rava

Rava said: They can all be refuted except that of Shmuel, which cannot be refuted. Against the proof of R. Elazar it may be objected that it is reasonable [to suppose that Haman would think so] because there was no one who was so high in the esteem of the king as he was, and that when he spoke at length [to Ahashverosh], he was only speaking concerning himself.

Rava said: One is obligated to become inebriated [with wine] on Purim until he cannot tell the difference between cursed be Haman and blessed be Mordecai.

Rava said: If one eats his Purim feast on the night [of the fourteenth], he does not fulfill his obligation. What is the reason? It is written, “Days of feasting and gladness” (Esther 9:22). R. Ashi was sitting before R. Kahana. It grew late, and still the Rabbis did not arrive. He said to him: Why have the Rabbis not yet come? Perhaps they are busy with the Purim feast. He said to him: Could they not have had it last night? He replied Is the master not familiar with the statement, “If one eats his Purim feast on the night [of the fourteenth], he does not fulfill his obligation”? He said to him; Did Rava really say so? (He replied Yes). He then repeated it after him forty times, until he had safely stored it in his mind.

Rava said: If one eats his Purim feast on the night [of the fourteenth], he does not fulfill his obligation. What is the reason? It is written, “Days of feasting and gladness” (Esther 9:22). R. Ashi was sitting before R. Kahana. It grew late, and still the Rabbis did not arrive. He said to him: Why have the Rabbis not yet come? Perhaps they are busy with the Purim feast. He said to him: Could they not have had it last night? He replied Is the master not familiar with the statement, “If one eats his Purim feast on the night [of the fourteenth], he does not fulfill his obligation”? He said to him; Did Rava really say so? (He replied Yes). He then repeated it after him forty times, until he had safely stored it in his mind.

Rava said: They said in the school of Rav: We have [also] learned [this]: There is no difference between Yom Kippur and Shabbat except that he who breaks the one deliberately is punished by a human court, while he who breaks the other deliberately is punished with karet. Now if [R. Hananiah’s opinion] is correct, then both are punished by the human court?

Setting foot. But people are not particular about this? Rava said: Whose view is this? R. Elazar’s, who said that [even] a thing which is usually excused is forbidden to one who vows to have no benefit.

Rava said to him. If that is so, then in regard to a zav of whom it is written, “And he shall wash his garments and be clean”, how is it possible to say that he shall have been clean from the outset?

Rather Rava said: From here: “And the metzora in whom the plague is” (Leviticus 13:45) [that means] one whose scale disease is due to the state of his body, excluding this one whose scale disease is due to days.

Rava replied: There is no contradiction;

They said to him: Did you really say this? He replied, No. Rava said: By God! He did say it and I learned it from him.

Rava began his discourse on this section from here: “When the righteous are increased the people rejoice, but when the wicked rules the people sigh” (Proverbs 29:2). “When the righteous are increased the people rejoice” — this is Mordecai and Esther, as it is written, “And the city of Shushan shouted and was glad” (Esther 8:15). “But when the wicked rules the people sigh” — this is Haman, as it is written, “But the city of Shushan was perplexed” (Esther 3:15).

Granted all this, how many years are short? Eleven. How long did he reign? Fourteen. Consequently in the fourteenth year of his reign he ought to have rebuilt the Temple. Why then is it written, “Then ceased the work of the house of God which is at Jerusalem” (Ezra 4:24)? Rava said: The years were not full ones.

Rava said: Daniel also made a mistake in this calculation, as it is written, "In the first year of his reign, I Daniel meditated in the books [etc.]" (Daniel 9:2). From his use of the words "I meditated," we can infer that he [at first] made a mistake.

Rava answered [The first verse] was for charging [pekidah] only, and this was fulfilled, as it is written, "Thus says Cyrus king of Persia, "All the kingdoms of the earth has the Lord, the God of the heavens, given to me, and he has charged [pakad] me to build him a house in Jerusalem" (Ezra 1:2).

“The army of Persia and Media, the governors” (Esther 1:3). But elsewhere it is written, [The chronicles] of the kings of Media and Persia” (Esther 10:2). Rava said: They [the Medes and Persians] made a stipulation with one another, saying, if we supply the kings, you will supply the Governors, and if you supply the kings we will supply the Governors.

And they gave them drink in vessels of gold, the vessels being diverse [shonim] one from another. Rava said: A heavenly voice went forth and said to them, Your predecessors met their end (kalu) on account of vessels (kelim), and yet you use them again [shonim]? And royal wine in abundance: Rav said: This teaches that each one was given to drink wine older then himself.

None did compel. R. Elazar said: This teaches that each one was given to drink from the wine of his own country. That they should do according to every man’s [ish, ish] pleasure. Rava said: This means that they should do according to the will of Mordecai and Haman. Mordecai [is called ish] as it is written, “A Jewish man;” and Haman, [as it is written], “A man (ish), an adversary and an enemy.”

Also Vashti the queen made a feast for the women in the royal house. It should have said, “the women’s house”? Rava said: Both of them [Ahashverosh and Vashti] intended to transgress. This is what people say, He with large pumpkins and his wife

On the seventh day, where the king’s heart was merry with wine. Was then his heart not merry with wine until then? — Rava said: The seventh day was Shabbat, when Israel eats and drinks. They begin with words of Torah and with words of thanksgiving [to God]. But the nations of the world when they eat and drink only begin with words of frivolity.

“And the king was very angry”: Why was he so angry? Rava said: She sent back to him: Son of my father’s stable master, my father drank wine in the presence of a thousand, and did not get drunk, and that man has become senseless with his wine. Straightway, his wrath burned within him.

That every man should reign in his house. Rava said: Had it not been for these first letters, there would have been left no shred or remnant of the [enemies of] Israel.

Rava said: The community of Israel explained [the two designations] in the opposite sense: “See what a Judean did to me and how a Benjamite repaid me!” What a Judean did to me,

“Who had been carried away from Jerusalem” (Esther 2:6). Rava said: That he went into exile of his own accord.

“And the seven maidens who were meet to be given to her” (Esther 2:9): Rava said: [They were seven so that] she could count the days of the week by them. “And he treated her better than her maidens” (Esther 2:9). Rav said: [This means that] he gave her Jewish food to eat.

"After these things" (Esther 3:1). After what? Rava said: After God had created a healing for the blow.

“There is one people” (Esther 3:8): Rava said: No one was ever as skillful at evil language as Haman. He said to Ahashverosh: Come, let us destroy them. He replied: I am afraid of their God, lest He do to me as He did to my predecessors. He replied: They are “negligent” (yashu) of the precepts.

R. Nahman said: The reading of the Megillah is equivalent to Hallel. Rava said: There is a good reason in that case [of the Exodus from Egypt] because it says [in the Hallel], “Praise you O servants of the Lord,” and not servants of Pharaoh. But can we say in this case, “Praise you, servants of the Lord” and not servants of Ahashverosh? We are still servants of Ahashverosh.

Whether for Rava or for R. Nahman, there is a difficulty in what has been taught [above], that “after they had entered the land, other countries were not counted as proper for saying the Hallel [for miracles done in them]!” When the people went into exile, the other countries became proper as at first.

Rabbah said: [She said], “Pride goes before the fall” (Proverbs 16:18). Abaye and Rava both of whom said: [She said], “With their poison I will prepare their feast” (Jeremiah 51:39). Rabbah b. Abbuha found Elijah and said to him: Which of these reasons prompted Esther to act as she did? He replied: [All] the reasons given by all the Tannaim and all the Amoraim.

“On that night the sleep of the king was disturbed” (Esther 6:1). R. Tanhum said: The sleep of the King of the Universe was disturbed. The Rabbis say: Those above were disturbed and those below were disturbed. Rava said: It means literally “the sleep of king Ahashverosh”.

“There was nothing done for him” (Esther 6:3). Rava said: [They answered him thus] not because they loved Mordecai but because they hated Haman.

should fall into the very mistake from which he himself had suffered? For Rava b. Mehasia said in the name of R. Hami b. Guria, who said it in the name of Rav: Through two sela’s weight of fine silk which Jacob gave to Joseph more than what he gave to his brothers, the matter was set rolling and our ancestors eventually went down to Egypt! Benjamin b. Japhet said: He gave him a hint that a descendant would issue from him who would go out before a king in five royal garments, as it says, “And Mordecai went out from the presence of the king in royal apparel of blue” (Esther 8:15).

GEMARA. From where is the rule [not to read backward] derived? Rava said: As the text says, “According to their writing and according to their appointed time” (Esther 9:27): just as the appointed time cannot be backward, so too the writing must not be backward. But does the text speak here of reading?

What reason did they have for saying redemption in the seventh blessing? Rava said: Because they [Israel] are destined to be redeemed in the seventh year [of the coming of the Messiah], therefore the mention of redemption was placed in the seventh blessing. But a Master has said, In the sixth year will be thunder, in the seventh wars, at the end of the seventh the son of David will come? War is also the beginning of redemption.

If he read it by heart, he has not fulfilled his obligation. From where do we know this? Rava said: The word “zekhirah” in one passage is derived from “zekhirah” in another. It is written here, “And these days shall be nizkarim [remembered]” (Esther 9:28) and it is written elsewhere, “Write this lezikaron [for a memorial] in the book” (Exodus 17:14). Just as there it was to be in a book, so here it must be in a book.

GEMARA. Rava said: They taught this only if he intends to return on the night of the fourteenth; but if he does not mean to return on the night of the fourteenth, he reads with the rest. Rava said: From where do I derive this ruling? As it is written, “Therefore do the Jews of the villages who dwell in the unwalled towns” (Esther 9:19). Since it is written, “the Jews of the villages” why did it need to write, “who dwell in the unwalled towns”? This teaches us that one who is a villager for one day is called a villager.

GEMARA. Rava said: They taught this only if he intends to return on the night of the fourteenth; but if he does not mean to return on the night of the fourteenth, he reads with the rest. Rava said: From where do I derive this ruling? As it is written, “Therefore do the Jews of the villages who dwell in the unwalled towns” (Esther 9:19). Since it is written, “the Jews of the villages” why did it need to write, “who dwell in the unwalled towns”? This teaches us that one who is a villager for one day is called a villager.

Rava also said: A villager who has gone to a town reads with the rest in any case. What is the reason? He should read at the same time as the townspeople — and it is the Rabbis who made a concession to the villagers so that they might supply food and drink to their brothers in the large cities. Now this applies only so long as they are in their own place, but when they are in the town, they must read like the townspeople.

[Rava could respond]: But have you emended the [baraita] in any case. Read, [then] “reads with the rest.”

R. Judah said in the name of Shmuel: If one reads from a Megillah written among the rest of the Writings, he has not fulfilled his obligation. Rava said: This is the case only if it is not a little shorter or longer than the rest, but if it is a little shorter or longer than the rest, there is no problem with it.

If any of these things is done after dawn has appeared, it is valid. From where is this rule derived? Rava said: For the verse says, “And God called the light day” something which gradually becomes light he called day.

One verse says, "And I sat [va'eshev] on the mountain" (Deuteronomy 9:9), and another verse says, "And I stood on the mountain"(Deuteronomy 10:10): Rav says: He [Moses] stood when he learned and sat while he repeated [what he had learned]. R. Hanina said: He was neither sitting nor standing, but stooping. R. Yohanan said: Sitting here means only "staying", as it says, "And you stayed [teshvu] in Kadesh many days" (Deuteronomy 1:46). Rava said: The easy things [he learned] standing and the hard ones sitting

Shesheth from Katrazya happened [once to read] in the presence of R. Ashi, and he blessed M”N”H. Blessed are You, O Lord our God, king of the universe, [the God] who fought our fight and judged our judgment and avenged our vengeance and punished our adversaries for us and paid back retribution on all the enemies of our lives. Blessed are You, O Lord, who pays back retribution to all the enemies of Israel. Rava Says: [The concluding words are], “The God who saves.” R. Papa said: Therefore we should say both: “Blessed are You, O Lord, who pays back retribution to all the enemies of Israel, the God who saves.”

On Mondays and Thursdays and on Shabbat at minhah three read. What do these three represent? R. Assi said: The Torah, the Prophets and the Writings. Rava said: Priests, Levites, and Israelites.

Rava said: If the first one reads four verses he is praiseworthy; if the second reads four verses he is praiseworthy; if the third reads four verses he is praiseworthy.

On Rosh Hodesh and Hol Hamoed four people read… Ulla b. Rav enquired of Rava: How is the portion of Rosh Hodesh read? “Command the children of Israel and say to them” has eight verses. How are we to deal with them?

Hiyya b. Abin said: I saw Abaye and Rava leaning over.

I saw Abaye and Rava leaning over.

Rava said: It follows the Tanna of the school of R. Ishmael, for in the school of R. Ishmael it was taught: On festivals five, on Yom Kippur six, on Shabbat seven, they may not add to decrease this number but they may increase it, the words of R. Ishmael.

Rava raised a difficult: There is, he said, [the haftarah of] "Add your burnt-offerings" (Jeremiah 7:21) in which there are not twenty-one verses, and yet we read it! The case is different there, because the subject is completed [before twenty-one verses].

One who makes his tefillin [for the head] round, it is dangerous and has no religious value. Shall we say that that we have already taught this, as our Rabbis taught: [The obligation for] tefillin to be square is a law set down by Moses at Sinai. And Rava explained [this refers] to their stitching and their diagonal.

Rava said: This rule was only taught where the seven “good men” of the town did not sell [the synagogue] in the assembly of the townspeople. But if the seven “good men” of the town sold it in the assembly of the townspeople, even if

Rava said: This synagogue—it may be exchanged or sold [for secular purposes], but may not be rented out or pledged [to secure a loan]. What is the reason? [In the latter case] its holiness remains.

Rava said: At first I used to think that the stand [on which the Sefer Torah is placed] is an accessory to an accessory and that it is permitted [to throw it away when worn out]. When, however, I saw that the Sefer Torah is placed actually on it, I said that it is an accessory of holiness and is forbidden.

Rava further said: At first I used to think that the curtain is an accessory of an accessory. When, however, I saw that it is folded over and a scroll is placed on it, I said that it is itself an accessory of holiness, and forbidden.

Rava further said: When an ark is falling apart, to make it into a smaller ark is permitted, but to make it into a stand is forbidden. Rava further said: When a curtain is worn out, to make it into a mantle for a [whole] scroll is permitted, but for a single humash is forbidden.

Rava further said: When an ark is falling apart, to make it into a smaller ark is permitted, but to make it into a stand is forbidden. Rava further said: When a curtain is worn out, to make it into a mantle for a [whole] scroll is permitted, but for a single humash is forbidden.

Rava further said: These bags for humashim and boxes for scrolls are accessories of holiness and must be stored away in the geniza [when worn out]. Is not this obvious? What might you have said? These were used not out of respect [for the scrolls] but merely for protection. Therefore he tells us.

There was a synagogue of the Roman Jews which opened out into a room where a dead body had been put. The kohanim wanted to go in there to pray. They came and told Rava. He said: Take the ark and put it down there, since it is a wooden vessel which is meant to be stationary, and every wooden vessel which is meant to be stationary is not susceptible to defilement and forms a partition to prevent the passage of defilement.

The rabbis said to Rava: But sometimes it is moved while a Torah scroll is on it, and thus it becomes a vessel which is moved both when full and when empty? If that is so [he said], then it is not possible.

Rava also said: A Torah scroll which is worn out should be buried by the side of a disciple of the sages, even if he is only one who repeats halakhot. Aha b. Jacob said: It should be put in an earthenware vessel, as it says, “And put them in an earthen vessel that they may stand for many days” (Jeremiah 32:14). Papi said in the name of Rava:

Rava also said: A Torah scroll which is worn out should be buried by the side of a disciple of the sages, even if he is only one who repeats halakhot. Aha b. Jacob said: It should be put in an earthenware vessel, as it says, “And put them in an earthen vessel that they may stand for many days” (Jeremiah 32:14). Papi said in the name of Rava:

To turn a synagogue into a study hall is permitted; to turn a study hall into a synagogue is forbidden. Papa in the name of Rava taught the opposite. Aha said:

The same applies to any money left over. Rava said: They taught this only if they had money left over from a sale; but if they had money left over from a collection, it is permitted [to use it for any purpose].

Rava said: All agree that contingent interest is forbidden, and they differ on taking interest on condition of returning it. One authority [R. Judah] held that to take interest on condition of returning it is permitted, while the other held that it is forbidden.

Nor did I insist on retribution: as Rava said: He who waives his right to retribution they waive retribution for all his sins, as it says, “Who pardons sins and passes over transgression” (Micah 7:18). For whom does He forgive sin? For one who passes over transgression.

Both caused it [the dimming of his eyes]. Rava said. We learn it from here: “It is not good to favor the face of the wicked” (Proverbs 18:5).

And we do not dress (adorn) ourselves in them. Rava said: The sages and their disciples are permitted, since R. Joshua b. Levi has said: What is the meaning of “Be Rabbanan”? The rabbis’ house.

Nor do we go into them in summer to escape the heat or in the rainy season to escape the rain. As was the case with Ravina and R. Ada b. Matanah who were once standing and asking questions of Rava and it started to rain. They went into the synagogue and said: We came into the synagogue not because of the rain, but because the discussion of the tradition requires clarity, like a clear day.

Aha the son of Rava asked R. Ashi: If a person needs to call another out of a synagogue, what is he to do? He said: If he is a rabbinical scholar, let him say some halakhah; if he is a tanna, let him recite a mishnah; if he is a kara, let him say a verse of Scripture; if none of these, let him say to a child, “Tell me your verse.” If not, let him stay a little while and then get up.

Rava gave the following exposition: What is the meaning of the verse, “Lord, You have been our dwelling place” (Psalms 90:1)? This refers to synagogues and study houses. Abaye said: At first I used to study at home and pray in the synagogue, but when I heard the words of David, “O Lord, I love the dwelling place [me’on] of Your house” (Psalms 26:8), I began to study in the synagogue.

It should not be used as a short cut [kapandria]. What is kapandria? Rava said: Kapandaria is as its name implies.... What does its name imply? As if one were to say, Instead of going round the building [makifna adare], I will enter here.

Rava said to him, Let the witnesses say if you had, would you be sold? So likewise we should not be sold. Rather R' Hamnuna meant to say If either the accused or the witnesses have, they are not sold, but if neither the accused nor the witnesses have, they are sold. Rava said to him, The Torah states, he is sold for his theft, meaning theft and not conspiring.

Rava said to him, Let the witnesses say if you had, would you be sold? So likewise we should not be sold. Rather R' Hamnuna meant to say If either the accused or the witnesses have, they are not sold, but if neither the accused nor the witnesses have, they are sold. Rava said to him, The Torah states, he is sold for his theft, meaning theft and not conspiring.

They said in the name of R'Akiva etc. What is the reasoning of R' Akiva? He holds that it is a fine, and you do not pay a fine under self-confession. Rava said, there was no action [and they are killed] and they are fined. R' Nachmun said, the accused still has the money [he was accused of owing], and they [the witnesses] pay.

What does it mean there was no action? This is Rava! Let's say Yes, and also R' Nachmun.

Rava said, this is speaking of self-confession. But he is not believed since once he testifies he cannot retract his testimony.

Rava said, maybe it's in the case of the lending on collateral, or if he gives documentation to the court As we have learnt, a loan on collateral or where documentation is given to the court is not cancelled [by the Sabbatical].

Rava said, it's in the case of a loan on collateral or when the loan is transferred to the court. as we learnt, A loan on collateral or transferred to the court is not cancelled by the Sabbatical.

A Tanna taught, 'A loan to his fellow without any conditions, he may not demand it back less than thirty days.' Rava b. Bar Chana explained in the presence of Rav here it refers to a written loan because a person doesn't bother to write a loan for less than thirty days but not a verbal loan. Rav said to him, my beloved uncle has said [elsewhere], 'a written loan and a verbal loan [are equivalent]'

And R' Yehudah said in the name of Rav, one kortob of wine fell in three logs of water, and it looks like wine, and this fell in a mikvah, it [the mikvah] is not impure. R' Kahana argued, and what is the difference between this and coloured water? As we learnt, R' Yosi says, coloured water makes a mikvah impure. Rava said to him, there it is called coloured water, here it is called diluted wine.

Didn't R' Hiyah teach, it reduces the efficacy of the mikvah? Rava said, there is no issue one is R' Yochanan ben Nuri and one is the Rabbis, that taught, three logs of water

R' Papa was doubtful, Rava was certain.

Rava says, We need to fulfill the requirement of (Deuteronomy 19, 19) "as he plotted to do his brother" and we can not. [He plotted to make his fellow liable a full forty lashes.] If so, than money should also [not be able to be divided]. Money combines, while lashes do not combine.

Rava says, If two [witnesses] come and say that they saw a person murder on the east east side of a building, and another two [witnesses] come and say that you [the first set] were with us on the west side of the building, then we see: If from standing at the west side of that building one can see to the east side of that building, they do not become zomemim, and if not then they do become zomemim.

Isn't this obvious? You might have thought we would take into account [the possibility] that he had extremely good eyesight. This [Rava] comes to teach us [that we don't worry about that possibility].

And Rava also said, If two [witnesses] come and say, In we witnessed a murder in Sura [a town] on Sunday morning, and two [other witnesses] come and say that you [the first set] was with us on Sunday evening in Neharda [a town], we see if from morning to evening one can travel from Sura to Neharda, then they do become zomemim, but if not then they do not become zomemim.

Isn't this obvious? You might have thought... we would take into account [the possibility] that he had used an extremely fast method of transport [Lit. a flying camel]. This [Rava] comes to teach us [that we don't worry about that possibility].

And Rava said, If two [witnesses] come and say that they witnessed a murder on Sunday, and two [other witnesses] come and say that you [the first group] were with us on Sunday, but the murder did happen on Monday, and even if they [the second group of witnesses] say that the murder occurred on [the previous] Friday, they [the first group of witnesses] are executed [as zomemim] because at the time that they testified, the man [the accused] was not yet found guilty of death.

What is this [statement of Rava] coming to reach us? We [already] learned this in a mishna. "Therefore, if one of the [two groups that testified someone was liable for the death penalty] is found to be zomemim, he [the person they were testifying against] and they [the zomemim] are executed, and the second [group of witnesses, who haven't been found to be zomemim] is free.

He [Rava] needs to say it for its ending which talks about [after the] verdict having a different rule If two [witnesses] come and say that they witnessed the court issue a guilty verdict [for the death penalty] on Sunday, and two [other witnesses] come and say that you [the first group] were with us on Sunday, but the verdict was given on [the previous] Friday, and even if they [the second group of witnesses] say, the verdict occurred on Monday, they [the first group of witnesses] are not executed [as zomemim] because at the time that they testified, the man [the accused] was already found guilty of death.

But what happened already happened? [and there isn't anything else that we could do either-way] Rather Rava says that this this is what the mishna is saying, If there is only one group it gets executed, if there are more than they don't get executed. But the mishna used the word "belvaad" [only]? It's a question.

Rav Acha the son of Rava said to Rav Ashi perhaps, they took their argument up [to the heavenly court], or maybe he appeased him.

GEMARA:Rava says, and this [that one can disqualify the whole group of witnesses] is only when they all testified בתוך כדי דיבור. Rav Acha mDifti said to Revina, let's see, how long is בתוך כדי דיבור? The amount of time that it takes for a student to greet his teacher. A hundred [witnesses] is too many [to all give testimony in this time slot]?!

Let the murderer and the sodomizer save them selves? He was silent. When he came before Rava, [Rava] told him, (Deuteronomy 19, 15) "The matter should be established" implies that the Torah is exclusively referring to those who establish the matter.

Let the murderer and the sodomizer save them selves? He was silent. When he came before Rava, [Rava] told him, (Deuteronomy 19, 15) "The matter should be established" implies that the Torah is exclusively referring to those who establish the matter.

Rava answered, this is what we say to them, Did you come to see or did you come to testify? If they respond that they came to testify, then if one of them is found to be a relative or a disqualified [witness], the whole [group of] testimony is dismissed. But if they respond that they came to see, [then they can't disqualify the whole group because otherwise] what should two brothers do who together witnessed a murder?

Rava says, If they [the two witnesses] saw the warner or the warner saw them, they combine. Rava says, This warner that we mentions can even be himself, and can even be a demon.

Rava says, If they [the two witnesses] saw the warner or the warner saw them, they combine. Rava says, This warner that we mentions can even be himself, and can even be a demon.

Another interpretation of, by the mouth of two witnesses is that the court cannot hear a case through an interpreter. etc.: There was these foreigners that came before Rava; Rava appointed an interpreter between them. But how was he able to this? We learned in a mishna, That the court cannot hear a case through the mouth of an interpreter? Rava knew what they were saying, but he did not know how to answer back.