Megillah 6a — the Talmud in English

And this is what I was saying:

The city called by the verse cited above, concerning the inheritance of Naphtali:

“Hamat” —

this is Tiberias. And why was its name called

in the verse

Hamat? On account of the hot springs of Tiberias.

But the city called in that same verse

“Rakkat” —

this is Sepphoris. And why was its name called

in the verse

Rakkat? Because it is elevated

for it is high, as it sits at the top of the mountain

like the bank of a river

for it is higher than the river.

“Kinneret” —

this is Gennesaret. And why was its name called Kinneret?

Because

its fruits are sweet like the sound of a harp

for its fruits are sweet like the sound of the harp.

Rava said:

How did Rabbi Yohanan say that Rakkat is Sepphoris, and

is there anyone who says

that

Rakkat —

is it not Tiberias?

But when a person dies here

in Babylonia,

there

in Tiberias —

they eulogize him this way: “Great is he in Sheshakh”

which is Babylonia, for “Babylonia” by the substitution of letters atbash

is “Sheshakh” —

and there

he has

for him —

in Rakkat.

And when they take up the coffin

of a dead person from Babylonia

there

to Tiberias, to bury him there,

they eulogize him

the eulogizers, and call out in the marketplaces, so that people go out to meet the deceased —

this way: “Lovers of the survivors”

Israel

who dwell in Rakkat, come out and receive those slain from the depths

that is, Babylonia, which is deep!

When the soul of

Rabbi Zeira came to rest

who had gone up from Babylonia to the Land of Israel and died there,

that eulogizer began over him

with a eulogy — as follows:

“Land of Shinar, she conceived and gave birth, land of the gazelle

the Land of Israel

raised its delights”

of Shinar,

“Woe, surely, to her,” said Rakkat, “for she has lost her precious vessel.”

In any event, we see that Rakkat is Tiberias, and not as Rabbi Yohanan said, that Rakkat is Sepphoris and Hamat is Tiberias!?

Rather, Rava said,

this is the explanation of the names of the places in that verse:

Hamat —

this is the hot springs of

Gerar. Rakkat —

this is Tiberias. Kinneret —

this is Gennesaret, and why was its name called

of Tiberias

Rakkat?

Because

even the empty ones among it —

are full of mitzvot like a pomegranate.

Rabbi Yirmeya said: Rakkat

is

its name

of Tiberias.

And why was its name called

now

Tiberias?

On account of

its sitting at the navel

the middle

of the Land of Israel.

Rabba

also

said

like Rabbi Yirmeya, that in truth

Rakkat is its name. And why was its name called Tiberias?

On account of

its appearance being good,

for it has gardens and orchards [Tosafot].

Zeira said: Kitron —

this is

the city now called

Sepphoris. And why was its name called Sepphoris?

Because

it sits at the top of the mountain —

like a bird.

And we raise a difficulty:

And is Kitron Sepphoris? But Kitron was in the portion of Zebulun, as it is written: “The tribe”

of

Zebulun did not dispossess

did not destroy

the inhabitants of Kitron and the inhabitants of Nahalol”

for these places came into the portion of Zebulun in the division of the Land, and the sons of Zebulun violated the command of the Holy One, blessed be He, who said: “You shall not keep alive any soul,” and did not destroy them, but rather left them to dwell among them and to collect tribute from them.

And Zebulun was complaining about his measures

about the measure that they measured out for him from Heaven, that these places fell into his portion

it was.

As it is stated in Deborah’s song, concerning the war of Sisera: “Zebulun is a people who jeopardized its soul to die, and Naphtali upon the heights of the field.” And we expound the verse in this way:

Zebulun —

a people who jeopardized its soul to die.

And

what is the reason

that he wanted to die then, in that war? Because when Israel gathered then for war, the sons of Zebulun saw the inheritance of the sons of Naphtali, where they had gathered. And because they saw

that

the portion of

Naphtali —

was upon the heights of the field,

a place of fields and vineyards, Zebulun jeopardized his soul to die over his bad fortune, for seas, mountains, and hills had fallen into his portion.

And thus

Zebulun said before the Holy One, blessed be He: “Master of the universe, to my brothers You gave fields and vineyards, but

to me

You gave mountains and hills! To my brothers You gave lands, but to me You gave seas and rivers!?”

He said to him,

the Holy One, blessed be He:

“All of them,

all your brothers, will be

dependent upon you —

through the hilazon,

which rises from the sea to the mountains in your portion, and with its blood they dye tekhelet, and it is sold for a high price.

As it is stated in that verse:

“Peoples shall call to the mountain”

all the tribes will gather to your mountains,

“and the hidden treasures of the sand”

in order to purchase the hidden treasures of the sand.

And what are those “hidden treasures of the sand”?

Rav Yosef taught: “The hidden treasures” —

this is the hilazon

which is an important thing. For “hidden” means important, in the language of the beraita.

“Treasures” —

this is trit

a kind of fish.

“Sand” —

this is white glass,

for the sand in the portion of Zebulun is more valuable than other sands, and is suitable for white glass.

Zebulun said before Him

Zebulun:

“Master of the universe! Who will inform me

to give me money when they take these things?”

The Holy One, blessed be He, said to him:

the Holy One, blessed be He:

“There they shall slaughter offerings of righteousness!”

This sign shall be yours: Whoever takes from you without payment —

will accomplish nothing at all in his commerce.

It is analogous to an offering: just as when he brings a stolen offering, it accomplishes nothing, so too one who takes without payment — the dye and the sand will be ruined and will be of no use to him.

And we return to our difficulty, which we raised against Zeira, who said that Kitron is Sepphoris:

And if it enters your mind

that

Kitron is Sepphoris, why

was

complaining

Zebulun

about his measures? But Sepphoris was

the city

Sepphoris

in his portion, for it was

a much superior matter

to those of his brothers!

And if you would say

that he complained because

it does not have

in Kitron this fine matter of

a flow of milk and honey

where the goats eat figs, and the honey drips from them, and milk flows from the goats, and they become like a stream —

and

it did have it! For

Resh Lakish said: “I myself saw the flow of milk and honey of Sepphoris”

which is Kitron,

and it was

an area of

sixteen mil —

by sixteen mil!

And if you would say that

indeed there was there a flow of milk and honey, as Resh Lakish said, but

its

flow of milk and honey

was not greater

than Zebulun’s

like his brother’s

for the flow of milk and honey of his brother was larger, and for that reason he complained,

but Rabba bar bar Hana said in the name of Rabbi Yohanan: “I myself saw the flow of milk and honey of the entire Land of Israel, and it was

all of it, if you combine it

like

the place called

Bei Kovei, until

the place called

Akra of Tulbaknei,

whose measure is

twenty-two parsa in length, and its width

is

six parsa.

And if you divide it among all the tribes, each one’s portion will amount to less than four parsa.

If so, Zebulun should have had more of a flow of milk and honey than they did, for sixteen mil are four parsa!?

And we answer:

Even so, fields and vineyards —

were preferable to him

to Zebulun.

It is also precise, for it is written: “And Naphtali upon the heights of the field.”

We see that this was the main point of his complaint: that he did not have fields like all his brothers.

And we conclude:

Learn from it.

Rabbi Abbahu said:

This is what is written in Zephaniah’s prophecy:

“And Ekron shall be uprooted” —

this is Caesarea, daughter of Edom.

For in truth its name is Caesarea, and it is called “Ekron” in Scripture on account of its being uprooted.

For it sits among the sands,

and it was

before its uprooting

a firmly planted stake

for evil

for Israel in the days of the Greeks.

And when the kingdom of the Hasmonean house grew strong —

and they defeated them, they would call it: “The captured

conquered

Tower of Shir.”

Rabbi Yosei bar Hanina said: What is

this

that is written

in Zechariah’s prophecy, concerning Tyre, which was the head of Edom:

“And I shall remove its blood from its mouth, and its abominations from between its teeth, and it too shall remain for our God,

and it shall be like a leader in Judah, and Ekron like a Jebusite”?

This is the explanation of that verse:

“And I shall remove its blood from its mouth” —

this is their House of Bamia.

For there they would cast the blood of their sacrifices to idolatry.

“And its abominations from between its teeth” —

this is their House of Galia

Bamia and Galia are the names of idolatry in Edom.

“And it too shall remain for our God” —

these are the synagogues and study halls in Edom.

And this that is written there, later in the prophecy:

“And it shall be like a leader in Judah, and Ekron like a Jebusite

which is Jerusalem” —

these are the theaters and circuses

in Edom, where the leaders of Judah will in the future teach Torah publicly.

Rabbi Yitzhak said:

The city

Leshem,

which is a city conquered by the sons of Dan —

this is Paneas,

from which the Jordan River emerges.

Be uprooted, be uprooted -

This is Caesarea of Edom, which was the metropolis of kings [

in the Greek language—mother of the kingdom].

And in what way was Caesarea the metropolis of kings?

Some say: because it raises kings [

for they raise kings there].

And some say: because they appoint them from it [

for they appoint them from it, from among its inhabitants]

as kings.

The cities

Caesarea and Jerusalem—if a person tells you: Both have been destroyed, do not believe

him.

And likewise, if a person tells you:

Both have become inhabited,

that both are inhabited and not destroyed—

do not believe.

But if he tells you:

Caesarea has been destroyed and Jerusalem has become inhabited,

or if he tells you:

Jerusalem has been destroyed and Caesarea has become inhabited—

believe.

As it is stated: “

Because Tyre said concerning Jerusalem, ‘Aha, she is broken, and so forth, [now

I shall be filled from her destruction.’

For Tyre said: Now I shall be filled through the destruction of Jerusalem. And

if this one is full,

that one is destroyed.

And

if this one is full,

that one is destroyed .

Rav Nahman bar Yitzhak said: From here

we derive that if this one is full, that one is destroyed, for it is written concerning Jacob and Esau:

“And nation shall struggle with nation,”

we see that they will never be equal in greatness. Rather, when this one rises, that one falls [Rashi in the Pentateuch] .

And

further

Rabbi Yitzhak said: What

is this

that is written: “May favor be shown to the wicked, yet he has not learned righteousness”? [

And the end of the verse is: “In the land of uprightness he acts unjustly, and he does not see the majesty of the Lord.”]

This is the explanation of the verse:

Our father Isaac said

before

the Almighty: Master of the Universe, may favor be shown to Esau! [

And “may favor be shown” is an expression of gratuitousness. That is, give him a gratuitous gift, even though he is not worthy of it].

The Almighty said to him:

He is wicked!

He said to him,

Isaac:

“Yet he has not learned righteousness”?

Is there no one to plead righteousness on his behalf ?

The Almighty said to him:

said to him:

“In the land of uprightness he acts unjustly.”

That is, he is destined to destroy Jerusalem and the Land of Israel .

Isaac said to him:

Isaac

“If so, he does not see the majesty of the Lord.”

And Rabbi Yitzhak said: What

is this

that is written: “Do not grant, O Lord, the desire of the wicked; his scheme do not bring about; let them rise forever”?

Jacob said before the Almighty: Master of the Universe! Do not grant the wicked Esau the desire of his heart.