Sanhedrin 91a

אֲמַרָה לֵיהּ בְּרַתֵּיה: שִׁבְקֵיהּ, וַאֲנָא מַהְדַּרְנָא לֵיהּ. שְׁנֵי יוֹצְרִים יֵשׁ בְּעִירֵנוּ: אֶחָד יוֹצֵר מִן הַמַּיִם, וְאֶחָד יוֹצֵר מִן הַטִּיט. אֵיזֶה מֵהֶן מְשׁוּבָּח? אָמַר לָהּ: זֶה שֶׁיּוֹצֵר מִן הַמַּיִם. אָמְרָה לוֹ: מִן הַמַּיִם צָר, מִן הַטִּיט לֹא כׇּל שֶׁכֵּן?

The daughter of the emperor said to Rabban Gamliel: Leave him, and I will respond to him with a parable. She said: There are two craftsmen in our city; one fashions vessels from water, and one fashions vessels from mortar. Which is more noteworthy? The emperor said to her: It is that craftsman that fashions vessels from water. His daughter said to him: If he fashions a vessel from the water, all the more so is it not clear that he can fashion vessels from mortar? By the same token, if God was able to create the world from water, He is certainly able to resurrect people from dust.

דְּבֵי רַבִּי יִשְׁמָעֵאל תָּנָא: קַל וָחוֹמֶר מִכְּלֵי זְכוּכִית, מָה כְּלֵי זְכוּכִית שֶׁעֲמָלָן בְּרוּחַ בָּשָׂר וָדָם - נִשְׁבְּרוּ יֵשׁ לָהֶן תַּקָּנָה, בָּשָׂר וָדָם שֶׁבְּרוּחוֹ שֶׁל הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא – עַל אַחַת כַּמָּה וְכַמָּה.

The school of Rabbi Yishmael taught that resurrection of the dead a fortiori from glass vessels: If concerning glass vessels, which are fashioned by the breath of those of flesh and blood, who blow and form the vessels, and yet if they break they can be repaired, as they can be melted and subsequently blown again, then with regard to those of flesh and blood, whose souls are a product of the breath of the Holy One, Blessed be He, all the more so can God restore them to life.

אֲמַר לֵיהּ הָהוּא מִינָא לְרַבִּי אַמֵּי: אָמְרִיתוּ דְּשָׁכְבֵי חָיִי. וְהָא הָווּ עַפְרָא, וְעַפְרָא מִי קָא חָיֵי?! אֲמַר לֵיהּ: אֶמְשׁוֹל לְךָ מָשָׁל. לְמָה הַדָּבָר דּוֹמֶה? לְמֶלֶךְ בָּשָׂר וָדָם שֶׁאָמַר לַעֲבָדָיו: לְכוּ וּבְנוּ לִי פַּלְטֵרִין גְּדוֹלִים בִּמְקוֹם שֶׁאֵין מַיִם וְעָפָר. הָלְכוּ וּבָנוּ אוֹתָן. לְיָמִים נָפְלוּ. אָמַר לָהֶם: חִזְרוּ וּבְנוּ אוֹתָן בִּמְקוֹם שֶׁיֵּשׁ עָפָר וָמַיִם. אָמְרוּ לוֹ: אֵין אָנוּ יְכוֹלִין.

The Gemara relates that a certain heretic said to Rabbi Ami: You say that the dead will live. Aren’t they dust? And does dust come to life? Rabbi Ami said to him: I will tell you a parable. To what is this matter comparable? It is comparable to a flesh-and-blood king who said to his servants: Go and construct for me a great palace [ palterin ] in a place where there is no water and earth available. They went and constructed it. Sometime later, the palace collapsed. The king said to them: Return to your labor and construct the palace in a place where there is earth and water available. They said to him: We are unable to do so.

כָּעַס עֲלֵיהֶם, וְאָמַר לָהֶן: בִּמְקוֹם שֶׁאֵין מַיִם וְעָפָר בְּנִיתֶם, עַכְשָׁיו שֶׁיֵּשׁ מַיִם וְעָפָר – עַל אַחַת כַּמָּה וְכַמָּה! וְאִם אִי אַתָּה מַאֲמִין, צֵא לַבִּקְעָה וּרְאֵה עַכְבָּר שֶׁהַיּוֹם חֶצְיוֹ בָּשָׂר וְחֶצְיוֹ אֲדָמָה, לְמָחָר הִשְׁרִיץ וְנַעֲשָׂה כֻּלּוֹ בָּשָׂר. שֶׁמָּא תֹּאמַר לִזְמַן מְרוּבֶּה? עֲלֵה לָהָר וּרְאֵה שֶׁהַיּוֹם אֵין בּוֹ אֶלָּא חִלָּזוֹן אֶחָד, לְמָחָר יָרְדוּ גְּשָׁמִים וְנִתְמַלֵּא כּוּלּוֹ חֶלְזוֹנוֹת.

The king became angry at them and said to them: If in a place where there is no water and earth available you constructed a palace, now that there is water and earth available all the more so should you be able to do so. Similarly, concerning man, whom God created ex nihilo , all the more so will God be able to resurrect him from dust. And if you do not believe that a being can be created from dust, go out to the valley and see an akhbar , a creature that today is half flesh and half earth, and tomorrow the being will develop and all of it will become flesh. Lest you say that creation of living creatures is a matter that develops over an extended period, ascend a mountain and see that today there is only one snail there; then ascend tomorrow, after rain will have fallen, and see that it will be entirely filled with snails.

אֲמַר לֵיהּ הָהוּא מִינָא לִגְבִיהָא בֶּן פְּסִיסָא: וַוי לְכוֹן חַיָּיבַיָּא, דְּאָמְרִיתוּן מִיתֵי חָיִין! דְּחָיִין מָיְתִי, דְּמִיתֵי חָיִין? אֲמַר לֵיהּ: וַוי לְכוֹן חַיָּיבַיָּא, דְּאָמְרִיתוּן מִיתֵי לָא חָיִין! דְּלָא הֲווֹ חָיִי, דַּהֲווֹ חַיֵּי – לֹא כׇּל שֶׁכֵּן? אֲמַר לֵיהּ: חַיָּיבַיָּא קָרֵית לִי? אִי קָאֵימְנָא, בָּעֵיטְנָא בָּךְ וּפָשֵׁיטְנָא לְעַקְמוּתָךְ מִינָּךְ! אֲמַר לֵיהּ: אִם אַתָּה עוֹשֶׂה כֵּן, רוֹפֵא אוּמָּן תִּקָּרֵא, וְשָׂכָר הַרְבֵּה תִּטּוֹל.

The Gemara relates that a certain heretic said to Geviha ben Pesisa: Woe unto you, the wicked, as you say: The dead will come to life. The way of the world is that those who are alive die. How can you say that the dead will come to life? Geviha ben Pesisa said to him: Woe unto you, the wicked, as you say: The dead will not come to life. If those who were not in existence come to life, is it not reasonable all the more so that those who were once alive will come to life again? The heretic said to Geviha ben Pesisa angrily: You called me wicked? If I stand, I will kick you and flatten your hump, as Geviha ben Pesisa was a hunchback. Geviha ben Pesisa said to him jocularly: If you do so, you will be called an expert doctor and will take high wages for your services.

תָּנוּ רַבָּנַן: בְּעֶשְׂרִים וְאַרְבָּעָה בְּנִיסָן אִיתְנְטִילוּ דֵּימוֹסְנָאֵי מִיהוּדָה וּמִירוּשָׁלַיִם. כְּשֶׁבָּאוּ בְּנֵי אַפְרִיקִיָּא לָדוּן עִם יִשְׂרָאֵל לִפְנֵי אֲלֶכְּסַנְדְּרוֹס מוֹקְדוֹן, אָמְרוּ לוֹ: אֶרֶץ כְּנַעַן שֶׁלָּנוּ הִיא, דִּכְתִיב ״אֶרֶץ כְּנַעַן לִגְבֻלֹתֶיהָ״, וּכְנַעַן אֲבוּהוֹן דְּהָנְהוּ אִינָשֵׁי הֲוָה.

§ Apropos Geviha ben Pesisa and his cleverness in debate, the Gemara cites additional incidents where he represented the Jewish people in debates. The Sages taught in Megillat Ta’anit : On the twenty-fourth day in Nisan it is a joyous day, since the usurpers [ dimusana’ei ] were expelled from Judea and Jerusalem. When the people of Afrikiya came to judgment with the Jewish people before the emperor, Alexander of Macedon, they said to him: The land of Canaan is ours, as it is written: “This is the land that shall fall to you as an inheritance, the land of Canaan according to its borders” (Numbers 34:2). And the people of Afrikiya said, referring to themselves: Canaan is the forefather of these people.

אֲמַר לְהוּ גְּבִיהָא בֶּן פְּסִיסָא לַחֲכָמִים: תְּנוּ לִי רְשׁוּת וְאֵלֵךְ וְאָדוּן עִמָּהֶן לִפְנֵי אֲלֶכְּסַנְדְּרוֹס מוֹקְדוֹן. אִם יְנַצְּחוּנִי, אִמְרוּ: הֶדְיוֹט שֶׁבָּנוּ נִצַּחְתֶּם, וְאִם אֲנִי אֲנַצֵּחַ אוֹתָם, אִמְרוּ לָהֶם: תּוֹרַת מֹשֶׁה נִצְּחַתְכֶם. נָתְנוּ לוֹ רְשׁוּת, וְהָלַךְ וְדָן עִמָּהֶם.

Geviha ben Pesisa said to the Sages: Give me permission and I will go and deliberate with them before Alexander of Macedon. If they will defeat me, say to them: You have defeated an ordinary person from among us, and until you overcome our Sages, it is no victory. And if I will defeat them, say to them: The Torah of Moses defeated you, and attribute no significance to me. The Sages gave him permission, and he went and deliberated with them.

אָמַר לָהֶם: מֵהֵיכָן אַתֶּם מְבִיאִים רְאָיָיה? אָמְרוּ לוֹ: מִן הַתּוֹרָה. אָמַר לָהֶן: אַף אֲנִי לֹא אָבִיא לָכֶם רְאָיָיה אֶלָּא מִן הַתּוֹרָה, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: ״וַיֹּאמֶר אָרוּר כְּנָעַן עֶבֶד עֲבָדִים יִהְיֶה לְאֶחָיו״. עֶבֶד שֶׁקָּנָה נְכָסִים – עֶבֶד לְמִי וּנְכָסִים לְמִי? וְלֹא עוֹד, אֶלָּא שֶׁהֲרֵי כַּמָּה שָׁנִים שֶׁלֹּא עֲבַדְתּוּנוּ!

Geviha ben Pesisa said to them: From where are you citing proof that the land of Canaan is yours? They said to him: From the Torah. Geviha ben Pesisa said to them: I too will cite proof to you only from the Torah, as it is stated: “And he said: Cursed will be Canaan; a slave of slaves shall he be to his brethren” (Genesis 9:25). And with regard to a slave who acquired property, the slave belongs to whom and the property belongs to whom? The slave and his property belong to the master. And moreover, it is several years now that you have not served us. Therefore, not only are you not entitled to the land, there are additional debts that must be repaid, as well as a return to enslavement.

אָמַר לָהֶם אֲלֶכְּסַנְדְּרוֹס מַלְכָּא: הַחְזִירוּ לוֹ תְּשׁוּבָה! אָמְרוּ לוֹ: תְּנוּ לָנוּ זְמַן שְׁלֹשָׁה יָמִים. נָתַן לָהֶם זְמַן. בָּדְקוּ וְלֹא מָצְאוּ תְּשׁוּבָה. מִיָּד בָּרְחוּ, וְהִנִּיחוּ שְׂדוֹתֵיהֶן כְּשֶׁהֵן זְרוּעוֹת, וְכַרְמֵיהֶן כְּשֶׁהֵן נְטוּעוֹת. וְאוֹתָהּ שָׁנָה שְׁבִיעִית הָיְתָה.

Alexander the king said to the people of Afrikiya: Provide Geviha ben Pesisa with a response to his claims. They said to Alexander: Give us time; give us three days to consider the matter. The emperor gave them the requested time and they examined the matter and did not find a response to the claims. Immediately, they fled and abandoned their fields when they were sown and their vineyards when they were planted. The Gemara adds: And since that year was a Sabbatical Year, with the accompanying restrictions on agricultural activity, this benefited the Jewish people, as they were able to consume the produce of those fields and vineyards.

שׁוּב פַּעַם אַחַת בָּאוּ בְּנֵי מִצְרַיִם לָדוּן עִם יִשְׂרָאֵל לִפְנֵי אֲלֶכְּסַנְדְּרוֹס מוֹקְדוֹן. אָמְרוּ לוֹ: הֲרֵי הוּא אוֹמֵר ״וַה׳ נָתַן אֶת חֵן הָעָם בְּעֵינֵי מִצְרַיִם וַיַּשְׁאִלוּם״. תְּנוּ לָנוּ כֶּסֶף וְזָהָב שֶׁנְּטַלְתֶּם מִמֶּנּוּ.

The Gemara relates: On another occasion, the people of Egypt came to judgment with the Jewish people before Alexander of Macedon. The Egyptian people said to Alexander: It says in the Torah: “And the Lord gave the people favor in the eyes of Egypt, and they lent them” (Exodus 12:36). Give us the silver and gold that you took from us; you claimed that you were borrowing it and you never returned it.

אָמַר גְּבִיהָא בֶּן פְּסִיסָא לַחֲכָמִים: תְּנוּ לִי רְשׁוּת וְאֵלֵךְ וְאָדוּן עִמָּהֶן לִפְנֵי אֲלֶכְּסַנְדְּרוֹס. אִם יְנַצְּחוּנִי, אִמְרוּ לָהֶם: הֶדְיוֹט שֶׁבָּנוּ נִצַּחְתֶּם, וְאִם אֲנִי אֲנַצֵּחַ אוֹתָם, אִמְרוּ לָהֶם: תּוֹרַת מֹשֶׁה רַבֵּינוּ נִצְּחַתְכֶם. נָתְנוּ לוֹ רְשׁוּת וְהָלַךְ וְדָן עִמָּהֶן.

Geviha ben Pesisa said to the Sages: Give me permission and I will go and deliberate with them before Alexander of Macedon. If they will defeat me, say to them: You have defeated an ordinary person from among us, and until you overcome our Sages, it is no victory. And if I will defeat them, say to them: The Torah of Moses, our teacher, defeated you, and attribute no significance to me. The Sages gave him permission, and he went and deliberated with them.

אָמַר לָהֶן: מֵהֵיכָן אַתֶּם מְבִיאִין רְאָיָיה? אָמְרוּ לוֹ: מִן הַתּוֹרָה. אָמַר לָהֶן: אַף אֲנִי לֹא אָבִיא לָכֶם רְאָיָיה אֶלָּא מִן הַתּוֹרָה, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: ״וּמוֹשַׁב בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל אֲשֶׁר יָשְׁבוּ בְּמִצְרָיִם שְׁלֹשִׁים שָׁנָה וְאַרְבַּע מֵאוֹת שָׁנָה״. תְּנוּ לָנוּ שְׂכַר עֲבוֹדָה שֶׁל שִׁשִּׁים רִיבּוֹא שֶׁשִּׁיעְבַּדְתֶּם בְּמִצְרַיִם שְׁלֹשִׁים שָׁנָה וְאַרְבַּע מֵאוֹת שָׁנָה.

Geviha ben Pesisa said to them: From where are you citing proof that you are entitled to the silver and gold? They said to him: From the Torah. Geviha ben Pesisa said to them: I too will cite proof to you only from the Torah, as it is stated: “And the sojourning of the children of Israel, who dwelt in Egypt, was four hundred and thirty years” (Exodus 12:40), during which they were enslaved to Egypt, engaged in hard manual labor. Give us the wages for the work performed by the 600,000 men above the age of twenty (see Exodus 12:37) whom you enslaved in Egypt for four hundred and thirty years.

אָמַר לָהֶן אֲלֶכְּסַנְדְּרוֹס מוֹקְדוֹן: הַחְזִירוּ לוֹ תְּשׁוּבָה! אָמְרוּ לוֹ: תְּנוּ לָנוּ זְמַן שְׁלֹשָׁה יָמִים. נָתַן לָהֶם זְמַן. בָּדְקוּ וְלֹא מָצְאוּ תְּשׁוּבָה. מִיָּד הִנִּיחוּ שְׂדוֹתֵיהֶן כְּשֶׁהֵן זְרוּעוֹת, וְכַרְמֵיהֶן כְּשֶׁהֵן נְטוּעוֹת, וּבָרְחוּ. וְאוֹתָהּ שָׁנָה שְׁבִיעִית הָיְתָה.

Alexander of Macedon said to the people of Egypt: Provide Geviha ben Pesisa with a response to his claims. They said to him: Give us time; give us three days to consider the matter. The emperor gave them the requested time and they examined the matter and did not find a response to the claims. Immediately, they abandoned their fields when they were sown and their vineyards when they were planted, and fled. The Gemara adds: And that year was a Sabbatical Year.

וְשׁוּב פַּעַם אַחַת בָּאוּ בְּנֵי יִשְׁמָעֵאל וּבְנֵי קְטוּרָה לָדוּן עִם יִשְׂרָאֵל לִפְנֵי אֲלֶכְּסַנְדְּרוֹס מוֹקְדוֹן. אָמְרוּ לוֹ: אֶרֶץ כְּנַעַן שֶׁלָּנוּ וְשֶׁלָּכֶם, דִּכְתִיב ״וְאֵלֶּה תֹּלְדֹת יִשְׁמָעֵאל בֶּן אַבְרָהָם״ וּכְתִיב ״אֵלֶּה תּוֹלְדֹת יִצְחָק בֶּן אַבְרָהָם״.

The Gemara relates: And on another occasion, the descendants of Ishmael and the descendants of Keturah came to judgment with the Jewish people before Alexander of Macedon. They said to the Jewish people before Alexander: The land of Canaan is both ours and yours, as it is written: “And these are the generations of Ishmael, son of Abraham, whom Hagar the Egyptian, Sarah’s maidservant, bore unto Abraham” (Genesis 25:12), and it is written: “And these are the generations of Isaac, son of Abraham” (Genesis 25:19). Therefore, the land should be divided between Abraham’s heirs.

אָמַר לָהֶן גְּבִיהָא בֶּן פְּסִיסָא לַחֲכָמִים: תְּנוּ לִי רְשׁוּת וְאֵלֵךְ וְאָדוּן עִמָּהֶם לִפְנֵי אֲלֶכְּסַנְדְּרוֹס מוֹקְדוֹן. אִם יְנַצְּחוּנִי אִמְרוּ: הֶדְיוֹט שֶׁבָּנוּ נִצַּחְתֶּם, וְאִם אֲנִי אֲנַצֵּחַ אוֹתָם אִמְרוּ לָהֶם: תּוֹרַת מֹשֶׁה רַבֵּינוּ נִצְּחַתְכֶם. נָתְנוּ לוֹ רְשׁוּת, הָלַךְ וְדָן עִמָּהֶן.

Geviha ben Pesisa said to the Sages: Give me permission and I will go and deliberate with them before Alexander of Macedon. If they will defeat me, say to them: You have defeated an ordinary person from among us, and until you overcome our Sages, it is no victory. And if I will defeat them, say to them: The Torah of Moses, our teacher, defeated you, and attribute no significance to me. The Sages gave him permission, and he went and deliberated with them.

אָמַר לָהֶם: מֵהֵיכָן אַתֶּם מְבִיאִין רְאָיָיה? אָמְרוּ לוֹ: מִן הַתּוֹרָה. אָמַר לָהֶן: אַף אֲנִי לֹא אָבִיא רְאָיָיה אֶלָּא מִן הַתּוֹרָה, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: ״וַיִּתֵּן אַבְרָהָם אֶת כׇּל אֲשֶׁר לוֹ לְיִצְחָק. וְלִבְנֵי הַפִּילַגְשִׁים אֲשֶׁר לְאַבְרָהָם נָתַן אַבְרָהָם מַתָּנֹת״. אָב שֶׁנָּתַן אֲגִטִּין לְבָנָיו בְּחַיָּיו וְשִׁיגֵּר זֶה מֵעַל זֶה, כְּלוּם יֵשׁ לָזֶה עַל זֶה כְּלוּם? מַאי מַתָּנוֹת? אָמַר רַבִּי יִרְמְיָה בַּר אַבָּא: מְלַמֵּד שֶׁמָּסַר לָהֶם שֵׁם טוּמְאָה.

Geviha ben Pesisa said to the descendants of Ishmael: From where are you citing proof that the land of Canaan belongs to both you and the Jewish people? They said to him: From the Torah. Geviha ben Pesisa said to them: I too will cite proof to you only from the Torah, as it is stated: “And Abraham gave all that he had to Isaac. But to the sons of the concubines that Abraham had, Abraham gave gifts, and he sent them away from his son, while he yet lived, eastward, to the east country” (Genesis 25:5–6). In the case of a father who gave a document of bequest [ agatin ] to his sons during his lifetime and sent one of the sons away from the other, does the one who was sent away have any claim against the other? The father himself divided his property. The Gemara asks: What were these gifts that Abraham gave to the sons of the concubines? Rabbi Yirmeya bar Abba says: This teaches that Abraham provided them with the name of the supernatural spirit of impurity, enabling them to perform witchcraft.

אֲמַר לֵיהּ אַנְטוֹנִינוּס לְרַבִּי: גּוּף וּנְשָׁמָה יְכוֹלִין לִפְטוֹר עַצְמָן מִן הַדִּין. כֵּיצַד? גּוּף אוֹמֵר: נְשָׁמָה חָטָאת, שֶׁמִּיּוֹם שֶׁפֵּירְשָׁה מִמֶּנִּי הֲרֵינִי מוּטָּל כְּאֶבֶן דּוּמָם בַּקֶּבֶר. וּנְשָׁמָה אוֹמֶרֶת: גּוּף חָטָא, שֶׁמִּיּוֹם שֶׁפֵּירַשְׁתִּי מִמֶּנּוּ הֲרֵינִי פּוֹרַחַת בָּאֲוִיר כְּצִפּוֹר. אֲמַר לֵיהּ: אֶמְשׁוֹל לְךָ מָשָׁל. לְמָה הַדָּבָר דּוֹמֶה? לְמֶלֶךְ בָּשָׂר וָדָם שֶׁהָיָה לוֹ פַּרְדֵּס נָאֶה, וְהָיָה בּוֹ

§ Apropos exchanges with prominent gentile leaders, the Gemara cites an exchange where Antoninos, the Roman emperor, said to Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi: The body and the soul are able to exempt themselves from judgment for their sins. How so? The body says: The soul sinned, as from the day of my death when it departed from me, I am cast like a silent stone in the grave, and do not sin. And the soul says: The body sinned, as from the day that I departed from it, I am flying in the air like a bird, incapable of sin. Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi said to him: I will tell you a parable. To what is this matter comparable? It is comparable to a king of flesh and blood who had a fine orchard, and in it there were