Three Stories: Mistaken Death Caused by the Angel of Death's agent; R' Yehoshua ben Ḥananya and a Heretic in Caesar’s Palace; and Rav Kahana’s Voyeuristic Eavesdropping on Rav (Chagigah 4b-5b)
Outline
Story of a mistaken death caused by the Angel of Death's agent
A story involving R' Yehoshua ben Ḥananya and a heretic, in the Caesar’s palace
Story of Rav Kahana’s voyeurism, listening in on Rav having sex
The Passage
Story of a mistaken death caused by the Angel of Death's agent
Rav Yosef cried upon reaching the verse: “But there are those swept away without justice” (Proverbs 13:23). He questioned if people die before their time for no reason.
The Talmud confirms this with the incident of Rav Beivai bar Abaye, who frequently saw the Angel of Death (מלאך המות). The Angel of Death sent his agent to kill Miriam the hairdresser (מרים מגדלא שיער נשייא - a personality possibly related to Mary Magdalene, in the Talmud’s view), but the agent mistakenly killed Miriam the caregiver of babies (מרים מגדלא דרדקי). When asked if the mistake could be rectified, the Angel of Death refused, stating that once she was brought, she counted toward the number of deceased.
Rav Beivai questioned how the agent could kill her prematurely. The agent explained that Miriam’s luck had turned when she scalded herself, providing an opportunity for her death.
Rav Beivai then asked the Angel of Death if it was just to take someone before their time. The Angel of Death cited Proverbs 13:23 to justify his actions, and Rav Beivai countered with Ecclesiastes 1:4, suggesting that life spans are predetermined.
The Angel of Death explained that he ensures the years of each generation are completed before passing them to the angel Duma (דומה). When asked about the unused years of those who die prematurely, the Angel of Death explained that these years are given to Torah scholars who forgive personal offenses, thereby extending their lives as replacements for the prematurely deceased.
רב יוסף כי מטי להאי קרא, בכי: ״ויש נספה בלא משפט״,
אמר: מי איכא דאזיל בלא זמניה?
אין, כי הא דרב ביבי בר אביי הוה שכיח גביה מלאך המות.
אמר ליה לשלוחיה: זיל אייתי לי מרים מגדלא שיער נשייא.
אזל, אייתי ליה מרים מגדלא דרדקי.
אמר ליה: אנא, מרים מגדלא שיער נשייא אמרי לך!
אמר ליה: אי הכי, אהדרה!
אמר ליה: הואיל ואייתיתה — ליהוי למניינא!
אלא היכי יכלת לה?
הות נקיטא מתארא בידה
והות קא שגרא ומחריא תנורא,
שקלתא ואנחתא אגבה דכרעה,
קדחא ואיתרע מזלה,
ואייתיתה.
אמר ליה רב ביבי בר אביי: אית לכו רשותא למיעבד הכי?
אמר ליה: ולא כתיב: ״ויש נספה בלא משפט״?
אמר ליה: והכתיב: ״דור הולך ודור בא״!
אמר: דרעינא להו אנא עד דמלו להו לדרא, והדר משלימנא ליה לדומה.
אמר ליה: סוף סוף, שניה מאי עבדת?
אמר: אי איכא צורבא מרבנן דמעביר במיליה — מוסיפנא להו ליה, והויא חלופיה.
When Rav Yosef reached this verse, he cried: “But there are those swept away without justice” (Proverbs 13:23).
He said: Is there one who goes before his time and dies for no reason?
The Gemara answers: Yes, like this incident of Rav Beivai bar Abaye, who would be frequented by the company of the Angel of Death and would see how people died at the hands of this angel.
The Angel of Death said to his agent: Go and bring me, i.e., kill, Miriam the raiser, i.e., braider, of women’s hair.
He went, but instead brought him Miriam, the raiser of babies.
The Angel of Death said to him: I told you to bring Miriam, the raiser of women’s hair.
His agent said to him: If so, return her to life.
He said to him: Since you have already brought her, let her be counted toward the number of deceased people. Apparently, this woman died unintentionally.
Rav Beivai asked the agent: But as her time to die had not yet arrived, how were you able to kill her?
The agent responded that he had the opportunity, as she was holding a shovel in her hand
and with it she was lighting and sweeping the oven.
She took the fire and set it on her foot;
she was scalded and her luck suffered,
which gave me the opportunity, and I brought her.
Rav Beivai bar Abaye said to the Angel of Death: Do you have the right to act in this manner, to take someone before his time?
The Angel of Death said to him: And is it not written: “But there are those swept away without justice” (Proverbs 13:23)?
Rav Beivai said to him: And isn’t it written: “One generation passes away, and another generation comes” (Ecclesiastes 1:4), which indicates that there is a predetermined amount of time for the life of every generation.
He said to him: I shepherd them, not releasing them until the years of the generation are completed, and then I pass them on to the angel Duma who oversees the souls of the dead.
Rav Beivai said to him: Ultimately, what do you do with his extra years, those taken away from this individual?
The Angel of Death said to him: If there is a Torah scholar who disregards his personal matters, i.e., who overlooks the insults of those who wrong him, I add those years to him and he becomes the deceased’s replacement for that time.
A story involving R' Yehoshua ben Ḥananya and a heretic, in the Caesar’s palace
The Talmud recounts an incident where R' Yehoshua ben Ḥananya was in the house of the Roman emperor (קיסר - caesar), and a heretic (מינא) gestured to him, implying that God had abandoned the Jewish people.1 R' Yehoshua responded with a gesture indicating that God's hand is still protecting them.
When the caesar inquired about the exchange, R' Yehoshua explained the gestures. The household questioned the heretic, who admitted he did not understand R' Yehoshua's gesture. They criticized him for gesturing without comprehension in the presence of the king and subsequently executed him.
רבי יהושע בן חנניה הוה קאי בי קיסר,
אחוי ליה ההוא מינא: עמא דאהדרינהו מריה לאפיה מיניה.
אחוי ליה: ידו נטויה עלינו.
אמר ליה קיסר לרבי יהושע: מאי אחוי לך?
עמא דאהדרינהו מריה לאפיה מיניה, ואנא מחוינא ליה ידו נטויה עלינו.
אמרו ליה לההוא מינא: מאי אחויית ליה?
עמא דאהדרינהו מריה מיניה.
ומאי אחוי לך?
לא ידענא.
אמרו: גברא דלא ידע מאי מחוו ליה, במחוג יחוי קמי מלכא?!
אפקוהו וקטלוהו.
The Gemara relates: R' Yehoshua ben Ḥananya was standing in the house of the Caesar.
A certain heretic, who was also present, gestured to him, indicating that his was the nation whose Master, God, turned His face away from it.
R' Yehoshua gestured to him that His hand is outstretched over us in protection.
The Caesar said to R' Yehoshua: What did he gesture to you, and how did you respond?
He replied: He indicated that mine is the nation whose Master turned His face from it, and I gestured to him that His hand is outstretched over us.
The members of the Caesar’s household said to that heretic: What did you gesture to him?
He said to them: I gestured that his is the nation whose Master has turned His face from it.
They asked: And what did he gesture to you?
He said to them: I don’t know; I did not understand.
They said: How can a man who does not know what others gesture to him dare to gesture in the presence of the king?!
They took him out and killed him.
Story of Rav Kahana’s voyeurism, listening in on Rav having sex
Rav Kahana was lying under Rav's bed and overheard Rav talking, laughing with his wife, and having sex with her. Rav Kahana remarked aloud that Rav's behavior seemed lustful, comparing it to someone who has “never eaten a cooked dish”.2
Rav then told Kahana to leave, stating that his voyeuristic behavior was inappropriate.
[...]
רב כהנא הוה גני תותי פורייה דרב,
ושמעיה דסח, וצחק, ועשה צרכיו.
אמר: דמי פומיה דרב, כמאן דלא טעים ליה תבשילא.
אמר ליה: כהנא, פוק! לאו אורח ארעא!
[...]
[...]
Rav Kahana lying beneath Rav’s bed,
and he heard Rav chatting and laughing with his wife, and performing his needs, i.e., having relations with her.
Rav Kahana said out loud: The mouth of Rav is like one who has never eaten a cooked dish, i.e., his behavior is lustful.
Rav said to him: Kahana, leave, as this is not proper conduct.
[...]
Likely referring to the Christian doctrine, called “supersessionism” or “replacement theology”, that “the Christian Church has superseded the Jewish people, assuming their role as God's covenanted people”.