## Chagigah Daf 16b

###### Chagigah 16b:1
[Chagigah 16b:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Chagigah/r/16b:1)

הָרִאשׁוֹנִים הָיוּ נְשִׂיאִים, וּשְׁנִיִּים לָהֶם אֲבוֹת בֵּית דִּין.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
**The first** members of each pair **served as *Nasi*, and their counterparts** served as **deputy *Nasi*.**


###### Chagigah 16b:2
[Chagigah 16b:2](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Chagigah/r/16b:2)

**גְּמָ׳** תָּנוּ רַבָּנַן: שְׁלֹשָׁה מִזּוּגוֹת הָרִאשׁוֹנִים שֶׁאָמְרוּ שֶׁלֹּא לִסְמוֹךְ, וּשְׁנַיִם מִזּוּגוֹת הָאַחֲרוֹנִים שֶׁאָמְרוּ לִסְמוֹךְ — (הָרִאשׁוֹנִים) הָיוּ נְשִׂיאִים, וּשְׁנִיִּים לָהֶם אֲבוֹת בֵּית דִּין, דִּבְרֵי רַבִּי מֵאִיר. וַחֲכָמִים אוֹמְרִים: יְהוּדָה בֶּן טָבַאי — אַב בֵּית דִּין, וְשִׁמְעוֹן בֶּן שָׁטַח — נָשִׂיא.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
**GEMARA:** **The Sages taught: Three of the first pairs who say not to place hands and two of the last pairs who say to place hands served as *Nasi*, and their counterparts** served as **deputy *Nasi*;** this is **the statement of Rabbi Meir. And the Rabbis say** the opposite: **Yehuda ben Tabbai** was **deputy *Nasi* and Shimon ben Shataḥ** was the ***Nasi*.**


###### Chagigah 16b:3
[Chagigah 16b:3](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Chagigah/r/16b:3)

מַאן תְּנָא לְהָא דְּתָנוּ רַבָּנַן: אָמַר רַבִּי יְהוּדָה בֶּן טָבַאי: אֶרְאֶה בְּנֶחָמָה אִם לֹא הָרַגְתִּי עֵד זוֹמֵם, לְהוֹצִיא מִלִּבָּן שֶׁל צַדּוּקִין. שֶׁהָיוּ אוֹמְרִים: אֵין עֵדִים זוֹמְמִין נֶהֱרָגִין עַד שֶׁיֵּהָרֵג הַנִּידּוֹן.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
The Gemara asks: **Who is the *tanna*** who taught **that which the Sages taught** in a *baraita*: **Rabbi Yehuda ben Tabbai said:** I swear that **I will** not **see the consolation** of Israel **if I did not kill a conspiring witness.** This means that Rabbi Yehuda ben Tabbai sentenced a conspiring witness to death, in order **to counter the views of the Sadducees, who would say: Conspiring witnesses are not executed unless the sentenced one has been executed.** Their views opposed the traditional view, which maintains that conspiring witnesses are executed only if the one sentenced by their testimony has not yet been executed.


###### Chagigah 16b:4
[Chagigah 16b:4](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Chagigah/r/16b:4)

אָמַר לוֹ שִׁמְעוֹן בֶּן שָׁטַח: אֶרְאֶה בְּנֶחָמָה אִם לֹא שָׁפַכְתָּ דָּם נָקִי, שֶׁהֲרֵי אָמְרוּ חֲכָמִים: אֵין עֵדִים זוֹמְמִין נֶהֱרָגִין עַד שֶׁיִּזּוֹמּוּ שְׁנֵיהֶם, וְאֵין לוֹקִין עַד שֶׁיִּזּוֹמּוּ שְׁנֵיהֶם, וְאֵין מְשַׁלְּמִין מָמוֹן עַד שֶׁיִּזּוֹמּוּ שְׁנֵיהֶם.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
**Shimon ben Shataḥ said to him:** I swear that **I will** not **see the consolation** of Israel **if you did not shed innocent blood, as the Sages said: Conspiring witnesses are not executed unless they are both found to be conspirators;** if only one is found to be a conspirator, he is not executed. **And they are not flogged** if they are liable to such a penalty, **unless they are both found to be conspirators. And** if they testified falsely that someone owed money, **they do not pay money unless they are both found to be conspirators.**


###### Chagigah 16b:5
[Chagigah 16b:5](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Chagigah/r/16b:5)

מִיָּד קִבֵּל עָלָיו יְהוּדָה בֶּן טָבַאי שֶׁאֵינוֹ מוֹרֶה הֲלָכָה אֶלָּא בִּפְנֵי שִׁמְעוֹן בֶּן שָׁטַח.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
Hearing this, **Yehuda ben Tabbai immediately accepted upon himself not to rule** on any matter of **law unless he was in the presence of Shimon ben Shataḥ,** as he realized he could not rely on his own judgment.


###### Chagigah 16b:6
[Chagigah 16b:6](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Chagigah/r/16b:6)

כׇּל יָמָיו שֶׁל יְהוּדָה בֶּן טָבַאי הָיָה מִשְׁתַּטֵּחַ עַל קִבְרוֹ שֶׁל אוֹתוֹ הָרוּג, וְהָיָה קוֹלוֹ נִשְׁמָע. כִּסְבוּרִין הָעָם לוֹמַר שֶׁקּוֹלוֹ שֶׁל הָרוּג הוּא. אָמַר לָהֶם: קוֹלִי הוּא. תֵּדְעוּ, שֶׁלְּמָחָר הוּא מֵת, וְאֵין קוֹלוֹ נִשְׁמָע.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
The *baraita* further relates: **All of Yehuda ben Tabbai’s days, he would prostrate himself on the grave of that executed** individual, to request forgiveness, **and his voice was heard** weeping. **The people thought that it was the voice of that executed** person, rising from his grave. Yehuda ben Tabbai **said to them: It is my voice,** and **you** shall **know** that it is so, **for tomorrow,** i.e., sometime in the future, **he will die, and his voice will no** longer **be heard.** Yehuda ben Tabbai was referring to himself, but he did not want to mention something negative about himself in direct terms.


###### Chagigah 16b:7
[Chagigah 16b:7](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Chagigah/r/16b:7)

אֲמַר לֵיהּ רַב אַחָא בְּרֵיהּ דְּרָבָא לְרַב אָשֵׁי: וְדִלְמָא פַּיּוֹסֵי פַּיְּיסֵיהּ, אוֹ בְּדִינָא תַּבְעֵיהּ.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
**Rav Aḥa, son of Rava, said to Rav Ashi:** This provides no conclusive proof that the voice was not that of the executed man, as **perhaps** ben Tabbai **appeased** the executed individual in the World-to-Come. **Or,** alternatively, the latter may have **prosecuted him by the law** of Heaven, and that is why his voice can no longer be heard.


###### Chagigah 16b:8
[Chagigah 16b:8](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Chagigah/r/16b:8)

מַנִּי הָא? אִי אָמְרַתְּ בִּשְׁלָמָא, רַבִּי מֵאִיר דְּאָמַר שִׁמְעוֹן בֶּן שָׁטַח אַב בֵּית דִּין, רַבִּי יְהוּדָה בֶּן טָבַאי נָשִׂיא — הַיְינוּ דְּקָא מוֹרֵי הֲלָכָה בִּפְנֵי שִׁמְעוֹן בֶּן שָׁטַח. אֶלָּא אִי אָמְרַתְּ רַבָּנַן דְּאָמְרִי: יְהוּדָה בֶּן טָבַאי אַב בֵּית דִּין, שִׁמְעוֹן בֶּן שָׁטַח נָשִׂיא — אַב בֵּית דִּין בִּפְנֵי נָשִׂיא מִי מוֹרֶה הֲלָכָה?

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
The Gemara returns to its original question: **Whose** opinion does **this** *baraita* follow? **Granted, if you say** it is in accordance **with** that of **Rabbi Meir,** who **said** that **Shimon ben Shataḥ was deputy *Nasi*** while **Rabbi Yehuda ben Tabbai was *Nasi*, that** explains why **he** had previously **issued a halakhic ruling in the presence of Shimon ben Shataḥ** to execute the conspiring witness, and only after that unfortunate incident did he undertake to issue rulings only in the presence of his colleague. **But if you say** that the *baraita* is in accordance with **the Sages, who said: Yehuda ben Tabbai** was **deputy *Nasi*** and **Shimon ben Shataḥ** the ***Nasi*,** why did he need to make such a commitment? **May** the **deputy *Nasi* issue a halakhic ruling in the presence of** the ***Nasi*?**


###### Chagigah 16b:9
[Chagigah 16b:9](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Chagigah/r/16b:9)

לָא, מַאי ״קִבֵּל עָלָיו״ דְּקָאָמַר — לְאִצְטְרוֹפֵי, דַּאֲפִילּוּ אִצְטְרוֹפֵי נָמֵי לָא מִצְטְרֵיפְנָא.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
The Gemara refutes this: **No; what** did he mean by **accepting upon himself** not to rule on his own? **He spoke** with regard **to joining** the ruling of others: **Even** with regard to **joining** the ruling of others, **I will also not join** until I have first heard the view of Shimon ben Shataḥ.


###### Chagigah 16b:10
[Chagigah 16b:10](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Chagigah/r/16b:10)

יָצָא מְנַחֵם וְנִכְנַס שַׁמַּאי כּוּ׳. לְהֵיכָן יָצָא? אַבָּיֵי אָמַר: יָצָא לְתַרְבּוּת רָעָה. רָבָא אָמַר: יָצָא לַעֲבוֹדַת הַמֶּלֶךְ. תַּנְיָא נָמֵי הָכִי: יָצָא מְנַחֵם לַעֲבוֹדַת הַמֶּלֶךְ, וְיָצְאוּ עִמּוֹ שְׁמוֹנִים זוּגוֹת תַּלְמִידִים לְבוּשִׁין סִירִיקוֹן.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
§ It is taught in the mishna: **Menaḥem departed and Shammai entered.** The Gemara asks: **To where did** Menaḥem **depart? Abaye said: He departed and went astray.** Therefore, the mishna did not wish to delve into the details of his case. **Rava said: He departed for the king’s service.** He received a post from the king and had to leave the court. **This is also taught** in a *baraita*: **Menaḥem departed for the king’s service, and eighty pairs of students dressed in silk robes left with him** to work for the king, and that they no longer studied Torah.


###### Chagigah 16b:11
[Chagigah 16b:11](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Chagigah/r/16b:11)

אָמַר רַב שֶׁמֶן בַּר אַבָּא אָמַר רַבִּי יוֹחָנָן: לְעוֹלָם אַל תְּהֵא שְׁבוּת קַלָּה בְּעֵינֶיךָ, שֶׁהֲרֵי סְמִיכָה אֵינָהּ אֶלָּא מִשּׁוּם שְׁבוּת, וְנֶחְלְקוּ בָּהּ גְּדוֹלֵי הַדּוֹר.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
§ **Rav Shemen bar Abba said** that **Rabbi Yoḥanan said: A rabbinic decree [*shevut*] should never be taken lightly in your eyes, since placing hands** on the head of an offering on a Festival **is prohibited only as a rabbinic decree** because it is considered making use of an animal, which is not considered a prohibited labor but merely resembles one, and yet **the greatest** scholars **of each generation disputed it.**


###### Chagigah 16b:12
[Chagigah 16b:12](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Chagigah/r/16b:12)

פְּשִׁיטָא? שְׁבוּת מִצְוָה אִצְטְרִיכָא לֵיהּ.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
The Gemara is puzzled by this statement: This **is obvious.** Since it is an accepted rabbinic decree, why should people take it lightly? The Gemara answers: It was **necessary for him** to state it because it is **a rabbinic decree related to a mitzva.** In other words, although this rabbinic decree of placing the hands on an animal is not performed for one’s own sake but for the purpose of a mitzva, it was nevertheless a serious matter in the eyes of the Sages.


###### Chagigah 16b:13
[Chagigah 16b:13](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Chagigah/r/16b:13)

הָא נָמֵי פְּשִׁיטָא! לְאַפּוֹקֵי מִמַּאן דְּאָמַר בִּסְמִיכָה גּוּפַהּ פְּלִיגִי, קָא מַשְׁמַע לַן בִּשְׁבוּת הוּא דִּפְלִיגִי.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
The Gemara remains puzzled: **This too is obvious.** In that case as well, the act is prohibited by the Sages. The Gemara responds: Rabbi Yoḥanan’s statement comes **to exclude** the opinion **of the one who said** that **they disagree with regard to the actual** obligation of **placing hands,** i.e., whether or not obligatory peace-offerings require placing the hands. **He** therefore **teaches us** that **it is a rabbinic decree** that is the subject **of their dispute,** not the requirement itself.


###### Chagigah 16b:14
[Chagigah 16b:14](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Chagigah/r/16b:14)

אָמַר רָמֵי בַּר חָמָא: שְׁמַע מִינַּהּ סְמִיכָה בְּכׇל כֹּחוֹ בָּעֵינַן, דְּאִי סָלְקָא דַּעְתָּךְ לָא בָּעֵינַן בְּכׇל כֹּחוֹ — מַאי קָא עָבֵיד? לִיסְמוֹךְ!

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
**Rami bar Ḥama said:** You can **learn from here,** from this dispute, that the mitzva of **placing hands** requires not only placing one’s hands on the animal’s head, but **we also require** that one places his hands **with all his strength. For if it enters your mind** that **we do not require all his strength, what** prohibition **does one violate** by placing his hands? **Let him place** them on a Festival as well, as this does not resemble a prohibited action at all.


###### Chagigah 16b:15
[Chagigah 16b:15](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Chagigah/r/16b:15)

מֵיתִיבִי: ״דַּבֵּר אֶל בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל ... וְסָמַךְ״, בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל סוֹמְכִין, וְאֵין בְּנוֹת יִשְׂרָאֵל סוֹמְכוֹת. רַבִּי יוֹסֵי וְרַבִּי יִשְׁמָעֵאל אוֹמְרִים: בְּנוֹת יִשְׂרָאֵל סוֹמְכוֹת רְשׁוּת.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
**The Gemara raises an objection** to this from a *baraita*: **“Speak to the children of [*benei*] Israel”** (Leviticus 1:2). The word *benei* literally means: Sons of. And it states nearby: **“And he shall place** his hand on the head of the burnt-offering” (Leviticus 1:4), from which we learn that **the sons of Israel place** their hands, **but the daughters of Israel do not place** them. **Rabbi Yosei and Rabbi Yishmael say: It is optional for the daughters of Israel to place** their hands. They may place their hands if they so choose, although they are not obligated to do so.


###### Chagigah 16b:16
[Chagigah 16b:16](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Chagigah/r/16b:16)

אָמַר רַבִּי יוֹסֵי, סָח לִי אַבָּא אֶלְעָזָר: פַּעַם אַחַת הָיָה לָנוּ עֵגֶל שֶׁל זִבְחֵי שְׁלָמִים, וַהֲבֵיאנוּהוּ לְעֶזְרַת נָשִׁים, וְסָמְכוּ עָלָיו נָשִׁים. לֹא מִפְּנֵי שֶׁסְּמִיכָה בְּנָשִׁים, אֶלָּא כְּדֵי לַעֲשׂוֹת נַחַת רוּחַ לַנָּשִׁים. וְאִי סָלְקָא דַעְתָּךְ סְמִיכָה בְּכׇל כֹּחוֹ בָּעֵינַן — מִשּׁוּם נַחַת רוּחַ דְּנָשִׁים עָבְדִינַן עֲבוֹדָה בְּקָדָשִׁים? אֶלָּא לָאו, שְׁמַע מִינַּהּ לָא בָּעֵינַן בְּכׇל כֹּחוֹ!

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
**Rabbi Yosei said:** The Sage **Abba Elazar related to me** the following incident: **On one occasion, we had a calf for a peace-offering, and we brought it to the Women’s Courtyard, and women placed** their hands **on it.** We did this **not because there** is an obligation of **placing hands in** the case of **women, but in order to please the women,** by allowing them to sacrifice an offering, in all of its particulars, as men do. Now, **if it enters your mind** that **we require** placing hands **with all one’s strength,** would **we perform work with consecrated** offerings **in order to please** the **women?** Placing one’s hands forcefully on an animal is considered performing work with it, and if one does it without being obligated to do so, he has thereby performed work with an offering. **Rather, isn’t it** correct to **conclude from this** that **we do not require** placing hands **with all one’s strength?**


###### Chagigah 16b:17
[Chagigah 16b:17](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Chagigah/r/16b:17)

לְעוֹלָם אֵימָא לָךְ בָּעֵינַן בְּכׇל כֹּחוֹ — דַּאֲמַר לְהוּ: אַקְפּוֹ יְדַיְיכוּ. אִי הָכִי, לֹא מִפְּנֵי שֶׁסְּמִיכָה בְּנָשִׁים, תִּיפּוֹק לֵיהּ דְּאֵינָהּ לִסְמִיכָה כְּלָל!

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
The Gemara rejects this: **Actually, I** could **say to you** that **we do require** placing hands **with all one’s strength,** but here they allowed women to place their hands **by saying to them: Ease your hands** and do not press forcefully, so that their hand placing should not constitute work. The Gemara retorts: **If so,** then the reason formulated as: **Not because there** is an obligation to **place hands in** the case of **women,** is irrelevant to this law. **Let him derive** the permission for women to do so from the reason that **it is not** considered **placing hands at all.** If placing hands must be performed with all one’s strength, this action the women are performing does not constitute placing hands.


###### Chagigah 16b:18
[Chagigah 16b:18](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Chagigah/r/16b:18)

אָמַר רַבִּי אַמֵּי: חֲדָא וְעוֹד קָאָמַר. חֲדָא — דְּלֵיתָא לִסְמִיכָה כְּלָל, וְעוֹד — כְּדֵי לַעֲשׂוֹת נַחַת רוּחַ לַנָּשִׁים.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
**Rabbi Ami said: He stated one** reason **and another. One** reason is **that it is not** considered **placing hands at all,** as it is not performed with all of one’s strength; **and another** reason is that they allowed it **in order to please the women.**


###### Chagigah 16b:19
[Chagigah 16b:19](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Chagigah/r/16b:19)

אָמַר רַב פָּפָּא: שְׁמַע מִינַּהּ — צְדָדִין אֲסוּרִין, דְּאִי סָלְקָא דַעְתָּךְ צְדָדִין מוּתָּרִין, לִסְמוֹךְ לִצְדָדִין. אֶלָּא לָאו, שְׁמַע מִינַּהּ צְדָדִין אֲסוּרִין.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
**Rav Pappa said: Learn from this** that anything upon which one may not place objects or upon which one may not sit on Shabbat, its **sides are** likewise **prohibited, for if it enters your mind** to say that the **sides are permitted,** they could have told the women **to place** their hands **on the sides,** i.e., on the head of the animal rather than on its back, as the head of the animal is considered as if it were one of its sides. **Rather,** must one **not conclude from this** that the **sides are prohibited?**