Sanhedrin 96a

וְשַׁנִּי נַפְשָׁךְ. בְּמַאי אֵישַׁנֵּי? אֲמַר לֵיהּ: זִיל אַיְיתִי לִי מַסְפְּרָא וְאֶיגְזְיָיךְ אֲנָא. מֵהֵיכָא אַיְיתֵי? אֲמַר לֵיהּ: עוּל לְהָהוּא בֵּיתָא וְאַיְיתֵי. אֲזַל, אַשְׁכְּחִינְהוּ לְמַלְאֲכֵי שָׁרֵת וְאִידְּמוֹ לֵיהּ כְּגַבְרֵי, וַהֲווֹ קָא טָחֲנִי קַשְׁיָיתָא.

and change your appearance so that they will not recognize you. Sennacherib asked him: With what shall I change it? God said to him: Go bring me scissors and I will shear you Myself. Sennacherib asked: From where should I bring the scissors? The Holy One, Blessed be He, said to him: Go to that house and bring them. He went and found ministering angels, who came and appeared to Sennacherib as men; and the angels were grinding date pits.

אֲמַר לְהוּ: הַבוּ לִי מַסְפְּרָא. אֲמַרוּ לֵיהּ: טְחוֹן חַד גְּרִיוָא דְּקַשְׁיָיתָא וְנִיתֵּן לָךְ. טְחַן חַד גְּרִיוָא דְּקַשְׁיָיתָא וִיהַבוּ לֵיהּ מַסְפַּרְתָּא. עַד דַּאֲתָא, אִיחֲשַׁךְ. אֲמַרוּ לֵיהּ: זִיל אַיְיתִי נוּרָא. אֲזַל וְאַיְיתִי נוּרָא. בַּהֲדֵי דְּקָא נָפַח לֵיהּ, אִתְּלִי בֵּיהּ נוּרָא בְּדִיקְנֵיהּ. אֲזַל גַּזְיֵיהּ לְרֵישֵׁיהּ וְדִיקְנֵיהּ. (אֲמַרוּ): הַיְינוּ דִּכְתִיב ״וְגַם אֶת הַזָּקָן תִּסְפֶּה״. אָמַר רַב פָּפָּא, הַיְינוּ דְּאָמְרִי אִינָשֵׁי: ״גָּרֵירְתֵּיהּ לְאַרְמָאָה שְׁפַר לֵיהּ, אַיתְלֵי לֵיהּ נוּרָא בְּדִיקְנֵיהּ וְלָא שָׂבְעַתְּ חוּכָא מִינֵּיהּ״.

Sennacherib said to them: Give me scissors. The ministering angels said to him: Grind a se’a of pits and we will give it to you. He ground a se’a of pits and they gave him scissors. By the time he came back with the scissors it grew dark. The Holy One, Blessed be He, said to Sennacherib: Go and bring fire to provide light. Sennacherib went and brought fire. While he was fanning it, the fire ignited his beard and it spread and sheared his head and his beard. The Sages said: This is the meaning of that which is written: “And it shall also destroy the beard” (Isaiah 7:20). Rav Pappa says that this is in accordance with the adage that people say: If you scorch a gentile and it is pleasant for him, ignite a fire in his beard and you will never tire of ridiculing him. It means that if one does not protest when others ridicule him, they will escalate the ridicule. The adage is based upon this incident involving Sennacherib.

אֲזַל, אַשְׁכַּח דַּפָּא מִתֵּיבוּתָא דְּנֹחַ. אָמַר: הַיְינוּ אֱלָהָא רַבָּא דְּשֵׁיזְבֵיהּ לְנֹחַ מִטּוֹפָנָא. אֲמַר: אִי אָזֵיל הָהוּא גַּבְרָא וּמַצְלַח, מְקָרֵב לְהוּ לִתְרֵין בְּנוֹהִי קַמָּךְ. שְׁמַעוּ בְּנוֹהִי וְקַטְלוּהּ. הַיְינוּ דִּכְתִיב: ״וַיְהִי הוּא מִשְׁתַּחֲוֶה בֵּית נִסְרֹךְ אֱלֹהָיו וְאַדְרַמֶּלֶךְ וְשַׂרְאֶצֶר בָּנָיו הִכֻּהוּ בַחֶרֶב וְגוֹ׳״.

Sennacherib went and found a beam from Noah’s ark, from which he fashioned a god. He said: This beam is the great god who delivered Noah from the flood. He said: If that man, referring to himself, goes and succeeds, he will sacrifice his two sons before you. His sons heard his commitment and killed him. This is the meaning of that which is written: “And it came to pass as he was worshipping in the house of Nisroch his god that Adrammelech and Sarezer, his sons, smote him with the sword, and they fled to Ararat” (II Kings 19:37), where Noah’s ark had come to rest. The Gemara explains that this interpretation is based upon the etymological similarity between neser , the Hebrew term for beam, and Nisroch, the god that Sennacherib fashioned from a beam.

״וַיֵּחָלֵק עֲלֵיהֶם לַיְלָה הוּא וַעֲבָדָיו וַיַּכֵּם וְגוֹ׳״. אָמַר רַבִּי יוֹחָנָן: אוֹתוֹ מַלְאָךְ שֶׁנִּזְדַּמֵּן לוֹ לְאַבְרָהָם, ״לַיְלָה״ שְׁמוֹ, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: ״וְהַלַּיְלָה אָמַר הֹרָה גָבֶר״. וְרַבִּי יִצְחָק נַפָּחָא אָמַר: שֶׁעָשָׂה עִמּוֹ מַעֲשֵׂה לַיְלָה, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: ״מִן שָׁמַיִם נִלְחָמוּ הַכּוֹכָבִים מִמְּסִלּוֹתָם נִלְחֲמוּ עִם סִיסְרָא״. אָמַר רֵישׁ לָקִישׁ: טָבָא דְּנַפָּחָא מִדְּבַר נַפָּחָא.

§ Apropos the war between the kings and Abraham mentioned above, the Gemara explains a verse: “And he pursued as far as Dan. And he divided himself against them by night [ laila ], he and his servants, and smote them” (Genesis 14:14–15). The term “by night” [ laila ] appears out of place in this verse. Rabbi Yoḥanan says: That angel that happened to come and assist Abraham in that war, Laila is his name, as it is stated: “And Laila said: A man-child is brought forth” (Job 3:3), indicating that there is an angel named Laila. And Rabbi Yitzḥak Nappaḥa says: God performed for him an act of night, i.e., the stars in heaven waged war on his behalf, as it is stated: “They fought from heaven; the stars in their courses fought against Sisera” (Judges 5:20). Reish Lakish said: The statement of Rabbi Yitzḥak Nappaḥa, the smith, is preferable to the statement of the son of the smith, Rabbi Yoḥanan.

״וַיִּרְדֹּף עַד דָּן״. אָמַר רַבִּי יוֹחָנָן: כֵּיוָן שֶׁבָּא אוֹתוֹ צַדִּיק עַד דָּן, תָּשַׁשׁ כֹּחוֹ. רָאָה בְּנֵי בָּנָיו שֶׁעֲתִידִין לַעֲבוֹד עֲבוֹדָה זָרָה בְּדָן, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: ״וַיָּשֶׂם אֶת הָאֶחָד בְּבֵית אֵל וְאֶת הָאֶחָד נָתַן בְּדָן״. וְאַף אוֹתוֹ רָשָׁע לֹא נִתְגַּבֵּר עַד שֶׁהִגִּיעַ לְדָן, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: ״מִדָּן נִשְׁמַע נַחְרַת סוּסָיו״.

With regard to the previous verse: “And he pursued as far as Dan” (Genesis 14:14), Rabbi Yoḥanan says: Once that righteous person, Abraham, came to Dan, his strength weakened. He saw through the Divine Spirit that his descendants were destined to worship idols in Dan, as it is stated: “And he fashioned two calves of gold… and he set one in Bethel, and the other one he placed in Dan” (I Kings 12:28–29). And even that wicked person, Nebuchadnezzar, did not prevail until he reached Dan, as it is stated: “From Dan the snorting of his horses is heard” (Jeremiah 8:16).

אָמַר רַבִּי זֵירָא: ״אַף עַל גַּב דְּשָׁלַח רַבִּי יְהוּדָה בֶּן בְּתֵירָא מִנְּצִיבִין: הִזָּהֲרוּ בְּזָקֵן שֶׁשָּׁכַח תַּלְמוּדוֹ מֵחֲמַת אוֹנְסוֹ, וְהִזָּהֲרוּ בַּוְּורִידִין כְּרַבִּי יְהוּדָה, וְהִזָּהֲרוּ בִּבְנֵי עַמֵּי הָאָרֶץ שֶׁמֵּהֶן תֵּצֵא תּוֹרָה – כִּי הָא מִילְּתָא מוֹדְעִינַן לְהוּ.

Rabbi Zeira says: Even though Rabbi Yehuda ben Beteira sent a statement from Netzivin: Be vigilant with regard to treating with deference an elder who forgot his studies due to circumstances beyond his control, and be vigilant with regard to cutting the jugular veins when slaughtering an animal in accordance with the opinion of Rabbi Yehuda, and be vigilant with regard to treating with respect the children of ignoramuses, as from some of them Torah will emerge, we inform them of a message like this matter.

״צַדִּיק אַתָּה ה׳ כִּי אָרִיב אֵלֶיךָ אַךְ מִשְׁפָּטִים אֲדַבֵּר אוֹתָךְ מַדּוּעַ דֶּרֶךְ רְשָׁעִים צָלֵחָה שָׁלוּ כׇּל בֹּגְדֵי בָגֶד. נְטַעְתָּם גַּם שֹׁרָשׁוּ יֵלְכוּ גַּם עָשׂוּ פֶרִי״. מַאי אַהְדַּרוּ לֵיהּ? ״כִּי אֶת רַגְלִים רַצְתָּה וַיַּלְאוּךָ וְאֵיךְ תְּתַחֲרֶה אֶת הַסּוּסִים וּבְאֶרֶץ שָׁלוֹם אַתָּה בוֹטֵחַ וְאֵיךְ תַּעֲשֶׂה בִּגְאוֹן הַיַּרְדֵּן״.

The verse states: “Right would you be, Lord, were I to contend with You; yet will I reason with You: Why does the path of the wicked prosper; why are all who deal treacherously secure? You have planted them, they have also taken root; they grow, they also bring forth fruit” (Jeremiah 12:1–2). What did they respond to Jeremiah from heaven? “If you have run with the pedestrians, and they have wearied you, how can you contend with horses? And though in a land of peace you feel secure, how will you do in the wild country of the Jordan?” (Jeremiah 12:5).

מָשָׁל לְאָדָם אֶחָד שֶׁאָמַר: יָכוֹל אֲנִי לָרוּץ שָׁלֹשׁ פַּרְסָאוֹת לִפְנֵי הַסּוּסִים בֵּין בִּצְעֵי הַמַּיִם. נִזְדַּמֵּן לוֹ רַגְלִי אֶחָד, רָץ לְפָנָיו שְׁלֹשָׁה מִילִין בַּיַּבָּשָׁה וְנִלְאָה. אָמְרוּ לוֹ: וּמָה לִפְנֵי רַגְלִי כָּךְ, לִפְנֵי הַסּוּסִים – עַל אַחַת כַּמָּה וְכַמָּה. וּמָה שְׁלֹשֶׁת מִילִין כָּךְ, שָׁלֹשׁ פַּרְסָאוֹת – עַל אַחַת כַּמָּה וְכַמָּה. וּמָה בַּיַּבָּשָׁה כָּךְ, בֵּין בִּצְעֵי הַמַּיִם – עַל אַחַת כַּמָּה וְכַמָּה.

The Gemara interprets the verse according to its straightforward meaning. This is a parable of a person who said: I can run three parasangs before the horses in the swamplands. He encountered a pedestrian and ran before him for three mil on dry land and wearied. The people said to him: And if running before a pedestrian you grew so weary, then if you were to run before horses, all the more so would you become weary. And if after running three mil you grew so weary, then if you were to run three parasangs, four times that distance, all the more so would you become weary. And if after running on dry land you grew so weary, then if you were to run in the swamplands, all the more so would you become weary.

אַף אַתָּה: וּמָה בִּשְׂכַר אַרְבַּע פְּסִיעוֹת שֶׁשִּׁלַּמְתִּי לְאוֹתוֹ רָשָׁע, שֶׁרָץ אַחַר כְּבוֹדִי, אַתָּה תָּמֵיהַּ? כְּשֶׁאֲנִי מְשַׁלֵּם שָׂכָר לְאַבְרָהָם יִצְחָק וְיַעֲקֹב שֶׁרָצוּ לְפָנַי כְּסוּסִים – עַל אַחַת כַּמָּה וְכַמָּה! הַיְינוּ דִּכְתִיב: ״לַנְּבִאִים נִשְׁבַּר לִבִּי בְקִרְבִּי רָחֲפוּ כׇּל עַצְמֹתַי הָיִיתִי כְּאִישׁ שִׁכּוֹר וּכְגֶבֶר עֲבָרוֹ יָיִן מִפְּנֵי ה׳ וּמִפְּנֵי דִּבְרֵי קׇדְשׁוֹ״.

The Gemara explains: So too, you, Jeremiah: And if with regard to the reward for four paces that I compensated that wicked person, Nebuchadnezzar, who ran in My honor, you are astonished at its magnitude, when I compensate Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, who ran before Me like horses throughout their lives, all the more so will their reward be great. This teaches the potency of even a minor mitzva. That is the meaning of that which is written: “Concerning the prophets. My heart within me is broken; all my bones shake; I am like a drunken man and like a man whom wine has overcome, due to the Lord and due to His sacred words” (Jeremiah 23:9).

הָנֵי אַרְבַּע פְּסִיעוֹת מַאי הִיא? דִּכְתִיב: ״בָּעֵת הַהִיא שָׁלַח מְרֹדַךְ בַּלְאֲדָן בֶּן בַּלְאֲדָן מֶלֶךְ בָּבֶל סְפָרִים וְגוֹ׳״. מִשּׁוּם ״כִּי חָלָה חִזְקִיָּהוּ וַיֶּחֱזָק״ שַׁדַּר לֵיהּ סְפָרִים וּמִנְחָה? אִין, לִדְרֹשׁ ״(אֶת) הַמּוֹפֵת אֲשֶׁר הָיָה בָאָרֶץ״. דְּאָמַר רַבִּי יוֹחָנָן: אוֹתוֹ הַיּוֹם שֶׁמֵּת בּוֹ אָחָז שְׁתֵּי שָׁעוֹת הָיָה.

The Gemara asks: With regard to these four paces of Nebuchadnezzar, what is the incident to which the Gemara alludes? The Gemara answers that the incident is as it is written: “At that time Merodach-Baladan, son of Baladan, king of Babylonia, sent a letter and a gift to Hezekiah, as he had heard that he had been ill and was recovered” (Isaiah 39:1). The Gemara asks: Due to the fact that Hezekiah had been ill and was recovered, he sent him a letter and a gift? The Gemara answers: Yes, and he did so in order “to inquire of the wonder that was in the land” (II Chronicles 32:31). As Rabbi Yoḥanan says: On that day that Hezekiah’s father, Ahaz, died, daylight lasted two hours, ten hours shorter than the standard day, so that the wicked Ahaz would be buried hurriedly, without the pomp typically accorded kings.

וְכִי חָלָה חִזְקִיָּהוּ וְאִיתְּפַח, אַהְדְּרִינְהוּ קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא לְהָנָךְ עֲשַׂר שָׁעֵי נִיהֲלֵיהּ, דִּכְתִיב: ״הִנְנִי מֵשִׁיב אֶת צֵל הַמַּעֲלוֹת אֲשֶׁר יָרְדָה בְמַעֲלוֹת אָחָז בַּשֶּׁמֶשׁ אֲחֹרַנִּית עֶשֶׂר מַעֲלוֹת וַתָּשׇׁב הַשֶּׁמֶשׁ עֶשֶׂר מַעֲלוֹת בַּמַּעֲלוֹת אֲשֶׁר יָרָדָה״. אֲמַר לְהוּ: מַאי הַאי? אֲמַרוּ לֵיהּ: חִזְקִיָּהוּ חֲלַשׁ וְאִיתְּפַח. אֲמַר: אִיכָּא גַּבְרָא כִּי הַאי וְלָא בָּעֵינָא לְשַׁדּוֹרֵי לֵיהּ שְׁלָמָא? כְּתַבוּ לֵיהּ: ״שְׁלָמָא לְמַלְכָּא חִזְקִיָּה, שְׁלָם לְקַרְתָּא דִּירוּשְׁלֶם, שְׁלָם לֶאֱלָהָא רַבָּא״.

And when Hezekiah fell ill and recovered, the Holy One, Blessed be He, restored those ten hours to Hezekiah, as it is written: “Behold, I will return the shadow of the dial, which descended on the sundial of Ahaz, ten degrees backward. So the sun returned ten degrees, by which it had gone down” (Isaiah 38:8). Merodach said to his servants: What is this wonder that the day was extended? They said to him: Hezekiah fell ill and recovered, and the sun shone for him. Merodach said: There is a man like that and I do not need to send him greetings? The ministers of Merodach wrote to Hezekiah: Greetings to King Hezekiah, greetings to the city of Jerusalem, and greetings to the great God.

נְבוּכַדְנֶאצַּר סָפְרֵיהּ דְּבַלְאֲדָן הֲוָה. הָהִיא שַׁעְתָּא לָא הֲוָה הָתָם. כִּי אֲתָא, אֲמַר לְהוּ: הֵיכִי כָּתְבִיתוּ? אֲמַרוּ לֵיהּ: הָכִי כָּתְבִינַן. אֲמַר לְהוּ: קְרֵיתוּ לֵיהּ ״אֱלָהָא רַבָּא״ וְכָתְבִיתוּ לֵיהּ לְבַסּוֹף? אָמַר: אֶלָּא הָכִי כְּתוּבוּ: ״שְׁלָם לֶאֱלָהָא רַבָּא, שְׁלָם לְקַרְתָּא דִּירוּשְׁלֶם, שְׁלָם לְמַלְכָּא חִזְקִיָּה״. אָמְרִי לֵיהּ: קַרְיָינָא דְּאִיגַּרְתָּא אִיהוּ לֶיהֱוֵי פַּרְוַונְקָא.

Nebuchadnezzar was the scribe of Baladan, and at that time he was not there. When he came there he said to the other scribes: How did you write the king’s message? They said to him: We wrote this: Greetings to King Hezekiah, greetings to the city of Jerusalem, and greetings to the great God, as we were commanded. Nebuchadnezzar said to the scribes: You called him: The great God, and you wrote Him at the end of the list of greetings? He said: Rather, write this: Greetings to the great God, greetings to the city of Jerusalem, and greetings to King Hezekiah. The scribes said to Nebuchadnezzar: The one who reads the letter, let him be the messenger. You gave the advice; you correct the text.

רְהַט בָּתְרֵיהּ, כִּדְרָהֵיט אַרְבַּע פְּסִיעוֹת, אֲתָא גַּבְרִיאֵל וְאוֹקְמֵיהּ. אָמַר רַבִּי יוֹחָנָן: אִילְמָלֵא לֹא בָּא גַּבְרִיאֵל וְהֶעֱמִידוֹ, לֹא הָיָה תַּקָּנָה לְשׂוֹנְאֵיהֶם שֶׁל יִשְׂרָאֵל.

Nebuchadnezzar pursued the messenger to take the letter from him and revise it. When he ran four paces, the angel Gabriel came and stopped his pursuit. Rabbi Yoḥanan says: If Gabriel had not come and stopped his pursuit there would have been no remedy for the enemies of the Jewish people, a euphemism for the Jewish people. Had Nebuchadnezzar succeeded in revising the letter, his reward would have been so great that he would have been able to destroy the Jewish people, as he desired.

מַאי ״בַּלְאֲדָן בֶּן בַּלְאֲדָן״? אָמְרִי: בַּלְאֲדָן מַלְכָּא הֲוָה, וְאִישְׁתַּנִּי אַפֵּיהּ וַהֲוָה כִּי דְּכַלְבָּא. הֲוָה יָתֵיב בְּרֵיהּ עַל מַלְכוּתָא. כִּי הֲוָה כָּתֵיב, הֲוָה כָּתֵיב שְׁמֵיהּ וּשְׁמֵיהּ דַּאֲבוּהּ ״בַּלְאֲדָן מַלְכָּא״. הַיְינוּ דִּכְתִיב: ״בֵּן יְכַבֵּד אָב וְעֶבֶד אֲדֹנָיו״.

The Gemara asks: What is the meaning of: Merodach- Baladan, son of Baladan? If his name was Merodach it was not Baladan. The Sages say: Baladan was a king, and his visage was transformed and became like that of a dog. His son was sitting on the throne in his stead and when he would write a letter he would write his name and the name of his father, King Baladan. That is the meaning of that which is written with regard to the honor accorded by gentiles to their fathers: “A son honors his father and a servant his master” (Malachi 1:6).

״בֵּן יְכַבֵּד אָב״ – הָא דַּאֲמַרַן, ״וְעֶבֶד אֲדֹנָיו״ – דִּכְתִיב: ״וּבַחֹדֶשׁ הַחֲמִישִׁי בֶּעָשׂוֹר לַחֹדֶשׁ הִיא שְׁנַת תְּשַׁע עֶשְׂרֵה שָׁנָה לַמֶּלֶךְ נְבוּכַדְנֶאצַּר מֶלֶךְ בָּבֶל בָּא נְבוּזַרְאֲדָן רַב טַבָּחִים עָמַד לִפְנֵי מֶלֶךְ בָּבֶל בִּירוּשָׁלִָם וַיִּשְׂרֹף אֶת בֵּית ה׳ וְאֶת בֵּית הַמֶּלֶךְ״.

The Gemara elaborates: “A son honors his father” is referring to that which we stated with regard to Baladan. “And a servant his master” is referring to a verse, as it is written: “And in the fifth month, on the tenth day of the month, which was the nineteenth year of Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylonia, came Nebuzaradan, captain of the guard, who stood before the king of Babylonia, into Jerusalem. And he burned the House of the Lord, and the house of the king” (Jeremiah 52:12–13).