Yerushalmi Sukkah 5:4 ירושלמי סוכה ה׳:ד׳

MISHNAH: The pious ones and people of good deeds⁷³As defined in the Halakhah. were dancing in public with torches and reciting words of praise. And the Levites with lutes, with harps, and with cymbals and all kinds of innumerable musical instruments on the fifteen steps which descend from the courtyard of Israel to the women’s courtyard corresponding to the fifteen songs of ascent in Psalms⁷⁴Pss. 120–134. on which the Levites were standing for song.

HALAKHAH: “The pious ones and people of good deeds.” Some of them were saying, blessed be my youth which did not shame my old age; these are the people of good deeds. But others were saying, blessed be my old age which atoned for my youth. Both of these were saying, blessed be who never sinned; and he who sinned may be forgiven. Hillel the Elder, if he saw them wantonly transgressing said to them, even though I am here, who is here? Does He need acclamations? Is it not written⁷⁵Dan. 7:10., thousands upon thousands serve Him, and myriads of myriads stand before Him? If he saw them acting correctly he was saying, if I am not here who is here? Even though there are many acclaims before Him, the acclaim of Israel is beloved more than anything else. What is the reason? And the pleasantness of the songs of Israel⁷⁶2S. 23:1.; enthroned on the praises of Israel⁷⁷Ps. 22:4..

Ben Yehoṣadaq was priding himself for his vaulting. ⁷⁸Babli 53a. The corrector’s change [in brackets] follows the Babli and should be deleted. In the Babli the torches are lit. They said about Rabban Simeon ben Gamliel that he was dancing with eight golden torches and neither of them touched (the ground) [any other.] When he was bowing down to his shinbone he thrust his thumb into the ground, bowed down to his shinbone, and immediately stood up. ⁷⁹Parallels are in Berakhot1:8 (Note 249), Gen. rabba39(18). The text in Berakhot editio princeps is the corrector’s, quite different from the scribe’s which is consistent with the text here. What is bowing down to one’s shinbone and what is kneeling? The great Rebbi Ḥiyya showed bowing down to his shinbone before Rebbi, [became lame] and was healed. Levi ben Sisi showed kneeling before Rebbi, became lame and was not healed.

⁸⁰A slightly shortened version is in Sanhedrin2:4, Notes 129–139. A different version is found in the last part of Num. rabba4. It is written: David returned to bless his house when Mikhal, Saul’s daughter, came towards him⁸¹2S. 6:20, where Michal criticizes David for dancing in the street.., etc. Who is one of the empty ones? Abba bar Cahana said, the most empty one, that is the dancer⁸²Greek ʼορχηστής, ου̅, ‘ο.. She told him, today the honor of my father’s house became obvious. One said about the family of Saul that one never saw a heel or a thumb of them. That is what is written: He came to the sheep fences along the road and there was a cave⁸³1S.24:3.. Rebbi Abun in the name of Rebbi Eleazar: That was a fence inside a fence⁸⁴This explains the plural used in the verse and shows that Saul went to relieve himself in the cave guarded from the outside by a double fence. In the Babli, Berakhot 62b, this is quoted as tannaitic text.. Saul came to spread his feet⁸³1S.24:3.. He saw him how he lifted a little and covered a little. [David] said, how could one touch such a righteous body. That is what he told him, behold, what your eyes saw today which today gave me in your hand in the cave and I could have killed you⁸⁵1S. 24:10., etc. Is it not written “I had mercy on you” but it had mercy on you⁸⁵1S. 24:10., your modesty had mercy on you. David told Michal, before the Eternal Who chose me over your father⁸⁶2S. 6:21., etc. And I was still humbler than this and I was lowly in my eyes, and with the servant girls you mentioned, with them I shall be honored⁸⁷2S. 6:22., for they are not servant girls but mothers. How was she punished? Michal, Saul’s daughter, had no child until the day of her death⁸⁸2S. 6:23, implying that she died in childbirth.. But is it not written: The sixth Yitre`am, of his wife Calf<sup>89</sup>2S. 3:5. Only Michal is called “David’s wife” (1S. 25:44). The problem that Yitre`am was born in Hebron is not addressed; it is discussed in the Babli, 21a.. She mooed like a calf and died.