Sanhedrin

And Adonijah the son of Haggith exalted himself, saying:' I will be king.  Said Rab Judah in the name of Rab: This teaches us that he attempted to fit [the crown on his head] but it would not fit him. And he prepared him chariots and horses and fifty men to run before him.  What is there remarkable in this?  — Rab Judah said in Rab's name: They all had their spleen  and also the flesh of the soles of their feet cut off. MISHNAH. HE SHALL NOT MULTIPLY HORSES UNTO HIMSELF  — ONLY AS MANY AS SUFFICE FOR HIS CHARIOT. AND SILVER AND GOLD HE SHALL NOT GREATLY MULTIPLY UNTO HIMSELF  — ONLY AS MUCH AS IS REQUIRED FOR 'ASPANYA'.  AND HE SHALL WRITE IN HIS OWN NAME A SEFER TORAH.  WHEN HE GOES FORTH TO WAR HE MUST TAKE IT WITH HIM; ON RETURNING, HE BRINGS IT BACK WITH HIM; WHEN HE SITS IN JUDGMENT IT SHALL BE WITH HIM, AND WHEN HE SITS DOWN TO EAT, BEFORE HIM, AS IT IS WRITTEN: AND IT SHALL BE WITH HIM AND HE SHALL READ THEREIN ALL THE DAYS OF HIS LIFE. GEMARA. Our Rabbis taught: He shall not multiply horses to himself [lo]:  I might think, [this meant] not even such as are required for his horsemen and chariots. Scripture therefore states: 'lo' [to himself]: for himself  he may not multiply, but he may multiply as many as are required for his chariots and horsemen. How then am I to interpret the word horses?  — As [referring to] horses that stand idle.  And whence do we know that even a single idle horse comes under such a prohibition? — Scripture states: that he should multiply sus [a horse].  But if even a single idle horse involves [the prohibition,] He shall not multiply, why state horses [plural]? — To show us that with each single idle horse he transgresses anew the prohibitory command. [Reverting to chariot horses:] Thus, it is only because Scripture wrote 'lo' [to him]: but otherwise, might we have thought that even those necessary for his chariots and horsemen are forbidden?  — It is necessary here to permit a large number. AND SILVER AND GOLD HE SHALL NOT MULTIPLY UNTO HIMSELF etc. Our Rabbis taught: And silver and gold he shall not multiply 'lo' [unto himself]:  I might think [this meant] even for 'aspanya'. Therefore Scripture writes, 'lo'; only for himself [i.e., his own use] may he not multiply silver and gold, but he may do so for 'aspanya'. Thus, it is only because Scripture wrote 'lo': but otherwise, might we have thought that the prohibition extended even to money for 'aspanya'?  — [the word] is necessary here only to permit him a more generous provision. Now that you say that 'lo' [to him] is for purpose of exegesis, how will you interpret, He shall not multiply wives 'lo' [to himself]?  — As excluding commoners. Rab Judah raised a point of contradiction [in the following passages:] It is written, And Solomon had forty thousand stalls of horses for his chariots.  But elsewhere we read, And Solomon had four thousand stalls for horses and chariots.  How are these [to be reconciled]? Thus: If he had forty thousand stables, each of them must have contained four thousand horsestalls; and if he had four thousand stables, each of them must have contained forty thousand stalls. R. Isaac raised the following point of contradiction: It is written, Silver was nothing accounted for in the days of Solomon,  and further, And the king made silver to be in Jerusalem [as plentiful] as stones.  [Hence it had some value?] But these verses present no difficulty; the former refers to the period before he married Pharaoh's daughter; the latter, to the period after he married her. R. Isaac said: When Solomon married Pharaoh's daughter, Gabriel  descended and stuck a reed in the sea, which gathered a sand-bank around it, on which was built the great city of Rome. R. Isaac also said: Why were the reasons of [some] Biblical laws not revealed? — Because in two verses reasons were revealed, and they caused the greatest in the world [Solomon] to stumble. Thus it is written: He shall not multiply wives to himself,  whereon Solomon said, 'I will multiply wives yet not let my heart be perverted.' Yet we read, When Solomon was old, his wives turned away his heart.  Again it is written: He shall not multiply to himself horses;concerning which Solomon said, 'I will multiply them, but will not cause [Israel] to return [to Egypt].' Yet we read: And a chariot came up and went out of Egypt for six [hundred shekels of silver]. AND HE SHALL WRITE IN HIS OWN NAME A SEFER TORAH. A Tanna taught: And he must not take credit  for one belonging to his ancestors. Rabbah said: Even if one's parents have left him a Sefer Torah, yet it is proper that he should write one of his own, as it is written: Now therefore write ye this song  for you. Abaye raised an objection: 'He [the king] shall write a Sefer Torah for himself, for he should not seek credit  for one [written] by others:' [Surely, this implies] only a king [is thus enjoined], but not a commoner? — No, it is necessary here to teach the need for two Scrolls of the Law [for the King], even as it has been taught: And he shall write him the repetition  of this law,  [i.e.,] he shall write for himself two copies, one which goes in and out with him and the other to be placed in his treasure-house. The former which is to go in and out with him, [he shall write in the form of an amulet  and fasten it to his arm, as it is written, I have set God always before me, surely He is at my right hand, I shall not be moved.]  He may not, while wearing it, enter the bath house, or the closet, as it is written: And it shall be with him and he shall read therein  — in places appropriate for reading it. Mar Zutra or, as some say, Mar 'Ukba said: Originally the Torah was given to Israel in Hebrew characters and in the sacred [Hebrew] language; later, in the times of Ezra,  the Torah was given in Ashshurith script  and Aramaic language. [Finally], they selected for Israel  the Ashshurith script and Hebrew language, leaving the Hebrew characters and Aramaic language for the hedyototh. Who are meant by the 'hedyototh'? — R. Hisda answers: The Cutheans.  And what is meant by Hebrew characters? — R. Hisda said: The libuna'ah script. It has been taught: R. Jose said: Had Moses not preceded him, Ezra would have been worthy of receiving the Torah for Israel. Of Moses it is written, And Moses went up unto God,  and of Ezra it is written, He, Ezra, went up from Babylon.  As the going up of the former refers to the [receiving of the] Law, so does the going up of the latter. Concerning Moses, it is stated: And the Lord commanded me at that time to teach you statutes and judgments;  and concerning Ezra, it is stated: For Ezra had prepared his heart to expound the law of the Lord [his God] to do it and to teach Israel statutes and judgments.  And even though the Torah was not given through him, its writing was changed through him, as it is written: