Talmud zu Wajikra 26:78

HALAKHAH: “Four kinds of execution was the court empowered to impose,” etc. But to the government²The Roman Imperial government. When Caracalla extended Roman citizenship to all free inhabitants of the empire, he thereby abolished crucifixion (except for slaves). only decapitation was given. From where stoning? You shall stone them with stones that they die³Deut. 17:5.. Burning, for it is written, in fire you shall burn him and them⁴Lev. 20:14.. Avenging is written here⁵Ex. 21:20. The slave slain by his master shall be avenged. Babli 52b; the Babli text in Mekhilta dR. Ismael p. 273, dR. Simeon bar Iohai p. 175., and there it is written: I shall bring over you a sword which avenges the vengeance of the Covenant⁶Lev. 26:25.. Since avenging mentioned there is by the sword, also avenging mentioned here is by the sword. Strangling? You do not find it⁷It is not mentioned anywhere in biblical literature as a recognized form of execution. The Babli’s discussion, 52b, is inconclusive.. You say that for any death penalty mentioned in the Torah with no particular indication, you are not empowered to make it more stringent, but only to make it less so; they assigned this to strangling.

The Torah was given at Sinai through Moses' hands, as it says (Deuteronomy 5:19), "He wrote them on two stone tablets, and He gave them to me." And then later it says (Leviticus 26:46), "These are the decrees and the laws and the teachings that the Eternal gave, through Moses on Mount Sinai, between Him and the children of Israel." The Torah that the Holy Blessed One gave to Israel was given only through Moses, as it says (Exodus 31:17), "Between Me and the children of Israel"; Moses merited to be a messenger between the children of Israel and the Omnipresent God. Moses prepared the inaugural ram and the anointing oil, and anointed Aaron and his sons with it all seven days of inauguration, and from it, all the high priests and kings are anointed. And Elazar burned the [red] heifer as a sin offering, with which impurities would be purified for generations. Rabbi Eliezer said: Great is this ritual, for it is practiced throughout the generations, just as Aaron and his sons were sanctified with this anointing oil, as it says (Exodus 30:30), "Anoint Aaron and his sons, and sanctify them to serve as priests.”

What is a Mercurius? Any which borders the ocean or roads¹⁰Indicating a landing spot on the shore or a road crossing on land.. The practice of Mercurius is by throwing. What if he bowed down before it? Rebbi Yose said, essentially is is called Mercurius only for bowing down, a maskit stone you shall not put up in your land to bow down on it¹¹Lev. 26:1. The connection to be made between משׂכית and מרקוליס is not clear.. I could think that one may not put two stones next to one another and put his box down on them, the verse says to bow down on it, you do not bow down on it but you put your box down on it; you do not bow down on it but you bow down on the stones of the Temple¹²Babli Megillah22b; Sifra Behar Pereq9(5)..

Rav commanded to the family of Rav Aḥa, Rebbi Immi commanded to his own family, if you go out on the fast day¹³Usually, “fast day” is one of the days of penitence called in case of a drought, as described in Tractate Ta`anit. However, since the Babli states (Ta`anit11b) in the name of Rav’s colleague R. Jeremiah bar Abba that this kind of fast day is not practiced in Babylonia, Rav’s instructions to the family of Rav Aḥa can only refer to the Fast Day, the Day of Atonement, where it is customary to prostrate oneself during the recitation of Rav’s composition Alenu at the mention that “we prostrate ourselves” and during the enactment of the Temple ceremony of the day. Cf. Note 18. you should not incline normally¹⁴Face down on the floor. The examples following refer to the daily prayers which morning and afternoon have three parts. The first, the “eighteen benedictions” are said standing, the second, “falling down on one’s face”, is said while bending down, and the third, a recitation of biblical verses, is said sitting up straight. Following the majority opinion here and the unquestioned prescription of the Babli (Megillah22b) one may not put down one’s face to the ground but must bend it sideways. This presumes that the synagogue had a stone floor (as shown by the archeological evidence in Galilee.) There would be no need to turn one’s head on a dirt floor or on carpets.. Rebbi Jonah inclined on his side; Rebbi Aḥa inclined on his side. Rebbi Samuel said, I saw Rebbi Abbahu inclining normally. Rebbi Yose said, I pointed out a difficulty before Rebbi Abbahu, is it not written¹¹Lev. 26:1. The connection to be made between משׂכית and מרקוליס is not clear., a maskit stone you shall not put up in your land to bow down on it. Explain it if he fixed a place for it. But is it not written¹⁵2S. 15:32. A “high place” on the Mount of Olives which however had not to be destroyed since there was neither altar nor stone floor., it was when David arrived at the mountaintop where one bows down before God? Except bowing down which is not on the ground. Does there exist bowing down which is not on the ground? They fell down with their faces to the ground and bowed down¹⁶2Chr.7:3.. Rebbi Abbahu added up to give thanks to the Eternal for He is good; Rebbi Mana added up to for eternal is His kindness to Israel¹⁷The additions of RR. Abahu and Mana are in the verse, except for the addition “on Israel” which are not in this verse nor in any other biblical occurrence of the formula give thanks to the Eternal for He is good, for eternal is His kindness.. Rebbi Joḥanan said to Rebbi Ḥiyya bar Abba: Babylonian, two things came from you, the stretching out on the Fast Day¹⁸Prostrating oneself with outstretched arms and legs. Since the only day one did this in Babylonia was the day of Atonement, it must refer to that day., and the willow of the Seventh Day¹⁹Hitting the floor with a bunch of willow twigs on the Seventh Day of the Festival of Tabernacles; an ancient custom to induce ample rains in the coming winter.. The rabbis of Caesarea say, also this blood letting²⁰Traditions of good and bad days for blood letting.. It follows what Rebbi Immi said, the Babylonians in the name of the rabbis there: They permitted prostrating only on a public fast, and only on the side²¹To avoid violating Lev.26:1. These now are Babylonian instructions for the Palestinian fast days for rain which were not practiced in Babylonia.. The younger Rebbi Yannai in the name of his fathers: Anybody who is not qualified like Joshua that if he falls on his face the Holy One, praise to Him, would tell him, get up²²Jos.7:10., should not fall down, in the case of an individual [praying] for the community²³An individual praying in public for the relief of a public calamity may not prostrate himself unless he claims for himself a status at least equal to Joshua’s. A private person praying for private needs may prostrate himself as much and as long as he feels necessary. Babli Megillah22b in the name of R. Eleazar..

⁶²Lev. rabba 36(3). Another explanation: Hand to hand will not cleanse evil. Rebbi Phineas said, that is one who gives alms and expects an immediate reward. Rebbi Simon said, like a man who says, here is a sack, here is a tetradrachma, and here is a se`ah, go and fill it. You should know that this is so, for if the patriarchs had demanded to receive the reward in this world for the good deeds which they did, from where would their merit remain for their descendants after them? That is what Moses told Israel⁶³Lev. 26:42.: I shall remember My covenant with Jacob, etc.

There were seven patriarchs with whom a divine covenant was made, viz.: Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, Aaron, Phinehas and David. In connection with Abraham it is written, In that day the Lord made a covenant with Abraham saying.³⁵Gen. 15, 18. In connection with Isaac it is written, But My covenant will I establish with Isaac.³⁶ibid. XVII, 21. In connection with Jacob it is written, Then will I remember My covenant with Jacob.³⁷Lev. 26, 42. In connection with Moses it is written, For after the tenor of these words I have made a covenant with thee and with Israel.³⁸Ex. 34, 27. In connection with Aaron it is written, It is an everlasting covenant of salt before the Lord.³⁹Num. 18, 19. In connection with Phinehas it is written, And it shall be unto him, and to his seed after him, the covenant of an everlasting priesthood.⁴⁰ibid. XXV, 13. In connection with David it is written, I have made a covenant with My chosen, I have sworn unto David My servant.⁴¹Ps. 89, 4. Perhaps this passage is quoted here to teach men to emulate their special characteristics. Abraham stands as the example of hospitality, Isaac of self-sacrifice, Jacob of scholarship (cf. Gen. 25, 27, where according to Rabbinic interpretation tents means schools), Moses of meekness, Aaron of peace-making, Phinehas of zeal on behalf of God, and David of singing His praise.

R. Joshua b. Levi said: Great is peace, for peace is to the world as leaven is to dough. Had not the Holy One, blessed be He, given peace to the earth, the sword and the beast would have robbed the world¹So H; V reads ‘man’. of its children. Whence²So GRA; V reads ‘why is it written?’ [do we know this]? From what is written, And I will give peace in the land … and I will cause evil beasts to cease out of the land, neither shall the sword go through your land;³Lev. 26, 6. The Heb. for earth and land is the same. and land means nothing else than Israel, as it is stated, And all nations shall call you happy; for ye shall be a delightsome land.⁴Mal. 3, 12. The identification of land with Israel is here evident. V and H add: ‘And it states, And, behold, all the earth sitteth still, and is at rest’. [And so Solomon declared,] One generation passeth away, and another generation cometh; and the earth abideth for ever:⁵Eccl. 1, 4. Solomon said:⁶So GRA. V reads: ‘A kingdom comes and a kingdom goes, but Israel endures for ever. But Solomon, although’. Although a generation passes away and another generation comes, one kingdom goes and another kingdom comes, one decree passes away and a new decree is imposed upon Israel,⁷lit. ‘upon the enemies of Israel’, a euphemism. the earth abideth for ever, i.e. Israel will abide for ever,⁸Earth refers to Israel. [Cf. Midrash ad loc., Sonc. ed., p. 15.] they are not forsaken nor will they be forsaken, they are not destroyed nor will they be destroyed, as it is stated, For I the Lord change not; and ye, O sons of Jacob are not consumed⁹Mal. 3, 6.—as I have not changed nor will I change, so you, the House of Jacob, are not destroyed and will not be destroyed, but [as it is stated], But ye that did cleave unto the Lord your God are alive every one of you this day.¹⁰Deut. 4, 4.

MISHNAH: One may sell a synagogue only on the condition that they could take it back any time they so desire, the words of Rebbi Meïr. But the Sages are saying that one may sell it permanently except for four things⁷⁵They exclude the (thermal) bath house and the (cold) ritual bath because people stand there naked, and tannery and urinal because of the bad smell. Both are considered inappropriate for what had been a place of worship., a bath house, a tannery, a ritual bath, and a urinal. Rebbi Jehudah says, one sells it as a courtyard⁷⁶It can be sold unconditionally as building plot. and the buyer may use it as he pleases.
In addition, Rebbi Jehudah said, in a destroyed synagogue⁷⁸Collapsed, destroyed by fire, or otherwise unusable. one does not eulogize, nor twine ropes, nor set in it traps, nor on its roof lay out produce⁷⁹For example to make raisins or fig cakes., nor use it as a short-cut⁸⁰Latin compendiarium(iter)., for it is said⁸¹Lev. 26:31., I shall lay waste your holy places, they are in their holiness even if laid waste. If grasses are growing there one shall not tear them out because of the bad feeling⁸²People should feel badly enough in seeing weeds grow that they raise the money to rebuild the synagogue..

HALAKHAH: “The order of beheading,” etc. ⁴¹Babli 52b; Tosephta 9:11.“Rebbi Jehudah agrees that there is no death uglier than this but the Torah said⁴²Lev. 18:3., in their statutes you shall not walk.” Rebbi Joḥanan said, also it was stated thus: One shall murder the murderer⁴³Num. 35:30: Any homicide; following witnesses one shall murder the murderer., the way he murdered. I could think that if he killed with a sword, one should kill him with a sword, with a rod one should kill him with a rod? Avenging is written here⁵Ex. 21:20. The slave slain by his master shall be avenged. Babli 52b; the Babli text in Mekhilta dR. Ismael p. 273, dR. Simeon bar Iohai p. 175., and there it is written: I shall bring over you a sword which avenges the vengeance of the Covenant⁶Lev. 26:25.. Since avenging mentioned there is by the sword, also avenging mentioned here is by the sword. I could think that he⁴⁴The avenger. should kill him between the arms? It is said here⁴⁵Deut. 19:19. Since this refers to perjured witnesses, it includes all kinds of death penalties., you shall eliminate the evil from your midst, and it is said there⁴⁶Deut. 21:9., you shall eliminate the innocent blood from your midst. Elimination, elimination; breaking the neck, breaking the neck⁴⁷By the doctrine of invariability of lexemes the meaning of “elimination” must be the same in Deut. 19:19 and Deut. 21:9. That of “breaking the neck” in Deut. 21:4 is defined by “neck” in Lev. 5:8. Since elimination in Deut. 21 is by breaking the neck, Deut. 19:19 also must refer to the neck. Since strangulation is not mentioned in the Pentateuch, the only method of execution to which this may refer is beheading.. Since elimination here is at the neck, also there it is at the neck. Since breaking the neck there implies chopping off the head, also here chopping off the head.

BARAITHA. Seven patriarchs were under [divine] covenant and they are: Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, Aaron, Phinehas and David. Of Abraham it declares, In that day the Lord made a covenant with Abram.¹⁶⁴Gen. 15, 18. Of Isaac it declares, But My covenant will I establish with Isaac.¹⁶⁵ibid. XVII, 21. Of Jacob it declares, Then will I remember My covenant with Jacob.¹⁶⁶Lev. 26, 42. Of Moses it declares, For after the tenor of these words I have made a covenant with thee and with Israel.¹⁶⁷Ex. 34, 27. Of Aaron it declares, It is an everlasting covenant of salt before the Lord unto thee.¹⁶⁸Num. 18, 19. Of Phinehas it declares, And it shall be unto him, and to his seed after him, the covenant of an everlasting priesthood.¹⁶⁹ibid. XXV, 13. Of David it declares, I have made a covenant with My chosen.¹⁷⁰Ps. 89, 4.
GEMARA. It has been taught: Israel too were under [divine] covenant. Whence is this learnt? As it is stated, For after the tenor of these words I have made a covenant with thee and with Israel.¹⁷¹Ex. 34, 27. Shall we say that this refutes the view of R. ‘Aḳiba who said: The generation of the Wilderness¹⁷²Cf. Num. 14, 26ff. have no share in the World to Come?¹⁷³Cf. Sanh. 108a (Sonc. ed., p. 738). R. ‘Aḳiba could reply: On the contrary, it is a support of my view: here it is written, and with Israel, and it is written, Behold the days come, saith the Lord, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah; not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt; forasmuch as they broke My covenant.¹⁷⁴Jer. 31, 30f, in A.J. XXXI, 31f. Because the generation of the Wilderness broke the covenant by their murmurings against God they lost their share in the World to Come, and only when God will renew the covenant with Israel and Judah will they again be entitled to a share. What, then, is the force of the repetition [and] with? It is to include the babes and sucklings [who came out of Egypt].¹⁷⁵With this new generation of Israel God will enter into the new covenant.
Come and hear: [It is written,] Thus saith the Lord, the God of Israel, I have made a covenant with your fathers¹⁷⁶Jer. 34, 13.—this is a refutation of R. ‘Aḳiba! He can reply: This is rather a support for me, for it is written, But your fathers hearkened not unto Me.¹⁷⁷ibid. 14. They therefore forfeited their share in the World to Come. Come and hear: [It is written,] Gather My saints together unto Me; those that have made a covenant with Me by sacrifice!¹⁷⁸Ps. 50, 5. This verse implies that the covenant was binding for all time. This is certainly a refutation [of R. ‘Aḳiba’s statement].

⁹⁴Babli 37 a/b, Tosephta 8:10–11. The explanation follows Rashi in the Babli. Blessed in general and blessed in particular⁹⁵Deut. 27:26 is general, referring to “the words of this Torah”, but vv. 15–25 refer to particular sins.; cursed in general and cursed in particular. Sixteen covenants on every detail, to study, to teach, to keep, and to do⁹⁶For each commandment one is obligated to study it (Deut. 6:6), to teach it (Deut. 6:7, 11:19), to keep and execute it (Deut. 4:6,5:1). There are four obligations that bring blessings and four omissions that bring curses, in all 8. Since every commandment is also part of “the words of this Torah”, that equals 16 for each single commandment.; and the same on Sinai⁹⁷Lev. 26:46. and the same in the prairie of Moab⁹⁸Deut. 28:69.. Rebbi Simeon does exclude that of Mount Gerizim and Mount Ebal⁹⁹Since Joshua executed only a commandment of Moses; he did not conclude a new covenant at that moment, but did so later, cf. Jos. 24:25. and instead includes that of the Tent of Meeting¹⁰⁰The Babli, 27b, quotes here a disagreement between R. Aqiba, who holds that the entire Torah was given at Sinai and repeated in the Tent of Meeting, and R. Ismael who holds that the general outline was given at Sinai but the details only in the Tent of Meeting (cf. Lev. 1:1).. Also Rebbi Simeon¹⁰¹In the Tosephta, R. Simeon is credited with the statement that a total of 3 times 16 covenants were established for every commandment. did say, there is no single detail in the Torah about which not 576 covenants were concluded. Twelve¹⁰²One for each verse of Deut. 27:15–26. in blessing, twelve in cursing. Twelve in general, twelve in detail. That makes 48 covenants. To study, to teach, to keep, and to do, that makes 192 covenants. The same on Sinai and the same in the prairie of Moab, that makes 576 covenants. Rebbi Simeon ben Jehudah from the village of Emmaus¹⁰³In the Babylonian sources, the name of the village is עכוֹ or עיכוס, עיבום but in the Tosephta also once עמוס, cf. S. Lieberman, Tosefta kiFshutah Našim p. 711; A. Liss, ed., The Babylonian Talmud with variant readings, Sotah, vol. 2, p. 148, Notes 33,39*. says in the name of Rebbi Simeon: 603’550¹⁰⁴This is the census of the tribes in Num. 1:46, excluding the Levites. This means that he counts one individual covenant for each Israelite. This is the explicit statement in the Tosephta. In the Babli: 48 covenants for 603’550, attributed to Rebbi in our text. The statement of Rebbi in the Tosephta is: 13 covenants for 603’550.. Rebbi says, if one follows the words of Rebbi Simeon ben Jehudah from the village of Emmaus who said in the name of Rebbi Simeon, then there is no single detail in the Torah about which not 48 times 603’550 covenants were concluded.

Rebbi Judah ben Pazi says: “I wrote down for him most of My teaching,” these are the admonitions¹⁰²Lev. 26:14–46, Deut. 28:15–69.. Nevertheless, is it not that (Hos. 8:12) “they were considered foreign”.

It is written⁸⁹Lev. 26:1., do not make idols for yourselves, statue and stele you shall not erect for yourselves. Is not making the same as erecting? Rebbi Hila said, making is from new; erecting, if it falls down one shall not re-erect it. It is written⁹⁰Deut. 12:3. The verse continues, their statues you shall cut down., you shall tear down their altars and break their steles. From where to apply one to the other? Rebbi Abun bar Ḥiyya said, it was said to refer to both sides; either breaking, or cutting down, or tearing down for each of them.

What is the difference between his Hebrew male and female slaves and his Canaanite male and female slaves? Rebbi Joḥanan said, since he is not empowered to change the employment of his male⁶⁶Lev. 26:39 prohibits to let the male Hebrew slave “work slave’s work”. This is interpreted in Mekhilta dR. Ismael Neziqin 1, Mekhilta dR. Simeon ben Ioḥai p. 160, Sifra Behar Pereq7(3) that the slave must be employed in the trade he exercised before being sold. or female⁶⁷Since she is underage, it is a question whether her find belongs to her father or her master. She probably should not have been mentioned in this connection; the use of the singular in the remainder of the sentence is correct, as compared to the plural used in the next sentence. Hebrew slave, that one’s find belongs to himself. Since he is empowered to change the employment of his male or female Canaanite slave, their find belongs to their master. They objected: He is not empowered to change the employment of his wife, but her find belongs to him. As we have stated there: “He forces her to work with wool,⁶⁸Mishnah Ketubot 5:6” he cannot force her to work any other material⁶⁹Cf. Ketubot 5:6, Note 163.. ⁷⁰An expanded version of this discussion is in Ketubot 6:1, Notes 17–21. Rebbi Abba bar Mina and Rebbi Yasa in the name of Rebbi Joḥanan: there is another reason in the case of the wife. What is another reason in the case of the wife? Rebbi Ḥaggai said, because of quarrel⁷¹This is the only reason mentioned in the Babli, 12b, Ketubot40b. The husband should not be angry that he has to pay for all of his wife’s needs but cannot get his hands on her find.. Rebbi Yose said, lest she smuggle away her husband’s property and say: it is a find. They objected: before witnesses^72,If she finds an object before witnesses, there is no reason for R. Yose’s rule. In Ketubot, several similar instances are invoked.⁷³E has a longer text, but shorter than the analogous one in Ketubot, to explain the question:
מַה מַפְקָה בֵּינֵיהוֹן. מָצָאת בָּעֵדִים. מָאן דָּמַר מִפְּנֵי הַקְּטָטָה. אֵין כָּאן קְטָטָה. וּמָאן דָּמַר שֶׁלֹּא תְהֵא מַבְרַחַת נְכָסִים מִשֶּׁל בַּעֲלָה וְאוֹמֶרֶת מְצִיאָה מָצָאתִי. הָא בָּעֵדִים לֹא אָֽסְרוּ זֶה אֶלָּא מִפְּנֵי זֶה.
What is the difference between them? If she found it in the presence of witnesses. For him who says, because of quarrel, would there not be quarrel? For him who says, lest she smuggle away her husband’s property and say: I found a find, it follows that before witnesses they forbade one because of the other.? They forbade⁷⁴The wife’s find is handed over to the husband even in cases where it was not necessary.
The use of “forbade” seems inadequate here; one would expect “decreed” or “instituted” the rule. In Ketubot, no verb is mentioned in this sentence. R. Yose holds that the worst case has to be presumed in all situations since detailed investigation probably is impossible. one because of the other⁷⁴The wife’s find is handed over to the husband even in cases where it was not necessary.
The use of “forbade” seems inadequate here; one would expect “decreed” or “instituted” the rule. In Ketubot, no verb is mentioned in this sentence. R. Yose holds that the worst case has to be presumed in all situations since detailed investigation probably is impossible..

Further [R. ‘Aḳiba] sat on the bench [and taught]: Good things are brought about through the agency of good men.⁶⁷Cf. Shab. 32a (Sonc. ed., p. 146). Even if Moses and Aaron had not arisen, Israel would still have been worthy to be redeemed from Egypt,⁶⁸Because of the promise God made to Abraham. as it is stated, And afterward shall they come out with great substance.⁶⁹Gen. 15, 14. Had not Moses and Aaron and the Generation of the Wilderness arisen, Israel would still have been worthy to receive the Torah, as it is stated, He layeth up sound wisdom for the upright.⁷⁰Prov. 2, 7, sound wisdom being a synonym for the Torah and the upright for Israel. The section of ‘the judges’⁷¹Ex. 18, 21-23. would have been worthy to be promulgated even if Jethro had not arisen. The section of ‘the smaller Passover’⁷²Num. 9, 1-14, also known as the ‘second Passover’. would have been worthy to be promulgated even if the ‘unclean’ had not arisen, as it is stated, We are unclean by the dead body of a man; wherefore are we to be kept back, so as not to bring the offering of the Lord in its appointed season among the children of Israel?⁷³ibid. 7. The section of ‘inheritance’⁷⁴ibid.XXVII, 6-11. would have been worthy to be promulgated even if the daughters of Zelophehad⁷⁵ibid. 1-5. had not arisen. The Temple would have been worthy to be built even if David and Solomon had not arisen, as it is stated, The sanctuary, O Lord, which Thy hands have established.⁷⁶Ex. 15, 17. Israel would have been worthy to be redeemed in the days of Haman even it Mordecai and Esther had not arisen, as it is stated, And yet for all that, when they are in the land of their enemies, I will not reject them, neither will I abhor them, to destroy them utterly,⁷⁷Lev. 26, 44. etc.
Israel were destined to be enslaved even if Pharaoh had not arisen in Egypt, as it is stated, And [they] shall serve them; and they shall afflict them four hundred years.⁷⁸Gen. 15, 13. Israel were destined to serve idols even if Jeroboam, the son of Nebat, had not arisen, as it is stated, And this people will rise up, and go astray after the foreign gods of the land.⁷⁹Deut. 31, 16. The section of ‘the blasphemer’⁸⁰Lev. 24, 10ff. and of ‘the gatherer of sticks’⁸¹Num. 15 32-36. would have been worthy to be promulgated even if the son of the Israelitish woman and the gatherer of sticks had not arisen. Israel would have been destined to be destroyed by the sword even if so and so⁸²i.e. nations hostile to Israel. They were so many that they are not specified. had not arisen, as it is stated, All the sinners of My people shall die by the sword;⁸³Amos.Cf. IX, 10. and it declares, By sword and famine shall they be consumed.⁸⁴Jer. 14, 15. Israel would have deserved to be destroyed even if Nebuchadnezzar and his companions had not arisen, as it is stated, Therefore shall Zion for your sake be ploughed as a field, and Jerusalem shall become heaps, and the mountain of the house as the high places of a forest.⁸⁵Micah 3, 12.

It is permitted to make a break¹i.e. the passage may be divided and two persons called up to the reading. in the blessings²e.g. Lev. 26, 3-13. but not in the curses.³ibid. 14-46. R. Ḥiyya b. Gamda said: What is the reason?⁴Why may not more than one person be called to the section of the curses? Because it is written [My son, despise not the chastening of the Lord,]⁵This is the first part of the verse which is not quoted in the text of the Tractate. neither cut thou up His correction⁶Prov. 3, 11, E.V. neither spurn.—do not cut them⁷lit. ‘make it’, a section in the Torah which deals with God’s chastening of Israel. up into pieces.⁸The Heb. root may bear both meanings: ‘spurn’ and ‘cut up’.

HALAKHAH: How much is “started”²³⁹How many times does one have to fast to continue fasting on a day of the New Moon?? Rebbi Abba said, once. Rebbi Yose said, twice. It was acted on following Rebbi Abba²⁴⁰This is binding precedent. The Babli 18b concurs. [However the Babli switches the attributions between RR. Aḥa and Yose (not Assi, impossible for chronological reasons, cf. Rabbinovicz, Variae Lectiones, ad loc. Note מ.)]. And what does one read? Rebbi Yose said, one reads “blessings and curses.²⁴¹Lev. 26:3–46, the public Torah reading for all fast days for rain, even if such a fast is on a New Moon or Ḥanukkah which have their own fixed readings.” Rebbi Mana said to him, since they know it is a fast day they are falling on their bellies, do they not know that it is a fast day²⁴²Usually called “falling on one’s face”, the penitentiary prayer following the Amidah, which is omitted on all festive days. But if the day of the New Moon, where usually the penitentiary prayer is omitted, is a fast day for rain, the penitentiary prayer is recited. Since therefore everybody knows that it is a fast day, why does one have to change the customary Torah reading?? He said to him, to tell you that one reads “blessings and curses.²⁴³Since the penitentiary prayer is incompatible with the reading for the New Moon, everybody expects to read the portion customary for the fast day.” Rebbi Yudan from Kappadokia said before Rebbi Yose in the name of Rebbi Jehudah bar Pazi, one reads about the New Moon²⁴⁴Num. 28:11–15.. Rebbi Yose met Rebbi Jehudah bar Pazi; he said to him, did you hear this from your father? He said to him, my father said this only about Eintab²⁴⁵The permanent seat of the Calendar Court, which has to proclaim every New Moon in the absence of a computed calendar.. Since they know that it is the New Moon, they are reading about the New Moon. At all other places they are reading “blessings and curses.”

On Ḥanukkah we read the section of [the dedication of the altar by] the princes;³⁶Num. 7. On the first day verses 1-17 are read; on the next six days the corresponding offerings; and on the eighth day VII, 54—VIII, 4. on Purim, Then came Amalek;³⁷Ex. 17, 8-16. on the New Moon, And in your new moons;³⁸Num. 28, 11-15. at the ma‘amadoth the account of the creation.³⁹Gen. 1, 1—II, 3, because it is on account of the Temple service that the heaven and earth were created. On the fast days of the Ninth of Ab and the last seven days in connection with droughts,⁴⁰lit. ‘the shutting up of the rains’. we read the section of the blessings and curses;⁴¹Lev. 26, 3-46. but on other fast days And Moses besought,⁴²Ex. 32, 11-14, XXXIV, 1-10. and we read as the hafṭarah Seek ye the Lord.⁴³Isa. 55, 6—LVI, 8. Some say that no hafṭarah is to be read, but the people have adopted the custom of reading the hafṭarah.⁴⁴So GRA. V, M and H omit ‘but’ and ‘of reading the hafṭarah’. There must be no break in the section of curses because it is not proper to end with curses and to begin with curses.⁴⁵Cf. above XII, 1.

Exile comes into the world because of idolatry, sexual transgression, murder, and not letting the land rest during the sabbatical year. Idolatry, as it says (Leviticus 26:30), “I will destroy your altars.” The Holy Blessed One said: Since you want to worship idols, I will exile you to a place where they worship idols. That is why it says, “I will destroy your altars.” Not letting the land rest during the sabbatical year, as it says (Leviticus 26:34), “Then shall the land make up for its sabbatical years [throughout all the time that it is desolate and you are in the land of your enemies].” The Holy Blessed One said to them: Since you do not let the land rest, it will rest by itself, and the number of months that you did not let it rest, it will rest by itself. That is why it says, “Then shall the land make up…all the time.” (Sexual transgression: How so? Rabbi Yishmael son of Rabbi Yosei said: As long as Israel commits sexual transgressions, the Divine Presence removes Itself from them, as it says (Deuteronomy 23:15), “Let no unseemly [lit., naked] thing be seen among you, so that [God] will turn away from you.”)

Exile comes into the world because of idolatry, sexual transgression, murder, and not letting the land rest during the sabbatical year. Idolatry, as it says (Leviticus 26:30), “I will destroy your altars.” The Holy Blessed One said: Since you want to worship idols, I will exile you to a place where they worship idols. That is why it says, “I will destroy your altars.” Not letting the land rest during the sabbatical year, as it says (Leviticus 26:34), “Then shall the land make up for its sabbatical years [throughout all the time that it is desolate and you are in the land of your enemies].” The Holy Blessed One said to them: Since you do not let the land rest, it will rest by itself, and the number of months that you did not let it rest, it will rest by itself. That is why it says, “Then shall the land make up…all the time.” (Sexual transgression: How so? Rabbi Yishmael son of Rabbi Yosei said: As long as Israel commits sexual transgressions, the Divine Presence removes Itself from them, as it says (Deuteronomy 23:15), “Let no unseemly [lit., naked] thing be seen among you, so that [God] will turn away from you.”)