Chagigah 16a — the Talmud in English

What

how

did Rabbi Akiva expound, and understood not to err concerning Metatron as Aḥer erred [Rashi in the second interpretation]?

Rabbi Abba bar bar Ḥana said in the name of Rabbi Yoḥanan:

Thus did Rabbi Akiva expound:

It is written:

“And You from the myriads of holiness”,

and he expounds it according to the language of “sign.” This teaches you that the Holy One, blessed be He,

is a sign among His myriad

[among the myriads of angels]

of His!

For among the angels there is none comparable to Him, may He be blessed. And Rabbi Akiva saw angels resembling Metatron, and understood that he was not the Holy One, blessed be He [Arukh, Maharsha].

And Rabbi Abahu said:

Thus did Rabbi Akiva expound:

It is written:

“Distinguished among myriads”—

he is an example among his myriad!

For the place of the Holy One, blessed be He, is recognizable, and there is no possibility of erring concerning Him, just as something standing as an example is something recognizable.

And Reish Lakish said:

Thus he expounded; it is written:

“The Lord of Hosts is His name”—

He is master in His army.

And Rabbi Ḥiyya bar Abba said in the name of Rabbi Yoḥanan:

He is the Master within His host.]]

From here Rabbi Akiva knew, for it is written concerning Elijah the prophet: “

Go out and stand on the mountain before the Lord. And behold, the Lord passes, and a great and mighty wind, tearing up mountains and breaking rocks before the Lord.

Not in the Lord’s wind. And after the wind

an earthquake. Not in the Lord’s earthquake. And after the earthquake, fire. Not

in the Lord’s fire. And after the fire—

a voice of thin silence”—

and it is written above it [Maharsha]:

And behold, the Lord passes.

That is, from this he knew where was the place of His glory, and did not err concerning Metatron.

The Sages taught:

Six things were said concerning demons: three like ministering angels, and three like human beings.

Three

things do they have like

ministering angels:

a.

They have wings like ministering angels.

b.

And they fly from one end of the world to its other end, like ministering angels.

They can be in every place in the world, unlike human beings, for there are places where they cannot be because of heat or cold or other things [Maharsha].

c.

And they know what is destined to be, like ministering angels.

And we raise an objection: “That demons

know

by their own knowledge”—

could it enter your mind?!

And we answer:

Rather, they hear

from

behind the partition

from the mouth of the Holy One, blessed be He,

like ministering angels.

And three

things are found among demons

like human beings,

and not like angels, for all three are impossible in them:

a.

They eat and drink like human beings.

b.

They procreate and multiply like human beings.

c.

And they die like human beings.

Six things were said concerning human beings: three like ministering angels, and three like animals.

Three

things are found in a human

like ministering angels:

a.

They have understanding like ministering angels.

b.

And they walk upright like ministering angels,

for a human stands erect and not like an animal, which walks on four feet; and likewise ministering angels are upright, as it is stated: “Seraphim stand above him” [Etz Yosef].

c.

And they speak in the holy tongue like ministering angels.

Ministering angels speak in the holy tongue, and human beings too possess the power of speech, unlike an animal, which does not speak [Maharsha].

Three

things are found in a human

like an animal,

and not like ministering angels, in whom none of these is applicable:

a.

They eat and drink like an animal.

b.

And they procreate and multiply

through intercourse

like an animal.

c.

And they excrete feces like an animal.

We learned in the Mishna:

Anyone who gazes at four things, it would have been preferable for him not to have come into the world—

what is above, what is below, what was before, and what will be afterward. And we raise an objection:

Granted, “what is above, what is below, what will be afterward,”

that is fine

[it is satisfactory, for indeed it is fitting for one who gazes at them not to have come into the world].

But

one who gazes

at what was before,

at what already occurred in the past—what sin is there, and what does he encounter? For

what was

in the past already

was!

And he encounters nothing.

He does not encounter anything wrong.

Rabbi Yoḥanan and Rabbi Elazar, both of them say: To what is the matter comparable?

A parable to a flesh-and-blood king who said to his servants: Build me a great palace upon a refuse heap. They went and built it for him …

and surely

it is not the king’s desire to mention

the

refuse heap

when speaking about his palace.

We learned in the Mishna:

Anyone who does not take heed for the honor of his Maker, it would have been preferable for him not to have come into the world.

And we explain:

What is it?

Rabbi Abba said: This is one who gazes at the rainbow,

as he proceeds to explain.

Rav Yosef said: This is one who commits a transgression in secret,

as he proceeds to explain.

And we explain it: Rabbi Abba said: This is one who gazes at the rainbow. For it is written: “Like the appearance of the rainbow that will be in the cloud on the day of rain, so is the appearance of the radiance around; it is the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the Lord.” Rav Yosef said: This is one who commits a transgression in secret, and in accordance with Rabbi Yitzḥak. For Rabbi Yitzḥak said: Anyone who commits a transgression in secret is as though he pushes away the feet of the Shekhina, for it is as though he says in his heart: The Shekhina is not here. As it is stated [and indeed it is stated]: “So said the Lord: The heavens are My throne and the earth is the stool for My feet.” And we raise an objection to Rabbi Yitzḥak’s words, who said that it is not fitting to commit a transgression in secret: Is that so? But it was taught: Rabbi Ela the Elder says: If a person sees that his evil inclination is overpowering him: Let him go to a place where they do not know him, since there his mind is not arrogant over him, and perhaps the power of his inclination will weaken. And even if he sins, no person will take notice of him, since he is not important in their eyes.

And let him wear black garments and wrap himself in black garments,

for through this his mind is not arrogant over him, and he is likewise not important in the eyes of people.

And there

let him do what his heart desires, but let him not profane the Name of Heaven publicly

while he is in his place and everyone knows him?!

And it is demonstrated that it is preferable to sin privately than publicly!

And we answer:

It is not difficult:

This—

what Rabbi Yitzḥak said—

when he is able to subdue his inclination [he can subdue his inclination and not commit the transgression at all], but he relies on the fact that he is going to a secluded place so that he can commit the transgression, and it follows that by doing so he pushes away the feet of the Shekhina.

This—

what Rabbi Ela said—

when he is unable to subdue his inclination.

And since it is certain that he will sin, it is better that he do so privately than publicly.

Rabbi Yehuda the son of Rabbi Naḥmani, the translator [who made his teachings heard to the people]

of Reish Lakish, expounded:

Anyone who gazes at three things, his eyes grow dim:

a.

At the rainbow.

b.

And at the prince

of Israel.

c.

And at the priests,

as he proceeds to explain.

applies when he can subdue his inclination

And we explain it:

At the rainbow: For it is written, “Like the appearance of the rainbow that will be in the cloud on the day of rain, it is the appearance of the likeness of the glory

of the Lord.”

applies when he cannot subdue his inclination.

At the prince: For it is written,

when Moses appointed Joshua as prince:

“And you shall place some of your splendor upon him.”

of Reish Lakish, expounded:

At the priests:

that is,

when the Temple was standing, when they stood upon their platform and blessed Israel with the Explicit Name,

for the Shekhina rested upon the joints of their fingers.

Rabbi Yehuda the son of Rabbi Naḥmani, the translator of Reish Lakish, expounded:

What is written: “Do not believe in a friend

[with a ḥiriq],

do not trust in a familiar one”?

If the evil inclination says to you: Sin, and the Holy One, blessed be He, will forgive you—

do not believe him!

And we explain:

“Do not believe in a friend”

is what was said. “Friend” was not said, but rather “evil” [Maharsha]. And there is no evil except the evil inclination.

As it is stated: “For the inclination of the heart of man is ‘evil’ from his youth.”

This teaches you: Do not believe the words of the evil inclination.

And likewise, do not trust in “a familiar one.”

And there is no familiar one except the Holy One, blessed be He, as it is stated: “You are the familiar one of my youth.”

This teaches you: Do not trust in the Holy One, blessed be He, that He will forgive you.

Perhaps you will say:

And what do I care to transgress, for

who will testify against me?!

What is the meaning of that which is written: “Do not trust a friend

Do not say so, for

the stones of his house and the beams of a person’s house testify against him.

As it is stated: “

Woe to him who gains dishonest gain for his house,” [a seizure of money that is evil for him, in order to build a house for himself, Rashi on Habakkuk].

“For the stone from the wall will cry out [the stones that you stole will cry out from the wall, Rashi there],

and the beam from the wood [a piece of wood]

will answer it [the stone, aloud, opposite it; that is, both cry out, Rashi there].

it is written. “

Rabbi Zerika says: A person’s soul testifies against him.

As it is stated: “From the one lying in your bosom”—

guard the openings of your mouth!

What is the thing that lies in a person’s bosom?

You must say: This is the soul.

It was taught: Rabbi Sheila said: The two ministering angels who accompany him—

they testify against him!

As it is stated: “For He will command His angels concerning you, to guard you in all your ways.”

Why should I care if I transgress? After all,

And some say: A person’s limbs testify against him, as it is stated: “And you are

[plural, Rashi to Ta’anit]

witnesses, says the Lord, and I am God.”

That is, your own limbs testify against you.

Mishna:

The sages of the generation disagreed during the time of the Second Temple concerning the law of the owners’ placing of hands on the sacrifices offered on a Festival: Is it forbidden to place hands upon them on a Festival, since the one placing his hands is found to be “using” animals by leaning upon them, and the matter is forbidden as a rabbinic prohibition [for the Sages decreed not to use animals on Shabbat and Festivals], and therefore he places his hands upon them on the eve of the Festival?

It is possible to place hands on the eve of the Festival even though the placing of hands is not immediately adjacent to the slaughter [Rashi below 17a].

Or is he specifically obligated to place hands upon them on the Festival? Since they permitted bringing them, they did not impose a rabbinic prohibition to nullify the placing of hands immediately before their slaughter [Rashi above 7b].

And the beam from the wood

This disagreement was between five pairs of Torah scholars, pair after pair, generation after generation.

As was explained in Tractate Avot [chapter 1], that the prophets transmitted the Torah to the Men of the Great Assembly; and Antigonus of Sokho received it from Shimon the Righteous—who was among the remnants of the Great Assembly—and we do not find a colleague for his sitting. Consequently, no disagreements fell in his academy during his days.

But after him, there were the prince appointed over that generation and the head of the academy [the head of the court], pairs for all matters of directing the academies and the rulings within them. And among these pairs the disagreement arose between them concerning the placing of hands [according to Meiri; and see Rashi and Tosafot].

And these are the five pairs of the sages of Israel, generation after generation, who disagreed concerning the law of placing hands on a Festival: a. Yosef ben Yoezer says not to place hands

on a Festival, whereas

Yosef ben Yoḥanan,

his colleague,

says to place hands.

b.

Joshua ben Perahya says not to place hands,

and

Nittai the Arbelite,

his colleague,

says to place hands.

c.

Judah ben Tabbai says not to place hands,

and

Shimon ben Shetaḥ,

his colleague,

says to place hands.

d. Shemaya says to place hands,

and

Avtalyon,

his colleague,

says not to place hands.

The pair who came after them,

Hillel and Menaḥem, did not disagree.

Menaḥem’s opinion was not known, because

Menaḥem left [Rambam and Rav; and the Gemara explains where he left], and

Shammai entered

in his place to be head of the court. Then Shammai and Hillel, his colleague the prince, disagreed:

Joshua ben Peraḥya said that one should not place hands,

e.

Hillel says to place hands; Shammai says not to place hands [the version of Meiri].

his colleague

said that one should place hands.

3.

Judah ben Tabbai said that one should not place hands,

whereas

Simeon ben Shetaḥ

his colleague

said that one should place hands.

4.

Shemaya said that one should place hands, whereas

а

Avtalion

his colleague

said that one should not place hands.

The pair who followed them,

Hillel and Menaḥem, did not disagree.

Menaḥem’s position is not known, because

Menaḥem left

[Rambam and Rav Ovadiah of Bartenura; the Gemara explains where he went], and

Shammai entered

in his place as head of the court. Shammai and Hillel, his colleague and the leader, then disagreed:

5.

Hillel said that one should place hands; Shammai said that one should not place hands

[the version of the Meiri].