Baba Batra 9b — Talmud de Babylone

▶ 💬 Guemara who perverted the ways of his mother. He said in the name of Rabbi Elazar: What is the meaning of that which is written:…

who perverted the ways of his mother. He said in the name of Rabbi Elazar: What is the meaning of that which is written: “And He donned charity like a coat of mail” (Isaiah 59:17)? This verse serves to tell you that just as with regard to this coat of mail, each and every scale of which it is fashioned combines to form one large coat of mail, so too with regard to charity, each and every peruta that one gives combines to form a great sum. Rabbi Ḥanina says: The same idea is derived from here, as it is stated: “And all our charity is as a polluted garment” (Isaiah 64:5). Just as with regard to this garment, each and every thread in it combines to form one large garment, so too with regard to charity, each and every peruta combines to form a great sum. The Gemara comments: Why was this Sage called the infant who perverted the ways of his mother? It was because of the following incident: Rav Aḥadvoi bar Ami asked Rav Sheshet: From where is it derived that a leper renders a person impure through contact during his days of counting, i.e., during the seven days that the leper must count from the start of his purification process, when he brings his birds, until he completes that process with the bringing of his sacrifices? Rav Sheshet said to him: Since he renders his garments impure, as it states that on the seventh day of his purification he must wash his clothes (see Leviticus 14:9), he also renders people impure. Rav Aḥadvoi said to him: Perhaps connected impurity is different, meaning perhaps he renders his garments impure because they are connected to the source of the impurity, but this does not mean that he renders impure a person whom he touches. A proof for this distinction may be brought from the fact that if one moves an animal carcass, an action that renders him impure even if there was no actual contact with the carcass, he renders the garments that he is wearing impure but does not render another person impure. Rav Sheshet said to him: But from where do we derive that the carcass of a creeping animal renders a person impure? Is it not because we know that it renders his garments impure? Rav Aḥadvoi said to him: It is written explicitly with regard to the carcass of a creeping animal: “Or a man who touches any creeping animal, whereby he may be made unclean” (Leviticus 22:5). Rav Sheshet said to him: But from where do we derive that semen renders a person impure? Is it not because we say that since it renders his garments impure (see Leviticus 15:17) it also renders a person impure? Rav Aḥadvoi said to him: It is also written explicitly with regard to semen: “Or a man from whom semen is expelled” (Leviticus 22:4), and the Sages expound the superfluous word “or” as serving to include as impure one who touches semen. The Gemara relates that with each of his answers Rav Aḥadvoi responded to Rav Sheshet in a mocking tone, intimating that he doubted Rav Sheshet’s grasp of Torah verses. Rav Sheshet was deeply offended, and as punishment, Rav Aḥadvoi bar Ami became mute and forgot his learning. Rav Aḥadvoi’s mother came and wept before Rav Sheshet. She cried and cried but he ignored her. As she had once been Rav Sheshet’s nursemaid, she said to him: Look at these breasts of mine from which you suckled. Upon hearing that, Rav Sheshet prayed for mercy for Rav Aḥadvoi, and he was healed. And since it was Rav Aḥadvoi whose behavior led to his mother’s acting in this manner, he was referred to as the infant who perverted his mother’s ways. The Gemara comments: With regard to that which we arrived at, i.e., this particular subject, let us clarify the matter: From where do we derive that a leper renders impure a person with whom he comes into contact during his days of counting? As it is taught in a baraita: Rabbi Shimon bar Yoḥai says: Washing garments is stated with respect to his days of counting, and washing garments is stated with respect to his days of confirmed leprosy, after he has been declared conclusively impure by a priest. Just as there, when he is a confirmed leper he renders a person impure, as is explicitly stated in the Torah, so too here, during his days of counting he renders a person impure. § The Gemara resumes its discussion of the virtues of giving charity. Rabbi Elazar said: One who performs acts of charity in secret is greater than Moses, our teacher. Whereas with regard to Moses, our teacher, it is written: “For I was afraid of the anger and the wrath” (Deuteronomy 9:19), with regard to one who performs acts of charity it is written: “A gift in secret pacifies anger, and a present in the bosom fierce wrath” (Proverbs 21:14). The Gemara comments: And this statement disagrees with a statement of Rabbi Yitzḥak, as Rabbi Yitzḥak says: A secret gift pacifies anger, but it does not pacify wrath, as it is stated: “And a present in the bosom fierce wrath,” meaning that although a present is in the bosom, i.e., even if one gives charity in secret, nevertheless fierce wrath can still harm him. There are those who say that Rabbi Yitzḥak says as follows: Any judge who accepts a bribe brings fierce wrath upon the world, as it is stated: “And a present in the bosom fierce wrath.” And Rabbi Yitzḥak says: Anyone who gives a peruta to a poor person receives six blessings, and whoever consoles him with words of comfort and encouragement receives eleven blessings. The Gemara explains: One who gives a peruta to a poor person receives six blessings, as it is written: “Is it not to share your bread with the hungry, and that you shall bring the poor that are cast out to your house? When you see the naked, that you cover him” (Isaiah 58:7). And the next verses list six blessings: “Then shall your light break forth like the dawn, and your health shall spring forth speedily, and your righteousness shall go before you, the glory of the Lord shall be your rearguard. Then, shall you call, and the Lord shall answer; you shall cry, and He shall say: Here I am” (Isaiah 58:8–9). And whoever consoles a poor person with words of comfort and encouragement receives eleven blessings, as it is stated: “And if you draw out your soul to the hungry and satisfy the afflicted soul, then shall your light shine in darkness, and your gloom shall be as the noonday. And the Lord shall guide you continually, and satisfy your thirst in drought… And they that shall be of you shall build the old waste places, you shall raise up the foundations of many generations” (Isaiah 58:10–12). And Rabbi Yitzḥak says: What is the meaning of that which is written: “He who pursues charity and mercy finds life, charity, and honor” (Proverbs 21:21)? Is this to say that because one has pursued charity, he himself shall find charity? That is, shall the reward of one who has always given charity be that he will eventually become poor and other people will act charitably toward him? Rather, the verse serves to tell you that with regard to anyone who pursues charity, giving to the poor and leading others to do so, the Holy One, Blessed be He, furnishes him with money with which to perform his acts of charity. Rav Naḥman bar Yitzḥak says: The Holy One, Blessed be He, sends him people who are deserving of charity, so that he will reap his just reward for helping them. The Gemara comments: What does this statement serve to exclude? It serves to exclude Rabba’s homiletical interpretation of a different verse, as Rabba taught: What is the meaning of that which is written: “Let them be made to stumble before You; deal thus with them in the time of Your anger” (Jeremiah 18:23)? The prophet Jeremiah said before the Holy One, Blessed be He: Master of the Universe, even when those wicked men who pursued me subdue their inclinations and seek to perform acts of charity before You, cause them to stumble upon dishonest people who are not deserving of charity, so that they will not receive reward for coming to their assistance. Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi says: Anyone who is accustomed to performing acts of charity merits blessing; he will have sons who are masters of wisdom, masters of wealth, and masters of aggada. The Gemara explains: Masters of wisdom, as it is written:

▶ 🇫🇷 Résumé en français qui a perverti les voies de sa mère. Il dit au nom de Rabbi Elazar : Que signifie ce qui est écrit : « Et il revêtit la …

qui a perverti les voies de sa mère. Il dit au nom de Rabbi Elazar : Que signifie ce qui est écrit : « Et il revêtit la charité comme une cuirasse » (Ésaïe 59:17) ? Ce verset sert à te dire que de même que pour cette cuirasse, chaque écaille dont elle est faite se combine pour former une grande cuirasse, de même pour la charité, chaque peruta que l’on donne se combine pour former une grande somme. Rabbi Ḥanina dit : La même idée est dérivée d’ici, comme il est dit : « Et toute notre charité est comme un vêtement souillé » (Ésaïe 64:5). De même que pour ce vêtement, chaque fil qui s’y trouve se combine pour former un grand vêtement, de même pour la charité, chaque peruta se combine pour former une grande somme. La Guemara commente : Pourquoi ce Sage était-il appelé l’enfant qui a perverti les voies de sa mère ? C’est à cause de l’incident suivant : Rav Aḥadvoi bar Ami demanda à Rav Sheshet : D’où dérive-t-on qu’un lépreux rend une personne impure par contact pendant ses jours de comptage, c’est-à-dire pendant les sept jours que le lépreux doit compter depuis le début de son processus de purification, lorsqu’il apporte ses oiseaux, jusqu’à ce qu’il achève ce processus par l’apport de ses sacrifices ? Rav Sheshet lui dit : Puisqu’il rend ses vêtements impurs, comme il est dit que le septième jour de sa purification il doit laver ses vêtements (voir Lévitique 14:9), il rend aussi les personnes impures. Rav Aḥadvoi lui dit : Peut-être l’impureté connectée est-elle différente, c’est-à-dire peut-être rend-il ses vêtements impurs parce qu’ils sont connectés à la source de l’impureté, mais cela ne signifie pas qu’il rend impure une personne qu’il touche. Une preuve de cette distinction peut être apportée du fait que si on déplace une carcasse d’animal, une action qui le rend impur même s’il n’y a pas eu de contact réel avec la carcasse, il rend les vêtements qu’il porte impurs mais ne rend pas une autre personne impure. Rav Sheshet lui dit : Mais d’où dérivons-nous que la carcasse d’un animal rampant rend une personne impure ? N’est-ce pas parce que nous savons qu’elle rend ses vêtements impurs ? Rav Aḥadvoi lui dit : Il est écrit explicitement à propos de la carcasse d’un animal rampant : « Ou un homme qui touche un animal rampant, par lequel il peut être rendu impur » (Lévitique 22:5). Rav Sheshet lui dit : Mais d’où dérivons-nous que le sperme rend une personne impure ? N’est-ce pas parce que nous disons que puisqu’il rend ses vêtements impurs (voir Lévitique 15:17) il rend aussi une personne impure ? Rav Aḥadvoi lui dit : Il est aussi écrit explicitement à propos du sperme : « Ou un homme duquel du sperme est émis » (Lévitique 22:4), et les Sages exposent le mot superflu « ou » comme servant à inclure comme impur celui qui touche le sperme. La Guemara rapporte qu’à chacune de ses réponses Rav Aḥadvoi répondait à Rav Sheshet sur un ton moqueur, insinuant qu’il doutait de la maîtrise des versets de la Torah par Rav Sheshet. Rav Sheshet fut profondément offensé, et comme punition, Rav Aḥadvoi bar Ami devint muet et oublia son étude. La mère de Rav Aḥadvoi vint et pleura devant Rav Sheshet. Elle pleura et pleura mais il l’ignora. Comme elle avait autrefois été la nourrice de Rav Sheshet, elle lui dit : Regarde ces seins desquels tu as tété. En entendant cela, Rav Sheshet pria pour que la miséricorde soit accordée à Rav Aḥadvoi, et il fut guéri. Et puisque c’était Rav Aḥadvoi dont le comportement avait conduit sa mère à agir de cette manière, il fut appelé l’enfant qui a perverti les voies de sa mère. La Guemara commente : À propos de ce à quoi nous sommes arrivés, c’est-à-dire ce sujet particulier, clarifions la question : D’où dérivons-nous qu’un lépreux rend impure une personne avec laquelle il entre en contact pendant ses jours de comptage ? Comme il est enseigné dans une baraita : Rabbi Shimon bar Yoḥai dit : Le lavage des vêtements est énoncé à propos de ses jours de comptage, et le lavage des vêtements est énoncé à propos de ses jours de lèpre confirmée, après qu’il a été déclaré définitivement impur par un prêtre. De même que là, quand il est un lépreux confirmé il rend une personne impure, comme il est explicitement dit dans la Torah, de même ici, pendant ses jours de comptage il rend une personne impure. § La Guemara reprend sa discussion sur les vertus de la charité. Rabbi Elazar dit : Celui qui accomplit des actes de charité en secret est plus grand que Moïse, notre maître. Alors qu’à propos de Moïse, notre maître, il est écrit : « Car j’ai craint la colère et la fureur » (Deutéronome 9:19), à propos de celui qui accomplit des actes de charité il est écrit : « Un don en secret apaise la colère, et un présent dans le sein apaise la fureur violente » (Proverbes 21:14). La Guemara commente : Et cette déclaration est en désaccord avec une déclaration de Rabbi Yitzḥak, car Rabbi Yitzḥak dit : Un don secret apaise la colère, mais il n’apaise pas la fureur, comme il est dit : « Et un présent dans le sein apaise la fureur violente », ce qui signifie que bien qu’un présent soit dans le sein, c’est-à-dire même si l’on donne la charité en secret, néanmoins la fureur violente peut encore lui nuire. Il y a ceux qui disent que Rabbi Yitzḥak dit ceci : Tout juge qui accepte un pot-de-vin attire une fureur violente sur le monde, comme il est dit : « Et un présent dans le sein apaise la fureur violente. » Et Rabbi Yitzḥak dit : Quiconque donne une peruta à un pauvre reçoit six bénédictions, et celui qui le console avec des paroles de réconfort et d’encouragement reçoit onze bénédictions. Le

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