What Else Could This Be?

(כב) בֶּן בַּג בַּג אוֹמֵר, הֲפֹךְ בָּהּ וַהֲפֹךְ בָּהּ, דְּכֹלָּא בָהּ. וּבָהּ תֶּחֱזֵי, וְסִיב וּבְלֵה בָהּ, וּמִנַּהּ לֹא תָזוּעַ, שֶׁאֵין לְךָ מִדָּה טוֹבָה הֵימֶנָּה:

Pirkei Avot 5:22

(22) Ben Bag Bag said: Turn it over, and [again] turn it over, for all is therein. And look into it; And become gray and old therein; And do not move away from it, for you have no better portion than it.

מדרש תנחומא, פקודי ג׳:ג׳

(ג) דָּבָר אַחֵר, כְּתִיב: ה' בְּחָכְמָה יָסַד אָרֶץ וְגוֹ' (משלי ג, יט) וְאוֹמֵר: וָאֲמַלֵּא אֹתוֹ רוּחַ אֱלֹהִים בְּחָכְמָה (שמות לא, ג). לְלַמֶּדְךָ, שֶׁהַמִּשְׁכָּן שָׁקוּל כְּנֶגֶד כָּל הָעוֹלָם, וּכְנֶגֶד יְצִירַת הָאָדָם שֶׁהוּא עוֹלָם קָטָן. כֵּיצַד, כְּשֶׁבָּרָא הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא אֶת עוֹלָמוֹ, כִּילוּד אִשָּׁה בְּרָאוֹ. מַה יְּלוּד אִשָּׁה מַתְחִיל מִטַּבּוּרָם וּמוֹתֵחַ לְכָאן וּלְכָאן לְאַרְבָּעָה צְדָדִין, כָּךְ הִתְחִיל הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא לִבְרֹאת אֶת עוֹלָמוֹ מֵאֶבֶן שְׁתִיָהּ תְּחִלָהּ, וּמִמֶּנָּה הֻשְׁתַּת הָעוֹלָם. וְלָמָּה נִקְרָא שְׁמָהּ אֶבֶן שְׁתִיָּה, מִפְּנֵי שֶׁמִּמֶּנָּה הִתְחִיל הָקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא לִבְרֹאת אֶת עוֹלָמוֹ. וּבָרָא בֵּית הַמִּקְדָּשׁ לְמַעְלָה, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: מָכוֹן לְשִׁבְתְּךָ פָּעַלְתָּ ה' (שמות טו, יז). אַל תִּקְרָא מָכוֹן אֶלָּא מְכֻוָּן. לְשִׁבְּתְּךָ, כְּנֶגֶד כִּסֵּא הַכָּבוֹד, כְּמוֹ שֶׁכָּתוּב לְעֵיל. וִיצִירַת הַוָּלָד כִּיצִירַת הָעוֹלָם, כְּנֶגֶד יְצִירַת הַוָּלָד בִּמְעֵי אִמּוֹ.

Midrash Tanchuma, Pekudei 3:3

(3) Another explanation of It hath been already (Eccles. 1:10). It is written: The Lord by wisdom founded the earth (Prov. 3:19) and also: I have filled him with the spirit of wisdom (Exod. 31:3). This teaches us that the Tabernacle was equal both to all the world and to a human embryo, which is a world in miniature.7Ginzberg, Legends of the Jews 5:75, n. 20. How is that so? When the Holy One, blessed be He, created His world, He did so just as a child is born to a woman. A child starts to grow at the navel and then develops in all directions, and the Holy One, blessed be He, began the creation of His world at the foundation stone, and built the world upon it. Why was it called a foundation stone? Because the Holy One, blessed be He, began the creation of His world upon it. Then He created the celestial Temple, as it is said: The place, O Lord, which Thou hast made to dwell in (Exod. 15:14). Do not read the word as makom (“foundation”), but as mekuvan (“exactly opposite”). Your dwelling place above is directly opposite Your dwelling place below. The formation of the embryo is like the formation of the world, for just as the embryo is formed in the womb of its mother, so too the world was formed at the foundation stone.

סוכה י״ד א

יוֹרְדִין לִידֵי טוּמְאָה בְּמַחְשָׁבָה, וְאֵין עוֹלִין מִטּוּמְאָתָן אֶלָּא בְּשִׁינּוּי מַעֲשֶׂה. מַעֲשֶׂה מוֹצִיא מִיַּד מַעֲשֶׂה וּמִיַּד מַחְשָׁבָה. מַחְשָׁבָה אֵינָהּ מוֹצִיאָה לֹא מִיַּד מַעֲשֶׂה וְלֹא מִיַּד מַחְשָׁבָה. וְכִי תֵּימָא הָנֵי מִילֵּי כֵּלִים דַּחֲשִׁיבִי, אֲבָל יָדוֹת, דִּלְצוֹרֶךְ אֲכִילָה נִינְהוּ — בְּמַחְשָׁבָה נַעֲשֶׂה וּבְמַחְשָׁבָה סָלְקָא. וְהָתְנַן: כָּל יְדוֹת הָאוֹכָלִין שֶׁבְּסָסָן בַּגּוֹרֶן — טְהוֹרוֹת (וְרַבִּי יוֹסֵי מְטַמֵּא). בִּשְׁלָמָא לְמַאן דְּאָמַר ״בְּסָסָן״ — הִתִּיר אִגּוּדָן, שַׁפִּיר. אֶלָּא לְמַאן דְּאָמַר מַאי ״בְּסָסָן״ — בְּסָסָן מַמָּשׁ, מַאי אִיכָּא לְמֵימַר? הָכָא נָמֵי, שֶׁבְּסָסָן מַמָּשׁ. אִי הָכִי, מַאי טַעְמַיְיהוּ דַּאֲחֵרִים? דַּאֲמוּר כְּרַבִּי יוֹסֵי. דִּתְנַן: רַבִּי יוֹסֵי מְטַמֵּא. הַאי מַאי?! בִּשְׁלָמָא הָתָם — טַעְמָא דְּרַבִּי יוֹסֵי חַזְיָא לְכִדְרַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן בֶּן לָקִישׁ. דְּאָמַר רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן בֶּן לָקִישׁ: הוֹאִיל וּרְאוּיוֹת לְהוֹפְכָן בְּעֶתֶר. אֶלָּא הָכָא לְמַאי חַזְיָא? חַזְיָא לְכִי סָתַר לְמִנְקַט לְהוּ בְּגִילַיְיהוּ. גּוּפָא, כָּל יְדוֹת הָאוֹכָלִין שֶׁבְּסָסָן בַּגּוֹרֶן — טְהוֹרוֹת, וְרַבִּי יוֹסֵי מְטַמֵּא. מַאי ״בְּסָסָן״? רַבִּי יוֹחָנָן אָמַר: בְּסָסָן מַמָּשׁ. רַבִּי (אֱלִיעֶזֶר) אוֹמֵר: הִתִּיר אַגְדָּן. בִּשְׁלָמָא לְרַבִּי (אֱלִיעֶזֶר), דְּאָמַר ״בְּסָסָן״ — הִתִּיר אַגְדָּן, הַיְינוּ דִּמְטַמֵּא רַבִּי יוֹסֵי. אֶלָּא לְרַבִּי יוֹחָנָן דְּאָמַר בְּסָסָן מַמָּשׁ, אַמַּאי מְטַמֵּא רַבִּי יוֹסֵי? אָמַר רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן בֶּן לָקִישׁ: הוֹאִיל וּרְאוּיוֹת לְהוֹפְכָן בְּעֶתֶר. אָמַר רַבִּי (אֱלִיעֶזֶר): לָמָּה נִמְשְׁלָה תְּפִלָּתָן שֶׁל צַדִּיקִים כְּעֶתֶר — לוֹמַר לָךְ: מָה עֶתֶר זֶה מְהַפֵּךְ אֶת הַתְּבוּאָה בַּגּוֹרֶן מִמָּקוֹם לְמָקוֹם, אַף תְּפִלָּתָן שֶׁל צַדִּיקִים מְהַפֶּכֶת דַּעְתּוֹ שֶׁל הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא מִמִּדַּת אַכְזָרִיּוּת לְמִדַּת רַחֲמָנוּת. מַתְנִי׳ מְסַכְּכִין בִּנְסָרִים, דִּבְרֵי רַבִּי יְהוּדָה, וְרַבִּי מֵאִיר אוֹסֵר. נָתַן עָלֶיהָ נֶסֶר שֶׁהוּא רָחָב אַרְבָּעָה טְפָחִים — כְּשֵׁרָה, וּבִלְבַד שֶׁלֹּא יִישַׁן תַּחְתָּיו. גְּמָ׳ אָמַר רַב: מַחְלוֹקֶת בִּנְסָרִין שֶׁיֵּשׁ בָּהֶן אַרְבָּעָה, דְּרַבִּי מֵאִיר אִית לֵיהּ גְּזֵרַת תִּקְרָה, וְרַבִּי יְהוּדָה לֵית לֵיהּ גְּזֵרַת תִּקְרָה. אֲבָל בִּנְסָרִין שֶׁאֵין בָּהֶן אַרְבָּעָה — דִּבְרֵי הַכֹּל כְּשֵׁרָה. וּשְׁמוּאֵל אָמַר: בְּשֶׁאֵין בָּהֶן אַרְבָּעָה מַחֲלוֹקֶת, אֲבָל יֵשׁ בָּהֶן אַרְבָּעָה — דִּבְרֵי הַכֹּל פְּסוּלָה. אֵין בָּהֶן אַרְבָּעָה, וַאֲפִילּוּ פָּחוֹת מִשְּׁלֹשָׁה, הָא קָנִים בְּעָלְמָא נִינְהוּ? אָמַר רַב פָּפָּא, הָכִי קָאָמַר: יֵשׁ בָּהֶן אַרְבָּעָה — דִּבְרֵי הַכֹּל פְּסוּלָה, פָּחוֹת מִשְּׁלֹשָׁה — דִּבְרֵי הַכֹּל כְּשֵׁרָה, מַאי טַעְמָא — קָנִים בְּעָלְמָא נִינְהוּ. כִּי פְּלִיגִי, מִשְּׁלֹשָׁה עַד אַרְבָּעָה. מָר סָבַר: כֵּיוָן דְּלֵיתַנְהוּ שִׁיעוּר מָקוֹם, לָא גָּזְרִינַן. וּמָר סָבַר: כֵּיוָן דְּנָפְקִי לְהוּ מִתּוֹרַת לָבוּד, גָּזְרִינַן. תְּנַן: נָתַן עָלֶיהָ נֶסֶר שֶׁהוּא רָחָב אַרְבָּעָה טְפָחִים — כְּשֵׁרָה, וּבִלְבַד שֶׁלֹּא יִישַׁן תַּחְתָּיו. בִּשְׁלָמָא לִשְׁמוּאֵל דְּאָמַר בְּשֶׁאֵין בָּהֶן אַרְבָּעָה מַחְלוֹקֶת, אֲבָל יֵשׁ בָּהֶן אַרְבָּעָה דִּבְרֵי הַכֹּל פְּסוּלָה, מִשּׁוּם הָכִי לָא יִישַׁן תַּחְתָּיו. אֶלָּא לְרַב דְּאָמַר בְּשֶׁיֵּשׁ בָּהֶן אַרְבָּעָה מַחְלוֹקֶת, אֲבָל אֵין בָּהֶן אַרְבָּעָה דִּבְרֵי הַכֹּל כְּשֵׁרָה, לְרַבִּי יְהוּדָה אַמַּאי לֹא יִישַׁן תַּחְתָּיו? מִי סָבְרַתְּ דִּבְרֵי הַכֹּל הִיא? סֵיפָא אֲתָאן לְרַבִּי מֵאִיר. תָּא שְׁמַע: שְׁנֵי סְדִינִין מִצְטָרְפִין.

Sukkah 14a

descend into their state of ritual impurity by means of thought? Although an unfinished vessel ordinarily cannot become ritually impure, if the craftsman decided to leave it in its unfinished state, it immediately assumes the legal status of a completed vessel and can become ritually impure. However, they ascend from their state of ritual impurity only by means of a change resulting from an action. Merely deciding to complete the unfinished vessel does not alter its status. It loses its status as a vessel only when he takes action to complete it. Action negates status created by action and status created by thought; however, thought negates neither status created by action nor status created by thought. Therefore, once the straw of the grain harvested for food is considered a handle and is susceptible to ritual impurity, its status cannot be negated by thought alone. And if you say: There is a distinction between the cases, as this principle applies only to vessels, which are significant, but with regard to handles that are not independently significant but are merely for the purpose of handling food, perhaps by means of thought they become handles and by means of thought they emerge from that status; but didn’t we learn in the mishna to the contrary? All handles of food that one besasan on the threshing floor are ritually pure, as through one’s actions he indicated that has no use for them and does not consider them significant. And Rabbi Yosei deems them capable of becoming ritually impure. The Gemara elaborates: Granted, according to the one who said that besasan means that one untied their binding, it works out well. Although no action was performed on the sheaves, nevertheless, since their only purpose is to facilitate binding the sheaves, he indicated by unbinding them that the handles no longer suit his needs. However, according to the one who said: What is the meaning of besasan? It means he actually trampled them, what can be said? According to that opinion, only an action can negate the status of the handles. What, then, is the rationale for the opinion of the Rabbis, who hold that thought alone can negate their status? The Gemara answers: Here too, the dispute between the Rabbis and Aḥerim with regard to using grain for roofing the sukka is in a case where one actually trampled them, and that is the reason that they are no longer susceptible to ritual impurity. The Gemara asks: If so, and a change was made to the grain itself, what is the rationale for the opinion of Aḥerim, who nevertheless prohibit their use as roofing? The Gemara answers: It is because Aḥerim state their opinion in accordance with the opinion of Rabbi Yosei, as we learned in the previously cited mishna: Rabbi Yosei deems them capable of becoming ritually impure even after trampling. The Gemara asks: What is the basis of this comparison between the cases? Granted, there, in the dispute concerning the ritual impurity of the grain on the threshing floor, the rationale for the opinion of Rabbi Yosei, i.e., that the handles remain susceptible to ritual impurity, is that they are suitable for use. This is in accordance with the statement of Rabbi Shimon ben Lakish, as Rabbi Shimon ben Lakish said: Even after the grain is trampled the straw suits his needs, since the straw is suited to facilitate turning over the grain with a pitchfork, as the straw prevents the grain from falling between the prongs of the pitchfork. However, here, where one needs the straw only for roofing the sukka, for what are the handles suited after they have been trampled? They serve no purpose in terms of handling the grain. The Gemara answers: They are suited when one dismantles the roofing, in order to hold the grain by the straw, so that it will scatter. Therefore, Aḥerim hold that the straw remains capable of contracting ritual impurity. Apropos the dispute between the Rabbis and Rabbi Yosei, the Gemara discusses the matter itself: All handles of food that one besasan on the threshing floor are ritually pure, and Rabbi Yosei deems them capable of becoming ritually impure. The Gemara asks: What is the meaning of besasan? Rabbi Yoḥanan said: It means that one actually trampled them under foot. Rabbi Elazar says: It means he untied their binding. The Gemara notes: Granted, according to Rabbi Elazar, who said that besasan means that he untied their binding, this is the reason that Rabbi Yosei deems the handles capable of contracting ritual impurity. However, according to Rabbi Yoḥanan, who said that besasan means that one actually trampled them, why does Rabbi Yosei deem the handles capable of contracting ritual impurity? Didn’t one thereby render them insignificant? Rabbi Shimon ben Lakish said: Even after the grain is trampled, the straw suits his needs, since the straw is suited to facilitate turning over the grain with a pitchfork. Apropos a pitchfork, the Gemara cites a related aggadic teaching: Rabbi Elazar said: Why are the prayers of the righteous likened to a pitchfork [eter]? It is written: “And Isaac entreated [vayetar] the Lord for his wife, because she was barren” (Genesis 25:21), to say to you: Just as this pitchfork overturns the grain on the threshing floor from place to place, so too, the prayers of the righteous overturn the mind of the Holy One, Blessed be He, from the attribute of cruelty to the attribute of mercy, and He accepts their prayers. MISHNA: One may roof the sukka with boards like those used in the ceiling of a house; this is the statement of Rabbi Yehuda. Rabbi Meir prohibits their use. If one placed a board that is four handbreadths wide atop the sukka, the sukka is fit. He fulfills his obligation, provided he does not sleep beneath the board. GEMARA: Rav said: The dispute is with regard to boards that have four handbreadths in their width, the standard size for boards used in house ceilings, as Rabbi Meir is of the opinion that the Sages issued the decree of the roof. In that case, the roofing of the sukka with boards that wide could be confused with a ceiling. If it were permitted to roof the sukka with a board that size, one might come to sleep beneath the ceiling of his own home during the Festival. And Rabbi Yehuda is not of the opinion that the Sages issued the decree of the roof. However, with regard to boards that do not have four handbreadths in their width, everyone agrees that the sukka is fit. And Shmuel said: The dispute is with regard to boards that do not have four handbreadths in their width; however, if they have four handbreadths in their width, everyone agrees that it is unfit. The Gemara asks: According to Shmuel, the dispute is with regard to boards that do not have four handbreadths in their width, and apparently the same would hold true even if their width were less than three handbreadths. In that case, aren’t they merely reeds; why would Rabbi Meir prohibit their use? Rav Pappa said that this is what Shmuel is saying: If they have four handbreadths in their width, everyone agrees that the sukka is unfit. If their width is less than three handbreadths, everyone agrees that the sukka is fit. What is the reason? It is because they are merely reeds. When they disagree in the mishna, their disagreement pertains to a case where the boards are from three to four handbreadths wide. In that case, one Sage, Rabbi Yehuda, holds that since they are not the measure of a significant place, we do not issue a decree prohibiting their use. And one Sage, Rabbi Meir, holds that since they have departed from the halakhic status of being joined [lavud], which applies only to gaps of less than three handbreadths, we issue a decree prohibiting their use as roofing. The Gemara cites proof with regard to the dispute between Rav and Shmuel. We learned in the mishna: If one placed a board that is four handbreadths wide atop the sukka, the sukka is fit. He fulfills his obligation, provided he does not sleep beneath the board. Granted, according to Shmuel, who said that the dispute is with regard to boards that do not have four handbreadths in their width, however, if they have four handbreadths in their width, everyone agrees that it is unfit roofing, it is due to that reason that one should not sleep beneath the board. However, according to Rav, who said that the dispute is with regard to boards that have four handbreadths in their width, however, if they do not have four handbreadths in their width, everyone agrees that it is fit, according to Rabbi Yehuda, why may one not sleep beneath it? The Gemara answers: Do you hold that this last halakha in the mishna, about not sleeping beneath the board, is a ruling with which everyone, including Rabbi Yehuda agrees? Rather, in the latter clause of the mishna we have come to the opinion of Rabbi Meir. He alone, not Rabbi Yehuda, holds that one may not sleep beneath the board. Therefore, no proof can be cited from the mishna. The Gemara cites an additional proof. Come and hear: Two sheets placed over the roofing of the sukka join together to constitute four handbreadths, the measure of unfit roofing that renders a sukka unfit.

יבמות ס״ד א

מְלַמֵּד שֶׁאֵין הַשְּׁכִינָה שׁוֹרָה עַל פָּחוֹת מִשְּׁנֵי אֲלָפִים וּשְׁנֵי רְבָבוֹת מִיִּשְׂרָאֵל. הֲרֵי שֶׁהָיוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל שְׁנֵי אֲלָפִים וּשְׁנֵי רְבָבוֹת חָסֵר אֶחָד, וְזֶה לֹא עָסַק בִּפְרִיָּה וּרְבִיָּה — לֹא נִמְצָא זֶה גּוֹרֵם לַשְּׁכִינָה שֶׁתִּסְתַּלֵּק מִיִּשְׂרָאֵל?! אַבָּא חָנָן אָמַר מִשּׁוּם רַבִּי אֱלִיעֶזֶר: חַיָּיב מִיתָה, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: ״וּבָנִים לֹא הָיוּ לָהֶם״, הָא הָיוּ לָהֶם בָּנִים — לֹא מֵתוּ. אֲחֵרִים אוֹמְרִים: גּוֹרֵם לַשְּׁכִינָה שֶׁתִּסְתַּלֵּק מִיִּשְׂרָאֵל, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: ״לִהְיוֹת לְךָ לֵאלֹהִים וּלְזַרְעֲךָ אַחֲרֶיךָ״, בִּזְמַן שֶׁזַּרְעֲךָ אַחֲרֶיךָ — שְׁכִינָה שׁוֹרָה, אֵין ״זַרְעֲךָ אַחֲרֶיךָ״ — עַל מִי שׁוֹרָה? עַל הָעֵצִים וְעַל הָאֲבָנִים?! מַתְנִי׳ נָשָׂא אִשָּׁה וְשָׁהָה עִמָּהּ עֶשֶׂר שָׁנִים וְלֹא יָלְדָה — אֵינוֹ רַשַּׁאי לְבַטֵּל. גֵּירְשָׁהּ — מוּתֶּרֶת לִינָּשֵׂא לְאַחֵר. וְרַשַּׁאי הַשֵּׁנִי לִשְׁהוֹת עִמָּהּ עֶשֶׂר שָׁנִים. וְאִם הִפִּילָה — מוֹנֶה מִשָּׁעָה שֶׁהִפִּילָה. גְּמָ׳ תָּנוּ רַבָּנַן: נָשָׂא אִשָּׁה וְשָׁהָה עִמָּהּ עֶשֶׂר שָׁנִים וְלֹא יָלְדָה — יוֹצִיא וְיִתֵּן כְּתוּבָה, שֶׁמָּא לֹא זָכָה לְהִבָּנוֹת מִמֶּנָּה. אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁאֵין רְאָיָה לַדָּבָר, זֵכֶר לַדָּבָר: ״מִקֵּץ עֶשֶׂר שָׁנִים לְשֶׁבֶת אַבְרָם בְּאֶרֶץ כְּנָעַן״ — לְלַמֶּדְךָ שֶׁאֵין יְשִׁיבַת חוּץ לָאָרֶץ עוֹלֶה לוֹ מִן הַמִּנְיָן. לְפִיכָךְ, חָלָה הוּא אוֹ שֶׁחָלְתָה הִיא, אוֹ שְׁנֵיהֶם חֲבוּשִׁים בְּבֵית הָאֲסוּרִים — אֵין עוֹלִין לוֹ מִן הַמִּנְיָן. אֲמַר לֵיהּ רָבָא לְרַב נַחְמָן: וְלֵילַף מִיִּצְחָק, דִּכְתִיב: ״וַיְהִי יִצְחָק בֶּן אַרְבָּעִים שָׁנָה בְּקַחְתּוֹ אֶת רִבְקָה וְגוֹ׳״, וּכְתִיב: ״וְיִצְחָק בֶּן שִׁשִּׁים שָׁנָה בְּלֶדֶת אוֹתָם״! אֲמַר לֵיהּ: יִצְחָק עָקוּר הָיָה. אִי הָכִי, אַבְרָהָם נָמֵי עָקוּר הָיָה! הַהוּא מִיבְּעֵי לֵיהּ לְכִדְרַבִּי חִיָּיא בַּר אַבָּא. דְּאָמַר רַבִּי חִיָּיא בַּר אַבָּא אָמַר רַבִּי יוֹחָנָן: לָמָּה נִמְנוּ שְׁנוֹתָיו שֶׁל יִשְׁמָעֵאל — כְּדֵי לְיַיחֵס בָּהֶן שְׁנוֹתָיו שֶׁל יַעֲקֹב. אָמַר רַבִּי יִצְחָק: יִצְחָק אָבִינוּ עָקוּר הָיָה, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: ״וַיֶּעְתַּר יִצְחָק לַה׳ לְנֹכַח אִשְׁתּוֹ״. ״עַל אִשְׁתּוֹ״ לֹא נֶאֱמַר, אֶלָּא ״לְנוֹכַח״, מְלַמֵּד שֶׁשְּׁנֵיהֶם עֲקוּרִים הָיוּ. אִי הָכִי: ״וַיֵּעָתֶר לוֹ״ — ״וַיֵּעָתֵר לָהֶם״ מִיבְּעֵי לֵיהּ! לְפִי שֶׁאֵינוֹ דּוֹמֶה תְּפִלַּת צַדִּיק בֶּן צַדִּיק לִתְפִלַּת צַדִּיק בֶּן רָשָׁע. אָמַר רַבִּי יִצְחָק: מִפְּנֵי מָה הָיוּ אֲבוֹתֵינוּ עֲקוּרִים — מִפְּנֵי שֶׁהַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא מִתְאַוֶּה לִתְפִלָּתָן שֶׁל צַדִּיקִים. אָמַר רַבִּי יִצְחָק: לָמָּה נִמְשְׁלָה תְּפִלָּתָן שֶׁל צַדִּיקִים כְּעֶתֶר — מָה עֶתֶר זֶה מְהַפֵּךְ הַתְּבוּאָה מִמָּקוֹם לְמָקוֹם, כָּךְ תְּפִלָּתָן שֶׁל צַדִּיקִים מְהַפֶּכֶת מִדּוֹתָיו שֶׁל הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא מִמִּדַּת רַגְזָנוּת לְמִדַּת רַחֲמָנוּת. אָמַר רַבִּי אַמֵּי: אַבְרָהָם וְשָׂרָה טוּמְטְמִין הָיוּ, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: ״הַבִּיטוּ אֶל צוּר

Yevamot 64a

This teaches that the Divine Presence does not rest upon less than two thousands and two ten-thousands of the Jewish people, as the terms thousands and ten-thousands are both in the plural. Consequently, if there were two thousands and two ten-thousands of the Jewish people, less one, and this man did not engage in the mitzva to be fruitful and multiply, is he not found to have caused the Divine Presence to be depart from the Jewish people? Abba Ḥanan said in the name of Rabbi Eliezer: A man who does not engage in procreation is liable to death, as it is stated with regard to the sons of Aaron: “And Nadav and Avihu died…and they had no children” (Numbers 3:4). This indicates that if they would have had children they would not have died. Others say: He causes the Divine Presence to depart from the Jewish people, as it is stated: “To be a God to you and to your seed after you” (Genesis 17:7). When your seed is after you, i.e., when you have children, the Divine Presence rests upon the Jewish people, but if your seed is not after you, upon whom can the Divine Presence rest? Upon wood and stones? MISHNA: If a man married a woman and stayed with her for ten years and she did not give birth, he is no longer permitted to neglect the mitzva to be fruitful and multiply. Consequently, he must either divorce her and marry someone else, or take another wife while still married to her. If he divorced her she is permitted to marry another man, as it is not necessarily on her account that she and her first husband did not have children, and the second husband is permitted to stay with her for ten years. And if she had a miscarriage, he counts the ten years from the time of the miscarriage. GEMARA: The Sages taught: If a man married a woman and stayed with her for ten years and she did not give birth, he should divorce her and pay her marriage contract, because perhaps he did not merit to be built, i.e., to have children, from her. It is not certain that their failure to have children is due to her, as it is possible that they are not a suitable match for bearing children. Although there is no explicit proof for the matter that one must take another wife if he has not had children after ten years of marriage, there is an allusion to the matter, as the verse states: “And Sarai, Abram’s wife, took Hagar…after Abram had dwelled ten years in the land of Canaan, and gave her to Abram her husband to be his wife” (Genesis 16:3). Incidentally, this verse also comes to teach you that the years spent dwelling outside of Eretz Yisrael do not count as part of his tally. Consequently, if he was sick during this period or she was sick, or if one of the two of them was imprisoned in jail, it does not count as part of his tally. Rava said to Rav Naḥman: Let us derive from Isaac that one may wait a longer period of time, as it is written: “And Isaac was forty years old when he took Rebekah…to be his wife” (Genesis 25:20), and it is written with regard to the birth of Jacob and Esau: “And Isaac was sixty years old when she bore them” (Genesis 25:26). This indicates that one may wait twenty years. Rav Naḥman said to him: Isaac knew that he was infertile, and therefore there was no reason for him to marry another woman, as Rebekah was not the cause of their infertility. The Gemara responds: If so, Abraham also should not have married another woman, as he was also infertile. Rather, the tanna requires that verse that states when Jacob and Esau were born for that which Rabbi Ḥiyya bar Abba taught. This is because Rabbi Ḥiyya bar Abba said that Rabbi Yoḥanan said: Why were Ishmael’s years counted in the Torah, as they do not appear to be relevant to its narrative? In order to determine through them the years of Jacob, i.e., Jacob’s age at the time that various events took place, as explained in tractate Megilla (17a). The verse concerning Jacob’s birth was not meant to allude to a halakha about remaining married before having children, but to make it possible to determine Jacob’s age by relating it to the age of Ishmael. Rabbi Yitzḥak said: Isaac our father was infertile, as it is stated: “And Isaac entreated the Lord concerning [lenokhaḥ] his wife because she was barren” (Genesis 25:21). It is not stated that he entreated the Lord for [al] his wife, but lenokhaḥ, which can mean opposite, against, or corresponding to; this teaches that they were both infertile. The Gemara asks: If so, why does the verse continue: “And the Lord let Himself be entreated of him”? The verse should say: And the Lord let Himself be entreated of them. The Gemara answers that their prayers were answered due to Isaac, because the prayer of a righteous individual who is the son of a righteous individual is not similar to the prayer of a righteous individual who is the son of a wicked individual, and Rebekah’s father was the wicked Bethuel. Rabbi Yitzḥak said: For what reason were our forefathers initially infertile? Because the Holy One, Blessed be He, desires the prayers of the righteous, and He therefore wanted them to pray for children. Similarly, Rabbi Yitzḥak said: Why are the prayers of the righteous compared to a pitchfork [eter], as in the verse: “And He let Himself be entreated [vaye’ater]”? This indicates that just as this pitchfork turns over produce from one place to another, so the prayer of the righteous turns over the attributes of the Holy One, Blessed be He, from the attribute of rage to the attribute of mercy. Rabbi Ami said: Abraham and Sarah were originally tumtumin, people whose sexual organs are concealed and not functional, as it is stated: “Look to the rock

מדרש משלי ט׳:א׳

(א) (משלי ט א): "חכמות בנתה ביתה" - זו היא התורה, שקנתה כל העולמות. "חצבה עמודיה שבעה" - שנחצבה משבעה רקיעים וניתנה לבני אדם. ד"א "חכמות בנתה ביתה" - אמר הקב"ה: אם זכה אדם ולמד תורה וחכמה, חשוב לפניי כאילו העמיד כל העולם כולו. "חצבה עמודיה שבעה" - אלו שבעה ארצות, אם זכה אדם ומקיימה נוחל שבעה ארצות, ואם לאו - מתחלק לשבע ארצות. (משלי ט ב): "טבחה טבחה מסכה יינה" - אמר רבי אבהו: זו אסתר המלכה, שבשעה שהגיע צער לישראל בימי מרדכי, מה עשתה? התקינה סעודה לאחשורוש ולהמן הרשע, ושיכרה אותו יין ביותר, והיה הרשע סבור בעצמו שחלקה לו כבוד, והוא לא היה יודע שפרשה לו מצודה, שמתוך ששיכרה אותו יין, קנתה לה אומתה לעולם. "אף ערכה שולחנה" - שערכה לה שולחן בעולם הזה ובעולם הבא, ואי זה - זה שם טוב שקנתה לה בעולם הזה ובעולם הבא, שכל המועדים עתידים בטלים, וימי הפורים אינם בטלים לעולם, שנאמר (אסתר ט כח): "וימי הפורים האלה לא יעברו מתוך היהודים". אמר רבי אלעזר: אף יום הכיפורים אינו בטל לעולם, שנאמר (ויקרא טז לד): "והיתה זאת לכם לחוקת עולם לכפר על בני ישראל מכל חטאתם אחת בשנה". ד"א "אף ערכה שולחנה" - זו התורה, שעורכת שולחן למי שעוסקים בה בעולם הזה ובעולם הבא, שנאמר (יחזקאל מא כב): "וידבר אליי זה השולחן אשר לפני ה'". ד"א "אף ערכה שולחנה" - מעשה ברבי עקיבה שהיה חבוש בבית האסורים, ורבי יהושע הגרסי תלמידו היה משמשו, ערב יום טוב נפטר ממנו והלך לביתו, בא אליהו ועמד על פתח ביתו, אמר לו 'שלום עליך רבי!', אמר לו 'שלום עליך רבי ומורי!', אמר לו 'כלום אתה צריך?', אמר לו 'כהן אני, ובאתי להגיד לך שרבי עקיבא מת בבית האסורים', מייד הלכו שניהם לבית האסורים ומצאו פתח שער בית האסורים פתוח ושר בית הסוהר ישן, וכל העם שהיו בבית האסורים היו ישנים, והשכיבו את רבי עקיבא על המיטה ויצאו, מייד נטפל אליהו זכור לטוב ונטלו על כתפיו, וכשראה רבי יהושע הגרסי כך, אמר לאליהו 'רבי, הלא אמרת לי אני אליהו כהן, וכהן אסור לטמא במת!', אמר לו 'דייך רבי יהושע בני, חס ושלום, שאין טומאה בצדיקים, ואף לא בתלמידיהם', והיו מוליכין אותו כל הלילה, עד שהגיעו לטרפילון של קסרין, כיוון שהגיעו לשם, עלו שלוש מעלות וירדו ירידות, ונפתח המערה לפניהם, וראו שם כיסא וספסל ושולחן ומנורה, והשכיבו את רבי עקיבא על המיטה ויצאו, וכיוון שיצאו נסתמה המערה, ודלקה הנר על המנורה, וכשראה אליהו כך פתח ואמר 'אשריכם צדיקים, ואשריכם עמלי תורה, ואשריכם יראי אלהים, שגנוז וטמור לכם ומשומר לכם מקום בגן עדן לעתיד לבוא! אשריך רבי עקיבא שנמצא לך מלון ערב בשעת מיתתך!'. לכך נאמר "אף ערכה שולחנה". ועוד מעשה היה ברבן גמליאל, שהיו הזקנים מסובין אצלו, והיה טבי עבדו עומד ומשמשו. אמר רבי אלעזר בן עזריה: אי לך כנען שחייבת לבנייך, בין הצדיקים ובין הרשעים! בדין הוא שיהא טבי מיסב ואני משמשו. אמר רבי ישמעאל: מצינו גדול מזה, אברהם גדול העולם ששימש את הכנענים. אמר רבי טרפון: מצינו גדול מזה: כהן גדול משמש את ישראל ביום הכיפורים. אמר להם רבן גמליאל: הנחתם כבודו של מלך מלכי המלכים הקב"ה, ואתם עוסקים בכבודו של בשר ודם?! הקב"ה ברא עולמו, משיב הרוחות, מזריח את החמה, מוריד הגשמים, מפריח טללים, מגדל צמחים, ועורך שולחן לכל אחד ואחד, דכתיב (תהלים כג ה): "תערוך לפניי שולחן", וכל כך למה - בזכותה של תורה, לפיכך נתנבא שלמה ואמר "אף ערכה שולחנה". אמר רבי נחמיה: בוא וראה כמה גדול כבוד תורה, לא די להם לחכמים שהיא עורכת להם שולחן, אלא שמוספת להם חכמה על חכמתם, הה"ד (משלי ט ט): "תן לחכם - ויחכם עוד, הודע לצדיק - ויוסף לקח". אם ראית תלמיד חכם שחביבים עליו דברי תורה, תן לו חכמה ויחכם עוד. "הודע לצדיק ויוסף לקח" - שמתוך שהוא משחית נפשו לשמוע דברי תורה, אף היא מוספת לו יראה:

Midrash Mishlei 9:1

(1) Wisdoms have built her house (Proverbs 9:1): This is the Torah that has created all of the worlds; it hewed out pillars seven which is hewed from the seven firmaments and given to people. Another [understanding] - Wisdoms have built her house: The Holy One, blessed be He said, "If a man merits and studies Torah and wisdom, he is considered in front of Me as if he stood up entirely all of the world; it hewed out pillars seven these are seven lands - if a man merits and sustains it, he inherits seven lands, and if not, he is divided among seven lands. She prepared her meat, she mingled her wine (Proverbs 9:2): Rabbi Abahu said, "This is Esther the Queen, as at the time that trouble came to Israel in the days of Mordekhai, what did she do? She set up a meal for Achashverosh and Haman the evildoer and she got him very drunk with wine, and the evildoer thought to himself that she was granting him honor and he did not know that she opened a trap for him - from that which she got him drunk with wine, she acquired her people forever; she even prepared her table that she set herself up a table in this world and in the world to come. And what is that? That is the good name that she acquired in this world and in the world to come; since all of the holidays are to be nullified in the future but the days of Purim will not be nullified, as it is stated (Esther 9:28), 'And these days of Purim will not be rescinded from the Jews.'" Rabbi Elazar said, "Also Yom Kippur will forever not be nullified, as it is stated, 'And it will be to you for an everlasting statute to atone for the Children of Israel from all of their sins once a year.'" Another [understanding]: she even prepared her table: This is the Torah, that sets up a table for one who is involved with it, in this world and in the next world, as it is stated (Ezekiel 41:22), "and He spoke to me, 'This is the table that is in front of the Lord.'" Another [understanding]: she even prepared her table: It once happened that Rabbi Akiva was imprisoned in jail and Rabbi Yehoshua the Garsi, his student, was serving him. [On] the eve of the holiday, [the latter] departed from him and went to his house. Eliyahu came and stood at the entrance of his house. He said to him, "Peace be unto you, my teacher." He said [back] to him, "Peace be unto you, my teacher and master." He said to him, "Is there nothing that you require? He said to him, "I am a priest and I have come to tell you that Rabbi Akiva has died in jail." Immediately they both went to the jail and found the opening of the gate of the jail open and the minister of the jail was sleeping and all of the people that were in the jail were [also] sleeping; and they lay Rabbi Akiva on the bed and went out [with him]. Immediately Eliyahu, may he be remembered for the good, attended to him and took him on his shoulders. And when Rabbi Yehoshua the Garsi saw this, he said to Eliyahu, "My teacher, did you not say to me, I am Eliyahu [the] priest, and a priest is forbidden to become impure through [contact with a dead [body]!" He said [back] to him, "It is enough for you, Rabbi Yehoshua, my son, God forbid - as there is no impurity from the righteous, and also not from their students." And they carried him the whole night until they reached the mansion house of Caesarea. And when they reached there, they went up three steps and went down inclines and a cave opened in front of them and there they saw a chair and a bench and a candelabra. And they laid down Rabbi Akiva on the bed and left. And when they went out, the cave sealed and the lamp on the candelabra became lit. And when Eliyahu saw this, he opened and said, "Happy are the righteous and happy are those that toil in the Torah and happy are those that fear God - as covered and hidden and reserved for you is a place in the Garden of Eden in the future to come. Happy are you Rabbi Akiva, that you should find a resting place prepared for you at the time of your death. That is why it is stated, 'she even prepared her table.'" And it also once happened with Rabban Gamliel, that the elders were reclining [to eat] with him and Tabi, his servant, was standing to serve him. Rabbi Elazar ben Azariya said, "Woe is to you Canaan that you obligated your children [to servitude], whether they be righteous or whether they be evil." Rabbi Yishmael said, "We have found greater than this - Avraham was the great one of the world who served the Canaanites." Rabbi Tarfon said, "We have found greater than this - the High priest serves Israel on Yom Kippur." Rabban Gamliel said to them, "You have left over the honor of the Holy One, blessed be He, and you are dealing with the honor of flesh and blood? The Holy One, blessed be He, created His world, makes the wind blow, makes the sun shine, brings down the rain, makes the due appear, makes the plants grow and sets up a table in front of each and every [person], as it is written, (Psalms 23:5), 'Set a table in front of me.' And why [does He do] so much? In the merit of Torah. Therefore Shlomo prophesied and said, 'she even prepared her table.'" Rabbi Nechemiah said, "Come and see how great is the honor of Torah: It is not enough for them, for the sages, that He prepares a table for them, but it [even] adds wisdom to their wisdom. This is what is written (Proverbs 9:9), 'Give to a wise man, and he will become even wiser; inform a righteous one, and he will increase in teaching' - If you see a Torah scholar for whom words of Torah are beloved, give him wisdom and he will become even wiser; 'inform a righteous one, and he will increase in teaching' - that since he destroys his soul to hear words of Torah, it also adds fear [of God] to him."

אסתר ט׳:א׳

(א) וּבִשְׁנֵים֩ עָשָׂ֨ר חֹ֜דֶשׁ הוּא־חֹ֣דֶשׁ אֲדָ֗ר בִּשְׁלוֹשָׁ֨ה עָשָׂ֥ר יוֹם֙ בּ֔וֹ אֲשֶׁ֨ר הִגִּ֧יעַ דְּבַר־הַמֶּ֛לֶךְ וְדָת֖וֹ לְהֵעָשׂ֑וֹת בַּיּ֗וֹם אֲשֶׁ֨ר שִׂבְּר֜וּ אֹיְבֵ֤י הַיְּהוּדִים֙ לִשְׁל֣וֹט בָּהֶ֔ם וְנַהֲפ֣וֹךְ ה֔וּא אֲשֶׁ֨ר יִשְׁלְט֧וּ הַיְּהוּדִ֛ים הֵ֖מָּה בְּשֹׂנְאֵיהֶֽם׃

Esther 9:1

(1) And so, on the thirteenth day of the twelfth month—that is, the month of Adar—when the king’s command and decree were to be executed, the very day on which the enemies of the Jews had expected to get them in their power, the opposite happened, and the Jews got their enemies in their power.

מגילה ז׳ ב:ז׳

אָמַר רָבָא: מִיחַיַּיב אִינִישׁ לְבַסּוֹמֵי בְּפוּרַיָּא עַד דְּלָא יָדַע בֵּין אָרוּר הָמָן לְבָרוּךְ מָרְדֳּכַי.

Megillah 7b:7

Rava said: A person is obligated to become intoxicated with wine on Purim until he is so intoxicated that he does not know how to distinguish between cursed is Haman and blessed is Mordecai.

סנהדרין י״ז א

עמך עמך ואת בהדייהו ורבי יהודה עמך משום שכינה ורבנן אמר קרא (במדבר יא, יז) ונשאו אתך במשא העם אתך ואת בהדייהו ורבי יהודה אתך בדומין לך ורבנן (שמות יח, כב) מוהקל מעליך ונשאו אתך נפקא וילפא סנהדרי גדולה מסנהדרי קטנה ת"ר (במדבר יא, כו) וישארו שני אנשים במחנה יש אומרים בקלפי נשתיירו שבשעה שאמר לו הקב"ה למשה אספה לי שבעים איש מזקני ישראל אמר משה כיצד אעשה אברור ששה מכל שבט ושבט נמצאו שנים יתירים אברור חמשה חמשה מכל שבט ושבט נמצאו עשרה חסרים אברור ששה משבט זה וחמשה משבט זה הריני מטיל קנאה בין השבטים מה עשה בירר ששה ששה והביא שבעים ושנים פיתקין על שבעים כתב זקן ושנים הניח חלק בללן ונתנן בקלפי אמר להם בואו וטלו פיתקיכם כל מי שעלה בידו זקן אמר כבר קידשך שמים מי שעלה בידו חלק אמר המקום לא חפץ בך אני מה אעשה לך כיוצא בדבר אתה אומר (במדבר ג, מז) ולקחת חמשת חמשת שקלים לגולגולת אמר משה כיצד אעשה להן לישראל אם אומר לו תן לי פדיונך וצא יאמר לי כבר פדאני בן לוי מה עשה הביא עשרים ושנים אלפים פיתקין וכתב עליהן בן לוי ועל שלשה ושבעים ומאתים כתב עליהן חמשה שקלים בללן ונתנן בקלפי אמר להן טלו פיתקיכם מי שעלה בידו בן לוי אמר לו כבר פדאך בן לוי מי שעלה בידו חמשת שקלים אמר לו תן פדיונך וצא רבי שמעון אומר במחנה נשתיירו בשעה שאמר לו הקב"ה למשה אספה לי שבעים איש אמרו אלדד ומידד אין אנו ראויין לאותה גדולה אמר הקב"ה הואיל ומיעטתם עצמכם הריני מוסיף גדולה על גדולתכם ומה גדולה הוסיף להם שהנביאים כולן נתנבאו ופסקו והם נתנבאו ולא פסקו ומה נבואה נתנבאו אמרו משה מת יהושע מכניס את ישראל לארץ אבא חנין אומר משום רבי אליעזר על עסקי שליו הן מתנבאים עלי שליו עלי שליו רב נחמן אמר על עסקי גוג ומגוג היו מתנבאין שנאמר (יחזקאל לח, ג) כה אמר ה' אלהים האתה הוא אשר דברתי בימים קדמונים ביד עבדי נביאי ישראל הנבאים בימים ההם שנים להביא אותך עליהם וגו' אל תיקרי שנים אלא שנים ואיזו הן שנים נביאים שנתנבאו בפרק אחד נבואה אחת הוי אומר אלדד ומידד אמר מר כל הנביאים כולן נתנבאו ופסקו והן נתנבאו ולא פסקו מנא לן דפסקו אילימא מדכתיב (במדבר יא, כה) ויתנבאו ולא יספו אלא מעתה (דברים ה, יח) קול גדול ולא יסף ה"נ דלא אוסיף הוא אלא דלא פסק הוא אלא הכא כתיב ויתנבאו התם כתיב (במדבר יא, כז) מתנבאים עדיין מתנבאים והולכים בשלמא למ"ד משה מת היינו דכתיב (במדבר יא, כח) אדוני משה כלאם אלא למ"ד הנך תרתי מאי אדני משה כלאם דלאו אורח ארעא דהוה ליה כתלמיד המורה הלכה לפני רבו בשלמא למ"ד הנך תרתי היינו דכתיב מי יתן אלא למ"ד משה מת מינח הוה ניחא ליה לא סיימוה קמיה מאי כלאם א"ל הטל עליהן צרכי ציבור והן כלין מאיליהן: מניין להביא עוד שלשה: סוף סוף לרעה ע"פ שנים לא משכחת לה אי אחד עשר מזכין ושנים עשר מחייבין אכתי חד הוא אי עשרה מזכין ושלשה עשר מחייבין תלתא הוו א"ר אבהו אי אתה מוצא אלא במוסיפין ודברי הכל ובסנהדרי גדולה ואליבא דרבי יהודה דאמר שבעים וא"ר אבהו במוסיפין עושין ב"ד שקול לכתחילה פשיטא מהו דתימא האי דקאמר איני יודע כמאן דאיתיה דמי ואי אמר מילתא שמעינן ליה קמ"ל דהאי דקאמר איני יודע כמאן דליתיה דמי ואי אמר טעמא לא שמעינן ליה אמר רב כהנא סנהדרי שראו כולן לחובה פוטרין אותו מ"ט כיון דגמירי הלנת דין למעבד ליה זכותא והני תו לא חזו ליה א"ר יוחנן אין מושיבין בסנהדרי אלא בעלי קומה ובעלי חכמה ובעלי מראה ובעלי זקנה ובעלי כשפים ויודעים בע' לשון שלא תהא סנהדרי שומעת מפי המתורגמן אמר רב יהודה אמר רב אין מושיבין בסנהדרין אלא מי שיודע לטהר את השרץ מה"ת אמר רב אני אדון ואטהרנו

Sanhedrin 17a

with you” (Numbers 11:16), i.e., they will stand “with you,” and you are to be counted with them, leading to a total number of seventy-one. And Rabbi Yehuda holds that the term “with you” is mentioned due to the Divine Presence that rested on Moses. According to Rabbi Yehuda, Moses was instructed to remain with the seventy Elders in order for the Divine Presence to rest upon them as well. He was not formally part of their court and therefore the number of Sages on the Great Sanhedrin is seventy. The Gemara asks: And how would the Rabbis respond to this line of reasoning? The Gemara answers: The verse states: “And they shall bear the burden of the people with you” (Numbers 11:17), which indicates: “With you,” and you are to be counted with them. And how would Rabbi Yehuda respond to that? He would explain that the term “with you” means similar to you, meaning, that the Elders appointed to the court had to be of fit lineage and free of blemish, like Moses. And from where do the Rabbis derive that halakha? They derive it from what was stated with regard to the appointment of the ministers of thousands and the ministers of hundreds: “And they shall make it easier for you, and bear the burden with you” (Exodus 18:22), understanding the term “with you” to mean: Similar to you. And the halakha of the judges of the Great Sanhedrin of seventy is derived from the halakha of the judges of the lesser Sanhedrin, i.e., those ministers, that Moses appointed. § Apropos the appointment of the Elders by Moses, the Gemara discusses additional aspects of that event. There were seventy-two candidates for Elder but only seventy were needed. They were chosen by lots with their names put into a box. The Sages taught: The verse states: “And there remained two men in the camp; the name of one was Eldad and the name of the other Medad, and the spirit rested upon them, and they were among those who were written but who did not go out to the tent, and they prophesied in the camp” (Numbers 11:26). Where did they remain? Some say this means they, i.e., their names, remained excluded from those selected from the lots in the box. The baraita explains: At the time that the Holy One, Blessed be He, said to Moses: “Gather for Me seventy men of the Elders of Israel” (Numbers 11:16), Moses said: How shall I do it? If I select six from each and every tribe, there will be a total of seventy-two, which will be two extra. But if I select five from each and every tribe, there will be a total of sixty, lacking ten. And if I select six from this tribe and five from that tribe, I will bring about envy between the tribes, as those with fewer representatives will resent the others. What did he do? He selected six from every tribe and he brought seventy-two slips [pitakin]. On seventy of them he wrote: Elder, and he left two of them blank. He mixed them and placed them in the box. He then said to the seventy-two chosen candidates: Come and draw your slips. Everyone whose hand drew up a slip that said: Elder, he said to him: Heaven has already sanctified you. And everyone whose hand drew up a blank slip, he said to him: The Omnipresent does not desire you; what can I do for you? The Gemara comments: You can say something similar to this to explain the verse about the redemption of the firstborn by the Levites: “Take the Levites in place of all of the firstborn of the children of Israel…and as for the redemption of the 273 of the firstborn of the children of Israel who are in excess over the number of the Levites…you shall take five shekels per head” (Numbers 3:45–47). It can be explained that Moses said: How shall I do this for the Jews? If I say to one of the firstborns: Give me money for your redemption and you may leave, as you are among the 273 extra firstborns, he will say to me: A Levite already redeemed me; what is the reason you think that I am among those who were not redeemed? What did he do? He brought 22,000 slips (see Numbers 3:39), and he wrote on them: Levite, and on 273 additional ones he wrote: Five shekels. He mixed them up and placed them in a box. He said to them: Draw your slips. Everyone whose hand drew up a slip that said: Levite, he said to him: A Levite already redeemed you. Everyone whose hand drew up a slip that said: Five shekels, he said to him: Pay your redemption money and you may leave. Rabbi Shimon says: Eldad and Medad remained in the camp, as they did not want to come to the lottery for the Elders. At the time that the Holy One, Blessed be He, said to Moses: Gather for me seventy Elders, Eldad and Medad said: We are not fitting for that level of greatness; we are not worthy of being appointed among the Elders. The Holy One, Blessed be He, said: Since you have made yourselves humble, I will add greatness to your greatness. And what is the greatness that he added to them? It was that all of the prophets, meaning the other Elders, who were given prophecy, prophesied for a time and then stopped prophesying, but they prophesied and did not stop. Apropos Eldad and Medad being prophets, the Gemara asks: And what prophecy did they prophesy? They said: Moses will die, and Joshua will bring the Jewish people into Eretz Yisrael. Abba Ḥanin says in the name of Rabbi Eliezer: They prophesied about the matter of the quail that came afterward (Numbers 11:31–33), saying: Arise quail, arise quail, and then the quail came. Rav Naḥman says: They were prophesying about the matter of Gog and Magog, as it is stated with regard to Gog and Magog: “So says the Lord God: Are you the one of whom I spoke in ancient days, through my servants, the prophets of Israel, who prophesied in those days for many years [shanim] that I would bring you against them?” (Ezekiel 38:17). Do not read it as: “Years [shanim]”; rather, read it as: Two [shenayim]. And who are the two prophets who prophesied the same prophecy at the same time? You must say: Eldad and Medad. The Master says: The baraita said: All of the prophets prophesied and then stopped, but Eldad and Medad prophesied and did not stop. The Gemara asks: From where do we derive that the other prophets stopped prophesying? If we say it is from that which is written about them: “And they prophesied but they did so no more [velo yasafu]” (Numbers 11:25), that is difficult: But if that is so, then concerning that which is stated in relation to the giving of the Torah: “These words the Lord spoke to all your assembly…with a great voice, and it went on no more [velo yasaf]” (Deuteronomy 5:19), so too shall it be understood that the great voice did not continue? Rather, the intention there is that it did not stop, interpreting the word yasafu as related to sof, meaning: End. Consequently, with regard to the seventy Elders as well, the word can be interpreted to mean that they did not stop prophesying. Rather, the proof is as follows: It is written here with regard to the seventy Elders: “They prophesied” (Numbers 11:25), and it is written there: “Eldad and Medad are prophesying in the camp” (Numbers 11:27), from which it can be derived that they were continuously prophesying. With regard to the content of Eldad and Medad’s prophecy, the Gemara asks: Granted, according to the one who says their prophecy was that Moses will die, this is the reason for that which is written there: “And Joshua, son of Nun, the servant of Moses from his youth, answered and said: My master Moses, imprison them” (Numbers 11:28), as their prophecy appeared to be a rebellion against Moses. But according to the one who says those other two opinions with regard to the content of the prophecy, according to which their prophecy had no connection to Moses, what is the reason that Joshua said: “My master Moses, imprison them”? The Gemara answers: He said this because it is not proper conduct for them to prophesy publicly in close proximity to Moses, as by doing so they are like a student who teaches a halakha in his teacher’s presence, which is inappropriate. The Gemara asks: Granted, according to the one who says those other two opinions, this is the reason for that which is written: “And Moses said to him: Are you jealous for my sake? Would that all of the Lord’s people were prophets” (Numbers 11:29). But according to the one who says that Eldad and Medad prophesied that Moses will die and Joshua will bring Israel into the land, would it have been satisfactory to Moses that all of the people of God would utter similar prophecies? The Gemara answers: They did not conclude it before him. Moses was not aware of what they had said, but only that they were prophesying. The Gemara asks: What is the meaning of: “Imprison them [kela’em]”? The Gemara answers: Joshua said to him: Place responsibility for the needs of the public upon them, so that they will be occupied like the other Elders of Israel and they will cease [kalin] prophesying, on their own. Due to the burden of public responsibility they would not be able to be prophets. § The mishna derives the halakha that there are twenty-three judges on a lesser Sanhedrin from the verses: “And the congregation shall judge,” and: “And the congregation shall save” (Numbers 35:24–25). The mishna understands that the term “congregation” is referring to ten judges, so that the two congregations, one in each verse, total twenty judges. The mishna then asks: From where is it derived to bring three more judges to the court? The mishna answers: The implication of the verse: “You shall not follow a multitude to convict” (Exodus 23:2), is that your inclination after a majority to exonerate is not like your inclination after a majority to convict, and a conviction must be by a majority of two. The Gemara objects: Ultimately, you do not find an occurrence of the inclination for evil according to a majority of two judges. If eleven judges vote to acquit the defendant and twelve vote to convict, this is still only a majority of one, and if ten vote to acquit and thirteen vote to convict, they are a majority of three. With a court of twenty-three judges, there is no possible way to convict with a majority of two. Rabbi Abbahu says: You do not find such a scenario except in a case where they add two additional judges because one of the judges abstained from the deliberation, the other judges are split in their decisions, and the two added judges both vote to convict. And this is a possibility according to all tanna’im, and in a case tried by the Great Sanhedrin according to the opinion of Rabbi Yehuda, who says there are seventy judges on the Great Sanhedrin. With an even number, it is possible to have a majority of two. And Rabbi Abbahu says: When they add additional judges, they create a court consisting of an even number of judges ab initio. The Gemara asks: Isn’t that obvious? What is the novelty in Rabbi Abbahu’s statement? The Gemara answers: Lest you say: This judge who says: I do not know, is viewed as one who is still there, and if he says something afterward, we listen to him and include him in the count, so there are actually an odd number of judges on the court; therefore, Rabbi Abbahu teaches us that this judge who says: I do not know, is viewed as one who is not still there, and if he says a reason to rule in a certain manner afterward, we do not listen to him. Consequently, the court consists of an even number of judges. § Rav Kahana says: In a Sanhedrin where all the judges saw fit to convict the defendant in a case of capital law, they acquit him. The Gemara asks: What is the reasoning for this halakha? It is since it is learned as a tradition that suspension of the trial overnight is necessary in order to create a possibility of acquittal. The halakha is that they may not issue the guilty verdict on the same day the evidence was heard, as perhaps over the course of the night one of the judges will think of a reason to acquit the defendant. And as those judges all saw fit to convict him they will not see any further possibility to acquit him, because there will not be anyone arguing for such a verdict. Consequently, he cannot be convicted. § Rabbi Yoḥanan says: They place on the Great Sanhedrin only men of high stature, and of wisdom, and of pleasant appearance, and of suitable age so that they will be respected. And they must also be masters of sorcery, i.e., they know the nature of sorcery, so that they can judge sorcerers, and they must know all seventy languages in order that the Sanhedrin will not need to hear testimony from the mouth of a translator in a case where a witness speaks a different language. Rav Yehuda says that Rav says: They place on the Sanhedrin only one who knows how to render a carcass of a creeping animal pure by Torah law. The judges on the Sanhedrin must be so skilled at logical reasoning that they could even produce a convincing argument that creeping animals, which the Torah states explicitly are ritually impure, are actually pure. Rav said: I will discuss the halakha of the creeping animal and render it pure, i.e., I am able to demonstrate how it is possible to construct such a proof: