Talmud su Esodo 19:29

Moses was sanctified in a cloud, and received Torah from Sinai. As it says (Exodus 24:16), "And the glory of the Eternal dwelt on Mount Sinai"; that was for Moses, in order to purify him. This was after the giving of the Ten Commandments, according to Rabbi Yosei HaGalili. But Rabbi Akiva says (as the verse continues), "and the cloud covered it for six days" – [that was] for Moses; and only then, "On the seventh day He called to Moses from within the cloud," in order give honor to Moses. Rabbi Natan said: And why was Moses held back for those six days, without God's speech resting upon him? So that he could be emptied of all the food and drink that was in his stomach, so that when he was sanctified, he would be like the angels who serve God. Rabbi Matya ben Heresh said to him: Master, they told him this only to terrify him, so that he would receive the words of Torah with terror and awe, trembling and sweating, as it says (Psalms 2:11), "Serve the Eternal with awe, and rejoice with trembling."
Once it happened that Rabbi Yoshiah and Rabbi Matya ben Heresh were both sitting and engaging in words of Torah. Rabbi Yoshiah began to leave, to go to work (lit., to the “way of the world”). Rabbi Matya ben Heresh said to him: How can you abandon the words of the living God and immerse yourself in the way of the world? (Even though you are my master and I am your student, I still must say that it is not good to abandon the words of the living God and immerse in the way of the world!) So it was said about them: Whenever they would sit and engage in Torah they would zealously argue with one another, but when they parted, they did so as if they were young lovers.

HALAKHAH: “There are four New Year’s Days,” etc. It is written⁴Ex. 12:2. The verse establishes that months are counted from the month of the spring equinox, post-exilic (Accadic) called Nisan., this month shall be for you the head of the months. For you it is the head of the months but it is head neither for years nor for Sabbatical periods nor for Jubilees⁵It is clear from Lev.25 that Sabbaticals and Jubilees are counted from the end of the agricultural year in the month of the fall equinox. nor for planting⁶To determine the years of `orlah, when no fruit may be taken. nor for vegetables⁷To determine the year for purposes of the tithe since inferred from Deut. 14:22, which requires agricultural tithe being given year by year, that no tithe may be given from produce of one year for produce grown in another.. And I could say, for you it is the head of the months but it is head neither for kings nor for holidays. Rebbi Jacob bar Aḥa, Rebbi Yasa in the name of Rebbi Joḥanan: It is written⁸2Chr.3:2., he started to build in the second month, in the second,⁹The text is ambiguous. The later derivations read it as a repetition: He started to build in the second month, the second month of the fourth year; in the style of Gen. 8:5. If the same number is used to describe the month in the sequence of months and the month in the year, it follows that the year must start with month one. in the fourth year of his reign. It bracketed the fourth year of his reign with the second of the months. Since the second of the months is only counted from Nisan, also the second in the fourth year of his reign is only counted from Nisan. Or is it only the second in the month? Any place where the second day in the month is intended it is explicit¹⁰This is how the unofficial Targum of 2Chr.3:2 reads it: He started to build on the second day of the second month of the fourth year; a reading also rejected in the Babli 3a since it always is stated as “day nin the month.”. Or is it only the second in the week? We do not find this count in the Torah¹¹Babli 3a.. But is it not written, it was evening and it was morning, the second day¹²Gen. 1:8.? One makes no inferences from the Creation of the World¹³Since they are God’s days, not human days.. Which one is the second of the months and which one is the second of the years¹⁴In 2Chr.3:2.? Rebbi Ḥanania and Rebbi Mana. One said, he started to build in the second month, that is the second of the months; in the second, that is the second in the year. But the other one, even if you switch it does not change anything. Rebbi Simeon bar Karsana in the name of Rebbi Aḥa understood it from the following: This month is for you, an exclusion. The first it be for you, [an exclusion.] An exclusion after an exclusion is to include¹⁵A general principle in both Talmudim. Peah6:9 Note 154, Yebamot 12:1 Note10, Soṭah 9:2 Note 63, Horaiot1:1 Note 9 q. v., Megillah4:4 75b l.14; Babli Megillah23b, Yoma43a, Bava qamma15b, Bava batra15a, Sanhedrin15a,44b,66a, Makkot9b, Ševuot7b, Menaḥot9b,67a, Ḥulin132a. for kings and holidays. Could one include for years, or for Sabbatical periods, or for Jubilees, or for planting, or for vegetables? Following what Rebbi Jacob bar Aḥa, Rebbi Yasa in the name of Rebbi Joḥanan said: It is written, he started to build in the second month, in the second, in the fourth year of his reign. It bracketed the fourth year of his reign with the second of the months. Since the second of the months is only counted from Nisan, also the second in the fourth year of his reign is only counted from Nisan. Rebbi Jonah, Rebbi Isaac bar Naḥman in the name of Rebbi Ḥiyya bar Joseph: He started to build in the second month, that is the second of the months; in the second, that is the second in the year. And when he says, in the fourth year of his reign, it bracketed the fourth year of his reign with the second of the months. Since the second of the months is only counted from Nisan, also the second in the fourth year of his reign is only counted from Nisan. Samuel stated and disagreed¹⁶He holds that the count of years depends on the political circumstances.: In the third month of the Israelites’ exodus from Egypt¹⁷Ex. 19:1.. From here that one counts months from the exodus from Egypt. Not only months, from where years? The Eternal spoke to Moses in the wilderness of Sinai in the second year¹⁸Num. 9:1.. Not only at that time, from where later? In the fortieth year of the Israelites’ exodus from Egypt¹⁹Num. 33:38. Babli 2b. Not only temporarily, from where for later generations? It was in the 480th year of the Israelites’ exodus from Egypt²⁰1K.6:1., etc. After the Temple had been built they started to count from its building: It was at the end of twenty years after Salomon built the two houses²¹1K. 9:1.. They did not merit to count from its building, they started counting from its destruction: In the twenty-fifth year of our exile, on New Year’s Day, on the tenth of the month²²Ez. 40:1. In a Jubilee year, New Year’s day is moved to the Day of Atonement; cf. the author’s edition of Seder Olam(Northvale 1998), pp. 118–119, Note 4., etc. They did not merit to count for themselves, they started counting regnal years, [as it is written,] in year two of Darius²³Ḥaggai1:1.; in year three of Cyrus, king of Persia²⁴Dan. 10:1.. And I am saying, ⁸2Chr.3:2.he started to build in the second month, in the second, in the fourth year of his reign. It bracketed the fourth year of his reign with the second of the months. Since the second of the months is only counted from Nisan, also the second in the fourth year of his reign is only counted from Nisan.

Rebbi Jehudah bar Pazi in the name of Rebbi: May one read this and not be ashamed³⁰In B: afraid. In the biblical narrative, all good actions are ascribed to individuals, the bad to the entire people.? In a good sense, every one of goodwill³¹Ex. 35:5.; in a bad sense, all the people took off the gold rings in their ears³²Ex. 32:3.. In a good sense, Moses led the people out³³Ex. 19:1.; in a bad sense, all of you ganged up against me³⁴Deut. 1:22.. In a good sense, then Moses and the Children of Israel sang³⁵Ex. 15:1.; in a bad sense, the entire congregation started wailing³⁶Num. 14:1.. Rebbi Ḥiyya bar Abba said, indeed they got up early to destroy³⁷Zeph. 3:7.. Any destructive action they made early in the morning. Rebbi Abba bar Aḥa said, one cannot understand the character of this people; they are asked for the {golden} calf and are giving, for the Sanctuary and are giving. Rebbi Yose ben Ḥanina stated this baraita:³⁸To answer R. Ḥiyya bar Abba’s question. You shall make a cover of pure gold³⁹Ex. 25:17., may the gold of the cover come and atone for the gold of the calf.

Who disagrees?⁴⁸With the criterion of three stars for the start of night. Rebbi Ḥanina the Colleague of the Rabbis⁴⁹He usually goes by the name of R. Ḥananiah the Colleague of the Rabbis, a Babylonian who was an important teacher of the leaders of the fourth generation of Amoraim but who never headed a talmudic academy. He insists that it is logical to assert that as long as three stars can still be seen at dawn it is night even though it is relatively light and (Mishnah 5) one may well distinguish between dark blue and white, or between dark blue and dark green. Hence, since the theory of the three stars contradicts the Mishnah it must be invalid. asked: Just as you say in the evening that it is night if three stars are visible even though the sun is in the middle of the sky it is night, so you must say the same thing in the morning. Rebbi Abba⁵⁰R. Abba also was a Babylonian, a student of Rav Huna and Rav Yehudah in Babylonia, who went to Israel and became a rich silk merchant and talmudic authority of the third generation of Amoraim, a contemporary of R. Ḥanina the Colleague of the Rabbis. His argument parallels the previous one but, since it is based on Biblical verses, it seems to be an attack on the Mishnah which gives different treatments to dawn and dusk.
The first verse asserts that Lot came to Zoar at sunrise. The second verse asserts that the Cohen who had cleansed himself from impurity is purified at nightfall as explained earlier. The argument seems to center on the ambiguous statement “the sun will come and he will be pure.” Everywhere, the “coming” of the sun is its going, sundown or nightfall. In the first verse, the coming of Lot to Zoar is real coming, parallel to the going out of the sun. Hence, in the first verse coming and going out are the same. It would follow that, in the second verse also, coming must have the same status as going out since it is one of the principles of Rabbinic interpretation that Biblical expressions have the same meaning at every occurrence (a principle known as gĕzērāh šāwāh.) Hence, the different treatment of dawn and dusk in the Mishnah seems to contradict the principles of Rabbinic Bible interpretation. said: It is written (Gen. 19:23): “The sun went out over the earth and Lot came to Zoar.” And it is written (Lev. 22:7): “The sun will come and he shall be pure.” He brackets going out and coming. Since coming means that it is hidden from the creatures so also its coming out when it will be ascertained by the creatures. Rebbi Abba⁵¹It is not known if this Rebbi Abba, solving the puzzle, is the same as the author of the preceding question or another sage of the same name. The editorial principle of the Babli, to quote an authority the first time as פלוני אמר and the following times as אמר פלוני or ואמר פלוני does not apply to the Yerushalmi. said, it is written (Gen. 43:3): “In the morning it was light.” The Torah called the light morning.⁵²The Biblical text tells of Joseph’s brothers leaving Egypt to return to Canaan. Hence, it means the first dawn which was the first possible time for their leaving, and the Biblical verse connects the technical meaning of “morning” with the first light of dawn. Hence, the asymmetry of treating dawn and dusk is Biblical and Rebbi Ḥanina’s and Rebbi Abba’s arguments are unjustified. Rebbi Ismael⁵³He is a Tanna, an older contemporary of Rebbi Akiba and head of his own school. The sentence is a quote from an anonymous statement in Mekhilta dĕRibbi Ishmaël, Bo, 6): “ ‘They shall eat the meat during that night’; from here I understand during the entire night. The verse says ‘do not leave any leftovers until morning; but anything left over until morning you shall burn in fire.’ Why does the verse repeat ‘until morning’? To give a domain to the earliest part of morning. From here they said (Mishnah 3–4): ‘The consumption of the Passover sacrifice and all other sacrifices, the burning of their parts on the altar can be done until the start of dawn and all sacrifices that must be eaten within one day can be eaten until the start of dawn.’ Why did the Sages decree (that all must be done) until midnight? To remove people from transgression and to make a fence around the Torah.”
This is an additional indication that the earliest possible sign of dawn is the Biblical start of a new day. stated: (Ex. 12:10) “In the morning, in the morning,” to give a domain to the very early morning.

HALAKHAH: It was stated in the name of Rebbi Jehudah: Any place where it was said in any of these expressions: you begin and say, thus, and thus⁴³The first and last expressions were mentioned in the Mishnah. כה “thus” is the introduction to the priests’ blessing, Num. 6:23., it means in the holy language. Rebbi Eleazar said, the defining paradigm for all is: “Moses would speak and God would answer him by voice⁴⁴Ex. 19:19. This is not a reference to the statement of R. Jehudah, but to the argument of the Mishnah. While in that verse, the root ענה does not have the meaning of “to begin to speak” but “to answer”, the mention of קול “voice”, which was in Hebrew, transfers to the recitation of the Levites, who have to speak בְּקוֹל רָם “in the voice of the High”, where High is a Title of God, Is. 56:15; cf. below, Note 61..” Rebbi Ḥaggai objected, is there not written, “Laban and Bethuel began⁴⁵Gen. 24:50. As noted later, they spoke Aramaic.,” if you say because of “beginning” only, is there not written “and said⁴⁶That verse contains both roots, ענה and אמר, even if they are separated by the names of the speakers. Therefore, the argument of R. Jehudah is invalid.”? If you want to say, by “saying” only, is there not written “from the Eternal came the word”⁴⁷This is a counter-argument. Since Laban and Bethuel admitted that the betrothal of Rebecca was a word of the Eternal, did they not speak Hebrew at that moment?? If you want to say, in the holy language, is there not written “the stone heap of testimony⁴⁸Gen. 31:47. Since Laban had to translate Jacob’s גַלְעֵד into Aramaic, it follows that he did not speak Hebrew.”? If you want to say, before the Torah was given, is there not the text of the declaration of tithes⁴⁹Deut. 26:16. However, there only the root אמר is used. which may be recited in any language⁵⁰Cf. Mishnah 1.?

What is the fence that Moses made around his words? It says (Exodus 19:10), “The Eternal said to Moses: Go to the people, and keep them holy, today and tomorrow.” But Moses the Righteous did not want to say this to them the way that the Holy Blessed One said it to him. So instead he said this to them (Exodus 19:15): “Prepare yourselves: for three days do not go near a woman.” Moses added an extra day for them on his own. (For this is what) Moses reasoned [to himself]: A man will go be with his wife [on the first day] and then his semen will come out of her on the third day, and then they will be [ritually] impure. And so Israel will receive words of Torah from Mount Sinai while in a state of impurity! Instead, I will add a third day for them (so that no man goes to be with his wife, and no semen will come out of her on the third day), and they will be [ritually] pure (and so they will receive Torah from Mount Sinai in a state of purity).
This is one of the things that Moses decided on his own (as a more strict ruling), and his decision was in accordance with the will of the Omnipresent God. He broke the tablets, and his decision was in accordance with the will of the Omnipresent God. He stayed outside the Tent of Meeting, and his decision was in accordance with the will of the Omnipresent God. He stayed apart from his wife, and his decision was in accordance with the will of the Omnipresent God. How so? He said to himself: If Israel need only remain in a state of holiness for a short period of time, and need only be ready to receive the Ten Commandments from Mount Sinai, and yet the Holy Blessed One said to me (Exodus 19:10), “Go to the people, and keep them holy, today and tomorrow”; then I, who am appointed [to receive the Divine Countenance] every day, at every moment, and do not know when He will speak with me, nor whether it will be during the day or at night – all the more so must I stay apart from my wife! And his decision was in accordance with the will of the Omnipresent God. Rabbi Yehudah ben Beteira said: He did not stay apart from his wife until he was told to straight from mouth of the Almighty, as it says (Numbers 12:8), “Mouth to mouth I speak to him”; that is, mouth to mouth I told him to stay apart from his wife, and so he did. Another opinion also held that Moses did not stay apart from his wife until he was told to straight from the mouth of the Almighty, [but derived it instead from these verses] (Deuteronomy 5:27–28): “Go and tell them to return to their tents,” and then after that it says, “But you stay here with Me.” So [Moses] returned [to God] and stayed apart [from his wife], and his decision was in accordance with the will of the Omnipresent God.
He stayed outside the Tent of Meeting. How so? He said to himself: If my brother Aaron, who was anointed with the anointing oil, and wrapped in [the priestly] garments, and is able to use all these things in a state of holiness, and yet the Holy Blessed One said to me (Leviticus 16:2), “Tell your brother Aaron he may not come any time he wishes into the Sanctuary”; then I, who am never allowed in – all the more so should I stay outside the Tent of Meeting! So he stayed outside the Tent of Meeting, and his decision was in accordance with the will of the Omnipresent God.
He broke the tablets. How so? They say that when Moses went up on High to receive the tablets, he found that they had already been written and set aside during the six days of Creation, as it says (Exodus 32:16), “And the tablets were the work of God, and the writing was God’s writing, engraved there upon the tablets.” (Do not read “engraved” [harut], but “freedom” [herut], for anyone who labors in Torah makes himself a free man.) At that moment, the angels who serve God pinned an accusation on Moses, saying: Master of the World, [it says] (Psalms 8:5–9), “What is the human that You should be mindful of him, the son of man that You should take note of him? You have made him a little less than God, and crowned him with glory and splendor. You have set him up to rule over Your handiwork. The world is beneath Your feet. Sheep and oxen, and all of them, and wild beasts as well. The birds of the heavens, and the fish of the sea.” So they spoke behind Moses’ back and asked: Why is this one, born of an earthly woman, worthy of ascending to the heights? as it says (Psalms 68:19), “You went up to the heights, having taken captives, having taken gifts.” He took them and went down, and was overjoyed. But when he saw that they were disgracing themselves with the Golden Calf, he said to himself: How can I give them these tablets? I will be binding them in serious commandments, and causing them to deserve death from Above! For it is written on these tablets, “You shall have no other gods before Me” (Exodus 20:3). So he started to go back up. The seventy elders saw him and ran after him. He was holding on to one end of the tablets, and they grabbed on to the other end. But Moses’ strength was greater than all of theirs, as it says (Deuteronomy 34:12), “And for all the awesome power that Moses displayed before all of Israel.” (He looked and saw that the writing was flying off them, and he said: How can I give these tablets to Israel? For there is nothing on them! So instead, I will take ahold of them and smash them, as it says [Deuteronomy 9:17], “I grabbed the two tablets, and I cast them out of my two hands, and I broke them.”) Rabbi Yosei HaGalili says: I will give you a parable. To what can this be compared? [It can be compared] to a human king who said to his messenger: Go out and betroth to me a beautiful, gracious maiden, whose deeds are lovely. The messenger went and betrothed such a woman. But after he betrothed her, he went and found her cheating with someone else. He made an instant (a fortiori) judgment with himself and said: If I give her the marriage contract now, she will immediately deserve death. [So let her instead] be released from my master forever. So, too, did Moses the Righteous make an (a fortiori) judgment with himself, and said: How can I give these tablets to Israel and bind them in serious commandments and cause them to deserve death? For it is written upon them (Exodus 22:19), “One who sacrifices to any gods other than the Eternal alone will be put to death.” So instead (I will take ahold of them and smash them, and thereby return the people to good standing, lest Israel say: Where are the first tablets that you brought down? These things are counterfeit! Rabbi Yehudah ben Beteira says: Moses did not break the tablets until he was told to straight from the mouth of the Almighty, as it says [Numbers 12:8], “Mouth to mouth I speak to him” – that is, mouth to mouth I said to him: Break the tablets!) And there are others who say: Moses did not break the tablets until he was told to straight from the mouth of the Almighty, as it says (Deuteronomy 9:16), “I saw there that you had sinned against the Eternal your God.” It says only, “I saw there,” because he saw the writing flying off [the tablets]. Others say: Moses did not break the tablets until he was told to straight from the mouth of the Almighty, as it says (Deuteronomy 10:5), “[The tablets] were there, as the Eternal had commanded me.” It says only, “commanded me,” because [first] he was commanded to [break them], and then he broke them. Rabbi Elazar ben Azariah says: Moses did not break the tablets until he was told to straight from the mouth of the Almighty, as it says (Deuteronomy 34:12), “…that Moses performed before all of Israel.” Just as later on he was commanded and then did, so too here, he was commanded and then did. (Rabbi Akiva says: Moses did not break the tablets until he was told to straight from the mouth of the Almighty, as it says [Deuteronomy 9:17], “I took ahold of the two tablets.” A person can take ahold only of that which he has been permitted by his Creator. Rabbi Meir says: Moses did not break the tablets until he was told to straight from the mouth of the Almighty, as it says [Deuteronomy 10:2], “That [asher] which you broke”: Well done [yishar koach] that you broke them!)¹Rashi says the language of asher, “that,” is like the language of ishur, “permission.” I think it more likely that the text is making a play on words between asher and yishar [koah], “well done.” [trans.]

What is the fence that Moses made around his words? It says (Exodus 19:10), “The Eternal said to Moses: Go to the people, and keep them holy, today and tomorrow.” But Moses the Righteous did not want to say this to them the way that the Holy Blessed One said it to him. So instead he said this to them (Exodus 19:15): “Prepare yourselves: for three days do not go near a woman.” Moses added an extra day for them on his own. (For this is what) Moses reasoned [to himself]: A man will go be with his wife [on the first day] and then his semen will come out of her on the third day, and then they will be [ritually] impure. And so Israel will receive words of Torah from Mount Sinai while in a state of impurity! Instead, I will add a third day for them (so that no man goes to be with his wife, and no semen will come out of her on the third day), and they will be [ritually] pure (and so they will receive Torah from Mount Sinai in a state of purity).
This is one of the things that Moses decided on his own (as a more strict ruling), and his decision was in accordance with the will of the Omnipresent God. He broke the tablets, and his decision was in accordance with the will of the Omnipresent God. He stayed outside the Tent of Meeting, and his decision was in accordance with the will of the Omnipresent God. He stayed apart from his wife, and his decision was in accordance with the will of the Omnipresent God. How so? He said to himself: If Israel need only remain in a state of holiness for a short period of time, and need only be ready to receive the Ten Commandments from Mount Sinai, and yet the Holy Blessed One said to me (Exodus 19:10), “Go to the people, and keep them holy, today and tomorrow”; then I, who am appointed [to receive the Divine Countenance] every day, at every moment, and do not know when He will speak with me, nor whether it will be during the day or at night – all the more so must I stay apart from my wife! And his decision was in accordance with the will of the Omnipresent God. Rabbi Yehudah ben Beteira said: He did not stay apart from his wife until he was told to straight from mouth of the Almighty, as it says (Numbers 12:8), “Mouth to mouth I speak to him”; that is, mouth to mouth I told him to stay apart from his wife, and so he did. Another opinion also held that Moses did not stay apart from his wife until he was told to straight from the mouth of the Almighty, [but derived it instead from these verses] (Deuteronomy 5:27–28): “Go and tell them to return to their tents,” and then after that it says, “But you stay here with Me.” So [Moses] returned [to God] and stayed apart [from his wife], and his decision was in accordance with the will of the Omnipresent God.
He stayed outside the Tent of Meeting. How so? He said to himself: If my brother Aaron, who was anointed with the anointing oil, and wrapped in [the priestly] garments, and is able to use all these things in a state of holiness, and yet the Holy Blessed One said to me (Leviticus 16:2), “Tell your brother Aaron he may not come any time he wishes into the Sanctuary”; then I, who am never allowed in – all the more so should I stay outside the Tent of Meeting! So he stayed outside the Tent of Meeting, and his decision was in accordance with the will of the Omnipresent God.
He broke the tablets. How so? They say that when Moses went up on High to receive the tablets, he found that they had already been written and set aside during the six days of Creation, as it says (Exodus 32:16), “And the tablets were the work of God, and the writing was God’s writing, engraved there upon the tablets.” (Do not read “engraved” [harut], but “freedom” [herut], for anyone who labors in Torah makes himself a free man.) At that moment, the angels who serve God pinned an accusation on Moses, saying: Master of the World, [it says] (Psalms 8:5–9), “What is the human that You should be mindful of him, the son of man that You should take note of him? You have made him a little less than God, and crowned him with glory and splendor. You have set him up to rule over Your handiwork. The world is beneath Your feet. Sheep and oxen, and all of them, and wild beasts as well. The birds of the heavens, and the fish of the sea.” So they spoke behind Moses’ back and asked: Why is this one, born of an earthly woman, worthy of ascending to the heights? as it says (Psalms 68:19), “You went up to the heights, having taken captives, having taken gifts.” He took them and went down, and was overjoyed. But when he saw that they were disgracing themselves with the Golden Calf, he said to himself: How can I give them these tablets? I will be binding them in serious commandments, and causing them to deserve death from Above! For it is written on these tablets, “You shall have no other gods before Me” (Exodus 20:3). So he started to go back up. The seventy elders saw him and ran after him. He was holding on to one end of the tablets, and they grabbed on to the other end. But Moses’ strength was greater than all of theirs, as it says (Deuteronomy 34:12), “And for all the awesome power that Moses displayed before all of Israel.” (He looked and saw that the writing was flying off them, and he said: How can I give these tablets to Israel? For there is nothing on them! So instead, I will take ahold of them and smash them, as it says [Deuteronomy 9:17], “I grabbed the two tablets, and I cast them out of my two hands, and I broke them.”) Rabbi Yosei HaGalili says: I will give you a parable. To what can this be compared? [It can be compared] to a human king who said to his messenger: Go out and betroth to me a beautiful, gracious maiden, whose deeds are lovely. The messenger went and betrothed such a woman. But after he betrothed her, he went and found her cheating with someone else. He made an instant (a fortiori) judgment with himself and said: If I give her the marriage contract now, she will immediately deserve death. [So let her instead] be released from my master forever. So, too, did Moses the Righteous make an (a fortiori) judgment with himself, and said: How can I give these tablets to Israel and bind them in serious commandments and cause them to deserve death? For it is written upon them (Exodus 22:19), “One who sacrifices to any gods other than the Eternal alone will be put to death.” So instead (I will take ahold of them and smash them, and thereby return the people to good standing, lest Israel say: Where are the first tablets that you brought down? These things are counterfeit! Rabbi Yehudah ben Beteira says: Moses did not break the tablets until he was told to straight from the mouth of the Almighty, as it says [Numbers 12:8], “Mouth to mouth I speak to him” – that is, mouth to mouth I said to him: Break the tablets!) And there are others who say: Moses did not break the tablets until he was told to straight from the mouth of the Almighty, as it says (Deuteronomy 9:16), “I saw there that you had sinned against the Eternal your God.” It says only, “I saw there,” because he saw the writing flying off [the tablets]. Others say: Moses did not break the tablets until he was told to straight from the mouth of the Almighty, as it says (Deuteronomy 10:5), “[The tablets] were there, as the Eternal had commanded me.” It says only, “commanded me,” because [first] he was commanded to [break them], and then he broke them. Rabbi Elazar ben Azariah says: Moses did not break the tablets until he was told to straight from the mouth of the Almighty, as it says (Deuteronomy 34:12), “…that Moses performed before all of Israel.” Just as later on he was commanded and then did, so too here, he was commanded and then did. (Rabbi Akiva says: Moses did not break the tablets until he was told to straight from the mouth of the Almighty, as it says [Deuteronomy 9:17], “I took ahold of the two tablets.” A person can take ahold only of that which he has been permitted by his Creator. Rabbi Meir says: Moses did not break the tablets until he was told to straight from the mouth of the Almighty, as it says [Deuteronomy 10:2], “That [asher] which you broke”: Well done [yishar koach] that you broke them!)¹Rashi says the language of asher, “that,” is like the language of ishur, “permission.” I think it more likely that the text is making a play on words between asher and yishar [koah], “well done.” [trans.]

MISHNAH: From where that one⁸Human semen is impure (Lev. 15:16–17 and sexual intercourse makes impure, v. 18. Semen which no longer can fertilize is not impure. The question is how long after intercourse must one suspect that semen released by the female still produces impurity? The answer which is given here states that semen may stay alive inside the woman’s body for three days. who loses semen on the third day is impure? For it is said⁹Ex. 19:15., be prepared for three days, do not touch a woman. From where that one washes¹⁰A male baby on the third day after circumcision with warm water, heated for the purpose even on the Sabbath, because it is a medical necessity. The entire series of deductions from Scripture is introduced here because of this rule of the Sabbath. a baby on the third day if it falls on a Sabbath? For it is said¹¹Gen. 34:25., it was on the third day when they hurt. From where that one ties a crimson band to the head of the scapegoat¹²Mishnah Yoma 4:2 requires that a crimson band be tied to the horns of the goat sent to the cliff.? For it is said¹³Is. 1:18., if your sins were like scarlet they will be snow white, etc.

HALAKHAH: 3. ⁸⁸Here starts discussion of Mishnah 3, although the reference is not to the statement of R. Aqiba in that Mishnah but to Mishnah Miqwaot 8:3, quoted in the next paragraph, to which the present is an introduction. Rebbi Joḥanan said, they learned from Sinai⁸⁹The rules of impurity of semen lost by a woman days after intercourse are derived from Ex. 19.. Moses came down on the third day of the week⁹⁰Tuesday. In this interpretation there were three days of preparation and the revelation on Sinai took place on the Sabbath. If one deletes “of the week”, the reference is to the day of the Month. and told them, be prepared for three days, do not approach a woman⁹¹Ex. 19:15.. For any one who separated on the third day, there is (the third)⁹²This word was written by the scribe, then (wrongly) deleted by the corrector, and therefore missing in the printed editions., the night of the fourth, and the fourth, the night of the fifth, and the fifth. On the sixth, if she ejected in the night she was impure, during the day pure⁹³The times elapsed in the matter of women’s purity are always counted in “terms” of 12 hours each. If a woman had sex in the night from Monday to Tuesday, then six terms have elapsed by Friday, and she can purify herself in a miqweh without problems.. For any one who separated on the fourth day, there is the fourth, the night of the fifth, and the fifth. On the sixth, if she ejected in the night she was impure, during the day pure⁹⁴In this case, four terms have elapsed, as stated as possibility by R. Ismael in Mishnah Miqwaot 8:3.. Rebbi Joḥanan said, this was on Sinai. But for future generations either four or six⁹⁵Mishnah Miqwaot 8:3.; Rebbi Aqiba says, forever there are five, also for future generations.

There⁹⁶Mishnah Miqwaot 8:3., we have stated: “One who loses semen⁸Human semen is impure (Lev. 15:16–17 and sexual intercourse makes impure, v. 18. Semen which no longer can fertilize is not impure. The question is how long after intercourse must one suspect that semen released by the female still produces impurity? The answer which is given here states that semen may stay alive inside the woman’s body for three days. on the third day is pure, the words of Rebbi Eleazar ben Azariah⁹⁷As explained later in the Halakhah, he strictly goes by the count of days, not measuring the time elapsed.. Rebbi Ismael says, sometimes they are four terms, sometimes they are five, sometimes they are six⁹⁸He essentially accepts R. Eleazar ben Azariah’s interpretation; only he quantifies it in “terms”. A term is either a night, from sundown to sunrise, or a day, from sunrise to sundown. Six terms are required if the woman had intercourse at sundown or sunrise, when it is not clear whether ejaculation occurred before or after the start of a new term.. Rebbi Aqiba says, always they are five⁹⁹In fact he always requires 60 hours elapsed after ejaculation.. If part of the first term had elapsed, one completes it by the sixth term¹⁰⁰This sentence is not in the Mishnah mss., but since it also is quoted in the Babli 86a as appendix to this Mishnah and clarifies the statement of R. Aqiba, it should be considered part of the Mishnah..” Therefore Rebbi Ismael makes the day one term and the night one term; Rebbi Aqiba makes the day one term and the night one term. In what do they differ? They differ in complete terms. Rebbi Ismael treats part of a term like the whole, but Rebbi Aqiba does not treat part of a term like the whole. It was stated so about Rebbi Aqiba: “Therefore if part of the first term had elapsed, one completes it by the sixth term”¹⁰¹In order to complete the 60 hrs. required by R. Aqiba. The computation of R. Ismael is the same as that of R. Eleazar ben Azariah explained in the sequel.. It was stated: Rebbi Eleazar ben Azariah says, day and night each are a term, and part of a term is like the whole. It was stated so about Rebbi Eleazar ben Azariah: Sometimes after slightly more than a day she is pure; sometimes after slightly less than two days she is impure. How does it happen that after slightly more than a day she is pure? She had intercourse Friday afternoon before sundown and lost Saturday night after nightfall; there is slightly more than a day she is pure¹⁰²For R. Eleazar ben Azariah the day of intercourse is day 1; she is pure if she loses some semen on day 3. The day starts at sundown. Let ε be a small fraction. If she had intercourse ε hours before sundown and then lost semen the next evening ε hours after sundown it already is the third day and she is pure after 24+2 ε hours.. How does it happen that after slightly less than two days she is impure? She had intercourse Friday night after sundown and lost Sunday night before nightfall; there is slightly less than two days she is impure¹⁰³If she had intercourse ε hours after sundown then the next 24 - ε still are day 1; if she loses semen ε hours before the end of day 2 she still is impure even though 48 – 2ε hrs. have elapsed.. Rebbi Joḥanan said, from the words of all of them, Israel received the Torah as immersed on the same day¹⁰⁴Babli 86b. For profane matters, a person either is pure or impure. But for sancta, the purification occurs in two stages. Impurity is removed by immersion in a miqweh but purity is acquired only at sundown (Lev. 22:6–7). In the meantime, the ṭevul yom person does not contaminate anything by his touch but is not permitted any sanctified food (cf. Berakhot 1:1 Note 3).. That is, the women; but the men already were purified. What is the reason? Sanctify them today and tomorrow and let them wash their garments¹⁰⁵Ex. 19:10. A man may immerse himself immediately after intercourse and become completely pure after the next sundown.. Rebbi Joḥanan said, these are the words of Rebbi Eleazar ben Azariah, and Rebbi Ismael, and Rebbi Aqiba. But the word of the Sages is, up to three days; after that it decayed. This parallels what Rebbi Zeˋira said in the name of Rebbi Joḥanan: This are the instructions for the sufferer from gonorrhea and from whom semen is ejaculated¹⁰⁶Lev. 15:32.. Since the instructions of the sufferer from gonorrhea are based on three days¹⁰⁷A sufferer from gonorrhea is impure, but he becomes severely impure requiring purification in flowing water only if he had three emissions within a three-day period (Mishnah Zavim 1:1)., also the instructions for semen are up to three days¹⁰⁸Babli 86b. While the day of intercourse is counted as day 1, the woman does not become impure by losing semen only on day 4. The derivation of these laws from Sinai is rejected since before the theophany at Sinai the people were not obligated to follow the rules promulgated there.
Here starts a Genizah fragment edited by L. Ginzberg (p. 87–88), G..

³¹Gen. rabba13(11). It is called by five names: fog, canopy, cloud, prince, and storm-cloud. From where “fog”? And fog rose from the earth³²Gen. 2:6.. “Thick cloud,” [which thickens the sky]³³Corrector’s addition from Gen. rabba., behold, I shall come to you in a canopy of cloud³⁴Ex. 19:9.. “Cloud”, because it makes people meek with one another. “Prince” because it turns owners of houses into princes: He raises rain-clouds from the ends of the earth³⁵Ps. 135:7.. “Storm-clouds” because it turns the sky into multiple visions³⁶Deriving the unexplained word as pilpel form of חזה “to have a vision”.: The Eternal makes storm clouds³⁷Sach. 10:1..

Rebbi Judah bar Titus¹⁸⁰A Galilean Amora from Caesarea Philippi, of the fourth generation., Rebbi Aḥa in the name Rebbi Eliezer: as at the start (Ex. 19:11) “They shall be prepared on the third day, do not approach a woman¹⁸¹The impurity of qeri for the study of Torah is derived from the theophany at Sinai where the Israelites purified themselves for three days from any impurity caused by marital relations. This gives support to the opinion stated earlier by R. Joshua ben Levi that the impurity of qeri is only caused by sexual intercourse. The Talmud notes (Babli Šabbat 86a, Yerushalmi Šabbat 9:3, fol. 11c) that a separation of three days was needed only for the women since a woman may lose live sperm from her body up to three days after intercourse. For men a simple immersion in water the next day would be enough. This proves that women were included by Divine decree among the original recipients and students of the Torah; the inclusion of women in the Tosephta quoted in the next paragraph is intentional..”

⁵⁹Babli 45a; Mekhilta dR. Ismael Yitro 3 (p. 212); Mekhilta dR. Simeon ben Johai Yitro p. 141. From where that he needs to be stoned? For it is said⁶⁰Ex. 19:13., by stoning he be stoned. From where that he needs to be pushed? For it is said, by pushing he be pushed. ⁶¹In the parallel sources: From where that is is sufficient if he dies from being pushed? In the opinion of Pene Moshe, the second pushing is the turning on his back if he lands on his face. From where that he needs two pushings? The verse says, to be pushed.

Hezekiah said: Great is peace, for with regard to all the journeyings [of Israel] it is written, And they journeyed … and they pitched,²⁴Num. 33, 5 ff. [the plural number implying that] they journeyed in dissension and encamped in dissension. When, however, they came to Mount Sinai, they all became one encampment, [as it is stated,] And there Israel encamped²⁵The verb is singular in the Heb. before the mount.²⁶Ex. 19, 2. The Holy One, blessed be He, said, ‘Since Israel hate dissension and love peace and became one encampment, this is the time when I will give them My Torah’.
Adonijah was slain only because he was a quarrelsome person,²⁷Although the kingdom was promised by David to Solomon, Adonijah tried to usurp it, knowing that it would cause strife and bloodshed. and it is permissible to slander a quarrelsome person; for thus did Nathan the prophet say to Bathsheba, I also will come in after thee, and confirm thy words.²⁸1 Kings 1, 14. And Rabbi [Judah the Prince] said: All falsehoods are prohibited, but it is permissible to utter a falsehood for the purpose of making peace between a man and his fellow.^28a(28a) [Cf. the procedure adopted by Aaron, below §18, ARN XII, p. 71ff.]

MISHNAH: The ox and any domestic animal equally are under the rules of falling into a pit, separating from Mount Sinai⁸⁸Ex. 19:13., paying double restitution, returning lost property, unloading, muzzling, interbreeding, and the Sabbath. Wild animals and birds follow the same rules. Then why was it said “ox or donkey”? But the verse speaks of the actuality⁸⁷At the time of the promulgation of the Law, these were the most frequent cases..

HALAKHAH: “The ox and any domestic animal equally are under the rules of falling into a pit,” etc. Falling into a pit, “and an ox or a donkey fell in there.⁵⁶Ex. 21:33.” Separating from Mount Sinai, “neither animal nor man shall live.⁸⁸Ex. 19:13.” Paying double restitution, “from ox to donkey⁸⁹Ex. 22:3, the penalty for the thief found with livestock.”. To return lost property, “you shall certainly return them⁹⁰Deut. 22:1..” Unloading, “do remove⁹¹Ex.. 23:5..” Muzzling, “do not muzzle an ox while threshing⁹²Deut. 25:4..” Interbreeding, “your animal you shall not breed kilaim⁹³Lev. 19:19..” The Sabbath, “that your ox and your donkey may rest⁹⁴Ex. 23:12..”

‘R. Joshua b. Levi said: Every day’, etc. Whence do we know this? For it is written, Hark! the Lord crieth [yiḳra’] unto the city—and it is wisdom to have regard for Thy name.¹⁰⁵Micah 6, 9. Perhaps the verse speaks of an ordinary voice [calling and not a Bath Ḳol]? Here it is stated yiḳra’, and elsewhere it is stated, And the Lord called [wayyiḳra’] unto him out of the mountain:¹⁰⁶Ex. 19, 3. as there it was [God calling] from Sinai, so here too it is [God calling] from Sinai. Alternately, here it states yiḳra’ and of the tent of meeting it states, And the Lord called [wayyiḳra’] unto Moses, and spoke unto him out of the tent of meeting.¹⁰⁷Lev. 1, 1. But it might be argued that here¹⁰⁸In Micah 6, 9, where the word ḳol is used, translated hark. it uses the word ḳol and elsewhere it states, God answered him by a voice [beḳol]!¹⁰⁹Ex. 19, 19, which seems to imply that it was not God Who spoke. Then quote, Then he heard the Voice speaking.¹¹⁰Num. 7, 89. Here it is clear that God is speaking. [It might also be argued,] Here it states, unto the city¹¹¹In Micah 6, 9, and therefore the comparison is not complete. and there it does not! [Draw the inference] from the following: Hark [ḳol]! one calleth [ḳore’]: Clear ye in the wilderness the way of the Lord,¹¹²Isa. 40, 3. where ‘calling’ and ‘wilderness’ occur, and it is written, They encamped in the wilderness¹¹³Ex. 19, 2, which refers to a time before Sinai.—perhaps this refers to the periodical ‘callings’! When it mentions ‘calling’ it implies a regular calling, as it is written, When I call unto them, they stand up together.¹¹⁴Isa. 48, 13.
Our Rabbis have taught:¹¹⁵Ber. 55a (Sonc. ed., p. 335). R. Joḥanan there enumerates three things: famine, plenty and leadership. Five things the Holy One, blessed be He, Himself proclaims, viz.: the leader, famine, plenty, the sword, and those who escape the sword. ‘The leader’, as it is written, See, I have called by name Beẓalel.¹¹⁶Ex. 31, 2. ‘Famine’, as it is written, For the Lord hath called for a famine.¹¹⁷2 Kings 8, 1. ‘Plenty’, as it is written, And I will call for the corn and will increase it.¹¹⁸Ezek. 36, 29. ‘The sword’, as it is written, For I will call for a sword.¹¹⁹Jer. 25, 29. ‘Those who escape the sword’, as it is written, And among the remnant those whom the Lord shall call.¹²⁰Joel 3, 5. It is all right with three since the Divine Name is written in connection with them, but with And I will call for the corn, perhaps [this means] by a messenger, as it is written, I will call my servant Eliaḳim!¹²¹Isa. 22, 20. If you do not admit this, surely there [with Eliaḳim] the Divine Presence called to him [to act as leader], because it was similar to that of Beẓalel who was a leader.

‘R. Joshua b. Levi said: Every day’, etc. Whence do we know this? For it is written, Hark! the Lord crieth [yiḳra’] unto the city—and it is wisdom to have regard for Thy name.¹⁰⁵Micah 6, 9. Perhaps the verse speaks of an ordinary voice [calling and not a Bath Ḳol]? Here it is stated yiḳra’, and elsewhere it is stated, And the Lord called [wayyiḳra’] unto him out of the mountain:¹⁰⁶Ex. 19, 3. as there it was [God calling] from Sinai, so here too it is [God calling] from Sinai. Alternately, here it states yiḳra’ and of the tent of meeting it states, And the Lord called [wayyiḳra’] unto Moses, and spoke unto him out of the tent of meeting.¹⁰⁷Lev. 1, 1. But it might be argued that here¹⁰⁸In Micah 6, 9, where the word ḳol is used, translated hark. it uses the word ḳol and elsewhere it states, God answered him by a voice [beḳol]!¹⁰⁹Ex. 19, 19, which seems to imply that it was not God Who spoke. Then quote, Then he heard the Voice speaking.¹¹⁰Num. 7, 89. Here it is clear that God is speaking. [It might also be argued,] Here it states, unto the city¹¹¹In Micah 6, 9, and therefore the comparison is not complete. and there it does not! [Draw the inference] from the following: Hark [ḳol]! one calleth [ḳore’]: Clear ye in the wilderness the way of the Lord,¹¹²Isa. 40, 3. where ‘calling’ and ‘wilderness’ occur, and it is written, They encamped in the wilderness¹¹³Ex. 19, 2, which refers to a time before Sinai.—perhaps this refers to the periodical ‘callings’! When it mentions ‘calling’ it implies a regular calling, as it is written, When I call unto them, they stand up together.¹¹⁴Isa. 48, 13.
Our Rabbis have taught:¹¹⁵Ber. 55a (Sonc. ed., p. 335). R. Joḥanan there enumerates three things: famine, plenty and leadership. Five things the Holy One, blessed be He, Himself proclaims, viz.: the leader, famine, plenty, the sword, and those who escape the sword. ‘The leader’, as it is written, See, I have called by name Beẓalel.¹¹⁶Ex. 31, 2. ‘Famine’, as it is written, For the Lord hath called for a famine.¹¹⁷2 Kings 8, 1. ‘Plenty’, as it is written, And I will call for the corn and will increase it.¹¹⁸Ezek. 36, 29. ‘The sword’, as it is written, For I will call for a sword.¹¹⁹Jer. 25, 29. ‘Those who escape the sword’, as it is written, And among the remnant those whom the Lord shall call.¹²⁰Joel 3, 5. It is all right with three since the Divine Name is written in connection with them, but with And I will call for the corn, perhaps [this means] by a messenger, as it is written, I will call my servant Eliaḳim!¹²¹Isa. 22, 20. If you do not admit this, surely there [with Eliaḳim] the Divine Presence called to him [to act as leader], because it was similar to that of Beẓalel who was a leader.

‘R. Joshua b. Levi said: Every day’, etc. Whence do we know this? For it is written, Hark! the Lord crieth [yiḳra’] unto the city—and it is wisdom to have regard for Thy name.¹⁰⁵Micah 6, 9. Perhaps the verse speaks of an ordinary voice [calling and not a Bath Ḳol]? Here it is stated yiḳra’, and elsewhere it is stated, And the Lord called [wayyiḳra’] unto him out of the mountain:¹⁰⁶Ex. 19, 3. as there it was [God calling] from Sinai, so here too it is [God calling] from Sinai. Alternately, here it states yiḳra’ and of the tent of meeting it states, And the Lord called [wayyiḳra’] unto Moses, and spoke unto him out of the tent of meeting.¹⁰⁷Lev. 1, 1. But it might be argued that here¹⁰⁸In Micah 6, 9, where the word ḳol is used, translated hark. it uses the word ḳol and elsewhere it states, God answered him by a voice [beḳol]!¹⁰⁹Ex. 19, 19, which seems to imply that it was not God Who spoke. Then quote, Then he heard the Voice speaking.¹¹⁰Num. 7, 89. Here it is clear that God is speaking. [It might also be argued,] Here it states, unto the city¹¹¹In Micah 6, 9, and therefore the comparison is not complete. and there it does not! [Draw the inference] from the following: Hark [ḳol]! one calleth [ḳore’]: Clear ye in the wilderness the way of the Lord,¹¹²Isa. 40, 3. where ‘calling’ and ‘wilderness’ occur, and it is written, They encamped in the wilderness¹¹³Ex. 19, 2, which refers to a time before Sinai.—perhaps this refers to the periodical ‘callings’! When it mentions ‘calling’ it implies a regular calling, as it is written, When I call unto them, they stand up together.¹¹⁴Isa. 48, 13.
Our Rabbis have taught:¹¹⁵Ber. 55a (Sonc. ed., p. 335). R. Joḥanan there enumerates three things: famine, plenty and leadership. Five things the Holy One, blessed be He, Himself proclaims, viz.: the leader, famine, plenty, the sword, and those who escape the sword. ‘The leader’, as it is written, See, I have called by name Beẓalel.¹¹⁶Ex. 31, 2. ‘Famine’, as it is written, For the Lord hath called for a famine.¹¹⁷2 Kings 8, 1. ‘Plenty’, as it is written, And I will call for the corn and will increase it.¹¹⁸Ezek. 36, 29. ‘The sword’, as it is written, For I will call for a sword.¹¹⁹Jer. 25, 29. ‘Those who escape the sword’, as it is written, And among the remnant those whom the Lord shall call.¹²⁰Joel 3, 5. It is all right with three since the Divine Name is written in connection with them, but with And I will call for the corn, perhaps [this means] by a messenger, as it is written, I will call my servant Eliaḳim!¹²¹Isa. 22, 20. If you do not admit this, surely there [with Eliaḳim] the Divine Presence called to him [to act as leader], because it was similar to that of Beẓalel who was a leader.

HALAKHAH: “The sorcerer is one who does a deed,” etc. A sorceress you shall not let live³⁶³Ex. 22:17., whether man or woman, but the Torah taught you the way of the world that most women have a tendency to sorcery³⁶⁴Babli 67a and Mekhilta dR. Simeon ben Iohai, ad loc., the first part only in Mekhilta dR. Ismael, ad loc.. Rebbi Eliezer said, a sorcerer is [executed] by stoning. What is Rebbi Eliezer’s reason? It says here, a sorceress you shall not let live, and it says there, whether human or animal they shall not live³⁶⁵Ex. 19:13. The verse requires stoning or shooting the transgressor.
In the Babylonian sources (Babli and the two Mekhiltot), this argument is attributed to R. Aqiba, who in the Yerushalmi rejects it.. Since shall not live there means by stoning, also here by stoning. What is the rabbis’³⁶⁶There “rabbis” oppose the Mishnah and decree beheading for the sorcerer; in Babli and Mekhilta dR. Simeon ben Iohai the author is R. Yose the Galilean, in Mekhilta dR. Ismael it is R. Ismael. reason? It says here, a sorceress you shall not let live, and it says there, you shall not let live anybody³⁶⁷Deut. 20:16.. Since you shall not let live there means death by the sword, also you shall not let live here means death by the sword. Rebbi Aqiba said, from this argument I am deciding. It is preferable to learn you shall not let live from you shall not let live rather than from shall not live. What is Rebbi Jehudah’s reason³⁶⁸The student of R. Eliezer’s student gives the final argument for the Mishnah. In the Babli (here and Berakhot 21b) and Mekhilta dR. Simeon ben Iohai his argument is attributed to Ben Azzai, in Mekhilta dR. Ismael to R. Yose the Galilean.? It says here, a sorceress you shall not let live, and it says there, anybody lying with an animal shall die the death³⁶⁹Ex. 22:18, the verse following the one about the sorceress. Since in v. 17 the method of execution is not indicated, the instruction of v. 18 is interpreted in the light of Lev. 20:15–16 and applied to both verses.. Since the execution of the animal is by stoning, so here also by stoning³⁷⁰Since for animals the only explicitly mentioned example of execution is the stoning of the notorious bull..

What was the severity of Shammai the Elder? They say that once a person came before Shammai and asked him: Rabbi, how many Torahs do you have? Two, he replied, the Written Torah and the Oral Torah. [The man] said to him: I believe you with respect to the Written [Torah], but not with respect to the Oral [Torah]. Shammai scolded him and kicked him out angrily. He went before Hillel, and asked him: Rabbi, how many Torahs do you have? Two, he replied, the Written Torah and the Oral Torah. [The man] said to him: I believe you with respect to the Written [Torah], but not with respect to the Oral [Torah]. [Hillel] said: My child, sit down and write for me the alphabet. [Hillel] said: What is this? [The man] said: An aleph. [Hillel] said: No, that’s not an aleph, it’s a beit. Then he said: And what is this? [The man] replied: That’s a beit. No, that’s not a beit, it’s a gimmel, said Hillel. [Hillel continued:] Tell me, from where do you know that this one is an aleph and this one is a beit? [The man replied:] This is what our ancestors passed down, that this is an aleph, and this a beit, and this a gimmel. Hillel said: Just as you have accepted that faithfully, so accept this faithfully.
On another occasion, a foreigner was passing behind a synagogue, when he heard a child reciting the verse (Exodus 28:4), “And these are the garments which they shall make; a breastplate and an ephod.” So he went before Shammai and said to him: For whom is all this honor? [Shammai answered:] For the high priest, when he is performing his service on the altar. So he said: Convert me, but only on the condition that you make me the high priest. Shammai replied: Do we not have priests in Israel? Do we not already have a high priest who will serve us? Do we need some convert who has come with his staff and his knapsack to serve as the high priest? So he scolded him and kicked him out angrily.
He then went before Hillel, and said: Convert me, but only on the condition that you appoint me the high priest, so I can go up and serve on the altar. Hillel said: Sit down, and I will tell you something. If someone wants to appear before a human king, isn’t it necessary that he learn how to make his entrance and exit? Yes, [the man] replied. [Hillel continued:] So you, who wish to appear before the King of all kings, the Holy Blessed One, how much more necessary for you to learn how to enter the Holy of Holies, how to light the lamps, how to come close to the altar, how to order the table, and how to prepare the fire on the altar! The man then replied: Tell me what you think is the best way to do this. So Hillel wrote for him the alphabet, and he learned it. Then he gave him [the book of] Leviticus, and he continued learning [the rest of the Torah] until he came to the verse (Numbers 1:51), “[The Levites shall set up the Tabernacle,] and any stranger who comes close shall die.” The convert reasoned: If Israel, who are called children of the Omnipresent, and of whom the Shekhinah said (Exodus 19:6), "And you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation," and even so they were so warned by this verse that “any stranger who comes close shall die,” then how much more so I, a mere convert, who has come with only his knapsack! And the convert was immediately at peace with this. He came to Hillel the Elder and said: May all the blessings that are contained in the Torah come upon your head. For if you had been like Shammai the Elder, I would not have come into the congregation of Israel. His severity nearly caused me to be lost both in this world and in the World to Come; but the humility of Hillel has brought me to a life in this world and in the World to Come. It was said that this convert had two sons. He named one Hillel and the other Gamliel, and they were called Hillel's converts.

The Divine Presence descended to the world ten times. Once in the Garden of Eden, as it says (Genesis 3:8), “They heard the sound of the Eternal God moving in the garden,” and it [also] says (Song of Songs 6:2), “My beloved has gone down to his garden.” Once in the generation of the Tower of Babel, as it says (Genesis 11:5), “And the Eternal went down to see the city and the tower.” Once in Sodom, as it says (Genesis 18:21), “I will go down and I will see about the cries that have come up to Me.” Once in Egypt, as it says (Exodus 3:8), “I have come down to save them from the hands of the Egyptians.” Once at the sea, as it says (Psalms 18:10), “And He bent the heavens and came down.” Once at Sinai, as it says (Exodus 19:20), “And the Eternal came down upon Mount Sinai” before all the people. Once in the Temple, as it says (Ezekiel 44:2), “And the Eternal said to me, this gate must be kept closed and is never to be opened…because the Eternal, the God of Israel, has come through it.” And once in a pillar of cloud, as it says (Numbers 11:25), “And the Eternal came down in a cloud.” And once more in the future, in the days of Gog and Magog, as its says (Zechariah 14:4), “He will set his feet down, on that day, upon the Mount of Olives.”