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מגילה 25
Soncino English Talmud · Berean Standard Bible
‘MAY THE GOOD BLESS THEE’, THIS IS A CUSTOM OF HERESY. [IF HE SAYS], ‘MAY THY MERCIES REACH THE NEST OF A BIRD’, ‘MAY THY NAME BE MENTIONED FOR WELL-DOING’, ‘WE GIVE THANKS, WE GIVE THANKS’, HE IS SILENCED. IF HE INTRODUCES EUPHEMISMS INTO THE PORTION DEALING WITH FORBIDDEN MARRIAGES, HE IS SILENCED. IF HE SAYS, [INSTEAD OF] ‘AND THOU SHALT NOT GIVE ANY OF THY SEED TO SET THEM APART TO MOLOCH’, ‘THOU SHALT NOT GIVE TO TRANSFER IT TO A GENTILE WOMAN’, HE IS BOTH SILENCED AND REBUKED. GEMARA. We understand the prohibition of saying ‘WE GIVE THANKS, WE GIVE THANKS’, because he seems to be addressing two Powers; also of ‘THY NAME BE MENTIONED FOR WELL-DOING’, because this implies, for good, yes, for evil, no, and we have learnt, ‘It is the duty of a man to bless [God] for evil in the same way as he blesses for good’. But what is the reason for prohibiting, ‘MAY THY MERCIES REACH THE NEST OF A BIRD’? — Different answers were given by two Amoraim in the West [Palestine], R. Jose b. Abin and R. Jose b. Zebida. One said, it is because he creates jealousy in the work of the creation, and the other says it is because he makes the commands of the Holy One, blessed be He, acts of grace, whereas they are only decrees. A certain man went down [before the ark] in the presence of Rabbah and said, ‘Thou hast shown pity to the nest of a bird, do thou have pity and mercy on us’; (Thou hast shown pity to an animal and its young, do thou have pity and mercy on us). Said Rabbah: How well this Rabbi knows how to placate his Master! Said Abaye to him: But we have learnt, HE IS SILENCED? — Rabbah only wanted to sharpen Abaye's wits. A certain [reader] went down before the ark in the presence of R. Hanina and said, ‘The great, the mighty, the terrible, the majestic, the strong, the powerful God’. He said to him: Have you finished the praises of your Master? Even the first three, had it not been that Moses wrote them in the Law and the Men of the Great Synagogue came and ordained them, we should not recite; and you say all this! It is as if a man had thousands of thousands of denarii of gold and people to praise his wealth would say he had a thousand. Would it not be an insult to him? R. Hanina said: Everything is in the hands of heaven except the fear of heaven as it says, And now, Israel, what doth the Lord thy God ask of thee but to fear. Are we to infer from this that fear is a small thing? — Yes; for Moses our teacher it was a small thing. In the same way, if a man is asked for a big article and he has it, it seems to him only small, but if he is asked for a small article and he has it not, it seems big to him. R. Zera said: For one to say, ‘Hear, Hear’, is like saying, ‘We give thanks, we give thanks’. The following was cited in objection to this: ‘He who recites the Shema’ and repeats is reprehensible’. He is only reprehensible, but we do not silence him? — There is no contradiction. In the one case we suppose he repeats each word as he says it, in the other that he repeats a whole sentence. Said R. Papa to him: But perhaps [the reason why he repeats] is because at first he was not thinking of what he said, and now he does think? — He replied: Is he to treat heaven like an ordinary acquaintance? If he does not think of what he is saying, I will hit him with a hammer till he does think. IF HE INTRODUCES EUPHEMISMS INTO THE PASSAGE DEALING WITH FORBIDDEN MARRIAGES, HE IS SILENCED. R. Joseph learned: [If, for example, he says] ‘the shame of his father, the shame of his mother’. IF ONE SAYS, AND THOU SHALT NOT GIVE ANY OF THY SEED TO SET THEM APART etc. In the school of R. Ishmael it was stated: The text speaks of an Israelite who has intercourse with a Cuthean woman and begets from her a son for idolatry. MISHNAH. THE INCIDENT OF REUBEN IS READ IN SYNAGOGUE BUT NOT TRANSLATED. THE STORY OF TAMAR IS READ AND TRANSLATED. THE FIRST ACCOUNT OF THE INCIDENT OF THE GOLDEN CALF IS BOTH READ AND TRANSLATED, THE SECOND IS READ BUT NOT TRANSLATED. THE BLESSING OF THE PRIESTS IS READ BUT NOT TRANSLATED. THE STORIES OF DAVID AND AMNON ARE READ BUT NOT TRANSLATED. THE PORTION OF THE CHARIOT IS NOT READ AS A HAFTARAH, BUT R. JUDAH PERMITS THIS. R. ELEAZAR SAYS: THE PORTION, MAKE KNOWN TO JERUSALEM’, IS NOT READ AS A HAFTARAH. GEMARA. Our Rabbis taught: Some portions [of the Scripture] are both read and translated, some are read but not translated, [and some are neither read nor translated]. The following are both read and translated: (Mnemonic: B'L'T’ ‘E'K'N’ N'SH'P'H’). The account of the creation is both read and translated. Certainly! — You might think that [through hearing it] people are led to inquire what is above and what is below,
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and what is before and what is after. Therefore we are told [that this is no objection]. The story of Lot and his two daughters is both read and translated. Certainly! — You might think that [we should forbear] out of respect for Abraham. Therefore we are told [that this is no objection]. The story of Tamar and Judah is both read and translated. Certainly! — We might think that [we should forbear] out of respect for Judah. Therefore we are told [that this is no objection]; [the passage] really redounds to his credit, because [it records that] he confessed. The first account of the making of the Calf is both read and translated. Certainly! — You might think that [we should forbear] out of respect for Israel. Therefore we are told [that this is no objection]; on the contrary, it is agreeable to them, because it was followed by atonement. The curses and blessings are both read and translated. Certainly! — You might think that [we should forbear] lest the congregation should become disheartened; therefore we are told [that this is no objection]. Warnings and penalties are both read and translated. Certainly! — You might think that [we should forbear] for fear that they may come to keep the commandments out of fear; therefore we are told [that this is no objection]. The story of Amnon and Tamar is both read and translated. Certainly! — You might think that [we should forbear] out of respect for David. Therefore we are told [that this is no objection]. The story of the concubine in Gibea is both read and translated. Certainly! — You might think [that we should forbear] out of respect for Benjamin. Therefore we are told [that this is no objection]. The passage commencing ‘Make known to Jerusalem her abominations’ is both read and translated. Certainly! — This is stated to exclude the view of R. Eleazar, as it has been taught: ‘On one occasion a man read in the presence of R. Eleazar ‘Make known to Jerusalem her abominations’. He said to him, While you are investigating the abominations of Jerusalem, go and investigate the abominations of your own mother. Inquiries were made into his birth, and he was found to be illegitimate. Mnemonic: R'E'B'D'N’). The incident of Reuben is read but not translated. On one occasion R. Hanina b. Gamaliel went to Kabul, and the reader of the congregation read, ‘And it came to pass when Israel abode’, and he said to the translator, Translate only the latter part of the verse, and the Sages commended his action. The second account of the Calf is read but not translated. What is the second account of the Calf? — From ‘And Moses said’ up to ‘and Moses saw’. It has been taught: A man should always be careful in wording his answers, because on the ground of the answer which Aaron made to Moses the unbelievers were able to deny [God], as it says, And I cast it into the fire and this calf came forth. The priestly blessing is read but not translated. What is the reason? — Because it contains the words, May he lift up. The accounts of David and Amnon are neither read nor translated. But you just said that the story of Amnon and Tamar is both read and translated? — There is no contradiction; the former statement refers to where it says ‘Amnon son of David’, the latter to where it says ‘Amnon’ simply. Our Rabbis taught: Wherever an indelicate expression is written in the text, we substitute a more polite one in reading. [Thus for] yishgalenah [we read] yishkabenah; [for] ba'apolim [we read] ba-tehorim; [for] hiryonim [we read] dibyonim; [for] le-ekol eth horehem we-lishtoth eth meme shinehem [we read] le-ekol eth zo'atham we-lishtoth eth meme raglehem; [for] la-mahara'oth [we read] lemoza'oth. R. Joshua b. Korha, however, says that the actual word la-mahara'oth [is read] because it is a term of opprobrium for idolatry. R. Nahman said: All gibing is forbidden save gibing at idolatry, which is permitted, as it is written, Bel boweth down, Nebo stoopeth and the text goes on, They stoop, they bow down together, they cannot deliver the burden, etc. R. Jannai learns the same lesson from here: The inhabitants of Samaria shall be in dread for the calves of Beth Aven, for the people thereof shall mourn over it and the Priests thereof shall tremble for it, for its glory, because it is departed from it. Read not ‘its glory’ [kebodo], but ‘its burden’ [kebedo]. R. Huna b. Manoah said in the name of R. Aha the son of R. Ika: It is permitted to an Israelite to say to a Cuthean, Take your idol and put it in your shin tof. R. Ashi said: It is permissible to abuse a person of ill fame with the term gimel shin. It is permissible to praise a person of good report and if one does praise him, ‘blessings shall rest upon his head’. MISHNAH. IF THE TOWNSPEOPLE SELL THE TOWN SQUARE, THEY MAY BUY WITH THE PROCEEDS A SYNAGOGUE; [IF THEY SELL] A SYNAGOGUE, THEY MAY BUY WITH THE PROCEEDS AN ARK; [IF THEY SELL] AN ARK THEY MAY BUY WRAPPINGS [FOR SCROLLS]; [IF THEY SELL] WRAPPINGS
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