Sanhedrin

HE MAY NOT PERFORM HALIZAH NOR MAY IT BE PERFORMED etc. [R. JUDAH SAID etc.] But is this really so?  Did not R. Ashi say, that even according to the view that if a Nasi foregoes his honour his renunciation is accepted, yet if a King foregoes his honour, it is not accepted; for it is written, Thou shalt not in any wise set him over thee  intimating, that his authority  should remain over you?  — A precept is a different matter. NOR MAY ANYONE MARRY [HIS WIDOW. R. JUDAH SAID …] It has been taught: They [the Rabbis] said to R. Judah: He [David] married women of the house of the King who were permissible to him, namely, Merab and Michal. R. Jose was asked by his disciples: How could David marry two sisters while they were both living?  He answered: He married Michal after the death of Merab. R. Joshua b. Korha said: His marriage to Merab was contracted in error,  as it is said, Deliver me my wife Michal whom I betrothed unto me for a hundred foreskins of the Philistines.  How does this prove it? — R. Papa answered: Because he said, My wife Michal but not 'my wife Merab'. Now, what was the error in his marriage [with Merab]? [It was this:] It is written, And it shall be that the man who killeth him, the king will enrich him with great riches and will give him his daughter.  Now he [David] went and slew him, whereupon Saul said to him: I owe thee a debt, and if one betroths a woman by a debt,  she is not betrothed.  Accordingly he gave her to Adriel, as it is written, But it came to pass at the time when Merab, Saul's daughter should have been given to David, that she was given to Adriel the Meholathite to wife.  Then Saul said to David, 'If you still wish me to give you Michal to wife, go and bring me [another] hundred foreskins of the Philistines.' He went and brought them to him. Then he said: 'You have now two claims on me, [the repayment of] a loan  and a perutah.  Now, Saul held that when a loan and a perutah are offered [as kiddushin], he [the would-be husband] thinks mainly of the loan;  but in David's view, when there is a loan and a perutah, the mind is set on the perutah.  Or if you like, I will say, all agree that where a loan and a perutah [are offered], the mind is set on the perutah. Saul, however, thought that [the hundred foreskins] had no value, while David held that they had value at least as food for dogs and cats. How does R. Jose  interpret the verse, Deliver me my wife Michal? — 21 He explains it by another view of his. For it has been taught: R. Jose used to interpret the following confused passage thus: It is written, But the king took the two sons of Rizpah the daughter of Ayah whom she bore unto Saul, Armoni and Mephibosheth, and the five sons of Michal, the daughter of Saul, whom she bore to Adriel the son of Barzillai, the Meholathite etc.  But was Michal really given to Adriel; was she not given to Palti the son of Layish, as it is written, Now Saul had given Michal, David's wife, to Palti the son of Layish? …  But Scripture compares the marriage of Merab to Adriel to that of Michal to Palti, to teach that just as the marriage of Michal to Palti was unlawful.  so was that of Merab to Adriel. Now as to R. Joshua b. Korha,  surely it is written, And the five sons of Michal the daughter of Saul whom she bore to Adriel. — R. Joshua [b. Korha] answers thee: Was it then Michal who bore them? Surely it was rather Merab who bore them! But Merab bore and Michal brought them up; therefore they were called by her name. This teaches thee that whoever brings up an orphan in his home, Scripture ascribes it to him as though he had begotten him. (Mnemonic: Hanina — he called,' Johanan — and his wife,' Eleazar — and Redemption; and Samuel among his Disciples.) R. Hanina says this is derived from the following: And the women her neighbours, gave it a name, saying, There is a son born to Naomi.  Was it then Naomi who bore him? Surely it was Ruth who bore him! But Ruth bore and Naomi brought him up; hence he was called after her [Naomi's] name. R. Johanan says it is derived from the following: And his wife Ha-Jehudiah  bore Yered the father of Gedor [and Heber the father of Soco, and Jekuthiel the father of Zanoah]  and these are the sons of Bithia the daughter of Pharaoh, whom Mered took.  Now, 'Mered' was Caleb; and why was he called Mered?  — Because he opposed the counsel of the other spies.  But was he [Moses]  indeed born of Bithia and not rather of Jochebed? — But Jochebed bore and Bithia reared him;  therefore he was called after her. R. Eleazar says: It is inferred from the following: Thou hast with thine arm redeemed thy people, the sons of Jacob and Joseph, Selah.  Did then Joseph beget them; surely it was rather Jacob? — But Jacob begot and Joseph sustained them; therefore they are called by his name. R. Samuel b. Nahmani said in R. Jonathan's name: He who teaches the son of his neighbour the Torah, Scripture ascribes it to him as if he had begotten him, as it says, Now, these are the generations of Aaron and Moses;  whilst further on it is written, These are the names of the sons of Aaron: thus teaching thee that Aaron begot and Moses taught them; hence they are called by his name. Therefore thus saith the Lord unto the house of Jacob, who redeemed Abraham.  But where do we find that Jacob redeemed Abraham? — Rab Judah answered; It means that he redeemed him from the pains of rearing children;  hence the passage, Jacob shall not now be ashamed, neither shall his face now wax pale.  He shall not now be ashamed — of his father, neither shall his face now become pale — because of his grandfather. [The second husband of David's undivorced wife] is variously called Palti  and Paltiel!  — R. Johanan said: His name was really Palti, but why was he called Paltiel? Because God saved him from transgression.  What did he do [to be delivered from sin]? He planted a sword between her [Michal] and himself, and said, Whoever [first] attempts this thing,  shall be pierced with this sword. But is it not stated: And her husband [Palti] went with her?  — This means that he was to her like a husband.  But is it not written, He went weeping? — This was for losing the good deed [of self-restraint]. Hence [he followed her] to Bahurim, implying that they both had remained like unmarried youths  and not tasted the pleasure of marital relations. R. Johanan said: Joseph's strong [temptation]  was but a petty trial to Boaz;  and that of Boaz was small in comparison with that of Palti son of Layish. 'Joseph's strong temptation was but a petty trial to Boaz,' as it is written, And it came to pass at mid-night and the man was startled, 'wa — yillafeth'.  What is the meaning of wa — yillafeth? — Rab said: His flesh became [as hard] as turnip heads.