Pt3 Leviathan, Behemoth, and Jerusalem in the Messianic Future (Bava Batra 74b-75b)

This is the third and final part of a three-part series. Part 1 is here; Part 2 is here; the outline of the series can be found at Part 1.

Rabba citing R’ Yoḥanan - In the messianic future, God will make 7 canopies for every righteous person

ואמר רבה אמר רבי יוחנן:

עתיד הקדוש ברוך הוא לעשות שבע חופות לכל צדיק וצדיק,

§ And Rabba says that R’ Yoḥanan says:

In the messianic future, God will fashion 7 canopies¹ for each and every righteous individual,

Each according to that person’s honor - Isaiah 4:5

שנאמר:

״וברא ה׳ על כל מכון הר ציון

ועל מקראה

ענן יומם,

ועשן ונגה אש להבה לילה,

כי על כל כבוד חפה״

מלמד ש

כל אחד ואחד --

עושה לו הקדוש ברוך הוא חופה לפי כבודו.

as it is stated:

“And YHWH will create over the whole habitation of Mount Zion,

and over those who are invited to it,

a cloud and smoke by day,

and the shining of a flaming fire by night;

for over all the glory shall be a canopy” (Isaiah 4:5).

This teaches that

for each and every righteous individual --

God fashions for him a canopy 7 times over, in accordance with his honor,

i.e., greater individuals receive grander and larger canopies.

R’ Ḥanina - The smoke in the canopies punishes those who were stingy toward Torah scholars

עשן בחופה למה?

אמר רבי חנינא:

שכל מי שעיניו צרות בתלמידי חכמים בעולם הזה --

מתמלאות עיניו עשן לעולם הבא.

The Talmud asks a question with regard to the above verse: Why should there be smoke in a canopy?

R’ Ḥanina said:

It is because anyone whose eyes are narrow (צרות), i.e., is stingy, toward Torah scholars in this world --

his eyes fill with smoke in the World-to-Come.

R’ Ḥanina - The fire signifies the embarrassment each righteous person feels upon seeing another’s greater canopy

ואש בחופה למה?

אמר רבי חנינא:

מלמד שכל אחד ואחד נכוה מחופתו של חבירו.

• אוי לה לאותה בושה,

• אוי לה לאותה כלימה.

And why should there be fire in a canopy?

R’ Ḥanina said:

This teaches that each and every one is burned² from embarrassment at the size of the canopy of the other,

and says:

• Woe for this embarrassment (בושה),

• woe for this disgrace (כלימה),

that I did not merit a canopy as large as his.

Joshua received only part of Moses’ splendor; the elders compared Moses to the sun and Joshua to the moon and lamented the decline - Numbers 27:20

כיוצא בדבר אתה אומר:

״ונתתה מהודך עליו״

ולא כל הודך;

In a similar manner, you can say that God said to Moses about Joshua:

“And you shall put of your honor upon him” (Numbers 27:20),

which indicates that you should put some of your honor, but not all of your honor.

זקנים שבאותו הדור אמרו:

• פני משה

  • כפני חמה,

• פני יהושע

  • כפני לבנה;

• אוי לה לאותה בושה,

• אוי לה לאותה כלימה.

The elders of that generation³ said:

• The face of Moses

  • was as bright as the face of the sun;

• the face of Joshua

  • was like the face of the moon.

• Woe for this embarrassment,

• woe for this disgrace,

that we did not merit another leader of the stature of Moses.

R’ Ḥama bar Ḥanina - God made 10 canopies for Adam in Eden

אמר רבי חמא בר חנינא:

עשר חופות עשה הקדוש ברוך הוא לאדם הראשון בגן עדן

R’ Ḥama bar Ḥanina says:

God fashioned 10 canopies for Adam the first man, in the Garden of Eden;

corresponding to the 10 precious materials listed in Ezekiel - Ezekiel 28:13

שנאמר:

״בעדן גן אלהים היית,

כל אבן יקרה וגו׳״.

as it is stated to Hiram, king of Tyre:

“You were in Eden the garden of God;

every precious stone was your covering”⁴

Mar Zutra - Adam had 11 canopies, counting the phrase “every precious stone” as an additional item - Ezekiel 28:13

מר זוטרא אמר:

אחת עשרה,

שנאמר:

״כל אבן יקרה״.

Mar Zutra said:

There were 11 canopies,

as it states:

“Every precious stone,”

which is also part of the tally.

R’ Yoḥanan - Gold was the least valuable of Adam’s coverings, since it is listed last - Ezekiel 28:13

אמר רבי יוחנן:

וגרוע שבכולן –

זהב,

דקא חשיב ליה לבסוף.

R’ Yoḥanan said:

And the worst of all of them --

was gold,

as it is counted last,

which indicates that the other items are more valuable.

Rav Yehuda citing Rav - God told Hiram that, foreseeing his claim to divinity, He created human bodily openings to expose human frailty - Ezekiel 28:13

מאי ״מלאכת תפיך ונקביך בך״?

אמר רב יהודה, אמר רב:

אמר לו הקדוש ברוך הוא לחירם מלך צור:

״בך נסתכלתי,

ובראתי נקבים נקבים באדם״.

The Talmud asks: What is the meaning of the phrase: “The workmanship of your drums and of your holes [nekavekha]” (Ezekiel 28:13)?

Rav Yehuda says that Rav says:

God said to Hiram, king of Tyre:

Were you in the Garden of Eden when I created all of this for you?

I looked at you, saw that you would one day claim divinity for yourself,

and created many orifices [nekavim] in man,

i.e., the excretory system, so that you would know that you are human and not a god.

Alternative tradition - God told Hiram that, foreseeing him, He decreed death upon Adam to demonstrate human mortality

ואיכא דאמרי,

הכי קאמר:

בך נסתכלתי,

וקנסתי מיתה על אדם הראשון.

And there are those who say that

this is what God said to Hiram:

I looked at you

and I decreed death on Adam the first man, to demonstrate that he was human and not a god.

Rabba citing R’ Yoḥanan - Unlike present Jerusalem, Jerusalem in the messianic future will be accessible only to those invited to it - Isaiah 4:5

מאי ״ועל מקראה״?

אמר רבה, אמר רבי יוחנן:

לא כירושלים של עולם הזה ירושלים של עולם הבא:

• ירושלים של עולם הזה –

  • כל הרוצה לעלות עולה,

• של עולם הבא –

  • אין עולין אלא המזומנין לה.

§ The Talmud returns to the aforementioned verse: “And YHWH will create over the whole habitation of Mount Zion, and over those who are invited to it, a cloud and smoke by day” (Isaiah 4:5).

What is the meaning of the phrase: “And over those who are invited to it”?

Rabba says that R’ Yoḥanan says:

Jerusalem of the World-to-Come is not like Jerusalem of this world:

• With regard to Jerusalem of this world,

  • anyone who wants to ascend there can ascend.

• With regard to Jerusalem of the World-to-Come,

  • only those who are invited to it can ascend.⁵

Rabba citing R’ Yoḥanan - In the messianic future, the righteous will be called by God’s name - Isaiah 43:7

ואמר רבה אמר רבי יוחנן:

עתידין צדיקים שנקראין על שמו של הקדוש ברוך הוא,

שנאמר:

״כל הנקרא בשמי

ולכבודי בראתיו,

יצרתיו אף עשיתיו״.

And Rabba says that R’ Yoḥanan says:

In the messianic future, the righteous will be called by the name of God;

as it is stated:

“Every one that is called by My name,

and whom I have created for My glory,

I have formed him, yea, I have made him” (Isaiah 43:7).

This indicates that one who was created by God and causes Him glory is called by His name.

R’ Shmuel bar Naḥmani citing R’ Yoḥanan - Three entities are called by God’s name: the righteous, the Messiah, and Jerusalem

ואמר רבי שמואל בר נחמני, אמר רבי יוחנן:

שלשה נקראו על שמו של הקדוש ברוך הוא,

ואלו הן:

1. צדיקים,

2. ומשיח,

3. וירושלים.

And R’ Shmuel bar Naḥmani says that R’ Yoḥanan says:

3 were called by the name of God⁶

and they are:

1. The righteous,

2. and the Messiah,

3. and Jerusalem.

Prooftexts - Isaiah 43:7; Jeremiah 23:6; Ezekiel 48:35

צדיקים –

הא דאמרן.

With regard to the righteous,

this is as we have just said.

משיח –

דכתיב:

״וזה שמו אשר יקראו

ה׳ צדקנו״.

With regard to the Messiah,

this is as it is written:

“And this is his name whereby he shall be called,

YHWH is our righteousness” (Jeremiah 23:6).

ירושלים –

דכתיב:

״סביב שמנה עשר אלף,

ושם העיר מיום

ה׳ שמה״,

אל תקרי ״שמה״

אלא ״שמה״.

With regard to Jerusalem,

this is as it is written:

“It shall be 18,000 reeds round about.

And the name of the city from that day shall be,

YHWH is there [shamma]” (Ezekiel 48:35).

Do not read the word as “there” [shamma];

Rather, read it as: “YHWH is its name” [shemah].

R’ Elazar - In the messianic future, people will proclaim “holy” before the righteous as they do before God - Isaiah 4:3

אמר רבי אלעזר:

עתידין צדיקים שאומרים לפניהן ״קדוש״

כדרך שאומרים לפני הקדוש ברוך הוא,

שנאמר:

״והיה

הנשאר בציון

והנותר בירושלם,

קדוש יאמר לו״.

R’ Elazar says:

In the messianic future, the righteous will have the name: “Holy” recited before them,

as one recites before God;

as it is stated:

“And it shall come to pass,

that he who is left in Zion,

and he who remains in Jerusalem,

shall be called holy” (Isaiah 4:3).

Rabba citing R’ Yoḥanan - In the messianic future, God will raise Jerusalem 3 parasangs above the ground

ואמר רבה, אמר רבי יוחנן:

עתיד הקדוש ברוך הוא להגביה את ירושלים שלש פרסאות למעלה,

And Rabba says that R’ Yoḥanan says:

In the messianic future, God will raise Jerusalem 3 parasangs upward;

Prooftext - Zechariah 14:10

שנאמר:

״וראמה וישבה תחתיה״;

as it is stated:

“And it shall be lifted up and inhabited in its place” (Zechariah 14:10).

מאי ״תחתיה״ ?

כתחתיה.

What is the meaning of the phrase “in its place”?

It means equivalent to its place,

i.e., Jerusalem will be raised to a height whose measure in parasangs corresponds to the measure of its area in square parasangs.

Rabba citing an anonymous elder - Jerusalem pre-Destruction measured 3 parasangs, supporting the height assigned to future Jerusalem - Zechariah 14:10

וממאי דהאי ״תחתיה״ תלתא פרסי הויא?

אמר רבה, אמר לי ההוא סבא:

לדידי חזי לי ירושלים קמייתא,

ותלתא פרסי הויא.

The Talmud asks: And from where is it derived that the place of Jerusalem was an area of 3 square parasangs?

Rabba said that a certain elder said to me:

I saw the initial Jerusalem,⁷

and its area was 3 square parasangs.

People will ascend elevated Jerusalem easily, flying like clouds and doves - Isaiah 60:8

ושמא תאמר:

יש צער לעלות?

תלמוד לומר:

״מי אלה כעב תעופינה,

וכיונים אל ארבתיהם״.

The Talmud continues to discuss the statement of R’ Yoḥanan:

And lest you say that there is discomfort in ascending to a place so high,

the verse states in a prophecy depicting the return of the Jewish people to Jerusalem:

“Who are these that fly as a cloud,

and as the doves to their cotes” (Isaiah 60:8).

This indicates that they can easily ascend to Jerusalem, as though they were clouds or doves.

Rav Pappa - The verse implies that a cloud rises 3 parasangs - Isaiah 60:8

אמר רב פפא:

שמע מינה,

האי עיבא –

תלתא פרסי מידלי.

Rav Pappa said:

Incidentally, one can learn from that statement that

this cloud mentioned in the verse --

is 3 parasangs high,

as it reaches Jerusalem, which will be raised 3 parasangs.

R’ Ḥanina bar Pappa - God initially intended to assign Jerusalem fixed dimensions - Zechariah 2:5–6

אמר רבי חנינא בר פפא:

בקש הקדוש ברוך הוא לתת את ירושלים במדה,

שנאמר:

״ואמר: אנה אתה הלך?

ויאמר אלי:

למד את ירושלם,

לראות כמה רחבה וכמה ארכה״

R’ Ḥanina bar Pappa says:

God wished to give a set measure for Jerusalem,

as it is stated in a prophecy of Zechariah:

“And I lifted up my eyes and saw, and behold a man with a measuring line in his hand.

Then I said: Where are you going?

And he said to me:

To measure Jerusalem,

to see what is its breadth,

and what is its length” (Zechariah 2:5–6).

The angels objected to God that Jerusalem, containing God’s name, Temple, and righteous people, should not be limited more than gentile cities

אמרו מלאכי השרת לפני הקדוש ברוך הוא:

רבונו של עולם!

הרבה כרכים בראת בעולמך של אומות העולם –

ולא נתת מדת ארכן ומדת רחבן;

The ministering angels said before God:

God!

You have created many cities in Your world for the non-Jewish nations,

and You did not give the measure of their length or the measure of their width⁸

ירושלים –

1. ששמך בתוכה,

2. ומקדשך בתוכה,

3. וצדיקים בתוכה

אתה נותן בה מדה?!

With regard to Jerusalem,

1. which has Your name in it,

2. and Your Temple in it,

3. and righteous people in it,

will You give it a measure?!

God therefore declared that Jerusalem would expand without walls - Zechariah 2:7–8

מיד –

״ויאמר אלו,

רץ דבר אל הנער הלז לאמר:

פרזות תשב ירושלם,

מרב אדם ובהמה בתוכה״.

Immediately:

“And, behold, the angel that spoke with me went forth, and another angel went out to meet him, and said to him:

Run, speak to this young man, saying:

Jerusalem shall be inhabited without walls (פרזות)

for the multitude of men and cattle within it” (Zechariah 2:7–8).

Appendix - The Future Messianic Banquet and the Passing of the Cup (Pesachim 119b)

Pesachim.119b.4-7

Rav Avira citing Rav Ami/Asi - Future Feast for the Righteous - Genesis 21:8

Rav Avira, citing either Rav Ami or Rav Asi, interprets “וַיִּגָּמַל” (Genesis 21:8) to mean that God will one day “reward” ⁹ the descendants of Isaac by preparing a feast for the righteous.

דרש רב עוירא,

• זימנין אמר ליה משמיה דרב אמי

• וזימנין אמר ליה משמיה דרב אסי:

מאי דכתיב:

״ויגדל הילד ויגמל״?

In connection to its discussion of hallel, the Talmud cites a statement that Rav Avira taught.

• Sometimes he said this exposition citing Rav Ami,

• and sometimes he said it citing Rav Asi:

What is the meaning of that which is written:

“And the child grew and was weaned [va-yiggamal],

and Abraham made a great feast on the day that Isaac was weaned” (Genesis 21:8)?

עתיד הקדוש ברוך הוא לעשות סעודה לצדיקים

ביום שיגמל חסדו לזרעו של יצחק.

In the messianic future, God will prepare a feast for the righteous

on the day that He extends [she-yigmol] His mercy to the descendants of Isaac.

At the future banquet, major Biblical Figures (Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, Joshua) will all decline the Blessing, each due to a sin or failing, until David

The flaws:¹⁰

1. Abraham: Ishmael descending from him.

2. Isaac: Esau descended from him.

3. Jacob: married two sisters, a union later prohibited by the Torah.

4. Moses: was not permitted to enter the Land of Israel, even posthumously.

5. Joshua: lack of offspring (based on the Bible’s genealogical silence).

6. David: Finally, David is offered the cup. He accepts and justifies his worthiness by citing Psalm 116:13: “I will lift the cup of salvation and call upon the name of YHWH.”

לאחר שאוכלין ושותין

1. 1. נותנין לו לאברהם אבינו כוס של ברכה לברך,

   2. ואומר להן: איני מברך, שיצא ממני ישמעאל.

2. 1. אומר לו ליצחק: טול וברך.

   2. אומר להן: איני מברך, שיצא ממני עשו.

3. 1. אומר לו ליעקב: טול וברך.

   2. אומר להם: איני מברך, שנשאתי שתי אחיות בחייהן, שעתידה תורה לאוסרן עלי.

4. 1. אומר לו למשה: טול וברך.

   2. אומר להם: איני מברך, שלא זכיתי ליכנס לארץ ישראל, לא בחיי ולא במותי.

5. 1. אומר לו ליהושע: טול וברך,

   2. אומר להן: איני מברך, שלא זכיתי לבן,

   3. דכתיב: ״יהושע בן נון״, ״נון בנו יהושע בנו״.

6. 1. אומר לו לדוד: טול וברך.

   2. אומר להן: אני אברך, ולי נאה לברך,

   3. שנאמר: ״כוס ישועות אשא ובשם ה׳ אקרא״.

After they eat and drink,

1. 1. the celebrants will give Abraham our father a cup of blessing to recite the blessing, as he is the first of our forefathers.

   2. And Abraham will say to them: I will not recite the blessing, as I am blemished, for the wicked Ishmael came from me.

2. 1. Abraham will say to Isaac: Take the cup and recite the blessing.

   2. Isaac will say to them: I will not recite the blessing, as the wicked Esau came from me.

3. 1. Isaac will say to Jacob: Take the cup and recite the blessing.

   2. Jacob will say to them: I will not recite the blessing, as I married two sisters, Rachel and Leah, in their lifetimes, and in the future the Torah forbade them to me. Although at the time it was not prohibited to wed two sisters, this practice would eventually be considered a serious transgression.

4. 1. Jacob will say to Moses: Take the cup and recite the blessing.

   2. Moses will say to them: I will not recite the blessing, as I did not merit to enter Eretz Yisrael, neither in my life nor in my death.

5. 1. Moses will say to Joshua: Take the cup and recite the blessing.

   2. Joshua will say to them: I will not recite the blessing, as I did not merit to have a son.

   3. The proof for this is that it is written: “Joshua the son of Nun” (Numbers 14:6), and in the genealogical list of Ephraim it states: “Nun his son, Joshua his son” (I Chronicles 7:27). Since the verse does not mention any children of Joshua, evidently he had no sons.

6. 1. Joshua will say to David: Take the cup and recite the blessing.

   2. David will say to them: I will recite the blessing, and it is fitting for me to recite the blessing,

   3. as it is stated: “I will lift up the cup of salvation, and I will call upon the name of YHWH” (Psalms 116:13).

1. חופות.

On this word, compare Wikipedia, “Chuppah“, and Hebrew Wikipedia, “חופה“, especially sections “אטימולוגיה“ and “משמעות הביטוי“.

2. נכוה - “singed”.

Compare the anecdote in my “Pt2 Exploring the Greatness of R’ Hiyya (Bava Metzia 85b-86a)“, section “Story of Elijah guiding an ascension to the Heavenly Yeshiva“, where an anonymous rabbi’s eyes are burned (מיקלין בנורא) by the sight of R’ Ḥiyya’s heavenly chariot.

3. I.e. the elders of the Generation of the Wilderness.

4. Steinsaltz explains:

This verse mentions 10 items, from carnelian to gold.

The full verse, Ezekiel/28#13:

בעדן גן אלהים היית

כל אבן יקרה מסכתך

1. אדם

2. פטדה

3. ויהלם

4. תרשיש

5. שהם

6. וישפה

7. ספיר

8. נפך

9. וברקת

10. וזהב

מלאכת תפיך ונקביך בך

ביום הבראך כוננו

You has been in Eden the garden of God;

every precious stone was your covering (מסכתך),

1. the ruby,

2. the crysolithe,

3. and the diamond,

4. the emerald,

5. the shoham,

6. and the jade,

7. the sapphire,

8. the turquoise,

9. and the beryl,

10. and gold;

the workmanship of your settings and your sockets was in you,

in the day that you were created they were prepared.

The Talmud goes on to discuss various aspects of the verse, particularly the clause “every precious stone”; the final list item “gold”; and “your sockets” (נקביך - literally: “your holes”, which the Talmud interprets to mean here “your bodily orifices".).

Re the list of gems, compare the mentions of onyx or jasper earlier in the sugya, in pt2, section “R’ Shmuel bar Naḥmani - Gabriel and Michael, or Yehuda and Ḥizkiyya sons of R’ Ḥiyya, dispute whether Jerusalem’s future walls will be made of onyx or jasper; God declares that they will be made of both - Isaiah 54:12“, and my note there re the priestly breastplate.

5. It is likely that this is an implicit reference to the fact that the contemporary Roman governance of Eretz Yisrael had turned Jerusalem into a non-Jewish city, and no Jews were allowed to live there. R’ Yohanan is saying that in the messianic future, the opposite will be the case: only Jews will be allowed to live there.

6. I.e. the Tetragrammaton - ‘ YHWH’.

In general, see my discussion in “The Many Names of God: Divine Epithets in the Talmud“.

7. When it was still extant in its heyday; i.e. before it was destroyed by the Romans in year 70 CE, and turned into a pagan city.

8. Steinsaltz explains:

i.e., they are not limited by any set measure, but expand as they develop.

On the massive size of the city of Rome, see my “Pt2 Mapping Roman-Era Eretz Yisrael: From Biblical Place-Names to the Powers of Edom (Megillah 6a-b)“, section “Ulla - “Italia shel Yavan” (=Greek Italy) is the city of Rome, with its enormous dimensions, 365 markets, bathhouses, financial welfare for residents and natives, and its geographic defenses on four sides“.

9. From the homophonous root ‘GML’ ( גמל).

10. Note that 4 of the 5 flaws listed are related to marriage or children - no children, bad children, or forbidden marriage.

As for the general literary structure, each follows the same formula:

אומר לו ל - [פלוני]: טול וברך.

אומר להן: איני מברך, ש - [חטא]

He [=A - the previous biblical figure it was offered to] will say to [B - the next Biblical figure - e.g. Isaac]: Take (טול) [the cup] and recite the blessing (ברך)

He [=B - the next biblical figure] will say to them: I will not recite the blessing (איני מברך), as [sin/flaw]