Babylonian Talmud

Rodkinson 1918 — source 16, scan section 28

thereafter it reads [7 and 10] : " Thou wilt destroy those that speak lies . . . For there is not in their mouth any sin- cerity." The rabbis taught : Menasseh used to learn fifty-five argu- ments (ways of interpretation) concerning the book of Leviti- cus, as many as the years of his reign, Achab, eighty-five, and Jeroboam, one hundred and three. There is a Boraitha: R Mair used to say: Absalom has no share in the world to come, as it reads [II Sam. xviii. 15] : " Smote Absalom " — in this world, and " slew him " — in the world to come. R. Simeon b. Elazar said in the name of R. Mair: Achaz, Achazyah and all the kings of Israel about whom it is written, TRACT SANHEDRIN (SUPREME COUNCIL). 331 " and he did evil in the eyes of the Lord," will not be restored at the time of resurrection, but are also not sentenced to Gehinem. It reads [II Kings, xxi. 16] : " And also innocent blood, did Menasseh shed in very great abundance, till he had filled (therewith) Jerusalem from one end to another; beside his sin wherewith he induced Judah to sin, to do what is evil in the eyes of the Lord." Here in this college it was explained be- cause he had slain Isaiah. In the West it was explained that he made an image the weight of a thousand persons. And those who were engaged in carrying it from one place to another would die because of the great exertions. According to whom is what Rabba b. b. Hana said? One soul of an upright is equalized to the whole world — i.e., if one kills an upright, he is considered as if he would slay the whole world. It is in accordance with him who says that Menasseh has killed Isaiah. Achaz placed the images in the attics of the Temple, as it reads [II Kings, xxiii. 12]: "Altars that were on the upper chamber of Achaz." And Menasseh placed them in the Tem- ple, as it reads [ibid. xxi. 7] : " And he placed a hewn image of the Asherah that he had made, in the house of which the Lord had said to David, and to Solomon, his son. In this house, and in Jerusalem, which I have chosen out of all tribes of Israel will I put my name forever." And Amon placed them in the holy of holy chamber, as it reads [Isa. xxviii. 20] : " For the bed shall be," etc. (See Yomah, p. 10, line 14, for the ex- planation and continuation which are repeated here. By the way, we have to remark that there is a misprint, Jeremiah in- stead of Isaiah.) Achaz abolis'hed the worship and sealed the Torah, as it reads [ibid viii. 16] : " Bind up the testimony, seal up the law among my disciples." Menasseh cut the divine names out (of the Scriptures) and destroyed the altar. Amon burned the Torah and caused spider-webs to be on the place where the altar stood, as it reads [II Chron. xxxiii. 23] : " For he, Amon, made his guiltiness great." Questioned Rabha, Rabha b. Mari : Why did not the Mish- na also count Yehoyakim, of whom it reads [ibid, xxxvi. 8] : " And the rest of the acts of Yehoyakim, and his abominable deeds which he did. and which was found upon him," which, ac- cording to one of the sages, means that he engraved the name 332 THE BABYLONIAN TALMUD. of the idol upon his body? And he answered: Concerning kings I have not heard, but I have heard concerning common men thus: Why did not the Mishna count Michah? Because his house was open to travellers (who used to eat and drink there without being charged). It reads [Zech. x. ii]: "And he will pass through the sea (with) distress, and he will smite in the sea the waves." Said R. Johanan: This is the image which Michah had made in Egypt and which passed with him the Red Sea. There is a Boraitha: R. Nathan said: From the city of Grab to the city of Shilah (where the tabernacle was temporarily) is a dis- tance of three miles, and the smoke from the altar in Shilah used to mix itself with the smoke from the altars which were made for the image of Michah. And the angels wanted to put Michah aside, but the Holy One, blessed be He, said to them : Leave him alone because his house is open to travellers. And for this were punished the men who took revenge in the case of the concubine of Gibah (Judges, xix. and xx.). And the Holy One said to them : Ye took revenge for the honor of a man, but did not act so for my honor — i.e., they did not care to destroy the image of Michah, etc. R. Johanan said in the nam£ of R. Jose b Kisma: Great are Xvvjxoi entertainments, for a little refreshment plays an es- sential part, for its refusal estranged two tribes from Israel (Ammon and Moab), as it reads [Deut. xxiii. 5] : " For the reason that they met you not with bread and with water, on the way." And R. Johanan himself said : It estranges relatives and brings near strangers; shuts the eye not to look upon the wicked, makes the Shekhina rest on the prophets of Baal, and even an error in this affair is considered as if it would be done intentionally. (Now the illustrations.) It estranges relatives — e.g., Ammon and Moab (who were relatives to Israel). It brings near strangers — e.g., Jithro, as he said elsewhere that the reward for [Ex. ii. 20] : " Call him that he may eat bread " was that his descendants were rewarded to sit among the Sanhedrin in the chambers of the Temple, as it reads [I Chron. ii. 55] : " And the families of the scribes who dwelt at Jabez; the Thirathites, the Shimathites and the Suchathites. These are the Kenites that came from Chammoth, the father of the house of Rechab, and [Judges, i. 16] : " And the children of the Kenite, the father-in-law of Moses, went up out of the city of palm-trees with the children of Judah into the wilderness of TRACT SANHEDRIN (SUPREME COUNCIL). ^^^ Judah, which is south of Arad, and they went and dwelt with the people." Shuts the eye not to look upon the evil deeds of the wicked, e.g., Michah, as said above. Makes the Shekhina to rest upon the prophets of Baal, as [I Kings, xiii. 20] : " And it came to pass as they were sitting at the table, That the word of the Lord came unto the phophets, who had brought him back." And even an error is considered as if done intention- ally, as R. Jehudah in the name of Rabh said: If Jonathan would have supplied David with some loaves of bread the priests of the city of Nob would not have been slain, Doeg, the Edomite would not have been lost, and Saul and his three sons would not have been killed. Why does not the Mishna count Achaz among those who have no share in the world to come ? Said R. Jeremiah b. Aba : Because he was placed between two uprights (Jotham, his father, and Hezekiah, his son). And R. Joseph said: Because he was ashamed before the prophet Isaiah, as [Isa. vii. 3] : " And the Lord said unto Isaiah, Go forth now to meet Achaz, thou with Shear Yashub,