Sanhedrin 98a — the Talmud in English

Rabbi Yehoshua said to Rabbi Eliezer: But it has already been stated: “Thus said the Lord: the Redeemer of Israel, his Holy One, to one despised in soul, to one abhorred by a nation, to a servant of rulers ![](pamud.bmp "

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kings shall see and arise, ministers shall prostrate themselves.”

It follows that even those who are despised and abhorred because of transgressions will be redeemed, and kings will see, etc.!

Rabbi Eliezer said to him: But it has already been stated: “If you return, Israel, says the Lord, return to Me.”

It follows that Israel will be redeemed only through repentance!

Rabbi Yehoshua said to him: But it has already been stated: “And I heard the man dressed in linen, who was above the waters of the river, and he raised his right hand and his left hand toward the heavens, and swore by the Life of the world: for a time, times, and half, and when the shattering of the power of the holy people is completed, all these things shall be completed, etc.” “For a time, times” implies that there will be a time and an end for the exile. “And when the shattering of the power, etc., is completed, all shall be completed, etc.” This means that when their standing and the strength of their power—which had been spread here and there, with might and benefit, to extend in every direction—comes to an end, then they will be exceedingly lowly, and then all the troubles will end, and the Messiah will come.

And when Rabbi Yehoshua stated the proof from this verse,

Rabbi Eliezer was silent,

and did not answer further.

And Rabbi Abba said: You have no more manifest end

than

this, which is stated

in this verse:

“And you, mountains of Israel, shall give forth your branches and bear your fruit for My people Israel, etc.”

[And the end of the verse is: “for they are soon to come.” And all the verses afterward speak of the matter of redemption: “For behold, I am for you, and I will turn to you, etc., and the cities shall be inhabited and the ruins shall be rebuilt, etc.,” and more.] If so, we have a clear sign of the coming of the redemption: when the Land of Israel gives its fruit generously, the redemption will come!

Rabbi Elazar says: Also f

rom

this

verse below the end is revealed to us.

As it is stated: “For before those days

[before the days of the Messiah]

the wage of a man shall not come to be, and the wage of an animal shall not be, and for one who goes out and one who comes in there shall be no peace because of the oppressor.”

That is, when a person will earn nothing, and even through agricultural labor, which is performed with an animal, he will be unable to earn, then the redemption will come [as we said above, that one of the signs of the days of the Messiah is that a coin will come to an end from the purse].

What

is this that is written,

“and for one who goes out and one who comes in there shall be no peace because of the oppressor”?

“And for one who went out or came in there was no peace because of the adversary”?

Rav said: Even Torah scholars, about whom peace is written, as it is written: “Great peace have those who love Your Torah,”

and this is “for one who goes out and one who comes in”: according to the law, the scholars should have gone out and come in peaceably; nevertheless, in those days even they

will have no peace because of the oppressor

[because of the abundance of troubles].

And Shmuel said:

the son of David will not come

until all the prices are equal.

That is, the price of wine will be cheap, like the price of grain. As the Gemara said above, in the fifth year of that Sabbatical cycle in which the son of David will come, there will be great abundance.

Rabbi Hanina said: The son of David will not come until a fish is sought for a sick person —

and it is not found. As it is stated: “Then I will make their waters sink, and I will lead their rivers like oil,”

and since the rivers will be congealed like oil, fish will not be available by hook.

And it is written: “On that day I will cause a horn to sprout for the house of Israel.”

Rabbi Hama bar Hanina said: The son of David will not come—

until even

the

contemptible kingdom

[the despised and impoverished one]

among Israel comes to an end,

so that there will be no kingdom at all in Israel .

As it is stated: “And He shall cut off the tendrils with pruning hooks,” and it is written afterward

[afterward]:

“At that time a gift shall be brought to the Lord of Hosts from a people drawn out and smoothed.”

That is, the redemption will come.

Zeiri said in the name of Rabbi Hanina: The son of David will not come—

until the arrogant have come to an end from Israel

as it is stated: “For then I will remove from your midst your joyous ones of pride,”

and it is written

in the verse after it:

“And I will leave in your midst a poor and needy people, and they shall take refuge in the name of the Lord.”

That is, the redemption will come, and Israel will take refuge in the shadow of the Holy One, blessed is He.

Rabbi Simlai said in the name of Rabbi Elazar son of Rabbi Shimon: The son of David will not come—

until all judges and officers have come to an end from Israel

as it is stated: “And I will turn My hand against you, and I will smelt away your dross, etc.

[And the end of the verse is: “and I will remove all your tin.”] “Your dross” means the mixtures within you. “Your tin” means those separated out as leaders of the people. And then, after judges and officers have come to an end from Israel—

“I will restore your judges

like at the beginning, etc.,” and the redemption will come .

Ulla said: Jerusalem

will be redeemed—

only through charity. As it is stated: “Zion shall be redeemed through justice

and her returnees through charity.”

Rav Pappa said: If the arrogant come to an end, then even

the magi

[if the arrogant, the haughty, among Israel come to an end, the Persian sorcerers who distress Israel will also come to an end ].

If the judges come to an end

[if the judges of Israel come to an end ]— then

the

also

Gzirpatei

[the gentile judges who beat Israel with sticks will also come to an end ].

And now Rav Pappa explains from where we derive these matters:

If the arrogant come to an end, the magi come to an end, as it is written: “And I will smelt away your dross, and I will remove all your tin.”

That is, when “your dross,” the great ones, the haughty, come to an end and are removed from you , then I will remove all “your tin,” which are those magi who are separated from fear of Heaven. And if the judges come to an end, the Gzirpatei come to an end, as it is written: “The Lord has removed your judgments; He has turned away your enemy.”

That is, when the Lord removes your judges, He will turn your enemy, the Gzirpatei, backward.

Rabbi Yohanan said: If you see a generation that is diminishing and continuing to diminish—

wait for him. As it is stated: “And You shall save the poor people, etc.”

Rabbi Yohanan said: If you see a generation upon which many troubles are coming like a river—

wait for him. As it is stated: “For distress shall come like a river; the spirit of the Lord drives it on” [“

‘Drives it on’ is an expression of piercing and eating” .

For the spirit of the Omnipresent destroys them through the troubles that come upon them], and adjacent to it is stated: “And a redeemer shall come to Zion.” And Rabbi Yohanan said: The son of David will come only

and immediately afterward it states: “And a redeemer shall come to Zion.”

or

in a generation that is entirely meritorious, or

in a generation that is

entirely liable .

And from where do we derive this?

In a generation that is entirely meritorious—

as it is written: “And your people, all of them righteous, shall inherit the land forever.”

And “shall inherit the land” means redemption.

In a generation that is entirely liable—

as it is written: “He saw that there was no man and was astonished that there was no intercessor,” and it is written: “For My own sake I will do it.”

Rabbi Alexandri said: Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi raised a contradiction: It is written

concerning the coming of the redemption, “I am the Lord, in its time I will hasten it.” And seemingly this is an internal contradiction! For

“in its time”

implies at its appointed time,

and

it is written: “I will hasten it,”

which implies that the Holy One, blessed is He, will hurry and hasten the redemption and bring it even before its time!

Rather, this is how he interpreted the verse:

If Israel

is meritorious—then

I will

hasten it

and bring it before its time.

But if

it is not meritorious—then the redemption will come

in its time

[at the time appointed for it] .

Rabbi Alexandri said: Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi raised a contradiction: It is written

concerning the coming of the Messiah:

“And behold, with the clouds of heaven there came one like a son of man,”

implying that he will come quickly, like the clouds of heaven.

On the other hand,

it is written: “Poor and riding upon a donkey,”

implying that he will come slowly, like a poor man riding his donkey lazily!

Rather, if Israel

is meritorious—then the Messiah will come

with the clouds of heaven.

And if

it is not meritorious—he will come like

a poor man riding upon a donkey .

they are not meritorious—

King Shapur said to Shmuel: You say

[you say],

the Messiah will come upon a donkey

[that the Messiah will come upon a donkey], and this is a disgrace!

[you say],

I will send him a lightning-swift horse

that I have

[I will send him a fine horse that I have]! And he intended to mock him.

He said to him

Shmuel:

Do you have a pale horse of a hundred colors [does he have a horse of a hundred colors]? For this is how the donkey of the Messiah is!

Shmuel:

Do you have a white horse of

And not that the donkey of the Messiah will truly be so; rather, he said this merely to dismiss him.

Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi found Elijah [he found Elijah], who was standing [who was standing]

at the entrance of the cave of Rabbi Shimon ben Yohai

[at the entrance of the cave in which Rabbi Shimon bar Yohai had hidden from the Romans].

[he found Elijah],

He said to him

to Elijah:

Will I come to the World to Come

[will I merit coming to the World to Come]?

He said to him: If this Master wishes

[the Divine Presence. And he said it in the expression “this Master,” implying this master who is before us, since the Divine Presence was there with them].

“Will I merit entering the World-to-Come

Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi said: I saw two there,

that is, Elijah and myself. And the voice

of

three I heard. For I also heard the voice of the Divine Presence ,

but I did not see it.

“And the voice

He said to him

to Elijah:

When will he come [when will he come] the Messiah?

He said to him: Go ask him himself

[go ask him himself].

Joshua ben Levi asked him:

And where does he sit

[and where does the Messiah sit]?

Elijah said to him: He sits

at the entrance of Rome

[at the gate of the city of Rome ].

“And where does he sit

Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi asked:

And what are his signs

[and what are the Messiah’s signs, how will I recognize that he is indeed the one]?

Elijah said to him:

He sits [he sits]

among poor people afflicted with illnesses [afflicted], and he too is afflicted .

[what are the Messiah’s signs, and how will I recognize that he is indeed the one]?”

Elijah said to him:

And all of them untie and bind at one time

[and all of the other poor people loosen all their bandages at once in order to clean their afflictions, and afterward bind them all at the same time].

among the poor who suffer from afflictions

[those afflicted with leprosy], and he too is afflicted .

And all of them untied their bandages at one time

[all the other poor people removed all their bandages at once in order to clean their afflictions, and afterward they tied them all at the same time].

whereas

he

the Mashiah,

loosens one and binds one

[he loosens one bandage at a time, wipes, and binds it. And thus he does until he finishes treating all his afflictions]. Because

he said: perhaps I will be needed

[perhaps they will call me to come to redeem Israel],

so that I will not be delayed

[so that I will not be delayed].

For if I loosened all the bandages at once, perhaps precisely then I would be called to redeem Israel, and I would have to be delayed until I finished binding them all .

Joshua ben Levi went

Joshua ben Levi

to him

[to the Mashiah] at the gate of Rome.

He said to him: Peace be upon you, my rabbi and my teacher!

He said to him

the Mashiah:

Peace be upon you, son of Levi

[son of Levi].

Joshua ben Levi said to him:

Joshua ben Levi:

When will my master come

[when will you come to redeem Israel]?

He said to him: Today .

Joshua ben Levi returned and

came to Elijah.

Elijah said to him:

Elijah:

What did he say to you

the Mashiah?

He said to him:

The Mashiah said to me:

Peace be upon you, son of Levi.

He said to him:

If this is what he said to you,

I guarantee you and your father the World to Come

[he guaranteed you and your father that you would come to the World to Come]. For if you were not completely righteous, he would not have given you peace, and he would not have mentioned your father’s name.

He said to him: He is lying to me

[the Mashiah lied to me]

! For

indeed

he said to me: Today I am coming

[I will come today],

and

in the end

he did not come

[he did not come]!

He said to him: This is what he said to you

[this is what he intended to say to you]:

“Today

if you will hearken to His voice

[of the Holy One, blessed is He]

” .

His disciples asked Rabbi Yosei ben Kisma

When will the son of David come?

He said: I am afraid lest you ask me for a sign

and a wonder that he will indeed come at the time that I tell you.

They said to him: We are not asking you for a sign.

He said to them: When this gate falls

[the gate of the city of Rome ]—

and is rebuilt, and falls

again—

and is rebuilt, and falls

again,

and they do not have enough time to rebuild it

a third time—

until the son of David comes.

They said to him: Our rabbi, give us

now

a sign,

that this is indeed so!

He said to them: Did you not say this to me, that you are not asking me for a sign?!

They said to him:

Indeed, this is what we said.

And nevertheless,

give us a sign!

He said to them: If so,

so that it will be according to my words—

let the

now

waters of the Pamias Cave turn into blood!

And

so it was, that

the

waters of the Pamias Cave

turned into blood.

At the time of his death

of Rabbi Yosei ben Kisma,

he said to them

to his disciples:

Make my coffin deep

[bury my burial coffin deep in the earth].