Babylonian Talmud: Tractate Sanhedrin

Folio 111a

Therefore hell hath enlarged herself, and opened her mouth without measure:³  Resh Lakish said: [It means] for him who leaves undone even a single statute.⁴  R. Johanan said to him: It is not pleasing to their Master⁵  that you say thus to them. But [say], who has not studied even a single statute.⁶

And it shall come to pass, that in all the land, saith the Lord, two parts therein shall be cut off and die,' but the third shall be left therein.⁷  Resh Lakish said: [This means] a third of the descendants of Shem.⁸  Said R. Johanan to him: Their Master is not pleased that you say so of them. But [say thus:] a third even of all the descendants of Noah.

For I am married unto you: and I will take you one of a city, and two of a family.⁹  Resh Lakish said: This is meant literally.¹⁰  Said R. Johanan unto him: Their Master is not pleased that you say so of them.¹¹  But [say thus:] 'one of a city' [means that his virtues] shall benefit an entire city;¹²  and 'two of a family' will benefit the entire family.¹³  R. Kahana sat before Rab and stated: This is meant literally. Rab said to him: Their Master is not pleased that you say so of them. But [say thus:] 'one of a city' — shall benefit an entire city, and 'two of a family' — will benefit the entire family. He [Rab] then observed him dress his hair [instead of paying attention to his studies] and come and sit before Rab. Said he to him, And it shall not be found in the land of the living.¹⁴  He exclaimed, 'You curse me!'¹⁵  He replied, 'I but cite a verse, [which teaches,] The Torah shall not be found in one who attends to his own wants whilst studying it.'¹⁶

It has been taught: R. Simai said: It says, And I will take you to me for a people,'¹⁷  and it is also said, And I will bring you in [unto the land etc.].¹⁸  Their exodus from Egypt is thus likened to their entry into the [promised] land: just as at their entry into the [promised] land there were but two out of six hundred thousand,¹⁹  so at their exodus from Egypt there were but two out of six hundred thousand.²⁰  Raba said: It shall be even so in the days of the Messiah, for it is said, And she shall sing there, as in the days of her youth, and as in the days when she came up out of the land of Egypt.²¹

It has been taught: R. Eleazar son of R. Jose said: I once visited Alexandria of Egypt and found an old man there, who said to me, 'Come, and I will shew thee what my ancestors did to thine: some of them they drowned in the sea, some they slew by the sword, and some they crushed in the buildings.'²²  And for this Moses was punished,²³  as it is said, For since I came to Pharaoh to speak in thy name, he hath done evil to this people,' neither hast thou delivered thy people at all.²⁴  Thereupon the Holy One, blessed be He, said to him, 'Alas for those who are gone and no more to be found! For how many times did I reveal Myself to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob by the name of El Shaddai,²⁵  and they did not question my character,²⁶  nor say to Me, What is Thy name? I said to Abraham, Arise, walk through the land in the length of it, and in the breadth of it,' for I will give it unto thee:²⁷  yet when he sought a place to bury Sarah, he did not find one, but had to purchase it for four hundred silver shekels; and still he did not question My character. I said to Isaac, Sojourn in this land, and I will be with thee, and will bless thee:²⁸  yet his servants sought water to drink, and did not find it without its being disputed, as it is said, And the herdmen of Gerar did strive with Isaac's herdmen saying, The water is our's;²⁹  still he did not question My character. I said to Jacob, The land whereon thou liest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed:³⁰  yet he sought a place to pitch his tent and did not find one until he purchased it for an hundred kesitah;³¹  nevertheless he did not question My character; nor did they say to me, What is Thy name?³²  And now thou sayest to Me, Neither hast thou delivered thy people at all. [Therefore] Now shalt thou see what I will do to Pharaoh:³³  thou shalt behold the war against Pharaoh, but not the war against the thirty one kings.'³⁴

And Moses made haste, and bowed his head toward the earth, and worshipped.³⁵  What did Moses see?³⁶  — R. Hanina b. Gamala³⁷  said: He saw long-suffering [as one of His attributes].³⁸  The Rabbis say: He saw [His attribute of] truth.³⁸  It has been taught in agreement with the one who holds that 'he saw long-suffering,' viz.,³⁹  When Moses ascended on high, he found the Holy One, blessed be He, sitting and writing 'long-suffering'. Said he to Him, 'Sovereign of the Universe! Long-suffering to the righteous?' He replied, 'Even' to the wicked.' He urged, 'Let the wicked perish!' 'See now what thou desirest,' was His answer.⁴⁰  'When Israel sinned,' He said to him, 'didst thou not urge Me, [Let Thy] long-suffering be for the righteous [only]?'

1. When one responds 'Amen' after a benediction, how does it suggest ascent thereto and the acceptance of God's yoke?
2. [H] is an abbreviation of [H].
3. Isa. V, 15.
4. Giving [H], translated 'measure', its usual meaning. Maharsha softens the severity of this statement by referring it to one whose evil deeds would be exactly counterbalanced by good deeds — in which case he would be saved from Gehenna — had he but fulfilled one more precept. But R. Johanan observed that even this is too harsh.
5. Israel's.
6. But the study of a single statute saves one from Gehenna.
7. Zech. XIII, 8.
8. Mankind is descended from Noah and his three sons, Shem, Ham and Japheth. By a 'third' Resh Lakish understands the original number divided and again divided by three. Therefore a third of the first three gives Shem (since he was the ancestor of Israel, and it is assumed that Israel must be included amongst those saved) and then a further third of Shem.
9. Jer. III, 14.
10. Lit., 'the words are as they are written.'
11. For that is too pessimistic.
12. For the sake of a single righteous man in a city I will bring the whole to Zion.
13. V. preceding note.
14. Job XXVIII, 13.
15. For the Hebrew [H] may also mean, 'thou shalt not', and he understood it in this sense.
16. Lit., 'over it'.
17. Ex. VI, 7.
18. Ibid.
19. Only Caleb and Joshua, out of the 600,000 who left Egypt, entered Palestine.
20. The rest perished in Egypt (as stated anon), yet that small fraction amounted to 600,000.
21. Hos. II, 17.
22. V. p. 688, n, 11.
23. I.e., for losing faith in God through this.
24. Ex. V, 23.
25. God Almighty.
26. Lit., 'my attributes', 'my dealings' with man. Whether my promises were reliable.
27. Gen. XIII, 17.
28. Ibid. XXVI, 3.
29. Ibid. 20.
30. Ibid. XXVIII, 13.
31. Ibid. XXXIII, 19. R.V.; 'piece of money'.
32. The emphasis laid here upon the name of God, the virtue ascribed to the Patriarchs for refraining to ask it, and the reproach that Moses had wished to know it, are due to the fact that God's name was regarded as more than a mere title of distinction. It represented His character, His Attributes, and the relationship in which He stood to His people. Consequently, to refrain from asking after God's name was the equivalent of displaying complete confidence in Him, without examining his character closely to see whether His promises were reliable; whilst to ask it was to betray a lack of confidence.
33. Ibid. VI, 1.
34. I.e., the conquest of Palestine. V. Josh. XII, 24.
35. Ex. XXXIV, 8.
36. This verse follows the enumeration of God's thirteen Attributes. Which of these did he see, that he hastened to bow and worship?
37. Var. lec. 'Gamaliel.'
38. Ibid. 7.
39. Lit., 'For it has been taught.'
40. It is an ill-advised request, which thou wilt revoke at a future occasion, viz., at the sin of the Golden Calf.

R. Hagga was walking up the steps of Rabbah b. Shila's college, when he heard a child recite, Thy testimonies are very sure: holiness becometh thy house; O Lord, [thou art] for the length of days.²  And in proximity thereto is stated, A prayer of Moses etc.³  This proves, said he, that he saw [that God is] long-suffering.⁴

R. Eleazar said in R. Hanina's name: The Lord shall be a crown upon the head of every righteous man, as it is written, In that day shall the Lord of hosts be for a crown of glory [zebi], and for a diadem of beauty, unto the residue of his people etc.⁵  What is meant by for a crown of glory, and for a diadem of beauty? — To those who obey His will and hope for His salvation.⁶  I might think, this applies to all; therefore Scripture states, unto the residue of his people, [meaning] unto those who make themselves as a remnant.⁷  And for a spirit of judgment to him that sitteth in judgment, and for strength to them that turn the battle to the gate.⁸  'And for a spirit of judgment' — this means, to him who rules over his inclinations;⁹  'and to him that sitteth in judgment': i.e., to him that renders an honest judgment according to the truth thereof;¹⁰  'and for strength' — viz., to him that prevails against his evil inclinations;¹¹  'that turn the battle' — to those who engage in the battle of the Torah;¹²  'to the gate' — to those who repair morning and evening to the synagogue and house of study. But the Attribute of Judgment protested before the Holy One, blessed be He:¹³  'Sovereign of the Universe! Wherein do these differ from those?'¹⁴  — He replied, 'But they also have erred through wine, and through strong drink are out of the way … paku peliliyah they stumble in judgement.'¹⁵  Now pukah [the root idea of paku] can only mean the Gehenna, as it is said, That this shall be no grief unto thee;¹⁶  and peliliyah can only refer to the judges, as it is said, and he shall pay as the judges determine.¹⁷

MISHNAH. THE INHABITANTS OF A SEDUCED CITY HAVE NO PORTION IN THE WORLD TO COME, AS IT IS WRITTEN, CERTAIN MEN, THE CHILDREN OF BELIAL, ARE GONE OUT FROM AMONG YOU, AND HAVE WITHDRAWN THE INHABITANTS OF THEIR CITY.¹⁸  THEY ARE NOT EXECUTED UNLESS THE SEDUCERS ARE OF THAT CITY AND THAT TRIBE, AND THE MAJORITY THEREOF ARE SEDUCED, AND THE SEDUCERS ARE MEN. IF WOMEN OR MINORS SEDUCED IT, IF A MINORITY WERE SEDUCED, OR IF THE SEDUCERS WERE FROM WITHOUT THE CITY, THEY¹⁹  ARE TREATED AS INDIVIDUALS, AND TWO WITNESSES AND A FORMAL WARNING ARE NECESSARY FOR EACH [OFFENDER]. IN THIS [THE PENALTY OF] INDIVIDUALS IS SEVERER THAN [THAT OF] A MULTITUDE, FOR INDIVIDUALS ARE STONED, THEREFORE THEIR PROPERTY IS SAVED; BUT MULTITUDES ARE DECAPITATED; HENCE THEIR POSSESSIONS ARE DESTROYED.

THOU SHALT SURELY SMITE THE INHABITANTS OF THAT CITY WITH THE EDGE OF THE SWORD.²⁰  A COMPANY OF ASS-DRIVERS OR CAMEL-DRIVERS PASSING FROM PLACE TO PLACE SAVES IT.²¹  DESTROYING IT UTTERLY, AND ALL THAT IS THEREIN, AND THE CATTLE THEREOF: FROM THIS IT WAS DEDUCED THAT THE PROPERTY OF THE RIGHTEOUS, WHICH IS WITHIN [THE CITY] IS DESTROYED, BUT THAT WHICH IS WITHOUT IS SAVED, WHILST THAT OF THE WICKED, WHETHER WITHIN OR WITHOUT, IS DESTROYED.²²  AND THOU SHALT GATHER ALL THE SPOIL THEREOF IN TO THE MIDST OF THE PUBLIC SQUARE THEREOF ETC.²³  IF IT HAD NO PUBLIC SQUARE, ONE IS MADE FOR IT; IF IT WAS [SITUATED] WITHOUT [THE TOWN], IT IS BROUGHT WITHIN IT,²⁴  AS IT IS SAID, AND THOU SHALT BURN WITH FIRE THE CITY, AND ALL THE SPOIL THEREOF EVERY WHIT, FOR THE LORD THY GOD.²⁵

THE SPOIL THEREOF' IMPLIES, BUT NOT THE SPOIL OF HEAVEN. HENCE IT WAS RULED, THE HOLY OBJECTS THEREIN²⁶  MUST BE REDEEMED; THE TERUMOTH²⁷  ALLOWED TO ROT; AND THE SECOND TITHE²⁸  AND THE SACRED WRITINGS HIDDEN.²⁹  A WHOLE-OFFERING FOR THE LORD THY GOD:³⁰  R. SIMEON SAID: THE HOLY ONE, BLESSED BE HE, DECLARED, IF YE EXECUTE JUDGMENT UPON THE SEDUCED CITY, I WILL ASCRIBE MERIT TO YOU AS THOUGH YE HAD SACRIFICED TO ME A WHOLE OFFERING. AND IT SHALL BE A HEAP FOR EVER:³¹  [HENCE] IT MAY NOT BE CONVERTED INTO GARDENS AND ORCHARDS: THIS IS THE VIEW OF R. JOSE THE GALILEAN. R. AKIBA MAINTAINED: IT SHALL NOT BE BUILT AGAIN [IMPLIES] THAT IT MAY NOT BE REBUILT AS IT WAS, BUT MAY BE CONVERTED INTO GARDENS AND ORCHARDS. AND THERE SHALL CLEAVE NOUGHT OF THE CURSED THING TO THINE HAND: [THAT THE LORD MAY TURN FROM THE FIERCENESS OF HIS WRATH, AND SHEW THEE MERCY]:³²  AS LONG AS THE WICKED EXIST IN THE WORLD, THERE IS FIERCE ANGER IN THE WORLD; WHEN THE WICKED PERISH FROM THE WORLD, FIERCE ANGER DISAPPEARS FROM THE WORLD.

GEMARA. Our Rabbis taught: [If thou shalt hear say in one of thy cities… saying,] they have gone out: [this implies,] they, but not their agents.³³  Men: the plural cannot mean less than two.³⁴  Another explanation: men, [implies] but not women; men, but not minors. The children of Belial denotes children who have thrown off the Yoke of Heaven from their necks.³⁵  From among you, but not from a border town.³⁶  The inhabitants of their city — but not the inhabitants of a different city. Saying, [teaches that] witnesses and a formal warning are necessary for each offender.

It has been stated: R. Johanan maintained: One city might be divided among two tribes.³⁷  Resh Lakish said: One city might not be divided among two tribes.³⁸  R. Johanan asked Resh Lakish: UNLESS THE SEDUCERS ARE OF THAT CITY AND OF THAT TRIBE — surely it means, though the seducers be of that city, yet only if they belong to that tribe too does the law apply, but not otherwise; which proves that a city might be divided among two tribes? — No: such a case is possible if it [a portion of the town] came to them [the seducers] through inheritance,³⁹  or was gifted to them. He [further] objected: nine cities, out of these two tribes.⁴⁰  Surely it means four and a half from each, thus proving that a city might be divided among two tribes. — No: four from one and five from the other. If so, these should be specified.⁴¹

1. Num. XIV, 17; thus the Baraitha shews that what called forth Moses' worship of God when Israel sinned through the Golden Calf was his vision of the Almighty as long-suffering.
2. Ps. XCIII, 5; i.e., 'thou art long-suffering.'
3. Ibid. XC, 1.
4. Regarding the former verse as part of Moses' prayer.
5. Isa. XXVIII, 5.
6. Thus translating [H] (zebi, E.V. glory,) 'will,' 'desire' — a common meaning in the Talmud and Targumim, and deriving [H] zefirah (E.V. 'beauty') from [H] 'to look forward', 'to hope'. The whole reads: In that day shall the Lord of hosts be for a crown of desire and for a diadem of hope etc.
7. I.e., of no value; hence, to the humble.
8. Ibid. 6.
9. Translating: and to a spirit, i.e., evil inclination, that is judged, i.e., subdued.
10. V, supra 7a.
11. Reversing them to noble desires — this is higher than ruling over them, which is merely a non-surrender to them.
12. In discussions and disputes thereon.
13. V, p. 630, n. 7.
14. Those who have these qualities, how are they differentiated from those who lack them?
15. [H] Ibid. 7.
16. [H] I Sam. XXV, 31.
17. [H] Ex. XXI, 22. I.e., judges that go astray and render unfair judgments are consigned to the Gehenna.
18. Deut. XIII, 14. The deduction is from, are gone out from among you, implying that they have lost their share in the future world (Rashi and the Yad Ramah). Bertinoro deduces it from the word Belial [H], which he reads [H] 'without ascending', i.e., who will never ascend from the grave to the future world.
19. The inhabitants.
20. Ibid. 26.
21. If a travelling caravan made a thirty days' halt in the town, its members are regarded as inhabitants. Consequently, if they resist seduction, and their abstention turns the remainder who abstain from idolatry too, and would otherwise be in a minority, into a majority, the town is saved from the fate of a condemned city. — This is followed in the text by 'as it is said etc.' But as the deduction is from 'inhabitants', not from the verse next quoted, the Wilna Gaon deletes 'as it is said'. [Yad Ramah preserves another reading: 'they are saved', that is, if the caravan passing through the city becomes involved in the seduction, they do not share the fate of the inhabitants, but are treated as individual idolators, provided they did not halt for thirty days.]
22. This is deduced from all. This too is followed by 'as it is said', which is also deleted by the Wilna Gaon (and in both cases Rashi's version seems to lack it too), and for the same reason.
23. Ibid. 17.
24. [By building a city wall outside it.]
25. Ibid. Hence everything, including the market place, must be within the city.
26. I.e., such objects which, though consecrated, (e.g., for general Temple use as distinct from sacrifices) should be redeemed.
27. V. Glos.
28. This is discussed in the Gemara.
29. I.e., buried, which is the meaning of [H] when used in connection with sacred objects no longer fit for use; v. Meg. 26b on the hiding of a Scroll of the Torah which has mouldered away. It is insufficient merely to put away these objects, viz., the sacred writings and the second tithe, and let them rot (as in the case of terumah), because being available to all, they would probably, in a moment of forgetfulness, be put to some use; whereas terumah was eaten only by the priests, who were very observant. (Tosefoth Yomtob a.l.) S. Krauss in Sanh.-Mak. a.l. remarks that [H] is a general term for withdrawing a Scroll from its public use in the synagogue, and presumably he understands it in the same light here. This meaning, however, is quite unsuited to the context (which deals with the method of destruction to be applied to holy things, which, though not to be burnt, are nevertheless to be disposed of, as is seen in the case of terumah and holy objects), particularly as the word is here applied to both the sacred Writings and the second tithe, and in the case of the latter this interpretation is obviously impossible.
30. Ibid. [H] (E.V. 'in its entirety') denotes also whole-offering.]
31. Ibid.
32. Ibid.
33. I.e., only if the seducers of the same city personally enticed the majority of the city to idolatry. But if a number were enticed by their agents, the law of a condemned city does not apply, the enticed ones being punished as individuals.
34. If only one person seduced a city, it is not treated as such.
35. [H] is explained [H] 'without a yoke'.]
36. Only a town that is among you can become a condemned city. But a border town, in close proximity to Gentile cities, is not treated as such (v, supra 16b).
37. I.e., when Canaan was parcelled out among the tribes, and the boundary line of a tribal portion cut across a town, that town would legally belong to the two tribes.
38. The whole legally belonging to the tribe the greater part of which fell within its borders. Jerusalem, which belonged partly to Benjamin and partly to Judah, was an exception on this view (Early Tosafoth, Yoma 12a).
39. Rashi explains: if the seducers, though not of the tribe to which the city belonged, inherited part thereof through a daughter who became heiress of an estate after having married out of her tribe.
40. Judah and Simeon. Josh. XXI, 16.
41. Which tribe gave four and which five?