Chagigah

And who is like unto Thy people Israel, a nation one in the earth.1 And he2 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.3 Why are the words of the Torah4 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;5 therefore the text says: ‘nails’. But [should you think] that just as the nail diminishes6 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 disqualifying7 and others declaring fit. Should a man say: How in these circumstances shall I learn Torah?8 Therefore the text says: ‘All of them are given from one Shepherd’. One God gave them;9 one leader10 uttered them from the mouth of the Lord of all creation, blessed be He; for it is written: ‘And God spoke all these words’.11 Also do thou make thine ear like the hopper12 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 them13 in the following words: It is not an orphan generation in which R. Eleazar b. ‘Azariah lives. But they could have told him directly!14 — It was on account of a certain occurrence. For it is taught: Once R. Jose b. Durmaskith15 went to pay his respects to R. Eliezer at Lod.16 Said the latter to him: What new thing was taught in College today? He replied: They decided by vote that in Ammon and Moab17 the tithe of the poor should be given in the seventh year.18 Said [R. Eliezer] to him: Jose, stretch forth thine hands and lose thy sight.19 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.20 He [then] said to him: Go, say to them: Be not concerned about your voting,21 thus have I received a tradition from Rabban22 Johanan b. Zakkai, who heard [it] from his teacher, and his teacher from his teacher, that it is a halachah of Moses from Sinai23 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 consecration24 held [only] for the time,25 but did not hold for the future [permanently],26 therefore they were left27 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. 28 And it was restored. Our Rabbis taught: Who is [deemed] an imbecile? He that goes out alone at night29 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.30 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.31 If he went out alone at night, I might say: He was seized by lycanthropy.32 If he tore his garment, I might say: He was lost in thought. But as soon as he does them all, by the One God. Cf. Tanhuma to Num. XIX, 2, section 8; and ref. to Moses and Akiba Men. 29b. and to Moses (e.g., Isa. LXIII, 11). Maharsha. 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. 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. 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. particular session in his college. rightly omit together’]. receive communications from them, cf. LXX in Isa. LXV, 4 (A. W. Streane).