Gittin, Daf Yod Daled, Part 4

 

Introduction

Another story about a rabbi sending agents to retrieve something for him.

 

רַבִּי אַחַי בְּרַבִּי יֹאשִׁיָּה הֲוָה לֵיהּ אִיסְפְּקָא דְכַסְפָּא בִּנְהַרְדְּעָא

אֲמַר לְהוּ לְרַבִּי דּוֹסְתַּאי בַּר רַבִּי יַנַּאי וּלְרַבִּי יוֹסֵי בַּר כֵּיפַר בַּהֲדֵי דְּאָתֵיתוּ אַתְיוּהּ נִיהֲלִי

אֲזוּל יַהֲבֵיהּ נִיהֲלֵיהּ אָמְרִי לְהוּ נִקְנֵי מִינַּיְיכוּ

אָמְרִי לְהוּ לָא אָמְרִי לְהוּ אַהְדְּרֵיהּ נִיהֲלַן

רַבִּי דּוֹסְתַּאי בְּרַבִּי יַנַּאי אֲמַר לְהוּ אִין רַבִּי יוֹסֵי בַּר כֵּיפַר אֲמַר לְהוּ לָא

הֲווֹ קָא מְצַעֲרוּ לֵיהּ אֲמַר לֵיהּ חֲזִי מָר הֵיכִי קָא עָבֵיד אֲמַר לְהוּ טָב רְמוֹ לֵיהּ

 

Rabbi Ahai son of Rabbi Oshaya had a silver vessel in Nehardea. He said to Rabbi Dostai bar Rabbi Yanai and Rabbi Yose bar Kefar when you come back bring it to me.

They went and they gave it to them. They said to them: Acquire it from us. They said no. They said: Give it back. Rabbi Dostai bar Rabbi Yanai said yes. Rabbi Yose bar Kefar said no.

They tormented him. He said to him: My master, see what they are doing to me. He said to them: You are hitting him well.

 

The first part of the story is the same as we saw yesterday. However, in this case when the rabbis refuse to formally acquire the object, the people sending the silver vessel back to Rabbi Ahai want the vessel back. They want the agents to be responsible for the object, a sensible request. Rabbi Dostai gives it back but Rabbi Yose does not. The Nehardeans obviously want it back so they begin to physically harass Rabbi Yose. Rabbi Yose pleas with Rabbi Dostai to help but the latter approves of the people s violent actions and even seems to encourage them to continue striking him.

 

כִּי אֲתוֹ לְגַבֵּיהּ אֲמַר לֵיהּ חֲזִי מָר לָא מִיסָּתְיֵיהּ דְּלָא סַיְּיעַן אֶלָּא אֲמַר לְהוּ נָמֵי טָב רְמוֹ לֵיהּ אֲמַר לֵיהּ אַמַּאי תֶּיעְבֵּד הָכִי

 

When they came back he said to him: Master, see that not only did he not help me but he even said to them that they were correct in hitting me.

He said to him: Why did you act this way?

 

The two rabbi-agents come back and immediately Rabbi Yose snitches on Rabbi Dostai to Rabbi Ahai. Rabbi Ahai asks Rabbi Dostai why he acted that way.

 

אֲמַר לֵיהּ אוֹתָן בְּנֵי אָדָם הֵן אַמָּה וְכוֹבָעָן אַמָּהּ וּמְדַבְּרִין מֵחֶצְיֵיהֶן וּשְׁמוֹתֵיהֶן מְבוֹהָלִין אַרְדָּא וְאַרְטָא וּפִילֵי בְּרֵישׁ אוֹמְרִין כְּפוֹתוּ כּוֹפְתִין אוֹמְרִין הֲרוֹגוּ הוֹרְגִין אִילּוּ הָרְגוּ אֶת דּוֹסְתַּאי מִי נָתַן לְיַנַּאי אַבָּא בַּר כְּמוֹתִי

 

He said to him: Those people are a cubit tall and their hats are a cubit high and they speak from their middles and their names are all mixed up: Arda and Arta and Piley Bresh. If you tell them to strike someone, they will strike them. If you say to kill someone, they will kill them. If they had killed Dostai, who would give Yanai my father a son like me.

 

Rabbi Dostai explains that he was afraid of these short people with weird names who speak from their middle (their bellybuttons?). So he didn t stand up for his friend Rabbi Yose. So Rabbi Yose is a snitch and Rabbi Dostai is a wimp. What a pair!

 

אֲמַר לֵיהּ בְּנֵי אָדָם הַלָּלוּ קְרוֹבִים לַמַּלְכוּת הֵן

אָמַר לֵיהּ הֵן יֵשׁ לָהֶן סוּסִים וּפְרָדִים שֶׁרָצִים אַחֲרֵיהֶן

אֲמַר לֵיהּ הֵן אֲמַר לֵיהּ אִי הָכִי שַׁפִּיר עֲבַדְתְּ

 

He asked him: Are these people close to the government? He said yes. Do they have horses and mules that run after them.

He said: Yes.

If so, you acted well.

 

Once Dostai responds that not only are they short and have weird names, but they re also close to the ruling authorities. And they have horses and mules that run after them! These are truly some frightening people. Dostai is thus vindicated for not defending Yose. This is truly one of the stranger stories I remember.