Talmud su Esodo 24:78

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.

Rebbi Ḥaggai and Rebbi Jeremiah went to the Bazaar¹¹The translation is tentative; בית חנוותא means “the house of stores”, which might be a description of a shuq even though it is difficult to explain why the word שׁוּקָא was not used. It is not clear what kind of miẓwah the two rabbis performed in the market. In the opinion of R. Eleazar Askari they were agoranomoi, overseers of weights and measures, and Rebbi Ḥaggai recited a benediction before starting to go from stall to stall and checking the balances for correctness since that is a Biblical commandment repeated several times in the Pentateuch (Deut. 25:15, Lev. 19:36) in addition to the prohibition of fraudulent business practices.
The Rome manuscript has instead of בית חנוותא the expression לְמֵי חַטָּאתָה “the water for the ashes of the read heifer”, the drawing of which certainly would need a benediction. The Talmud reports that Rebbi Ḥaggai finished his Talmud studies with Rav Ḥuna I at age 18 and lived to be 160 years old; so, as shown in the commentary to Mishnah 1:1, he still could have seen ashes of the read heifer, but these could not have been preserved at the time of Rebbi Jeremiah who lived during the third and fourth generations of Amoraïm, even if these ashes were uniquely reserved for Cohanim eating Terumah.
R. Zachariah Frankel wants to emend to בֵּית חַתְנוּתָא “place of a wedding” but his reading has no basis in antique or medieval sources.. Rebbi Ḥaggai was quick to recite a blessing. Rebbi Jeremiah said to him: You acted correctly because all commandments need a benediction. And from where that all commandments¹²After establishing benedictions before the consumption of food one establishes now the need for benedictions before the execution of positive commandments (by tradition, only those to be performed at specific times or occasions, not those that are always valid). need a benediction? Rebbi Tanḥuma, Rebbi Abba bar Cahana in the name of Rebbi Eleazar: (Ex. 24:12) “I want to give you the stone tablets, the Torah and the commandment¹³The verse really reads: “both Torah and Commandments”. The double vaw in the verse is essential for R. Eleazar’s argument..” It brackets Torah and commandment. Just as Torah needs a benediction, a commandment also needs benediction.

Since Rebbi Simeon ben Laqish has this objection, from where does Rebbi Simeon derive it³³The rule that the High Priest is separated from his family for seven days before the Day of Atonement.? Following that of Rebbi Ismael:³⁴Babli 4a. With this Aaron shall come into the Sanctuary³⁵Lev. 16:3., what was said in the matter³⁶Of Aaron’s induction into the High Priesthood.. One separates him all of seven days, he serves all of seven days, and one initiates him all of seven days. Also in this case one separates him all of seven days, he serves all of seven days, and one initiates him all of seven days. Is that spelled out in the matter? But since the death of Aaron’s sons is mentioned in the matter³⁷Lev. 16:1. and they died during the initiation, it is as if the matter was mentioned. Does not in the end Rebbi Simeon ben Laqish understand it from the same verse³⁸He still has to explain the same verse used by R. Joḥanan and Bar Qappara, which he himself proved to be inadequate.? But he is like a person who hears a statement and questions it. Rebbi Yose ben Rebbi Abun said, the reason of Rebbi Simeon ben Laqish is: the glory of the Eternal was dwelling on Mount Sinai³⁹Ex. 24:16.. Just as Moses did not enter the Holiest of Holies before he was sanctified in the cloud all of seven days, so Aaron did not enter the Holiest of Holies before he was inducted by the anointing oil all of seven days⁴⁰It is not a biblical requirement but popular usage supported by an aggadic argument..

Rabbi Yehudah ben Beteira says: Adam was sitting in the Garden of Eden, and the angels who serve God stood there in the Garden attending to him. They grilled meat for him, and chilled wine for him. The snake came and saw all this, and took it as an affront to his own honor, and he became jealous.
How was Adam created? In the first hour, his dirt was gathered together. In the second hour, his form was formed. In the third hour, a torso was made. In the fourth hour, his limbs were attached. In the fifth hour, his orifices were opened. In the sixth hour, he was given breath. In the seventh hour, he stood up on his legs. In the eighth hour, he was paired with Eve. In the ninth hour, he was brought into the Garden of Eden. In the tenth hour, he was commanded [not to eat from the tree]. In the eleventh hour, he disgraced himself. In the twelfth hour, he was driven out and left, which fulfills the words of the verse (Psalms 49:13), “Man does not spend even one night in honor.”
What is recited on the first day? “The earth is the Eternal’s, in all its fullness; the world and those who dwell upon it” (Psalms 24). For He became Master of the World and will judge it. What is recited on the second day? “The Eternal is great, and praised tremendously in the city of our God” (Psalms 48). For He sets up all His works and becomes everything over His world. What is recited on the third day? “God stands in the divine congregation; amidst the powers He judges” (Psalms 82). For He created the sea and the land, and the land was folded into its place, and a space was cleared for His congregation. What is recited on the fourth day? “God of Vengeance, Lord! God of Vengeance, appear!” (Psalms 94). For He created the sun and the moon and the stars and the constellations, and they illuminate the world, and will one day be paid for their work. What is recited on the fifth day? “Sing joyously to the Eternal, our strength, shout out to the God of Jacob!” (Psalms 81). For He created birds and fish, and sea creatures, who all sing joyously in the world. What is recited on the sixth day? “The Eternal is king, He is dressed in dignity; the Eternal has dressed, and wrapped Himself in strength. The world is set in place; it will not fall” (Psalms 93). He finished all of His works, and then rose above them and sat up in the heights of the world. What is recited on the seventh day? “A psalm; a song for the Sabbath day” (Psalms 92). For on it, there is no eating or drinking, no buying or selling. The righteous just sit, with crowns on their heads, and bask in the radiance of the Divine Presence, as it says (Exodus 24:11), “And they beheld God, and they ate and drank,” like the angels who serve God.
(And why [was he created] so close [to the Sabbath]? So that he could enter into the Sabbath meal immediately.)
Rabbi Shimon ben Elazar says: I will give you a parable. What was Adam like? Like a man who married a convert, and would sit with her and give her orders. He said to her: Girl, do not eat bread while your hands are impure. And do not eat fruit that has not been tithed. And do not desecrate the Sabbath. And do not break your vows. And do not go around with other men. Now, if you break any one of these rules, you will die. (Then what did that man do?) He ate bread in front of her while his hands were impure, and he ate fruit that had not been tithed, and he desecrated the Sabbath, and he broke his vows. [And then he cast her out.] What did this convert say to herself? All the rules that my husband ordered me to follow are lies! She immediately went and broke them all.
Rabbi Shimon ben Yochai says: I will give you a parable. What was the situation with Adam like? Like a man who had a woman in his house. What did he do? He went and brought a jar and put figs and nuts in it. Then he caught a scorpion, and put it near the mouth of the jar. And then he sealed the jar with a string and placed it in a corner. He said to her: Girl, everything I have in this house is for you to use, except for that jar, which you must not touch at all. What did the woman do? When her husband went out to the marketplace, she went and opened the jar, and stuck her hand inside, and the scorpion bit her. She went and fell on the bed. When her husband came back from the marketplace, he said to her: What happened? She said to him: I stuck my hand in the jar, and a scorpion bit me, and now I am dying! He said to her: Didn’t I tell you before? Everything I have in my house is for you to use, except for that jar, which you must not touch at all! He became very angry at her and cast her out. So it was with Adam. When the Holy Blessed One said to him (Genesis 2:16–17), “From every tree of the garden you may absolutely eat. But from the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil, do not eat. For on the day you eat from it, you will surely die.” Then when he ate from it, he was driven out, which fulfills the verse (Psalms 49:13), “Man does not spend even one night in honor. He is just like the beasts.”
(On that same day he was formed;) On that same day he was created; on that same day his form was formed; on that same day a torso was made; on that same day his limbs were attached and his orifices were opened; on that same day breath was given to him. On that same day he stood up on his legs; on that same day he was paired with Eve; on that same day he called [all the animals] names; on that same day he was brought into the Garden of Eden; on that same day he was commanded [not to eat from the tree]; on that same day he disgraced himself; on that same day he was driven out, which fulfills the words of the verse (Psalms 49:13), “Man does not spend even one night in honor.”
On that same day they went up into their bed as two and came down as four. Rabbi Yehudah ben Beteira says: On that same day they went up into their bed as two and came down as six.¹This is according to the tradition that each son was born with a twin girl who would become his wife. On that same day Adam was given three new decrees, as it says (Genesis 3:17–18), “And to Adam [God] said: Because you heeded the voice of your wife…the ground will be cursed because of you. You will eat from it in distress…and it will sprout thorns and thistles for you, and you will eat the grasses of the field.” When Adam heard that the Holy Blessed One said to him, “You will eat the grasses of the field,” immediately his limbs began to shake. He said before God: Master of the World! Will I and my animal eat from the same trough? The Holy Blessed One said: Since your limbs began to shake (nizdazu), therefore “by the sweat (zeiah) of your brow you will [be able to] eat bread” (Genesis 3:19). And just as Adam was given these three decrees, so, too, Eve was given three decrees, as it says (Genesis 3:16), “To the woman [God] said: I will increase and increase your pangs in childbearing; you will give birth to children in pain.” So when a woman has her menstrual bleeding, the beginning of her cycle is the most difficult for her. (“I will increase and increase”:) When a woman first has sexual relations, at the beginning intercourse is difficult for her. “Your pangs”: And when a woman becomes pregnant, her face becomes ugly and greenish for the first three months.
When evening began to descend, Adam looked toward the darkening horizon and said: Woe is me! Because I disgraced myself, the Holy Blessed one is bringing darkness upon my world. He did not know that this was simply the way of the world. In the morning, when he saw that the world began to brighten from the east, he felt an overwhelming sense of joy. So he went and built altars, and brought a bull whose horns had grown in before his hooves,²Unusual for a bull, but because the first bull grew up out of the ground, its top was formed before its legs. See Rashi, Hullin 60a. and he offered it up as a sacrifice, as it says (Tehillim 69:32), “It will be better to the Eternal than a bull with horns and hooves.”
The bull that Adam offered up on the altar, as well as the bull that Noah offered up, and the ram that Abraham our forefather offered up in place of his son, (all had horns that had grown in before their hooves), as it says (Genesis 22:13), “Abraham raised his eyes, and behold, a ram was caught [in the brambles by its horns].”
At that same hour, three groups of angels who serve God came down, and in their hands were lyres and harps and all kinds of instruments, and they sang with him, as it says (Psalms 92:1–2), “A psalm. A song for the Sabbath day. It is good to thank the Eternal…and to speak of Your kindness in the morning, and Your faith through the night.” “To speak of your kindness in the morning” – that is the World to Come, which is compared to morning, as it says (Lamentations 3:23), “They are renewed in the morning; great is Your faith.” “And Your faith through the night” – that is this world, which is compared to night, as it says (Isaiah 21:11), “The burden of Dumah. Someone calls to me from Seir: Watchman, what will happen in the night? Watchman, what will happen in the night?”
At that same hour, the Holy Blessed One said: If I do not punish the snake, I will be found to have caused the destruction of the whole world! They will say, that one, whom I have crowned, and made king over the whole world, how can it be that he has ruined himself and eaten the fruits of that tree? Immediately, He turned to the snake and cursed it, as it says (Genesis 3:14), “Then the Eternal God said to the snake….” Thus, Rabbi Yosei said: If this verse had not (not) concluded with its curse, the whole world would have been destroyed.
When the Holy Blessed One created the first human being, He formed it facing both frontward and backward, as it says (Psalms 139:5), “You formed me after and before, and You placed Your hand upon me.” And the angels who serve God came down (to serve Him) [in order to destroy the first human being]. So the Holy Blessed One took it and placed it under His wings, as it says (Psalms 139:5), “You hedge me before and behind, and You placed Your hands upon me.”
Another interpretation of “And You placed Your hands upon me”: (When [Adam] disgraced himself, the Holy Blessed One took one of [His hands] away). From here we see that both the human being and the Sanctuary, when they were created, were created by God’s two hands. From where do we learn that the human being was created with God’s two hands? As it says (Psalms 119:73), “Your hands made me and fashioned me.” From where do we learn that the Sanctuary was created with God’s two hands? As it says (Exodus 15:17), “In the Sanctuary, God, which Your hands have established.” (And it says [Psalms 78:54]), “He brought them to the border of His Sanctuary, the mountain which His right hand had acquired.”
And it says (Exodus 15:19), “The Eternal will reign forever and ever.”

BARAITHA.¹⁵K 17. R. Aḥai b. Josiah said: He who gazes¹⁶In K ‘he who diverts his mind with’. at women will eventually come within the power of sin, and he who diverts himself from sin and does not commit it, though he be an Israelite, is worthy to offer a burnt-offering on the altar as did the High Priest; as it is stated, And he sent the young men of the children of Israel, who offered burnt-offerings. And whoever makes himself indolent so as not to sin and does not commit it will be sustained by the lustre of the Divine Presence, as it is stated, And they beheld God and did eat and drink.
GEMARA. The question was asked: In the Baraitha is the word to be read ‘aẓel (‘indolent’) or ’eẓel (‘next to’)? We have learnt: Come and hear: [It is stated,] And upon the nobles [’aẓilë] of the children of Israel He laid not His hand.¹⁷Ex. 24, 11. Whence can you infer that this word ’aẓilë has a pure connotation? For it is written, And I will take of the spirit which is upon thee, and will put it upon them.¹⁸Num. 11, 17. The Heb. for take is the root ’aẓal, so the conclusion arrived at is that the reading in the Baraitha must be ’eẓel, and they who are tempted by sin but desist earn as a reward the outpouring of the Divine Spirit upon them. The Midrash Agadah (ed. Buber, p. 101) defines the verb in Num. by another meaning ‘separate from’, so giving it here the sense of ‘keeping away from’.
It has been taught:¹⁹Ber. 17a (Sonc. ed., p. 102). In the World to Come there is neither eating, drinking nor procreation, but the righteous sit with crowns on their heads and are sustained by the lustre of the Divine Presence, as it is stated, And they beheld God and did eat and drink. An objection was raised: [It is stated,] May he be as a rich cornfield in the land upon the top of the mountains.²⁰Ps. 72, 16, which indicates that the righteous will enjoy prosperity in the World to Come. [The Sages] said:²¹Keth. 111b (Sonc. ed., p. 721). The World to Come is not like this world. In this world there is the trouble to tread and gather [the grapes] but in the World to Come the Holy One, blessed be He, will bring a wind from His treasury and cause it to blow upon [the trees] so that they will let [their fruit] fall to the ground; a man will go into the field and bring back from it an abundance of its fruits for his own sustenance and that of his household. But should you think that [the reality is] as was taught, of what use is sustenance to them?²²This Rabbinic quotation contradicts the preceding, which taught that there is no eating in the World to Come. It is further written, The woman with child and her that travaileth with child together:²³Jer. 31, 7; in A.J. verse 8. woman is destined to bear a child every day. This is a conclusion to be deduced by arguing from the less to the great from the instance of poultry.²⁴Shab. 30b (Sonc. ed., pp. 137f.) referring to the World to Come; one of Rabban Gamaliel’s hyperbolical statements. This contradicts the teaching that there is no procreation in the World to Come. There is no contradiction; one statement refers to the time before the Resurrection and the other to the Messianic era.²⁵On the meaning of ‘the World to Come’, cf. Sanh., Sonc. ed., p. 601, n. 3. Here ‘the world is contrasted with the future change whereas generally it is contrasted with the World to Come. Perhaps here the phrase means, the world under present conditions’ (Shab. p. 138, n. 3, in the Sonc. ed.). [On the subject, cf. G. F. Moore, Judaism, II, pp. 317ff.]

Three scrolls were found in the Temple courtyard¹¹⁹It is asserted that even before the work of the Masoretes, the received text of the Pentateuch was a scholarly edition., the Meone scroll, the Zaatute scroll, the hee scroll. In one they found written me`ôn is the preexisting God, but in two was written me`ônāh is the preexisting God¹²⁰Deut. 33:26.. They confirmed the two and annulled the one. In one they found written he sent the za`<sup>a</sup>tûtē of the Children of Israel but in two was written he sent the na`^arē of the Children of Israel¹²¹Ex. 24:5. The LXX translate za`<sup>a</sup>tûtē(Babli Megillah 9a, bottom) as “young men” but na`ar (Ex. 33:11) as “boy”.. They confirmed the two and annulled the one. In one they found written nine היא, but in two they found eleven ¹²²This is the accepted mesorah. The irregular spelling is found in Gen. 14:3,20:5, 38:5; Lev. 11:39,13:10,13:21,16:31,20:17,21:9; Num. 5:13,5:14. היא. They confirmed the two and annulled the one.

⁵⁵Most of this paragraph also is in Lev. rabba 23(8), Cant. rabba 4(17). Rebbi Berekhia, Rebbi Jeremiah in the name of Rebbi Ḥiyya bar Abba: Levi bar Sisi explained in Nahardea: They saw the God of Israel and below His feet like the work of a brick of sapphire, and like the true sky in purity⁵⁶Ex. 24:10.. That is, before they were freed. But after they were freed, (it was not its way to be put) [where usually the brick is put]⁵⁷The sapphire brick was at God’s feet as symbol of the enslavement of Israel; after their freeing it was no longer necessary but took its place in the Heavenly Temple. The corrector’s text in brackets is that of the Midrashim. there it is put. Rebbi Berekhia said, it is not written here the work, but like the work, it and all its tools⁵⁸Greek ʼεργαλεῑα “tools of trade”., (it and the basket and the rake.)⁵⁹The scribe’s text in parentheses is confirmed by the Midrashim. The remainder of the text up to the statement of Bar Qappara is not in the parallel sources. [it and all its merchandise. Rebbi Miasha said, in Babylonia it is written⁶⁰Ez. 1:26., like the looks of sapphire stone, but in Egypt it is written, like the work of] a brick of sapphire. To teach you that just as the stone is harder than the brick, so the servitude of Babylonia was harder than the servitude of Egypt. Bar Qappara stated, before Israel was rescued from Egypt it⁶¹The brick of sapphire. was traced in the sky; after they were rescued it was no longer seen in the sky. What is the reason? and like the true sky in purity, the sky if it is empty of clouds.

R. Joshua said: Great is peace, for when Israel stood [at Sinai] and declared, All that the Lord hath spoken we will do, and obey,¹⁴Ex. 24, 7. [59b] the Holy One, blessed be He, rejoiced in them and gave them His Torah and blessed them with peace, as it is stated, The Lord will give strength¹⁵Here taken as a synonym of Torah. unto His people; the Lord will bless His people with peace.¹⁶Ps. 29, 11.

R. Joḥai⁵⁸GRA and H read ‘Aḥai’. b. Josiah said: He who diverts his mind⁵⁹lit. ‘empties his mind’ of serious matters. H. reads ‘he who gazes’, המצפה for המפנה. with women will eventually come within the power of sin. And he who diverts himself from sin and does not commit it, even though he be an Israelite,⁶⁰i.e. a non-priest. he is worthy to offer a burnt-offering on the altar as did the High Priest; as it is stated, And he sent the young men of the children of Israel who offered burnt-offerings.⁶¹Ex. 24, 5. They were pure-minded young men and therefore performed the functions of the priests. And whoever makes himself indolent so as not to sin and does not commit it will be sustained by the lustre of the Divine Presence like the Ministering Angels; as it is stated, And they beheld God, and did eat and drink.⁶²ibid. 11, explained in a spiritual sense: they enjoyed the lustre of the Divine Presence.

⁹⁸Babli 44b, Midrash Hazita (Shir rabba) 3(17) on 3:9, Num. rabba 12. There are seven kinds of gold: good gold ⁹⁹Gen.2:12., pure gold¹⁰⁰Ex. 24:11,24; 25:17,32,36,37; 37:2,6, closed gold¹⁰¹IK. 7:50., Mufaz gold¹⁰²Dan. 10:5., refined gold¹⁰³“Refined” is found in the Bible only applied to silver, see the Halakhah., drawn gold¹⁰⁴1K. 10:10, 17, 2Chr. 9:15, 16., Parwayim gold¹⁰⁵2Chr. 3:6..

HALAKHAH: It is written²⁰⁵Ex. 24:16.: The glory of the Eternal dwelt on Mount Sinai; the cloud covered it for six days; He called to Moses on the Seventh Day. Moses ascended²⁰⁶Ex. 24:13.. The Seventh after the Ten Commandments, the start of the Forty. Moses said to them, I shall be occupied on the Mountain for 40 days²⁰⁷This is the argument which shows that the tablets were broken on the 17th of Tammus (Babli 28b). In rabbinic tradition, Pentecost (Siwan 6) is the anniversary of the epiphany of Mount Sinai. If one assumes that at the Exodus this month had 30 days and counts 40 days from the following day one has 13 days in Siwan and 17 in Tammuz for a sum of 40. Therefore the date of 17 Tammuz presupposes not only the rabbinic date for the giving of the Ten Commandments but also that Moses did not eat during the six days of waiting for permission to ascend the Mountain.
The remainder of the paragraph consists of sermon concepts; presupposing like many sermons that the persons acting in biblical history had foreknowledge of what was going to happen, such as Moses knowing that he would spend 40 days on the Mountain. Similarly, the crass anthropomorphism of the sermon about the tablets would be inadmissible in a discussion with possible consequences for rules of behavior.. When the fortieth day came and he did not come, immediately the people saw that Moses tarried in descending from the Mountain²⁰⁸Ex. 32:1.. When noontime came and he did not come, immediately the people congregated on Aaron and said to him, rise and make us gods which shall go before us, etc. The Eternal said to Moses, descend, for your people corrupted²⁰⁹Ex. 32:7., etc. And Joshua heard the sound of the people in its dealings; he said to Moses, there is sound of war in the camp²¹⁰Ex. 32:17.. Moses said, a man who in the future will rule over 600’000 does not know to distinguish between sound and sound? He said, there is no sound of shouts of strength nor sound of sounds of weakness, a sound of shouts I am hearing²¹¹Ex. 32:18.. Rebbi Yasa said, a sound of acclaim of foreign worship I am hearing. Rebbi Yudan in the name of Rebbi Yasa: There is no generation in which there is not an ounce²¹²Latin uncia. of the sin of the Calf²¹³Any trouble for the Jewish people contains some punishment for the sin of the Golden Calf. Babli Sanhedrin 102a.. It was when he approached the camp that he saw the Calf and fifes²¹⁴Ex. 32:19.. Rebbi Ḥilkiah in the name of Rebbi Aḥa: From here²¹⁵Even though Moses correctly analyzed the sound, he did not act until he had visual confirmation that his analysis was correct. that a person should not argue from guesses. Moses made an argument de minore ad majus. Since for the pesaḥ sacrifice, which is an isolated obligation, it is said no uncircumcised may eat from it²¹⁶Ex. 12:48. Babli Šabbat 87a., the Torah in which all commandments are contained not so much more? Moses got angry and he threw the tablets from his hand and broke them below the Mountain²¹⁴Ex. 32:19.. Rebbi Ismael stated, the Holy One, praise to Him, told him to break them, [as it is said,] I shall write on the tablets the words which were on the first tablets luckily you broke²¹⁷Deut. 10:2, taking אשר not as relative pronoun but as derived from the root אשר “riches, happiness”.. He said to him, you did well that you broke. Rebbi Samuel bar Naḥman in the name of Rebbi Jonathan: The tablets were six hand-breadths long and three wide. Moses held two hand-breadth, the Holy One, praise to Him two hand-breadth, and two hand-breadths of space were between them. When Israel sinned in that way, the Holy One wanted to seize them from Moses’s hand, but Moses’s hand had the better of it and seized them from Him. That is what the verse praises him at the end and says, and all the strong hand²¹⁸Deut. 34:12., ²¹⁹Here starts an Ashkenazic text edited by J. Sussman (A), differing from the Leiden ms. mostly in the names of the tradents. The readings of the Leiden ms. are more reliable; they are confirmed by excerpts from this Chapter published by L. Ginzberg. peace shall be on the hand which had the better on mine. Rebbi Joḥanan in the name of Rebbi Yose ben Abbai: the tablets wanted to fly off but Moses held them, [as is written,] I grabbed the two tablets²²⁰Deut. 9:17.. It was stated in the name of Rebbi Nehemiah, the writing itself flew off²²¹Babli Pesaḥim 87b, last line.. Rebbi Ezra in the name of Rebbi Jehudah ben Rebbi Simon: The tablets were a load of forty seah but the writing was carrying them. When the writing flew off they were too heavy for Moses’s hands, they fell, and broke²²¹Babli Pesaḥim 87b, last line..

HALAKHAH: It is written²⁰⁵Ex. 24:16.: The glory of the Eternal dwelt on Mount Sinai; the cloud covered it for six days; He called to Moses on the Seventh Day. Moses ascended²⁰⁶Ex. 24:13.. The Seventh after the Ten Commandments, the start of the Forty. Moses said to them, I shall be occupied on the Mountain for 40 days²⁰⁷This is the argument which shows that the tablets were broken on the 17th of Tammus (Babli 28b). In rabbinic tradition, Pentecost (Siwan 6) is the anniversary of the epiphany of Mount Sinai. If one assumes that at the Exodus this month had 30 days and counts 40 days from the following day one has 13 days in Siwan and 17 in Tammuz for a sum of 40. Therefore the date of 17 Tammuz presupposes not only the rabbinic date for the giving of the Ten Commandments but also that Moses did not eat during the six days of waiting for permission to ascend the Mountain.
The remainder of the paragraph consists of sermon concepts; presupposing like many sermons that the persons acting in biblical history had foreknowledge of what was going to happen, such as Moses knowing that he would spend 40 days on the Mountain. Similarly, the crass anthropomorphism of the sermon about the tablets would be inadmissible in a discussion with possible consequences for rules of behavior.. When the fortieth day came and he did not come, immediately the people saw that Moses tarried in descending from the Mountain²⁰⁸Ex. 32:1.. When noontime came and he did not come, immediately the people congregated on Aaron and said to him, rise and make us gods which shall go before us, etc. The Eternal said to Moses, descend, for your people corrupted²⁰⁹Ex. 32:7., etc. And Joshua heard the sound of the people in its dealings; he said to Moses, there is sound of war in the camp²¹⁰Ex. 32:17.. Moses said, a man who in the future will rule over 600’000 does not know to distinguish between sound and sound? He said, there is no sound of shouts of strength nor sound of sounds of weakness, a sound of shouts I am hearing²¹¹Ex. 32:18.. Rebbi Yasa said, a sound of acclaim of foreign worship I am hearing. Rebbi Yudan in the name of Rebbi Yasa: There is no generation in which there is not an ounce²¹²Latin uncia. of the sin of the Calf²¹³Any trouble for the Jewish people contains some punishment for the sin of the Golden Calf. Babli Sanhedrin 102a.. It was when he approached the camp that he saw the Calf and fifes²¹⁴Ex. 32:19.. Rebbi Ḥilkiah in the name of Rebbi Aḥa: From here²¹⁵Even though Moses correctly analyzed the sound, he did not act until he had visual confirmation that his analysis was correct. that a person should not argue from guesses. Moses made an argument de minore ad majus. Since for the pesaḥ sacrifice, which is an isolated obligation, it is said no uncircumcised may eat from it²¹⁶Ex. 12:48. Babli Šabbat 87a., the Torah in which all commandments are contained not so much more? Moses got angry and he threw the tablets from his hand and broke them below the Mountain²¹⁴Ex. 32:19.. Rebbi Ismael stated, the Holy One, praise to Him, told him to break them, [as it is said,] I shall write on the tablets the words which were on the first tablets luckily you broke²¹⁷Deut. 10:2, taking אשר not as relative pronoun but as derived from the root אשר “riches, happiness”.. He said to him, you did well that you broke. Rebbi Samuel bar Naḥman in the name of Rebbi Jonathan: The tablets were six hand-breadths long and three wide. Moses held two hand-breadth, the Holy One, praise to Him two hand-breadth, and two hand-breadths of space were between them. When Israel sinned in that way, the Holy One wanted to seize them from Moses’s hand, but Moses’s hand had the better of it and seized them from Him. That is what the verse praises him at the end and says, and all the strong hand²¹⁸Deut. 34:12., ²¹⁹Here starts an Ashkenazic text edited by J. Sussman (A), differing from the Leiden ms. mostly in the names of the tradents. The readings of the Leiden ms. are more reliable; they are confirmed by excerpts from this Chapter published by L. Ginzberg. peace shall be on the hand which had the better on mine. Rebbi Joḥanan in the name of Rebbi Yose ben Abbai: the tablets wanted to fly off but Moses held them, [as is written,] I grabbed the two tablets²²⁰Deut. 9:17.. It was stated in the name of Rebbi Nehemiah, the writing itself flew off²²¹Babli Pesaḥim 87b, last line.. Rebbi Ezra in the name of Rebbi Jehudah ben Rebbi Simon: The tablets were a load of forty seah but the writing was carrying them. When the writing flew off they were too heavy for Moses’s hands, they fell, and broke²²¹Babli Pesaḥim 87b, last line..

R. Simeon b. Laḳish said: Three scrolls of the Torah were found in the Temple court:¹⁹Presumably when the text of Scripture was about to be fixed. the Ma‘on²⁰So GRA. V has מענה. This and the following two names were derived from the peculiar word which distinguished each scroll. scroll, the Za’aṭuṭë scroll, and the Hu’ scroll. In one of these they found the expression of ma‘on,²¹Meaning ‘dwelling place’, the noun being in the masculine form. and in the other two it was written, The eternal God is me‘onah²²Deut. 33, 27, the same noun in the feminine. (a dwelling place), so they adopted the reading of the two scrolls and discarded that of the one scroll. In another of the scrolls they found it written, And he sent the za‘aṭuṭë (nobles) of the children of Israel,²³Ex. 24, 5. and in the other two they found written And he sent na‘arë (the young men of) the children of Israel, so they retained the reading of the two and abandoned that of the one. In one of the scrolls hu’²⁴The third person sing. masc. which is used in the Pentateuch for hi’, third person fem. sing. pronoun. was written eleven times, but in the other two hi’²⁵The correct feminine form, being exceptions to the usual written form. A list of these is given in ARN XXXIV, above p. 167. was written eleven times, so they adopted the reading of the two and discarded that of the one.

MISHNAH: He came to Rebbi Dosa ben Hyrkanos, who said to him, if we came to investigate the Court of Rabban Gamliel, we would have to investigate every single Court¹¹⁷Duly empowered to treat calendar matters. which was formed since the times of our teacher Moses up to today, as it is said¹¹⁸Ex. 24:9., Moses and Aaron, Adav and Avihu, and seventy of the Elders of Israel ascended. Why were the names of the seventy Elders not given? To teach that any three who formed a Court for Israel are equivalent to the Court of Moses. He¹¹⁹R. Joshua. took his staff and his money in his hands and went to Rabban Gamliel at Jabneh on the day that was the day of Atonement according to his computation. Rabban Gamliel rose, kissed him on his head, and said to him, come in peace, my teacher and my student. My teacher in wisdom, and my student since you accepted my words.

Rebbi Samuel ben Rav Isaac said, watch it for it is otherwise¹³⁸From the arrangement of the Mishnah one gets the impression that partner, sharecropper, trustee, etc., are freed from their oath in the Sabbatical year. But the Sabbatical eliminates only oaths referring to loans which are actually annulled in it.. What do we say? Watch it, for it is not negligible. “Owner,” “owner.¹³⁹In Ex. 24:14 anybody having a law suit is called בַּעַל; in the laws of annulment of debts (Deut. 15:2) the creditor is called בַּעַל. This sets up the argument of “equal cut” indicating that the person going to court is one subject to the laws of the Sabbatical.” Since the owner mentioned there is subject to annulment, so also here he is subject to annulment¹⁴⁰Since after annulment the creditor cannot go to court to collect the debt, neither can he go to court to have an oath imposed on the debtor. (Explanation of the commentary To`afot Re’em, R. Abraham Abba Schiff, to Sefer Yere’im§164 Note 17). The Babli 49a has a different interpretation of Deut. 15:2.. The Sabbatical annuls things which are his hand’s loans<sup>141</sup>The expression used in Deut. 15:2. and annuls the corresponding oaths; the Sabbatical does not annul things which are not his hand’s loans, nor does it annul the corresponding oaths. “For anything which the Sabbatical annuls it annuls the corresponding oath; anything which the Sabbatical does not annul it does not annul the corresponding oath<sup>142</sup>Tosephta Ševi`it8:6. There is no redundancy here. The preceding sentence was the argument, the last sentence is the tannaitic formulation..”

MISHNAH: A qônām that I shall not enjoy from the uncircumcized, he is permitted uncircumcized Jews and forbidden circumcized peoples of the world. That I shall not enjoy from the circumcized, he is forbidden uncircumcized Jews and permitted circumcized peoples of the world, since the prepuce is simply a name for Gentiles as it was said¹⁴⁹Jer. 9:25.: “For all Gentiles are uncircumcized and all the House of Israel are uncircumcised of heart.”
Rebbi Ismael says, circumcision is great, for its covenant was concluded thirteenfold. Rebbi Yose says, circumcision is great, for it pushes aside the stringencies of the Sabbath. Rebbi Joshua ben Qorḥa says, circumcision is great, for it was not suspended even one hour for Moses the Just. Rebbi Neḥemiah says, Rebbi Yose says, circumcision is great, for it pushes aside skin disease¹⁵⁵The Halakhah will explain the Mishnah..
Rebbi says, circumcision is great, for with all the commandments which Abraham fulfilled he was not called whole until he circumcized himself as it is written¹⁵⁶Gen. 17:1.: “Walk before me and be perfect.”
Another word: Circumcision is great, for without it the Holy One, praise to Him, would not have created his world as it is said¹⁵⁷Jer. 33:25. In the Babli, this is mostly explained as referring to the Torah (which has to be studied day and night, Jos. 1:8) as blueprint for the world; 32a, Pesaḥim 68b; Avodah zarah3a. A similar text is in Tosephta 2:7.: “So says the Eternal, if it were not for my covenant day and night, I would not have put in place the laws of heaven and earth.” ¹⁵⁸This addition is not in the Babylonian Mishnah; it is in Tosephta 2:6. Another word: Circumcision is great, for it is weighty corresponding to all other commandments of the Torah, as it is said¹⁵⁹Ex. 24:8. This verse speaks about the Sinaitic covenant; it is used here because in rabbinic and modern Hebrew the word בְּרִית “covenant” is synonymous with “circumcision”.: “Behold the blood of the covenant which the Eternal concluded with you about all these words.”

Rebbi Eleazar and Rebbi Yose ben Ḥanina. Rebbi Eleazar said, the Sons of Noah brought well-being offerings. Rebbi Yose ben Ḥanina said, the Sons of Noah brought elevation offerings⁴⁹⁹Noah certainly sacrificed elevation sacrifices (Gen. 8:20); therefore these are certainly permitted on any private altar. Well-being sacrifices can be permitted on a private altar only if they are permitted to Gentiles, the children of Noah. In order to permit well-being sacrifices on private altars one must find examples of such sacrifices from the time preceding the epiphany on Sinai. Babli Zevaḥim 116a.. Rebbi Eleazar objected to Rebbi Yose ben Ḥanina: Is it not written, and Abel also brought from the firstlings of his sheep and of their excellence⁵⁰⁰Gen. 4:4. In Torah law, firstlings are sacrificed as special well-being offerings.
In Lev. it is quite clear that “fat” in general is חֵלֶב ;פֶּדֶר is used only for fat destined to the altar and forbidden to humans. The suffixed form is חֶלְבְּהֶ֑ן. In Gen. the suffixed form is וּמֵֽחֶלְבֵהֶ֑ן; one has to explain חֵלֶב in 4:4 and 45:18 from Accadic ẖilibū “magnificence, splendor, excellence.” This interpretation is accepted here.. What does Rebbi Yose ben Ḥanina do with this? From their luxurious ones. Rebbi Eleazar objected to Rebbi Yose ben Ḥanina: Is it not written, he sent the young men of Israel and they offered elevation offerings⁵⁰¹Ex. 24:5. The argument is the part of the verse which is not quoted: they sacrificed oxen as well-being sacrifices to the Eternal., etc.? What does Rebbi Yose ben Ḥanina do with this? Entire in their bodies, without stripping and partitioning⁵⁰²Instead of שְׁלָמִים he reads שְׁלֵמִים. Cf. Babli Ḥagigah 6b.. Rebbi Eleazar objected to Rebbi Yose ben Ḥanina: [Is it not written, Jethro, Moses’s in-law, took elevation and well-being offerings for God⁵⁰³Ex. 18:12. While the corrector’s addition seems to be a logical necessity, it probably is taken from Babli Zevaḥim116a.?] What does Rebbi Yose ben Ḥanina do with this? Following him who said that Jethro came after the giving of the Torah⁵⁰⁴His sacrifices followed all rules of Lev.. Rebbi Ḥuna said, Jehudah the great one and Rebbi Yannai disagreed. One said, Jethro came before the giving of the Torah; but the other one said, Jethro came after the giving of the Torah. We did not know who said what. Let us hear from the following: Jethro, the priest of Midyan, Moses’s in-law, heard⁵⁰⁵Ex. 18:1.. What did he hear? Ḥizqiah said, he heard the parting of the Reed Sea. Rebbi Joshua said, he heard the parting of the Reed Sea. [Rebbi Levi said, he heard the war of Amaleq.] The Great Jehudah said, he heard the giving of the Torah. Therefore he must be the one who said, Jethro came after the giving of the Torah. Rebbi Abba and Rebbi Ḥiyya in the name of Rebbi Joḥanan, the following supports Rebbi Yose ben Ḥanina: Awake North, and come South⁵⁰⁶Cant. 4:16.. Awake North refers to the elevation sacrifice which is slaughtered in the North. What means “awake”? What was sleeping⁵⁰⁷Old practices resurrected. and awoke. And come South refers to well-being sacrifices which are slaughtered in the South. What means “come”? Something new⁵⁰⁸This is R. Yose ben Ḥanina’s argument that well-being sacrifices were introduced only by the Torah.. What does Rebbi Yose ben Ḥanina do with this? When the diasporas in the North awake and build the Temple in the South. Rebbi Abba the son of Rebbi Pappai, Rebbi Joshua from Sikhnin in the name of Rebbi Levi: also the following verse supports Rebbi Yose ben Ḥanina: This is the teaching about the elevation sacrifice⁵⁰⁹Lev. 6:2.. This is the elevation sacrifice which the Sons of Noah were sacrificing. When he comes to well-being sacrifice he says, this is the teaching about the well-being sacrifice⁵¹⁰Lev. 7:11. Again the argument is from the continuation of the verse, not quoted.. It is not written “which one brought” but shall bring from now on..

Rabbi Hananya, deputy of the priests, would say: Anyone who takes words of Torah to heart is no longer troubled by thoughts of destruction, thoughts of hunger, foolish thoughts, lustful thoughts, thoughts of temptation, thoughts of another man’s wife, thoughts of meaningless things, or thoughts of human burden. So it was written in the book of Psalms by King David (Psalms 19:9), “The precepts of the Eternal are true, bringing joy to the heart. The commandments of the Eternal are clear, illuminating the eyes.” But anyone who does not take words of Torah to heart is troubled by thoughts of destruction, thoughts of hunger, foolish thoughts, lustful thoughts, thoughts of temptation, thoughts of another man’s wife, thoughts of meaningless things, and thoughts of human burden. So it was written in Deuteronomy (28:46–48) by Moses our teacher, “They will be a sign and a proof against you and your offspring for all time. Because you would not serve the Eternal your God with joy and gladness over the abundance of everything. You will have to serve, in hunger and in thirst, naked and lacking everything.” “In hunger.” How so? (When a person wishes) to eat even barley bread, but has nothing, and then his enemies come and ask him for wheat bread and fatty meat. “In thirst.” How so? When a person wishes he could drink just a drop of vinegar, or beer, but has nothing, and then his enemies come and ask him for the finest wine in the land. “Naked.” How so? When a person wants to wear a wool or linen shirt, but has nothing, and then his enemies come and ask him for the finest silk in the land. “Lacking everything.” Without a candle, without a knife, and without a table. Another interpretation of “lacking everything”: Without vinegar and without salt. For this is a curse that people often give: May there be no vinegar or salt in your house!
He would also say (with regard to Song of Songs 1:6): “Do not look at me, for I am blackened, scorched by the sun.” These are all the Jewish girls who cast off the yolk of the Holy Blessed One, and accepted human kingship upon themselves.
[The verse continues:] “My mother’s children were angry with me.” This is Moses, who killed the Egyptian, as it says (Exodus 2:11–12), “Sometime after that, when Moses had grown older, he went out among his brothers and saw what they were enduring…and he turned this way and that, and saw that there was no one there.” What do we learn from “there was no one there”? This teaches that Moses brought the question before the council of angels who serve God, and asked them: Shall I kill this man? They said to him: Yes, kill him. And did Moses kill him with a sword? No, he killed him with words, as it says (Exodus 2:14), “Are you saying you will kill me, just as you killed the Egyptian?” This teaches that Moses killed him by saying the [Ineffable] Name of God.
(Another interpretation of) “My mother’s children are angry with me”: this is Moses, who fled to Midian, as it says (Exodus 2:15,17), “Pharaoh heard what happened, and sought to kill Moses, and Moses fled from Pharaoh. He arrived in the land of Midian, and sat down by a well…And some shepherds came and tried to drive [Jethro’s daughters] away. And Moses got up and saved them, and gave water to their flocks.” Then Moses came and sat among them to render judgment. He said: The general practice in the world is for men to fill the buckets and women to give water to the animals. Here, women draw the water and men give the water to the animals. There is a perversion of justice in this place! (They are guilty by law, and have become guilty through this incident.) Some say that the whole time Moses was standing near the mouth of the well, the water was bubbling up to meet him, and when he left, the water went back down. Then Moses said: Woe is me! For I have left my people and come to live among these heathens.
Another interpretation of “My mother’s children are angry with me”: This is Israel, who made the Golden Calf. At first, they said (Exodus 24:7), “Everything the Eternal has said, we will do and we will understand.” And then they went back and said (Exodus 32:4), “These are your gods, Israel!”
Another interpretation of “My mother’s children are angry with me”: These are the spies, who slandered the land and caused Israel to die in the desert, as it says (Numbers 14:29), “In this desert your carcasses will fall.”
“They made me guard the vineyards” (Song of Songs 1:6). The Holy Blessed One said: Who is it that caused Me to favor the heathens? Israel! (For while) the heathens live well, [Israel] are oppressed, scorned, and scattered about.
Another interpretation of “They made me guard the vineyards”: This is Israel, who were exiled to Babylon. And prophets rose among them and told them to separate their donations and tithes. The people said to them: We were exiled because we did not separate our donations and tithes, and now you tell us we should separate them? [And that is why it says, “They made me guard the vineyards.”]

Rabbi Hanina ben Dosa would say: Anyone whose fear of sin precedes his wisdom, his wisdom will endure, as it says (Psalms 111:10), “The beginning of wisdom is fear of the Eternal.” He would also say: Anyone whose actions are greater [than his wisdom, his wisdom will endure], as it says (Exodus 24:7), “We will do, and then we will understand.”
They asked Rabban Yohanan ben Zakkai: A wise person who fears sin – what is he like? He replied: Like a craftsman with his tool in hand. Then they asked: A wise person who does not fear sin – what is he like? He replied: Like a craftsman who does not have his tool in hand. Then they asked: A person who fears sin but is not wise – what is he like? He replied: Like someone who does not know the craft, but has a tool in his hand.
Rabbi Elazar ben Azariah would say: If there is no Torah, there is no common decency. [If there is no common decency, there is no Torah.] He would also say: A person who has done good deeds, and has learned a lot of Torah – what is he like? Like a tree that stands near the water, whose branches are small, but whose roots are so strong that even if the four winds of the world all came and blew at it, it could not be moved from its place, as it says (Psalms 1:3), “He is like a tree planted by (streams of) water.” But a person who has not done good deeds and studies Torah, what is he like? Like a tree that stands in the desert, with small branches and small roots, and when a wind comes and blows at it, it uproots it and flips it over on its top, as it says (Jeremiah 17:6), “You will be like a bush in the desert.”
Rabban Gamliel would say: Make for yourself a teacher. Acquire for yourself a friend. A teacher for wisdom and a friend to study with. Remove yourself from all doubts, and do not get used to tithing by estimation.

The generation of the desert will not be granted eternal life, and will not even be given a trial, as it says (Numbers 14:35), “In this very desert they will die, there they will perish.” And it also says (Psalms 95:11), “Those who I swore, in My anger, would never come to My resting place.” These are the words of Rabbi Eliezer.
But Rabbi Yehoshua said: They will be given a trial! It is about them that the verses speak (Psalms 50:5), “Gather to Me My devotees, who made a covenant with Me over sacrifice.” [Rabbi Eliezer] said to him: Accept my interpretation. For if not, how can you explain the words, “Those who I swore, in my anger”? [Rabbi Yehoshua] replied: These are the spies, and (all) the wicked people of that generation.
Then Rabbi Yehoshua asked: So what do you do with the verse, “Gather to Me My devotees”? [Rabbi Eliezer] said to him: That refers to Moses and Aaron, and all the devotees of that generation from the Tribe of Levi.
Others responded: [But in Numbers 14:35, above,] how do you know the word “there” is referring only to the wicked, and not to the righteous? Didn’t it already say (Genesis 49:31), “There they buried Abraham, and Sarah his wife”? And it also says (Genesis 50:5), “In my grave, which I prepared for myself in the land of Canaan, there shall you bury me.” And it also says (Numbers 20:1), “And Miriam died there, and was buried there.” [And what’s more (Numbers 33:38), “Aaron the priest went up…and died there.”] And it also says (Deuteronomy 34:5), “And Moses, the servant of the Eternal, died there in the land of Moab, by the word of the Eternal.”
Rabbi Yosei HaGalili said: They will not be given a trial! For it says (Numbers 14:35), “In this very desert they will die, there they will perish.” And it also says (Deuteronomy 21:4), “There, by the stream, they shall break the calf’s neck.” Just as we have the word “there” in the case of the calf whose neck is broken, which dies and never leaves that place, so too, the word “there” in the case of those who died in the desert indicates that they will die and never leave that place.
(And others say: They will be given a trial! It is about them that the verse speaks (Jeremiah 2:2): “Go and call to the ears of Jerusalem and say…[I will remember as a kindness the devotion of your youth].”)