משנה: וּכְשֶׁמֵּת טֶבִי עַבְדּוֹ קִיבֵּל עָלָיו תַּנְחוּמִין. אָֽמְרוּ לוֹ לֹא לִימַּדְּתָנוּ רַבֵּנוּ שֶׁאֵין מְקַבְּלִין תַּנְחוּמִין עַל הָעֲבָדִים. אָמַר לָהֶן אֵין טֶבִי עַבְדִּי כִשְׁאָר עֲבָדִים כָּשֶׁר הָיָה. MISHNAH: And when his304Rabban Gamliel’s. slave Tevi died, he received condolences about him. They said to him: Our teacher, did you not teach us that one does not accept condolences for slaves? He said to them: My slave Tevi was not like other slaves, he was honest305Since slaves were not liable in civil law, they could not be sued for damages of any kind, and neither could their master for their misdeeds; it was assumed that slaves were thieves, confidence men, and careless with anybody’s property and, when freed, had trouble establishing themselves as trustworthy witnesses..
הלכה: הָא בְנֵי חוֹרִים אַחֵרִים מְקַבְּלִין תַּנְחוּמִין עֲלֵיהֶן. כֵּינִי מָתְנִיָּיתָה אֵין מְקַבְּלִין תַּנְחוּמִין עַל הָעֲבָדִים. HALAKHAH: Hence, about unrelated freed men one accepts condolences? So is the Mishnah: one does not accept condolences for slaves.306There are several different explanations of this cryptic piece. The most reasonable is by R. Abraham ben Adrat (Rashba) in his commentary on Babli Berakhot 16b: Since the slave is not related to his master, even if he were free the master would not accept formal condolences for him since these are restricted to those close relatives for which one has to keep a period of formal mourning. The answer is that the Mishnah has to declare explicitly that one does not accept formal condolences since the slave is a member of the household and, presumably, is treated like a family member, parallel to the case of a student for whom the teacher may accept condolences; see the section after the next.
תַּנִּי מַעֲשֶׂה שֶׁמֵּתָה שִׁפְחָתוֹ שֶׁל רִבִּי אֱלִיעֶזֶר וְנִכְנְסוּ תַלְמִידָיו לְנַחֲמוֹ וְלֹא קִיבֵּל. נִכְנַס מִפְּנֵיהֶם לֶחָצֵר וְנִכְנְסוּ אֲחַרָיו. לְבַיִת וְנִכְנְסוּ אֲחַרָיו. אָמַר לָהֶן כִמְדוּמֶּה הָיִיתִי שֶׁאַתֶּם נִיכְוִין בְּפוֹשְׁרִין וְאִי אַתֶּם נִכְוִין אֲפִילוּ בְרוֹתְחִין. וַהֲלֹא אָֽמְרוּ אֵין מְקַבְּלִין תַּנְחוּמִין עַל הָעֲבָדִים מִפְּנֵי שֶׁהָעֲבָדִים כִּבְהֵמָה. אִם עַל בְּנֵי חוֹרִין אֲחֵרִים אֵין מְקַבְּלִין תַּנְחוּמִין כָּל־שֶׁכֵּן עַל הָעֲבָדִים. מִי שֶׁמֵּת עַבְדּוֹ אוֹ בְהֶמְתּוֹ אוֹמֵר לוֹ הַמָּקוֹם יְמַלֵּא חֶסְרוֹנָךְ. It happened that Rebbi Eliezer’s maidservant died307She must have been his personal maidservant. The story is repeated in an enlarged version in Babli Berakhot 16b and, in the Yerushalmi version, in Evel Rabbati 1:9,10. and his students came to him for condolences but he did not accept. He entered the courtyard, they followed him there. He entered the house, they followed him there. He told them: I was thinking that you would be burned by lukewarm water but you are not burned even by boiling water. Did they not say that one does not accept condolences for slaves because slaves are in this like animals? If one does not accept condolences for unrelated free persons, so much more for slaves308Rebbi Eliezer disagrees with his brother-in-law Rabban Gamliel and with the statement of the previous section in the Talmud. He will read in the Mishnah “because one does not accept condolences for slaves”, meaning that this is a rule that cannot be waved. In the Babli, his attitude is directly contradicted by Rebbi Yose, the most authoritative of the Tannaïm of the fourth generation. Rebbi Yose even recommends eulogies for honest slaves; this represents the Galilean attitude (not shared in Babylonia) and, while not spelled out in the Yerushalmi, is taken for granted in this passage which immediately after the present story gives examples of model eulogies for rabbis.. If one’s slave or animal died, people say to him: The Omnipresent may replace your loss.
כַּד דָּמַךְ רִבִּי חִייָא בַּר אָדָא בַּר אַחְתֵּיהּ דְּבַר קַפָּרָא קִבֵּיל רֵישׁ לָקִישׁ עִילוֹי דַּהֲוָה רַבֵּיהּ נֵימָא תַלְמִידֵיהּ דְּבַר נַשָּׁא חָבִיב עֲלֵיהּ כִּבְרֵיהּ עָאַל וְאִיפְטַר עִילוֹי דּוֹדִי יָרַד לְגַנּוֹ לַעֲרוּגֹת הַבּוֹשֶׂם לִרְעוֹת בַּגַּנִּים. לֹא צוּרְכָה אֶלָּא דּוֹדִי יָרַד לְגַנּוֹ לִרְעוֹת בַּגַּנִּים. דוֹדִי זֶה הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא. יַָרַד לְגַנּוֹ זֶה הָעוֹלָם. לַעֲרוּגֹת הַבּוֹשֶׂם אֵילּוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל. לִרְעוֹת בַּגַּנִּים אֵילּוּ אוּמּוֹת הָעוֹלָם. וְלִלְקוֹט בַּשׁוֹשַׁנִּים אֵילּוּ הַצַּדִּיקִים שֶׁמְּסַלְּקָן מִבֵּינֵיהֶן. מָֽשְׁלוּ מָשָׁל לְמַה הַדָּבָר דּוֹמֶה לְמֶלֶךְ שֶׁהָיָה לוֹ בֵן וְהָיָה חָבִיב עָלָיו יוֹתֵר מִדַּאי. מַה עָשָׂה הַמֶּלֶךְ נָטַע לוֹ פַּרְדֵּס. בְּשָׁעָה שֶׁהָיָה הַבֵּן עוֹשֶׂה רְצוֹנוֹ שֶׁל אָבִיו הָיָה מְחַזֵּר בְּכָל הָעוֹלָם כּוּלּוֹ וְרוֹאֶה אֵי זוֹ נְטִיעָה יָפָה בָעוֹלָם וְנוֹטְעָהּ בְּתוֹךְ פַּרְדֵּיסוֹ. וּבְשָׁעָה שֶׁהָיָה מַכְעִיסוֹ הָיָה מְקַצֵּץ כָּל־נְטִיעוֹתָיו. כַּךְ בְּשָׁעָה שֶׁיִּשְׂרָאֵל עוֹשִׂין רְצוֹנוֹ שֶׁל הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא מְחַזֵּר בְּכָל־הָעוֹלָם כּוּלּוֹ וְרוֹאֶה אֵי זֶה צַדִּיק בְּאוּמּוֹת הָעוֹלָם וּמֵבִיאוֹ וּמְדַבְּקוֹ לְיִשְׂרָאֵל. כְּגוֹן יִתְרוֹ וְרָחָב. וּבְשָׁעָה שֶׁהֵן מַכְעִיסִין אוֹתוֹ הָיָה מְסַלֵּק הַצַּדִּיקִים שֶׁבֵּינֵיהֶן. When Rebbi Ḥiyya bar Ada309A second generation Amora in Galilee. He had the reputation of a saintly man. He might have been a student of the young Rav in the Academy of Rebbi, but his main teacher was R. Simeon ben Laqish.
Since the topic of condolences and eulogies is implied in the previous text, a list of sample eulogies follows. Most of these are found (with some change in names) in Midrash Rabba, Song of Songs on 6:2, Ecclesiastes on 5:11., the nephew of Bar Qappara, died did Resh Laqish accept for him since he was his teacher and a student is beloved as a son310Hence, a teacher may formally mourn a student. In the Babli (Moëd Qaṭan 26b), only a student may formally mourn a teacher.. He went and eulogized him: (Song of Songs 6:2) “My friend descended to his garden, to the spice patch311While the masoretic text has “spice patches”, the consonantal spelling here seems to prefer the singular which also is appropriate to the sermon based on this verse. This does not imply that the verse in Resh Laqish’s Bible had here a singular, only that the interpretation as singular is more convenient for his sermon., to shepherd in the gardens.”312As with most Scriptural quotes in the Talmud, the main inference is to be drawn from the part of the verse that is not quoted; the student is expected to recognize the verse and to complete it himself. The spelling is left as in the manuscripts and is not edited to conform to our masoretic texts. It would have been necessary only to say “ “My friend descended to shepherd in the gardens.” But “my friend” is the Holy One, praise to Him. “He descended to His garden”, that is the world. “To the spice patch”, that is Israel. “To shepherd in the gardens”, these are the peoples of the world. “And to collect lilies”, these are the just ones whom He removes from their midst. They gave a parable, to what can this be compared? To a king who had a son whom he loved very much. What did the king do? He planted a garden for him. When the son did the will of his father, the father searched in the entire world for a nice plant and planted it in his garden. When the son was making him angry, he cut down all his plants. So when Israel does the will of the Holy One, praise to Him, he searches the entire world and observes the just person, brings him and attaches him to Israel, like Jethro and Rahab. And when they are making him angry he removes the just ones from amongst them313Implying that Rebbi Ḥiyya bar Ada was collected because of the sins of his generation..
דֵּלֹמָא. רִבִּי חִייָא בַּר אַבָּא וַחֲבוּרָתֵיהּ. וְאִית דָּֽמְרִין רִבִּי יוֹסֵי בֵּי רִבִּי חֲלַפְתָּא וַחֲבוּרָתֵיהּ. וְאִית דָּֽמְרִין רִבִּי עֲקִיבָה וַחֲבוּרָתֵיהּ. הֲווּ יָֽתְבִין לָעֵיי בְּאוֹרַיְּתָא תְחוֹת חָדָא תְאֵינָה וַהֲוָה מָרָא דִתְאֵינְתָא קָרֵיץ וְלָקֵיט לָהּ בְּכָל יוֹם. אָֽמְרֵי שֶׁמָּא הוּא חוֹשְׁדֵינִי. נַחְלוֹף אֶת מְקוֹמֵינוּ. לְמָחָר אַתְיָא מָרָהּ דִּתְאֵינְתָא גַבּוֹן אָמַר לוֹן מָרַיי אַף חָדָא מִצְוָה דַהֲוִיתֶן נְהִיגִין וְעָֽבְדִין עִמִּי מְנַעְתּוּנִין מִינִּי. אָֽמְרוּן לֵיהּ אָֽמְרִינָן דִּילְמָא דְאַחְשַׁד לָן. בְּצַפְרָא אָתֵי מוֹדָעָא יַתְהוֹן זָֽרְחָה עָלָיו הַחַמָּה וְהִתְלִיעוּ תְאֵינוֹתֵיהּ. בְּאוֹתָהּ שָׁעָה אָֽמְרוּ בַּעַל הַתְּאֵנָה יוֹדֵעַ אֵימָתַי עוֹנָתָהּ שֶׁל תְּאֵינָה לִלְקוֹט וְהָיָה לוֹקְטָהּ. כַּךְ הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא יוֹדֵעַ אֵימָתַי עוֹנָתָן שֶׁל צַדִּיקִים לְסַלֵּק מִן הָעוֹלָם וְהוּא מְסַלְּקָן. A clarification. Rebbi Ḥiyya bar Abba314In the Rome manuscript, he is identified as the Great Rebbi Ḥiyya (whose full name was Ḥiyya bar Abba bar Aḥa Karsala from Kufra in Iraq), who otherwise is never referred to as “bar Abba” in the Yerushalmi. The sage here cannot be the third generation Amora R. Ḥiyya bar Abba, student of R. Yoḥanan, since not only are the alternate authors Tannaïm of the fourth generation but the story is very explicit in showing that the scholars among themselves are speaking Hebrew and only with the unlearned farmer they speak Aramaic. The Great Rebbi Ḥiyya belongs to the generation of transition between Tannaïm and Amoraïm; even his inclusion is a little late compared to the other two possible sources. This, as noted by Levi Ginzberg (following Eliezer ben Yehudah) is characteristic of Tannaïtic times.
It is possible that the author of theZohar identified this R. Ḥiyya bar Abba as a Tanna of the fourth generation, contemporary of Rebbi Yose, Rebbi Jacob, and, therefore, Rebbi Simeon bar Yoḥai, since he appears there as a major partner in dialogues with the latter. and his group, some say Rebbi Yose bar Ḥalaphta and his group, and some say Rebbi Jacob and his group, were sitting to study Torah under a fig tree. The owner of the fig tree was coming every morning at sunrise and collected figs. They said, maybe he mistrusts us315Since he comes early every morning to check on us. (In the Leyden manuscript and the Venice print, the text is “mistrusts me” but the Rome manuscript can be read as “mistrusts us”)., let us change place. The next day, the owner of the fig tree came to them316In the Midrash, it is explained that he went on a systematic search to find his scholars.; he said to them: the one miẓwah that you used to do with me you are withholding from me317Since the one who provides the physical means for Torah study, not the scholar, acquires the greater merit from the study, you are depriving me of the merit of Torah study that I cannot acquire on my own.. They said to him: We thought that maybe you mistrust us. During the morning he came and informed them that if the sun shines on ripe figs they get wormy318Hence, he has to come early every morning to harvest all figs that are ripe because later they become worthless.. At that time they said, the owner of the fig tree knows the best time to collect figs and he collects them. Likewise, the Holy One, praise to Him, knows the time of the just ones to be removed from the world and He removes them319In contrast to the Amora Resh Laqish, the Tannaïm do not see in the premature death of a saintly man a consequence of the sins of his contemporaries..
כַּד דָּמַךְ רִבִּי בּוּן בַּר רִבִּי חִייָא עָל רִבִּי זְעִירָא וְאַפְטַר עִילוֹי מְתוּקָה שְׁנַת הָעוֹבֵד. יָשֵׂן אֵין כְּתִיב כָּאן אֶלָּא אִם מְעַט אִם הַרְבֵּה יֹאכֵל. לְמַה הָיָה רִבִּי בּוּן בַּר רִבִּי חִייָא דוֹמֶה לְמֶלֶךְ שֶׁשָּׂכַר פּוֹעֲלִים הַרְבֶּה וְהָיָה שָׁם פּוֹעֵל אֶחָד וְהָיָה מִשְׂתַּכֵּר בִּמְלַאכְתּוֹ יוֹתֵר מִדַּאי. מַה עָשָׂה הַמֶּלֶךְ נָֽטְלוֹ וְהָיָה מְטַיֵּיל עִמּוֹ אֲרוּכוֹת וּקְצָרוֹת. לְעִיתּוֹתֵי עֶרֶב בָּאוּ אוֹתָם פּוֹעֲלִים לִיטוֹל שְׂכָרָן וְנָתַן לוֹ שְׂכָרוֹ עִמָּהֶן מֻשְׁלָם. וְהָיוּ הַפּוֹעֲלִים מִתְרַעֲמִין וְאוֹמְרִין אָנוּ יָגַעְנוּ כָל־הַיּוֹם וְזֶה לֹא יָגַע אֶלָּא שְׁתֵּי שָׁעוֹת וְנָתַן לוֹ שְׂכָרוֹ עִמָּנוּ מֻשְׁלָם. אָמַר לָהֶן הַמֶּלֶךְ יָגַע זֶה לִשְׁתֵּי שָׁעוֹת יוֹתֵר מִמָּה שֶׁלֹּא יְגַעְתֶּם אַתֶּם כָּל־הַיּוֹם כּוּלּוֹ. כָּךְ יָגַע רִבִּי בּוּן בַּתּוֹרָה לְעֶשְׂרִים וּשְׁמוֹנֶה שָׁנָה מַה שֶׁאֵין תַּלְמִיד וָותִיק יָכוֹל לִלְמֹד לְמֵאָה שָׁנָה. When Rebbi Abun bar Rebbi Ḥiyya320One of the frequently quoted authorities of the Jerusalem Talmud, a student of Rebbi Yoḥanan and Rebbi Zeïra; he died young as his eulogy shows. died, Rebbi Zeïra ascended his pulpit and eulogized him: (Eccl. 5:11) “Sweet is the year of the worker.” It does not say here “sleeps” but “whether he eats little or much.” To what can Rebbi Bun bar Ḥiyya be likened? To a king who hired many workers and there was one worker who was exceptionally productive in his work. What did the king do? He took him and walked with him the long and the short. In the evening, the workers came to receive their wages and he gave him his total wages with them. The workers complained and said: we were toiling the entire day and this one did toil only for two hours and he gave him his total wages with us! The king told them: This one produced in two hours more than what you produced all day long. So Rebbi Bun produced in Torah in 28 years what an outstanding321Or, with the Arabic ותֹיק “constant, resolute”. student cannot learn in a hundred years.
כַּד דָּמַךְ רִבִּי סִימוֹן בַּר זְבִיד עָאַל רִבִּי לַיא וְאַפְטַר עִילוֹי אַרְבָּעָה דְּבָרִים תַּשְׁמִישׁוֹ שֶׁל עוֹלָם וְכוּלָּן אִם אָֽבְדוּ יֵשׁ לָהֶן חֲלִיפִּין כִּי יֵשׁ לַכֶּסֶף מוֹצָא וּמָקוֹם לַזָּהָב יָזוֹקוּ בַּרְזֶל מֵעָפָר יוּקָּח וְאֶבֶן יָצוּק נְחוּשָׁה. אֵילּוּ אִם אָֽבְדוּ יֵשּׁ לָהֶן חֲלִיפִּין. אֲבָל תַּלְמִיד חָכָם שֶׁמֵּת מִי מֵבִיא לָנוּ חֲלִיפָתוֹ. מִי מֵבִיא לָנוּ תְמוּרָתוֹ. וְהַחָכְמָה מֵאַיִן תִּמָּצֵא וְאֵי זֶה מָקוֹם בִּינָה וְנֶעֱלְמָה מֵעֵינֵי כָּל חָי. אָמַר רִבִּי לֵוִי מָה אִם אֲחֵי יוֹסֵף עַל שֶׁמָּֽצְאוּ מְצִיאָה יָצָא לִבָּם דִּכְתִיב וַיֵּצֵא לִבָּם. אָנוּ שֶׁאָבַדְנוּ אֶת רִבִּי סִימוֹן בַּר זְבִיד עַל אַחַת כַּמָּה וְכַמָּה. When Rebbi Simon bar Zevid322A Galilean Amora of the third generation, also quoted as Rebbi Simon bar Savdi, whose discussions with Rebbi Illaï (Lai) are recorded several times in the Yerushalmi. He was a teacher of the leaders of the fourth generation of Amoraïm, Rebbis Ḥizkiah, Jonah, and Phineas. died, Rebbi Illai ascended and eulogized him: Four things are used in the world and if they are lost, they have replacement, (Job 28:1,2) “But silver has a source, and a place is where gold is refined; iron is taken from dust, and stone is smelted into copper.” Those, if they are lost, have replacement. But a scholar who died, who can bring us his replacement, who can bring us his substitute? (Job 28:12323It seems that the preacher wanted to refer to verse 20: “Wisdom, from where does it come?”,21) “Wisdom, where can it be found, where is the place of understanding? It is hidden from the eyes of all living!” Rebbi Levi324Probably a scribal error for Lai. But the parallel in Yerushalmi Horaiot3:8 (fol. 38b) also has Rebbi Levi. said: If the brothers of Joseph lost their spirit because they found something, as it is written (Gen. 42:28) “they lost their spirit”, we, who lost Rebbi Simon bar Zevid, so much more!
כַּד דָּמַךְ רִבִּי לֵוִי בַּר סִיסִי עָל אָבִיו דִּשְׁמוּאֵל וְאַפְטַר עִילוֹי סוֹף דָּבָר הַכֹּל נִשְׁמָע אֶת הָאֱלֹהִים יְרָא. לְמַה הָיָה לֵוִי בֶּן סִיסִי דוֹמֶה לְמֶלֶךְ שֶׁהָיָה לוֹ כֶרֶם וְהָיוּ בוֹ מֵאָה גְפָנִים וְהָיוּ עוֹשׂוֹת כָּל־שָׁנָה וְשָׁנָה מֵאָה חָבִיּוֹת שֶׁל יַיִן. עָמַד עַל חֲמִשִּׁים עָמַד עַל אַרְבָּעִים עָמַד עַל שְׁלֹשִׁים עָמַד עַל עֶשְׂרִים עָמַד עַל עֶשֶׂר עָמַד עַל אֶחָד וְהָיָה עוֹשֶה מֵאָה חָבִיּוֹת שֶׁל יַיִן. וְהָיָה אוֹתוֹ הַגֶּפֶן חָבִיב עָלָיו כְּכָל־הַכֶּרֶם כּוּלּוֹ. כַּךְ הָיָה רִבִּי לֵוִי בַּר סִיסִי חָבִיב לִפְנֵי הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא כְּכָל־אָדָם. הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב כִּי זֶה כָּל־הָאָדָם כִּי זֶה כְּכָל־הָאָדָם. When Rebbi Levi bar Sisi325One of the outstanding students of Rebbi, in the generation of transition between Tannaïm and Amoraïm. Some time after Rebbi’s death he emigrated to Nahardea in Babylonia where he became an associate of Abba bar Abba, the father of Samuel, a descendant of Ḥananiah, the nephew of Rebbi Joshua, who founded the first Talmudic academy in Babylonia at the outbreak of the war of Bar Kokhba. He, like the Great Rebbi Ḥiyya, was a collector of mishnaic material (baraitot); his collection became the foundation of study in Nahardea. died, the father of Samuel came and eulogized him: (Eccl. 12:13) “Final word: Everything has been heard, fear God.” To what can Rebbi Levi ben Sisi be compared? To a king who had a vineyard with a hundred vines which gave him every year a hundred barrels of wine. He reduced them to 50, to 40, to 30, to 20, to ten, to one, and this one gave him a hundred barrels of wine. This one vine was as dear to him as the entire vineyard. So Rebbi Levi bar Sisi was beloved before the Holy One, praise to Him, like all mankind. This is what is written (loc. cit.) “Because that is all of man,” that one is like all of mankind326A kind of pun on the possible interpretations of כל as “all” or “entire”. In the Babli (Berakhot 6b) this is a sermon of Rebbi Abba bar Kahana, a Babylonian who became preacher of the third generation of Amoraïm in Galilee..
כַּהֲנָא הֲוָה עוּלֶם סַגִּין כַּד סְלִיק לְהָכָא חַמְתֵּיהּ חַד בַּר פַּחִין. אָמַר לֵיהּ מַה קָלָא בִשְׁמַיָּא. אָמַר לֵיהּ גְּזַר דִּינֵיהּ דְּהַהוּא גַבְרָא מִיחְתָּם. וְכֵן הֲוָות לֵיהּ. וּמִתְפְּגַע בֵּיהּ. חַמְתֵּיהּ חַד חָרָן. אָמַר לֵיהּ מַה קָלָא בִשְׁמַיָּא. אָמַר לֵיהּ גְּזַר דִּינֵיהּ דְּהַהוּא גַבְרָא מִיחְתָּם. וְכֵן הֲוָות לֵיהּ. אָמַר מַה סְלִיקִית מְזַכֵּי וַאֲנָא אִיחֲטֵי. מַה סְלִיקִית לְמִיקְטְלָה בְנֵי אַרְעָא דְיִשְׂרָאֵל נִיזוּל וְנִיחוּת לִי מִן הֵן דִּסְלִיקִית. אָתָא לְגַבֵּי רִבִּי יוֹחָנָן אָמַר לֵיהּ בַּר נַשׁ דְּאִימֵּיהּ מְבַסְּרָא לֵיהּ וְאִיתָּתֵיהּ דַּאֲבוּהִי מוֹקְרָא לֵיהּ לְהֵן יֵיזִיל לֵיהּ. אָמַר לֵיהּ יֵיזִיל לְהוֹן דְּמוֹקְרִין לֵיהּ. נָחַת לֵיהּ כַּהֲנָא מִן הֵן דִּסְלִק. אֲתוּן אָֽמְרִין לֵיהּ לְרִבִּי יוֹחָנָן הָא נְחִית כַּהֲנָא לְבָבֶל. אָמַר מַה הֲוָה מֵיזַל לֵיהּ דְּלָא מֵיסַב רְשׁוּתָא. אָֽמְרִין לֵיהּ הַהִיא מִילְתָא דְאָמַר לָךְ הִיא הֲוָה נְטִילַת רְשׁוּת דִּידֵיהּ. Cahana327While the previous section dealt with a Galilean emigrating to Babylonia, we now deal with Babylonians immigrating into Israel. Cahana here is Rav Cahana II; his story can be understood only in connection with the remarks in Babli Bava Qama117a,b; the interpretation is Rashi’s (117b).
Rav Cahana was a young member of the Academy of Rav when Rav unsuccessfully tried to dissuade a Jew from informing against another Jew before the Persian authorities. Rav Cahana was so outraged that he slapped the would-be informer and broke his neck. Rav pointed out to him that under the new Sassanid regime the Jews had lost the criminal jurisdiction they had under the Parthians and that, therefore, he was liable to be prosecuted. Rav told him to go (“ascend”) to the Land of Israel, to the Academy of Rebbi Yoḥanan, but he warned him not to ask difficult questions from Rebbi Yoḥanan for seven years. This must have happened between the Sassanid victory in 226 C.E. and Rav’s death in 247 C.E. (Since the organization of the new Persian empire must have taken some time, the earliest time for Rav Cahana’s flight is probably around 235 C.E. When Rav Cahana returned to Babylonia, he became a student of Rav’s successors Rav Yehudah and Rav Huna; hence, he returned after 247 C.E.) In Tiberias, Cahana (whose rabbinical title is not recognized in the Yerushalmi) first kept Rav’s injunction but in the end he found a way to get around it and was recognized by Rebbi Yoḥanan as a great scholar. Unfortunately, by a birth defect or an accident, Cahana had unsymmetric lips which gave his face the look of a permanent smirk and Rebbi Yoḥanan got offended. He gave him an evil eye so that Cahana died. When informed that the smirk was no smirk but a bodily feature of Cahana, he went to the cave where Cahana was buried. The entrance to the cave was guarded by a poisonous snake which let Rebbi Yoḥanan enter only after he had publicly acknowledged that he had been a student of Cahana. Then he prayed in the cave and Cahana was resurrected from the dead. This is the basis of the questions asked here by the hoodlums. According to the Babli, Rav Cahana found the presence of R. Yoḥanan too dangerous. This will explain the roundabout way in which he asked for leave from the Academy in the Yerushalmi version. was very young when he came up here. A person in rags saw him and asked him, what is new in Heaven? He answered: The judgment over this man has been sealed. This happened to him and he was stricken. Another one in rags saw him and asked, what is new in Heaven? He answered: The judgment over this man has been sealed. This happened to him. He said: Did I not go up to gain merit, but I am sinning! Did I come up to kill the people of the Land of Israel? I shall go and step down the way I came up. He came to Rebbi Yoḥanan and said to him: A man whose mother wishes him well and whose step mother328The land of Babylonia. honors him, should he go there? He said to him, he should go there where he is honored. Cahana descended the way he came up. They came and told Rebbi Yoḥanan that Cahana had descended to Babylonia. He said, how could he go without asking permission? They told him: that question, that he asked of you, was his request for permission.
רִבִּי זְעִירָא כַּד סָלַק לְהָכָא אָזַל אַקִּיז דָּם. אֲזַל בָּעֵי מִיזְבוֹן חָדָא לִיטְרָא דְקוּפָּד מִן טַבְּחָא. אָמַר לֵיהּ בְּכַמָּה הָדֵין לִיטְרְתָא אָמַר לֵיהּ בְּחַמְשִׁין מָנַיי וְחַד קוּרְסָם. אָמַר לֵיהּ סַב לָךְ שִׁיתִּין וְלָא קְבִיל עִילוֹי. סַב לָךְ שִׁבְעִין וְלָא קְבִיל עִילוֹי. סַב לָךְ תְּמַנִּין. סַב לָךְ תִּשְׁעִין. עַד דְּמָטָא מֵאָה וְלָא קְבִיל עִילוֹי. אָמַר לֵיהּ עֲבִיד כְּמִנְהָגָךְ. בְּרוּמְשָׁא נְחִית לְבֵית וַועֲדָא. אָמַר לוֹן רַבָּנָן מַה בִּישׁ מִנְהָגָא דְהָכָא דְּלָא אָכִיל בַּר נַשׁ לִיטְרָא דְקוּפָּד עַד דְּמָחוֹ לֵיהּ חַד קוּרְסָם. אָֽמְרִין לֵיהּ וּמַה הוּא דֵין. אָמַר לוֹן פַּלָּן טַבְּחָא. שָֽׁלְחוּן בָּעֵיי מֵייתְיתֵיהּ וְאַשְׁכְּחוּן אֲרוֹנֵיהּ נַפְקָא. אָמְרִין לֵיהּ רִבִּי כָּל־הָכִין אָמַר [לוֹן] וְיֵיתֵי עָלַיי דְּלָא כָעַסִּית עִילוֹי מִי סְבָרִת דְּמִנְהָגָא כֵן. Rebbi Zeïra went to have himself bled when he ascended here329This used to be the general method to heal minor illnesses and also served as a prophylactic. Bleeding required that one must eat enough red meat afterwards to replace the lost substance.. He went and wanted to buy a pound330A Roman pound (libra, λίτρα) of twelve Roman ounces, slightly more than 12 avoirdupois ounces. It seems that Rebbi Zeïra incurred the wrath of the butcher by using the correct feminine form litrĕta for the Greek litra, while common usage was litra which in Aramaic really should be masculine (but was not taken as such in popular use). of red meat from a butcher. He asked him: How much is that pound? He said to him, 50 minas and one slap331The price of meat can be taken to determine the time of R. Zeïra’s arrival in Israel. A Mina (Μνᾶ͂) was 100 Denar. In old times, a Mina was an enormous sum. But the inflation in the later part of the military anarchy, from the failed currency reform of Aurelianus to the reorganization of the Roman state under Diocletianus, was extreme. All Midrashim telling about exorbitant sums being paid for simple objects of daily use must be dated to that period, from 274–284 C.E. Diocletian introduced new gold coinage based on a price of 50’000 old gold Denars for a Roman pound of gold. This makes one pound of gold (345 g) the equivalent of 1’250’000 old silver denars. At that time, 50 Minas, or 5’000 silver Denars, would therefore be 1.38 g = 0.04 oz of gold or at today’s gold prices, $14.45. This is a very high price but not out of line in a time of extreme decline of farming and ranching. It is quite clear from this and other stories that the obligation to eat meat on holidays was a serious monetary obligation. (The so-called silver coins of that period were copper coins dipped for a second in a silver solution.)
קורסם is Greek κρουσμός, ὁ, “striking, smiting, collision”.. He said to him: Take 60, but he did not accept. Take 70, but he did not accept. Take 80, take 90, until he came to 100 and he did not accept. Then he said: Do what is your routine. The next morning he went to the Academy and said to them: Rabbis, what is this bad practice here that nobody can eat a pound of red meat unless they slap him! They said to him: Who is that? He said, the butcher so-and-so. They sent to him to bring him but they found that his coffin was being carried out. They said to him: Our teacher, all that332Rebbi Zeïra really had acquired a Babylonian title, “Rav”, before he immigrated to Galilee but, being dissatisfied with the style of Talmudic study in Babylonia, he never used it. Seeing that Heaven was giving him special protection, the members of the academy of Tiberias started giving him the Palestinian title, Rebbi, right away. They wondered that Heaven was so quick in punishing a man who had offended him.? He said to them: That should happen to me, but I was not angry about him333Hence, I did not wish him dead and I am innocent of his death. This remark connects to the next story.; did I not think that this was general practice?
רִבִּי יָסָא כַד סְלִיק לְהָכָא אֲזַל סְפָר. בָּעֵי מַסְחֵי בְּאַהֵן דֵּימוֹסִן דְּטִיבֵּרִיָא. פָּגַע בֵּיהּ חַד לֵיצָן וְיָהִב לֵיהּ פּוּרְקְדָל חַד. אָמַר לֵיהּ עַד כְּדוֹן [עֲנוּבְתָּא] דְּהַהוּא גַבְרָא רַפְיָא. וְהֲוָה אַרְכוֹנָא קָאִים דָּאִין אֶחָד לֵיסְטֵיס וְאָזַל קָם לֵיהּ גָחֵיךְ כָּל־קִבְּלֵיהּ. אָמַר לֵיהּ אַרְכוֹנָא מָאן הֲוָה עִמָּךְ תָּלָה עֵינוֹי וְחָמַא דְהוּא גָחֵיךְ אָמַר לֵיהּ אָהֵן דְּגָחֵיךְ הֲוָא עִמִּי. נָֽסְבֵיהּ וְדָנֵיהּ וְאוֹדֵי לֵיהּ עַל חַד קְטִיל. מִי נַפְקִין תְּרַוֵּיהוֹן טְעֵינִין תַּרְתֵּי שֵׁרִין דְּעָבַד רִבִּי יָסָא מַסְחֵי. אָמַר לֵיהּ [הַהִיא עֲנוּבְתָּא] דַהֲוָת רַפְיָא כְּבָר שִׁנְצָת. אָמַר לֵיהּ בִּישׁ גַּדָּא דְהַהוּא גַבְרָא וְלָא כְתִיב וְעַתָּה אַל תִּתְלוֹצָצוּ פֶּן יֶחְזְקוּ מוֹסְרֵיכֶם. רִבִּי פִינְחָס רִבִּי יִרְמְיָה בְּשֵׁם רִבִּי שְׁמוּאֵל בַּר רַב יִצְחָק קָשָׁה הִיא הַלֵּיצָנוּת שֶׁתְּחִילָּתָהּ יִיסוּרִין וְסוֹפָן כְּלִייָּה. תְּחִילָּתָהּ יִיסוּרִין דִּכְתִיב וְעַתָּה אַל תִּתְלוֹצָצוּ פֶּן יֶחְזְקוּ מוֹסְרֵיכֶם. וְסוֹפָן כְּלִייָּה דִּכְתִיב כִּי כָלָה וְנֶחֶרָצָה שָׁמַעְתִּי מֵאֵת יי֨ צְבָאוֹת עַל כָּל־הָאָרֶץ. When Rebbi Yasa ascended here, he went to a barber. He wanted to bathe in a public bath of Tiberias. He met a scoffer who hit him once on his neck and said: The noose334This is the reading of the Rome manuscript. The Venice print has ענוקא “neck” which cannot be loose or tight, but the noose around the neck can. of this man is loose. There was an admistrator335Ἄρχων, “ruler”; in Imperial Rome a local administrator, praefectus. sitting who was interrogating336Under threat or by the use of judicial torture. (Referring to a Jewish court, the word would mean “punish”.) a robber337Greek λῃστής (also a collateral form ληιστής). The word appears in the Babylonian tradition as לִסְטִים.. He338The scoffer. The next “he, him, he” refer to the robber. went and stood there all laughing opposite him. The administrator asked him: Who was with you? He looked around and said: The one who is laughing here was with me. He339The archon, who fetched the scoffer who then confessed to a murder under the threat of torture. fetched him, interrogated him, and he confessed about one murder. When they both went out, carrying two beams340The beams used for their own crucifixion., Rebbi Yasa passed by going to the bath. He341The scoffer who might have laughed about the trick he played on the scholar but who was caught because the robber thought that he was laughing about the pain inflicted on himself and who took revenge by denouncing the scoffer. said to him: That noose which was loose you already tightened. He answered him: That is the bad luck of this man, is it not written (Is. 28:22): “Now do not scoff, that your fetters should not be tightened.”342And, therefore, Rebbi Yasa was not guilty of the scoffer’s death. Rebbi Phineas, Rebbi Jeremiah, in the name of Rebbi Samuel bar Rav Isaac343Since he was a contemporary of Rebbis Zeïra and Yasa, it is not clear whether this is an independent aggadic interpretation, appended here because it uses the same verse that R. Yasa used, or as the source of Rebbi Yasa/Assi’s interpretation.: Scoffing is hard since its start is pain and its end destruction. Its start is pain since it is written “Now do not scoff, that your fetters should not be tightened,” and its end is destruction as it is written (loc. cit.) “For destruction and finality I heard from the Lord of Hosts344The Divine Names are not correctly quoted; this relieves the scribe from the necessity of writing down a name which cannot be erased. over the entire earth.”