Tosefta Sukkah

A sukkah which is more than twenty amot high is invalid; R. Yehudah, considers it kosher. R. Yehudah said, It once happened that the sukkah of Helen (in Lod) was higher than twenty amot, and the elders were going in and out of it, and no one said anything to her. [The sages] said to him, It was because she was a woman, and a woman is not obligated [to dwell] in a sukkah. He said to them, And did she not have seven sons who were scholars, and all were sleeping in the sukkah? A sukkah where the sunshine is more than the shade is not valid. This applies only from above; but from the sides, even if they were wholly exposed to the sun, it is kosher. If one puts [schach] covering over the sides of a bed or the sides of a tree which are ten handbreadths high, if the part exposed to the sun be greater than that of the shade, it is kosher; but if not, it is invalid. The sukkah of shepherds, the sukkah of fruit-pickers, and a stolen sukkah, are invalid. If one puts a [schach] covering of ropes, or with bundles of sheaves, it is kosher; a covering of flax in its natural state is kosher; a covering of soaked flax is invalid, with reeds and with forked reeds, even if they are stuck together, it is kosher. A covering of ears of grain, if the husk is more than the grain, it is kosher; if not, it is invalid. R. Yosi bar R. Yehudah says: A covering of torn pieces of garments, it is kosher. They can be covered with planed boards, these are the words of R. Yehudah; the sages say: they are prohibited unless there is sufficient space between them. R. Yehudah says: It once happened that at the time of [religious] danger they set up ladders, covered them with boards, and slept under them. They said to him: A time of danger is no proof [for a normal case]. But all agree that even if the boards be four handbreadths wide there must be between them sufficient space. One who hangs on it (Persian) nuts, pomegranates, olives, or bunches of grapes, or wreathes of grain, it is kosher. One may not eat from them except on the last day of the festival. If he made a condition on them that he would eat from them on the festival, it is permitted. If a large courtyard is encircled by pillars, the pillars are considered like sides. A man can even make his friend a side in order to eat and drink. Not only that, but he can set up his bed there, and spread over it a sheet so that the sun should not fall on those who are eating nor on the dead. The sages agree to R. Eliezer that tents may not be started to be made on the festival, and of course [the same] on the Sabbath. How do they differ? Only with reference to adding [to a tent], for R. Eliezer says, One may not add on the festival, and of course [the same] on the Sabbath; whereas the sages say, One may add on the Sabbath, and of course [the same] on the festival. It once happened to R. Eliezer that he was dining in the sukkah of R. Yochanan b. Elazar in Cesarea when the sun approached. He said to him,What [is the law] regarding spreading a sheet over [the sukkah]? He said, There is not a tribe in Israel which has not given rise to a judge. 1 The sun reached to half the booth. [R. Elieser repeated his question.] He answered, There is not a tribe which has appointed a judge [and we therefore must defer to them]; the tribes of Yehudah and Binyamin appointed kings by word of prophets. The sun reached the feet of R. Eliezer, he took a sheet and spread it over the sukkah. R. Eliezer bundled up his garments, and went out. One who makes his sukkah in the shape of a cone, or leans it against a wall, it is not valid. But R. Eliezer agrees that if it be placed on a roof with a space of a handbreadth s width, or if it be higher than the ground by a handbreadth, it is kosher. Matting made of shavings or of large reed-grass can be used as a covering, but if it is small they cannot cover with it. Reed mats or rush mats, if large, may be used as a covering, but not they are woven toegther. But R. Yishmael b. R. Yosi said in the name of his father that even if woven together they may be used; and so R. Dosa says, following his opinion. One who puts a [schach] covering over a wagon that is higher than 10: Rabbi Yosi b. Rabbi Yehudah says in the name of Rabbi Yosi, One who sleeps under [that] wagon is like one who sleeps under the bed. One who puts up four beams, and covers them over [with schach], R. Yaakov says, They should be seen whether, were they divided, each post would reach a span on each side; if so, it is kosher; if not, it is invalid. And the sages say: Two legal walls; and the third wall [need only be] one handbreadth. R. Shimon says: Three legal [walls], and a fourth [need only be] one handbreadth. R. Shimon b. Elazar says in the name of R. Meir: If two are man-made and one by a tree, the sukkah is kosher and they may enter it on the festival.

Those out on a religious mission are exempt from [the mitzvah of living in] the sukkah, however it is said: "It is no praise for a man to leave his house during the festival." There is a story of Rabbi Ilai, that he went to visit Rabbi Elieser in Lud. He said to him, What does this mean, Ilai? Are you not one of those who rest on the festival? Is it not said, It is no praise for man to leave his house during the festival since it is said, And thou shalt rejoice, thou and thy house? The sick and their attendants are exempt from observance of the festival ; and not only one who is dangerously ill, but even one who has a headache or a pain in his eyes. Rabbi Simeon ben Gamaliel said: Once I was in Csesarea with pain in my eyes, and R. Jose allowed me and my attendant to sleep outside the sukkah. Rabbi said, "Once I and Rabbi Elieser ben Rabbi Zadok were visiting Rabbi Yohanan ben Nuri at Beth-Shearim, and we were eating figs and grapes outside the sukkah, and Rabbi was saying, 'Every sukkah which is not four cubits square is not valid.'" But the sages say, "If it contains space for the head, and the greater part of the body only, it is valid." There is a story of the men of Jerusalem that they were lowering their beds through windows which were ten handbreadths high, and were sleeping under them. A lath roof prolonged beyond the walls of a sukkah is to be judged like a sukkah. The watchmen of the city who watch by day are exempt from the law of the sukkah by day, but under obligation by night; those who watch by day and by night are exempted both by day and by night. Travellers are under obligation by night, but exempted by day. Keepers of gardens and parks are exempted both by day and by night. Said Rabbi Eliezer ben Rabbi Zadok: When I was studying Torah with Rabbi Yohanan the Horohite, I observed him eating his bread dry, for those were years of scarcity. I went and told my father, who said to me: Take him some olives. So I took some to him. He took them and looked at them; but when he saw that they were moist he said to me, I do not eat moist olives. So I went and told my father, who said to me, go and tell him that the olive (bottle) is perforated according to the laws of the school of Hillel, but the lees have stopped it up, to show that one may eat profane things from no impure motive. So though he was a disciple of the school of Shammai he was guided by the opinions of the school of Hillel. Should one eat in the sukkah and rain falls, and one leaves it, even if the rain ceases, we do not oblige him to return and finish his meal. Should one be sleeping in the sukkah and rain falls, and one leaves it, even if the rain ceases we do not oblige him to return until he wake up again. On account of four things are the luminaries eclipsed: on account of writing forgeries, on account of breeding small cattle, on account of bearing false witness, and on account of cutting down good trees. On account of four things the property of householders in Israel is confiscated by the government: on account of delaying a satisfied bond of indebtedness, on account of lending on interest, on account of promising and not performing, on account of offering to remit a debt and not doing so. When the luminaries are eclipsed it is a bad omen to the whole world. What is this to be compared to? To a king who made a feast and notified the wayfarers; he was angry with them, and bade the steward remove the lamp from before them, so that they were all sitting in darkness. Rabbi Meir says: When the luminaries are eclipsed it is an ill omen to the enemies of Israel. What is this to be compared to? To a teacher who went to a secondary school, and said, "Bring me a strap." Who is more afraid? The child who is accustomed to being beaten. When the sun is eclipsed it is a bad omen to the nations of the world; when the moon is eclipsed it is a bad omen to the nations of the world, but a good omen to Israel; for the Gentiles reckon time from the sun, but Israel reckons time from the moon; when it is eclipsed in the east, it is a bad omen to the dwellers in the east; when in the west, it is a bad omen to the dwellers in the west; when in the center, it is a bad omen to the whole world. When the sun and the moon are turned as it were to blood, punishment by the sword comes on the world, punishment by pestilence and by famine. When they are eclipsed at the time of their rising punishment tarries in coming; when at the time of their setting punishment hastens to come; but there are those who say just the reverse of this. There is no nation punished whose gods are not punished with it, as it is said, "And against all the gods of Egypt, etc." When Israel is busied in the study of Torah it is not troubled by these things, for it is said, "Thus said God, Learn not the way of the nations, etc." [Jerimiah 10] A palm-branch which is dried up, or whose top is broken, is not valid. A willow of a naturally watered field, or a mountain willow, is valid. If this is so, why is it said, "Willows of the brook?" [Leviticus 23] To exclude the tsaphtsaph. What is the tsaphtsaph? It has leaves serrated like a saw, and such a willow is not valid; its stem is white and its leaf rounded. A myrtle and a willow which have been lopped, and palms coming out between them, are valid. The size of a myrtle and a willow must be three handbreadths, that of a palm-branch four. Rabbi Tarphon says: In a cubit there are five handbreadths. As for these four kinds of plants, just as nothing must be taken away from them so must nothing be added to them. If one does not have a citron, he must not take in his hand a quince, or any other fruit. Withered fruits are valid, but dried ones are not valid. Rabbi Yehudah, however, says that even dried-up ones are valid. And again he says: There is a story of the men of Carbin that they used to transmit their lulavs in the time of persecution. They said to him, The time of persecution is no proof. A lulav, whether bound or not bound is valid. Rabbi Yehudah says, "One bound is valid, but one not bound is not valid." One must not tie it together on the day of the festival; but one can draw out a twig from it, and bind it. "They do not bind the lulav but with its own kind" - the words of Rabbi Yehudah. Rabbi Meir says, "It may be tied even with a cord." He also says, "There is a story of the men of Jerusalem, that they were binding their lulavs with gold bands." They said to him, "Do you seek a proof from this?" The fact is, they were binding them with their own kind beneath the gold bands! Rabbi Eleazar ben Rabbi Zadok said: Thus were the men of Jerusalem accustomed to do: each went to the synagogue with his lulav in his hand; when he stood up to interpret or when he passed before the ark, the lulav was in his hand; when he stood up to read the Law or to lift up his hands he laid the lulav on the ground;⁠a when he went forth from the synagogue he held the lulav in his hand; with it in his hand he went forth to comfort mourners; with it in his hand he went to visit the sick; when he went to the college he then gave it to his servant, who carried it back again to his house. On the first day of the festival no man fulfills his duty with his neighbor's lulav, except if he has given it to him as a real gift. There is a story of Rabban Gamaliel and the elders who were going on board a ship and had no lulav with them. Rabban Gamaliel bought a lulav for a gold denarius, and when he had fulfilled his duty with it, he gave it as a real gift to his fellows, and when they had in turn passed it on and fulfilled their duty they returned it to him. Rabbi Yose said, "On the first day of the festival, after one has fulfilled his duty with the lulav, he is forbidden to remove it."

The lulav suspends the Sabbath in the beginning of its duty, and the willow in the end of its duty. There is a story that some Boethusians once hid the willows under some great stones on the Sabbath eve; but when this had become known to the common people they came and dragged them out from under the stones on the Sabbath, for the Boethusians do not acknowledge that the beating of the willow suspends the Sabbath. The [beat of the willow] is a tradition from Moses at Sinai, and Abba Sha'ul deduced it from Scripture, as it is says, “Willows of the brook”, the plural denoting two, one for the lulav, and one for the altar. Rabbi Elieser ben Yacov said, Thus were they saying, "To Him and to thee, O altar, to Him and to thee, O altar!" Eighteen days and one night (in the year) the entire Hallel is repeated. These are: the eight days of sukkot, the eight days of Hanukkah, the first day of Passover, the night of the first day of Passover, and the first day of Shavuot. Why is the name "Water Gate"? It is so called because through it they take the flask of water used for the libation at the Feast. R. Eliezer b. Jacob says of it, "The waters are dripping, intimating that water oozing out and rising, as if from this flask, will in future days come forth from under the threshold of the Temple, and so it says, ‘When the man went forth eastward with the line in his hand, he measured a thousand cubits, and caused me to pass through the waters, waters that were to the ankles, intimating that a man can pass through waters up to his ankles ; and again he measured a thousand, and caused me to pass through the waters, waters that were to the knees, intimating that a man can pass through waters up to his knees.’”Another interpretation of waters that were to the knees, "intimating that after they have been blessed, they flow out. Again, he measured a thousand, and caused me to pass through the waters, waters that were to the loins, intimating that a man can pass through waters up to his loins. Afterwards he measured a thousand, and it was a river that I could not pass through. Though one cannot cross it on foot, yet one may be able to do so by swimming; though one cannot cross it in a small boat, as we learn from the Scripture, For the waters were risen, waters to swim in they were risen too high for swimming. Though one cannot cross it in a small boat, yet one may be able to do so in a large boat, as we learn from the Scripture, There shall not go thereon any rowing ship. Though one cannot cross it in a large boat, yet one may be able to do so in a fast sailing vessel, as we learn from the Scripture, And gallant ship shall not pass over it. 2 And so it is said, And it shall come to pass in that day, that living waters shall go out from Jerusalem, half of them toward the eastern sea, and half of them toward the western sea ; in summer and in winter shall it be. It may be other fountains will be mixed with them, as we learn from the Scripture, In that day shall there be a fountain opened to the house of David, and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, for sin and for uncleanness. Whither do the waters go ? To the Mediterranean, and to the sea of Tiberias, and to the Dead Sea, that their waters may be healed, as it is said : And he said to me, These waters issue forth towards the eastern region that is the Dead Sea ; and shall go down into the Arabah that is the Sea of Tiberias ; and they shall go towards the other sea that is the Mediterranean Sea ; and the waters shall be healed ; and it shall come to pass that every living creature that swarms, in every place whither the river comes, shall live ; and there shall be a very great multitude of fish; for these waters are come hither, that all things may be healed and live, whithersoever the river cometh. And it also says : And it shall come to pass that fishers shall stand by it ; from Engedi even unto Englaim shall be a place for the spreading of nets ; their fish shall be after their kinds, as the fish of the Great Sea, exceeding many. And it also says : But the miry places thereof and the marishes thereof, shall not be healed ; they shall be given for salt. And also : By the river, upon the bank thereof, on this side and on that side, shall grow every tree for meat, whose leaf shall not wither, neither shall the fruit thereof fail ; it shall bring forth first-fruits every month, because the waters thereof issue out of the sanctuary ; and the fruit thereof shall be for meat, and the leaf thereof for healing intimating that all "the waters of creation" will come forth as from the mouth of this flask. So the well, which was with Israel in the wilderness, was like a rock of the size of a k'bara, and was oozing out and rising as from the mouth of this flask, travelling with them up the mountains and going down with them to the valleys.⁠a Wherever Israel encamped it encamped opposite them before the door of the Tabernacle. The princes of Israel with their slaves surrounded it, and said over it this song, Spring up, O well, sing ye unto it. Then the waters bubbled forth, and rose on high like a pillar; and every one drew out the staff of his tribe and family, as it is said, The well which the princes digged, Which the nobles of the people delved, With the sceptre and with their staves. And from Mattanah to Nahaliel ; and from Nahaliel to Bamoth ; and from Bamoth to the valley, etc. going round every camp of the Lord, and watering all Jeshimon ; and it made mighty streams, as it is said, And streams overflowed. 3 And they were sitting in skiffs, going from place to place, as it is written, They ran in the dry places like a river. If Israel went up on the right, it would come down on the right ; if on the left, it would come down on the left. The waters which emptied themselves from it became a great river, pouring themselves into the Mediterranean, and bringing thence all the precious things of the world, as it is said, These forty years the Lord thy God hath been with thee ; thou hast lacked nothing. There were two silver bowls on the top of the altar, one for water and the other for wine ; that on the western side for water, that on the eastern for wine. If the priest poured the wine into that meant for the water, or vice versa, he complied with legal requirements. Rabbi Yehudah said, "The bowls were of plaster, but had become black because of the stain of the wine ; and they had cavities like two slender snouts, by which the water and the wine went down into the pipe, and which they constructed when the Temple was built."The water and the wine go down to Shith, and are swallowed up in the midst of it, as it is said, In the holy place thou shalt pour out a drink offering of strong drink unto the Lord. So a place was made for it to be swallowed up in a consecrated way. Rabbi Yose says, Shith was hollowed to the abyss, as it is said, Let me sing of my beloved a song of my beloved touching his vineyard ; my beloved had a vineyard in a very fruitful hill ; and he digged it, and gathered out the stones thereof, and planted it with the choicest vine, and built a tower in the midst of it that is the Temple and hewed out a winepress therein that is the altar ; and also, hewed out a winepress therein that refers, too, to Shith. Rabbi Elazar ben Rabbi Zadok said, "There was a small passage between the graded ascent and the altar ; once every six or seven years novices went down there and collected thence the coagulated wine, which was like cakes of fig, and brought it up and burnt it in a consecrated way, as it is said, "In the holy place thou shalt pour out a drink-offering of strong drink unto the Lord." [Numbers 28] So as they poured it out in a consecrated way, in the same way they burnt it. At what time do they offer the libation ? With the pieces of the daily burnt-offering. There is a story of a certain Boethian that he poured the water over his feet, and all the people threw their citrons at him. On that day the horn of the altar was damaged, and the service ceased whilst they brought a lump of salt and put it on it that it might not appear to be damaged ; for any altar which has no horn, nor graded ascent, nor foundation is not valid. Rabbi Yose ben Rabbi Yehudah says, Also if there be no Sobeb. The libation of water occurred all the seven days of the festival; Rabbi Yehudah says all eight. He also says, One log were they pouring out all the eight days; but the sages say three logs, a little wine being added to the water and a little water to the wine. As for the sacrificial waters one is held guilty on account of piggul, or of nothar, or of uncleanness. Therefore if they have become unfit or unclean they are taken to the house of burning ; but in the cases of the bottle and flask themselves one is guilty of transgression, since the things themselves are holy. Rabbi Akiba said, the Torah says, Bring an omer of barley at Passover, for it is the season of the barley crop, that the increase may be blessed to thee. Bring wheat as an offering of first-fruits at Shavuos, for it is the season of the wheat harvest, that the fruits of the tree may be blessed to thee. Pour out water at Sukkot, for it is the rainy season, that the rains may be blessed to thee, for it is said, And it shall be, that Those of all the families of the earth that do not go up unto Jerusalem to worship the King, Lord of hosts, upon them there shall be no rain. And if the family of Egypt go not up, neither shall it be upon them. [Zachariah 14]

Formerly when they were beholding the joy at the ceremony of the water drawing, the men were beholding it from within the Temple precincts and the women from without. But when the supreme court saw that they behaved in a frivolous manner they erected three balconies in the court, facing the three sides, that from them the women might behold the rejoicing at the ceremony. So when they were beholding the rejoicing at the ceremony the sexes were not mixed up together. Saints and pious men were dancing before them with torches, and saying words of praise. What were they saying? Happy is he who has not sinned, and whoever has sinned shall be forgiven. Some of them were saying, Happy am I whose youth has not shamed my old age, this was said by the pious men. And others of them were saying, Happy am I whose old age can atone for my youth, this was said by the penitents.Hillel the Elder used to say : To the place which my heart loves, there my feet lead me. If you come to my house (says God), I will go to there. If you do not come to My house, then I will not go to there. For it is said, “In every place where I record My name I will come unto you, and I will bless you.” There is a story of Rabbi Shim’on ben Gamliel: he was dancing with eight lighted torches, and as he did so none of them fell to the ground. And when he prostrated himself he put his finger on the pavement, bending himself and kissing it, and then stood upright again. Rabbi Yehoshua ben Hananiah said: All the days of the rejoicing at the water-drawing our eyes had no sleep, for we rose early in the morning for the morning sacrifice. We went to the synagogue, then to the college, then to do additional prayers, then to eat and drink, then to afternoon prayer, then to the evening sacrifice, then to the rejoicing of the water-drawing. Rabbi Yehudah said: Whoever has not seen the basilica-synagogue of Alexandria has never seen the great glory of Israel. It is something like a large colonnade, with porches within porches, and accommodating sometimes double the number of those that followed Moses from Egypt. There were seventy-one golden chairs there, corresponding to the seventy-one elders, and each of the chairs was worth twenty-five myriad talents of gold. In the center was a wooden dais, and the sexton stood upon it with a scarf (as a flag) in his hand. At the close of each benediction he waved the scarf, and all the people answered “Amen”. The people were not seated together, but the goldsmiths were by themselves, the blacksmiths by themselves, the embroiderers by themselves, so that when a poor man came in he joined his fellow tradesmen, and in this way was enabled to obtain a means of livelihood. And the Levites with their harps and lyres and cymbals and all manner of musical instruments without number were there, saying, “Behold, bless ye the Lord, all ye servants of the Lord.” Some were saying, Lift up your hands to the sanctuary, and bless ye the Lord. When they parted they said to one another, The Lord bless thee out of Zion, and see thou the good of Jerusalem all the days of thy life. You should see your children's children. The herald cried out: they sounded a plain note, a tremolo, and a plain note. Rabbi Yehudah said: They did not sound less than seven nor more than thirteen times at the opening of the Temple gates. He who blew at their opening did not do so at their closing. Three times they sounded before the altar. He who blew before the altar did not do so on the tenth step, and he who blew on the tenth step did not do so before the altar. Why did they blow three blasts? To make the people cease from work. The sexton took the trumpets, and went to the top of the highest roof in the city to summon those near the city to cease from work. Those near the limits of the city assembled themselves together and came to the schoolhouse. They did not come immediately the trumpets blew, but waited till all were gathered together, and then all came at once. When did they assemble? After one could fill a bottle of water, or fry a fish, or light his lamp. Why did they blow three blasts? To make the distinction between the holy and the mundane day. The sexton took the trumpets, and went to the top of the highest roof in the city. When he sounded, those who were removing broth from a pot, or were keeping warm a boiler, or were lighting a lamp, ceased to do so, even if the boiler were in one's hand he did not keep it warm, but put it on the ground, even if the lamp were in one's hand, he did not put it on the lamp-stand, but lay it on the ground. The sexton lay the trumpets on the top of the roof, came down, and went away. Rabbi Yose said, “He who wishes to light his lamp after six soundings may do so.” The (sages) said to him, “Your rule would vary according to circumstances, but there was a place on the top of the roof where the sexton lay the trumpets.” Should the first day fall on the eve of Sabbath they sound a plain note, but do not sound a tremolo. How do they sound? With a single plain, and not a tremulous, note. “The flute-playing supersedes the Sabbath” - the words of Rabbi Yose ben Rabbi Yehudah. But the sages say, “It does not supersede even the festival itself.” All the divisions on duty were treated alike and divided into three lots for the bullocks, except two who were treated alike but not divided into three lots. Rabbi Eleazar ben Parata and Rabbi Eleazar ben Yacov said, “There was no balloting for the fat of the goat, but whoever offered the limbs offered also the fat.” Rabbi Haninah ben Antigonus said, “There was no balloting except for the leaders of the guards. The rest of all the guards took turns all round.” Abba Yose ben Hanin said, “There was balloting on the first day of the festival only, and all the remaining days they were taking turns all round.” How was the ballot conducted? They gathered at the cell of Gazith, where they stood closely together like a cochlear. An officer came and took the turban of one of them, for they knew that from him the lot began. Individuals among them drew out two, but did not count them more than one. Rabbi Yehuda said, “There was no ballot for the censer, but whoever was appointed for the incense, it was said to him, Thou art also appointed to the censer.” The last day of the festival has a ballot for itself, a festive season for itself, a pilgrimage for itself, an offering for itself, a song for itself, a benediction for itself, as it is said: “On the eighth day he sent the people away, and they blessed the king, and went into their tents joyful and glad of heart for all the goodness that the Lord had showed unto David his servant, and to Israel his people.” You might argue that they were not obliged to pass the night there. As it is written, “On the twenty-third day of the seventh month he sent the people away, and they went to their tents.” [2 Chronicles 7] This allows one to infer that, being dismissed while it was yet day, rising at dawn they were dismissed and went away. The sacrifices, and vows, and freewill offerings, and first fruits, and tithes, and additional offerings on the Sabbath, and congregational sin offerings and their burnt-offerings, and the obligatory sacrifices of individuals, the service and food of the guard on duty, are fixed. Two loaves are for the service and consumption of each guard, since they come as an obligatory offering on the festival. As to the showbread, its service is confined to the appointed guard, but all the guards eat thereof. How was it distributed? Half the dough was given to each guard, who divided it among themselves. Rabbi Yehuda says : This is how the showbread was divided. The distributor took his stand on the landing which was in the porch, spreading it out and laying it down, each one came and took his portion, and to those who were unable to officiate because of some blemish the bread was brought outside, since they could not come between the porch and the altar. The guard which was going off duty offered the morning sacrifice and the additional offerings. The guard which was coming on duty offered the evening sacrifice and the showbread. Why was the guard coming on duty taking its share on the north side? Because it was near the priest's service. There were twenty-four rings there, corresponding to the twenty-four courses of the priesthood. There were there twenty-four windows, corresponding to the twenty-four courses of the Levites. Bilgah's ring is for ever fixed and his window closed, because Miriam, the daughter of Bilgah, apostatized and married an officer of the kings of Greece, and when the Greeks entered the Temple, Miriam came and struck the top of the altar, saying to it, “Wolf, wolf, you have destroyed the wealth of Israel, and have not helped them in the time of their distress!” There are some who say that because he delayed to take up his watch, and Jeshebeab his brother came and took his place, that he is excluded for ever and Jeshebeab included for ever. Those who are neighbors to evil men receive no reward, save Jeshebeab, the neighbor of Bilgah, who received a reward.