דִּלְמָא מְעַבְּרִין לָךְ. אֲמַר לַהּ: לִשְׁתַּמַּשׁ אִינָשׁ יוֹמָא חֲדָא בְּכָסָא דְמוֹקְרָא, וְלִמְחַר לִיתְּבַר. אֲמַרָה לֵיהּ: לֵית לָךָ חִיוָּרָתָא. הָהוּא יוֹמָא בַּר תַּמְנֵי סְרֵי שְׁנֵי הֲוָה, אִתְרְחִישׁ לֵיהּ נִיסָּא וְאִהַדַּרוּ לֵיהּ תַּמְנֵי סְרֵי דָּרֵי חִיוָּרָתָא. הַיְינוּ דְּקָאָמַר רַבִּי אֶלְעָזָר בֶּן עֲזַרְיָה: הֲרֵי אֲנִי כְּבֶן שִׁבְעִים שָׁנָה. וְלֹא ״בֶּן שִׁבְעִים שָׁנָה״.
There is room for concern. Perhaps they will remove you from office just as they removed Rabban Gamliel. He said to her, based on the folk say ing: Let a person use an expensive goblet one day and let it break tomorrow. In other words, one should take advantage of an opportunity that presents itself and he need not concern himself whether or not it will last. She said to him: You have no white hair, and it is inappropriate for one so young to head the Sages. The Gemara relates: That day, he was eighteen years old, a miracle transpired for him and eighteen rows of hair turned white. The Gemara comments: That explains that which Rabbi Elazar ben Azarya said: I am as one who is seventy years old and he did not say: I am seventy years old, because he looked older than he actually was.
תָּנָא אוֹתוֹ הַיּוֹם, סִלְּקוּהוּ לְשׁוֹמֵר הַפֶּתַח וְנִתְּנָה לָהֶם רְשׁוּת לַתַּלְמִידִים לִיכָּנֵס. שֶׁהָיָה רַבָּן גַּמְלִיאֵל מַכְרִיז וְאוֹמֵר: כׇּל תַּלְמִיד שֶׁאֵין תּוֹכוֹ כְּבָרוֹ, לֹא יִכָּנֵס לְבֵית הַמִּדְרָשׁ.
It was taught: On that day that they removed Rabban Gamliel from his position and appointed Rabbi Elazar ben Azarya in his place, there was also a fundamental change in the general approach of the study hall as they dismissed the guard at the door and permission was granted to the students to enter. Instead of Rabban Gamliel’s selective approach that asserted that the students must be screened before accepting them into the study hall, the new approach asserted that anyone who seeks to study should be given opportunity to do so. As Rabban Gamliel would proclaim and say: Any student whose inside, his thoughts and feelings, are not like his outside, i. e., his conduct and his character traits are lacking, will not enter the study hall.
הַהוּא יוֹמָא אִתּוֹסְפוּ כַּמָּה סַפְסַלֵּי. אָמַר רַבִּי יוֹחָנָן: פְּלִיגִי בַּהּ אַבָּא יוֹסֵף בֶּן דּוֹסְתַּאי וְרַבָּנַן. חַד אָמַר: אִתּוֹסְפוּ אַרְבַּע מְאָה סַפְסַלֵּי. וְחַד אָמַר: שְׁבַע מְאָה סַפְסַלֵּי. הֲוָה קָא חָלְשָׁה דַּעְתֵּיהּ דְּרַבָּן גַּמְלִיאֵל, אֲמַר: דִּלְמָא חַס וְשָׁלוֹם מָנַעְתִּי תּוֹרָה מִיִּשְׂרָאֵל. אַחְזוֹ לֵיהּ בְּחֶלְמֵיהּ חַצְבֵי חִיוָּרֵי דְּמַלְיִין קִטְמָא. וְלָא הִיא, הַהִיא לְיַתּוֹבֵי דַּעְתֵּיהּ, הוּא דְּאַחְזוֹ לֵיהּ.
The Gemara relates: On that day several benches were added to the study hall to accommodate the numerous students. Rabbi Yoḥanan said: Abba Yosef ben Dostai and the Rabbis disputed this matter. One said: Four hundred benches were added to the study hall. And one said: Seven hundred benches were added to the study hall. When he saw the tremendous growth in the number of students, Rabban Gamliel was disheartened. He said: Perhaps, Heaven forbid, I prevented Israel from engaging in Torah study. They showed him in his dream white jugs filled with ashes alluding to the fact that the additional students were worthless idlers. The Gemara comments: That is not the case, but that dream was shown to him to ease his mind so that he would not feel bad.
תָּנָא: עֵדֻיוֹת בּוֹ בַּיּוֹם נִשְׁנֵית. וְכׇל הֵיכָא דְּאָמְרִינַן ״בּוֹ בַּיּוֹם״, הַהוּא יוֹמָא הֲוָה. וְלֹא הָיְתָה הֲלָכָה שֶׁהָיְתָה תְּלוּיָה בְּבֵית הַמִּדְרָשׁ שֶׁלֹּא פֵּירְשׁוּהָ. וְאַף רַבָּן גַּמְלִיאֵל לֹא מָנַע עַצְמוֹ מִבֵּית הַמִּדְרָשׁ אֲפִילּוּ שָׁעָה אַחַת.
It was taught: There is a tradition that tractate Eduyyot was taught that day. And everywhere in the Mishna or in a baraita that they say: On that day, it is referring to that day. There was no halakha whose ruling was pending in the study hall that they did not explain and arrive at a practical halakhic conclusion. And even Rabban Gamliel did not avoid the study hall for even one moment, as he held no grudge against those who removed him from office and he participated in the halakhic discourse in the study hall as one of the Sages.
דִּתְנַן: בּוֹ בַּיּוֹם בָּא יְהוּדָה גֵּר עַמּוֹנִי לִפְנֵיהֶם בְּבֵית הַמִּדְרָשׁ. אָמַר לָהֶם: מָה אֲנִי לָבֹא בַּקָּהָל?
As we learned in a mishna: On that day, Yehuda, the Ammonite convert, came before the students in the study hall and he said to them: What is my legal status in terms of entering into the congregation of Israel, i. e., to marry a Jewish woman?
אָמַר לוֹ רַבָּן גַּמְלִיאֵל: אָסוּר אַתָּה לָבֹא בַּקָּהָל. אָמַר לוֹ רַבִּי יְהוֹשֻׁעַ: מוּתָּר אַתָּה לָבֹא בַּקָּהָל. אָמַר לוֹ רַבָּן גַּמְלִיאֵל: וַהֲלֹא כְּבָר נֶאֱמַר ״לֹא יָבֹא עַמּוֹנִי וּמוֹאָבִי בִּקְהַל ה׳״? אָמַר לוֹ רַבִּי יְהוֹשֻׁעַ: וְכִי עַמּוֹן וּמוֹאָב בִּמְקוֹמָן הֵן יוֹשְׁבִין? כְּבָר עָלָה סַנְחֵרִיב מֶלֶךְ אַשּׁוּר וּבִלְבֵּל אֶת כׇּל הָאוּמּוֹת, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: ״וְאָסִיר גְּבֻלוֹת עַמִּים וַעֲתוּדוֹתֵיהֶם שׁוֹשֵׂתִי וְאוֹרִיד כַּבִּיר יוֹשְׁבִים״, וְכׇל דְּפָרֵישׁ — מֵרוּבָּא פָּרֵישׁ.
Rabban Gamliel said to him: You are forbidden to enter into the congregation. Rabbi Yehoshua said to him: You are permitted to enter into the congregation. Rabban Gamliel said to Rabbi Yehoshua: Wasn’t it already stated: “ An Ammonite and a Moabite shall not enter into the congregation of the Lord; even to the tenth generation shall none of them enter into the congregation of the Lord forever” (Deuteronomy 23:4)? How can you permit him to enter the congregation? Rabbi Yehoshua said to Rabban Gamliel: Do Ammon and Moab reside in their place? Sennacherib already came and, through his policy of population transfer, scrambled all the nations and settled other nations in place of Ammon. Consequently, the current residents of Ammon and Moab are not ethnic Ammonites and Moabites, as it is stated in reference to Sennacherib:“ I have removed the bounds of the peoples, and have robbed their treasures, and have brought down as one mighty the inhabitants” (Isaiah 10:13). And although it is conceivable that this particular convert is an ethnic Ammonite, nevertheless, there is no need for concern due to the halakhic principle: Anything that parts from a group parts from the majority, and the assumption is that he is from the majority of nations whose members are permitted to enter the congregation.
אָמַר לוֹ רַבָּן גַּמְלִיאֵל: וַהֲלֹא כְּבָר נֶאֱמַר ״וְאַחֲרֵי כֵן אָשִׁיב אֶת שְׁבוּת בְּנֵי עַמּוֹן נְאֻם ה׳״, וּכְבָר שָׁבוּ!
Rabban Gamliel said to Rabbi Yehoshua: But wasn’t it already stated: “ But afterward I will bring back the captivity of the children of Ammon, says the Lord” (Jeremiah 49:6) and they have already returned to their land? Therefore, he is an ethnic Ammonite and he may not convert.
אָמַר לוֹ רַבִּי יְהוֹשֻׁעַ: וַהֲלֹא כְּבָר נֶאֱמַר ״וְשַׁבְתִּי אֶת שְׁבוּת עַמִּי יִשְׂרָאֵל״, וַעֲדַיִין לֹא שָׁבוּ. מִיָּד הִתִּירוּהוּ לָבֹא בַּקָּהָל.
Rabbi Yehoshua said to Rabban Gamliel: That is no proof. Wasn’t it already stated in another prophecy:“ And I will turn the captivity of My people Israel and they shall build the waste cities, and inhabit them; and they shall plant vineyards, and drink the wine thereof; they shall also make gardens, and eat the fruit of them” (Amos 9:14), and they have not yet returned? In rendering the ruling, only proven facts may be taken into consideration. They immediately permitted him to enter the congregation. This proves that Rabban Gamliel did not absent himself from the study hall that day and participated in the halakhic discourse.
אָמַר רַבָּן גַּמְלִיאֵל: הוֹאִיל וְהָכִי הֲוָה, אֵיזִיל וַאֲפַיְּיסֵיהּ לְרַבִּי יְהוֹשֻׁעַ. כִּי מְטָא לְבֵיתֵיהּ, חֲזִינְהוּ לְאַשְׁיָתָא דְבֵיתֵיהּ דְּמַשְׁחֲרָן. אֲמַר לֵיהּ: מִכּוֹתְלֵי בֵיתְךָ אַתָּה נִיכָּר שֶׁפֶּחָמִי אַתָּה. אָמַר לוֹ: אוֹי לוֹ לַדּוֹר שֶׁאַתָּה פַּרְנָסוֹ, שֶׁאִי אַתָּה יוֹדֵעַ בְּצַעֲרָן שֶׁל תַּלְמִידֵי חֲכָמִים, בַּמֶּה הֵם מִתְפַּרְנְסִים וּבַמֶּה הֵם נִזּוֹנִים.
Rabban Gamliel said to him self: Since this is the situation, that the people are following Rabbi Yehoshua, apparently he was right. Therefore, it would be appropriate for me to go and appease Rabbi Yehoshua. When he reached Rabbi Yehoshua’s house, he saw that the walls of his house were black. Rabban Gamliel said to Rabbi Yehoshua in wonderment: From the walls of your house it is apparent that you are a blacksmith, as until then he had no idea that Rabbi Yehoshua was forced to engage in that arduous trade in order to make a living. Rabbi Yehoshua said to him: Woe unto a generation that you are its leader as you are unaware of the difficulties of Torah scholars, how they make a living and how they feed themselves.
אָמַר לוֹ: נַעֲנֵיתִי לְךָ מְחוֹל לִי. לָא אַשְׁגַּח בֵּיהּ: עֲשֵׂה בִּשְׁבִיל כְּבוֹד אַבָּא. פַּיֵּיס.
Rabban Gamliel said to him: I insulted you, forgive me. Rabbi Yehoshua paid him no attention and did not forgive him. He asked him again: Do it in deference to my father, Rabban Shimon ben Gamliel, who was one of the leaders of Israel at the time of the destruction of the Temple. He was appeased.
אֲמַרוּ: מַאן נֵיזִיל וְלֵימָא לְהוּ לְרַבָּנַן. אֲמַר לְהוּ הַהוּא כּוֹבֵס: אֲנָא אָזֵילְנָא. שְׁלַח לְהוּ רַבִּי יְהוֹשֻׁעַ לְבֵי מִדְרְשָׁא: מַאן דְּלָבֵישׁ מַדָּא — יִלְבַּשׁ מַדָּא, וּמַאן דְּלָא לָבֵישׁ מַדָּא יֵימַר לֵיהּ לְמַאן דְּלָבֵישׁ מַדָּא: שְׁלַח מַדָּךְ וַאֲנָא אֶלְבְּשֵׁיהּ?! אֲמַר לְהוּ רַבִּי עֲקִיבָא לְרַבָּנַן: טְרוּקוּ גַּלֵּי דְּלָא לֵיתוּ עַבְדֵי דְרַבָּן גַּמְלִיאֵל וּלְצַעֲרוּ לְרַבָּנַן.
Now that Rabbi Yehoshua was no longer offended, it was only natural that Rabban Gamliel would be restored to his position. They said: Who will go and inform the Sages? Apparently, they were not eager to carry out the mission that would undo the previous actions and remove Rabbi Elazar ben Azarya from his position as Nasi . This launderer said to them: I will go. Rabbi Yehoshua sent to the Sages to the study hall: The one who wears the uniform will continue to wear the uniform, the original Nasi will remain in his position so that the one who did not wear the uniform will not say to the one who wears the uniform, remove your uniform and I will wear it. Apparently, the Sages believed that this emissary was dispatched at the initiative of Rabban Gamliel and they ignored him. Rabbi Akiva said to the Sages: Lock the gates so that Rabban Gamliel’s servants will not come and disturb the Sages.
אֲמַר רַבִּי יְהוֹשֻׁעַ: מוּטָב דְּאֵיקוּם וְאֵיזִיל אֲנָא לְגַבַּיְיהוּ. אֲתָא טְרַף אַבָּבָא. אֲמַר לְהוּ: מַזֶּה בֶּן מַזֶּה יַזֶּה. וְשֶׁאֵינוֹ לֹא מַזֶּה וְלֹא בֶּן מַזֶּה יֹאמַר לְמַזֶּה בֶּן מַזֶּה מֵימֶיךָ מֵי מְעָרָה וְאֶפְרְךָ אֵפֶר מִקְלֶה. אָמַר לוֹ רַבִּי עֲקִיבָא: רַבִּי יְהוֹשֻׁעַ, נִתְפַּיַּיסְתָּ? כְּלוּם עָשִׂינוּ אֶלָּא בִּשְׁבִיל כְּבוֹדְךָ, לְמָחָר אֲנִי וְאַתָּה נַשְׁכִּים לְפִתְחוֹ.
When he heard what happened, Rabbi Yehoshua said: It is best if I go to them. He came and knocked on the door. He said to them with a slight variation: One who sprinkles pure water on those who are ritually impure, son of one who sprinkles water shall continue to sprinkle water. And it is inappropriate that he who is neither one who sprinkles nor son of one who sprinkles will say to one who sprinkles son of one who sprinkles: Your water is cave water and not the running water required to purify one exposed to ritual impurity imparted by a corpse and your ashes are burnt ashes and not the ashes of a red heifer. Rabbi Akiva said to him: Rabbi Yehoshua, have you been appeased? Everything we did was to defend your honor. If you have forgiven him, none of us is opposed. Early tomorrow you and I will go to Rabban Gamliel’s doorway and offer to restore him to his position as Nasi .
אָמְרִי: הֵיכִי נַעֲבֵיד, נַעְבְּרֵיהּ — גְּמִירִי מַעֲלִין בַּקֹּדֶשׁ וְאֵין מוֹרִידִין. נִדְרוֹשׁ מָר חֲדָא שַׁבְּתָא וּמַר חֲדָא שַׁבְּתָא — אָתֵי לְקַנּאוֹיֵי. אֶלָּא: לִדְרוֹשׁ רַבָּן גַּמְלִיאֵל תְּלָתָא שַׁבָּתֵי וְרַבִּי אֶלְעָזָר בֶּן עֲזַרְיָה חֲדָא שַׁבְּתָא. וְהַיְינוּ דְּאָמַר מָר שַׁבָּת שֶׁל מִי הָיְתָה — שֶׁל רַבִּי אֶלְעָזָר בֶּן עֲזַרְיָה הָיְתָה. וְאוֹתוֹ תַּלְמִיד רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן בֶּן יוֹחַאי הֲוָה.
The question arose what to do with Rabbi Elazar ben Azarya? They said: What shall we do? Remove him from his position. That is inappropriate as we learned a halakha through tradition: One elevates to a higher level of sanctity and does not downgrade. Therefore, one who was the Nasi of the Sanhedrin cannot be demoted. Let one Sage lecture one week and the other Sage one week, they will come to be jealous one of another, as they will be forced to appoint one as the acting head of the Sanhedrin. Rather, Rabban Gamliel will lecture three weeks and Rabbi Elazar ben Azarya will lecture as head of the yeshiva one week. That arrangement was adopted and that is the explanation of the exchange in tractate Ḥagiga : Whose week was it? It was the week of Rabbi Elazar ben Azarya. One final detail: That student who asked the original question that sparked this entire incident was Rabbi Shimon ben Yoḥai.
וְשֶׁל מוּסָפִין כׇּל הַיּוֹם. אָמַר רַבִּי יוֹחָנָן: וְנִקְרָא ״פּוֹשֵׁעַ״.
We learned in the mishna: And the additional prayer may be recited all day. Rabbi Yoḥanan said: Nevertheless, one who postpones his prayer excessively is called negligent.
תָּנוּ רַבָּנַן: הָיוּ לְפָנָיו שְׁתֵּי תְּפִלּוֹת, אַחַת שֶׁל מִנְחָה וְאַחַת שֶׁל מוּסָף — מִתְפַּלֵּל שֶׁל מִנְחָה וְאַחַר כָּךְ מִתְפַּלֵּל שֶׁל מוּסָף, שֶׁזּוֹ תְּדִירָה, וְזוֹ אֵינָהּ תְּדִירָה. רַבִּי יְהוּדָה אוֹמֵר: מִתְפַּלֵּל שֶׁל מוּסָף וְאַחַר כָּךְ מִתְפַּלֵּל שֶׁל מִנְחָה, שֶׁזּוֹ מִצְוָה עוֹבֶרֶת, וְזוֹ מִצְוָה שֶׁאֵינָהּ עוֹבֶרֶת. אָמַר רַבִּי יוֹחָנָן: הֲלָכָה מִתְפַּלֵּל שֶׁל מִנְחָה וְאַחַר כָּךְ מִתְפַּלֵּל שֶׁל מוּסָף.
The Rabbis taught in a baraita:
If the obligation to recite two prayers was before him, one, the afternoon prayer and one, the additional prayer, he recites the afternoon prayer first and the additional prayer thereafter, because this, the afternoon prayer, is recited on a frequent basis, and this one, the additional prayer, is recited on a relatively infrequent basis. Rabbi Yehuda says: He recites the additional prayer first and the afternoon prayer thereafter, because this, the additional prayer, is a mitzva whose time soon elapses, as it may only be recited until the seventh hour and this, the afternoon prayer, is a mitzva whose time does not soon elapse as one may recite it until the midpoint of the afternoon. Rabbi Yoḥanan said: The halakha is that he recites the afternoon prayer first and the additional prayer thereafter, in accordance with the opinion of the Rabbis.
רַבִּי זֵירָא כִּי הֲוָה חֲלִישׁ מִגִּירְסֵיהּ הֲוָה אָזֵיל וְיָתֵיב אַפִּתְחָא דְּבֵי רַבִּי נָתָן בַּר טוֹבִי. אָמַר: כִּי חָלְפִי רַבָּנַן אָז אֵיקוּם מִקַּמַּיְיהוּ וַאֲקַבֵּל אַגְרָא. נְפַק אֲתָא רַבִּי נָתָן בַּר טוֹבִי, אֲמַר לֵיהּ: מַאן אֲמַר הֲלָכָה בֵּי מִדְרְשָׁא? אֲמַר לֵיהּ: הָכִי אָמַר רַבִּי יוֹחָנָן: אֵין הֲלָכָה כְּרַבִּי יְהוּדָה דְּאָמַר מִתְפַּלֵּל אָדָם שֶׁל מוּסָף וְאַחַר כָּךְ מִתְפַּלֵּל שֶׁל מִנְחָה.
The Gemara cites additional sources relating to this issue: When Rabbi Zeira would tire of his studies, he would go and sit in the doorway of Rabbi Natan bar Tovi’s study hall. He said to him self: When the entering and exiting Sages pass, I will rise before them and be rewarded for the mitzva of honoring Torah scholars. Rabbi Natan bar Tovi himself emerged and came to where Rabbi Zeira was seated. Rabbi Zeira said to him: Who just stated a halakha in the study hall? Rabbi Natan bar Tovi said to him: Rabbi Yoḥanan just said as follows: The halakha is not in accordance with the opinion of Rabbi Yehuda who said: He recites the additional prayer first and the afternoon prayer thereafter.
אֲמַר לֵיהּ: רַבִּי יוֹחָנָן אַמְרַהּ? אֲמַר לֵיהּ: אִין. תְּנָא מִינֵּיהּ אַרְבְּעִין זִמְנִין. אֲמַר לֵיהּ: חֲדָא הִיא לָךְ, אוֹ חֲדַת הִיא לָךְ? אֲמַר לֵיהּ: חֲדַת הִיא לִי, מִשּׁוּם דִּמְסַפְּקָא לִי בְּרַבִּי יְהוֹשֻׁעַ בֶּן לֵוִי.
Rabbi Zeira said to him: Did Rabbi Yoḥanan himself say this halakha? Rabbi Natan said to him: Yes. He learned this statement from him forty times, etching it into his memory. Rabbi Natan said to him: Is this halakha so dear to you because it is singular for you, as it is the only halakha that you learned in the name of Rabbi Yoḥanan, or is it new to you, as you were previously unaware of this ruling? Rabbi Zeira said to him: It is somewhat new to me, as I was uncertain whether this halakha was said in the name of Rabbi Yoḥanan or in the name of Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi. Now it is clear to me that this halakha is in the name of Rabbi Yoḥanan.
אָמַר רַבִּי יְהוֹשֻׁעַ בֶּן לֵוִי: כׇּל הַמִּתְפַּלֵּל תְּפִלָּה שֶׁל מוּסָפִין לְאַחַר שֶׁבַע שָׁעוֹת לְרַבִּי יְהוּדָה עָלָיו הַכָּתוּב אוֹמֵר: ״נוּגֵי מִמּוֹעֵד אָסַפְתִּי מִמֵּךְ הָיוּ״. מַאי מַשְׁמַע דְּהַאי נוּגֵי לִישָּׁנָא דִתְבָרָא הוּא? כְּדִמְתַרְגֵּם רַב יוֹסֵף: תְּבָרָא אָתֵי עַל שָׂנְאֵיהוֹן דְּבֵית יִשְׂרָאֵל עַל דְּאַחַרוּ זִמְנֵי מוֹעֲדַיָּא דְּבִירוּשְׁלֶים.
Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi said: With regard to anyone who recites the additional prayer after seven hours of the day, according to Rabbi Yehuda, the verse states: “ Those who are destroyed [nugei] far from the Festivals, I shall gather from you, they who carried for you the burden of insult” (Zephaniah 3:18). From where may it be inferred that nugei is an expression of destruction? As Rav Yosef translated the verse into Aramaic: Destruction comes upon the enemies of the house of Israel, a euphemism for Israel itself, for they have delayed the times of the Festivals in Jerusalem. This proves both that nugei means destruction and that destruction comes upon those who fail to fulfill a mitzva at its appointed time.
אָמַר רַבִּי אֶלְעָזָר: כׇּל הַמִּתְפַּלֵּל תְּפִלָּה שֶׁל שַׁחֲרִית לְאַחַר אַרְבַּע שָׁעוֹת לְרַבִּי יְהוּדָה עָלָיו הַכָּתוּב אוֹמֵר: ״נוּגֵי מִמּוֹעֵד אָסַפְתִּי מִמֵּךְ הָיוּ״. מַאי מַשְׁמַע דְּהַאי נוּגֵי לִישָּׁנָא דְצַעֲרָא הוּא? דִּכְתִיב: ״דָּלְפָה נַפְשִׁי מִתּוּגָה״. רַב נַחְמָן בַּר יִצְחָק אָמַר: מֵהָכָא: ״בְּתוּלוֹתֶיהָ נוּגוֹת וְהִיא מָר לָהּ״.
Similarly, Rabbi Elazar said: Regarding anyone who recites the morning prayer after four hours of the day, according to Rabbi Yehuda, the verse states: “ Those who are in sorrow [nugei] far from the Festivals, I shall gather from you, they who carried for you the burden of insult” (Zephaniah 3:18). From where may it be inferred that nugei is an expression of sorrow? As it is written: “ My soul drips in sorrow [tuga]” (Psalms 119:28). Rav Naḥman bar Yitzḥak said: The proof that nugei indicates suffering is from here: “ Her virgins are sorrowed [nugot] and she is embittered” (Lamentations 1:4).