Study Sukkah folio 52A with parallel Hebrew-English text, traditional commentary, and modern study tools. Free access to Babylonian Talmud online.
Text Excerpt
״וספדה הארץ משפחות משפחות לבד משפחת בית דוד לבד ונשיהם לבד״. אמרו: והלא דברים קל וחומר: ומה לעתיד לבא, שעוסקין בהספד ואין יצר הרע שולט בהם — אמרה תורה אנשים לבד ונשים לבד. עכשיו, שעסוקין בשמחה ויצר הרע שולט בהם — על אחת כמה וכמה.
It is stated: “The land will eulogize, each family separately; the family of the house of David separately, and their women separately, the family of the house of Nathan separately, and their women separately” (Zechariah 12:12). This indicates that at the end of days a great eulogy will be organized during which men and women will be separate. They said: And are these matters not inferred a fortiori? If in the future, at the end of days referred to in this prophecy, when people are involved in a great eulogy and consequently the evil inclination does not dominate them, as typically during mourning inappropriate thoughts and conduct are less likely, and nevertheless the Torah says: Men separately and women separately; then now that they are involved in the Celebration of the Drawing of the Water, and as such the evil inclination dominates them, since celebration lends itself to levity, all the more so should men and women be separate.
הא הספידא מאי עבידתיה? פליגי בה רבי דוסא ורבנן. חד אמר: על משיח בן יוסף שנהרג, וחד אמר: על יצר הרע שנהרג.
Apropos the eulogy at the end of days, the Talmud asks: For what is the nature of this eulogy? The Talmud answers: R' Dosa and the Rabbis disagree concerning this matter. One said that this eulogy is for Messiah ben Yosef who was killed in the war of Gog from the land of Magog prior to the ultimate redemption with the coming of Messiah ben David. And one said that this eulogy is for the evil inclination that was killed.
בשלמא למאן דאמר על משיח בן יוסף שנהרג, היינו דכתיב: ״והביטו אלי את אשר דקרו וספדו עליו כמספד על היחיד״. אלא למאן דאמר על יצר הרע שנהרג — האי הספידא בעי למעבד? שמחה בעי למעבד! אמאי בכו?
The Talmud asks: Granted, according to the one who said that the lament is for Messiah ben Yosef who was killed, this would be the meaning of that which is written in that context: “And they should look to Me because they have thrust him through; and they should mourn for him, as one mourns for his only son” (Zechariah 12:10). However, according to the one who said that the eulogy is for the evil inclination that was killed, does one need to conduct a eulogy for this? On the contrary, one should conduct a celebration. Why, then, did they cry?