Shiur #20: The Tale of Nechunya the Ditch-Digger (Part I)
- Our Rabbis taught: It happened that the daughter of Nechunya the Ditch-Digger fell into a deep pit.
- People came and informed R. Chanina ben Dosa.
- During the first hour, he said to them, “She is well.” During the second, he said to them, “She is still well.” But in the third hour, he said to them, “She has by now come out [of the pit].”
- They then asked her, “Who brought you up?”
- Her answer was, “A ram came to my help with an old man leading it.”
- They then asked R. Chanina ben Dosa, “Are you a prophet?”
- He said to them, “I am neither a prophet nor the son of a prophet.
- “I only said to myself: Shall his seed stumble over the thing to which that righteous man has devoted his labor?”[4]
- R. Acha, however, said: Nevertheless, his son died of thirst, as it says, “And it shall be very tempestuous round about Him,” which teaches that the Holy One, blessed be He, is particular with those round about Him[5] even for matters as light as a single hair.
- R. Nechunya[6] derived the same lesson from the verse, “God is very daunting, in the secret counsel of His holy ones, and awesome over all surrounding Him.”
- R. Chanina said: Whoever says that the Holy One, blessed be He, is yielding in the execution of justice, that one’s life is yielded,[7] for it is stated, “He is the Rock, His work is perfect; for all His ways are justice.”
- But R. Chana,[8] or as others read R. Shemuel bar Nachmani, said: Why is it written, “Long of sufferings,” and not, “Long of suffering”? [It must mean,] “Long of sufferings” to both the righteous and the wicked.
Literary Analysis
The aggada of Nechunya the Ditch-Digger in the Babylonian Talmud can be split into two parts. The first eight lines tell the story of Nechunya’s daughter and her rescue from precisely the type of cisterns that her father would dig for the public welfare. This part ends with R. Chanina ben Dosa dramatic declaration: “Shall his seed stumble over the thing to which that righteous man has devoted his labor?” This declaration is meant to explain R. Chanina ben Dosa’s confidence that nothing bad will befall the daughter of Nechunya in a well that he dug for the public welfare. However, in a sharp transition, the second part (the last four lines) opens with R. Acha’s statement about Nechunya’s son dying of dehydration. This statement would seem to contradict the message of the previous story; indeed, this transition is marked with qualifiers: nevertheless, however.
The statement of R. Acha raises other similar examinations of theodicy and the doctrine of reward and punishment.
Jerusalem Talmud, Shekalim
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Babylonian Talmud
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Nechunya the Ditch-Digger, who would dig ditches and caves, knew under which rock a water source could be found and under which rock it was bone-dry, how far down the rock went and how far down the dryness went.
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Our Rabbis taught: It happened that the daughter of Nechunya the Ditch-Digger fell into a deep pit.
People came and informed R. Chanina ben Dosa.
During the first hour, he said to them, “She is well.” During the second, he said to them, “She is still well.” But in the third hour, he said to them, “She has by now come out [of the pit].”
They then asked her, “Who brought you up?”
Her answer was, “A ram came to my help with an old man leading it.”
They then asked R. Chanina ben Dosa, “Are you a prophet?”
He said to them, “I am neither a prophet nor the son of a prophet.
“I only said to myself: Shall his seed stumble over the thing to which that righteous man has devoted his labor?”
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R. Acha, however, said: Nevertheless, his son died of thirst.
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R. Acha, however, said: Nevertheless, his son died of thirst, as it says, “And it shall be very tempestuous round about Him,” which teaches that the Holy One, blessed be He, is particular with those round about Him even for matters as light as a single hair.
Rabbi Nechunya derived the same lesson from the verse “God is very daunting, in the secret counsel of His holy ones, and awesome over all surrounding Him.”
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R. Chanina said: Whoever says that the Holy One, blessed be He, is yielding in the execution of justice, that one’s innards will be yielded; rather, He is long-suffering and claims what He is owed.
R. Acha said: As it says, “And it shall be very tempestuous round about Him,” which teaches that He is particular with them even for matters as light as a single hair.
Said R. Yosa: This is not the source, but rather, “And awesome over all surrounding Him” — the fear of Him is more on those who are close than those who are far.
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R. Chanina said: Whoever says that the Holy One, blessed be He, is yielding in the execution of justice that one’s life is yielded, for it is stated, “He is the Rock, His work is perfect; for all His ways are justice.”
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R. Chaggai in the name of R. Shemuel bar Nachman says: It happened that a pious man would dig cisterns, ditches, and caves for the passers-by. Once his daughter was crossing the river to be married, and she was swept away.
All the people came to console him, but he refused to accept their condolences. R. Pinchas ben Ya’ir came to console him, but he refused to accept his condolences.
[R. Pinchas ben Ya’ir said], “This is what you call a pious man?”
They said to him, “Rabbi, this is what he did, and that is what happened to him.”
He said, “Could it be that he honored his Creator with water and he brings him up short with water?”
Suddenly, a tumult was heard in the town and the daughter of that man arrived. Some say she clung to a branch and climbed up; others say an angel came down, with the appearance of R. Pinchas ben Ya’ir, and saved her.
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But R. Chana, or as others read R. Shemuel bar Nachmani, said: Why is it written, “Long of sufferings,” and not, “Long of suffering”? [It must mean,] “Long of sufferings” to both the righteous and the wicked.
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