Eruvin 53B

ירשיע״.

he did them mischief” (i Samuel 14:47).

ואמר רבי יוחנן: מניין שמחל לו הקדוש ברוך הוא על אותו עון ⁠— שנאמר: ״מחר אתה ובניך עמי״. עמי ⁠— במחיצתי.

The Talmud concludes the mention of Saul on a positive note. And R' Yoḥanan said: From where is it derived that God forgave him for that sin, the massacre of Nov, the city of priests? As it is stated that the spirit of Samuel said to him: “And YHWH will also deliver Israel with you into the hand of the Philistines, and tomorrow should you and your sons be with me” (i Samuel 28:19); the phrase “with me” means within my partition together with me in heaven, i.e., on the same level as the righteous prophet Samuel.

אמר רבי אבא: אי איכא דמשאיל להו לבני יהודה דדייקי לשני ⁠— מאברין תנן או מעברין תנן, אכוזו תנן או עכוזו תנן, ידעי.

The Talmud returns to the earlier question with regard to the correct reading of the word me’abberin. R' Abba said: If there is anyone who can ask the people of Judea, who are precise in their language, whether the term in the Mishnah that we learned is me’abberin with an alef or me’abberin with an ayin, he should ask them. Similarly, with regard to the blemishes of a firstborn animal, was the term meaning its hindquarters that we learned in the Mishnah akkuzo with an alef, or did we learn akkuzo with an ayin? They would know.

שאילינהו ואמרי ליה: איכא דתני מאברין, ואיכא דתני מעברין. איכא דתני אכוזו ואיכא דתני עכוזו.

The Talmud answers: One asked the people of Judea, and they said to him: Some teach me’abberin with an alef, and some teach me’abberin with an ayin. Some teach akkuzo with an alef, and some teach akkuzo with an ayin. Both versions are well founded and neither one is erroneous.