Sanhedrin 100a

לָא שְׁרוֹ לַן עוֹרְבָא, וְלָא אֲסַרוּ לַן יוֹנָה.

have they permitted a raven for us nor have they prohibited a dove for us. They merely tell us matters stated explicitly in the Torah.

רָבָא, כִּי הֲווֹ מַיְיתִי טְרֵיפְתָּא דְּבֵי בִנְיָמִין קַמֵּיהּ, כִּי הֲוָה חָזֵי בַּהּ טַעְמָא לְהֶיתֵּירָא, אֲמַר לְהוּ: תֶּחֱזוֹ דְּקָא שָׁרֵינָא לְכוּ עוֹרְבָא. כִּי הֲוָה חָזֵי לַהּ טַעְמָא לְאִיסּוּרָא, אֲמַר לְהוּ: תֶּחֱזוֹ דְּקָא אָסַרְנָא לְכוּ יוֹנָה.

The Gemara relates with regard to Rava: When they would bring a possible tereifa from the house of Binyamin before him, when he would see in it a reason to permit its consumption, Rava would say to them: See that I am permitting a raven for you, as this is an animal that appeared forbidden. When he would see in it a reason to prohibit its consumption, Rava would say to them: See that I am prohibiting a dove for you.

רַב פָּפָּא אָמַר: כְּגוֹן דְּאָמַר ״הָנֵי רַבָּנַן״. רַב פָּפָּא אִישְׁתְּלִי וְאָמַר: ״כְּגוֹן הָנֵי רַבָּנַן״, וְאִיתִּיב בְּתַעֲנִיתָא.

Rav Pappa says: The epikoros mentioned in the mishna is referring to one who conducts himself like one who says: Those Sages, with contemptuous overtones. The Gemara relates that Rav Pappa himself forgot in one instance and said: Like those Sages, and he observed a fast to achieve atonement for expressing himself in that manner.

לֵוִי בַּר שְׁמוּאֵל וְרַב הוּנָא בַּר חִיָּיא הֲווֹ קָא מְתַקְּנִי מִטְפְּחוֹת סִפְרֵי דְּבֵי רַב יְהוּדָה. כִּי מָטוּ מְגִילַּת אֶסְתֵּר אָמְרִי: הָא [מְגִילַּת אֶסְתֵּר] לָא בָּעֵי מִטְפַּחַת. אֲמַר לְהוּ: כִּי הַאי גַוְונָא נָמֵי מִיחְזֵי כִּי אַפְקֵירוּתָא.

The Gemara relates: Levi bar Shmuel and Rav Huna bar Ḥiyya were mending mantles for the sacred scrolls of the school of Rav Yehuda. When they reached the scroll of Esther they said: This scroll of Esther does not require a mantle, as it is not as significant as the other sacred scrolls. Rav Yehuda said to them: A statement of that sort also seems to express irreverence like the irreverence typical of an epikoros , as you should not have referred to the scroll of Esther as: This scroll.

רַב נַחְמָן אָמַר: זֶה הַקּוֹרֵא רַבּוֹ בִּשְׁמוֹ, דְּאָמַר רַבִּי יוֹחָנָן: מִפְּנֵי מָה נֶעֱנַשׁ גֵּיחֲזִי? מִפְּנֵי שֶׁקָּרָא לְרַבּוֹ בִּשְׁמוֹ, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: ״וַיֹּאמֶר גֵּחֲזִי אֲדֹנִי הַמֶּלֶךְ זֹאת הָאִשָּׁה וְזֶה בְּנָהּ אֲשֶׁר הֶחֱיָה אֱלִישָׁע״.

Rav Naḥman says: An epikoros is one who calls his teacher by his name and does not call him Rabbi, as Rabbi Yoḥanan said: For what reason was Gehazi punished? It is due to the fact that he called his teacher by his name, as it is stated: “And Gehazi said: My lord the king, this is the woman, and this is her son, whom Elisha revived” (II Kings 8:5).

יָתֵיב רַבִּי יִרְמְיָה קַמֵּיהּ דְּרַבִּי זֵירָא, וְיָתֵיב וְקָאָמַר: עָתִיד הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא לְהוֹצִיא נַחַל מִבֵּית קׇדְשֵׁי הַקֳּדָשִׁים, וְעָלָיו כׇּל מִינֵי מְגָדִים, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: ״וְעַל הַנַּחַל יַעֲלֶה עַל שְׂפָתוֹ מִזֶּה וּמִזֶּה כׇּל עֵץ מַאֲכָל לֹא יִבּוֹל עָלֵהוּ וְלֹא יִתֹּם פִּרְיוֹ לׇחֳדָשָׁיו יְבַכֵּר כִּי מֵימָיו מִן הַמִּקְדָּשׁ [הֵמָּה] יוֹצְאִים וְהָיָה פִרְיוֹ לְמַאֲכָל וְעָלֵהוּ לִתְרוּפָה״. אֲמַר לֵיהּ הָהוּא סָבָא: ״יִישַׁר״, וְכֵן אָמַר רַבִּי יוֹחָנָן: ״יִישַׁר״. אֲמַר לֵיהּ רַבִּי יִרְמְיָה לְרַבִּי זֵירָא: כִּי הַאי גַּוְנָא מִיחְזֵי אַפְקֵרוּתָא?

§ The Gemara relates: Rabbi Yirmeya sat before Rabbi Zeira, and sat and said: The Holy One, Blessed be He, will cause a river to emerge from the Holy of Holies, and alongside it all sorts of delicacies will grow, as it is stated: “And the river upon its bank, on this side and on that side shall grow every tree for food, whose leaf shall not wither, neither shall its fruit fall; it shall bring forth new fruit every month, because their waters emerged from the Sanctuary; and its fruit shall be for food and its leaf for medicine” (Ezekiel 47:12). A certain elder said to Rabbi Yirmeya: Well done, and so Rabbi Yoḥanan said: Well done. Rabbi Yirmeya said to Rabbi Zeira: Does a statement of that sort, when one who is not a Torah scholar says to a Sage that his statement is correct, seem like the irreverence typical of an epikoros ?

אֲמַר לֵיהּ: הָא [הַאי] סַיּוֹעֵי קָא מְסַיַּיע לֵיהּ [לָךְ]! אֶלָּא אִי שְׁמִיעַ לָךְ הָא, שְׁמִיעַ לָךְ: כִּי הָא דְּיָתֵיב רַבִּי יוֹחָנָן וְקָא דָרֵישׁ: עָתִיד הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא לְהָבִיא אֲבָנִים טוֹבוֹת וּמַרְגָּלִיּוֹת שֶׁהֵן שְׁלֹשִׁים עַל שְׁלֹשִׁים אַמּוֹת, וְחוֹקֵק בָּהֶם עֶשֶׂר בְּרוּם עֶשְׂרִים, וּמַעֲמִידָן בְּשַׁעֲרֵי יְרוּשָׁלַיִם, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר ״וְשַׂמְתִּי כַּדְכֹד שִׁמְשֹׁתַיִךְ וּשְׁעָרַיִךְ לְאַבְנֵי אֶקְדָּח וְגוֹ׳״. לִגְלֵג עָלָיו אוֹתוֹ תַּלְמִיד, אָמַר: הַשְׁתָּא כְּבֵיעֲתָא דְצִילְצְלָא לָא מַשְׁכְּחִינַן, כּוּלֵּי הַאי מַשְׁכְּחִינַן?

Rabbi Zeira said to him: But isn’t he supporting your statement? He meant no disrespect. Rather, if you heard that at times supporting the statement of a Sage is irreverent, this is what you heard: It is like that case in which Rabbi Yoḥanan sat and taught: The Holy One, Blessed be He, is destined to bring precious stones and jewels that are thirty by thirty cubits, and He will bore in them an opening ten cubits wide by twenty cubits in height and place them to serve as the gates of Jerusalem, as it is stated: “And I will make your pinnacles of rubies and your gates of carbuncles” (Isaiah 54:12). A certain student mocked him and said: Now, at present, we do not find precious stones comparable in size to the egg of a palm dove. Will we find stones as large as those that you described?

לְיָמִים הִפְלִיגָה סְפִינָתוֹ בַּיָּם. חֲזִינְהוּ לְמַלְאֲכֵי הַשָּׁרֵת דְּקָא מְנַסְּרִי אֲבָנִים טוֹבוֹת וּמַרְגָּלִיּוֹת. אֲמַר לְהוּ: הָנֵי לְמַאן? אָמְרִי: עָתִיד הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא לְהַעֲמִידָן בְּשַׁעֲרֵי יְרוּשָׁלַיִם. כִּי הֲדַר אַשְׁכְּחֵיהּ לְרַבִּי יוֹחָנָן דְּיָתֵיב וְקָא דָרֵישׁ. אֲמַר לֵיהּ: רַבִּי, דְּרוֹשׁ וּלְךָ נָאֶה לִדְרוֹשׁ. כְּשֵׁם שֶׁאָמַרְתָּ כָּךְ רָאִיתִי. אָמַר לוֹ: רֵיקָה! אִם לֹא רָאִיתָ לֹא הֶאֱמַנְתָּ? מְלַגְלֵג עַל דִּבְרֵי חֲכָמִים אַתָּה! יְהַב בֵּיהּ עֵינֵיהּ וַעֲשָׂאוֹ גַּל שֶׁל עֲצָמוֹת.

Sometime later that student’s ship set sail at sea. He saw the ministering angels cutting precious stones that size. He said to the angels: For whom are these stones? The angels said to him: The Holy One, Blessed be He, is destined to place them at the gates of Jerusalem. When the student returned, he found Rabbi Yoḥanan, who was sitting and teaching. The student said to him: My teacher, teach, and it is fitting for you to teach. Just as you said with regard to the precious stones, so I saw. Rabbi Yoḥanan said to him: Good-for-nothing, if you did not see it, you would not believe it? You are one who mocks the statements of the Sages. Rabbi Yoḥanan directed his eyes toward him in anger and rendered him a pile of bones.

מֵיתִיבִי: ״וָאוֹלֵךְ אֶתְכֶם קוֹמְמִיּוּת״ – רַבִּי מֵאִיר אוֹמֵר: מָאתַיִם אַמָּה, כִּשְׁתֵּי קוֹמוֹת שֶׁל אָדָם הָרִאשׁוֹן. רַבִּי יְהוּדָה אוֹמֵר: מֵאָה אַמָּה, כְּנֶגֶד הֵיכָל וּכְתָלָיו, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: ״אֲשֶׁר בָּנֵינוּ כִּנְטִעִים מְגֻדָּלִים בִּנְעוּרֵיהֶם בְּנוֹתֵינוּ כְזָוִיּוֹת מְחֻטָּבוֹת תַּבְנִית הֵיכָל וְגוֹ׳״.

The Gemara raises an objection from a baraita to the statement of Rabbi Yoḥanan that the gates will be twenty cubits high. The Sages engaged in a dispute concerning the interpretation of the verse: “And I made you go upright [ komemiyyut ]” (Leviticus 26:13). Rabbi Meir says that in the end of days people will be two hundred cubits tall, the equivalent of twice the height of Adam the first man, who was one hundred cubits tall. Rabbi Yehuda says: People will be one hundred cubits tall, corresponding to the height of the Sanctuary and its walls, as it is stated: “For our sons are as plants grown up in their youth; our daughters as cornerstones, carved in the fashion of a palace” (Psalms 144:12), indicating that the sons and daughters will be one hundred cubits tall, the height of the Sanctuary. If the people are that tall, how will they enter gates twenty cubits high?

כִּי קָאָמַר רַבִּי יוֹחָנָן, לְכַוֵּי דְּבֵי זִיקָא.

The Gemara answers: When Rabbi Yoḥanan says that the openings would be twenty cubits high he is referring to the windows through which wind enters. The gates through which people enter will extend considerably higher.

מַאי ״וְעָלֵהוּ לִתְרוּפָה״? רַבִּי יִצְחָק בַּר אֲבוּדִימִי וְרַב חִסְדָּא: חַד אָמַר, לְהַתִּיר פֶּה שֶׁל מַעְלָה; וְחַד אָמַר, לְהַתִּיר פֶּה שֶׁל מַטָּה.

§ Apropos the river that will emerge from the Holy of Holies, the Gemara asks: What is the meaning of the phrase: And its leaf for medicine [ literufa ]? Rabbi Yitzḥak bar Avudimi and Rav Ḥisda disagree. One says: This is an abbreviation for the phrase: To unlock the mouth [ lehattir peh ] that is above, i.e., the leaf heals the mute. And one says: That is the abbreviation, but it means to unlock the mouth that is below, a euphemism for healing the womb of a barren woman.

אִיתְּמַר נָמֵי: חִזְקִיָּה אָמַר לְהַתִּיר פֶּה אִילְּמִין, בַּר קַפָּרָא אָמַר לְהַתִּיר פֶּה עֲקָרוֹת, רַבִּי יוֹחָנָן אָמַר לִתְרוּפָה מַמָּשׁ. מַאי לִתְרוּפָה? רַבִּי שְׁמוּאֵל בַּר נַחְמָנִי אָמַר: לְתוֹאַר פָּנִים שֶׁל בַּעֲלֵי הַפֶּה.

It was also stated that other Sages engaged in a dispute concerning this matter. Ḥizkiyya says that the reference is: To unlock the mouth of mutes, and bar Kappara says that the reference is: To unlock the mouth of barren women. Rabbi Yoḥanan says: The reference is to actual medicine. The Gemara asks: According to that opinion, what is the meaning of the term: For medicine [ literufa ]? Rabbi Shmuel bar Naḥmani says: It is an abbreviation meaning to beautify the countenance [ letoar panim ] of the keepers of the mouth [ peh ], i.e., the Sages, who labored with their mouths to study Torah in this world.

דָּרֵשׁ רַבִּי יְהוּדָה בְּרַבִּי סִימוֹן: כָּל הַמַּשְׁחִיר פָּנָיו עַל דִּבְרֵי תּוֹרָה בָּעוֹלָם הַזֶּה, הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא מַבְהִיק זִיוָיו לָעוֹלָם הַבָּא, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: ״מַרְאֵהוּ כַּלְּבָנוֹן בָּחוּר כָּאֲרָזִים״.

Rabbi Yehuda, son of Rabbi Simon, taught: For anyone who blackens his face while toiling over matters of Torah in this world, the Holy One, Blessed be He, shines his brightness in the World-to-Come, as it is stated: “His locks are curly black as a raven” (Song of Songs 5:11), and thereafter it is written: “His countenance is like Lebanon, excellent as the cedars” (Song of Songs 5:15), followed by: “His palate is like sweets” (Song of Songs 5:16). One who engages in sweets, i.e., Torah study, in this world, until he is blackened, black as a raven, is privileged to shining brightness in the World-to-Come.

אָמַר רַבִּי תַּנְחוּם בְּרַבִּי חֲנִילַאי: כׇּל הַמַּרְעִיב עַצְמוֹ עַל דִּבְרֵי תוֹרָה בָּעוֹלָם הַזֶּה, הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא מַשְׂבִּיעוֹ לָעוֹלָם הַבָּא, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: ״יִרְוְיֻן מִדֶּשֶׁן בֵּיתֶךָ וְנַחַל עֲדָנֶיךָ תַשְׁקֵם״.

Rabbi Tanḥum, son of Rabbi Ḥanilai, says: With regard to anyone who starves himself over matters of Torah in this world, the Holy One, Blessed be He, satisfies him in the World-to-Come, as it is stated: “Your judgments are like the great deep” (Psalms 36:7), indicating that God is exacting with the righteous and does not reward them in this world, and it is stated thereafter: “They are abundantly satisfied with the plenty of Your house, and You feed them drink of the river of Your pleasures” (Psalms 36:9).

כִּי אֲתָא רַב דִּימִי אָמַר: עָתִיד הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא לִיתֵּן לְכׇל צַדִּיק וְצַדִּיק מְלֹא עוֹמְסוֹ, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: ״בָּרוּךְ ה׳ יוֹם יוֹם יַעֲמָס לָנוּ הָאֵל יְשׁוּעָתֵנוּ סֶלָה״. אֲמַר לֵיהּ אַבָּיֵי: וְכִי אֶפְשָׁר לוֹמַר כֵּן? וַהֲלֹא כְּבָר נֶאֱמַר: ״מִי מָדַד בְּשׇׁעֳלוֹ מַיִם וְשָׁמַיִם בַּזֶּרֶת תִּכֵּן״?

When Rav Dimi came from Eretz Yisrael to Babylonia he said: The Holy One, Blessed be He, will give each and every righteous person His handful, as it is stated: “Blessed be the Lord, Who day by day bears our burden; God is our salvation, Selah” (Psalms 68:20). Abaye said to him: And is it possible to say so, that the Holy One, Blessed be He, will give them His handful? But wasn’t it already stated: “Who has measured the waters in the hollow of His hand, and meted out heaven with the span, and comprehended the dust of the earth in a measure” (Isaiah 40:12)? And if the span of the Holy One, Blessed be He, is as great as the heavens, how can a person receive a handful from the Holy One, Blessed be He?

אֲמַר: מַאי טַעְמָא לָא שְׁכִיחַתְּ בְּאַגַּדְתָּא? דְּאָמְרִי בְּמַעְרְבָא מִשְּׁמֵיהּ דְּרָבָא בַּר מָרִי: עָתִיד הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא לִיתֵּן לְכׇל צַדִּיק וְצַדִּיק שְׁלֹשׁ מֵאוֹת וַעֲשָׂרָה עוֹלָמוֹת, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: ״לְהַנְחִיל אֹהֲבַי יֵשׁ וְאֹצְרֹתֵיהֶם אֲמַלֵּא״. ״יֵשׁ״ בְּגִימַטְרִיָּא תְּלָת מְאָה וְעַשְׂרָה הָוֵי.

Rav Dimi said: What is the reason that you are not familiar with matters of aggada ? As they say in the West, Eretz Yisrael, in the name of Rava bar Mari: The Holy One, Blessed be He, will give every righteous person 310 worlds as it is stated: “To bequeath to those who love Me substance [ yesh ]; and I will fill their treasuries” (Proverbs 8:21). In terms of its numerical value, the word yesh , spelled yod , shin , is 310, indicating that God grants the righteous a full measure.

תַּנְיָא: רַבִּי מֵאִיר אוֹמֵר, בְּמִדָּה שֶׁאָדָם מוֹדֵד – מוֹדְדִין לוֹ, דִּכְתִיב: ״בְּסַאסְּאָה בְּשַׁלְּחָהּ תְּרִיבֶנָּה״.

In a related matter, it is taught in a baraita that Rabbi Meir says: In accordance with the measure that a person metes out for others the heavenly court metes out for him, i.e., the response is commensurate with the action, as it is written: “In full measure [ besasse’a ] when You send her away do You contend with her” (Isaiah 27:8). The term besasse’a is interpreted as bese’a se’a , meaning that one receives a measure [ se’a ] commensurate with the measure [ bese’a ] that he meted out.

אָמַר רַבִּי יְהוֹשֻׁעַ: וְכִי אֶפְשָׁר לוֹמַר כֵּן? אָדָם נוֹתֵן מְלֹא עוֹמְסוֹ לְעָנִי בָּעוֹלָם הַזֶּה, הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא נוֹתֵן לוֹ מְלֹא עוֹמְסוֹ לָעוֹלָם הַבָּא? וְהָכְתִיב ״שָׁמַיִם בַּזֶּרֶת תִּכֵּן״! וְאַתָּה אִי אוֹמֵר כֵּן? אֵיזוֹ הִיא מִדָּה מְרוּבָּה: מִדָּה טוֹבָה מְרוּבָּה אוֹ מִדַּת פּוּרְעָנוּת?

Rabbi Yehoshua said to Rabbi Meir: And is it possible to say that if a person gives his handful to a pauper in this world, the Holy One, Blessed be He, gives him His handful in the World-to-Come? But isn’t it written: “And meted out heaven with the span” (Isaiah 40:12)? He asked how one can receive so bountiful a reward. Rabbi Meir answered him: And you do not say so? Which of God’s attributes is greater? Is the attribute of reward greater or is the attribute of punishment greater?