Megillah

now, [say you]! Do we not say that they did not require to be sanctified?1 What [you should say is], they found these and enumerated them. And not only in these alone, but in every one in regard to which you shall find a tradition from your ancestors that it was walled from the days of Joshua son of Nun, all these precepts2 are to be observed, because the first holiness was conferred for the time being and for all future time. There is thus a contradiction between two statements of R. Ishmael! — Two Tannaim report R. Ishmael son of R. Jose differently.Or if you like, I can say that the latter dictum emanates from R. Eleazar b. Jose, as it has been taught: ‘R. Eleazar b. Jose says: That has [no] wall;3 even though it has not now, but it had in previous times.’ And it came to pass in the days of Ahasuerus.4 R.Levi, or some say R. Jonathan said: The following remark is a tradition handed down to us from the Men of the Great Assembly:5 wherever in the Scripture we find the term wa-yehi[and it was, and it came to pass], it indicates [the approach of] trouble.6 Thus, and it came to pass in the days of Ahasuerus — there was Haman. And it came to pass in the days when the Judges judged7 — ‘there was a famine’. And it came to pass when man began to multiply8 — then ‘God Saw that the wickedness of man was great’. And it came to pass, as they journeyed east9 — then ‘they said, come let us build a city’. And it came to pass in the days of Amrafel10 — then ‘they made war’. And it came to pass when Joshua was in Jericho11 — then ‘his [the angel's] sword was drawn in his hand’.12 And the Lord was [wa-yehi] with Joshua13 — then, ‘the children of Israel committed a trespass’, And there was a certain man of Ramathaim-Zophim14 — then, for he loved Hannah but the Lord had shut up her womb’. And it came to pass when Samuel was old15 — then, ‘his sons walked not in his ways’. And David had [wa-yehi] great success in all his ways16 — then, ‘And Saul eyed David’.17 And it came to pass when the king dwelt in his house18 — then, ‘Nevertheless thou shalt not build the house’.19 But is it not written, — And it came to pass on the eighth day,20 and it has been taught, ‘On that day there was joy before the Holy One, blessed be He, as on the day when heaven and earth were created. For it is written, And it came to pass [wa-yehi] on the eighth day, and it is written in the other place, And there was [wa-yehi] one day’?21 Nadab and Abihu died on that day. But is it not written, And it came to pass in the four hundred and eightieth year,22 And it came to pass when Jacob saw Rachel,23 and it is also written, And there there was evening and there was morning one day, and there is the second day and the third, and there are many other cases? — R. Ashi replied: The fact is that ‘wa-yehi’ sometimes has this signification and sometimes not, but the expression ‘and it came to pass in the days of’ always indicated trouble. Five times we find the expression ‘and it came to pass in the days of’; viz., ‘And it came to pass in the days when the Judges judged’, ‘and it came to pass in the days of Amrafel’, ‘and it came to pass in the days of Ahaz’,24 ‘and it came to pass in the days of Jehoiakim’.25 R. Levi further said: The following is a tradition that we have from our ancestors, that Amoz26 and Amaziah27 were brothers. What does this tell us?28 — It confirms what was said by R. Samuel b. Nahmani in the name of R. Jonathan: Every bride who is modest in the house of her father-in-law is rewarded by having kings and prophets among her descendants. How do we prove this? From Tamar, as it is written, And Judah saw her and thought her to be a harlot; for she had covered her face.29 Now because she had covered her face did he think her to be a harlot? Rather, what it means is that because she had covered her face in the house of her father-in-law and he did not know her, she was rewarded by having among her descendants kings and prophets; kings from David, and prophets — as R. Levi said, ‘It is a tradition handed down to us from our ancestors that Amoz and Amaziah were brothers’, and it is written, The vision of Isaiah son of Amoz.30 R. Levi further said: We have a tradition from our ancestors that the ark took up no room.31 It has been taught to the same effect: ‘The ark which Moses made had round it an [empty] space of ten cubits on every side’. Now it is written, And in front of the Sanctuary was twenty cubits in length [and twenty cubits in breadth],32 and it is also written, And the wing of the one cherub was ten cubits and the wing of the other cherub was ten cubits.33 Where then was the ark itself? We must therefore conclude that it stood by a miracle [without occupying any room].34 R. Jonathan prefaced his discourse on this section35 with the text,36 And I will rise against them, saith the Lord, and cut off from Babylon name and remnant’, and offshoot and offspring, saith the Lord,37 [which he expounded as follows]: ‘Name’ means script; ‘remnant is language;38 ‘offshoot’ is kingdom, and ‘offspring’ is Vashti. R. Samuel b. Nahmani introduced his discourse on this section with the following text: Instead of the thorn shall come up the cypress, and instead of the brier shall come up the myrtle:39 ‘Instead of the thorn’: instead of the wicked Haman who put himself up as an object of worship, as it is written, and upon all thorns and upon all brambles40 ‘shall come up the cypress’: this is Mordecai who was called the chief of all spices, as it is said, And do thou take to thee the chief spices,flowing myrrh,41 which [last words] we translate [in Aramaic], mar deki.42 ‘Instead of the brier’: instead of the wicked Vashti, the daughter of the wicked Nebuchadnezzar who burnt the ceiling of the house of the Lord; as it is written, its top was gold,43 ‘the myrtle shall come up’: this is the virtuous Esther who is called Hadassah,44 as it is said, And he brought up Hadassah.45 ‘And it shall be to the Lord for a name’: this is the reading of the Megillah; ‘and for an everlasting sign which shall not be cut off’: these are the days of Purim. R. Joshua b. Levi introduced his discourse on this section with the following text: And it shall come to pass that as the Lord rejoiced over you to do you good, so the Lord will rejoice over you to cause you to perish.46 Now does the Holy One, blessed be He, rejoice in the downfall of the wicked? Is it not written, as they went out before the army, and say, Give thanks unto the Lord, for his mercy endureth for ever’,47 and R. Johanan said, Why are the words ‘for he is good’ omitted from this thanksgiving? Because the Holy One, blessed be He, does not rejoice in the downfall of the wicked? And R. Johanan further said, What is the meaning of the verse, And one came not near the other all the night?48 The ministering angels wanted to chant their hymns, but the Holy One, blessed be He, said, The work of my hands is being drowned in the sea, and shall you chant hymns? — R. Eleazar replied: He himself does not rejoice, but he makes others rejoice. This is indicated also by the text, which writes yasis and not yasus;49 which proves [what we said]. R. Abba b. Kahana introduced his discourse on this section with the following text: For to the man that is good in his sight he giveth wisdom, and knowledge and joy.50 This, he said, is the righteous Mordecai. But to the sinner He giveth the task, to gather and to heap up;50 this is Haman. That he may leave it to him, that is good in the sight of God;50 this refers to Mordecai and Esther, as it is written, And Esther set Mordecai over the house of Haman.51 Rabbah b. ‘Ofran introduced his discourse on this section with the following text: And I will set my throne in Elam, and will destroy from thence king and princes.52 ‘King’ indicates Vashti, and ‘princes’ indicates Haman and his ten sons. R. Dimi b. Isaac introduced his discourse on this section with the following text: year. meanings, he being of the opinion that the first holiness is retained for all times, in contradistinction to R. Ishmael. These then are the two Tannaim who differ on this point. Maharsha. yasus rejoice’.