Avodah Zarah 17b — the Talmud in English

He said to him

one amora

to the other: Let us go

let us go

by the entrance of the house of idolatry ![](pamud.bmp "

exact page location")

where its impulse has been removed

for the impulse to worship idolatry had already been slaughtered by the Men of the Great Assembly [as explained in Tractate Sanhedrin 64a]. And he intended to say: It is preferable to go by this route, so that we do not bring ourselves into a trial of transgression, rather than to go by the route of the brothel, lest the evil inclination prevail over us.

The other said to him

the second amora: On the contrary

! Let us go

let us go

by the entrance of the brothel, and let us subdue our inclinations

and let us force our inclination, and refrain from sinful thoughts,

and let us receive

for this coercion

a reward

recompense.

And this is preferable to passing by a house of idols.

And indeed, so it was.

When they reached there

when they came near the brothel,

they saw them

they saw

the prostitutes had submitted

the version of the Ein Yaakov:

had fled

from before them

the prostitutes fled for themselves into their house!

He said to him: From where do you have this?

From where do you know that you could rely upon yourself to pass by the brothel, and were not afraid that the evil inclination would be aroused against you?

He said to him:

A verse explicitly states [Proverbs 2]: “For wisdom shall enter your heart, and knowledge shall be pleasant to your soul.

Discretion shall watch over you, understanding shall guard you.”

And the Torah protects and saves from transgression [as will be explained].

Rava’s students understood this exposition as deriving “discretion” as referring to “Torah.” Since the meaning of “discretion” is “advice,” they thought that the amora intended to expound: “discretion”—and this is the Torah—“shall watch over you.” Therefore, they raise an objection against this exposition.

The Sages said to Rava: What

is expounded from

“discretion”?

If you say “Torah,” as it is written concerning it

as it is written in the Torah [Leviticus 18]: “

Discretion,” and we translate it: “the counsel of sinners”—

And the translation’s addition of “sinners” is an explanatory addition, and clearly the translation of the word “discretion” is “advice.” Therefore, Rava’s students thought that “discretion” is the “Torah,” which is called advice,

and

as

it is written [Isaiah 28]: “

“

He made counsel wonderful, He made wisdom great,”

if so

if this is the exposition, it is difficult:

“discretion” should have been required

it should have said “discretion shall watch over you.” And why is it written “from discretion,” with a mem?

Rava answered them: This is not the way of the exposition. Rather,

this is what it says: [the version of the Bach:

the version of the Bach:

“discretion”]

from a matter of discretion

and this is licentiousness—

shall watch over you

the

Torah, [for the entire chapter there is stated concerning the Torah], and the continuation of the verse is “understanding,” and this is the Torah, the source of understanding—

because the entire chapter there is speaking about the Torah, and the continuation of the verse is “understanding,” which is the Torah, the source of understanding]—

shall guard you

shall guard you from every evil matter and from sinful thoughts.

The Gemara returns to what was told concerning Rabbi Eliezer, who was seized by the wicked Roman government, and tells of the seizure of Rabbi Eleazar ben Perata and Rabbi Hanina ben Teradion, and of his being killed for the sanctification of the Name.

The Romans wished to apostatize the Israelites after the destruction of the Temple, and imposed decrees upon them concerning observance of the Torah and its commandments.

The Sages taught: When Rabbi Eleazar ben Perata and Rabbi Hanina ben Teradion were seized—

Rabbi Eliezer ben Perata said to Rabbi Hanina ben Teradion: “Fortunate are you! For you were seized on account of one matter

for teaching Torah publicly—

woe is me, for I was seized on account of five matters.”

a. Theft. b. On account of teaching Torah. c. Because they called him “Rabbi.” d. Because he did not come to the House of Abidan [as will be explained below]. e. Because he freed a slave.

Rabbi Hanina said to him: “Fortunate are you, for you were seized on account of five matters—

and you will be saved! Woe is me, for I was seized on account of one matter—

and I will not be saved!”

And before the Gemara continues telling the story, the beraita explains why this was indeed so: “

You

Rabbi Eleazar

engaged in Torah and acts of kindness, whereas I

Rabbi Hanina

did not engage

in acts of kindness

but only in Torah.”

And

this statement of Rabbi Hanina ben Teradion is

in accordance with the words of

the statement of

Rav Huna—

For Rav Huna said: Anyone who engages only in Torah—

is like one who has no God

to protect him!

As it is stated [

II Chronicles 15] in the days of King Asa: “

And for many days Israel was without a true God,”

and we expound:

What is

the meaning of

“without a true God,”

without acts of kindness ,

for anyone who engages only in Torah

without acts of kindness—

is like one who has no God.

And we raise an objection:

And

did Rabbi Hanina ben Teradion

not engage in acts of kindness?!

But it was taught

we learned in a beraita:

Rabbi Eliezer ben

Yaakov says: A person should not give his money to the charity purse unless a Torah scholar such as Rabbi Hanina ben Teradion is appointed over it.

Thus, he was indeed a charity collector? [And presumably he gave much of his own money].

And we answer:

It was his reliability that was reliable

Indeed, he was a trustworthy man, and they relied upon him, but

he did not perform

he did not engage in it.

And we raise an objection:

But it was taught

we learned further in the story, that Rabbi Yose ben Kisma asked Rabbi Hanina ben Teradion: “Did any deed come to your hand?” That is: I wish to hear of your conduct.

He said to him

Rabbi Hanina: “

Purim money

that I collected from the townspeople for the purpose of distributing it to the poor for the Purim meal, and this money

became exchanged for me with money

other

charity money,

and I distributed the Purim money for ordinary charity needs [and it is forbidden to do so with Purim money], and I paid for the Purim money from my private property” .

Thus, he indeed engaged in charity needs?

And we answer: Rabbi Hanina

did perform,

but

he did not perform as he ought to have

he did not do enough .

The Gemara continues to tell how Rabbi Eleazar ben Perata was saved from the wicked government.

They brought him

they brought

Rabbi Eleazar ben Perata

before the judges.

They said

the judges said to him: “

For what reason did you study

why did you study Torah

and for what reason did you steal?”

He said to them

Rabbi Eleazar:

If a swordsman

if [I am] a swordsman,

not a scribe

not a scribe,

and if a scribe, not a swordsman! And

since the two do not go together—

since this one is absent

since one accusation is certainly not applicable to me—

this other one too is absent

the second one is also not applicable to me, and the one who informed against me lied to you!

And

they further asked him: “

For what reason do they call you ‘Rabbi’?”

He answered them: “

I am the master of the weavers,”

because I am the master of the weavers.

And they wished to test whether his words were true,

they brought him

they brought before him

two balls

two skeins of thread,

and said to him

they asked him:

Which is warp and which is weft

which of them is warp and which is weft?

And since he did not know,

a miracle occurred for him

a miracle was performed for him:

a female bee came

a female bee came,

settled

and sat

on the warp

on the warp,

and a male bee came

and a male bee came

and sat on the weft

and sat on the weft.

And from this he knew which was warp and which was weft, for the warp receives the weft—

he said to them

Rabbi Eleazar:

This is the warp and this is the weft

this is the warp and this is the weft.

They said to him

the judges said to him:

And for what reason did you not come to the House of Abidan?

Why do you not come to the house where they assemble to eat and drink in honor of the idols, and attach themselves to it, and investigate the affairs and needs of the idols?

He said to them

Rabbi Eleazar:

I was an old man [the version of Ein Yaakov:

the version of Ein Yaakov:

I am]

and I am afraid lest you trample me under your feet! [

They said

to him]:

And until now

until now—

how many old men have been trampled

how many old people have been trampled?

A miracle occurred

a miracle occurred for him, for

on that day one old man was trampled

indeed, on that day one old man was trampled there.

They asked him: “

And for what reason

why

did you release

you freed

your slave to freedom?”

And the Romans had decreed not to do so, because it was a Jewish practice.

He said to them

Rabbi Eleazar: “

There were never such things.”

One of them arose

one of the Romans

to testify against him

and wished to testify that he had seen this with his own eyes.

Elijah came

the prophet, may he be remembered for good,

Elijah

the prophet, may he be remembered for good,

appeared to him

he appeared to that informer

as one of the distinguished men of the government

as one of the distinguished Romans,

he said to him

Elijah said to that informer: Beware of him

! Since a miracle occurred for him in all of them

you see that miracles occurred for him in all the questions—

in this

in this informing,

too a miracle will occur for him

another miracle will occur for him,

and that man

that is: you

will display his wickedness

your wickedness will become visible to all; that is: they will say of you that your testimony is false testimony. Therefore, my advice is that you should not testify!

And

that informer

did not heed him

he persisted and paid no attention to these words.

He arose to say to them

and stood on his feet to testify.

There was a written letter

there was a written letter there,

which was written

that had been written

by distinguished men of the government

by distinguished men of Rome

to send to the House of Caesar

and was intended for the Roman Caesar,

and they sent it through him

and sent the letter through him

that man

that informer; that is: they appointed him as a messenger.

And so that he would not testify upon his return—

Elijah came and flung him

he threw him a distance of

four hundred parasangs.

He went and did not return

and he did not return to his house again.

Thus Rabbi Eleazar ben Perata was saved.

And the Gemara continues to tell what happened to Rabbi Hanina ben Teradion.

They brought him

they brought him before the judges

Rabbi Hanina ben Teradion.

They said to him

the judges said to him:

Why are you engaging in aggadic teachings?

Rabbi said to them

Hanina: “

As the Lord my God commanded me”!

Immediately they decreed

several decrees—

upon him, burning; upon his wife, execution; and upon his daughter, to sit in a brothel

a tent

of prostitutes.