Perek XI Daf 96 Amud b NOTES -The Gemara asks: And did Nebuchadnezzar ascend to Jeru וּמִ י סְלֵ י נְבוּכַד ּנֶצַר לִירוּשָׁלַיִם? וְהָכְתִ יבד Some understand : שׁ ַ ָ ּ ו ו ר ַ ּ ב ר שׁ ַ ָ ּ ו ו ר – salem? But isn’t it written with regard to Zedekiah: “And they Leaper son of a leaper this, through a slight variation in the vocalization, to ״וַּיַעֲלוּאֹתֹו אֶ ל מֶלֶךְ בָּבֶ ל רִבְלָתָ ה״. וְאָמַ ר took the king, and brought him up to the king of Babylonia, to .(mean: Leap, son of a leaper (Ge’onim רַ בִּ י אַ בָּ ּהוד רֹו אַ נְטֹוכְ יָא! רַ ב חִסְ דָּ א וְרַ ב יִצְ ָח Riblah” (II Kings 25:6), and Rabbi Abbahu says: This place מַחְ ּיֵיה ְבּ ֹו ָ ׳א – called Riblah is a reference to Antioch. Apparently, Nebuchad- Struck with the dull end and it opened בַּ ר אֲ בוּדִ ימִ י. חַ ד אָמַ רד דְּ מוּת דְּ יֹו ְ נֹו הָיְתָ ה צוד Some understood that the reference is to the : וְ אִ י ּ ַ ׳ ּ ַ ת ח ֲח ּוָ ה לֹו עַל מֶרְ ּכַבְ ּתֹו. וְחַ ד אָמַ רד אֵ ימָ ה nezzar was in Antioch, not in Jerusalem. Rav Ĥisda and Rav wooden handle of the ax. Based on that interpretation, Yitzĥak bar Avudimi resolved this apparent contradiction. One the verse could be well understood as meaning: He יְתֵ הירָ ההָיְתָ לֹו מִ ֶּ מּנוּ, וְדֹומֶ ה ּכ יְמִ שֶׁ עֹומֵ ד says: An image of Nebuchadnezzar’s likeness was engraved on became known as the wielder of the wood of an ax לְ ָ ׳נָ י ו . Nebuzaradan’s chariot, and he regarded that image as though (Ya’avetz). Nebuchadnezzar were actually there. And one says: Nebu- ­Some say the Sanctu : ָ ּגבַ ּה הֵ י כָ לָ א – The Sanctuary rose zaradan was in extreme fear of Nebuchadnezzar, and it was as ary was raised and then lowered to show Nebuzaradan though Nebuzaradan was always standing before Nebuchad- that all the destruction took place only through the will nezzar. That is an example of the honor of a servant to his master and power of God (Ramah). : ֲח ָ רא דָּ מֵ י ּה ִדּ ְ רכַ רְ יָ ה – mentioned in the verse. He saw the blood of Zechariah This appears to be based upon the prophecy of Ezekiel ;The Gemara proceeds to discuss the role of Nebuzaradan in with regard to Jerusalem: “For its blood is in its midst § אָמַר רָבָאד טְעִין ּתְלָת מְאָה ּכוּדְנְיָיתָא the destruction of the Temple. Rava says: Nebuchadnezzar sent it set it upon the bare rock; it poured it not upon the ground, to cover it with dust; that it might cause fury to נַ רְ ָ ּגא ְדּ ַ ׳ ְר ְ רלָ א דְּ שׁ ָ לֵ י ט ְבּ ַ ׳ ְר ְ רלָ א שׁ ְ דַ ר לֵ י ּה to Nebuzaradan three hundred mules laden with iron axes come up, that vengeance might be taken, I have set her נְ בוּכַ דְ נֶ ַ ּצר לִ נְ בוּ רַרְ אֲ דָ ן. ּכוּ ְ ּלהוּ בְּ לַ עֲ תִ ינְ הוּ that cut iron. All of them were incapacitated in the attempt to ”blood upon the bare rock, that it should not be covered חַ ד דַּ ׁ ָּ שא דִּ ירוּשׁ ְלֵ ם, שׁ ֶ ּנֶאֱמַ רד ״ ִּ ׳ ּתוּחֶ יהָּיָחַ ד breach one gate of Jerusalem, as it is stated: “And now they (Ezekiel 24:7–8). These verses allude to the slaying of the pound its carved work together with hatchet and with ham- prophet upon the stones of the Temple, and that his בְּכַ ׁ ִּ שיל וְכֵ ַיל ּ׳ֹת יַהֲ לֹמוּן״. בָּעֵ י לְמֶ יהְ דַּ ר. אֲמַ רד .mers” (Psalms 74:6). Nebuzaradan sought to return to Baby- blood was not covered until his death was avenged ״מִסְ ְּת ֵ ׳ינָא דְּ לָ א לִ יעַבְ דוּ בִּ י ִ ּכי הֵ יכִ י דַּ עֲבַ דוּ lonia and said: I am afraid. I want to ensure that they will not בְּסַ נְחֵרִ יב״. do to me just as they did to Sennacherib, whose downfall was BACKGROUND Iron wool combs were : מַ סְ רֵ י ָ א ְ ּד ַ׳ רְ ְ רלָ א – in Jerusalem. Iron comb utilized by the Romans as implements of torture to tear N the victim’s flesh. ;A Divine Voice emerged and said: Leaper, son of a leaper נָ ְ׳ ָ א ָ לָ א, וַאֲמַ רד ״שׁ ַ וָּ ור בַּ ר שׁ ַ וָּ ור. נְ בוּרַרְאֲדָ ן, Nebuzaradan, take the leap, as the time has arrived for the שׁ ַ וָּ ור, דִּ מְטָ א ִרימְ נָא דְּ ַמ ְ דְּשׁ ָ א חָרֵ יב וְהֵ יכָלָ א Temple to be destroyed and the Sanctuary to burn. One ax מִ י ְלֵי״. ּ׳ָשׁ ּלֵיה חַד נַרְגָּא. אֲתָא ּמַחְיֵיה remained for him to use. He went and struck the gate with the dull end of the ax and it opened,N as it is stated: “He became ְבּ ֹו ָ ׳א וְאִ י ַּ ׳ ַּ תח, שׁ ֶ ּנֶאֱמַ רד ״יִוָּדַ ע ּכְמֵבִ יא ”known as the wielder of axes upward in a thicket of trees לְמָעְלָ ה בִּסְבָךְ עֵ ץ ַרְ דֻּ ּמֹות״. (Psalms 74:5). At the appropriate time the gate was breached as though the ax were cutting trees. .He was proceeding and killing until he reached the Sanctuary הֲ וָ ה ָ טֵ יל וְ ָאֵ רל עַ ד דִּ מְטָ א לְהֵ יכָלָ א. אַדְ לִ י When he reached the Sanctuary, he ignited a fire in it. The בֵּ ּיה נוּרָ א, ּגָבַ ּה הֵ יכָלָ א. דָּרְ כוּ בֵּ ּיה ןמִ שׁ ְמַ ּיָא, Sanctuary rose,N seeking to enter Heaven so that it would not שֶׁ ּנֶאֱמַ רד ּ״גַת דָּרַךְ הפ לִבְ תוּלַ ת בַּ ת יְהוּדָ ה״. burn. They trod upon it from Heavenand returned it to its place, as it is stated: “The Lord has trodden the virgin, the daughter ָ א רַיְחָ א דַּעֲתֵ ּיה. ָנ ְ׳ָ א בַּ ת ָלָא, וַאֲמָרָ ה of Judah, as in a winepress” (Lamentations 1:15). Nebuzaradan Roman wool combs לֵ י ּה ד ״ עַ ּ ָ מא ְ טִ י לָ א ָ טְ לַ ּתְ, הֵיכָלָא ַ לְ יָ א became haughty, taking pride in his conquest. A Divine Voice ַ לֵ ית, ִ ימְחָ א טְחִ ינָא טְחִ ינַ ת, שׁ ֶ ּנֶאֱמַ רד ְחִ יפ emerged and said to him: Your haughtiness is unwarranted, as רֵחַ יִם וְטַחֲ נִי ָמַ ח ַ ּג ִ ּלי צַ ּמָתֵ ךְ ְחֶשׂ ִּ ׳י שׁ ֹבֶ ל ַ ּג ִ ּלי you killed a nation that was already dead, you burned a Sanctu- שׁ ֹו יעִבְרִ נְהָ רֹותפ. פחִ ִּ טיםפ לֹא נֶאֱמַ ר, אֶ ָ ּלא ary that was already burned, and you ground flour that was already ground, as it is stated with regard to Babylonia: “Take פ ֶמַ חפ״. millstones and grind flour; uncover your locks, tuck up the train, uncover the leg, pass over rivers” (Isaiah 47:2). It was not stated: Grind wheat, but “grind flour,” indicating that all the destruction had already been wrought by God, and the role played by the enemy was insignificant. -When he reached the Sanctuary, he saw the blood of Zecha ֲחרָא דָּ מֵ ּיה ִדּ רְכַרְ יָה דַּ הֲ וָ ה ָ א רָתַ ח. אֲמַ ר לְ ּהוד N riah the priest boiling. It had not calmed since he was killed in ״מַ אי הַ אי״? אֲמַ רוּ לֵ י ּהד ״דַּ ם רְבָחִ ים הוּא the Temple (see II Chronicles 24:20–22). Nebuzaradan said דְ אִ י שׁ ְ ּ ַת ּ ֵ ׳י ךְ ״ . אֲ מַ ר לְ ה ּו ד ״ אַ ְ י י תִ י וַ אֲ ַ נ סִ י אִ י to the priests there: What is this? They said to him: It is the :blood of offerings that was spilled.Nebuzaradan said to them מִדַּ ּמוּ״. ּכָסֵ י, וְלָ א אִ ידַּ ּמוּ. אֲמַ ר לְ ּהוד ּ״ג ַּלוּ לִ י, Bring animals and I will test to determine if the blood of the וְאִ י לָ א, סָרֵ י ְנָא לְכוּ לִבְשָׂרַיְיכוּ בְּמַסְרֵ י ָ א animals is similar to the blood that is boiling. He slaughtered ְדּ ַ ׳ ְר ְ רלָ א ״ . the animals and their blood was not similar to the boiling blood. Nebuzaradan said to the priests: Reveal the source of that blood to me, and if not I will comb your flesh with an iron comb.B sanhedrin . Perek XI . 96b 311 . ר קרפ :וצ ףד ׳ BACKGROUND The priests said to Nebuzaradan: This blood is the blood of a אֲמַ רוּ לֵ י ּהד ״הַ אי ּכֹהֵ ן וְ נָבִ יא הוּא, דְּ אִ ּינַבֵּ י This status is bestowed upon a gentile priest and a prophet who prophesied for the Jewish people : ֵ ּ ג ר ּת ֹו שׁ ָ ב – Ger toshav לְ הוּ לְ יִשְׂ רָ אֵ ל בְּ חוּרְ בָּ נָא דִּ ירוּשְׁ לֵ ם, who seeks to gain permanent-resident status in Eretz Yisrael. In with regard to the destruction of Jerusalem and whom they וּ ְ טָ לוּ הוּ ״. אֲ מַ ר לְ הוּ ד ״אֲ נָ א ְמ ַ ׳ּיְ יסָ נָ א order to do so, he is required to commit himself to fulfill certain mitzvot. There are several opinions with regard to the mitzvot killed.