תלמוד על אסתר 2:24

Rebbi Yose bar Abun said: Anybody who identifies the “morning hind” with the planet Venus is in error; that planet sometimes is too early and sometimes too late⁷¹That means, sometimes Venus sets still during the night and sometimes it is still seen after sunrise.. What is it? It is like two double horns of light that arise from the East and give light. Explanation⁷²This is the explanation of Frankel in his “Introduction to the Yerushalmi”, from Greek δήλωμα. Levy in his dictionary refers to Greek δίλημμα, which means only “proposition of two difficult alternatives.” Brüll in his critique of Levy’s dictionary proposes Greek δράμα “action”. Frankel’s choice is difficult since both long vowels should be expressed, דילומא. (In Midrashim, the spelling דילמא is found.) Brüll’s explanation is more difficult to accept since substitutions of the liquids l,r for one another are extremely rare in Greek words coming into Aramaic. Also, no action is reported here.: The great Rebbi Ḥiyya and Rebbi Simeon ben Ḥalaphta⁷³Rebbi Ḥiyya the Great is Rebbi Ḥiyya, the student and colleague of Rebbi, the collector of the Tosephtah. Rebbi Simeon ben Ḥalaphta is a contemporary who like Rebbi Ḥiyya does not appear in the Mishnah (except for the aggadic very last Mishnah.) were walking in the valley of Arbela before morning and saw “the morning hind” that started radiating. The great Rebbi Ḥiyya said to Rebbi Simeon ben Ḥalaphta, the great man: so will be the deliverance of Israel; it starts out very little and grows and longer as it goes on. What is the reason (Micha 7:8): “When I shall dwell in darkness, the Lord is my light.” So also at the start (Esther 2:21): “Mordocai was sitting at the king’s gate.” After that (6:11): “Haman took the garment and the horse.” After that (6:12): “Mordocai returned to the king’s gate.” After that (8:15): “Mordocai left the king’s presence in royal garb.” After that (8:16): “The Jews had light and joy.”

HALAKHAH: From where years¹⁵⁸That the Pentateuch counts years from the Fall equinox.? One verse says¹⁵⁹Ex. 23:16., the festival of gathering at the end of the year, and another verse says¹⁶⁰Ex. 34.22., the festival of gathering at the turn of the year. Which month contains a festival, and a turning point, and the year starts from it? Which one is this? It is Tishre. If you would say Ṭevet, there is a turning point¹⁶¹The winter solstice. but neither festival nor gathering. If you would say Nisan, there is a turning point¹⁶²The spring equinox. and a festival, but no gathering. If you would say Tamuz, there is a turning¹⁶³The summer solstice. point and gathering but no festival. So which one is this? It is Tishre. The colleagues said before Rebbi Jonah: should it not be Tamuz? He told them, it is written, in the seventh month¹⁶⁴Num. 28:24., and your are saying so? They said to him, should it not be Tamuz¹⁶⁵Maybe the month of the fall equinox should be called “Tamuz”.? He said to them, from here on you are quarrelling with me about names of months? As Rebbi Ḥanina said, the names of the months ascended with them from Babylonia. Originally, in the month of Ethanim¹⁶⁶1K. 8:2., in which the Patriarchs were born, and the Patriarchs died, and the Mothers were remembered¹⁶⁷One cannot say that Sarah and Rebecca became pregnant in Tishre, this would contradict the statement that Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob were born in Tishre. So one has to say that in that month the Divine decree was passed that the mothers should become pregnant. The language is taken from Gen. 21:1. Babli Berakhot29a.. Originally, in the month of Bul¹⁶⁸1K. 6:37., where the leaves are falling, and the earth is made into lumps; where one mixes for domestic animals in the house¹⁶⁹Because in November there is little food to be found in the fields.. Originally, in the month of Ziw¹⁷⁰1K. 6:2, misquoted., which is the splendor of the world, when plants are recognized and trees recognized¹⁷¹In Nisan the growth on newly sown fields is recognizable and fruit trees are blossoming.. From then onwards¹⁷²After the Babylonian exile., it was in the month of Nisan of year twenty¹⁷³Neh. 2:1.; it was in the month of Kislew of year twenty¹⁷⁴Neh. 1:1.; in the tenth month, this is the month of Ṭevet¹⁷⁵Esth.2:16.. Rebbi Simeon ben Laqish said, also the names of angels were in their hands from Babylonia. Originally, there flew to me one of the Seraphim¹⁷⁶Is. 6:6.; Seraphim standing over Him¹⁷⁷Is. 6:2.. From then on, but the man Gabriel¹⁷⁸Dan. 9:21.; but your lord Michael¹⁷⁹Dan. 10:21..

³²This paragraph was added to the ms. by a corrector. While there is no logical necessity for the addition of this text, it is copied from a Yoma text, not from Berakhot. In Berakhot the quotes from Esther make sense, v. 6:11 preceding 6:12. The paragraph also is copied in Qonteros Aḥaron(Q, Chapter 1, Note 44; p. 311) which also quotes 6:12 before v 6:11. The text of Q is identical with that given here except that the Aramaic endings are ה not א; babylonized spelling is to be expected from all correctors.[Explanation³³Greek δήλωμα.: The great Rebbi Ḥiyya and Rebbi Simeon ben Halaphta were walking in the valley of Arbela before morning and saw “the morning hind” that started radiating. The great Rebbi Ḥiyya said to Rebbi Simeon ben Halaphta: Great man, so will be the deliverance of Israel; it starts out very small and grows and radiates as it goes on. What is the reason ³⁴Micha 7:8.When he³⁵In the biblical text: 1.shall dwell in darkness, the Eternal is my light. So also at the start ³⁶Esth. 2:21.Mordocai was sitting at the king’s gate.” After that ³⁷Esth.6:12.Mordocai returned to the king’s gate. After that ³⁸Esth.6:11.Haman took the garment and the horse. After that: ³⁹Esth. 8:15.Mordocai left the king’s presence in royal garb. After that: ⁴⁰Esth. 8:16.The Jews had light and joy.]

BARAITHA.¹⁰⁸K 24. R. Eliezer b. Jacob said: Whoever greets his teacher [with the ordinary salutation] forfeits his life. R. Eliezer b. Dahabai¹⁰⁹In K ‘Ben ‘Azzai’. said: Whoever greets his teacher [with the ordinary salutation], whoever responds to his salutation [in the ordinary way], whoever makes a statement [in the name of his teacher which] he has not heard from his mouth, and whoever opposes his School causes the Divine Presence to depart from Israel. But whoever repeats a statement in the name of his teacher brings redemption to the world; as it is stated, And Esther told the king in Mordecai’s name.
GEMARA. Our Rabbis taught: How could Mordecai have told Esther?¹¹⁰Seeing that the gates of the palace were strictly guarded. It teaches that all [the gates]¹¹¹‘The gates’ has fallen out of the text. opened¹¹²In the Sifrë di Aggadetha, ed. Buber, p. 65, it is related that Mordecai entered secretly by night without the knowledge of the palace guards and no one restrained him. themselves for him and he entered within [the palace] and told her all the signs.¹¹³Of the conspiracy of Bigthan and Teresh (Esth. 2, 21). This can be inferred by an argument from the less to the great: if it is written of the son of Esther,¹¹⁴viz. Cyrus who is said to have been her son. I will go before thee, and make the crooked places straight; I will break in pieces the doors of brass,¹¹⁵Isa. 45, 2. If Cyrus could force the gates of Babylon, how much more could Mordecai obtain entrance to the palace! how much more so Mordecai, one of the Elders of the Sanhedrin!

MISHNAH: From where does a person start to read and fulfills his duty? Rebbi Meïr says, all of it. Rebbi Jehudah says, from a Jewish man⁴⁵Esth 2:5.. Rebbi Yose says, from after these matters⁴⁶Esth 3:1..

HALAKHAH: “From where does a person start to read and fulfills his duty? Rebbi Meïr says, all of it. Rebbi Jehudah says, from a Jewish man⁴⁵Esth. 2:5.. Rebbi Yose says, from after these matters⁴⁶Esth. 3:1..” Rebbi Abbahu in the name of Rebbi Eleazar: He who says all of it, about all words of this letter⁵⁷Esth. 9:26.. He who says from a Jewish man, what they understood about it⁵⁷Esth. 9:26.. He who says from after these matters, and what happened to them⁵⁷Esth. 9:26.. Rebbi Simon in the name of Rebbi Joshua ben Levi. He who says all of it, all the facts of his strength and mightiness⁵⁸Esth. 10:2.. He who says from a Jewish man, the Chapter of the greatness of Mordocai⁵⁸Esth. 10:2.. He who says from after these matters, how the King aggrandized him⁵⁸Esth. 10:2.. Rebbi Yose ben Rebbi Abun in the name of Rebbi Joshua ben Levi: strength, all strength, with all strength⁵⁹Esth. 9:29.. Strength, is Haman’s strength. All strength, is Mordocai’s strength. With all strength, is Ahasuerus’s strength. It was stated⁶⁰Babli 19a. In Tosephta 2:9 in the name of R. Simeon ben Eleazar.: Rebbi Simeon ben Yoḥay says, from in that night⁶¹Esth. 6:1.. From the place where there was Haman’s downfall came Mordocai’s rise.

It is related of R. Ḥanina b. Teradion that once some money [to be distributed among the poor on] Purim was mixed up by him with charitable funds [in general]. He sat in confusion and exclaimed, ‘Woe is me! Perhaps I have incurred the penalty of death at the hand of Heaven’. While he was still sitting in a troubled state of mind, the executioner came and told him, ‘Master, it has been decreed against you that you be wrapped in [a scroll of] your Torah and be burnt with it’.⁹¹(91) So GRA. V has ‘wrapped and burnt with your Torah and to Israel your people’. Cf. Semaḥoth VIII, 11. He arose and they wrapped him in his [scroll of the] Torah and surrounded him with bundles of twigs. When the fire caught sight of him, it cooled down and removed itself from him. Whereupon the executioner rose up in amazement and asked him, ‘Master, are you the man condemned to be burnt?’ He replied, ‘Yes’. He then asked him, ‘Why has the fire gone low?’ He replied, ‘I adjured it in the name of my Creator that it should not touch me until I know whether it was so decreed against me in Heaven. Wait one hour and I will let you know’. The executioner was sitting in wonderment and said [to himself], ‘Why should persons who decree death and life for themselves⁹²(92) Through their adherence to the Torah. be subject to the yoke of [the Roman] government?’ He said [to R. Ḥanina,] ‘Arise and go, and whatever the government desires to do to me let it be done’. He replied, ‘You foolish man! Heaven has approved the sentence passed on me, and if you do not kill me God has many slayers, [e.g.] many bears, leopards, lions, wolves, many serpents and scorpions to attack me. Ultimately, however, God will exact from you punishment for my blood’. Thereupon the executioner understood that such was the [divine] method;⁹³(93) That God would hold him responsible although he only acted under the orders o his government. so he jumped up and fell into the fire. From the midst of the fire he shouted,⁹⁴(94) The reading of GRA has been followed. V reads: ‘he arose and then fell upon his face, and as he perished and he made his voice heard from the fire and said’. ‘Where thou diest will I die, and there will I be buried,⁹⁵(95) Ruth 1, 17. [adding] where you live will I live’. Forthwith a voice from heaven⁹⁶(96) lit. ‘daughter of a voice’, the term for a heavenly proclamation. declared, ‘R. Ḥanina b. Teradion and his executioner are both destined for the life of the World to Come’."
R. Eliezer said:⁹⁷Ber. 27b (Sonc. ed., p. 164). He fails to give him his proper title ‘My master and teacher’. Whoever greets his teacher [with the ordinary salutation] forfeits his life. Ben ‘Azzai said: Whoever greets his teacher [with the ordinary salutation] or responds to his salutation [in the ordinary way] or opposes his school⁹⁸Cf. Sanh. 110a (Sonc. ed., p. 755). forfeits his life. And anyone who repeats a statemen in the name of a Sage from whom he has not learnt it⁹⁹Reading with H lemado (learnt it) instead of ’amaro (said it). causes the Divine Presence to depart from Israel. But whoever repeats a statement in the name of the man who made it brings redemption to the world; as it is stated, And Esther told the king thereof in Mordecai’s name.¹⁰⁰Esth. 2, 22; cf. Meg. 15a (Sonc. ed., p. 89). Who [for this purpose is to be considered] a man’s teacher? Whoever has taught him Mishnah and Shas, but not [only] Scripture. This is the opinion of R. Meir; R. Judah said: One from whom he has derived the greater part of his knowledge. R. Jose said: Whoever has enlightened his eyes in the [study of the] Mishnah. If [his teacher] is blind, he should not say to him, ‘The sun has set’¹⁰¹Thus calling attention to his blindness, which is perpetual darkness. but ‘Remove your tefillin’.¹⁰²Worn only during the day, a delicate and indirect way of telling his teacher that it was no longer day-time. V prints this sentence within brackets to indicate that it is out of place. GRA includes it in Ben ‘Azzai’s statement above and inserts it after ‘opposes his school forfeits his life’

HALAKHAH: “Rebbi Joshua said, who would remove the dust from your eyes, Rabban Joḥanan ben Zakkai,” etc. ¹⁵⁴The parallel is in Babli, Baba Batra 15a/b. When was Job? Rebbi Simeon ben Laqish in the name of Bar Qappara: He was in the days of our father Abraham; that is what is written: “¹⁵⁵Job 1:1. A man was in the land of Oz, his name was Job.” And it is written, “¹⁵⁶Gen. 23:21, in the list of Aramean Naḥor tribes. Oz his firstborn.” Rebbi Abba said¹⁵⁷In the Babli, this is the opinion of R. Nathan in an alternate version., in the days of our father Jacob and Dinah was his wife; that is what is written: “¹⁵⁸Job 2:10. You speak like one of the impious ones”, and it is written: “¹⁵⁹Gen. 34:7. For an impiety he did in Israel.” Rebbi Levi said, he was in the days of the tribes; that is what is written: “¹⁶⁰Job. 15:18. The previous verse ends: This I have seen, I shall tell it; the verses are interpreted as referring to Judah and Reuben who confessed their sins; cf. Chapter 1, Note 195. What Sages would tell, they did not conceal from their fathers.” Rebbi Yose ben Ḥalaphta said, he was born when they descended into Egypt and he died when they left¹⁶¹This is an anonymous tannaïtic opinion in the Babli. The traditional duration of the tribes’ stay in Egypt is 210 years; cf. the author’s The Scholar’s Haggadah, pp. 283–284. Job lived another 140 years after his tribulations (Job 42:16). Since God gave double restitution for everything he had lost, it is concluded that he suffered in his 70th year and lived for 210 years.. A parable of a shepherd when a wolf came and attacked his flock. What did he do? He put up a ram against him¹⁶²In the Babli, 14b, this is hinted at by the statement that Job’s goats were able to attack wolves, being supernaturally safe from predators.. That is what is written: “¹⁶³Job 16:11. He delivered me to the evil one, he threw me amongst evildoers.” Rebbi Ismael stated: Job was one of Pharao’s servants, a great one in his government¹⁶⁴In the later Midrash, Ex. rabba1(12), this is extended to include in Pharao’s council Bileam, who voted for killing the Jewish children and was killed, Job who abstained from voting and suffered, and Jethro who voted against Pharao’s decree and was rewarded in that his descendants sat in the Synhedrion.’¹⁶⁵Familia as a term for government is from the time of the principate when the emperor ran the state by his freedmen and slaves, his familia.. That is what is written: “¹⁶⁶Ex. 9:20. One who feared the word of the Eternal etc.”, and it is written about him, “¹⁵⁵Job 1:1. a man, artless and straight, fearing God and fleeing from evil¹⁵²Job 1:1.”. Rebbi Yose bar Jehudah¹⁶⁷In the Babli, R. Eleazar. says, he was in the days when the Judges judged; that is what is written: “Behold, you all did see, why do you turn all into vapor¹⁶⁸Job 27:12..” You saw what my generation did, that they collect tithes on the threshing floors; “you loved whore’s wages on all grain threshing floors¹⁶⁹Hos. 9:1. Since it is in the hand of the farmer to whom to give his tithes; the Levite or Cohen who comes to the threshing floor to collect his tithes is an extortionist (Cf. Demay 6:3, Note 69)..” Rebbi Samuel bar Naḥman in the name of Rebbi Jonathan¹⁷⁰In the Babli, R. Nathan.: He was in the days of the queen of Seba, as it is said: “Seba attacked and took them¹⁷¹Job 1:15..” Rebbi Nathan¹⁷²In the Babli, the anonymous Sages. said, he was in the days of the Chaldeans, as it is said: “The Chaldeans attacked from three sides.¹⁷³Job 1:17.” Rebbi Joshua ben Qorḥa¹⁷⁴Same argument in the Babli. said, he was in the days of Asuerus, as it is said: “One shall look for beautiful virgins for the king¹⁷⁵Esth. 2:2..” And it is written, “no women were found like Job’s daughters¹⁷⁶Job 42:15..” Rebbi Joshua ben Levi said, he was of the returnees of the diaspora. Rebbi Joḥanan said, He was of the returnees from the diaspora and was a Jew¹⁷⁷In the Babli, R. Joḥanan and R. Eleazar.. Therefore Rebbi Joḥanan learned from him the rules of mourning. “Job got up and tore his coat¹⁷⁸Job 1:20.”; Rebbi Jehudah ben Pazi in the name of Rebbi Joḥanan: From here [one learns] that a mourner has to tear [his garment] while standing¹⁷⁹In Mo‘ed Qaṭan 3:7, Babli 20b, the verse is quoted without asking whether Job was Jewish or not.. Rebbi Ḥiyya¹⁸⁰In the Babli this is an anonymous tannaïtic statement. stated: In My world I had one just Gentile, I gave him his reward and removed him from My world¹⁸¹Since Job, in contrast to Jewish saintly persons, received his reward in this world, he seems to be excluded from the World to Come.. Rebbi Simeon ben Laqish¹⁸²In the Babli, 14a, this is the opinion of an anonymous author who proves that Scripture in effect contains tales that do not correspond to reality, such as Nathan’s tale of the poor man and his sheep. said, Job did not exist and will never live. The opinion of Rebbi Simeon ben Laqish is inconsistent: There, Rebbi Simeon ben Laqish said in the name of Bar Qappara: He was in the days of our father Abraham, but here he says so? But he did exist but his suffering did not. Then why is it written about him? To tell you that if it had come upon him, he would have withstood it.

Rebbi Ḥiyya the son of Rebbi Ada from Jaffa in the name of Rebbi Ze`ira: One has to recite them in one breath together with “the ten sons of Haman.¹⁵¹Verses 9:6–9 together with the first three words of v. 10 have to be recited in one breath. Soferim 13:5, Babli 16b.” Rebbi Yose ben Rebbi Abun said, one has to write ish at the top of the column and the at the end¹⁵²The last word of Esth. 9:6 has to be on top of a column of 11 lines, under it the names of the ten sons of Haman. Otherwise the lines are empty except for the word ואת at the right end of the line for the first 10 lines. In contrast to what is prescribed here on the 11th line one currently writes עשרת at the end and then starts the next full column with בני המן. Soferim 13:6. since so it (rises) [is compressed]¹⁵³The corrector’s change is from Soferim, to be deleted. and sinks like a plumb-line¹⁵⁴Greek κέντρον.. Rav said, one has to say¹⁵⁵After the reading of the scroll. Gen. rabba 49(1)., Haman be cursed, his sons be cursed. Rebbi Phineas said, one has to say, Ḥarbona be remembered for good. Rebbi Berekhiah, Rebbi Jeremiah, Rebbi Ḥiyya in the name of Rebbi Joḥanan: When Rebbi Jonathan came to this verse, whom Nebuchadnezzar exiled¹⁵⁶Esth. 2:6., he used to say, Nebuchadnezzar, may his bones be pulverized; for all “Nebuchadnezzar” written in Jeremiah refer to the living, but here he was dead¹⁵⁷Gen. rabba 49(1); Soferim 14:7..

The Torah is greater than the priesthood and kingship, inasmuch as kingship [is acquired] in the form of thirty distinctions, the priesthood in [the form of] twenty-four, but the Torah in [the form of] forty-eight, viz.: by sedateness, [knowledge of] Scripture, good manners, moderation in sleep, moderation in conversation, moderation in business, moderation in hilarity, moderation in pleasure, moderation in intercourse with the world, patience, goodness of heart, confidence in the wise, resignation under affliction, study, the faculty of hearing,³⁰i.e. being attentive. ordered presentation [of one’s subject-matter] with one’s lips,³¹He rehearses aloud the expositions which he had heard. understanding and discernment of heart,³²The first means coming to a conclusion by means of logical processes, and the other deep insight into the hidden intentions of the Torah. Cf. Aboth, Sonc. ed., p. 84, n. 6. rising [out of respect],³³For the aged and the scholar; cf. Lev. 19, 32 and Ḳid. 32b (Sonc. ed., p. 159) where ‘rising’ is defined as a token of respect. reverence, wisdom, meekness, attendance upon scholars, painstaking examination³⁴Another reading is בדבוק חברים, ‘attachment to colleagues’. [of a subject] together with colleagues, keen discussion with pupils, knowing one’s place, rejoicing in one’s portion, making a fence to one’s words,³⁵He is mindful of what he says. Cf. Aboth I, 11 (Sonc. ed., p.7): ‘Ye Sages, be heedful of your words’. claiming no credit for oneself, loving the All-present, loving reproof, loving just courses, loving rectitude, keeping oneself far from [worldly] honour and not pursuing [worldly] honour, not priding oneself on one’s learning, not taking delight in giving decisions, bearing the yoke with one’s fellow-man, judging him in the scale of merit, guiding him to truth and peace, being deliberate in one’s study, asking questions and answering them, hearing and adding [to what he has heard], making one’s teacher wiser, concentrating upon one’s discourse, and repeating a statement in the name of him who made it. Hence you learn that whoever repeats a statement in the name of him who made it brings redemption into the world, as it is stated, And Esther told the king thereof in Mordecai’s name.³⁶Esth. 2, 22.

R. Berekiah, quoting R. Jeremiah who had it from R. Ḥiyya, who reported it in the name of R. Joḥanan, said: When R. Jonathan came to the verse, Whom Nebuchadnezzar … had carried away,¹⁵Esth 2, 6. he used to exclaim, ‘O the wicked Nebuchadnezzar, may his bones be crushed! the good is rewarded¹⁶lit. ‘to mix’ (drinks), hence ‘to serve drinks’ and, metaphorically, ‘retribution, recompense’. according to his goodness and the wicked according to his wickedness, as it is stated, The memory of the righteous shall be for a blessing; but the name of the wicked shall rot’.¹⁷Prov. 10, 7. This verse justifies the execration of Nebuchadnezzar and (in Rule 6) of Haman.