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Sanhedrin 98b

סנהדרין צ״ח ע״ב

Learn Sanhedrin 98b step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.

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Topic

The coming of משיח: the suffering before him, his name and identity, and the day of ה׳

Overview

This amud is all about the coming of משיח. It opens with the end of a description of foreign armies overrunning the land. Then רב says משיח will come only after the evil kingdom rules over ישראל for nine months. עולא, רבה and later רבי יוחנן say they would rather not live to see משיח, because of the terrible suffering before he comes. רב יוסף disagrees and would accept any disgrace just to be there. רבה explains that even תורה and חסד may not protect him, since sin can cancel protection, as with יעקב's fear and the second entry into the land. רבי יוחנן explains his fear from a פסוק in ירמיה about the pain of that time. The גמרא then discusses whether ישראל will enjoy the years of משיח, for whom the world was created, what משיח's name is, who he might be, and how a 'new דוד' will rule beside the original דוד. It ends with רבי שמלאי's parable of the rooster and the bat about the day of ה׳.

Opening lines

שֶׁאֵין כׇּל דֶּקֶל וָדֶקֶל שֶׁבְּבָבֶל,

for there is no palm tree in Babylonia

שֶׁאֵין סוּס שֶׁל פָּרְסִיִּים נִקְשָׁר בּוֹ,

to which a horse of the Persians will not be tied,

וְאֵין לָךְ כׇּל אָרוֹן וְאָרוֹן שֶׁבְּאֶרֶץ יִשְׂרָאֵל,

and there is no coffin in Eretz Yisrael

שֶׁאֵין סוּס מָדִי אוֹכֵל בּוֹ תֶּבֶן.

from which a Median horse will not eat straw.

The steps (31)

  1. StatementWhy the coffin must be buried deep
  2. StatementNine months of the evil kingdom before משיח
  3. Statementעולא and רבה would rather not see משיח come
  4. Statementרב יוסף wants to see משיח no matter the cost
  5. Questionאביי asks רבה why he is afraid
  6. Challengeתורה and חסד protect from the pains, and רבה has both
  7. Resolutionרבה fears that sin may cancel his protection
  8. Challengeרבי יעקב בר אידי's contradiction about יעקב's fear
  9. Resolutionיעקב feared his sin might cancel the promise
  10. ProofA ברייתא about the two entries into the land
  11. ConclusionThe second entry lacked miracles because of sin
  12. Statementרבי יוחנן also does not want to see משיח
  13. Questionריש לקיש asks for the reason and suggests one
  14. RejectionThese troubles already happen in this world
  15. Responseרבי יוחנן gives his real reason: a פסוק in ירמיה
  16. ResponseWho is the 'man' in the פסוק
  17. ResponseWhy all faces turn pale
  18. Statementרב פפא's proverb about the ox and the horse
  19. Statementישראל will enjoy the years of משיח
  20. Challengeרב יוסף: Isn't that obvious?
  21. ResolutionIt rejects רבי הילל's view
  22. StatementFor whom was the world created?
  23. QuestionWhat is the name of משיח?
  24. ResponseEach school gives משיח a name from a פסוק
  25. Statementרב נחמן: if משיח is alive now, he is like me
  26. Statementרב: like רבינו הקדוש if alive, like דניאל if from the dead
  27. Statementהקב״ה will set up 'another דוד'
  28. Challengeרב פפא: a פסוק says דוד himself will rule forever
  29. ResolutionLike an emperor and his deputy
  30. QuestionWhy does the פסוק warn those who long for the day of ה׳?
  31. ResponseThe parable of the rooster and the bat