משנה: הַפִּיגָם וְהָרִיבוֹזִין הַשּׁוֹטִין וְהַחֲלוֹגְלוּגוֹת כּוּסְבָּר שֶבְּהָרִים וְכַרַפְסְ שֶׁבַּנְּהָרוֹת וְגַרְגִּר (שֶׁבַּנְּהָרוֹת) שֶׁל אֶפֶר פְּטוּרִין מִן הַמַּעְשְׂרוֹת וְנִלְקָחִין מִכָּל־אָדָם בַּשְּׁבִיעִית שֶׁאֵין כְּיוֹצֵא בָהֶן נִשְׁמָר. רִבִּי יְהוּדָה אוֹמֵר סְפִיחֵי חַרְדָּל מוּתָּרִין שֶׁלֹּא נֶחְשְׁדוּ עֲלֵיהֶן עוֹבְרֵי עֲבֵירָה. רִבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן אוֹמֵר כָּל־הַסְּפִיחִין מוּתָּרִין חוּץ מִסְּפִיחֵי כְּרוּב שֶׁאֵין כְּיוֹצֵא בָהֶן בְּיַרְקוֹת שָׂדֶה וַחֲכָמִים אוֹמְרִים כָּל־הַסְּפִיחִין אֲסוּרִין. MISHNAH: Rue3Cf. Kilaim Mishnah 1:8., wild amaranth4In most Mishnah mss., ירבוז. This is also the name of the plant in Arabic. (Rashi in Babli Sukkah 39b translates by French oseille “sorrel”. The Talmud text accepted by Rashi reads השיטין instead of השוטין. Rashi defines this as “asparagus”), purslain5Cf. Peah Chapter 8, Note 64., mountain coriander, river celery6The Halakhah will define this as parsley., and wild rocket7In Arabic also גרגר are free from tithes and can be bought from everybody during the Sabbatical since no similar plants are guarded8Since money paid for Sabbatical produce becomes holy as Sabbatical money which may be spent only on food, one may not buy Sabbatical produce from people who are not trustworthy in this respect. But weeds and other wild plants that usually are not planted commercially are not subject to either tithes or the sanctity of the Sabbatical; payment for these plants does not acquire Sabbatical holiness.. Rebbi Jehudah says, spontaneous growth of mustard is permitted because the unobservant are not suspected in this respect9To sell mustard seed from cultivated plants during the Sabbatical.. Rebbi Simeon says, all spontaneous growth is permitted except that of cabbage since nothing similar grows wild on the fields. But the Sages say, all spontaneous growth is forbidden10Spontaneous growth on cultivated fields may not be harvested commercially (Lev. 25:5). R. Simeon permits buying it from anybody unless it is clear that it comes from a cultivated field; the Sages treat spontaneous growth as regular produce. [The Babli, Pesaḥim 51b, quotes a version in which R. Simeon forbids all spontaneous growth except cabbage; this cannot be squared with the tradition of the Yerushalmi; cf. N. Sacks, ed., The Mishnah with Variant Readings,Order Zeraïm II, Jerusalem 1975, p. עט, Note 13.].
הלכה: הַפִּיגָם וְהָרִיבוֹזִין וכו׳. אָמַר רִבִּי חַגַּיי סֵירוּגִין וַחֲלוֹגְלוּגוֹת וּמִי גָדוֹל בְּחָכְמָה וּבְשָׁנִים אַצְרַכְתְּ לַחֲבֵרַייָא אָֽמְרִין נִיסּוּק וְנִשְׁאַל לְאִילֵּין דִּבְבֵית רִבִּי סָֽלְקוּן מִישְׁאוֹל וְיָצָאת שִׁפְחָה מִשֶּׁל בֵית רִבִּי וְאָֽמְרָה לָהֶן הִיכָּנְסוּ לִשְׁנַיִם אָֽמְרִין ייֵעוֹל פַּלָּן קֳדָמַאי ייֵעוֹל פַּלָּן קֳדָמַאי שׁוֹרוּן עָֽלְלִין קְטָעִין קְטָעִין. אָֽמְרָה לָהֶן מִפְּנֵי מַה אַתֶּם נִכְנָסִין סֵירוּגִין סֵירוּגִין. חַד רִבִּי הֲוָה טְעִין פַּרְפָּחִינַיָּה בְגוֹלְתֵיהּ וְנָֽפלוּן מִינֵּיהּ. אָֽמְרָה לֵיהּ רִבִּי רִבִּי נִתְפָּֽזְרוּ חֲלוֹגְלֹגוֹתֶיךָ. HALAKHAH: “Rue, wild amaranth,” etc. Rebbi Ḥaggai said11The same text is in Megillah 2:2 (fol. 73a); similar ones in Babli Roṡ Haššanah 26b, Megillah 18a. The word חלגלוגות is from the Mishnah here, סירוגין is in Mishnah Megillah 2:1. The last question, whether precedence belongs to one superior in wisdom or in age, refers to Mishnah Sanhedrin 4:2, that in criminal cases the senior judges must be heard last in a discussion so as not to influence the other judges., the colleagues did not know what סירוגין, חלגלוגות means and “who is superior, in wisdom or in years.” They said, let us go and ask somebody from the house of Rebbi12As the story shows, Rebbi required all members of his household, including his slaves, to speak pure Hebrew. Note that the rabbis speak Aramaic among themselves but the slave girl speaks pure Hebrew.. They went to ask; a servant girl from the house of Rebbi came out and told them: enter in pairs. Each one said, that one should enter before me. As a result, they entered is separate groups. She said to them, why do you enter intermittently? One rabbi was carrying purslain in his overcoat; it fell from him. She said to him: Rabbi, rabbi, your purslain is dispersed.
מַהוּ כַּרַפְס שֶׁבַּנְּהָרוֹת. רִבִּי יוֹסָי בַּר חֲנִינָה אָמַר פֵּיטְרוֹסֵילִינוֹן. What is “river celery”? Rebbi Yose bar Ḥanina said, πετροσέλινον “parsley”.
וְלָמָּה לֹא תַנִּינָן הַסִּיאָה וְהָאֵזוֹב וְהַקּוֹרְנִית עִמְּהוֹן שֶׁלֹּא תֹאמַר אֵילּוּ נִשְׁמָרִין בֶּחָצֵר וְחַייָבִין. וְאֵילּוּ נִשְׁמָרִין בֶּחָצֵר וּפְטוּרִין. אֶלָּא אֵילּוּ וְאֵילּוּ אִם הָיוּ נִשְׁמָרִין בֶּחָצֵר חַייָבִין. אֵילּוּ נִשְׁמָרִין בְּגִינָּה וְחַייָבִין. וְאֵילּוּ נִשְׁמָרִין בְּגִינָּה וּפְטוּרִין. אֶלָּא אֵילּוּ וְאֵילּוּ אִם נִשְׁמָרִין בֶּגִינָּה פְּטוּרִין. וְלָמָּה לֹא תַנִּינָן אֶלָָּא אִילֵּין הוּא שֶׁלֹּא תֹאמַר הוֹאִיל וְרוֹב הַמִּינִין הַלָּלוּ נִזְרָעִין וּבָאִין מִן הָאָסוּר יְהוּ אֲסוּרִין לְפוּם כֵּן צָרַךְ מֵימַר מוּתָּרִין. Why did we not state “calamint, hyssop, and thyme” with them14Mishnah 8:1 declares these kinds as wood, not subject to the rules of the Sabbatical, if collected as wood. Mishnah Ma‘serot 3:9 declares them as free from tithes unless grown specifically in a courtyard. This implies that in a garden plot they are exempt.? That you should not say, these if guarded in the courtyard are obligated, those if guarded in the courtyard are free. But these and those if guarded in the courtyard are obligated; these if guarded in the garden plot are obligated, those if they are guarded in the garden plot are free15Since the Mishnah seems to connect exemption from tithes with exemption from the rules of the Sabbatical, one should not ask why rue, etc., are exempt in the courtyard while calamint, etc., are subject to tithes and Sabbatical, since in Mishnah 8:1 calamint, etc., raised in a garden plot as food are also subject to tithes and Sabbatical. But the exemption of rue, etc., is general and unconditional.. But these and those if guarded in the garden plot are free! Why did we state only these? That you should not say that since most of these kinds come from forbidden growth they all should be forbidden; therefore it is necessary to say they are permitted16The exemption stated in the Mishnah extends to commercially grown crops of the kinds enumerated..
מַהוּ שֶׁיְּהוּ אֲסוּרִין מִשּׁוּם סְפִחִין נִישְׁמְעִינָהּ מִן הָדָא. רִבִּי יְהוּדָה אוֹמֵר סְפִחֵי חַרְדָּל מוּתָּרִין שֶׁלֹּא נֶחְשְׁדוּ עֲלֵיהֶן עוֹבְרֵי עֲבֵירָה. לֹא אָֽמְרוּ אֶלָּא שֶׁלֹּא נֶחְשְׁדוּ עֲלֵיהֶן עוֹבְרֵי עֲבֵירָה וְאֵלּוּ הוֹאִיל וְלֹא נֶחְשְׁדוּ עֲלֵיהֶן עוֹבְרֵי עֲבֵירָה יְהוּ מוּתָּרִין. Are these17This plants enumerated in the Mishnah. Since the plants mentioned in the first part of the Mishnah are exempt according to everybody, their status cannot be worse than that of mustard. Since R. Jehudah does not apply the decree about spontaneous growth to mustard, nobody can apply it to the plants enumerated. forbidden as spontaneous growth? Let us hear from the following: “Rebbi Jehudah says, spontaneous growth of mustard is permitted because the unobservant are not suspected concerning it.” They said only “because the unobservant are not suspected concerning it.” These, because the unobservant are not suspected concerning them, will be permitted.
עַד כְּדוֹן יַרְקוֹ זַרְעוֹ אֵיפְשַׁר מֵימַר זַרְעוֹ מוּתָּר יַרְקוֹ לֹא כָּל־שֶׁכֵּן. So far its greens; its seeds18Probably one has to read: “So far its seeds, what about its greens?” However, there is no manuscript evidence for this. The question is about mustard that is collected, in general, only for its seeds. It should be obvious that R. Jehudah will permit Sabbatical mustard plants as vegetable without any restriction. Since the final decision will go against R. Jehudah, the problem does not have to be discussed in detail.? Is it impossible to say that if its seeds are permitted, its greens not so much more?
רִבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן בֶּן לָקִישׁ הֲוָה בְחִיקוֹק חָֽמְתוֹן מְגַלְגְּלִין בְּהָדֵין חַרְדְּלָא נְפַל מִינֵיהּ וְהוּא לָא נְסַב לֵיהּ. אֲמַר מָאן דְּמַייְתֵי לִי חַרְדְּלָא אֲנָא מוֹרֵי כְרִבִּי יוּדָה. אָמַר רִבִּי בָּא בַּר זַבְדָּא הוֹרֵי רִבִּי חוֹנִיָּא דְמִן חַװְרָן בְּבֵית חַװְרָן כְּהָדָה דְרִבִּי יוּדָה. עָאַל רִבִּי יוֹחָנָן וְדָרַשׁ לוֹן כְּרַבָּנִין דְהָכָא וּכְרַבָּנִין דְּתַמָּן. Rebbi Simeon ben Laqish was in Ḥiqoq20This place has not be identified.. He saw them dealing with mustard plants. One of these fell down and he [a townsman] did not take it up21He considered it a kind of weed; therefore he was ruling following R. Jehudah.. He [R. Simeon] said, if somebody will bring a mustard plant to me I shall rule following Rebbi Jehudah. Rebbi Abba bar Zavda said, Rebbi Onias from Hauran ruled in Bet Hauran following Rebbi Jehudah. Rebbi Joḥanan rose and publicly proclaimed following the rabbis here and there22It seems that a sentence is missing here, preserved in Beẓah 1:1 (fol. 60a): “Rebbi Ḥanina ruled for the Sepphorites following R. Jehudah in matters of mustard and egg.” As an answer, R. Joḥanan ruled in Sepphoris against R. Ḥanina in both matters (but,because of R. Ḥanina’s seniority, his ruling was not followed.) The case of the egg is treated in the next two paragraphs whose source is Beẓah 1:1..
רִבִּי אַבָּא בַּר זְמִינָא בְשֵׁם רִבִּי יַצְחָק מִן קוֹמוֹי אִילֵּין תַּרְתֵּין מִילַּייָא נְחַת לֵיהּ רִבִּי יוֹחָנָן מִצִּיפּוֹרִין לְטִיבֵּרִיָּא. אָמַר מַה אֲתִיתוֹן לִי הָדֵין דַּייָנָא סַבָּא דְּאִי אֲנָא שָׁרֵי וְהוּא אָסַר אֲנָא אָסַר וְהוּא שָׁרֵי. אָמַר רִבִּי װָא אֲתָא עוֹבְדָּא קוֹמֵי רִבִּי יָסָא וּבְעָא מֵיעֲבָד כְּרִבִּי יוֹחָנָן כַּד שָמַע דְּרַב וְרִבִּי חֲנִינָא מִתְפַּלְּגִין שְׁרַע מִינֵּהּ. דְּאִיתְפַּלְּגוּן שְׁיֵרֵי פְתִילָה שְׁיֵרֵי מְדוּרָה שְׁיֵרֵי שֶׁמֶן שֶׁכָּבוּ בְשַׁבָּת מַהוּ לְהַדְלִיקָן בְּיוֹם טוֹב. רַב וְרִבִּי חֲנִינָה תְּרֵיהוֹן אָֽמְרִין אָסוּר. וְרִבִּי יוֹחָנָן אָמַר מוּתָּר. אָמַר רִבִּי יוּדָן קוֹמֵי רִבִּי מָנָא מַפְכָּא לָהּ גַּבֵּי בֵּיצָה אָמַר לֵיהּ מִן מָה דַאֲנָן חָמֵיי רַבָּנִין מְדַמֵּיי לָהּ הָדָא אָֽמְרָה הִיא הָדָא הִיא הָדָא. Rebbi Abba Bar Zemina in the name of Rebbi Isaac: Because of these two things did R. Joḥanan descend from Sepphoris to Tiberias. He said, you brought this old judge who forbids what I permit and permits what I forbid23The historicity of this remark is questionable since R. Joḥanan was R. Ḥanina’s student in Sepphoris (at least in matters of Aggadah.) It is reasonable to accept the fact that R. Joḥanan went to Tiberias because there he could be Chief Rabbi.! Rebbi Abba said, there came a case before Rebbi Assi and he wanted to act following Rebbi Joḥanan but when he heard that Rav and Rebbi Ḥanina disagreed he refrained. Because they disagree: May the remainders of a wick, a fire, or oil that burned out on the Sabbath be lit on the holiday24If the holiday falls on a Sunday. It is forbidden to light fire on the Sabbath; therefore, the unburned oil or wood from a fire that was burning at the beginning of the Sabbath but later burned out or was extinguished by the wind are no longer usable during that Sabbath. For the Sabbath, it is a requirement that (Ex. 16:5) “they have to prepare what they are going to bring (to use)”. Therefore, on the Sabbath one may use only what was usable before the Sabbath. This rule, if transferred to the holidays, implies that the wood and oil, not being usable a minute before the start of the holiday, cannot become usable on the holiday. If the rule is not transferred to apply to holidays, the fuel becomes permitted at the end of the Sabbath as if it were a weekday.? Rav and Rebbi Ḥanina both say it is forbidden, but Rebbi Joḥanan says, it is permitted. Rebbi Judan said before Rebbi Mana, is it the reverse regarding an egg25Mishnah Beẓah 1:1: “An egg laid on the holiday, the House of Shammai say, it may be eaten, the House of Hillel say, it may not be eaten.” According to the Yerushalmi, in the opinion of the house of Shammai the egg is prepared since the hen itself is potential food before the holiday and an egg inside a slaughtered hen is permitted food. According to the House of Hillel, the egg becomes something new by being laid and the new egg was not usable before the holiday.? He said to him, since the rabbis compare it, it means that the cases are identical26At least for the House of Hillel. Tosephta Yom Ṭob 1:3: “An egg laid on the Sabbath may be eaten on the holiday. Rebbi Jehudah said in the name of Rebbi Eliezer, the dispute is the same;” in the Yerushalmi (Beẓah 1:1): “this is the dispute of the House of Shammai.”.
מִשּׁוּם אַרְבָּעָה זְקֵינִים אָֽמְרוּ כָּל־הַנֶּאֱכַל עִירוּבוֹ בָּרִאשׁוֹן הֲרֵי הוּא כִבְנֵי עִירוֹ בַשֵּׁינִי. רַב הוּנָא בְשֵׁם רַב הֲלָכָה כְאַרְבָּעָה זְקֵנִים. רַב חִסְדָּא בְּעֵי מִחְלְפָה שִׁיטָּתֵיהּ דְּרַב. תַּמָּן הוּא עֲבַד לָהּ שְׁתֵי קְדוּשׁוֹת. וָכָא הוּא עֲבַד לָהּ קְדוּשָׁה אַחַת. דְּאִיתְפַּלְּגוּן שְׁיֵרֵי פְּתִילָה שְׁיֵרֵי מְדוּרָה שְׁיֵרֵי שֶׁמֶן שֶׁכָּבוּ בְשַׁבָּת מַהוּ לְהַדְלִיקָן בְּיוֹם טוֹב. רַב וְרִבִּי חֲנִינָא תְּרֵיהוֹן אָֽמְרִין אָסוּר. וְרִבִּי יוֹחָנָן אָמַר מוּתָּר. אָמַר רִבִּי מָנָא קוֹמֵי רִבִּי יוּדָן מַה אַפְּכָה לָהּ פְּתִילָה גַּבֵּי בֵּיצָה אָמַר לֵיהּ מִן מָה דַאֲנָן חָמֵיי רַבָּנִין מְדַמֵּיי לָהּ הָדָא אָֽמְרָה הִיא הָדָא הִיא הָדָא. They said in the name of four elders: If somebody’s eruv was eaten on the first [day] he is like the people of his town on the second [day]27The parallels are Beẓah 1:1(fol. 60a), Erubin 3:9(fol. 21b), Babli Erubin38b. In Tosefta Erubin 4:2, the statement is attributed to R. Meïr, in the Babli to Rabban Simeon ben Gamliel, R. Ismael ben R. Joḥanan ben Beroqa, R. Eleazar ben R. Simeon, and R. Yose ben R. Jehudah. The notion of eruv was explained in Peah, Chapter 8, Note 56.. Rav Huna in the name of Rav: Practice follows the four elders28In the Babli, Rav states that his ruling is based on the theory that any two consecutive holy days represent two distinct sanctities and, therefore, an eruv valid for one day has no influence on the other. This is the opinion of R. Eliezer in Mishnah Eruvin3:8.. Rav Ḥisda asked: The arguments of Rav seem to be inverted. There, he makes it two sanctities, but here he makes it one sanctity29“There” is Eruvin. “Here” is Beẓah, dealing with leftover fuel from fires that burned out on the Sabbath. This shows that the original place of this piece is Beẓah. Since the holiday is a new sanctity and one may light fires on the holiday, it is difficult to see how Rav could forbid using the fuel on the second day. The Babli (loc.cit. Note 27) notes that Rav Ḥisda asked the question only after Rav Huna’s death so that the latter had no opportunity to explain himself.. Because they disagree: May the remainders of a wick, a fire, or oil that burned out on the Sabbath be lit on the holiday? Rav and Rebbi Ḥanina both say it is forbidden, but Rebbi Joḥanan says it is permitted. Rebbi Mana said before Rebbi Judan, are the rules different for a wick and an egg? He said to him, since the rabbis compare it, it means that the cases are identical30The Babli gives several tentative explanations of Rav’s position. The one consistent with the Yerushalmi is that only weekdays can prepare for holidays (cf. Note 24) but the Sabbath cannot prepare for a holiday. Since the reason for Rav’s ruling in the case of fuel is not based on the number of sanctities involved, there is no inconsistency in his decisions. It is difficult to understand why the Yerushalmi has no answer to R. Ḥisda’s question..
שֶׁאֵין כְּיוֹצֵא בָהֶן בְּיַרְקוֹת הַשָּׂדֶה. וּמִפְּנֵי שֶׁאֵין כְּיוֹצֵא בָהֶן בְּיַרְקוֹת הַשָּׂדֶה יְהוּ אֲסוּרִין. רִבִּי חָמָא בַּר עוּקְבָּא בְשֵׁם רִבִּי יוֹסֵי בַּר חֲנִינָא מִפְנֵי שֶׁדַּרְכָּן לְגַדֵּל אִמָּהוֹת. וּמִפְנֵי שֶׁדַּרְכָּן לְגַדֵּל אִמָּהוֹת יְהוּ אֲסוּרִין. אָמַר רִבִּי שְׁמוּאֵל בַּר רַב יִצְחָק כָּל־הַיֶּרֶק אַתְּ יָכוֹל לַעֲמוֹד עָלָיו אִם חָדָשׁ הוּא אִם יָשָׁן הוּא בְּרַם הָכָא שֶׁלֹּא יֵלֵךְ וְיָבִיא מִן הָאִיסּוּר וְיֹאמַר מִן הָאִמָּהוֹת הֵבֵאתִי. “Since nothing similar is growing wild on the fields.” And since nothing similar is growing wild on the fields should they be forbidden31There seems to be no reason why R. Simeon should forbid cabbage.? Rebbi Ḥama bar Uqba in the name of Rebbi Yose bar Ḥanina said, because they usually grow layers. And because they usually grow layers should they be forbidden? Rebbi Samuel bar Rebbi Isaac said, for all other vegetables one can recognize whether they are new or old but here one should not go and bring from what is forbidden and say I brought from the layers32This is growth from the original plant and not spontaneous growth, so it is not subject to the rules restricting the use of spontaneous growth..
אֵין מְחַייְבִין אוֹתוֹ לַעֲקוֹר אֶת הַלּוּף בַּשְׁבִיעִית. אֲבָל מַנִּיחוֹ כְּמוֹת שֶׁהוּא אִם צִימַּח מוֹצָאֵי שְׁבִיעִית מוּתָּר. אֵין מְחַייְבִין אוֹתוֹ לְשָׁרֵשׁ הַקִּינָּרִיס בַּשְׁבִיעִית. אֲבָל מְשַׁקֵּף בֶּעָלִים אִם צָֽמְחוּ מוֹצָאֵי שְׁבִיעִית מוּתָּר. וְלֹא נִמְצָא מְאַבֵּד אוֹכְלֵי בְהֵמָה. מֵאֵילֵיהֶן הֵן אֲבֵידִין. “One does not oblige him to uproot arum in the Sabbatical but he leaves it in place and if it sprouted after the end of the Sabbatical it is permitted. One does not oblige him to uproot artichokes in the Sabbatical but he knocks off its leaves and if it sprouted after the end of the Sabbatical it is permitted.”33Tosephta 2:11–12. The Tosephta starts: “Any vegetables irrigated before New Year’s Day may be kept during the Sabbatical. If they were thin, one may not keep them because of the bad impression. One does not oblige …” Arum and artichokes survive several years. For artichokes one has to knock off enough leaves to ruin them as produce for the current year. Does he not waste animal food? Automatically they are lost34The removed artichoke leaves can be given to cattle; if they are left lying to rot and no animal comes to eat them, it is not the owner’s problem..
רִבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן בֶּן יוֹחַי הֲוָה עֲבַר בִּשְׁמִיטְּתָא וְחָמָא חַד מְלַקֵּט שְׁבִיעִית. אָמַר לֵיהּ וְלֵית אָסוּר וְלָאוּ סְפִחִין אִינּוּן. אֲמַר לֵיהּ וְלָא אַתְּ הוּא מַתִּירָן. אֲמַר לֵיהּ וְאֵין חֲבֵירַיי חֲלוּקִין עָלַי. קָרָא עָלָיו וּפוֹרֵץ גָּדֵר יִשְּׁכֶנּוּ נָחָשׁ וְכֵן הֲװָת לֵיהּ. Rebbi Simeon ben Ioḥai was travelling in the Sabbatical when he saw somebody collecting Sabbatical [produce]35This is explained in Berakhot1:2, Note 130. Parallels are in Midrash Gen.rabba 79(6), Eccl.rabbati 10(11).. He said to him, is this not forbidden, is that not spontaneous growth? He said to him, are not you the one who permits it? He said to him, are not my colleagues disagreeing with me? He read for him (Eccl. 10:8): “He who tears down a fence36“Making a fence” is the usual metaphor for a rabbinic prohibition. Even if the Sabbatical is to be observed as biblical commandment, spontaneous growth is forbidden only by rabbinical decree. will be bitten by a snake.” That is what happened to him.
רִבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן בֶּן יוֹחַי עֲבַד טְמִיר בִּמְעַרְתָּא תְּלַת עָשָׂר שְׁנִין בִּמְעָרַת חָרוּבִין. (דתרומה) עַד שֶׁהֶעֱלָה גוּפוֹ חֲלוּדָה לְסוֹף תְּלַת עָשָׂר שְׁנִין. אֲמַר לֵינָה נְפַק חָמִי מַה קָלָא בְּעָלְמָא נְפַק וְיָתָב לֵיהּ עַל פּוּמָא דִמְעַרְתָּא חָמָא חַד צַייָד צְייַד צִיפּוֹרִין פְּרַס מְצוּדָתֵיהּ שְׁמַע בְּרַת קָלָא אָֽמְרָה דִימִוס וְאִישְׁתֵּיזְבַת. אֲמַר צִיפּוֹר מִבַּלְעֲדֵי שְׁמַיָּא לָא יִבְדָּא. כָּל שֶׁכֵּן בַּר נַשָּׁא. כַּד חָמָא דְשַׁדְּכָן מִילַּייָא אֲמַר נִיחוֹת נִיחֲמֵי בַּהָדֵין דֵימוֹסִין דְּטִיבֵּרִיָא אֲמַר צְרִיכִין אֲנָן לַעֲשׂוֹת תַּקָּנָה כְּמוֹ שֶׁעָשׂוֹ אֲבֹתֵינוּ הָרִאשׁוֹנִים וַיִּחַן אֶת פְּנֵי הָעִיר. שֶׁהָיוֹ עוֹשִׂין אִיטְלֵיסִן וּמוֹכְרִין בַּשּׁוּק. אֵמַר נִדְכֵי טִיבֵּרִיָּא וַהֲוָה נְסַב תּוּרְמוֹסִין וּמְקַצֵּץ וּמְקַלֵּיק וְכָל־הֵן דַּהֲוָה מִיתָא הֲוָה טַייֵף וּסְלַק לֵיהּ מִן לְעֵיל. חָֽמְתֵיהּ חַד כּוּתִי אֲמַר לֵינָה אֲזַל מַפְלֵי בְהוֹן סַבָּא דְיוּדָאֵי נְסַב חַד מִית אֲזַל וְאַטְמְרֵיהּ הֵן דְּדָכִי. אֲתָא לְגַבֵּיה רִבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן בֶּן יוֹחַי אֲמַר לֵיהּ לָא דְכִית אֲתַר פַּלָּן. אִיתָא וַאֲנָא מַפִּיק לָךְ מִן תַּמָּן. צִפָּה רִבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן בֶּן יוֹחַי בְרוּחַ הַקּוֹדֶשׁ שֶׁנְּתָנוֹ שָׁם. וְאָמַר גּוֹזֵר אֲנִי עַל הָעֶלְיוֹנִים שֶׁיֵּרְדוּ וְעַל הַתַּחְתוֹנִים שֶׁיַּעֲלוּ וְכֵן הֲוָות לֵיהּ. מִי עֲבַר קוֹמֵי מוּגְדָּלָא שְׁמַע קָלֵיהּ דְּסַפְרָא אֲמַר הָא בַּר יוֹחַי מַדְכֵּי טִיבֵּרִיָּא. אֲמַר לֵיהּ יָבוֹא עָלַי אִם לֹא שָׁמַעתִּי שֶׁטִּיבֵּרִיָּא עֲתִידָה לִיטָּהֵר. אֲפִילוּ כֵן לָא הֵימְנִין הָיִיתָ מִיַּד נַעֲשֶׂה גַּל שֶׁל עֲצָמוֹת. 37The parallels are in Midrash Gen.rabba 79(6), Eccl.rabbati 10(11), [Pesiqta dRav Cahana ויהי בשלח ed. S. Buber p. 886; added from Addenda and Corrigenda by Guggenehimer], Babli Šabbat 33b–34a. The text here is deficient in several places; the text of the Babli is clearly derivative. The best text is that of Gen.rabba on the verse (Gen. 33:18): “He graced the entrance to the city,” which is explained as “they were putting up duty free shops and selling at wholesale prices.” Since the verse is given here also as a reason (in a shortened and rather incomprehensible connection), it is best to give the entire text from Gen.rabba, which is explicit where the text here is cryptic:
“R. Simeon ben Ioḥai and his son R.Eleazar were hidden in a cave for thirteen years during the time of persecution [after the war of Bar Kokhba]. They ate dry carobs until their bodies were covered with rust. At the end of thirteen years he went and sat at the entrance to the cave. He saw a catcher out to catch birds. When he heard a heavenly voice saying dimissus[acquitted], it escaped, when he heard spicula [arrows],it was caught. He said, no bird will be caught without Heaven, much less a human. He went out and saw that words of intercession were given and the decree had been rescinded. They came and bathed in the hot waters of Tiberias. His son said to him, all this benefit we had from Tiberias and we do not cleanse it from the slain? He said, we need to do something good as our forefathers did when they were putting up duty free shops [ἀτελής] and selling at wholesale prices. What did he do? He took lupines, cut them up and threw the pieces down in irregular fashion. Everywhere there was a slain body, it was floating and they removed it.Everywhere there was no impurity,the lupines remained unmoved.He put up signs indicating which places were pure and which impure until he had cleansed it completely. A vulgar Samaritan saw him and said, should I not make a fool of this old Jew? He took a corpse (some people say from the cooper’s market,some say from the sackmaker’s), went, and buried it where the ground was purified. The next morning, he came to them and said, did you say that bar Yoḥai purified Tiberias? Come and see this corpse! R. Simeon bar Ioḥai saw by the Holy Spirit that he had put it there. He said, I decree that the upper one shall go down [die] and the lower one come up [live]. So it happenend to him. He [R. Simeon bar Ioḥai] went up to spend the Sabbath in his house. When he passed by Magdala of the dyers, he heard the voice of Nikai the scribe who said, did you not say bar Ioḥai purified Tiberias? They found a corpse! He said, It should come upon me if I did not have traditions in the number of the hairs on my head that Tiberias is pure, except places X and Y.Were you not in the meeting when we declared it pure?You broke down the fence of the Sages; about you it was said(Eccl. 10:8): ‘He who tears down a fence will be bitten by a snake’! Immediately he turned into a bone heap.”
When Herod Antipas built Tiberias on the site of the Biblical Raqqat, he destroyed a cemetery (Josephus, Antiquities, XVIII. 2. 3) so that no priest or anybody keeping the laws of purity could visit there. Therefore, up to the time of R. Simeon ben Ioḥai Tiberias was only a place of the vulgar. Rebbi Simeon ben Ioḥai was hidden in a cave for thirteen years, in a carob cave, until his body was covered with rust. At the end of thirteen years he said, should I not go out and see what voice is in the world? He went and sat at the entrance to the cave. He saw a catcher out to catch birds spreading out his net. He heard a heavenly voice saying “acquitted”, and [the bird] was saved. He said, no bird will be adjudicated without Heaven, so much less a human. When he saw that words of intercession were given, he said, let us go down and warm ourselves in the public baths of Tiberias. He said, we need to do something like our forefathers (Gen. 33:18): “He graced the entrance to the city,” they were putting up duty free shops and selling at wholesale prices. He said, let us purify Tiberias. He took lupines, cut them up and threw them down in irregular fashion. Where there was a corpse it was floating and came to the surface. A Samaritan saw him and said, should I not make fun of this old Jew? He took a corpse, went, and buried it at a purified place. He came to Rebbi Simeon bar Ioḥai and said to him, did you not purify place X? Come, and I shall take out [a corpse] from there! Rebbi Simeon bar Ioḥai saw by the Holy Spirit that he had put it there. He said, I decree that the upper ones shall go down and the lower ones come up. So it happenend to him. When he passed by Magdala, he heard the voice of the scribe who said, so bar Ioḥai purifies Tiberias? He said, it should come upon me if I did not hear that Tiberias once will be purified. Even so, you did not believe me! Immediately he turned into a bone heap.