R. Hizkiah was once studying with R. Simeon. He said: ‘It is written, “a reddish-white plague”. This is a plague, because the white does not retain its purity.’ R. Simeon said: ‘Happy are lsrael in that God desired to purify them, so that they should not come up for sentence before Him. For like always goes to like, red to red and white to white; right to right and left to left.
Of Esau it is written, “and he came forth ruddy”, and therefore his own kind rests upon him. It is true, David is also called “ruddy” (I Sam. 16, 12), but whereas Esau’s redness came from the “dross of gold”, David’s came from the brightness of gold.
Observe that if there is first redness and then it turns whitish, this is a sign of the commencement of purifying. If white appears first, and then it reddens, this is a sign that uncleanness is commencing. The priest knew all these colours, and if the colour of cleanness appeared, he used to shut up the man to see if another colour would appear, and if not, he would declare him clean.
As R. Isaac and R. Judah were once walking together, the latter remarked: ‘It is written: “Elisha said to Gehazi, The leprosy of Naaman shall cleave unto thee and unto thy seed for ever” (2 Kings 5, 27). Now, if he sinned, why should his descendants be stricken?’ R. Isaac replied: ‘Elisha saw more than most prophets. He saw that Gehazi would never have virtuous offspring, and therefore he cursed all of them.
Moreover, he said to him, I served Elijah faithfully, and therefore obtained two portions, but you, villain, have compromised me by swearing falsely and being covetous. You have transgressed the whole of the Law, and therefore deserve to die in this world and the next, but because you have served me, your death shall only be in this world and not in the next.
רִבִּי חִזְקִיָּה הֲוָה יָתִיב קַמֵּיהּ דְּרִבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן, אָמַר, כְּתִיב נֶגַע לָבָן אֲדַמְדָּם, כְּדֵין הוּא נֶגַע, דְּהָא חִוָּורָא לָא קָאִים בְּעֵינֵיהּ. פָּתַח רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן וְאָמַר, כְּתִיב (ישעיהו א׳:י״ח) אִם יִהְיוּ חֲטָאֵיכֶם כַּשָּׁנִים וְגוֹ', זַכָּאִין אִינּוּן יִשְׂרָאֵל, דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא בָּעֵי לְדַכְּאָה לוֹן בְּכֹלָּא, בְּגִין דְּלָא יִשְׁתַּכְּחוּן בְּדִינָא קַמֵּיהּ. וּמָארֵיהוֹן דְּדִינָא לָא יִשְׁלְטוּן בְּהוֹן, דְּהָא כֹּלָּא אָזִיל בָּתַר זִינֵיהּ. סוּמָקָא לְסוּמָקָא, וְחִוָּורָא לְחִוָּורָא. יְמִינָא לִימִינָא, וּשְׂמָאלָא לִשְׂמָאלָא.
R. Hizkiah was once studying with R. Simeon. He said: ‘It is written, “a reddish-white plague”. This is a plague, because the white does not retain its purity.’ R. Simeon said: ‘Happy are lsrael in that God desired to purify them, so that they should not come up for sentence before Him. For like always goes to like, red to red and white to white; right to right and left to left.
בְּעֵשָׂו כְּתִיב, (בראשית כ״ה:כ״ה) וַיֵצֵא הָרִאשׁוֹן אַדְמוֹנִי, וְעַל דָּא שַׁרְיָא בֵּיהּ זִינֵיהּ. וְאִי תֵּימָא אַדְמוֹנִי כְּתִיב בְּעֵשָׂו. וּכְתִיב בֵּיהּ בְּדָוִד, (שמואל א ט״ז:י״ב) וַיְבִיאֵהוּ וְהוּא אַדְמוֹנִי. אֶלָּא דָּא מִזּוֹהֲמָא דְּדַהֲבָא אִתְעַבִיד, וְדָא בְּזוֹהֲרָא דְּדַהֲבָא אִתְדְּבַק, בְּעֵשָׂו כְּתִיב בֵּיהּ, אַדְמוֹנִי כֻּלּוֹ כְּאַדֶּרֶת שֵׂעָר, (מ"ח ע"ב) בְּזוּהֲמָא דְּהִתוּכָא נָפַק. בֵּיהּ כְּתִיב בְּדָוִד, עִם יְפֵה עֵינַיִם וְטוֹב רֹאִי.
Of Esau it is written, “and he came forth ruddy”, and therefore his own kind rests upon him. It is true, David is also called “ruddy” (I Sam. 16, 12), but whereas Esau’s redness came from the “dross of gold”, David’s came from the brightness of gold.
תָּא חֲזֵי, מַאי טַעְמָא. גַּוְונָא חִוָּורָא אִשְׁתְּמוֹדַע, וְגַוְונָא סוּמָקָא אִשְׁתְּמוֹדַע, סוּמָקָא בְּקַדְמִיתָא, וְהָא אִתְחֲזֵי בֵּיהּ חִוָּורָא, הָא דַּכְיוּתָא אִתְיְילִיד בֵּיהּ, וְשָׁארִי לְאִתְדַכְּאָה. חִוָּורָא בְּקַדְמִיתָא, וְאִתְחַזֵּי בֵּיהּ סוּמָקָא, הָא שָׁארֵי לְאִסְתַּאֲבָא, וּכְתִיב וְטִמְּאוֹ הַכֹּהֵן, דְּהָא אִתְיְילִיד בֵּיהּ סוּמָקָא, לְאִסְתַּאֲבָא. וְכַהֲנָא הֲוָה יָדַע בְּכָל אִינּוּן גַּוְונִין. וּלְזִמְנִין דְּאִתְחֲזֵי בֵּיהּ גַּוְונָא דְּדַכְיוּתָא, וְיַסְגִר לֵיהּ לְמֵחֱמֵי אִי אִתְיְילִיד בֵּיהּ גַּוְונָא אָחֳרָא. וְאִי לָא, מַדְכֵּי לֵיהּ, הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב וְטִהֲרוֹ הַכֹּהֵן וְגוֹ'.
Observe that if there is first redness and then it turns whitish, this is a sign of the commencement of purifying. If white appears first, and then it reddens, this is a sign that uncleanness is commencing. The priest knew all these colours, and if the colour of cleanness appeared, he used to shut up the man to see if another colour would appear, and if not, he would declare him clean.
רִבִּי יִצְחָק וְרִבִּי יְהוּדָה הֲווֹ אָזְלֵי בְּאָרְחָא, אָמַר רִבִּי יְהוּדָה, כְּתִיב (מלכים ב ה׳:כ״ז) וְצָרַעַת נַעֲמָן תִּדְבַּק בְּךָ וּבְזַרְעֲךָ לְעוֹלָם וְגוֹ', אִי הוּא חָטָא בְּנוֹי אֲמַאי יִלְקוּן. אָמַר לֵיהּ, אֱלִישָׁע יַתִּיר מִשְּׁאַר נְבִיאֵי חָמָא. חָמָא דְּלָא נָפִיק מִגֵחֲזִי בְּרָא דִּמְעַלְיָא, וְעַל דָּא לָיִיט לְכֻלְּהוּ.
As R. Isaac and R. Judah were once walking together, the latter remarked: ‘It is written: “Elisha said to Gehazi, The leprosy of Naaman shall cleave unto thee and unto thy seed for ever” (2 Kings 5, 27). Now, if he sinned, why should his descendants be stricken?’ R. Isaac replied: ‘Elisha saw more than most prophets. He saw that Gehazi would never have virtuous offspring, and therefore he cursed all of them.
וְלֹא עוֹד, אֶלָּא אָמַר לֵיהּ, אֲנָא פּוּלְחָנָא בְּשִׁמוּשָׁא עִלָּאָה לְגַבֵּי אֵלִיָּהוּ, וְזָכֵינָא בִּתְרֵין חוּלָקִין, דְּהָא פְּלַחְנָא לֵיהּ בִּקְשׁוֹט, וְאַנְתְּ רָשָׁע פְּגִימַת לִי, אוּמֵית לְשִׁקְרָא, וַחֲמִידַת, הָא עָבַרְתָּ עַל אוֹרַיְיתָא כֹּלָּא, וּמַאן דְּאַעְבָּר עַל דָּא, מִית הוּא לְעָלְמָא דְּאָתֵי. אֲבָל בְּגִין דְּפַלְחַת לִי, שִׁמּוּשָׁא דִּילָךְ לָא לִהֱוִי לְמַגָּנָא, תֶּהֱוִי מִיתָה דִּילָךְ בְּעָלְמָא דֵּין, וּבְעָלְמָא דְּאָתֵי לָא. וּבְגִין כַּךְ, וְצָרַעַת נַעֲמָן תִּדְבַּק בְּךָ וּבְזַרְעֲךָ. (גוונא דחיוורא אשתמודע, וגוונא דסומקא אשתמודע)
Moreover, he said to him, I served Elijah faithfully, and therefore obtained two portions, but you, villain, have compromised me by swearing falsely and being covetous. You have transgressed the whole of the Law, and therefore deserve to die in this world and the next, but because you have served me, your death shall only be in this world and not in the next.