Gigantic Lion; Blinding Sun; Massive Meals; and God the Carpenter: Four Stories of R' Yehoshua ben Ḥananya’s Interactions With the Roman Emperor (Chullin 59b-60a)
The Gigantic Lion of Bei Ilai wreaks havoc on Rome; The Impossibility of Looking at God; The Impossibility of Hosting God and his entourage; “God is a carpenter, tell Him to make for me a distaff"
Intro
This sugya consists of interactions between R' Yehoshua ben Ḥananya and the Roman emperor, showcasing the theme of God's incomparable might and divine nature.
Outline
The Gigantic Gazelle and Lion of Bei Ilai
Story #1 - the Gigantic Lion of Bei Ilai wreaks havoc on Rome
Story #2 - The Impossibility of Looking at God
Story #3 - The Impossibility of Hosting God and his entourage
Story #4 - “The daughter of the Roman emperor said to R' Yehoshua ben Ḥananya: Your God is a carpenter, tell Him to make for me a distaff!”
The passage
The Gigantic Gazelle and Lion of Bei Ilai
The baraita clarifies that the fat of the "keresh," a one-horned animal identified as a gazelle native to Bei Ila’ei (בי עילאי), is permissible for consumption.
It also describes the "tagras"1 as the lion of Bei Ila’ei, noted for its large size, with 9 (!) cubits between its ears, while the gazelle measures 16 (!) cubits in length.
(A cubit is around 1.5 feet, so these animals are massive.)
וקרש אע"פ שאין לו אלא קרן אחת מותר:
אמר רב יהודה:
"קרש" -- טביא דבי עילאי
"טגרס" -- אריא דבי עילאי
אמר רב כהנא: תשע אמהתא הוי בין אונא לאונא דאריא דבי עילאי
אמר רב יוסף: שיתסר אמהתא הוי משכיה דטביא דבי עילאי
The baraita states: And with regard to the animal called a keresh, even though it has only one horn, its fat is permitted for consumption.
Rav Yehuda says:
The keresh is the gazelle that is native to the area of Bei Ila’ei.
The tagras mentioned by the Sages is the lion of Bei Ila’ei.
Rav Kahana says: There are 9 cubits between the ears of the lion of Bei Ila’ei.
Rav Yosef says: The length of the gazelle of Bei Ila’ei is 16 cubits.
Story #1 - the Gigantic Lion of Bei Ilai wreaks havoc on Rome
The Roman emperor (קיסר - literally: “Caesar”) challenges R' Yehoshua ben Ḥananya2 by questioning the significance of the Biblical verse comparing God to a lion, as even lions can be killed by humans. R' Yehoshua ben Ḥananya responds by explaining that God is likened to the afore-mentioned gigantic lion of Bei Ila’ei, not a normal lion. The emperor expresses a desire to see this formidable lion.
Upon R' Yehoshua's prayer, the lion of Bei Ila’ei begins its journey towards Rome. As it approaches, its roars cause catastrophic effects, including causing miscarriages, collapsing the city's walls, and causing people's teeth to fall out. The emperor himself falls from his chair.
Alarmed by its devastating power, the emperor begs R' Yehoshua to pray for the lion to return to its place, which he does, and the lion departs back to Bei Ila’ei.
אמר ליה קיסר לר' יהושע בן חנניה: אלהיכם כאריה מתיל, דכתיב (עמוס ג, ח) "אריה שאג, מי לא יירא?" מאי רבותיה?! פרשא קטיל אריא!
אמר ליה: לאו כהאי אריא מתיל, כאריא דבי עילאי מתיל
אמר ליה: בעינא דמיחזית ליה ניהלי
אמר ליה: לא מצית חזית ליה
אמר ליה: איברא חזינא ליה
בעא רחמי, אתעקר מדוכתיה
כי הוה מרחיק ארבע מאה פרסי, ניהם חד קלא
אפילו כל מעברתא, ושורא דרומי נפל
אדמרחק תלת מאה פרסי, ניהם קלא אחרינא,
נתור ככי ושיני דגברי, ואף הוא נפל מכורסייא לארעא
א"ל: במטותא מינך בעי רחמי עליה, דלהדר לדוכתיה
בעא רחמי עליה, ואהדר ליה לאתריה
The Gemara recounts: The Roman emperor said to R' Yehoshua ben Ḥananya: Your God is compared to a lion, as it is written: “The lion has roared, who will not fear” (Amos 3:8). But if so, what is His greatness?! A cavalryman can kill a lion!
R' Yehoshua said to him: God is not compared to that lion which a cavalryman can kill. Rather, God is compared to the lion of Bei Ila’ei.
The emperor said to him: I ask that you show it to me.
R' Yehoshua said to him: You cannot see it.
The emperor said to him: Truly, I wish to see it.
R' Yehoshua prayed for mercy, and the lion of Bei Ila’ei set off from its place of origin toward Rome.
When it was 400 parasangs away from Rome, it roared once,
and all the pregnant women miscarried, and the wall of Rome fell.
When it was 300 parasangs away,
it roared another time, and all the men’s front and back teeth fell out from fear.
And even he, the emperor, fell from his throne to the ground.
The emperor said to R' Yehoshua: I beg you, pray for mercy with regard to it, that it should go back to the place from which it came.
R' Yehoshua prayed for mercy with regard to it, and it returned to the place from which it came.
Story #2 - The Impossibility of Looking at God
The emperor's curiosity extends to seeing God directly. R' Yehoshua responds by physically demonstrating the impossibility of this, by having the emperor attempt to look at the sun, emphasizing that if one cannot withstand the sun, a mere creation, how could one bear the sight of the Creator?
אמר ליה קיסר לר' יהושע בן חנניה: בעינא דאיחזי לאלהיכו
א"ל: לא מצית חזית ליה
א"ל: איברא חזינא ליה
אזל אוקמיה להדי יומא בתקופת תמוז
א"ל: איסתכל ביה
א"ל: לא מצינא
א"ל: יומא דחד משמשי דקיימי קמי דקודשא בריך הוא, אמרת "לא מצינא לאיסתכלא ביה", שכינה לא כל שכן?!
The Gemara recounts: The emperor said to R' Yehoshua ben Ḥananya: I wish to see your God.
R' Yehoshua said to him: You cannot see Him.
The emperor said to him: Truly, I wish to see Him.
R' Yehoshua went and stood the emperor facing the sun in the season of Tammuz, i.e., summer.
R' Yehoshua said to him: Look at it.
The emperor said to him: I cannot.
R' Yehoshua said to him: Now, if with regard to the sun, which is only one of the servants that stand before the Holy One, Blessed be He, you say: I cannot look at it, is it not all the more so with regard to the Divine Presence?!
Story #3 - The Impossibility of Hosting God and his entourage
When the emperor wishes to host a meal for God and his entourage (חילוותיה, literally: “armies”), repeated natural disruptions destroy the preparations, illustrating the futility of trying to accommodate the divine on a human scale.
אמר ליה קיסר לרבי יהושע בן חנניה: בעינא דאיצבית ליה נהמא לאלהיכו
אמר ליה: לא מצית
אמאי?
נפישי חילוותיה
א"ל: איברא
אמר ליה: פוק צבית לגידא דרביתא, דרויחא עלמא
טרח שיתא ירחי קייטא
אתא זיקא, כנשיה לימא
טרח שיתא ירחי דסיתוא
אתא מיטרא, טבעיה בימא
א"ל: מאי האי?
אמר ליה: הני כנושאי זלוחאי דאתו קמיה
א"ל: אי הכי, לא מצינא
The Gemara recounts: The Roman emperor said to R' Yehoshua ben Ḥananya: I desire to arrange bread, i.e., a meal, for your God.
R' Yehoshua said to him: You cannot.
The emperor asked him: Why?
R' Yehoshua said to him: His armies are too great.
The emperor said to him: Truly, I wish to do it.
R' Yehoshua said to him: Go out and arrange a meal on the shore of the great sea [dirvita], where there is a wide open space.
The emperor worked all the six months of summer to accomplish this.
A wind came and swept it all into the sea.
The emperor worked to arrange another meal all the six months of winter.
Rain came and sank it all in the sea.
The emperor said to R' Yehoshua: What is this?
R' Yehoshua said to him: These are only the sweepers and floor washers that wait on Him, and they alone have eaten everything.
The emperor said to him: If so, I cannot arrange a meal before Him.
Story #4 - “The Roman emperor’s daughter said to R' Yehoshua ben Ḥananya: Your God is a carpenter, tell Him to make for me a distaff”
In this Talmudic narrative, the daughter of the Roman emperor challenges R' Yehoshua ben Ḥananya by referring to God as a carpenter3 and requesting that He make her a tool for untangling wool (mastoria - מסתוריתא ).4
R' Yehoshua ben Ḥananya agrees and prays, resulting in the princess being stricken with leprosy.
The Talmud states that according to Roman custom, she is given a distaff as she sits in the market untangling wool, an act intended to evoke public sympathy and prayers for her.
When R' Yehoshua encounters her later, he sarcastically inquires if she is satisfied with the distaff provided by God. She asks for the affliction to be removed, but R' Yehoshua informs her that while God can give, He does not take back what He has given.
א"ל בת קיסר לר' יהושע בן חנניה:
אלהיכון נגרא הוא,
דכתיב (תהלים קד, ג) "המקרה במים עליותיו",
אימא ליה דנעביד לי חדא מסתוריתא
אמר: לחיי
בעא רחמי עלה, ואינגעה
אותבה בשוקא דרומי, ויהבי לה מסתוריתא,
דהוו נהיגי, דכל דמנגע ברומי, יהבו ליה מסתוריתא
ויתיב בשוקא, וסתר דוללי, כי היכי דליחזו אינשי, וליבעי רחמי עליה
יומא חד, הוה קא חליף התם
הות יתבא, וסתרה דוללי בשוקא דרומאי
אמר לה: שפירתא מסתוריתא דיהב ליך אלהי?
אמרה ליה: אימא ליה לאלהיך, לשקול מאי דיהב לי
אמר לה: אלהא דידן מיהב יהיב, משקל לא שקיל
The Gemara recounts: The daughter of the Roman emperor said to R' Yehoshua ben Ḥananya: Your God is a carpenter, as it is written: “Who lays the beams of His upper chambers in the waters” (Psalms 104:3).
Tell Him to make for me a distaff, a simple tool used in spinning.
R' Yehoshua ben Ḥananya said: Very well.
He prayed for mercy for her and she was stricken with leprosy.
She sat in the Roman market, and they gave her a distaff,
since it was their custom to give a distaff to anyone stricken with leprosy in Rome,
and the leper would sit in the market and untangle bunches of wool, so that people would see and pray for mercy on him.
One day R' Yehoshua ben Ḥananya was passing there,
and he saw that she was sitting and untangling bunches of wool in the Roman market.
R' Yehoshua ben Ḥananya said to her: Is the distaff my God gave you pleasing?
She said to him: Tell your God to take back what He has given me.
R' Yehoshua ben Ḥananya said to her: Our God gives, but does not take.
טגרס - this word is likely from Greek tígris, meaning “tiger”. See discussion of this passage here:
Traditionally understood to be identical to the major 2nd century tana referred to simply as R' Yehoshua.
נגרא - possibly a Christian reference, with Jesus being a carpenter/craftsman, see Tektōn - Wikipedia > “Hebrew naggar interpretation”, for a discussion regarding if Jesus was a naggar.
Steinzaltz translates this Aramaic word as a “distaff” , which is a staff that holds fiber ready for spinning, called a פלך in Biblical and Mishnaic Hebrew. Jastrow translates this word as “reel”, which is used in the later stages of the fiber processing workflow, primarily for measuring and winding yarn.
However, from later in this passage, it appears that the word means something else:
” it was their custom to give a mastarya […] and [they would] untangle bunches of wool (סתר דוללי)“. The root of mastarya is סתר - meaning, “to break apart”, i.e., untangle. To untangle bunches of wool, a comb or a carder would have been used.
Presumably, this work would be given to lepers to do, since it was extremely laborious and menial.