Study Sanhedrin folio 91A with parallel Hebrew-English text, traditional commentary, and modern study tools. Free access to Babylonian Talmud online.
Text Excerpt
אמרה ליה ברתיה: שבקיה, ואנא מהדרנא ליה. שני יוצרים יש בעירנו: אחד יוצר מן המים, ואחד יוצר מן הטיט. איזה מהן משובח? אמר לה: זה שיוצר מן המים. אמרה לו: מן המים צר, מן הטיט לא כל שכן?
The daughter of the emperor said to Rabban Gamliel: Leave him, and I will respond to him with a parable. She said: There are two craftsmen in our city; one fashions vessels from water, and one fashions vessels from mortar. Which is more noteworthy? The emperor said to her: It is that craftsman that fashions vessels from water. His daughter said to him: If he fashions a vessel from the water, all the more so is it not clear that he can fashion vessels from mortar? By the same token, if God was able to create the world from water, He is certainly able to resurrect people from dust.
דבי רבי ישמעאל תנא: קל וחומר מכלי זכוכית, מה כלי זכוכית שעמלן ברוח בשר ודם - נשברו יש להן תקנה, בשר ודם שברוחו של הקדוש ברוך הוא – על אחת כמה וכמה.
The school of R' Yishmael taught that resurrection of the dead a fortiori from glass vessels: If concerning glass vessels, which are fashioned by the breath of those of flesh and blood, who blow and form the vessels, and yet if they break they can be repaired, as they can be melted and subsequently blown again, then with regard to those of flesh and blood, whose souls are a product of the breath of God all the more so can God restore them to life.
אמר ליה ההוא מינא לרבי אמי: אמריתו דשכבי חיי. והא הוו עפרא, ועפרא מי קא חיי?! אמר ליה: אמשול לך משל. למה הדבר דומה? למלך בשר ודם שאמר לעבדיו: לכו ובנו לי פלטרין גדולים במקום שאין מים ועפר. הלכו ובנו אותן. לימים נפלו. אמר להם: חזרו ובנו אותן במקום שיש עפר ומים. אמרו לו: אין אנו יכולין.
The Talmud relates that a certain heretic said to R' Ami: You say that the dead will live. Aren’t they dust? And does dust come to life? R' Ami said to him: I will tell you a parable. To what is this matter comparable? It is comparable to a flesh-and-blood king who said to his servants: Go and construct for me a great palace [palterin] in a place where there is no water and earth available. They went and constructed it. Sometime later, the palace collapsed. The king said to them: Return to your labor and construct the palace in a place where there is earth and water available. They said to him: We are unable to do so.