Sanhedrin 95
״עֲנִיָּה עֲנָתוֹת״ – עָתִיד יִרְמְיָה בֶּן חִלְקִיָּה וּמִתְנַבֵּא עֲלַהּ מֵעֲנָתוֹת, דִּכְתִיב: ״דִּבְרֵי יִרְמְיָהוּ בֶּן חִלְקִיָּהוּ מִן הַכֹּהֲנִים אֲשֶׁר בַּעֲנָתוֹת בְּאֶרֶץ בִּנְיָמִין״.
“Poor [aniyya] Anathoth” (Isaiah 10:30)? Jeremiah, son of Hilkiah, is destined to prophesy about Nebuchadnezzar from Anathoth, as it is written: “The statements of Jeremiah, son of Hilkiah, of the priests who were in Anathoth in the land of Benjamin” (Jeremiah 1:1).
מִי דָּמֵי? הָתָם אֲרִי, הָכָא לַיִשׁ! אָמַר רַבִּי יוֹחָנָן: שִׁשָּׁה שֵׁמוֹת יֵשׁ לַאֲרִי, אֵלּוּ הֵן: אֲרִי, כְּפִיר, לָבִיא, לַיִשׁ, שַׁחַל, שַׁחַץ. אִי הָכִי, בָּצְרוּ לְהוּ! עָבְרוּ מַעְבָּרָה תַּרְתֵּי נִינְהוּ.
The Gemara asks: Are these matters comparable? There, in Jeremiah, Nebuchadnezzar is called ari, as the verse refers to him with the term arye, and here, in Isaiah, Nebuchadnezzar is called laish. The Gemara explains that the verses are not contradictory, as Rabbi Yoḥanan says: There are six Hebrew terms for the lion, and they are: Ari, kefir, lavi, layish, shaḥal, shaḥatz. The Gemara challenges: If it is so that this verse is unrelated to the journeys of Sennacherib, then the places listed in the verse are too few, as there are not ten. The Gemara explains: Averu and Mabara are in fact the names of two separate places.
מַאי ״עוֹד הַיּוֹם בְּנֹב לַעֲמֹד״? אָמַר רַב הוּנָא: אוֹתוֹ הַיּוֹם נִשְׁתַּיֵּיר מֵעֲוֹנָהּ שֶׁל נוֹב. אָמְרִי לֵיהּ כַּלְדָּאֵי: אִי אָזְלַתְּ הָאִידָּנָא – יָכְלַתְּ לַהּ, וְאִי לָא – לָא יָכְלַתְּ לַהּ. אוֹרְחָא דִּבְעָא לְסַגּוֹיֵי בְּעַשְׂרָה יוֹמֵי, סַגֵּא בְּחַד יוֹמָא.
The Gemara asks: What is the meaning of the phrase: “This very day shall he halt at Nov” (Isaiah 10:32)? Rav Huna says: That was the final day that remained from the punishment that the Jewish people received from the sin of Nov (see I Samuel, chapter 22). The astrologers said to Sennacherib: If you go and conquer them now, you will overcome the Jewish people; and if not, you will not overcome the Jewish people. The Gemara relates: He walked and traversed in one day a road upon which one must walk for ten days in order to traverse it.
כִּי מְטוֹ לִירוּשְׁלֶם, שְׁדוֹ לֵיהּ בִּיסְתַּרְקֵי, עַד דִּסְלֵיק וִיתֵיב מֵעִילָּוֵי שׁוּרָא, עַד דְּחַזְיַוהּ לְכוּלַּהּ יְרוּשְׁלֶם. כִּי חַזְיַיהּ, אִיזּוּטַר בְּעֵינֵיהּ. אָמַר: הֲלָא דָּא הִיא קַרְתָּא דִּירוּשְׁלֶם דַּעֲלַהּ אַרְגֵּישִׁית כֹּל מַשְׁירְיָתַי, וַעֲלַהּ כַּבֵּשִׁית כֹּל מְדִינָתָא? הֲלָא הִיא זְעֵירָא וְחַלָּשָׁא מִכֹּל כַּרְכֵי עַמְמַיָּא דְּכַבֵּשִׁית בִּתְקוֹף יְדַי? עֲלַהּ וְקָם וּמָנֵיד בְּרֵישֵׁיהּ, מוֹבֵיל וּמַיְיתֵי בִּידֵיהּ עַל טוּר בֵּית מַקְדְּשָׁא דִּבְצִיּוֹן וְעַל עֲזַרְתָּא דְּבִירוּשְׁלֶם.
When they arrived in Jerusalem they cast mats [bistarkei] for Sennacherib and piled them high until he ascended and sat above the wall, to the extent that he was able to see the entire city of Jerusalem. When he saw it, it seemed small in his eyes and he said: Is this the city of Jerusalem for which I have disrupted all my camps and for which I have conquered all these countries? Is it smaller and weaker than all the cities of the nations that I have conquered with my might? He went up and shook his head in contempt, and dismissively waved his hand at the Temple Mount that is in Zion and at the courtyard that is in Jerusalem.
אָמְרִי: נִישְׁדֵּי בֵּיהּ יְדָא הָאִידָּנָא. אֲמַר לְהוּ: תָּמְהִיתוּ, לִמְחַר אַיְיתוֹ לִי כֹּל חַד וְחַד מִינַּיְיכוּ גּוּלְמוֹ הֲרַג מִינֵּיהּ. מִיָּד: ״וַיְהִי בַּלַּיְלָה הַהוּא וַיֵּצֵא מַלְאַךְ ה׳ וַיַּךְ בְּמַחֲנֵה אַשּׁוּר מֵאָה שְׁמוֹנִים וַחֲמִשָּׁה אָלֶף וַיַּשְׁכִּימוּ בַבֹּקֶר וְהִנֵּה כֻלָּם פְּגָרִים מֵתִים״. אָמַר רַב פָּפָּא: הַיְינוּ דְּאָמְרִי אִינָשֵׁי: בָּת דִּינָא – בְּטַל דִּינָא.
His officers said to him: Let us attack now and begin the conquest of Jerusalem. Sennacherib said to them: You are weary. Tomorrow, each and every one of you will bring me a piece of a stone from the wall equivalent in size to the seal [gulmo harag] of a letter, and this will suffice to breach the wall and vanquish the city. The verse recounts that immediately: “And it came to pass that night, that the angel of the Lord went forth and smote in the camp of the Assyrians one hundred and eighty-five thousand; and when men arose in the morning, behold, they were all dead corpses” (II Kings 19:35). Rav Pappa says that this is in accordance with the adage that people say: When quarrel lies and is delayed overnight, the quarrel is nullified. Since Jerusalem was not conquered that day, the decree was voided.
״וְיִשְׁבִּי בְּנֹב אֲשֶׁר בִּילִידֵי הָרָפָה וּמִשְׁקַל קֵינוֹ שְׁלֹשׁ מֵאוֹת מִשְׁקַל נְחֹשֶׁת וְהוּא חָגוּר חֲדָשָׁה וַיֹּאמֶר לְהַכּוֹת אֶת דָּוִד״. מַאי ״וְיִשְׁבִּי בְּנוֹב״? אָמַר רַב יְהוּדָה אָמַר רַב: אִישׁ שֶׁבָּא עַל עִסְקֵי נוֹב. אֲמַר לֵיהּ הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא לְדָוִד: עַד מָתַי יִהְיֶה עָוֹן זֶה טָמוּן בְּיָדְךָ? עַל יָדְךָ נֶהֶרְגָה נוֹב עִיר הַכֹּהֲנִים, וְעַל יָדְךָ נִטְרַד דּוֹאֵג הָאֲדוֹמִי, וְעַל יָדְךָ נֶהֶרְגוּ שָׁאוּל וּשְׁלֹשֶׁת בָּנָיו.
§ Apropos the massacre of Nov, the Gemara relates: “And Ishbibenob, who was of the sons of the giant, the weight of whose spear was three hundred shekels of brass; and he was girded with new armor and planned to slay David” (II Samuel 21:16). The Gemara asks: What is the meaning of Ishbibenob? Rav Yehuda says that Rav says: This is a man [ish] who came to punish David over matters of Nov. The Holy One, Blessed be He, said to David: Until when will this sin be concealed in your hand without punishment? Through your actions the inhabitants of Nov, the city of priests, were massacred, and through your actions, Doeg the Edomite was banished from the World-to-Come, and through your actions Saul and his three sons were killed.
רְצוֹנְךָ יִכְלֶה זַרְעֶךָ, אוֹ תִּמָּסֵר בְּיַד אוֹיֵב? אָמַר לְפָנָיו: רִבּוֹנוֹ שֶׁל עוֹלָם, מוּטָב אֶמָּסֵר בְּיַד אוֹיֵב וְלֹא יִכְלֶה זַרְעִי.
God said to David: Your arrival in Nov and your misleading Ahimelech the priest generated the chain of events, and therefore you must be punished. You may choose the punishment. Is it your desire that your descendants will cease to exist or that you will be handed to the enemy? David said before Him: Master of the Universe, it is preferable that I will be handed to the enemy and my descendants will not cease to exist.
יוֹמָא חַד נְפַק לִשְׁכוֹר בָּזָאֵי, אֲתָא שָׂטָן וְאִידְּמִי לֵיהּ כְּטַבְיָא. פְּתַק בֵּיהּ גִּירָא וְלָא מַטְיֵיהּ. מַשְׁכֵיהּ עַד דְּאַמְטְיֵיהּ לְאֶרֶץ פְּלִשְׁתִּים. כִּדְחַזְיֵיהּ יִשְׁבִּי בְּנוֹב אֲמַר: הַיְינוּ הַאי דְּקַטְלֵיהּ לְגׇלְיָת אֲחִי. כַּפְתֵיהּ, קַמְטֵיהּ, אוֹתְבֵיהּ וְשַׁדְיֵיהּ תּוּתֵי בֵּי סַדְיָיא. אִתְעֲבִיד לֵיהּ נִיסָּא, מָכָא לֵיהּ אַרְעָא מִתּוּתֵיהּ. הַיְינוּ דִּכְתִיב: ״תַּרְחִיב צַעֲדִי תַחְתָּי וְלֹא מָעֲדוּ קַרְסֻלָּי״.
One day David went to hunt with a falcon [liskor bazzai]. Satan came and appeared to him as a deer. He shot an arrow at the deer, and the arrow did not reach it. Satan led David to follow the deer until he reached the land of the Philistines. When Ishbibenob saw David he said: This is that person who killed Goliath, my brother. He bound him, doubled him over, and placed him on the ground, and then he cast him under the beam of an olive press to crush him. A miracle was performed for him, and the earth opened beneath him so he was not crushed by the beam. That is the meaning of that which is written: “You have enlarged my steps beneath me, that my feet did not slip” (Psalms 18:37).
הָהוּא יוֹמָא אַפַּנְיָא דְּמַעֲלֵי שַׁבְּתָא הֲוָה. אֲבִישַׁי בֶּן צְרוּיָה הֲוָה קָא חָיֵיף רֵישֵׁיהּ בְּאַרְבְּעָא גַּרְבֵי דְּמַיָּא. חֲזִינְהוּ כִּתְמֵי דְּמָא. אִיכָּא דְּאָמְרִי: אֲתָא יוֹנָה אִיטְּרִיף קַמֵּיהּ. אֲמַר: כְּנֶסֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל לְיוֹנָה אִימְּתִילָא, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר ״כַּנְפֵי יוֹנָה נֶחְפָּה בַכֶּסֶף״. שְׁמַע מִינַּהּ דָּוִד מַלְכָּא דְּיִשְׂרָאֵל בְּצַעֲרָא שְׁרֵי. אֲתָא לְבֵיתֵיהּ וְלָא אַשְׁכְּחֵיהּ. אֲמַר, תְּנַן: אֵין רוֹכְבִין עַל סוּסוֹ וְאֵין יוֹשְׁבִין עַל כִּסְאוֹ וְאֵין מִשְׁתַּמְּשִׁין בְּשַׁרְבִיטוֹ. בִּשְׁעַת הַסַּכָּנָה מַאי? אֲתָא שְׁאֵיל בֵּי מִדְרְשָׁא. אֲמַרוּ לֵיהּ: בִּשְׁעַת הַסַּכָּנָה שַׁפִּיר דָּמֵי.
The Gemara relates: That day at dusk on Shabbat eve, Abishai ben Zeruiah shampooed his hair with four jugs of water in preparation for Shabbat. He saw four bloodstains. There are those who say: A dove came and fluttered its wings before him. Abishai said: The congregation of Israel is likened to a dove, as it is stated: “You shall shine as the wings of a dove covered with silver and her pinions with yellow gold” (Psalms 68:14); conclude from it that David, king of Israel, is in a state of distress. He came to David’s house and did not find him. Abishai said that we learned in a mishna (22a): One may not ride on the king’s horse, and one may not sit on his throne, and one may not use his scepter. In a period of danger, what is the halakha? He came and asked in the study hall what the ruling is in that situation. They said to him: In a period of danger one may well do so.
רַכְבֵיהּ לְפִרְדֵּיהּ וְקָם וַאֲזַל. קְפַצָה לֵיהּ אַרְעָא. בַּהֲדֵי דְּקָא מְסַגֵּי, חַזְיַיהּ לְעׇרְפָּה אִמֵּיהּ דַּהֲוָות נָוְולָא. כִּי חֲזֵיתֵיהּ, פְּסַקְתֵּהּ לְפִילְכַּהּ, שְׁדָתֵיהּ עִילָּוֵיהּ, סְבַרָא לְמִקְטְלֵיהּ. אֲמַרָה לֵיהּ: עֻלֵם, אַיְיתִי לִי פְּלַךְ! פַּתְקֵיהּ בְּרֵישׁ מוֹחַהּ, וְקַטְלַהּ.
He mounted the king’s mule and arose and went to the land of the Philistines. The land miraculously contracted for him and he arrived quickly. As he was progressing he saw Orpah, Ishbibenob’s mother, who was spinning thread with a spindle. When she saw him, she removed her spindle and threw it at him, intending to kill him. After failing to do so, she said to Abishai: Young man, bring me my spindle. He threw the spindle and struck her at the top of her brain and killed her.
כַּד חַזְיֵיהּ יִשְׁבִּי בְּנוֹב, אֲמַר: הַשְׁתָּא הָווּ בֵּי תְרֵין וְקָטְלִין לִי. פַּתְקֵיהּ לְדָוִד לְעֵילָּא, וְדָץ לֵיהּ לְרוּמְחֵיהּ. אֲמַר: נִיפּוֹל עֲלֵהּ וְנִקְּטַל. אֲמַר אֲבִישַׁי שֵׁם, אוֹקְמֵיהּ לְדָוִד בֵּין שְׁמַיָּא לְאַרְעָא.
When Ishbibenob saw him, he said: Now they are two, David and Abishai, and they will kill me. He threw David up in the air, and stuck his spear into the ground. He said: Let David fall upon it and die. Abishai recited a sacred name of God and suspended David between heaven and earth so that he would not fall.
וְנֵימָא לֵיהּ אִיהוּ? אֵין חָבוּשׁ מוֹצִיא עַצְמוֹ מִבֵּית הָאֲסוּרִין.
The Gemara asks: And let David himself recite the name of God and save himself. Why did he need Abishai? The Gemara answers: A prisoner does not release himself from a prison but requires someone else to release him. Similarly, one in danger is incapable of rescuing himself.
אֲמַר לֵיהּ: מַאי בָּעֵית הָכָא? אֲמַר לֵיהּ: הָכִי אֲמַר לִי קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, וְהָכִי אַהְדַּרִי לֵיהּ. אֲמַר לֵיהּ: אֵפֹךְ צְלוֹתָיךְ! בַּר בְּרָךְ קִירָא לִיזְבּוֹן, וְאַתְּ לָא תִּצְטַעַר.
Abishai said to David: What do you seek here and why did you fall into Ishbibenob’s hands? David said to him: This is what the Holy One, Blessed be He, said to me, and this is what I responded to Him; the time to submit to my enemy has arrived. Abishai said to him: Reverse your prayer and pray that your descendants will cease to exist rather than that you will be handed to the enemy, in accordance with the adage that people say: Let your son’s son be a poor peddler and sell wax, and you will not suffer. Do not limit your expenses to leave an inheritance for your descendants.
אֲמַר לֵיהּ: אִי הָכִי, סַיַּיע בַּהֲדַן. הַיְינוּ דִּכְתִיב: ״וַיַּעֲזׇר לוֹ אֲבִישַׁי בֶּן צְרוּיָה״. אָמַר רַב יְהוּדָה אָמַר רַב: שֶׁעֲזָרוֹ בִּתְפִלָּה. אֲמַר אֲבִישַׁי שֵׁם וְאַחֲתֵיהּ.
David said to him: If so, help me. That is the meaning of that which is written: “And Abishai, son of Zeruiah, came to his aid, and smote the Philistine and killed him” (II Samuel 21:17). Rav Yehuda says that Rav says: This means that he came to his aid in prayer. Abishai recited another sacred name of God and caused David to land safely after being suspended between heaven and earth, and they fled.
הֲוָה קָא רָדֵיף בָּתְרַיְיהוּ. כִּי מְטֹא קוּבֵּי, אָמְרִי: קוּם בֵּיהּ. כִּי מְטֹא בֵּי תְרֵי, אָמְרִי: בִּתְרֵי גּוּרְיָוָן קַטְלוּהּ לְאַרְיָא. אָמְרִי לֵיהּ: זִיל אִשְׁתְּכַח לְעׇרְפָּה אִימָּיךְ בְּקִיבְרָא. כִּי אַדְכַּרוּ לֵיהּ שְׁמָא דְּאִימֵּיהּ, כְּחַשׁ חֵילֵיהּ וְקַטְלוּהּ. הַיְינוּ דִּכְתִיב: ״אָז נִשְׁבְּעוּ אַנְשֵׁי דָוִד לוֹ לֵאמֹר לֹא תֵצֵא עוֹד אִתָּנוּ לַמִּלְחָמָה וְלֹא תְכַבֶּה אֶת נֵר יִשְׂרָאֵל״.
Ishbibenob pursued them, intending to kill them. When they reached the place named Kuvi they said: The name of the place is an abbreviation for the phrase meaning: Stand and battle against him [kum beih]. When they reached a place called Bei Terei, David and Abishai said: With two [bitrei] cubs they killed the lion, meaning they expected to be successful. They said to Ishbibenob: Go find Orpah, your mother, in the grave. When they mentioned his mother’s name to him and told him she died, his strength diminished, and they killed him. The Gemara notes: It is after this that it is written: “Then David’s men took an oath to him saying: You shall not go with us to war anymore and you will not douse the lamp of Israel” (II Samuel 21:17).
תָּנוּ רַבָּנַן: שְׁלֹשָׁה קָפְצָה לָהֶם הָאָרֶץ – אֱלִיעֶזֶר עֶבֶד אַבְרָהָם, וְיַעֲקֹב אָבִינוּ, וַאֲבִישַׁי בֶּן צְרוּיָה. אֲבִישַׁי בֶּן צְרוּיָה – הָא דַּאֲמַרַן. אֱלִיעֶזֶר עֶבֶד אַבְרָהָם – דִּכְתִיב: ״וָאָבֹא הַיּוֹם אֶל הָעָיִן״, לְמֵימְרָא דְּהָהוּא יוֹמָא נְפַק. יַעֲקֹב אָבִינוּ –
§ The Sages taught in a baraita with regard to land contracting to shorten a journey: For three individuals the land contracted, and each one miraculously reached his destination quickly: Eliezer, servant of Abraham, and Jacob our forefather, and Abishai, son of Zeruiah. The Gemara elaborates: The case of Abishai, son of Zeruiah, is that which we said. The case of Eliezer, servant of Abraham, is as it is written: “And I came that day to the well” (Genesis 24:42). His intention was to say to the members of Rebecca’s family that on that day he left Canaan and on the same day he arrived, to underscore the miraculous nature of his undertaking on behalf of Abraham. The case of Jacob our forefather
דִּכְתִיב: ״וַיֵּצֵא יַעֲקֹב מִבְּאֵר שָׁבַע וַיֵּלֶךְ חָרָנָה״, וּכְתִיב: ״וַיִּפְגַּע בַּמָּקוֹם וַיָּלֶן שָׁם כִּי בָא הַשֶּׁמֶשׁ״. כִּי מְטָא לְחָרָן אֲמַר: אֶפְשָׁר עָבַרְתִּי עַל מְקוֹם שֶׁהִתְפַּלְּלוּ בּוֹ אֲבוֹתַי וַאֲנִי לֹא הִתְפַּלַּלְתִּי בּוֹ? בָּעֵי לְמֶיהְדַּר. כֵּיוָן דְּהַרְהַר בְּדַעְתֵּיהּ לְמִיהְדַּר, קְפַצָה לֵיהּ אַרְעָא. מִיָּד – ״וַיִּפְגַּע בַּמָּקוֹם״.
is as it is written: “And Jacob departed from Beersheba and went to Haran” (Genesis 28:10), and it is written thereafter, ostensibly after he arrived in Haran: “And he encountered [vayyifga] the place, and he slept there, for the sun had set” (Genesis 28:11). This means that when Jacob arrived at Haran, he said: Is it possible that I bypassed a place where my forefathers prayed and I did not pray there? He sought to return to Beit El. Once he contemplated in his mind to return, the land contracted for him, and immediately: “And he encountered the place,” indicating that he arrived there unexpectedly, sooner than he would have arrived without a miracle.
דָּבָר אַחֵר: אֵין פְּגִיעָה אֶלָּא תְּפִלָּה, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: ״וְאַתָּה אַל תִּתְפַּלֵּל בְּעַד הָעָם הַזֶּה וְאַל תִּשָּׂא בַעֲדָם רִנָּה וּתְפִלָּה וְאַל תִּפְגַּע בִּי״.
Alternatively, encounter means nothing other than prayer, as it is stated: “And you, do not pray on behalf of this nation, and do not raise on their behalf song and prayer, and do not encounter [tifga] Me, for I do not hear you” (Jeremiah 7:16).
״וַיָּלֶן שָׁם כִּי בָא הַשֶּׁמֶשׁ״. בָּתַר דְּצַלִּי בָּעֵי לְמִיהְדַּר, אָמַר הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא: צַדִּיק זֶה בָּא לְבֵית מְלוֹנִי, יִפָּטֵר בְּלֹא לִינָה? מִיָּד בָּא הַשֶּׁמֶשׁ. וְהַיְינוּ דִּכְתִיב: ״וַיִּזְרַח לוֹ הַשֶּׁמֶשׁ״. וְכִי לוֹ בִּלְבַד זָרְחָה? וַהֲלֹא לְכׇל הָעוֹלָם כּוּלּוֹ זָרְחָה! אֶלָּא אָמַר רַבִּי יִצְחָק: שֶׁמֶשׁ שֶׁבָּאָה בַּעֲבוּרוֹ, זָרְחָה בַּעֲבוּרוֹ.
It is written: “And he slept there because the sun had set” (Genesis 28:11). After Jacob prayed and he sought to return to his travels, the Holy One, Blessed be He, said: This righteous man came to My inn. Will I allow him to take leave without sleeping here? Immediately the sun set, not at the proper time, and that is the meaning of that which is written with regard to Jacob: “And the sun shone for him when he passed Penuel” (Genesis 32:32). The Gemara asks: And did the sun shine only for him? But didn’t the sun shine for the entire world? Rather, Rabbi Yitzḥak says: The sun that set not at the proper time exclusively for him shone not at the proper time exclusively for him in order to rectify the disparity created by the premature sunset.
וּמְנָלַן דִּכְלָה זַרְעֵיהּ דְּדָוִד? דִּכְתִיב: ״וַעֲתַלְיָה אֵם אֲחַזְיָהוּ רָאֲתָה כִּי מֵת בְּנָהּ וַתָּקׇם וַתְּאַבֵּד אֵת כׇּל זֶרַע הַמַּמְלָכָה״. וְהָא אִשְׁתְּיַיר לֵיהּ יוֹאָשׁ? הָתָם נָמֵי אִשְׁתְּיַיר אֶבְיָתָר, דִּכְתִיב: ״וַיִּמָּלֵט בֵּן אֶחָד לַאֲחִימֶלֶךְ בֶּן אֲחִטוּב וּשְׁמוֹ אֶבְיָתָר״. אָמַר רַב יְהוּדָה אָמַר רַב: אִלְמָלֵא לֹא נִשְׁתַּיֵּיר אֶבְיָתָר לַאֲחִימֶלֶךְ בֶּן אֲחִיטוּב, לֹא נִשְׁתַּיֵּיר מִזַּרְעוֹ שֶׁל דָּוִד שָׂרִיד וּפָלִיט.
Apropos David’s prayer that his descendants cease, the Gemara asks: And from where do we derive that David’s descendants ceased to exist? It is derived from a verse, as it is stated: “And Athaliah the mother of Ahaziah saw that her son was dead, and she arose and destroyed all the royal descendants” (II Kings 11:1). The Gemara asks: But didn’t Joash remain alive, and therefore, not all of David’s descendants ceased to exist? The Gemara answers: There too, in the massacre in Nov, Abiathar, one of the priests, remained alive, as it is written: “And one of the sons of Ahimelech, son of Ahitub, named Abiathar, escaped” (I Samuel 22:20). Rav Yehuda says that Rav says: Were it not for the fact that Abiathar remained alive for Ahimelech, son of Ahitub, there would have been no remnant or refugee remaining from the descendants of David.
אָמַר רַב יְהוּדָה אָמַר רַב: בָּא עֲלֵיהֶם סַנְחֵרִיב הָרָשָׁע בְּאַרְבָּעִים וַחֲמִשָּׁה אֶלֶף אִישׁ בְּנֵי מְלָכִים, יוֹשְׁבִים בִּקְרוֹנוֹת שֶׁל זָהָב, וְעִמָּהֶן שִׁגְלוֹנוֹת וְזוֹנוֹת, וּבִשְׁמֹנִים אֶלֶף גִּבּוֹרִים לְבוּשֵׁי שִׁרְיוֹן קְלִיפָּה, וּבְשִׁשִּׁים אֶלֶף אֲחוּזֵי חֶרֶב רָצִים לְפָנָיו, וְהַשְּׁאָר פָּרָשִׁים. וְכֵן בָּאוּ עַל אַבְרָהָם, וְכֵן עֲתִידִין לָבוֹא עִם גּוֹג וּמָגוֹג.
§ Apropos Sennacherib, Rav Yehuda says that Rav says: Sennacherib the wicked came upon them with forty-five thousand men, sons of kings, sitting in carriages of gold, and with them were consorts and prostitutes, and with eighty thousand warriors each wearing a coat of mail, and with sixty thousand sword-bearers running before him, and the rest were cavalry. And likewise, when the four kings came upon Abraham to wage war in the land of Canaan (see Genesis, chapter 14), they brought forces of that magnitude. And likewise, forces of that magnitude are destined to come with Gog and Magog in the ultimate war.
בְּמַתְנִיתָא תָּנָא: אוֹרֶךְ מַחֲנֵהוּ אַרְבַּע מֵאוֹת פַּרְסָה, רֹחַב צַוַּאר סוּסָיו אַרְבָּעִים פַּרְסָה. סַךְ מַחֲנֵהוּ מָאתַיִם וְשִׁשִּׁים רִיבּוֹא אֲלָפִים חָסֵר חַד. בָּעֵי אַבָּיֵי: חָסֵר חַד רִיבּוֹיָא, אוֹ חָסַר חַד אַלְפָּא, אוֹ חָסַר מְאָה, אוֹ חָסַר חַד? תֵּיקוּ.
It was taught in a baraita: The length of the camp of Sennacherib was four hundred parasangs and the width of the necks of his horses side by side was forty parasangs. The total number of soldiers in his camp was 260 ten thousands, i.e., 2,600,000, minus one. Abaye asks: Is the tanna saying minus one unit of ten thousand, or minus one unit of one thousand, or minus one unit of one hundred or minus one? The Gemara concludes: The question shall stand unresolved.
תָּנָא: רִאשׁוֹנִים עָבְרוּ בִּשְׂחִי, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: ״וְחָלַף בִּיהוּדָה שָׁטַף וְעָבַר״. אֶמְצָעִיִּים עָבְרוּ בְּקוֹמָה, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: ״עַד צַוָּאר יַגִּיעַ״. אַחֲרוֹנִים הֶעֱלוּ עָפָר בְּרַגְלֵיהֶם וְלֹא מָצְאוּ מַיִם בַּנָּהָר לִשְׁתּוֹת, עַד שֶׁהֵבִיאוּ מַיִם מִמָּקוֹם אַחֵר וְשָׁתוּ, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: ״אֲנִי קַרְתִּי וְשָׁתִיתִי מָיִם וְגוֹ׳״.
It was taught: The first set of soldiers in the army of Sennacherib crossed by swimming across the Jordan, as it is stated: “And he shall sweep through Judea; he shall overflow and pass” (Isaiah 8:8). Since the water level diminished with their crossing, the middle group of soldiers passed while standing upright, as it is stated: “It shall reach even the neck” (Isaiah 8:8). The last soldiers already kicked up dust with their feet, and they did not find water in the river to drink, and they had no water until they brought water from another place and drank it, as it is stated: “I dug and drank water” (Isaiah 37:25).
וְהָכְתִיב: ״וַיֵּצֵא מַלְאַךְ ה׳ וַיַּכֶּה בְּמַחֲנֵה אַשּׁוּר מֵאָה וּשְׁמוֹנִים וַחֲמִשָּׁה אָלֶף, וַיַּשְׁכִּימוּ בַבֹּקֶר וְהִנֵּה כֻלָּם פְּגָרִים מֵתִים״? אָמַר רַבִּי אֲבָהוּ: הַלָּלוּ רָאשֵׁי גְיָיסוֹת הֵן.
The Gemara asks: But isn’t it written: “Then the angel of the Lord went forth and smote in the camp of the Assyrians one hundred and eighty-five thousand. And when they arose early in the morning, behold, they were all dead corpses” (Isaiah 37:36)? Apparently, there were many fewer soldiers than the number listed in the baraita. Rabbi Abbahu says: These listed here are regiment leaders, who commanded numerous soldiers.
אָמַר רַב אָשֵׁי: דַּיְקָא נָמֵי, דִּכְתִיב ״בְּמִשְׁמַנָּיו רָזוֹן״ – בִּשְׁמֵינִים דְּאִית בְּהוּ. אָמַר רָבִינָא: דַּיְקָא נָמֵי, דִּכְתִיב ״וַיִּשְׁלַח ה׳ מַלְאָךְ וַיַּכְחֵד כׇּל גִּבּוֹר חַיִל וְנָגִיד וְשָׂר בְּמַחֲנֵה וְגוֹ׳ וַיָּבֹא בֵּית אֱלֹהָיו וּמִיצִיאֵי מֵעָיו שָׁם הִפִּילֻהוּ בֶחָרֶב״. שְׁמַע מִינַּהּ.
Rav Ashi says: It is also precise in the formulation of the verse, as it is written: “Therefore shall the Master, the Lord of hosts, send among his fat ones leanness” (Isaiah 10:16), indicating that it was the fat, i.e., significant, among them who were afflicted. Ravina says: The language is also precise in the formulation of another verse, as it is written: “And the Lord sent an angel, who obliterated the mighty men-at-arms and the leaders and captains in the camp of the king of Assyria. So he returned shamefacedly to his own land. And when he came into the house of his God, his own offspring slew him there with a sword” (II Chronicles 32:21). The Gemara affirms: Conclude from it that the leaders of the regiment were the ones killed.
בַּמֶּה הִכָּם? רַבִּי אֱלִיעֶזֶר אוֹמֵר: בַּיָּד הִכָּם, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: ״וַיַּרְא יִשְׂרָאֵל אֶת הַיָּד הַגְּדֹלָה״. הַיָּד שֶׁעֲתִידָה לִיפָּרַע מִסַּנְחֵרִיב. רַבִּי יְהוֹשֻׁעַ אוֹמֵר: בְּאֶצְבַּע הִכָּם, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: ״וַיֹּאמְרוּ הַחַרְטֻמִּים אֶל פַּרְעֹה אֶצְבַּע אֱלֹהִים הִיא״. הִיא אֶצְבַּע שֶׁעֲתִידָה לִיפָּרַע מִסַּנְחֵרִיב. רַבִּי אֱלִיעֶזֶר בְּנוֹ שֶׁל רַבִּי יוֹסֵי הַגְּלִילִי אוֹמֵר: אָמַר לוֹ הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא לְגַבְרִיאֵל: מַגָּלְךָ נְטוּשָׁה? אָמַר לְפָנָיו: רִבּוֹנוֹ שֶׁל עוֹלָם, נְטוּשָׁה וְעוֹמֶדֶת מִשֵּׁשֶׁת יְמֵי בְּרֵאשִׁית, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: ״[מִפְּנֵי חֶרֶב נְטוּשָׁה מִפְּנֵי קֶשֶׁת דְּרוּכָה מִפְּנֵי כּוֹבֶד מִלְחָמָה] (וְגוֹ)״.
The Gemara asks: With what did the angel strike them? Rabbi Eliezer says: He struck them by hand, as it is stated: “And Israel saw the great hand” (Exodus 14:31), where the term for hand, yad, is preceded by the definite article ha, indicating that this was the hand that was destined to exact retribution from Sennacherib. Rabbi Yehoshua says: He struck them with His finger, as it is stated: “And the sorcerers said to Pharaoh: This is the finger of God” (Exodus 8:15), indicating that it is the finger that was destined to exact retribution from Sennacherib. Rabbi Eliezer, son of Rabbi Yosei HaGelili, says that the Holy One, Blessed be He, said to Gabriel: Is your scythe honed? Gabriel said before Him: Master of the Universe, it is standing honed from the six days of Creation, as it is stated: “For they have fled from the swords, from the honed sword” (Isaiah 21:15).
רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן בֶּן יוֹחַי אוֹמֵר: אוֹתוֹ הַפֶּרֶק זְמַן בִּישּׁוּל פֵּירוֹת הָיָה. אָמַר לוֹ הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא לְגַבְרִיאֵל: כְּשֶׁאַתָּה יוֹצֵא לְבַשֵּׁל פֵּירוֹת, הִזָּקֵק לָהֶם, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: ״מִדֵּי עׇבְרוֹ יִקַּח אֶתְכֶם כִּי בַבֹּקֶר בַּבֹּקֶר יַעֲבֹר בַּיּוֹם וּבַלָּיְלָה וְהָיָה רַק זְוָעָה הָבִין שְׁמוּעָה וְגוֹ׳״. אָמַר רַב פָּפָּא: הַיְינוּ דְּאָמְרִי אִינָשֵׁי, אַגַּב אוֹרְחָךְ, לִבְעֵל דְּבָבָךְ אִישְׁתְּמַע.
Rabbi Shimon ben Yoḥai says: That period was the season of the ripening of the fruit. The Holy One, Blessed be He, said to Gabriel: When you emerge to ripen the fruits, attend to the army of Assyria and destroy them, as it is stated: “As often as it passes through, it shall take you; for morning by morning shall it pass through, by day and by night; and the mere understanding of the report shall bring terror” (Isaiah 28:19), indicating that Gabriel was to kill them while engaged in another activity. Rav Pappa says that this is in accordance with the adage that people say: While on your path, appear before your enemy and afflict him.
וְיֵשׁ אוֹמְרִים: בְּחוֹטְמָן נָשַׁף בָּהֶן וָמֵתוּ, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: ״וְגַם נָשַׁף בָּהֶם וַיִּבָשׁוּ״. רַבִּי יִרְמְיָה בַּר אַבָּא אָמַר: כַּפַּיִים סָפַק לָהֶם וָמֵתוּ, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: ״וְגַם אֲנִי אַכֶּה כַפִּי אֶל כַּפִּי וַהֲנִחֹתִי חֲמָתִי״. רַבִּי יִצְחָק נַפָּחָא אָמַר: אׇזְנַיִם גָּלָה לָהֶם וְשָׁמְעוּ שִׁירָה מִפִּי חַיּוֹת וָמֵתוּ, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: ״מֵרוֹמְמֻתֶךָ נָפְצוּ גּוֹיִם״.
And there are those who say: The angel blew into the soldiers of the Assyrian army through their noses and they died, as it is stated: “When he blows upon them, and they wither” (Isaiah 40:24). Rabbi Yirmeya bar Abba says: The angel clapped his hands to them and they died, as it is stated: “I will also strike My hands together and I will assuage My anger” (Ezekiel 21:22). Rabbi Yitzḥak Nappaḥa says: He revealed ears for them and they were able to hear the songs of praise from the mouths of the celestial creatures drawing the chariot of God, and they died, as it is stated: “From Your exaltation the nations were scattered” (Isaiah 33:3), indicating that their death was caused by the revelation of God’s greatness.
וְכַמָּה נִשְׁתַּיֵּיר מֵהֶם? רַב אָמַר: עֲשָׂרָה, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: ״וּשְׁאָר עֵץ יַעְרוֹ מִסְפָּר יִהְיוּ וְנַעַר יִכְתְּבֵם״. כַּמָּה נַעַר יָכוֹל לִכְתּוֹב? עֲשָׂרָה. וּשְׁמוּאֵל אָמַר: תִּשְׁעָה, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: ״וְנִשְׁאַר בּוֹ עוֹלֵלֹת כְּנֹקֶף זַיִת שְׁנַיִם שְׁלֹשָׁה גַּרְגְּרִים בְּרֹאשׁ אָמִיר אַרְבָּעָה חֲמִשָּׁה בִּסְעִפֶיהָ״.
And how many of the soldiers remained alive? Rav says: Ten soldiers, as it is stated: “And the rest of the trees of his forest shall be few, that a child may write them” (Isaiah 10:19). And what number can a child easily write? It is the number ten, represented by the letter yod, which is the smallest letter. And Shmuel says: Nine remained, as it is stated: “And gleanings shall be left of him, as in the beating of an olive tree, two or three berries in the top of the uppermost bough, four or five in the branches of a fruitful tree” (Isaiah 17:6). Four and five total nine.
רַבִּי יְהוֹשֻׁעַ בֶּן לֵוִי אָמַר: אַרְבָּעָה עָשָׂר, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר ״שְׁנַיִם שְׁלֹשָׁה [וְכוּ׳] אַרְבָּעָה וַחֲמִשָּׁה״. רַבִּי יוֹחָנָן אָמַר: חֲמִשָּׁה – סַנְחֵרִיב וּשְׁנֵי בָּנָיו, נְבוּכַדְנֶצַּר וּנְבוּזַּרְאֲדָן. נְבוּזַרְאֲדָן – גְּמָרָא. נְבוּכַדְנֶצַּר – דִּכְתִיב: ״וְרֵוֵהּ דִּי רְבִיעָאָה דָּמֵה לְבַר אֱלָהִין״, וְאִי לָאו דְּחַזְיֵיהּ מְנָא הֲוָה יָדַע? סַנְחֵרִיב וּשְׁנֵי בָּנָיו – דִּכְתִיב: ״וַיְהִי הוּא מִשְׁתַּחֲוֶה בֵּית נִסְרֹךְ אֱלֹהָיו וְאַדְרַמֶּלֶךְ וְשַׂרְאֶצֶר בָּנָיו הִכֻּהוּ בַחֶרֶב״.
Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi says: Fourteen remained, as it is stated: “Two or three…four or five,” which total fourteen. Rabbi Yoḥanan says: Five remained: Sennacherib, and his two sons, and Nebuchadnezzar, and Nebuzaradan, the captain of the guard. The fact that Nebuzaradan was among them is learned through tradition. Nebuchadnezzar was among them, as it is written that Nebuchadnezzar said when he saw an angel with Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah: “And the appearance of the fourth is like that of an angel” (Daniel 3:25). And if he had not seen the angel that smote Sennacherib’s army, from where would he have known that the fourth person looked like an angel? Sennacherib and his two sons were among them, as it is written later in their regard: “And it came to pass as he was worshipping in the house of Nisroch his god that Adrammelech and Sarezer, his sons, smote him with the sword” (II Kings 19:37). Evidently, the three of them survived.
אָמַר רַבִּי אֲבָהוּ: אִלְמָלֵא מִקְרָא כָּתוּב, אִי אֶפְשָׁר לְאׇמְרוֹ, דִּכְתִיב: ״בַּיּוֹם הַהוּא יְגַלַּח ה׳ בְּתַעַר הַשְּׂכִירָה בְּעֶבְרֵי נָהָר בְּמֶלֶךְ אַשּׁוּר אֶת הָרֹאשׁ וְשַׂעַר הָרַגְלָיִם וְגַם אֶת הַזָּקָן תִּסְפֶּה״.
§ Rabbi Abbahu says: Were the following verse not written, it would have been impossible to say it, since it appears to be a desecration of the name of God, as it is written: “On that day shall the Lord shave with a hired razor in the parts beyond the river the king of Assyria, the head, and the hair of the legs, and it shall also sweep away the beard” (Isaiah 7:20). The blasphemous indication is that the Holy One, Blessed be He, will Himself shave Sennacherib.
אֲתָא קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, וְאִדְּמִי לֵיהּ כְּגַבְרָא סָבָא. אֲמַר לֵיהּ: כִּי אָזְלַתְּ לְגַבֵּי מַלְכֵי מִזְרָח וּמַעֲרָב דְּאַיְיתִיתִינְהוּ לִבְנַיְיהוּ וּקְטַלְתִּינְהוּ, מַאי אָמְרַתְּ לְהוּ? אֲמַר לֵיהּ: הַהוּא גַּבְרָא בְּהָהוּא פַּחְדָּא נָמֵי יָתֵיב. אֲמַר לֵיהּ: הֵיכִי נַעֲבֵיד? אֲמַר לֵיהּ: זִיל
Rather, this is the incident depicted in the verse: The Holy One, Blessed be He, came and appeared to Sennacherib as an old man. God said to him: When you go to the kings of the east and the west whose children you brought and killed, what will you say to them? Sennacherib said to the Holy One, Blessed be He: That man, referring to himself, also sits overcome with the same fear, as I do not know what to say to them. Sennacherib said to the Holy One, Blessed be He: What should we do? The Holy One, Blessed be He, said to him: Go
