Ancient Standoffs: Five Talmudic Stories of Tense Encounters Between Jews and Romans (Jerusalem Talmud, Terumot 8:4, 11-15) - Pt.2
Story #4 - R’ Yohanan; “Ba’alei Kanyah” (בעלי קנייה); R’ Shimon ben Laqish; Story #5 - Diocletian; R’ Yehudah Nesia; R’ Shmuel bar Naḥman
The second part of a two-part series. The first part is here.
Story #4 - R’ Yohanan; “Ba’alei Kanyah/Keniyah” (בעלי קנייה); R’ Shimon ben Lakish
In this Talmudic passage, it is recounted that R’ Yoḥanan was robbed by a group referred to as “Ba’alei Kanyah/Keniyah” (בעלי קנייה - it is unclear what this means). Distressed, he goes to the study hall (בית װעדא). Initially, R’ Yoḥanan does not respond to R’ Shimon ben Lakish’s inquiries. Eventually, R’ Yoḥanan expresses the source of his bad mood, noting the interdependence of physical and financial wellbeing by saying, "all limbs depend on the heart, and the heart depends on the wallet."
Upon revealing he was robbed by the Ba’alei Kanyah, R' Yoḥanan is asked by R’ Shimon ben Lakish to show him where the robbery occurred. As they approach the spot, the robbers recognize R' Yoḥanan from a distance and begin to whistle to signal each other. They offer to return half of what they stole, presumably as a gesture of recognition of his authority or out of fear. However, R’ Shimon ben Lakish insists on reclaiming all of R’ Yohanan’s stolen property, and subsequently retrieving everything that was taken from him.
רבי יוחנן אמר: אקפח בעלי קנייה.
סליק לבית װעדא, והוה רבי שמעון בן לקיש שאיל ליה, ולא מגיב, שאיל ליה, ולא מגיב.
אמר ליה: מהו הכין.
אמר ליה: כל האיברין תלויין בלב, והלב תלוי בכיס.
אמר ליה: ומהו כן.
אמר ליה: ומה את כן.
אמר ליה: איקפחת בעלי קנייה.
אמר ליה: חמו לי זויתא.
נפק מחוי ליה.
חמיתון מן רחוק, ושרי מצלצל.
אמרין: אין רבי יוחנן הוא, יסב פלגא.
אמר לון: חייכון, כולה אנא נסיב,
ונסב כולה.
R' Yoḥanan said, I was robbed by Ba’alei Kanyah (בעלי קנייה).
He went to the assembly hall where R' Simeon ben Laqish was asking him repeatedly but he did not answer.
He said, what happened?
He said, what can you do?
He said, all limbs depend on the heart, and the heart depends on the wallet.
He said, I was robbed by Ba’alei Kanyah.
He said to him, show me their corner.
He went out to show him.
They saw him from afar and started to whistle.
They said, if that is R’ Yoḥanan, he can take half of it.
He said to them, by your life I am taking all of it;
And he took [back] all of it.
Story #5 - Diocletian; R’ Yehudah Nesia; R’ Shmuel bar Naḥman
The story revolves around the Roman emperor Diocletian (flourished late 3rd - early 4th century). The Talmud recounts that Diocletian (דיקלוט) was originally a swine-herd (חזירא), and the youngsters (טליי) of R’ Yehudah Nesia’s (רבי יודה נשייא) household mistreated him. After ascending to the throne and relocating to Paneas (פמייס), Diocletian summoned the rabbis to his court immediately after the Sabbath, instructing his courier to deliver the summons at sundown. However, R' Yehudah Nesia and R’ Shmuel bar Naḥman were delayed at a bath (דימוסין)1 in Tiberias.
Angitris (seemingly, the name of a friendly demon) appeared to them at the baths. R' Shmuel encouraged accepting the demon's assistance, suggesting that his appearance was auspicious. Angitris reassured them, promising a divine miracle that would resolve their predicament at the end of the Sabbath. He facilitated their journey to meet Diocletian.
Upon their arrival, Diocletian instructed that they should not see him until they had bathed. Miraculously, although the bath had been heated for an entire week, Angitris cooled it for them. Post-bathing, when they met Diocletian, he questioned their respect for royal authority, referring to their past actions. The rabbis differentiated between Diocletian the swine-herd, whom they had insulted, and Diocletian the king, whom they respected.
Diocletian responds: “One should never vex [even] a little Roman (רומי זעיר) or a little [Persian] Magus (חבר - Habar)”. Since you never know what he’ll become some day.
דיקלוט חזירא, מחוניה טליי דרבי יודה נשייא.
איתעביד מלך, נחת לפמייס.
שלח כתבין בתר רבנין: תיהוון גביי במפקי שובתא מיד.
אמר ליה לשלוחיא: לא תתן להן כתבין אלא בערובתא, עם מטמעי שמשא.
ואתא שליחא גבהון בערובתא עם מטמעי שמשא.
והוה רבי יודן נשייא ורבי שמואל בר נחמן נחתין למיסחי בדימוסין דטיבריא.
אתא אנגיטריס גבהון, ובעא רבי יודן נשייא למינזף ביה.
אמר ליה רבי שמואל בר נחמן: ארפי ליה לנסיון מיתחמי.
אמר לון: מה רבנין עבדין?
תנון ליה עובדא.
אמר לון: סחון, דברייכון עביד ניסין במפקי שובתא.
טען יתהון, ואעיל יתהון.
אמרו ליה: הא רבנין לבר.
אמר: לא ייחמון אפיי עד דאינון סחיין.
הוה ההוא בי בני, אזייה שבעה יומין ושבעה לילון.
נפק ואצנה קדמיהון,
ועללון וקמון ליה קדמיהון.
אמר לון: בגין דברייכון עביד לכון ניסין, אתון מבזין מלכותא?!
אמרין ליה: דיקלוט חזירא בזינן, דיקליטאנוס מלכא לא בזינן.
ואפילו כן, לא מכסי לא ברומי זעיר ולא בחבר זעיר.
The youngsters of R' Yehudah Neśia’s household hit Diocletian the swine-herd.
He became king and descended to Paneas.
He sent letters to the rabbis that they should be at his place immediately after the end of the Sabbath.
He said to his courier, do not deliver the letters before the evening, near sundown.
The courier came to them in the evening, near sundown. R' Yehudah Neśia and R' Shmuel bar Naḥman had gone to bathe in the public baths of Tiberias.
Angitris (אנגיטריס - Guggenheimer: the name of a friendly demon; Jastrow, “*אֲרוֹגְנַוְטֵיס, אֲרוֹגְנַוְטֵין”: “(ἀρωγοναύτης sub. δαίμων) helper of sailors, Arogonautes, a demon”) came to them; R' Jehudah Neśia wanted to scold him.
R' Shmuel bar Naḥman said, let him; he appears for wonders.
He [=the demon] said to them, how are the rabbis?
They told him about their problem.
He said to them, go and bathe; your Creator will perform a miracle for you at Sabbath’s end.
He carried them and brought them up.
They said to him [=Diocletian], the rabbis are outside.
He said: They shouldn’t see me until they bathe.
There was that bathhouse, he let it be heated for seven days and seven nights.
He [=the demon] went out and cooled it before them.
They went in and then appeared before him [=Diocletian].
He said to them: Because your Creator performs miracles for you, you insult the majesty!?
They said, we insulted Diocles the swine-herd; we do not insult Diocletianus the king.
Even so, one should never vex [even] a little Roman or a little Mage (חבר - Habar).
Related to the Greek word “demos” meaning “of the people”, see by Yaron Eliav, A Jew in the Roman Bathhouse: Cultural Interaction in the Ancient Mediterranean (2023).
story #4: it was a lot easier for reish lakish to get back all the goods, considering his background. doesn't sound like he was showing up r. yochanan, though, just looking out for him.
story #5: odd takeaway, shouldn't it be that treating people nicely is the lesson, and the possibilty of them turning out to be someone in power a fringe benefit? i'm not applying modern western values onto Torah, but it doesn't seem in accordance with other teachings.