Onkelos the convert was the nephew of Titus. He went and raised Titus, Bilam and others from the dead and asked them questions about the Jews and the punishments they each received for their actions. The Mount of the King was destroyed because of a rooster and a hen. How and why were the people of Kfar Sichniya in Egypt destroyed? Beitar was destroyed (during the Bar Kochva rebellion) on account of a shaft of a carriage. Zecharia the prophet was assassinated by the Jews who did not want to accept his rebuke. After his death, his blood was boiling and rising from the Temple floor and wouldn’t stop. This led Nevuzaraden (in the destruction of the first Temple) to slaughter millions of Jews until his death was avenged. Nevuzaraden ultimately converted to Judaism as did the descendants of Haman and Sanchereb who became Torah scholars (among them, Shemaya and Avtalion). There are five different explanations of the verse “For you we have died all of the day” – some relate to stories of the destruction (the children who were taken by boat to engage in prostitution who committed suicide, seven sons of one woman who were killed for not bowing down to idols) and others to circumcision and learning Torah.
Gittin 57
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Gittin 57
בְּמַאי דִּפְסַיק אַנַּפְשֵׁיהּ – כֹּל יוֹמָא מְכַנְּשִׁי לֵיהּ לְקִיטְמֵיהּ וְדָיְינִי לֵיהּ, וְקָלוּ לֵיהּ וּמְבַדְּרוּ [לֵיהּ] אַשַּׁב יַמֵּי.
That which he decreed against himself, as he undergoes the following: Every day his ashes are gathered, and they judge him, and they burn him, and they scatter him over the seven seas.
אֲזַל אַסְּקֵיהּ לְבִלְעָם בִּנְגִידָא, אֲמַר לֵיהּ: מַאן חֲשִׁיב בְּהָהוּא עָלְמָא? אֲמַר לֵיהּ: יִשְׂרָאֵל. מַהוּ לְאִידַּבּוֹקֵי בְּהוּ? אֲמַר לֵיהּ: ״לֹא תִדְרוֹשׁ שְׁלוֹמָם וְטוֹבָתָם כׇּל הַיָּמִים״. אֲמַר לֵיהּ: דִּינֵיהּ דְּהָהוּא גַּבְרָא בְּמַאי? אֲמַר לֵיהּ: בְּשִׁכְבַת זֶרַע רוֹתַחַת.
Onkelos then went and raised Balaam from the grave through necromancy. He said to him: Who is most important in that world where you are now? Balaam said to him: The Jewish people. Onkelos asked him: Should I then attach myself to them here in this world? Balaam said to him: You shall not seek their peace or their welfare all the days (see Deuteronomy 23:7). Onkelos said to him: What is the punishment of that man, a euphemism for Balaam himself, in the next world? Balaam said to him: He is cooked in boiling semen, as he caused Israel to engage in licentious behavior with the daughters of Moab.
אֲזַל אַסְּקֵיהּ בִּנְגִידָא לְיֵשׁוּ הַנּוֹצְרִי, אֲמַר לֵיהּ: מַאן חֲשִׁיב בְּהָהוּא עָלְמָא? אֲמַר לֵיהּ: יִשְׂרָאֵל. מַהוּ לְאִדַּבּוֹקֵי בְּהוּ? אֲמַר לֵיהּ: טוֹבָתָם דְּרוֹשׁ, רָעָתָם לֹא תִּדְרוֹשׁ, כׇּל הַנּוֹגֵעַ בָּהֶן כְּאִילּוּ נוֹגֵעַ בְּבָבַת עֵינוֹ.
Onkelos then went and raised Jesus the Nazarene from the grave through necromancy. Onkelos said to him: Who is most important in that world where you are now? Jesus said to him: The Jewish people. Onkelos asked him: Should I then attach myself to them in this world? Jesus said to him: Their welfare you shall seek, their misfortune you shall not seek, for anyone who touches them is regarded as if he were touching the apple of his eye (see Zechariah 2:12).
אֲמַר לֵיהּ: דִּינֵיהּ דְּהָהוּא גַּבְרָא בְּמַאי? אֲמַר לֵיהּ: בְּצוֹאָה רוֹתַחַת. דְּאָמַר מָר: כׇּל הַמַּלְעִיג עַל דִּבְרֵי חֲכָמִים נִידּוֹן בְּצוֹאָה רוֹתַחַת. תָּא חֲזִי מָה בֵּין פּוֹשְׁעֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל לִנְבִיאֵי אוּמּוֹת הָעוֹלָם.
Onkelos said to him: What is the punishment of that man, a euphemism for Jesus himself, in the next world? Jesus said to him: He is punished with boiling excrement. As the Master said: Anyone who mocks the words of the Sages will be sentenced to boiling excrement. And this was his sin, as he mocked the words of the Sages. The Gemara comments: Come and see the difference between the sinners of Israel and the prophets of the nations of the world. As Balaam, who was a prophet, wished Israel harm, whereas Jesus the Nazarene, who was a Jewish sinner, sought their well-being.
תַּנְיָא, אָמַר רַבִּי אֶלְעָזָר: בֹּא וּרְאֵה כַּמָּה גָּדוֹל(ה) כֹּחָהּ שֶׁל בּוּשָׁה, שֶׁהֲרֵי סִיַּיע הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא אֶת בַּר קַמְצָא, וְהֶחְרִיב אֶת בֵּיתוֹ, וְשָׂרַף אֶת הֵיכָלוֹ.
To conclude the story of Kamtza and bar Kamtza and the destruction of Jerusalem, the Gemara cites a baraita. It is taught: Rabbi Elazar says: Come and see how great is the power of shame, for the Holy One, Blessed be He, assisted bar Kamtza, who had been humiliated, and due to this humiliation and shame He destroyed His Temple and burned His Sanctuary.
אַתַּרְנְגוֹלָא וְאַתַּרְנְגוֹלְתָּא חֲרִיב טוּר מַלְכָּא: דַּהֲווֹ נְהִיגִי כִּי הֲווֹ מַפְּקִי חַתְנָא וְכַלְּתָא, מַפְּקִי קַמַּיְיהוּ תַּרְנְגוֹלָא וְתַרְנְגוֹלְתָּא, כְּלוֹמַר: פְּרוּ וּרְבוּ כְּתַרְנְגוֹלִים.
§ It was previously mentioned (55b) that the place known as the King’s Mountain [Tur Malka] was destroyed on account of a rooster and a hen. The details of what happened are as follows: It was customary in that place that when they would lead a bride and groom to their wedding, they would take out a rooster and a hen before them, as if to say in the manner of a good omen: Be fruitful and multiply like chickens.
יוֹמָא חַד הֲוָה קָא חָלֵיף גּוּנְדָּא דְרוֹמָאֵי, שַׁקְלִינְהוּ מִינַּיְיהוּ. נְפַלוּ עֲלַיְיהוּ מְחוֹנְהוּ. אֲתוֹ אֲמַרוּ לֵיהּ לְקֵיסָר: מְרַדוּ בָּךְ יְהוּדָאֵי! אֲתָא עֲלַיְיהוּ. הֲוָה בְּהוּ הָהוּא בַּר דָּרוֹמָא, דַּהֲוָה קָפֵיץ מִילָא וְקָטֵיל בְּהוּ. שַׁקְלֵיהּ קֵיסָר לְתָאגֵיהּ וְאוֹתְבֵיהּ אַאַרְעָא. אֲמַר: רִיבּוֹנֵיהּ דְּעָלְמָא כּוּלֵּיהּ, אִי נִיחָא לָךְ, לָא תִּמְסְרֵיהּ לְהָהוּא גַּבְרָא – לְדִידֵיהּ וּלְמַלְכוּתֵיהּ, בִּידֵיהּ דְּחַד גַּבְרָא!
One day a troop [gunda] of Roman soldiers passed by there while a wedding was taking place and took the rooster and hen from them. The residents of the city fell upon them and beat them. The soldiers came and said to the emperor: The Jews have rebelled against you. The emperor then came against them in war. Among the residents of the King’s Mountain there was a certain man named bar Deroma who could jump the distance of a mil, and he killed many of the Romans, who were powerless to stand up against him. The emperor then took his crown and set it on the ground as a sign of mourning. He said: Master of the Universe, if it is pleasing to You, do not give over that man, a euphemism for himself, and his kingdom into the hands of only one man.
אַכְשְׁלֵיהּ פּוּמֵּיהּ לְבַר דָּרוֹמָא, וַאֲמַר: ״הֲלֹא אַתָּה אֱלֹהִים זְנַחְתָּנוּ וְלֹא תֵצֵא אֱלֹהִים בְּצִבְאוֹתֵינוּ״. דָּוִד נָמֵי אָמַר הָכִי! דָּוִד אַתְמוֹהֵי קָא מַתְמַהּ.
In the end it was the words issuing from his own mouth that caused bar Deroma to stumble, as he uttered this verse in complaint against God: “Have You not rejected us, O God, so that You go not forth, O God, with our hosts?” (Psalms 60:12). The Gemara asks: But did not David also say this? The Gemara answers: David uttered these words as a question, wondering whether they were true, whereas bar Deroma pronounced them as a statement of fact.
עָל לְבֵית הַכִּסֵּא, אֲתָא דְּרָקוֹנָא שַׁמְטֵיהּ לְכַרְכְּשֵׁיהּ וְנָח נַפְשֵׁיהּ. אֲמַר: הוֹאִיל וְאִיתְרְחִישׁ לִי נִיסָּא, הָא זִימְנָא אֶישְׁבְּקִינְהוּ. שַׁבְקִינְהוּ וַאֲזַל. אִיזְדְּקוּר וַאֲכַלוּ וּשְׁתוֹ, וְאַדְלִיקוּ שְׁרָגֵי, עַד דְּאִיתְחֲזִי בִּלְיוֹנָא דְגוּשְׁפַּנְקָא בְּרָחוֹק מִילָא. אֲמַר: מִיחְדָּא קָא חָדוּ בִּי יְהוּדָאֵי! הֲדַר אֲתָא עֲלַיְיהוּ.
The Gemara recounts what happened to bar Deroma: He entered an outhouse, a snake came and eviscerated him, and he died. The emperor said: Since a miracle was performed for me, as I had no part in bar Deroma’s death, I will let the rest of the people be this time and take no further action against them. He let them be and went on his way. They leapt about, ate, drank, and lit so many candles in celebration that the image [bilyona] imprinted on a seal [gushpanka] was visible from a distance of a mil. The emperor then said: The Jews are rejoicing over me. So he went back and came against them.
אָמַר רַבִּי אַסִּי: תְּלָת מְאָה אַלְפֵי שְׁלִיפֵי סַיְיפָא עֲיַילוּ לְטוּר מַלְכָּא, וּקְטַלוּ בַּהּ תְּלָתָא יוֹמֵי וּתְלָתָא לֵילָווֹתָא; וּבְהָךְ גִּיסָא הִלּוּלֵי וְחִנְגֵי, וְלָא הֲווֹ יָדְעִי הָנֵי בְּהָנֵי.
Rav Asi says: Three hundred thousand men with drawn swords entered the King’s Mountain and massacred its inhabitants for three days and three nights. And at the same time on the other side of the mountain, weddings and other festivities continued to be celebrated, and they did not know about each other, owing to the enormous size of the place.
״בִּלַּע ה׳ וְלֹא חָמַל אֵת כׇּל נְאוֹת יַעֲקֹב״ – כִּי אֲתָא רָבִין אָמַר רַבִּי יוֹחָנָן: אֵלּוּ שִׁשִּׁים רִבּוֹא עֲיָירוֹת שֶׁהָיוּ לוֹ לְיַנַּאי הַמֶּלֶךְ בְּהַר הַמֶּלֶךְ. דְּאָמַר רַב יְהוּדָה אָמַר רַב אַסִּי: שִׁשִּׁים רִבּוֹא עֲיָירוֹת הָיוּ לוֹ לְיַנַּאי הַמֶּלֶךְ בְּהַר הַמֶּלֶךְ, וְכׇל אַחַת וְאַחַת הָיוּ בָּהּ כְּיוֹצְאֵי מִצְרַיִם, חוּץ מִשָּׁלֹשׁ שֶׁהָיוּ בָּהֶן כִּפְלַיִם כְּיוֹצְאֵי מִצְרַיִם.
§ Concerning the verse: “The Lord has swallowed up without pity all the habitations of Jacob” (Lamentations 2:2), it is related that when Ravin came from Eretz Yisrael to Babylonia he said that Rabbi Yoḥanan says: This is referring to the six hundred thousand cities that King Yannai had in the King’s Mountain. As Rav Yehuda says that Rav Asi says: King Yannai had six hundred thousand cities in the King’s Mountain, and each of them had a population as great as the number of those who left Egypt, except for three of those cities, the population of which was double the number of those who left Egypt.
אֵלּוּ הֵן: כְּפַר בִּישׁ, כְּפַר שַׁיחֲלַיִים, כְּפַר דִּכְרַיָּא. כְּפַר בִּישׁ – דְּלָא יָהֲבִי בֵּיתָא לְאוּשְׁפִּיזָא. כְּפַר שַׁיחֲלַיִים – שֶׁהָיְתָה פַּרְנָסָתָן מִן שַׁחֲלַיִים. כְּפַר דִּכְרַיָּא – אָמַר רַבִּי יוֹחָנָן: שֶׁהָיוּ נְשׁוֹתֵיהֶן יוֹלְדוֹת זְכָרִים תְּחִלָּה, וְיוֹלְדוֹת נְקֵבָה בָּאַחֲרוֹנָה, וּפוֹסְקוֹת.
These are those three cities: Kefar Bish, Kefar Shiḥalayim, and Kefar Dikhrayya. The Gemara explains the meaning of these place-names. Kefar Bish, Evil Town, was called by that name because its inhabitants would not open their houses to guests. Kefar Shiḥalayim was referred to by that name because their livelihood was derived from the cultivation of cress [shaḥalayim]. As for Kefar Dikhrayya, Town of Males, Rabbi Yoḥanan says: Their women would first give birth to boys, and afterward give birth to girls, and then they would stop having children.
אָמַר עוּלָּא: לְדִידִי חֲזֵי לִי הָהוּא אַתְרָא, וַאֲפִילּוּ שִׁיתִּין רִיבְּווֹתָא קְנֵי לָא מַחְזֵיק. אֲמַר לֵיהּ הָהוּא מִינָא לְרַבִּי חֲנִינָא: שַׁקּוֹרֵי מְשַׁקְּרִיתוּ! אֲמַר לֵיהּ: ״אֶרֶץ צְבִי״ כְּתִיב בַּהּ, מָה צְבִי זֶה – אֵין עוֹרוֹ מַחֲזִיק אֶת בְּשָׂרוֹ, אַף אֶרֶץ יִשְׂרָאֵל – בִּזְמַן שֶׁיּוֹשְׁבִין עָלֶיהָ רָוְוחָא, וּבִזְמַן שֶׁאֵין יוֹשְׁבִין עָלֶיהָ גָּמְדָא.
Ulla said: I myself saw that place, and it could not hold even six hundred thousand reeds, all the more so that number of people. A certain heretic said to Rabbi Ḥanina: You lie with your exorbitant exaggerations. Rabbi Ḥanina said to him: With regard to Eretz Yisrael it is written: Land of the deer (see Jeremiah 3:19). Just as the skin of a deer cannot hold its flesh, for after the animal is skinned, its hide shrinks, so too, with regard to Eretz Yisrael, when it is settled, it expands, but when it is not settled, it contracts. This explains how a place that is so small today could have been so highly populated prior to the Temple’s destruction.
רַב מִנְיוֹמֵי בַּר חִלְקִיָּה וְרַב חִלְקִיָּה בַּר טוֹבִיָּה וְרַב הוּנָא בַּר חִיָּיא הָווּ יָתְבִי גַּבֵּי הֲדָדֵי, אָמְרִי: אִי אִיכָּא דִּשְׁמִיעַ לֵיהּ מִילְּתָא מִכְּפַר סְכַנְיָא שֶׁל מִצְרַיִם, לֵימָא.
§ The Gemara relates that Rav Minyumi bar Ḥilkiya, Rav Ḥilkiya bar Toviya, and Rav Huna bar Ḥiyya were once sitting together. They said: If there is someone who has heard anything about Kefar Sekhanya of Egypt, which was in that region, let him relate it.
פְּתַח חַד מִינַּיְיהוּ וַאֲמַר: מַעֲשֶׂה בְּאָרוּס וַאֲרוּסָתוֹ שֶׁנִּשְׁבּוּ לְבֵין הַגּוֹיִם, וְהִשִּׂיאוּם זֶה לָזֶה. אָמְרָה לוֹ: ״בְּבַקָּשָׁה מִמְּךָ, אַל תִּגַּע בִּי, שֶׁאֵין לִי כְּתוּבָּה מִמְּךָ״, וְלֹא נָגַע בָּהּ עַד יוֹם מוֹתוֹ.
One of them began the discussion and said: There was an incident involving a betrothed man and woman from there who were taken captive by gentiles and the latter married them off to each other. The woman said to the man: Please do not touch me, as I do not have a marriage contract from you, and it is prohibited for us to live together without one. And until the day of his death the man did not touch the woman.
וּכְשֶׁמֵּת, אָמְרָה לָהֶן: סִיפְדוּ לָזֶה, שֶׁפִּטְפֵּט בְּיִצְרוֹ יוֹתֵר מִיּוֹסֵף; דְּאִילּוּ בְּיוֹסֵף לָא הֲוָה אֶלָּא חֲדָא שַׁעְתָּא, וְהַאי כֹּל יוֹמָא וְיוֹמָא. וְאִילּוּ יוֹסֵף לָאו בַּחֲדָא מִטָּה, וְהַאי בַּחֲדָא מִטָּה. וְאִילּוּ יוֹסֵף לָאו אִשְׁתּוֹ, וְהָא אִשְׁתּוֹ.
And when he died without having touched her, the woman said to the Sages: Eulogize this man who conquered [shepitpet] his passion [beyitzro] more than Joseph. As in the case of Joseph it was only for a short time that he had to overpower his inclination and resist Potiphar’s wife (see Genesis, chapter 39), whereas this man struggled with his passion each and every day. Furthermore, Joseph was not in one bed with Potiphar’s wife, whereas this man was in one bed with his wife. In addition, with Joseph the woman was not his wife, whereas with this man she was his wife, as she was already betrothed to him.
פְּתַח אִידַּךְ וַאֲמַר: מַעֲשֶׂה וְעָמְדוּ אַרְבָּעִים מוֹדִיּוֹת בְּדִינָר; נֶחְסַר הַשַּׁעַר מוֹדְיָא אַחַת, וּבָדְקוּ, וּמָצְאוּ אָב וּבְנוֹ שֶׁבָּאוּ עַל נַעֲרָה מְאוֹרָסָה בְּיוֹם הַכִּפּוּרִים; וֶהֱבִיאוּם לְבֵית דִּין וּסְקָלוּם, וְחָזַר הַשַּׁעַר לִמְקוֹמוֹ.
Another Sage began his remarks and said: It once happened that the market price of forty se’a of grain stood at one dinar. And then the rate went down one se’a [modeya], so that only thirty-nine se’a were sold for a dinar. And they checked to see what sin had caused this, and they found a father and son who had engaged in sexual intercourse with a betrothed young woman on Yom Kippur. They brought the offenders to court and stoned them, and the rate returned to its former level.
פְּתַח אִידַּךְ וַאֲמַר: מַעֲשֶׂה בְּאָדָם אֶחָד שֶׁנָּתַן עֵינָיו בְּאִשְׁתּוֹ לְגָרְשָׁהּ, וְהָיְתָה כְּתוּבָּתָהּ מְרוּבָּה. מָה עָשָׂה? הָלַךְ וְזִימֵּן אֶת שׁוֹשְׁבִינָיו וְהֶאֱכִילָן וְהִשְׁקָן, שִׁיכְּרָן וְהִשְׁכִּיבָן עַל מִיטָּה אַחַת, וְהֵבִיא לוֹבֶן בֵּיצָה וְהִטִּיל בֵּינֵיהֶן, וְהֶעֱמִיד לָהֶן עֵדִים, וּבָא לְבֵית דִּין.
Yet another Sage began his remarks and said: There was an incident there involving a man who set his eyes upon his wife to divorce her, but her marriage contract was large and he wished to avoid having to pay it. What did he do? He went and invited his friends, gave them food and drink, made them drunk, and lay his friends and his wife in one bed. He then brought the white of an egg, which has the appearance of semen, and placed it on the sheet between them. He then stood witnesses over them so that they could offer testimony, and went to court claiming that his wife had committed adultery.
הָיָה שָׁם זָקֵן אֶחָד מִתַּלְמִידֵי שַׁמַּאי הַזָּקֵן, וּבָבָא בֶּן בּוּטָא שְׁמוֹ. אָמַר לָהֶן, כָּךְ מְקוּבְּלַנִי מִשַּׁמַּאי הַזָּקֵן: לוֹבֶן בֵּיצָה סוֹלֵד מִן הָאוּר, וְשִׁכְבַת זֶרַע דּוֹחָה מִן הָאוּר. בָּדְקוּ וּמָצְאוּ כִּדְבָרָיו, וֶהֱבִיאוּהוּ לְבֵית דִּין וְהִלְקוּהוּ, וְהִגְבּוּהוּ כְּתוּבָּתָהּ מִמֶּנּוּ.
A certain Elder of the disciples of Shammai the Elder was there, and Bava ben Buta was his name. He said to them: This is the tradition that I received from Shammai the Elder: Egg white on a bedsheet contracts and hardens when heated by fire, whereas semen is absorbed into the sheet by the fire. They checked the matter and found in accordance with his statement that the substance on the sheet was not semen but egg white. They then brought the husband to court, administered lashes to him, and made him pay his wife’s marriage contract in full.
אֲמַר לֵיהּ אַבָּיֵי לְרַב יוֹסֵף: וּמֵאַחַר דַּהֲווֹ צַדִּיקִים כּוּלֵּי הַאי, מַאי טַעְמָא אִיעֲנוּשׁ? אֲמַר לֵיהּ: מִשּׁוּם דְּלָא אִיאַבּוּל עַל יְרוּשָׁלַיִם, דִּכְתִיב: ״שִׂמְחוּ אֶת יְרוּשָׁלִַם וְגִילוּ בָהּ כׇּל אוֹהֲבֶיהָ, שִׂישׂוּ אִתָּהּ מָשׂוֹשׂ כׇּל הַמִּתְאַבְּלִים עָלֶיהָ״.
Abaye said to Rav Yosef: But since those in the city were so righteous, what is the reason that they were punished and destroyed? Rav Yosef said to him: It is because they did not mourn for Jerusalem, as it is written: “Rejoice with Jerusalem, and be glad with her, all you that love her, rejoice with joy with her, all you that did mourn for her” (Isaiah 66:10). The verse teaches that one who mourns for Jerusalem will rejoice in its rebuilding, and one who fails to mourn for Jerusalem is destroyed.
אַשָּׁקָא דְרִיסְפַּק חֲרִיב בֵּיתֵּר: דַּהֲווֹ נְהִיגִי כִּי הֲוָה מִתְיְלִיד יָנוֹקָא – שָׁתְלִי אַרְזָא, יָנוֹקְתָּא – שָׁתְלִי תּוּרְנִיתָא; וְכִי הֲווֹ מִינַּסְבִי, קָיְיצִי לְהוּ וְעָבְדִי גְּנָנָא. יוֹמָא חַד הֲוָה קָא חָלְפָא בְּרַתֵּיה דְּקֵיסָר, אִתְּבַר שָׁקָא דְרִיסְפַּק. קַצּוּ אַרְזָא וְעַיִּילוּ לַהּ. אֲתוֹ נְפוּל עֲלַיְיהוּ מְחוֹנְהוּ. אֲתוֹ אֲמַרוּ לֵיהּ לְקֵיסָר: מְרַדוּ בָּךְ יְהוּדָאֵי! אֲתָא עֲלַיְיהוּ.
§ It was stated earlier that the city of Beitar was destroyed on account of a shaft from a carriage. The Gemara explains that it was customary in Beitar that when a boy was born they would plant a cedar tree and when a girl was born they would plant a cypress [tornita]. And when they would later marry each other they would cut down these trees and construct a wedding canopy for them with their branches. One day the emperor’s daughter passed by there and the shaft of the carriage in which she was riding broke. Her attendants chopped down a cedar from among those trees and brought it to her. Owing to the importance that they attached to their custom, the residents of Beitar came and fell upon them and beat them. The attendants came and said to the emperor: The Jews have rebelled against you. The emperor then came against them in war.
״גָּדַע בׇּחֳרִי אַף כֹּל קֶרֶן יִשְׂרָאֵל״ – אָמַר רַבִּי זֵירָא אָמַר רַבִּי אֲבָהוּ אָמַר רַבִּי יוֹחָנָן: אֵלּוּ שְׁמוֹנִים [אֶלֶף] קַרְנֵי מִלְחָמָה שֶׁנִּכְנְסוּ לִכְרַךְ בֵּיתֵּר בְּשָׁעָה שֶׁלְּכָדוּהָ, וְהָרְגוּ בָּהּ אֲנָשִׁים וְנָשִׁים וָטַף, עַד שֶׁהָלַךְ דָּמָן וְנָפַל לַיָּם הַגָּדוֹל. שֶׁמָּא תֹּאמַר קְרוֹבָה הָיְתָה? רְחוֹקָה הָיְתָה מִיל.
It was in connection with the war that ensued that the Sages expounded the following verse: “He has cut off in His fierce anger all the horn of Israel” (Lamentations 2:3). Rabbi Zeira says that Rabbi Abbahu says that Rabbi Yoḥanan says: These are the eighty thousand officers bearing battle trumpets in their hands, who entered the city of Beitar when the enemy took it and killed men, women, and children until their blood flowed into the Great Sea. Lest you say that the city was close to the sea, know that it was a mil away.
תַּנְיָא, רַבִּי אֱלִיעֶזֶר הַגָּדוֹל אוֹמֵר: שְׁנֵי נְחָלִים יֵשׁ בְּבִקְעַת יָדַיִם, אֶחָד מוֹשֵׁךְ אֵילָךְ, וְאֶחָד מוֹשֵׁךְ אֵילָךְ, וְשִׁיעֲרוּ חֲכָמִים שְׁנֵי חֲלָקִים מַיִם וְאֶחָד דָּם. בְּמַתְנִיתָא תָּנָא: שֶׁבַע שָׁנִים בָּצְרוּ גּוֹיִם אֶת כַּרְמֵיהֶן מִדָּמָן שֶׁל יִשְׂרָאֵל, בְּלֹא זֶבֶל.
It is similarly taught in a baraita that Rabbi Eliezer the Great says: There are two rivers in the Yadayim Valley in that region, one flowing one way and one flowing the other way. And the Sages estimated that in the aftermath of this war these rivers were filled with two parts water to one part blood. Likewise, it was taught in a baraita: For seven years the gentiles harvested their vineyards that had been soaked with the blood of Israel without requiring any additional fertilizer.
אָמַר רַבִּי חִיָּיא בַּר אָבִין אָמַר רַבִּי יְהוֹשֻׁעַ בֶּן קׇרְחָה, סָח לִי זָקֵן אֶחָד מֵאַנְשֵׁי יְרוּשָׁלַיִם: בְּבִקְעָה זוֹ הָרַג נְבוּזַרְאֲדָן רַב טַבָּחִים מָאתַיִם וְאַחַת עֶשְׂרֵה רִבּוֹא, וּבִירוּשָׁלַיִם הָרַג תִּשְׁעִים וְאַרְבַּע רִבּוֹא עַל אֶבֶן אַחַת, עַד שֶׁהָלַךְ דָּמָן וְנָגַע בְּדָמוֹ שֶׁל זְכַרְיָה, לְקַיֵּים מַה שֶּׁנֶּאֱמַר: ״וְדָמִים בְּדָמִים נָגְעוּ״.
§ With regard to the Babylonian exile following the destruction of the First Temple, Rabbi Ḥiyya bar Avin says that Rabbi Yehoshua ben Korḥa says: An old man from among the inhabitants of Jerusalem related to me: In this valley that lies before you, Nebuzaradan, captain of the guard of the Babylonian king Nebuchadnezzar, killed 2,110,000 people. And in Jerusalem itself he killed 940,000 people on one stone, until the blood of his victims flowed and touched the blood of Zechariah to fulfill what is stated: “And blood touches blood” (Hosea 4:2).
אַשְׁכְּחֵיהּ לִדְמֵיהּ דִּזְכַרְיָה דַּהֲוָה קָא מִרְתַח וְסָלֵיק, אֲמַר: מַאי הַאי? אֲמַרוּ לֵיהּ: דַּם זְבָחִים דְּאִשְׁתְּפוּךְ. אַיְיתִי דְּמֵי וְלָא אִידְּמוֹ.
The Gemara clarifies the details of what happened: Nebuzaradan found the blood of Zechariah, the son of Jehoiada the priest, and saw that it was bubbling up from the ground, and he said: What is this? Those in the Temple said to him: It is sacrificial blood that had been poured there. He brought animal blood, compared it to the blood bubbling up from the ground, and saw that it was not similar to it.
אֲמַר לְהוּ: אִי אָמְרִיתוּ לִי – מוּטָב, וְאִי לָאו – מְסָרֵיקְנָא לְבִשְׂרַיְיכוּ בְּמַסְרְקֵי דְפַרְזְלֵי. אָמְרִי לֵיהּ: מַאי נֵימָא לָךְ? נְבִיָּיא הֲוָה בַּן דַּהֲוָה קָא מוֹכַח לַן בְּמִילֵּי דִשְׁמַיָּא, קַמְינַן עִילָּוֵיהּ וּקְטַלְינַן לֵיהּ, וְהָא כַּמָּה שְׁנִין דְּלָא קָא נָיַיח דְּמֵיהּ.
Nebuzaradan said to them: If you tell me whose blood this is, it will be well for you. But if not, I will comb your flesh with iron combs. They said to him: What shall we say to you? He was a prophet among us, who used to rebuke us about heavenly matters, and we rose up against him, and killed him (II Chronicles 24:20–22), and for many years now his blood has not settled.
אֲמַר לְהוּ: אֲנָא מְפַיֵּיסְנָא לֵיהּ. אַיְיתִי סַנְהֶדְרִי גְּדוֹלָה וְסַנְהֶדְרִי קְטַנָּה קְטַל עִילָּוֵיהּ, וְלָא נָח. בַּחוּרִים וּבְתוּלוֹת קְטַל עִילָּוֵיהּ, וְלָא נָח. אַיְיתִי תִּינוֹקוֹת שֶׁל בֵּית רַבָּן קְטַל עִילָּוֵיהּ, וְלָא נָח. אֲמַר לֵיהּ: זְכַרְיָה, זְכַרְיָה, טוֹבִים שֶׁבָּהֶן אִיבַּדְתִּים, נִיחָא לָךְ דְּאֹבְדִינְהוּ לְכוּלְּהוּ? כְּדַאֲמַר לֵיהּ הָכִי, נָח.
Nebuzaradan said to them: I will appease Zechariah. He brought the members of the Great Sanhedrin and of a lesser Sanhedrin and killed them alongside the bubbling blood, but it still did not settle. He then brought young men and virgins and killed them alongside it, but it still did not settle. He then brought schoolchildren and killed them alongside it, but it still did not settle. Finally Nebuzaradan said to him: Zechariah, Zechariah, I have killed the best of them. Would it please you if I destroyed them all? When he said this, the blood at last settled.
בְּהַהִיא שַׁעְתָּא הַרְהַר תְּשׁוּבָה בְּדַעְתֵּיהּ, אֲמַר: וּמָה אִם עַל נֶפֶשׁ אַחַת, כָּךְ; הָהוּא גַּבְרָא דִּקְטַל כׇּל הָנֵי נִשְׁמָתָא – עַל אַחַת כַּמָּה וְכַמָּה! עֲרַק, אֲזַל שַׁדַּר שְׁטַר פִּרְטְתָא בְּבֵיתֵיהּ, וְאִגַּיַּיר.
At that moment Nebuzaradan contemplated the idea of repentance and said to himself: If, for the death of one soul, that of Zechariah, God punishes the Jewish people in this manner, then that man, that is to say, I, who has killed all of those souls, all the more so will be I be subject to great punishment from God. He fled, sent to his house a document detailing what was to be done with his property, and converted to Judaism.
תָּנָא: נַעֲמָן גֵּר תּוֹשָׁב הָיָה; נְבוּזַרְאֲדָן גֵּר צֶדֶק הָיָה;
A Sage taught a baraita relating to this matter: Naaman, commander of the army of the king of Aram (see II Kings, chapter 5), was not a convert, as he did not accept all of the mitzvot, but rather he was a ger toshav, a gentile who resides in Eretz Israel and observes the seven Noahide mitzvot. Nebuzaradan, by contrast, was a convert, as explained previously.
מִבְּנֵי בָנָיו שֶׁל הָמָן לִמְּדוּ תּוֹרָה בִּבְנֵי בְרַק; מִבְּנֵי בָנָיו שֶׁל סִיסְרָא לִמְּדוּ תִּינוֹקוֹת בִּירוּשָׁלַיִם; מִבְּנֵי בָנָיו שֶׁל סַנְחֵרִיב לִמְּדוּ תּוֹרָה בָּרַבִּים – מַאן אִינּוּן? שְׁמַעְיָה וְאַבְטַלְיוֹן.
The Gemara adds that some of Haman’s descendants studied Torah in Bnei Brak, and some of Sisera’s descendants taught children Torah in Jerusalem, and some of Sennacherib’s descendants taught Torah in public. Who are they? They are Shemaya and Avtalyon, the teachers of Hillel the Elder.
הַיְינוּ דִּכְתִיב: ״נָתַתִּי אֶת דָּמָהּ עַל צְחִיחַ סָלַע לְבִלְתִּי הִכָּסוֹת״.
As for the incident involving the blood of Zechariah, this is alluded to by that which is written: “I have set her blood upon the bare rock that it should not be covered” (Ezekiel 24:8).
״הַקּוֹל קוֹל יַעֲקֹב וְהַיָּדַיִם יְדֵי עֵשָׂו״ – ״הַקּוֹל״, זֶה אַדְרִיָּינוּס קֵיסָר, שֶׁהָרַג בַּאֲלֶכְּסַנְדְּרִיָּא שֶׁל מִצְרַיִם שִׁשִּׁים רִבּוֹא עַל שִׁשִּׁים רִבּוֹא, כִּפְלַיִם כְּיוֹצְאֵי מִצְרַיִם. ״קוֹל יַעֲקֹב״ – זֶה אַסְפַּסְיָינוּס קֵיסָר, שֶׁהָרַג בִּכְרַךְ בֵּיתֵּר אַרְבַּע מֵאוֹת רִבּוֹא, וְאָמְרִי לַהּ: אַרְבַּעַת אֲלָפִים רִבּוֹא. ״וְהַיָּדַיִם יְדֵי עֵשָׂו״ – זוֹ מַלְכוּת הָרְשָׁעָה, שֶׁהֶחְרִיבָה אֶת בָּתֵּינוּ, וְשָׂרְפָה אֶת הֵיכָלֵנוּ, וְהִגְלְתָנוּ מֵאַרְצֵנוּ.
§ Apropos its discussion of the destruction of the Temple and the calamities that befell Israel, the Gemara cites the verse: “The voice is the voice of Jacob, but the hands are the hands of Esau” (Genesis 27:22), which the Sages expounded as follows: “The voice”; this is the cry stirred up by the emperor Hadrian, who caused the Jewish people to cry out when he killed six hundred thousand on six hundred thousand in Alexandria of Egypt, twice the number of men who left Egypt. “The voice of Jacob”; this is the cry aroused by the emperor Vespasian, who killed four million people in the city of Beitar. And some say: He killed forty million people. “And the hands are the hands of Esau”; this is the wicked kingdom of Rome that destroyed our Temple, burned our Sanctuary, and exiled us from our land.
דָּבָר אַחֵר: ״הַקּוֹל קוֹל יַעֲקֹב״ – אֵין לְךָ תְּפִלָּה שֶׁמּוֹעֶלֶת, שֶׁאֵין בָּהּ מִזַּרְעוֹ שֶׁל יַעֲקֹב. ״וְהַיָּדַיִם יְדֵי עֵשָׂו״ – אֵין לְךָ מִלְחָמָה שֶׁנּוֹצַחַת, שֶׁאֵין בָּהּ מִזַּרְעוֹ שֶׁל עֵשָׂו.
Alternatively, “the voice is the voice of Jacob” means that no prayer is effective in the world unless some member of the seed of Jacob has a part in it. The second clause in the verse, “and the hands are the hands of Esau,” means that no war grants victory unless some member of the seed of Esau has a part in it.
וְהַיְינוּ דְּאָמַר רַבִּי אֶלְעָזָר: ״בְּשׁוֹט לָשׁוֹן תֵּחָבֵא״ – בְּחִירְחוּרֵי לָשׁוֹן תֵּחָבֵא. אָמַר רַב יְהוּדָה אָמַר רַב, מַאי דִּכְתִיב: ״עַל נַהֲרוֹת בָּבֶל, שָׁם יָשַׁבְנוּ גַּם בָּכִינוּ בְּזׇכְרֵנוּ אֶת צִיּוֹן״? מְלַמֵּד שֶׁהֶרְאָהוּ הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא לְדָוִד חוּרְבַּן בַּיִת רִאשׁוֹן וְחוּרְבַּן בַּיִת שֵׁנִי. חוּרְבַּן בַּיִת רִאשׁוֹן – שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: ״עַל נַהֲרוֹת בָּבֶל שָׁם יָשַׁבְנוּ גַּם בָּכִינוּ״. בַּיִת שֵׁנִי – דִּכְתִיב: ״זְכוֹר ה׳ לִבְנֵי אֱדוֹם אֵת יוֹם יְרוּשָׁלִָים, הָאוֹמְרִים עָרוּ עָרוּ עַד הַיְסוֹד בָּהּ״.
And this is what Rabbi Elazar says: The verse that says: “You shall be hid from the scourge of the tongue” (Job 5:21), means: You shall need to hide on account of quarrels provoked by the tongue. Rav Yehuda says that Rav says: What is the meaning of that which is written: “By the rivers of Babylonia, there we sat down and wept, when we remembered Zion” (Psalms 137:1)? This teaches that the Holy One, Blessed be He, showed David the destruction of the First Temple and the destruction of the Second Temple. He saw the destruction of the First Temple, as it is stated: “By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat down and wept.” He saw the destruction of the Second Temple, as it is written later in that same psalm: “Remember, O Lord, against the children of Edom the day of Jerusalem, when they said: Raze it, raze it, to its very foundation” (Psalms 137:7), as the Second Temple was destroyed by the Romans, “the children of Edom.”
אָמַר רַב יְהוּדָה אָמַר שְׁמוּאֵל, וְאִיתֵּימָא רַבִּי אַמֵּי, וְאָמְרִי לַהּ בְּמַתְנִיתָא תָּנָא: מַעֲשֶׂה בְּאַרְבַּע מֵאוֹת יְלָדִים וִילָדוֹת שֶׁנִּשְׁבּוּ לְקָלוֹן, הִרְגִּישׁוּ בְּעַצְמָן לְמָה הֵן מִתְבַּקְּשִׁים, אָמְרוּ: אִם אָנוּ טוֹבְעִין בַּיָּם – אָנוּ בָּאִין לְחַיֵּי הָעוֹלָם הַבָּא? דָּרַשׁ לָהֶן הַגָּדוֹל שֶׁבָּהֶן: ״אָמַר ה׳ מִבָּשָׁן אָשִׁיב, אָשִׁיב מִמְּצוּלוֹת יָם״ – ״מִבָּשָׁן אָשִׁיב״, מִבֵּין שִׁינֵּי אַרְיֵה; ״אָשִׁיב מִמְּצוּלוֹת יָם״, אֵלּוּ שֶׁטּוֹבְעִין בַּיָּם.
Rav Yehuda says that Shmuel says, and some say that it was Rabbi Ami who says this, and some say that it was taught in a baraita: There was an incident involving four hundred boys and girls who were taken as captives for the purpose of prostitution. These children sensed on their own what they were expected to do, and they said: If we commit suicide and drown in the sea, will we come to eternal life in the World-to-Come? The oldest child among them expounded the verse: “The Lord said, I will bring back from Bashan, I will bring them back from the depths of the sea” (Psalms 68:23). “I will bring back from Bashan,” i.e., from between the teeth [bein shen] of the lion, and “I will bring them back from the depths of the sea” is referring to those who drown in the sea for the sake of Heaven.
כֵּיוָן שֶׁשָּׁמְעוּ יְלָדוֹת כָּךְ, קָפְצוּ כּוּלָּן וְנָפְלוּ לְתוֹךְ הַיָּם. נָשְׂאוּ יְלָדִים קַל וָחוֹמֶר בְּעַצְמָן, וְאָמְרוּ: מָה הַלָּלוּ, שֶׁדַּרְכָּן לְכָךְ – כָּךְ; אָנוּ, שֶׁאֵין דַּרְכֵּנוּ לְכָךְ – עַל אַחַת כַּמָּה וְכַמָּה! אַף הֵם קָפְצוּ לְתוֹךְ הַיָּם. וַעֲלֵיהֶם הַכָּתוּב אוֹמֵר: ״כִּי עָלֶיךָ הֹרַגְנוּ כׇל הַיּוֹם, נֶחְשַׁבְנוּ כְּצֹאן טִבְחָה״.
When the girls heard this, they all leapt and fell into the sea. The boys then drew an a fortiori inference with regard to themselves and said: If these girls, for whom sexual intercourse with men is their natural way, act in such a manner, then we, for whom sexual intercourse with men is not our natural way, should all the more so conduct ourselves likewise. They too leapt into the sea. Concerning them and others like them the verse states: “As For Your sake we are killed all the day long; we are reckoned as sheep for the slaughter” (Psalms 44:23).
וְרַב יְהוּדָה אָמַר: זוֹ אִשָּׁה וְשִׁבְעָה בָּנֶיהָ – אַתְיוּהּ לְקַמָּא לְקַמֵּיהּ דְּקֵיסָר, אֲמַרוּ לֵיהּ: פְּלַח לַעֲבוֹדָה זָרָה! אֲמַר לְהוּ, כָּתוּב בַּתּוֹרָה: ״אָנֹכִי ה׳ אֱלֹהֶיךָ״. אַפְּקוּהּ וְקַטְלוּהּ.
And Rav Yehuda said: This verse applies to the woman and her seven sons who died as martyrs for the sake of the sanctification of God’s name. The incident occurred as follows: They brought in the first of the woman’s sons before the emperor and said to him: Worship the idol. He said to them: I cannot do so, as it is written in the Torah: “I am the Lord your God” (Exodus 20:2). They immediately took him out and killed him.
אַתְיוּהּ לְאִידַּךְ לְקַמֵּיהּ דְּקֵיסָר, אֲמַרוּ לֵיהּ: פְּלַח לַעֲבוֹדָה זָרָה! אֲמַר לְהוּ, כָּתוּב בַּתּוֹרָה: ״לֹא יִהְיֶה לְךָ אֱלֹהִים אֲחֵרִים עַל פָּנָי״. אַפְּקוּהּ וְקַטְלוּהּ. אַתְיוּהּ לְאִידַּךְ, אֲמַרוּ לֵיהּ: פְּלַח לַעֲבוֹדָה זָרָה! אֲמַר לְהוּ, כָּתוּב בַּתּוֹרָה: ״זוֹבֵחַ לֵאלֹהִים יׇחֳרָם״. אַפְּקוּהּ וְקַטְלוּהּ.
And they then brought in another son before the emperor, and said to him: Worship the idol. He said to them: I cannot do so, as it is written in the Torah: “You shall have no other gods beside Me” (Exodus 20:3). And so they took him out and killed him. They then brought in yet another son before the emperor, and said to him: Worship the idol. He said to them: I cannot do so, as it is written in the Torah: “He that sacrifices to any god, save to the Lord only, he shall be utterly destroyed” (Exodus 22:19). And so they took him out and killed him.
אַתְיוּהּ לְאִידַּךְ, אֲמַרוּ לֵיהּ: פְּלַח לַעֲבוֹדָה זָרָה! אֲמַר לְהוּ, כָּתוּב בַּתּוֹרָה: ״לֹא תִשְׁתַּחֲוֶה לְאֵל אַחֵר״. אַפְּקוּהּ וְקַטְלוּהּ. אַתְיוּהּ לְאִידַּךְ, אֲמַרוּ לֵיהּ: פְּלַח לַעֲבוֹדָה זָרָה! אֲמַר לְהוּ, כָּתוּב בַּתּוֹרָה: ״שְׁמַע יִשְׂרָאֵל ה׳ אֱלֹהֵינוּ ה׳ אֶחָד״. אַפְּקוּהּ וְקַטְלוּהּ.
They then brought in another son, and said to him: Worship the idol. He said to them: I cannot do so, as it is written in the Torah: “You shall not bow down to any other god” (Exodus 34:14). And so they took him out and killed him. They then brought in yet another son, and said to him: Worship the idol. He said to them: I cannot do so, as it is written in the Torah: “Hear, O Israel, the Lord is our God, the Lord is One” (Deuteronomy 6:4). And so they took him out and killed him.
אַתְיוּהּ לְאִידַּךְ, אֲמַרוּ לֵיהּ: פְּלַח לַעֲבוֹדָה זָרָה! אֲמַר לְהוּ, כָּתוּב בַּתּוֹרָה: ״וְיָדַעְתָּ הַיּוֹם וַהֲשֵׁבוֹתָ אֶל לְבָבֶךָ, כִּי ה׳ הוּא הָאֱלֹהִים בַּשָּׁמַיִם מִמַּעַל וְעַל הָאָרֶץ מִתָּחַת, אֵין עוֹד״. אַפְּקוּהּ וְקַטְלוּהּ.
They then brought in another son, and said to him: Worship the idol. He said to them: I cannot do so, as it is written in the Torah: “Know therefore this today, and consider it in your heart, that the Lord, He is God in heaven above and upon the earth beneath; there is no other” (Deuteronomy 4:39). And so they took him out and killed him.
אַתְיוּהּ לְאִידַּךְ, אֲמַרוּ לֵיהּ: פְּלַח לַעֲבוֹדָה זָרָה! אֲמַר לְהוּ, כָּתוּב בַּתּוֹרָה: ״אֶת ה׳ הֶאֱמַרְתָּ וְגוֹ׳ וַה׳ הֶאֱמִירְךָ הַיּוֹם״, כְּבָר נִשְׁבַּעְנוּ לְהַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא שֶׁאֵין אָנוּ מַעֲבִירִין אוֹתוֹ בְּאֵל אַחֵר, וְאַף הוּא נִשְׁבַּע לָנוּ שֶׁאֵין מַעֲבִיר אוֹתָנוּ בְּאוּמָּה אַחֶרֶת.
They then brought in yet another son, and said to him: Worship the idol. He said to them: I cannot do so, as it is written in the Torah: “You have avouched the Lord this day to be your God…and the Lord has avouched you this day to be a people for His own possession” (Deuteronomy 26:17–18). We already took an oath to the Holy One, Blessed be He, that we will not exchange Him for a different god, and He too has taken an oath to us that He will not exchange us for another nation.
אֲמַר לֵיהּ קֵיסָר: אֶישְׁדֵּי לָךְ גּוּשְׁפַּנְקָא וּגְחֵין וְשִׁקְלֵיהּ, כִּי הֵיכִי דְּלֵימְרוּ: קַבֵּיל עֲלֵיהּ הַרְמָנָא דְּמַלְכָּא. אֲמַר לֵיהּ: חֲבָל עֲלָךְ קֵיסָר, חֲבָל עֲלָךְ קֵיסָר; עַל כְּבוֹד עַצְמְךָ כָּךְ, עַל כְּבוֹד הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא עַל אַחַת כַּמָּה וְכַמָּה!
It was the youngest brother who had said this, and the emperor pitied him. Seeking a way to spare the boy’s life, the emperor said to him: I will throw down my seal before you; bend over and pick it up, so that people will say that he has accepted the king’s authority [harmana]. The boy said to him: Woe [ḥaval] to you, Caesar, woe to you, Caesar. If you think that for the sake of your honor I should fulfill your command and do this, then for the sake of the honor of the Holy One, Blessed be He, all the more so should I fulfill His command.
אַפְּקוּהּ לְמִיקְטְלֵיהּ, אֲמַרָה לְהוּ אִימֵּיהּ: יַהֲבוּהּ נִיהֲלִי וְאֶינַשְּׁקֵיהּ פּוּרְתָּא. אָמְרָה לוֹ: בָּנַיי, לְכוּ וְאִמְרוּ לְאַבְרָהָם אֲבִיכֶם: אַתָּה עָקַדְתָּ מִזְבֵּחַ אֶחָד וַאֲנִי עָקַדְתִּי שִׁבְעָה מִזְבְּחוֹת! אַף הִיא עָלְתָה לַגַּג וְנָפְלָה וּמֵתָה. יָצְתָה בַּת קוֹל וְאָמְרָה: ״אֵם הַבָּנִים שְׂמֵחָה״.
As they were taking him out to be killed, his mother said to them: Give him to me so that I may give him a small kiss. She said to him: My son, go and say to your father Abraham, You bound one son to the altar, but I bound seven altars. She too in the end went up to the roof, fell, and died. A Divine Voice emerged and said: “A joyful mother of children” (Psalms 113:9), as she raised her children to be devoted in their service of God.
רַבִּי יְהוֹשֻׁעַ בֶּן לֵוִי אָמַר: זוֹ מִילָה שֶׁנִּיתְּנָה בַּשְּׁמִינִי. רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן בֶּן לָקִישׁ אָמַר: אֵלּוּ תַּלְמִידֵי חֲכָמִים שֶׁמַּרְאִין הִלְכוֹת שְׁחִיטָה בְּעַצְמָן, דְּאָמַר רָבָא: כֹּל מִילֵּי לִיחְזֵי אִינִישׁ בְּנַפְשֵׁיהּ, בַּר מִשְּׁחִיטָה וְדָבָר אַחֵר.
Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi says concerning the verse: “For Your sake we are killed all the day long” (Psalms 44:23), that this is referring to circumcision, which was given for the eighth day, as the blood of our newborn sons is spilled for the sake of the covenant with God. Rabbi Shimon ben Lakish says: This verse was stated in reference to Torah scholars who demonstrate the halakhot of slaughter on themselves, meaning that they demonstrate on their own bodies how ritual slaughter should be performed and occasionally injure themselves in the process. This is as Rava says: A person may demonstrate anything using himself to illustrate the act except for slaughter and another matter, a euphemism for sexual intercourse.
רַב נַחְמָן בַּר יִצְחָק אָמַר: אֵלּוּ תַּלְמִידֵי חֲכָמִים שֶׁמְּמִיתִין עַצְמָן עַל דִּבְרֵי תוֹרָה, כִּדְרַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן בֶּן לָקִישׁ – דְּאָמַר רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן בֶּן לָקִישׁ: אֵין דִּבְרֵי תוֹרָה מִתְקַיְּימִין אֶלָּא בְּמִי שֶׁמֵּמִית עַצְמוֹ עֲלֵיהֶם, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: ״זֹאת הַתּוֹרָה אָדָם כִּי יָמוּת בְּאֹהֶל וְגוֹ׳״. אָמַר רַבָּה בַּר בַּר חָנָה אָמַר רַבִּי יוֹחָנָן: אַרְבָּעִים סְאָה
Rav Naḥman bar Yitzḥak says: These people in the verse are Torah scholars who kill themselves over the words of Torah, in accordance with the statement of Rabbi Shimon ben Lakish. As Rabbi Shimon ben Lakish says: The words of the Torah endure only for one who kills himself over them, as it is stated: “This is the Torah, when a man dies in a tent” (Numbers 19:14). Rabba bar bar Ḥana says that Rabbi Yoḥanan says: Forty se’a
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I learned daf more off than on 40 years ago. At the beginning of the current cycle, I decided to commit to learning daf regularly. Having Rabanit Michelle available as a learning partner has been amazing. Sometimes I learn with Hadran, sometimes with my husband, and sometimes on my own. It’s been fun to be part of an extended learning community.
Honolulu, Hawaii, United States
I began daf yomi in January 2020 with Brachot. I had made aliya 6 months before, and one of my post-aliya goals was to complete a full cycle. As a life-long Tanach teacher, I wanted to swim from one side of the Yam shel Torah to the other. Daf yomi was also my sanity through COVID. It was the way to marking the progression of time, and feel that I could grow and accomplish while time stopped.
Givat Zev, Israel
As Jewish educator and as a woman, I’m mindful that Talmud has been kept from women for many centuries. Now that we are privileged to learn, and learning is so accessible, it’s my intent to complete Daf Yomi. I am so excited to keep learning with my Hadran community.
Denver, United States
I read Ilana Kurshan’s “If All the Seas Were Ink” which inspired me. Then the Women’s Siyum in Jerusalem in 2020 convinced me, I knew I had to join! I have loved it- it’s been a constant in my life daily, many of the sugiyot connect to our lives. My family and friends all are so supportive. It’s incredible being part of this community and love how diverse it is! I am so excited to learn more!
Jerusalem, Israel
New York, United States
In my Shana bet at Migdal Oz I attended the Hadran siyum hash”as. Witnessing so many women so passionate about their Torah learning and connection to God, I knew I had to begin with the coming cycle. My wedding (June 24) was two weeks before the siyum of mesechet yoma so I went a little ahead and was able to make a speech and siyum at my kiseh kallah on my wedding day!
Givat Shmuel, Israel
It happened without intent (so am I yotzei?!) – I watched the women’s siyum live and was so moved by it that the next morning, I tuned in to Rabbanit Michelle’s shiur, and here I am, still learning every day, over 2 years later. Some days it all goes over my head, but others I grasp onto an idea or a story, and I ‘get it’ and that’s the best feeling in the world. So proud to be a Hadran learner.
Zichron Yaakov, Israel
Palo Alto, CA, United States
When the new cycle began, I thought, If not now, when? I’d just turned 72. I feel like a tourist on a tour bus passing astonishing scenery each day. Rabbanit Michelle is my beloved tour guide. When the cycle ends, I’ll be 80. I pray that I’ll have strength and mind to continue the journey to glimpse a little more. My grandchildren think having a daf-learning savta is cool!
Jerusalem, Israel
I have joined the community of daf yomi learners at the start of this cycle. I have studied in different ways – by reading the page, translating the page, attending a local shiur and listening to Rabbanit Farber’s podcasts, depending on circumstances and where I was at the time. The reactions have been positive throughout – with no exception!
Guildford, United Kingdom
After experiences over the years of asking to join gemara shiurim for men and either being refused by the maggid shiur or being the only women there, sometimes behind a mechitza, I found out about Hadran sometime during the tail end of Masechet Shabbat, I think. Life has been much better since then.
London, United Kingdom
Phoenix, Arizona, United States
I LOVE learning the Daf. I started with Shabbat. I join the morning Zoom with Reb Michelle and it totally grounds my day. When Corona hit us in Israel, I decided that I would use the Daf to keep myself sane, especially during the days when we could not venture out more than 300 m from our home. Now my husband and I have so much new material to talk about! It really is the best part of my day!
Hashmonaim, Israel
I went to day school in Toronto but really began to learn when I attended Brovenders back in the early 1980’s. Last year after talking to my sister who was learning Daf Yomi, inspired, I looked on the computer and the Hadran site came up. I have been listening to each days shiur in the morning as I work. I emphasis listening since I am not sitting with a Gamara. I listen while I work in my studio.
Tekoa, Israel
In my Shana bet at Migdal Oz I attended the Hadran siyum hash”as. Witnessing so many women so passionate about their Torah learning and connection to God, I knew I had to begin with the coming cycle. My wedding (June 24) was two weeks before the siyum of mesechet yoma so I went a little ahead and was able to make a speech and siyum at my kiseh kallah on my wedding day!
Givat Shmuel, Israel
When we heard that R. Michelle was starting daf yomi, my 11-year-old suggested that I go. Little did she know that she would lose me every morning from then on. I remember standing at the Farbers’ door, almost too shy to enter. After that first class, I said that I would come the next day but couldn’t commit to more. A decade later, I still look forward to learning from R. Michelle every morning.
Ra’anana, Israel
It happened without intent (so am I yotzei?!) – I watched the women’s siyum live and was so moved by it that the next morning, I tuned in to Rabbanit Michelle’s shiur, and here I am, still learning every day, over 2 years later. Some days it all goes over my head, but others I grasp onto an idea or a story, and I ‘get it’ and that’s the best feeling in the world. So proud to be a Hadran learner.
Zichron Yaakov, Israel
Bronx, United States
I started learning when my brother sent me the news clip of the celebration of the last Daf Yomi cycle. I was so floored to see so many women celebrating that I wanted to be a part of it. It has been an enriching experience studying a text in a language I don’t speak, using background knowledge that I don’t have. It is stretching my learning in unexpected ways, bringing me joy and satisfaction.
Warwick, Rhode Island, United States
תמיד רציתי. למדתי גמרא בבית ספר בטורונטו קנדה. עליתי ארצה ולמדתי שזה לא מקובל. הופתעתי.
יצאתי לגימלאות לפני שנתיים וזה מאפשר את המחוייבות לדף יומי.
עבורי ההתמדה בלימוד מעגן אותי בקשר שלי ליהדות. אני תמיד מחפשת ותמיד. מוצאת מקור לקשר. ללימוד חדש ומחדש. קשר עם נשים לומדות מעמיק את החוויה ומשמעותית מאוד.
מיתר, ישראל
Gittin 57
בְּמַאי דִּפְסַיק אַנַּפְשֵׁיהּ – כֹּל יוֹמָא מְכַנְּשִׁי לֵיהּ לְקִיטְמֵיהּ וְדָיְינִי לֵיהּ, וְקָלוּ לֵיהּ וּמְבַדְּרוּ [לֵיהּ] אַשַּׁב יַמֵּי.
That which he decreed against himself, as he undergoes the following: Every day his ashes are gathered, and they judge him, and they burn him, and they scatter him over the seven seas.
אֲזַל אַסְּקֵיהּ לְבִלְעָם בִּנְגִידָא, אֲמַר לֵיהּ: מַאן חֲשִׁיב בְּהָהוּא עָלְמָא? אֲמַר לֵיהּ: יִשְׂרָאֵל. מַהוּ לְאִידַּבּוֹקֵי בְּהוּ? אֲמַר לֵיהּ: ״לֹא תִדְרוֹשׁ שְׁלוֹמָם וְטוֹבָתָם כׇּל הַיָּמִים״. אֲמַר לֵיהּ: דִּינֵיהּ דְּהָהוּא גַּבְרָא בְּמַאי? אֲמַר לֵיהּ: בְּשִׁכְבַת זֶרַע רוֹתַחַת.
Onkelos then went and raised Balaam from the grave through necromancy. He said to him: Who is most important in that world where you are now? Balaam said to him: The Jewish people. Onkelos asked him: Should I then attach myself to them here in this world? Balaam said to him: You shall not seek their peace or their welfare all the days (see Deuteronomy 23:7). Onkelos said to him: What is the punishment of that man, a euphemism for Balaam himself, in the next world? Balaam said to him: He is cooked in boiling semen, as he caused Israel to engage in licentious behavior with the daughters of Moab.
אֲזַל אַסְּקֵיהּ בִּנְגִידָא לְיֵשׁוּ הַנּוֹצְרִי, אֲמַר לֵיהּ: מַאן חֲשִׁיב בְּהָהוּא עָלְמָא? אֲמַר לֵיהּ: יִשְׂרָאֵל. מַהוּ לְאִדַּבּוֹקֵי בְּהוּ? אֲמַר לֵיהּ: טוֹבָתָם דְּרוֹשׁ, רָעָתָם לֹא תִּדְרוֹשׁ, כׇּל הַנּוֹגֵעַ בָּהֶן כְּאִילּוּ נוֹגֵעַ בְּבָבַת עֵינוֹ.
Onkelos then went and raised Jesus the Nazarene from the grave through necromancy. Onkelos said to him: Who is most important in that world where you are now? Jesus said to him: The Jewish people. Onkelos asked him: Should I then attach myself to them in this world? Jesus said to him: Their welfare you shall seek, their misfortune you shall not seek, for anyone who touches them is regarded as if he were touching the apple of his eye (see Zechariah 2:12).
אֲמַר לֵיהּ: דִּינֵיהּ דְּהָהוּא גַּבְרָא בְּמַאי? אֲמַר לֵיהּ: בְּצוֹאָה רוֹתַחַת. דְּאָמַר מָר: כׇּל הַמַּלְעִיג עַל דִּבְרֵי חֲכָמִים נִידּוֹן בְּצוֹאָה רוֹתַחַת. תָּא חֲזִי מָה בֵּין פּוֹשְׁעֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל לִנְבִיאֵי אוּמּוֹת הָעוֹלָם.
Onkelos said to him: What is the punishment of that man, a euphemism for Jesus himself, in the next world? Jesus said to him: He is punished with boiling excrement. As the Master said: Anyone who mocks the words of the Sages will be sentenced to boiling excrement. And this was his sin, as he mocked the words of the Sages. The Gemara comments: Come and see the difference between the sinners of Israel and the prophets of the nations of the world. As Balaam, who was a prophet, wished Israel harm, whereas Jesus the Nazarene, who was a Jewish sinner, sought their well-being.
תַּנְיָא, אָמַר רַבִּי אֶלְעָזָר: בֹּא וּרְאֵה כַּמָּה גָּדוֹל(ה) כֹּחָהּ שֶׁל בּוּשָׁה, שֶׁהֲרֵי סִיַּיע הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא אֶת בַּר קַמְצָא, וְהֶחְרִיב אֶת בֵּיתוֹ, וְשָׂרַף אֶת הֵיכָלוֹ.
To conclude the story of Kamtza and bar Kamtza and the destruction of Jerusalem, the Gemara cites a baraita. It is taught: Rabbi Elazar says: Come and see how great is the power of shame, for the Holy One, Blessed be He, assisted bar Kamtza, who had been humiliated, and due to this humiliation and shame He destroyed His Temple and burned His Sanctuary.
אַתַּרְנְגוֹלָא וְאַתַּרְנְגוֹלְתָּא חֲרִיב טוּר מַלְכָּא: דַּהֲווֹ נְהִיגִי כִּי הֲווֹ מַפְּקִי חַתְנָא וְכַלְּתָא, מַפְּקִי קַמַּיְיהוּ תַּרְנְגוֹלָא וְתַרְנְגוֹלְתָּא, כְּלוֹמַר: פְּרוּ וּרְבוּ כְּתַרְנְגוֹלִים.
§ It was previously mentioned (55b) that the place known as the King’s Mountain [Tur Malka] was destroyed on account of a rooster and a hen. The details of what happened are as follows: It was customary in that place that when they would lead a bride and groom to their wedding, they would take out a rooster and a hen before them, as if to say in the manner of a good omen: Be fruitful and multiply like chickens.
יוֹמָא חַד הֲוָה קָא חָלֵיף גּוּנְדָּא דְרוֹמָאֵי, שַׁקְלִינְהוּ מִינַּיְיהוּ. נְפַלוּ עֲלַיְיהוּ מְחוֹנְהוּ. אֲתוֹ אֲמַרוּ לֵיהּ לְקֵיסָר: מְרַדוּ בָּךְ יְהוּדָאֵי! אֲתָא עֲלַיְיהוּ. הֲוָה בְּהוּ הָהוּא בַּר דָּרוֹמָא, דַּהֲוָה קָפֵיץ מִילָא וְקָטֵיל בְּהוּ. שַׁקְלֵיהּ קֵיסָר לְתָאגֵיהּ וְאוֹתְבֵיהּ אַאַרְעָא. אֲמַר: רִיבּוֹנֵיהּ דְּעָלְמָא כּוּלֵּיהּ, אִי נִיחָא לָךְ, לָא תִּמְסְרֵיהּ לְהָהוּא גַּבְרָא – לְדִידֵיהּ וּלְמַלְכוּתֵיהּ, בִּידֵיהּ דְּחַד גַּבְרָא!
One day a troop [gunda] of Roman soldiers passed by there while a wedding was taking place and took the rooster and hen from them. The residents of the city fell upon them and beat them. The soldiers came and said to the emperor: The Jews have rebelled against you. The emperor then came against them in war. Among the residents of the King’s Mountain there was a certain man named bar Deroma who could jump the distance of a mil, and he killed many of the Romans, who were powerless to stand up against him. The emperor then took his crown and set it on the ground as a sign of mourning. He said: Master of the Universe, if it is pleasing to You, do not give over that man, a euphemism for himself, and his kingdom into the hands of only one man.
אַכְשְׁלֵיהּ פּוּמֵּיהּ לְבַר דָּרוֹמָא, וַאֲמַר: ״הֲלֹא אַתָּה אֱלֹהִים זְנַחְתָּנוּ וְלֹא תֵצֵא אֱלֹהִים בְּצִבְאוֹתֵינוּ״. דָּוִד נָמֵי אָמַר הָכִי! דָּוִד אַתְמוֹהֵי קָא מַתְמַהּ.
In the end it was the words issuing from his own mouth that caused bar Deroma to stumble, as he uttered this verse in complaint against God: “Have You not rejected us, O God, so that You go not forth, O God, with our hosts?” (Psalms 60:12). The Gemara asks: But did not David also say this? The Gemara answers: David uttered these words as a question, wondering whether they were true, whereas bar Deroma pronounced them as a statement of fact.
עָל לְבֵית הַכִּסֵּא, אֲתָא דְּרָקוֹנָא שַׁמְטֵיהּ לְכַרְכְּשֵׁיהּ וְנָח נַפְשֵׁיהּ. אֲמַר: הוֹאִיל וְאִיתְרְחִישׁ לִי נִיסָּא, הָא זִימְנָא אֶישְׁבְּקִינְהוּ. שַׁבְקִינְהוּ וַאֲזַל. אִיזְדְּקוּר וַאֲכַלוּ וּשְׁתוֹ, וְאַדְלִיקוּ שְׁרָגֵי, עַד דְּאִיתְחֲזִי בִּלְיוֹנָא דְגוּשְׁפַּנְקָא בְּרָחוֹק מִילָא. אֲמַר: מִיחְדָּא קָא חָדוּ בִּי יְהוּדָאֵי! הֲדַר אֲתָא עֲלַיְיהוּ.
The Gemara recounts what happened to bar Deroma: He entered an outhouse, a snake came and eviscerated him, and he died. The emperor said: Since a miracle was performed for me, as I had no part in bar Deroma’s death, I will let the rest of the people be this time and take no further action against them. He let them be and went on his way. They leapt about, ate, drank, and lit so many candles in celebration that the image [bilyona] imprinted on a seal [gushpanka] was visible from a distance of a mil. The emperor then said: The Jews are rejoicing over me. So he went back and came against them.
אָמַר רַבִּי אַסִּי: תְּלָת מְאָה אַלְפֵי שְׁלִיפֵי סַיְיפָא עֲיַילוּ לְטוּר מַלְכָּא, וּקְטַלוּ בַּהּ תְּלָתָא יוֹמֵי וּתְלָתָא לֵילָווֹתָא; וּבְהָךְ גִּיסָא הִלּוּלֵי וְחִנְגֵי, וְלָא הֲווֹ יָדְעִי הָנֵי בְּהָנֵי.
Rav Asi says: Three hundred thousand men with drawn swords entered the King’s Mountain and massacred its inhabitants for three days and three nights. And at the same time on the other side of the mountain, weddings and other festivities continued to be celebrated, and they did not know about each other, owing to the enormous size of the place.
״בִּלַּע ה׳ וְלֹא חָמַל אֵת כׇּל נְאוֹת יַעֲקֹב״ – כִּי אֲתָא רָבִין אָמַר רַבִּי יוֹחָנָן: אֵלּוּ שִׁשִּׁים רִבּוֹא עֲיָירוֹת שֶׁהָיוּ לוֹ לְיַנַּאי הַמֶּלֶךְ בְּהַר הַמֶּלֶךְ. דְּאָמַר רַב יְהוּדָה אָמַר רַב אַסִּי: שִׁשִּׁים רִבּוֹא עֲיָירוֹת הָיוּ לוֹ לְיַנַּאי הַמֶּלֶךְ בְּהַר הַמֶּלֶךְ, וְכׇל אַחַת וְאַחַת הָיוּ בָּהּ כְּיוֹצְאֵי מִצְרַיִם, חוּץ מִשָּׁלֹשׁ שֶׁהָיוּ בָּהֶן כִּפְלַיִם כְּיוֹצְאֵי מִצְרַיִם.
§ Concerning the verse: “The Lord has swallowed up without pity all the habitations of Jacob” (Lamentations 2:2), it is related that when Ravin came from Eretz Yisrael to Babylonia he said that Rabbi Yoḥanan says: This is referring to the six hundred thousand cities that King Yannai had in the King’s Mountain. As Rav Yehuda says that Rav Asi says: King Yannai had six hundred thousand cities in the King’s Mountain, and each of them had a population as great as the number of those who left Egypt, except for three of those cities, the population of which was double the number of those who left Egypt.
אֵלּוּ הֵן: כְּפַר בִּישׁ, כְּפַר שַׁיחֲלַיִים, כְּפַר דִּכְרַיָּא. כְּפַר בִּישׁ – דְּלָא יָהֲבִי בֵּיתָא לְאוּשְׁפִּיזָא. כְּפַר שַׁיחֲלַיִים – שֶׁהָיְתָה פַּרְנָסָתָן מִן שַׁחֲלַיִים. כְּפַר דִּכְרַיָּא – אָמַר רַבִּי יוֹחָנָן: שֶׁהָיוּ נְשׁוֹתֵיהֶן יוֹלְדוֹת זְכָרִים תְּחִלָּה, וְיוֹלְדוֹת נְקֵבָה בָּאַחֲרוֹנָה, וּפוֹסְקוֹת.
These are those three cities: Kefar Bish, Kefar Shiḥalayim, and Kefar Dikhrayya. The Gemara explains the meaning of these place-names. Kefar Bish, Evil Town, was called by that name because its inhabitants would not open their houses to guests. Kefar Shiḥalayim was referred to by that name because their livelihood was derived from the cultivation of cress [shaḥalayim]. As for Kefar Dikhrayya, Town of Males, Rabbi Yoḥanan says: Their women would first give birth to boys, and afterward give birth to girls, and then they would stop having children.
אָמַר עוּלָּא: לְדִידִי חֲזֵי לִי הָהוּא אַתְרָא, וַאֲפִילּוּ שִׁיתִּין רִיבְּווֹתָא קְנֵי לָא מַחְזֵיק. אֲמַר לֵיהּ הָהוּא מִינָא לְרַבִּי חֲנִינָא: שַׁקּוֹרֵי מְשַׁקְּרִיתוּ! אֲמַר לֵיהּ: ״אֶרֶץ צְבִי״ כְּתִיב בַּהּ, מָה צְבִי זֶה – אֵין עוֹרוֹ מַחֲזִיק אֶת בְּשָׂרוֹ, אַף אֶרֶץ יִשְׂרָאֵל – בִּזְמַן שֶׁיּוֹשְׁבִין עָלֶיהָ רָוְוחָא, וּבִזְמַן שֶׁאֵין יוֹשְׁבִין עָלֶיהָ גָּמְדָא.
Ulla said: I myself saw that place, and it could not hold even six hundred thousand reeds, all the more so that number of people. A certain heretic said to Rabbi Ḥanina: You lie with your exorbitant exaggerations. Rabbi Ḥanina said to him: With regard to Eretz Yisrael it is written: Land of the deer (see Jeremiah 3:19). Just as the skin of a deer cannot hold its flesh, for after the animal is skinned, its hide shrinks, so too, with regard to Eretz Yisrael, when it is settled, it expands, but when it is not settled, it contracts. This explains how a place that is so small today could have been so highly populated prior to the Temple’s destruction.
רַב מִנְיוֹמֵי בַּר חִלְקִיָּה וְרַב חִלְקִיָּה בַּר טוֹבִיָּה וְרַב הוּנָא בַּר חִיָּיא הָווּ יָתְבִי גַּבֵּי הֲדָדֵי, אָמְרִי: אִי אִיכָּא דִּשְׁמִיעַ לֵיהּ מִילְּתָא מִכְּפַר סְכַנְיָא שֶׁל מִצְרַיִם, לֵימָא.
§ The Gemara relates that Rav Minyumi bar Ḥilkiya, Rav Ḥilkiya bar Toviya, and Rav Huna bar Ḥiyya were once sitting together. They said: If there is someone who has heard anything about Kefar Sekhanya of Egypt, which was in that region, let him relate it.
פְּתַח חַד מִינַּיְיהוּ וַאֲמַר: מַעֲשֶׂה בְּאָרוּס וַאֲרוּסָתוֹ שֶׁנִּשְׁבּוּ לְבֵין הַגּוֹיִם, וְהִשִּׂיאוּם זֶה לָזֶה. אָמְרָה לוֹ: ״בְּבַקָּשָׁה מִמְּךָ, אַל תִּגַּע בִּי, שֶׁאֵין לִי כְּתוּבָּה מִמְּךָ״, וְלֹא נָגַע בָּהּ עַד יוֹם מוֹתוֹ.
One of them began the discussion and said: There was an incident involving a betrothed man and woman from there who were taken captive by gentiles and the latter married them off to each other. The woman said to the man: Please do not touch me, as I do not have a marriage contract from you, and it is prohibited for us to live together without one. And until the day of his death the man did not touch the woman.
וּכְשֶׁמֵּת, אָמְרָה לָהֶן: סִיפְדוּ לָזֶה, שֶׁפִּטְפֵּט בְּיִצְרוֹ יוֹתֵר מִיּוֹסֵף; דְּאִילּוּ בְּיוֹסֵף לָא הֲוָה אֶלָּא חֲדָא שַׁעְתָּא, וְהַאי כֹּל יוֹמָא וְיוֹמָא. וְאִילּוּ יוֹסֵף לָאו בַּחֲדָא מִטָּה, וְהַאי בַּחֲדָא מִטָּה. וְאִילּוּ יוֹסֵף לָאו אִשְׁתּוֹ, וְהָא אִשְׁתּוֹ.
And when he died without having touched her, the woman said to the Sages: Eulogize this man who conquered [shepitpet] his passion [beyitzro] more than Joseph. As in the case of Joseph it was only for a short time that he had to overpower his inclination and resist Potiphar’s wife (see Genesis, chapter 39), whereas this man struggled with his passion each and every day. Furthermore, Joseph was not in one bed with Potiphar’s wife, whereas this man was in one bed with his wife. In addition, with Joseph the woman was not his wife, whereas with this man she was his wife, as she was already betrothed to him.
פְּתַח אִידַּךְ וַאֲמַר: מַעֲשֶׂה וְעָמְדוּ אַרְבָּעִים מוֹדִיּוֹת בְּדִינָר; נֶחְסַר הַשַּׁעַר מוֹדְיָא אַחַת, וּבָדְקוּ, וּמָצְאוּ אָב וּבְנוֹ שֶׁבָּאוּ עַל נַעֲרָה מְאוֹרָסָה בְּיוֹם הַכִּפּוּרִים; וֶהֱבִיאוּם לְבֵית דִּין וּסְקָלוּם, וְחָזַר הַשַּׁעַר לִמְקוֹמוֹ.
Another Sage began his remarks and said: It once happened that the market price of forty se’a of grain stood at one dinar. And then the rate went down one se’a [modeya], so that only thirty-nine se’a were sold for a dinar. And they checked to see what sin had caused this, and they found a father and son who had engaged in sexual intercourse with a betrothed young woman on Yom Kippur. They brought the offenders to court and stoned them, and the rate returned to its former level.
פְּתַח אִידַּךְ וַאֲמַר: מַעֲשֶׂה בְּאָדָם אֶחָד שֶׁנָּתַן עֵינָיו בְּאִשְׁתּוֹ לְגָרְשָׁהּ, וְהָיְתָה כְּתוּבָּתָהּ מְרוּבָּה. מָה עָשָׂה? הָלַךְ וְזִימֵּן אֶת שׁוֹשְׁבִינָיו וְהֶאֱכִילָן וְהִשְׁקָן, שִׁיכְּרָן וְהִשְׁכִּיבָן עַל מִיטָּה אַחַת, וְהֵבִיא לוֹבֶן בֵּיצָה וְהִטִּיל בֵּינֵיהֶן, וְהֶעֱמִיד לָהֶן עֵדִים, וּבָא לְבֵית דִּין.
Yet another Sage began his remarks and said: There was an incident there involving a man who set his eyes upon his wife to divorce her, but her marriage contract was large and he wished to avoid having to pay it. What did he do? He went and invited his friends, gave them food and drink, made them drunk, and lay his friends and his wife in one bed. He then brought the white of an egg, which has the appearance of semen, and placed it on the sheet between them. He then stood witnesses over them so that they could offer testimony, and went to court claiming that his wife had committed adultery.
הָיָה שָׁם זָקֵן אֶחָד מִתַּלְמִידֵי שַׁמַּאי הַזָּקֵן, וּבָבָא בֶּן בּוּטָא שְׁמוֹ. אָמַר לָהֶן, כָּךְ מְקוּבְּלַנִי מִשַּׁמַּאי הַזָּקֵן: לוֹבֶן בֵּיצָה סוֹלֵד מִן הָאוּר, וְשִׁכְבַת זֶרַע דּוֹחָה מִן הָאוּר. בָּדְקוּ וּמָצְאוּ כִּדְבָרָיו, וֶהֱבִיאוּהוּ לְבֵית דִּין וְהִלְקוּהוּ, וְהִגְבּוּהוּ כְּתוּבָּתָהּ מִמֶּנּוּ.
A certain Elder of the disciples of Shammai the Elder was there, and Bava ben Buta was his name. He said to them: This is the tradition that I received from Shammai the Elder: Egg white on a bedsheet contracts and hardens when heated by fire, whereas semen is absorbed into the sheet by the fire. They checked the matter and found in accordance with his statement that the substance on the sheet was not semen but egg white. They then brought the husband to court, administered lashes to him, and made him pay his wife’s marriage contract in full.
אֲמַר לֵיהּ אַבָּיֵי לְרַב יוֹסֵף: וּמֵאַחַר דַּהֲווֹ צַדִּיקִים כּוּלֵּי הַאי, מַאי טַעְמָא אִיעֲנוּשׁ? אֲמַר לֵיהּ: מִשּׁוּם דְּלָא אִיאַבּוּל עַל יְרוּשָׁלַיִם, דִּכְתִיב: ״שִׂמְחוּ אֶת יְרוּשָׁלִַם וְגִילוּ בָהּ כׇּל אוֹהֲבֶיהָ, שִׂישׂוּ אִתָּהּ מָשׂוֹשׂ כׇּל הַמִּתְאַבְּלִים עָלֶיהָ״.
Abaye said to Rav Yosef: But since those in the city were so righteous, what is the reason that they were punished and destroyed? Rav Yosef said to him: It is because they did not mourn for Jerusalem, as it is written: “Rejoice with Jerusalem, and be glad with her, all you that love her, rejoice with joy with her, all you that did mourn for her” (Isaiah 66:10). The verse teaches that one who mourns for Jerusalem will rejoice in its rebuilding, and one who fails to mourn for Jerusalem is destroyed.
אַשָּׁקָא דְרִיסְפַּק חֲרִיב בֵּיתֵּר: דַּהֲווֹ נְהִיגִי כִּי הֲוָה מִתְיְלִיד יָנוֹקָא – שָׁתְלִי אַרְזָא, יָנוֹקְתָּא – שָׁתְלִי תּוּרְנִיתָא; וְכִי הֲווֹ מִינַּסְבִי, קָיְיצִי לְהוּ וְעָבְדִי גְּנָנָא. יוֹמָא חַד הֲוָה קָא חָלְפָא בְּרַתֵּיה דְּקֵיסָר, אִתְּבַר שָׁקָא דְרִיסְפַּק. קַצּוּ אַרְזָא וְעַיִּילוּ לַהּ. אֲתוֹ נְפוּל עֲלַיְיהוּ מְחוֹנְהוּ. אֲתוֹ אֲמַרוּ לֵיהּ לְקֵיסָר: מְרַדוּ בָּךְ יְהוּדָאֵי! אֲתָא עֲלַיְיהוּ.
§ It was stated earlier that the city of Beitar was destroyed on account of a shaft from a carriage. The Gemara explains that it was customary in Beitar that when a boy was born they would plant a cedar tree and when a girl was born they would plant a cypress [tornita]. And when they would later marry each other they would cut down these trees and construct a wedding canopy for them with their branches. One day the emperor’s daughter passed by there and the shaft of the carriage in which she was riding broke. Her attendants chopped down a cedar from among those trees and brought it to her. Owing to the importance that they attached to their custom, the residents of Beitar came and fell upon them and beat them. The attendants came and said to the emperor: The Jews have rebelled against you. The emperor then came against them in war.
״גָּדַע בׇּחֳרִי אַף כֹּל קֶרֶן יִשְׂרָאֵל״ – אָמַר רַבִּי זֵירָא אָמַר רַבִּי אֲבָהוּ אָמַר רַבִּי יוֹחָנָן: אֵלּוּ שְׁמוֹנִים [אֶלֶף] קַרְנֵי מִלְחָמָה שֶׁנִּכְנְסוּ לִכְרַךְ בֵּיתֵּר בְּשָׁעָה שֶׁלְּכָדוּהָ, וְהָרְגוּ בָּהּ אֲנָשִׁים וְנָשִׁים וָטַף, עַד שֶׁהָלַךְ דָּמָן וְנָפַל לַיָּם הַגָּדוֹל. שֶׁמָּא תֹּאמַר קְרוֹבָה הָיְתָה? רְחוֹקָה הָיְתָה מִיל.
It was in connection with the war that ensued that the Sages expounded the following verse: “He has cut off in His fierce anger all the horn of Israel” (Lamentations 2:3). Rabbi Zeira says that Rabbi Abbahu says that Rabbi Yoḥanan says: These are the eighty thousand officers bearing battle trumpets in their hands, who entered the city of Beitar when the enemy took it and killed men, women, and children until their blood flowed into the Great Sea. Lest you say that the city was close to the sea, know that it was a mil away.
תַּנְיָא, רַבִּי אֱלִיעֶזֶר הַגָּדוֹל אוֹמֵר: שְׁנֵי נְחָלִים יֵשׁ בְּבִקְעַת יָדַיִם, אֶחָד מוֹשֵׁךְ אֵילָךְ, וְאֶחָד מוֹשֵׁךְ אֵילָךְ, וְשִׁיעֲרוּ חֲכָמִים שְׁנֵי חֲלָקִים מַיִם וְאֶחָד דָּם. בְּמַתְנִיתָא תָּנָא: שֶׁבַע שָׁנִים בָּצְרוּ גּוֹיִם אֶת כַּרְמֵיהֶן מִדָּמָן שֶׁל יִשְׂרָאֵל, בְּלֹא זֶבֶל.
It is similarly taught in a baraita that Rabbi Eliezer the Great says: There are two rivers in the Yadayim Valley in that region, one flowing one way and one flowing the other way. And the Sages estimated that in the aftermath of this war these rivers were filled with two parts water to one part blood. Likewise, it was taught in a baraita: For seven years the gentiles harvested their vineyards that had been soaked with the blood of Israel without requiring any additional fertilizer.
אָמַר רַבִּי חִיָּיא בַּר אָבִין אָמַר רַבִּי יְהוֹשֻׁעַ בֶּן קׇרְחָה, סָח לִי זָקֵן אֶחָד מֵאַנְשֵׁי יְרוּשָׁלַיִם: בְּבִקְעָה זוֹ הָרַג נְבוּזַרְאֲדָן רַב טַבָּחִים מָאתַיִם וְאַחַת עֶשְׂרֵה רִבּוֹא, וּבִירוּשָׁלַיִם הָרַג תִּשְׁעִים וְאַרְבַּע רִבּוֹא עַל אֶבֶן אַחַת, עַד שֶׁהָלַךְ דָּמָן וְנָגַע בְּדָמוֹ שֶׁל זְכַרְיָה, לְקַיֵּים מַה שֶּׁנֶּאֱמַר: ״וְדָמִים בְּדָמִים נָגְעוּ״.
§ With regard to the Babylonian exile following the destruction of the First Temple, Rabbi Ḥiyya bar Avin says that Rabbi Yehoshua ben Korḥa says: An old man from among the inhabitants of Jerusalem related to me: In this valley that lies before you, Nebuzaradan, captain of the guard of the Babylonian king Nebuchadnezzar, killed 2,110,000 people. And in Jerusalem itself he killed 940,000 people on one stone, until the blood of his victims flowed and touched the blood of Zechariah to fulfill what is stated: “And blood touches blood” (Hosea 4:2).
אַשְׁכְּחֵיהּ לִדְמֵיהּ דִּזְכַרְיָה דַּהֲוָה קָא מִרְתַח וְסָלֵיק, אֲמַר: מַאי הַאי? אֲמַרוּ לֵיהּ: דַּם זְבָחִים דְּאִשְׁתְּפוּךְ. אַיְיתִי דְּמֵי וְלָא אִידְּמוֹ.
The Gemara clarifies the details of what happened: Nebuzaradan found the blood of Zechariah, the son of Jehoiada the priest, and saw that it was bubbling up from the ground, and he said: What is this? Those in the Temple said to him: It is sacrificial blood that had been poured there. He brought animal blood, compared it to the blood bubbling up from the ground, and saw that it was not similar to it.
אֲמַר לְהוּ: אִי אָמְרִיתוּ לִי – מוּטָב, וְאִי לָאו – מְסָרֵיקְנָא לְבִשְׂרַיְיכוּ בְּמַסְרְקֵי דְפַרְזְלֵי. אָמְרִי לֵיהּ: מַאי נֵימָא לָךְ? נְבִיָּיא הֲוָה בַּן דַּהֲוָה קָא מוֹכַח לַן בְּמִילֵּי דִשְׁמַיָּא, קַמְינַן עִילָּוֵיהּ וּקְטַלְינַן לֵיהּ, וְהָא כַּמָּה שְׁנִין דְּלָא קָא נָיַיח דְּמֵיהּ.
Nebuzaradan said to them: If you tell me whose blood this is, it will be well for you. But if not, I will comb your flesh with iron combs. They said to him: What shall we say to you? He was a prophet among us, who used to rebuke us about heavenly matters, and we rose up against him, and killed him (II Chronicles 24:20–22), and for many years now his blood has not settled.
אֲמַר לְהוּ: אֲנָא מְפַיֵּיסְנָא לֵיהּ. אַיְיתִי סַנְהֶדְרִי גְּדוֹלָה וְסַנְהֶדְרִי קְטַנָּה קְטַל עִילָּוֵיהּ, וְלָא נָח. בַּחוּרִים וּבְתוּלוֹת קְטַל עִילָּוֵיהּ, וְלָא נָח. אַיְיתִי תִּינוֹקוֹת שֶׁל בֵּית רַבָּן קְטַל עִילָּוֵיהּ, וְלָא נָח. אֲמַר לֵיהּ: זְכַרְיָה, זְכַרְיָה, טוֹבִים שֶׁבָּהֶן אִיבַּדְתִּים, נִיחָא לָךְ דְּאֹבְדִינְהוּ לְכוּלְּהוּ? כְּדַאֲמַר לֵיהּ הָכִי, נָח.
Nebuzaradan said to them: I will appease Zechariah. He brought the members of the Great Sanhedrin and of a lesser Sanhedrin and killed them alongside the bubbling blood, but it still did not settle. He then brought young men and virgins and killed them alongside it, but it still did not settle. He then brought schoolchildren and killed them alongside it, but it still did not settle. Finally Nebuzaradan said to him: Zechariah, Zechariah, I have killed the best of them. Would it please you if I destroyed them all? When he said this, the blood at last settled.
בְּהַהִיא שַׁעְתָּא הַרְהַר תְּשׁוּבָה בְּדַעְתֵּיהּ, אֲמַר: וּמָה אִם עַל נֶפֶשׁ אַחַת, כָּךְ; הָהוּא גַּבְרָא דִּקְטַל כׇּל הָנֵי נִשְׁמָתָא – עַל אַחַת כַּמָּה וְכַמָּה! עֲרַק, אֲזַל שַׁדַּר שְׁטַר פִּרְטְתָא בְּבֵיתֵיהּ, וְאִגַּיַּיר.
At that moment Nebuzaradan contemplated the idea of repentance and said to himself: If, for the death of one soul, that of Zechariah, God punishes the Jewish people in this manner, then that man, that is to say, I, who has killed all of those souls, all the more so will be I be subject to great punishment from God. He fled, sent to his house a document detailing what was to be done with his property, and converted to Judaism.
תָּנָא: נַעֲמָן גֵּר תּוֹשָׁב הָיָה; נְבוּזַרְאֲדָן גֵּר צֶדֶק הָיָה;
A Sage taught a baraita relating to this matter: Naaman, commander of the army of the king of Aram (see II Kings, chapter 5), was not a convert, as he did not accept all of the mitzvot, but rather he was a ger toshav, a gentile who resides in Eretz Israel and observes the seven Noahide mitzvot. Nebuzaradan, by contrast, was a convert, as explained previously.
מִבְּנֵי בָנָיו שֶׁל הָמָן לִמְּדוּ תּוֹרָה בִּבְנֵי בְרַק; מִבְּנֵי בָנָיו שֶׁל סִיסְרָא לִמְּדוּ תִּינוֹקוֹת בִּירוּשָׁלַיִם; מִבְּנֵי בָנָיו שֶׁל סַנְחֵרִיב לִמְּדוּ תּוֹרָה בָּרַבִּים – מַאן אִינּוּן? שְׁמַעְיָה וְאַבְטַלְיוֹן.
The Gemara adds that some of Haman’s descendants studied Torah in Bnei Brak, and some of Sisera’s descendants taught children Torah in Jerusalem, and some of Sennacherib’s descendants taught Torah in public. Who are they? They are Shemaya and Avtalyon, the teachers of Hillel the Elder.
הַיְינוּ דִּכְתִיב: ״נָתַתִּי אֶת דָּמָהּ עַל צְחִיחַ סָלַע לְבִלְתִּי הִכָּסוֹת״.
As for the incident involving the blood of Zechariah, this is alluded to by that which is written: “I have set her blood upon the bare rock that it should not be covered” (Ezekiel 24:8).
״הַקּוֹל קוֹל יַעֲקֹב וְהַיָּדַיִם יְדֵי עֵשָׂו״ – ״הַקּוֹל״, זֶה אַדְרִיָּינוּס קֵיסָר, שֶׁהָרַג בַּאֲלֶכְּסַנְדְּרִיָּא שֶׁל מִצְרַיִם שִׁשִּׁים רִבּוֹא עַל שִׁשִּׁים רִבּוֹא, כִּפְלַיִם כְּיוֹצְאֵי מִצְרַיִם. ״קוֹל יַעֲקֹב״ – זֶה אַסְפַּסְיָינוּס קֵיסָר, שֶׁהָרַג בִּכְרַךְ בֵּיתֵּר אַרְבַּע מֵאוֹת רִבּוֹא, וְאָמְרִי לַהּ: אַרְבַּעַת אֲלָפִים רִבּוֹא. ״וְהַיָּדַיִם יְדֵי עֵשָׂו״ – זוֹ מַלְכוּת הָרְשָׁעָה, שֶׁהֶחְרִיבָה אֶת בָּתֵּינוּ, וְשָׂרְפָה אֶת הֵיכָלֵנוּ, וְהִגְלְתָנוּ מֵאַרְצֵנוּ.
§ Apropos its discussion of the destruction of the Temple and the calamities that befell Israel, the Gemara cites the verse: “The voice is the voice of Jacob, but the hands are the hands of Esau” (Genesis 27:22), which the Sages expounded as follows: “The voice”; this is the cry stirred up by the emperor Hadrian, who caused the Jewish people to cry out when he killed six hundred thousand on six hundred thousand in Alexandria of Egypt, twice the number of men who left Egypt. “The voice of Jacob”; this is the cry aroused by the emperor Vespasian, who killed four million people in the city of Beitar. And some say: He killed forty million people. “And the hands are the hands of Esau”; this is the wicked kingdom of Rome that destroyed our Temple, burned our Sanctuary, and exiled us from our land.
דָּבָר אַחֵר: ״הַקּוֹל קוֹל יַעֲקֹב״ – אֵין לְךָ תְּפִלָּה שֶׁמּוֹעֶלֶת, שֶׁאֵין בָּהּ מִזַּרְעוֹ שֶׁל יַעֲקֹב. ״וְהַיָּדַיִם יְדֵי עֵשָׂו״ – אֵין לְךָ מִלְחָמָה שֶׁנּוֹצַחַת, שֶׁאֵין בָּהּ מִזַּרְעוֹ שֶׁל עֵשָׂו.
Alternatively, “the voice is the voice of Jacob” means that no prayer is effective in the world unless some member of the seed of Jacob has a part in it. The second clause in the verse, “and the hands are the hands of Esau,” means that no war grants victory unless some member of the seed of Esau has a part in it.
וְהַיְינוּ דְּאָמַר רַבִּי אֶלְעָזָר: ״בְּשׁוֹט לָשׁוֹן תֵּחָבֵא״ – בְּחִירְחוּרֵי לָשׁוֹן תֵּחָבֵא. אָמַר רַב יְהוּדָה אָמַר רַב, מַאי דִּכְתִיב: ״עַל נַהֲרוֹת בָּבֶל, שָׁם יָשַׁבְנוּ גַּם בָּכִינוּ בְּזׇכְרֵנוּ אֶת צִיּוֹן״? מְלַמֵּד שֶׁהֶרְאָהוּ הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא לְדָוִד חוּרְבַּן בַּיִת רִאשׁוֹן וְחוּרְבַּן בַּיִת שֵׁנִי. חוּרְבַּן בַּיִת רִאשׁוֹן – שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: ״עַל נַהֲרוֹת בָּבֶל שָׁם יָשַׁבְנוּ גַּם בָּכִינוּ״. בַּיִת שֵׁנִי – דִּכְתִיב: ״זְכוֹר ה׳ לִבְנֵי אֱדוֹם אֵת יוֹם יְרוּשָׁלִָים, הָאוֹמְרִים עָרוּ עָרוּ עַד הַיְסוֹד בָּהּ״.
And this is what Rabbi Elazar says: The verse that says: “You shall be hid from the scourge of the tongue” (Job 5:21), means: You shall need to hide on account of quarrels provoked by the tongue. Rav Yehuda says that Rav says: What is the meaning of that which is written: “By the rivers of Babylonia, there we sat down and wept, when we remembered Zion” (Psalms 137:1)? This teaches that the Holy One, Blessed be He, showed David the destruction of the First Temple and the destruction of the Second Temple. He saw the destruction of the First Temple, as it is stated: “By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat down and wept.” He saw the destruction of the Second Temple, as it is written later in that same psalm: “Remember, O Lord, against the children of Edom the day of Jerusalem, when they said: Raze it, raze it, to its very foundation” (Psalms 137:7), as the Second Temple was destroyed by the Romans, “the children of Edom.”
אָמַר רַב יְהוּדָה אָמַר שְׁמוּאֵל, וְאִיתֵּימָא רַבִּי אַמֵּי, וְאָמְרִי לַהּ בְּמַתְנִיתָא תָּנָא: מַעֲשֶׂה בְּאַרְבַּע מֵאוֹת יְלָדִים וִילָדוֹת שֶׁנִּשְׁבּוּ לְקָלוֹן, הִרְגִּישׁוּ בְּעַצְמָן לְמָה הֵן מִתְבַּקְּשִׁים, אָמְרוּ: אִם אָנוּ טוֹבְעִין בַּיָּם – אָנוּ בָּאִין לְחַיֵּי הָעוֹלָם הַבָּא? דָּרַשׁ לָהֶן הַגָּדוֹל שֶׁבָּהֶן: ״אָמַר ה׳ מִבָּשָׁן אָשִׁיב, אָשִׁיב מִמְּצוּלוֹת יָם״ – ״מִבָּשָׁן אָשִׁיב״, מִבֵּין שִׁינֵּי אַרְיֵה; ״אָשִׁיב מִמְּצוּלוֹת יָם״, אֵלּוּ שֶׁטּוֹבְעִין בַּיָּם.
Rav Yehuda says that Shmuel says, and some say that it was Rabbi Ami who says this, and some say that it was taught in a baraita: There was an incident involving four hundred boys and girls who were taken as captives for the purpose of prostitution. These children sensed on their own what they were expected to do, and they said: If we commit suicide and drown in the sea, will we come to eternal life in the World-to-Come? The oldest child among them expounded the verse: “The Lord said, I will bring back from Bashan, I will bring them back from the depths of the sea” (Psalms 68:23). “I will bring back from Bashan,” i.e., from between the teeth [bein shen] of the lion, and “I will bring them back from the depths of the sea” is referring to those who drown in the sea for the sake of Heaven.
כֵּיוָן שֶׁשָּׁמְעוּ יְלָדוֹת כָּךְ, קָפְצוּ כּוּלָּן וְנָפְלוּ לְתוֹךְ הַיָּם. נָשְׂאוּ יְלָדִים קַל וָחוֹמֶר בְּעַצְמָן, וְאָמְרוּ: מָה הַלָּלוּ, שֶׁדַּרְכָּן לְכָךְ – כָּךְ; אָנוּ, שֶׁאֵין דַּרְכֵּנוּ לְכָךְ – עַל אַחַת כַּמָּה וְכַמָּה! אַף הֵם קָפְצוּ לְתוֹךְ הַיָּם. וַעֲלֵיהֶם הַכָּתוּב אוֹמֵר: ״כִּי עָלֶיךָ הֹרַגְנוּ כׇל הַיּוֹם, נֶחְשַׁבְנוּ כְּצֹאן טִבְחָה״.
When the girls heard this, they all leapt and fell into the sea. The boys then drew an a fortiori inference with regard to themselves and said: If these girls, for whom sexual intercourse with men is their natural way, act in such a manner, then we, for whom sexual intercourse with men is not our natural way, should all the more so conduct ourselves likewise. They too leapt into the sea. Concerning them and others like them the verse states: “As For Your sake we are killed all the day long; we are reckoned as sheep for the slaughter” (Psalms 44:23).
וְרַב יְהוּדָה אָמַר: זוֹ אִשָּׁה וְשִׁבְעָה בָּנֶיהָ – אַתְיוּהּ לְקַמָּא לְקַמֵּיהּ דְּקֵיסָר, אֲמַרוּ לֵיהּ: פְּלַח לַעֲבוֹדָה זָרָה! אֲמַר לְהוּ, כָּתוּב בַּתּוֹרָה: ״אָנֹכִי ה׳ אֱלֹהֶיךָ״. אַפְּקוּהּ וְקַטְלוּהּ.
And Rav Yehuda said: This verse applies to the woman and her seven sons who died as martyrs for the sake of the sanctification of God’s name. The incident occurred as follows: They brought in the first of the woman’s sons before the emperor and said to him: Worship the idol. He said to them: I cannot do so, as it is written in the Torah: “I am the Lord your God” (Exodus 20:2). They immediately took him out and killed him.
אַתְיוּהּ לְאִידַּךְ לְקַמֵּיהּ דְּקֵיסָר, אֲמַרוּ לֵיהּ: פְּלַח לַעֲבוֹדָה זָרָה! אֲמַר לְהוּ, כָּתוּב בַּתּוֹרָה: ״לֹא יִהְיֶה לְךָ אֱלֹהִים אֲחֵרִים עַל פָּנָי״. אַפְּקוּהּ וְקַטְלוּהּ. אַתְיוּהּ לְאִידַּךְ, אֲמַרוּ לֵיהּ: פְּלַח לַעֲבוֹדָה זָרָה! אֲמַר לְהוּ, כָּתוּב בַּתּוֹרָה: ״זוֹבֵחַ לֵאלֹהִים יׇחֳרָם״. אַפְּקוּהּ וְקַטְלוּהּ.
And they then brought in another son before the emperor, and said to him: Worship the idol. He said to them: I cannot do so, as it is written in the Torah: “You shall have no other gods beside Me” (Exodus 20:3). And so they took him out and killed him. They then brought in yet another son before the emperor, and said to him: Worship the idol. He said to them: I cannot do so, as it is written in the Torah: “He that sacrifices to any god, save to the Lord only, he shall be utterly destroyed” (Exodus 22:19). And so they took him out and killed him.
אַתְיוּהּ לְאִידַּךְ, אֲמַרוּ לֵיהּ: פְּלַח לַעֲבוֹדָה זָרָה! אֲמַר לְהוּ, כָּתוּב בַּתּוֹרָה: ״לֹא תִשְׁתַּחֲוֶה לְאֵל אַחֵר״. אַפְּקוּהּ וְקַטְלוּהּ. אַתְיוּהּ לְאִידַּךְ, אֲמַרוּ לֵיהּ: פְּלַח לַעֲבוֹדָה זָרָה! אֲמַר לְהוּ, כָּתוּב בַּתּוֹרָה: ״שְׁמַע יִשְׂרָאֵל ה׳ אֱלֹהֵינוּ ה׳ אֶחָד״. אַפְּקוּהּ וְקַטְלוּהּ.
They then brought in another son, and said to him: Worship the idol. He said to them: I cannot do so, as it is written in the Torah: “You shall not bow down to any other god” (Exodus 34:14). And so they took him out and killed him. They then brought in yet another son, and said to him: Worship the idol. He said to them: I cannot do so, as it is written in the Torah: “Hear, O Israel, the Lord is our God, the Lord is One” (Deuteronomy 6:4). And so they took him out and killed him.
אַתְיוּהּ לְאִידַּךְ, אֲמַרוּ לֵיהּ: פְּלַח לַעֲבוֹדָה זָרָה! אֲמַר לְהוּ, כָּתוּב בַּתּוֹרָה: ״וְיָדַעְתָּ הַיּוֹם וַהֲשֵׁבוֹתָ אֶל לְבָבֶךָ, כִּי ה׳ הוּא הָאֱלֹהִים בַּשָּׁמַיִם מִמַּעַל וְעַל הָאָרֶץ מִתָּחַת, אֵין עוֹד״. אַפְּקוּהּ וְקַטְלוּהּ.
They then brought in another son, and said to him: Worship the idol. He said to them: I cannot do so, as it is written in the Torah: “Know therefore this today, and consider it in your heart, that the Lord, He is God in heaven above and upon the earth beneath; there is no other” (Deuteronomy 4:39). And so they took him out and killed him.
אַתְיוּהּ לְאִידַּךְ, אֲמַרוּ לֵיהּ: פְּלַח לַעֲבוֹדָה זָרָה! אֲמַר לְהוּ, כָּתוּב בַּתּוֹרָה: ״אֶת ה׳ הֶאֱמַרְתָּ וְגוֹ׳ וַה׳ הֶאֱמִירְךָ הַיּוֹם״, כְּבָר נִשְׁבַּעְנוּ לְהַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא שֶׁאֵין אָנוּ מַעֲבִירִין אוֹתוֹ בְּאֵל אַחֵר, וְאַף הוּא נִשְׁבַּע לָנוּ שֶׁאֵין מַעֲבִיר אוֹתָנוּ בְּאוּמָּה אַחֶרֶת.
They then brought in yet another son, and said to him: Worship the idol. He said to them: I cannot do so, as it is written in the Torah: “You have avouched the Lord this day to be your God…and the Lord has avouched you this day to be a people for His own possession” (Deuteronomy 26:17–18). We already took an oath to the Holy One, Blessed be He, that we will not exchange Him for a different god, and He too has taken an oath to us that He will not exchange us for another nation.
אֲמַר לֵיהּ קֵיסָר: אֶישְׁדֵּי לָךְ גּוּשְׁפַּנְקָא וּגְחֵין וְשִׁקְלֵיהּ, כִּי הֵיכִי דְּלֵימְרוּ: קַבֵּיל עֲלֵיהּ הַרְמָנָא דְּמַלְכָּא. אֲמַר לֵיהּ: חֲבָל עֲלָךְ קֵיסָר, חֲבָל עֲלָךְ קֵיסָר; עַל כְּבוֹד עַצְמְךָ כָּךְ, עַל כְּבוֹד הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא עַל אַחַת כַּמָּה וְכַמָּה!
It was the youngest brother who had said this, and the emperor pitied him. Seeking a way to spare the boy’s life, the emperor said to him: I will throw down my seal before you; bend over and pick it up, so that people will say that he has accepted the king’s authority [harmana]. The boy said to him: Woe [ḥaval] to you, Caesar, woe to you, Caesar. If you think that for the sake of your honor I should fulfill your command and do this, then for the sake of the honor of the Holy One, Blessed be He, all the more so should I fulfill His command.
אַפְּקוּהּ לְמִיקְטְלֵיהּ, אֲמַרָה לְהוּ אִימֵּיהּ: יַהֲבוּהּ נִיהֲלִי וְאֶינַשְּׁקֵיהּ פּוּרְתָּא. אָמְרָה לוֹ: בָּנַיי, לְכוּ וְאִמְרוּ לְאַבְרָהָם אֲבִיכֶם: אַתָּה עָקַדְתָּ מִזְבֵּחַ אֶחָד וַאֲנִי עָקַדְתִּי שִׁבְעָה מִזְבְּחוֹת! אַף הִיא עָלְתָה לַגַּג וְנָפְלָה וּמֵתָה. יָצְתָה בַּת קוֹל וְאָמְרָה: ״אֵם הַבָּנִים שְׂמֵחָה״.
As they were taking him out to be killed, his mother said to them: Give him to me so that I may give him a small kiss. She said to him: My son, go and say to your father Abraham, You bound one son to the altar, but I bound seven altars. She too in the end went up to the roof, fell, and died. A Divine Voice emerged and said: “A joyful mother of children” (Psalms 113:9), as she raised her children to be devoted in their service of God.
רַבִּי יְהוֹשֻׁעַ בֶּן לֵוִי אָמַר: זוֹ מִילָה שֶׁנִּיתְּנָה בַּשְּׁמִינִי. רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן בֶּן לָקִישׁ אָמַר: אֵלּוּ תַּלְמִידֵי חֲכָמִים שֶׁמַּרְאִין הִלְכוֹת שְׁחִיטָה בְּעַצְמָן, דְּאָמַר רָבָא: כֹּל מִילֵּי לִיחְזֵי אִינִישׁ בְּנַפְשֵׁיהּ, בַּר מִשְּׁחִיטָה וְדָבָר אַחֵר.
Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi says concerning the verse: “For Your sake we are killed all the day long” (Psalms 44:23), that this is referring to circumcision, which was given for the eighth day, as the blood of our newborn sons is spilled for the sake of the covenant with God. Rabbi Shimon ben Lakish says: This verse was stated in reference to Torah scholars who demonstrate the halakhot of slaughter on themselves, meaning that they demonstrate on their own bodies how ritual slaughter should be performed and occasionally injure themselves in the process. This is as Rava says: A person may demonstrate anything using himself to illustrate the act except for slaughter and another matter, a euphemism for sexual intercourse.
רַב נַחְמָן בַּר יִצְחָק אָמַר: אֵלּוּ תַּלְמִידֵי חֲכָמִים שֶׁמְּמִיתִין עַצְמָן עַל דִּבְרֵי תוֹרָה, כִּדְרַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן בֶּן לָקִישׁ – דְּאָמַר רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן בֶּן לָקִישׁ: אֵין דִּבְרֵי תוֹרָה מִתְקַיְּימִין אֶלָּא בְּמִי שֶׁמֵּמִית עַצְמוֹ עֲלֵיהֶם, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: ״זֹאת הַתּוֹרָה אָדָם כִּי יָמוּת בְּאֹהֶל וְגוֹ׳״. אָמַר רַבָּה בַּר בַּר חָנָה אָמַר רַבִּי יוֹחָנָן: אַרְבָּעִים סְאָה
Rav Naḥman bar Yitzḥak says: These people in the verse are Torah scholars who kill themselves over the words of Torah, in accordance with the statement of Rabbi Shimon ben Lakish. As Rabbi Shimon ben Lakish says: The words of the Torah endure only for one who kills himself over them, as it is stated: “This is the Torah, when a man dies in a tent” (Numbers 19:14). Rabba bar bar Ḥana says that Rabbi Yoḥanan says: Forty se’a
