Hebrew Literature Part 18

6. Five things happened to our fathers on the seventeenth of Tammuz, and five on the ninth of Ab. On the seventeenth of Tammuz the stone tables were broken, and the daily offering ceased, and the city was broken up, and Apostemus(349) burnt the law, and he set up an image in the Temple. On the ninth of Ab it was proclaimed to our fathers, that they should not enter the land, and the House was ruined for the first and second time, and Bither was taken, and the city was ploughed up. On entering Ab we must diminish joy.

7. The week in which the ninth of Ab comes, men are not allowed to clip their hair, or wash their clothes; but on Thursday they are allowed, for honor to the Sabbath. On the eve of the ninth of Ab one must not eat from two dishes, must not eat flesh, and must not drink wine. Rabban Simon, the son of Gamaliel, said, "one must change the style of living." R. Judah "enjoined to turn over the beds," but the Sages did not approve him.

8. Said Rabban Simon, the son of Gamaliel, "there were no holidays in Israel like the fifteenth of Ab, or like the day of atonement. Because in them the daughters of Jerusalem promenaded in white garments borrowed, that no one might be ashamed of her poverty. All these garments must be baptized. And the daughters of Jerusalem promenaded and danced in the vineyards. And what did they say? 'Look here, young man, and see whom you choose; look not for beauty, look for family;' 'Favor is deceitful, and beauty is vain, but a woman that feareth the Lord, she shall be praised;'

and it is said, 'Give her of the fruit of her hands, and let her own works praise her in the gates,'(350) and also it is said, 'Go forth, O ye daughters of Zion, and behold King Solomon with the crown, wherewith his mother crowned him in the day of his espousals, and in the day of the gladness of his heart.'(351) The day of his espousals, this is the gift of the Law; and in the day of the gladness of his heart, this is the building of the Sanctuary, and may it be speedily built in our days. Amen."

The Feast-Offering(352)

What is a Child?-Offerings-Crooked and Straight-Remission of Vows-Persons Unsuitable for the World-Laying on of Hands-Baptisms-Defilements-Purity-Vessels of the Sanctuary.

Chapter I

1. All are bound to appear in the Temple, except the deaf, an idiot, and a child, and a eunuch, and women, and slaves who are not free, and the lame, and the blind, and the sick, and the aged, and the man who cannot go afoot. "What is a child?" "Everyone who cannot ride on the shoulder of his father, and go up from Jerusalem to the Mountain of the House." The words of the school of Shammai. But the school of Hillel say, "everyone who cannot grasp his father's hand, and go up from Jerusalem to the Mountain of the House," as is said, "three times."(353)

2. The school of Shammai say, "the appearance in the Temple is with two pieces of silver, and the peace-offering with a meah of silver."(354) But the school of Hillel say, "the appearance is with a meah of silver, and the feast-offering with two pieces of silver."

3. The burnt-offerings of the appointed feasts come from ordinary money; but the peace-offering from t.i.thes. "The offerings on the first holiday of the pa.s.sover?"(355) The school of Shammai say, "from ordinary money," but the school of Hillel say, "from t.i.thes."

4. Israelites discharge their duty with vows, with free-will offerings, and with t.i.thes of animals; and priests with sin-offerings, with trespa.s.s-offerings, and with the breast and shoulder, and first-born, but not with fowls, nor with meat-offerings.

5. "If one have a large family and small income?" "He must bring more peace-offerings, and less burnt-offerings." "If a small family and large income?" "He must bring more burnt-offerings, and less peace-offerings."

"If both be small?" "Of this they say, a silver meah, and two pieces of silver are sufficient." "If both be large?" "Of this it is said, every man shall give as he is able according to the blessing of the Lord thy G.o.d which He hath given thee."(356)

6. When one did not bring his peace-offering on the first holiday of the feast, he may bring it during the holidays, and even on the last day of the feast. "If the feast pa.s.sed over, and he did not bring the peace-offering?" "He is not obliged to bring it." For this it is said, "that which is crooked cannot be made straight, and that which is wanting cannot be numbered."(357)

7. Rabbi Simon, the son of Menasia, said, "if thou shalt say, a thief or a robber, he may return and become straight." R. Simon, the son of Jochai, said, "we do not call one crooked, save one straight at first, and he became afterward crooked; and this is the disciple of the wise, who departs from the Law."

8. The remission of vows is like flying in the air, and it has no foundation. The decisions for the Sabbath, peace-offerings, and trespa.s.ses, are as mountains hanging on a hair; because the verse is small, but the decisions are many. Jurisprudence, and the Temple service, cleanness and uncleanness, and illegal connections, have their own foundations; they, they are the body of the law.

Chapter II

1. Men may not discourse on illegal connections with three,(358) nor on the work of creation with two,(359) nor on the cherubs with one,(360) save when one is wise, and comprehends it of his own knowledge. Everyone who considers four things, it were suitable for him that he did not come into the world. What is in the height? what is in the depth? what is before?

and what is behind? And everyone who is not anxious for the honor of his Creator, it were suitable for him that he did not come into the world.

2. Jose, the son of Joezar, said that "one is not to lay his hand on the offering." Jose, the son of Jochanan, said, "he is to lay his hand on the offering." Joshua, the son of Perachia, said, that he "is not to lay on his hand." Nittai, the Arbelite, said, "he is to lay on his hand." Judah, the son of Tabai, said, that "he is not to lay on his hand." Simon, the son of Shatach, said, "he is to lay on his hand." Shemaiah, said, "he is to lay on his hand." Abtalion said, "he is not to lay on his hand." Hillel and Menachem did not dispute. Menachem went out and Shammai entered.

Shammai said, "he is not to lay on his hand." Hillel said, "he is to lay on his hand."(361) The first were Princes, and the second were Presidents of the Tribunal.

3. The school of Shammai said, "men may bring peace-offerings during the feast, but they are not to lay their hands on them, and they are not to bring burnt-offerings." But the house of Hillel say, "they may bring peace-offerings, and burnt-offerings, and lay their hands on them."

4. "When Pentecost happens to be on the eve of the Sabbath?" The school of Shammai say, "the day of slaughtering the offering is after the Sabbath."

But the school of Hillel say, "there is no day of slaughtering after the Sabbath."

But they both acknowledge that if it happened to be on the Sabbath, the day of slaughter is after the Sabbath. And the high priest must not robe in his vestments, though they are allowed in seasons of mourning and fasting, for fear of confirming the words of those who say that "Pentecost is after the Sabbath."(362)

5. Men must wash their hands for ordinary eating, but for t.i.thes and for the heave-offering they must be baptized. And for the sin-offering, if the hands be unclean, the body is unclean.

6. He who baptized himself for ordinary eating, and indicated it to be for ordinary eating, he is prohibited from (eating) the t.i.the. "If he baptized for the t.i.the, and indicated it to be for the t.i.the?" "He is prohibited from eating heave-offerings." "If he baptized for heave-offerings, and indicated it to be for heave-offerings?" "He is prohibited from eating the holy flesh." "If he baptized for the holy flesh, and indicated it to be for the holy flesh?" "He is prohibited from the sin-offering." "If he baptized for the weighty?" "He is permitted the light." "If he baptized, and did not indicate his intention?" "It is as no baptism."

7. Treading on the garments of an ordinary man defiled the Pharisees.

Treading on the garments of the Pharisees defiled those who eat the heave-offering. Treading on the garments of those who eat the heave-offering defiled for the holy flesh. Treading on the garments of those who eat the holy flesh defiles for the sin-offering. Joseph, the son of Joezer, was the most pious of the priesthood, and treading on his cloak defiled for the holy flesh. Jochanan, the son of Gudgada, used to eat with the purification for the holy flesh all his life; and treading on his cloak defiled for the sin-offering.

Chapter III

1. There are more weighty rules for holy things, than for the heave-offering. Because vessels may be baptized in vessels for the heave-offering, but not for holy things. The outside and inside and handle (are reckoned separately) for the heave-offering, but not for holy things.

He who carries that which defiles by treading upon it, may carry the heave-offering but not the holy flesh. Treading on the garments of those who eat the heave-offering defiles for the holy flesh. The measure of the holy flesh is not as the measure of the heave-offering. Because for the holy flesh one must loose his garments and dry himself, and baptize and afterward bind them up. But in the heave-offering he can bind them up and afterward baptize himself.

2. Vessels completed in purity must be baptized for holy things, but not for the heave-offering. A vessel unites whatever is inside to holy things, but not to the heave-offering. The fourth degree of legal uncleanness(363) is disallowed in holy things, and the third degree in the heave-offering.

In the heave-offering, if one of the hands be unclean, its fellow may be clean, but in holy things one must baptize both hands; because each renders its fellow unclean for holy things, but not for the heave-offering.

3. Men may eat with unwashen hands the dry meat of the heave-offering, but not the holy flesh. The first day mourner, and he who failed in atonement, have need of baptism for the holy flesh, but not for the heave-offering.

4. There are weighty rules for the heave-offering, because in Judah men are credited with the purity of wine and oil during the whole year. And in the time of wine-pressing and oil-pressing (men are credited) even for the heave-offering. When the time for wine and oil pressing has pa.s.sed over, and a barrel of wine is brought for the heave-offering, it must not be received. But one may let it stand over for the wine-pressing next year.

But if one said, "I put into it a quarter log of holy wine," it is credited. "Jugs of wine and jugs of oil which are mixed?" They are credited in the time of wine-pressing and oil-pressing, and seventy days before that time.

5. From Modiyith(364) and inward,(365) men are credited for the purity of earthen vessels. From Modiyith and outward they are not credited. "How?"

"The potter, when he is selling pots, comes inward from Modiyith." One says, "this is the potter," and "these the pots," and "these the purchasers," "it is credited." "When he went outward?" "It is not credited."

6. The tax-gatherers when they enter the house, and also the tax-gatherers when they restore the vessels, are credited in saying, "we did not touch them." And in Jerusalem they are credited in holy things (that they did not defile them), and at the time of the feast they are credited even in the heave-offering.

7. "He who opened his barrel of wine,(366) and commenced with his dough for the use of the feast?" R. Judah said, "he may finish it" (after the feast). But the Sages say, "he must not finish it." When the feast was over, the priests looked round for the purity of the Temple court. If the feast ended on Friday, they did not look round for honor to the approaching Sabbath. R. Judah said, "even they did not look round on Thursday, because the priests are not then idle."

8. "How did they look round for the purity of the court?" "The priests baptized the vessels, which were in the Sanctuary, and used to say to the people, 'Watch and do not touch the table and the candlestick, lest you render them unclean.' " All the vessels in the Sanctuary were double and treble, because if the first became unclean, they could bring duplicates instead of them. "All the vessels which were in the Sanctuary required baptism(367) except the golden altar, and the brazen altar, because they are as earth." The words of R. Eliezer. But the Sages say, "because they were overlaid."

The Sanhedrin

Judges-Judgments-The Tribunal of Seventy-one-The Great Sanhedrin-The Small Sanhedrin-High Priest-Funerals-King-Royal Wives-Book of the Law-Objections to Judges-Relations-Examination of Witnesses-Evidence-Judgments in Money and Judgments in Souls-Form of the Sanhedrin-Appointment of Judges-Intimidation of Witnesses-Investigation-Acquittal or Condemnation-Stoning-Hanging-Burning-Beheading -Strangling-Blasphemy-Idolatry-Enticing-Sorcery-A Son Stubborn and Rebellious-Burglary-Murder-Theft-Those Who Have No Portion in the World to Come-The Rebellious Elder-The False Prophet-The False Witness.

Chapter I