Four More Stories Relating to Remarriage (Jerusalem Talmud Yevamot 16:4.2-9.2)
This is the final part of the series. This sugya is on the same mishnah as first part of this series, found here.
Intro
Many of the stories in the Talmud Yerushalmi were already discussed in previous pieces, including the story, quoted from a beraita, of R’ Akiva (ship that sank in the Mediterranean, survivor later appeared in front of him in Cappadocia). This piece is on the stories that are not quoted in the Mishnah and Talmud Bavli, which were discussed in previous parts.
Outline
Story in Asia (Minor) - man lowered into the sea, and only a leg was brought up, was later found in Acco
Story of Abba Simai - his ship sank in the sea but he was not on it
Story of the Interrogation of Ben Stara in Lod
Story of Abba bar bar Hana bringing a get
The passage
Story in Asia (Minor) - man lowered into the sea, and only a leg was brought up, was later found in Acco
Jerusalem_Talmud_Yevamot.16.4.4
The Talmud comments on the third story in the Mishnah,1 that they were diving for sponges;2 and the person was later found alive, working as a money changer (שולחני) in Acco.
ושוב מעשה בעסיא, באחד ששילשלוהו הים, ולא עלה בידם אלא רגלו.
תני:
רצו לחתוך ספוגים
ובאו ומצאו אותו שולחני בעכו.
[...]
“It also happened in Asia that one lowered a person into the sea and only his leg was recovered.”
It was stated:
They wanted to cut sponges
and found that he was a money exchanger in Acco
[...]
Story of Abba Simai - his ship sank in the sea but he was not on it
R’ Abba bar Zabda recounted in the name of Rav the story of Abba Simai’s ship sinking, but he was not on it.3
Jerusalem_Talmud_Yevamot.16.5.3:
שקעא ספינתו בים.
אתיא כהדה דמר רבא בר זבדא בשם רב:
מעשה באבא סימיי, ששקעא ספינתו בים, והוא לא היה בתוכה,
והכה כן.
[...]
“His ship sank in the sea;”
that parallels what R’ Abba bar Zavida said in the name of Rav:
It happened that Abba Simai’s ship sank in the sea but he was not on it;
here it is the same.
[...]
Story of the Interrogation of Ben Stara in Lod
Jerusalem_Talmud_Yevamot.16.6.34
The story of the interrogation Ben-S’tara5 in Lod is used to illustrate that deceitful behavior is caught through careful placement of witnesses and lighting.
כיצד עושין לו להערים עליו?
מכמינים עליו שני עדים בני אדם בבית הפנימית,
ומושיבין אותו בבית החיצון,
ומדליקין נר על גביו, כדי שיהו רואין אותו, ושומעין את קולו.
שכן עשו לבן סטרא בלוד,
שהכמינו לו שני תלמידי חכמים,
והביאוהו לבית דין,
וסקלוהו.
[…]
What does one do to outwit him?
One hides two witnesses in an inner room
and puts him into the outer room,
lights a candle near him so they can see him and hear his voice.
That is what they did to Ben S’tara in Lydda,
where they hid two Sages,
brought him to court,
and stoned him.
[…]
Story of Abba bar bar Hana bringing a get
Jerusalem_Talmud_Yevamot.16.6.4
In this story, Abba bar bar Ḥana was transporting a bill of divorce (גט - Get) but misplaced it. A Saracen (חד סירקיי) found the lost document.
When the matter was presented to the rabbis, they examined the situation and declared the bill of divorce valid despite the circumstances of its loss and recovery.
אבא בר בר חנה אייתי גיטא
ובד מיניה.
אשכחיה חד סירקיי.
אתא עובדא קומי רבנן,
ואכשרון.
[...]
Abba bar bar Ḥana was bringing a bill of divorce
and he lost it.
A Saracen found it.
The case came before the rabbis
and they declared [the bill] valid.
[...]
Abba Simai - אבא סימיי - is likely identical with R’ Simai - רבי סימאי - a fifth generation tana often quoted.
=Jerusalem_Talmud_Sanhedrin.7.12.2, translation is from there.
בן סטרא - likely the same person as “Ben-Stada” (בן סטדא), the one who, according to the Talmud, was Jesus’ real father, see Yeshu - Wikipedia > “Ben Pandera and ben Stada”.