Babylonian Talmud

Rodkinson 1918 — source 8, scan section 62

64 THE BABYLONIAN TALMUD. are less than ten in number, nor may any of them act as minister before the reading-desk, nor may priests raise their hands (to say the priest's blessing), nor may they read in the Law, nor read a section from the Prophets. When there are less than ten men present at a burial, the customary standings and sittings with the corpse, may not take place, nor may the blessing for mourners be said, nor the forms used in condolence with mourners, nor the seven blessings said on the celebration of a marriage, nor may the persons who join to say grace after meals mention the Divine name. And on an occasion of redeeming land that has been con- secrated it is necessary that at least nine Israelites and a Cohen (priest) shall be present, and the same also at the valuation of a man (if he had said : I consecrate the value of my person to the sanctuary). GEMARA: Where is this deduced from? Said R. Hyya b. Abba in the name of R. Johanan : Because it is written [Lev. xxii. 32] : " I may be sanctified among the children of Israel." All things sanctified must not be less than ten.* " Standings and sittings" Because it was the custom for a mourner to say : " Rise, honored men, rise ! " and " Sit down, honored men, sit down ! " which may not be said to less than ten. " Blessing for mourners" etc. What is the blessing for mourn- ers ? The benediction they said in the streets after the burial. Then R. Itz'hak said in the name of R. Johanan that the bene- diction of mourners was pronounced by not less than ten men, and the mourners themselves are not counted. The benediction of bridegrooms, however, is also said by ten, including, however, the bridegrooms. " Mention the Divine name." Why so? Because he must say : " Let us bless our God," and this is not suitable when there are less than ten.f (The Owner of Rewards shall recompense you for the kindness of accompanying the deceased. Blessed art Thou, O Lord, who givest rewards), and the same was said to the condolers. MISHNA: Not less than three verses of the Holy Scrolls may be read in the synagogue by each person (called to read). One verse only of the Law may at one time be read to the inter- * The Gemara deduces this from an analogy of expression, where a congrega- tion is mentioned, and it is said a congregation is not called an assembly if less than ten. f It is also shown from what the other laws are deduced, but they will all be found in other and more proper places in the Talmud. TRACT MEGILLA. 65 preter. From the Prophets, however, may be read three also ; but if each verse should form a separate section, each must be read separately. Passages may be skipped in the reading of the Prophets, but not in that of the Holy Scrolls. What time may be suffered to elapse to skip from one passage to another ? while the interpreter does not conclude his interpretation. GEMARA: " A separate section," etc. For instance, Isaiah, lii. 3, 4, and 5, treat of different subjects. "Passages may be skipped." There is a contradiction : We have learned in a Mishna in Yoma the following: He reads Lev. xvi. 7, " After the death," etc., and then in xxiii. 27, " But on the tenth." From this we see that he skips in the Pentateuch also ? Said Abayi : It presents no difficulty. In the Pentateuch one may not skip when it is one subject; but if there are two different subjects one may. But we have learned in a Boraitha that even when the subject is the same one may skip in the Pentateuch, and in the Prophets only when the subjects are dif- ferent ? In both cases it is meant, while the interpreter does not conclude his interpretation. In another Boraitha we have learned : One must not skip from one Prophet to the other. In the reading of the twelve Minor Prophets, however, one may do so ; but not from the ter- mination of one to the beginning of the other. MISHNA : Whoever reads in the house of prayer the section from the Prophets may also repeat the prayer (Shema) and act as minister before the reading-desk ; and if he is a priest, may say the blessing of the priests. If a minor, his father or teacher shall act for him. A minor may read in the Law (in the synagogue) and act as an interpreter, but may not publicly recite the Shema, nor act as minister at the reading-desk, nor (if a priest) say by himself the blessing of priests. A man in rags may repeat the Shema and act as interpreter, but he may not read in the Holy Scrolls, nor act as minister before the reading-desk, nor (if a priest) say the blessing of priests. A blind man may repeat the prayer and act as interpreter; but R. Jehudah says: One who never beheld the light (i.e., was born blind) may not repeat Shema. GEMARA: Why so ? Said R. Papa: This is a reward of honor (because to read portions from the Prophets is not such an honor as to act as minister). Rabba bar Simi, however, said: To prevent quarrels (one should not say: I will read the Prophets and thou read the Shema). 5 65 THE BABYLONIAN TALMUD. " A man in rags." Ula bar Rabh asked Abayi : May a minor in rags read in the Torah ? He answered : Why did you not ask about a naked man ? Because we are certain that he must not, for the honor of the congregation, the same is the case here. We have learned in a Boraitha: The sages said to R. Jehu- dah : Many persons lectured about the Merkabha (Divine Chariot) [Ezekiel, L], although they had never seen it. Answered R. Jehudah: That deals with things in the inner consciousness, and if one meditates about them one may be fit to lecture. But if a man blesses for light it is for the benefit received, and a blind man has no benefit by it. The rabbis, however, hold tnat a blind man does derive benefit from light, as R. Jose of the fol- lowing Boraitha said : My whole life I was sorry about the fol- lowing verse [Deut. xxviii. 29]: "And thou shalt grope about at noonday, as the blind gropeth about in the darkness." I always asked, what matters it to the blind whether it be light or darkness, he gropes at any rate ? till it happened once I walked in a dark night, and I met a blind man who walked with a torch. I asked him: My son, thou art blind. Why walkest thou with fire ? He replied : So long as the torch is in my hands, people see me, and would not let me fall into a pit or tread on thorns. MISHNA: A priest whose hands are deformed must not raise them (to bless the people). R. Jehudah also prohibits it to a priest whose hands are stained with wood or with madder roots, because the people stare at him. GEMARA: We have learned in a Boraitha: By the blem- ishes are meant those on his hands, face, or feet. R. Joshua b. Levi said : If there are eruptions on his hands, he must not raise them. We have learned the same in the following Boraitha: If