(Fol. 15) MISHNAH: The eldest among them then addresses them in touching terms, as follows: "My brethren! Behold! It is not said concerning the [repentance of the] Ninevites, that God regarded their enveloping themselves in sackcloth, and considered their fast-days, but that (Jon. 3, 10) God saw their good deeds, that they had turned from their evil way, and so says the tradition (Joel 11, 13) Rend your heart instead of your garments and return unto God."
(Fol. 16) GEMARA: Our Rabbis were taught: If there is an aged one among them, he should address the congregation; if not, then a scholar should address them. And if there is neither then a prominent man from amongst their own should address them." Does the venerable man mentioned above refer even to one who is not a scholar? Said Abaye: "It means that if the eldest among them was also a scholar, he should address them; otherwise a scholar, even if he was younger, should address them; and if there was no scholar among them, then a prominent man should address them saying: 'Brethren! Because neither sackcloth nor fasting causes [forgiveness], but repentence and meritorious deeds; for thus we find in the case of the Ninevites. It is not written that God regarded their having wrapped themselves in sackcloth and considered their fast-days, but that God saw their works, that they had turned from their evil way.'" (Ib.) And man and beast were covered with sackcloth. What did the Ninevites do? They separated the suckling animals from their mothers and said: "Sovereign of the Universe! If Thou wilt have mercy upon us then we will have mercy upon these; but if Thou wilt not have mercy upon us, we will not have mercy upon these." (Ib.) And they called unto God with might. What does with might signify? R. Samuel maintains that they said: "Sovereign of the Universe! If one is submissive, and the other is not; if one is capable of enduring, and one is not; a righteous, and a wicked; which should yield? (Ib.) And every one turned from his evil way, and from the violence which was in their hands. What does from the violence which was in their hands signify? Samuel said: "If a man had wrongfully appropriated a beam which he had used in building a house, he tore down the house and restored the beam to its lawful owner."
(Fol. 18) We are taught in a Baraitha: On the twenty-eighth of Adar, the good news came to the Jews that they were no longer prohibited from studying the Law, for the king [of Syria had earlier] issued a decree, forbidding them to study the Law, and to circumcize their sons, yet compelling them to desecrate the Sabbath. What did Joshua b. Shamua and his friends do? They straight way took counsel with a certain matron, whose house the celebrated people of the city frequented. She said to them: "Go and cry aloud at night." They did as she advised and cried aloud: "Oh, heavens! Are we not all brethren? Are we not all the children of one Father? Are we not all the children of one mother [earth]? Why should we be treated differently from any other nation, and from all other peoples who speak other languages, for ye issue such cruel edicts against us?" Whereupon the decrees were annulled, and that day was then declared a holiday.
(Ib. b) Who is Torainos? It was related: When Torainos was about to slay Lolaninos and his brother Pappus in Ludkia (Lydda), he said to them: "If it be true that you are of the same nation as that of Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah, then let your God come and save you from my hands as He did them from the hand of Nebuchadnezzar." They answered: "Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah were perfectly righteous men, worthy that a miracle should happen to them; and Nebuchadnezzar was a righteous king, worthy that a miracle should be wrought through him; but we have incurred the death penalty before Heaven in any event, and if thou shouldst not slay us, God has other agents like bears, lions and leopards that may kill us. The reason why the Holy One, praised be He! has delivered us into your hand is because He is ready to hold thee to account for our blood which thou wilt shed." In spite of this, he had them executed, and it was further related that he did not leave his place before two envoys arrived from Rome and broke his skull with clubs.