Sanhedrin 39b (לט:) — the Talmud in English

He said to him: From your own [people],

I will bring a prophet from your own people—Balaam—

who testified against us

[he testified against us]

, as it is written

[Numbers 23:9]

“And among the nations He does not reckon,”

and if so, wherever the term “nations” is stated, Israel is not included at all.

Rabbi Elazar raised a contradiction:

he posed a contradiction between the verses: On the one hand,

it is written

[Psalms 145:9]

“The Lord is good to all,” and

on the other hand,

it is written

[Lamentations 3:25]

“The Lord is good to those who hope in Him”?

And he answered:

This is analogous to a person who has an orchard: When he waters it, he waters all of it.

Since he exerts effort only once for them all. But

when he hoes,

and exerts effort for each one separately,

he hoes only the best of them.

So too, the Holy One, Blessed be He: When He sustains the entire world by His word, He sustains everyone.

But when He comes to protect them from calamity and to pay reward, He pays only those who hope in Him.

We learned in the Mishna:

“Therefore, each and every person

must say: ‘For my sake the world was created’ ... Yet is it not already stated, ‘When the wicked perish there is song’?”

The Gemara explains when it is said, “When the wicked perish there is song”: In the account of Ahab’s death it is stated,

“And the song passed through the camp”

[I Kings 22:36]. This indicates that “the song” is that well-known song mentioned elsewhere.

And where is it mentioned?

Rav Aḥa bar Ḥanina said:

It is stated

[Proverbs 11:10]: “When the wicked perish there is song.” When Ahab, son of Omri, perished, there was song.

And

the Gemara raises an objection:

Does He rejoice

[is He happy]

when the wicked fall?

Is it not written

[II Chronicles 20:21],

“And he went out before the vanguard and said: ‘Give thanks to the Lord, for His kindness endures forever,’ and Rabbi Yonatan said: Why was the phrase ‘for He is good’ not said in this thanksgiving? Because the Holy One, Blessed be He, does not rejoice over the downfall of the wicked.

As Rabbi Shmuel bar Naḥmani said in the name of Rabbi Yonatan: What is the meaning of that which is written

[Exodus 14:20] when Israel stood at the sea,

“And the one did not draw near the other all night”?

At that moment, the ministering angels wished to recite song before the Holy One, Blessed be He.

The Holy One, Blessed be He, said to them: ‘The work of My hands is drowning in the sea, and you are reciting song before Me?!’

This implies from all of the above that the Holy One, Blessed be He, does not rejoice over the downfall of the wicked?

Rabbi Yosei bar Ḥanina said: He Himself does not rejoice, but He causes others to rejoice.

This is also precise, as it is written

[Deuteronomy 28:63]: “And just as the Lord rejoiced over you to do you good and to multiply you, so

will He cause others to rejoice

over you to destroy you and annihilate you.”

But it is not written, ‘He will rejoice’; conclude from this.

Here too, upon Ahab’s death, although the Holy One, Blessed be He, Himself did not rejoice, nevertheless others rejoiced.

In passing, the Gemara explains additional verses in that chapter:

It is stated

[I Kings 22:38]: “And they washed the chariot by the pool of Samaria, and the dogs licked up his blood,

as the word of the Lord that He had spoken.”

Rabbi Elazar said: The term

“the harlots” is an expression related to “visions”;

it was to give clarity to two visions: one of Micaiah and one of Elijah.

That is, those prophecies that had been stated concerning Ahab were washed and illuminated.

Concerning Micaiah it is written

[there, verse 28],

“If you return in peace, the Lord has not spoken through me”; concerning Elijah it is written

[there, 21:19],

“In the place where the dogs licked the blood of Naboth.”

Rava said: They were actual harlots.

Ahab was a cold-tempered man

and Jezebel made two figures of harlots for him in his chariot, so that he would see

them and become warm.

After he died, figures resembling harlots were seen washing themselves in his blood.

Elsewhere in that chapter:

[there, 22:34]

“And a man drew his bow innocently and struck,” Rabbi Elazar said: In his innocence. Rava said: To complete

[to fulfill]

two visions, one of Micaiah and one of Elijah.

A mnemonic: Kara and Zakha in Edom

It is written

[there, 18:3]

“And Ahab called Obadiah, who was over the household; and Obadiah feared the Lord greatly.”

What is the verse saying?

Rav Yitzḥak said: Ahab said to him,

Obadiah,

, concerning Jacob it is written

[Genesis 30:27],

“I have divined that the Lord has blessed me because of you”; concerning Joseph it is written

[there, 39:5],

“And the Lord blessed the Egyptian’s house because of Joseph”;

but

the household of that man

[that is, Ahab’s household]

was not blessed. Perhaps you do not fear God?

A Divine Voice emerged and said: “And Obadiah feared the Lord greatly,” but Ahab’s household is not destined for blessing.

Rav Abba said: What is stated concerning Obadiah is greater than what is stated concerning Abraham .

For concerning Abraham it is not written “greatly,” whereas concerning Obadiah it is written “greatly.”

Rav Yitzḥak said: Why did Obadiah merit prophecy?

For he was a convert, and the Divine Presence rests only upon those of distinguished lineage among Israel?

Because he concealed one hundred prophets in a cave.

As it is stated

[I Kings 18:4],

“And when Jezebel cut off the prophets of the Lord, Obadiah took one hundred prophets and concealed fifty men in a cave,” and so on.

Why specifically fifty men?

Why did he not conceal them all in a single cave?

Rav Elazar said: He learned this from Jacob. As it is stated

[Genesis 32:9],

“And the remaining camp shall be for escape.”

Rabbi Abbahu said: Because no cave can contain more than fifty.

[Obadiah 1:1]

“The vision of Obadiah; so said the Lord God concerning Edom,” and so on.

What is different

that

Obadiah prophesied concerning Edom

more than the other prophets?

Rabbi Yitzḥak said: The Holy One, Blessed be He, said: Let Obadiah, who lived among two wicked people and did not learn from their deeds, come and prophesy against the wicked Esau, who lived among two righteous people and did not learn from their deeds.

Ephraim Makshaya, the student of Rabbi Meir, said in the name of Rabbi Meir: Obadiah was an Edomite convert, and this is in accordance with the popular saying: ‘From within the forest itself comes the axe with which it is cut.’

People commonly say: The handle of the axe that cuts down the forest is made from the forest itself. So too, Obadiah, who was an Edomite, prophesied concerning Edom .

In a similar matter, it is stated

[II Samuel 8:2]

“And he struck

Moab and measured them with a line, making them lie on the ground.” Rabbi Yoḥanan said in the name of Rabbi Shimon ben Yoḥai: This is in accordance with the popular saying: ‘From within the forest itself comes the axe with which it is cut.’

When Rav Dimi came, he said: The thigh rots from within it. David himself, who descended from Moab, struck them.

It is stated concerning the war against Moab

[II Kings 3:27]: “And he took

[the king of Moab]

his firstborn son, who was to reign in his place, and offered him as a burnt offering upon the wall.”

Rav and Shmuel

disagreed concerning the explanation of this verse:

One said: For the sake of Heaven.

And one said: For the sake of idolatry.

Granted, according to the one who said that it was for the sake of Heaven, this is why it is written

[there]

“And there was great wrath against Israel.”

But according to the one who said that it was for the sake of idolatry, why was there wrath?

As in the statement of Rabbi Joshua ben Levi.

For Rabbi Joshua ben Levi raised a contradiction:

he posed a contradiction between the verses: On the one hand,

it is written

[Ezekiel 11:12]

“And according to the laws of the nations around you, you have not acted,” and

on the other hand,

it is written

[there, 5:7]

“And according to the laws of the nations around you

you have acted”?

Like the proper among them

you did not act; like the corrupt among them you did act.

That is, the Israelites too were accustomed to offering sacrifices to idolatry; therefore, when the king of Moab offered his son to idolatry, that same sin was recalled against them, and there was wrath against Israel.

The conclusion of the verse cited above:

“And they withdrew from him and returned to the land.”

The Gemara explains:

Rabbi Ḥanina bar Pappa said: At that moment, the wicked among Israel descended to the lowest level.

In connection with the Gemara’s exposition above concerning Obadiah, regarding whom “greatly” is written, the following statement was brought:

It is stated concerning Abishag the Shunamite,

[I Kings 1:4] “And the maiden was exceedingly beautiful.”

Rabbi Ḥanina bar Pappa said: She had not yet reached half the beauty of Sarah, for concerning her it is written “exceedingly beautiful,” and not simply “very beautiful.”

Whereas concerning Sarah it is written

[Genesis 12:14]: “For she was very beautiful.”

After the judges intimidate the witnesses, and the witnesses stand by their statements, they begin to examine them through detailed questioning and interrogation. For it is a positive mitzva to demand of the witnesses and interrogate them, to increase their questions, to scrutinize them, and to move them from one subject to another during the questioning, so that they will become silent or retract their statements if there is any flaw in their testimony, as it is stated: “And you shall inquire, investigate, and ask thoroughly” [Deuteronomy 13:15]. [Maimonides, Laws of Testimony 1:4].