Study Shabbat folio 89B with parallel Hebrew-English text, traditional commentary, and modern study tools. Free access to Babylonian Talmud online.
Text Excerpt
שפרו ורבו ישראל עליו; מדבר סיני — שירדה שנאה לאומות העולם עליו. ומה שמו? ״חורב״ שמו. ופליגא דרבי אבהו, דאמר רבי אבהו: ״הר סיני״ שמו. ולמה נקרא ״הר חורב״ — שירדה חורבה לאומות העולם עליו.
because the Jewish people were fruitful [paru] and multiplied in it; the Sinai Desert, because hatred descended upon the non-Jewish nations on it, on the mountain on which the Jewish people received the Torah. And what is the mountain’s true name? Horeb is its name. And that disputes the opinion of R' Abbahu, as R' Abbahu said: Mount Sinai is its name. And why is it called Mount Horeb? It is because destruction [ḥurba] of the non-Jewish nations descended upon it.
מנין שקושרין לשון של זהורית וכו׳. ״כשנים״? ״כשני״ מיבעי ליה! אמר רבי יצחק, אמר להם הקדוש ברוך הוא לישראל: אם יהיו חטאיכם כשנים הללו שסדורות ובאות מששת ימי בראשית ועד עכשיו — כשלג ילבינו. דרש רבא, מאי דכתיב: ״לכו נא ונוכחה יאמר ה׳״ — ״לכו נא״? ״בואו נא״ מיבעי ליה! ״יאמר ה׳״? ״אמר ה׳״ מיבעי ליה! לעתיד לבא יאמר להם הקדוש ברוך הוא לישראל: לכו נא אצל אבותיכם ויוכיחו אתכם.
We learned in the Mishnah: From where is it derived that one ties a scarlet strip of wool to the scapegoat? As it says: “If your sins be like scarlet [kashanim], they will become white like snow” (Isaiah 1:18). The Talmud wonders at this: Why does the verse use the plural form: Kashanim? It should have used the singular form: Kashani. R' Yitzḥak said that God said to the Jewish people: Even if your sins are as numerous as those years [kashanim] that have proceeded continuously from the 6 days of Creation until now, they will become white like snow. Rava taught: What is the meaning of that which is written: “Go please and let us reason together, YHWH will say” (Isaiah 1:18)? Why does the verse say: Go please? It should have said: Come please. And why does the verse say: YHWH will say? The prophet’s message is based on something that God already said. Therefore, the verse should have said: God said. Rather, the explanation of this verse is that in the future that will surely come, God will say to the Jewish people: Go please to your Patriarchs, and they will rebuke you.