מגילה 28 — Soncino English Talmud

¹, nor have I said grace before a kohen, nor have I eaten of a beast from which the priestly dues have not been given, as R. Isaac said in the name of R. Johanan: It is forbidden to eat from an animal from which the priestly dues have not been given; and R. Isaac further said: To eat from an animal from which the priestly dues have not been given is like eating tebel. The law, however, is not as stated by him. ‘Nor did I say grace before a kohen’. This implies that this is a meritorious action. But has not R. Johanan said: ‘If a talmid hakam allows even a high priest who is all ignoramus to say grace before him, that talmid hakam commits a mortal offence, as it says, All that hate me [mesanne'ai] love death; read not mesanne'ai [that hate me], but masni'ai [that make me hated]’? — When R. Johanan made this remark, he was thinking of equals. R. Nehunia b. ha-Kaneh was asked by his disciples: In virtue of what have you reached such a good old age? He replied: Never in my life have I sought respect through the degradation of my fellow, nor has the curse of my fellow gone up with me upon my bed, and I have been generous with my money. ‘I have not sought respect through the degradation of my fellow’, as illustrated by R. Huna who once was carrying a spade on his shoulder when R. Hana b. Hanilai wanted to take it from him, but he said to him, If you are accustomed to carry in your own town, take it, but if not, I do not want to be paid respect through your degradation. ‘Nor did the curse of my fellow go up on my bed with me’. This is illustrated by Mar Zutra, who, when he climbed into his bed said, I forgive all who have vexed me. ‘I have been generous with my money’, as a Master has said, ‘Job was generous with his money; he used to leave with the shopkeeper a perutah of his change’. R. Akiba asked R. Nehunia the great: In virtue of what have you reached such a good old age? His attendants came and beat him, so he went and sat on the top of a date tree, and said to him: Rabbi, seeing that it says ‘a lamb’, why does it also say ‘one’? Thereupon he [R. Nehunia] said, He is a rabbinical student, leave him alone. He then answered his question, saying, ‘One’ means ‘unique in its flock’. Then he said to him: Never in my life have I accepted presents, nor have I insisted on retribution [when wronged], and I have been generous with my money. ‘I have not accepted presents’, as illustrated by R. Eleazar, who, when presents were sent to him from the Prince would not accept them and when he was invited there would not go. He said to them: Do you not want me to live, since it says, He that hateth gifts shall live? R. Zera, when presents were sent to him from the Prince, would not accept them, but when he was invited there he used to go, saying, They derive honour from my presence. ‘Nor did I insist on retribution’, as Raba said: ‘He who waives his right to retribution is forgiven all his sins, as it says, that pardoneth iniquity and passeth by transgression. Whose iniquity is forgiven? The iniquity of him who passes by transgression. Rabbi asked R. Joshua b. Korha: In virtue of what have you reached such a good old age? He said to him: Do you begrudge me my life? Said Rabbi to him: This is [a point of] Torah, and it is important for me to learn. He replied: Never in my life have I gazed at the countenance of a wicked man; for so R. Johanan said: It is forbidden to a man to gaze at the form of the countenance of a wicked man, as it says, Were it not that I regard the presence of Jehoshaphat the king of Judah, I would not look toward thee nor see thee. R. Eleazar said: His eyes become dim, as it says, And it came to pass that when Isaac was old that his eyes were dim, so that he could not see; because he used to gaze at the wicked Esau. But was that the cause? Has not R. Isaac said: Let not the curse of an ordinary person ever seem of small account to thee, for Abimelech cursed Sarah, and it was fulfilled in her seed, as it says, Behold he is for thee a covering [kesuth] of the eyes. Read not ‘kesuth’ but ‘kesiyath’ [blinding]? — Both caused the affliction. Raba said. We learn it from here, It is not good to respect the person of the wicked. When he was about to depart life, Rabbi said to him, Bless me. He said to him: May it be heaven's will that you attain to half my days. Not to their whole length [he exclaimed]? Shall those who succeed you, [he replied] pasture cattle? Abbuha b. Ihi and Minyamin b. Ihi [both left sayings on this subject]. One said: May I be rewarded because I have never gazed at a Cuthean, and the other said, May I be rewarded because I have never gone into partnership with a Cuthean. R. Zera was asked by his disciples: In virtue of what have you reached such a good old age? He replied: Never in my life have I been harsh with my household, nor have I stepped in front of one greater than myself, nor have I meditated on the Torah in filthy alleys, nor have I gone four cubits without Torah and tefillin, nor have I slept in the beth ha-midrash, either a long or a short sleep, nor have I rejoiced in the downfall of my fellow, nor have I called my fellow by his nickname, (or, as some report, ‘family nickname’). MISHNAH. R. JUDAH SAID FURTHER: IF A SYNAGOGUE HAS FALLEN INTO RUINS, IT IS NOT RIGHT TO DELIVER FUNERAL ORATIONS THEREIN NOR TO WIND ROPES NOR TO SPREAD NETS NOR TO LAY OUT PRODUCE ON THE ROOF [TO DRY] NOR TO USE IT AS A SHORT CUT, AS IT SAYS, AND I WILL BRING YOUR SANCTUARIES UNTO DESOLATION, [WHICH IMPLIES THAT] THEIR HOLINESS REMAINS EVEN WHEN THEY ARE DESOLATE. IF GRASS COMES UP IN THEM, IT SHOULD NOT BE PLUCKED, SO AS TO EXCITE COMPASSION. GEMARA. Our Rabbis taught: ‘Synagogues must not be treated disrespectfully. It is not right to eat or to drink in them^ᵃ^ᵇ^ᶜ^ᵈ^ᵉ^ᶠ^ᵍ^ʰ^ⁱ^ʲ^ᵏ^ˡ^ᵐ^ⁿ^ᵒ^ᵖ^ᵠ^ʳ^ˢ^ᵗ^ᵘ^ᵛ^ʷ^ˣ^ʸ^ᶻ^ᵃᵃ^ᵃᵇ^ᵃᶜ^ᵃᵈ^ᵃᵉ^ᵃᶠ^ᵃᵍ^ᵃʰ^ᵃⁱ^ᵃʲ

^ᵃnote:But invariably gave him precedence, v. Git. 59b.
^ᵇnote:The shoulder, the two cheeks and the maw. Deut. XVIII, 3.
^ᶜnote:Bah. reverses the order of the two last clauses.
^ᵈnote:Produce from which the priestly and levitical dues have not been separated.
^ᵉnote:[Lit., ‘deserves death’, a recurring rabbinic phrase not to be taken literally but merely as expressing strong indignation].
^ᶠnote:Prov. VIII, 36. Wisdom is speaking.
^ᵍnote:The talmid hakam makes wisdom hated by allowing the ignoramus to have precedence.
^ʰnote:I.e., where the priest is also a talmid hakam, even though not of equal standing (Tosaf.).
^ⁱnote:Lit., ‘ready to excuse with my money’.
^ʲnote:V. Glos.
^ᵏnote:For asking such a question, v. infra.
^ˡnote:Num. XXVIII, 4, of the daily sacrifice: one lamb in the evening where ‘a lamb’ would have been sufficient.
^ᵐnote:Lit., ‘insisted on my measures’.
^ⁿnote:Prov. XV, 27.
^ᵒnote:Lit., ‘passes by his measures’.
^ᵖnote:Micah VII, 18.
^ᵠnote:That you ask me such a question.
^ʳnote:Lit., ‘likeness’, with reference to Gen. I, 26.
^ˢnote:Lit., ‘image of the likeness V. ibid.
^ᵗnote:II Kings III, 14. Spoken by Elisha to Jehoram.
^ᵘnote:Gen. XXVII, 1.
^ᵛnote:Ibid. XX, 16.
^ʷnote:Prov. XVIII, 5.
^ˣnote:Your children (Rashi).
^ʸnote:They will also be scholars, and if you live too long, they will not enjoy a position of dignity.
^ᶻnote:Lit., ‘let it come to me’.
^ᵃᵃnote:V. Ber. 24b.
^ᵃᵇnote:I.e., without conning words of Torah.
^ᵃᶜnote:V. Glos.
^ᵃᵈnote:Lit., ‘a fixed or an accidental sleep’.
^ᵃᵉnote:So Rashi. According to Maharsha the reading should be ‘my nickname, i.e., a name of reproach which he himself would reject. [According to some edd. there is no difference in the meaning but in the Hebrew word used to express ‘nickname’, in the former version it is hakinah, in the latter hanikah].
^ᵃᶠnote:The point of the word ‘further’ is not clear, as R. Judah was the most lenient of the authorities quoted in the last Mishnah, and this Mishnah contains restrictions. V. Tosaf.
^ᵃᵍnote:This is taken as typical of any kind of rough work which needs a great deal of room such as a synagogue would provide (Rashi).
^ᵃʰnote:thrsbpe, compendiaria, sc. via.
^ᵃⁱnote:Lev. XXVI, 31.
^ᵃʲnote:In the beholders, and make them pray for the restoration of the holy place.

², nor to dress up in them, nor to stroll about in them, nor to go into them in summer to escape the heat and in the rainy season to escape the rain, nor to deliver a private funeral address in them. But it is right to read [the Scriptures] in them and to repeat the Mishnah and to deliver public funeral addresses. R. Judah said: When is this? When they are still in use; but when they are abandoned, grass is allowed to grow in them, and it should not be plucked, so as to excite compassion’. Who was speaking about grass? — There is an omission, and the statement should read thus: ‘They should be swept and watered so that grass should not grow in them. R. Judah said: When is this? When they are in use; but when they are abandoned, grass is allowed to grow in them; if grass does grow, it is not plucked, so that it may excite compassion R. Assi said: The synagogues of Babylon have been built with a stipulation, and even so they must not be treated disrespectfully. What [for instance] is this? — Doing calculations [for business purposes] in them. R. Assi said: A synagogue in which people make calculations is used for keeping a dead body in over night. You actually think it is used for keeping a dead body in? — Is there no way otherwise? But [say] in the end a meth mizwah will be kept there over night. ‘Nor to dress up in it’. Raba said: The Sages and their disciples are permitted — since R. Joshua b. Levi has said: What is the meaning of ‘Be Rabbanan’? The Rabbis’ house. ‘Nor to go into them in summer to escape the heat and in the rainy season to escape the rain’. For instance, Rabina and R. Ada b. Mattenah were once standing and asking questions of Raba when a shower of rain came on. They went into the synagogue, saying, Why we have gone into the synagogue is not because of the rain, but because the discussion of a legal point requires clarity, like a clear day. R. Aha the son of Raba asked R. Ashi: If a man has occasion to call another out of synagogue, what is he to do? He replied: If he is a rabbinical student, let him say some halachah; if he is a tanna, let him repeat a Mishnah; if he is a Kara, let him say a verse of Scripture; if none of these, let him say to a child, ‘Repeat me the last verse you have learnt’; or else let him stay a little while and then get up. ‘To deliver public funeral addresses in them’. What is meant by a public funeral address? — R. Hisda gave as an example, For instance, a funeral address at which R. Shesheth is present. R. Shesheth mentioned as an example: For instance, a funeral address at which R. Hisda is present. Rafram had a funeral address delivered for his daughter-in-law in the synagogue, saying, To pay honour to me and to the dead all the people will come. R. Zera delivered a funeral address for a certain rabbinicai student in the synagogue, saying, Whether to pay honour to me or to pay honour to the dead, all the public will come. Resh Lakish delivered a funeral address for a certain rabbinical student who frequented the Land of Israel and who used to repeat halachoth before twenty-four rows [of disciples]. He said: Alas! The Land of Israel has lost a great man. [On the other hand] there was a certain man who used to repeat halachoth, Sifra and Sifre and Tosefta, and when he died they came and said to R. Nahman, Sir, will you deliver a funeral oration for him, and he said, How are we to deliver over him an address: Alas! A bag full of books has been lost! Observe now the difference between the rigorous scholars of the Land of Israel and the saints of Babylon. We have learnt in another place: ‘Whoever makes use of a crown, passeth away [from the world]’ and Resh Lakish commented: This applies to one who accepts service from one who can repeat halachoth, and ‘Ulla said: A man may accept service from one who can repeat the four [orders of the Mishnah] but not from one who can [also] teach them. This is illustrated by the following story of Resh Lakish, he was once traveling along a road when he came to a pool of water, and a man came up and put him on his shoulders and began taking him across. He said to the man: Can you read the Scriptures? He answered, I can. Can you repeat the Mishnah? [He replied], I can repeat four orders of the Mishnah. Resh Lakish thereupon said: You have hewn four rocks, and you carry Resh Lakish on your shoulder? Throw the son of Lakisha into the water! He replied: I would sooner that your honour tell me something. If so, he replied, learn from me this dictum which was enunciated by R. Zera: ‘The daughters of Israel imposed spontaneously upon themselves the restriction that if they saw [on their garments] a spot of blood no bigger than a mustard seed, they waited for seven days without issue [before taking a ritual bath]. It was taught in the Tanna debe Eliyyahu: ‘Whoever repeats halachoth may rest assured that he is destined for the future world, as it says, His goings [halikoth] are to eternity. Read not halikoth but halachoth’. Our Rabbis taught:^ᵃᵏ^ᵃˡ^ᵃᵐ^ᵃⁿ^ᵃᵒ^ᵃᵖ^ᵃᵠ^ᵃʳ^ᵃˢ^ᵃᵗ^ᵃᵘ^ᵃᵛ^ᵃʷ^ᵃˣ^ᵃʸ^ᵃᶻ^ᵇᵃ^ᵇᵇ^ᵇᶜ^ᵇᵈ^ᵇᵉ^ᵇᶠ^ᵇᵍ^ᵇʰ

^ᵃᵏnote:I.e., one not attended by the general public.
^ᵃˡnote:V. infra.
^ᵃᵐnote:That they may be used for various purposes.
^ᵃⁿnote:As punishment many will die and there will be no near relatives found to attend to their burial. V. Glos.
^ᵃᵒnote:Lit., ‘at the Rabbis’, the common name for the College, exactly equivalent to the French chez les Rabbins, be being a contraction of beth (the house of).
^ᵃᵖnote:Lit., ‘a day of the north wind’. They could not think clearly in the rain.
^ᵃᵠnote:V. Glos. s.v. (b).
^ᵃʳnote:Lit., ‘reader’; one who could recite correctly the Scriptures by heart; v. Supra p. 133, n. 5.
^ᵃˢnote:Heb. hesped. This was an address in honour of the dead designed to evoke lamentation and mourning, and often delivered by a professional orator called a safdan.
^ᵃᵗnote:Lit., ‘a hesped at which R. Shesheth stands’. (V. Maharsha).
^ᵃᵘnote:R. Shesheth and R. Hisda desired to pay compliments to one another.
^ᵃᵛnote:Rashi reads: Whether to pay honour to me or to the dead.
^ᵃʷnote:This makes it a public funeral address.
^ᵃˣnote:Traditional teachings.
^ᵃʸnote:Sifra is the halachah midrash on Leviticus; Sifre the halachic midrash on Num. V to the end of Deuteronomy; Tosefta the Baraitha of R. Hiyya; v. Sanh. Sonc. ed., p. 567, n. 1.
^ᵃᶻnote:As much as to say, that would not redound to his praise: he could only repeat these books parrot-like, but did not know what they meant.
^ᵇᵃnote:Resh Lakish was from Palestine, R. Nahman from Babylon. On the rigour of the former v. Yoma 9b; on the saintliness of the latter v. Sot. 49b.
^ᵇᵇnote:Ab. I.
^ᵇᶜnote:Apparently the Orders of Zera'im and Toharoth were not considered so necessary as no longer having practical application (V. Maharsha).
^ᵇᵈnote:I.e., explain.
^ᵇᵉnote:So that he might be indebted to Resh Lakish and be allowed to perform service for him.
^ᵇᶠnote:Whereas the law demanded this only if an issue was observed three days running, during the eleven days between the menses, v. supra P. 44, n. 4.
^ᵇᵍnote:I.e., in a Baraitha attributed to Elijah; v. Keth., Sonc. ed. p. 680, n. 2.
^ᵇʰnote:Hab. III, 6. E.V. ‘as of old’.