bronze

And there shall be no iron for war, Nor shall one clothe oneself with a breastplate. Bronze shall be of no service, And tin shall be of no service and shall not be esteemed, And lead shall not be desired.

And I saw there the hosts of the angels of punishment going, and they held scourges and chains of iron and bronze.

And on the fourteenth we bound him that he might not accuse the children of Israel on the day when they asked the Egyptians for vessels and garments, vessels of silver, and vessels of gold, and vessels of bronze, in order to despoil the Egyptians in return for the bondage in which they had forced them to serve.

Shall aid with bronze and gold and well-wrought iron.

Into a house of bronze the moth fell . . .

I saw there the likeness of the idol of jealousy, having the likeness of woodwork such as my father was wont to make, and its statue was of glittering bronze; and before it a man, and he worshipped it; and in front of him an altar, and upon it a boy slain in the presence of the idol.

And I Solomon had much quiet in all the earth, and spent my life in profound peace, honoured by all men and by all under heaven. And I built the entire Temple of the Lord God. And my kingdom was prosperous, and my army was with me. And for the rest the city of Jerusalem had repose, rejoicing and delighted. And all the kings of the earth came to me from the ends of the earth to behold the Temple which I builded to the Lord God. And having heard of the wisdom given to me, they did homage to me in the Temple, bringing gold and silver and precious stones, many and divers, and bronze, and iron, and lead, and cedar logs. And woods decay not they brought me, for the equipment of the Temple of God.

And the queen of the South saw all this, and marvelled, glorifying the God of Israel; and she beheld the Temple of the Lord being builded. And she gave a siklos of gold and one hundred myriads of silver and choice bronze, and she went into the Temple. And (she beheld) the altar of incense and the brazen supports of this altar, and the gems of the lamps flashing forth of different colours, and of the lamp-stand of stone, and of emerald, and hyacinth, and sapphire; and she beheld the vessels of gold, and silver, and bronze, and wood, and the folds of skins dyed red with madder. And she saw the bases of the pillars of the Temple of the Lord. All were of one gold ... apart from the demons whom I condemned to labour. And there was peace in the circle of my kingdom and over all the earth.

And the queen of the South saw all this, and marvelled, glorifying the God of Israel; and she beheld the Temple of the Lord being builded. And she gave a siklos of gold and one hundred myriads of silver and choice bronze, and she went into the Temple. And (she beheld) the altar of incense and the brazen supports of this altar, and the gems of the lamps flashing forth of different colours, and of the lamp-stand of stone, and of emerald, and hyacinth, and sapphire; and she beheld the vessels of gold, and silver, and bronze, and wood, and the folds of skins dyed red with madder. And she saw the bases of the pillars of the Temple of the Lord. All were of one gold ... apart from the demons whom I condemned to labour. And there was peace in the circle of my kingdom and over all the earth.

Now in the days of Solomon the King gold was as common as bronze, and silver as lead, and bronze and lead and iron were as abundant as the grass of the fields and the reeds of the desert and cedarwood was also abundant.

Now in the days of Solomon the King gold was as common as bronze, and silver as lead, and bronze and lead and iron were as abundant as the grass of the fields and the reeds of the desert and cedarwood was also abundant.

Six things King Hezekiah did, concerning three they [the sages] agreed with him, and concerning three they did not agree with him: He dragged his father's bones [corpse] on a rope bier, and they agreed with him; He crushed the bronze serpent, and they agreed with him; He hid the book of remedies, and they agreed with him. And concerning three they did not agree with him: He cut down the doors of the Temple and sent them to the king of Assyria, and they did not agree with him; He closed up the waters of the Upper Gihon, and they did not agree with him; He intercalated [the month of] Nisan in Nisan, and they did not agree with him.

How did they undertake the purification of the Temple court? They immersed the vessels which were in the Temple, and they say to them: “Be cautious lest you touch the table or menorah and defile them.” All the vessels that were in the Temple had second and third sets, so that if the first was defiled, they might bring a second set in its place. All the vessels that were in the Temple required immersion, except the altar of gold and the altar of bronze, for they are like the ground, the words of Rabbi Eliezer. But the sages say: because they were overlaid [with metal].

There are never less than twenty-one blasts in the Temple and never more than forty-eight. There are never less than two harps, nor more than six. There are never less than two flutes, nor more than twelve. On twelve days in the year the flute was played before the altar: At the slaughtering of the first pesah, At the killing of the second pesah, On the first festival day of Pesah, On the festival day of Atzeret (Shavuot), And on the eight days of Sukkot. And they did not play on a pipe [abuv] of bronze but on a pipe of reed, because its tune is sweeter. Nor was anything but a single pipe used for closing a tune, because it makes a pleasant finale.

Rebbi Simeon ben Laqish in the name of Abba Cohen Bar Dalaia: A person acquires a find within four cubits of himself. What is the reason? (1Chr. 22:14) “Look, in my poverty I prepared for the House of the Eternal 100’000 kikkar of gold, 1’000’000 kikkar of silver, bronze and iron unweighed because it was so much, I prepared wood and stones, and you should add to them.”

MISHNAH: Of profane and Second Tithe coins that were strewn around, what one collected goes to Second Tithe until complete, the remainder is profane. If he mixed them together and took out fists full, it is in proportion. That is the principle: What is picked out is for Second Tithe and what is mixed together by proportion. If a tetradrachma of Second Tithe was mixed up with a profane one, one brings coins in the value of a tetradrachma and says: The tetradrachma of Second Tithe, wherever it may be, is exchanged for these coins. Then he chooses the better of the two and exchanges it for them since they said, one exchanges bronze for silver in an emergency, not that it should stay so but that he should exchange them for silver. The House of Shammai say, a person should not turn his tetradrachmas into gold denars but the House of Hillel permit it. Rebbi Aqiba said, for Rabban Gamliel and Rebbi Joshua I turned their silver coins into gold denars.

Rebbi Ḥaggai said before Rebbi Zeïra, Menaḥem in the name of Rebbi Joḥanan: In all cases where they said about demay that it can be exchanged, for certain produce one may exchange it in an emergency. But did we not state: “One exchanges bronze for silver in an emergency”, therefore not silver for silver! Rebbi Abba bar Cohen said before Rebbi Jonah, Rebbi Aḥa in the name of Rebbi Joḥanan: In all cases where they said about demay that it should be exchanged, if he transgressed and exchanged for certain produce it is exchanged. Rebbi Jehudah ben Pazi, Rebbi Simeon bar Abba in the name of Rebbi Joḥanan: In all cases where they said about demay that it should be exchanged, if he transgressed and exchanged for certain produce they are exchanged.

It was stated: “Rebbi Eleazar ben Rebbi Simeon says one exchanges gold for silver just as one exchanges silver for bronze. Rebbi said to him: Why does one exchange silver for bronze? Because one exchanges silver for gold! Should one exchange gold for silver? One does not exchange gold for bronze! Rebbi Eleazar ben Rebbi Simeon answered him: Certainly one exchanges Second Tithe gold for small coins in Jerusalem!” From the arguments of both of them one exchanges silver for silver and one does not exchange silver for bronze.

It was stated: “Rebbi Eleazar ben Rebbi Simeon says one exchanges gold for silver just as one exchanges silver for bronze. Rebbi said to him: Why does one exchange silver for bronze? Because one exchanges silver for gold! Should one exchange gold for silver? One does not exchange gold for bronze! Rebbi Eleazar ben Rebbi Simeon answered him: Certainly one exchanges Second Tithe gold for small coins in Jerusalem!” From the arguments of both of them one exchanges silver for silver and one does not exchange silver for bronze.

It was stated: “Rebbi Eleazar ben Rebbi Simeon says one exchanges gold for silver just as one exchanges silver for bronze. Rebbi said to him: Why does one exchange silver for bronze? Because one exchanges silver for gold! Should one exchange gold for silver? One does not exchange gold for bronze! Rebbi Eleazar ben Rebbi Simeon answered him: Certainly one exchanges Second Tithe gold for small coins in Jerusalem!” From the arguments of both of them one exchanges silver for silver and one does not exchange silver for bronze.

It was stated: “Rebbi Eleazar ben Rebbi Simeon says one exchanges gold for silver just as one exchanges silver for bronze. Rebbi said to him: Why does one exchange silver for bronze? Because one exchanges silver for gold! Should one exchange gold for silver? One does not exchange gold for bronze! Rebbi Eleazar ben Rebbi Simeon answered him: Certainly one exchanges Second Tithe gold for small coins in Jerusalem!” From the arguments of both of them one exchanges silver for silver and one does not exchange silver for bronze.

Rebbi Joḥanan said, the House of Shammai said this only at the end, but at the beginning also the House of Shammai agree. What is the reason of the House of Shammai? (Deut. 14:25) “Silver”, not gold. Say “silver” but not bronze! But did we not state: “If somebody gets change for coins of Second Tithe”? We wanted to say that the Mishnah means: If somebody takes a tetradrachma for coins of Second Tithe. How is that? The reason of the House of Shammai is that silver and bronze have the same rule. Rebbi Simeon ben Laqish said, both at the beginning and at the end does the House of Shammai disagree. What is the reason of the House of Shammai? (Deut. 14:25) “Silver” first and not second. But did we not state: “If somebody gets change for coins of Second Tithe”? We wanted to say that the Mishnah means: If somebody takes a tetradrachma for coins of Second Tithe. How is that? The reason of the House of Shammai (Deut. 14:25): “Silver”, it should add up to silver.

Rebbi Joḥanan said, the House of Shammai said this only at the end, but at the beginning also the House of Shammai agree. What is the reason of the House of Shammai? (Deut. 14:25) “Silver”, not gold. Say “silver” but not bronze! But did we not state: “If somebody gets change for coins of Second Tithe”? We wanted to say that the Mishnah means: If somebody takes a tetradrachma for coins of Second Tithe. How is that? The reason of the House of Shammai is that silver and bronze have the same rule. Rebbi Simeon ben Laqish said, both at the beginning and at the end does the House of Shammai disagree. What is the reason of the House of Shammai? (Deut. 14:25) “Silver” first and not second. But did we not state: “If somebody gets change for coins of Second Tithe”? We wanted to say that the Mishnah means: If somebody takes a tetradrachma for coins of Second Tithe. How is that? The reason of the House of Shammai (Deut. 14:25): “Silver”, it should add up to silver.

Six things did Hezekiah, the King of Judea, do; with three they agreed, with three they did not agree. For the following they agreed with him. He smashed the bronze snake and they agreed with him. He dragged his father’s bones on a bier of ropes, and they agreed with him. He hid the table of medicines, and they agreed with him. For the following they disagreed with him. He cut down the Temple doors and they disagreed with him. He enclosed the upper Giḥon spring, and they disagreed with him. He intercalated Nisan in Nisan; and they disagreed with him.

“Miracles happened to Nicanor’s doors; one remembers him for praise.” It was stated: “It happened that they were traveling in a ship 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 port of Jaffa. When he arrived at the port of Jaffa it started bubbling under the ship. As we have stated there, ‘ 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 Eliezer, “their bronze was (Corinthian) [gold colored and more] beautiful than gold.”

“Miracles happened to Nicanor’s doors; one remembers him for praise.” It was stated: “It happened that they were traveling in a ship 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 port of Jaffa. When he arrived at the port of Jaffa it started bubbling under the ship. As we have stated there, ‘ 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 Eliezer, “their bronze was (Corinthian) [gold colored and more] beautiful than gold.”

HALAKHAH: “If the estate contained expected property,” etc. Rebbi Mana said, they disagree about the basic claim of the two ketubot. Rebbi Simeon says, real estate, but the rabbis say, movables. But for the excess denar everybody agrees that it is movable. Rebbi Yose ben Rebbi Abun said, everybody agrees about the basic claim of the two ketubot that it must be real estate. Where do they disagree? About the excess denar, where Rebbi Simeon says, real estate, but the rabbis say, movables. Rebbi Abba bar Zavda in the name of Rav: But in Syria they routinely collect from bronze and bedspreads. Rebbi Abbahu in the name of Rebbi Joḥanan: Only from bedspreads of that night. Rav Samuel bar Naḥman in the name of Rebbi Joḥanan: The people in Arabia routinely collect from camels and spices. Similarly, only from spices of that night? Rebbi Ḥuna’s widow collected from movables following her place’s custom.

Six things did Ezekiah, the king of Judea, do. With three they agreed, with three they did not agree. He dragged his father’s bones and they agreed. He smashed the bronze snake and they agreed. He hid the table of medicines and they agreed. With three they disagreed. He closed the upper Giḥon spring and they disagreed. He cut down the Temple doors and they disagreed. He intercalated Nisan in Nisan and they disagreed.

HALAKHAH: “The same applies for preliminary marriages”, etc. Rebbi Simeon ben Laqish in the name of Abba Cohen Bar Dalaia: A person acquires a find within four cubits of himself. What is the reason? (1Chr. 22:14) “Look, in my poverty I prepared for the House of the Eternal 100’000 kikkar of gold, 1’000’000 kikkar of silver, bronze and iron unweighed because it was so much; I prepared wood and stones, and you should add to them.”

Rebbi Ḥanina and Rebbi Mana. Rebbi Ḥanina says, bronze remained in its place, silver increased or decreased in value. Rebbi Mana said, silver remained in its place, bronze increased or decreased in value. In Rebbi Ḥanina’s opinion, with one as six women always can contract a preliminary marriage. In Rebbi Mana’s opinion, sometimes six, sometimes eight.

Rebbi Ḥanina and Rebbi Mana. Rebbi Ḥanina says, bronze remained in its place, silver increased or decreased in value. Rebbi Mana said, silver remained in its place, bronze increased or decreased in value. In Rebbi Ḥanina’s opinion, with one as six women always can contract a preliminary marriage. In Rebbi Mana’s opinion, sometimes six, sometimes eight.

Six things did Hezekiah do; with three they agreed, with three they did not agree. He dragged his father’s bones on a bier of ropes, he smashed the bronze snake, and he hid the table of medicines; they agreed. He closed the upper Giḥon spring, and he cut down the Temple doors, and he intercalated Nisan in Nisan; they disagreed.

General Antigonos asked Rabban Joḥanan ben Zakkai: Your teacher Moses either was a thief or he did not know how to compute, for it is written: a beqaˋ per head. If you make the centenarius 100 pounds, he stole one sixth. If you make it 60 pounds, he stole half. He answered him, our teacher Moses was a trustworthy treasurer expert in computations. He answered him, is it not written, they contributed bronze twenty talents; for us that makes 96 pounds and he mentions them in detail. He answered back, because it does not add up to a centenarius; if you would say that it added up to a centenarius, he would have stolen half. He told him, but it is written 1’775, would that not make 71 pounds and he mentions it in detail. He answered back, if you would say that it added up to a centenarius, he would have stolen half. He told him, but it is written, the sheqel is 20 gera, twenty sheqel, twenty-five sheqel, twenty-five sheqel the manehshall be for you; the talent of the Holy One, praise to Him, was double. He answered back, he was a trustworthy treasurer and expert in computations.

It is written: The Eternal spoke to Manasse and to his people but they did not listen. He brought over them the generals of the king[ ]; they caught Manasse in ḥo̅ḥîm. What are ḥo̅ḥîm? Handcuffs. Rebbi Levi said, they made a bronze mule for him, put him inside, and started heating it from below. When he realized that he was in real trouble, he did not forget any strange worship but appealed to it. Since this did not help him any, he said, I remember that my father let me read the following verse in the synagogue: When you are in straits,and all these things will find you in the future,then return to the Eternal,your God, and listen to His voice. For the Eternal, your God,is a merciful power. He will not let you slacken,He will not destroy you,nor will He forget the covenant of your forefathers which He concluded with them. I shall call to Him. If He hears me, it is good; otherwise all faces are the same. The angels on duty closed all windows that Manasse’s prayer should not ascend before the Holy One, praise to Him. The angels on duty said to the Holy One, praise to Him: Master of the Universe, would You receive in repentance a man who worshipped other powers and put up an idol in the Temple Hall? He told them, If I would not receive his repentance, I would close the door in front of all repenting sinners. What did the Holy One, praise to Him, do for him? He dug out a tunnel under His Seat of Glory and accepted his supplication. That is what is written: He prayed to Him,He had mercy on him, He accepted his supplication, and He returned him. Rebbi Eleazar ben Rebbi Simeon said, in Arabia a tunnel is called ˋatharta. He returned him to Jerusalem, to his kingship. How did He return him? Samuel bar Bina in the name of Rebbi Aḥa: He returned him by the wind, as one says, “He returns wind.” At that moment, Manasse said, there is judgment and there is a judge.

Rebbi Yose objected to the rabbis, is it not written: your sin which you had made, the calf? They told him, this teaches that he intended to examine them in the way one examines deviant wives: he strewed it on the surface of the water.He said to them, is it not written, and also Maacah, king Asa’s mother, he removed from power? They told him, is there proof from there? Asa cut down etc. He told them, he beat the bronze serpent to pieces. Was this an object of worship? Did not Moses make it? This teaches that Israel was erring after it until Hezekias came and removed it.

The Mishnah teacher said, The expression "all thy males" is to include the children. But there is a canonical Mishnah, Except a deaf man, a fool and a child (Chag. 2a, i. 1). Abai said, There is no difficulty. The one case has to do with a child who has reached the age for initiation in the law, the other with a child who has not reached the age for initiation. A child who has reached the age for initiation—this is Rabbinical only. Even so, and the expression is a mere supporting peg. But why does the expression come? To correspond with what the others said. For we have a Baraitha, Others say, the cordwainer and the smelter in bronze and the tanner are exempt from the holocaust, because it is said "all thy males" (Ex. xxiii. 17, Deut. xvi. 16), i.e., he who is able to go up with all thy males. They are exempt, who are not fit to go up with all thy males.

Abai said to him, Of course. For otherwise the question would arise, Which of them wilt thou cause to be sinners, and which of them wilt thou cause to be obedient? But wherefore then does the passage come? It is to correspond to the saying of others. For there is a Baraitha, viz., Others say, The cordwainer, and the smelter in bronze and the tanner, are exempt from the holocaust, for it is said, "all thy males" (Exod. xxiii. 17, Deut. xvi. 16), i.e., he who can go up with all thy males. These are excluded, for they cannot go up with all thy males.

that ye touch not the table. All the vessels that were in the sanctuary had second and third sets, so that, if the first became unclean, they might bring the second instead of them. All the vessels which were in the sanctuary were subject to dipping, except the altar of gold and the altar of bronze, because that they were like the floor. These are the words of R. Eliezer. But wise men say, Because they were overlaid.

All the vessels that were in the sanctuary had second and third sets etc. The altar of bronze, how had this a counterpart? Because it is written, "An altar of earth thou shalt make unto me" (Ex. xx. 24). The altar of gold, how had this a counterpart? Because it is written, "the lamp and the altars" (Numb. iii. 31). The altars are placed in comparison one with the other. But wise men say, Because they are overlaid. So much the worse for your argument. Since they are overlaid, they may become unclean. I will tell you the true explanation, viz., the wise men pronounced them capable of becoming unclean, because they were overlaid; or, if you like, our Rabbis said to R. Eliezer, What is thine opinion? Is it because they are covered over? No, their covering is of no avail in respect of them.