Avodah Zarah 10b — Talmud de Babylone

▶ 💬 Guemara The Gemara asks: But why not let him say his advice explicitly? Why did Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi answer in such a circumspect…

The Gemara asks: But why not let him say his advice explicitly? Why did Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi answer in such a circumspect way, which could have been interpreted incorrectly? The Gemara answers: Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi said to himself: If I answer openly, the important Romans might hear me and will cause me anguish. The Gemara asks: But why not let him say his advice quietly? The Gemara explains: Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi was still worried that they might hear what he had said, because it is written: “Curse not the king, no, not in your thought, and curse not the rich in your bedchamber, for a bird of the air shall carry the voice” (Ecclesiastes 10:20). The Gemara relates: Antoninus had a certain daughter whose name was Gira, who performed a prohibited action, i.e., she engaged in promiscuous intercourse. Antoninus sent a rocket plant [gargira] to Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi, to allude to the fact that Gira had acted promiscuously [gar]. Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi sent him coriander [kusbarta], which Antoninus understood as a message to kill [kos] his daughter [barta], as she was liable to receive the death penalty for her actions. Antoninus sent him leeks [karti] to say: I will be cut off [karet] if I do so. Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi then sent him lettuce [ḥasa], i.e., Antoninus should have mercy [ḥas] on her. The Gemara relates: Every day Antoninus would send to Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi crushed gold in large sacks, with wheat in the opening of the sacks. He would say to his servants: Bring this wheat to Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi, and they did not realize that the bags actually contained gold. Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi said to Antoninus: I do not need gold, as I have plenty. Antoninus said: The gold should be for those who will come after you, who will give it to the last ones who come after you. And those who descend from them will bring forth the gold that I now give you, and will be able to pay taxes to the Romans from this money. The Gemara relates anther anecdote involving Antoninus. Antoninus had a certain underground cave from which there was a tunnel that went from his house to the house of Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi. Every day he would bring two servants to serve him. He would kill one at the entrance of the house of Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi, and would kill the other one at the entrance of his house, so that no living person would know that he had visited Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi. He said to Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi: When I come to visit, let no man be found before you. One day, Antoninus found that Rabbi Ḥanina bar Ḥama was sitting there. He said: Did I not tell you that when I come to visit, let no man be found before you? Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi said to him: This is not a human being; he is like an angel, and you have nothing to fear from him. Antoninus said to Rabbi Ḥanina bar Ḥama: Tell that servant who is sleeping at the entrance that he should rise and come. Rabbi Ḥanina bar Ḥama went and found that the servant Antoninus referred to had been killed. He said to himself: How shall I act? If I go and tell Antoninus that he was killed, this is problematic, as one should not report distressing news. If I leave him and go, then I would be treating the king with disrespect. He prayed for God to have mercy and revived the servant, and he sent him to Antoninus. Antoninus said: I know that even the least among you can revive the dead; but when I come to visit let no man be found before you, even one as great as Rabbi Ḥanina bar Ḥama. The Gemara relates: Every day Antoninus would minister to Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi; he would feed him and give him to drink. When Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi wanted to ascend to his bed, Antoninus would bend down in front of the bed and say to him: Ascend upon me to your bed. Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi said in response: It is not proper conduct to treat the king with this much disrespect. Antoninus said: Oh, that I were set as a mattress under you in the World-to-Come! On another occasion, Antoninus said to Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi: Will I enter the World-to-Come? Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi said to him: Yes. Antoninus said to him: But isn’t it written: “And there shall not be any remaining of the house of Esau” (Obadiah 1:18)? Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi answered: The verse is stated with regard to those who perform actions similar to those of the wicked Esau, not to people like you. This is also taught in a baraita: From the verse: “And there shall not be any remaining of the house of Esau,” one might have thought that this applies to everyone descended from Esau, irrespective of an individual’s actions. Therefore, the verse states: “Of the house of Esau,” to indicate that the verse is stated only with regard to those who continue in the way of Esau, and perform actions similar to those of Esau. Antoninus said to Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi: But isn’t it written in the description of the netherworld: “There is Edom, her kings and all her leaders” (Ezekiel 32:29)? Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi said to him: The verse states: “Her kings,” but not: All of her kings, and likewise it states: “All her leaders,” but not: All of her officers. Some of them will merit the World-to-Come. This is also taught in a baraita: The verse states: “Her kings,” but not: All of her kings, and: “All her leaders,” but not: All of her officers. The inference learned from the wording of the verse: “Her kings,” but not: All of her kings, serves to exclude Antoninus the son of Asveirus; and the inference from the wording: “All her leaders,” but not: All of her officers, serves to exclude the Roman officer Ketia, son of Shalom. The Gemara asks: What is it that occurred involving Ketia, son of Shalom? As there was a certain Roman emperor who hated the Jews. He said to the important members of the kingdom: If one had an ulcerous sore [nima] rise on his foot, should he cut it off and live, or leave it and suffer? They said to him: He should cut it off and live. The ulcerous sore was a metaphor for the Jewish people, whom the emperor sought to eliminate as the cause of harm for the Roman Empire. Ketia, son of Shalom, said to them: It is unwise to do so, for two reasons. One is that you cannot destroy all of them, as it is written: “For I have spread you abroad as the four winds of the heaven, says the Lord” (Zechariah 2:10). He clarified: What is it saying? Shall we say that the verse means that God has scattered them to the four winds of the world? If so, this phrase: “As the four winds,” is inaccurate, since it should have said: To the four winds. Rather, this is what the verse is saying: Just as the world cannot exist without winds, so too, the world cannot exist without the Jewish people, and they will never be destroyed. And furthermore, if you attempt to carry out the destruction of the Jews, they will call you the severed kingdom, as the Roman Empire would be devoid of Jews, but Jews would exist in other locations. The emperor said to Ketia: You have spoken well and your statement is correct; but they throw anyone who defeats the king in argument into a house full of ashes [lekamonya ḥalila], where he would die. When they were seizing Ketia and going to take him to his death, a certain matron [matronita] said to him: Woe to the ship that goes without paying the tax. Ketia bent down over his foreskin, severed it, and said: I gave my tax; I will pass and enter. When they threw him into the house of ashes, he said: All of my property is given to Rabbi Akiva and his colleagues. How was this inheritance to be divided? The Gemara relates: Rabbi Akiva went out and taught that the verse: “And it shall be for Aaron and his sons” (Exodus 29:28), means half to Aaron and half to his sons. Here too, as Rabbi Akiva is mentioned separately, he should receive half, while his colleagues receive the other half. The Gemara returns to the story of Ketia. A Divine Voice emerged and said: Ketia, son of Shalom, is destined for life in the World-to-Come. When Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi heard this, he wept, saying: There is one who acquires his share in the World-to-Come in one moment, and there is one who acquires his share in the World-to-Come only after many years of toil. The Gemara relates: Antoninus would attend to Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi, and similarly the Persian king Adrakan would attend to Rav. When Antoninus died, Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi said: The bundle is separated. When Adrakan died, Rav likewise said:

▶ 🇫🇷 Résumé en français La Guemara demande : Mais pourquoi ne pas lui dire son conseil explicitement ? Pourquoi Rabbi Yehouda HaNassi a-t-il rép…

La Guemara demande : Mais pourquoi ne pas lui dire son conseil explicitement ? Pourquoi Rabbi Yehouda HaNassi a-t-il répondu de manière si détournée, ce qui aurait pu être mal interprété ? La Guemara répond : Rabbi Yehouda HaNassi se dit : Si je réponds ouvertement, les Romains importants pourraient m’entendre et me causer du tourment. La Guemara demande : Mais pourquoi ne pas lui dire son conseil à voix basse ? La Guemara explique : Rabbi Yehouda HaNassi craignait encore qu’ils n’entendent ce qu’il avait dit, car il est écrit : « Ne maudis pas le roi, même dans ta pensée, et ne maudis pas le riche dans ta chambre à coucher, car l’oiseau du ciel emportera la voix » (Ecclésiaste 10:20). La Guemara raconte : Antoninus avait une certaine fille dont le nom était Gira, qui avait accompli un acte interdit, c’est-à-dire qu’elle s’était livrée à des relations licencieuses. Antoninus envoya une roquette [gargira] à Rabbi Yehouda HaNassi, pour faire allusion au fait que Gira avait agi de manière licencieuse [gar]. Rabbi Yehouda HaNassi lui envoya de la coriandre [kusbarta], ce qu’Antoninus comprit comme un message pour tuer [kos] sa fille [barta], car elle était passible de la peine de mort pour ses actes. Antoninus lui envoya des poireaux [karti] pour dire : Je serai retranché [karet] si je le fais. Rabbi Yehouda HaNassi lui envoya alors de la laitue [ḥasa], c’est-à-dire qu’Antoninus devrait avoir pitié [ḥas] d’elle. La Guemara raconte : Chaque jour, Antoninus envoyait à Rabbi Yehouda HaNassi de l’or broyé dans de grands sacs, avec du blé à l’ouverture des sacs. Il disait à ses serviteurs : Apportez ce blé à Rabbi Yehouda HaNassi, et ils ne se rendaient pas compte que les sacs contenaient en réalité de l’or. Rabbi Yehouda HaNassi dit à Antoninus : Je n’ai pas besoin d’or, car j’en ai en abondance. Antoninus dit : L’or sera pour ceux qui viendront après toi, qui le donneront aux derniers qui viendront après toi. Et ceux qui descendront d’eux feront sortir l’or que je te donne maintenant, et pourront payer les impôts aux Romains avec cet argent. La Guemara raconte une autre anecdote impliquant Antoninus. Antoninus avait une certaine grotte souterraine d’où partait un tunnel qui allait de sa maison à la maison de Rabbi Yehouda HaNassi. Chaque jour, il amenait deux serviteurs pour le servir. Il tuait l’un à l’entrée de la maison de Rabbi Yehouda HaNassi, et tuait l’autre à l’entrée de sa maison, afin qu’aucune personne vivante ne sache qu’il avait rendu visite à Rabbi Yehouda HaNassi. Il dit à Rabbi Yehouda HaNassi : Quand je viendrai en visite, qu’aucun homme ne se trouve devant toi. Un jour, Antoninus trouva que Rabbi Ḥanina bar Ḥama était assis là. Il dit : Ne t’ai-je pas dit que quand je viendrai en visite, qu’aucun homme ne se trouve devant toi ? Rabbi Yehouda HaNassi lui dit : Ce n’est pas un être humain ; il est comme un ange, et tu n’as rien à craindre de lui. Antoninus dit à Rabbi Ḥanina bar Ḥama : Dis à ce serviteur qui dort à l’entrée qu’il se lève et vienne. Rabbi Ḥanina bar Ḥama alla et trouva que le serviteur auquel Antoninus avait fait référence avait été tué. Il dit en lui-même : Comment dois-je agir ? Si je vais dire à Antoninus qu’il a été tué, c’est problématique, car on ne doit pas rapporter une nouvelle pénible. Si je le laisse et m’en vais, alors je manquerais de respect au roi. Il pria pour que Dieu ait pitié et ressuscita le serviteur, et il l’envoya à Antoninus. Antoninus dit : Je sais que même le moindre d’entre vous peut ressusciter les morts ; mais quand je viendrai en visite, qu’aucun homme ne se trouve devant toi, même quelqu’un d’aussi grand que Rabbi Ḥanina bar Ḥama. La Guemara raconte : Chaque jour, Antoninus servait Rabbi Yehouda HaNassi ; il le nourrissait et lui donnait à boire. Quand Rabbi Yehouda HaNassi voulait monter sur son lit, Antoninus se penchait devant le lit et lui disait : Monte sur moi vers ton lit. Rabbi Yehouda HaNassi dit en réponse : Il n’est pas convenable de traiter le roi avec un tel manque de respect. Antoninus dit : Oh, que je fusse placé comme un matelas sous toi dans le Monde à Venir ! À une autre occasion, Antoninus dit à Rabbi Yehouda HaNassi : Est-ce que j’entrerai dans le Monde à Venir ? Rabbi Yehouda HaNassi lui dit : Oui. Antoninus lui dit : Mais n’est-il pas écrit : « Et il n’y aura aucun reste de la maison d’Ésaü » (Abdias 1:18) ? Rabbi Yehouda HaNassi répondit : Le verset est énoncé à propos de ceux qui accomplissent des actions semblables à celles du méchant Ésaü, et non à propos de gens comme toi. Cela est aussi enseigné dans une baraita : Du verset : « Et il n’y aura aucun reste de la maison d’Ésaü », on aurait pu penser que cela s’applique à tous les descendants d’Ésaü, indépendamment des actions de chacun. C’est pourquoi le verset dit : « De la maison d’Ésaü », pour indiquer que le verset n’est énoncé que à propos de ceux qui continuent dans la voie d’Ésaü et accomplissent des actions semblables à celles d’Ésaü. Antoninus dit à Rabbi Yehouda HaNassi : Mais n’est-il pas écrit dans la description du monde souterrain : « Là est Édom, ses rois et tous ses chefs » (Ézéchiel 32:29) ? Rabbi Yehouda HaNassi lui dit : Le verset dit : « Ses rois », mais pas : Tous ses rois, et de même il est dit : « Tous ses chefs », mais pas : Tous ses officiers. Certains d’entre eux mériteront le Monde à Venir. Cela est aussi enseigné dans une baraita : Le verset dit : « Ses rois », mais pas : Tous ses rois, et : « Tous ses chefs », mais pas : Tous ses officiers. L’inférence [...]

📜 Avodah Zarah — 10b

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