Avodah Zarah 4a

עבודה זרה ד׳ ע״א

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Topic

How ה׳ judges: the sun in the future, the fear of government, ה׳'s gentle punishment of ישראל, the righteous and the wicked, and the moment of ה׳'s anger

Overview

This amud finishes a teaching from the previous daf: in the future the sun will burn the wicked and heal and refresh the righteous. The גמרא then explains that people are like fish, because without fear of the government the strong would swallow the weak, and a משנה in אבות says to pray for the government's welfare. Next come several pairs of פסוקים that seem to clash: about ה׳'s power (hidden in judgment, shown in war) and about His fury (held back from ישראל, shown to the nations). A series of teachings explains that ה׳ punishes ישראל little by little, like a hen pecking, and uses loss of money and suffering in this world to earn them עולם הבא. In a story, the מינים torment רב ספרא when he cannot explain a פסוק in עמוס, and רבי אבהו answers them with a parable of a lender who collects from a friend little by little but from an enemy all at once. רבי אבא בר כהנא teaches that killing the righteous with the wicked would be a desecration. The גמרא explains that only people who are not completely righteous, including those who could have protested sin and did not, are punished with the wicked. Finally, ה׳'s daily anger is explained: a community can withstand it, and it lasts only a tiny רגע, which only בלעם could pinpoint. The פסוק about בלעם comes on the next amud.

Opening lines

The steps (32)

1. StatementThe wicked are judged by the sun
2. StatementThe righteous are healed and refreshed by the sun
3. StatementAnother reason people are like fish: the strong swallow the weak
4. ProofSupport from the משנה of רבי חנינא סגן הכהנים
5. Challengeפסוקים that seem to contradict each other about ה׳'s power
6. ResolutionJudgment time versus war time
7. ChallengeTwo verses disagree about ה׳'s fury
8. ResolutionNo fury toward ישראל, fury toward the nations
9. StatementNo fury only because of an oath
10. Proofה׳ checks the nations' records for merit
11. Proofה׳ punishes ישראל like a hen pecking
12. StatementSmall מצוות added into a big total
13. StatementSaved because they cry out
14. Proofה׳ takes their money to redeem them
15. Proofה׳ sends suffering to strengthen them for the next world
16. Statementרבי אבהו praises רב ספרא to the heretics
17. ChallengeThe heretics challenge רב ספרא with a verse
18. ChallengeThe heretics complain to רבי אבהו
19. Resolutionרבי אבהו: I praised him in משנה, not in verses
20. QuestionThe heretics ask why Israeli scholars know פסוקים
21. ResponseLiving among the heretics forces deep study
22. QuestionThe heretics ask רבי אבהו to explain the פסוק himself
23. ResponseThe parable of the lender and his two debtors
24. Statementאברהם tells ה׳ that killing the righteous with the wicked is unthinkable
25. ChallengeBut a פסוק says ה׳ cuts off righteous and wicked together
26. ResolutionThe פסוק in יחזקאל means someone not fully righteous
27. ChallengeEven fully righteous people were punished at the Temple's destruction
28. ResolutionThose who could have protested and didn't are not fully righteous
29. ChallengeTwo verses about ה׳'s anger seem to contradict
30. ResolutionAn individual versus a community
31. Statementה׳'s anger lasts only a tiny moment
32. StatementOnly בלעם could pinpoint that moment