Eruvin 63b — the Talmud in English

And it is written in

the book of Chronicles:

Nun—

his son, Joshua his son! [That is, Joshua was the son of Nun.] And after Joshua, it does not say “his son,” because he died without children.

meaning: Joshua was Nun’s son]. But after Joshua, it does not say “son,” because he died childless.

And this differs from

the statement of Rav Levi, that Joshua was punished for issuing a halakhic ruling in the presence of his teacher—

from the statement of Rabbi Abba bar Pappa.

For Rabbi Abba bar Pappa said: Joshua was punished—

to remain childless—

only because he prevented Israel from engaging in procreation for one night,

and therefore he was punished measure for measure [Ritva and Ran].

As it is stated: “And it came to pass when Joshua was by Jericho” [near Jericho, when he was besieging the city],

near Jericho, when he was besieging the city],

“and he lifted his eyes and saw”

and behold, a man was standing opposite him, with his sword drawn in his hand. And Joshua went toward him and said to him: “Are you for us, or for our enemies?”

And he said: “No, for I am the commander of the army of the Lord; I have now come!”

And since it is written, “with his sword drawn in his hand,” it follows that he had come to bring punishment.

And since he said, “I have now come,” meaning that he had come because of a transgression that had just occurred, it follows that there had been another transgression as well.

And necessarily, this is what

he said

to Joshua:

“Yesterday”,

that is, yesterday toward evening,

“you neglected the daily offering of twilight” [because the priests were occupied with carrying the Ark, which went with them to war—Ritva, Megilla 3a].

because the priests were occupied carrying the Ark, which went with them to war—Ritva, Megilla 3].

“And now”,

after nightfall, which is the time when they should study, since they were not occupied with warfare, which takes place during the day,

“you have neglected” [you are neglecting]

you are neglecting]

Torah study.

He said—

asked—

him,

Joshua:

“For which of them

—which of these transgressions—

have you come?”

He said to him: Because of

the transgression of

“I have now come”,

meaning, because of neglecting Torah study.

And there is proof that he reproved them for neglecting Torah study, for

immediately,

that is, during the war of Ai, which followed this war, Joshua was careful not to neglect Torah study.

As it is stated there:

“And Joshua lodged that night in the midst of the people.” And it is written

afterward: “And Joshua went that night”

“in the midst of the valley.”

And Rabbi Yohanan said: This teaches that he spent the night studying the depths of halakha [according to the reading of the Bach: “in the midst of the people.”]

the version of the Bach] in the midst of the people.

And now we derive from here that he prevented the people from engaging in procreation. For the reason he prevented them from Torah study was that they were lying in ambush against the city at night. Consequently, they did not return the Ark—which they carried with them in the war—to its place.

And it is known by tradition: As long as the Ark and the Divine Presence dwell outside their proper place—

marital relations are forbidden.

Rabbi Shmuel bar Unya said in the name of Rav: Torah study is greater than offering the daily offerings.

For we see that

he said to him,

the angel said to Joshua: Because of

“I have now come,”

and not because of neglecting the daily offering.

It follows that Torah study is greater than offering the daily offerings.

Rav Bruna said that Rav said: Whoever sleeps in a room [a chamber]

a room]

in which a man and his wife reside,

and because of this they are embarrassed before him,

of him the verse says: “You drive the women of My people out from their pleasant houses.”

And Rav Yosef said: This was stated as necessary even when his wife is a niddah,

because they are embarrassed before him to speak about intimate matters between him and her [Rabbeinu Yehonatan, Maharsha. See Ritva].

Rava said: If his wife is a niddah—

let a blessing come upon him,

because he protects them from transgression.

And the Gemara rejects Rava’s statement.

It is not so! Until now—

who protected him [who, until now, protected him from transgression]? Thus, his protection has accomplished nothing?!

for until now, who protected her from transgression]? Thus, his act of guarding has accomplished nothing?!

There was a certain alley [a passageway]

an alleyway]

in which Lakham resided, [and some versions read:

and some versions read:

Haman]

son of Ristek [a gentile whose name was this].

a gentile whose name was this].

They said to him,

the Jews who lived with him in the alley:

“Rent us your rights!”

They asked him to rent them his rights, so that he would not prohibit them from carrying on Shabbat.

He did not rent them his rights.

He did not wish to rent them his rights.

They came,

they came and

said to him,

and reported this

to Abaye.

He said to them,

Abaye said:

“Go,”

go, and

relinquish your rights

to one of the residents of the alley, and

he will thereby be a single Jew in a place occupied by a gentile.

And a single Jew in a place occupied by a gentile—

does not prohibit carrying, in accordance with the opinion of Rabbi Eliezer ben Yaakov at the beginning of the chapter, that two Jews are required.

However, relinquishing their rights helped them only to carry objects from the house of the person to whom the rights had been relinquished into the alley, and likewise to carry in the alley objects that had remained there during Shabbat [which is forbidden without a joining of the courtyards of the alley].

However, their renunciation of rights helped them only to carry articles from the house of the one to whom they had renounced their rights into the alley, and likewise to carry in the alley articles that had spent Shabbat within the alley [which is forbidden without alleyway partnership].

They said,

they expressed their astonishment

to him,

to Abaye:

“Is this merely the reason

—that the reason why one Jew in a place occupied by a gentile is permitted is not

only

because

it is uncommon for Jews to reside

with a gentile, since an individual fears for his life because of the gentile?

And

if

here,

where they are numerous,

they do reside there,

and it is common for them to reside there, how can relinquishing their rights help them?!”

He said to them,

Abaye said: Even now it is still uncommon, for

all of them relinquishing their rights to one person—

is an uncommon occurrence.

And

the Sages did not enact a decree in the case of an uncommon occurrence.

Rav Huna, son of Rav Yehoshua, went and repeated Abaye’s teaching

that it is sufficient to relinquish one’s rights to one person—

before Rava.

He said to him,

Rava said: