Sotah 077

נושא: Sotah

BET MIDRASH VIRTUALI

How [are we to understand] the Priestly Blessing? In the country they utter it as three benedictions, but in the Temple [they uttered it as] one benediction. In the Temple he would utter the Name as written, but in the country [only using] a surrogate. In the country the priests raise their hands to shoulder level but in the Temple [they raise their hands] above their heads – with the exception of the High Priest who may not raise his hand above the Plate. Rabbi Yehudah says that even the High Priest may raise his hands above the Plate, for it says "And Aaron raised his hands to the people and blessed them."

1:
We now come to the fourth item of the eight enumerated in mishnah 2 as being required to be uttered in Hebrew only. We have already studied the matter of the priestly blessing in detail: how it is done "in the country" was part of our study of Tractate Berakhot and the way it was done in the Bet Mikdash was part of our study of Tractate Tamid. Indeed, the latter part of our present mishnah is an almost verbatim repeat of the latter part of Tamid 7:2. Since this topic has been adequately covered there and is available in our archives I shall just refer you to our study there – and navigate there to mishnah 2.

2:
There is only one further matter that concerns us here, and that is why this benediction must be recited only in Hebrew. Here, the rationale is more sustainable than in the attempts as regards the previous items. The Torah [Numbers 6:22-23] institutes the priestly blessing thus:

And God told Moses to speak to Aaron and his sons as follows: Thus shall you bless the Israelites; say unto them…

Certainly the word "thus" can be understood here as meaning "use these words" – and these words are in Hebrew.

I have received many items for discussion and shall set them before you over the next few days. Since Rabbi Yehudah is mentioned in our present mishnah I shall start off with the following message which comes from Albert Ringer:

One of the rabbis whose name recurs quite often is Yehudah bar Ilai. His views are often different and original. However, I don't recall having read anything on the man himself. All I found is that he became head of the academy in 148, after R. Akiva and before R. Yehudah hanassi. Could you enlighten me?

I respond:

First of all, neither Rabbi Akiva nor Rabbi Yehudah bar-Ilai were ever President of the Sanhedrin, so I suggest that you check your source again on this point. In the year 148 CE the President of the Sanhedrin was Rabban Shim'on ben-Gamli'el – the son of Rabban Gamli'el of Yavneh and the father of Rabbi Yehudah ha-Nasi (the President). Perhaps the reference was to these two sages as being the most prominent in the Sanhedrin.

Here are some details from a short "biography" of Rabbi Yehudah bar-Ilai.

Many of our greatest Sages were sustained at spiritual "tables" richly laden with the greatest delicacies, while their physical tables were almost bare. One such Sage was Rabbi Yehudah bar Ilai, who lived in the time of the President Rabban Shim'on ben Gamli'el. It was of no importance to him that he ate only the simplest fare, or even that he lacked proper clothing. His Torah learning sufficed to nourish him, even to the extent that he glowed with happiness and good health. Once he was studying with his teacher Rabbi Tarfon, when his teacher remarked in surprise, "Why is your face shining today like gold?" Rabbi Yehudah replied, "Yesterday your servants bought teradim (an inexpensive type of beet) for us to eat, and they were very delicious and healthful, and although we ate them without salt since we had no money to buy it, they were good. Had we been able to afford the salt, the teradim would have been even tastier, and our appearance would be even better."

I interrupt this pious exposition to interject a thought of my own. Rabbi Tarfon was extremely rich, so the comment by Rabbi Yehudah reproduced here may well have been a barb: your servants only serve your students beets without salt!

Rabbi Yehudah never dressed in the noble manner befitting a person of his stature. In fact, he didn't even own any warm clothing at all. One day his wife managed to purchase some inexpensive wool yarn. She spun it and wove it into cloth. From this material she fashioned a loose robe worn as a cloak. She even decorated it with beautiful embroidery to give it a finer appearance, as was fitting for her distinguished husband. Now, this type of garment was worn at that time by men and women alike, so Rabbi Yehudah and his wife shared it. When she needed to do errands in the marketplace she wore it; when Rabbi Yehudah went to the study hall he would wear the new cloak. He was, in fact, so pleased to own this warm coat that he composed a special blessing to be recited before putting it on: "Blessed is God who has enwrapped me in a cloak." Never mind that his coat was made of coarse homespun wool or that others had cloaks of far superior quality – Rabbi Yehudah was completely satisfied with his and never even noticed the others.

Or, possibly, he was parsimonious.

Once Rabban Shim'on ben Gamli'el declared a day of public fast and prayer because of a problem which beset the Jewish community. On such a day it was customary for all the Sages to gather together at the residence of the President to pray as a group. This time, as well, they all came, with the exception of Rabbi Yehudah bar Ilai. It so happened that when the fast day was proclaimed, Rabbi Yehudah's wife was wearing the shared cape. Rabbi Yehudah, lacking a coat, was unable to join his colleagues. Rabban Shim'on ben Gamli'el noted his absence with surprise, and questioned the other Sages to discover the reason he had failed to come. They explained to him that Rabbi Yehudah was unable to come because he had no coat to wear. When the President heard this he was quick to dispatch a messenger to Rabbi Yehudah bearing a beautiful new cloak.

When the messenger arrived, Rabbi Yehudah was seated on a mat on the floor engaged in the study of Torah. "The President has sent this coat to the rabbi as a gift," said the messenger. "He asks that Rabbi Yehudah wear it and come to pray with the other Sages." Rabbi Yehudah answered: "I have no need for a gift, as I already have a coat, thank God. My wife will return soon and bring it, and then I will come to the President's house. I lack nothing; as you can see I am very wealthy." And with those words he lifted a corner of the mat on which he sat. There, sparkling like fire, were hundreds of gold dinars. The messenger was left speechless by the sight of such an enormous fortune. Rabbi Yehudah explained: "You see, I have enormous wealth if I want it, but I do not desire to benefit from this world any more than necessary." Rabbi Yehudah lived as always, in poverty. But he was satisfied with what he had, and he exemplified the words of the Sages: "Who is a rich man? – He who is happy with his lot."

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