aramaic

There were four seals in the Temple, and on them was inscribed [respectively]: ‘calf’, ‘ram’, ‘kid’, ‘sinner’. Ben Azzai says: there were five and on them was inscribed in Aramaic [respectively]” ‘calf’, ‘ram’, ‘kid’, ‘poor sinner’, and ‘rich sinner’. [The seal inscribed] ‘calf’ served for the libations of cattle, both large and small, male and female. [The seal inscribed] ‘kid’ served for the libations of flock animals, both large and small, male and female, with the exception of rams. [The one inscribed] ‘ram’ served for the libations of rams alone. [The one inscribed] ‘sinner’ served for the libations of the three animals [offered] by lepers.

The Aramaic sections in Ezra and Daniel defile the hands. If an Aramaic section was written in Hebrew, or a Hebrew section was written in Aramaic, or [Hebrew which was written with] Hebrew script, it does not defile the hands. It never defiles the hands until it is written in the Assyrian script, on parchment, and in ink.

The Aramaic sections in Ezra and Daniel defile the hands. If an Aramaic section was written in Hebrew, or a Hebrew section was written in Aramaic, or [Hebrew which was written with] Hebrew script, it does not defile the hands. It never defiles the hands until it is written in the Assyrian script, on parchment, and in ink.

The Aramaic sections in Ezra and Daniel defile the hands. If an Aramaic section was written in Hebrew, or a Hebrew section was written in Aramaic, or [Hebrew which was written with] Hebrew script, it does not defile the hands. It never defiles the hands until it is written in the Assyrian script, on parchment, and in ink.

One does not save from a fire. For him who says, they render hands impure, one saves them from a fire; but for him who says, they do not render hands impure, one does not save them from a fire. They objected: Is there not a Hebrew book which was written in Aramaic; it will not render hands impure but one saves it from a fire, since we have stated: “even though they are written in any language they have to be hidden.” The Mishnah follows Rebbi Simeon, since Rebbi Simeon said, nothing forbidden only rabbinically stands in the way of Holy Scriptures. Do they disagree? There it is because of their degradation, but here everybody agrees that one saves them from a fire. For whom is it needed? For Rabban Simeon ben Gamliel. Even though Rabban Simeon ben Gamliel said, “also Hagiographa they permitted only that they could be written in Greek,” would he agree here that one saves them from a fire? “It happened that Rabban [Simeon ben] Gamliel was supervising builders on the the Temple Mount when he an Aramaic version of Job was brought to him. He told the builder to hide it under a row of stones.”

One does not save from a fire. For him who says, they render hands impure, one saves them from a fire; but for him who says, they do not render hands impure, one does not save them from a fire. They objected: Is there not a Hebrew book which was written in Aramaic; it will not render hands impure but one saves it from a fire, since we have stated: “even though they are written in any language they have to be hidden.” The Mishnah follows Rebbi Simeon, since Rebbi Simeon said, nothing forbidden only rabbinically stands in the way of Holy Scriptures. Do they disagree? There it is because of their degradation, but here everybody agrees that one saves them from a fire. For whom is it needed? For Rabban Simeon ben Gamliel. Even though Rabban Simeon ben Gamliel said, “also Hagiographa they permitted only that they could be written in Greek,” would he agree here that one saves them from a fire? “It happened that Rabban [Simeon ben] Gamliel was supervising builders on the the Temple Mount when he an Aramaic version of Job was brought to him. He told the builder to hide it under a row of stones.”

MISHNAH: Four stamps were in the Temple; on them was written calf, ram, lamb, sinner. Ben Azzai says, there were five, and Aramaic was written on them, calf, ram, lamb, poor sinner, rich sinner. “Calf” serves for the libations of cattle, large or small, male or female. “Lamb” serves for the libations of sheep and goats, large or small, male or female, except for rams. “Ram” only serves for the libations with a ram. “Sinner” serves for the three animals of the sufferer from skin disease. If somebody needs libations he goes to Joḥanan who is overseeing the stamps, gives him the money, and receives a ticket from him. He goes to Aḥiyya who is overseeing the libations, gives him the ticket, and receives the libations from him. In the evening they come together, Aḥiyya produces the tickets and receives money correspondingly. If there was a deficit, it is his deficit and Joḥanan has to pay from his own. But if there was excess it belongs to the Temple since the hand of the Temple is privileged. If somebody lost his ticket, one lets him wait until the evening. If they find for him corresponding to his ticket one gives to him; otherwise one does not give to him. The date was written on it because of the tricksters.

Assyrian has a script but no language; Hebrew has a language but no script. They choose for themselves Assyrian script and Hebrew language. Why is it called Assyrian? Because it is beautiful script; Rebbi Levi said, because they brought it with them from Assyria. It was stated: Rebbi Yose said, Ezra was worthy that the Torah could have been given through him, only Moses’s generation preceded him. Even though the Torah was not given through him, but he gave writing and language; and the script of the letter written in Aramaic and explained in Aramaic. And they could not read this script; this teaches that it was given on that day. Rebbi Nathan says, the Torah was given in paleo-Hebrew; this follows Rebbi Yose. Rebbi said, the Torah was given in Assyrian, but when they sinned it was changed into paleo-Hebrew. When they merited it in the days of Ezra it was changed into Assyrian: Also today I shall return to you what was told to change; he shall write for himself this changing Torah in a scroll, a script which in the future is apt to change. It was stated: Rebbi Simeon ben Eleazar says in the name of Rebbi Eleazar ben Protos who said it in the name of Rebbi Eleazar from Modiin, the Torah was given in Assyrian script. What is the reason? The hooks of the pillars, that the letters vav of the Torah look like pillars. Rebbi Levi said, for him who said, the Torah was given in paleo-Hebrew, the letter ayin was a miracle. He who said, the Torah was given Assyrian, the letter samekh was a miracle. Rebbi Jeremiah in the name of Rebbi Ḥiyya bar Abba and Rebbi Simon both were saying, in earlier copies of the Torah neither he nor final mem were closed. Therefore samekh was closed.

Assyrian has a script but no language; Hebrew has a language but no script. They choose for themselves Assyrian script and Hebrew language. Why is it called Assyrian? Because it is beautiful script; Rebbi Levi said, because they brought it with them from Assyria. It was stated: Rebbi Yose said, Ezra was worthy that the Torah could have been given through him, only Moses’s generation preceded him. Even though the Torah was not given through him, but he gave writing and language; and the script of the letter written in Aramaic and explained in Aramaic. And they could not read this script; this teaches that it was given on that day. Rebbi Nathan says, the Torah was given in paleo-Hebrew; this follows Rebbi Yose. Rebbi said, the Torah was given in Assyrian, but when they sinned it was changed into paleo-Hebrew. When they merited it in the days of Ezra it was changed into Assyrian: Also today I shall return to you what was told to change; he shall write for himself this changing Torah in a scroll, a script which in the future is apt to change. It was stated: Rebbi Simeon ben Eleazar says in the name of Rebbi Eleazar ben Protos who said it in the name of Rebbi Eleazar from Modiin, the Torah was given in Assyrian script. What is the reason? The hooks of the pillars, that the letters vav of the Torah look like pillars. Rebbi Levi said, for him who said, the Torah was given in paleo-Hebrew, the letter ayin was a miracle. He who said, the Torah was given Assyrian, the letter samekh was a miracle. Rebbi Jeremiah in the name of Rebbi Ḥiyya bar Abba and Rebbi Simon both were saying, in earlier copies of the Torah neither he nor final mem were closed. Therefore samekh was closed.

It was stated: Rabban Simeon ben Gamliel says, even Torah scrolls they only permitted to be written in Greek. They investigated and found that the Torah may be correctly translated only into Greek. A villager invented for them Aramaic from the Greek. Rebbi Jeremiah in the name of Rebbi Ḥiyya bar Abba: Akylas the proselyte translated the Torah before Rebbi Eliezer and Rebbi Joshua; they praised him [and said to him], you are a superhuman beauty. Rebbi Jehudah bar Pazy said, Rebbi Joshua ben Levi asked, why do we not say there is a rule valid for Torah scrolls which does not apply to Tefillin and Mezuzot, in that Torah scrolls may be written on two sheets, but Tefillin and Mezuzot may only be written on single sheets. Rebbi Isaac the son of Rebbi Ḥiyya the scribe asked, a stronger question, in that Torah scrolls may be written on two hides, but Tefillin and Mezuzot may only be written on single hides. The colleagues said before Rebbi Mana, or should we say, one column of two different hides? Is that not stronger? He said to them, because even scrolls are not written in this way. One suspends in scrolls; one suspends neither in Tefillin nor in Mezuzot. One does not suspend in scrolls which were written as Tefillin and Mezuzot; one suspends in Tefillin and Mezuzot written as scrolls. Rebbi Ze`ira in the name of Rebbi Immi: If he was writing אלא עם, if the paragraph was made in this way it is qualified, otherwise disqualified. Rebbi Ze`ira in the name of Rebbi Immi bar Ḥinena: The script of scrolls is used as script of Tefillin and Mezuzot.

MISHNAH: He who reads the Scroll out of order did not fulfill his obligation. If he read it by heart, read it in Aramaic or any language, he did not fulfill his obligation except that one may read to Greek speakers in Greek. The Greek speaker who heard it from Hebrew square script did fulfill his obligation.

HALAKHAH: “He who reads the Scroll out of order did not fulfill his obligation.” For it is written, as in their writing. If he read it by heart he did not fulfill his obligation for it is written, as in their writing. If he read it in Aramaic he did not fulfill his obligation for it is written, as in their writing. In any language he did not fulfill his obligation for it is written, in their writing and in their language.

Rebbi Samuel bar Naḥman in the name of Rebbi Joḥanan: The Syriac language should not be unimportant in your eyes, for it is mentioned in the Torah, the Prophets, and the Hagiographs. In the Torah, it is written: “Laban called it the heap of testimony”. In Prophets, it is written: “So you shall say to them.” In Hagiographs, it is written: “The Chaldeans spoke to the king in Aramaic.” Rebbi Jonathan from Bet Gubrin said, four languages are good for use: The foreign language for song, Latin for war, Syriac for elegies, Hebrew for speech. Some people say, also Assyrian for writing. Assyrian has a script but no language, Hebrew has a language but no script. They chose for them Assyrian script and Hebrew language. Why is its name called אֲשׁוּרִי? Because one is made happy in writing it. Rebbi Levi said, because they brought it with them from Assyria.

It happened that Elders came together in the house Gadia in Jericho, when a disembodied voice came and said to them: There is among you one man who would be worthy that the Holy Spirit should rest on him, only the generation is not worthy. They all looked at Hillel the Elder. When he died, they said about him, o meek, pious student of Ezra. Again it happened that Elders came together in a second floor at Jabne, when a disembodied voice came and said to them: There is among you one man who would be worthy that the Holy Spirit should rest on him, only the generation is not worthy. They all looked at Samuel Minor. Why was he called Minor? Because he effaced himself. Some say, because he was slightly below Samuel from Ramah. When he died, they said about him o meek, pious student of Hillel the Elder. When he was dying he said: Simeon and Ismael to the sword, the rest of the people to plunder, immense troubles will be. He said that in Aramaic and they did not understand what he was saying. For Rebbi Jehudah ben Baba they intended to say o meek, pious, but the time was torn.

“I am vowed away from you”. Rebbi Yose ben Ḥanina said, both of them are mutually forbidden; as if [the other person] had said: and I from you. If he said, this loaf is vowed away from me and I from it, or I am vowed away from this loaf and it from me. It does not make any difference whether he said “from me” in Aramaic (מינך) or in Hebrew (מימך), or he said “I am to you [forbidden]” or “I am on you [forbidden]”, “you are to me [forbidden]” or “you are on me [forbidden].” It was stated: “I am jailed away from you, I am separated away from you”. Rebbi Jeremiah asked, why did one not state “taken away from”? Rebbi Yose said, that was stated at the end, “I am taken away from the Jews.”

HALAKHAH: “If somebody says: “Write a bill of divorce and deliver to my wife,” etc. If somebody says in Aramaic “divorce her,” it is as if he said in Hebrew “divorce her.”

It is written: For he showed contempt for the Eternal’s Word. Not only if he was contemptuous of the teachings of the Torah, from where if he denied one verse, one Aramaic expression, one argument de minore ad majus? The verse says, His command he violated. One verse, Lotan’s sister was Timna`. One Aramaic expression, Laban called it Yegar Sahadu̅ta̅. One argument de minore ad majus: For Cain would be avenged sevenfold, etc..

It is written: For he showed contempt for the Eternal’s Word. Not only if he was contemptuous of the teachings of the Torah, from where if he denied one verse, one Aramaic expression, one argument de minore ad majus? The verse says, His command he violated. One verse, Lotan’s sister was Timna`. One Aramaic expression, Laban called it Yegar Sahadu̅ta̅. One argument de minore ad majus: For Cain would be avenged sevenfold, etc..

Were it not for the targum of this verse, we should not know what it means. [The Targum (in Aramaic) is as follows]: ‘On that day shall there be great mourning in Jerusalem like the mourning of Ahab son of Omri who was killed by Hadadrimmon son of Rimmon in Ramot Gilead and like the mourning of Josiah son of Ammon who was killed by Pharaoh the Lame in the plain of Megiddo.”

Scrolls may be written in any language. They contradicted this with the following: Hebrew text written in Aramaic or an Aramaic text written in Hebrew, or [either] in Hebraic script, does not defile the hands; until it is written in Assyrian script upon a scroll and in ink.

Scrolls may be written in any language. They contradicted this with the following: Hebrew text written in Aramaic or an Aramaic text written in Hebrew, or [either] in Hebraic script, does not defile the hands; until it is written in Assyrian script upon a scroll and in ink.

Abaye said to him: How have you explained the other statement? As referring to their script. [If so], why should it say, “A Hebrew text written in Aramaic or an Aramaic text written in Hebrew”? The same would apply even to a Hebrew text which is written in Hebrew or an Aramaic text which is written in Aramaic, for it also teaches “until it is written in Assyrian on a scroll in ink”!

Abaye said to him: How have you explained the other statement? As referring to their script. [If so], why should it say, “A Hebrew text written in Aramaic or an Aramaic text written in Hebrew”? The same would apply even to a Hebrew text which is written in Hebrew or an Aramaic text which is written in Aramaic, for it also teaches “until it is written in Assyrian on a scroll in ink”!

Abaye said to him: How have you explained the other statement? As referring to their script. [If so], why should it say, “A Hebrew text written in Aramaic or an Aramaic text written in Hebrew”? The same would apply even to a Hebrew text which is written in Hebrew or an Aramaic text which is written in Aramaic, for it also teaches “until it is written in Assyrian on a scroll in ink”!

Abaye said to him: How have you explained the other statement? As referring to their script. [If so], why should it say, “A Hebrew text written in Aramaic or an Aramaic text written in Hebrew”? The same would apply even to a Hebrew text which is written in Hebrew or an Aramaic text which is written in Aramaic, for it also teaches “until it is written in Assyrian on a scroll in ink”!

What is the reason [why] tefillin and mezuzahs [must be written in Hebrew]? — Because in reference to them it is written, “And they shall be”, (Deuteronomy 6:6) which implies, they shall be as they originally were. What cases are there of Aramaic which can be written in Hebrew? I grant you we find in the Torah “yegar sahaduta” (Genesis 31:47); but here [in the case of tefillin, and mezuzot] what Aramaic is there?

What is the reason [why] tefillin and mezuzahs [must be written in Hebrew]? — Because in reference to them it is written, “And they shall be”, (Deuteronomy 6:6) which implies, they shall be as they originally were. What cases are there of Aramaic which can be written in Hebrew? I grant you we find in the Torah “yegar sahaduta” (Genesis 31:47); but here [in the case of tefillin, and mezuzot] what Aramaic is there?

Rather there is no contradiction; the one statement [in the baraita] refers to the Megillah, the other to the other books [of the Scripture]. What is the reason in the case of the Megillah? — Because it is written in regard to it, “According to their writing and according to their language” (Esther 1:20). What case of Aramaic being written in Hebrew is possible here?

“Instead of the thorn”: instead of the wicked Haman who put himself up as an object of worship, as it is written, “And upon all thorns and upon all brambles” (Isaiah 7:19) “shall come up the cypress”: this is Mordecai who was called the chief of all spices, as it is said, “And you shall take for yourself the chief spices, flowing myrrh (mor)” (Exodus 30:23), which we translate [in Aramaic],