Babylonian Talmud: Tractate Sanhedrin

Folio 107a

Rab Judah said in Rab's name: One should never [intentionally] bring himself to the test, since David king of Israel did so, and fell. He said unto Him, 'Sovereign of the Universe! Why do we say [in prayer] "The God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob," but not the God of David?' He replied, 'They were tried by me, but thou wast not.' Then, replied he, 'Sovereign of the Universe, examine and try me' — as it is written, Examine me, O Lord, and try me.²  He answered 'I will test thee, and yet grant thee a special privilege;³  for I did not inform them [of the nature of their trial beforehand], yet, I inform thee that I will try thee in a matter of adultery.' Straightway, And it came to pass in an eveningtide, that David arose from off his bed etc.⁴  R. Johanan said: He changed his night couch to a day couch,⁵  but he forgot the halachah: there is a small organ in man which satisfies him in his hunger but makes him hunger when satisfied.⁶  And he walked upon the roof of the king's house: and from the roof he saw a woman washing herself; and the woman was very beautiful to look upon.⁷  Now Bath Sheba was cleansing her hair behind a screen,⁸  when Satan came to him, appearing in the shape of a bird. He shot an arrow at him, which broke the screen, thus she stood revealed, and he saw her. Immediately, And David sent and enquired after the woman. And one said, Is not this Bath Sheba, the daughter of Eliam, the wife of Uriah the Hittite? And David sent messengers, and took her, and she came unto him, and he lay with her; for she was purified from her uncleanliness: and she returned unto her house.⁹  Thus it is written, Thou host proved mine heart; thou hast visited me in the night; thou host tried me, and shalt find nothing; I am purposed that my mouth shall not transgress.¹⁰  He said thus: 'Would that a bridle had fallen into the mouth of mine enemy [i.e., himself], that I had not spoken thus.'¹¹

Raba expounded: What is meant by the verse, To the Chief Musician, A Psalm of David. In the Lord put I my trust: how say ye to my soul, Flee as a bird to your mountain?¹²  David pleaded before the Holy One, blessed be He: 'Sovereign of the Universe! Forgive me that sin, that men may not say, "Your mountain [sc. the king] has been put to flight by a bird."'¹³

Raba expounded: What is meant by the verse, Against thee, thee only, have I sinned, and done this evil in thy sight: that thou mightest be justified when thou speakest, and be clear when thou judgest?¹⁴  David pleaded before the Holy One, blessed be He: 'Thou knowest full well that had I wished to suppress my lust, I could have done so, but, thought I, let them [the people] not say, "The servant triumphed against his Master."'¹⁵

Raba expounded: What is meant by the verse, For I am ready to halt, and my sorrow is continually before me?¹⁶  Bath Sheba, the daughter of Eliam, was predestined for David from the six days of Creation, but that she came to him with sorrow.¹⁷  And the school of R. Ishmael taught likewise: She was worthy [i.e., predestined] for David from the six days of Creation, but that he enjoyed her before she was ripe.¹⁸

Raba expounded: What is meant by the verse, But in mine adversity they rejoiced, and 'gathered themselves together: yea, the abjects gathered themselves together against me, and I knew it not; they did tear me, and ceased not?¹⁹  David exclaimed before the Holy One, blessed be He, 'Sovereign of the Universe! Thou knowest full well, that had they torn my flesh, my blood would not have flown.²⁰  Moreover, when they are engaged in studying the four deaths inflicted by Beth din they interrupt their studies and taunt me [saying], "David, what is the death penalty of him who seduces a

Rab Judah said in Rab's name: Even during David's illness he fulfilled the conjugal rights²¹  [of his eighteen wives], as it is written, I am weary with my groaning: all the night make I my bed to swim; I water my couch with my tears.²²  Rab Judah also said in Rab's name: David wished to worship idols, as it is written, And it came to pass, that when David was come to the head, where he worshipped God.²³  Now rosh ['head'] can only refer to idols, as it is written, This image's head was of fine gold.²⁴  [But] Behold, Hushai the Archite came to meet him with his coat rent, and earth upon his head.²⁵  He demonstrated with David, 'Shall people say, A king like thee has worshipped idols!' He replied, 'And shall a king like myself be slain by his son! Let me worship idols rather than that the Divine Name be publicly profaned!'²⁶  He retorted, 'Why then didst thou marry a beautiful woman [captured in battle]?'²⁷  He replied, 'The Merciful One permitted a beautiful woman. He rejoined, 'Dost thou not interpret the proximity of verses? For in proximity thereto²⁸  is written, If a man have a stubborn and rebellious son,²⁹  [this teaches:] Whoever marries a beautiful woman [taken in battle] will have a stubborn and rebellious son.'

R. Dosetai of Beri³⁰  expounded: Unto whom may David be likened? Unto a heathen merchant.³¹  David said before the Holy One, blessed be He, 'Sovereign of the Universe! [Who can understand his errors?'³²  He replied, 'They are forgiven thee.' 'Cleanse thou me from secret faults,' [he pursued]. 'I grant it thee.' 'Keep back thy servant also from presumptuous sins!' — 'Tis granted.' 'Let them not have dominion over me: then shall I be upright: so that scholars may not discuss me.'³³  'Granted.' 'And I shall be innocent from the great transgression: so my sins may not be recorded.' He replied, 'That is impossible. If the [single] yod which I removed from Sarai³⁴  continuously cried out [in protest] for many years until Joshua came and I added it to his name, as it is written, And Moses called Oshea the son of Nun Jehoshua:³⁵  how much more so a complete section!'

And I shall be innocent from great transgression. He pleaded before Him, 'Sovereign of the Universe! Pardon me that sin completely [as though it had never been committed].' He replied, 'It is already ordained that thy son Solomon should say in his wisdom, Can a man take fire in his bosom, and his clothes not be burned? Can one go upon hot coals, and his feet not be burned? So he that goeth in to his neighbour's wife; whosoever toucheth her shall not be innocent.'³⁶  He lamented, 'Must I³⁷  suffer so much!' He replied, 'Accept thy chastisement,' and he accepted it.

Rab Judah said in Rab's name: Six months was David smitten with leprosy, the Shechinah deserted him, and the Sanhedrin held aloof from him. 'He was smitten with leprosy' — as it is written, Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.³⁸  'The Shechinah deserted him' — as it is written, Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation,' and uphold me with thy free spirit.³⁹  'And the Sanhedrin kept aloof from him' — as it is written, Let those that fear thee turn unto me, and those that have known thy testimonies.⁴⁰  How do we know that it was for six months? — Because it is written, And the days that David reigned over Israel were forty years:

1. Ibid. XLI, 10. This is understood to refer to Ahitophel, and 'which did eat my bread', as a metaphor for 'who learnt of my teaching'.
2. Ibid. XXVI, 1.
3. Lit., 'I will do something for thee.'
4. II Sam. XI, 2.
5. I.e., he cohabited by day instead of night, that he might be free from desire by day.
6. With regard to human passion, 'the appetite grows by what it feeds on'.
7. Ibid.
8. Or 'beehive' (Rashi).
9. Ibid, 2f.
10. Ps. XVII, 3.
11. I.e., 'would that I had not asked God to try me'. By a play on words, [H] (E.V. 'I am purposed') is connected with [H] 'a bridle', and the second half of the verse is explanatory of the first: 'Would that my mouth had been bridled, so that I would not have to admit now, "Thou hast proved etc."'
12. Ibid. XI, 1.
13. V. supra.
14. Ibid. LI, 6.
15. V. supra. Had David not yielded, his plea for the inclusion of 'the God of David' would have been justified.
16. Ibid. XXXVIII, 18.
17. Translating [H] (E.V. 'to halt'), 'a rib': 'For I am ready for my rib,' i.e., Bath Sheba, David's rib.
18. I.e., before she was his legitimate wife.
19. Ibid. XXXV, 15.
20. [By reason of the shame to which he had been put. Cf. B.M. 58b: The red color of the face departs, and the white takes its place.]
21. Lit., 'eighteen marital duties.'
22. Ibid. VI, 7.
23. II Sam. XV, 32.
24. Dan. II, 32.
25. II Sam. Ibid.
26. For then it would be said that Absalom had slain him because of his idolatry, which would justify him and his supporters.
27. Absalom's mother, Maachah the daughter of Talmai, king of Geshur, was, according to tradition, a war captive.
28. I.e., the section permitting a beautiful woman captured in battle.
29. Deut. XXI, 18.
30. [Near Safed, v. Horowitz, I.S., Palestine and the Adjacent Countries. s.v. [H]
31. Who begins by offering small wares; emboldened by his success, he presses more and more upon the purchaser. So David made a small request of God: it being granted, he proceeded to ask for more and more.
32. Ps. XIX, 13; i.e., he asked pardon for sins committed in error.
33. Holding me up as an example and warning — [H] 'have dominion' is connected with [H].
34. [H], when her name was changed to Sarah, [H].
35. Num. XIII, 16; thus turning gauv into gauvh.
36. Prov. VI, 27ff.
37. Lit., 'that man.
38. Ps. LI, 9. Hyssop was required for the purification of a leper; v. Lev. IV, 4.
39. Ibid. 14.
40. Ps. CXIX, 79.

GEHAZI,⁸  as it is written, And Elisha came to Damascus:⁹  whither did he go? — R. Johanan said: He went to bring Gehazi back to repentance, but he would not repent. 'Repent thee,' he urged. He replied, 'I have thus learnt from thee: He who sins and causes the multitude to sin is not afforded the means of repentance.' What had he done? — Some say: He hung a loadstone above Jeroboam's sin [i.e., the Golden Calf], and thus suspended it between heaven and earth [by its magnetism]. Others maintain: He engraved the Divine Name in its [sc. the calf's] mouth, whereupon it [continually] proclaimed, 'I [am the Lord thy God],' and 'Thou shalt have no [other] gods before me.'¹⁰  Others say: He drove the Rabbis away from him [sc. Elisha], as it is written. And the sons of the prophets said unto Elisha, Behold now, the place where we dwell with thee is too strait for us;¹¹  proving that till then it was not too narrow.¹²

Our Rabbis taught: Let the left hand repulse but the right hand always invite back: not as Elisha, who thrust Gehazi away with both hands,¹³  as it is written, And Naaman said, Be content, take two talents. And he urged him, and bound [two talents of silver in two bags…] And Elisha said unto him, Whence comest thou, Gehazi? And he said, Thy servant went no whither. And he said unto him, Went not my heart with thee, when the man turned again from his chariot to meet thee? Is it a time to receive money, and to receive garments, and oliveyards, and vineyards, and sheep and oxen, and menservants and maidservants?¹⁴  But had he taken so much? He had only taken silver and garments! — R. Isaac said: Just then Elisha was sitting and lecturing on the eight [unclean] reptiles.¹⁵  Now Naaman, the chief captain of the king of Syria, was a leper. A maiden, who had been captured from the land of Israel, said to him, 'If thou wilt go to Elisha, he will heal thee.' When he came there he said to him, 'Go and dip thyself in the Jordan.' 'Thou dost but ridicule me!' he exclaimed. But his companions urged him, 'What does it matter to thee? Go and test it.' So he went, dipped himself in the Jordan and was healed. He returned and offered him all he had, but he [Elisha] refused to accept it. Thereupon Gehazi left Elisha's presence, went and took whatever he did, and put it away. When he returned, Elisha saw a leprous

And there were four leprous men at the entering in of the gate.¹⁸  R. Johanan said: They were Gehazi and his three sons. It was taught, R. Simeon b. Eleazar said: Human nature,¹⁹  a child and a woman — the left hand should repulse them, but the right hand bring them back.²⁰

Our Rabbis taught: Elisha was ill on three occasions: once when he incited the bears against the children, once when he repulsed Gehazi with both hands, and the third [was the illness] of which he died; as it is written, Now Elisha was fallen sick of his sickness where of he died.²¹  Until Abraham there was no old age:²²  whoever saw Abraham said, 'This is Isaac;' and whoever saw Isaac said, 'This is Abraham.' Therefore Abraham prayed that there should be old age, as it is written, And Abraham was old, and well stricken in age.²³  Until Jacob there was no illness,²⁴  so he prayed and illness came into existence, as it is written, And one told Joseph, Behold, thy father is sick.²⁵  Until Elisha no sick man ever recovered, but Elisha came and prayed, and he recovered, as it is written, Now Elisha was fallen sick of sickness whereof he died.²⁶

MISHNAH. THE GENERATION OF THE FLOOD HAS NO PORTION IN THE FUTURE WORLD, NOR WILL THEY STAND AT THE [LAST] JUDGMENT, AS IT IS WRITTEN, [AND THE LORD SAID,] MY SPIRIT WILL NOT ALWAYS ENTER INTO JUDGMENT WITH MAN:²⁷  THERE WILL BE NEITHER JUDGMENT NOR [MY] SPIRIT FOR THEM.²⁸  THE GENERATION OF THE DISPERSION HAVE NO PORTION IN THE FUTURE WORLD, AS IT IS WRITTEN, SO THE LORD SCATTERED THEM ABROAD FROM THENCE UPON THE FACE OF ALL THE EARTH:²⁹  'SO THE LORD SCATTERED THEM ABROAD', REFERS TO THIS WORLD, 'AND FROM THENCE DID THE LORD SCATTER THEM ABROAD',³⁰  TO THE WORLD TO COME. THE MEN OF SODOM HAVE NO PORTION IN THE FUTURE WORLD, AS IT IS WRITTEN, BUT THE MEN OF SODOM WERE WICKED AND SINNERS BEFORE THE LORD EXCEEDINGLY:³¹  'WICKED IN THIS WORLD, AND 'SINNERS' IN THE WORLD TO COME;³²  YET WILL THEY STAND AT JUDGMENT. R. NEHEMIAH SAID: NEITHER [THE GENERATION OF THE FLOOD NOR THE MEN OF SODOM] WILL STAND AT JUDGMENT, AS IT IS WRITTEN, THEREFORE

1. I Kings II, 11.
2. II Sam, V, 5.
3. A leper being accounted as dead.
4. Ps. LXXXVI, 17.
5. In II Chron. VI, words for prayer, supplication and hymn, occur twenty-four times (Rashi and Maharsha).
6. Ibid. XXIV, 7ff.
7. II Chron. VI, 42.
8. The Talmud now proceeds to show that he has no portion in the coming world,
9. II Kings VIII, 7. The text of the Talmud reads, 'And Elisha went to Damascus,' Actually there is no such verse, and so the one quoted must be substituted. And the Talmud asks 'whither did he go?' since the text 'And Elisha came to Damascus' implies that his objective was not Damascus, but, happening to come there (on his way to a certain destination, unspecified), he was consulted about Ben-hadad's illness as related in the chapter. Therefore the Talmud asks, what then was the original purpose of his journey? (Maharsha).
10. Magical powers were ascribed to the Divine Name; v. p. 446, n. 9.
11. II Kings VI, 1.
12. Because they were not given access to him at all. This was said after Gehazi left Elisha; v. 27.
13. In the uncensored editions there follows here, 'and not like R. Joshua b. Perahjah, who repulsed Jesus (the Nazarene) with both hands. Gehazi, as it etc.'
14. II Kings V, 23-26.
15. [Name of the Chapter in Mishnah Shabbath XIV, 1. Cf. Lev. XI, 29.]
16. That is the meaning of 'Is it a time to receive money, and… garments, and oliveyards etc.' — Eight objects are enumerated, corresponding to the eight reptiles, the former being referred to by Elisha as a fit reward for studying the latter.
17. II Kings V, 27. The uncensored edition continues: What of R. Joshua b. Perahjah? — When King Jannai slew our Rabbis, R. Joshua b. Perahjah (and Jesus) fled to Alexandria of Egypt. On the resumption of peace, Simeon b. Shetach sent to him: 'From me, (Jerusalem) the holy city, to thee, Alexandria of Egypt (my sister). My husband dwelleth within thee and I am desolate.' He arose, went, and found himself in a certain inn, where great honour was shewn him. 'How beautiful is this Acsania!' (The word denotes both inn and innkeeper. R. Joshua used it in the first sense; the answer assumes the second to be meant.) Thereupon (Jesus) observed, 'Rabbi, her eyes are narrow.' 'Wretch,' he rebuked him, 'dost thou thus engage thyself.' He sounded four hundred trumpets and excommunicated him. He (Jesus) came before him many times pleading, 'Receive me!' But he would pay no heed to him. One day he (R. Joshua) was reciting the Shema', when Jesus came before him. He intended to receive him and made a sign to him. He (Jesus) thinking that it was to repel him, went, put up a brick, and worshipped it. 'Repent,' said he (R. Joshua) to him. He replied, 'I have thus learned from thee: He who sins and causes others to sin is not afforded the means of repentance.' And a Master has said, 'Jesus the Nazarene practised magic and led Israel astray.' For a full discussion of this passage and attempted explanation of this anachronism making Jesus a contemporary of King Jannai (104-78 B.C.E.). v. Herford, op. cit. 51ff. [The tradition of an early Jesus was also known to Epiphanius. Whether he derived this tradition from the Talmud or from an independent source is a moot point hotly contested by Klausner and Guttmann; v. MGWJ. 1931, 250ff. and 1933, 38. In any case there does not appear to be sufficient data available to account for this tradition.]
18. Ibid. VII, 3.
19. [Heb. yezer, [H], v. Lazarus, Ethics, II, 106ff.]
20. One must not attempt to subdue his desires altogether, which is unnatural, but to regulate them. In chiding a child and a woman, one must not be too severe, lest they be so disheartened as to be driven away far from repentance altogether.
21. II Kings XIII, 14. 'Was fallen sick' denotes one illness; 'of his sickness' another, and 'whereof he died' a third (Rashi).
22. I.e., old age did not mark a person.
23. Gen. XXIV, 1. He is the first of whom this is said.
24. One lived his allotted years in full health and then died suddenly.
25. Ibid. XLVIII, 1. V. preceding note.
26. This shews that he had been sick on previous occasions too' but recovered.
27. Gen. VI, 3.
28. I.e., they will neither be judged, nor be granted of my spirit to enable them to share in the world to come.
29. Ibid. XI, 8.
30. Ibid. 9.
31. Ibid. XIII, 13.
32. I.e., their claim to a portion therein will not be admitted.