Avodah Zarah 17b (יז:) — the Talmud in English

He said to him

one amora

to the other: Let us go

let us walk

by the entrance of the house of idolatry

for its evil inclination has been slaughtered

because the inclination to worship idols 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 place ourselves in a trial involving 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 walk

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

and let us overcome our inclination and refrain from thoughts of transgression, and

we will receive

for this coercion

a reward

reward.

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 retreated [

the version of the Ein Yaakov:

had withdrawn]

before them

the prostitutes fled into their house!

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

From where did you derive the confidence to pass by the brothel, without fearing that the evil inclination would be aroused against you?

He said to him:

It is an explicit verse [Proverbs 2]: “When wisdom enters your heart and knowledge is pleasant to your soul,

discretion will watch over you, understanding will guard you.”

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

Rava’s students understood this exposition to mean that “discretion” is expounded as referring to “Torah.” Since the meaning of “zimma” is “counsel,” they thought that the amora intended to expound the verse as follows: “Discretion”—that is, the Torah—will watch over you. Therefore, they challenge 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]:

“zimma,” and we translate it as “the counsel of sinners”—

And the addition of “sinners” in the translation is an explanatory addition; clearly, the translation of the word “zimma” is “counsel.” Therefore, Rava’s students thought that “zimma” refers to the “Torah,” which is called counsel,

and

as

it is written [Isaiah 28]:

“

He made counsel wondrous and magnified resourcefulness,”

if so

if this is how the exposition is understood, it is difficult:

it should have said “zimma”

it should have said, “Zimma will watch over you.” Why, then, is it written “mezimma,” with a mem?

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

this is what it is saying: [

the version of the Bach:

mezimma]

from a matter of immorality

which is sexual immorality—

will watch over you

the

Torah, [

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

will guard you

will guard you from every evil matter and from thoughts of sin.

The Gemara returns to what was related concerning Rabbi Eliezer, who was seized by the wicked Roman government, and relates the seizure of Rabbi Elazar ben Perata and Rabbi Hanina ben Teradyon, and his execution for the sanctification of the Name.

The Romans wished to force the Jews into apostasy after the destruction of the Temple, and enacted decrees against observing the Torah and its mitzvot.

The Sages taught: When Rabbi Elazar ben Perata and Rabbi Hanina ben Teradyon were apprehended—

Rabbi Eliezer ben Perata said to Rabbi Hanina ben Teradyon: “Fortunate are you, for you were apprehended on account of one matter”

for teaching Torah in public—

“Woe is me, for I was apprehended on account of five matters.”

A. Theft. B. Teaching Torah. C. Because he was called “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 apprehended on account of five matters—

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

and I will not be saved!”

Before the Gemara continues its account, the beraita explains why this was indeed so: “

You

Rabbi Elazar

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 Teradyon is

in accordance with

the words of

Rav Huna—

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

is comparable to one who has no God

to protect him!

As it is stated [

II Chronicles 15] in the days of King Asa:

“For many days Israel was without the true God”,

and we expound:

What is

the meaning of

“without the true God”?

Without acts of kindness ,

for anyone who engages only in Torah

without acts of kindness—

is comparable to one who has no God.

And we challenge this:

And

did Rabbi Hanina ben Teradyon

not engage in acts of kindness?!

But was it not taught

we learned in a beraita:

Rabbi Eliezer ben

Yaakov says: A person may not place his money in a charity purse unless a Torah scholar such as Rabbi Hanina ben Teradyon is appointed over it.

Was he not a charity collector? [And presumably he gave much of his own money as well.]

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 engage in the actual activity

he did not occupy himself with it.

And we challenge this:

But was it not taught

we learned later in the account that Rabbi Yosei ben Kisma asked Rabbi Hanina ben Teradyon, “Has any deed come to your hand?” That is, I wish to hear about your conduct.

He said to him

Rabbi Hanina: “

Money for Purim

that I collected from the townspeople in order to distribute to the poor for their Purim meal, and this money

became exchanged for money

other

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

I distributed the Purim money for ordinary charitable needs, which is forbidden with Purim money, and I paid for the Purim needs from my private funds” .

Does this not show that he did indeed engage in charitable needs?

And we answer: Rabbi Hanina

did engage,

but

he did not engage as he ought to have

he did not do enough .

The Gemara continues to relate how Rabbi Eliezer ben Perata was saved from the wicked government.

They brought him

they brought

Rabbi Eliezer 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 Eliezer:

If I am a swordsman

if I wield a sword,

I am not a scholar

not a scribe,

and if I am a scholar, I am not a swordsman! And

since the two do not go together—

as one of these is not present

since one of the accusations certainly does not apply to me—

the other is also not present

the second accusation does not apply to me either, and the person 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.

They wished to test whether his statement was true.

They brought him

they brought before him

two bundles

two balls of thread,

and said to him

they asked him:

Which is the warp and which is the woof

which of them is warp and which is woof?

Since he did not know,

a miracle occurred for him

a miracle was performed for him:

a female bee came

a female bee came,

and settled

and settled

on the warp

on the warp,

and a male bee came

and a male bee came

and settled on the woof

and settled on the woof.

From this he knew which was the warp and which was the woof, since the warp receives the woof.

He said to them

Rabbi Eliezer:

This is the warp and this is the woof

this one is the warp and this one is the woof.

They said to him

the judges:

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

Why do you not come to the house where they gather to eat and drink in honor of the idols, associate with it, and discuss the affairs and needs of the idols?

He said to them

Rabbi Eliezer:

I was an elderly man [

the version of the Ein Yaakov:

I am]

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

They said

to him:

Until now

until this point—

how many old men have been trampled

how many elderly people have been trampled?

A miracle occurred

a miracle was performed for him, for

on that very day one old man was trampled,

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

They asked him: “

And for what reason

why

did you release

you freed

your slave?”

The Romans had decreed that this may not be done, because it is a Jewish practice.

He said to them

Rabbi Eliezer: “

It never happened.”

One of them rose

one of the Romans

to testify against him

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

Elijah

arrived,

Elijah

the prophet, may he be remembered for good,

appeared to him

he appeared to that informer

as one of the dignitaries of the government

as one of the Roman dignitaries.

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 with regard to every question—

with this one

with this act of informing,

a miracle will also occur for him

another miracle will happen to him,

and that man

meaning: you

will be shown in your wickedness

your wickedness will be exposed to everyone; that is, they will say that your testimony is false. 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 rose to say to them

and stood up to testify.

There was a written letter

there was a written letter there,

which had been written

which had been written

by the dignitaries of the government

by the Roman dignitaries

to send to the House of Caesar

and was intended for the Roman Caesar,

and they sent it by his hand

and sent the letter through him,

that man

this informer; that is, they had appointed him as a messenger.

And so that he would not testify upon his return,

Elijah came and flung him

and cast him a distance of

four hundred parasangs.

He went and did not return

and he never returned to his home.

Thus Rabbi Eliezer ben Perata was saved.

The Gemara continues to relate what happened to Rabbi Hanina ben Teradyon.

They brought him

they brought him before the judges,

Rabbi Hanina ben Teradyon.

They said to him

the judges said to him:

Why are you engaging in the study of Torah?

Rabbi Hanina said to them

Hanina said: “

As the Lord my God commanded me”!

Immediately they decreed

several decrees:

against him, that he be burned; against his wife, that she be killed; and against his daughter, that she sit in a brothel

a tent

of prostitutes.