כי סליק איסי בר היני אשכחיה לר' יוחנן דקא מתני ליה לבריה רחלים אמר ליה אתנייה רחלות א"ל כדכתיב (בראשית לב, טו) רחלים מאתים אמר ליה לשון תורה לעצמה לשון חכמים לעצמן אמר ליה מאן ריש סדרא בבבל אמר ליה אבא אריכא אמר ליה אבא אריכא קרית ליה דכירנא כד הוה יתיבנא אחר י"ז שורן אחוריה דרב קמיה דרבי ונפקי זיקוקין דנור מפומיה דרב לפומיה דרבי ומפומיה דרבי לפומיה דרב ולית אנא ידע מה הן אמרין ואת אבא אריכא קרית ליה
א"ר נחמן אמר רב חתנים מן המנין ואין אבלים מן המנין מיתיבי חתנים ואבלים מן המנין מתניתא קא רמית עליה דרב רב תנא הוא ופליג
וכי הוה נחית רב לבבל אמר ליה רבי חייא לר' בן אחותי יורד לבבל יורה יורה ידין ידין יתיר בכורות אל יתיר [מ"ש למר דקא קרי בן אחי ומ"ש למר דקא קרי בן אחותי וכי תימא הכי הוה מעשה והאמר מר איבו וחנה ושילא ומרתא ורבי חייא כולהו בני אבא בר אחא כרסלא מכפרי הוו רב בר אחוה דהוה בר אחתיה רבה בר חנה בר אחוה דלאו בר אחתיה ואי בעית אימא
But if he was an expert for the many, he [can] judge even alone." Rav Nahman said: "Just like I judge monetary cases by myself." And so said Rabbi Hiyya: "Just like I judge monetary cases by myself." It was asked: "Just like I, who have learned, explained, and received permission." But if he didn't receive permission, his judgement is not law, or maybe even though he didn't receive permission, hie judgement is law? Come learn: That Mar Zutra son of Rav Nahman judged a case and erred. He came before Rav Yosef. He said to him: "If they [the litigants] received you upon themselves [i.e. agreed to you judging alone], you don't pay; but if not, go and pay." Learn from this: When he didn't receive permission, his judgement is law—learn from this. Rav said: "Anyone who wants to judge a case and if he errs wants to be exempt [from payment], [should] take permission from the Exilarchate." And so said Shmuel: "[He should] take permission from the Exilarchate." It's obvious from here to here [Babylon] and from there to there [Eretz Yisrael] ([permission] is effective), and from here to there (is also) effective since here is "staff" and there is "lawgiver", as it is taught [in a baraita]: "'The staff will never leave from Judah' (Genesis 49:10)—these are the Exilarchs in Babylon that rule Israel [i.e. Jews] with the staff; 'And the lawgiver from between his legs' (Genesis 49:10)—these are the descendants of Hillel that teach Torah in public." [But] from there to here, what['s the law]? Come learn: That Rabbah bar Hanah judged a case and erred. He came before Rabbi Hiyya. He said to him: "If they [the litigants] received you upon themselves [i.e. agreed to you judging alone], you don't pay; but if not, go and pay." But Rabbah bar Hanah received permission! Learn from this: From there to here it is not effective. Learn from this. And it's not effective? But Rabbah bar Rav Huna argued against the Exilarchate, saying: "It was not from you that I received permission! I received permission from my father, my master, and my father, my master from Rav, and Rav from Rabbi Hiyya, and Rabbi Hiyya from Rabbi!" It was mere speech that he was throwing at them. But if [permission] wasn't effective, why did Rabbah bar Hanah get permission? For the towns that are by the borders.
על שם חכמתו דכתיב (משלי ז, ד) אמור לחכמה אחותי את] יתיר בכורות אל יתיר מאי טעמא אילימא משום דלא חכים הא קא אמרינן דחכים טובא אלא משום דלא בקיע במומי והאמר רב שמונה עשר חדשים גדלתי אצל רועה בהמה לידע איזה מום קבוע ואיזה מום עובר אלא לחלק לו כבוד לרבה בר חנה ואיבעית אימא משום הא גופיה דרב בקיע במומי טפי ושרי מומי דלא ידעי אינשי ואמרי כי האי גוונא שרא רב ואתו למשרי מום עובר
כי הוו מיפטרי רבנן מבי רב הוו פיישי אלפא ומאתן רבנן
אמר רב יהודה אמר שמואל כשם שאסור לצאת מארץ ישראל לבבל כך אסור לצאת מבבל לשאר ארצות
אמר ליה שבור מלכא לשמואל אמריתו דחכמיתו טובא אימא לי מאי חזינא בחלמאי אמר ליה חזית דאתו רומאי ושבו לך וטחני בך קשייתא ברחייא דדהבא הרהר כוליה יומא ולאורתא חזא
The Roman Emperor said to R. Joshua b. R. Hannina[6], "You declare that you are wise. Tell me what I shall see in my dream." He replied, "Thou wilt see the Persians enslaving thee, despoiling thee, and making thee pasture unclean animals with a golden crook." The Emperor reflected upon it the whole day and in the night saw it [in a dream][7]. King Shapor said to Samuel, "You declare that you are very wise. Tell me what I shall see in my dream." He replied, "Thou wilt see the Romans come and take thee captive and make thee grind date-stones[8] in a golden mill." The king reflected upon it the whole day and in the night saw it [in a dream][9]. Bar Hedja was an interpreter of dreams. When one paid him a fee, he interpreted [the dream] favourably ; but if no fee was given him, he interpreted it unfavourably. Abbai and Raba had a dream ; Abbai gave him a Zuz but Raba gave him nothing. They said to him : We were made to read in our dream the words "Thine ox shall be slain before thine eyes" (Deut. xxviii. 31). To Raba he said : Thy business will fail, and thou wilt have no desire to eat because of the grief of thy heart. To Abbai he said : Thy business will prosper, and thou wilt have no desire to eat because of the joy of thy heart. They said to him : We were made to read in our dream the words "Thou shalt beget sons and daughters, but they shall not be thine, for they shall go into captivity" (ibid. V. 41). To Raba he replied in an unfavourable sense. To Abbai he said : Thy sons and daughters will be many, and thy daughters will marry [husbands in distant parts of] the world, so that they will seem to thee as though they had gone into captivity, [They said to him : In our dream] we were made to read the words "Thy sons and thy daughters shall he given unto another people " (ibid. v. 32), To Abbai he said : Thy sons and daughters will be many ; thou wilt say [they should marry] thy relatives, but [thy wife] will say they [should marry] her relatives, and she will compel thee to give them to her relatives, and it will seem [as though they had been given] to another people. To Raba he said : Thy wife will die, and thy sons and daughters will come under the control of another wife. For Raba[1] said in the name of R. Jeremiah b. Abba in the name of Rab : What means that which is written, "Thy sons and thy daughters shall be given unto another people"? This refers to a stepmother. [They said to Bar Hedja] : We were made to read in our dream the words "Go thy way, eat thy bread with joy" (Eccles, ix. 7). To Abbai he said : Thy business will prosper and thou wilt eat and drink and read Scriptural verses from the joy of thy heart. To Raba he said : Thy business will fail, thou wilt slaughter [cattle] but not eat, and thou wilt drink and read Scriptural verses to banish thy dread. We were made to read the words "Thou shalt carry much seed out into the field, and shalt gather little in for the locust will consume it" (Deut. xxviii. 38). To Abbai he gave an interpretation from the first half of the verse ; to Raba from the latter half. We were made to read the words "Thou shalt have olive-trees throughout all thy borders, but thou shalt not anoint thyself with the oil, for thine olives shall drop off" (Deut. xxviii, 40). To Abbai he gave an interpretation from the first half of the verse ; to Raba from the latter half. We were made to read the words "And all the peoples of the earth shall see that the name of the Lord is called upon thee, and they shall be afraid of thee" (ibid. v. 10). To Abbai he said : Thy fame will go forth as the Principal of the College and the fear of thee will be widespread in the world. To Raba he said : The king's treasury will be broken into and thou wilt be arrested as one of the thieves, and everybody will draw an inference from thee[1]. The next day the king's treasury was broken into, and they came and arrested Raba. They said [to Bar Hedja] : We saw [in a dream] lettuce upon the mouth of a jar. To Abbai he said : Thy business will be doubled like the lettuce. To Raba he said : Thy business will be bitter like the lettuce. They said to him : We saw [in a dream] meat upon the mouth of a jar. To Abbai he said : Thy wine[2] will be sweet and everybody will come to buy meat and wine of thee. To Raba he said : Thy wine will be sour and everybody will come to buy meat to eat therewith. They said to him : We saw [in a dream] a jug hanging upon a date-palm. To Abbai he said : Thy wares will be exalted like the palm. To Raba he said : Thy wares will be sweet as dates[3]. They said to him : We saw [in a dream] a pomegranate sprouting on the mouth of a jar. To Abbai he said : Thy wares will be high-priced like the pomegranate. To Raba he said : Thy wares will be stale [and taste] like the pomegranate. They said to him : We saw [in a dream] a jug fall into a well. To Abbai he said : Thy wares will be sought as one says, "A piece of bread fell into a well and cannot be found[4]." To Raba he said : Thy wares will go bad and thou wilt cast them into a well. They said to him : We saw [in a dream] a young ass standing by the side of our pillow and braying. To Abbai he said : Thou wilt become the President of the College and an Amora will stand by thee. To Raba he said : The words "the firstling of an ass" (Exod. xiii. 13) have been erased from thy Tefillin[5]. Raba said to him : I have myself seen that the words are there. He replied : The letter waw in the word hamor "ass" has certainly been erased from thy Tefillin[1]. Later on Raba went to him alone and said : I dreamt that the outer door fell. He replied : Thy wife will die[2]. He said : I dreamt that my back and front teeth fell out. He replied that his sons and daughters would die. He said : I dreamt of two doves flying. He replied : Thou wilt divorce two wives[3]. He said : I dreamt of two turnip-tops. He replied : Thou wilt receive two blows[4]. That day Raba went and sat in the House of Study the whole day[5]. He found there two blind men quarrelling with each other. Raba went to part them, and they struck him twice. They raised [their sticks] to give him another blow ; but he cried, "That's enough! I only dreamt of two!" Finally Raba came and gave [Bar Hedja] a fee, and said to him : I dreamt of a wall falling. He replied : Thou wilt acquire a boundless estate. He said to him : dreamt that Abbai's house collapsed and its dust covered me. He replied : Abbai will die and his [Office as Principal of the] College will revert to thee. He said to him : I dreamt that my house collapsed and everybody came to take each a brick. He replied : Thy teachings will be scattered throughout the world. He said to him : I dreamt that my head was split open and my brains fell out. He replied : The stuffing will fall out of thy bolster. He said to him : I dreamt that I was made to read the Hallel of Egypt[6]. He replied : Many miracles will happen to thee. [Once Bar Hedja] went with Raba on a boat; he said [to himself] "Why should I accompany a man to whom miracles will happen[7]?" As he descended [from the boat] a book[8] of his fell. Raba found it and saw written therein, "All dreams follow the mouth [of the interpreter]." He exclaimed, "Thou rascal ! It rested with thee [whether my dreams were auspicious or not], and thou didst cause me all this pain. I forgive thee everything except [what thou didst say about][1] the daughter of Rab Hisda[2]. May it be His will that this fellow be handed over into the power of the Government and it have no mercy on him!" Bar Hedja said, "What can I do ? There is a tradition that the curse of a wise man, even when undeserved, comes to pass ; and how much more so that of Raba who has justification for uttering a curse!" He said [to himself] "I will go into exile[3]; for a teacher has said, 'Exile[4] atones for sins'." He went into exile amoug the Romans, and sat down at the door of the king's treasury[5]. The wardrobe-keeper had a dream and said to him : I dreamt that a needle entered my finger. Bar Hedja said, "Give me a Zuz" ; but he refused, so he gave him no reply. Then the wardrobe-keeper said : I dreamt that decay[6] seized two of my fingers. He said, "Give me a Zuz" ; but he refused and received no answer. He said to him : I dreamt that decay seized my whole hand. He replied : Decay has seized all the [king's] silken garments. The king's household heard of this and they brought the wardrobe-keeper to put him to death. He said to the king, "Why me? Take him who knew but spoke not." They took Bar Hedja, and he said to him, "Because of the Zuz [which I refused thee], destruction has come upon the king's silken garments."
על הזיקין: מאי זיקין אמר שמואל כוכבא דשביט ואמר שמואל נהירין לי שבילי דשמיא כשבילי דנהרדעא לבר מכוכבא דשביט דלא ידענא מאי ניהו
Our Rabbis have taught : Who sees the houses of Israelites when inhabited says, "Blessed... Who dost set the boundary of the widow[4]" ; [but when he sees them] in ruins he says, "Blessed be the true Judge." [Who beholds] the houses of idolaters when they are inhabited says, "The Lord will pluck up the house of the proud" (Prov. xv. 25); [but when he sees them] in ruins he says, "O Lord, Thou God, to Whom vengeance belongeth. Thou God to Whom vengeance belongeth, shine forth" (Ps. xciv. 1 ). 'Ulla and Rab Hisda were journeying along the road. When they reached the entrance of the house of Rab Hanna b. Hanilai, Rab Hisda broke down and sighed. 'Ulla asked him, "Why dost thou sigh? For lo, Rab has said : A sigh breaketh half the body of a man ; as it is said, 'Sigh therefore, thou son of man, with the breaking of thy loins,' etc. (Ezek. xxi. 11); and R. Johanan[5] has said : It even breaks the whole body ; as it is said, 'And it shall be, when they say unto thee, Wherefore sighest thou ? that thou shalt say, Because of the tidings, for it cometh ; and every heart shall melt' etc. (ibid. v. 12)." He answered him, "How should I not sigh [on beholding] a house in which there were sixty[6] cooks by day and sixty cooks by night and they baked for each person what he desired. Nor did he[7] ever take his hand away from his purse, thinking that perhaps there may come a poor man, the son of respectable people, and while he is reaching for his purse, he would be put to shame. Moreover it had four doors open to the four directions, and whoever entered hungry came out sated. He used also to cast wheat and barley outside during the years of drought, so that anybody who was ashamed to take it by day came and took it by night. And now that it is fallen into ruins, shall I not sigh?" He said to him, "Thus spake R. Johanan : From the day the Temple was destroyed, a decree was issued that the houses of the righteous should be destroyed ; as it is said, 'In mine ears said the Lord of hosts : Of a truth many houses shall be desolate, even great and fair, without inhabitant' (Is. v. 9). Also said R. Johanan[1]: The Holy One, blessed be He, will restore them to habitation ; as it is said, 'A Song of Ascents. They that trust in the Lord are as Mount Zion' (Ps. cxxv. 1) — just as the Holy One, blessed be He, will restore Mount Zion to habitation, so will He restore the houses of the righteous to habitation." He perceived that his mind was still not at rest, so he said to him, "It is enough for the slave to be like his master[2]." Our Rabbis have taught: "Who beholds the graves of Israel says[3]: "Blessed... Who formed you in judgment, Who nourished you in judgment, sustained you in judgment, and gathered you in judgment, and will hereafter raise you in judgment." Mar b. Rabina concluded the benediction in the name of Rab Nahman[4] : "And knowest the number of you all in judgment, and will hereafter restore you to life and cause you to survive. Blessed... Who quickenest the dead." [Who beholds] the graves of idolaters says, "Your mother shall be sore ashamed" (Jer. 1. 12). R. Joshua b. Levi said : Who sees his friend after [an interval of] thirty days says, "Blessed... Who hast kept us in life, and hast preserved us, and enabled us to reach this season." After [an interval of] twelve months he says, "Blessed... Who quickenest the dead." Rab said : The dead is only forgotten from the heart after twelve months[5] ; as it is said, "I am forgotten as a dead man out of mind ; I am like a lost vessel" (Ps. xxxi. 13)[6]. Rab Pappa and Rab Huna b. Rab Joshua were journeying along the road and met Rab Hannina b. Rab Ika. They said to him, "Since we have seen thee, we will offer two benedictions on thine account : 'Blessed... Who impartest Thy wisdom to them that fear Thee' and 'Blessed... Who hast kept us in life' etc." He replied, "I also, since I have seen you, deem you to be in my eyes like the sixty myriads of the house of Israel and say three benedictions on your account : the two you have uttered and also 'Blessed... Who art wise in secrets[1]'. " They said to him, "Art thou as wise as all that?" They set their eyes on him and he died[2]. R. Joshua b. Levi said : Who beholds men smitten with a leprous eruption says, "Blessed... Who variest the forms of Thy creatures." It is quoted in objection : Who beholds a negro, a red-spotted or white-spotted person, a hunchback, dwarfed or dropsical person says, "Blessed... Who variest the forms of Thy creatures" ; but [on beholding] a person with an amputated limb, or blind, or flat-headed, or lame, or smitten with boils or a leprous eruption he says, "Blessed be the true Judge" ! There is no contradiction ; the former refers to one suffering thus from his mother's womb, the other to one suffering thus after birth. This is also proved from the fact that he teaches that [the man afflicted with leprous eruption] is like the person with an amputated limb[3]. Deduce from this [that the leper referred to in the Baraita is one who became diseased after birth]. Our Rabbis have taught : Who beholds an elephant, or monkey or long-tailed ape says, "Blessed... Who variest the forms of Thy creatures[4]." If he beholds beautiful works of creation and fine trees he says, "Blessed... to Whom it is thus in Thy universe." For shooting stars [Zikin]. What means Zikin ? Samuel said : Kokeba di-Shebit[5]. Samuel also said : The paths of heaven are as familiar to me as the streets of Nehardea[1], with the exception of the Kokeba di-Shebit, for I know not what that is. There is a tradition that it never passes through the constellation of Orion, for if it did the world would he destroyed. But we see that it does pass through ! It is its brightness that passes through, and so it seems as though it does actually pass through. Rab Huna b. Rab Joshua[2] said ; It is the Veil [ Vilon] which is rent and rolled up, so that the light of the heaven [Rekia'] appears[3]. Rab Ashe said : A star disappears from one side of Orion and [the beholder] sees a companion star [appear] on the other side and is bewildered ; and thus it seems as though it had passed through [the constellation][4]. Samuel asked : It is written "Who maketh the Bear, Orion and the Pleiades" (Job ix. 9) and it is written "That maketh the Pleiades and Orion" (Amos v. 8) ! How is that[5] ? Were it not for the heat of Orion, the world could not exist because of the coldness of the Pleiades, and were it not for the coldness of the Pleiades, the world could not exist because of the heat of Orion[6]. There is also a tradition : Were it not that the tail of the Scorpion was placed in the Fire-River[7], nobody who had been stung by a scorpion could live. That is what the All-merciful said to Job, "Canst thou bind the chains of the Pleiades, or loose the bands of Orion?" (Job xxxviii. 31). What means Kimah [the Pleiades]? Samuel said : About a hundred [Keme'ah] stars ; some say : Which are gathered together, but others say : Which are scattered. What means 'Ash [the Bear]? Rab Judah said : Juta[8]. What is Juta? Some say : The tail of a ram ; others say : The head of a calf. But the more probable view is that of him who said, "The tail of a ram" ; for it is written, "And the 'Ajish will be comforted for her children" (ibid. V. 32)[9]. Hence it seems as if something is lacking [in the tail]
כולהו שני דרב הוה כתב ליה רבי יוחנן לקדם רבינו שבבבל כי נח נפשיה הוה כתב לשמואל לקדם חבירינו שבבבל אמר לא ידע לי מידי דרביה אנא כתב שדר ליה עיבורא דשיתין שני אמר השתא חושבנא בעלמא ידע כתב שדר ליה תליסר גמלי ספקי טריפתא אמר אית לי רב בבבל איזיל איחזייה א"ל לינוקא פסוק לי פסוקיך אמר ליה (שמואל א כח, ג) ושמואל מת אמר ש"מ נח נפשיה דשמואל ולא היא לא שכיב שמואל אלא כי היכי דלא ליטרח
ההוא בר טביא דאתא לבי ריש גלותא דהוה מפסק כרען בתרייתא בדקיה רב בצומת הגידין ואכשריה סבר למיכל מיניה באומצא א"ל שמואל לא חייש מר לניקורי א"ל מאי תקנתא נותביה בתנורא דאיהו בדיק נפשיה אותביה נפל תילחי תילחי קרי שמואל עליה דרב (משלי יב, כא) לא יאונה לצדיק כל און קרי רב עליה דשמואל (דניאל ד, ו) כל רז לא אנס לך:
ויהי בימי אחשורוש אמר רב ויי והי הדא דכתיב (דברים כח, סח) והתמכרתם שם לאויביך לעבדים ולשפחות וגו' ושמואל אמר (ויקרא כו, מד) לא מאסתים ולא געלתים לכלותם לא מאסתים בימי יוונים ולא געלתים בימי נבוכדנצר לכלותם בימי המן להפר בריתי אתם בימי פרסיים כי אני ה' אלהיהם בימי גוג ומגוג
“For we are servants; yet God has not forsaken us in our bondage, but has extended mercy unto us in the sight of the kings of Persia” (Ezra 9:9). When was this? In the time of Haman. Hanina b. Papa began his discourse on this section with the following text: “You have caused men to ride over our heads, we went through fire and through water” (Psalms 66:12). Through fire in the days of the wicked Nebuchadnezzar, and through water in the days of Pharaoh. “But you did bring us out into abundance,” in the days of Haman. Yohanan began his discourse on this section with the following text: “He has remembered his mercy and his faithfulness to the house of Israel, all the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our Lord” (Psalms 98:3). When did all the ends of the earth see the salvation of our Lord? In the days of Mordecai and Esther. Resh Lakish began his discourse on this section with the following text: “As a roaring lion and a ravenous bear, so is a wicked ruler over a poor people” (Proverbs 4:7). “A roaring lion”: this is the wicked Nebuchadnezzar, of whom it is written, “A lion is gone up from his thicket” (Jeremiah 4:7). “A ravenous bear”: this is Ahashverosh, of whom it is written, “And behold another beast, a second, like to a bear,” (Daniel 7:5), and R. Joseph taught: These are the Persians, who eat and drink like bears, and are coated with flesh like bears, and are hairy like bears, and have no rest like bears. “ A wicked ruler”: this is Haman. “Over a poor people”: this is Israel, who are poor in [the observance of] mitzvot. Elazar began his discourse on this with the following text: “By laziness he that lays beams (mekoreh) becomes poor [yimak], and through idleness of the hands the house leaks” (Ecclesiastes 10:18). Through Israel’s laziness in not occupying themselves with Torah, the enemy of the Holy One, blessed be He, became poor. The meaning of “makh” is poor, as it says, “And if he is too makh for your evaluation” (Leviticus 27:8), and mekoreh means only the Holy One, blessed be He, as it says, “Who lays the beams [ha-mekareh] of Your upper chambers in the waters” (Psalms 104:3). Nahman b. Isaac began his discourse on this section with the following text: “A Song of Ascents: If it had not been for the Lord who was for us let Israel now say, If it had not been the Lord who was for us when a man rose up against us” (Psalms 124:1-2) — “a man” and not a king. Rava began his discourse on this section from here: “When the righteous are increased the people rejoice, but when the wicked rules the people sigh” (Proverbs 29:2). “When the righteous are increased the people rejoice” — this is Mordecai and Esther, as it is written, “And the city of Shushan shouted and was glad” (Esther 8:15). “But when the wicked rules the people sigh” — this is Haman, as it is written, “But the city of Shushan was perplexed” (Esther 3:15). Matanah made his introduction from this verse: “For what great nation is there that has God so near to them” (Deuteronomy 4:7). R. Ashi made it from here: “Or has God attempted to [take one nation from the midst of another nation] (Deuteronomy 4:34). “And it came to pass [vayehi] in the days of Ahashverosh: Rav said, [The word vayehi means] There was “voi” [trouble]. This is what is written, “And there you shall sell yourselves to your enemies for slaves and for bondwomen, and no man shall buy you” (Deuteronomy 28:68). Shmuel said from here: “I did not reject them, neither did I abhor them to destroy them utterly” (Leviticus 26:44). “I did not reject them” in the days of the Greeks; “neither did I abhor them” — in the days of Nebuchadnezzar; “to destroy them utterly” — in the days of Haman; “and to break my covenant with them” — in the days of the Persians; “for I am the Lord their God” — in the days of Gog and Magog. In a baraita it was taught: “I have not rejected them” — in the days of the Chaldeans, when I raised up for them Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah; “Neither did I abhor them” — in the days of the Greeks, when I raised up for them Shimon the Righteous and the Hasmonean and his sons, and Mattathias the High Priest; “To destroy them utterly” — in the days of Haman, when I raised up for them Mordecai and Esther; “To break my covenant with them” — in the days of the Persians, when I raised up for them the members of the house of Rabbi and the Sages of the various generations. “For I am the Lord their God” — in the time to come, when no nation or people will be able to rule over them. R. Levi said from this verse: “But if you will not drive out the inhabitants of the land before you” (Numbers 33:55). R. Hiyya said from this verse: “And it shall come to pass that as I thought to do to them, so will I do to you” (Numbers 33:56). Ahashverosh: Rav said The brother of the head and the counterpart of the head — “The brother of the head”: the brother of Nebuchadnezzar the wicked who was called head, as it is written, “You are the head of gold” (Daniel 2:38). “The counterpart of the head”: the one slew, the other sought to slay; the one laid waste, the other sought to lay waste, as it is written, “And in the reign of Ahashverosh, in the beginning of his reign, wrote they an accusation against the inhabitants of Judah and Jerusalem” (Ezra 4:6). Shmuel said: The face of Israel was blackened (hushcharu) in his days like the sides of a pot. R. Yohanan said: Everyone who thought of him said “alas for my head (ah lerosho).” R. Hanina said: That all became poor (rash) in his days, as it says, “And the king Ahashverosh laid a tribute” (Esther 10:1). “That (hu) is the Ahashverosh. — [this means that] he persisted in his wickedness from beginning to end. [Similarly] “This is [hu] Esau”: he persisted in his wickedness from beginning to end. [Similarly] “This is [hu] Dathan and Aviram”: they persisted in their wickedness from beginning to end. [Similarly], “This is [hu] king Ahaz”: he persisted in his wickedness from beginning to end. [Similarly], “Avram, the same [hu] is Abraham”: he persisted in his righteousness from the beginning to the end. [Similarly], “These are [hu] Aaron and Moses”: he persisted in his righteousness from the beginning to the end. [Similarly], “And David, he was [hu] the smallest”: he persisted in his humility from the beginning to the end; just as in his youth he humbled himself before anyone who was his superior in Torah, so in his kingship he humbled himself before anyone who was his superior in wisdom. “Who reigned”: Rav said: this indicates that he made himself king. There are those who interpret this to his credit, and those to his discredit. Those who interpret it to his credit hold that there was no other man equally fitted for the throne. Those who interpret it to his discredit hold that he was not fit for the throne, but that he was very wealthy, and that he gave and thereby became king. “From Hodu to Cush”: Rav and Shmuel: One said that Hodu is at one end of the world and Cush at the other, and the other said that Hodu and Cush are right next to each other, and that just as he ruled over Hodu and Cush, so he ruled from one end of the world to the other. Similarly you say, “For he had dominion over all the region on this side of the River, from Tiphsah until Gaza” (I Kings 5:4). Rav and Shmuel: One said that Tiphsah is at one end of the world and Gaza at the other, and the other said that Tiphsah and Gaza are near one another [and that what is meant is that] just as he [Solomon] ruled over Tiphsah and over Gaza, so he ruled over the whole world. “Seven and twenty and a hundred provinces”. R. Hisda said: At first he ruled over seven, then over twenty [more], and finally over a hundred [more]. But if so, [what did you do with the verse], “And the years of the life of Amram were seven and thirty and a hundred years?” (Exodus 6:20). How do you expound this? It is different here, because the whole text is superfluous, since it is written, “From Hodu to Cush,” what would I then do with, “seven and twenty and a hundred provinces”? You must conclude that it is for a special lesson. Our Rabbis taught: There were three who ruled over the whole globe: Ahab, Ahashverosh and Nebuchadnezzar. Ahab, as it is written, “As the Lord your God lives, there is no nation or kingdom which my Lord has not sent to seek you” (I Kings 18:10) etc. Now if he was not king over them, how could he make them take an oath? Nebuchadnezzar, as it is written: “And it shall come to pass that the nation and the kingdom which will not serve the same Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon and will not put their neck under the yoke of the King of Babylon” (Jeremiah 27:8). Ahashverosh, as we have pointed out above.
ובמלאות הימים האלה וגו' רב ושמואל חד אמר מלך פיקח היה וחד אמר מלך טיפש היה מאן דאמר מלך פיקח היה שפיר עבד דקריב רחיקא ברישא דבני מאתיה כל אימת דבעי מפייס להו ומאן דאמר טיפש היה דאיבעי ליה לקרובי בני מאתיה ברישא דאי מרדו ביה הנך הני הוו קיימי בהדיה
חור כרפס ותכלת מאי חור רב אמר חרי חרי ושמואל אמר מילת לבנה הציע להם כרפס
ודר וסוחרת רב אמר דרי דרי ושמואל אמר אבן טובה יש בכרכי הים ודרה שמה הושיבה באמצע סעודה ומאירה להם כצהרים
יין מלכות רב אמר רב מלמד שכל אחד ואחד השקהו יין שגדול הימנו בשנים (שם, ח)
It has also been taught in a baraita: There was yet another year left to Babylon, and Darius arose and completed it. Rava said: Daniel also made a mistake in this calculation, as it is written, "In the first year of his reign, I Daniel meditated in the books [etc.]" (Daniel 9:2). From his use of the words "I meditated," we can infer that he [at first] made a mistake. In any case there is a contradiction between the texts. It is written [in one], "When there are accomplished for Babylon", (Jeremiah 29:10) and it is written [in the other], "For the desolation of Jerusalem?" (Daniel 9:2). Rava answered [The first verse] was for charging [pekidah] only, and this was fulfilled, as it is written, "Thus says Cyrus king of Persia, "All the kingdoms of the earth has the Lord, the God of the heavens, given to me, and he has charged [pakad] me to build him a house in Jerusalem" (Ezra 1:2). R. Nahman son of R. Hisda gave the following exposition. What is the meaning of the verse, "Thus says the Lord to his anointed to Cyrus, whose right hand I have held" (Isaiah 45:1). Now was Cyrus the Messiah? Rather what it means is this: The Holy One, blessed be He, said to the Messiah: I have a complaint on your behalf against Cyrus. I said, He shall build my house and gather my exiles, and he said, "Whosoever there is among you of all his people, let him go up" (Ezra 1:3). “The army of Persia and Media, the governors” (Esther 1:3). But elsewhere it is written, [The chronicles] of the kings of Media and Persia” (Esther 10:2). Rava said: They [the Medes and Persians] made a stipulation with one another, saying, if we supply the kings, you will supply the Governors, and if you supply the kings we will supply the Governors. When he showed the riches of his glorious kingdom (Esther 1:4): R. Yose b. Hanina said: This shows that he arrayed himself in priestly robes. It is written here, “And the riches of his glorious [tif’eret] kingdom,” and it is written elsewhere [in connection with the priestly garments], “For splendor and for glory, [tif’eret]” (Exodus 28:2). “And when these days were fulfilled” (Esther 1:5). Rav and Shmuel, One said he was a clever king, and the other said that he was a foolish king. The one who said he was a clever king said that he did well in entertaining his distant subjects first, because he could win over the inhabitants of his own city any time he wished. The one who held that he was foolish says that he ought to have entertained the inhabitants of his city first, so that if the others rebelled against him, these would have supported him. His disciples asked R. Shimon b. Yohai, Why did the enemies of Israel in that generation deserve extermination? He said to them: You answer. They said: Because they enjoyed the feast of that wicked one. [He said to them]: If so, those in Shushan should have been killed, not those throughout the rest of the world? They then said: You answer. He said to them: It was because they bowed down to an image. They said to him, Did God then show them favoritism? He replied: They only pretended to worship, and He also only pretended to exterminate them; and so it is written, “For he afflicted not from his heart” (Lamentations 3:33). “In the court of the garden of the king’s palace” (Esther 1:5). Rav and Shmuel— One said that those who were fit for the court were [entertained] in the court, and those who were fit for the garden in the garden, and those who were fit for the palace in the palace. The other said He first put them in the court, and it did not hold them — Then he took them into the garden and it did not hold them; and finally he had to take them into the palace, and it fit them. In a baraitha it was taught: He took them into the court and opened two doors for them, one into the garden and one into the palace. White [hur], fine cotton [karpas] and blue. What is hur? Rav said: Fine lace-work (harei harei). Shmuel said: He spread for them carpets of white silk. Karpas: R. Yose b. Haninah said: [this means] cushions of velvet (karim shel pasim). “On silver rods and pillars of marble; the couches were of gold and silver.” It has been taught: R. Judah said: For those who were worthy of silver, silver, and for those who were worthy of gold, gold. R. Nehemiah said to him: If that were so, he would have caused jealousy at the banquet! No; the couches themselves were of silver and their feet of gold Green [bahat] and white marble. R. Assi said: [This means] stones that cause their owners hard labor; And so it says, “As the stones of a crown, which take many trials to dig up from the land” (Zechariah 9:6). And shell [dar] and onyx marble [sohareth]. Rav said: This means rows [dari] upon rows. Shmuel says: There is a precious stone in the seaports called darah. He put it in the midst of the guests, and it lit up the place as at midday [Sahara] In the school of R. Ishmael it was taught: It means that he gave a remission of taxes [deror] to all merchants [sehorah]. And they gave them drink in vessels of gold, the vessels being diverse [shonim] one from another. Rava said: A heavenly voice went forth and said to them, Your predecessors met their end (kalu) on account of vessels (kelim), and yet you use them again [shonim]? And royal wine in abundance: Rav said: This teaches that each one was given to drink wine older then himself. And the drinking was according to law. What is meant by ‘according to law’? R. Hanan said in the name of R. Meir: According to the law of the Torah. Just as according to the law of the Torah the [quantity of] food exceeds the drink, so in the feast of that wicked one there was more food than drink. None did compel. R. Elazar said: This teaches that each one was given to drink from the wine of his own country. That they should do according to every man’s [ish, ish] pleasure. Rava said: This means that they should do according to the will of Mordecai and Haman. Mordecai [is called ish] as it is written, “A Jewish man;” and Haman, [as it is written], “A man (ish), an adversary and an enemy.” Also Vashti the queen made a feast for the women in the royal house. It should have said, “the women’s house”? Rava said: Both of them [Ahashverosh and Vashti] intended to transgress. This is what people say, He with large pumpkins and his wife