חגיגה 3 — Soncino English Talmud

¹he is bound to rejoice. One, however, that can neither hear nor speak, an imbecile and a minor are exempt even from rejoicing, since they are exempt from all the precepts stated in the Torah. Why is it that in regard to appearing they are exempt, and in regard to rejoicing they are obligated? With regard to appearing, it is deduced by forming an analogy between the expressions for appearing from [the section] ‘Assemble’, for it is written: Assemble the people, the men and the women and the little ones; and it is [further] written: When all Israel is come to appear. But whence is it deduced for the latter? — For it is written: That they may hear and that they may learn. And it is taught: ‘That they may hear’, [this] excludes one that can speak but not hear; ‘and that they may learn’, [this] excludes one that can hear but not speak. Does this then mean to say that one that cannot talk cannot learn? But behold there were two dumb men in the neighbourhood of Rabbi, sons of the daughter of R. Johanan b. Gudgada, and according to others, sons of the sister of R. Johanan, who, whenever Rabbi entered the College, went in and sat down [before him], and nodded their heads and moved their lips. And Rabbi prayed for them and they were cured, and it was found that they were versed in Halachah, Sifra, Sifre and the whole Talmud! Said Mar Zutra, Read, That they may teach. R. Ashi said: Assuredly it is [to be read]: That they may teach. For if you suppose [that it should be read]: That they may learn, and [argue that] if one cannot talk one cannot learn (and [obviously] if one cannot hear one cannot learn), that follows from [the expression]: That they may hear. Therefore, it must certainly be [read]: That they may teach. R. Tanhum said: One that is deaf in one ear is exempt from appearing [at the Temple], for it is said: In their ears. But [this expression], ‘in their ears’,is required [to teach that it must be] in the ears of all Israel! — That can be deduced from [the expression], ‘before all Israel’. But if [it were deduced] from [the expression] ‘before all Israel’, I might say: Even though they did not hear; therefore it is written in the Divine Law: in their ears,’ they must be able to hear! — That call be deduced from [the expression], in order that they may hear. R. Tanhum said: One that is lame in one foot is exempt from appearing [at the Temple], as it is said: Regalim [on foot]. But this [word] Regalim is required to exclude people with wooden legs! — That follows from [the word] Pe'amim [steps]. For it is taught: ‘Pe'amim’; ‘Pe'amim’ means only feet; and thus it is said: The foot shall tread it down, even the feet of the poor, and the steps of [pa'ame] the needy. And it further says: How beautiful are thy steps [pe'amayik] in sandals, O prince's daughter. Raba expounded: What is the meaning of the verse: ‘How beautiful are thy steps in sandals, O prince's daughter’. [It means:] How comely are the feet of Israel when they go up on the festival pilgrimage. ‘Prince's daughter’: [means] daughter of Abraham our father, who is called prince, as it is said: The princes of the peoples are gathered together, the people of the God of Abraham. ‘The God of Abraham’, and not the God of Isaac and Jacob? [It must mean], therefore, the God of Abraham, who was the first of the Proselytes. R. Kahana said: R. Nathan b. Minyomi expounded in the name of R. Tanhum: What is the meaning of the verse: And the pit was empty, there was no water in it? Since it says that the pit was empty, would I not know that there was no water in it? [It must mean] therefore, there was no water in it, but there were in it snakes and scorpions. Our Rabbis taught: Once R. Johanan b. Beroka and R. Eleazar Hisma went to pay their respects to R. Joshua at Peki'in. Said he to them: What new teaching was there at the College to-day? They replied: We are thy disciples and thy waters do we drink. Said he to them: Even so, it is impossible for a college session to pass without some novel teaching. Whose Sabbath was it? — It was the Sabbath of R. Eleazar b. ‘Azariah, [they replied].-And what was the theme of his Haggadic discourse to-day? They answered: The section ‘Assemble’. And what exposition did he give thereon? ‘Assemble the people the men and the women and the little ones’. If the men came to learn, the women came to hear, but wherefore have the little ones to come? In order to grant reward to those that bring them. Said he to them: There was a fair Jewel in your hand, and you sought to deprive me of it. He further expounded: Thou hast avouched the Lord this day . . . and the Lord has avouched thee this day. The Holy One, blessed be He, said to Israel: You have made me a unique object of your love in the world, and I shall make you a unique object of My love in the world. You have made me a unique object of your love, as it is written: Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is One. And I shall make you a unique object of My love, as it is said:^ᵃ^ᵇ^ᶜ^ᵈ^ᵉ^ᶠ^ᵍ^ʰ^ⁱ^ʲ^ᵏ^ˡ^ᵐ^ⁿ^ᵒ^ᵖ^ᵠ^ʳ^ˢ^ᵗ^ᵘ^ᵛ^ʷ^ˣ^ʸ^ᶻ^ᵃᵃ^ᵃᵇ^ᵃᶜ^ᵃᵈ^ᵃᵉ^ᵃᶠ^ᵃᵍ^ᵃʰ^ᵃⁱ^ᵃʲ^ᵃᵏ^ᵃˡ^ᵃᵐ^ᵃⁿ^ᵃᵒ^ᵃᵖ^ᵃᵠ^ᵃʳ^ᵃˢ^ᵃᵗ

^ᵃnote:I.e., vtrh (‘shall appear’) in Ex. XXIII, 17 and ,utrk (‘to appear’) in Deut. XXXI, 11.
^ᵇnote:Deut. XXXI, 10-13. The name is derived from the introductory word in the verse that follows.
^ᶜnote:Deut. XXXI, v. 12.
^ᵈnote:Ibid. v.11
^ᵉnote:I.e., how do we know that a Heresh that can hear or speak is exempt from the precept referred to in Deut. XXXI, 10-13.
^ᶠnote:Lit., ‘he besought (God's) mercy on this behalf’.
^ᵍnote:On the efficacy of prayer, v. J.E. vol. X, pp. 168-169.
^ʰnote:vfkv from lkv ‘to go, follow’, means literally ‘going’, ‘walking’ then figuratively: ‘the teaching which one follows, the rule or state by which one is guided,the categorical religious law’, (H. L. Strack, Intro. to the Talmud, p. 6 ¤ 7: v. whole section and refs.). The last meaning applies here. Cf. also the refs. to Halachah in R. T. Herford's The Pharisees, esp. Ch. III. V. Glos.
^ⁱnote:‘The Book’, also called Torath Kohanim (‘Law of the Priests’) is a halachic Midrash on Leviticus.
^ʲnote:hrpx or more fully, cr hcs hrpx (‘the Books of the School of Rab’) is a halachic Midrash on Numbers (commencing with Ch. 5) and on Deut. V. Glos.
^ᵏnote:x"a Lit., ‘six orders’ into which the Mishnah, and consequently the Talmud, which is the commentary on it, is divided. [MS.M. reads, ‘Talmud’].
^ˡnote:I.e., usnkh (Pi'el) for usnkh (Kal). Such textual changes are not to be regarded as serious Biblical emendations, but as part of the exegetical method of the Rabbis for the purpose of halachic and Haggadic deduction.
^ᵐnote:I.e., quite apart from the instance of the two dumb scholars, it can be proved that teach is the right reading.
^ⁿnote:[MS.M. omits bracketed words which, in fact, are superfluous].
^ᵒnote:The underlying reason for excluding the deaf is their inability to learn. If now you suppose that the dumb cannot learn, their exclusion can be inferred from the expression, ‘that they may hear’, which excludes the deaf, and similarly the dumb, and the words ‘that they may learn’ are superfluous.
^ᵖnote:And the inference that a dumb person cannot learn falls away.
^ᵠnote:Deut. XXXI, 11. The plural indicates that those present must be able to hear with both ears; and by analogy (v. supra p. 5, n. 9) we apply this rule also to the law of Ex. XXIII, 17.
^ʳnote:The public reading referred to in the section ‘Assemble’ (v. p. 5, n. 10); cf. Sot. 41a.
^ˢnote:I.e., in their hearing.
^ᵗnote:Deut. ibid.
^ᵘnote:I.e., were too far away; not that they were deaf.
^ᵛnote:Lit., ‘The Merciful One wrote’, i.e., God revealed through Scripture. V. Bacher, Exeg. Term. II, 207f.
^ʷnote:This expression, therefore, cannot be used for the inference that a person deaf in one ear is exempt.
^ˣnote:Ibid. v. 12. Thus ‘in their ears’ is available for R. Tanhum's teaching.
^ʸnote:Ex. XXIII, 14. V. supra p. 5, n. 10. The word is probably read here ohkdr (dual): the pilgrim must have use of both feet.
^ᶻnote:Ex. XXIII, 17. ohngp E.V. ‘times’ (cf. supra p. 1, n. 11) is here understood in its root meaning of ‘steps’, i.e., only those having their own legs must visit the Temple.
^ᵃᵃnote:I.e., natural as opposed to artificial feet.
^ᵃᵇnote:hngp (steps) being parallel to hkdr (feet) must mean the same as the latter.
^ᵃᶜnote:Isa. XXVI, 6.
^ᵃᵈnote:Cant. VII, 2. The word sandals is additional evidence that ohngp refers to natural feet.
^ᵃᵉnote:Ps. XLVII, 10.
^ᵃᶠnote:‘Prince’ (chsb) means lit., ‘one who offers himself willingly’ i.e., for God's service. Abraham was the first to confess and worship the Lord, and the reference to the ‘princes, the peoples’ is to the proselytes who, like Abraham, offer themselves to the service of God.
^ᵃᵍnote:The name of R. Tanhum is the link between the preceding and the following exposition.
^ᵃʰnote:Gen. XXXVII, 24.
^ᵃⁱnote:In Tr. Soferim the reading is Eleazar b. Hisma. For the cognomen which is not adjectival (i.e., ‘muzzled’) but locative (prob. a native of Hismeh’) v. J.E. Vol. V, p. 99.
^ᵃʲnote:Also Beki'in, modern Fukin, in S. Palestine between Lydda and Jabneh (Jast.). It was customary for pupils to visit their teacher on holy days; cf. R.H. 16b.
^ᵃᵏnote:I.e., disciples may not speak before their teacher (Rashi); or we cannot possibly have anything to teach you.
^ᵃˡnote:R. Gamaliel used to lecture on two (or three) Sabbaths and R. Eleazar b. ‘Azariah on the third (or fourth) v. Ber. 28a.
^ᵃᵐnote:Haggadah (vsdv), a nomen actionis of shdv (to tell), denotes all scriptural interpretation which is non-halachic (i.e., non-legal) in character (H. L. Strack). V. Glos.
^ᵃⁿnote:V. supra p. 5, n. 10.
^ᵃᵒnote:But not to study it fully; cf. J.T., Sot. III, 4. For the status of the woman in Judaism v. J.E. vol. XII, p. 556.
^ᵃᵖnote:For the Rabbinic conception of reward v. R. T. Herford, op. cit. pp. 123-24, 127-120.
^ᵃᵠnote:Deut. XXVI, 17-18.
^ᵃʳnote:,jt vchyj Jast. ‘the only object of your love’ (from root meaning ‘to fall in love, woo’); Levy, ‘Herrscher’ (ruler) comparing it, according to Bacher, with Pers. ‘Khedive’; Goldschmidt, ‘Verherrlichung’ (glorification); Rashi, ‘sole or unique object of praise’; Aruch, in the name of R. Hai Gaon, ‘Unique concept’ (,jt ruhm); Maharsha (quoting Rashi to Deut. XXVI, 17) ‘separation. (from root meaning ‘to hew’).
^ᵃˢnote:Aruch reads: ‘in this world . . . in the world to come’.
^ᵃᵗnote:Deut. VI, 4. For different renderings of this verse v. I. Abrahams, A companion to the Auth. Daily Prayer Book, p. LI.

²And who is like unto Thy people Israel, a nation one in the earth. And he also took up the text and expounded: The words of the wise are as goads, and as nails well planted are the words of masters of Assemblies, which are given from one Shepherd. Why are the words of the Torah likened to a goad? To teach you that just as the goad directs the heifer along its furrow in order to bring forth life to the world, so the words of the Torah direct those who study them from the paths of death to the paths of life. But [should you think] that just as the goad is movable so the words of the Torah are movable; therefore the text says: ‘nails’. But [should you think] that just as the nail diminishes and does not increase, so too the words of the Torah diminish and do not increase; therefore the text says: ‘well planted’; just as a plant grows and increases, so the words of the Torah grow and increase. ‘The masters of assemblies’: these are the disciples of the wise, who sit in manifold assemblies and occupy themselves with the Torah, some pronouncing unclean and others pronouncing clean, some prohibiting and others permitting, some disqualifying and others declaring fit. Should a man say: How in these circumstances shall I learn Torah? Therefore the text says: ‘All of them are given from one Shepherd’. One God gave them; one leader uttered them from the mouth of the Lord of all creation, blessed be He; for it is written: ‘And God spoke all these words’. Also do thou make thine ear like the hopper and get thee a perceptive heart to understand the words of those who pronounce unclean and the words of those who pronounce clean, the words of those who prohibit and the words of those who permit, the words of those who disqualify and the words of those who declare fit. He [then] spoke to them in the following words: It is not an orphan generation in which R. Eleazar b. ‘Azariah lives. But they could have told him directly! — It was on account of a certain occurrence. For it is taught: Once R. Jose b. Durmaskith went to pay his respects to R. Eliezer at Lod. Said the latter to him: What new thing was taught in College today? He replied: They decided by vote that in Ammon and Moab the tithe of the poor should be given in the seventh year. Said [R. Eliezer] to him: Jose, stretch forth thine hands and lose thy sight. He stretched forth his hands and lost his sight. R. Eliezer [then] wept and said: The counsel of the Lord is with them that fear Him,’ and His covenant, to make them know it. He [then] said to him: Go, say to them: Be not concerned about your voting, thus have I received a tradition from Rabban Johanan b. Zakkai, who heard [it] from his teacher, and his teacher from his teacher, that it is a halachah of Moses from Sinai that in Ammon and Moab the tithe of the poor is to be given in the seventh year. What is the reason? — Many cities were conquered by those who came up from Egypt, which were not conquered by those who came up from Babylon; since the first consecration held [only] for the time, but did not hold for the future [permanently], therefore they were left in order that the poor might be sustained upon them in the seventh year. It is taught: When his mind was calmed, he said: May it be granted that Jose's sight be restored. And it was restored. Our Rabbis taught: Who is [deemed] an imbecile? He that goes out alone at night and he that spends the night in a cemetery, and he that tears his garments. It was taught: R. Huna said: They must all be [done] together. R. Johanan said: Even if [he does only] one of them. What is the case? If he does them in an insane manner, even one is also [proof]. If he does not do them in an insane manner, even all of them [prove] nothing? — Actually [it is a case where] he does them in an insane manner. But if he spent the night in a cemetery, I might say: He did [it] in order that the spirit of impurity might rest upon him. If he went out alone at night, I might say: He was seized by lycanthropy. If he tore his garment, I might say: He was lost in thought. But as soon as he does them all,^ᵃᵘ^ᵃᵛ^ᵃʷ^ᵃˣ^ᵃʸ^ᵃᶻ^ᵇᵃ^ᵇᵇ^ᵇᶜ^ᵇᵈ^ᵇᵉ^ᵇᶠ^ᵇᵍ^ᵇʰ^ᵇⁱ^ᵇʲ^ᵇᵏ^ᵇˡ^ᵇᵐ^ᵇⁿ^ᵇᵒ^ᵇᵖ^ᵇᵠ^ᵇʳ^ᵇˢ^ᵇᵗ^ᵇᵘ^ᵇᵛ^ᵇʷ^ᵇˣ^ᵇʸ^ᵇᶻ

^ᵃᵘnote:I Chron. XVII, 21; for thought, cf. Midrash quoted in Tosaf. a.l.
^ᵃᵛnote:I.e., according to Rashi, R. Eleazar b. ‘Azariah; but according to Maharsha and Goldschmidt, R. Joshua.
^ᵃʷnote:Eccl. XII, 11.
^ᵃˣnote:The ‘words of the wise’ are identified with ‘the words of the Torah’.
^ᵃʸnote:I.e., unstable and of impermanent authority.
^ᵃᶻnote:The nail driven into the wall makes a hole.
^ᵇᵃnote:To act as witness, or as priest.
^ᵇᵇnote:I.e., in view of the contradictory opinions held by the scholars.
^ᵇᶜnote:I.e., the various opinions do not emanate from different ‘Revelations’, but have their origin in the One Torah, given by the One God. Cf. Tanhuma to Num. XIX, 2, section 8; and ref. to Moses and Akiba Men. 29b.
^ᵇᵈnote:I.e., Moses. The term ‘Shepherd’ (vgr) is applied in the Bible both to God (e.g., Gen. XLVIII, 15; Ps. LXXX, 2) and to Moses (e.g., Isa. LXIII, 11). Maharsha.
^ᵇᵉnote:Ex. XX, 1.
^ᵇᶠnote:,xfrpt According to Jast. from root xfrp (to rub, grind), itself an extension of root lrp (to break). According to Levy, from the Greek. The hopper, being funnel-shaped, more enters it than issues from it, i.e., hear all views, and then sift them and accept the true.
^ᵇᵍnote:I.e., R. Joshua to his two disciples.
^ᵇʰnote:I.e., why did they at first evade R. Joshua's request by saying: We are thy disciples etc.?
^ᵇⁱnote:I.e., woman of Damascus.
^ᵇʲnote:Cf. I Chron. VIII, 12; afterwards Lydda and later Diospolis, near Joppa.
^ᵇᵏnote:According to Rashi, that part of Ammon and Moab which was subjugated by Sihon and Og, and later was captured from them by the Israelites (v. Num. XXI, 21-35. and Hul. 60b). But according to R. Tam (in Tosaf.), it refers to the rest of Ammon and Moab, not conquered by Sihon and Og.
^ᵇˡnote:In Transjordania, which did not possess the sanctity of Palestine proper, the land did not have to be fallow in the seventh year (cf. Lev. XXV, 2f). Accordingly, the Rabbis ordained that the tithe of the poor, although given the preceding year, should again be given in the seventh year. V. Deut. XIV, 28-29 and Sifre a.l.; cf. also Lev. XXIII, 22 and Deut. XXIV, 19.
^ᵇᵐnote:Lit., ‘receive thine eyes’, a euphemism. He was vexed because R. Jose ascribed an old traditional law to the particular session in his college.
^ᵇⁿnote:Ps. XXV, 14.
^ᵇᵒnote:I.e., have no scruples concerning it.
^ᵇᵖnote:Lit., ‘our teacher’, the honorific title of several descendants of Hillel, and of R. Johanan b. Zakkai.
^ᵇᵠnote:A statute in immemorial usage. V. Strack, op. cit., p. 9 and nn. 17-21.
^ᵇʳnote:I.e., under Joshua: the territory conquered by Israel became holy.
^ᵇˢnote:I.e., till the first exile.
^ᵇᵗnote:But the territory occupied by those who returned from Babylon was consecrated for ever.
^ᵇᵘnote:I.e., Ammon and Moab were left unconsecrated after the Babylonian captivity.
^ᵇᵛnote:Lit., ‘that Jose's eyes may return to their place’.
^ᵇʷnote:Cf. Aboth III, 4.
^ᵇˣnote:I.e., a person is not considered legally an imbecile till he performs all the above mentioned acts together. [Var. lec. rightly omit together’].
^ᵇʸnote:I.e., he did it with full understanding for the purpose of conjuring up evil spirits for magical purposes (Rash); or to receive communications from them, cf. LXX in Isa. LXV, 4 (A. W. Streane).
^ᵇᶻnote:xuphrsbd corruption of the Grk. ** or ** sub **: German, Wolfsmuth.