Pesachim

is like its prohibition: just as its prohibition is for as much as an olive,1 so its return is for as much as an olive. It was taught, R. Nathan said: Both2 have the standard of two eggs; but the Sages did not agree with him. And it shall come to pass in that day that there shall not be light, but heavy clouds [yekaroth] and thick [we-kippa'on];3 what does yekaroth we-kippa'on mean? — Said R. Eleazar: This means, the light which is precious [yakar] in this world, is yet of little account [kapuy]4 in the next world.5 R. Johanan said: This refers to Nega'im and Ohaloth,6 which are difficult [heavy] in this world yet shall be light [easily understood] in the future world. While R. Joshua b. Levi said: This refers to the people who are honoured in this world, but will be lightly esteemed in the next world. As was the case of R. Joseph the son of R. Joshua b. Levi, [who] became ill and fell into a trance. When he recovered, his father asked him, ‘What did you see?’ ‘I saw a topsy-turvy world’, he replied, ‘the upper [class] underneath and the lower on top’’ he replied: ‘My son’, he observed, ‘you saw a clear world.7 And how are we [situated] there?’ ‘Just as we are here, so are we there. And I heard them saying, "Happy is he who comes hither with his learning in his hand". And I also heard them saying, "Those martyred by the State, no man can stand within their barrier"’ .8 Who are these [martyrs]? Shall we say, R. Akiba and his companions?9 is that because they were martyrs of the State and nothing else?10 Rather [he meant] the martyrs of Lydda.11 In that day there shall be upon the bells of the horses [meziloth ha-sus]: HOLY UNTO THE LORD.12 What does ‘meziloth ha-sus’ [intimate]? — Said R. Joshua b. Levi: The Holy One, blessed be He, is destined to add to Jerusalem as far as a horse can run and cast its shadow [mazzil — under itself].13 R. Eleazar said: All the bells which are hung on a horse between its eyes shall be holy unto the Lord.14 While R. Johanan said: All the spoil which Israel shall take spoil [from morning] until a horse can run and cast its shadow [under itself] shall be holy unto the Lord. As for him who explains it [as referring to] all the spoil which Israel shall take spoil, it is well: hence it is written, and the pots in the Lord's house shall be like the basins before the altar.15 But according to those who give the [other] two explanations, what is [the relevance of] ‘and the pots in the Lord's house shall be’ [etc.]? — [The verse] states another thing, viz., that Israel will become wealthy, make votive offerings, and bring them [to the Temple]. As for him who says [that it means] spoil, it is well: that is what is written, and in that day there shall be no more a trafficker in the house of the Lord of hosts.16 But according to those who give the [other] two explanations, what does and there shall be no more a trafficker [kena'ani] [etc.] mean? — Said R. Jeremiah: No poor man shall be here.17 And how do we know interdict. A passage describing the death of great scholars, ten in number, is found in the liturgies for the Day of Atonement and the Fast of Ab. Some of the most famous of them were R. Gamaliel, R. Judah b. Baba and R. Akiba. that [kena ‘ani] connotes a merchant? — Because it is written, And Judah saw there the daughter of a certain Canaanite [kena'ani]:18 what does ‘kena'ani’ mean? Shall we say, literally a Canaanite: is it possible that Abraham came and admonished Isaac, Isaac came and admonished Jacob,19 and then Judah went and married [a Canaanite]! Rather, said R. Simeon b. Lakish: [It means] the daughter of a merchant, as it is written, As for the trafficker [kena'an], the balances of deceit are in his hand,20 Alternatively, I can quote this: Whose merchants are princes, whose traffickers [kin'anehah] are the honourable of the earth.21 And the Lord shall be King over all the earth; in that day shall the Lord be One, and His name one:22 is He then not One now? — Said R. Aha b. Hanina: Not like this world is the future world. In this world, for good tidings one says, ‘He is good, and He doeth good’, while for evil tidings he says, ‘Blessed be the true Judge’;23 [whereas] in the future world it shall be only ‘He is good and He doeth good’.24 ‘And His name one’: what does ‘one’ mean? Is then now His name not one? — Said R. Nahman b. Isaac; Not like this world is the future world. [In] this world [His name] is written with a yod he25 and read as alef daleth;26 but in the future world it shall all be one: it shall be written with yod he and read as yod he. Now, Raba thought of lecturing it at the session, [whereupon] a certain old man said to him, It is written, le'alem.27 R. Abina pointed out a contradiction: It is written, this is my name, to be hidden; [and it is also written],28 and this is my memorial unto all generations?29 The Holy One, blessed be He, said: Not as I [i.e., My name] and written am I read: I am written with a yod he, while I am read as alef daleth.30 CHAPTERIV MISHNAH. WHERE IT IS THE CUSTOM TO DO WORK ON THE EVE OF PASSOVER UNTIL MIDDAY ONE MAY DO [WORK]; WHERE IT IS THE CUSTOM NOT TO DO [WORK], ONE MAY NOT DO [WORK]. HE WHO GOES FROM A PLACE WHERE THEY WORK TO A PLACE WHERE THEY DO NOT WORK, ON FROM A PLACE WHERE THEY DO NOT WORK TO A PLACE WHERE THEY DO WORK, WE LAY UPON HIM THE RESTRICTIONS OF THE PLACE WHENCE HE DEPARTED AND THE RESTRICTIONS OF THE PLACE WHITHER HE HAS GONE; And it shall come . . . the light will not be precious but (only) of small account. spite of the Roman as to save the people as a whole; v. Ta'an. 18b. Lyyda was a district in Asia Minor, to which belonged the city Laodicea, which city it denotes here. spoil. (le'alem, okgk). Thus this indicates that God's name must be kept secret; whereas ‘this is my memorial’ etc. implies that He is to be known by this name. Another version, accepting the reading le'olam (for ever) explains the difficulty thus: since God states this is my name, it is obvious that He is to be known by it: why then add, ‘and this is my memorial’ etc.? designation, but was held to express the essence of the Godhead. The right way of pronouncing the Tetragrammaton was not generally known, being preserved as an esoteric teaching. Cf. Kid., Sonc. ed. p. 361, n. 6. and Sanh., Sonc. ed. p. 407, n. 2.