הָנָךְ שְׁבוּיָיתָא דַּאֲתַאי לִנְהַרְדְּעָא. אַסְּקִינְהוּ לְבֵי רַב עַמְרָם חֲסִידָא, אַשְׁקוּלוּ דַּרְגָּא מִקַּמַּיְיהוּ. בַּהֲדֵי דְּקָא חָלְפָה חֲדָא מִנַּיְיהוּ נְפַל נְהוֹרָא בְּאִיפּוּמָּא. שַׁקְלֵיהּ רַב עַמְרָם לְדַרְגָּא דְּלָא הֲווֹ יָכְלִין בֵּי עַשְׂרָה לְמִדְלְיֵיהּ, דַּלְיֵיהּ לְחוֹדֵיהּ, סָלֵיק וְאָזֵיל. כִּי מְטָא לְפַלְגָא [דְּ]דַרְגָּא אִיפְּשַׁח, רְמָא קָלָא: נוּרָא בֵּי עַמְרָם! אֲתוֹ רַבָּנַן, אֲמַרוּ לֵיהּ: כַּסֵּיפְתִּינַן. אֲמַר לְהוּ: מוּטָב תִּיכַּסְפוּ בֵּי עַמְרָם בְּעָלְמָא הָדֵין וְלָא תִּיכַּסְפוּ מִינֵּיהּ לְעָלְמָא דְּאָתֵי. אַשְׁבְּעֵיהּ דְּיִנְפַּק מִינֵּיהּ, נְפַק מִינֵּיהּ כִּי עַמּוּדָא דְנוּרָא. אֲמַר לֵיהּ: חֲזִי, דְּאַתְּ נוּרָא וַאֲנָא בִּישְׂרָא, וַאֲנָא עֲדִיפְנָא מִינָּךְ.
§ The Gemara relates: Those captive women who were brought to Neharde’a, where they were redeemed, were brought up to the house of Rav Amram the Pious. They removed the ladder from before them to prevent men from climbing up after them to the attic where they were to sleep. When one of them passed by the entrance to the upper chamber, it was as though a light shone in the aperture due to her great beauty. Out of his desire for her, Rav Amram grabbed a ladder that ten men together could not lift, lifted it on his own and began climbing.When he was halfway up the ladder, he strengthened his legs against the sides of the ladder to stop himself from climbing further, raised his voice, and cried out: There is a fire in the house of Amram. Upon hearing this, the Sages came and found him in that position. They said to him: You have embarrassed us, since everyone sees what you had intended to do. Rav Amramsaid to them: It is better that you be shamed in Amram’s house in this world, and not be ashamed of him in the World-to-Come. He took an oath that his evil inclination should emerge from him, and an apparition similar to a pillar of fire emerged from him. He said to his evil inclination: See, as you are fire and I am mere flesh, and yet, I am still superior to you, as I was able to overcome you.
• Self-Control:
Rav Amram demonstrates remarkable restraint by stopping himself mid-ladder and calling for help. What does this teach us about the nature of self-control—is it the ability to avoid temptation altogether, or the courage to confront it openly when it arises?
• Good People Doing Bad Things:
Rav Amram is described as "the Pious," yet he nearly succumbed to overwhelming desire. How does this story complicate the notion that "good people always act righteously"? What does it suggest about the inner struggles even the most pious individuals face?
• Becoming Self-Aware:
Instead of hiding his shame, Rav Amram chose to expose his weakness to others in order to preserve his spiritual integrity. How does this act reflect a deep level of self-awareness, and what can it teach us about the role of vulnerability in moral growth?
• Symbolism of Fire:
The evil inclination leaves Rav Amram in the form of a pillar of fire. In Jewish thought, fire can symbolize both destruction and holiness (e.g., the fire on the altar, the burning bush, or the destructive fire of desire). How does fire function symbolically in this story, and what does it reveal about the yetzer hara (evil inclination)?
• Worldly vs. Eternal Consequences:
Rav Amram tells the sages: “It is better that you be shamed in Amram’s house in this world than in the World-to-Come.” How does this statement shift the focus from immediate embarrassment to long-term spiritual integrity? How might this principle guide ethical decision-making in everyday life?
Rav Amram demonstrates remarkable restraint by stopping himself mid-ladder and calling for help. What does this teach us about the nature of self-control—is it the ability to avoid temptation altogether, or the courage to confront it openly when it arises?
• Good People Doing Bad Things:
Rav Amram is described as "the Pious," yet he nearly succumbed to overwhelming desire. How does this story complicate the notion that "good people always act righteously"? What does it suggest about the inner struggles even the most pious individuals face?
• Becoming Self-Aware:
Instead of hiding his shame, Rav Amram chose to expose his weakness to others in order to preserve his spiritual integrity. How does this act reflect a deep level of self-awareness, and what can it teach us about the role of vulnerability in moral growth?
• Symbolism of Fire:
The evil inclination leaves Rav Amram in the form of a pillar of fire. In Jewish thought, fire can symbolize both destruction and holiness (e.g., the fire on the altar, the burning bush, or the destructive fire of desire). How does fire function symbolically in this story, and what does it reveal about the yetzer hara (evil inclination)?
• Worldly vs. Eternal Consequences:
Rav Amram tells the sages: “It is better that you be shamed in Amram’s house in this world than in the World-to-Come.” How does this statement shift the focus from immediate embarrassment to long-term spiritual integrity? How might this principle guide ethical decision-making in everyday life?
(כג) הִשָּׁמְר֣וּ לָכֶ֗ם פֶּֽן־תִּשְׁכְּחוּ֙ אֶת־בְּרִ֤ית יהוה אֱלֹ֣הֵיכֶ֔ם אֲשֶׁ֥ר כָּרַ֖ת עִמָּכֶ֑ם וַעֲשִׂיתֶ֨ם לָכֶ֥ם פֶּ֙סֶל֙ תְּמ֣וּנַת כֹּ֔ל אֲשֶׁ֥ר צִוְּךָ֖ יהוה אֱלֹהֶֽיךָ׃ (כד) כִּ֚י יהוה אֱלֹהֶ֔יךָ אֵ֥שׁ אֹכְלָ֖ה ה֑וּא אֵ֖ל קַנָּֽא׃ {פ}
(ו) גֵּץ שֶׁיָּצָא מִתַּחַת הַפַּטִּישׁ וְהִזִּיק, חַיָּב. גָּמָל שֶׁהָיָה טָעוּן פִּשְׁתָּן וְעָבַר בִּרְשׁוּת הָרַבִּים, וְנִכְנַס פִּשְׁתָּנוֹ לְתוֹךְ הַחֲנוּת, וְדָלְקוּ בְּנֵרוֹ שֶׁל חֶנְוָנִי וְהִדְלִיק אֶת הַבִּירָה, בַּעַל הַגָּמָל חַיָּב. הִנִּיחַ חֶנְוָנִי נֵרוֹ מִבַּחוּץ, הַחֶנְוָנִי חַיָּב. רַבִּי יְהוּדָה אוֹמֵר, בְּנֵר חֲנֻכָּה פָּטוּר:
(6) In the case of a spark that emerged from under the hammer of a blacksmith and started a fire, causing damage, the blacksmith is liable for the damage caused. In the case of a camel that was laden with flax and was passing through the public domain, and its flax extended into a store and the flax caught fire from a lamp in the store belonging to the storekeeper, and as a result of the burning flax the camel set fire to the building together with all its contents, the owner of the camel is liable. But if the storekeeper placed his lamp outside, thereby causing the flax on the camel to catch fire, and consequently the building was set on fire, the storekeeper is liable. Rabbi Yehuda says: In a case where the lamp placed outside was a Hanukkah lamp, the storekeeper is exempt, since it is a mitzva for a Hanukkah lamp to be placed outside.
אָמַר רַבִּי שְׁמוּאֵל בַּר נַחְמָנִי אָמַר רַבִּי יוֹנָתָן: אֵין פּוּרְעָנוּת בָּאָה לָעוֹלָם אֶלָּא בִּזְמַן שֶׁהָרְשָׁעִים בָּעוֹלָם, וְאֵינָהּ מַתְחֶלֶת אֶלָּא מִן הַצַּדִּיקִים תְּחִלָּה, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: ״כִּי תֵצֵא אֵשׁ וּמָצְאָה קֹצִים״ – אֵימָתַי אֵשׁ יוֹצְאָה? בִּזְמַן שֶׁקּוֹצִים מְצוּיִין לָהּ. וְאֵינָהּ מַתְחֶלֶת אֶלָּא מִן הַצַּדִּיקִים תְּחִלָּה, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: ״וְנֶאֱכַל גָּדִישׁ״; ״וְאָכַל גָּדִישׁ״ לֹא נֶאֱמַר, אֶלָּא ״וְנֶאֱכַל גָּדִישׁ״ – שֶׁנֶּאֱכַל גָּדִישׁ כְּבָר.
§ The Gemara cites an aggadic midrash based on this verse: Rabbi Shmuel bar Naḥmani says that Rabbi Yonatan says: Calamity befalls the world only when wicked people are in the world, but the calamity begins only with the righteous first, as it is stated in the verse: “If a fire breaks out, and catches in thorns, so that a stack of grain, or standing grain, or the field, is consumed” (Exodus 22:5). When does the fire, i.e., calamity, emerge? At a time when the thorns, i.e., the wicked, are found with it. But calamity begins only from the righteous first, as it is stated in the continuation of the verse: “And a stack of grain is consumed [vene’ekhal].” It is not stated: If a fire breaks out, and catches in thorns, and consumes [ve’akhal] the stack of grain; rather, it states: “A stack of grain is consumed,” meaning that the stack, i.e., the righteous, has already been consumed before the thorns.
אָמַר לָהֶן: אִי הָכִי, אֵימָא לְכוּ מִלְּתָא דְּשָׁוְיָא לְתַרְוַיְיכוּ: ״כִּי תֵצֵא אֵשׁ וּמָצְאָה קֹצִים״ – ״תֵּצֵא״ מֵעַצְמָהּ, ״שַׁלֵּם יְשַׁלֵּם הַמַּבְעִר אֶת הַבְּעֵרָה״. אָמַר הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא: עָלַי לְשַׁלֵּם אֶת הַבְּעֵרָה שֶׁהִבְעַרְתִּי –
Rabbi Yitzḥak Nappaḥa continued and said to them: If so, I will say to you a matter that is appropriate to both of you, which contains both halakha and aggada. In the verse that states: “If a fire breaks out, and catches in thorns” (Exodus 22:5), the term “breaks out” indicates that it breaks out by itself. Yet, the continuation of the verse states: “The one who kindled the fire shall pay compensation,” which indicates that he must pay only if the fire spread due to his negligence. The verse can be explained allegorically: The Holy One, Blessed be He, said that although the fire broke out in the Temple due to the sins of the Jewish people, it is incumbent upon Me to pay restitution for the fire that I kindled.