Study Rosh Hashanah folio 4A with parallel Hebrew-English text, traditional commentary, and modern study tools. Free access to Babylonian Talmud online.
Text Excerpt
״ומה חשחן ובני תורין ודכרין ואמרין לעלון לאלה שמיא חנטין מלח חמר ומשח כמאמר כהניא די בירושלם להוא מתיהב להם יום ביום די לא שלו״! אמר לו רבי יצחק: רבי, מטונך: ״די להון מהקרבין ניחוחין לאלה שמיא ומצלין לחיי מלכא ובנוהי״.
“And that which they need, both young bullocks, and rams, and lambs, for the burnt-offerings of the God of heaven, wheat, salt, wine, and oil, according to the word of the priests who are at Jerusalem, let it be given them day by day without fail” (Ezra 6:9)? Doesn’t Cyrus’ contribution to the Temple demonstrate his fear of Heaven? R' Yitzḥak said to Rav Kahana: my teacher! a refutation can be brought from your own burden, from the text you yourself cited, as the next verse continues: “That they may sacrifice offerings of sweet savor to the God of heaven, and pray for the life of the king and of his sons” (Ezra 6:10). This shows that Cyrus did this solely for his own benefit, so that the Jews would sacrifice offerings and pray for him and his sons.
ומאן דעבד הכי לאו מעליותא היא? והתניא, האומר: ״סלע זו לצדקה בשביל שיחיו בני״, ו״בשביל שאזכה בה לחיי העולם הבא״ — הרי זה צדיק גמור.
The Talmud asks: And one who acts in this manner, is he not acting in exemplary fashion? Isn’t it taught in a baraita: If one gives charity, saying: I give this sela for charity in order that my children may live, or: I give it in order that through it I may merit life in the World-to-Come, he is still considered a full-fledged righteous person? If so, what was wrong with the king bringing offerings so that the Jews would pray for his life and the life of his children?
לא קשיא: כאן בישראל, כאן בגוים.
The Talmud answers: This is not difficult. Here, in the case of one who makes his charity conditional yet is considered to be righteous, it is referring to a Jew. This is because even if his condition is not fulfilled, he will not complain to God. However, there, where Cyrus was not given credit for his good deed because it was conditional, it is referring to non-Jews. A non-Jew may come to regret his actions and complain to God if his condition is not fulfilled.