Arakhin 10b — the Talmud in English

And we raised the question:

What is different with Sukkot

the festival of

that we say

Hallel

every day, and what is different with Passover, that we do not say Hallel every day?

And we answer:

For Sukkot,

its days

are divided according to their offerings 39 ,

for the offerings of the festival decrease and proceed from day to day, and each day differs in its offerings; and for that reason each day is important in itself for the recitation of Hallel.

What is not so

with Passover,

for

there are no

its days

divided according to their offerings;

one Hallel is sufficient for them, for the days do not differ from one another.

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

[then] Shabbat, which is divided according to its offerings

from the other days of the week,

let us say

Hallel on it.

And he answers: Shabbat

is not called a moed.

The obligation of Hallel is specifically on a festival, as brought below.

And we challenge:

Rosh Chodesh, which is called a moed,

as it is written, “He has called an appointed time against me,” and they explain in tractate Ta'anit that this refers to Rosh Chodesh, and it too differs in its offerings,

let us say

Hallel on it.

And we answer:

Rosh Chodesh was not sanctified

Rosh Chodesh

with

the prohibition of

performing labor,

and the obligation of Hallel is only on a moed on which performing labor is prohibited.

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

a night sanctified for the festival

by the performance of labor

requires song, but a night not sanctified for the festival

by the performance of labor

does not require

song 42 .

And we challenge:

Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, which are called a moed and are sanctified through the performance of labor—let us say

Hallel on them.

And we answer:

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

Israel

not sing song before You on Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur?” He said to them: “Is it possible? A king is seated upon the throne of judgment, and the books of the living and the books of the dead are open before Him, and Israel should sing song before Me?”

For it is impossible to sing song because of the fear of judgment.

And he objects:

But Hanukkah, which is not so

that it does not differ in its offerings,

and is not so

that it is not sanctified through the performance of labor,

and we say

Hallel on it.

And we answer: Hanukkah,

because of the miracle

we say [Hallel] on it. There are two forms of Hallel: either because of the festival day or because of the miracle.

He objects: If so,

Purim, where there is a miracle—let us say

Hallel on it.

And we answer:

Rabbi Yitzhak said: Because one does not say Hallel for a miracle that occurred outside the Land of Israel. Rav Naḥman bar Yitzhak challenged him: But the Exodus from Egypt, which is a miracle

that occurred outside the Land of Israel, and we say Hallel

because of the miracle.

And we answer:

There, as it was taught in a beraita: Before Israel entered the Land, all lands were fit to have song recited

for a miracle that occurred in them.

But once they entered the Land, not all lands

outside the Land

were fit to have song recited

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

Rav Naḥman said:

The reason that one does not say Hallel on Purim is because

its reading

of the Megilla

is the Hallel 46 ,

and one fulfills through it the obligation of Hallel.

Rava said

another reason for this:

Granted, there

in the miracle of the Exodus from Egypt, one can say

“Praise, servants of the Lord,”

which implies

“and not servants of Pharaoh.”

But

here

in the miracle of Purim, one cannot say

“Praise, servants of

the Lord,”

which implies

“and not servants of Ahasuerus,”

for it is not so, since

they are still servants of Ahasuerus.

And we challenge:

And according to Rav Naḥman,

who says

that there is always an obligation of Hallel on Purim, אלא

that its reading

is

the Hallel, was it not taught in a beraita: Once they entered the Land, not all lands were fit to have song recited?

And Purim is a miracle that occurred outside the Land.

And we answer:

Since they were exiled

from the Land of Israel,

all the lands returned

to

their original permission

to have song recited for a miracle that occurred in them.

We learned in the Mishna:

“He would not strike with a copper avuv

and so on.” And we challenge:

It began with a flute,

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

and it concluded with an avuv?

And we answer:

Rav Pappa said: The flute is the avuv

the flute is the avuv. And why is it called a flute? Because its sound is sweet. [It has a sweet sound.]

Its sound is sweet.]

The Sages taught: There was an avuv in the Temple. Its [surface] was [peeled]. Its wall

peeled]. Its wall

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

longer

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

There was a tziltzal in the Temple. [It is a musical instrument, and there are two instruments that strike against each other.]

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

It was of copper. It had existed since the days of Moses. Its sound was pleasant. It became damaged, and the Sages sent and brought craftsmen from Alexandria of Egypt, and they repaired it,

filling its damaged place. And again

its sound was not pleasant. They removed its repair, and its sound was pleasant as it had been. There was a mortar in the Temple

for the spices of the incense,

it was of copper. It had existed since the days of Moses. It perfumed the spices

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

It became damaged, and the Sages sent and brought craftsmen from Alexandria of Egypt, and they repaired it

51 , but it did not

again

perfume as it had. They removed its repair, and it perfumed as it had.

These [the tziltzal and the mortar]

the cymbal and the mortar]

were two vessels that remained from the First Temple and became damaged, and they had no restoration.

For the repair would ruin them, as stated.

And concerning them Scripture said

in Kings

“polished copper,”

that is, thin; and in Chronicles

“refined copper,”

that is, peeled. And concerning them it says

“and two vessels of copper, refined beyond goodness, precious as gold.”

For they were as valuable as gold.

And “two” is written in the verse, namely, two vessels, and

Rav and Shmuel dispute concerning it: one said

that the reference is to gold. And the meaning of the verse is

that each and every one

of the copper vessels

was equivalent to two of gold,

for it was extremely valuable.

And one said

that “two” means the two copper vessels, the tziltzal and the mortar, and the meaning of the verse is

that both of them were equivalent

to one

gold vessel.

Rav Yosef taught: Both of them were equivalent to one gold vessel.

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

namely, two tziltzalim and two mortars, which had existed since the days of Moses.

As it is stated, “two.” Do not read “shanim” but “shenayim.” It was taught: Rabban Shimon ben Gamliel says: The Shiloah would pour water in

the width of a coin of

an issar.

For that was the width of the mouth of the spring.

The king commanded, and they widened it

according to the spring

so that its waters would increase, but they diminished

its waters.

And they returned and narrowed it

the mouth of the spring, and again it

poured water

as it had. And this was

to fulfill what is said: “Let not the

wise man boast of his wisdom, and let not the mighty man boast of his might.”

For his wisdom only causes damage.

Since the vessels of the First Temple were made according to divine instruction, as it is written, “Everything in writing from the hand of the Lord, etc.”

And so Rabban Shimon ben Gamliel would say: There was a hardul in the Temple. What is the hardul? Abaye said: a tavla gurgadna

a bell and a clapper]. And why was it?

Because its sound is heavy, and mixes up the melody

when its sound would end.

Rava bar Shila said in the name of Rav Mattana in the name of Shmuel: There was a magreifa in the Temple

to rake the ash of the altar. And it was like a spoon.