Study Rosh Hashanah folio 24B with parallel Hebrew-English text, traditional commentary, and modern study tools. Free access to Babylonian Talmud online.
Text Excerpt
של חמשה ושל ששה ושל שמונה. ושל שבעה — לא יעשה, אפילו של שאר מיני מתכות. רבי יוסי בר יהודה אומר: אף של עץ לא יעשה, כדרך שעשו מלכי בית חשמונאי.
a candelabrum of 5 or of 6 or of 8 lamps. But one may not fashion a candelabrum with 7 lamps even if he constructs it from other kinds of metal rather than gold, as in exigent circumstances the candelabrum in the Temple may be fashioned from other metals. R' Yosei bar Yehuda says: Also, one may not fashion a candelabrum of wood, in the manner that the kings of the Hasmonean monarchy fashioned it. When they first purified the Temple they had to prepare the candelabrum out of wood, as no other material was available. Since this candelabrum is fit for the Temple, it is prohibited to fashion one of this kind for oneself.
אמרו לו: משם ראייה?! שפודין של ברזל היו וחיפום בבעץ. העשירו — עשאום של כסף, חזרו העשירו — עשאום של זהב.
The other rabbis said to R' Yosei bar Yehuda: From there you seek to bring a proof? There the branches of the candelabrum were comprised of spits [shippudin] of iron and they covered them with tin. Later, when they grew richer and could afford a candelabrum of higher-quality material, they fashioned them from silver. When they grew even richer, they fashioned them from gold. Still, Abaye proves from this baraita that the prohibition against forming an image applies only to items that can be reconstructed in an accurate manner. Since this is not possible in the case of the moon, Rabban Gamliel’s forms were permitted.
ושמשין שאי אפשר לעשות כמותן מי שרי? והתניא: ״לא תעשון אתי״ — לא תעשון כדמות שמשיי המשמשין לפני במרום! אמר אביי: לא אסרה תורה אלא דמות ארבעה פנים בהדי הדדי.
The Talmud asks: And is it really permitted to form images of those attendants concerning which it is impossible to reproduce their likeness? Isn’t it taught in a baraita that the verse: “You should not make with Me gods of silver” (Exodus 20:19), comes to teach: You should not make images of My attendants that serve before Me on high. Apparently, this includes the sun and the moon. Abaye said: This does not include the sun and the moon, as the Torah prohibited only the fashioning of an image of all 4 faces of the creatures of the Heavenly Chariot together (see Ezekiel, chapter 1). However, all other images, which are not the likeness of the ministering angels, are permitted.