Guémara
Traduction française en préparation — version anglaise (Steinsaltz) : he recovered, he then lectured on that topic. His students said to him: Did you not undertake that you will not lecture about them? Rabbi Abbahu said: Did they repent, that I will reconsider and refrain from condemning them?
דְּאִתְּפַח, הֲדַר קָא דָרֵישׁ. אָמְרִי: לָא קַבֵּילְתְּ עֲלָךְ דְּלָא דָּרְשַׁתְּ בְּהוּ? אָמַר: אִינְהוּ מִי הֲדַרוּ בְּהוּ, דַּאֲנָא אֶהְדַּר בִּי?
Traduction française en préparation — version anglaise (Steinsaltz) : One day Rav Ashi ended his lecture just before reaching the matter of the three kings. He said to his students: Tomorrow we will begin the lecture with our colleagues the three kings, who, although they were sinners, were Torah scholars like us. Manasseh, king of Judea, came and appeared to him in his dream. Manasseh said to him angrily: You called us your colleague and the colleagues of your father? How dare you characterize yourself as our equal?
רַב אָשֵׁי אוֹקֵי אַשְּׁלֹשָׁה מְלָכִים. אֲמַר: לִמְחַר נִפְתַּח בְּחַבְרִין. אֲתָא מְנַשֶּׁה, אִיתְחֲזִי לֵיהּ בְּחֶלְמֵיהּ. אָמַר: חֲבֵרָךְ וַחֲבֵירֵי דַּאֲבוּךְ קָרֵית לַן?
Traduction française en préparation — version anglaise (Steinsaltz) : Manasseh said to him: I will ask you, from where are you required to begin cutting a loaf of bread when reciting the blessing: Who brings forth bread from the earth? Rav Ashi said to him: I do not know. Manasseh said to him: Even this, from where you are required to begin cutting a loaf of bread when reciting the blessing: Who brings forth bread from the earth, you did not learn, and yet you call us your colleague? Rav Ashi said to Manasseh: Teach me this halakha and tomorrow I will lecture and cite it in your name during my public lecture delivered on the Festival. Manasseh said to him: One cuts the loaf from where it crusts as a result of baking.
מֵהֵיכָא בָּעֵית לְמִישְׁרֵא הַמּוֹצִיא? אֲמַר לֵיהּ: לָא יָדַעְנָא. אֲמַר לֵיהּ: מֵהֵיכָא דְּבָעֵית לְמִישְׁרֵא הַמּוֹצִיא לָא גְּמִירַתְּ, וַחֲבֵרָךְ קָרֵית לַן? אֲמַר לֵיהּ: אַגְמְרֵיהּ לִי, וְלִמְחַר דָּרֵישְׁנָא לֵיהּ מִשְּׁמָךְ בְּפִירְקָא. אֲמַר לֵיהּ: מֵהֵיכָא דְּקָרֵים בִּישּׁוּלָא.
Traduction française en préparation — version anglaise (Steinsaltz) : Rav Ashi said to him: Since you were so wise, what is the reason you engaged in idol worship? Manasseh said to him: Had you been there at that time, you would have taken and lifted the hem of your cloak and run after me due to the fierce desire to engage in idol worship and due to the fact that it was a common faith. The next day Rav Ashi said to the Sages as a prelude to his lecture: We will begin with the treatment of our teachers, those kings who were greater than us in Torah knowledge but whose sins caused them to lose their share in the World-to-Come.
אֲמַר לֵיהּ: מֵאַחַר דְּחַכִּימַתְּ כּוּלֵּי הַאי, מַאי טַעְמָא קָא פָּלְחִיתוּ לַעֲבוֹדָה זָרָה? אֲמַר לֵיהּ: אִי הֲוֵת הָתָם, הֲוֵת נָקֵיטַתְּ בְּשִׁיפּוּלֵי גְּלִימָא וְרָהֲטַתְּ אַבַּתְרַאי. לִמְחַר אֲמַר לְהוּ לְרַבָּנַן: נִפְתָּח בְּרַבְּווֹתָא.
Traduction française en préparation — version anglaise (Steinsaltz) : § The Gemara proceeds to discuss the second king enumerated in the mishna, Ahab. Ahab [Aḥav], although he was a brother [aḥ] to Heaven, he was a father [av] for idol worship. He was a brother to Heaven, as it is written: “And a brother is born for adversity” (Proverbs 17:17), and in desperate times, he turned to Heaven. He was a father for idolatry. This is the highest level of attachment, as it is written: “As a father has compassion for his children” (Psalms 103:13).
אַחְאָב: אָח לַשָּׁמַיִם, אָב לַעֲבוֹדָה זָרָה. אָח לַשָּׁמַיִם, דִּכְתִיב: ״אָח לְצָרָה יִוָּלֵד״. אָב לַעֲבוֹדָה זָרָה, דִּכְתִיב: ״כְּרַחֵם אָב עַל בָּנִים״.
Traduction française en préparation — version anglaise (Steinsaltz) : With regard to Ahab, it is written: “And it came to pass, the most minor of his transgressions was his walking in the sins of Jeroboam, son of Nebat” (I Kings 16:31). Rabbi Yoḥanan says: The minor sins that Ahab performed were on par with the major sins that Jeroboam performed, as the transgressions committed by Ahab were much more serious than those committed by Jeroboam. And for what reason did the verse attribute the sins of all the kings of Israel to Jeroboam, even though the sins of Ahab were more substantial? It is due to the fact that he was first to engage in iniquity. With regard to the verse: “Their altars shall also be like droppings in the furrows of the field” (Hosea 12:12), Rabbi Yoḥanan says: You do not have even one furrow in Eretz Yisrael upon which Ahab did not place an object of idol worship and bow to it.
״וַיְהִי הֲנָקֵל לֶכְתּוֹ בְּחַטֹּאות יָרׇבְעָם בֶּן נְבָט״. אָמַר רַבִּי יוֹחָנָן: קַלּוֹת שֶׁעָשָׂה אַחְאָב – כַּחֲמוּרוֹת שֶׁעָשָׂה יָרׇבְעָם. וּמִפְּנֵי מָה תָּלָה הַכָּתוּב בְּיָרׇבְעָם? מִפְּנֵי שֶׁהוּא הָיָה תְּחִילָּה לַקַּלְקָלָה. ״גַּם מִזְבְּחוֹתָם כְּגַלִּים עַל תַּלְמֵי שָׂדָי״. אָמַר רַבִּי יוֹחָנָן: אֵין לָךְ כׇּל תֶּלֶם וָתֶלֶם בְּאֶרֶץ יִשְׂרָאֵל שֶׁלֹּא הֶעֱמִיד עָלָיו אַחְאָב עֲבוֹדָה זָרָה וְהִשְׁתַּחֲוָה לָהּ.
Traduction française en préparation — version anglaise (Steinsaltz) : The Gemara asks: And from where do we derive that Ahab does not enter into the World-to-Come? The Gemara answers: It is derived as it is written: “And I will excise from Ahab every man, and him that is shut up and him that is abandoned in Israel” (I Kings 21:21). “Him that is shut up” indicates he will be excised in this world, while “and him that is abandoned” indicates he will be excised in the World-to-Come.
וּמְנָא לַן דְּלָא אָתֵי לְעָלְמָא דְּאָתֵי? דִּכְתִיב: ״וְהִכְרַתִּי לְאַחְאָב מַשְׁתִּין בְּקִיר וְעָצוּר וְעָזוּב בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל״. ״עָצוּר״ – בָּעוֹלָם הַזֶּה, ״וְעָזוּב״ – לָעוֹלָם הַבָּא.
Traduction française en préparation — version anglaise (Steinsaltz) : Rabbi Yoḥanan says: For what virtue was Omri, king of Israel, who was Ahab’s father, privileged to ascend to the monarchy? It is due to the fact that he added one city in Eretz Yisrael, as it is stated: “And he bought the hill of Samaria from Shemer for two talents of silver, and built on the hill, and called the name of the city that he built after Shemer, the owner of the hill, Samaria” (I Kings 16:24).
אָמַר רַבִּי יוֹחָנָן: מִפְּנֵי מָה זָכָה עׇמְרִי לַמַּלְכוּת? מִפְּנֵי שֶׁהוֹסִיף כְּרַךְ אֶחָד בְּאֶרֶץ יִשְׂרָאֵל, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: ״וַיִּקֶן אֶת הָהָר שֹׁמְרוֹן מֵאֶת שֶׁמֶר בְּכִכְּרַיִם כָּסֶף וַיִּבֶן אֶת הָהָר וַיִּקְרָא [אֶת] שֵׁם הָעִיר אֲשֶׁר בָּנָה עַל שֶׁם שֶׁמֶר אֲדֹנֵי הָהָר שֹׁמְרוֹן״.
Traduction française en préparation — version anglaise (Steinsaltz) : Rabbi Yoḥanan says: For what virtue was Ahab privileged to ascend to the monarchy and rule for twenty-two years?
אָמַר רַבִּי יוֹחָנָן: מִפְּנֵי מָה זָכָה אַחְאָב לַמַּלְכוּת עֶשְׂרִים וּשְׁתַּיִם שָׁנָה?
Traduction française en préparation — version anglaise (Steinsaltz) : It is due to the fact that he respected the Torah, which was given with twenty-two letters, as it is stated: “And he sent messengers to Ahab, king of Israel, into the city, and said to him: So says Ben-Hadad: Your silver and your gold are mine; your wives and also your good children, are mine. And the king of Israel answered and said: It is according to your saying, my lord, O king: I am yours, and all that I have. And the messengers came again, and said: So speaks Ben-Hadad, saying: I sent to you, saying: You shall deliver me your silver, and your gold, and your wives, and your children. Yet I will send my servants to you tomorrow about this time, and they shall search your house, and the houses of your servants, and it shall be, that they shall put in their hand all the delight of your eyes and take it…And he said to the messengers of Ben-Hadad, tell my lord the king: All that you did send for to your servant at the first I will do; but this thing I may not do” (I Kings 20:2-6, 9).
מִפְּנֵי שֶׁכִּיבֵּד אֶת הַתּוֹרָה, שֶׁנִּיתְּנָה בְּעֶשְׂרִים וּשְׁתַּיִם אוֹתִיּוֹת, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: ״וַיִּשְׁלַח מַלְאָכִים אֶל אַחְאָב מֶלֶךְ יִשְׂרָאֵל הָעִירָה. וַיֹּאמֶר לוֹ כֹּה אָמַר בֶּן הֲדַד כַּסְפְּךָ וּזְהָבְךָ לִי הוּא וְנָשֶׁיךָ וּבָנֶיךָ הַטּוֹבִים לִי הֵם״. ״כִּי אִם כָּעֵת מָחָר אֶשְׁלַח אֶת עֲבָדַי אֵלֶיךָ וְחִפְּשׂוּ אֶת בֵּיתְךָ וְאֵת בָּתֵּי עֲבָדֶיךָ וְהָיָה כׇּל מַחְמַד עֵינֶיךָ יָשִׂימוּ בְיָדָם וְלָקָחוּ״. ״וַיֹּאמֶר לְמַלְאֲכֵי בֶן הֲדַד אִמְרוּ לַאדֹנִי הַמֶּלֶךְ כֹּל אֲשֶׁר שָׁלַחְתָּ אֶל עַבְדְּךָ בָרִאשׁוֹנָה אֶעֱשֶׂה וְהַדָּבָר הַזֶּה לֹא אוּכַל לַעֲשׂוֹת״.
Traduction française en préparation — version anglaise (Steinsaltz) : The Gemara asks: What is “the delight of your eyes” that Ahab refused to give Ben-Hadad after agreeing to give him his wives and his gold? Is it not a Torah scroll? Ahab treated the Torah with deference.
מַאי ״מַחְמַד עֵינֶיךָ״? לָאו סֵפֶר תּוֹרָה?
Traduction française en préparation — version anglaise (Steinsaltz) : The Gemara suggests: Perhaps the delight of his eyes was an object of idol worship. The Gemara answers: That could not enter your mind, as it is written that Ahab consulted the Sages with regard to this matter: “And all the elders and all the people said to him: Do not consent and heed not” (I Kings 20:8). The elders in this verse are presumably the Sages. The Gemara continues: But perhaps they were wicked elders, who worshipped idols. Isn’t it written: “And the saying pleased Absalom well and all the elders of Israel” (II Samuel 17:4), and Rav Yosef says: The elders of Israel mentioned in that verse were wicked elders. Perhaps the elders of Israel with whom Ahab consulted were also wicked.
דִּילְמָא עֲבוֹדָה זָרָה? לָא סָלְקָא דַּעְתָּךְ, דִּכְתִיב: ״וַיֹּאמְרוּ אֵלָיו כׇּל הַזְּקֵנִים וְכׇל הָעָם לֹא תֹאבֶה וְלֹא תִשְׁמַע״. וְדִילְמָא סָבֵי דְּבַהֲתָא הֲווֹ? מִי לָא כְּתִיב: ״וַיִּישַׁר הַדָּבָר בְּעֵינֵי אַבְשָׁלֹם וּבְעֵינֵי כׇּל זִקְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל״? וְאָמַר רַב יוֹסֵף: סָבֵי דְּבַהֲתָא.