Avodah Zarah, Daf Yod, Part 3

 

Introduction

Having introduced the Emperor Antoninus and Severus his son in yesterday s section, today s section contains a dialogue between Antoninus and Rabbi Judah Hanasi.

 

א"ל אנטונינוס לרבי בעינא דימלוך אסוירוס ברי תחותי ותתעביד טבריא קלניא ואי אימא להו חדא עבדי תרי לא עבדי.

אייתי גברא ארכביה אחבריה ויהב ליה יונה לעילאי בידיה וא"ל לתתאה אימר לעילא דלמפרח מן ידיה יונה.

אמר שמע מינה הכי קאמר לי את בעי מינייהו דאסוירוס ברי ימלוך תחותי ואימא ליה לאסוירוס דתעביד טבריא קלניא.

 

Antoninus once said to Rabbi: I want my son Severus to reign in my place and that Tiberias should be declared a Colony. Were I to ask one of these things, they will grant it, but both they will not grant.

[Rabbi] brought a man and placed him on the shoulders of another, and he gave the man on top a dove and said to the one on the bottom to set the dove free.

The Emperor said, Learn from this that this is what he is saying to me. You should ask them to appoint my son Severus to reign in my place, and tell Severus to make Tiberias a Colony.

 

Antoninus here gets some advice from Rabbi as to how to achieve both of his aims while only asking the Senate for one of them. Below, the Talmud will explain why Rabbi cannot tell Antoninus what to do directly.

א"ל מצערין לי חשובי [רומאי].

מעייל ליה לגינא. כל יומא עקר ליה פוגלא ממשרא קמיה.

אמר ש"מ הכי קאמר לי את קטול חד חד מינייהו ולא תתגרה בהו בכולהו

 

[On another occasion] Antoninus mentioned to him that some prominent Romans were annoying him. Rabbi took him into the garden. Every day picked a radish from the garden.

[The Emperor to himself] this is what he is saying to me: Kill them one at a time, but do not attack all of them at once.

 

Here Rabbi gives him some advice as to how to get rid of his enemies.

 

ולימא ליה מימר [בהדיא]! אמר שמעי (בי) חשובי רומי ומצערו ליה

ולימא ליה בלחש!

משום דכתיב (קהלת י, כ) כי עוף השמים יוליך את הקול

 

But let him speak to him explicitly!

He thought prominent Romans might hear and persecute him.

Why then did he not say it in a whisper!

Because it is written: For a bird of the air shall carry the voice (Ecclesiastes 10:20).

 

Rabbi cannot tell Antoninus directly out of fear of the Romans. Even telling him by whisper might be dangerous.