Sanhedrin

A certain min3   said to R. Hanina: Hast thou heard how old Balaam was? — He replied: It is not actually stated, but since it is written, Bloody and deceitful men shall not live out half their days,  [it follows that] he was thirty-three or thirty-four years old.  He rejoined: Thou hast said correctly; I personally have seen Balaam's Chronicle, in which it is stated, 'Balaam the lame was thirty years old when Phinehas the Robber killed him.'6 Scripture writes Doeg  and Doeeg:  R. Johanan said: At first the Holy One, blessed be He, sits and is anxious lest one go out on an evil course. But when he has done so, He exclaims, 'Woe, that he has entered [on an evil path]!' (Mnemonic: The Mighty, Wicked, Righteous, Riches, Scribe.) R. Isaac said: What is meant by the verse, Why boastest thou thyself in mischief, O mighty man? The goodness of God endureth continually?  — The Holy One, blessed be He, said to Doeg,  'Art thou not a mighty man in Torah? Why then boastest thou thyself in mischief?  Is not the love of God continually spread over thee?' R. Isaac also said: What is meant by the verse; But unto the wicked God sayeth, What hast thou to do to declare my statutes?  The Holy One, blessed be He, said to the wicked Doeg, 'What hast thou to do to declare [i.e., study] my statutes: when thou comest to the sections dealing with murderers and slanderers, how dost thou expound them?'  Or that thou shouldst take my covenant in thy mouth?  R. Ammi said: Doeg's learning was only from the lips without.  R. Isaac also said: What is meant by the verse, The righteous also shall see, and fear, and shall laugh at him?  — At first they shall fear [the wicked person], but subsequently laugh at him. R. Isaac also said: What is meant by the verse, He hath swallowed down riches, and he shall vomit them up again: God shall cast them out of his belly?  David pleaded before the Holy One, blessed be He, 'Sovereign of the Universe! Let Doeg die!' He replied, 'He hath swallowed down riches, and he shall vomit them up again.'  He rejoined, 'Let God cast them out of his belly!' R. Isaac also said: What is meant by God shall likewise destroy thee for ever?  — The Holy One, blessed be He, said to David, 'Let us bring Doeg to the future world.' He replied to Him, 'God shall likewise destroy thee for ever.' What is meant by the verse, He shall take thee away, and pluck thee out of the tent, and root thee out of the land of the living. Selah?  The Holy One, blessed be He, urged, 'Let a law be stated in his name in the schoolhouse,' but he [David] replied to Him, 'He shall take thee away and pluck thee out of the tent. 'Then let his children be Rabbis!' — 'And thy root [shall be torn out] of the land of the living. Selah!' R. Isaac also said: What is meant by the verse, Where is the enumerator, where is the weigher! Where is he that counted the towers!  — Where is he who enumerated all the letters of the Torah?  Where is he who weighed all the light [comparatively unimportant] and heavy [important] [precepts] of the Torah?  Where is he that counted the towers — who counted three hundred fixed laws on a 'tower flying in the air.' R. Ammi said: Doeg and Ahitophel propounded four hundred problems with respect to a tower flying in the air, and not one was solved. Raba observed: Is there any greatness in propounding problems? In the years of Rab Judah the whole study was confined to Nezikin,  whilst we study a great deal even of 'Ukzin;  and when Rab Judah came to the law, 'If a woman preserves vegetables in a pot' — or as others say, 'olives which were preserved with their leaves are clean,'  — he observed, 'I see here the discussion of Rab and Samuel;'  whilst we, on the other hand, have studied Ukzin at thirteen sessions, yet Rab Judah merely took off his shoes, and the rain came down,  whilst we cry out [in supplication] but there is none to heed us. But it is because the Holy One, blessed be He, requires the heart, as it is written, But the Lord looketh on the heart. R. Mesharsheya said: Doeg and Ahitophel did not comprehend legal discussions. Mar Zutra objected: Those of whom it is written, Where is the enumerator, where is the weigher? Where is he that counted the towers?  yet you say that they did not comprehend legal discussions! — But their views were not in accordance with the halachah [final ruling], as it is written, The secret of the Lord is with them that fear him. R. Ammi said: Doeg did not die until he forgot his learning,  as it is written, He shall die without instruction, and in the greatness of his folly he shall go astray.  R. Ashi said: He was smitten with leprosy, for it is said, Thou hast destroyed all them that go a whoring from thee;  whilst elsewhere it is written, [And if it be not redeemed within the space of a full year, then the house … shall be established] la-zemithuth  [to him that hath bought it],  which we translate la-halutin  [i.e., 'absolutely and definitely the purchasers']. And we learnt: The only difference between him who is a mezora' muhlat [definitely a leper] and one who is locked up [for observation] is in respect of letting the hair grow wild and tearing the garments. (Mnemonic: Three, Saw, and Half; and Called.) R. Johanan said: Three destroying angels appeared before Doeg: one caused him to forget his learning, one burnt his soul, and the third scattered his ashes in the synagogues and schoolhouses. R. Johanan also said: Doeg and Ahitophel did not see each other [i.e., were not contemporaries], Doeg living in Saul's reign, Ahitophel in David's. R. Johanan also said: Doeg and Ahitophel did not live out half their days. It has been taught likewise: Bloody and deceitful men shall not live out half their days:  Doeg's entire lifetime amounted only to thirty four years, and Ahitophel's to thirty three. R. Johanan also said: At first David called Ahitophel his teacher, then his companion [colleague], and finally his disciple. At first he called him his teacher, as it is written, But it was thou, a man mine equal, my guide, and mine acquaintance.  Then his companions [as it is written] We took sweet counsel together, and walked into the house of God in company.  Finally his disciple — Yea, mine own familiar friend, in whom I trusted,