Kiddushin Daf Ayin, Part 5
Introduction
The fascinating conclusion to the epic story of R. Yehudah and the namecaller.
רב מתנה לא חזייה לנהרדעא תליסר שני ההוא יומא אתא
אמר ליה דכיר מר מאי אמר שמואל כי קאי חדא כרעא אגודא וחדא כרעא במברא
א"ל הכי אמר שמואל כל דאמר מדבית חשמונאי מלכא קאתינא עבדא הוא דלא אישתיור מינייהו אלא ההיא רביתא דסלקא לאיגרא ורמיא קלא ואמרה כל דאמר מבית חשמונאי אנא עבדא הוא נפלה מאיגרא ומיתה
Now, R. Matanah had not seen Nehardea for thirteen years, but on that day he came.
He said to him, Do you remember what Shmuel said when he stood with one foot on the bank and one foot on the bridge.
He replied, Thus said Shmuel: He who claims, I am descended from the royal house of the Hasmoneans is a slave, because there remained of them only one young woman who went up to the roof, lifted up her voice and cried out, Whoever says I am descended from the house of the Hasmoneans is a slave. Shen then fell from the roof and died.
R. Matanah conveniently comes to Nehardea that very day for the first time in thirteen years. Shmuel jogs his memory and R. Matanah remembers Shmuel indeed ruling that whoever claims that he is from the Hasmonean house is a slave. The last remaining Hasmonean committed suicide. In this story, Herod kills all of the members of the Hasmonean household and claims their throne. Herod, according to that rabbinic tradition, is descended from a slave. So even if one can trace his/her lineage to Herod, his rule is not the authentic Hasmonean rule. He is a usurper.
אכרוז עליה דעבדא הוא
ההוא יומא אקרען כמה כתובתא בנהרדעא
כי קא נפיק נפקי אבתריה למירגמיה
אמר להו אי שתיקו שתיקו ואי לא מגלינא עלייכו הא דאמר שמואל תרתי זרעייתא איכא בנהרדעא חדא מיקריא דבי יונה וחדא מיקריא דבי עורבתי וסימניך טמא טמא טהור טהור
שדיוה לההוא ריגמא מידייהו וקם אטמא בנהר מלכא
They proclaimed him a slave. On that day many ketubot were torn up in Nehardea.
When he went out, they came out after him to stone him.
[But] he threatened them, If you will be silent, be silent; if not, I will reveal to you what Shmuel said: There are two families in Nehardea, one called The House of Jonah [dove] and the other, The House of the Raven, and your sign is, the unclean is unclean and the clean clean.
Thereupon they threw away the stones out of their hands, which created a stoppage in the Malka river.
This is a fascinating end to the story. R. Yehudah wins, but ruling that a prominent man is a slave can be very dangerous. Evidently, he had many family members, and many people discovered that their marriages were annulled. The people are understandably furious with R. Yehudah for essentially ruining their lives. His response is to threaten them even more if you don t back off I ll let you know even more information as to who is valid and who is not.
The people back off, but their stones cause a stoppage in the river. Definitely symbolic all of this name calling causes an end to the flow that sustains life.
This whole story is a fascinating discussion of the power of language and lineage. Knowing too much about a person can be dangerous. Neither R. Yehudah nor his disputant is a sympathetic character, which makes the story even more fascinating.
מכריז רב יהודה בפומבדיתא אדא ויונתן עבדי יהודה בר פפא ממזירא בטי בר טוביה ברמות רוחא לא שקיל גיטא דחירותא
Rav Yehudah proclaimed in Pumbedita: Adda and Yonatan are slaves; Yehudah b. Papa is mamzer: Bati b. Toviah in his arrogance refused to accept a deed of manumission.
R. Yehudah, now perhaps drunk with his own power, begins to proclaim who is fit or unfit in Nehardea. I believe that this portrayal of R. Yehudah is at least partially critical of his behavior.
מכריז רבא במחוזא בלאי דנאי טלאי מלאי זגאי כולם לפסול אמר רב יהודה גובאי גבעונאי דורנוניתא דראי נתינאי אמר רב יוסף האי בי כובי דפומבדיתא כולם דעבדי
Rav proclaimed in Mehoza: The members of Bela, Dena, Tela, Mela and Zega all these are unfit.
R. Judah said: The members of Guba are Gibeonites; Durnunitha is a village of Nethinim.
R. Joseph said: This Be Kubi [near] Pumbedita consists entirely of slaves.
The Bavli continues to portray rabbis casting aspersions on entire families of Jews. Again, it is hard to know what the editor thinks of these actions. On the one hand, there is no doubt that all rabbis believed in the importance of lineage. On the other, maybe rabbis should not go around announcing information that will cause such terrible disruptions in society. Do we always want to know the truth?