Gittin 57b

גיטין נ״ז ע״ב

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Topic

Stories of the חורבן: זכריה's blood, Rome's cruelty, the martyrs, and readings of 'כי עליך הורגנו'

Overview

This amud is full of אגדה about the destructions of ירושלים. An old man tells רבי יהושע בן קרחה how נבוזראדן killed huge numbers of people, until their blood reached the boiling blood of the murdered prophet זכריה. The blood rested only when נבוזראדן asked זכריה whether he wanted the whole people destroyed. After that, נבוזראדן repented and became a full גר, and the גמרא lists other enemies whose descendants became Torah scholars. Next the גמרא gives two readings of 'הקול קול יעקב והידים ידי עשו', one about Rome's massacres and one about the power of prayer, and רב teaches that דוד was shown both חורבנות. Then come two stories of martyrs: 400 captive children who drowned themselves rather than sin, and the woman whose seven sons each refused עבודה זרה. Several Sages explain 'כי עליך הורגנו כל היום' in different ways: these martyrs, מילה, scholars who demonstrate שחיטה on themselves, and scholars who give everything for Torah. The amud ends as רבה בר בר חנה begins a new teaching about forty סאה, which continues on the next amud.

Opening lines

The steps (33)

1. StatementThe old man's report of the great slaughter
2. Statementנבוזראדן finds the boiling blood and is lied to
3. Questionנבוזראדן threatens them to get the truth
4. ResponseThe people confess they killed the prophet
5. Statementנבוזראדן kills group after group, but the blood does not rest
6. ConclusionThe blood finally rests
7. Statementנבוזראדן repents, flees, and converts
8. Statementנעמן versus נבוזראדן: two kinds of converts
9. StatementDescendants of Israel's enemies who became Torah scholars
10. ProofA פסוק hinting at זכריה's uncovered blood
11. StatementThe voice of יעקב and the hands of עשו: Roman cruelty
12. StatementA second reading: יעקב's prayer and עשו's wars
13. Proofרבי אלעזר on the power of the tongue
14. Statementדוד was shown both destructions
15. QuestionThe captive children ask about drowning themselves
16. ResponseThe oldest child answers from a פסוק
17. ConclusionThe girls and then the boys jump into the sea
18. StatementThe verse 'For Your sake we are killed' is about these children
19. Statementרב יהודה: the verse is about the woman and her seven sons; the first son
20. StatementThe second and third sons refuse and are killed
21. StatementThe fourth and fifth sons refuse and are killed
22. StatementThe sixth son refuses and is killed
23. StatementThe seventh son quotes the mutual oath with ה׳
24. StatementThe emperor offers a way out with his ring
25. RejectionThe boy refuses with a קל וחומר
26. StatementThe mother's last kiss and her message to אברהם
27. ConclusionThe mother dies and a heavenly voice praises her
28. StatementThe verse refers to circumcision on the eighth day
29. StatementThe verse refers to scholars who demonstrate slaughter on themselves
30. Proofרבא: demonstrate anything on yourself except slaughter
31. StatementThe verse refers to scholars who 'kill themselves' over Torah
32. Proofריש לקיש: Torah lasts only in one who 'dies' for it
33. Statementרבה בר בר חנה begins a new statement about forty סאה