Sukkah, Daf Nun Bet, Part 5

 

Introduction

Today’s section returns to the topic of the Messiah son of Joseph and various other Messiahs or figures thought to be redeemers of Israel.

 

זכריה ב+ ויראני ה’ ארבעה חרשים. מאן נינהו ארבעה חרשים? – אמר רב חנא בר ביזנא אמר רבי שמעון חסידא: משיח בן דוד ומשיח בן יוסף, ואליהו, וכהן צדק.

 

"And the Lord showed me four craftsmen" (Zechariah 2:3).

Who are these four craftsmen ?

R. Hana b. Bizna said in the name of R. Shimon Hasida: The Messiah the son of David, the Messiah the son of Joseph, Elijah and the Righteous Priest.

 

The prophet Zechariah refers to four craftsmen shown to him by God. R. Hana b. Bizna interprets these as referring to four messianic figures. According to Rashi all of these various "messiahs" worked as various types of craftsmen. Elijah built an altar. The messiahs will be involved in the rebuilding of the Temple. Rashi offers two interpretations of the "Righteous Priest." He is either Shem, son of Noah or Malchizedek who blessed Abraham.

 

מתיב רב ששת: אי הכי, היינו דכתיב +זכריה ב+ ויאמר אלי אלה הקרנות אשר זרו את יהודה הני לשובה אתו!

 

R. Sheshet objected: If so, was it correct to write, "These are the horns which scattered Judah," whereas these come to restore them?

 

R. Sheshet objects that in the verse itself, the prophet seems to describe these four craftsmen as coming to scatter the people of Israel, not to restore them as we would think a Messiah should do.

אמר ליה: שפיל לסיפיה דקרא, ויבואו אלה להחריד אותם לידות את קרנות הגוים הנושאים קרן אל ארץ יהודה לזרותה וגו’.

אמר ליה: בהדי חנא באגדתא למה לי.

 

He said to him: Go to the end of the verse: "These have come to frighten them, to cast down the horns of the nations, which lifted up their horns against the Land of Judah, to scatter it.

He said to him: Why should I argue with Hana in Aggada?

 

R. Hana b. Bizna demonstrates that the four craftsmen are not those referred to in the beginning of the verse. The "horns" also mentioned in the verse are the nations of the world that scattered Israel, whereas the craftsmen are those that redeem Israel.

R. Sheshet gives up the argument, noting that R. Hana is the expert in matters of aggadah.

+מיכה ה+ והיה זה שלום אשור כי יבוא בארצנו וכי ידרוך בארמנותינו והקמונו עליו שבעה רועים ושמנה נסיכי אדם. מאן נינהו שבעה רועים? – דוד באמצע, אדם שת ומתושלח מימינו, אברהם יעקב ומשה בשמאלו. ומאן נינהו שמנה נסיכי אדם – ישי, ושאול, ושמואל, עמוס, וצפניה, צדקיה, ומשיח, ואליהו.

 

And this shall be peace: when the Assyrian shall come into our land, and when he shall tread in our palaces, then shall we raise up against him seven shepherds and eight princes among men" (Micah 5:4).

Who are the "seven shepherds"? David in the middle, Adam, Seth and Methuselah on his right, and Abraham, Jacob and Moses on his left.

And who are the "eight princes among men"? Yishai, Shaul, Shmuel, Amos, Zephaniah, Zedekiah, the Messiah, and Elijah.

 

The continuation of R. Hana’s midrash interprets the four shepherds and the eight princes referred to by Micah. Even Rashi admits that it is not all that clear why these specific characters are referred to.