Shabbat 30a (ל.) — the Talmud in English

Gemara:

And we infer:

from the fact that the latter clause

of our Mishna states: “If he extinguishes it because he is concerned for the lamp,”

he is liable, conclude from it:

the Mishna is the opinion of

Rabbi Yehuda,

who says that one who performs a labor not needed for its own purpose is liable for it. For the extinguishing mentioned in the latter clause is not done for the purpose of the object itself, to repair the wick, but rather to prevent the lamp from bursting.

And if so, this is difficult:

the first clause

of the Mishna, which states: “One who extinguishes the lamp because of a sick person” —

with what case are we dealing?

If

it is speaking

of

extinguishing it for the sake of

a dangerously ill person —

why does it teach “exempt”? For “exempt” means that he is exempt from the liability of stoning if he acted intentionally and from the liability to bring an offering if he acted unwittingly, but it is nevertheless prohibited by rabbinic decree, as Shmuel said above: “In all cases in which one is exempt on Shabbat, he is exempt but it is prohibited.” Yet

“permitted”

it should have taught, since it is a case of saving a life!?

—

And if

the Mishna is speaking

of a person who is not dangerously ill —

why does it teach “exempt,” whose meaning is only that it is prohibited by rabbinic decree? For according to Rabbi Yehuda,

“he is liable to bring a sin-offering” it should have taught,

since Rabbi Yehuda holds one liable for a labor not needed for its own purpose!

And we explain:

Actually,

the Mishna is speaking

of a dangerously ill person [and likewise, the other cases listed in the first clause, “because of gentiles or an evil spirit,” are speaking of concern for danger].

[and likewise, the other cases listed in the first clause, “because of gentiles or an evil spirit,” are also cases involving concern for danger].

And

since it is a matter of saving a life,

it would be proper that

it should have

taught “permitted”,

which implies that it is permitted ab initio.

And

the reason that the Mishna used the expression “exempt”:

since it needed to teach

in the

latter clause,

in the case of one who extinguishes the lamp because he is concerned for the oil,

“liable” —

it also taught “exempt” in the first clause [because it is the contrasting expression to the word “liable.” In fact, in the case of a dangerously ill person, it is permitted ab initio].

And we raise an objection:

but didn’t Rabbi Oshaya teach:

“One who extinguishes the lamp,

if it is for the sake of a sick person to sleep,

he should not extinguish it, but if he extinguished it, he is exempt but it is prohibited”?

And it explicitly teaches that he is exempt but it is prohibited; whereas according to your explanation, it is permitted ab initio! And we explain:

that statement of

that

of Rabbi Oshaya

speaks of a person who is not dangerously ill, and nevertheless its prohibition is not from the Torah but only rabbinic, since this extinguishing is a labor not needed for its own purpose, as he is not thereby repairing the extinguished wick,

and

it

is according to

Rabbi Shimon,

who says that one is exempt by Torah law for a labor not needed for its own purpose.

This question was asked above [

before

Rabbi Tanḥum of Noy

the place ].

What is the ruling regarding extinguishing a burning lamp [

a lit lamp ]

before an ill person,

because of a sick person,

on

the day of

Shabbat?

And before he answered their question,

he began

with words of aggada,

and said:

You, Solomon,

the king —

where

is

your wisdom, where your understanding!?

Where have your wisdom and insight gone?

Is it not enough for you that your words contradict

the

words of David your father, but your words also contradict one another?

David your father said: [Psalms 115:17]

“The dead do not praise God,”

and this implies that the living are preferable to the dead.

implying that the living are preferable to the dead.

And

you

said: [Ecclesiastes 4:2]

“And I praised the dead who have already died.”

And its meaning implies that he praises the dead more.

This implies that you praise the dead more.

And

your words contradict one another, for

you returned and said: [Ecclesiastes 9:4]

“For a living dog

is better than a dead lion.”

That is, the living person’s status is greater than that of the dead. Thus, your words contradict what you said, “And I praised the dead who have already died.”

And Rabbi Tanḥum of Noy resolved it for them:

This is not difficult.

This statement of David, “The dead do not praise God,”

means as follows: A person should always engage in Torah and mitzvot before he dies,

because

once

a person

dies, he

ceases

to be

engaged in Torah and mitzvot .

And

there is no longer

any praise of him before the Holy One, blessed be He.

And this is what Rabbi Yoḥanan said:

who engaged during their lives in Torah and mitzvot, who have already died,” and they are deserving of more praise than the righteous who are living, because the righteous are greater in their death than in their lives, for Moses’ prayer, when he was alive, was not accepted, whereas the merit of the Patriarchs, who had already died, stood for Israel. Alternatively: It is the way of the world that a ruler

What

is the meaning of this

that is written [Psalms 88:6]

“Among the dead, free”?

Once a person dies,

he

becomes free of Torah and mitzvot.

becomes free from Torah and the mitzvot.

And

as for

what Solomon said: “And I praised the dead who have already died,”

this is its meaning:

When Israel sinned

with the sin of the Golden Calf

in the wilderness, Moses stood before the Holy One, blessed be He, and offered many prayers and supplications before Him.

As it is written in the passage of Ekev [Deuteronomy 9:18]: “And I fell down before the Lord as at the first, forty days and forty nights” [Maharsha],

but he was not answered

by Him.

And when he said [Exodus 32:13]

“Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, Your servants,”

he was immediately answered.

he was immediately answered.

And

if so, is it not true that

Solomon aptly said: “And I praised the dead

who engaged in Torah and mitzvot during their lifetimes,

who have already died,”

and they are more deserving of praise than the righteous who are alive?

For the righteous are greater in their death than in their lifetime, since Moses’s prayer was not accepted while he was alive, whereas the merit of the Patriarchs, who had already died, stood Israel in good stead.

Alternatively: It is the way of the world that a ruler,

who is

flesh and blood, when he

issues

a decree, it is uncertain whether people

will

fulfill it or not.

And even if you say that they fulfill it, they fulfill it during his lifetime,

but

after his death they do not fulfill it.

Whereas Moses our teacher issued many decrees and instituted many ordinances, and they remain in force forever and ever.

after his death they do not fulfill it.

And

if so, is it not true that

Solomon aptly said: “And I praised the dead

who have already died”?

[And these are some of the decrees and ordinances that Moses issued: a. He issued a decree concerning the Netinim. b. He instituted the wording of the blessing of sustenance when the manna descended. c. He instituted that the Torah be read and that matters pertaining to the day be expounded. See the commentary of Rav Nissim Gaon here].

Alternatively:

what is the meaning of that which is written,

“And I praised

the dead” —

in accordance with what Rav Yehuda said in the name of Rav, for Rav Yehuda said in the name of Rav: What

is the verse

that is written: [Psalms 86:17]

“Perform for me a sign for good, and let those who hate me see and be ashamed”?

David said before the Holy One, blessed be He: Forgive me for that sin

of Bathsheba.

The Holy One, blessed be He, said to him:

You are forgiven.

David said to Him:

Perform for me a sign during my lifetime,

so that my enemies—those who mock me—will see that You have forgiven me and will be ashamed.

You are forgiven.

The Holy One, blessed be He, said to him:

During your lifetime I will not make it known,

but

during the lifetime of your son Solomon I will make it known

that I have forgiven you.

And so it happened:

When Solomon built the Temple, he sought to bring the Ark into the Holy of Holies, but the doors

of the Holy of Holies

clung to one another

and he was unable to bring it in.

Solomon recited twenty-four expressions of joyous song [

expressions of song and prayer mentioned in Solomon’s prayer ],

but he was not answered.

Solomon began

and

said: [Psalms 24:7]

“Lift up your heads, O gates, and be lifted up, everlasting doors, that the King of glory may enter.”

They hurried,

quickly

after him, the gates,

to swallow him,

as they thought that he was saying “King of glory” about himself, and therefore they sought to swallow him.

They said

to him, the gates:

“Who is this King of glory?”

He said to them

Solomon:

“The Lord, mighty and powerful.”

Solomon returned

and

said: “Lift up your heads, O gates, and lift yourselves up, everlasting doors, that the King of glory may enter. Who is this King of glory? The Lord of Hosts, He is the King of glory forever,” but he was not answered,

and the gates did not open for him.

Once he said: [II Chronicles 6:42]

“O Lord God, do not turn away the face of Your anointed; remember the kindnesses of David Your servant,”

he was immediately answered

and the gates opened.

At that moment, the faces of all of David’s enemies [

the families of Saul and Shimei ]

were transformed like the bottom of a pot,

from the great shame.

And all the people and all Israel knew that the Holy One, blessed be He, had forgiven David

for that sin

of Bathsheba.

And did Solomon not aptly say: “And I praised the dead who have already died,”

since while David was alive it was not known that he had been forgiven, and only after he died was it known that he had been forgiven.

And this is what is written

there: [I Kings 8:66]

“On the eighth day he sent the people away, and they blessed the king and went to their tents, joyful and glad of heart for all the goodness that the Lord had done for David His servant and for Israel His people.”

And this is the meaning of the verse:

“And they went to their tents” —

for they found their wives in a state of ritual purity.

“Joyful” —

for they had enjoyed the radiance of the Divine Presence.

“And glad of heart” —

for each man’s wife had conceived and given birth

to a

male child.

“For all the goodness that the Lord had done for David His servant” —

for He had forgiven him for that sin.

“And for Israel His people” —

for He had forgiven them

for the

sin of

eating on

Yom Kippur. [

As it is stated in the Gemara, Moed Katan 9a: Rabbi Parnakh said in the name of Rabbi Yoḥanan: In the year that they inaugurated the Temple with a feast, Israel did not observe Yom Kippur, and they were worried, saying: Perhaps the enemies of Israel have become liable to destruction. A Divine Voice emerged and said to them: You are all destined for life in the World-to-Come. And there they derived by means of a kal va-chomer that eating is permitted on Yom Kippur ].

And as for what Solomon said: “For a living dog is better than a dead lion,”

what is its meaning?

And we explain:

In accordance with what Rav Yehuda said in the name of Rav, for Rav Yehuda said in the name of Rav: What

is the verse

that is written: [Psalms 39:5]

“Make known to me, O Lord, my end, and what is the measure of my days; let me know how transient I am.”

David said before the Holy One, blessed be He: Master of the Universe! Make known to me, O Lord, my end,

what events are destined to come upon me.

He said to him,

the Holy One, blessed be He:

It is a decree before Me that the end of a human being is not made known.

“And what is the measure of my days,”

how many are the days of my life?

He said to him:

It is a decree before Me that the measure of a person’s days is not made known.

“And let me know how transient I am” —

on which day will I cease and pass from the world?

He said to him,

the Holy One, blessed be He:

You will die on Shabbat.

David pleaded with Him:

“Let me die on the first day of the week,”

so that they would be able to attend to my burial and eulogize me .

how many are the days of my life?

He said to him:

It is a decree from before Me that the measure of a person’s days is not made known.

“And that I may know how transient I am”—

on which day will I cease and pass from the world?

He said to him

the Holy One, blessed be He:

You will die on Shabbat.

He said to him,

the Holy One, blessed be He:

The time has already arrived

for the kingdom of your son Solomon, and one kingdom does not encroach upon another even by a hairsbreadth. He pleaded with Him again: “Let me die on the eve of Shabbat,” before the time arrives for Solomon to reign. He said to him, the Holy One, blessed be He: [Psalms 84:11] “For one day in Your courtyards is better than a thousand” — one day during which you sit and engage in Torah is better for Me

than

the thousand burnt-offerings that your son Solomon is destined to offer before Me upon the altar

in Gibeon on a single day, as it is written: “A thousand burnt-offerings Solomon shall offer.”

reign of your son Solomon, and one reign does not encroach upon another even by a hairsbreadth.

He requested again:

“Let me die on the eve of Shabbat,”

before the time arrives for Solomon to reign.

The Holy One, blessed be He, said to him:

[Psalms 84:11]

“For one day in Your courtyards is better than a thousand”—

one day on which you sit and engage in Torah is better for Me

than

the thousand burnt-offerings that your son Solomon will one day sacrifice before Me on the altar

in Gibeon in a single day, as it is written: “A thousand burnt-offerings Solomon shall offer.”