Avodah Zarah, Daf Yod Aleph, Part 1

 

Introduction

Today s section contains the thrilling story of the conversion of a man named Onkelos and the attempts of the Roman Emperor to bring him back into the fold of paganism. While later tradition attributed to him the Aramaic targum of the Torah, there is little historical evidence as to the truth of this story.

 

אונקלוס בר קלונימוס איגייר. שדר קיסר גונדא דרומאי אבתריה.

משכינהו בקראי איגיור.

 

Onkelos the son of Kalonymus converted. The Emperor sent a regiment of Roman [soldiers] after him, but he enticed them by [citing] verses and they converted to Judaism.

 

This is the first attempt of the Roman emperor to convert Onkelos. Onkelos recites verses to the soldiers sent to bring him back to paganism and they too convert.

 

הדר שדר גונדא דרומאי [אחרינא] אבתריה. אמר להו לא תימרו ליה ולא מידי.

כי הוו שקלו ואזלו אמר להו אימא לכו מילתא בעלמא

ניפיורא נקט נורא קמי פיפיורא פיפיורא לדוכסא דוכסא להגמונא הגמונא לקומא.

קומא מי נקט נורא מקמי אינשי? אמרי ליה לא.

אמר להו הקב"ה נקט נורא קמי ישראל דכתיב (שמות יג, כא) וה’ הולך לפניהם יומם וגו’

איגיור [כולהו].

 

The Emperor sent another Roman regiment after him. He said to them, Do not say anything to him.

As they were about to take him away with them, he said to them, Let me tell you just an ordinary thing: A guard carries a light in front of the torch bearer, the torch bearer in front of the leader, the leader in front of the governor, the governor in front of the chief officer; but does the chief officer carry the light in front of the people [that follow]? They replied, No.

He said: The Holy One, blessed be He, does carry the light before Israel, as it is written, And the Lord went before them . . . in a pillar of fire to give them light (Exodus 13:21).

They converted.

 

Here we see how Onkelos convinces the second cohort to convert. They are enticed by the positive comparison of God to regular, secular leaders. God leads the people himself, carrying his light before them.

 

הדר שדר גונדא אחרינא אבתריה.

אמר להו לא תשתעו מידי בהדיה

כי נקטי ליה ואזלי חזא מזוזתא [דמנחא אפתחא] אותיב ידיה עלה ואמר להו מאי האי?

אמרו ליה אימא לן את

אמר להו מנהגו של עולם מלך בשר ודם יושב מבפנים ועבדיו משמרים אותו מבחוץ. ואילו הקב"ה עבדיו מבפנים והוא משמרן מבחוץ שנאמר (תהלים קכא, ח) ה’ ישמר צאתך ובואך מעתה ועד עולם איגיור תו לא שדר בתריה

 

Again he sent another regiment after him. He said, Do not say anything at all to him.

When they took hold of him and started going, he saw the mezuzah which was fixed on the door-frame and he placed his hand on it and said to them, Now what is this? They said to him, You tell us then. He said, In the normal way of the world, the mortal king dwells inside, and his servants keep guard on him without. But [in the case of] the Holy One, blessed be He, it is His servants who dwell within while He keeps guard on them from without; as it is said: The Lord shall guard you going out and your coming in from this time forth and for evermore.

They converted.

He sent no more after him.

 

Again, Onkelos succeeds in converting the regiment sent after him. Again, he convinces the people that God is a better ruler than the flesh and blood Roman king to whom they are subservient.

But this time someone learns his lesson. The Roman emperor stops sending regiments to bring Onkelos back into the fold.