Arakhin 10b (י:) — the Talmud in English

And we raise a question:

What is different with regard to Sukkot

the festival of

that we say

Hallel

every day, and what is different with regard to Pesaḥ, that we do not say Hallel every day?

And we answer:

With regard to Sukkot,

its days

are distinct in their offerings 39 ,

for the bulls offered during the festival decrease from day to day, and each day differs in its offerings. Therefore, each day is significant in its own right for the recitation of Hallel.

This is not so

with regard to Pesaḥ,

for

its days do not

have days that

are distinct in their offerings;

one recitation of Hallel is sufficient, since the days do not differ from one another.

And he challenges: If the matter depends on the offerings,

Shabbat, whose offerings are distinct

from those of the other days of the week,

let us say

Hallel on it.

And he answers: Shabbat

is not called a festival.

The obligation to recite Hallel applies specifically on a festival, as will be cited below.

And we challenge:

The New Moon, which is called a festival,

as it is written: “He has proclaimed a festival against me,” and it is explained in tractate Ta’anit that this refers to the New Moon, and its offerings are also distinct,

let us say

Hallel on it.

And we answer:

The New Moon was not sanctified

the New Moon

with

a prohibition against

performing labor,

and the obligation to recite Hallel applies only on a festival on which performing labor is prohibited.

As it is written: “The song shall be yours as on the night when the festival is sanctified.” [This verse is the source for Hallel as an ordinance of the Prophets.] And they derive from this that specifically

a night sanctified as a festival

with regard to performing labor

requires song, whereas a night that is not sanctified as a festival

with regard to performing labor

does not require

song. 42 .

And we challenge:

Rosh HaShana and Yom Kippur, which are called festivals and are sanctified through the prohibition against performing labor—let us say

Hallel on them.

And we answer:

Because of the statement of Rabbi Abbahu. For Rabbi Abbahu said: The ministering angels said before the Holy One, blessed be He: Master of the Universe, why do

Israel

not sing before You on Rosh HaShana and Yom Kippur? He said to them: Is it possible that the King is seated upon the throne of judgment, with the books of the living and the books of the dead open before Him, and Israel should sing before Me?

For it is impossible to sing because of the dread of judgment.

And he challenges:

But Ḥanukkah is not so,

for its offerings are not distinct,

and it is not so

in that it is not sanctified through a prohibition against performing labor,

yet we say

Hallel on it.

And we answer: Ḥanukkah—

because of the miracle

Hallel is recited on it. There are two forms of Hallel: either because of the festival day or because of the miracle.

And he challenges: If so,

Purim, on which there was a miracle—let us say

Hallel on it.

And we answer:

Rabbi Yitzḥak said: Because Hallel is not recited for a miracle that occurred outside Eretz Yisrael. Rav Naḥman bar Yitzḥak raised an objection to him: But the Exodus from Egypt, which was a miracle

that occurred outside Eretz Yisrael, and we say Hallel

because of the miracle.

And we answer:

There, as it is taught in a baraita: Before Israel entered the Land, all lands were fit for the recitation of song

for a miracle that occurred in them.

But once they entered the Land, all lands

outside Eretz Yisrael

were no longer fit for the recitation of song

for a miracle that occurred in them. The miracle of Egypt occurred before they entered the Land, whereas the miracle of Purim occurred after they had already entered the Land.

Rav Naḥman said:

The reason Hallel is not recited on Purim is

that its reading

of the Scroll

is itself the Hallel 46 ,

and one thereby fulfills the obligation of Hallel.

Rava said

another reason for this:

Granted, there

in the miracle of the Exodus, one can say

“Praise, servants of the Lord,”

which implies

“and not servants of Pharaoh.”

But

here,

in the miracle of Purim, it is impossible to say

“Praise, servants of

the Lord,”

which implies

“and not servants of Ahasuerus,”

for that is not the case, since

they are still servants of Ahasuerus.

And we challenge:

And according to Rav Naḥman,

who says

that there is always an obligation to recite Hallel on Purim, except

that its reading

is

itself the Hallel, was it not taught in a baraita: Once they entered the Land, all lands were no longer fit for the recitation of song?

And the Purim miracle occurred outside Eretz Yisrael.

And we answer:

Once they were exiled

from Eretz Yisrael,

all the lands returned

to

their original permission

to recite song for a miracle that occurred in them.

We learned in the Mishna:

“The sound was not produced with a copper flute

and so on.” And we challenge:

It began with a flute,

as we learned: “The flute sounds before the altar,”

and concluded with an abuv?

And we answer:

Rav Pappa said: The flute

and the abuv are one and the same. And why is it called a flute? Because it makes a sweet sound. [

Its sound is sweet.]

The Sages taught: There was an abuv in the Temple. It was smooth [

peeled]. Its wall

was thin. It was made of reed. It had existed since the days of Moses, and its sound was pleasant. The king commanded that it be plated with gold, but its sound was no longer

sweet. They

removed its plating, and its sound became as pleasant as it had been.

There was a cymbal in the Temple. [

It was a musical instrument, consisting of two pieces struck against one another.]

It was made of copper. It had existed since the days of Moses, and its sound was pleasant. It became dented, and the Sages sent for craftsmen and brought artisans from Alexandria in Egypt, who repaired it

and filled in its dent. But

its sound was no longer pleasant. They removed the repair, and its sound became as pleasant as it had been. There was a mortar in the Temple

for the spices used in the incense,

made of copper. It had existed since the days of Moses, and it perfumed the spices

well and imparted fragrance to them, for its sound was clear, and a beautiful sound was beneficial to the spices.

It became dented, and the Sages sent for craftsmen and brought artisans from Alexandria in Egypt, who repaired it

51 , but its perfume was no longer

as it had been. They

removed the repair, and it perfumed as it had before.

These [

the cymbal and the mortar]

were two utensils that remained from the First Temple; they became damaged, and no repair was possible for them.

For repairing them, as stated, would impair them.

And concerning them Scripture says

in Kings

“polished copper,”

that is, thin; and in Chronicles

“polished copper,”

that is, smooth. And concerning them it says:

“And two utensils of copper, refined and of excellent quality, precious as gold.”

They were as valuable as gold.

The word “two” is written in the verse, referring to two utensils, and

Rav and Shmuel disagree about it. One said

that the reference is to their value in gold. The meaning of the verse is

that each and every one

of the copper utensils

was worth two gold utensils,

so valuable was it.

And one said

that “two” refers to the two copper utensils, the cymbal and the mortar, and the meaning of the verse is

that the two of them were equivalent

to one

gold utensil.

Rav Yosef taught: The two of them were equivalent to one gold utensil.

It was taught in a baraita: Rabban Shimon ben Gamliel says: There were two

that is, two cymbals and two mortars, dating from the days of Moses.

As it is stated: “Two.” Do not read “shanim,” but “shnayim.” It was taught: Rabban Shimon ben Gamliel says: The Shiloah flowed through an opening the

width of an

issar coin.

For that was the width of the spring’s opening.

The king commanded that they widen it

in accordance with the spring

so that its waters would increase, but they diminished

its waters.

They then narrowed it again,

the opening of the spring, and once again it

flowed with water

as it had before. This was

to fulfill what is stated: “Let not the wise man boast

of his wisdom, nor let the mighty man boast of his might.”

For his wisdom only caused damage.

Since the utensils of the First Temple were made according to divine instruction, as it is written: “Everything in writing from the hand of the Lord, and so on.”

And Rabban Shimon ben Gamliel likewise used to say: The hardolim was in the Temple. What is the hardolim? Abaye said: It was a tabla gorgedana,

a pair and a clapper]. And why was it used?

Because its sound was deep and blended the melody

when its sound ended.

Rava bar Sheila said that Rav Mattana said that Shmuel said: There was a magreifa in the Temple,

to rake the ashes from the altar. And it was like a spoon.