Avodah Zarah 18a

הוֹגֶה אֶת הַשֵּׁם בְּאוֹתִיּוֹתָיו. וְהֵיכִי עָבֵיד הָכִי? וְהָתְנַן: אֵלּוּ שֶׁאֵין לָהֶם חֵלֶק לָעוֹלָם הַבָּא — הָאוֹמֵר אֵין תּוֹרָה מִן הַשָּׁמַיִם, וְאֵין תְּחִיַּית הַמֵּתִים מִן הַתּוֹרָה. אַבָּא שָׁאוּל אוֹמֵר: אַף הַהוֹגֶה אֶת הַשֵּׁם בְּאוֹתִיּוֹתָיו!

pronounce the ineffable name of God with all of its letters, i.e., as it is spelled. The Gemara asks: And how could he do that? But didn’t we learn in the mishna ( Sanhedrin 90a): These are the people who have no share in the World-to-Come: One who says that the Torah is not from Heaven or that there is no source from the Torah for the resurrection of the dead. Abba Shaul says: Also one who pronounces the ineffable name as it is written, with all of its letters, has no share in the World-to-Come.

לְהִתְלַמֵּד עֲבַד, כִּדְתַנְיָא: ״לֹא תִלְמַד לַעֲשׂוֹת״, אֲבָל אַתָּה לָמֵד לְהָבִין וּלְהוֹרוֹת.

The Gemara answers: Rabbi Ḥanina ben Teradyon did it to teach himself, as it is taught in a baraita with regard to the prohibition against sorcery: “You shall not learn to do” (Deuteronomy 18:9); this indicates: But you may learn to understand and to teach. In other words, certain prohibitions do not apply when one is acting only in order to acquire knowledge of the subject.

אֶלָּא מַאי טַעְמָא אִעֲנַשׁ? מִשּׁוּם (הוגה) [דְּהוֹגֶה] אֶת הַשֵּׁם בְּפַרְהֶסְיָא [הֲוָה], וְעַל אִשְׁתּוֹ לַהֲרִיגָה דְּלָא (מַיחָה) [מַחַתָה] בֵּיהּ. מִכָּאן אָמְרוּ: כָּל מִי שֶׁיֵּשׁ בְּיָדוֹ לִמְחוֹת וְאֵינוֹ מוֹחֶה נֶעֱנָשׁ עָלָיו.

The Gemara asks: Rather, what is the reason that he was punished? The Gemara answers: He was punished because he would pronounce the ineffable name of God in public, instead of privately. And his wife was condemned to execution by decapitation because she did not protest his doing so. From here the Sages stated: Anyone who has the capability to protest effectively the sinful conduct of another and does not protest is punished for that person’s sin.

וְעַל בִּתּוֹ לֵישֵׁב בְּקוּבָּה שֶׁל זוֹנוֹת, דְּאָמַר רַבִּי יוֹחָנָן: פַּעַם אַחַת הָיְתָה בִּתּוֹ מְהַלֶּכֶת לִפְנֵי גְּדוֹלֵי רוֹמִי, אָמְרוּ: כַּמָּה נָאוֹת פְּסִיעוֹתֶיהָ שֶׁל רִיבָה זוֹ, מִיָּד דִּקְדְּקָה בִּפְסִיעוֹתֶיהָ. וְהַיְינוּ דְּאָמַר רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן בֶּן לָקִישׁ: מַאי דִּכְתִיב ״עֲוֹן עֲקֵבַי יְסוּבֵּנִי״? עֲוֹנוֹת שֶׁאָדָם דָּשׁ בַּעֲקֵבָיו בָּעוֹלָם הַזֶּה מְסוּבִּין לוֹ לְיוֹם הַדִּין.

The Gemara asks: And why was his daughter condemned to sit in a brothel? As Rabbi Yoḥanan says: Once, the daughter of Rabbi Ḥanina ben Teradyon was walking before the nobles of Rome, and they said to each other: How pleasant are the steps of this young woman. Upon hearing this, she immediately took care to keep walking in such a fashion that her steps would continue to be pleasing to them. And this is the same as that which Rabbi Shimon ben Lakish says: What is the meaning of that which is written: “The iniquity of my heel encircles me” (Psalms 49:6)? It means that the sins that a person tramples with one’s heel in this world, i.e., dismisses and pays no attention to them as they seem to lack importance, e.g., the way that one walks, come and encircle him on the Day of Judgment.

בְּשָׁעָה שֶׁיָּצְאוּ שְׁלָשְׁתָּן, צִדְּקוּ עֲלֵיהֶם אֶת הַדִּין, הוּא אָמַר: ״הַצּוּר תָּמִים פׇּעֳלוֹ [וְגוֹ׳]״, וְאִשְׁתּוֹ אָמְרָה: ״אֵל אֱמוּנָה וְאֵין עָוֶל״, בִּתּוֹ אָמְרָה: ״גְּדֹל הָעֵצָה וְרַב הָעֲלִילִיָּה אֲשֶׁר עֵינֶיךָ פְקֻחוֹת עַל כׇּל דַּרְכֵי וְגוֹ׳״, אָמַר רַבִּי: [כַּמָּה] גְּדוֹלִים צַדִּיקִים הַלָּלוּ, שֶׁנִּזְדַּמְּנוּ לָהֶן שָׁלֹשׁ מִקְרָאוֹת שֶׁל צִדּוּק הַדִּין בִּשְׁעַת צִדּוּק הַדִּין.

The Gemara relates: When the three of them went out after being sentenced, they accepted the justice of God’s judgment. Rabbi Ḥanina ben Teradyon said: “The Rock, His work is perfect; for all His ways are justice” (Deuteronomy 32:4). And his wife said the continuation of the verse: “A God of faithfulness and without iniquity.” His daughter said: “Great in counsel, and mighty in work; whose eyes are open upon all the ways of the sons of men, to give every one according to his ways” (Jeremiah 32:19). Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi said: How great are these righteous people, that these three verses, which speak of the acceptance of God’s judgment, occurred to them at the time of accepting the righteousness of His judgment.

תָּנוּ רַבָּנַן: כְּשֶׁחָלָה רַבִּי יוֹסֵי בֶּן קִיסְמָא, הָלַךְ רַבִּי חֲנִינָא בֶּן תְּרַדְיוֹן לְבַקְּרוֹ. אָמַר לוֹ: חֲנִינָא אָחִי, (אָחִי), אִי אַתָּה יוֹדֵעַ שֶׁאוּמָּה זוֹ מִן הַשָּׁמַיִם הִמְלִיכוּהָ? שֶׁהֶחְרִיבָה אֶת בֵּיתוֹ וְשָׂרְפָה אֶת הֵיכָלוֹ, וְהָרְגָה אֶת חֲסִידָיו וְאִבְּדָה אֶת טוֹבָיו, וַעֲדַיִין הִיא קַיֶּימֶת. וַאֲנִי שָׁמַעְתִּי עָלֶיךָ שֶׁאַתָּה יוֹשֵׁב וְעוֹסֵק בַּתּוֹרָה [וּמַקְהִיל קְהִלּוֹת בָּרַבִּים], וְסֵפֶר מוּנָּח לְךָ בְּחֵיקֶךָ!

§ The Sages taught: When Rabbi Yosei ben Kisma fell ill, Rabbi Ḥanina ben Teradyon went to visit him. Rabbi Yosei ben Kisma said to him: Ḥanina my brother, do you not know that this nation has been given reign by a decree from Heaven? The proof is that Rome has destroyed God’s Temple, and burned His Sanctuary, and killed His pious ones, and destroyed His best ones, and it still exists. Evidently, all of this is by Divine decree. And yet I heard about you that you sit and engage in Torah study, and convene assemblies in public, and have a Torah scroll placed in your lap, thereby demonstrating complete disregard for the decrees issued by the Romans.

אָמַר לוֹ: מִן הַשָּׁמַיִם יְרַחֲמוּ. אָמַר לוֹ: אֲנִי אוֹמֵר לְךָ דְּבָרִים שֶׁל טַעַם, וְאַתָּה אוֹמֵר לִי ״מִן הַשָּׁמַיִם יְרַחֲמוּ״? תָּמֵהַּ אֲנִי אִם לֹא יִשְׂרְפוּ אוֹתְךָ וְאֶת סֵפֶר תּוֹרָה בָּאֵשׁ! אָמַר לוֹ: רַבִּי, מָה אֲנִי לְחַיֵּי הָעוֹלָם הַבָּא?

Rabbi Ḥanina ben Teradyon said to him: Heaven will have mercy and protect me. Rabbi Yosei ben Kisma said to him: I am saying reasonable matters to you, and you say to me: Heaven will have mercy? I wonder if the Romans will not burn both you and your Torah scroll by fire. Rabbi Ḥanina ben Teradyon said to him: My teacher, what will become of me? Am I destined for life in the World-to-Come?

אָמַר לוֹ: כְּלוּם מַעֲשֶׂה בָּא לְיָדֶךָ? אָמַר לוֹ: מָעוֹת שֶׁל פּוּרִים נִתְחַלְּפוּ לִי בְּמָעוֹת שֶׁל צְדָקָה וְחִלַּקְתִּים לַעֲנִיִּים. אָמַר לוֹ: אִם כֵּן, מֵחֶלְקְךָ יְהִי חֶלְקִי וּמִגּוֹרָלְךָ יְהִי גּוֹרָלִי.

Rabbi Yosei ben Kisma said to him: Did any special incident occur to you which might serve as an indication? Rabbi Ḥanina ben Teradyon said to him: I confused my own coins that I needed for the festivities of Purim with coins of charity, and I distributed them all to the poor at my own expense. Rabbi Yosei ben Kisma said to him: If that is so, may my portion be of your portion, and may my lot be of your lot.

אָמְרוּ: לֹא הָיוּ יָמִים מוּעָטִים עַד שֶׁנִּפְטַר רַבִּי יוֹסֵי בֶּן קִיסְמָא, וְהָלְכוּ כׇּל גְּדוֹלֵי רוֹמִי לְקׇבְרוֹ וְהִסְפִּידוּהוּ הֶסְפֵּד גָּדוֹל, וּבַחֲזָרָתָן מְצָאוּהוּ לְרַבִּי חֲנִינָא בֶּן תְּרַדְיוֹן שֶׁהָיָה יוֹשֵׁב וְעוֹסֵק בַּתּוֹרָה וּמַקְהִיל קְהִלּוֹת בָּרַבִּים וְסֵפֶר תּוֹרָה מוּנָּח לוֹ בְּחֵיקוֹ.

The Sages said: Not even a few days passed before Rabbi Yosei ben Kisma died of his illness, and all of the Roman notables went to bury him, and they eulogized him with a great eulogy. And upon their return, they found Rabbi Ḥanina ben Teradyon, who was sitting and engaging in Torah study and convening assemblies in public, with a Torah scroll placed in his lap.

הֱבִיאוּהוּ וּכְרָכוּהוּ בְּסֵפֶר תּוֹרָה, וְהִקִּיפוּהוּ בַּחֲבִילֵי זְמוֹרוֹת וְהִצִּיתוּ בָּהֶן אֶת הָאוּר, וְהֵבִיאוּ סְפוֹגִין שֶׁל צֶמֶר וּשְׁרָאוּם בְּמַיִם וְהִנִּיחוּם עַל לִבּוֹ, כְּדֵי שֶׁלֹּא תֵּצֵא נִשְׁמָתוֹ מְהֵרָה. אָמְרָה לוֹ בִּתּוֹ: אַבָּא, אֶרְאֲךָ בְּכָךְ? אֲמַר לַהּ: אִילְמָלֵי אֲנִי נִשְׂרַפְתִּי לְבַדִּי הָיָה הַדָּבָר קָשֶׁה לִי, עַכְשָׁיו שֶׁאֲנִי נִשְׂרָף וְסֵפֶר תּוֹרָה עִמִּי, מִי שֶׁמְבַקֵּשׁ עֶלְבּוֹנָהּ שֶׁל סֵפֶר תּוֹרָה הוּא יְבַקֵּשׁ עֶלְבּוֹנִי.

They brought him to be sentenced, and wrapped him in the Torah scroll, and encircled him with bundles of branches, and they set fire to it. And they brought tufts of wool and soaked them in water, and placed them on his heart, so that his soul should not leave his body quickly, but he would die slowly and painfully. His daughter said to him: Father, must I see you like this? Rabbi Ḥanina ben Teradyon said to her: If I alone were being burned, it would be difficult for me, but now that I am burning along with a Torah scroll, He who will seek retribution for the insult accorded to the Torah scroll will also seek retribution for the insult accorded to me.

אָמְרוּ לוֹ תַּלְמִידָיו: רַבִּי, מָה אַתָּה רוֹאֶה? אָמַר לָהֶן: (גִּלְיוֹן) [גְּוִילִין] נִשְׂרָפִין וְאוֹתִיּוֹת פּוֹרְחוֹת. אַף אַתָּה פְּתַח פִּיךָ וְתִכָּנֵס בְּךָ הָאֵשׁ. אָמַר לָהֶן: מוּטָב שֶׁיִּטְּלֶנָּה מִי שֶׁנְּתָנָהּ, וְאַל יְחַבֵּל הוּא בְּעַצְמוֹ.

His students said to him: Our teacher, what do you see? Rabbi Ḥanina ben Teradyon said to them: I see the parchment burning, but its letters are flying to the heavens. They said to him: You too should open your mouth and the fire will enter you, and you will die quickly. Rabbi Ḥanina ben Teradyon said to them: It is preferable that He who gave me my soul should take it away, and one should not harm oneself to speed his death.

אָמַר לוֹ קְלַצְטוֹנֵירִי: רַבִּי, אִם אֲנִי מַרְבֶּה בַּשַּׁלְהֶבֶת וְנוֹטֵל סְפוֹגִין שֶׁל צֶמֶר מֵעַל לִבְּךָ, אַתָּה מְבִיאֵנִי לְחַיֵּי הָעוֹלָם הַבָּא? אָמַר לוֹ: הֵן. הִשָּׁבַע לִי, נִשְׁבַּע לוֹ. מִיָּד הִרְבָּה בַּשַּׁלְהֶבֶת וְנָטַל סְפוֹגִין שֶׁל צֶמֶר מֵעַל לִבּוֹ, יָצְאָה נִשְׁמָתוֹ בִּמְהֵרָה. אַף הוּא קָפַץ וְנָפַל לְתוֹךְ הָאוּר.

The executioner [ kaltzatoniri ] said to him: My teacher, if I increase the flame and take off the tufts of wool from your heart, so that you will die sooner and suffer less, will you bring me to the life of the World-to-Come? Rabbi Ḥanina ben Teradyon said to the executioner: Yes. The executioner said: Take an oath for me, that what you say is true. Rabbi Ḥanina ben Teradyon took the oath for him, and the executioner immediately increased the flame and took off the tufts of wool from his heart, causing his soul to leave his body quickly. The executioner too leaped and fell into the fire and died.

יָצְאָה בַּת קוֹל וְאָמְרָה: רַבִּי חֲנִינָא בֶּן תְּרַדְיוֹן וּקְלַצְטוֹנֵירִי מְזוּמָּנִין הֵן לְחַיֵּי הָעוֹלָם הַבָּא. בָּכָה רַבִּי וְאָמַר: יֵשׁ קוֹנֶה עוֹלָמוֹ בְּשָׁעָה אַחַת, וְיֵשׁ קוֹנֶה עוֹלָמוֹ בְּכַמָּה שָׁנִים.

A Divine Voice emerged and said: Rabbi Ḥanina ben Teradyon and the executioner are destined for the life of the World-to-Come. Upon hearing this, Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi wept and said: There is one who acquires his share in the World -to-Come in one moment, such as the executioner, and there is one who acquires his share in the World -to-Come only after many years of toil, such as Rabbi Ḥanina ben Teradyon.

בְּרוּרְיָא דְּבֵיתְהוּ דְּרַבִּי מֵאִיר, בְּרַתֵּיה דְּרַבִּי חֲנִינָא בֶּן תְּרַדְיוֹן הֲוַאי, אֲמַרָה לֵיהּ: זִילָא בִּי מִלְּתָא דְּיָתְבָא אֲחָתַאי בְּקוּבָּה שֶׁל זוֹנוֹת. שְׁקַל תַּרְקַבָּא דְּדִינָרֵי וַאֲזַל, אֲמַר: אִי לָא אִיתְעֲבִיד בַּהּ אִיסּוּרָא — (מִיתְעֲבִיד) [מִתְרְחִישׁ] נִיסָּא, אִי עֲבַדָה אִיסּוּרָא — לָא (אִיתְעֲבִיד) [מִתְרְחִישׁ] לַהּ נִיסָּא.

§ The Gemara relates: Berurya, the wife of Rabbi Meir, was a daughter of Rabbi Ḥanina ben Teradyon. She said to Rabbi Meir: It is a disrespectful matter for me that my sister is sitting in a brothel; you must do something to save her. Rabbi Meir took a vessel [ tarkeva ] full of dinars and went. He said to himself: If no transgression was committed with her, a miracle will be performed for her; if she committed a transgression, no miracle will be performed for her.

אֲזַל נְקַט נַפְשֵׁיהּ כְּחַד פָּרָשָׁא, אֲמַר לַהּ: (הַשְׁמִיעִנִי) [הִשָּׁמְעִי] לִי. אֲמַרָה לֵיהּ: דַּשְׁתָּנָא אֲנָא. אֲמַר לַהּ: מִתָּרַחְנָא (מִרְתָח). אֲמַרָה לֵיהּ: נְפִישָׁן טוּבָא (וְאִיכָּא טוּבָא הָכָא) דְּשַׁפִּירָן מִינַּאי. אָמַר: שְׁמַע מִינַּהּ לָא עֲבַדָה אִיסּוּרָא, כֹּל דְּאָתֵי אָמְרָה לֵיהּ הָכִי.

Rabbi Meir went and dressed as a Roman knight, and said to her: Accede to my wishes, i.e., engage in intercourse with me. She said to him: I am menstruating [ dashtana ] and cannot. He said to her: I will wait. She said to him: There are many women in the brothel, and there are many women here who are more beautiful than I. He said to himself: I can conclude from her responses that she did not commit a transgression, as she presumably said this to all who come.

אֲזַל לְגַבֵּי שׁוֹמֵר דִּידַהּ, אֲמַר לֵיהּ: הֲבַהּ נִיהֲלַי, אֲמַר לֵיהּ: מִיסְתְּפֵינָא מִמַּלְכוּתָא, אֲמַר לֵיהּ: שְׁקוֹל תַּרְקַבָּא דְּדִינָרֵי, פַּלְגָא פְּלַח וּפַלְגָא לֶהֱוֵי לָךְ, אֲמַר לֵיהּ: וְכִי שָׁלְמִי מַאי אֶיעְבֵּיד? אֲמַר לֵיהּ: אֵימָא ״אֱלָהָא דְּמֵאִיר עֲנֵנִי״ וּמִתַּצְּלַתְּ, אֲמַר לֵיהּ:

Rabbi Meir went over to her guard, and said to him: Give her to me. The guard said to him: I fear that if I do so, I will be punished by the government. Rabbi Meir said to him: Take this vessel full of dinars; give half to the government as a bribe, and half will be for you. The guard said to him: But when the money is finished, what shall I do? Rabbi Meir said to him: Say: God of Meir answer me! And you will be saved. The guard said to him: