משנה: מִשֶּׁמֵּת רַבָּן יוֹחָנָן בֶּן זַכַּיי בָּטַל זִיו הַחָכְמָה. מִשֶּׁמֵּת רַבָּן גַּמְלִיאֵל הַזָּקֵן בָּטַל כְּבוֹד הַתּוֹרָה וּמֵתָה טַהֲרָה וּפְרִישׁוּת. מִשֶּׁמֵּת יִשְׁמָעֵאל בֶּן פִּיָּאבִּי בָּטַל זִיו הַכְּהוּנָּה. מִשֶּׁמֵּת רִבִּי בָּֽטְלָה עֲנָוָה וְיִרְאַת חֵטְא. מִשֶּׁמֵּת רִבִּי מֵאִיר בָּֽטְלוּ מוֹשְׁלֵי מְשָׁלִים. מִשֶּׁמֵּת רִבִּי עֲקִיבָה בָּֽטְלוּ הַדַּרְשָׁנִים. מִשֶּׁמֵּת בֶּן עַזַּאי בָּֽטְלוּ הַשַּׁקְדָּנִים. מִשֶּׁמֵּת בֶּן זוֹמָא בָּֽטְלוּ הַתַּלְמִידִים. מִשֶּׁמֵּת רִבִּי יְהוֹשֻׁעַ פָּֽסְקָה טוֹבָה מִן הָעוֹלָם. מִשֶּׁמֵּת רִבִּי אֶלְעָזָר בֶּן עֲזַרְיָה פָּסַק הָעוֹשֶׁר מִן הַחֲכָמִים. מִשֶּׁמֵּת רַבָּן גַּמְלִיאֵל בָּא גוֹבַיי וְרַבּוּ צָרוֹת. מִשֶּׁמֵּת רִבִּי חֲנִינָה בֶן דוֹסָא וְרִבִּי יוֹסֵי קִיטְוֹנְתָא פָּֽסְקָה הַחֲסִידוּת וְלָמָּא נִקְרָא שְׁמוֹ יוֹסֵי בֶן קִיטְוֹנְתָא שֶׁהָיָה תַּמְצִיתָן שֶׁלַּחֲסִידִים. רִבִּי פִינְחָס בֶּן יָאִיר אוֹמֵר מִשֶּׁחָרַב בֵּית הַמִּקְדָּשׁ בּוֹשׁוּ חֲבֵרִים וּבְנֵי חוֹרִין וְחָפוּ רֹאשָׁם וְנִדַּלְדְּלוּ אַנְשֵׁי מַעֲשֶׂה וְגָֽבְרוּ בַּעֲלֵי זְרוֹעַ וּבַעֲלֵי לָשׁוֹן וְאֵין דּוֹרֵשׁ וְאֵין מְבַקֵּשׁ וְאֵין שׁוֹאֵל. עַל מִי לָנוּ לְהִשָּׁעֵן עַל אָבִינוּ שֶׁבַּשָּׁמַיִם. רִבִּי אֱלִיעֶזֶר הַגָּדוֹל אוֹמֵר מִיּוֹם שֶׁחָרַב בֵּית הַמִּקְדָּשׁ שְׁרוֹ חֲכִימַיָּא לְמֶהְוֵי כְסָֽפְרַיָּא וְסָֽפְרַיָּא כְּחַזָּנָא וְחַזָּנָא כְּעַמָּא דְאַרְעָא וְעַמָּא דְאַרְעָא אָֽזְלָה וְדִּלְדְּלָה וְאֵין שׁוֹאֵל וְאֵין מְבַקֵּשׁ. עַל מִי יֵשׁ לְהִשָּׁעֵן עַל אָבִינוּ שֶׁבַּשָּׁמַיִם. בְּעִקְבוֹת מְשִׁיחָא חוּצְפָּא יִסְגֵּא וְיוֹקֶר יַאֲמִיר הַגֶּפֶן תִּתֵּן פִּרְייָהּ וְהַיַּיִן בְּיוֹקֶר וְהַמַּלְכוּת תֵּהָפֵךְ לְמִינוּת וְאֵין תּוֹכַחַת בֵּית װַעַד יִהְיֶה לִזְנוּת וְהַגָּלִיל יֵחָרֵב וְהַגַּבְלָן יִישׁוֹם וְאַנְשֵׁי הַגְּבוּל יְסוֹבְבוּ מֵעִיר לְעִיר וְלֹא יְחוֹנָנוּ וְחָכְמַת סוֹפְרִים תִּסְרַח וְיִרְאֵי חֵטְא יִמָּאֵסוּ וְהָאֱמֵת תְּהֵא נֶעֱדֶרֶת נְעָרִים פְּנֵי זְקֵנִים יַלְבִּינוּ זְקֵנִים יַעַמְדּוּ מִפְּנֵי קְטַנִּים בֵּן מְנַװֵל אָב בַּת קָמָה בְאִמָּהּ כַּלָּה בַחֲמוֹתָהּ אוֹיְבֵי אִישׁ אַנְשֵׁי בֵיתוֹ. פְּנֵי הַדּוֹר כִּפְנֵי הַכֶּלֶב הַבֵּן אֵינוֹ מִתְבַּייֵשׁ מֵאָבִיו. וְעַל מָה יֵשׁ לְהִשָּׁעֵן עַל אָבִינוּ שֶׁבַּשָּׁמַיִם. MISHNAH: 267The Mishnah in the Babli is quite different in this first paragraph; it is close to the baraita/Tosephta quoted in the Halakhah as alternative version. The mention of Rebbi and R. Phineas ben Yaïr characterizes the entire Mishnah as a late addition. When Rabban Joḥanan ben Zakkai died, the splendor of wisdom disappeared. When the elder Rabban Gamliel268Hillel’s grandson, whom the Apostle Paul claimed as his teacher. died, the honor of Torah disappeared, purity and self-discipline died. When Ismael ben Phiabi269The last High Priest of good character. died, the splendor of priesthood died. When Rebbi died, meekness and fear of sin died. When Rebbi Meїr died, the inventors of parables disappeared. When Rebbi Aqiba died, the preachers270It may be that “interpreters of biblical verses” is meant. R. Aqiba is the last authority who systematically derived laws directly from an interpretation of verses. disappeared. When Ben Azai died, the perseverers271Who study day and night. disappeared. When Ben Zoma died, the students272It is difficult to know what this means. In the Babli, “the preachers disappeared”. Ben Zoma is known for his gnostic studies. disappeared. When Rebbi Joshua died, good disappeared from the world273Had he lived, he probably could have averted the uprising of Bar Kochba. When Rebbi Eleazar ben Azariah died, wealth disappeared from the Sages. When Rabban Gamliel died274In many independent Mishnah mss. (and the following Tosephta) “Rabban Simeon ben Gamliel”; missing in the Babli. The Yerushalmi reading is preferable since Rabban Gamliel died just before the Bar Kochba revolt but his son died at the beginning of the Severan dynasty which was a good time for the Jewish population of Palestine., locusts came and troubles increased. When Rebbi Ḥanina ben Dosa and Yose the small275קיטונתה is usually derived from Greek κοιτών “bedroom”, Syriac קיטונא “room”. In Babli and independent Mishnah he is called קטונתא “the little one”, because, according to some mss., he was the most insignificant of the pious. It is more than likely that the Yerushalmi קיטונתה is identical with קטונתא except for the addition of a stray י. This is accepted in the translation. Other Babli mss. and early medieval authors also call him “the concentrate of piety”. died, piety disappeared. Why was he called Yose of the small room? For he was the concentrate of pious men. Rebbi Phineas ben Yaїr says, after the Temple was destroyed, fellows and freeborn were ashamed and covered their heads, people of [good] deeds shrivelled, strong-armed people and informers became dominant, nobody explains, nobody desires and nobody asks. On whom can we rely? On our Father in Heaven. The great Rebbi Eliezer276R. Eliezer ben Hyrkanos. says, from the day the Temple was destroyed, the Sages were diminished to be like scribes, the scribes like community servants, the community servants like common people; the common people go and degenerate, nobody desires and nobody asks. On whom can we rely? On our Father in Heaven.
On the heels of the Messiah impertinence will grow, inflation will lead, the vine will give its fruit but the wine will be expensive, the government will turn heretic277This Mishnah expected the Messiah to appear when the Roman state turned Christian., nobody rebukes, the assembly hall will be a brothel, Galilee will be destroyed and Gaulanitis278Which was densely settled by Jews in talmudic times, cf. Sheviit 6:1" href="/Jerusalem_Talmud_Sheviit.6.1">Ševi‘it 6:1, Notes 31–51. become deserted, frontier dwellers will move from city to city and nobody will have mercy on them, the wisdom of scholars will be defective, those who fear sin will be despised, truth will be absent, young men will insult Elders, Elders will stand before the young, “a son will abuse his father, a daughter rebel against her mother and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law, the enemies of a person are his family”279Micah.7.6">Micah 7:6., the generation is dog-faced, a son is not ashamed before his father. What do we have to rely on? Our Father in Heaven.
הלכה: מִשֶּׁמֵּת רִבִּי אֱלִיעֶזֶר נִגְנַז סֵפֶר הַחָכְמָה. מִשֶּׁמֵּת רִבִּי יְהוֹשֻׁעַ פָּֽסְקוּ עֵצוֹת טוֹבוֹת וּמַחֲשָׁבוֹת טוֹבוֹת מִיִּשְׂרָאֵל. מִשֶּׁמֵּת רִבִּי עֲקִיבָה פָּֽסְקוּ מַעְייָנוֹת חָכְמָה. מִשֶּׁמֵּת רִבִּי אֶלְעָזָר בֶּן עֲזַרְיָה פָּסַק הָעוֹשֶׁר מִן הַחֲכָמִים. מִשֶּׁמֵּת רִבִּי יוֹסֵי פָּֽסְקָה הַבִינָה. מִשֶּׁמֵּת בֶּן עַזַּאי פָּֽסְקוּ הַשַּׁקְדָּנִים. מִשֶּׁמֵּת בֶּן זוֹמָא פָּֽסְקוּ הַדַּרְשָׁנִין. מִשֶּׁמֵּת רִבִּי חֲנִינָה בֶן דוֹסָא פָּֽסְקוּ אַנְשֵׁי הַמַּעֲשֶׂה. מִשֶּׁמֵּת רִבִּי יוֹסֵי חֲסִידָא וְרִבִּי יוֹסֵי קָטוֹנְתָא פָּֽסְקוּ אַנְשֵׁי חֲסִידוּת. וְלָמָּה נִקְרָא קִיטְוֹנְתָא שֶׁהָיָה תַּמְצִיתָן שֶׁלַּצַּדִּיקִים וְשֶׁלַּחֲסִידִים. מִשֶּׁמֵּת רַבָּן שִׁמְעוֹן בֶּן גַּמְלִיאֵל בָּא גוֹבַיי וְרַבּוּ הַצָּרוֹת. מִשֶּׁמֵּת רִבִּי הוּכְפְּלוּ הַצָּרוֹת. HALAKHAH: 280A similar version in Tosephta 15:3–5; Sotah.49b">Babli 49b.“When Rebbi Eliezer died, the book of wisdom was hidden281In Tosephta and Babli: The Torah scroll was hidden.. When Rebbi Joshua died, good counsel and good deeds disappeared from Israel. When Rebbi Aqiba died, the souces of wisdom disappeared. When Rebbi Eleazar ben Azariah died, wealth disappered from the Sages. When Rebbi Yose died, insight disappeared. When Ben Azai died, the perseverers disappeared. When Ben Zoma died, the preachers disappeared. When Rebbi Joshua died, good disappeared from the world. When Rebbi Ḥanina ben Dosa died, the workers [of wonders] disappeared. When Rebbi Yose the pious and Rebbi282In the Tosephta sources, in the Babylonian bardita, and in a few Mishnah mss., he is called Abba Yose, placing him before the destruction of the Temple. In Baba qama 3:7 (3d, 1. 37) he is called Yose the Babylonian or Yose ben Jehudah, without title. Yose the minor died, pious men disappeared. Why is he called minor? For he was the concentrate of the just and the pious. When Rabban Simeon ben Gamliel died, locusts came and troubles increased. When Rebbi died, troubles were doubled.”
רִבִּי יַעֲקֹב בַּר אִידִי בְשֵׁם רִבִּי יְהוֹשֻׁעַ בֶּן לֵוִי. רַבָּן יוֹחָנָן בֶּן זַכַּאי מִי דְמִיךְ פְּקִיד וַאֲמַר. פַּנּוּ חָצֵר מִפְּנֵי הַטּוּמְאָה וְהַתְקִינוּ כִסֵּא לְחִזְקִיָּה מֶלֶךְ יְהוּדָה. רִבִּי לִיעֶזֶר תַּלְמִידֵיהּ מִי דְמִיךְ פְּקִיד וַאֲמַר. פַּנּוּ חָצֵר מִפְּנֵי הַטּוּמְאָה וְהַתְקִינוּ כִסֵּא לְרַבָּן יוֹחָנָן בֶּן זַכַּאי. וְאִית דְּאָֽמְרִין. מָן דְּחָמָא רַבֵּיהּ חָמָא. חַד מִן אִילֵּין דְּבֵית פָּזִי הֲווֹן בָּעֵי מְחַתַּנְתֵּיהּ לִנִיסְיוּתֵיהּ וְלָא הֲוָה מְקַבֵּל. אֲמַר. דְּלָא יְהַוּוֹן בָּהַתּוֹן. מִי דְמִךְ פְּקִיד וַאֲמַר. פַּנּוּ חָצֵר מִפְּנֵי הַטּוּמְאָה וְהַתְקִינוּ כִסֵּא לִיהוֹשָׁפָט מֶלֶךְ יְהוּדָה. אָֽמרוּ. יָבוֹא זֶה שֶׁרָץ אַחַר הַכָּבוֹד אַחַר זֶה שֶׁבָּרַח מִן הַכָּבוֹד. 283The entire paragraph is in Avodah zarah 3:1 (42c, 1. 42). The first sentence is also in the Berakhot.28b">Babli, Berakhot28b. Rebbi Jacob bar Idi in the name of Rebbi Joshua ben Levi: When Rabban Joḥanan ben Zakkai died, he commanded and said, clear the courtyard because of the impurity and prepare a chair for Hezekiah, the king of Judah. When his student Rebbi Eliezer died, he commanded and said, clear the courtyard because of the impurity and prepare a chair for Rabban Joḥanan ben Zakkai. But some say, what his teacher saw, he saw. They proposed marriage into the family of the Patriarch to one of the family Pazi, but he did not accept and said that they should not be ashamed. When he was dying, he commanded and said, clear the courtyard because of the impurity and prepare a chair for Josaphat, the king of Judah. They said, the one who ran after honor284While all other Davidic kings married local women, he married a princess from the House of Omri. should come for him who fled before honor.
רִבִּי יַעֲקֹב בַּר אִידִי בְשֵׁם רִבִּי יְהוֹשֻׁעַ בֶּן לֵוִי. מַעֲשֶׂה שֶׁנִּכְנְסוּ זְקֵינִים לַעֲלִייַת בֵּית גַּדְיָא בִירִיחוֹ. וְיָצָאת בַּת קוֹל וְאָֽמְרָה לָהֶן. יֵשׁ בֵּינֵיכֶם שְׁנַיִם רְאוּיִין לְרוּחַ הַקּוֹדֶשׁ וְהִלֵּל הַזָּקֵן אֶחָד מֵהֶן. וְנָֽתְנוּ עֵינֵיהֶן בִּשְׁמוּאֵל הַקָּטָן. וְשׁוּב נִכְנְסוּ זְקֵינִים לָעֲלִייָה בְיַבְנֶה וְיָצָאת בַּת קוֹל וְאָֽמְרָה לָהֶן. יֵשׁ בֵּינֵיכֶם שְׁנַיִם רְאוּיִין לְרוּחַ הַקּוֹדֶשׁ וּשְׁמוּאֵל הַקָּטָן אֶחָד מֵהֶן. וְנָֽתְנוּ עֵינֵיהֶן בְּרִבִּי אֱלִיעֶזֶר בֶּן הוּרקָנוֹס. וְהָיוּ שְׂמֵיחִין שֶׁהִסְכִּימָה דַּעְתָּן לְדַעַת הַמָּקוֹם. 285Cf. Notes 209 ff. Rebbi Jacob bar Idi in the name of Rebbi Joshua ben Levi: It happened that Elders came together in the upper floor of the house Gadia in Jericho, when a disembodied voice came and said to them: There are among you two who would be worthy that the Holy Spirit should rest on them, and one of them is Hillel the Elder. They all looked at Samuel Minor. Again it happened that Elders came together in a second floor at Jabne, when a disembodied voice came and said to them: There are among you two who would be worthy that the Holy Spirit should rest on them, and one of them is Samuel Minor. They all looked at Rebbi Eliezer ben Hyrkanos and were happy that their opinion286About Samuel Minor. coincided with that of the Omnipresent.