Tannis (21a): It is related of Nahum of Gamzu that he was blind in both his eyes, his two hands and legs were amputated — and his whole body was covered with boils and he was lying in a dilapidated house on a bed the feet of which were standing in bowls of water in order to prevent the ants from crawling on to him. On one occasion his disciples desired to remove the bed and then clear the things out of the house, but he said to them, My children, first clear out the things [from the house] and then remove my bed for I am confident that so long as I am in the house it will not collapse. They first cleared out the things and then they removed his bed and the house [immediately] collapsed. Thereupon his disciples said to him, Master, since you are wholly righteous, why has all this befallen you? and he replied, I have brought it all upon myself. Once I was journeying on the road and was making for the house of my father-in-law and I had with me three asses, one laden with food, one with drink and one with all kinds of dainties, when a poor man met me and stopped me on the road and said to me, Master, give me something to eat. I replied to him, Wait until I have unloaded something from the ass; I had hardly managed to unload something from the ass when the man died [from hunger]. I then went and laid myself on him and exclaimed, May my eyes which had no pity upon your eyes become blind, may my hands which had no pity upon your hands be cut off, may my legs which had no pity upon your legs be amputated, and my mind was not at rest until I added, may my whole body be covered with boils. Thereupon his pupils exclaimed, ‘Alas! that we see you in such a sore plight’. To this he replied, ‘Woe would it be to me did you not see me in such a sore plight’.
Powerful.
ReplyDeleteFrom Shabbos 54b:
"Anyone who is able to protest against the transgressions of one's household and does not, is punished for the actions of the members of the household; anyone who is able to protest against the transgressions of one's townspeople and does not, is punished for the transgressions of the townspeople; anyone who is able to protest against the transgressions of the entire world and does not is punished for the transgressions of the entire world. Rav Papa siad: The house of the exilarch (Jewish communal authority during Babylonian exile) was punished for the transgressions of the entire world, as Rav Hanina said, "What is the meaning of the verse, 'God will bring judgment on the elders and the officers of the peope'" (Isaiah 3:14)? Perhaps the officers have sinned, but have the elders sinned? Rather, this verse signifies that God brings judgment on the elders for not having protested against the transgressions of the officers."
Completly without meforshim!it's not so simple.Also see the yerushalmi on this.
ReplyDeleteWhy haven't you corrected this.This gemara is a special case,and in no way proves general rules of guilt.See for example the gemara and yerusalmi on the 2 amorim who didn't give the poor man food right awa,till the went out of the bath house.
ReplyDelete