Hebrew Text
June 30, 2004
http://ccat.sas.upenn.edu/rs/2/Judaism/talmud.html
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Mishnah (Palestine, about 220 CE)Gemara (Babylonia, about 500 CE)
Comments of Rashi (France, 1040-1105 CE)
Comments of the Tosafists (France and Germany, 12th-13th centuries)
Comments of R. Nissim ben Jacob (Tunis, 11th century)
Notes by R. Aqiva Eger (Austria-Hungary, 1761-1837)
Anonymous comment (printers?)
Key to scriptural quotations
Cross-references to medieval codes of Jewish law
Cross-references to other passages in Talmud
A textual emendation from the Proofs of Joel Sirkes (Poland, 1561-1640)
Hebrew text on page 38
הָיוּ אָדָם וְעֶזְרז ישְׁבּים וּבוֹכִים וּמִתְאַכְּלִים עָלָיו וְלאֹ הָיוּ יֹדְאִים מַה לַּאֲשׂוֹת לְהֶבֶל שֶׁלֹּא הָיוּ נְהוּגִים בִקְבוּרָה בָּא עוֹרֵב אֹחָד שֶׁ מֵּת אֶחָד מֵחֲבֵרָיו לָקַח אוֹתוֹ וְחָפַר בָּזָרֶץ וּטְמָנָחּ לְעֵינֵיחֶם אָמַר אָדָנו כָּעוֹרֵב אֲנִי עֹשֶׂהי מִיָד לָקַח נִבְלָתוֹ שֶׁל הֶבֶל רִחָפַר בָּאָרֶץ וּטְמָנָהּ :
A book called Pirqey Rabbi Eli'ezer chapter 21
Pirke De-Rabbi Eli'ezer
Adam and his helpmeet were sitting and weeping and morning 10 for him, and they did not know what to do (with Abel), for they were unaccustomed to burial. A raven 11 (came), one of its fellow birds were dead (at its side). (The raven) said: I will teach this man what to do. It took its fellow and dug in the earth, hid it and buried it before them. Adam said: Like this raven will I act. He took || the corpse of Abel and dug in the earth and buried it.
10 For the phraseology see Neh i. 4. The legend occurs also in the Koran, Sura v.
11 Tanchuma, loc cit., reads: “Two clean birds”; cf. Gen. Rab. xxii. 8. See Midrash Haggadol, c. 116.
Rabbi Eliezer, Pirkê De Rabbi Eliezer, Translated by Gerald Friedlander, London, 1916 (Reissued by Benjamin Blom, New York, NY, 1971), Chapter XXI, p. 156.
U of W reference: BM517.P7 E5 1916a
Hebrew text page 39.
מָצִינוּ בְקַיִן שֶׁהָרַג אֶת-אָחִיו נֶאֱמַר בּוֹ קוֹל דְּמֵי אָחִיךָ צֹאֲקִים אֵינוֹ אמֵר דַּם אָחִיךָ אֶלָא דְּקֵי אָהִיךָ דָּמוֹ וְדַם זַרְעִיוֹתָיו לְפִיכַך נִבְרָא אָדָם יְרהִידִי לְלַמְּדָךְ שֶׁכָּל- חַמְּאֲבֵּד נֶפֶשׁ אַהַת מִישְׂרָאֵל מַעֶלֶח עָלָיוֹ חַכָּתוּב כְּאִלּוּ אִבֵּד עוֹלָם מָלֵא וְכַל-הַמּ-ְקיֵם נֶפֶשׁ וַחַת מִיִשִׂדָאֵל מַאֲלֶה אָלָיו הַכָּתוּב כְּאִלּוּקִיֵם עוֹלָם מָלֵא :
Genesis 4:10 Mishna Sanhedrin Chapter 4 verse 5
And he said, What hast thou done? the voice of thy brother's blood crieth unto me from the ground. Gen 4:10 (KJV)
Genesis 4:10
וַיֹּאמֶר, מֶה עָשִׂיתָ; קוֹל דְּמֵי אָחִיךָ, צֹעֲקִים אֵלַי מִן-הָאֲדָמָה.
English Sources of Qur’an p. 65. Mishnah Sanhedrin (chapter iv. § 5),
http://www.chiefrabbi.org/dd/sources/sourece85.html
[85] Mishnah, Sanhedrin 4: 5For this reason, man [i.e. the first human being] was created alone to teach that whoever destroys a single life is as though he had destroyed an entire universe, and whoever saves a single life is as if he had saved an entire universe. Furthermore [the first man was created alone] for the sake of peace among men, so that no one could say to another, “My ancestor was greater than yours” . . . [Yet another reason] was to proclaim the greatness of the Holy One, blessed be He, for when a human being strikes many coins from one mould, they all resemble one another, but the supreme King of kings, the Holy One, blessed be He, fashioned every man in the stamp of the first man, and yet not one of them resembles his fellow. / [פה] משנה מסכת סנהדרין פרק ד משנה ה
לפיכך נברא אדם יחידי ללמדך שכל המאבד נפש אחד מעלה עליו הכתוב כאילו איבד עולם מלא וכל המקיים נפש אחת מעלה עליו הכתוב כאילו קיים עולם מלא ומפני שלום הבריות שלא יאמר אדם לחבירו אבא גדול מאביך . . . ולהגיד גדולתו של הקדוש ברוך הוא שאדם טובע כמה מטבעות בחותם אחד וכולן דומין זה לזה ומלך מלכי המלכים הקדוש ברוך הוא טבע כל אדם בחותמו של אדם הראשון ואין אחד מהן דומה לחבירו.
Hebrew text pages 52 – 53
Continuous text
תֶּרַח אֹבֵד לִצְלָמִים הָיָה : חַד זְמַן גְפַק לַקֲתַר הוּשִׁיב לְאַבְרָהָם מֹכֵד תַּחְתָּיו : הֲוָה אָתֵי בָר אֱנָשׁ בָּעֵי דְיִזְכַּן וַהֲוָה אָמַר לַהּ בִּר כַּמָה שְׁנִין אַתְּ וַהֲוָה
אָמַר לֵהּכַּר חַמְשִׁין אוֹ שִׁתִּין וַהֲוָה אָמַר לֵהּ רֵי לֵהּ לְהַהוּא גַבְרָא דַהֲוָה בַּר שִׁתִּין וּבָעֵי לְמִסְגַּד לְבָר וֹמֵי : וְהָיָה מִתְבַּיֵשׁ וְהֹלֵךְ לוֹ : חַד זְמַן אֲתָת חֲדָא אִתְּתָא טְעִינָא בִידָתּ הֲדָא פִינַךְ דְּסלֶת אֲמֶרֶת לַתּ הֵא לָךְ קָרֵב קֻדְמֵיהוֹן : קָם נְסִב בֻּקְלְסָא בִידֵהּ וְתַבְּרִגְּהזן לְכֻלְהוֹן פְסִילַיָא וִיהַב בֻּקְלְסָא בִידָא דְרַבָּא דַהַוָה בֵינֵיהוֹן : כִּוָן דַּאֲתָא אֲבוּהִי אָמַר לֵהּ מָן עֲבִד לִהוֹן כְּדֵין אָמַד לֵהּ מַה נִכְפֻר מִנָךְ : אֲתָת חֲדָא אִתְּתָא טְעִינָא לָהּ חֲדָא פִינַךְ כְּסֹלֶת וַאֲמֶרֶת לִי הֵא לְךָ קָרֵב קֻרְמֵיהוֹן קָרֵבֵת לְקֻדְמֵיחוֹן חֲוָה דֵין אָםַר אֲנָא אֵכֻל קַדְמַי וְדֵין אָמַר אֲנָא אֵכֻל קַדְמַי קָם הָדֵין רַבָּא דָהֲוָה בֵינֵיהוֹן נְמָב בֻּכ לִסָא וְתַבְּרִנּוּן : אָמַר לֵהּ מָה אַתָּה מַפְלֶה בִי וְיָדְעִין אִגּוּן : אָמַר לֵחּ וְלֹא וִשְׁמְעוֹ אָזְגֶיךָ מַה שֶׁפִיךָ אֹמֵר : נַסְבֵהּ וּמַסְרֵחּ לְנִמְרֹד ְ אָמַר לֵהּ נִסְגֻּד לְנוּרָא אָמַר לִהּ אַבְרָהָם רְנִסְגֻּד לְמַיָא דְמַשׁׂפִין נוּרָא : אָמַר לֵהּ נִמְרֹד נִסְגֻּד לִמַיָא אָמַר לֵהּ אִם כֵּן נִסְגּד לַעֲנָגָא דִטְעִין מַיָא : אָמַר לֵהּ נִקְגֻּד לַעֲגָנָא אָמַר לֵהּ אִם כַּן נִסְגֻּד לְרוּחָא דִמְדַבַּר עֲגָנָא :
אָמַרלֵהּ נִסְגֻּד לְרוּחָא אָמַר לֵהּ וְגִסְגֻּד לְבַר אֱנָשָׁא דְסָבֵל רוּחָא : אִם מִלִּין אַתְּ מִשְׁתַּעֵי אֲנִי אֵינִי מִשְׁתַּחֲוֶה אֶלָּא לָאוֹר הֲרֵו אֲגִי מַשְׁלִיכְךָ בְּתוֹכֹו וְיָבאֹאֱלֹהַ שֶׁאַתָּה מִשְׁתַּחֲוֶה לוּ וִיַ יגְךָמִמֶּנּוּ : יָרַד אַבְרָהָם לְכִבְשַׁן הָאַשׁ רְנִעוֹל :
Wrong — Midrash Rebah chapter 17, a comment on Genesis 15:7
Actual — Midrash Rabbah chapter 38, a comment on Genesis 11:28.
XXXVIII. 11-13 MIDRASH RABBAH
13. AND HARAN DIED IN THE PRESENCE OF HIS FATHER TERAH (XI, 28). R. Hiyya said: Terah was a manufacturer of idols. He once went away somewhere and left Abraham to sell them in his place. A man came and wished to buy one. 'How old are you?' Abraham asked him. 'Fifty years,' was the reply. 'Woe to such a man!' he exclaimed, 'you are fifty years old and would worship a day-old object!' At this he became ashamed and departed. On another occasion a woman came with a plateful of flour and requested him, ''Take this and offer it to them.' So he took a stick, broke them, and put the stick in the hand of the largest. When his father returned he
310
GENESIS (NOACH) [XXXVIII.13-14
demanded, 'What have you done to them?' 'I cannot conceal it from you,' he rejoined. 'A woman came with a plateful of fine meal and requested me to offer it to them. One claimed, "I must eat first," while another claimed, "I must eat first." Thereupon the largest arose, took the stick, and broke them.' 'Why do you make sport of me,' he cried out; 'have they then any knowledge!' 'Should not your ears listen to what your mouth is saying,' he retorted.[1] Thereupon he seized him and delivered him to Nimrod. 'Let us worship the fire!' he [Nimrod] proposed. 'Let us rather worship water, which extinguishes the fire,' replied he. 'Then let us worship water!' 'Let us rather worship the clouds which bear the water.' 'Then let us worship the clouds!' 'Let us rather worship the winds which disperse the clouds!' 'Then let us worship the wind!' 'Let us rather worship human beings, who withstand the wind.' 'You are just bandying words,' he exclaimed; 'we will worship nought but the fire. Behold, I will cast you into it, and let your God whom you adore come and save you from it.' Now Haran was standing there undecided. If Abram is victorious, [thought he], I will say that I am of Abram's belief, while if Nimrod is victorious I will say that I am on Nimrod's side. When Abram descended into the fiery furnace and was saved, he [Nimrod] asked him, 'Of whose belief are you?' 'Of Abram's,' he replied. Thereupon he seized and cast him into the fire; his inwards were scorched and he died in his father's presence. Hence it is written, AND HARAN DIED IN THE PRESENCE OF ('AL PENE) HIS FATHER TERAH.[2]
311
Midrash Rabbah: Translated in English with notes, Glossary and Indices, Editors: H. Freedman and M. Simon, The Soncino Press, London, England, Genesis, Vol. I, Noach Chapter XXXVIII, 13, p. 310-311.
The English — Sources of the Qur’an p. 74-75
"Terah was a maker of idols. Once he went out somewhere, and seated Abraham as salesman in place of himself. A person would come, wishing to purchase, and Abraham would say to him, ‘How old art thou?’ and he (the other) would say to him, ‘Fifty’ or ‘Sixty years.’ And he (Abraham) would say unto him, ‘Woe to that man who is sixty years of age, and wisheth to worship a thing a few days old!’ And he (the other) would become ashamed and would go his way. Once a woman came, carrying in her hand a plate of wheaten flour. She said to him, ‘Here! set this before them.’ He arose, took a staff in his hand, and broke them all in pieces; then he gave the staff into the hand of the one that was biggest among them. When his father came, he said to him, ‘Who has done this unto them?’ He (Abraham) said to him, ‘What is hidden from thee? A woman came, bringing with her a plate of wheaten flour, and said to me, "Here! set this before them." I set it before them This one said, "I shall eat first," and that one said, "I shall eat first." This one, which is the biggest among them, arose, took a staff, and broke them.’ He (the father) said to him, ‘Why dost thou tell me a fable? Do these understand?’ He (Abraham) said to him, ‘And do not thine ears hear what thy lip speaketh?’ He (Terah) seized him and delivered him over to Nimrod. He (Nimrod) said to him, ‘Let us worship the fire.’ Abraham said unto him, ‘And let us worship the waters which extinguish the fire.’ Nimrod said to him, ‘Let us worship the waters.’ He (Abraham) said to him, ‘If so, let us worship the cloud which brings the waters.’ He (Nimrod) said to him, ‘Let us worship the cloud.’ He (Abraham) said to him, ‘If so, let us worship the wind that drives away the cloud.’ He (Nimrod) said unto him, ‘Let us worship the wind.’ He (Abraham) said to him, ‘And let us worship man who resisteth the wind.’ ‘If thou bandiest words with me, lo! I worship naught but the fire; lo! I cast thee into the midst of it, and let the God whom thou worshippest come and deliver thee from it!’ Abraham went down into the furnace of fire and was delivered." 4
4 Midrash Rabbah, Chapter xvii, in explanation of Gen. xv. 7.
Hebrew text middle of the page 57.
Not continuous
אֲנָא יְיָדְאַמִּיפְתָּךְ מַאַתּוּן נוּרָא דְכַשְׁדָּאֵי:
English Sources of the Qur’an p. 79. Gen. xi. 28, xv. 7, &c.
Targum of Jonathan ben Uzziel. This writer found Ur of the Chaldees mentioned as the place 1 where Abraham dwelt when God first called him to leave home and country and to remove into the land of Canaan. Now this city is the place that is at the present time known by the name of Muqayyar. The word ur or uru in ancient Babylonian meant a city. It occurs again in the name Jerusalem (still in Arabic called Urushalim), "the city of the God of Peace." But Jonathan had no knowledge of Babylonian, and he imagined that Ur must have a meaning similar to that of the Hebrew word Or, "light," which in Aramaic means "Fire." Hence he rendered Gen. xv. 7 thus, "I am the LORD, who brought thee out of the furnace of fire of the Chaldees!" So also in his comment on Gen. xi. 28, he writes thus: "When Nimrod cast Abraham into the furnace of fire because he would not worship his idols, it came to pass that the fire was not given permission to injure him."
http://www.tulane.edu/~ntcs/pj/pjgen6-11.htm Targum of Jonathan ben Uzziel
“These are the generations of Terah. Terah begat Abram, Nahor, and Haran; and Haran begat Lot. And it was when Nimrod had cast Abram into the furnace of fire because he would not worship his idol, and the fire had no power to burn him, that Haran's heart became doubtful, saying, If Nimrod overcome, I will be on his side: but if Abram overcome, I will be on his side. And when all the people who were there saw that the fire had no power over Abram, they said in their hearts, Is not Haran the brother of Abram full of divinations and charms, and has he not uttered spells over the fire that it should not burn his brother? Immediately (min yad, out of hand) there fell fire from the high heavens and consumed him; and Haran died in the sight of Terah his father, where he was burned in the land of his nativity, in the furnace of fire which the Kasdai had made for Abram his brother.”
Hebrew text pages 64-66
Page 64-66 Continuous text
תּוּרַכַּד שַׁפִיר לִבֵּיהּ דְקַלְכָּא שְׁלֹמֹה בְּחַמְרֵיתּ אָמַר לְמַעֲלָא נִבְלִין וְצִילְצִלִין וְתוּפִין וְכִינָרִין דַּחֲוָה מִזַמֵר בְּהוּן דָּוִד אָכוֹי וְתוּב כַּד שְׁפַר לִבֵּיהּ דְמַלִכָּא שְׁלמה בְּחַמְרֵיהּ אַמַר לְאַיתַיָא הֵיוַת בָּרָא וְעוֹף שְׁמֵיָא וְרִיחֲWָׁא ד/אַרְעָא וְשֵׁידִין וְרוּחִין וְלִילִין לְמְרַקְדָא קֳדָמוֹי לְמֵחֳזֵי רַבּוּחֵיהּ לְכָל מַלְכַיָא דְגֵנְיֵן קָדָמוֹי וְמִיפְרִין דְּמַלְכָּא
רְּמַלְכָּא קַרְיָין יָגוּן בֶּWְׁמָהַתְהוֹן וְכוּלוֹן מִתְכָנְשִׁין וְאָתִין לְרָתַיהּ בִּרְלָא אֲסִירִין וּבִדְלָא זְקִיקִין וּבִדְלָא אֱנָשׁדְּדַבֵּר יַתְהוֹן כְּהַשַׁעְתָּא אִתְבְּעֵי תַרנְגָלָא בָרָא בַינַי עוֹפַיָא וְלָא אִשְׁתָּכָח וּפַקַיד עֲלוֹי מַלְכָּא דְאַיְיתֵיהּ יָתֵיהּדְּרוּגְזָא וּבְעָא לִקְחַבְּלָא יָתֵיהּ מְתִיב תַּרְנְגוֹל בָּרָא קֳדָמוֹי דְמַלְכָּא שְׁלֹמה וְאָמַר לֵיהּ שְׁמַע מַרֵי מַלכָּא דְאַרְעָא אָצִית בְּאוּדְנָךְ וּשְׁמַע פִתְגָּמַי הֲלָא תְּלַת יַרְחּין דִּי הָבִית עַיטָא בְלִבִּי וּטִלְכִין קַשִׁיטִין Zִם מִילְתִּי מְזוֹנֵי לָא אֲכָלִית וּמוֹי לָא שָׁתִיתִי וּמִן קֵדָם דְּחַזְיַית וְטַיְיסִית בְּעַלְמָא כוּלַיהּ וַאֲמָרִית אַידָא הִיא מְדִינְתָּא אוֹ שְׁלִיטְתָּא דְלָא מִשְׁתִּמַע לַיהּ לְמָדַי מַלְכָּא אִסְתַּכָּלִית אֲנָא וַחֲ Zָאִית מְדִיגְתָּא הֲדָא כְּרַכָּא דְקִיטוֹר שְׁמָהָא בְאַרְעָא מַדִינְחָא עַפְרָא יַקִיר מִן דַּהֲבָא וְכַסְפָא כִּזְבִיל בִּשְוָקִין וְאִילָנִין מִן בְּרֵאשִית תַּמָן נִצִיבִין וּמִגִינְתָּא דְעֵדֶן אִנוּן שָׁתְיָין מֵיָא אִית תַּמָן אוּכְלוֹסִין סַגִיאִין כְּלִילָן בְּרֵי שֵׁיהוֹן מִן תַּכֵן נְצִיבִין מִן גִּינתָא גְעֵדֶן לְמַיקוּם בִּקְרָבָא לֵיתהִינוּן יָדְעִין לְמִמְחֵי בְקוּשֶׁשָא לָא יָכְלִין בְּרַם בְּקוּשְׁטָא חֲמִיתֵיהּ אִתְּתָא חֲדָא שְׁלִטַיָא בְכוּלְהוֹן וּשְׁמָהּ מַלְכַּת שְׁבָא : כְּעַן אִׁן שְׁכַּר