(Fol. 51) MISHNAH: He who has not witnessed the rejoicing at the ceremony of the drawing of water, has never seen rejoicing in his life. (Ib. b) GEMARA: Our Rabbis were taught: "He who has not seen the joyous procession to and from the well, has not seen a real rejoicing in his life. He who has not seen Jerusalem in its glory, has never in his life seen a great beautiful city; whoever has not seen the Temple in its finished state has not seen a handsome building in his life." To which Temple does this refer? Abaye, and according to others, R. Chisda, said: It refers to the building of Herod (the second Temple). Of what materials was it built? Rabba said: "Of black and white marble;" and, according to others, of various colors. He made one tier of stones projecting outward, and one tier remaining inside. He intended to cover them with gold, but the sages said to him: "Leave it so, because it is more beautiful, having an appearance like the waves of the sea."
We are taught in a Baraitha that R. Juda says: "He who has not seen the Basilica synagogue of Alexandria in Egypt, has not seen the glory of Israel. It is told that it was in the shape of a large basilica (semicircular), a colonnade within a colonnade. It sometimes had an assembly of sixty myriads, as many as those who went out of Egypt [in the Exodus], and according to others, it contained double the amount of those who went out of Egypt. There were seventy-one gilt arm chairs, one for each of the seventy-one sages of the Great Sanhedrin, and each gilt chair was made of no less than twenty-five myriads of talents of gold; and a wooden pulpit was built in the middle of the palace, where the sexton of the congregation stood, with a flag in his hand; and when [in the prayer] the time came for response. Amen, he raised the flag, and all the people said Amen. And they did not sit promiscuously, but separately; goldsmiths were separate, silversmiths separate, smiths separate. Artistic weavers sat apart from simple common weavers; and when a stranger or a poor man entered, he immediately recognized who his fellow-tradesmen were, and turned unto them, [so that he got work] to support himself and his family." Abaye said: "All these were killed by Alexander the Macedonian." Why were they so punished? Because they had transgressed the passage (Ex. 14, 13) Ye shall not see them (the Egyptians) forevermore, yet they returned, and resided in Egypt. When Alexander came, he found them reading the passage (Deut. 28, 49) The Lord will bring up against thee a nation from afar, etc., and he said: I had to go ten days on board ship, and the winds blew and brought me here in five days [certainly I must have been meant by it]. Whereupon he fell upon them and killed them.
MISHNAH: The evening following the first part of the Succoth festival, the populace descended into the women's compartment of the Temple Court, where a great improvement had been introduced. Golden candelabres were placed there, with four golden basins at the top of each; and at each candelabrum four ladders were placed, upon which stood four young priests holding jars of oil containing one hundred and twenty logs, with which they replenished each basin. The out-worn breeches and belts of the priests were torn into shreds for wicks [and put into the oil] by which the candelebras were lighted. There was not a court-yard in Jerusalem that was not illuminated by the lights used at the ceremony of the water libation. The pious and saintly were dancing before the people with burning torches in their hands, and were singing hymns and praises before them; and the Levites accompanied them on harps, psalteries, cymbals, and numberless musical instruments. On the fifteen steps which led from the men's compartment into the women's compartment, corresponding to the fifteen songs of the Degrees, stood the Levites, with their musical instruments, and sang.
GEMARA: What were the great improvements? R. Elazar said that [they were] similar to those which we have learned in the following Baraitha: "The women's compartment was formerly without a balcony, but they surrounded it with a balcony and ordained that the women should sit above and the men below." Our Rabbis were taught: Formerly the women were sitting inside the Temple court and the men outside; but thereupon some levity resulted, and it was ordained that the women should sit outside the Temple Court and the men within; but still levity arose, and it was ordained that the women sit above (upon a balcony) and the men below. How could they do so? Does not the passage say (I Chr. 28, 19) All was put in writing from the hand of the Lord, who gave me instruction respecting all the works of the pattern. R. Joseph said: "They found another passage (Fol. 5'2) and interpreted it. (Zech. 12, 12) And the land will mourn, every family apart by itself, the family of the house of David apart, and their wives apart. And they said: 'Can this not be deduced through a fortiory, namely: If in the Messianic future, when Israel will be occupied in mourning, during which time the evil inclination is powerless of indulgence, it is, nevertheless, said that women and men should be separate; how much the more [should they be] in the Temple, where the people are occupied in rejoicing, where the evil inclination possesses the power of indulgence.'"
What is the cause for the above mentioned mourning? R. Dosa and the Rabbis differ: One gives the reason that it [the mourning] is for the Messiah, the son of Joseph, who is to be killed; and the other gives the reason that it is for the evil inclination, which is to be killed. It is quite comprehensible according to the one who holds that it will be for the Messiah, the son of Joseph, as is said (Zech. 12, 10) And they will look up toward me [for every one] whom they have trust through, and they will lament for him, as one lamenteth for an only son, and weep bitterly for him, as one weepeth bitterly for the first-born; but ing to the one who holds that it is to be be for the death of the evil inclination, why mourn? On the contrary, it should be cause for rejoicing! This could be interpreted by the lecture of R. Juda b. Layi who said: "In the future the Holy One, praised be He! will bring the evil angel and slaughter him in the presence of both the upright and the wicked. To the former he will appear like a high mountain, and to the latter he will appear like a thin hair. Both, however, will cry. The upright will cry, saying: 'How could we have overpowered such a high mountain?' and the wicked will cry, saying: 'How could we not have subdued such a thin hair?' And the Holy One, praised be He! will also join them in wondering, as it is said (Zech. 8, 6) Thus hath said the Lord of hosts: If it should be marvellous in the eyes of the remnant of this people in those days, it should also be marvellous in My eyes." R. Assis said: "In the beginning, the evil inclination appears insignificant and thin as a cobweb, and finally he becomes as thick as a wagon-rope, as it is said (Is. 5, 18) Woe unto those that draw iniquity with the cords of falsehood, and as with a wagon-rope, sinfulness."
R. Avira, and according to others, R. Joshua b. Levi, expounded: "There are seven names for the evil inclination. The Holy One, praised be He I calls him evil, as it is said (Gen. 8, 21) The imagination of man's heart is evil from his youth; Moses calls him obduracy, as it is said (Deut. 10, 17) Remove the obduracy of your heart; and when he says a clean heart, it must be an unclean one. Solomon calls him enemy, as it is said (Prov. 25, 21) If thy enemy be hungry, give him bread to eat, and if he be thirsty, give him water to drink; for though thou gatherest coals of fire upon his head, yet will the Lord repay it unto thee. Do not read Yeshalem L'cha (repay thee), but read it Yashlimenu L'cha (he will make him peaceful toward thee ). Isaiah calls him stumbling block, as it is said (Is. 57, 14) And he will say. Cast ye up, cast ye up, clear out of the way, lift up every stumbling-block out of the way of my people. Ezekiel names him stone, as it is said (Ex. 36, 26) I will remove the heart of stone out of your body. Joel calls him Z'phoni, as it is said (Joel 2, 20) And the host of the (Z'phoni) north will I remove.
Our Rabbis were taught: And the host of the north will I remove from you (Ib.), refers to the evil inclination which is hidden in a man's heart; and I will drive it into a land barren and desolate (Ib.); i.e., [to a place] where men do not live, lest it might tempt them; With its advance towards the eastern sea (Ib.) [implies that] it set its eyes on the first Temple, and destroyed it, and killed the scholars that were there; And its rearward toward the western sea (Ib.), [implies that] it set its eyes on the second Temple, and destroyed it, and killed the scholars that were there. (Ib.) And its stench shall ascend, and its ill savour shall come up, because he hath done great things [implies that] it leaves out the other nations and comes to tempt only the Israelites, (Ib.) He hath done great things, [implies, according to] Abayi, [that] "scholars it tempts more than any one else."
R. Isaac said: "The [evil] inclination renews its fight upon man every day, as it is said (Gen. 6, 5) And that every imagination of the thought of his heart was only evil all day long." (Ib. b) R. Simon b. Lakish said: "The evil inclination of man renews its fight upon man, and desires to slay him, as it is said (Ps. 37, 23) The wicked looketh out for the righteous, and seeketh to slay him; and were it not for the help of the Holy One, praised be He! man would not resist it, as it is said further: The Lord will not leave him in his hand, and will not condemn him when he is judged." In the college of R. Ishmael it was taught: "My son, if that ugly (the tempter) meet thee, drag it into the house of learning (overcome it through powder; and if it is iron, it will be split to powder, and if it is iron, it will be split to pieces. If a stone, it will be ground, as it is written (Job 14, 19) The water weareth out stones; and by water is meant the Torah, as it is said (Is. 55, 1) Ho, everyone that thirsteth, come ye for water. And if iron, it will be split into pieces, as it is said ( Jer. 23, 29) Is not my word like as fire? saith the Lord, and like a hammer that breaketh the rock in pieces?" R. Samuel b. Nachmeni said, in the name of Jonathan: "The evil inclination tempts man in this world, and bears testimony against him in the world to come, as it is said (Prov. 29, 21) He that delicately bringeth up his servant from his youth, shalt have him become at length (Manun) violent. And in the Atbach- of R. Chiya, Sahada (witness) finds a substitute in Manun." R. Huna pointed out the following contradiction: "It is written (Hos. 4, 12) For the spirit of lewdness is in their bosom; i.e., at first it causes to err, and afterwards it remains in the bosom." Rab said: In the beginning he is called traveler, then guest, and then man, as it is said (II Sam. 12, 4) And there came a traveler unto a rich man; and he felt compunction to take from his own flocks and from his own heads to dress for the guest that was come to him; and it is written further: And he dressed it for the man that was come to him.
(Micah 5, 4) And in this [manner] shall there be peace: If Asshur should come into our land; and if he should tread in our places, then will we raise up against him seven shepherds, and eight anointed men. Who are the seven shepherds? David in the centre; Adam, Sheth, Methushelah at his right; Abraham, Jacob and Moses at his left. And who are the eight anointed men? Jesse, Saul, Samuel, Amos, Zephaniah, Ezekiah, Elijah and Messiah.
(Fol. 53) Our Rabbis have been taught: There were among them [the visitors at the libation ceremony] people who said: "Happy is our youth which does not disgrace our age." They were the pious and the saints. And there were among them people who said: "Happy is our age that has atoned for our youth." They were the repentant sinners. Both used to say: "Happy are those who have not sinned at all; but he who has sinned shall repent, and he will be forgiven."
We are taught in a Baraitha: It was said of Hillel, the senior (the Prince): When he rejoiced at the ceremony of Libation, he used to say: "If I am here, all are here; but if I am not here, who is here?" He was also accustomed to say: "To the places which I am fond of, my feet bring me; and so also says the Holy One, praised be He! 'If thou wilt visit my house, I will visit thy house; but if thou wilt not visit my house, I shall not visit thine'; as it is said (Ex. 20, 21) In every place where I shall permit My name to he mentioned, I will come unto thee, and I will bless thee."
R. Jochanan said: "The feet of the man are security for him; that where he is needed, thither they will bring him." Two Ethiopians named Elihoreph and Aehiyah, the sons of Shisha, were in the service of king Solomon as scribes. One day Solomon saw that the Angel of Death was sad, and he asked him for the reason; and he said: "Because the two men are required by me." Solomon took the two men and gave them away to the demons with instructions to carry them off to the city of Luz. When they reached the gates of Luz, the two men died. On the morrow, he saw the Angel of Death very cheerful; and when he asked him the reason, the Angel replied: "To the place where I was commanded to take the lives of these two men thou hast sent them." Then remarked Solomon: "The feet of a man are his security; where he is needed, to that place they bring him."
We are taught in a Baraitha: It was said that Rabban Simon b. Gamaliel, when rejoicing at the ceremony of Libation, would take eight flambeaux in his hands, and throw them into the air, and catch them, and one would not touch another. When he used to prostrate himself, he pressed both of his thumbs against the floor, and bowed, and kissed the pavement, and then raised himself, [a feat] which no creature can do. And this is what is called Kida (falling on the face). Levi, in the presence of Rabbi, showed the way [to perform] Kida, and became lame. Levi was also sporting in the presence of Rabbi with eight knives. Samuel tried to do so in the presence of king Sha'bur with eight goblets full of wine; and Abaye, in the presence of Rabba, with eight eggs; and according to others with four eggs.
We are taught in a Baraitha: R. Joshua b. Chanania said: "When we were engaged in rejoicing at the Libation procession (to and from the well) our eyes saw no sleep. How so? The first hour was devoted to the daily morning sacrifice; afterwards to prayer, and thence to the additional sacrifice; then [was recited] the additional prayer; afterwards we went to the house of learning; from there we went to eat and drink at home, and then [to recite] the Mincha prayer; and from the Mincha prayer we proceeded to the daily evening sacrifices, and from that time on we rejoiced at the Libation procession (to and from the well) until the morning." Is this possible? Did not R. Jochanan say: "If one says: 'I swear I will not sleep three days,' he shall get stripes for a false oath, and shall go to sleep immediately," [because no man can live without sleep]? We must, therefore, say that he meant, "We did not have a taste of real sleep," for they slumbered on each other's shoulders.
R. Chisda said to one of the Rabbis who arranged the Agada (legends) before him: "Have you heard with reference to the fifteen songs of the steps (Ps. 120-135), to what purpose did David compose them?" "Thus, said R. Jochanan," he answered: "When David was digging the foundation for the Temple, the waters of the deep came on top and threatened to overflow the world; there he composed the fifteen songs of degress wherewith he checked it [the overflow]." "If so, then instead of steps, it should have been called leading down?" R. Chisda then said: "Since you have mentioned it, I reminded myself that it was explained thus: When David was digging the Shittin (foundation) of the altar [to reach the watery depth of the earth], the waters of the deep came up and threatened to flood the world; whereupon David asked: 'Is there anyone who knows if it is permitted to inscribe the Holy name upon a piece of broken clay and drop it into the water?' No one responded. He exclaimed: 'Whoever amongst ye knows and abstains from answering, shall be choked.' Then Achithophel concluded a fortiori thus: 'If for the sake of bringing peace between husband and wife, the Lord has allowed His name [which is written in all sacredness] to be erased by water, so much the more so when the peace of the entire world is concerned.' Accordingly, he decided that it is permitted; David then (following this decision) dropped into the water a bit of clay upon which the holy name was written and the water went down sixteen thousand cubits. When David noticed that it went down so deep he said: 'The higher the water of the deep rises, the more is vegetation moistened.' He thereupon uttered the fifteen songs of the steps, wherewith he caused the deep to rise fifteen thousand cubits, leaving it one thousand cubits deep." "We infer from this," said Ulla, "that the thickness of the earth [down to the deep] is one thousand cubits." But we see that with very little digging water comes up. R. Mesharshia said: "This comes from the upper part (the source) of the Euphrates."
MISHNAH: At the upper gate which leads down from the court of the Israelites to the court of the women, stood two priests with trumpets in their hands. When the cock first crowed, they blew a straight blast, a long note, and another straight blast. This they repeated when they reached the tenth step, and again [the third time], when they got into the Temple court. They went on, blowing their trumpets as they went, until they reached the eastern Temple gate. When they reached that gate they turned westward, with their faces towards the Temple, and said: "Our ancestors, who were in this place, turned their backs on the Temple of the Lord and their faces towards the east; for they worshiped the sun towards the east; but we lift our eyes to God." R. Juda says: They repeated again and again: "We belong to God, and we raise our eyes to God."
(Fol. 55) We are taught: What songs did the Levites chant on the intermediate days (Chol Hamoed)? The songs were as follows: On the first day they said (Ps. 29) Ascribe unto the Lord, O ye sons of the mighty; on the second, (Ps. 50); on the third, (Ps. 94); on the fourth, (Ib. 8); on the fifth day, (Ib. 81); on the sixth day they said (Ps. 82) All the foundations of the earth are moved. If the Sabbath falls on one of these days, the song, all the foundations of the earth are moved, [the last one] should be superseded.
(Ib. b) E. Elazar said: These seventy bullocks, for what purpose were they offered? For the sake of the seventy nations [which existed then]. And for what purpose was offered the one bullock (Num. 29, 36)? For the sake of the single nation [Israel]. This may be likened unto a frail king, who said unto his servants: "Prepare for me a little meal that I should have some benefit from yourself only." "Woe be to the nations," remarked R. Jochanan, "for they have suffered a loss, and do not even know what they have lost! When the Temple was in existence, the altar atoned for their sins [as above], but now who shall atone for their sins?"
(Fol. 56b) Our Rabbis were taught: It once happened that Miriam, the daughter of Bilgah, became an apostate, and was married to an officer of the Greek government. When the Greeks entered the Temple, she took off her shoe and pounded on the altar, saving: "Lucius, Lucus, hungry wolf, how long wilt thou destroy the money of Israel, and wilt not stand by them to help them in their trouble?" When the sages heard this, they fastened down their ring [on which they did their service] and blocked up the window; and, according to others, it was because the division of Bilgah was always late to come, and the order of Jeshebab, his brother, substituted Bilgah; and although the neighbors of the wicked are not always benefited, the division consisting of Bilgah's neighbors have benefited, because the Bilgah division always distributed [its shares of the show-bread] in the southern part of the Temple courts, and those of Jeshebab, his brothers were always in the northern part. This is quite right according to those who say that the whole division was late; therefore, the entire division was also punished; but according to those who say that it was because Miriam, Bilgah's daughter, became apostate, why should we punish the entire division on account of the daughter's sin? "Yea," said Abaya, "because people say, what a child speaks in the street it has heard either from its father or its mother." But why should the whole division be punished for the sin of her father and mother? Whereupon Abaye remarked: "Woe be to the wicked and woe to his neighbor; happy be the righteous, and happy his neighbor, as it is said (Is. 3, 10) Say ye to the righteous, that he hath done well, for the fruit of their doings shall they eat."
End of Tract Succah.