Sanhedrin 96b

סנהדרין צ״ו ע״ב

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Topic

נבוזראדן's destruction of ירושלים and his conversion, enemies whose descendants joined the Torah world, how עמון ומואב urged נבוכדנצר to attack, and the start of the discussion about משיח

Overview

The גמרא first asks how נבוזראדן could stand before the king of Babylon in ירושלים when נבוכדנצר was far away in רבלה, and two אמוראים explain that he acted as if his master were there. Then רבא tells how ירושלים fell: one gate wore out 300 loads of iron axes, until a בת קול said the time had come, and a tap from the last axe opened it. When נבוזראדן burned the היכל and grew proud, a בת קול told him he had only ground flour that was already ground. He found the blood of the murdered נביא זכריה boiling, killed 940,000 people trying to calm it, and was so shaken that he did תשובה and converted. A ברייתא adds that descendants of סיסרא, סנחריב (שמעיה ואבטליון) and המן learned Torah, but the angels blocked ה׳'s wish to accept נבוכדנצר's descendants. Next, עולא tells how עמון ומואב convinced a fearful נבוכדנצר to attack, answering each of his excuses with a פסוק. Finally רב נחמן asks רבי יצחק when 'בר נפלי', meaning משיח, will come, and begins quoting a פסוק that continues on the next עמוד.

Opening lines

The steps (39)

1. ChallengeWas נבוכדנצר really in ירושלים?
2. ResolutionTwo explanations of standing before an absent king
3. StatementThree hundred loads of axes used up on one gate
4. Statementנבוזראדן fears סנחריב's fate
5. StatementA Heavenly voice says the time has come
6. StatementThe Sanctuary rises and is pressed down from Heaven
7. StatementYou killed a dead nation and burned a burned Sanctuary
8. ConclusionFlour, not wheat
9. Statementנבוזראדן finds blood that will not stop boiling
10. StatementThe כהנים reveal the truth, and נבוזראדן kills masses of people
11. Statementנבוזראדן speaks to זכריה, and the blood rests
12. Statementנבוזראדן does תשובה and converts
13. StatementA ברייתא on converts and on enemies' descendants who learned Torah
14. QuestionWho were the descendants of סנחריב?
15. ResponseThey were שמעיה ואבטליון
16. Statementהמן's descendants learned Torah in בני ברק
17. Statementה׳ wanted to bring in נבוכדנצר's descendants too
18. StatementThe angels protest
19. ProofA verse describes the failed healing
20. Statementעולא: the פסוק is about נבוכדנצר
21. Statementרבי שמואל בר נחמני: the rivers of Babylon
22. Statementעמון ומואב invite נבוכדנצר to attack
23. Rejectionנבוכדנצר is afraid
24. ResponseThe Man is not at home
25. RejectionHe is nearby and will return
26. ResponseHe went far away
27. RejectionThe righteous will pray and bring Him back
28. ResponseHe took the righteous with Him
29. RejectionMaybe the wicked will repent and bring ה׳ back
30. Responseה׳ already set a fixed time
31. RejectionIt is winter and I cannot come
32. ResponseCome by way of the mountain peaks
33. RejectionI will have nowhere to stay
34. ResponseTheir burial caves are finer than your palaces
35. QuestionWhen will 'בר נפלי' come?
36. QuestionWho is 'בר נפלי'?
37. ResponseIt means משיח
38. QuestionWhy call משיח by that name?
39. ProofYes, there is a פסוק for it