1. רבי חייא בר אשי הוה רגיל כל עידן דהוה נפל לאפיה הוה אמר
2. הרחמן יצילנו מיצר הרע
3. יומא חד שמעתינהו דביתהו אמרה מכדי הא כמה שני דפריש ליה מינאי מאי טעמא קאמר הכי
4. יומא חדא הוה קא גריס בגינתיה קשטה נפשה חלפה ותנייה קמיה
5. אמר לה מאן את
6. אמרה אנא חרותא דהדרי מיומא
7. תבעה
8. אמרה ליה אייתי ניהליה להך רומנא דריש צוציתא
9. שוור אזל אתייה ניהלה
10. כי אתא לביתיה הוה קא שגרא דביתהו תנורא
11. סליק וקא יתיב בגויה
12. אמרה ליה מאי האי
13. אמר לה הכי והכי הוה מעשה
14. אמרה ליה אנא הואי
15. לא אשגח בה עד דיהבה ליה סימני
16. אמר לה אנא מיהא לאיסורא איכווני
17. כל ימיו של אותו צדיק היה מתענה עד שמת באותה מיתה
- Every time Rabbi Chiya bar Ashi fell upon his face (in the Tachanun prayer) he used to say,
- ‘The Merciful save me from the Yetzer Ha'Rah."
- One day his wife overheard him. ‘Let me see,’ she reflected, ‘it is so many years that he has separated from me: why then should he say that?’
- One day, while he was studying in his garden, she adorned herself with a scarf and strolled in front of him.
- ‘Who are you?’ he asked.
- ‘I am Cheruta, and have returned today,’ she replied.
- He desired her.
- Said she to him, ‘Bring me that pomegranate from the uppermost branch.’
- He leaped, and brought it to her.
- When he re-entered his house, his wife was firing the oven,
- whereupon he went and sat in it.
- ‘What is this?’ she asked.
- He told her what had happened.
- ‘It was I,’ she told him;
- But he paid no heed to her, until she gave him proof.
- He said to her, ‘the prohibited was my intent.’
- All the days of that tzadik he fasted, until he died from (in) that very death.
Discussion questions
- What is Chiya’s concept of “yetzer ha’rah” – what was the place of yetzer ha’rah in his life?
- What is his wife’s question “why then should he say that”?
- Is "fallen face" a reference to Cain in Beraishis 4 - "he became angry and his face fell" see below?
- What is the image of the garden, fruit and sin?
- Why does she seduce him? –
- Why does she use the name Cheruta?
- Where did she return from, today?
- There are many references to "today". How to they relate to:
Talmud: Kidushin 30B
אמר רב יצחק יצרו של אדם מתחדש עליו בכל יום שנאמר (בראשית ו) רק רע כל היום
R. Isaac said: Man's desire ("yotzro shel adam") renews itself daily against him, as it is said: "[every imagination of the thoughts of his heart] was only evil every day". (Beraishis 6:5)
- Is “desiring her” his personal failure, or does his failure exist elsewhere?
- Similarities to Yehuda & Tamar. see texts below.
- What is the imagery of the pomegranate, & the description of his bringing it to her? Is it simply a gift of fruit, or is it an invitation for sex.
- What is the imagery of her “firing the oven”, why does he sit in it?
- How do you fell about his ability to tell his wife what happened?
- What is the dialectic between intention and action? Did he violate?
- From what did he die? (also same theme as Q6).
- Is it ironic that we are referring to Rav Chiya bar Ashi, which means " the master of life, son of my fire".
- What is this Gemara's opinion of
Talmud Bava Basra 16A
אמר ר"ל הוא שטן הוא יצר הרע הוא מלאך המותR.Shimon ben Lakish said: he is Satan, he is the Yetzer rah, he is the angel of death.
(ה) וְאֶל־קַ֥יִן וְאֶל־מִנְחָת֖וֹ לֹ֣א שָׁעָ֑ה וַיִּ֤חַר לְקַ֙יִן֙ מְאֹ֔ד וַֽיִּפְּל֖וּ פָּנָֽיו׃
(5) but unto Cain and to his offering He had not respect. And Cain was very wroth, and his countenance fell.
(ו) וַיֹּ֥אמֶר יי אֶל־קָ֑יִן לָ֚מָּה חָ֣רָה לָ֔ךְ וְלָ֖מָּה נָפְל֥וּ פָנֶֽיךָ׃
(6) And the LORD said unto Cain: ‘Why art thou wroth? and why is thy countenance fallen?
(יד) וַתָּסַר֩ בִּגְדֵ֨י אַלְמְנוּתָ֜הּ מֵֽעָלֶ֗יהָ וַתְּכַ֤ס בַּצָּעִיף֙ וַתִּתְעַלָּ֔ף וַתֵּ֙שֶׁב֙ בְּפֶ֣תַח עֵינַ֔יִם אֲשֶׁ֖ר עַל־דֶּ֣רֶךְ תִּמְנָ֑תָה כִּ֤י רָאֲתָה֙ כִּֽי־גָדַ֣ל שֵׁלָ֔ה וְהִ֕וא לֹֽא־נִתְּנָ֥ה ל֖וֹ לְאִשָּֽׁה׃
(14) And she put off from her the garments of her widowhood, and covered herself with her veil, and wrapped herself, and sat in the entrance of Enaim, which is by the way to Timnah; for she saw that Shelah was grown up, and she was not given unto him to wife.
(יד) וַתָּסַר֩ בִּגְדֵ֨י אַלְמְנוּתָ֜הּ מֵֽעָלֶ֗יהָ וַתְּכַ֤ס בַּצָּעִיף֙ וַתִּתְעַלָּ֔ף וַתֵּ֙שֶׁב֙ בְּפֶ֣תַח עֵינַ֔יִם אֲשֶׁ֖ר עַל־דֶּ֣רֶךְ תִּמְנָ֑תָה כִּ֤י רָאֲתָה֙ כִּֽי־גָדַ֣ל שֵׁלָ֔ה וְהִ֕וא לֹֽא־נִתְּנָ֥ה ל֖וֹ לְאִשָּֽׁה׃ (טו) וַיִּרְאֶ֣הָ יְהוּדָ֔ה וַֽיַּחְשְׁבֶ֖הָ לְזוֹנָ֑ה כִּ֥י כִסְּתָ֖ה פָּנֶֽיהָ׃
(14) And she put off from her the garments of her widowhood, and covered herself with her veil, and wrapped herself, and sat in the entrance of Enaim, which is by the way to Timnah; for she saw that Shelah was grown up, and she was not given unto him to wife. (15) When Judah saw her, he thought her to be a harlot; for she had covered her face.