Megillah

He [Nabal] is a rebel against the king and no trial is necessary for him.1 She replied; Saul is still alive, and your fame is not yet spread abroad in the world. Then he said to her: Blessed be thy discretion and blessed be thou, that hast kept me this day from bloodguiltiness.2 The word damim [bloodguiltiness] is plural, to indicate two kinds of blood.3 The passage teaches that she bared her thigh4 and he went three parasangs by the light of it.5 He said, Listen to me. She replied, Let not this be a stumbling-block to thee.6 The word ‘this’ implies that something else would be, and what was that? The incident of Bathsheba; and so it was eventually.7 The soul of thy lord shall be bound up in the bundle of life.8 When she left him she said to him, and when the Lord shall have done good to my lord . . . then remember thy handmaid.9 R. Nahman said: This bears out the popular saying, While a woman talks she spins.10 Some adduce the saying: The goose stoops as it goes along, but its eyes peer afar. ‘Hulda, as it is written, So Hilkiah the priest and Ahikam and Achbor etc.11 But if Jeremiah was there,12 how could she prophesy? — It was said in the school of Rab in the name of Rab: Hulda was a near relative of Jeremiah, and he did not object to her doing so. But how could Josiah himself pass over Jeremiah and send to her? — The members of the school of R. Shila replied, Because women are tender-hearted.13 R. Johanan said: Jeremiah was not there, as he had gone to bring back the ten tribes. Whence do we know that they returned? — Because it is written, For the seller shall not return to that which is sold.14 Now is it possible that after the Jubilee had ceased15 the prophet should prophesy that it will cease? The fact is that it teaches that Jeremiah brought them back.16 Josiah the son of Amon ruled over them, as it says, Then he said, What monument is that which I see? And the men of the city told him, It is the sepulchre of the man of God who came from Judah, and proclaimed these things that thou hast done against the altar in Beth-el.17 Now what connection is there between Josiah and the altar in Bethel?18 What it teaches therefore is that Josiah reigned over them. R. Nahman said: We learn it from here: Also, O Judah, there is a harvest appointed for thee, when I would turn the captivity of my people.19 ‘Esther,’ as it is written, Now it came to pass on the third day that Esther clothed herself in royalty.20 Surely it should say,’royal apparel’? What it shows is that the holy spirit clothed her. It is written here, ‘and she clothed’, and it is written in another place. Then the spirit clothed Amasai, etc.21 R. Nahman said: Haughtiness does not befit women. There were two haughty women, and their names are hateful, one being called a hornet22 and the other a weasel.23 Of the hornet it is written, And she sent and called Barak,24 instead of going to him. Of the weasel it is written, Say to the man,25 instead of ‘say to the king’. R. Nahman said: Hulda was a descendant of Joshua. It is written here [in connection with Hulda]. The son of Harhas,26 and it is written in another place [in connection with Joshua], In Timnath-Heres.27 R. ‘Ena Saba cited the following in objection to R. Nahman: ‘Eight prophets who were also priests were descended from Rahab the harlot, namely, Neriah, Baruch, Serayah, Mahseyah, Jeremiah, Hilkiah, Hanamel and Shallum.’ R. Judah says: Hulda the prophetess was also one of the descendants of Rahab the harlot. [We know this] because it is written here ‘the son of Tikvah’ and it is written elsewhere [in connection with Rahab]. ‘the line [tikvath] of scarlet thread’!28 — He replied: ‘’Ena Saba’29 — or, according to another report. ‘Black bowl’,30 — the truth can be found by combining my statement and yours’.31 We must suppose that she became a proselyte and Joshua married her. But had Joshua any children? Is it not written, Nun his son, Joshua his son?32 — He had no sons, but he had daughters. should Nabal die (Rashi). Josiah. the Jordan were deported (Rashi).