Chullin

— ‘Blessed’ is recited by the Ophanim.1 Or you may say: Since permission has once been granted it is granted.2 Yea, he strove with an angel, and prevailed; he wept, and made supplication unto him.3 I know not, who prevailed over whom. But when it says. For thou hast striven with God and with men and hast prevailed,4 I know that Jacob became master over the angel. He wept and made supplication unto him!5 I know not who wept unto whom. But when it says: And he said: Let me go,6 I know that the angel wept unto Jacob. ‘For thou hast striven with God and with men’: Said Rabbah: He intimated to him that two princes were destined to come from him: the Exilarch in Babylon and the Prince in the Land of Israel;7 this was also an intimation to him of the exile. And in the vine were three branches.8 R. Hiyya b. Abba said in the name of Rab: These are the three men of excellence that come forth in Israel in every generation; sometimes two are here [in Babylon] and one is in the land of Israel, and sometimes two are in the land of Israel and one is here. And the Rabbis set their eyes upon Rabbana ‘Ukba and Rabbana Nehemiah, the sons of Rab's daughter. Raba said: These are the three princes9 of the nations who plead in Israel's favour in every generation. It was taught: R. Eliezer says: The ‘vine’ is the world, the ‘three branches’ are [the patriarchs] Abraham, Isaac and Jacob; ‘and as it was budding its blossoms shot forth’,10 these are the matriarchs; ‘ad the clusters thereof brought forth ripe grapes’,10 these are the tribes. Thereupon R. Joshua said to him: Is a man shown [in a dream] what has happened? Surely he is only shown what is to happen! Therefore, I say: The ‘vine’ is the Torah, the ‘three branches’ are Moses, Aaron and Miriam; ‘and as it was budding its blossoms shot forth’, these are [the members of] the Sanhedrin;11 ‘and the clusters thereof brought forth ripe grapes’, are the righteous people of every generation. R. Gamaliel said: We still stand in need of the Modiite, for he explains the verse as referring to one place.12 For R. Eleazar the Modiite13 says. The ‘vine’ is Jerusalem, the ‘three branches’ are the Temple, the King and the High priest; ‘and as it was budding its blossoms shot forth’, these are the young priests; ‘and the clusters thereof brought forth ripe grapes’, these are the drink-offerings. R. Joshua b. Levi interprets it in regard to the gifts [bestowed by God upon Israel]. For R. Joshua b. Levi said: The ‘vine’ is the Torah, the ‘three branches’ are the well, the pillar of smoke, and the manna;14 ‘and as it was budding its blossom,s shot forth’, these are the first fruits;15 ‘and the clusters thereof brought forth ripe grapes’, these are the drink-offerings. R. Jeremiah b. Abba said: The ‘vine’ is Israel, for so it is written: Thou didst pluck up a vine out of Egypt.16 The ‘three branches’ are the three Festivals on which Israel go up [to the Temple] every year. ‘And as it was budding’: the time Is come for Israel to be fruitful and to multiply, for so it is written: And the children of Israel were fruitful, and increased abundantly.17 ‘Its blossoms shot forth’: the time is come for Israel to be redeemed. for so it is written: And their lifeblood is dashed against My garments, and I have stained all My raiment.18 ‘And the clusters thereof brought forth ripe grapes’: the time is come for Egypt to drink the cup of staggering. And this is in accordance with what Raba had said: Why are three cups mentioned in connection with Egypt?19 One [refers to the cup] which she drank in the days of Moses; the other to that which she drank in the days of Pharaoh-Necho;20 and the third to that which she is destined to drink together with all the nations. R. Abba said to R. Jeremiah b. Abba: When Rab expounded [this verse] in an Aggadic lecture he expounded it as you have done. R. Simeon b. Lakish said: This people [Israel] is like unto a vine: its branches are the aristocracy, its clusters the scholars, its leaves the common people, its twigs those in Israel that are void of learning. This is what was meant when word was sent from there [Palestine]. ‘Let the clusters pray for the leaves, for were it not for the leaves the clusters could not exist’. 21 So I bought her [wa-ekreha] to me for fifteen pieces of silver [and a homer of barley, and a half-homer of barley].22 Said R. Johanan in the name of R. Simeon b. Jehozadak: The word ‘Kirah’23 must mean ‘buying’,24 for so it is written: In my grave which I bought [karithi] for me.25 ‘For fifteen’: that is the fifteenth day of Nisan when Israel was redeemed out of Egypt. ‘Pieces of silver’: these are the righteous, for so it is written: He has taken the bag of silver with him.26 ‘And a homer of barley and a half-homer of barley:’27 these are the forty-five righteous men on account of whom the world continues to exist. But I know not whether thirty of them are here [in Babylon] and fifteen in the land of Israel, or thirty in the land of Israel and fifteen here [in Babylon]; but when the verse says. And I took the thirty pieces of silver and cast them into the treasury, in the house of the Lord,28 I know that thirty [righteous men] are in the land of Israel and fifteen here. Said Abaye: Most of them are to be found in the synagogue under the side chamber.29 And I said to them: If ye think good, give me my hire; and if not, forbear. So they weighed out for my hire thirty pieces of silver.30 Said Rab Judah: These are the thirty righteous men among the nations of the world31 by whose virtue the nations of the world continue to exist. Ulla said: These are the thirty commandments32 which the sons of Noah took upon themselves but they observe three of them, namely, Ezek. I. even when it occurs after two words or even after one word. and leaders, the former as men. their wanderings in the wilderness because of the merits of Miriam, Aaron and Moses respectively. offered. The cup of staggering. buy.