The Demon & the Diplomat
A tale with two acts. In act one, an undercover sage nearly succeeds in overturning antisemitic legislation. In act two, a pair of sages attempt a diplomatic solution and are assisted by a friendly demon...
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Act One
...On one occasion the Roman government issued a decree that the Jewish people may not observe Shabbat, and that they may not circumcise their sons, and that they must engage in intercourse with their wives when they are menstruating.
Rabbi Reuven ben Isterobeli went and cut his hair in a komei hairstyle,which was common among the Romans, and he went and sat with them when they were discussing these three decrees.
He said to them: One who has an enemy, does he want his enemy to become poor or to become rich?
They said to him: He wants his enemy to become poor.
Rabbi Reuven ben Isterobeli said to them: If so, with regard to the Jewish people as well, isnât it better that they will not perform labor on Shabbat in order that they will become poor?
The gentiles said: That is a good claim that he said; let us nullify our decree. And they indeed nullified it.
Again Rabbi Reuven ben Isterobeli spoke to them and said: One who has an enemy, does he want his enemy to become weak or to become healthy?
They said to him: He wants his enemy to become weak.
Rabbi Reuven ben Isterobeli said to them: If so, with regard to the Jewish people as well, isnât it better that they circumcise their sons after eight days and thereby cause them to become weak?
The gentiles said: That is a good claim that he said, and they nullified their decree.
Once again Rabbi Reuven ben Isterobeli spoke to them and said: One who has an enemy, does he want his enemy to multiply or to decrease?
They said to him: He wants his enemy to decrease.
Rabbi Reuven ben Isterobeli said to them: If so, with regard to the Jewish people as well, isnât it better that they do not engage in intercourse with their wives when they are menstruating?
The gentiles said: That is a good claim that he said, and they nullified their decree.
Later, they recognized that Rabbi Reuven ben Isterobeli was a Jew, and they realized that he had fooled them to the advantage of the Jewish people. They therefore arose and reinstated all of their decrees.
Act Two
The Sages then said: Who will go and nullify these decrees?
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Let Rabbi Shimon ben Yoឥai go to Rome, as he is accustomed to experiencing miracles. And who shall go after him, i.e., with him? Rabbi Elazar bar Rabbi Yosei.
When Rabbi Yosei, Rabbi Elazarâs father, heard this suggestion, he said to the Sages: But if Abba កalafta, my father, were alive, would you be able to say to him: Give your son to be killed? If so, how can you ask me to send my son to Rome, where he is likely to be killed?
Rabbi Shimon said to the Sages: If Yoឥai, my father, were alive, would you be able to say to him: Give your son to be killed? Nevertheless, I am prepared to risk my life and go to Rome, and if so, Rabbi Elazar bar Rabbi Yosei should accompany me.
Upon hearing this, Rabbi Yosei said to the Sages: If so, I will go in place of my son. I do not want him to go with Rabbi Shimon ben Yoឥai, as this is what I fear: My son Elazar is young and quick to answer, and I am concerned lest Rabbi Shimon, who is hot-tempered, will become angry with him and punish him.
Rabbi Shimon accepted upon himself that he would not punish Rabbi Elazar. The Gemara notes that even so, Rabbi Shimon did punish him while they were on their journey. Why did Rabbi Shimon end up punishing Rabbi Elazar? When they were walking on the road, this following question was asked before them: From where is it derived with regard to blood of a creeping animal that it is impure? Rabbi Elazar bar Rabbi Yosei twisted his mouth to whisper and said: It is derived from the verse: âAnd these are they that are impure for you among the creeping animalsâ (Leviticus 11:29). Although Rabbi Elazar tried to whisper so that Rabbi Shimon would not hear, Rabbi Shimon said to him: From the twisting of your mouth and your answer it is clear that you are a Torah scholar. Nevertheless, it is prohibited for a student to issue a ruling of halakha in the presence of his teacher. Therefore, I curse you that the son will not return from this journey to his father.
The Gemara continues the story: As they were journeying, a demon named ben Temalyon emerged to greet them.
He said to them: Do you wish that I will join you and come with you in order to help nullify this decree?
When he saw that a demon was coming to help save the Jewish people, Rabbi Shimon cried and said: What, even for a maidservant of my fatherâs home, Hagar the Egyptian, who was Abrahamâs handmaid, an angel was made available to appear to her three times to help her. Each of the three mentions of âand the angel of the Lord said unto herâ (Genesis 16:9â11) in the story of Hagar is understood as a reference to a different angel. But I apparently do not deserve assistance from an angel even one time, but only help from a demon. In any case, let the miracle come and save the Jewish people, even if only through a demon.
The demon ben Temalyon went before them and ascended into the emperorâs daughter and possessed her.
When Rabbi Shimon ben Yoឥai arrived there, the emperorâs palace, he said: Ben Temalyon, emerge! Ben Temalyon, emerge! And once Rabbi Shimon called to him, ben Temalyon emerged and left the emperorâs daughter, and she was cured.
When the emperor saw that Rabbi Shimon had cured his daughter, he said to them: Ask from me any reward that you want to ask.
And he took them up to his treasury to take whatever they wanted.
They found that letter there that contained the decrees against the Jewish people, and they took it and tore it up, and thereby nullified the decrees.
Angel of Poverty
A short tale on a savvy and clever individual who is being stalked by the Angel of Poverty...
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...And Abaye said: At first I would say that this practice that people collect the crumbs of bread after a meal is due to cleanliness. But the Master subsequently said to me that it is because leaving them is bad for poverty (i.e., it can increase, a personâs vulnerability to poverty).
The Gemara relates: There was a certain man who was pursued by the ministering angel of poverty, but the angel was unable to impoverish him, as he was exceptionally careful with regard to crumbs.
One day that man broke his bread over grass, and some crumbs fell among the blades of grass.
The angel said: Now he will certainly fall into my hands, as he cannot collect all the crumbs.
After the man ate, he brought a hoe, uprooted the grass, and threw it into the river.
He subsequently heard the ministering angel of poverty say: Woe is me, as that man has removed me from my house, i.e., my position of comfort.
Mr Demon Cops a Fine
In a short enigmatic tale, a demon receives a fine in the Jewish court of law from damaging property (in this case, a wine barrel)...
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And Abaye said: At first I would say that the reason for this practice that people do not sit under a gutter is because of the waste water that pours out of it. But the Master said to me that it is because demons are commonly found there.
The Gemara relates: There were certain porters who were carrying a barrel of wine.
When they wanted to rest, they placed it under a gutter and the barrel burst.
They came before Mar bar Rav Ashi, who brought out horns and had them blown as he excommunicated the demon of that place.
The demon came before Mar bar Rav Ashi, and the Sage said to it: Why did you do this?
The demon said to him: How else should I act, when these men place a barrel on my ear?
Mar bar Rav Ashi said to it: What are you doing in a place where many people are found?
You are the one who deviated from the norm; go and pay them the value of the barrel of wine.
The demon said to him: Let the Master now set a time for me, so that I can find the money, and I will pay.
Mar bar Rav Ashi set a time for his payment.
When that time arrived, the demon delayed in coming to pay.
When the demon eventually came, Mar bar Rav Ashi said to it: Why did you not come at the time set for you?
The demon said to him: With regard to any item that is tied up, or sealed, or measured, or counted, we have no authority to take it. We are unable to obtain money until we find an ownerless item. For this reason, it took him a long time to find enough money to pay for the barrel.