Chagigah 5b (ה:) — the Talmud in English

He is not among them,

of the seed of Israel.

The Sages said to Rava:

But

Master, he is neither subject to the concealment of the Divine countenance nor to “and it shall be food”

[You possess neither of these conditions, as you are wealthy].

He said to them: Do you know how much I send secretly to the house of King Shapur

[Do you really know how many gifts I must send covertly to the king’s palace so that they will not confiscate my property]?!

Even so, the Sages cast their eyes upon him

[They cast their eyes upon him, meaning that they regarded him as wealthy].

Meanwhile,

in the meantime,

the agents of King Shapur were sent, and they confiscated his property

[They were sent from the royal palace and plundered Rava’s property].

Rava

said:

This is what is taught in a beraita: Wherever the Sages cast their eyes—

either death or poverty.

It is written:

“And I shall surely conceal My face from them on that day,”

and it indicates that He will conceal only His face.

Rava

explained:

The Holy One, Blessed be He, said: Although I have concealed “My face” from them

[in the manner of that which is stated: “And the Lord would speak to Moses face to face”], nevertheless

“in a dream I shall speak with him,”

even during the concealment of the Divine countenance.

Rav Yosef said:

Although the Holy One, Blessed be He, conceals His face from us,

His hand is extended

to protect

us.

As it is stated: “And in the shadow of My hand I have concealed you!”

And similarly it is stated: “And despite all this, when they are in the land of their enemies, I will not reject them and I will not abhor them, to destroy them” [Iyyun Yaakov].

Rabbi Yehoshua ben Hanania was standing in the palace of Caesar

[He was standing in the emperor’s palace], engaged in a debate with one of the heretics who did not believe the words of the Sages, like the Sadducees.

That heretic gestured to him

[That heretic gestured to Rabbi Yehoshua], saying: You are

a people whose Master has turned His face away from them

[a people from whom their Master has turned His face away].

He gestured to him,

Rabbi Yehoshua likewise responding by gesture: But

His hand is extended over us.

The emperor

asked

Rabbi Yehoshua

ben Hanania:

What did he gesture to you

[What did he hint to you], and what did you answer him?

Rabbi Yehoshua said to him: He hinted to me:

A people whose Master has turned His face away from them.

And I gestured to him

[And I hinted to him]: But

His hand is extended over us.

They

asked

that heretic:

What did you gesture to him

[What did you hint to him], and he answered:

A people whose Master has turned His face away from them.

And what did he gesture to you

[And what did Rabbi Yehoshua answer you]?

That heretic said:

I do not know

[I do not know], meaning: I did not understand his response.

They

at the emperor’s palace said:

A man who does not know what is being shown to him by gesture

[a man who does not know what is being shown to him by a hint]—surely

he should gesture before the king

[before the king]?!

They took him out and killed him

[They took that heretic out and killed him].

When the soul of Rabbi Yehoshua ben Hanania was about to depart

[when Rabbi Yehoshua was about to die],

the Sages said to him

to Rabbi Yehoshua:

What will become of us because of the heretics

[What will become of us at the hands of the heretics]? That is: Who will contend and debate with them?

He said to them,

Rabbi Yehoshua: You have nothing to worry about, for Scripture states:

“Counsel has perished from the children, their wisdom has become rotten.”

Once counsel has perished from the children, the wisdom of the nations of the world has become rotten.

Therefore, when I die, the wisdom of those who oppose me will likewise become rotten, and you will be able to overcome them yourselves.

And if you wish, say instead, from here: “And he said

Esau to Jacob:

Let us travel and go, and I will go alongside you””—

equally.

Rabbi Ila was ascending the staircase in the house of Rabba bar Sheila

[He was going up the steps of Rabba bar Sheila’s house].

He heard a child reciting

[He heard a child who was reciting]:

“For behold, He forms mountains and creates wind, and declares to a person what is his speech.”

Rabbi Ila

said:

A servant whose master tells him what his speech is—

does he

have any remedy?!

What is the meaning of “what is his speech”?

Rav said: Even excessive conversation,

words of levity,

between a man and his wife

before intercourse,

are told to a person at the time of death,

for a person should not engage in such conversation.

Is that so?

But Rav himself would engage in such conversation?!

But Rav Kahana would lie beneath Rav’s bed

[Rav Kahana lay beneath Rav’s bed in order to learn from him how to conduct himself],

and he heard him converse, laugh, and engage in intercourse

[He heard Rav speaking and laughing in idle conversation intended to encourage intercourse, and afterward engaging in intercourse].

Rav

said,

Rav Kahana

[aloud]: Rav’s mouth seems to be that of one who has never tasted a cooked dish! [That is: He sounds like one who has never engaged in intercourse, and therefore treats this frivolous conduct as a mere desire. Rashi, Berakhot].

He said to him,

Rav to Rav Kahana:

Kahana! Leave; this is not proper conduct

[Leave; this is not the way of the world].

But this shows that Rav himself would jest with his wife?!

And we answer:

It is not difficult:

Here—

the case of Rav—concerns

one who needs to appease her

his wife.

There—

the case of excessive conversation—concerns one

who does not need to appease her.

It is written:

“And if you will not hear it, in secret places my soul shall weep because of pride.”

Rav

explained

in the name of Rav Shmuel bar Inya:

The reason Scripture says “in secret places,” rather than “in secret” [Maharsha], is that

the Holy One, Blessed be He, has a place called “secret places.”

What is the meaning of “because of pride”?

Rav Shmuel bar Yitzḥak said: Because of the pride of Israel

[the greatness of Israel],

which was taken from them and given to the nations.

Rabbi Shmuel bar Naḥmani said: Because of the pride of the sovereignty of Heaven, which was taken away,

[and given to idols [Rashi, Jeremiah]].

And we raise a difficulty:

Is there weeping before the Holy One, Blessed be He,

such that Scripture says: “My soul shall weep”?!

But Rav Pappa said: There is no sadness before the Holy One, Blessed be He! As it is stated: “Honor and majesty are before Him; strength and joy are in His place”?!

And we answer:

It is not difficult:

Here, in the inner chambers,

[in the inner rooms], meaning “secret places,” there is weeping.

There, in the outer chambers,

[in the external rooms], there are strength and joy.

And

we still ask: Is it the case that

in the outer chambers there is no

weeping of the Holy One, Blessed be He?!

But it is written: “And the Lord, God of Hosts, summoned on that day

[the day of the destruction of the Temple]

for weeping and lamentation, for baldness and for girding with sackcloth”?!

And we answer:

The destruction of the Temple is different, for even the angels of peace wept, as it is stated: “Behold, the angels cry outside; the angels of peace”—

they weep bitterly.”

It is written:

“Weep bitterly and weep, and let my eyes stream with tears, for the flock of the Lord has been taken captive.”

Rabbi Elazar said: These three tears

“weep,” “weep bitterly,” and “let my eyes stream with tears”—

why?

One tear

is for the First Temple,

which was destroyed.

And

one tear

is for the Second Temple,

which was destroyed.

And

one tear

is for Israel who were exiled from their place.

And some say:

One tear

is for the annulment of Torah study.

And we challenge this:

Granted, according to the one who says: It is for Israel who were exiled

from their place,

this is the meaning of that which is written: “For the flock of the Lord has been taken captive.”

But according to the one who says: It is for the annulment of Torah study, what is the meaning of “For the flock of the Lord has been taken captive”?

And we explain:

Once Israel were exiled from their place, there is no greater annulment of Torah study than this.

The Sages taught: The Holy One, Blessed be He, weeps over three types of people every day:

a.

Over one who is able to engage in Torah study but does not engage in it.

b.

And over one who is unable to engage in Torah study,

as he is an ignoramus and understands nothing at all, and nevertheless

engages

in Torah study, to learn and teach it inaccurately; and once an error has entered, it remains [Iyyun Yaakov ].

c.

And over a communal leader who acts arrogantly toward the public.

Rabbi was holding the Scroll of Lamentations

[the Book of Lamentations],

and was reading from it

[he held it and was reading from it].

When he reached this verse

[when he reached this verse]:

“He cast down from heaven to earth the glory of Israel”—

the Scroll of Lamentations fell

from his hand

to the ground

unintentionally. Consequently, he was reminded to explain the verse [Maharsha], and

said:

How great is this casting down from heaven to earth, for it is

from a high roof to a deep pit

[from a high roof to a deep pit].

Rabbi and Rabbi Ḥiyya were traveling along the road

[they were walking along the road].

When they reached a certain city, they said

[when they reached one of the cities, they asked the inhabitants]: Is there

a Torah scholar here

[is there a Torah scholar here],

so that we may go and greet him

[so that we may go to greet him]?

They said

to them:

There is a Torah scholar here, but he is blind

[there is a Torah scholar here, and he is blind]!

Rabbi Ḥiyya said to Rabbi: You remain here

[stay in your place and do not go], so that

you will not demean your status as Nasi. I will go and greet him

[I will go alone and greet him].

But even so,

Rabbi seized

Rabbi Ḥiyya,

and went with him

[he seized him and went with him] to that Torah scholar.

When they were taking leave of him

[when they took leave of him], that Torah scholar blessed Rabbi Ḥiyya and Rabbi, and

said to them:

You have greeted

my

visible face, though you do not see

[for he was blind]; therefore

may you merit seeing the face

of the Holy One, Blessed be He,

who sees but is not seen!

That is: May you merit making the pilgrimage.

Rabbi said to him,

Rabbi Ḥiyya:

You nearly prevented me just now from receiving this blessing

[You almost prevented me from receiving this blessing] when you did not want me to go with you to him.

They said to him,

Rabbi Ḥiyya and Rabbi to that Torah scholar:

From whom did you hear

that greeting a Torah scholar is so great?

That Torah scholar said to them:

I heard it from the discourse of Rabbi Yaakov.

For Rabbi Yaakov of Kefar Ḥittaya would greet his teacher every day

[he would greet his teacher every day].

When he grew old

[when Rabbi Yaakov grew old],

his teacher said to him

his teacher to Rabbi Yaakov:

Do not be distressed, Master, that you are unable

[do not be distressed that you are unable to greet me].

Rabbi Yaakov said to him,

Rabbi Yaakov to his teacher:

Is what is written concerning the Sages a small matter

[is what is stated a minor matter]:

“He shall live yet forever; he shall not see the pit, for he sees wise men die”?!

And if one who sees the Sages at the time of their death—

will live,

as it is stated, “He shall live yet forever,” then one who sees them

during their lifetime—

all the more so.

Rav Idi, the father of Rabbi Yaakov bar Idi, had the practice of traveling for three months along the road and spending one day in the house of study

[He would leave in Nisan and travel for three months to the academy, remain there for one day, and then travel back, so that he would arrive home by Sukkot to rejoice with his wife].

The Sages would call him

[the Sages nicknamed him]:

a one-day student of the house of study

[a student of the academy for one day].

He was distressed.

He recited

Rav Idi

about himself

[Rav Idi’s spirits fell, and he recited this verse about himself]:

“I am a laughingstock to my friend.”

Rabbi Yoḥanan said to him,

to Rav Idi:

Please, do not punish them

—

the Sages

[Please, do not cause the Sages to be punished because of you].

Rabbi Yoḥanan went out to the house of study

[Rabbi Yoḥanan went to the house of study]

and expounded

on the verse

“And they seek Me day by day, and desire knowledge of My ways”:

Is it on the day that they seek Him, but at night they do not seek Him,

as the verse says: “They seek Him day by day”?!

Rather, this comes to teach you: Anyone who engages in Torah study even one day a year, Scripture regards him as though he engaged in it the entire year.

And likewise with regard to punishment,

one day is considered like a year,

as it is written

concerning the generation in the wilderness after the sin of the spies: “And your children shall be shepherds in the wilderness forty years.

According to the number of the days that you spied out the land.”

Did they sin for forty years?

But it was only forty days

that they

sinned?!

Rather, this comes to teach you: Anyone who commits a transgression even one day a year, Scripture regards him as though he transgressed the entire year.

We learned in the Mishna:

Who is a minor

[who is exempt from the mitzva of education with regard to the pilgrimage]?

Anyone who is unable to ride on his father’s shoulders

and ascend from Jerusalem to the Temple Mount; this is the statement of Beit Shammai. And Beit Hillel say: Anyone who is unable to hold his father’s hand and ascend from Jerusalem to the Temple Mount.

The following discussion is explained according to the approach of Tosafot, on folio 2b, s.v. Ve-khol.

Rabbi Zeira raised an objection,

to what is explained in our Mishna: that a minor is obligated in education whenever he can ascend from Jerusalem to the Temple Mount with his father. This implies that even a minor who cannot ascend from his home to Jerusalem is included: