Megillah

‘MAY THE GOOD BLESS THEE’, THIS IS A CUSTOM OF HERESY.1 [IF HE SAYS], ‘MAY THY MERCIES REACH THE NEST OF A BIRD’, ‘MAY THY NAME BE MENTIONED FOR WELL-DOING’, ‘WE GIVE THANKS, WE GIVE THANKS’,2 HE IS SILENCED. IF HE INTRODUCES EUPHEMISMS INTO THE PORTION DEALING WITH FORBIDDEN MARRIAGES,3 HE IS SILENCED. IF HE SAYS, [INSTEAD OF] ‘AND THOU SHALT NOT GIVE ANY OF THY SEED TO SET THEM APART TO MOLOCH’, ‘THOU SHALT NOT GIVE TO TRANSFER IT TO A GENTILE WOMAN’,4 HE IS BOTH SILENCED AND REBUKED.5 GEMARA. We understand the prohibition of saying ‘WE GIVE THANKS, WE GIVE THANKS’, because he seems to be addressing two Powers;6 also of ‘THY NAME BE MENTIONED FOR WELL-DOING’, because this implies, for good, yes, for evil, no, and we have learnt, ‘It is the duty of a man to bless [God] for evil in the same way as he blesses for good’.7 But what is the reason for prohibiting, ‘MAY THY MERCIES REACH THE NEST OF A BIRD’?8 — Different answers were given by two Amoraim in the West [Palestine], R. Jose b. Abin and R. Jose b. Zebida. One said, it is because he creates jealousy in the work of the creation,9 and the other says it is because he makes the commands10 of the Holy One, blessed be He, acts of grace, whereas they are only decrees.11 A certain man went down [before the ark] in the presence of Rabbah and said, ‘Thou hast shown pity to the nest of a bird, do thou have pity and mercy on us’; (Thou hast shown pity to an animal and its young,12 do thou have pity and mercy on us). Said Rabbah: How well this Rabbi knows how to placate his Master! Said Abaye to him: But we have learnt, HE IS SILENCED? — Rabbah only wanted to sharpen Abaye's wits. A certain [reader] went down before the ark in the presence of R. Hanina and said, ‘The great, the mighty, the terrible, the majestic, the strong, the powerful God’. He said to him: Have you finished the praises of your Master? Even the first three, had it not been that Moses wrote them in the Law13 and the Men of the Great Synagogue came and ordained them,14 we should not recite; and you say all this! It is as if a man had thousands of thousands of denarii of gold and people to praise his wealth would say he had a thousand. Would it not be an insult to him? R. Hanina said: Everything is in the hands of heaven except the fear of heaven15 as it says, And now, Israel, what doth the Lord thy God ask of thee but to fear.16 Are we to infer from this that fear is a small thing? — Yes; for Moses our teacher it was a small thing. In the same way, if a man is asked for a big article and he has it, it seems to him only small, but if he is asked for a small article and he has it not, it seems big to him. R. Zera said: For one to say, ‘Hear, Hear’,17 is like saying, ‘We give thanks, we give thanks’. The following was cited in objection to this: ‘He who recites the Shema’ and repeats is reprehensible’. He is only reprehensible, but we do not silence him? — There is no contradiction. In the one case we suppose he repeats each word as he says it,18 in the other that he repeats a whole sentence.19 Said R. Papa to him: But perhaps [the reason why he repeats] is because at first he was not thinking of what he said, and now he does think? — He replied: Is he to treat heaven like an ordinary acquaintance?20 If he does not think of what he is saying, I will hit him with a hammer till he does think. IF HE INTRODUCES EUPHEMISMS INTO THE PASSAGE DEALING WITH FORBIDDEN MARRIAGES, HE IS SILENCED. R. Joseph learned: [If, for example, he says] ‘the shame of his father, the shame of his mother’.21 IF ONE SAYS, AND THOU SHALT NOT GIVE ANY OF THY SEED TO SET THEM APART etc. In the school of R. Ishmael it was stated: The text speaks of an Israelite who has intercourse with a Cuthean woman and begets from her a son for idolatry.22 MISHNAH. THE INCIDENT OF REUBEN IS READ IN SYNAGOGUE BUT NOT TRANSLATED.23 THE STORY OF TAMAR24 IS READ AND TRANSLATED. THE FIRST ACCOUNT OF THE INCIDENT OF THE GOLDEN CALF25 IS BOTH READ AND TRANSLATED, THE SECOND26 IS READ BUT NOT TRANSLATED. THE BLESSING OF THE PRIESTS27 IS READ BUT NOT TRANSLATED. THE STORIES OF DAVID28 AND AMNON29 ARE READ BUT NOT TRANSLATED. THE PORTION OF THE CHARIOT30 IS NOT READ AS A HAFTARAH, BUT R. JUDAH PERMITS THIS. R. ELEAZAR SAYS: THE PORTION, MAKE KNOWN TO JERUSALEM’,31 IS NOT READ AS A HAFTARAH. GEMARA. Our Rabbis taught: Some portions [of the Scripture] are both read and translated, some are read but not translated, [and some are neither read nor translated].32 The following are both read and translated: (Mnemonic: B'L'T’ ‘E'K'N’ N'SH'P'H’).33 The account of the creation34 is both read and translated. Certainly! — You might think that [through hearing it] people are led to inquire what is above and what is below, departure from the text which is an injunction against Moloch worship. [Aruch (s.v. ort): ‘Thou shalt not give any of thy seed to the Arameans to set them apart to Moloch’, implying that the prohibition applies only to the Moloch worship of a particular nation. Albeck Ch., Bericht Hochschule, Berlin 1930 p. 55 renders it: thou shalt not give thy seed to pass to heathendom, viz., to introduce them to the knowledge of heathen culture and custom.] Talmud and Midrash pp. 202ff.] explain the words of the Mishnah which are somewhat obscure (Rashi). [According to Aruch's and Albeck's explanations (v. p. 149, n. 3) the Mishnah does not denounce R. Ishmael's version.] Amnon; Sh =Abshalom, P = Pilegesh (concubine); H =hoda’ (make known).