CHAPTER LIII THE SIN OF SLANDER [76B. i.] EVERYONE [ The first editions read: “All who slander a man in secret.” This chapter is numbered lii. in the MS. referred to by Wertheimer; see infra, p. 436, note 5.] who secretly slanders [ This leads on to the narrative of Miriam and Aaron, who slandered Moses; see Num. 12:1 ff.] his fellows has no remedy, [ The first editions read: “has no portion in the world to come.” See T.B. ‘Arakhin, 15b. The Menorath Ha-Maor, § 52, reads: “He has no remedy,” as in our MS. text. See also Derekh Erez Rab. xi.; and cf. Maimonides, Hilkhoth Teshubah, 3:6, vii. 4; Tosephta Peah 1:1; and Aboth de R. Nathan (a) xl. p. 60b.] as it is said, "Whoso privily slandereth his neighbour, [ The quotation ends here in the MS.] him will I destroy: him that hath an high look and a proud heart will I not suffer" (Ps. 101:5). Another Scripture text says, "Cursed be he that smiteth his neighbour in secret" (Deut. 27:24). [ See T.B. Soṭah, 37a. The quotation from Deuteronomy is interpreted as though it meant that one must not slander.] Know that it is so. Come and see from the (narrative of) the serpent which uttered slander concerning the Holy One, blessed be He, to Adam and his helpmate. [ See supra, p. 94; and cf. Gen. Rab. 19:4.] The Holy One, blessed be He, cursed it, so that its food became the dust, as it is said, "And dust shalt thou eat all the days of thy life" (Gen. 3:14).
Rabban Gamaliel said: Israel also slandered [ See Jalḳuṭ, Lev. § 524.] the Holy One, blessed be He, (by) saying: Wilt thou say that He has power [ The first editions read: “Has the Lord power.”] to feed us in the wilderness? as it is said, "Yea, they spake against God; they said, Can God prepare a table in the wilderness? Behold, he smote the rock, [ The quotation ends here in the MS.] that waters gushed out, and streams overflowed" (Ps. 78:19, 20). The Holy One, blessed be He, heard [ The first editions read: “saw.”] that they slandered His Glory, || and from His Glory, [ Jalḳuṭ, loc. cit., reads: “And He sent against them from His Glory, which is a fire that consumes fire, a fire to devour them.” This is the correct text according to Luria. See also T.B. Joma, 21b.] which is a consuming fire, He sent against them a fire which consumed them round about, as it is said, "And the people were as murmurers [ Thus far the quotation in the MS.; in the first editions the latter part only of the quotation beginning with “and the fire” is given.] … and the fire of the Lord burnt among them, and devoured in the uttermost part of the camp" (Num. 11:1). The Israelites betook themselves to our teacher Moses, and they said to him: Moses, our lord! [ The first editions read: “Moses, our Rabbi! Give us like sheep.”] Let these be given like sheep to the slaughter, [ See supra, p. 357.] but not to the fire which is consuming fire. Moses saw the plight of Israel, and he arose to pray on their behalf, [ See Siphrê, Num. § 85.] and He was entreated of him, as it is said, "And the people cried unto Moses" (ibid. 2). [ The first editions cite the next verse: “And Moses prayed unto the Lord, and the fire abated.”]
Rabbi Judah [ The first editions read: “Jehudah.”] said: That fire which descended from heaven settled on the earth, and did not again return to its (former) place in heaven, [ See Siphrê, Num. § 86, and Tanna de bê Elijahu Rab. 1 p. 6.] but it entered the Tabernacle. That fire came forth and devoured all the offerings which they [ The first editions read: “Israel.”] brought in the wilderness, [ See T.B. Ẓebachim, 61b; Siphra, pp. 44b f.; Lev. Rab. 7:5. The fire was kindled for 116 years—39 years in the wilderness, 24 years in Gilgal, and 53 years in Nob and Gibeon; see, however, Luria’s note, in loc.] as it is said. [ The first editions add: “‘And there came forth fire from before the Lord’” (Lev. 9:24).] "And there descended fire from heaven" is not written here, but "And there came forth fire from before the Lord" (Lev. 9:24). [ See T.B. Sabbath, 87b. It was on the 1st of Nisan that the fire descended upon the altar. The people revolted at the end of Iyar; see T.B. Ta‘anith, 29a; Jalḳuṭ, Num. § 732 and § 752, and Deut. § 813: “That fire came down and devoured the (two) sons of Aaron, as it is said, ‘And fire came forth from the Lord’ (Num. 16:35); and that fire also consumed the company of Korah.”] This was the fire which came forth and consumed the sons of Aaron, [ The first editions read: “That was the fire which consumed the company of Korah,” and omit the reference to Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron.] as it is said, "And there came forth fire from before the Lord" (ibid.). That fire came forth and consumed the company of Korah, as it is said, "And fire came forth from the Lord" (Num. 16:85).
No man departs from this world until some of that fire, [ The inference is probably based on Deut. 18:16: “Neither let me see this great fire any more, that I die not.” At the hour of death the fire, which symbolizes the Shekhinah, is seen. For man cannot see God and live, but he beholds the Vision Divine when he ceases to live. See supra, p. 254, and cf. Siphra, p. 4a.] which rested among the sons of man, [ The first editions read: “which rested upon the earth.”] passes over him, as it is said, "And the fire rested" (ibid. xi. 2). ||
"And Miriam and Aaron spake against Moses [ The quotation ends here in the MS.; it is continued in the first editions.] because of the Cushite woman whom he had married" (ibid. xii. 1). Was she then a Cushite woman? [ See T.B. Mo’ed Ḳaṭan, 16b; Siphrê, Num. § 99; Shocher Ṭob, Ps. 7 p. 35b; and see Siphrê, Ẓuṭṭa, p. 33, in the last instalment in Monatsschrift, vol. 54.] Was she not Zipporah? But just as this Cushite [ Or “Ethiopian.”] is different as regards his body from all other people, [ The first editions read: “is different in his skin.”] so was Zipporah different from all other women by her words [ The first editions read: “by her good deeds.”] and by her good deeds; therefore was she called a Cushite, as it is said, "For he had married a Cushite woman" (ibid.).
Rabbi Tachanah [ The later editions read: “Tanchum.”] said: The Israelites also are called Cushites, as it is said, "Are ye not as the children of the Cushites unto me, [ The quotation ends here in the MS. and in the first editions.] O children of Israel?" [ For a Christian Midrashic parallel see “The Arabic Gospel of the Saviour’s Infancy,” 40 (in A.N.C.L. xvi. p. 119).] (Amos 9:7). Just as the body of this Cushite is different from all creatures, so do the Israelites differ from all the nations of the world in their ways and by their good deeds; therefore are they called Cushites. One Scripture saith, "And Ebedmelech, the Cushite, said" (Jer. 38:12). Was it Ebed? [ See Pesiḳta Rab. p. 130b; Jalḳuṭ, Jeremiah, § 326, where the title of Cushite is given to Ebed; see also T.B. Mo‘ed Ḳaṭan, loc. cit., and Targum on Jer. 38:7, where the title is referred to the king Zedekiah. The first editions read: “Was Ebed a Cushite?”] Was he not Baruch, son of Neriah? [ See Jer. 39:15 and xlv. 1.] But just as this Cushite is different in his body from all other people, so was Baruch, son of Neriah, different in his deeds and good ways from the rest of the sons of men. [ The words following till “Then” do not occur in the first editions.] Therefore was he called a Cushite.
One Scripture text says, "Then said Joab to the Cushite, Go, tell the king [ The quotation ends here in the MS. and in the first editions.] what thou hast seen" (2 Sam. 18:21). Was he a Cushite? Was he not a Benjamite? [ See Ps. 7:1: “Cush a Benjamite.”] But just as this Cushite is different from all creatures, so was the Benjamite || different by his ways and his good deeds; [ The first editions add: “from all Israel.”] therefore was his name called "Cushite."
Rabbi Eliezer said: Come and see the integrity and perfection of that man, for he said to Joab, Even if thou wouldst give me gold and silver [ The first editions read: “a thousand pieces of silver.”] I would not transgress the king's commands which he commanded thee, as it is said, "And the man said unto Joab, [ The quotation ends here in the MS.; the first editions begin with the next word. The text of the quotation in the M.T. differs from that cited in the first editions.] Though I should receive a thousand (pieces of) silver in mine hand" (ibid. 12). Joab said to him: I beseech thee, show me the place where Absalom is hanging. But he did not consent. Joab began to bend the knee, and to prostrate himself before him, as it is said, "Then said Joab, Shall I not entreat [ R.V. renders: “I may not tarry thus with thee.”] thee in this wise?" (ibid. 14). Then he took (Joab) by his arm, and showed him the place where Absalom was hanging. [ See Mishnah Soṭah, 9b.] Everyone who transgresses the commandment "Honour thy father" [ The MS. reads: “Honour”; this is the Fifth Commandment. The first editions omit this sentence.] is accounted as though he had transgressed the Decalogue. Therefore was (Absalom) pierced by ten spears, as it is said, "And ten young men that bare Joab's armour compassed about [ The quotation ends here in the MS.; the text of the verse in the first editions differs from the M.T.] and smote Absalom; and slew him" (ibid. 15).
Six people were similar to the first man, [ See T.B. Soṭah, 10a; five people were created with some likeness to the nature of the heavenly bodies. Because before his sin Adam was a perfect image of the heavenly bodies. In the legend of the Talmud, the third and fourth instances enumerated by our Midrash are omitted, and instead Asa of fleet foot is mentioned.] and they were all slain. They were: Samson with his [ i.e. the might of Adam at his creation.] might, and he was slain; [ The first editions add: “in his might.”] Saul with his stature, and he was slain; [ The first editions add: “in his stature.”] Asahel with his swiftness, and he was slain; [ The first editions add: “in his swiftness.”] Josiah with his nostrils, [ The inference is probably based on Lam. 4:20: “The breath of our nostrils, the anointed of the Lord”; cf. T.B. Ta’anith, 22b, and T.B. Synhedrin, 93b.] and he was slain through his nostrils; Zedekiah with his eyes, and he was slain through his eyes; [ The Babylonians put out his eyes; see 2 Kings 25:7.] Absalom with his hair, and he was killed through his hair. Absalom was a mighty hero in battle, and his sword was bound upon his loins. [ Cf. 2 Sam. 20:8, and T.B. Soṭah, 9b.] Why || did he not draw his sword and cut the hair of his head, and get down? But he saw that Gehinnom was open beneath him, and he said: It is better for me to hang by my hair [ The first editions read: “by the hair of my head.”] and not to descend into the fire; therefore he was hanging, [ The first editions read: “in an oak,” and omit the quotation.] as it is said, "Behold, I saw Absalom [ The quotation ends here in our text.] hanging in an oak" (ibid. 10).
Rabbi José said: There are seven doors to Gehinnom. Absalom entered as far as the fifth door, [ The first editions add: “of Gehinnom.” Cf. 4 Ezra 7:80–87.] and David heard (thereof), and began to weep, to lament, and to mourn, and he called [ The first editions read: “for Absalom five times, ‘My son,’ ‘My son,’ as it is said.”] Absalom! My son! five times, [ At five doors of Gehenna; cf. T.B. Soṭah, loc. cit., and T.B. Synhedrin, 102b.] My son, my son, my son! "And the king was much moved, and he went up to the chamber over the gate, [ The MS. adds “etc.,” indicating that this is a quotation; the first word differs from the M.T. and the text in the first editions, which continue the quotation from the words, “O my son.”] and wept: and as he went, thus he said, O my son Absalom, my son, my son Absalom! would God I had died for thee, O Absalom, my son, my son!" (ibid. xviii. 33). And they [ The words of David; by his intercession and merit Absalom was saved from Gehenna. The first editions read: “And he brought him back.”] brought him back from the five doors of Gehinnom, and he began to praise and laud and to glorify his Creator, saying: "Shew me a token for good; [ The quotation ends here; it is continued in the first editions.] that they which hate me may see it, and be ashamed: because thou, Lord, hast helped me, and comforted me" (Ps. 86:17). "Thou hast helped me" out of the war of Absalom, and "thou hast comforted me" in my mourning for him. [ The MS. continues the chapter with the material of the fifty-fourth chapter in the printed editions.]