Kiddushin, Daf Ayin Bet, Part 4
ויהי כהנבאי ופלטיהו בן בניהו מת ואפול על פני ואזעק קול גדול ואומר אהה אדני ה’
רב ושמואל חד אמר לטובה וחד אמר לרעה
מאן דאמר לטובה כי הא דאיסתנדרא דמישן חתניה דנבוכדנצר הוה שלח ליה מכולי האי שבייה דאייתית לך לא שדרת לן דקאי לקמן
And it came to pass, when I prophesied, that Pelatiah the son of Benaiah died. Then fell I down upon my face, and cried with a loud voice, and said: Ah Lord God! (Ezekiel 11:13):
Rav and Shmuel: one said: His words were for good; the other, that his words were for bad.
He who said that it was for good [explains it] as follows: For the governor of Meshan was Nebuchadnezzar’s son-in-law. He sent [word] to him: Of all the captivity which you have brought for yourself, you have sent none to stand before us.
Rav and Shmuel disagree about the meaning of Ezekiel s words when Pelatiah dies one amora interprets that his words reflect a good reaction to what Pelatiah had done and the other reads it as a bad reaction.
The good interpretation begins with the governor of Meshan sending a message to his father-in-law, Nebuchadnezzar. The governor complains that he has not received any captives to serve as slaves.
בעי לשדורי ליה מישראל א"ל פלטיהו בן בניהו אנן דחשבינן ניקו מקמך הכא ועבדין ניזלו להתם ואמר נביא מי שעשה טובה בישראל ימות בחצי ימיו
He wanted to send him one of the Israelites, [but] Pelatiah son of Benaiah said to him, We, who are more worthy [of higher rank], let us stand before you here; and let our slaves go there.
Thus the prophet cried, That he who did good for Israel should die in middle age!
Nebuchadnezzar wants to send an Israelite to serve his son-in-law, but Pelatiah convinces him to send the slaves. While I m not sure I read this so positively, the Talmud does. Pelatiah saved the Jews from having to be slaves. This is why Ezekiel cries out why did Pelatiah die so young.
מאן דאמר לרעה דכתיב (יחזקאל יא, א) ותבא אותי אל שער בית ה’ הקדמוני הפונה קדימה והנה בפתח השער עשרים וחמשה איש ואראה בתוכם את יאזניה בן עזר ואת פלטיהו בן בניהו שרי העם וכתיב (יחזקאל ח, טז) ויבא אותי אל חצר בית ה’ הפנימית והנה פתח היכל ה’ בין האולם ובין המזבח כעשרים וחמשה איש אחוריהם אל היכל ה’ ופניהם קדמה
ממשמע שנאמר ופניהם קדמה איני יודע שאחוריהם כלפי מערב
מה תלמוד לומר [אחוריהם] אל היכל ה’ מלמד שהיו מפריעין עצמם ומתריזין עצמם כלפי מעלה וקאמר נביא מי שעשה הרעה הזאת בישראל ימות על מיטתו
And he who said that it was for bad, as it is written, Then a spirit lifted me up, and brought me unto the east gate of the Lord s House, which looked eastward; and behold, at the door of the gate five and twenty men; and I saw in the midst of them Jaazaniah the son of Azzur, and Pelatiah the son of Benaiah, princes of the people (Ezekiel 11:1), and it is written: And He brought me into the inner court of the Lord s House, and, behold, at the door of the Temple of the Lord, between the porch and the altar, were about five and twenty men, with their backs toward the Temple of the Lord, and their faces toward the east (Ezekiel 8:16).
Now, from the implication of what is said: and their faces toward the east, do I not know that their backs were toward the west? So why does Scripture say: with their backs toward the Temple of the Lord ? This teaches that they exposed themselves defecated towards the Most High. Therefore the prophet said: Shall he who did this evil in Israel die [peacefully] on his bed!
According to this read of the situation, Pelatiah and his followers not only turned their backs towards the Temple, they defecated in that direction. Now that s pretty bad. That s why Ezekiel cried out why should such an evil man die such a peaceful death?
Rav and Shmuel rabbinic spin doctors.