Berakhot 10a — the Talmud in English

Every section that was dear to David, he opened with “Praiseworthy” and concluded with “Praiseworthy”

not specifically “Praiseworthy,” but rather that he concluded the chapter with something corresponding to its opening.

He opened with “Praiseworthy,” as it is written

Psalms 1:1

“Praiseworthy is the man.” And he concluded with “Praiseworthy,” as it is written

Psalms 2:12

“Praiseworthy are all who take refuge in him.”

It follows that the first two chapters are one chapter.

There were those violent men,

violent people ,

who were in the neighborhood

near him

of Rabbi Meir, and they would

cause him great distress. Rabbi Meir would pray for mercy concerning them, so that they would die.

The death of the wicked of Israel is beneficial for them, so that they should not become rooted in sin; and also because their death is their atonement; and also so that they should not receive their reward in this world, in order that they may receive it in the World to Come.

Beruriah, his wife, said to him

the wife of Rabbi Meir:

What is your reasoning

to pray that they should die?

Because it is written

Psalms 104:35

“May sins cease,”

and you interpret the intention of the verse as referring to the death of the sinful people.

But in truth, this is not the intention! For

is it written, “May

sins [people

who sin”]?

For “may cease

sins” is written!

The intention is that sinful deeds should no longer be committed.

Furthermore,

Beruriah, his wife, argued to him:

Go down

go on and continue—and see

the end of the verse.

Its conclusion is

“and the wicked will be no more,”

and surely, if the sinful people die, there will no longer be wicked people; necessarily, the intention of the verse is that when sinful deeds cease, those same people will no longer be in the category of the wicked.

Rather, seek

ask

mercy concerning them, that they should return

that they should return

in repentance,

and automatically—

“and the wicked will be no more!”

He sought

Rabbi Meir

mercy concerning them,

and they returned in repentance.

That Sadducee said to Beruriah: It is written

Isaiah 54:1, concerning Jerusalem in the days of its desolation:

“Sing out, barren woman who has not given birth,

and does

because she has not given birth

the barren woman, the verse say to her

“Sing out”?!

She said to him: Fool! Go down to the end of the verse, for it is written

at its end

“For the children of the desolate woman are more numerous than the children of the married woman,

Edom,

said the Lord,”

which proves that the “barren woman” is a mother of children.

Rather, what is “barren, who has not given birth”?

Sing out, Assembly of Israel, which resembles a barren woman who has not given birth to wicked sons

whose fate is

to Gehenna, like you,

like you, sons of Edom.

That Sadducee said to Rabbi Abbahu: It is written

Psalms 3:1

“A psalm of David, when he fled from Absalom his son.” And it is written

later [there, 57:1]

“For David, a Mikhtam, when he fled from Saul in the cave.”

Which event was first

first?—

Granted,

it is

the event of Saul that was first,

and if so,

let him write

the “psalm when he fled from Saul”

first?!

Rabbi Abbahu said to him

Rabbi Abbahu said:

You

you Sadducees

who do not expound juxtapositions,

for you do not expound the juxtaposition of the chapters—

it is difficult for you.

But

we, who expound juxtapositions, it is not difficult for us.

For Rabbi Yohanan said

the method of exposition by which the Sages expound verses that are

“juxtaposed”

to one another:

From the Torah, from where?

As it is stated

Psalms 111:8

“They are juxtaposed forever and ever, made in truth and uprightness.”

That is, the juxtaposition of all the commandments of the Holy One, blessed is He, is made in truth and uprightness, and is not an empty matter.

Why was the section of Absalom

which is stated in Psalms [3:1]

juxtaposed to the section of Gog and Magog,

which is stated in the preceding psalm [2:1], in the verse “Why do the nations rage,” so that

if a person says to you: Is there, after all, a slave who rebels against his master?!

and comes to deny the words of the verse that says [there, verse 2], “And rulers conspired together against the Lord and against His anointed.”

You should likewise say to him: Is there, after all, a son who rebels against his father?! Rather,

it is a fact that something of this kind

did happen—

here too, it will happen,

it will ultimately happen, despite this not being the way of the world; and if so, it is possible that Gog too will rebel against the Holy One, blessed is He.

Rabbi Yohanan said in the name of Rabbi Shimon ben Yohai: What is the meaning of that which is written

Proverbs 31:26

“She opens her mouth with wisdom, and the teaching of kindness is on her tongue. Concerning whom did Solomon say this verse?”

For the entire chapter concerns the Torah; and if this verse too deals with the excellence of Torah, what is meant by saying, “She opens her mouth with wisdom”? Is not the entire Torah filled with words of wisdom?

They said it

Solomon did not say this verse

except concerning David his father, who dwelt in five worlds,

as explained nearby,

and he uttered song

corresponding to all of them, when the Divine Spirit rested upon him.

These are the “five worlds” in which he dwelt, and the songs that he uttered corresponding to them:

1.

He dwelt in his mother’s womb and uttered song, as it is stated

Psalms 103:1

“Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all my inward parts, the name of His holiness,”

because of his mother’s inward parts, within which he dwelt.

2.

He emerged into the air of the world,

and gazed at the stars and constellations,

and understood that the stars and constellations have no ability either to bring down abundance or to prevent it, but that their entire function is to do the will of their Master;

and he uttered

concerning this

song. As it is stated

Psalms 103:20–21

“Bless the Lord, His angels, mighty in strength, who do His word, obeying the sound of His word; bless the Lord, all His hosts.”

3.

He nursed from his mother’s breasts, gazed at her breasts, and uttered song, as it is stated

Psalms 103:2

“Bless the Lord, O my soul, and do not forget all His benefits.”

The Gemara clarifies:

What is meant by “all His benefits”?

The Gemara explains:

Rabbi Abbahu said: That He made breasts for her in the place of understanding.

That all her benefits and her nursing are the kindness of God, for He made breasts in a person in the place of understanding—that is, opposite the heart, in which understanding resides.

The Gemara asks:

What is the reason

that He made them specifically in the place of understanding, and not as in the case of the other animals?

The Gemara explains:

Rav Yehuda said: So that he should not gaze

the infant, while nursing,

at the place of nakedness.

Rav Mattana said: So that he should not nurse from the place of filth.

4.

He saw the downfall of the wicked and uttered song. As it is stated

Psalms 104:35

“May sins cease from the earth, and the wicked be no more; bless the Lord, O my soul, Hallelujah,”

and this is the kindness of God. For we learned: “Death for the wicked is good for them and good for the world.”

5.

He gazed upon the day of death and uttered song. As it is stated

Psalms 104:1

“Bless the Lord, O my soul; Lord my God, You are greatly exalted; You have clothed Yourself with majesty and splendor.”

The Gemara clarifies:

From where is it indicated

that this verse was said concerning the day of death?

The Gemara explains:

Rabba bar Rav Shila said: From the end of the matter, as it is written

Psalms 104:29

“You hide Your face, they are terrified; You gather their spirit, they expire.”

Rav Shimi bar Ukva—and some say Mar Ukva—was frequently before Rabbi Shimon ben Pazi, and

Rabbi Shimon ben Pazi would

arrange aggadic teachings before Rabbi Joshua ben Levi.

He said to him

Rav Shimi bar Ukva [or Mar Ukva] said to Rabbi Shimon ben Pazi:

What is

the explanation of that

which is written

Psalms 103:1

“Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all my inward parts, the name of His holiness”?

Rabbi Shimon ben Pazi understood that his intention was to ask why the soul and the inward parts praise the Lord more than all the other limbs, and therefore

he said to him

to Rav Shimi bar Ukva:

Come and see that the attribute of the Holy One, blessed is He, is unlike the attribute of flesh and blood. The attribute of flesh and blood is that a person draws a form upon a wall, but cannot place within it a spirit, a soul, inward parts, or intestines;

but

the Holy One, blessed is He, is not so. He draws one form within another and places within it a spirit, a soul, inward parts, and intestines.

That is, the soul and the inward parts are distinctive in that they are “one form within another”: they are inside the person and are not visible from outside.

And this is what Hannah said,

the mother of Samuel [I Samuel 2:2]:

“There is none holy like the Lord, for there is none besides You, and there is no creator like our God.”

And the Gemara explains:

What is meant by “there is no creator like our God”?

The meaning of “rock” is an expression of strength. Surely, she did not intend another strong rock that is not as strong as our God, for there is no possibility whatsoever of comparing them; rather, her intention was to say:

There is no artist like our God!

For although there is a human artist, he is not like our God.

The Gemara clarifies:

What is meant by “for there is none besides You”?

But the verse has already said, “There is none holy like the Lord”!

Rabbi Yehuda ben Menasya said: Do not read, “for there is none besides You,” but rather, “there is none who can wear You out.” Unlike the attribute of the Holy One, blessed is He, is the attribute of flesh and blood: the works of his hands wear him out,

they live longer than their makers;

but

whereas

the Holy One, blessed is He, wears out His works,

for He lives and endures forever and ever.

He said to him

Rav Shimi bar Ukva said to Rabbi Shimon ben Pazi:

I mean this to you: These five “Bless the Lord, O my soul”

that were mentioned above,

corresponding to whom did David say them?

Rabbi Shimon ben Pazi explained to him:

He said them only corresponding to the Holy One, blessed is He, and corresponding to

the

soul.

There is a kind of resemblance between the manner in which the soul gives life to a person and the manner in which the Holy One, blessed is He, gives life to the world.

Just as the Holy One, blessed is He, fills the entire world,

so does the soul fill the entire body,

and concerning this it said [there, verse 22], “Bless the Lord, all His works, in all the places of His dominion.”

What the Holy One, blessed be He, sees but is not seen—

so too the soul sees but is not seen,

and concerning this it says: “Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless His holy Name,” for the soul is in one’s “innermost parts” and is not seen.

Just as the Holy One, blessed be He, sustains the entire world,

so too the soul sustains the entire body,

and this is hinted at in the verse: “Do not forget all His benefits; He satisfies your adornment with goodness.”

Just as the Holy One, blessed be He, is pure,

so too the soul

enters a person’s body

pure,

and concerning this David said: “May sins disappear from the earth, and may the wicked be no more; bless the Lord, O my soul,” and his intention was to thank the Lord for having distinguished his soul from the souls of the wicked, which had become impure.

Just as the Holy One, blessed be He, dwells in innermost chambers,

so too the soul dwells in innermost chambers,

and this is hinted at in the verse: “You have clothed Yourself with majesty and splendor; You have wrapped Yourself in light as with a garment; You have spread out the heavens like a curtain,” which are expressions referring to the hidden aspects of the Lord.

Let one who possesses these five qualities come—

the soul—

and praise the

Holy One, blessed be He, who is

the One who possesses

these five qualities.

Rav Hamnuna said:

What is the meaning of that which is written [

Ecclesiastes 8:1 ]

“Who is like the wise man, and who knows the interpretation of a matter”?—

Who is like the Holy One, blessed be He, who knows how to reconcile two righteous men—

Hezekiah and Isaiah.

Hezekiah said: “Let Isaiah come to me,”

that is, “Let him come to me if he wishes to rebuke me for not marrying a wife,” because one must not slight the honor of kingship.

For this is how we find—

so too we find

with Elijah, who went to Ahab.

Isaiah said: “Let Hezekiah come to me!”

to ask whether he was acting lawfully by not marrying a wife; and I will not slight the honor of prophecy.

For this is how we find with Jehoram son of Ahab,

the king of Israel,

that he went to Elisha,

the prophet.

What did the Holy One, blessed be He, do?—

He brought suffering upon Hezekiah

because he was liable for death at the hands of Heaven for not engaging in procreation.

And He said to Isaiah: “Go and visit the sick!” As it is stated [

II Kings 20:1; Isaiah 38:1 ]

“In those days Hezekiah became ill, near death, and Isaiah son of Amoz the prophet came to him.”

Since Isaiah had the mitzva of visiting the sick, this was not a slight to the honor of prophecy, for the prophet too was obligated in the mitzva of visiting the sick.

And he said to him—

Isaiah said to Hezekiah:

“Thus says the Lord: Set your house in order, for you shall die and you shall not live.”

The Gemara clarifies:

What is the meaning—

why did the verse need to repeat itself and say

“for you shall die, and you shall not live”?

Is it not obvious that if one dies, he will not live again?!

The Gemara explains:

“You shall die”—

in this world. “And you shall not live”—

in the World-to-Come.

He said to him—

Hezekiah said to Isaiah:

“What is all this?”

What have I done that such a severe punishment was decreed against me?

He said to him: “Because you did not engage in procreation!”

For Hezekiah had not married a wife.

He said to him—

Hezekiah said to him: “I had a good reason not to marry a wife:

because I saw through divine inspiration that unworthy sons would descend from me”—

that descendants who were not proper would come from me.

Isaiah said to him—

Isaiah said to Hezekiah:

“What business have you with the hidden matters of the Merciful One?”

Why are you concerning yourself with the hidden matters of the Holy One, blessed be He?

“What you have been commanded—

you must do!”

Whatever you have been commanded, you are obligated to fulfill.

“And whatever is pleasing before the Holy One, blessed be He—

let Him do!”

Hezekiah said to him—

Hezekiah said to Isaiah:

“Now, give me your daughter

as a wife, because

perhaps the merit of you and me together will bring about

the joining of our merits,

and worthy sons will descend from me.”

Isaiah said to him—

Isaiah said to Hezekiah:

“A decree has already been issued against you

that you will die. What benefit will it bring you if I give you my daughter as a wife?”

Hezekiah said to him: “Son of Amoz, finish your prophecy—

and leave!”

For

this is what I have received from the house of my father’s father,

King David, who saw the angel with his sword drawn in his hand and did not refrain from seeking mercy.

Even if a sharp sword is placed upon a person’s neck,

he should not refrain from seeking mercy.

It was likewise stated: Rabbi Yohanan and Rabbi Elazar both said: “Even if a sharp sword is placed upon a person’s neck,”

he should not refrain from

seeking

mercy. As it is stated [

Job 13:15 ]

“Though He slay me

even when the Holy One, blessed be He, wishes to slay me—

yet I will hope in Him!”