Yerushalmi Avodah Zarah 3:1 ירושלמי עבודה זרה ג׳:א׳

MISHNAH: All statues are prohibited¹Prohibited for usufruct. For R. Meïr there are no statues made for artistic value alone. because they are worshipped once a year, the words of Rebbi Meïr, but the Sages say, prohibited are only those in whose hand is a rod²A symbol of command., or a bird³A symbol of having access everywhere., or a globe⁴A symbol of ruling the earth.. Rabban Simeon ben Gamliel says, any in whose hand is anything.

HALAKHAH: “All statues are prohibited,” etc. Rebbi Ḥiyya bar Abba said, because they are worshipped in the great fortification of Rome twice in a Sabbatical period⁵This is given as R, Meïr’s reason.. Then at a place where they are worshipped they should be forbidden, at a place where they are not worshipped they should be permitted. Rebbi Yose said, since they became forbidden at one place, their kind becomes forbidden anywhere⁶Babli 40b (following R. Meïr)..

Where do we hold⁷Where is the disagreement between R. Meïr and the rabbis?? If it is certain that they are of kings⁸Since Augustus introduced the worship of the Emperor in the provinces, any statue of an Emperor is an idol., according to everybody they are forbidden. If it is certain that they are of rulers⁹The statue of a procurator is not an idol., according to everybody they are permitted. But where we hold is if it is indeterminate. Rebbi Meïr says, indeterminate they are of kings but the rabbis say, indeterminate they are of rulers.

Ashian the woodworker in the name of Rebbi Joḥanan: why are pictures forbidden¹⁰Flat pictures of pagan deities or pagan subjects, since the Second Commandment forbids only three-dimensional forms. Greek εἰκόνιον, “portrait”.? Because one burns incense before them at the time they are hung. Rebbi Joḥanan said, one may look at them when they are taken down. What is the reason? You may look when the evildoers are being destroyed¹¹Ps. 34:37.. One may not look at inscriptions under figures or under pictures on the Sabbath¹²Babli Šabbat 149a. Since the inscription explains what the picture is all about, reading it is for non-religious information which is forbidden on the Sabbath.. Not only this, but even on a weekday one does not look at pictures. What is the reason? Do not turn to idols¹³Lev. 19:4., do not turn to worship them; Rebbi Jehudah says, do not turn actually to see them.

When Rebbi Naḥum bar Simai expired, the pictures were covered by bast mats¹⁴The entire paragraph in Eccl. rabba 9(9); cf. also Babli Moˋed qatan 25b.
They covered all icons along the route of the funeral procession by mats. (In the Babli, the icons turned into mats.). Just as he did not see them during his lifetime, so he should not see them in his death. But do they know anything¹⁵Babli Berakhot 18a.? Rebbi Simeon ben Laqish said, the only difference between us and the just is speech¹⁶Midrash Ps. 30(3) [ed. Buber Note 6]; Pesiqta rabbati 2 (ed. Friedmann Note 17), 12 (Note 4). The name tradition changes from source to source.. Rebbi Ze‘ira said, the dead person hears his eulogy as in a dream. Rebbi Ashian said, the dead person hears his eulogy^16aקִילוּס “praise” is derived from Greek καλῶς! “beautiful, excellent”. For the use as “eulogy” compare καλολογέω, same as ἐυλογέω (E. G.). as in a dream. Why was he called “Naḥum the most holy man”? because he never in his life looked at the form on a coin¹⁷Sanhedrin 10:6 Note 335, Megillah 1:13 (72b l. 57) 3:3 (74a l. 39); Babli Šabbat 118b, Pesaḥim 104a.. Why was he called “our holy teacher”? Because he never looked at his circumcision¹⁷Sanhedrin 10:6 Note 335, Megillah 1:13 (72b l. 57) 3:3 (74a l. 39); Babli Šabbat 118b, Pesaḥim 104a..

¹⁸Most of these remarks about wonders which happened at the death of holy men are alluded to in the Babli, Moˋed qaṭan 25b. When Rebbi Aḥa expired, a star was seen at high noon. When Rebbi Ḥanan expired, the statues were bent. When Rebbi Joḥanan expired, the pictures were bent. They said, there was no picture beauty like his¹⁹R. Joḥanan’s beauty is extolled in the Babli, Bava meṣiˋa 84a.. When Rebbi Ḥanina from Hauran expired, Lake Tiberias was split. They said, when he was going to intercalate²⁰Calendar intercalations, the proclamations of an additional month in the year, were done at the hot springs of Gadara, near the South-East comer of the Lake or Genezareth., the lake was split before him. When Rav Hoshaia expired, the shame²¹Usually קָלוֹן “shame” means a brothel (cf. Horaiot 3:7 Note 259), possibly government run. It is possible that here one should read קוֹלוּמן columna “a pillar” (commentary Gilyon Efraim.) of Tiberias fell down. When Rebbi Isaac ben Elyashiv expired, 70 thresholds of Galilean houses were uprooted. They said, these were kept in place by his merit.

²²This story appears also in Peah 1:1 (Note 139) and twice in Gen. rabba. The different Yerushalmi versions are compared in Appendix 2 of M. Sokoloff, The Geniza Fragments of Bereshit Rabba, Jerusalem 1982. (Babli Ketubot 17a.) When Rebbi Samuel ben Rav Isaac expired, the cedars of the Land of Israel were uprooted. They said that he was taking branches and danced while singing²³Arabic قلس “to dance while singing”. This קלס is not the verb קלס derived from Greek καλός “beautiful”. before brides. The rabbis were complaining about him. Rebbi Zeˋira said to them, let him alone, the old man does not²⁴J. N. Epstein deletes this word since in the parallels R. Zeˋira appears in a positive light. know what he is doing. When he expired, fire came from Heaven and separated between his bier and the public; there were three hours of thunder and lightning in the world. They showed²⁵Read חיוי instead of חייא. what this branch did for the old man. There came a disembodied voice and said, woe that Samuel bar Rav Isaac, the doer of good deeds, has expired.

When Rebbi Yasa bar Ḥalfuta expired, the water pipes drew blood in Laodicea²⁶In the Babli, R. Yose (ben Ḥalafta, the Tanna) at Sepphoris.. They said, because he devoted his life to circumcisions.

When Rebbi Abbahu expired, the pillars of Caesarea were crying. The Samaritans said, they only are making a joyful noise²⁷Since R. Abbahu was the driving force behind the permanent separation of Jews and Samaritans (Halakhah 5:3, Babli Hulin 6a.). The Jews told them, do the outsiders know what sound the insiders make? When Rebbi Abbahu expired, they had thirteen rivers of balsamum flowing before him. He asked them²⁸The angels. The next paragraph implies that he saw his reward before his death, and explains the euphemism “expired” (really “slept”) for “died”. Gen. rabba63(3). A similar story is in the Babli, Taˋanit 25a, referring to R. Eleazar., for whom are these? They told him, they are yours. He said to them, all of this is for Abbahu, and I said. in vain I labored²⁹Is. 49:4. Gen. rabba 63(3)., etc.

³⁰Gen. rabba 63(3), an enlarged version. The Holy One, praise to Him, shows to the just their rewards in this world; their soul is satisfied and they go to sleep. [A parable] of a king who gave a dinner and pictured all kinds of dishes on a chart. When the guests entered they saw it, they were satiated and went to sleep.

³¹Gen. rabba 63(4), 92(2), Ex. rabba 22(3), Midrash Psalms 5(11). Zavdai ben Levai, and Rebbi Yose bar Petrus, and Rebbi Joshua ben Levi said three verses when they expired. One of them said, for this every pious one should pray to You³²Ps. 32:6. etc. And one said, all who rely on You will enjoy³³Ps. 5:12. etc. And one said, how great is Your bounty which You did hide for those who fear You³⁴Ps. 31:20. etc.

³⁵This paragraph is from Horaiot 3:7, Soṭah 9:17, 9:13–14 (Notes 212–218), Tosephta Soṭah 13:3–4; parallels in the Babli Berakhot57a, Soṭah 48b, Sanhedrin 11a. Rebbi Jacob bar Idi in the name of Rebbi Joshua ben Levi: It happened that the Elders assembled in the upper story of House Gadya at Jericho when there came a disembodied voice and told them, there are two among you worthy of the Holy Spirit and one of them is Hillel the Elder. They looked at Samuel Minor. Then the Elders assembled in the upper story at Jabneh when there came a disembodied voice and told them, there are two among you worthy of the Holy Spirit and one of them is Samuel Minor. They looked at Eliezer ben Hyrcanos. They were happy that their opinion coincided with that of the Holy Spirit.

One of the Patriarch’s court expired. The burial cave received him but people’s lives were endangered³⁶Probably the cave was unsafe.. Rebbi Yose³⁷This name probably should read “Yasa” as in the following, since R. Yose was R. Zeˋira’s student’s student. came and held a funeral oration, “happy the man who leaves the world in peace.” When Rebbi Yasa died, the sacred fountain³⁸The usual interpretation as Latin castellum (New Greek καστέλλιον), expression used by Vitruvius for the water container on top of a water tower, fits Tosephta Miqwaot 4:6 but not this passage. Fortification in the Yerushalmi always appears as castra. -orum, and has nothing to do with pagan worship. The word here seems to be κασταλία “a sacred fountain”. Compare Latin castalius, “holy” (E. G.). of Tiberias fell down and those of the Patriarch’s court were happy³⁹That something happened to the preacher who found fault with the court because something happened at one of its funerals.. Rebbi Zeˋira told them, it is not comparable. There people were in danger, here nobody was in danger. There no pagan worship was uprooted, here pagan worship was uprooted.

⁴⁰Soṭah 9:17 (ס) Notes 283–284. The first paragraph is slightly reformulated, the second more radically except for the last sentence. Probably one should read bar Pazi instead of Rebbi Pazi. According toHoraiot 3:7 (Note 329) the family bar Pazi already was related to the Patriarchate but had no learned members. Rebbi Jacob bar Idi in the name of Rebbi Joshua ben Levi: When Rabban Joḥanan ben Zakkai died, he said, clear the house because of impurity and prepare a chair for Hezekiah, the king of Judah. When his student Rebbi Eliezer died, he said, clear the house because of impurity and prepare a chair for Rabban Joḥanan ben Zakkai. But some say, what his teacher saw, he saw.

Some of the family of the Patriarch proposed a marriage connection to one of the house of Rebbi Pazi but he did not accept; he said that they should not be embarrassed by him. When he died he said, clear the house because of impurity and prepare a chair for Josaphat, the king of Judah. They said, the one who ran after honor should come for him who fled before honor.

“But the Sages say, prohibited are only those in whose hand is a rod, or a bird, or a globe.” A rod by which he rules the world⁴¹Babli 41a. The other two attributes are interpreted differently; the Yerushalmi interpretation also is in Num. rabba 13(13).. A bird, my hand reaches to the riches of people as to a bird’s nest⁴²Is. 10:14.. A globe, for the world is globe-shaped.

⁴³Num. rabba 13(13). Rebbi Jonah said, when Alexander the Macedonian wanted to ascend he rose, and rose, and rose, until he saw the world as a globe and the ocean like a bowl. Therefore one represents him with a globe in his hand. Should one not represent him with a bowl in his hand? He does not rule over the Sea. But the Holy One, praise to Him, rules over Sea and dry land, He rescues on the Sea and on land.

⁴⁴A slightly different version of this paragraph is in Berakhot 9:1 (Notes 56–58). Rebbi Zeˋira the son of Rebbi Abbahu preached before Rebbi Eleazar. Happy is he whom the God of Jacob helps⁴⁵Ps. 146:5–6.. What is written after this? The Maker of Heaven and Earth. What has one to do with the other? But a king of flesh and blood needs a protector^45*Latin patronus “protector, defender”.; in one district⁴⁶Greek ἐπαρχία. he is not a ruler, maybe in another one? If you say a universal ruler⁴⁷Greek κοσμοκράτωρ, the Roman Emperor. A king in the Roman principate was a local ruler subject to orders from Rome. rules over dry land, does he [rule] over the Sea? But the Holy One, praise to Him, is not like this; He rules over the Sea, He rules over dry land. Not only this, but if a sword is at a person’s neck the Holy One, praise to Him, saves him. That is what Moses said, He saved me from Pharao’ s sword⁴⁸Ex. 18:4.. It is written only sword⁴⁹Since it does not say “from Pharao” but “from Pharao’s sword” Moses was condemned to death but escaped miraculously (Berakhot 9:1 Notes 42–47, Deut. rabba 2(20), Midrash Cant. 7(5), Midrash Ps. 4[3].). Even if a sword is at his neck the Holy One, praise to Him, saves him from it.

“They added to this the sword, the crown, and the ring.⁵⁰Tosephta 5:1, Babli 41 a.” The sword with which he kills, the crown with which he crowns himself, the ring with which he seals.

It is forbidden to seal with a seal on which there is an idol. Rebbi Jehudah says, if its seal was recessed it is forbidden to seal with it, if it protrudes it is permitted to seal with it⁵¹Babli 43b. A figure prohibited by the Second Commandment is a three-dimensional plastic image. A ring with a concave picture will result in a protruding seal which therefore is forbidden (but as the Babli points out, one is permitted to wear such a ring.) A ring with a protruding picture results in a recessed seal which is permitted (but one may not possess such a ring.). Rebbi Ḥanina ben Gamliel says, in my father’s family they were sealing with faces⁵²Greek πρόσωπον, τό “face”.. Rebbi Eleazar ben Rebbi Simeon says, all kinds of faces were in Jerusalem except human ones⁵³In the Babli (42b): All faces are permitted except human ones. Tosephta 5:2..

“Rabban Simeon ben Gamliel says, any in whose hand is anything.” But only matters of honor⁵⁴Babli 43b.. A basket, laced shoes, and rags are matters of dishonor. Papyrus and reed pen⁵⁵Greek καλαμάριον, τό. are matters of honor. The pen-case⁵⁶In the Babli and the independent Mishnah mss.: “of idols”. While idols are and remain biblically forbidden for all usufruct, a pagan (not a Jew) who damages or breaks an idol thereby removes the character of instrument of worship. If one finds shards of vessels decorated with pagan symbols then either (1) it simply is a decorated vessel never intended for pagan worship, or (2) even if it was an object of worship there is a likelihood that a pagan broke and discarded it. As a general principle such a case (called “the doubt of a doubt”) in which the object may be permitted in each of the cases clears the objected from any biblical prohibition. is problematic.