Talmud sur Middot 2:10

HALAKHAH: The Mishnah is Abba Yose ben Ḥanin’s, since Abba Yose ben Ḥanin said, corresponding to the thirteen gates. But according to the Rabbis there were seven gates⁵⁸As described in Mishnah Middot1:4.. In the Rabbis’ opinion, where were the thirteen prostrations? As we have stated there⁵⁹Mishnah Middot2:3., “There were thirteen breaches, were the Greek kings breached it; they came back and closed them and decided correspondingly thirteen prostrations.”

⁴⁹Babli 51b/52a.“And instituted there a great alteration.” What alteration did they make there? They caused the men to be for themselves and the women to be for themselves, following what we have stated there⁵⁰Mishnah Middot 2:5.: “Originally it⁵¹The wall of the women’s courtyard. was smooth but they surrounded it with ledges standing out⁵²Greek ʼεξωστήρ “what is standing out”, beams standing out from the wall which for the water-drawing festivities could be covered with planks to create a balcony for the women. This dates the (pharisaic) festivities clearly at a date later than the return from Babylon. that the women could see from above and the men below, so they should not be mixed. From where did they learn? From the words of the Torah: The Land will be lamenting, all families separately⁵³Sach. 12:12(-14). The essence of the proof is from the part of the verses not quoted in the text, ending with v. 14: each family separately and their women separately.. Two Amoraim, one said, this is the eulogy of the Messiah, but the other one said, this is the eulogy of evil inclinations⁵⁴According to the Babli, the Messiah referred to here is the Messiah from the tribe of Joseph who will be killed in the war of Gog (Ez. 39). When evil inclinations will be abolished, it will appear to the just ones like a big mountain and they will cry because they could not believe they overcame such a big obstacle, but to the sinners it will appear as a small lump and they will cry for they could not overcome such a little obstacle.. He who said, this is the eulogy of the Messiah, if at the moment they are mourning you are saying the men to be for themselves and the women to be for themselves, when they are merry not so much more? He who says, this is the eulogy of evil inclinations, if there are no evil inclinations you are saying the men to be for themselves and the women to be for themselves, when evil inclinations exist not so much more!

HALAKHAH: ³⁹¹Babli 30b. One understands the Day of Atonement which is atonement for all of Israel. ³⁹²Babli 30b,31a; Bava batra 121a. Why on the Fifteenth of Av? Rebbi Jacob bar Aḥa in the name of Rebbi Yasa: For this is the good time to cut wood, because any wood cut on this day does not develop worms; as we have stated there, “any wood containing a worm is disqualified from the altar.³⁹³Mishnah Middot 2:5. In the Babli the reason is given that this is the last day on which wood for the altar may be cut before the rainy season.” Rav Ḥiyya bar Ashi in the name of Rav, because on it Hoshea ben Ela abolished the guards which Jeroboam ben Nabath posted on the roads³⁹⁴To prohibit pilgrimages to Jerusalem.. Cahana asked [Rav]. He did all this good deed and it is written about him³⁹⁵2K. 17:3., against him came Salmanessar the king of Assyria? He answered him, because he removed the collar from his neck and hung it on the community’s neck. He did not say, all the people should go on pilgrimage, but, any one who wants to go may go. Rebbi Samuel bar Rav Isaac, but some say in the name of Rebbi Samuel bar Naḥman: On it the tribes were permitted to intermarry. As it is written³⁹⁶Num. 36:7., family heritage should not be transferred from tribe to tribe; but the Children of Israel shall stick everyone to the family heritage of his forefathers, etc. And it is written³⁹⁷Num. 36:8., any daughter inheriting family heritage in the tribes of the Children of Israel, etc. How is it possible for a daughter to inherit from two tribes? Explain it if her father was from one tribe and her mother from another tribe³⁹⁸According to the Babli, a later generation read Num. 36 to apply only to the daughters of Salpaad and their contemporaries.. But the Rabbis say, on it the tribe of Benjamin was permitted to intermarry, as it is written³⁹⁹Jud. 21:18., cursed be he who gives a wife to Benjamin. They read a verse and included him; they read a verse and excluded him. They read a verse and included him⁴⁰⁰Gen. 48:5., Ephraim and Manasse shall be to me like Reuben and Simeon. They read a verse and excluded him, a people and community of peoples shall be from you and kings will come from your loins⁴⁰¹Gen. 35:11.
In the explanations, the terms “included” and “excluded” have to be switched. The text follows the usual pattern, that if possibilities A and B are raised, B is explained before A. Since the number 12 of tribe cannot be changed, either Joseph is counted as one tribe and Benjamin is included (35:11), or Ephraim and Manasse are counted as full tribes, there seems to be no place for Benjamin. This logic is not followed by the Babli., and Benjamin was not yet born. ⁴⁰²Thr. rabba, Introduction (33). Rebbi Abun said, digging stopped on it, as Rebbi Levi said, on every eve of the Ninth of Av, Moses had a declaration published in all the encampment and said, go out for digging, go out for digging. They went out, dug graves for themselves, and slept. In the morning they were getting up and found themselves missing 15’000 and detail⁴⁰³If always the same number died on the Ninth of Av and nobody during the year, the number would be 600’000:38 = 15’789.47.. In the last year they did that, got up, and found themselves whole. They said, maybe we erred in the computation. The same on the Tenth, the Eleventh, the Twelfth, the Thirteenth, and the Fifteenth. Since the moon was full they said, it seems that The Holy One, praise to Him, vacated this hard judgment against us. They got up and made a holiday.

“The incoming ones¹⁴⁴The plural refers to the members of the watch; the singular in the preceding sentence refers to the watch as collective. distribute in the North and the outgoing in the South.” Rebbi Ḥanania the son of Rebbi Hillel said, to honor the incoming ones. Rebbi Yose ben Rebbi Abun said, not for this reason but because we have stated: “All who enter the Temple Mount enter to the right, and turn, and leave to the left.¹⁵⁰Mishnah Middot2:2. One enters the priest’s courtyard from the East. If then one turns to the right one is on the North side of the altar. The incoming watch divide the bread at their place of entry. Correspondingly, the outgoing ones divide in the South; afterwards they may leave turning to the left, through the gate in the East.”

“Miracles happened to Nicanor’s doors; one remembers him for praise.” It was stated²¹⁷Babli 38a, Tosephta 2:4.: “It happened that they were traveling in a ship²¹⁸The parallel sources add: “From Alexandria”. when they ran into a big storm. They took one of the doors and threw it into the sea. When they wanted to throw also the second one he stood up and embraced it. He told them, it you are throwing it into the sea, throw me with it. He was crying and mourning continuously until he arrived at the port²¹⁹Greek λιμήν, -ένες, ὁ. of Jaffa. When he arrived at the port of Jaffa it started bubbling under the ship. As we have stated there²²⁰Mishnah Middot 2:3., ‘ All doors there were changed into golden ones except Nicanor’s doors since a miracle happened to them, but some say because their bronze had a golden shine.’ ” It was stated in the name of Rebbi Eliezer²²¹In the parallel sources: R. Eliezer ben Jacob., “their bronze was (Corinthian)²²²This is the correct scribe’s text. The corrector who did not understand the word changed it to the text in brackets. Corinthian brass was the most expensive kind, used for luxury goods; a copper alloy probably containing some precious metal. Greek Κορίνθιον “Corinthian”, adj., n.. [gold colored and more] beautiful than gold.”