יָדָיו גְּלִילֵי זָהָב, אֵלּוּ לוּחוֹת הַבְּרִית, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (שמות לב, טז): וְהַלֻּחֹת מַעֲשֵׂה אֱלֹהִים הֵמָּה, גְּלִילֵי זָהָב, אֵלּוּ דִּבְרֵי תוֹרָה, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (תהלים יט, יא): הַנֶּחֱמָדִים מִזָּהָב וּמִפַּז, אָמַר רַבִּי יְהוֹשֻׁעַ בַּר נְחֶמְיָה, מַעֲשֵׂה נִסִּים הָיוּ נִגְלָלִין הָיוּ שֶׁל סַנְפִּירִינוֹן הָיוּ וְהָיוּ נִגְלָלִין. רַבִּי מְנַחֲמָא בְּשֵׁם רַבִּי אָבוּן אָמַר וַחֲצוּבִין מִגַּלְגַּל חַמָּה הָיוּ. כֵּיצַד הָיוּ כְּתוּבִין, חֲמִשָּׁה עַל לוּחַ זֶה וַחֲמִשָּׁה עַל לוּחַ זֶה, עַל שֵׁם שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: יָדָיו גְּלִילֵי זָהָב, כְּדִבְרֵי רַבִּי חֲנִינָא בֶּן גַּמְלִיאֵל, הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב (דברים ד, יג): וַיִּכְתְּבֵם עַל שְׁנֵי לֻחוֹת אֲבָנִים. וְרַבָּנָן אָמְרֵי עֲשָׂרָה עַל לוּחַ זֶה וַעֲשָׂרָה עַל לוּחַ זֶה, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (דברים ד, יג): וַיַּגֵּד לָכֶם אֶת בְּרִיתוֹ אֲשֶׁר צִוָּה אֶתְכֶם עֲשֶׂרֶת הַדְּבָרִים וַיִּכְתְּבֵם עַל שְׁנֵי לֻחוֹת אֲבָנִים. רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן בֶּן יוֹחָאי אָמַר עֶשְׂרִים עַל לוּחַ זֶה וְעֶשְׂרִים עַל לוּחַ זֶה, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: וַיִּכְתְּבֵם עַל שְׁנֵי לֻחוֹת אֲבָנִים, עֶשְׂרִים עַל לוּחַ זֶה וְעֶשְׂרִים עַל לוּחַ זֶה. רַבִּי סִימָאי אוֹמֵר אַרְבָּעִים עַל לוּחַ זֶה וְאַרְבָּעִים עַל לוּחַ זֶה, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (שמות לב, טו): לֻחֹת כְּתֻבִים מִשְּׁנֵי עֶבְרֵיהֶם מִזֶּה וּמִזֶּה, טַטְרוֹגָא. “His hands are rods of gold set with beryl; his belly is a slab of ivory covered with sapphires” (Song of Songs 5:14).
“His hands are rods [gelilei] of gold” – these are the Tablets of the Covenant, as it is stated: “The tablets were God’s handiwork” (Exodus 32:16). “Rods of gold” – these are the words of Torah, as it is stated: “They are more desirable than gold, than [much] fine gold” (Psalms 19:11). Rabbi Yehoshua bar Neḥemya said: They were a miraculous creation; they were rolled up [niglalin]. They were crafted of sapphires, and they were scrolled. Rabbi Menaḥama said in the name of Rabbi Avun: They were hewn from the orb [migalgal] of the sun.
How were they inscribed? Five on this tablet and five on that tablet, as it is stated: “His hands are rods of gold,”68Just as a person has two hands with five fingers on each, there were two tablets with five commandments on each. in accordance with the statement of Rabbi Ḥanina ben Gamliel: That is what is written: “He inscribed them on two tablets of stone” (Deuteronomy 4:13).69Since there were ten commandments inscribed on two tablets, presumably there were five commandments on each. The Rabbis say: Ten on this tablet and ten on that tablet, as it is stated: “He told you His covenant that He commanded you [to perform], the Ten Commandments, and He inscribed them on two tablets of stone” (Deuteronomy 4:13).70The Rabbis understand this verse to mean that the Ten Commandments were inscribed on each of the two tablets. Rabbi Shimon ben Yoḥai said: Twenty on this tablet and twenty on that tablet, as it is stated: “He inscribed them on two tablets of stone” (Deuteronomy 5:19) – twenty on this tablet and twenty on that tablet.71Rabbi Shimon accepts the derivation of the Rabbis based on the verse in Deuteronomy 4:13, and since an additional verse (Deuteronomy 5:19) also states that God wrote ten commandments on the tablets, Rabbi Shimon derives that there were twenty commandments on each tablet. Rabbi Simai says: Forty on this tablet and forty on that tablet, as it is stated: “Tablets that were written on both their sides; from this side and from that side they were inscribed” (Exodus 32:15) – fourfold.
חֲנַנְיָה בֶּן אֲחִי רַבִּי יְהוֹשֻׁעַ אָמַר בֵּין כָּל דִּבּוּר וְדִבּוּר, פָּרָשִׁיּוֹתֶיהָ וְדִקְדּוּקֶיהָ שֶׁל תּוֹרָה הָיוּ כְּתוּבִין. רַבִּי יוֹחָנָן כַּד הֲוָה פָּשֵׁיט קְרָיָה וַהֲוָה מָטֵי בְּדֵין פְּסוּקָא מְמֻלָּאִים בַּתַּרְשִׁישׁ, הֲוָה אָמַר יָפֶה לִמְּדַנִי בֶּן אֲחִי רַבִּי יְהוֹשֻׁעַ, מַה גַּלִּים הַלָּלוּ בֵּין גַּל גָּדוֹל לְגַל גָּדוֹל גַּלִּים קְטַנִּים, כָּךְ בֵּין כָּל דִּבּוּר וְדִבּוּר פָּרָשִׁיּוֹתֶיהָ וְדִקְדּוּקֶיהָ שֶׁל תּוֹרָה הָיוּ כְּתוּבִים. מְמֻלָּאִים בַּתַּרְשִׁישׁ, זֶה הַתַּלְמוּד, שֶׁהוּא כַּיָּם הַגָּדוֹל, הֲדָא דְאַתְּ אָמַר (יונה א, ג): תַּרְשִׁישָׁה, הֲדָא מַה דְאַתְּ אָמַר (קהלת א, ז): כָּל הַנְּחָלִים הֹלְכִים אֶל הַיָּם. מֵעָיו עֶשֶׁת שֵׁן, זוֹ תּוֹרַת כֹּהֲנִים, מָה הַכָּרֵס הַזֶּה הַלֵּב מִכָּאן וְהַכְּרָעַיִם מִכָּאן וְהוּא בַּתָּוֶךְ, כָּךְ תּוֹרַת כֹּהֲנִים, שְׁנֵי סְפָרִים מִכָּאן וּשְׁנַיִם מִכָּאן וְהוּא בָּאֶמְצַע. עֶשֶׁת שֵׁן, מַה עֶשֶׁת שֵׁן זֶה אַתְּ עוֹשֶׂה מִמֶּנָּהּ כַּמָּה יְתֵדוֹת, כַּמָּה רְמָחִים, כָּךְ תּוֹרַת כֹּהֲנִים יֵשׁ בָּהּ כַּמָּה מִצְווֹת, כַּמָּה דִּקְדּוּקִין, כַּמָּה קַלִּים וַחֲמוּרִים, כַּמָּה פִּגּוּלִים, כַּמָּה נוֹתָרוֹת, כְּתוּבִים בְּתוֹרַת כֹּהֲנִים. Ḥananya, the nephew of Rabbi Yehoshua, said: Between each commandment and [the next] commandment the portions and the details of the Torah were inscribed. Rabbi Yoḥanan, when he was explaining verses and would arrive at this verse: “Set with beryl,” would say: The nephew of Rabbi Yehoshua taught me well. Just as regarding waves [galim],72This is expounded from the phrase “rods of [gelilei] gold.” between one large wave and another large wave there are small waves, so too, between each commandment and [the next] commandment, the portions and the details of the Torah were inscribed. “Set with beryl [tarshish]” – this is the Talmud, which is like the Great Sea, just as it says: “To Tarshish” (Jonah 1:3),73Jonah attempted to flee to Tarshish, which was a significant sea voyage away. just as it says: “All the streams go to the sea” (Ecclesiastes 1:7).74All the other disciplines of Torah flow into the sea of Talmud.
“His belly is a slab of ivory” – this is the book of Leviticus. Just as regarding the belly, the heart is on this side and the legs are on the other side and it is in the middle, so too the book of Leviticus, there are two [books] on this side and two on that side and it is in the middle. “A slab of ivory” – just as a slab of ivory, you can craft from it several pegs and javelins, so too the book of Leviticus contains several mitzvot, several details, several a fortiori inferences, several instances of pigul,75Pigul refers to an offering disqualified by the fact that in the course of the four sacrificial rites one has the intent to sprinkle the blood or eat the flesh of the offering beyond its appointed time. and several instances of notar76This is an offering that is left over after the appointed time for its consumption. written in the book of Leviticus.
מְעֻלֶּפֶת סַפִּירִים, מְעוֹלֶפֶת כֹּחָן שֶׁל בְּנֵי אָדָם, שֶׁהִיא קָשָׁה כַּסַּפִּיר הַזֶּה. רַבִּי יוּדָן וְרַבִּי פִּנְחָס, רַבִּי יוּדָן אָמַר אִי תֵימַר שֶׁהַסַּפִּיר הַזֶּה רַךְ הוּא, בּוֹא וּרְאֵה מַעֲשֶׂה שֶׁהָיָה בְּאָדָם אֶחָד שֶׁהֵבִיא סַפִּיר אֶחָד בְּרוֹמִי לְמָכְרוֹ, אָמַר הַלּוֹקֵחַ עַל מְנָת לִבְדֹּק אוֹתוֹ נַבְחִין אוֹתוֹ לִשְׁבֹּר מִמֶּנּוּ חֲתִיכָה קְטַנָּה, נְתָנוֹ עַל הַסַּדָּן, הִתְחִיל מַכֶּה עָלָיו בַּפַּטִּישׁ, נִבְקַע הַסַּדָּן וְנֶחְלַק הַפַּטִּישׁ וְהַסַּפִּיר בִּמְקוֹמוֹ וְלֹא חָסַר, הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב: מְעֻלֶּפֶת סַפִּירִים. אָמַר רַבִּי אַבָּא בַּר מַמָּל אִם נִתְעַלֵּף אָדָם בְּדִבְרֵי תוֹרָה וַהֲלָכָה, סוֹף שֶׁנַּעֲשָׂה בָּהֶם קֶסֶם. וְרַבָּנָן אָמְרִין כָּל מִי שֶׁנַּעֲשָׂה קֶסֶם בְּדִבְרֵי תוֹרָה, סוֹף שֶׁהוּא נַעֲשָׂה בָהֶם מֶלֶךְ, הֵיאַךְ מָה דְאַתְּ אָמַר (משלי טז, י): קֶסֶם עַל שִׂפְתֵי מֶלֶךְ. רַבִּי אֶלְעָזָר בַּר רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן אֲתוֹי חַמָּרַיָּיא גַּבֵּי אֲבוּי לְמִזְבַּן עִבּוּר מִן קִרְיָיתָא הִמוֹנַיָא, יָתֵיב גַּבֵּי תַּנּוּרָא, אִמֵּיהּ נָסְחָא וְהוּא אָכֵיל, אִמֵּיהּ נָסְחָא וְהוּא אָכֵיל, עַד דַּאֲכֵיל כָּל אַצְוָותָא, אָמְרִין וַוי חֵיוָוא בִּישָׁא שָׁרְיָא בְּמֵיעָנֵי דְּהָדֵין, דּוֹמֶה שֶׁזֶּה מֵבִיא רְעָבוֹן לָעוֹלָם, שְׁמַע קָלְהוֹן, מִדִּנְפַקּוּן לְמִזְבַּן טֻעֲנֵיהוֹן, נְסַב חֲמָרֵיהוֹן וַאֲסִיקוֹן לְאִגְּרָא. אֲתוֹן תְּבַעוּן חֲמָרֵיהוֹן וְלֹא אַשְׁכְּחוּן יַתְהוֹן, תָּלוֹן עֵינֵיהוֹן וַחֲמוֹן יַתְהוֹן יְהִיבִין בְּאִגְרָא, אֲזִילוּ גַבֵּי אֲבוּי תְּנוֹן לֵיהּ עוֹבָדָא. אֲמַר לוֹן דִּלְמָא מִלָּה בִּישָׁא אַשְׁמַעְתּוּנֵיהּ, אָמְרִין לֵיהּ לָא מָרֵי אֶלָּא כֵּן וְכֵן הֲוָה עוֹבָדָא, אֲמַר לוֹן וְלָמָּה הִכְנַסְתֶּם בּוֹ עַיִן רָעָה וְצָרָה, אִיפְשָׁר דְּמִן דִּדְכוֹן הֲוָה אָכֵיל, אוֹ עֲלֵיכוֹן אִינוּן מְזוֹנוֹי, לָא, הַהוּא דְּבָרְיֵיהּ בְּרָא לֵיהּ מְזוֹנֵי, אַף עַל פִּי כֵן, אֲזִילוּ וְאִמְרוּן לֵיהּ מִן שְׁמִי וְהוּא מַחֵית לְכוֹן. הַנֵּס הָאַחֲרוֹן הָיָה קָשֶׁה מִן הָרִאשׁוֹן, מִן מַסְּקָן לְהוֹן הֲוָה מַסֵּיק לְהוֹן חַד חַד, מִן נָחֵית לְהוֹן הֲוָה מָחֵית לְהוֹן תְּרֵי תְּרֵי, וְכֵיוָן שֶׁנִּתְעַסֵּק בַּתּוֹרָה, אֲפִלּוּ טַלִּיתוֹ לֹא הָיָה יָכוֹל לִסְבֹּל, לְקַיֵּם מַה שֶּׁנֶּאֱמַר: מְעֻלֶּפֶת סַפִּירִים. בֶּן בַּיִת אֶחָד הָיָה לוֹ לְרַבָּן גַּמְלִיאֵל וְהָיָה לָמוּד לִהְיוֹת נוֹטֵל קֻפָּה שֶׁל אַרְבָּעִים סְאָה וּמוֹלִיכָהּ אֵצֶל הַנַּחְתּוֹם, אֲמַר לֵיהּ כָּל הָדֵין חֵילָא טָבָא אִית בָּךְ וְלֵית אַתְּ עָסֵיק בְּאוֹרַיְתָא, כֵּיוָן שֶׁנִּתְעַסֵּק בַּתּוֹרָה הִתְחִיל לִהְיוֹת נוֹטֵל שֶׁל שְׁלשִׁים, שֶׁל עֶשְׂרִים, שֶׁל שְׁנֵים עָשָׂר, שֶׁל שְׁמוֹנָה סְאִים, כֵּיוָן דִּגְמַר סִפְרָא, אֲפִלּוּ קֻפָּה שֶׁל סְאָה לֹא הָיָה יָכוֹל לִסְבֹּל, וְאִית דְּאַמְרֵי אֲפִלּוּ סַבְנֵיהּ לָא הֲוָה יָכוֹל לְמִסְבַּל, אֶלָּא אָחֳרָנִין מַעְבְּרִין לֵיהּ מֵעִלָּווֹי, דְּהוּא לֹא הָיָה יָכוֹל, לְקַיֵּם מַה שֶּׁנֶּאֱמַר: מְעֻלֶּפֶת סַפִּירִים. “Covered [me’ulefet] with sapphires” – it77The Torah saps [me’olefet] the strength of people, as it is as hard as the sapphire. Rabbi Yudan and Rabbi Pinḥas: Rabbi Yudan said: If you say that the sapphire was soft, come and see an incident involving a certain person who brought a certain sapphire to Rome to sell it. The purchaser said: In order to assess it, we will test it by breaking a small piece from it. He placed it on the anvil and began striking it with a hammer. The anvil cracked and the hammer split, but the sapphire remained intact in its place. That is what is written: “Covered with sapphires.”
Rabbi Abba bar Mamal said: If a person weakens from [his exertion] in Torah and halakha, ultimately he becomes a magician through them.78He arrives at clear solutions to seemingly intractable problems. The Rabbis say: Anyone who becomes a magician through the words of Torah, ultimately he will become king through them, just as it says: “There is magic on the lips of a king” (Proverbs 16:10).
Donkey drivers came to Rabbi Elazar bar Rabbi Shimon’s father to purchase produce, from the city of Himonaya. He was sitting near the oven; his mother removed bread [from the oven] and he ate it, his mother removed bread [from the oven] and he ate it, until he ate all the loaves. They said: Alas, there is an evil snake in this one’s intestines, it appears that this one is bringing famine to the world. He heard their voices. When they left to purchase their loads, he took their donkeys and brought them up to the roof. They came and sought their donkeys but did not find them. They lifted their eyes and saw them placed on the roof. They went to his father and related the incident to him. He said to them: ‘Perhaps you said something offensive to him.’ They said to him: ‘No, sir, but rather, such and such was the incident.’ He said to them: ‘Why did you relate to him begrudgingly and negatively? Was he eating from your [food]; is his sustenance your responsibility? No, it is He who created him, who creates his sustenance. Nevertheless, go and tell him in my name [to return the donkeys], and he will take them down for you. The latter miracle was more difficult than the first. When he took them up, he took them up one at a time, but when he took them down he took them down two at a time. But once he [concluded] his Torah studies, he could not carry even his cloak, to realize what is stated: “Covered with sapphires.”79Rabbi Elazar was so strong that he could carry donkeys down from the roof two at a time. But his exertion in his studies was so intense that when he finished he could not carry even his cloak. This demonstrates the previous statement of the midrash that Torah weakens a person, meaning that proper Torah study requires such exertion that the person will emerge exhausted.
There was a member of Rabban Gamliel’s household who was able to pick up a box containing forty se’a and take it to the baker.80He would carry a box containing forty se’a of grain, a measurement of volume greater than thirty liters. [Rabban Gamliel] said to him: You have all this great strength and you do not engage in Torah study? Once he began engaging in Torah study, he began carrying thirty, twenty, twelve, eight se’a. When he finished the Sifra,81The Sifra is the compendium of halakhic midrash on Leviticus, and finishing it was a significant achievement. he could not carry even a box containing one se’a. Some say, he was unable to carry even the scarf with which he wrapped his head. Rather, others would remove it from upon him, as he was unable to do so, to realize what is stated: “Covered with sapphires.”