Moed Katan 17a — the Talmud in English

A student who placed a ban of ostracism for his own honor -

his ostracism is valid,

as will be explained below:

For it was taught:

one who is

ostracized by a rabbi -

he is

ostracized

also

by a student.

But

one ostracized by a student -

is not ostracized by a rabbi,

for the rabbi does not need to distance himself from him.

And the Gemara infers: One ostracized by a student, only

by a rabbi is he not ostracized; but as for everyone else -

he is ostracized.

And we considered it:

For what purpose?

For what reason for ostracism is one ostracized by a student ostracized by everyone, except by the rabbi?

If

they ostracized him

for

the reason of

matters of Heaven,

because he committed a transgression requiring ostracism, and therefore the student ostracized him, why is he not ostracized also by the rabbi? For Scripture has already said [Proverbs 21]: “

There is no wisdom, no understanding, and no counsel opposite the Lord,” and the rabbi too is obligated to conduct himself with distance toward one whom the student ostracized.

Rather, is it not that the beraita is speaking of a student who ostracized him

Rather, is it not so that

the baraita speaks of a student who ostracized

for his own honor.

Rav Yosef said: A Torah scholar may execute judgment for himself,

he executes judgment for himself in monetary claims that he has against others,

in a matter that is decisive for him,

where he has no doubt about his righteousness.

There was a certain Torah scholar whose reputation was bad,

for evil reports had gone out concerning his conduct.

Rav Judah said: What should he do?

Should he ostracize him -

the Sages need him

in his place, since he was their rabbi.

Should he not ostracize him -

the Divine Name will begin to be profaned,

the Divine Name will be profaned through his conduct.

He said to Rabba bar bar Hana:

Have you

heard anything concerning this?

He said to him: This is what Rabbi Yohanan said: What is the meaning of that which is written [Malachi 2], “

‘For the lips of a priest should guard knowledge, and Torah should be sought from his mouth, for he is an angel of the Lord of Hosts.’”

If the rabbi resembles an angel of the Lord -

let them seek Torah from his mouth.

But if not -

let them not seek Torah from his mouth .

And since this rabbi’s reputation was bad, it is better that they not seek Torah from his mouth, and the reason that they need to study from him is nullified.

And indeed,

The Sages came to inquire about him,

Rav Judah ostracized

that rabbi.

In the end he became ill

and weakened

He said to him,

Rav Judah.

The Sages came to inquire after him,

to visit him and ask after his welfare,

and he too came

the one whom Rav Judah had ostracized,

with them.

When Rav Judah saw him,

when Rabbi Judah saw the ostracized man,

he smiled

Rabbi Judah.

And the ostracized man understood that Rav Judah was smiling at him in order to mock him.

He said to him

the ostracized man to Rav Judah:

Is it not enough for you

that it is not enough for you

that you ostracized that man

whom you ostracized [he meant himself, and expressed himself with an expression of sagi nahor],

but you also laugh at me?

For you also mock me by smiling at me.

He said to him

Rav Judah:

I am not smiling at you,

my smile is not directed toward you in order to mock you.

Rather,

this is a smile of my joy,

for when I go to that world,

I will go when I am

in a cheerful state of mind,

happy and amused, knowing

that even a man like you,

like you, who are a Torah scholar, nevertheless

I did not flatter him,

but I ostracized him.

When

Rav Judah’s soul departed, he came

the ostracized man came

to the study hall.

He said to them

the ostracized man:

Release me!

Release the ostracism that Rav Judah imposed upon me.

The Sages said to him: There is no one here of importance like Rav Judah -

who can release you.

And ostracism is released only by one who is as important as the one who imposed it.

Rather, go to Rabbi Judah the Prince, so that he may release you.

He went before him.

Rabbi Judah the Prince said

Rabbi Judah the Prince said

to Rabbi Ami: Go out

go out and

examine his case.

And

if it is possible

if there is a possibility

to release him -

release him,

release the ostracism that Rav Judah imposed upon him!

Rabbi Ami examined his case,

and

thought to release him.

Rabbi Samuel bar Nahmani happened to come to the study hall at the time when Rabbi Ami wished to release the ostracized man from his ostracism, after he had not happened to come to the study hall for several years.

Rabbi Samuel bar Nahmani rose to his feet and said: If the maidservant of the House of the Prince, the Sages did not treat lightly the ostracism she imposed

when she ostracized a person who had not behaved properly, and they did not release that ostracized person who had been ostracized through her for

three years .

came to the house of study, to our house of study? For, after all,

Judah,

who is

our colleague -

all the more so

we should not treat lightly the ostracism that he imposed, to release it close to his death.

Rabbi Zeira said: What do we see here

what does the fact before us show

that he came now,

that precisely now he came,

this elder,

Rabbi Samuel son of Nahmani,

to the study hall,

to our study hall?

For,

yet

he had not come for several years,

he had not come here.

Infer from this

from the fact that he now appeared and stated his words, that

it is not necessary to release him.

And indeed,

he did not release him

Rabbi Ami did not release the ostracism that Rav Judah had imposed upon the ostracized man.

He went out

the ostracized man went out from the study hall.

As he was crying and walking,

as he went and cried,

a wasp came

a wasp came

and struck him

and stung him

on his forearm,

on his forearm,

and he died,

and he died from this sting.

They brought him they brought him up for burial

to the cave

of burial

of the pious -

and it did not receive him,

for a snake came and stood around the entrance and prevented his being brought for burial in the cave of the pious.

Because

They brought him into the cave of the judges,

where the heads of the court are buried, and they are of a lower rank than the pious -

and it received him .

“The maidservant of the house of Rabbi”— who was she? It was the maidservant of Rabbi’s household. She saw a certain man who was striking his adult son. She said: Let that man be ostracized, because he transgresses [Leviticus 19] “You shall not place a stumbling block before the blind.” For his adult son might strike his father in return; thus the father causes his son to stumble when he strikes him. For it was taught in a beraita: “ You shall not place a stumbling block before the blind”— the verse is speaking of one who strikes his adult son.

What is the reason

that the judges received him?

Because

he acted in accordance with Rabbi Ilai,

who repented for his evil reputation and acted according to what Rabbi Ilai instructed concerning the way of repentance.

For it was taught: Rabbi Ilai says: If a person sees that his inclination is overpowering him -

let him go to a place where they do not know him, and let him wear black garments and wrap himself in black garments, and let him do what his heart desires, but let him not profane the Divine Name publicly .

And the Gemara explains Rabbi Samuel bar Nahmani’s words:

The maidservant of the House of the Prince -

what is it?

It was the maidservant of Rabbi’s house who saw a certain man who was striking

beating

his

the

grown son.

She said: Let that man be in ostracism,

because

he transgresses on account of

Leviticus 19]

“Before the blind you shall not place a stumbling

block

.”

For his grown son is capable of kicking his father, and it follows that the father causes his son to stumble when he strikes him.

For it was taught: “

Before the blind you shall not place a stumbling block” -

Scripture speaks of one who strikes his grown son .

Reish Lakish was guarding

a keeper

an orchard.

A certain man came and was eating figs

from the orchard.

He raised his voice at him,

Reish Lakish shouted at him,

but he paid no attention to him.

He said

Reish Lakish:

Let that man be in ostracism.

He said to him

that man to Reish Lakish:

On the contrary, let that man

so that he can release you,

Reish Lakish

be in ostracism!

I do not know him.

For

if I became liable to you for money

when I ate the figs -

for what ostracism did I become liable to you!?

And since you ostracized me unlawfully, you are liable for ostracism because you ostracized me contrary to halakha.

He came Reish Lakish

to the study hall,

and asked what his law now was.

They said to him:

the ostracism

of his,

that he imposed upon you -

is valid,

since he ostracized you lawfully, because you ostracized him contrary to halakha, when he was not liable for ostracism.

But the ostracism of yours, that you imposed upon him - is not valid,

since it was not lawful.

Reish Lakish asked:

And what is his remedy?

They said to him:

Go to him,

go to him,

so that he may release you,

so that he will release you from his ostracism.

Reish Lakish said:

I do not know him.

I do not know him, and how will he release me from his ostracism!?

They said to him: Go to the Prince, for

by his power he can

release you

from the ostracism of others.

For it was taught: They ostracized him, and he does not know who ostracized him -

he should go to the Prince, and he will release his ostracism.

Rav Huna said: In Usha they instituted: A head of the court who went astray -

they do not ostracize him; rather, they say to him

Rav Huna said: In Usha they instituted: If the head of the court has sinned - they do not excommunicate him; rather, they say to him [II Kings 14:10], “ Show honor and remain in your home.” But if he

“

Honor yourself and sit in your house.”

But if he

went astray again

afterward -

they ostracize him, because of the desecration of the Divine Name.

And this disputes the view of Reish Lakish,

who holds that they never ostracize him.

For Reish Lakish said: A Torah scholar who went astray -

they do not ostracize him publicly, as it is stated

Cover him as the night,

Hosea 4]: “

You shall stumble by day, and the prophet too shall stumble with you by night,”

Scripture teaches:

Cover him as the night,

just as in the darkness of night one does not see.

And the reason for this is so that he would not be disgraced in public.

And every ban is a disgrace in public, since it is necessary to proclaim about him that he is under a ban, so that people will not come near him.

Mar Zutra the pious, when a Torah scholar was obligated to receive shmata—

at first

it was first

he would place shmata

upon himself,

himself, out of respect for the one who was about to place him under a ban,

and afterward,

and only afterward, while he was under a ban,

he would place shmata upon him,

upon the Torah scholar.

And this was a ban for a short period of time, until he returned to his home.

When he would enter his lodging,

when Mar Zutra the pious would enter his home,

he would release it for himself,

he would release his self-imposed ban,

and afterward release it for him,

for the Torah scholar whom he had placed under a ban.

Rav Giddel said in the name of Rav: A Torah scholar places himself under shmata, and releases it for himself.

Rav Pappa said: May good come to me,

may good come to me, because

I have never placed a Torah scholar under shmata.

And the Gemara explains:

Rather, when a Torah scholar is obligated to receive shmata—

how does

Rav Pappa act?

As in this practice, in the West,

in the Land of Israel,

they would appoint,

sages would be appointed to decide

on angida

for lashes

for a Torah scholar,

to flog a Torah scholar because he had gone astray and had not conducted himself properly,

but they would not appoint for ashmta,

they would not appoint [a court] to place him under a ban, because the ban was more severe in their eyes than lashes, and they preferred to flog him.

And the Gemara explains:

What,

what is the meaning of the expression

“shmata”?

Rav said: The name of death.

And Shmuel said: Desolation will be.

And it benefits him,

the blow of the shmata enters the one under the ban and leaves an impression upon him forever, even after the ban has been released,

like oil smeared in an oven,

like oil that was smeared in an oven, whose oily moisture remains in it forever.

And it disagrees

with this view concerning the blow of the shmata, that it never leaves,

with the view of Reish Lakish,

who held that it leaves completely.

For Reish Lakish said: Just as it enters

the shmata

into two hundred forty-eight limbs

of a person,

so when it leaves—

it

leaves from two hundred forty-eight limbs.

When it enters—

as it is written

“

And the city shall be under a ban.” “

: “

And the city shall be under the ban.” “

Ban”

in gematria—

there are two hundred forty-eight.

When it leaves—

as it is written

“

In wrath, remember mercy.” “

: “

In wrath, remember compassion.” “

Compassion”

in gematria is likewise

[four hundred and forty-eight].

. Rav Yosef said: Cast

throw

a shmata

even

upon a dog’s tail

upon the dog’s tail—and

it,

the shmata,

will do its work,

will carry out its function.

And this means that one may impose shmata even upon the tail of an unspecified dog, and it will carry out its action.

For that dog which used to eat

the shoes

of the scholars, and they did not know

the scholars

which one,

which dog it was.

And they placed it under a ban,

the dog.

Fire caught

fire was suspended

on its tail,

on the dog’s tail,

and consumed it,

and burned the dog.

That

man

was, then,

violent

who used to afflict that Torah scholar.

before Rav Yosef,

The Torah scholar came

the Torah scholar

before Rav Yosef,

to ask his advice.

He said to him: Go and place him under a ban.

He said to him: I am afraid of him.

I am afraid of him.

He said to him:

Go to the court, and

take

and take from them

a petiha

a writ of shmata

against him.

He said to him:

All the more so am I afraid of him,

I have still more reason to fear, since taking a writ of shmata from the court is more severe in his eyes.

He said to him:

Go to the court,

take it

and take from them a writ of shmata, and afterward

put it into a jar,

insert the proclamation of the shmata into a jar, so that people will not hear.