Babylonian Talmud

Rodkinson 1918 — source 9, scan section 11

refrains from having intercourse with her until she submerge herself, he is doing so only because he is afraid of him who com- manded the submerging (in the legal bath); and the same is the case with the first dough, the first wool of shearing (no control can be exercised). Hence such duties, which are as light as lilies, bring the Israelites who perform them to the world to come. Which is the safeguard that Moses made to his words ? It is written [Ex. xix. 10]: " And the Lord said unto Moses, Go unto the people and sanctify them to-day and to-morrow.'* As Moses the upright regarded it inexpedient to speak to the peo- ple in the manner God spake to him, he added one day of his own volition, and said to them [Ex. xix. 15]: " Prepare your- selves for three days."* Why did he do so? Because he thought it might happen that one could have seminal intercourse with his wife that day, and so they will receive the Torah when they are unclean; " therefore I will add a third day, that in all the three days they shall refrain from intercourse, in order that ♦Leeser translates "against" the third day, but the Talmud translates it as we give it. 14 THE BABYLONIAN TALMUD. they may be clean when receiving the Torah from Mount Sinai." This is one of the things that Moses did of his own accord by drawing an ^/(?r^/^r^' conclusion (as will be explained farther on), and his act was afterward sanctioned by the Omnipotent. The same was the case with the breaking of the tables, with his leaving the Tabernacle, and with his separation from a woman. How so ? He said: " Since relative to the Israelites who were to be sanctified for the time being only, for the purpose of receiv- ing the ten commandments from Mount Sinai, the Holy One, blessed be He, said unto me, * Go unto the people and sanctify them to-day and to-morrow,' how much more incumbent is it on me to be particular about the cleanliness of my person, as I must be ready for such a divine call every day and every hour, and do not know when He would speak to me by day or by night." And this was exactly in accordance with the will of God. R. Jehudah b. Bathyra, however, said: Moses did not leave his wife before he was told to do so by the Mighty One, as it is written [Numb. xii. 8]: " Mouth to mouth do I speak with him." It means, mouth to mouth have I told him to sepa- rate himself from a woman. According to others, it is from the following passage: It is written [Deut. v. 27]: " Go say to them, return ye unto your tents " ; and immediately after [ibid., ibid. v. 28]: " But as for thee, remain thou here by me." There- fore he returned and separated himself. This was exactly the meaning of this passage. The a fortiori in the case of the Tabernacle was thus : He said: As for my brother Aaron, who is anointed with the oil of anointment, and clothed in holy garments for service, the Holy One, blessed be He, regarding him said [Lev. xvi. 2] : " Speak unto Aaron thy brother, that he come not at all times into the holy place." Now I who am not chosen for such service, as I am not a priest, how much more reason is there for me to leave the Tabernacle ? He did so, and it was in accordance with the will of the Omnipotent. The a fortiori in the case of the tables was thus: It is said when Moses ascended on high to receive the tables [which were written and preserved since the creation of the world, as it is written [Ex. xxxii. 16]: "And the tables were the work of God, and the writing was the writing of God, engraved upon the tables," do not read " Charuth " (engraved), but Cheiruth (free), for every one who is studying the Law is a free man]. TRACT ABOTH. ^5 The angels conspired against Moses, saying: " Lord of the Uni- verse, what is the mortal, that thou rememberest him?" etc. [Ps. viii. 5-9]. They murmured against Moses and said: What is the distinction of one born of woman, that he should come into the council on high ? As it is written [Ps. Ixviii. 19]: " Thou didst ascend on high, lead away captives, receive gifts." He nevertheless took the tables and descended with great rejoicing. When he saw the contamination with which they had stained themselves in worshipping the golden calf, he said: If I should give them the tables, I impose upon them a responsibility which might result in capital punishment by divine power, for on the tables is written : " Thou shalt have no other gods before me " [Ex. XX. 3]. He started to return, but the seventy elders saw him and ran after him, and grasped the tables on one end, the other end being still in Moses' hand, and he overpowered them all, as it is written [Deut. xxxiv. 12] : " And in respect to ajl that mighty hand, and in all the great, terrific deeds which Moses dis- played before the eyes of all Israel." He looked at the tables, and saw that they were without writing upon them. He then said : How shall I give Israel the tables, now that they have no value ? I will rather break them. As it is written [Deut. ix. 17] : " And I took hold of the two tables, and cast them out of my two hands, and I broke them." Said R. Jose the Galilean: I will explain this with a parable. A king said to his ambassa- dor: " Go, betroth to me a maiden who is beautiful, chaste, and of pleasing manners." The ambassador went and betrothed such to him. Soon he found that she acted the harlot. The ambassador was in a predicament. " What is to be done ? If I grive her the marriage contract now, I may subject her to cap- ital punishment. No," he said, " I will tear the marriage con- tract and thereby release her from my master and save her." So Moses the upright said, as stated above : " Rather will I seize and break them (the tables) and save the Israelites by enabling them, in case they should be charged with idolatry, to say: * Where are the tables ? They did not exist at all.' " R. Jehudah b. Bathyra said : Moses would not have broken the tables had he not been told by the Mighty One to do so, as it is written: " Mouth to mouth do I speak with him "; that means, I told him to break the tables. According to others, that thought is expressed in the following passage [Deut. ix. 16]: " And I looked, and behold, ye had sinned against the Lord." He would not say " I looked," unless he saw the writing of the i6 THE BABYLONIAN TALMUD. tables flying away. Anonymous teachers find the same in the following passage [Deut. x. 5] : " And they have remained there, as the Lord hath commanded me." He would not have said he was commanded unless he had been told to break them. R. Elazar b. Azariah infers it from the following passage [ibid. xxxiv. 12]: '* Which Moses displayed before the eye of all Israel " ; or, ** All that Moses did was by the command of the