Scribes (Soferim)

Chapter 15

There is no difference between scrolls and tefillin or mezuzot, except that scrolls may be written in any language, but tefillin and mezuzot may be written only in the Assyrian script. R. Simeon ben Gamaliel says: Even scrolls were only allowed to be written in Greek.

Although R. Simeon ben Gamaliel said that even scrolls were only allowed to be written in Greek, the sages did not agree with him. As Rabbi [Judah the Prince] said: An incident occurred involving R. Simeon ben Gamaliel where he was standing on top of a structure on the Temple Mount, and they brought before him an [Aramaic] translation of the book of Job. He instructed the builder, “Bury it under the layer of bricks.”

But the sages also maintained their opinion, as we learned:

One may rescue all sacred writings from a fire [on the Sabbath], whether they are read out in public or whether they are not read in public, and even if they were written in any language, they must be placed in a geniza. And [in the case of those that are not read on the Sabbath,] why do we not read them out? Due to the [usual] neglect of [Torah study on the Sabbath, to allow for study of the law in] the study house. We rescue the container of a scroll together with the scroll, and the container of phylacteries together with the phylacteries, even if they have money inside them. And to where do we rescue them? To an alley that is not open [which is considered a private domain]. Ben Betera says: Even to an open one [which is considered a public domain]. [m. Shabbat 16:1]

Although they said: We read out from the holy writings only from the afternoon service onward, we may nevertheless study and expound them. If one requires a matter, he may take it and look it up. However, in the case of regular documents, even if they are lined,¹ it is forbidden to read them.

Blessings in which many passages from the Torah are written may not be rescued from a fire. From here they said: Those who write down blessings are like those who burn the Torah. An incident occurred involving a certain person who was writing down blessings, and R. Ishmael went to examine him. When he heard the sound of R. Ishmael’s footsteps, he grabbed a bundle of documents and threw it into a bowl of water. [R. Ishmael] used the following expression, “The punishment for the last act is greater than for the former.”

Why did they say this to him? Because of the passages from the Torah that they write in them. For R. Simeon bar Yoḥai taught: One who focuses his study on the Bible—this is a half-measure. On the Mishnah—a measure for which he receives a reward. One who focuses on the Six Orders [of the Talmud]—you have no greater measure than this, provided that he has already read the Bible and learned the Mishnah.

One should always run to the Mishnah, more than the Six Orders. As R. Yose bar Abin said: [This rule applies] before Rabbi [Judah the Prince] settled the [text of the] mishnayot, but now that Rabbi has settled the mishnayot, one should always run to the Six Orders, more than the Mishnah.

However, they have said: The Bible is comparable to water, the Mishnah to wine, and the Six Orders to spiced wine. The world cannot exist without water; the world cannot exist without wine; and the world cannot exist without spiced wine. A wealthy man will sustain himself with all three of them. Similarly, the world cannot exist without the Bible and without the Mishnah, and it can never exist without the Six Orders.

Furthermore, the Torah is comparable to salt, the Mishnah to pepper, and the Six Orders to spices. The world cannot exist without salt; the world cannot exist without pepper; and the world cannot exist without spices. A wealthy man will sustain himself with all three of them. Similarly, the world cannot exist without the Bible, and the world cannot exist without the Mishnah, and it can never exist without the Six Orders.

However, happy is the person whose labor is in the Six Orders. Not that he skips the Bible and the Mishnah and comes to the Six Orders. Rather, he should study the Bible and the Mishnah and then come to the Six Orders. In this regard, it is stated: The rich man’s wealth is his strong city, and as a high wall in his own conceit (Proverbs 18:11).

Abba Gurion from Tsadion says in the name of Abba Gurion: One may not teach his son to be a donkey driver, a sailor, a pot-maker, a shepherd, or a storekeeper, as their trades are robbery. R. Judah says in his name: Donkey drivers are mostly wicked, and sailors are mostly pious. The best of doctors will go to Gehenna, and the most decent of butchers is a partner of Amalek. Most bastards are clever. Most slaves are handsome. Most children of reputable fathers are easily embarrassed. Most sons resemble the mother’s brother. R. Simeon bar Yoḥai taught: The best of idol-worshipers—kill him at a time of war. The best of snakes—crush its head. The most decent of women engages in witchcraft. Happy is one who performs the will of the Omnipresent!

R. Nehoray says: I leave aside all the crafts of the world and I teach my son Torah, since a person partakes of its reward in this world, while the principal still remains for the world to come. But the same is not true of the other crafts. [And] since if a person succumbs to illness, or old age, or sufferings, and is unable to engage in his labor, he will die of starvation. But this is not so with regard to the Torah. Rather, it guards him from all evil in his youth and provides him with a future and hope in his old age. What does it say regarding his youth? They who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength (Isaiah 40:31). What does it say regarding his old age? They shall still bring forth fruit in old age (Psalms 92:15).

R. Joshua ben Levi says: That which has aggadah written in it, one who writes it down has no share in the world to come, one who expounds it is cursed, and one who listens to it receives no reward.

And R. Ḥinana bar Papa taught thus: The Lord spoke with you face to face (Deuteronomy 5:4). “Face” is two;² “to face” is two—this makes four faces: a face of awe for the Bible; a neutral face for the Mishnah; a smiling face for the Six Orders [of the Talmud]; a friendly face for aggadah. R. Nehemiah says in the name of R. Jacob bar Yannai: Just as in water, face answers to face, [so the heart of man to man] (Proverbs 27:19)—the usual situation is that you have a teacher who wants to teach and a student who does not want to learn, or a student who wants to learn and a teacher who does not want to teach. Here [i.e., in the case of the Lord speaking face-to-face with Moses], however, the teacher wants to teach and the student wants to learn Bible, Mishnah, Gemara, and aggadah.

R. Isaac Nappaḥa opens his sermon as follows: Support me with dainties [ba-’ashishot]: these are the firm [me-ushashot] laws. Refresh me with apples: [these are the aggadot] whose scent is as agreeable as apples. For I am lovesick (Song of Songs 2:5); R. Isaac said: In the past, when money was available, one’s soul longed to hear a matter of law and a matter of aggadah.