Kilayim 84

Chapter 84

א רִבִּי יוֹסֵי צָם תְּמָנֵיי יוֹמִין לְמֵיחְמֵי רִבִּי חִיָיה רוֹבָה וּלְסוֹפָא חָמָא וְרָגְזוּן יָדֵיהּ וּכְהוֹ עֵינוֹי. וְאִין תֵּימַר דַּהֲוָא רִבִּי יוֹסָה בַּר נַשׁ זְעִיר. חַד גָּרְדַיי אֲתַא לְגַבֵּי רִבִּי יוֹחָנָן אֲמַר לֵיהּ חָמִית בְּחֵילְמִי דִּרְקִיעַא נְפַל וְחַד מִן תַּלְמִידָךְ סְמַךְ לֵיהּ. אֲמַר לֵיהּ וְחַכִּים אַתְּ לֵיהּ. אֲמַר לֵיהּ אִין אֲנָא חָמֵי לֵיהּ אֲנָא חַכִּים לֵיהּ. עֲבַר כָּל תַּלְמִידוֹי קוֹמוֹי וְחַכַּם לְרִבִּי יוֹסָה. רִבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן בֶּן לָקִישׁ צָם תְּלַת מָאוָון צוֹמִין לְמֵיחְמֵי רִבִּי חִיָיה רוֹבָה וְלָא חָמְתֵיהּ. וּבְסוֹפָא שְׁרָא מִצְטָעֵר אֲמַר מַה הֲוָה לָעֵי בְאוֹרָיְתָא סַגִּין מִינַּיי. אָמְרוּ לֵיהּ רִיבֵּץ תּוֹרָה בְיִשְׂרָאֵל יוֹתֵר מִמָּךְ וְלֹא עוֹד אֶלָּא דַהֲוָה גְלִי. אֲמַר לוֹן וְלֹא הֲוִינָא גְלִי. אָמְרִין לֵיהּ אַתְּ הֲוִיתָה גְלִי מֵילַף וְהוּא הֲוָה גְלִי מַלְפָּה.

1 Rebbi Assi fasted eighty days to see the old Rebbi Ḥiyya. In the end, he saw him, his hands trembled and his eyes were dimmed. If you say that Rebbi Assi was an insignificant person, one weaver came to Rebbi Joḥanan and said, I saw the sky falling but one of your students supported it. He asked him, could you recognize him? He said, if I would see him, I would recognize him. He made all his students pass before him [the weaver], and he recognized Rebbi Assi. Rebbi Simeon ben Laqish fasted three hundred fasts to see the old Rebbi Ḥiyya but did not see him. In the end, he stopped feeling bad and said, maybe he did study Torah more than I did. They said to him, he spread Torah more than you did and in addition he went into exile. He said to them, did I not also go into exile? They said to him, you went into exile to study, he went into exile to teach.

ב כַּד דְּמָךְ רַב הוּנָא רֵישׁ גָּלוּתָא אַסְקוּנֵיהּ לְהָכָא. אָמְרֵי אָן אֲנָן יְהָבִין לֵיהּ. אָמְרִין נֵיתִינֵיהּ גַּבֵּי רִבִּי חִיָיה רוֹבָה דְּהוּא מִן דִּידְהוֹן. אָמְרִין מָאן בְּעֵי מִיהַב לֵיהּ. אָמַר רִבִּי חַגַּיי אֲנָא עֲלִיל יְהַב לֵיהּ. אָמְרוּ לֵיהּ עִילְּתָך אַתְּ בָּעֵי דְּאַתְּ גְבַר סַב וְאַתְּ בָּעֵי מֵיעוֹל מֵיתַב לָךְ תַּמָּן. אֲמַר לוֹן יְהָבוּן מְשִׁיחָתָא בְרַגְלַיי וְאִין עֲנִיַית אַתּוּן גָּרְשִׁין. עָאַל וְאַשְׁכַּח תְּלַת דָּנִין יְהוּדָה בְנִי אַחֲרֶיךָ וְאֵין עוֹד. חִזְקִיָּה בְנִי אַחֲרֶיךָ וְאֵין עוֹד. אַחֲרֶיךָ יוֹסֵף בֶּן יִשְׂרָאֵל וְאֵין עוֹד. תְּלַת עֵינוֹי מִסְתַּכְּלָה אִיתְאֲמַר לֵיהּ אַפִּיךְ אַפִּיךְ שְׁמַע קָלֵיהּ דְּרִבִּי חִיָיה רַבָּא אֲמַר לְרַב יְהוּדָה בְּרֵיהּ נְפִישׁ לְרַב חוּנָה יְתִיב לֵיהּ וְלָא קְבִיל עֲלוֹי מָתִיב לֵיהּ אָמְרִין כְּמַה דְּלָא קְבִיל עֲלוֹי מָתִיב לֵיהּ כֵּן זַרְעִיתֵיהּ לָא פְסִיקָא לְעוֹלָם. וְיָצָא מִשָּׁם וְהָיָה בֶּן שְׁמוֹנִים שָׁנָה וְנִכְפְּלוּ לוֹ שָׁנָיו.

2 When Rav Huna, the Head of the Diaspora, died they brought him here. They said, where shall we put him? They said, let us put him next to Rebbi Ḥiyya the elder for he is one of them. They said, who might want to bring him there? Rebbi Ḥaggai said, I shall go up to put him there. They said to him, you are looking for a pretext, for you are an old man and you want to go to rest there yourself. He said to them, put some string on my feet and when I shall be weak you pull. He went in and found the three arguing. “Jehudah my son, after you, and no more. Ḥizqiah my son, after you, and no more. Joseph ben Israel, after you, and no more.” He [R. Ḥaggai] lifted his eyes to look, it was said to him turn around, turn around. He heard the voice of Rebbi Ḥiyya the elder who said to his son Rav Jehudah, make space for Rav Ḥuna that he may rest there. But [Rav Ḥuna] did not accept this. They said, since he did not accept that one made space for him, so his descendants will never end. He [R. Ḥaggai] exited from there and his years were doubled.

ג כְּתִיב וּנְשָׂאתַנִי מִמִּצְרַיִם וּקְבַרְתַּנִי בִּקְבוּרָתָם. יַעֲקֹב כָּל הֶן דְּהוּא מַה הוּא מְנַכֵּי. רִבִּי לָעְזָר אָמַר דְּבָרִים בְּגַב. רִבִּי חֲנִינָא אָמַר דְּבָרִים בְּגַב. רִבִּי יְהוֹשֻׁעַ בֶּן לֵוִי אָמַר דְּבָרִים בְּגַב. מַהוּ דְּבָרִים בְּגַב. רִבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן בֶּן לָקִישׁ אָמַר אֶתְהַלֵּךְ לִפְנֵי ה׳ בְּאַרְצוֹת הַחַיִּים. וַהֲלֹא אֵין אַרְצוֹת הַחַיִּים אֶלָּא צוֹר וַחֲבֵרוֹתֶיהָ וְקֵיסָרִין וַחֲבֵרוֹתֶיהָ תַּמָּן זוֹלָא תַּמָּן שׂוֹבְעָא. רִבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן בֶּן לָקִישׁ בְּשֵׁם בַּר קַפָּרָא אֶרֶץ שֶׁמֵּיתֶיהָ חַיִּין תְּחִילָּה לִימוֹת הַמָּשִׁיחַ. וּמַה טַעַם נוֹתֵן נְשָׁמָה לְעַם עָלֶיהָ. אֶלָּא מֵעַתָּה רַבּוֹתֵינוּ שֶׁבַּגּוֹלָה הִפְסִידוּ. אָמַר רִבִּי סִימַיי מַחְלִיד הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא לִפְנֵיהֶן אֶת הָאָרֶץ וְהֵן מִתְגַּלְגְּלִין כְּנוֹדוֹת וְכֵיוָן שֶׁהֵן מַגִּיעִין לְאֶרֶץ יִשְׂרָאֵל נַפְשָׁן חוֹזְרוֹת עֲלֵיהֶן. וּמַה טַעַם וְהִנַּחְתִּי אֶתְכֶם עַל אַדְמַת יִשְׂרָאֵל וְנָתַתִּי רוּחִי בָּכֶם וִחְיִיתֶם.

3 It is written (Gen. 47:30): “You shall carry me from Egypt and bury me in their burial place.” What would Jacob lose at any place he would be? Rebbi Eleazar gave an inner reason, Rebbi Ḥanina gave an inner reason, Rebbi Joshua ben Levi gave an inner reason. What is the inner reason? Rebbi Simeon ben Laqish said, (Ps. 116:9) “I will walk before the Eternal in the Land of Life.” But the lands of life are only Tyre and its surroundings and Caesarea (maritima) and its surroundings; there is cheap (food), there is satiety. Rebbi Simeon ben Laqish in the name of Bar Qappara, the Land whose dead will live again in the days of the Messiah. What is the reason? (Is. 42:9) “He gives soul to the people on it.” That would mean that our teachers in the diaspora would lose out! Rebbi Simai said, the Holy One, praised be He, makes the earth erode before them and they roll like wine barrels. When they arrive at the Land of Israel their souls return to them. What is the reason? (Ez. 37:12) “I shall deposit you on the territory of Israel,” (v. 14) “give My spirit into you, and you will live.”

ד רִבִּי בְּרֶכְיָה שָׁאַל לְרִבִּי חֶלְבּוֹ. רִבִּי חֶלְבּוֹ שָׁאַל לְרִבִּי אִימִּי. רִבִּי אִימִּי שָׁאַל לְרִבִּי אֶלְעָזָר. רִבִּי לָעְזָר שָׁאַל לְרִבִּי חֲנִינָה וְאִית דְּאָמְרִין רִבִּי חֲנִינָה שָׁאַל לְרִבִּי יְהוֹשֻׁעַ בֶּן לֵוִי. אֲפִילוּ כְגוֹן יָרָבְעָם בֶּן נְבָט וַחֲבֵירָיו. אָמַר לֵיהּ גָּפְרִית וָמֶלַח שְׂרֵיפָה כָל אַרְצָהּ. אָמַר רִבִּי בְּרֶכְיָה מַה הֵן שָׁאַל לָהֵן וְהֵן שָׁאַל לָהֵן לֹא שְׁמָעִינָן מִינָּהּ כְּלוּם. מַיי כְדוֹן. כֵּיוָן שֶׁנִּשְׂרְפָה אֶרֶץ יִשְׂרָאֵל נַעֲשֶׂה בָהֶן מִידַּת הַדִּין. תַּנֵּי בְשֵׁם רִבִּי יְהוּדָה שֶׁבַע שָׁנִים עָשָׂת אֶרֶץ יִשְׂרָאֵל נִשְׂרֶפֶת הָדָא הוּא דִּכְתִיב וְהִגְבִּיר בְּרִית לָרַבִּים שָׁבוּעַ אֶחָד. כּוּתִים שֶׁבָּהּ מַה הָיוּ עוֹשִׂין מַטְלִיּוֹת מַטְלִיּוֹת וְהָיְתָה נִשְׂרֶפֶת.

4 Rebbi Berekhiah asked Rebbi Ḥelbo. Rebbi Ḥelbo asked Rebbi Immi. Rebbi Immi asked Rebbi Eleazar. Rebbi Eleazar asked Rebbi Ḥanina, some say Rebbi Ḥanina asked Rebbi Joshua ben Levi: Even those like Jeroboam ben Nabat and his kind? He said to him, (Deut. 29:22) “Sulphur and salt, conflagration throughout the country.” Rebbi Berekhiah said, one asked the other and we understand nothing from it. What does it mean? Since the Land of Israel was burned, judgment was executed on it. We have stated in the name of Rebbi Jehudah: Seven years was the Land of Israel burned; that is what is written (Dan. 9:27) “The Covenant overtook the public for one week.” What did the Samaritans in it do? Pieces, pieces and it was burned.

ה כְּתִיב וְאַתָּה פַּשְׁחוּר וְכֹל יוֹשְׁבֵי בֵיתֶךָ תֵּלְכוּ בַּשֶּׁבִי. וּבָבֶל תָבֹא וְשָׁם תָּמוּת וְשָׁם תִּקָּבֵר. רִבִּי אַבָּא בַּר זְמִינָא אָמַר רִבִּי חֶלְבּוֹ וְרִבִּי חָמָא בַּר חֲנִינָא. חַד אָמַר מֵת שָׁם וְנִקְבַּר שָׁם יֵשׁ בְּיָדוֹ שְׁתַּיִם. מֵת שָׁם וְנִקְבַּר כָּאן יֵשׁ בְּיָדוֹ אַחַת. וְחָרָנָה אָמַר קְבוּרָה שֶׁבְּכָאן מְכַפֶּרֶת עַל מִיתָה שֶׁלָּהֶן.

5 It is written (Jer. 20:6–7): “But you, Pashḥur, and all inhabitants of your house will go into captivity. You will come to Babylon, die there, and be buried there.” Rebbi Abba bar Zemina said, Rebbi Ḥelbo and Rebbi Ḥama bar Ḥanina. One of them said, if somebody dies there and is buried there, he has two [detriments] in hand. If he dies there and is buried here, he has one [detriment] in hand. The other one said, burial here atones for death there.

Previous Chapter Next Chapter