THE NAKEDNESS OF THY SISTER… THOU SHALT NOT UNCOVER. R. Abba was once going from Cappadocia to Lydda in company with R. Jose. As they were going they saw a man approaching with a mark on his face. Said R. Abba: ‘Let us leave this road, because that man’s face testifies that he has transgressed one of the precepts of the Law against illicit intercourse.’ Said R. Jose: ‘Suppose this mark was on him from his boyhood; how can it show that he has transgressed by illicit intercourse?’ R. Abba replied: ‘I can see that he has by his face.’
R. Abba then called him and said: ‘Tell me, what is that mark on your face?’ He replied: ‘I beg of you, do not punish me further, because my sins have caused this.”How is that?’ said R. Abba. He replied: ‘I was once travelling with my sister, and we turned in to an inn, where I drank much wine. All that night I was in company with my sister. When I got up in the morning I found the host quarrelling with another man. I interposed between them and received blows from both, one on one side and one on the other, and was severely wounded, but was saved by a doctor who was living among us.’
R. Abba asked who the doctor was, and he replied: ‘It was R. Simlai.’ ‘What medicine did he give you?’ asked R. Abba. He replied: ‘Spiritual healing. From that day I repented, and every day I looked at myself in a mirror and wept before the Almighty for my sin, and from those tears my face was healed.’ Said R. Abba: ‘Were it not that you might cease repenting, I would cause that scar to be removed from your face. However, I will say over you the verse, “And thine iniquity is taken away and thy sin purged” (Isa. 6, 7). Repeat that three times.’ He repeated it three times and the mark vanished;
whereupon R. Abba said: ‘In sooth, your Master was fain to remove it from you, which shows that you have truly repented.’ He said: ‘I vow from this day to study the Torah day and night.’ R. Abba asked him what his name was, and he said ‘Eleazar’. Said R. Abba: ‘Eleazar, God is thy help; as thy name is so art thou.’ He then sent him away with a blessing.
Some time after, R. Abba, as he was on his way to R. Simeon, went into the town where this man lived. He found him expounding the verse: “A brutish man knoweth not, neither doth a fool understand this” (Ps. 92, 6). ‘How stupid’, he said, ‘are mankind that they take no pains to know the ways of the Almighty by which the world is maintained. What prevents them? Their stupidity, because they do not study the Torah; for if they were to study the Torah they would know the ways of the Holy One, blessed be He.
“A fool doth not understand this”: to wit, the ways of “this” (zoth, the Shekinah), in the world, how it judges the world. For they only see the punishments of this zoth alighting on the righteous and not alighting on the wicked who transgress the precepts of the Torah, and who inherit this world in every direction, as it is written, “the wicked spring as the grass”. Nor should we know better, did not King David enlighten us in the second part of the verse, saying, “It is that they shall be destroyed for ever”; that is, to be destroyed in the other world, where they shall be dust under the feet of the righteous.’
He further discoursed on the verse: “My leanness riseth up against me, it testifieth to my face” (Job 16, 8). ‘Observe’, he said, ‘that if a man transgresses the precepts of the Law, the Torah itself goes up and down and makes marks on that man’s face so that all both above and below look at him and heap curses on his head.
We have learnt that all the eyes of the Lord which go to and fro in the world to observe the ways of mankind look well at the face of that man and exclaim: Alas, alas! Alas for him in this world, alas for him in the world to come. Keep away from So-and-so because his face testifies against him that an unclean spirit rests upon him. If during the days that that testimony is upon his face he begets a son, he instils in him a spirit from the unclean side; and such become the shameless sinners of the generation, to whom their Master allows scope in this world in order to destroy them in the next.
But if a man is virtuous and studies the Torah day and night, then God weaves around him a thread of grace and sets a mark on his face which makes all afraid of him both above and below.’
Said R. Abba to him: ‘All this is very true; from whence have you learnt it? ‘ He replied: ‘So I have been taught, and I have also been taught that this evil heritage is transmitted to all his sons, if they do not repent, for repentance overcomes everything. For this remedy was given me once when I bore a mark on my face, until one day as I was going along I met a certain saintly man through whom this mark was removed from me.’ ‘What is your name?’ asked R. Abba. He replied: ‘My name is Eleazar’, and he divided it into El ezer (God is help). Said R. Abba to him: ‘Blessed be God that I have been privileged to see thee thus. Blessed art thou in this world and the next. I am the man who met you.’
He thereupon prostrated himself before him and brought him into his house and prepared for him special bread and flesh from a fatted calf. After they finished eating the man said: ‘Rabbi, I want you to tell me something. I have a red heifer, the mother of the calf the flesh of which we have just eaten. One day before it had calved I was going with it to the pasture when a man met me and said to me: What is the name of that cow? I replied that I had never given it a name. He said: It will be called Bathsheba the mother of Solomon if you shall succeed in repenting. Before I could turn my head he was gone, and I thought his remark very ridiculous.
Now, however, that I have become a student of the Torah I have been thinking again over that remark, but since R. Simlai departed this world there has been none who can enlighten us on questions of the Torah like him, and I am afraid to put forth any opinion of my own which I have not learnt from a teacher, and I can see that there is a hidden meaning in this remark though I do not understand it.’ ‘Truly’, replied R. Abba, ‘it has a hidden meaning with reference both to the upper and the lower world.
רִבִּי אַבָּא, הֲוָה אָזִיל לְקַפּוּטְקִיָּא, וַהֲוָה עִמֵּיהּ רִבִּי יוֹסֵי. עַד דַּהֲווֹ אַזְלֵי, חָמוּ חַד בַּר נָשׁ, דְּהֲוָה אָתֵי, וּרְשִׁימָא חַד בְּאַנְפּוֹי. אָמַר רִבִּי אַבָּא, נִסְטֵי מֵהַאי אוֹרְחָא, דְּהָא אַנְפּוֹי דְּדֵין אַסְהִידוּ עָלֵיהּ, דְּעָבַר בְּעֶרְיָיתָא דְּאוֹרַיְיתָא, בְּגִינֵי כַּךְ אִתְרְשִׁים בְּאַנְפּוֹי. אָמַר לֵיהּ רִבִּי יוֹסֵי, אִי הַאי רְשִׁימָא הֲוָה לֵיהּ כַּד הֲוָה יַנוּקָא, מַאי עֶרְיָיתָא אִשְׁתְּכַח בֵּיהּ. אָמַר לֵיהּ, אֲנָא חֲמֵינָא בְּאַנְפּוֹי, דְּאַסְהִידוּ בְּעֶרְיָיתָא דְּאוֹרַיְיתָא.
THE NAKEDNESS OF THY SISTER… THOU SHALT NOT UNCOVER. R. Abba was once going from Cappadocia to Lydda in company with R. Jose. As they were going they saw a man approaching with a mark on his face. Said R. Abba: ‘Let us leave this road, because that man’s face testifies that he has transgressed one of the precepts of the Law against illicit intercourse.’ Said R. Jose: ‘Suppose this mark was on him from his boyhood; how can it show that he has transgressed by illicit intercourse?’ R. Abba replied: ‘I can see that he has by his face.’
קָרָא לֵיהּ רִבִּי אַבָּא, אָמַר לֵיהּ אֵימָא מִלָּה, הַאי רְשִׁימָא דְּאַנְפָּךְ, מַה הוּא. אָמַר לוֹן, בְּמָטוֹתָא מִנַּיְיכוּ, לָא תַּעֲנְשׁוּ יַתִּיר לְהַהוּא בַּר נָשׁ, דְּהָא חוֹבוֹי קָא גָּרְמוּ לֵיהּ. אָמַר רִבִּי אַבָּא מַהוּ. אָמַר לֵיהּ, יוֹמָא חַד הֲוִינָא אָזִיל בְּאָרְחָא אֲנִי וַאֲחֹתִי, שָׁרֵינָא בְּחַד אוֹשְׁפִּיזָא, וְרָוִינָא חַמְרָא, וְכָל הַהוּא לֵילְיָא אֲחִידְנָא בַּאֲחֹתִי. בְּצַפְרָא קַמְנָא, וְאוּשְׁפִּיזָאִי קָטַט בְּחַד גַּבְרָא, עָיֵילְנָא בֵּינַיְיהוּ, וְקַטְרוּ לִי דָּא מֵהַאי גִּיסָא, וְדָא מֵהַאי גִּיסָא, וּרְשִׁימָא דָּא הֲוָה עָיֵיל לְבֵי מוֹחָא, וְאִשְׁתְּזַבְנָא עַל יְדָא דְּחַד אַסְיָיא דְּאִית בְּגַוָון.
R. Abba then called him and said: ‘Tell me, what is that mark on your face?’ He replied: ‘I beg of you, do not punish me further, because my sins have caused this.”How is that?’ said R. Abba. He replied: ‘I was once travelling with my sister, and we turned in to an inn, where I drank much wine. All that night I was in company with my sister. When I got up in the morning I found the host quarrelling with another man. I interposed between them and received blows from both, one on one side and one on the other, and was severely wounded, but was saved by a doctor who was living among us.’
אָמַר לֵיהּ, מַאן הוּא אַסְיָיא. אָמַר לֵיהּ, רִבִּי שַׂמְלָאי הוּא. אָמַר לֵיהּ מַאי אַסוּותָא יָהַב לְךָ. אָמַר לֵיהּ אַסוּותָא דְּנַפְשָׁא. וּמֵהַהוּא יוֹמָא אַהֲדַרְנָא בִּתְשׁוּבָה. וּבְכָל יוֹמָא חֲזֵינָא אַנְפָּאִי בְּחַד חֵיזוּ, וּבָכֵינָא קָמֵי קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, דְּהוּא רִבּוֹן עָלְמִין עַל הַהוּא חוֹבָה. וּמֵאִינּוּן דִּמְעִין אַסְחֵינָא אַנְפָּאִי. אָמַר רִבִּי אַבָּא, אִי לָאו דְּאִתְמְנַע מִנָךְ תְּשׁוּבָה, אַעְבַרְנָא מֵאַנְפָּךְ הַהוּא רְשִׁימָא. אֲבָל קָרֵינָא עָלָיךְ, (ישעיהו ו׳:ז׳) וְסָר עֲוֹנֶךָ וְחַטָּאתְך תְּכוּפָּר. אָמַר לֵיהּ, ג' זִמְנִין אֵימָא. אָמַר לֵיהּ ג' זִמְנִין, וְאִתְעֲבָר רְשִׁימָא.
R. Abba asked who the doctor was, and he replied: ‘It was R. Simlai.’ ‘What medicine did he give you?’ asked R. Abba. He replied: ‘Spiritual healing. From that day I repented, and every day I looked at myself in a mirror and wept before the Almighty for my sin, and from those tears my face was healed.’ Said R. Abba: ‘Were it not that you might cease repenting, I would cause that scar to be removed from your face. However, I will say over you the verse, “And thine iniquity is taken away and thy sin purged” (Isa. 6, 7). Repeat that three times.’ He repeated it three times and the mark vanished;
אָמַר רִבִּי אַבָּא, וַדַּאי מָארָךְ הָא בָּעָא לְאַעְבְּרָא מִנָךְ, דְּוַדַּאי בִּתְשׁוּבָה אִשְׁתְּכַחַת. אָמַר לֵיהּ, נָדַרְנָא מֵהַאי יוֹמָא לְאִתְעַסְּקָא בְּאוֹרַיְיתָא יְמָמָא וְלֵילְיָא. אָמַר לֵיהּ, מַה שְׁמָךְ. אָמַר לֵיהּ אֶלְעָזָר. אָמַר לֵיהּ אֵל עָזַר, וַדַּאי שְׁמָא גָּרִים, דֶּאֱלָהָךְ סִיְּיעָךְ, וַהֲוָה בְּסָעֲדָךְ, שַׁדְרֵיהּ רִבִי אַבָּא וּבַרְכֵיהּ.
whereupon R. Abba said: ‘In sooth, your Master was fain to remove it from you, which shows that you have truly repented.’ He said: ‘I vow from this day to study the Torah day and night.’ R. Abba asked him what his name was, and he said ‘Eleazar’. Said R. Abba: ‘Eleazar, God is thy help; as thy name is so art thou.’ He then sent him away with a blessing.
לְזִמְנָא אָחֳרָא, הֲוָה רִבִּי אַבָּא אָזִיל לְגַבֵּי רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן, עָאל בְּמָאתֵיהּ, אַשְׁכָּחֵיהּ דְּהֲוָה יָתִיב וְדָרִישׁ, (תהילים צ״ב:ז׳) אִישׁ בַּעַר לֹא יֵדָע וּכְסִיל לֹא יָבִין אֶת זֹאת. אִישׁ בַּעַר לֹא יֵדָע וְגוֹ', כַּמָה טִפְּשִׁין אִינּוּן בְּנֵי עָלְמָא, דְּלָא מַשְׁגִּיחִין וְלָא יַדְעִין וְלָא מִסְתַּכְּלִין לְמִנְדַּע אוֹרְחוֹי דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, עַל מַה קַיְימִין בְּעָלְמָא. מַאן מְעַכֵּב לְהוּ לְמִנְדַּע, טִפְּשׁוּתָא דִּלְהוֹן. בְּגִין דְּלָא מִשְׁתַּדְּלֵי בְּאוֹרַיְיתָא, דְּאִילּוּ הֲווֹ מִשְׁתַּדְּלֵי בְּאוֹרַיְיתָא יִנְדְּעוּן אוֹרְחוֹי דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא.
Some time after, R. Abba, as he was on his way to R. Simeon, went into the town where this man lived. He found him expounding the verse: “A brutish man knoweth not, neither doth a fool understand this” (Ps. 92, 6). ‘How stupid’, he said, ‘are mankind that they take no pains to know the ways of the Almighty by which the world is maintained. What prevents them? Their stupidity, because they do not study the Torah; for if they were to study the Torah they would know the ways of the Holy One, blessed be He.
וּכְסִיל לֹא יָבִין אֶת זֹאת, דְּלָא מִסְתָּכַל וְלָא יָדַע נִימוּסֵי דְּזֹאת בְּעָלְמָא. (דאף על גב) דְּדָאִין עָלְמָא בְּדִינוֹי וְחַמָאן לְדִינוֹי דְּהַאי זֹאת, דְּמָטָאן עַל בְּנֵי נָשָׁא דְּאִינּוּן זַכָּאִין, וְלָא מָטָאן עַל רַשִׁיעֲיָיא חַיָּיבִין, דְּעַבְרִין עַל פִּתְגָּמֵי אוֹרַיְיתָא, דִּכְתִּיב, (תהילים צ״ב:ח׳) בִּפְרוֹחַ רְשָׁעִים כְּמוֹ עֵשֶׂב וְגוֹ'. דְּהַאי עָלְמָא יָרְתִין לֵיהּ בְּכָל סִטְרוֹי, וְדִינִין לָא מָטוּן עָלוֹי בְּהַאי עָלְמָא. וְאִלְמָלֵא דְּדָוִד מַלְכָּא אוֹדְעֵיהּ בְּסוֹפֵיהּ דִּקְרָא, לָא יַדְעֵינָן, דִּכְתִּיב לְהִשָּׁמְדָם עֲדֵי עַד, לְשֵׁיצָאָה לְהוֹן מֵהַהוּא עָלְמָא, וּלְמֶהֱוִי עַפְרָא תְּחוֹת רַגְלֵיהוֹן דְּצַדִּיקַיָּיא, דִּכְתִּיב, (מלאכי ג׳:כ״א) וְעַסּוֹתֶם רְשָׁעִים כִּי יִהְיוּ אֵפֶר תַּחַת כַּפּוֹת רַגְלֵיכֶם.
“A fool doth not understand this”: to wit, the ways of “this” (zoth, the Shekinah), in the world, how it judges the world. For they only see the punishments of this zoth alighting on the righteous and not alighting on the wicked who transgress the precepts of the Torah, and who inherit this world in every direction, as it is written, “the wicked spring as the grass”. Nor should we know better, did not King David enlighten us in the second part of the verse, saying, “It is that they shall be destroyed for ever”; that is, to be destroyed in the other world, where they shall be dust under the feet of the righteous.’
תּוּ פָּתַח וְאָמַר, (איוב ט״ז:ח׳) וַיָּקָם בִּי כַחֲשִׁי בְּפָנַי יַעֲנֶה. בְּמַאי קָא מַיְירֵי. אֶלָּא, זַכָּאָה חוּלָקֵיהּ דְּבַּר נָשׁ דְּאִשְׁתָּדַּל בְּאוֹרַיְיתָא, לְמִנְדַע אוֹרְחוֹי דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא. דְּכָל מַאן דְּאִשְׁתָּדַּל בְּאוֹרַיְיתָא, כְּאִלּוּ אִשְׁתָּדַּל בִּשְׁמֵיהּ מַמָּשׁ. מַה שְׁמֵיהּ דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא עָבִיד נִימוּסִין. אוּף אוֹרַיְיתָא הָכִי נָמֵי. תָּא חֲזֵי, הַאי מַאן דְּעָבַר עַל פִּתְגָּמֵי אוֹרַיְיתָא, אוֹרַיְיתָא סַלְּקָא וְנַחְתָּא וְעַבְדָא בֵּיהּ בְּבַּר נָשׁ רְשִׁימִין בְּאַנְפּוֹי, בְּגִין דְּיִסְתַּכְּלוּן בֵּיהּ עִלָּאֵי וְתַתָּאֵי, וְכֻלְּהוּ אוֹשְׁדָן לְוָוטִין עַל רֵישֵׁיהּ.
He further discoursed on the verse: “My leanness riseth up against me, it testifieth to my face” (Job 16, 8). ‘Observe’, he said, ‘that if a man transgresses the precepts of the Law, the Torah itself goes up and down and makes marks on that man’s face so that all both above and below look at him and heap curses on his head.
וְתָאנָא, כָּל אִינּוּן עֵינֵי יְיָ', דְּאַזְלִין וְשָׁאטִין בְּעָלְמָא לְמִנְדַּע אוֹרְחוֹי דִּבְנֵי נָשָׁא, כֻּלְּהוֹן זַקְפִין עַיְינִין, וּמִסְתַּכְּלִין בְּאַנְפּוֹי דְּהַהוּא בַּר נָשׁ, וְחָמָאן לְהוּ, וְכֻלְּהוּ פַּתְחִין עָלֵיהּ וַוי וַוי. וַוי לֵיהּ בְּהַאי עָלְמָא, וַוי לֵיהּ בְּעָלְמָא דְּאָתֵי. אִסְתְּלָקוּ מִסּוֹחֲרָנֵיהּ דִּפְלַנְיָא, דְּהָא סַהֲדוּתָא בְּאַנְפּוֹי, וְרוּחָא דִּמְסָאֲבָא שַׁרְיָא עֲלוֹי. וְכָל אִינּוּן יוֹמִין דְּאִשְׁתְּכַח רְשִׁימוּ בְּאַנְפּוֹי לְסַהֲדוּתָא, אִי אוֹלִיד בַּר, אַשְׁלִיף לֵיהּ רוּחָא מִסִּטְרָא דִּמְסָאֲבָא. וְאִלֵּין אִינּוּן חַיָּיבֵי דָּרָא, תַּקִיפֵי אַנְפִּין, דְּמָארֵיהוֹן שָׁבִיק לְהוֹן בְּהַאי עָלְמָא, לְשֵׁיצָאָה לְהוּ בְּעָלְמָא דְּאָתֵי.
We have learnt that all the eyes of the Lord which go to and fro in the world to observe the ways of mankind look well at the face of that man and exclaim: Alas, alas! Alas for him in this world, alas for him in the world to come. Keep away from So-and-so because his face testifies against him that an unclean spirit rests upon him. If during the days that that testimony is upon his face he begets a son, he instils in him a spirit from the unclean side; and such become the shameless sinners of the generation, to whom their Master allows scope in this world in order to destroy them in the next.
תָּנֵינָן, הַאי צַדִּיקָא זַכָּאָה דְּאִשְׁתְּדַל בְּאוֹרַיְיתָא יְמָמָא וְלֵילְיָא, קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא מָשִׁיךְ עָלֵיהּ חַד חוּטָא דְּחֶסֶד, וְאִתְרְשִׁים לֵיהּ בְּאַנְפּוֹי, וּמֵהַהוּא רְשִׁימָא דַּחֲלֵי עִלָּאֵי וְתַתָּאֵי. הָכִי נָמֵי מַאן דְּעָבַר עַל פִּתְגָּמֵי אוֹרַיְיתָא, מַשְׁכָאן עָלֵיהּ רוּחָא דִּמְסָאֲבָא, וְאִתְרְשִׁים לֵיהּ בְּאַנְפּוֹי, וּמִנֵּיהּ עַרְקִין עִלָּאֵי וְתַתָּאֵי. וְכֹלָּא מַכְרְזֵי עָלֵיהּ, אִסְתְּלָקוּ מִסָּחֲרָנֵיהּ דִּפְלַנְיָא, דְּעָבַר עַל פִּתְגָּמֵי אוֹרַיְיתָא, וְעַל פִּקּוּדֵי דְּמָארֵיהּ, וַוי לֵיהּ, וַוי לְנַפְשֵׁיהּ. הַאי אַשְׁלִיף רוּחָא דִּמְסָאֲבָא, דְּאִשְׁתְּכַח עִמֵּיהּ, וְאוֹרִית לֵיהּ לִבְרֵיהּ, וְהַאי הוּא דְקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא לֵית לֵיהּ בֵּיהּ חוּלָקָא, וְשָׁבִיק לֵיהּ, לְשֵׁיצָאָה לֵיהּ לְעָלְמָא דְּאָתֵי.
But if a man is virtuous and studies the Torah day and night, then God weaves around him a thread of grace and sets a mark on his face which makes all afraid of him both above and below.’
אָמַר לֵיהּ רִבִּי אַבָּא, שַׁפִּיר קָאַמְרַת, מְנָא לָךְ הַאי. אָמַר לֵיהּ הָכִי אוֹלִיפְנָא. וְאוֹלִיפְנָא, דְּהַאי יְרוּתָא בִּישָׁא, אַחֲסִינוּן כֻּלְּהוּ בְּנוֹי, אִי לָא יְתוּבוּן, דְּהָא לֵית מִלָּה קַיְּימָא קָמֵי תְּשׁוּבָה. וַאֲנָא הָכִי אוֹלִיפְנָא, דְּאַסוּותָא דָּא יָהֲבוּ לִי זִמְנָא חֲדָא, דַּהֲוִינָא רְשִׁים בְּאַנְפָּאי, וְיוֹמָא חַד הֲוִינָא אָזִיל בְּאוֹרְחָא, וְאִעַרְעָנָא בְּחַד זַכָּאָה, וְעַל יְדוֹי אִתְעַבָּר מִנַּאי הַהוּא רְשִׁימָא. אָמַר לִי, מַה שְׁמָךְ. אָמַר לֵיהּ אֶלְעָזָר, וְקָרֵי עָלַי אֶלְעָזָר אָחֳרָא. אָמַר לֵיהּ, בְּרִיךְ רַחֲמָנָא, דַּחֲמֵינָא לָךְ, וְזָכֵינָא לְמֵחֱמֵי לָךְ בְּהַאי. זַכָּאָה חוּלָקָךְ בְּעָלְמָא דֵּין וּבְעָלְמָא דְּאָתֵי, (אמר ליה) אֲנָא הוּא דְּאִעְרַעְנָא לָךְ.
Said R. Abba to him: ‘All this is very true; from whence have you learnt it? ‘ He replied: ‘So I have been taught, and I have also been taught that this evil heritage is transmitted to all his sons, if they do not repent, for repentance overcomes everything. For this remedy was given me once when I bore a mark on my face, until one day as I was going along I met a certain saintly man through whom this mark was removed from me.’ ‘What is your name?’ asked R. Abba. He replied: ‘My name is Eleazar’, and he divided it into El ezer (God is help). Said R. Abba to him: ‘Blessed be God that I have been privileged to see thee thus. Blessed art thou in this world and the next. I am the man who met you.’
אִשְׁתָּטַּח קָמֵיהּ, אַיְיתֵיהּ לְבֵיתֵיהּ, אַתְקִין קָמֵיהּ קוּרְטִיסָא (ס"א טרכוסא) (טרטיסאי) דְּנַהֲמָא, וּבִשְׂרָא דְּעֶגְלָא תְּלִיתָאָה. בָּתַר דְּאָכְלוּ, אָמַר לֵיהּ הַהוּא גַּבְרָא, רִבִּי, אֵימָא לִי חַד מִלָּה, חָדָּא תּוֹרָתָא סוּמָקָא אִית לִי, אִימָּא דְּעֶגְלָא דְּבִישְׂרָא דָּא דַּאֲכִילְנָא, וְיוֹמָא חַד עַד לָא אִתְעַבְּרַת וְאוֹלִידַת, אֲזִילְנָא בַּתְרָאָה לְמַרְעָא לְמַדְבְּרָא, עַד דְּדָבַּרְנָא לָהּ אַעְבָּר קָמַאי חַד גַּבְרָא, אָמַר לֵיהּ, מַה שְׁמָהּ דְּתוֹרָתָא דָּא. אֲמֵינָא, מִן יוֹמָא דְּאִתְיְילִידַת לָא קָרֵינָּא לָהּ בִּשְׁמָא. אָמַר לֵיהּ, בַּת שֶׁבַע אֵם שְׁלֹמֹה אִתְקְרֵי, אִי תִּזְכֶּה לְכַפָּרָה. וַאֲנָא בְּעוֹד דְּאָהָדַרְנָא רֵישָׁאי, לָא חֲמֵינָא לֵיהּ, וְחָיִיכְנָא מֵהַהוּא מִלָּה.
He thereupon prostrated himself before him and brought him into his house and prepared for him special bread and flesh from a fatted calf. After they finished eating the man said: ‘Rabbi, I want you to tell me something. I have a red heifer, the mother of the calf the flesh of which we have just eaten. One day before it had calved I was going with it to the pasture when a man met me and said to me: What is the name of that cow? I replied that I had never given it a name. He said: It will be called Bathsheba the mother of Solomon if you shall succeed in repenting. Before I could turn my head he was gone, and I thought his remark very ridiculous.
וְהַשְׁתָּא דְּזָכִינָא בְּאוֹרַיְיתָא, אִתְּעַרְנָא עַל הַהִיא מִלָּה, וּמִן יוֹמָא דְּאִתְפְּטָר רִבִּי שַׂמְלָאי מֵהָכָא, לָא הֲוָה בַּר נָשׁ דְּיַנְהִיר לָן בְּאוֹרַיְיתָא כְּוָותֵיהּ. וַאֲנָא דָּחִילְנָא לְמֵימַר מִלָּה דְּאוֹרַיְיתָא דְּלָא אוֹלִיפְנָא. וּמִלָּה דָּא דְּאִסְתַּכַּלְנָא דְּמִלָּה דְּחָכְמְתָא הִיא, וְלָא יְדַעְנָא. אָמַר לֵיהּ, וַדַּאי מִלָּה דְּחָכְמְתָא הִיא, וּרְמִיזָא עִלָּאָה הִיא לְעֵילָּא וּלְתַתָּא.
Now, however, that I have become a student of the Torah I have been thinking again over that remark, but since R. Simlai departed this world there has been none who can enlighten us on questions of the Torah like him, and I am afraid to put forth any opinion of my own which I have not learnt from a teacher, and I can see that there is a hidden meaning in this remark though I do not understand it.’ ‘Truly’, replied R. Abba, ‘it has a hidden meaning with reference both to the upper and the lower world.