Pt1 Calamity, Epidemic, and Property: Teachings on Divine Punishment, Public Danger, and David’s Halakhic Dilemma in II Samuel 23 (Bava Kamma 60a-b)

This is the first part of a two-part series. The outline of the series is below.

Part 1

This sugya begins from the legal discussion of fire damage and expands into a sequence of aggadic and halakhic teachings about calamity, plague, famine, danger, divine punishment, and royal authority. Its point of departure is Exodus 22:5: “If a fire breaks out, and catches in thorns, so that a stack of grain, or standing grain, or the field, is consumed.” In its plain legal context, the verse concerns civil liability for damage caused by fire. In this sugya, however, the verse becomes the basis for a larger set of reflections on how destructive forces enter the world, whom they affect first, and how people should behave when danger is present.

The opening teaching is attributed to R’ Shmuel bar Naḥmani in the name of R’ Yonatan. He states that calamity comes to the world only when wicked people are present, but once it comes, it begins with the righteous. The proof is drawn from the sequence of the verse: the “thorns” are read allegorically as the wicked, since fire emerges when thorns are available to catch it; the “stack” is read as the righteous, since the verse says “a stack is consumed” rather than “and it consumes a stack,” implying that the stack has already been consumed.

Rav Yosef then cites a baraita on Exodus 12:22, the warning during the plague of the firstborn that no Israelite should leave his house until morning. The question is why such a warning was necessary if the plague was directed at Egypt. The answer is that once the destroyer is given permission, it does not distinguish between righteous and wicked. Once released, it operates indiscriminately. The sugya adds that it even begins with the righteous, citing Ezekiel 21:8, “I will cut off from you the righteous and the wicked,” where the righteous are mentioned first.

Rav Yosef reacts emotionally to this principle and cries: are the righteous really considered as nothing when calamity strikes?! Abaye answers by reframing the death of the righteous as beneficial to them, citing Isaiah 57:1: “The righteous is taken away because of the evil.” The explanation is that the righteous may be removed before the full force of the later disaster, thereby being spared from witnessing or suffering what follows.

From there the sugya turns from theology to practical conduct during danger. Rav Yehuda in the name of Rav teaches that a person should enter and leave a city only during “good,” meaning daylight. The term “good” alludes to Genesis 1:4, where light is called good, and the prooftext is again Exodus 12:22, which warns people not to leave their homes until morning. This produces a practical rule: travel should be done in daylight, especially when entering or exiting a city.

A baraita then distinguishes between epidemic and famine. If there is epidemic in the city, one should “gather his feet,” meaning remain indoors and limit movement. This is supported by Exodus 12:22, Isaiah 26:20, and Deuteronomy 32:25, all of which depict safety as withdrawal into enclosed space. Rava is said to have closed his windows during a plague, based on Jeremiah 9:20: “Death has come up into our windows.”

By contrast, if there is famine in the city, one should “spread his feet,” meaning leave. This is supported by Abraham’s descent to Egypt during famine in Genesis 12:10, and by the lepers outside Samaria in II Kings 7:4, who reason that remaining in a starving city will lead to death. The sugya therefore differentiates between types of danger. Epidemic calls for enclosure and reduced movement; famine calls for migration and seeking resources elsewhere.

The following baraitot continue the theme of danger during epidemic through the imagery of the Angel of Death. During plague, one should not walk in the middle of the road, because the Angel of Death walks there openly once he has permission. During peaceful times, one should avoid the sides of the road, because when the Angel of Death lacks permission, he hides there. Another baraita says that during plague one should not enter a synagogue alone, because the Angel of Death deposits his utensils there. A further sign tradition states that crying dogs indicate that the Angel of Death has come to the city, while playing dogs indicate that Elijah the prophet has come. These teachings combine practical caution, omen lore, and personified accounts of death.

Part 2

The sugya then shifts to a scene involving Rav Ami and Rav Asi sitting before R’ Yitzḥak Nappaḥa. One asks for halakha, the other for aggada. When R’ Yitzḥak begins one type, the other student prevents him; when he begins the other type, the first student prevents him. He responds with a parable of a man with two wives, one young and one old: the young wife plucks his white hairs, the old wife plucks his black hairs, and he is left bald. The parable illustrates the difficulty of satisfying conflicting demands. R’ Yitzḥak then subsequently offers a teaching that combines halakha and aggada.

His combined teaching returns to Exodus 22:5. On one hand, “if a fire breaks out” suggests that the fire begins by itself. On the other hand, the continuation, “the one who kindled the fire shall pay,” implies human responsibility. R’ Yitzḥak reads this allegorically as God speaking about the destruction of Zion. God says that although the destruction was caused by Israel’s sins, He Himself kindled the fire in Zion, as Lamentations 4:11 states. Therefore, He will also “pay” for the fire by rebuilding Zion with fire, as Zechariah 2:9 says: “I will be for her a wall of fire round about.” This passage uses the legal language of liability to formulate a theology of destruction and restoration. The same divine fire that destroyed Zion will become the protective fire of its rebuilding.

The final unit returns from aggadic theology to technical halakhic interpretation through the story of David’s desire for “water” from Bethlehem in II Samuel 23:15–16. The sugya reads David’s request homiletically as a request for Torah, meaning a halakhic ruling. Several explanations are offered. According to Rava in the name of Rav Naḥman, David asked about liability for concealed items damaged by fire: whether the law follows R’ Yehuda, who imposes liability, or the Rabbis, who exempt. According to Rav Huna, David asked whether he could save himself by destroying another Jew’s property, since Philistines were hiding in Jewish-owned barley stacks. The answer was that an ordinary person may not save himself through another’s property, but a king has special authority to breach private property for royal needs. According to the Rabbis, or Rabba bar Mari, David asked whether he could take Jewish-owned barley to feed his animals and compensate the owner with Philistine-owned lentils. The reply cited Ezekiel 33:15: even if a robber repays, he remains called wicked. Still, David as king had royal prerogative.

The sugya as a whole thus moves across several registers while remaining tied to the theme of fire and danger. It begins with fire as tort, turns fire into a symbol of calamity, applies calamity to plague and famine, develops rules of conduct during danger, and then returns to fire as a technical category in damages law. Its structure is associative: fire, destruction, divine permission, indiscriminate danger, practical avoidance, destruction of Zion, and liability for damage.

Outline

Intro

The Passage

1. R’ Shmuel bar Naḥmani citing R’ Yonatan - Calamity comes only when wicked people are present, but begins with the righteous

   1. Prooftext - The “thorns” symbolize the wicked, while the already-consumed “stack” symbolizes the righteous - Exodus 22:5

2. Rav Yosef citing a baraita - Once the destroyer is given permission, it does not distinguish between righteous and wicked - Exodus 12:22

   1. It even begins with the righteous - Ezekiel 21:8

3. Rav Yosef laments that the righteous are treated as insignificant when calamity strikes

   1. Abaye responds that the death of the righteous before calamity is ultimately beneficial, sparing them from later evil - Isaiah 57:1

4. Rav Yehuda citing Rav - A person should enter and leave a city during “good,” meaning daylight - Genesis 1:4; Exodus 12:22

5. Baraita - During an epidemic (דבר), one should remain indoors and limit going out

   1. Prooftexts - Exodus 12:22; Isaiah 26:20; Deuteronomy 32:25

6. Rava - During epidemic, Rava would close his windows, based on the description of death entering through windows - Jeremiah 9:20

7. Baraita - If famine is in the city, one should leave

   1. Prooftexts - Genesis 12:10; II Kings 7:4

8. Baraita - During epidemic, one should not walk in the middle of the road, because the Angel of Death walks openly there

   1. While in peaceful times, one should not walk at the sides, where he hides

9. Baraita - During epidemic, one should not enter a synagogue alone

10. Baraita - Crying dogs indicate the Angel of Death has come; playing dogs indicate Elijah has come

Part 2

1. Anecdote re Rav Ami and Rav Asi sitting before R’ Yitzḥak Nappaḥa - One asks for halakha, the other for aggada

   1. Rav Yitzḥak Nappaḥa uses a parable of a man with a young and old wife to explain the difficulty of satisfying conflicting demands

   2. Rav Yitzḥak Nappaḥa therefore combines halakha and aggada

   3. Exodus 22:5

   4. God personally burned the First Temple

   5. Prooftext - Lamentations 4:11

   6. ... God will also “pay” by rebuilding the Temple with fire (in the messianic future) - Zechariah 2:9

2. Rava citing Rav Naḥman - David’s request for “water” from Bethlehem was a halakhic query about liability for concealed items damaged by fire: whether the law follows R’ Yehuda or the Rabbis - II Samuel 23:15–16

3. Rav Huna - David’s query concerned whether one may save oneself by destroying another Jew’s property, where Philistines were hiding in Jewish-owned barley stacks - II Samuel 23:15–16

   1. The response: One may not save oneself with another’s property; however, as king, David could breach private property for royal needs

4. Rabbis, or Rabba bar Mari - David’s query concerned whether he could take Jewish-owned barley for his animals and compensate the owner with Philistine-owned lentils - II Samuel 23:15–16

   1. The response: Even if a robber later repays, he remains called wicked - Ezekiel 33:15

   2. Nevertheless, David as king had royal prerogative

The Passage

Bava_Kamma/60a#16 thru 60b#21

R’ Shmuel bar Naḥmani citing R’ Yonatan - Calamity comes only when wicked people are present, but begins with the righteous

אמר רבי שמואל בר נחמני, אמר רבי יונתן:

אין פורענות באה לעולם אלא בזמן שהרשעים בעולם,

ואינה מתחלת אלא מן הצדיקים תחלה,

§ The Talmud cites an aggadic midrash based on this verse:

R’ Shmuel bar Naḥmani says that R’ Yonatan says:

Calamity befalls the world¹ only when wicked people are in the world,

but the calamity begins only with the righteous first,

Prooftext - The “thorns” symbolize the wicked, while the already-consumed “stack” symbolizes the righteous - Exodus 22:5

שנאמר:

״כי תצא אש

ומצאה קצים״ –

אימתי אש יוצאה?

בזמן שקוצים מצויין לה.

as it is stated in the verse: “If a fire breaks out,

and catches in thorns, so that a stack of grain, or standing grain, or the field, is consumed” (Exodus 22:5).

When does the “fire”, i.e., calamity, emerge?

At a time when the “thorns”, i.e., the wicked, are found with it.

ואינה מתחלת אלא מן הצדיקים תחלה,

שנאמר: ״ונאכל גדיש״;

״ואכל גדיש״ לא נאמר,

אלא ״ונאכל גדיש״ –

שנאכל גדיש כבר.

But calamity begins only from the righteous first,

as it is stated in the continuation of the verse: “And a stack of grain is consumed [ve-ne’ekhal].”

It is not stated: If a fire breaks out, and catches in thorns, “and consumes [ve-akhal] the stack of grain”;

Rather, it states: “A stack of grain is consumed,”

meaning that the stack, i.e., the righteous, has already been consumed before the thorns.

Rav Yosef citing a baraita - Once the destroyer is given permission, it does not distinguish between righteous and wicked - Exodus 12:22

תאני רב יוסף:

מאי דכתיב:

״ואתם לא תצאו איש מפתח ביתו עד בקר״?

Rav Yosef taught a baraita:

What is the meaning of that which is written with regard to the plague of the firstborn:

“And none of you shall go out of the opening of his house until the morning” (Exodus 12:22)?

If the plague was not decreed upon the Jewish people, why were they not permitted to leave their homes?

כיון שניתן רשות למשחית --

אינו מבחין בין צדיקים לרשעים.

Once permission is granted to the destroyer² to kill --

it does not distinguish between the righteous and the wicked.

It even begins with the righteous - Ezekiel 21:8

ולא עוד,

אלא שמתחיל מן הצדיקים תחלה,

שנאמר:

״והכרתי ממך צדיק ורשע״.

And not only that,

but it begins with the righteous first,³

as it is stated in the verse:

“And will cut off from you the righteous and the wicked” (Ezekiel 21:8),

where mention of the righteous precedes the wicked.

Rav Yosef laments that the righteous are treated as insignificant when calamity strikes

בכי רב יוסף:

כולי האי נמי לאין דומין.

Rav Yosef cried and said:

Are all these righteous people also compared to nothing (אין) when calamity strikes?

Abaye responds that the death of the righteous before calamity is ultimately beneficial, sparing them from later evil - Isaiah 57:1

אמר ליה אביי:

טיבותא הוא לגבייהו,

דכתיב:

״כי מפני הרעה נאסף הצדיק״.

Abaye said to him:

It is goodness for the righteous that they die first,

as it is written:

“The righteous is taken away because of the evil to come” (Isaiah 57:1),

so that he will not have to endure the suffering that will befall the people.

Rav Yehuda citing Rav - A person should enter and leave a city during “good,” meaning daylight - Genesis 1:4; Exodus 12:22

אמר רב יהודה, אמר רב:

לעולם

• יכנס אדם ב״כי טוב״

• ויצא ב״כי טוב״,

שנאמר:

״ואתם לא תצאו איש מפתח ביתו עד בקר״.

Rav Yehuda says that Rav says:

A person should always

• enter an unfamiliar city at a time of “good”,⁴

• And likewise, when one leaves a city he should leave at a time of “good”, meaning after sunrise the next morning,

as it is stated in the verse:

“And none of you shall go out of the opening of his house until the morning” (Exodus 12:22).

Baraita - During an epidemic (דבר), one should remain indoors and limit going out

תנו רבנן:

דבר בעיר –

כנס רגליך,

§ A baraita states:

If there is epidemic (דבר) in the city,

gather your feet,

i.e., limit the time you spend out of the house,

Prooftexts - Exodus 12:22; Isaiah 26:20; Deuteronomy 32:25

1. שנאמר:

   1. ״ואתם לא תצאו איש מפתח ביתו עד בקר״.

2. ואומר:

   1. ״לך עמי בא בחדריך, וסגור דלתך בעדך״.

3. ואומר:

   1. ״מחוץ תשכל חרב, ומחדרים אימה״.

[...]

1. as it is stated in the verse:

   1. “And none of you shall go out of the opening of his house until the morning.”

2. And it says in another verse:

   1. “Come, my people, enter into your chambers, and shut your doors behind you; hide yourself for a little moment, until the anger has passed by” (Isaiah 26:20).

3. And it says:

   1. “Outside the sword will bereave, and in the chambers terror” (Deuteronomy 32:25).

[...]

Rava - During epidemic, Rava would close his windows, based on the description of death entering through windows - Jeremiah 9:20

רבא, בעידן רתחא הוה סכר כוי,

דכתיב:

״כי עלה מות בחלונינו״.

At a time when there was a plague, Rava would close (סכר) the windows (כוי) of his house,

as it is written:

“For death is come up into our windows” (Jeremiah 9:20).

Baraita - If famine is in the city, one should leave

תנו רבנן:

רעב בעיר –

פזר רגליך,

A baraita states:

If there is famine in the city,

spread your feet,

i.e., leave the city,

Prooftexts - Genesis 12:10; II Kings 7:4

1. שנאמר:

   1. ״ויהי רעב בארץ, וירד אברם מצרימה [לגור] (ויגר) שם״.

2. ואומר:

   1. ״אם אמרנו נבוא העיר והרעב בעיר, ומתנו שם״.

[...]

1. as it is stated in the verse:

   1. “And there was a famine in the land; and Abram went down into Egypt to sojourn there” (Genesis 12:10).

2. And it says:

   1. “If we say: We will enter into the city, then the famine is in the city, and we shall die there; and if we sit here, we die also, now come, and let us fall unto the host of the Arameans; if they save us alive, we shall live; and if they kill us, we shall but die” (II Kings 7:4).

[...]

Baraita - During epidemic, one should not walk in the middle of the road, because the Angel of Death walks openly there

תנו רבנן:

דבר בעיר –

אל יהלך אדם באמצע הדרך,

מפני שמלאך המות מהלך באמצע הדרכים.

דכיון דיהיבא ליה רשותא,

מסגי להדיא.

A baraita states:

If there is a plague in the city --

a person should not walk in the middle of the road,

due to the fact that the Angel of Death walks in the middle of the road,

As, since in Heaven they have given him permission to kill within the city,

he goes openly in the middle of the road.

While in peaceful times, one should not walk at the sides, where he hides

שלום בעיר –

אל יהלך בצדי דרכים.

דכיון דלית ליה רשותא,

מחבי חבויי ומסגי.

By contrast, if there is peace and quiet in the city,

do not walk on the sides of the road,

As, since the Angel of Death does not have permission to kill within the city,

he hides himself and walks on the side of the road.

Baraita - During epidemic, one should not enter a synagogue alone

תנו רבנן:

דבר בעיר –

אל יכנס אדם יחיד לבית הכנסת,

שמלאך המות מפקיד שם כליו.

[...]

A baraita states:

If there is a plague in the city --

a person should not enter the synagogue alone,

as the Angel of Death leaves⁵ his utensils there,

and for this reason it is a dangerous place.

[...]

Baraita - Crying dogs indicate the Angel of Death has come; playing dogs indicate Elijah has come

תנו רבנן:

• כלבים בוכים –

  • מלאך המות בא לעיר.

• כלבים משחקים –

  • אליהו הנביא בא לעיר.

[...]

A baraita states:

• If the dogs in a certain place are crying for no reason,

  • it is a sign that they feel the Angel of Death has come to the city.

• If the dogs are playing,

  • it is a sign that they feel that Elijah the prophet has come to the city.

[...]

1. פורענות באה לעולם - a common Talmudic idiomatic expression, referring to major communal disasters such as famine, epidemic, and invading armies. For another instance, see my “Appendix - Agricultural Foreknowledge From the Dead: A Pious Man Learns Seasonal Decrees of Hail and Blight by Overhearing Spirits in a Cemetery (Berakhot 18b)“, where it appears three times.

On the word por’anut (פורענות - literally: “repayment”), see my note in “Pt1 Symbolism of Actions, Biblical Kings, Biblical Books, and Tanaitic Sages in Talmudic Dream Interpretations: Over 50 Dream Images and Their Meanings (Berakhot 57a-b)“, on the intro.

And see also my “Pt2 Mourning Rituals and Communal Practices: Blessings, Wine, and Rabban Gamliel’s Burial Reform (Ketubot 8b)“, section “Speech 5: Blessing for the Jewish People“, where I summarize:

Another blessing is recited for the entire Jewish people, petitioning God to save them from calamities such as epidemics (דֶּבֶר), war, looting (ביזה), blight (שדפון), mildew, as well as all other divine punishments (פורעניות) which may occur (מתרגשות).

It concludes with a plea for divine intervention before prayers are even uttered.

And see the appendix there: “Appendix - The Divine Punishments of “Epidemic” (דבר ), “Sword” (חרב), and “Famine” (רעב) at the time of the Destruction of the First Temple in Jeremiah 21:7“.

2. משחית - this is the term used there in the verses, see Exodus.12.13 and ibid. verse 23.

3. As stated also in the previous section (“Prooftext - The “thorns” symbolize the wicked, while the already-consumed “stack” symbolizes the righteous - Exodus 22:5“).

4. ב״כי טוב״.

Steinsaltz explains:

i.e., while it is light, as the Torah uses the expression “it is good” (כי טוב) with regard to the creation of light (in Genesis 1:4). This goodness is manifest in the sense of security one feels when it is light.

5. מפקיד - literally: “deposits”.