Shabbat 139a — the Talmud in English

Rather, how do I fulfill, “They will roam about to seek the word of the Lord, but they will not find it”? They will not find ![](pamud.bmp "

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a clear halakha

without even a dispute

in one place

in the world.

It was taught: Rabbi Yosei ben Elisha says: If you saw a generation upon which many troubles are coming, go out and examine the judges of Israel

perhaps they are not judging a just judgment,

for every calamity that comes upon the world—

comes only on account of the judges of Israel.

As it is stated: “Hear now this, heads of the house of Jacob and rulers of the house of Israel, who abhor justice, and

pervert all that is straight. Who build Zion with blood and Jerusalem with iniquity. Her heads judge for a bribe, her koanim instruct for a price, and her prophets divine for money, while they lean upon the Lord.” (

Micah 3:9–11).

And the tanna explains:

They are wicked—

the judges, the koanim, and the prophets—

except that they placed their trust in Him who spoke and the world came into being.

And the prophet did not intend to say that the sinners’ trust in the Lord is an additional sin besides their sin, but that trust in the Lord will not save them.

It follows that the prophet cried out concerning three transgressions that they commit in order to receive money, and with this money they build their houses in Jerusalem; and these are:

a. False judgments.

b. False instructions.

c. False prophecies.

Therefore, the Holy One, blessed be He, brings upon them

three calamities,

corresponding to the three transgressions in their hands.

As it is stated

there concerning the punishment:

“Therefore, because of you:

a.

Zion shall be plowed as a field.

b.

And Jerusalem shall become heaps.

c.

And the Temple Mount as the high places of a forest” (

Micah 3:12).

And the Holy One, blessed be He, does not cause His Divine Presence to rest upon Israel until evil judges and officers are eliminated from Israel.

As it is stated: “And I will turn My hand against you, and I will purge away your dross as with lye, and I will remove all your alloy. And I will restore your judges as at first and your counselors as at the beginning,

afterward you shall be called “City of Righteousness, Faithful City” (Isaiah 1:25–26).

The prophet said that after the Holy One, blessed be He, removes the evil judges who are called “alloy,” because they are set apart as heads of the people, and restores righteous judges to Jerusalem, then He will cause His Divine Presence to rest in Jerusalem.

Ulla said: Jerusalem will be redeemed

only through charity.

As it is stated: “Zion shall be redeemed through justice, and those who return to her through charity” (

Isaiah 1:27).

Rav Pappa said: If the [

if there will no longer be] Jews

arrogant

who pride themselves in their garments and their sidelocks—

the

[they too will be eliminated]

magi

[the sectarians who incite and lead us astray ] will also be eliminated.

If the judges

the wicked judges of Israel

are eliminated, the gzirפטi [

the officers of the gentiles who strike Israel with sticks] will be eliminated.

And Rav Pappa explains from where we know this:

If the arrogant are eliminated—

the magi are eliminated,

we learn this from the prophecy of Isaiah,

as it is written: “And I will purge away your dross

and I will remove all your alloy” (Isaiah 1:25). “Your dross” is expounded in the sense of increasing and growing, and “your alloy” is expounded in the sense of separating.

The prophet said that when there will be none who grow great and act arrogantly, there will be no inciters who separate Israel from their Father in Heaven.

If the judges are eliminated—

the gzirפטi are eliminated,

we learn this from the prophecy of Zephaniah,

as it is written: “The Lord has removed your judgments, He has cleared away your enemy” (

Zephaniah 3:15).

The prophet said that after the Lord removes the judges who accept bribes, the enemies of Israel will turn away and depart.

Rabbi Malai said in the name of Rabbi Elazar son of Rabbi Shimon: What is the meaning of that which is written: “The Lord has broken the staff of the wicked, the rod of the rulers” (

Isaiah 14:5)?

“The Lord has broken the staff of the wicked”—

these are

those

judges who became a staff for their attendants,

the judges who strengthen the court’s attendants, who do not summon the defendants to judgment and do not enforce the judgment until they pay them a great fee.

“The rod of the rulers”—

these are the Torah scholars among the families of the judges,

who justify the judges’ distorted judgments, and by shielding them give validity and strength to their deeds.

Mar Zutra said: These are Torah scholars

who teach the laws of the community to an ignorant judge.

They appoint ignorant judges on the assumption that they will consult with them, but these judges issue rulings themselves, many times without consulting them.

Rabbi Eliezer ben Malai said in the name of Reish Lakish: What is the meaning of that which is written: “For your hands are defiled with blood, and your fingers with iniquity; your lips have spoken falsehood, your tongue utters perverseness” (

Isaiah 59:3)?

“For your hands are defiled with blood”—

these are the judges

who take bribes with their hands, and by robbing the one judged are as though they take his life.

“And your fingers with iniquity”—

these are the scribes of the judges

who deceive in writing documents that are not correct.

“Your lips have spoken falsehood”—

these are the advocates of the judges,

who teach the litigants to make false claims.

“Your tongue utters perverseness”—

these are the litigants

who lie.

And Rabbi Malai said in the name of Rabbi Yitzhak of Migdal: From the day Joseph separated from his brothers

until the day on which he dined with them,

he did not taste the taste of wine, as it is written: “May they be on the head of Joseph

and on the crown of the one set apart among his brothers” (

Genesis 49:26). Jacob our father called Joseph one set apart because he did not drink wine.

Genesis 49:26). Jacob our father called Joseph one separated from his brothers because he did not drink wine.

Rabbi Yosei son of Rabbi Hanina said: They too did not taste the taste of wine. As it is written: “And they drank and became drunk with him” (

Genesis 43:34),

by implication, until that time they had not

drunk wine like him.

But the other

holds: Only

drunkenness did not exist

among the brothers, but

drinking

of wine

did exist, at least.

And Rabbi Malai said: In the merit

that Aaron did not become jealous of Moses when the Lord sent him to take Israel out of Egypt, despite the fact that he was older than Moses and had merited a revelation of the Divine Presence before him; rather, he rejoiced in his heart, as it is written:

“And when he sees you, he shall rejoice in his heart” (

Exodus 4:14),

he merited

Aaron

the breastplate of judgment upon his heart.

The sons of Beshkar [

the name of a place]

sent to Levi

three questions:

a.

A canopy—

what is

to spread it on Shabbat?

b.

Dodder [

a plant that grows out of the thornbush ] and they wish to sow it

in a vineyard—

what is the law?

Is it a tree, and there is no prohibition of mixed species of a vineyard, or is it a vegetable and it is forbidden to sow it in a vineyard? c.

One who dies on a Festival—

what is

to bury him?

As he was going—

Levi died. [

when the messenger went, Levi died].

Shmuel said to Rav Menashya: If you are wise—

send them

a response to their questions.

He sent them

three answers to their three questions:

a.

A canopy—

We went over all the aspects of a canopy, and we did not find a permitted aspect for it.

And we raised a difficulty concerning it:

And let him send them

that if the canopy has a cord or a string, it is permitted,

in accordance with [the ruling of] Rami bar Yehezkel?

And we answer: It was preferable to conceal this permission from them,

because they are not people learned in Torah,

and they would come to permit every canopy.

b.

Dodder in a vineyard—

mixture [

of mixed species].

And we raised a difficulty concerning it: Why did he prohibit it for them,

and let him send them [the ruling] in accordance with Rabbi Tarfon,

who permitted it ?

For it was taught in a beraita: As for dodder, Rabbi Tarfon says: There is no

prohibition in sowing it between the vines on account of

mixed species in a vineyard,

because it is a species of tree.

And the Sages say: It is mixed species in a vineyard

because it is a species of vegetable.

And we hold: Anyone who is lenient

with regard to mitzvot dependent

on the Land—

the halakha follows him outside the Land

with regard to mitzvot dependent on the Land that the Sages ordained should apply outside the Land.

And we answer:

Because they are not people learned in Torah.

Rav announced: Whoever wishes [

one who wishes]

to sow dodder in a vineyard—

let him sow it,

because the halakha follows Rabbi Tarfon outside the Land.

And in opposition to him,

Rav Amram the pious would flog him [

he would flog one who sowed dodder in a vineyard].

Rav Mesharsheya

thought it was permitted, but nevertheless did not sow it himself, so that people would not learn to be lenient regarding the prohibition of mixed species of a vineyard ;

rather, he gave a coin to a gentile child, and he sowed it

dodder in a vineyard.

And we raised a difficulty concerning it:

And let him give it

a coin

to a Jewish child

and let him sow it for him, since it is permitted to sow dodder in a vineyard, and by giving a child the task of sowing it, it will be evident that the prohibition of mixed species of a vineyard applies outside the Land?

And we answer: There is concern that

the

child

will become habituated

when he grows up and sows mixed species of a vineyard.

And further we raised a difficulty concerning it:

And let him give it to an adult gentile

to sow it, since according to the law it is permitted to sow dodder in a vineyard?

And we answer:

He may come to exchange him with a Jew.

c.

One who dies

on a Festival.

He sent them: One who dies—

neither Jews nor Arameans shall attend to him

for his burial,

neither on the first Festival day nor on the second Festival day

of the Diaspora.

And we challenge this:

Is that so? [

Is it truly the case that we have found no permission in this matter?!]