משנה: וְאַחַר כָּךְ הֵבִיאוּ אֶת הָאֲבָנִים וּבָנוּ אֶת הַמִּזְבַּחֵ וְסָדוּהוּ בַסִּיד וְכָֽתְבוּ עָלָיו אֶת כָּל־דִּבְרֵי הַתּוֹרָה הַזֹּאת בְּשִׁבְעִים לָשׁוֹן שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר בַּאֵר הֵיטֵב וְנָֽטְלוּ אֶת הָאֲבָנִים וּבָאוּ וְלָנוּ בִמְקוֹמָן. MISHNAH: After that they brought the stones140Which stones they were is a matter of discussion., built the altar141On Mount Ebal, Deut. 27:4., whitewashed it with lime141On Mount Ebal, Deut. 27:4., and wrote on it all the words of this Torah in seventy languages142The standard number of peoples on earth as enumerated in Ber. 10., as it is written: “well explained143Deut. 27:8. In Jos. 8:35 this is taken to mean that Joshua had to explain the Torah to men, women, and children.”. They took the stones140Which stones they were is a matter of discussion., went and stayed in their place overnight144At Gilgal, near Jericho..
הלכה: תַּנֵּי. עַל אַבְנֵי הַמָּלוֹן נִכְתְּבוּ. דִּבְרֵי רִבִּי יוּדָה. רִבִּי יוֹסֵי אוֹמֵר. עַל אַבְנֵי הַמִּזְבֵּחַ נִכְתְּבוּ. מָאן דָּמַר. עַל אַבְנֵי הַמָּלוֹן נִכְתְּבוּ. בְּכָל־יוֹם וְיוֹם אוּמּוֹת הָעוֹלָם מְשַׁלְּחִין נוֹטָרֵיהֶן וּמַשִּׂיאִין אֶת הַתּוֹרָה שֶׁהָֽיְתָה כְתוּבָה בְשִׁבְעִים לָשׁוֹן. מָאן דָּמַר. עַל אַבְנֵי הַמִּזְבֵּחַ נִכְתְּבוּ. לֹא לְשָׁעָה הָיוּ וְנִגְנְזוּ. עוֹד הוּא מַעֲשֵׂה נִיסִּים. נָתַן הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא בִּינָה בְלֵב כָּל־אוּמָּה וְאוּמָּה וְהִשִּׂיאוּ אֶת הַתּוֹרָה שֶׁהָֽיְתָה כְתוּבָה בְשִׁבְעִים לָשׁוֹן. מָאן דָּמַר. עַל אַבְנֵי הַמָּלוֹן נִכְתְּבוּ. נִיחָא וְשַׂדְתָּ אוֹתָם בַּשִּׂיד. מָאן דָּמַר. עַל אַבְנֵי הַמִּזְבֵּחַ נִכְתְּבוּ. מַה מְקַייֵם וְשַׂדְתָּ אוֹתָם בַּשִּׂיד. בֵּין כָּל־אֶבֶן וָאֶבֶן. רִבִּי שְׁמוּאֵל בַּר נַחְמָנִי בְשֵׁם רִבִּי יוֹנָתָן. וְהָיוּ עַמִּים מִשְׂרְפוֹת סִיד. מִסִּיד נָֽטְלוּ אַיפּוֹפַסִין שֶׁלָּהֶן מִיתָה. רִבִּי אַבָּא בַּר כַּהֲנָא בְשֵׁם רִבִּי יוֹחָנָן. וְהַגּוֹיִם חָרוֹב יֶחֱרָבוּ. מֵחוֹרֵב נָֽטְלוּ אַיפּוֹפַסִין שֶׁלָּהֶן מִיתָה. HALAKHAH: It was stated: It was written on the stones of the dwelling place, the words of Rebbi Jehudah145In the interpretation of Rashi, Babli 35b, they took the stones, built with them the altar on Mount Ebal, disassembled the altar, took the stones to Gilgal, inscribed the Torah with 70 translations on the stones and covered everything with whitewash. The text of the Babli is paralleled in the Tosephta, 8:6.
Both in the Babli and in the Tosephta this opinion is that of the anonymous majority.; Rebbi Yose says, it was written on the stones of the altar146In Babli and Tosephta, this is ascribed to R. Jehudah... He who says, it was written on the stones of the dwelling place, every day the peoples of the world were sending their stenographers147Latin notarius, “stenographer”. and they carried away the Torah which had been written in seventy languages148They lifted the whitewash from the stone and had the letters stand out, and transported everything back to its place. In the opinion of R. Simeon, the translations were written on the whitewash where they could be copied.
In talmudic theory, Adam was created literate since he had a book (Gen. 5:1). If at any time in human history, peoples were found who were illiterate, they must have been degenerate [Sanhedrin 38b, Avodah zarah 5a; Gen. rabba 24(7)]. Adam was also created an inventor and engineer (cf. the author’s The Scholar’s Haggadah, pp. 219–221; A Jewish Fundamentalist Philosophy of Science and Development, Association F. Gonseth, Bulletin 63, 1992, pp. 9–20.). He who says, it was written on the stones of the altar, were they not only for a short time and then were hidden? That was another wonder, that the Holy One, praise to Him, gave insight to every people and they carried away the Torah which had been written in seventy languages. For him who says, it was written on the stones of the dwelling place, it is understandable that “you shall whitewash them with lime.” But he who says, it was written on the stones of the altar, how does he uphold “ “you shall whitewash them with lime”? Between the stones149This is not mentioned in Babli-Tosephta.. Rebbi Samuel bar Naḥmani in the name of Rebbi Jonathan: “The peoples will be lime incinerators150Is. 33:12. In Babli and Tosephta, this is attributed to R. Simeon.”, from the lime they took their death sentence151Greek ἀπόφασις “judgment, sentence”.. Rebbi Abba bar Cahana in the name of Rebbi Joḥanan: “But the Gentiles will be totally destroyed152Is. 60:12. This sermon is not mentioned in the parallel sources. It is based on the identification of חרב I, Akkadic ẖarābu “to dry up” and חרב II, Arabic خرب “to destroy”. The basis of this sermon and entire paragraph is the theory, based on Deut. 33:2, that before the epiphany on Horeb/Mount Sinai, God had offered the Torah to all the other peoples of the earth, who refused, and only Israel accepted. Therefore, only Israel reaps the rewards in the Future World (cf. Sifry Deut. 343, ed. L. Finkelstein; all the other sources are given there in Note 14.),” from Ḥoreb they took their death sentence.
נִמְצֵאתָ אוֹמֵר. שְׁלֹשָׁה מִינֵי אֲבָנִים הֵן. אַבְנֵי הַמָּלוֹן. וָאֲבַנִים שֶׁהִנִּיחַ יְהוֹשֻׁעַ תַּחַת כַּפּוֹת רַגְלֵי הַכֹּהֲנִים. וְאִיסְטֵלִיּוֹת שֶׁנָּתַן לָהֶן מֹשֶׁה. אָמַר רִבִּי חֲנִינָן. פָּשִׁיט לֹן. אַרְבָּעָה מִינֵי אֲבָנִים הֵן. אָמַר רִבִּי סִימוֹן בַּר זְבִיד. וְיֵאוּת. אִין תֵּימַר. אַבְנֵי הַמָּלוֹן. לְשָׁעָה הָיוּ וְנִגְנְזוּ. אִין תֵּימַר. אֲבָנִים שֶׁהֵקִים יְהוֹשֻׁעַ תַּחַת כַּפּוֹת רַגְלֵי הַכֹּהֲנִים. מְשׁוּקָּעוֹת הָיוּ בַמַּיִם. אִין תֵּימַר. אִיסְטֵלִיּוֹת שֶׁנָּתַן לָהֶן מֹשֶׁה. כְּבָר נִכְנְסוּ עִמָּהֶן לָאָרֶץ. אֶלָּא כֵן אֲנָן קַייָמִין בָּאֲבָנִים שֶׁהֵקִים לָהֶן יְהוֹשֻׁעַ עַל גַּב הַיַּרְדֵּן. You may say that there were three kinds of stones153Tosephta 8:6, Babli 35b.: The stones of the resting place154Jos. 4:3,8,20., and the stones which Joshua put under the soles of the feet of the Cohanim155Jos. 4:9., and the steles156Greek στήλη. For the use of steles in ancient synagogues, cf. י. בראבד, ״איצטלין״, לשוננו 32 תשכח-1968 ע׳ 276. that Moses had given them157This is explained in the Babli, 35b. In Deut. 1:5 it is stated that Moses explained the Torah. In 27:8 it is commanded to copy the Torah on the stones, well explained. Since in the latter cases, “explained” means “engraved in stone”, it follows that in the first case “explained” also must mean engraved in stone.. Rebbi Ḥaninan said, it is obvious to us that there were four kinds of stones158That the stones on which the Torah was written translated into 70 languages were none of the above three kinds. This opinion is not mentioned in Babli/Tosephta.. Rebbi Simon ben Zebid said, that is correct. If you would say, they were the stones of the resting place; these were temporary and were hidden159This is difficult to understand since the stones should be there as a permanent memorial, Jos. 4:21–24. In any case, the verses make it clear that these stones were not to be used to be written on.. If you would say, the stones which Joshua put under the soles of the feet of the Cohanim; these were submerged in the water. If you would say, the steles that Moses had given them; they already had moved with them into the Land160Even if they had taken the steles with them, the Torah already was written on them and they could not be those on which the Torah was written anew.. But we must deal with the stones that Joshua put up for them on the banks of the Jordan.
תַּנֵּי. רִבִּי יוּדָה בַּר אִלְעַאי אוֹמֵר. אַבָּא חֲלַפְתָּא וְרִבִּי אֶלְעָזָר בֶן מַתְּיָה וַחֲנִינָה בֶּן חֲכִינַאי עָֽמְדוּ עַל אוֹתָן הָאֲבָנִים וְשִׁיעֲרוּם כָּל־אַחַת וְאַחַת מַשּׂוּי אַרְבָּעִים סְאָה. מִיכָּן אַתְּ לָמֵד כַמָּה הָיָה בָאֶשְׁכּוֹל. כְּתִיב וְהָרִימוּ לָכֶם אִישׁ אֶבֶן אַחַת עַל שִׁכְמוֹ. לָא דָמִי הַהוּא דִטְעַן מִן אַרְעָא לְכָֽתְפֵיהּ לְהַהוּא דִטְעַן מֵאַרְעָא לְאַרְכּוּבְתֵיהּ. וּמִן אַרְכּוּבְתֵיהּ לְכָֽתְפֵיהּ. לָא דָמִי הַהוּא דִטְעַן מִן אַרְעָא לְאַרְכּוּבְתֵיהּ וּמִן אַרְכּוּבְתֵיהּ לְכָֽתְפֵיהּ לְהַהוּא דְאוֹחֲרָן תְּלֵי לֵיהּ. לָא דָמִי הַהוּא דְּאוֹחֲרָן תְּלֵי לֵיהּ לְהַהוּא דִטְעִין בִּתְּרֵיין. כְּתִיב אִישׁ אֶחָד לַשָּׁבֶט. עַל דַּעְתֵּיהּ דְּרִבִּי עֲקִיבָה דוּ אָמַר לְשׁוֹנוֹת רִבּוּיִים הֵן. (3) שְׁנֵים־עָשָׂר הָיוּ. שְׁמֹנֶה בָאֶשְׁכּוֹל וְאַרְבַּע בַּתְּאֵנִים וְרִמּוֹנִים וּבְנוֹשֵׂא כֵלִים. (2) עַל דַּעְתֵּיהּ דְּרִבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן דְּהוּא אוֹמֵר לְשׁוֹנוֹת כְּפוּלִין הֵן. (1) עֶשְׂרִים וְאַרְבָּעָה הָיוּ. שִׁשָּׁה עָשָׂר בָּאֶשְׁכּוֹל וּשְׁמוֹנֶה בַּתְּאֵינִים וְרִימּוֹנִים וּבְנוֹשֵׂא כֵלִים. (4) עַל דַּעְתֵּיהּ דְּרִבִּי יִשְׁמָעֵאל טורטורין. עַל דַּעְתֵּיהּ דְּרִבִּי עֲקִיבָה טורטורין וטורטורי טורטורין. It was stated: Rebbi Jehudah bar Ilai says: Abba Ḥalaphta, Rebbi Eleazar ben Mattia, and Ḥanina bar Ḥakhinai stood on those stones and estimated that each one on them was a load of 40 seah. From here you can estimate how big was the bunch of grapes162Babli 34a, Tosephta 8:6.. It is written163Jos. 4:5.: “Each one should lift a stone on his shoulder.” One cannot compare one who lifts from the ground to his shoulder to one who lifts first from the ground to his knee and then from his knee to his shoulder. One cannot compare one who lifts first from the ground to his knee and then from his knee to his shoulder to one onto whom others hang [the load]. One cannot compare one onto whom others hang [the load] to [a load] carried by two. It is written: “One man per tribe.164Deut. 1:23. This is the wrong quote; intended is Num. 13:2: “One man, one man per ancestral tribe you shall send.” The problem is the interpretation of the duplication.” In the opinion of Rebbi Aqiba who says these are expressions of additions, there were 24, sixteen for the grape bunch and eight for figs, pomegranates, and their belongings165In the Babli, 34a, the verse Num. 13:23: “they carried [the grape bunch] on a pole by two” is interpreted that it was carried by eight people with the grape bunch hanging between two poles. There, one is said to have carried a fig, another a pomegranate; Joshua and Caleb did not carry anything.. In the opinion of Rebbi Simeon166This attribution seems to be wrong. R. Simeon is not known to reject R. Aqiba’s interpretations. Probably it should read: R. Ismael, who insists that the Torah is written in the vernacular and who is quoted in the next sentence., who says there are double expressions, there were twelve, eight for the grape bunch and four for figs, pomegranates, and their belongings. In the opinion of Rebbi Ismael a beam167This is the traditional interpretation; in the absence of a convincing etymology the meaning is not guaranteed.
In the Babli, 34b, the interpretation given here following R. Aqiba is attributed to R. Isaac; the wording is טורטני וטרטני דטורטני. The word טורטני appears in quite a number of other sources (collected in Krauss, Lehnwörter) where it is perfectly adequate to see in it Greek τρυτάνη “pair of scales”. By the concurrent testimony of Rashi and R. Ḥananel, certainly based on Gaonic material, the interpretation of R. Isaac’s statement is that the grape bunch was pictured carried between two poles which at each end were fixed to a cross-beam. Each cross-beam at both extremities had smaller cross beams, giving space for 8 bearers, all marching in the same direction. There is no reason not to accept this interpretation for the Yerushalmi; but for the position of the Yerushalmi following R. Ismael, it seems rather that the image is that of a single pole, with four men preceding the grape bunch and four men following behind it.
It is possible that “scale” here stands for “scale bar”. But it is possible that טורטני may be a Babylonian corruption of a Semitic word טוּרְטוּר of pilpel type.; in the opinion of Rebbi Aqiba a beam and beams of beams.
כְּתִיב וַיַּעַמְדוּ הַמַּיִם הַיּוֹרְדִים מִלְמַעְלָה קָמוּ נֵד אֶחָד הַרְחֵק מְאֹד מֵאָדָם הָעִיר אֲשֶׁר מִצַּד צָֽרְתָן. אָמַר רִבִּי יוֹחָנָן. אָדָם קִרְייָה וְצָֽרְתָן קִרְייָה. שְׁנֵים עָשָׂר מִיל מִזּוֹ לְזוֹ. מְלַמֵּד שֶׁהָיוּ הַמַּיִם גְּדוּשִׁין וְעוֹלִין כְּמַצַּד צָֽרְתָן. וְכִי אֵי זֶה קַל. הַמַּיִם אוֹ אָדָם. הַמַּיִם קַלִּין מֵאָדָם. תֵּדַע לָךְ שֶׁהוּא כֵן. אֶלָּא מְלַמֵּד שֶׁהָיוּ הַמַּיִם גְּדוּשִין וְעוֹלִין כֵּיפִין עַל כֵּיפִין. רִבִּי לֵוִי אָמַר. עַד לִבּוֹ שֶׁלָּרָקִיעַ. תַּמָּן אָֽמְרִין. עַד בָּבֵל. נֶאֱמַר כָּאן הַרְחֵק וְנֶאֱמַר לְהַלָּן מֵאֶרֶץ רְחוֹקָה מְאֹד בָּאוּ אֵלַי מִבָּבֵל. תַּנֵּי. רִבִּי אֱלִיעֶזֶר בֶּן יַעֲקֹב אוֹמֵר. יוֹתֵר מִשְּׁלֹשׁ מֵאוֹת מִיל הָיוּ הַמַּיִם גְּדוּשִׁין וְעוֹלִין כֵּיפִין עַל גַּבֵּי כֵיפִין עַד שֶׁרָאוּ אוֹתָן כָּל־אוּמּוֹת הָעוֹלָם. הָדָא הִיא דִכְתִיב. וַיְהִי כִשְׁמוֹעַ כָּל־מַלְכֵי הָאֱמוֹרִי אֲשֶׁר בְּעֵבֶר הַיַּרְדֵּן וְכָל־הַכְּנַעֲנִי אֲשֶׁר עַל הַיָּם אֵת אֲשֶׁר הוֹבִישׁ י֙י אֶת מֵי הַיַּרְדֵּן מִפְּנֵי בְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל עַד עָבְרָם וגו׳. 168Cf. Babli 34a and Tosephta 8:2–3. It is written169Jos. 4:16.: “The waters descending from higher up stood like a dam, very far, from the town of Adam which is besides Ṣāretān169aNelson Glueck (AASOR xxv-xxviii, 1945-1948) identifies Ṣāretān as Ṣā'idlyāh. [added from Addenda and Corrigenda by Guggeneheimer].. Rebbi Joḥanan said, Adam is a town and Ṣāretān is a town; there are twelve mil from one to the other. That teaches that the water was stacked up and rose like the citadel of Ṣāretān. 170This refers to a tannaïtic discussion quoted in the Babli but not here. Which one is lighter, water or man? Waters are lighter than man; you know that this is so. This teaches that the waters were stacked and increased, wave upon wave. Rebbi Levi said, up to the sky’s heart. There171In Babylonia. This argument is not in the Babli., they said, as far as Babylon. It says here169Jos. 4:16. “far”, and it says there1722K. 20:14; Is. 39:3. “they came from a very far land, from Babylon.” It was stated173In the Babli, and the Tosephta 8:3, this is attributed to R. Eleazar bar R. Simeon.: Rebbi Eliezer ben Jacob said, the waters were stacked and rose, waves on waves, for more than 300 mil until all the peoples of the world saw them. That is what is written174Jos. 5:1.: “It happened when all the kings of the Emorite on the other side of the Jordan, and all the Canaanite dwelling on the Sea, heard that the Eternal had dried up the waters of the river Jordan for the children of Israel until they had passed across,” etc.
אָמַר רִבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן בֶּן לָקִישׁ. בַּיַּרְדֵּן קִיבְּלוּ עֲלֵיהֶן אֶת הַנִּסְתָּרוֹת. אָמַר לָהֶן יְהוֹשֻׁעַ. [אִם אֵין אַתֶּם] מְקַבְּלִין עֲלֵיכֶם אֶת הַנִּסְתָּרוֹת הַמַּיִם בָּאִין וְשׁוֹטְפִין אֶתְכֶם. אָמַר רִבִּי סִימוֹן בַּר זַבִּדָא. וְיֵאוּת. תֵּדַע לְךָ שֶׁהוּא כֵן. שֶׁהֲרֵי עָכָן חָטָא וְרוּבָּהּ שֶׁלַּסַּנְהֶדְרִין נָפְלָה בָּעַי. אָמַר רִבִּי לֵוִי. בְּיַבְנֶה הוּתְּרָה הָרְצוּעָה. יָֽצְתָה בַת קוֹל וְאָֽמְרָה. אֵין לָכֶם עֶסֶק בַּנִּסְתָּרוֹת. Rebbi Simeon ben Laqish said, in the Jordan they accepted the secret matters175That the people as a whole will be punished for secret sins of an individual. Moses had explicitly ruled out responsibility of the public for hidden deeds of the individual, Deut. 29:28.
In the Babli, Sanhedrin 43b, the position of R. Simon ben Laqish is similar to that of the Tanna R. Jehudah. The responsibility of the public for hidden deeds of the individual is denied by R. Nehemiah.. Joshua told them, if you do not accept the secret matters, the waters will come and sweep you away. Rebbi Simon bar Zabida said, that is correct. You should know that this is so, for Akhan sinned and the majority of the Synhedrion fell at Ai176Jos. 7:5; Cf. Babli Sanhedrin 44a. In the opinion of the Babli, Akhan’s sin was not private since his family knew about it.. Rebbi Levi said, at Jabneh the rope was untied; there came a disembodied voice and said: You have nothing to do with secret matters177In later rabbinic language, this phrase was used in the sense that mystical sayings should have no standing in matters of religious law or practice..