A Young Wife and an Old Wife

R. Ammi and R. Assi sat before R. Isaac Nappaḥa. [One] sage said to [R. Isaac Nappaḥa,] “Let the Master say [words of] halakhah,” and [the other] sage said to [R. Isaac Nappaḥa,] “Let the Master say [words of] agadah.” [R. Isaac Nappaḥa] began to say [words of] agadah, but [one] sage did not let him, [so he] began to say [words of] halakhah, but [the other] sage did not let him.

[R. Isaac Nappaḥa] said to them, “I will relate a parable. To what can this be compared? [It can be compared] to a man who has two wives, one young and one old. The young [wife] pulls out his white [hairs, so that her husband will appear younger]. The old [wife] pulls out his black [hairs so that he will appear older. And it] turns out [that he is] bald from here and from there, [i.e., completely bald].”

[R. Isaac Nappaḥa continued and] said to them, “If so, I will say to you a matter that is appropriate to both of you, [which contains both halakhah and agadah. In the verse that states:] If a fire breaks out, and catches in thorns (Exodus 22:5), [the term] breaks out [indicates that it breaks out] by itself. [Yet, the continuation of the verse states:] The one who kindled the fire shall pay compensation, [which indicates that he must pay only if the fire spread due to his negligence. The verse can be explained allegorically:] The Holy One, blessed be He, said [that although the fire broke out in the Temple due to the sins of the Jewish people], ‘It is incumbent upon Me to pay restitution for the fire that I kindled. I kindled a fire in Zion, as it is stated: [The Lord has accomplished His fury, He has poured out His fierce anger;] and He has kindled a fire in Zion, which has devoured its foundations (Lamentations 4:11). And I will build it with fire [in the] future, as it is stated: For I, says the Lord, will be for her a wall of fire round about; and I will be the glory in her midst (Zechariah 2:9).’

“[There is] a halakhah [that can be learned from the verse in Exodus, as] the verse begins with damage [caused through one’s] property: [If a fire breaks out,] and concludes with damage [caused by] one’s body: [The one who kindled the fire. This indicates that when damage is caused by fire, it is considered as though the person who kindled the fire caused the damage directly with his body. That serves] to say to you [that the liability for] his fire [damage is] due to [its similarity to] his arrows. [Just as one who shoots an arrow and causes damage is liable because the damage was caused directly through his action, so too, one who kindles a fire that causes damage is liable because it is considered as though the damage were caused directly by his actions.]”