R. Simeon b. Menasya [T5] said: who is it `that is crooked` who `cannot be made straight`? He that has connection with a forbidden relation and begets by her bastard issue. Should you say that it applies to a thief or robber, but then he is able to make restitution and be made straight. R. Simeon b. Yohai [T4] said: only he can be called `crooked` who was straight at first and became crooked. And who is this? A disciple of the Sages who forsakes the Torah.
t.Hag.1.7
A. [If] the festival passed and one did not make a festal-offering, he is not liable to make it good.
B. Of such a person it is said, That which is crooked cannot be made straight, and that which is wanting cannot be reckoned (Qoh.1.16)`` [M.Hag.1.6B-C].
C. And it says, The wicked borrows and cannot pay back, but the righteous is generous and gives (Ps.37.21).
D. R. Simeon b. Menassia says, ``[If] a man steals, he can restore what he stole. [If] he robbed, he can restore that which he robbed.
E. ``[But] if he had sexual relations with a married woman and invalidated her from continuing marriage with her husband, he is tormented and driven from the world,
F. ``and concerning such a person it is written, That which is crooked cannot be made straight (Qoh.1.15)`` [cf. M.Hag.1.7 A- C].
MISHNAH: m.Hag.1.6He who did not bring his festal-offering on the first festival, day of the feast [of Tabernacles], may bring it during the whole of the festival, even on the last festival day of the feast [of Tabernacles]. If the festival, passed and he did not bring the festival offering, he is not bound to make it good. Of such a person it is said: He that is crooked cannot be made straight and that which is wanting cannot be reckoned.
MISHNAH: m.Hag.1.7R. Simeon b. Menasya [T5] said: who is it `that is crooked` who `cannot be made straight`? He that has connection with a forbidden relation and begets by her bastard issue. Should you say that it applies to a thief or robber, but then he is able to make restitution and be made straight. R. Simeon b. Yohai [T4] said: only he can be called `crooked` who was straight at first and became crooked. And who is this? A disciple of the Sages who forsakes the Torah.
GEMARA: Whence do we know this? R. Johanan [PA2] in the name of R. Ishmael [T3] said: [The expression] `Azereth [`solemn assembly`] is used of the seventh day of Passover, and [the expression] `Azereth is used of the eighth day of the Feast [of Tabernacles]. Just as there it intimates that one can make good [thereon the festal-offering due on the first day] so here it intimates that one can make good [thereon the festal-offering of the first day]. And it is free [for interpretation]; for were it not free one might object: whereas [this applies] to the seventh day of Passover which is not differentiated from the preceding [days], can you say this of the eighth day of the Feast [of Tabernacles] which is differentiated from the preceding [days]. But it is not so; it is quite free [for interpretation]. Consider, what does `Azereth mean? [Evidently it means], restrained [`Azur] in respect of doing work. But behold it is written: Thou shalt do no work; wherefore, then, has the Divine Law written `Azereth? You must infer therefrom [that it is] in order to leave it free [for interpretation]. But the Tanna [of the following Baraitha] deduces it from here. For it is taught: And ye shall keep it a feast unto the Lord seven days. One might think that he must go on bringing festal-offerings the whole of the seven days. Scripture, therefore, says, `it`: on it [only] are you to offer festal-offerings, but you are not to offer festal-offerings on all the seven days. If so, why does it say, `seven`? To intimate that one may make good [the festal-offering during the seven days of the festival]. And whence [do we learn] that if he did not bring the festal-offering on the first festival day of the Feast [of Tabernacles] that he can go on bringing it during the course of the whole Festival, even on the last festival day? Scripture says: Ye shall keep it in the seventh month. If, now, [it is to be kept] in the seventh month, one might think that one can go on bringing the festal-offering throughout the whole month, therefore Scripture says. `it`: on `it` [only] are you to offer festal-offerings, but you are not to offer festal-offerings outside it. And what is the nature of this `making good`? R. Johanan [PA2] says: They make up for the first day; and R. Oshaiah says: They make up for one another. What is the [practical] point at issue between them? R. Zera [PA3] said: [The case of] a man who was lame on the first day [of the festival] and became well on the second day is the point of issue between them. R. Johanan [PA2] says: They make up for the first day; since on the first day he was not qualified [to bring the festal-offering], he is not qualified on the second. And R. Oshaiah says: They make up for one another; although he was not qualified on the first day he is qualified on the second. But could R. Johanan [PA2] have said this? For behold Hezekiah said: If [a Nazirite] became defiled during the day [of the eighth] he has to bring [a sacrifice], but during the night [preceding the eighth] he does not have to bring [a sacrifice]. But R. Johanan [PA2] said: Also [if he was defiled] during the night, he must bring [a sacrifice]! Said R. Jeremiah [PA4]: The case of uncleanness is different, because it can be made good [as is the case with the sacrifice] on the Second Passover. R. Papa [BA5] demurred to this: It is right according to the view that the Second Passover b.Hag.9b makes up for the First; but what is to be said according to the view that the Second [Passover] is a separate festival? Therefore, said R. Papa [BA5], R. Johanan [PA2] must be of the opinion that the night [before the day on which the sacrifice is due] is not regarded as belonging to the preceding period. But how could R. Johanan [PA2] have said this? For behold R. Johanan [PA2] said: If [a zab] had one emission in the night and two in the [following] day, he must bring [a second offering]; but [if he had] two in the night and one in the day, he has not to bring [a second offering]. Now if you imagine that R. Johanan [PA2] is of the opinion that the night [before the day on which the sacrifice is due] is not regarded as belonging to the preceding period, then even [if he had] two [emissions] at night and one in the day he must bring [a second offering]! R. Johanan [PA2] said this only according to the view that the night [before] is regarded as belonging to the preceding period. But according to this view it is surely obvious! It is required for the case where there are two [emissions] in the day and one the [preceding] night. You might have thought [the decision] to be according to the objection of R. Shisha son of R. Idi, it therefore teaches us that it is according to R. Joseph [BA3]. If the festival passed and he did not bring the festival offering, he is not bound to make it good. Of such a person it is said: He that is crooked cannot be made straight and that which is wanting cannot be restored. Bar He-He said to Hillel [BCE1]: [Instead of] the [expression] `to be reckoned` it ought to be `to be filled`! It must refer, therefore, to one whose fellows reckoned him for [the performance of] a religious act, but he would not be reckoned with them. It has also been taught thus: `He that is crooked cannot be made straight`: this refers to one who neglected to read the morning Shema or the evening Shema, or he neglected the morning prayer or the evening prayer. And that which is wanting cannot be reckoned`; this refers to one whose fellows resolved on [the performance of] a religious act and he would not be reckoned with them.
Bar He-He said to Hillel [BCE1]: Then shall ye again discern between the righteous and the wicked, between him that serveth God and him that serveth Him not. `The righteous` is the same as `he that serveth God`; `the wicked` is the same as `he that serveth Him not`! He answered him: He that serveth Him and he that serveth Him not both refer to such as are perfectly righteous; but he that repeated his chapter a hundred times is not to be compared with him who repeated it a hundred and one times. Said [Bar He-He] to him: And because of once he is called `he that serveth Him not`? He answered: Yes, go and learn from the mule-drivers market; ten parasangs for one zuz, eleven parasangs for two zuz. Elijah said to Bar He-He, and others say, to R. Eleazar [T4 in M or PA3]: What is the meaning of the verse: Behold I have refined thee but not as silver; I have tried thee in the furnace of affliction? It teaches that the Holy One, blessed be He, went through all the good qualities in order to give [them] to Israel, and he found only poverty. Samuel [BA1] said, and others say. R. Joseph [BA3]: This accords with the popular saying: Poverty befits Israel like a red trapping a white horse. R. Simeon b. Menasya [T5] said: who is it `that is crooked` who `cannot be made straight`? He that has connection with a forbidden relation and begets by her bastard issue etc. Only if he begets, but not if he does not beget. But behold it is taught: R. Simeon b. Menasya [T5] said: If a man steal, he can return the theft and [so] become straight; but he that has connection with a married woman and makes her prohibited unto her husband is banished from the world and passes away. (R. Simeon b. Yohai [T4] said: One does not say: Examine the camel, examine the pig, Only examine the lamb. And who is this? A disciple of the wise who has forsaken the Torah. R. Judah b. Lakish [T2] said: Any disciple of the wise who has forsaken the Torah, of him Scripture says: As a bird that wandereth from her nest, so is a man that wandereth from his place. And it further says: What unrighteousness have your fathers found in me, that they are gone far from me?) There is no contradiction: the one case refers to his unmarried sister, the other refers to a married woman. Or I might say: Both are cases of married women; but there is no contradiction: in the one case b.Hag.10a it was against her will, in the other it was with her consent. Or you may say: in both cases it was against her will but there is no contradiction: the one case concerns a priest`s wife and the other an Israelite`s wife.
Neither was there any peace to him that went out or came in, Rab [BA1] said: As soon as man goes forth from Halachic to Scripture study he no longer has peace. And Samuel [BA1] said: It means one who leaves Talmud for Mishnah. And R. Johanan [PA2] said: Even [if he goes] from Talmud to Talmud.
[A] R. Simeon b. Menasia [T5] says, ``What is `that which is crooked which cannot be made straight` [Eccl.1.15]?
[B] ``This is one who has sexual relations with a woman in a forbidden relationship and produces a mamzer from her.
[C] ``If you should claim [that it applies] to a thief or a robber, he can make restitution and `be made straight.```
[D] R. Simeon b. Menasia [T5] says, ``They call that which is crooked only one who was straight to begin with and who became crooked. What is such a person? It is a disciple of a sage who took his leave of the Torah.`` y.Hag.1.7 I
[A] R. Simeon b. Yohai [T4] taught: ``If you see towns that have been uprooted from their location in the Land of Israel, you should know that the inhabitants did not faithfully pay the fee of the scribes and teachers [who worked there].``
[B] What is the scriptural basis for that statement?
[C] ``Why is the land ruined and laid waste like a wilderness, so that no one passes through? And the Lord says, `Because they have forsaken my law which I set before them``` (Jer.9.12-13). y.Hag.1.7 I:2
[A] R. Yudan [PA4] the Patriarch sent R. Hiyya, R. Assi [BA1 or PA3], and R. Ammi [PA3] to travel among the towns of the Land of Israel to provide for them scribes and teachers. They came to one place and found neither a scribe nor a teacher. They said to the people, ``Bring us the guardians of the town.`` The people brought them the citizens of senatorial class in the town.
[B] They said to them: ``Do you think these are the guardians of the town? They are nothing other than the destroyers of the town.``
[C] They said to them, ``And who are the guardians of the town?``
[D] They said to them, ``The scribes and teachers.``
[E] That is in line with what is written: ``Unless the Lord builds the house[, those who build it labor in vain. Unless the Lord watches over the city, the watchman stays awake in vain]`` (Ps.127.1). y.Hag.1.7 I:3
[A] R. Huna [BA2 or PA4], R. Jeremiah [PA4] in the name of R. Samuel bar R. Isaac: ``We find that the Holy One, blessed be he, forgave Israel for idolatry, fornication, and murder. [But] for their rejection of the Torah he never forgave them.``
[B] What is the scriptural basis for that view?
[C] It is not written, ``Because they practiced idolatry, fornication, and murder,`` but rather, ``And the Lord said, `Because they have forsaken my Torah.```
[D] Said R. Hiyya bar Ba, ```If they were to forsake me, I should forgive them, for they may yet keep my Torah. For if they should forsake me but keep my Torah, the leaven that is in [the Torah] will bring them closer to me.```
[E] R. Huna [BA2 or PA4] said, ``Study Torah [even if it is] not for its own sake, for, out of [doing so] not for its own sake, you will come [to study it] for its own sake.`` y.Hag.1.7 I:4
[A] When R. Judah [T4; PA4 or PA5 in Y] would see a deceased person or a bride being praised, he would set his eyes on the disciples and say, ``Deeds come before learning. [The students should go after the crowd to praise the dead or the bride, for doing so is a religious duty.]``
[B] They voted in the upper room of the house of Aris: ``Learning comes before deeds.``
[C] R. Abbahu [PA3] was in Caesarea. He sent R. Haninah [PA5], his son, to study Torah in Tiberias. They sent and told him, ``He is doing deeds of kindness [burying the dead] there [and not studying].``
[D] He sent and wrote to him, ``Is it because there are no graves in Caesarea that I sent you to Tiberias [to go around burying people]? And they have in fact taken a vote in the upper room of the house of Aris in Lud: `Studying Torah takes precedence over deeds.```
[E] Rabbis of Caesarea say, ``That which you say [applies to a case] in which there is someone else who can do [the deeds that are required]. But if there is no one else [available] to do the [required] deeds, then [doing] the religious deed takes precedence over study of Torah.``
[F] Once R. Hiyya, R. Yose, R. Ammi [PA3] were late in coming to see R. Eleazar [T4 in M or PA3]. He said to them, ``Where were you today?``
[G] They said to him, ``We had to do a deed of kindness.``
[H] He said to them, ``And were there no others [available to do it]?``
[I] They said to him, ``He was an alien in the country [and had no one else to bury him, his relatives being overseas].``