Sanhedrin 94b

עַל יְדֵי שָׁלִיחַ, נִפְרַע הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא מִמֶּנּוּ עַל יְדֵי שָׁלִיחַ.

by means of an agent, the Holy One, Blessed be He, exacted retribution from him by means of an agent.

פַּרְעֹה, דִּכְתִיב בֵּיהּ: ״מִי ה׳ אֲשֶׁר אֶשְׁמַע בְּקֹלוֹ״, נִפְרַע הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא מִמֶּנּוּ בְּעַצְמוֹ, דִּכְתִיב: ״וַיְנַעֵר ה׳ אֶת מִצְרַיִם בְּתוֹךְ הַיָּם״, וּכְתִיב: ״דָּרַכְתָּ בַּיָּם סוּסֶיךָ וְגוֹ׳״. סַנְחֵרִיב, דִּכְתִיב: ״בְּיַד מַלְאָכֶיךָ חֵרַפְתָּ ה׳״, נִפְרַע הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא מִמֶּנּוּ עַל יְדֵי שָׁלִיחַ, דִּכְתִיב: ״וַיֵּצֵא מַלְאַךְ ה׳ וַיַּךְ בְּמַחֲנֵה אַשּׁוּר מֵאָה שְׁמוֹנִים וַחֲמִשָּׁה אֶלֶף וְגוֹ׳״.

Pharaoh blasphemed God, as it is written that he said to Moses and Aaron: “Who is the Lord that I should obey His voice?” (Exodus 5:2) The Holy One, Blessed be He, Himself exacted retribution from him, as it is written: “And the Lord overthrew Egypt in the midst of the sea” (Exodus 14:27), and it is written: “You have trodden through the sea with Your horses” (Habakkuk 3:15). Sennacherib blasphemed God by means of an agent, as it is written: “By your messengers you have taunted the Lord” (II Kings 19:23). The Holy One, Blessed be He, exacted retribution from him by means of an agent, as it is written: “Then the angel of the Lord went forth and smote in the camp of the Assyrians one hundred and eighty-five thousand” (II Kings 19:35).

רַבִּי חֲנִינָא בַּר פָּפָּא רָמֵי: כְּתִיב ״מְרוֹם קִצּוֹ״, וּכְתִיב ״מְלוֹן קִצּוֹ״. אָמַר אוֹתוֹ רָשָׁע: בַּתְּחִלָּה אַחְרִיב דִּירָה שֶׁל מַטָּה, וְאַחַר כָּךְ אַחְרִיב דִּירָה שֶׁל מַעְלָה.

Rabbi Ḥanina bar Pappa raises a contradiction. It is written that Sennacherib said: “And I will enter into its farthest height” (Isaiah 37:24), and it is written in a parallel verse that he said: “And I have entered into its farthest lodge” (II Kings 19:23). The Gemara resolves the contradiction. That wicked person said: Initially, I will destroy the earthly dwelling place below, i.e., the Temple, its farthest lodge, and thereafter, I will destroy the heavenly dwelling place above, its farthest height.

אָמַר רַבִּי יְהוֹשֻׁעַ בֶּן לֵוִי: מַאי דִּכְתִיב ״עַתָּה הֲמִבַּלְעֲדֵי ה׳ עָלִיתִי עַל הַמָּקוֹם הַזֶּה לְהַשְׁחִתוֹ ה׳ אָמַר אֵלַי עֲלֵה עַל הָאָרֶץ הַזֹּאת וְהַשְׁחִיתָהּ״. מַאי הִיא? דִּשְׁמַע לִנְבִיָּא דְּקָאָמַר: ״יַעַן כִּי מָאַס הָעָם הַזֶּה אֵת מֵי הַשִּׁלֹחַ הַהוֹלְכִים לְאַט וּמְשׂוֹשׂ אֶת רְצִין וּבֶן רְמַלְיָהוּ״.

§ Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi says: What is the meaning of that which is written in the statement of Rab-shakeh, emissary of Sennacherib: “Have I now come up without the Lord against this place to destroy it? The Lord said to me: Go up against this land and destroy it” (II Kings 18:25). What is this command to destroy the land? Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi explains: It is referring to the fact that he heard the prophet who said: “Since the people rejected the waters of Shiloah that flow slowly and rejoice with Rezin and the son of Remaliah. Now therefore, behold, the Lord brings upon them…the king of Assyria” (Isaiah 8:6–7).

אָמַר רַב יוֹסֵף: אִלְמָלֵא תַּרְגּוּמָא דְּהַאי קְרָא, לָא הֲוָה יָדַעְנָא מַאי קָאָמַר. ״חֲלַף דְּקָץ עַמָּא הָדֵין בְּמַלְכוּתָא דְּבֵית דָּוִד, דִּמְדַבַּר לְהוֹן בִּנְיָיח, כְּמֵי שִׁילוֹחָא דְּנָגְדִין בִּנְיָיח, וְאִיתְרְעִיאוּ בִּרְצִין וּבַר רְמַלְיָה״.

Rav Yosef says: Were it not for the Aramaic translation of this verse I would not know what it is saying. It is translated: Since this people loathed the reign of the house of David that led them gently, like the waters of the Shiloah, which flow gently, and they preferred Rezin and the son of Remaliah, who were kings from the northern kingdom of Israel. And the verse continues: “Now therefore, behold, the Lord brings upon them…the king of Assyria.”

אָמַר רַבִּי יוֹחָנָן: מַאי דִּכְתִיב ״מְאֵרַת ה׳ בְּבֵית רָשָׁע וּנְוֵה צַדִּיקִים יְבָרֵךְ״? ״מְאֵרַת ה׳ בְּבֵית רָשָׁע״ – זֶה פֶּקַח בֶּן רְמַלְיָהוּ, שֶׁהָיָה אוֹכֵל אַרְבָּעִים סְאָה גּוֹזָלוֹת בְּקִינּוּחַ סְעוּדָה. ״וּנְוֵה צַדִּיקִים יְבָרֵךְ״ – זֶה חִזְקִיָּה מֶלֶךְ יְהוּדָה, שֶׁהָיָה אוֹכֵל לִיטְרָא יָרָק בִּסְעוּדָה.

Rabbi Yoḥanan says: What is the meaning of that which is written: “The curse of the Lord is in the house of the wicked, but He blesses the habitation of the just” (Proverbs 3:33)? “The curse of the Lord is in the house of the wicked”; this is a reference to Pekah, son of Remaliah, who would eat forty se’a of fledglings for dessert and would still not be satiated, as his property was cursed. “But He blesses the habitation of the just”; this is a reference to Hezekiah, king of Judea, who would eat a litra of vegetables at his meal and was satiated, as his property was blessed.

״וְלָכֵן הִנֵּה ה׳ מַעֲלֶה עֲלֵיהֶם אֶת מֵי הַנָּהָר הָעֲצוּמִים וְהָרַבִּים אֶת מֶלֶךְ אַשּׁוּר״, וּכְתִיב: ״וְחָלַף בִּיהוּדָה שָׁטַף וְעָבַר עַד צַוָּאר יַגִּיעַ״.

It is written in the verse: “Now therefore, behold, the Lord brings up upon them the strong and abundant waters of the river, the king of Assyria” (Isaiah 8:7). And it is written: “And he shall sweep through Judea; he shall inundate and pass through, reaching even the neck” (Isaiah 8:8). Rab-shakeh alluded to that prophecy when he said in the verse in Kings that the Lord said to destroy the land.

אֶלָּא מַאי טַעְמָא אִיעֲנִישׁ? נְבִיָּא אַעֲשֶׂרֶת הַשְּׁבָטִים אִיתְנַבִּי, אִיהוּ יְהַיב דַּעְתֵּיהּ עַל כּוּלַּהּ יְרוּשָׁלֶם. בָּא נָבִיא וְאָמַר לוֹ: ״כִּי לֹא מוּעָף לַאֲשֶׁר מוּצָק לָהּ״. אָמַר רַבִּי אֶלְעָזָר בַּר בֶּרֶכְיָה: אֵין נִמְסָר עַם עָיֵיף בַּתּוֹרָה בְּיַד מִי הַמֵּצִיק לוֹ.

The Gemara asks: But what is the reason that Sennacherib was punished if he was merely fulfilling God’s command? The Gemara answers: The prophet prophesied about the destruction of the kingdom of Israel and the exile of the ten tribes, but he directed his attention to destroy all of Jerusalem. The prophet came and said to him: “For there is no weariness [ mu’af ] that is set [ mutzak ] against her” (Isaiah 8:23). Rabbi Elazar bar Berekhya says that the verse is interpreted homiletically: A nation that is weary [ ayef ] from its constant engagement in Torah study is not delivered into the hands of one who oppresses [ metzik ] it.

מַאי ״כָּעֵת הָרִאשׁוֹן הֵקַל אַרְצָה זְבוּלֻן וְאַרְצָה נַפְתָּלִי וְהָאַחֲרוֹן הִכְבִּיד דֶּרֶךְ הַיָּם עֵבֶר הַיַּרְדֵּן גְּלִיל הַגּוֹיִם״? לֹא כָּרִאשׁוֹנִים שֶׁהֵקֵלּוּ מֵעֲלֵיהֶם עוֹל תּוֹרָה, אֲבָל אַחֲרוֹנִים שֶׁהִכְבִּידוּ עֲלֵיהֶן עוֹל תּוֹרָה. וּרְאוּיִין הַלָּלוּ לַעֲשׂוֹת לָהֶם נֵס כְּעוֹבְרֵי הַיָּם וּכְדוֹרְכֵי הַיַּרְדֵּן. אִם חוֹזֵר בּוֹ – מוּטָב, וְאִם לָאו – אֲנִי אֶעֱשֶׂה לוֹ גָּלִיל בַּגּוֹיִם.

What is the meaning of the continuation of the verse, which states: “Now the former has lightly afflicted [ hakel ] the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali but the latter has dealt a more grievous blow [ hikhbid ] by way of the sea, beyond the Jordan in the district [ gelil ] of the nations”? The generation in Judea in the time of Hezekiah is not like the former generation of Ahaz, who eased [ hekellu ] the yoke of Torah from upon the people. But the latter generation of Hezekiah, who intensified [ hikhbidu ] the yoke of Torah upon the people, is fit for God to perform a miracle for them like the miracles performed for those who crossed the Red Sea and those who trod through the Jordan River. God is saying: If Sennacherib reconsiders his planned conquest, good, but if he does not, I will render him wallowing [ galil ] in shame among the nations.

״אַחֲרֵי הַדְּבָרִים וְהָאֱמֶת הָאֵלֶּה בָּא סַנְחֵרִיב מֶלֶךְ אַשּׁוּר וַיָּבֹא בִיהוּדָה וַיִּחַן עַל הֶעָרִים הַבְּצֻרוֹת וַיֹּאמֶר לְבִקְעָם אֵלָיו״. הַאי רִישָׁנָא לְהַאי פַּרְדָּשְׁנָא?

The verse states: “After these matters and this truth, Sennacherib, king of Assyria, came and entered Judea and encamped against the fortified cities and sought to breach them for himself” (II Chronicles 32:1). The Gemara asks: Is this gift [ rishna ], the invasion of Sennacherib, appropriate compensation for that gift [ pardashna ], Hezekiah’s restoration of the Temple and the worship of God in Judea?

״אַחֲרֵי הַדְּבָרִים וְהָאֱמֶת״, אַחַר מַאי? אָמַר רָבִינָא: לְאַחַר שֶׁקָּפַץ הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא וְנִשְׁבַּע, וְאָמַר: אִי אָמֵינָא לֵיהּ לְחִזְקִיָּה מַיְיתֵינָא לֵיהּ לְסַנְחֵרִיב וּמָסַרְנָא לֵיהּ בִּידָךְ, הַשְׁתָּא אָמַר: לָא הוּא בָּעֵינָא וְלָא בִּיעֲתוּתֵיהּ בָּעֵינָא.

The Gemara explains: When the verse states: “After these matters and this truth [ emet ],” after what matters is the verse referring to? Ravina says: This is referring to after the Holy One, Blessed be He, preempted and took an oath, referenced with the term emet , that He will deliver the spoils of the army of the king of Assyria into the hands of Hezekiah. And this was because He had said: If I say to Hezekiah: I will bring Sennacherib and I will deliver him into your hands; he will then say: I neither want him delivered into my hands nor do I want the accompanying fear of him.

מִיָּד קָפַץ הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא וְנִשְׁבַּע: דְּמַיְיתֵינָא לֵיהּ, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: ״נִשְׁבַּע ה׳ צְבָאוֹת לֵאמֹר אִם לֹא כַּאֲשֶׁר דִּמִּיתִי כֵּן הָיָתָה וְכַאֲשֶׁר יָעַצְתִּי הִיא תָקוּם. לִשְׁבֹּר אַשּׁוּר בְּאַרְצִי וְעַל הָרַי אֲבוּסֶנּוּ וְסָר מֵעֲלֵיהֶם עֻלּוֹ וְסֻבֳּלוֹ מֵעַל שִׁכְמוֹ יָסוּר״. אָמַר רַבִּי יוֹחָנָן: אָמַר הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא: יָבֹא סַנְחֵרִיב וְסִיעָתוֹ וְיֵעָשֶׂה אֵבוּס לְחִזְקִיָּהוּ וּלְסִיעָתוֹ.

Immediately, the Holy One, Blessed be He, preempted Hezekiah and took an oath: I take an oath that I will deliver him, as it is stated: “The Lord of hosts has taken an oath, saying: Is it not as I imagined it, so has it come to pass; and as I have proposed, so shall it arise, that I will break Assyria in My land, and upon My mountains subdue him [ avusennu ]; then shall his yoke depart from them, and his burden depart from its shoulder” (Isaiah 14:24–25). Rabbi Yoḥanan says that the Holy One, Blessed be He, said: Sennacherib and his entourage shall come and be transformed into a feeding trough [ evus ], in the sense of a source of sustenance for Hezekiah and his entourage.

״וְהָיָה בַּיּוֹם הַהוּא יָסוּר סֻבֳּלוֹ מֵעַל שִׁכְמֶךָ וְעֻלּוֹ מֵעַל צַוָּארֶךָ וְחֻבַּל עֹל מִפְּנֵי שָׁמֶן״. אָמַר רַבִּי יִצְחָק נַפָּחָא: חוּבַּל עוֹל שֶׁל סַנְחֵרִיב מִפְּנֵי שַׁמְנוֹ שֶׁל חִזְקִיָּהוּ, שֶׁהָיָה דּוֹלֵק בְּבָתֵּי כְנֵסִיּוֹת וּבְבָתֵּי מִדְרָשׁוֹת.

§ It is stated with regard to the downfall of Assyria: “And it shall come to pass on that day, his burden shall be taken from on your shoulder, and his yoke from on your neck, and the yoke shall be destroyed due to fatness [ shamen ]” (Isaiah 10:27). Rabbi Yitzḥak Nappaḥa says: The yoke of Sennacherib was destroyed due to the oil [ shemen ] of Hezekiah that would burn in the synagogues and study halls when the Jewish people were engaged in Torah study at night.

מָה עָשָׂה? נָעַץ חֶרֶב עַל פֶּתַח בֵּית הַמִּדְרָשׁ, וְאָמַר: כׇּל מִי שֶׁאֵינוֹ עוֹסֵק בַּתּוֹרָה יִדָּקֵר בְּחֶרֶב זוֹ. בָּדְקוּ מִדָּן וְעַד בְּאֵר שֶׁבַע, וְלֹא מָצְאוּ עַם הָאָרֶץ. מִגְּבָת וְעַד אַנְטִיפְרַס, וְלֹא מָצְאוּ תִּינוֹק וְתִינוֹקֶת, אִישׁ וְאִשָּׁה, שֶׁלֹּא הָיוּ בְּקִיאִין בְּהִלְכוֹת טוּמְאָה וְטׇהֳרָה.

What did Hezekiah do to ensure Torah study? He inserted a sword at the entrance of the study hall and said: Anyone who does not engage in Torah study shall be stabbed with this sword. As a result, they searched from Dan in the north to Beersheba in the south, and did not find an ignoramus. They searched from Gevat to Antipatris and did not find a male child, or a female child, or a man, or a woman who was not expert even in the complex halakhot of ritual purity and impurity.

וְעַל אוֹתוֹ הַדּוֹר הוּא אוֹמֵר: ״וְהָיָה בַּיּוֹם הַהוּא יְחַיֶּה אִישׁ עֶגְלַת בָּקָר וּשְׁתֵּי צֹאן וְגוֹ׳״, וְאוֹמֵר: ״וְהָיָה בַּיּוֹם הַהוּא יִהְיֶה כׇל מָקוֹם אֲשֶׁר יִהְיֶה שָּׁם אֶלֶף גֶּפֶן בְּאֶלֶף כָּסֶף לַשָּׁמִיר וְלַשַּׁיִת יִהְיֶה״. אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁאֶלֶף גֶּפֶן בְּאֶלֶף כָּסֶף, לַשָּׁמִיר וְלַשַּׁיִת יִהְיֶה.

And it is about that generation that the prophet says: “And it shall come to pass in that day, that a man shall nourish a young calf and two sheep. And it shall come to pass, from the abundance of milk that they produce, he shall eat butter, for butter and honey shall everyone eat, everyone who remains in the midst of the land” (Isaiah 7:21–22). And the prophet continues and says: “And it shall come to pass in that day that every place where there were one thousand vines for one thousand silver coins, it shall be for briars and thorns” (Isaiah 7:23). Although one thousand vines are worth one thousand silver coins and one could earn substantial profits through agricultural labor, the fields will grow briars and thorns due to neglect. The people of that generation were devoted to the study of Torah and engaged in labor only minimally to sustain themselves.

״וְאֻסַּף שְׁלַלְכֶם אֹסֶף הֶחָסִיל״. אָמַר לָהֶם נָבִיא לְיִשְׂרָאֵל: אִסְפוּ שְׁלַלְכֶם. אָמְרוּ לוֹ: לִבְזוֹז אוֹ לַחְלוֹק? אָמַר לָהֶם: ״כְּאֹסֶף הֶחָסִיל״. מָה אֹסֶף הֶחָסִיל – כׇּל אֶחָד וְאֶחָד לְעַצְמוֹ. אַף שְׁלַלְכֶם – כׇּל אֶחָד וְאֶחָד לְעַצְמוֹ.

It is written: “And your spoils shall be gathered like the gathering of the locusts; as the advance of the locusts shall he advance” (Isaiah 33:4). The prophet said to the Jewish people: Gather your spoils from the army of Sennacherib. They said to him: Are we to pillage the spoils, each person for himself, or are we to divide the spoils with the monarchy? He said to them: Gather the spoils like the gathering by the locusts. Just as in the gathering by the locusts, each and every one of the locusts takes food for itself, so too, in gathering your spoils, each and every one of you shall take spoils for himself.

אָמְרוּ לוֹ: וַהֲלֹא מָמוֹן עֲשֶׂרֶת הַשְּׁבָטִים מְעוֹרָב בּוֹ? אָמַר לָהֶם: ״כְּמַשַּׁק גֵּבִים שׁוֹקֵק בּוֹ״. מָה גֵּבִים הַלָּלוּ מַעֲלִין אֶת הָאָדָם מִטּוּמְאָה לְטׇהֳרָה, אַף מָמוֹנָם שֶׁל יִשְׂרָאֵל – כֵּיוָן שֶׁנָּפַל בְּיַד אוּמּוֹת הָעוֹלָם, מִיָּד טִיהַר. כִּדְרַב פָּפָּא, דְּאָמַר רַב פָּפָּא: עַמּוֹן וּמוֹאָב טָהֲרוּ בְּסִיחוֹן.

They said to him: Since the army of Sennacherib came to Jerusalem after its conquest of the kingdom of Israel, isn’t the property of the ten tribes intermingled with it, and therefore, gathering the spoils would be robbery? He said to them: “As the advance of the locusts [ gevim ] shall he advance” (Isaiah 33:4). Just as these pools of water elevate a person up from a state of ritual impurity to a state of purity through immersion, so too the property of the Jewish people, once it falls into the hands of gentiles, it immediately purifies the property, in the sense that it is no longer considered robbery to take it, as its owners despair of its recovery. This is in accordance with the statement of Rav Pappa, as Rav Pappa says: The property of Ammon and Moab was purified through the conquest of Sihon. Although the Torah rendered it prohibited to conquer the land of Ammon and Moab, once Sihon conquered their land, it was permitted for the Jewish people to conquer it.

אָמַר רַב הוּנָא: עֶשֶׂר מַסָּעוֹת נָסַע אוֹתוֹ רָשָׁע בְּאוֹתוֹ הַיּוֹם, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: ״בָּא עַל עַיַּת, עָבַר בְּמִגְרוֹן, לְמִכְמָשׂ יַפְקִיד כֵּלָיו. עָבְרוּ מַעְבָּרָה, גֶּבַע מָלוֹן לָנוּ, חָרְדָה הָרָמָה, גִּבְעַת שָׁאוּל נָסָה. צַהֲלִי קוֹלֵךְ בַּת גַּלִּים, הַקְשִׁיבִי לַיְשָׁה, עֲנִיָּה עֲנָתוֹת. נָדְדָה מַדְמֵנָה, יֹשְׁבֵי הַגֵּבִים הֵעִיזוּ. עוֹד הַיּוֹם בְּנֹב לַעֲמֹד, יְנֹפֵף יָדוֹ הַר בַּת צִיּוֹן גִּבְעַת יְרוּשָׁלִָם״.

§ Rav Huna says: That wicked Sennacherib traveled ten journeys on that day, as it is stated: “He is come to Aiath, he is passed through Migron; at Michmas he deposited his baggage. They passed [ averu ] Mabara; they have taken up their lodging at Geba; Ramah trembles; Gibeath Shaul has fled. Cry with a shrill voice, daughter of Gallim; hearken, Laish; poor Anathoth. Madmenah is in flight; the inhabitants of Gebim flee to cover. This very day shall he halt at Nov; he shall shake his hand against the mountain of the daughter of Zion, the hill of Jerusalem” (Isaiah 10:28–32). He traveled to all these places on the same day.

הָנֵי טוּבָא הָוְיָין? ״צַהֲלִי קוֹלֵךְ בַּת גַּלִּים״ – נָבִיא הוּא דְּקָאָמַר לַהּ לִכְנֶסֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל: ״צַהֲלִי קוֹלֵךְ בַּת גַּלִּים״, בִּתּוֹ שֶׁל אַבְרָהָם יִצְחָק וְיַעֲקֹב שֶׁעָשׂוּ מִצְוֹת כְּגַלֵּי הַיָּם. ״הַקְשִׁיבִי לַיְשָׁה״ – מֵהַאי לָא תִּסְתְּפַי, אֶלָּא אִיסְתְּפַי מִנְּבוּכַדְנֶצַּר הָרָשָׁע דִּמְתִיל כְּאַרְיֵה, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: ״עָלָה אַרְיֵה מִסֻּבְּכוֹ וְגוֹ׳״.

The Gemara asks: Aren’t these more than ten? The Gemara answers that in the verse: “Cry with a shrill voice, daughter of Gallim,” it is the prophet who is saying it to the congregation of Israel: “Cry with a shrill voice, daughter of Gallim,” daughter of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, who performed mitzvot as numerous as the waves of the sea. “Hearken, Laish”; from this king, Sennacherib, fear not; but fear Nebuchadnezzar, the wicked who is likened to a lion, as it is stated: “The lion [ arye ] is gone up from its thicket” (Jeremiah 4:7).

מַאי

The Gemara asks: What is the meaning of the phrase: