Avodah Zarah, Daf Yod Aleph, Part 5

 

Introduction

Today s section continues explaining the mishnah. Pagans made a feast on the day that the they shaved their beards/heads. My wife was quite happy when I shaved my beard as well. She owes me a holiday.

 

יום תגלחת זקנו: איבעיא להו היכי קתני יום תגלחת זקנו והנחת בלוריתו או דלמא יום תגלחת זקנו והעברת בלוריתו?

ת"ש דתני’ תרוייהו יום תגלחת זקנו והנחת בלוריתו יום תגלחת זקנו והעברת בלוריתו.

 

The day of shaving the beard, etc.

The question was asked: How was this taught? The day of shaving of one’s beard when the lock of hair is left, or the shaving of the beard when the lock of hair was removed?

Come and hear: Both are taught: The day of shaving one’s beard when one’s lock of hair is left; The day of shaving one’s hair and of removing one’s lock of hair.

 

According to Rashi, when the pagans cut their hair they would leave a lock on the back. This lock was a sign of idolatry. Once a year they would cut the lock off. The question is what does the mishnah refer to? The usual cutting of the hair/beard when the lock would be left? Or the once a year cutting of the hair when the lock is removed? The answer is both! Those pagans sure did love their hair-cutting parties.

 

אמר רב יהודה אמר שמואל עוד אחרת יש [להם] ברומי אחת לשבעים שנה מביאין אדם שלם ומרכיבין אותו על אדם חיגר ומלבישין אותו בגדי אדם הראשון ומניחין לו בראשו קרקיפלו של רבי ישמעאל ותלו ליה [בצואריה] מתקל [ר’] זוזא דפיזא ומחפין את השווקים באינך ומכריזין לפניו: "סך קירי פלסתר אחוה דמרנא זייפנא דחמי חמי ודלא חמי לא חמי. מאי אהני לרמאה ברמאותיה ולזייפנא בזייפנותיה."

ומסיימין בה הכי ווי לדין כד יקום דין .

 

Rav Judah in the name of Shmuel: They have yet another festival in Rome [which occurs] once every seventy years. They bring a healthy man and ride him on a lame man. They dress him with the clothes of the first Adam, they place on his head the scalp of R. Ishmael, and on his neck they hang pieces of fine gold weighing four zuzim. They pave the markets with onyx stones, and they proclaim: The reckoning of the ruler is wrong. The brother of our lord, the impostor! Let him who will see it see it; he who will not see it now will never see it. How does treason benefit the traitor or deceit the deceiver! And they conclude: Woe unto the one when the other will arise.

 

Okay, this is about as cryptic as they get. Let s try to explain one thing at a time.

The healthy man Esau, progenitor of Rome.

The lame man Jacob, whose leg was hurt wrestling with the angel.

Clothes of the first Adam according to midrashic legend these were inherited by Esau.

The scalp of R. Ishmael a high priest killed by the Romans. He was legendarily beautiful and when they scalped him, they preserved it in oil.

The reckoning of the ruler is wrong The ruler is Jacob who said that the time for the Jews to be redeemed would come. Jacob is the brother of our lord, Esau. Jacob was the one who deceived Esau out of his blessing and birthright.

They do finish the holiday with a warning Woe to Rome, when Jacob arises.

Steinsaltz explains that there was indeed a Roman holiday that was rarely celebrated and where they would declare something similar to Let him who will see it, see it But the other details are, not surprisingly, not similar.

 

אמר רב אשי: הכשילן פיהם לרשעים! אי אמרו זייפנא אחוה דמרנא כדקאמרי השתא דאמרי דמרנא זייפנא מרנא גופיה זייפנא הוא

 

R. Ashi said: Their own mouths caused them to stumble. Had they said Our lord’s brother the impostor, it would have been as they said, but when they say, The brother of our lord, the impostor, it may be taken to mean that it is their lord himself who is the impostor.

 

R. Ashi notices that there is a way of interpreting the statement Romans as if they are saying that their own lord is an impostor. Good one R. Ashi!

 

ותנא דידן מ"ט לא קחשיב לה? להאי דאיתא בכל שתא ושתא קחשיב דליתא בכל שתא ושתא לא קחשיב

 

And our Tanna, why does he not include this [festival in the Mishnah?] Those that are every year, he includes, those that are not every year, he does not include.

 

The Tanna of the Mishnah includes only holidays that are every year.

 

הני דרומאי ודפרסאי מאי מוטרדי וטוריסקי מוהרנקי ומוהרין הני דפרסאי ודרומאי דבבלאי מאי מוהרנקי ואקניתי’ בחנוני ועשר באדר

 

Which are the Persian ones? Mutardi, Turyaskai, Muharnekai, Muharin. These then are those of the Romans and Persians, which are the Babylonian ones? Muharnekai, Aknayata, Bahnani and the tenth of Adar.

 

The Talmud completes by listing the Persian and Babylonian holidays. I do not know what holidays these are.