Avodah Zarah 10b

עבודה זרה י׳ ע״ב

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Topic

רבי and אנטונינוס's secret friendship, אנטונינוס's share in עולם הבא, and the story of קטיעה בר שלום

Overview

This amud continues the stories of the Roman ruler אנטונינוס and his friend רבי יהודה הנשיא. First the גמרא explains why רבי answered אנטונינוס only with hints: he feared the Romans would hear, and even a whisper can get out. Then come stories of their secret friendship: coded messages using plant names, gold hidden under wheat, a secret tunnel, and רבי חנינא בר חמא reviving a dead servant. אנטונינוס humbly serves רבי and asks whether he will reach עולם הבא. רבי says yes and answers his challenges from פסוקים, and ברייתות back him up. A ברייתא names אנטונינוס and קטיעה בר שלום as non-Jews who are not among the doomed. The גמרא then tells how קטיעה argued against an emperor's plan to destroy the Jews. He was put to death for it, circumcised himself, and was declared ready for עולם הבא. The amud ends as רב begins his words on the death of אדרכן, which continue on the next amud.

Opening lines

The steps (31)

1. ChallengeWhy not just say it openly?
2. ResolutionHe feared the powerful Romans would hear
3. ChallengeThen why not whisper it?
4. ResolutionEven a whisper can get out
5. StatementA coded talk with plants about אנטונינוס's daughter
6. StatementGold hidden under wheat
7. StatementThe gold is for future generations
8. StatementThe secret tunnel to רבי's house
9. Statementאנטונינוס finds someone else in the room
10. Statementרבי חנינא revives the dead servant
11. Statementאנטונינוס humbly serves רבי
12. QuestionWill אנטונינוס reach עולם הבא?
13. ChallengeA verse says עשו's house will have no survivor
14. ResolutionThe verse means those who act like עשו
15. ProofA ברייתא backs up רבי's answer
16. Challengeאנטונינוס brings a פסוק about all the kings and leaders of אדום
17. Resolutionרבי reads the פסוק as not including every king and officer
18. ProofA ברייתא supports רבי and names the two exceptions
19. QuestionWho was קטיעה בר שלום?
20. ResponseThe emperor's riddle about cutting off a sore
21. Rejectionקטיעה's first argument: you cannot destroy them all
22. QuestionWhat does 'like the four winds' mean?
23. ResponseThe world cannot exist without ישראל
24. Rejectionקטיעה's second argument: Rome will be called the cut-off kingdom
25. StatementThe emperor agrees but sentences קטיעה
26. Statementקטיעה circumcises himself on the way
27. Statementקטיעה leaves his property to רבי עקיבא and his colleagues
28. Statementרבי עקיבא learns: half to אהרן, half to his sons
29. StatementA בת קול announces קטיעה's reward
30. Conclusionרבי weeps: some earn their world in one moment
31. Statementאנטונינוס served רבי, and אדרכן served רב