his fellow: 'Lend me your sickle', and he replied 'No', and to-morrow the second comes [to the first] and says: 'Lend me your axe'! and he replies: 'I will not lend it to you, just as you would not lend me your sickle' - that is revenge. And what is bearing a grudge? If one says to his fellow: 'Lend me your axe , he replies 'No', and on the morrow the second asks: 'Lend me your garment', and he answers: 'Here it is.

וצערא דגופא לא והא תניא הנעלבין ואינן עולבין שומעין חרפתן ואינן משיבין עושין מאהבה ושמחין ביסורין עליהן הכתוב אומר (שופטים ה, לא) ואוהביו כצאת השמש בגבורתו

I am not like you who would not lend me [what I asked for]' - that is bearing a grudge. But [does] not [this prohibition apply to] personal affliction? Has it not bee taught: Concerning those who are insulted but do not insult others [in revenge], who hear themselves reproached without replying, who [perform good] work out of love of the Lord and rejoice in their sufferings,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Because imposed by the Lord, either to test their faith or to punish them in this world for their sins, rewarding their virtues in the world to come, cf. Git. 68b: 'In order that he may enjoy his world here whence the theory that the wicked who prosper are rewarded here for their good deeds and punished for their evil doings in the hereafter, with the opposite method applied to the virtuous.');">³</span>

לעולם דנקיט ליה בליביה והאמר רבא כל המעביר על מדותיו מעבירין לו על כל פשעיו דמפייסו ליה ומפייס

Scripture says: But they that love Him be as the sun when he goeth forth in his might?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Judg. V, 31.');">⁴</span> - [That means,] indeed, that he keeps it in his heart [though without taking action]. Rut Raba said: He who passes over his retaliations has all his transgressions passed over?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' He who forbears to retaliate will find forbearance for his own failings.');">⁵</span>

ומה הן מוציאין אחת או שתים וכו' השתא שתים מוציאין אחת מבעיא

- [That speaks of the case] that an endeavour was made to obtain his reconciliation, and his consent is obtained. AND HOW MANY DID THEY PUT FORTH? ONE OR TWO.

אמר רב חסדא לא קשיא כאן בבריא כאן בחולה והתניא אחת מוציאין שתים אין מוציאין במה דברים אמורים בבריא אבל בחולה אפילו שתים מוציאין והיחידין מוציאין שתים ואין מונין להן אלא אחת

If they may put forth two, why is it necessary to mention that they may put forth one? - R'Hisda said: This is no difficulty: The one speaks of healthy persons, the other of sick ones.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' V. supra p. 97, n. 7.');">⁶</span> Thus has it been taught: One finger is put forth, but not two. To whom does this rule apply?

ואין מונין לו אלא אחת והתניא אין מוציאין לא שליש ולא גודל מפני הרמאים ואם הוציא שליש מונין לו גודל אין מונין לו ולא עוד [אלא] שלוקה מן הממונה בפקיע

To a healthy person, but a sick one may put forth even two. But the 'Yehidim'<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Certain individuals, i.e., scholars, v. Ta'an 10a. They would, out of respect for their learning, be permitted a convenience, which sick persons are granted out of consideration for their health.');">⁷</span> put forward two and one counts only one thereof.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Tosef. Yoma I, 10.');">⁸</span>

מאי מונין לו נמי אחת

But has it not been taught: One does not put forth either the third finger or the thumb because of tricksters, and if one had put forth the third finger, it would be counted,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' No trickiness is involved here, because the distance between these fingers is too small to mislead the officer into assuming that he saw the fingers of two different persons in the count, but with the thumb a dishonest motive seems obvious, hence both, the disregard and the punishment.');">⁹</span> but if one had put forth the thumb it would not be counted, and not alone that but the officer strikes him with the pekia'?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Pekia' - may mean: strip, shreds of garments, hence either wick or whip.');">¹⁰</span> - What does 'it would be counted' mean?

מאי פקיע אמר רב מדרא מאי מדרא אמר רב פפא מטרקא דטייעי דפסיק רישיה

Only one. What is pekia'? - Rab said: A madra [chastising whip]. What is madra?

אמר אביי מריש הוה אמינא הא דתנן בן ביבאי ממונה על הפקיע אמינא פתילתא כדתנן מבלאי מכנסי הכהנים ומהמייניהן מהן היו מפקיעין ובהן היו מדליקין כיון דשמענא להא דתניא ולא עוד אלא שלוקה מן הממונה בפקיע אמינא מאי פקיע נגדא

R'Papa said: The whip of the Arabs, the head [sting] of which is taken off. - Abaye said: Originally I believed that which we have learnt: Ben Bibai was in charge of "pekia"<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Shek. V, 1.');">¹¹</span> meant, in charge of the wicks, as we have learnt: From the outworn breeches and belts of the priests they used to make 'peki'in' and light them<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Suk. 51a.');">¹²</span>

מעשה שהיו שניהן שוין ורצין ועולין בכבש ת"ר מעשה בשני כהנים שהיו שניהן שוין ורצין ועולין בכבש קדם אחד מהן לתוך ארבע אמות של חבירו נטל סכין ותקע לו בלבו

Now that I hear that it was taught: Not that alone, but the officer would strike him with the 'pekia" I understand that 'pekia" means lash.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Abaye does not absolutely exclude two compatible meanings of the word.');">¹³</span> IT ONCE HAPPENED THAT TWO WERE EVEN AS THEY RAN TO MOUNT THE RAMP. Our Rabbis taught: It once happened that two priests were equal as they ran to mount the ramp and when one of them came first within four cubits of the altar, the other took a knife and thrust it into his heart.

עמד רבי צדוק על מעלות האולם ואמר אחינו בית ישראל שמעו הרי הוא אומר (דברים כא, א) כי ימצא חלל באדמה ויצאו זקניך ושופטיך אנו על מי להביא עגלה ערופה על העיר או על העזרות געו כל העם בבכיה

R'Zadok stood the steps of the Hall<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Ulam, the hall leading to the interior of the Temple.');">¹⁴</span> and said: Our brethren of the house of Israel, hear ye! Behold it says: If one be found slain in the land. then thy elders and judges shall come forth.

בא אביו של תינוק ומצאו כשהוא מפרפר אמר הרי הוא כפרתכם ועדיין בני מפרפר ולא נטמאה סכין ללמדך שקשה עליהם טהרת כלים יותר משפיכות דמים וכן הוא אומר (מלכים ב כא, טז) וגם דם נקי שפך מנשה [הרבה מאד] עד אשר מלא ירושלים פה לפה

.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Deut. XXI, 1.');">¹⁵</span> On whose behalf shall we offer the heifer whose neck is to be broken, on behalf of the city or on behalf of the Temple Courts? All the people burst out weeping.

הי מעשה קדים אילימא דשפיכות דמים השתא אשפיכות דמים לא תקינו פייסא אנשברה רגלו תקינו אלא דנשברה רגלו קדים

The father of the young man came and found him still in convulsions. He said: 'May he be an atonement for you. My son is still in convulsions and the knife has not become unclean.'

וכיון דתקינו פייסא ארבע אמות מאי עבידתייהו אלא לעולם דשפיכות דמים קדים ומעיקרא סבור אקראי בעלמא הוא כיון דחזי אפילו ממילא אתו לידי סכנה תקינו רבנן פייסא

[His remark] comes to teach you that the cleanness of their vessels was of greater concern to them even than the shedding of blood. Thus is it also said: Moreover Manasseh shed innocent blood very much, till he had filled Jerusalem from one end to the other.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' II Kings XXI, 16.');">¹⁶</span> Which event took place first?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The bloodshed or the breaking of the leg.');">¹⁷</span>

עמד רבי צדוק על מעלות האולם ואמר אחינו בית ישראל שמעו הרי הוא אומר כי ימצא חלל באדמה אנן על מי להביא על העיר או על העזרות וירושלים בת אתויי עגלה ערופה היא והתניא עשרה דברים נאמרו בירושלים וזו אחת מהן

Would you say that of the bloodshed took place first? Now, if in spite of the bloodshed they did not establish the count, would they have arranged it because of the [incident of the] broken leg? Rather, the [incident of the] broken leg came first - But since they had already arranged a count how was [the affair of the bloodshed] within the four cubits possible? - Rather, the incident of the bloodshed came first, but at first [the Rabbis] thought it was a mere accident; but when however they saw that even without [such unfortunate accidents] they incurred danger, they enacted the count. R'Zadok stood upon the steps of the Hall and called out: Our brethren of the House of Israel, hear ye! Behold it says: If one be found slain in the land.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Deut. XXI, 1.');">¹⁸</span> On whose behalf shall we bring the heifer whose neck is to be broken, on behalf of the city or of the Temple Courts? ' But does [the community of] Jerusalem bring a heifer whose neck is to be broken? Surely it has been taught: Ten things were said concerning Jerusalem and this is one of them -