Shabbat 149b — the Talmud in English

And according to the words of Hillel,

they transgress

also because of

the prohibition of

interest.

For Hillel prohibited borrowing a loaf [if they had not made it money], because he was concerned that perhaps the wheat would become more expensive. And if he repays him with a loaf, it turns out that he repays him more than the value of the loan. And it turns out that he comes to the prohibition of interest.

And since they are particular with one another, if the item that he took becomes more expensive, and he repays him according to its value at the time of repayment, he will transgress the prohibition of interest.

But when they are not particular with one another, even when they pay more than the value of the loan, the borrower waives this for the lender, and there is no interest here.

And even though if they made it money it is permitted, members of a group should not participate at all. Since they are accustomed to one another, they will take from one another every hour and will not remember to be exact and to make it money. [Tosafot, Bava Metzia 75].

And this is the reason for the Mishna, that one casts lots at the table specifically with the members of his household. For they are not particular with one another. But others, since they are particular with one another, are prohibited from dividing the portions by lot. For it is like taking by measure, weight, and number. For each one transfers a portion to his fellow, and in exchange for this he repays him with another portion.

And we challenge:

If so,

also with

his sons and the members of his household as well

let us be concerned about the prohibition of measure, number, and weight. And what is the difference between those who are particular with one another and those who are not particular? [For the prohibition of measure and weight exists even among people who are not particular with one another. And Samuel did not say “those who are particular” except concerning the matter that they should not participate in any manner, as explained by Tosafot].

And we answer: with

his sons and the members of his household, this is the reason

that we are not concerned about all these things,

as

said

Rav Yehuda said Rav.

For Rav Yehuda said Rav: It is permitted to lend

from his own [property]

to his sons and the members of his household

who are dependent upon his table

with interest,

in order to let them taste the taste of interest. Since everything is his own, and even what they repay belongs to him, there is no interest here. And he does this only so that they will know how difficult the payments of interest are.

Therefore, there is likewise no prohibition of measure, number, and weight on a Festival with regard to them. For this is not a loan and repayment. For everything is his own, and that which he is particular to divide equally between them is only so that they should not envy one another.

And we challenge:

If so,

it should be permitted to cast lots with the members of his household on Shabbat even over

a large portion against a small portion as well.

For below we explain the reason for the prohibition, that it is because of the prohibition of gambling. But according to what we are saying, that with the members of his household everything is permitted because everything is his own, let us say that regarding the prohibition of gambling also it does not exist with them, because he does this only to let them taste merely the taste of gambling. And why did the tanna of the Mishna prohibit this?

And we answer:

Indeed so,

it is permitted to cast lots with the members of his household, even for a large portion against a small one.

And

the Mishna

is incomplete, and this is what it teaches: A person may cast lots with his sons and the members of his household

on Shabbat

at the table, and even a large portion against a small portion

is permitted.

What is the reason? —

As Rav Yehuda said Rav,

for it is not a real lottery, since everything is his own. And there is here neither the borrowing of a Festival nor gambling.

And specifically

with his sons and the members of his household, he does not [cast lots]. But

with others he does not

cast lots on Shabbat.

And even if all the portions are equal.

What is the reason? —

As Rav Yehuda said Samuel,

for anyone who is particular with one another transgresses through the lottery the prohibition of measure, weight, and number.

And for

a large portion against a small portion, even on a weekday,

to cast lots

for others

who are not members of his household

is prohibited.

What is the reason? —

Because of

the prohibition of gambling with

dice.

For it is robbery. Since the loser does not conclusively resolve in his heart to truly transfer ownership to the winner, because it is an asmachta. And an asmachta does not acquire. For whatever he agreed to this at the outset was because he relied in his heart that he would win the large portion in the lottery. Therefore, he subjected himself to the lottery and risked losing and receiving a small portion. But if he had known from the outset that he would not win the large one, he would not have consented to this.

We learned in the Mishna:

Lots are cast

[lots]

for

the consecrated portions on a Festival. But not for the portions.

And we inquire about it:

What is the meaning of “but not for the portions”?

Rabbi Yaakov, son of the daughter of Yaakov, said:

This is what it means: On a Festival, lots are cast for portions of sacrificial meat of that Festival, because it is a mitzva to hurry in eating consecrated meat and to take a fine and large portion. [Commentary on the Mishna by Maimonides].

But they do not

cast lots

for the portions of

sacrifices of

ordinary days

from the previous day,

on a Festival.

For they could have cast lots on the previous day.

And we challenge: Since they are not sacrifices of the Festival,

it is obvious

that they do not override the prohibition of the Festival.

And we answer:

It might enter your mind, since

the priests are quarrelsome, as

it is written, “And your people are like those who quarrel with a priest”, [for Scripture compared the people of Israel to priests, who are quarrelsome], for this reason we should permit casting lots

even

for

portions of

sacrifices of

ordinary days

on a Festival

as well,

so that they should not quarrel over them.

It teaches us

that they do not cast lots.

And Rabbi Yaakov, son of the daughter of Yaakov, said: Anyone

who

has his fellow punished

by Heaven

through him is not brought into the precinct of the Holy One, blessed is He.

And we inquire about it:

From where do we know it?

If you say, because it is written

in the prophecy of Micaiah concerning Ahab, king of Israel: “I saw the Lord sitting on His throne, and all the host of heaven standing over Him on His right and on His left.

And the Lord said, Who will entice Ahab so that he will go up and fall at Ramoth-gilead, and this one said thus and that one said thus” — [for each one of the heavenly host proposed enticing Ahab in a different manner to wage war with the king of Aram at Ramoth-gilead].

each member of the heavenly host proposed a different way to entice Ahab to wage war with the king of Aram at Ramoth-gilead.

And the spirit went out and stood before the Lord, and said, I will entice him,

and the Lord said to him, How?

And he said, I will go out and be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets, and He said

[the Lord],

You will entice and you will prevail; go out and do so.”

And we say: What is this “spirit”?

And Rabbi Yohanan said: This is the spirit of Naboth.

For Ahab killed him and inherited his vineyard.

And what

is the meaning of what is

written, “Go out

and do so”? —

Rav said:

That the Lord said to the spirit of Naboth:

Go out from My precinct.

It follows that since Ahab was punished through Naboth, Naboth left the precinct of the Holy One, blessed is He.

And we reject this: It is not proven from there at all. For

perhaps there the reason is

that he was commanded to leave the precinct of the Holy One, blessed is He, because

he

proposed placing words of falsehood in the mouths of Ahab’s prophets. And

it is written, “One who speaks lies shall not be established

before My eyes.”

Rather, from here

we learn this teaching of Rabbi Yaakov. For it is written in the prophecy of Habakkuk concerning Nebuchadnezzar:

“You have been filled with disgrace instead of honor; drink also, and be uncircumcised,

the cup of the Lord’s right hand shall turn toward you, and disgrace upon your honor.” And it proceeds to interpret it.

“You have been filled with disgrace instead of honor” —

this is Nebuchadnezzar.

For he would give the kings wine and intoxicate them, and lie with them in male intercourse. And on the day that he wished to lie with Zedekiah, his foreskin stretched three hundred cubits, as brought nearby. And this is “you have been filled with disgrace.”

And the plain meaning of the verse is this: You enjoyed and were filled by this disgrace, more than you would have enjoyed the honor of victory in war.

“Drink also, and be uncircumcised” —

this is Zedekiah,

king of Judah. For it was likewise said to him that he should drink from the cup of retribution, and be uncircumcised through hardness of heart and confusion of mind.

It follows that since Nebuchadnezzar was punished through him [because he wished to lie with him], he too was punished. And this accords with Rabbi Yaakov.

And we reject this: Nothing at all can be proven from there.

First,

because

the entire verse is written concerning Nebuchadnezzar,

and it does not speak about Zedekiah. And this is what it means: Drink also from the cup of retribution, just as you made them disgraceful, and be uncircumcised [become uncircumcised, meaning that your foreskin will stretch] and be disgraced.

Furthermore,

it is not reasonable to establish the verse as referring to Zedekiah. For

Zedekiah was righteous, and

and

what could he have done to Nebuchadnezzar

who forced him into male intercourse?

And we likewise learn from Rav Yehuda that Zedekiah was righteous.

For Rav Yehuda said Rav: When that wicked man

[Nebuchadnezzar]

sought to do this to that righteous man

[to Zedekiah], his foreskin stretched three hundred cubits. And it went around the entire banquet [the place where all the kings were seated reclining before Nebuchadnezzar].

And we conclude:

Rather, from here

we derive this teaching of Rabbi Yaakov. For it is written:

“It is also not good to punish the righteous.”

And

there is no

meaning of

“not good” except “evil.”

From here, a righteous person through whom a man is punished is called “evil.”

And it is written, “For You are not a God who desires wickedness; evil shall not dwell with You. You are righteous, O Lord, and there shall not dwell in Your precinct

evil.”

From here, anyone whose fellow is punished through him, and who is therefore called “evil,” does not enter the precinct of the Holy One, blessed is He.

We learned in the Mishna: And lots are cast for the consecrated portions on a Festival.

And we inquire about it:

From what is it understood that this word “lots”

is an expression of a lottery

[lot]

?

And we answer: We learn it from this

which is written

concerning Nebuchadnezzar:

“How you have fallen from heaven, O morning star, son of the dawn; you have been cut down to the ground, O one who casts lots over nations.”

And Rabbah bar Rav Huna said:

That which is written, “O one who casts lots over nations,”

teaches that he was

Nebuchadnezzar

casting a lot over the nobles of the kingdom, to know which

of them would be

his partner in male intercourse

that day. Thus, “casting lots” is an expression of a lottery.

And

that which is

written

there,

“All the kings of the nations, all of them,

lay in glory, each in his house” —

Rabbi Yohanan said:

After Nebuchadnezzar died,

all the kings rested

from

male intercourse

to which they had been forced by him during the days of Nebuchadnezzar.

And Rabbi Yohanan said: All the days of that wicked man

[Nebuchadnezzar]

no laughter was found in the mouth of any creature. As it is stated

in the prophecy concerning after his death:

“The whole earth rests, is quiet; they break into song.”

By implication, until now there had been no song in the world.

And Rav Yitzhak said in the name of Rabbi Yohanan: It is prohibited to stand in the house of that wicked man. As it is stated

concerning his house:

“And goats will dance there.”

And if people come there, the harmful spirits will depart. And it will turn out that by this they nullify the decree of the Omnipresent.

And Rav Yehuda said Rav: When that wicked man sought to do this to that righteous man

[to lie with Zedekiah in male intercourse],

Nebuchadnezzar’s foreskin stretched three hundred cubits, and it went around the entire

banquet

[the place where all the kings were reclining before him]

in its entirety. As it is stated, “You have been filled with disgrace instead of honor; drink also, and be uncircumcised.”

And

“uncircumcised”

has the numerical value of three hundred.

And Rav Yehuda said Rav: When that wicked man descended to Gehenna, all those who descend to Gehenna trembled. They wondered and said: Perhaps he has come to rule over them, or to be among

Gehenna

as they are?

As it is stated

in that prophecy:

“You too have become weak as we; you have become like us.”

A heavenly voice went forth and said: “From whom have you become more pleasant? Descend and lie with the uncircumcised.”

For you thought that you would be more pleasant than the others. But this will not be so. Rather, descend and lie in the grave with the rest of the wicked, uncircumcised in heart.

It is written:

“How the oppressor has ceased, the exactor has ceased.”