Incredible study in Jewish writings

1. Jesus in Chazal
by moshe isaacson
Biur HaGra Shulchan Aruch Yoreh De'ah 147:3
‫שם‬ ‫חגים‬ ‫'כו‬. ‫ל"ז‬ ‫מ"הג‬ ‫ה"ספ‬ ‫כתב‬ ‫מ"רא‬ ‫שאין‬ ‫אסור‬ ‫אלא‬ ‫שם‬
‫שניתן‬ ‫לה‬ ‫לשם‬ ‫אלקות‬ ‫אבל‬ ‫שם‬ ‫הדיוטות‬ ‫פ"אע‬ ‫שעשאוהו‬ ‫אלוק‬
‫כיון‬ ‫שבזה‬ ‫השם‬ ‫אין‬ ‫בו‬ ‫אלהות‬ ‫ואדנות‬ ‫וגם‬ ‫לא‬ ‫ניתן‬ ‫לו‬ ‫לשם‬ ‫כך‬
‫מותר‬ ‫דכתיב‬ ‫ושם‬ ‫אלקים‬ ‫'כו‬ ‫בשם‬ ‫אלהות‬ ‫הקפיד‬ ‫הכתוב‬ ‫וכן‬ ‫תנן‬
(‫ז"ע‬ ‫'ח‬ ‫)'א‬ ‫אלו‬ ‫'כו‬ ‫קלנדא‬ ‫סטרנורא‬ ‫וקרטסים‬ ‫שאלו‬ ‫שמות‬ ‫הדיוטות‬
‫הן‬ ‫ובכמה‬ ‫מקומות‬ ‫הוזכר‬ ‫אותו‬ ‫האיש‬ ‫ותלמידיו‬ ‫ס"בש‬ ‫'כו‬ ‫כ"וכ‬
‫המרדכי‬:
In the Second Century many Jews believed that Jesus had
learned magic in Egypt. This is already believed by Celsus who
debated with Origen in the late Second Century (Origen, Contra
Celsum, i. 28)
http://legacy.tyndale.cam.ac.uk/Tyndale/staff/Instone-
Brewer/prepub/07_Instone_Brewer.pdf
‫סנהדרין‬ ‫מ״ג‬ ‫א‬:‫כ׳‬
‫וכרוז‬ ‫יוצא‬ ‫לפניו‬ ‫לפניו‬ ‫אין‬ ‫מעיקרא‬ ‫לא‬ ‫והתניא‬ ‫בערב‬ ‫הפסח‬
‫תלאוהו‬ ‫לישו‬ ‫והכרוז‬ ‫יוצא‬ ‫לפניו‬ ‫'מ‬ ‫יום‬ ‫ישו‬ ‫יוצא‬ ‫ליסקל‬ ‫על‬ ‫שכישף‬
‫והסית‬ ‫והדיח‬ ‫את‬ ‫ישראל‬ ‫כל‬ ‫מי‬ ‫שיודע‬ ‫לו‬ ‫זכות‬ ‫יבא‬ ‫וילמד‬ ‫עליו‬ ‫ולא‬
‫מצאו‬ ‫לו‬ ‫זכות‬ ‫ותלאוהו‬ ‫בערב‬ ‫הפסח‬
Sanhedrin 43a:20

2. The mishna teaches that a crier goes out before the condemned
man. This indicates that it is only before him, i.e., while he is
being led to his execution, that yes, the crier goes out, but from
the outset, before the accused is convicted, he does not go out.
The Gemara raises a difficulty: But isn’t it taught in a baraita:
On Passover Eve they hung the corpse of Jesus the Nazarene
after they killed him by way of stoning. And a crier went out
before him for forty days, publicly proclaiming: Jesus the
Nazarene is going out to be stoned because he practiced
sorcery, incited people to idol worship, and led the Jewish
people astray. Anyone who knows of a reason to acquit him
should come forward and teach it on his behalf. And the court
did not find a reason to acquit him, and so they stoned him
and hung his corpse on Passover eve.
‫סנהדרין‬ ‫מ״ג‬ ‫א‬:‫כ״א‬-‫כ״ו‬
‫אמר‬ ‫עולא‬ ‫ותסברא‬ ‫בר‬ ‫הפוכי‬ ‫זכות‬ ‫הוא‬ ‫מסית‬ ‫הוא‬ ‫ורחמנא‬ ‫אמר‬
(‫דברים‬ ‫יג‬, ‫)ט‬ ‫לא‬ ‫תחמול‬ ‫ולא‬ ‫תכסה‬ ‫עליו‬ ‫אלא‬ ‫שאני‬ ‫ישו‬ ‫דקרוב‬
‫למלכות‬ ‫הוה‬ ‫ר"ת‬ ‫חמשה‬ ‫תלמידים‬ ‫היו‬ ‫לו‬ ‫לישו‬ ‫מתאי‬ ‫נקאי‬ ‫נצר‬
‫ובוני‬ ‫ותודה‬ ‫אתיוהו‬ ‫למתי‬ ‫אמר‬ ‫להו‬ ‫מתי‬ ‫יהרג‬ ‫הכתיב‬ (‫תהלים‬ ‫מב‬,
‫)ג‬ ‫מתי‬ ‫אבוא‬ ‫ואראה‬ ‫פני‬ ‫אלקים‬ ‫אמרו‬ ‫לו‬ ‫אין‬ ‫מתי‬ ‫יהרג‬ ‫דכתיב‬ (‫שם‬
‫מא‬, ‫)ו‬ ‫מתי‬ ‫ימות‬ ‫ואבד‬ ‫שמו‬ ‫אתיוהו‬ ‫לנקאי‬ ‫אמר‬ ‫להו‬ ‫נקאי‬ ‫יהרג‬
‫הכתיב‬ (‫שמות‬ ‫כג‬, ‫)ז‬ ‫ונקי‬ ‫וצדיק‬ ‫אל‬ ‫תהרוג‬ ‫אמרו‬ ‫לו‬ ‫אין‬ ‫נקאי‬ ‫יהרג‬
‫דכתיב‬ (‫תהלים‬ ‫י‬, ‫)ח‬ ‫במסתרים‬ ‫יהרג‬ ‫נקי‬ ‫אתיוהו‬ ‫לנצר‬ ‫אמר‬ ‫נצר‬
‫יהרג‬ ‫הכתיב‬ (‫ישעיה‬ ‫יא‬, ‫)א‬ ‫ונצר‬ ‫משרשיו‬ ‫יפרה‬ ‫אמרו‬ ‫לו‬ ‫אין‬ ‫נצר‬
‫יהרג‬ ‫דכתיב‬ (‫שם‬ ‫יד‬, ‫)יט‬ ‫ואתה‬ ‫השלכת‬ ‫מקברך‬ ‫כנצר‬ ‫נתעב‬ ‫אתיוהו‬
‫לבוני‬ ‫אמר‬ ‫אמר‬ ‫בוני‬ ‫יהרג‬ ‫הכתיב‬ (‫שמות‬ ‫ד‬, ‫)כב‬ ‫בני‬ ‫בכורי‬ ‫ישראל‬
‫אמרו‬ ‫'לי‬ ‫אין‬ ‫בוני‬ ‫יהרג‬ ‫דכתיב‬ (‫שם‬, ‫)כג‬ ‫הנה‬ ‫אנכי‬ ‫הורג‬ ‫את‬ ‫בנך‬
‫בכורך‬ ‫אתיוהו‬ ‫לתודה‬ ‫אמר‬ ‫תודה‬ ‫יהרג‬ ‫הכתיב‬ (‫תהלים‬ ‫ק‬, ‫)א‬ ‫מזמור‬

3. ‫לתודה‬ ‫אמרו‬ ‫לו‬ ‫אין‬ ‫תודה‬ ‫יהרג‬ ‫דכתיב‬ (‫שם‬ ‫נ‬, ‫)כג‬ ‫זובח‬ ‫תודה‬
‫יכבדנני‬
Sanhedrin 43a:21-26
Ulla said: And how can you understand this proof? Was Jesus
the Nazarene worthy of conducting a search for a reason to
acquit him? He was an inciter to idol worship, and the
Merciful One states with regard to an inciter to idol worship:
“Neither shall you spare, neither shall you conceal him”
(Deuteronomy 13:9). Rather, Jesus was different, as he had
close ties with the government, and the gentile authorities were
interested in his acquittal. Consequently, the court gave him
every opportunity to clear himself, so that it could not be
claimed that he was falsely convicted. Apropos the trial of
Jesus, the Gemara cites another baraita, where the Sages
taught: Jesus the Nazarene had five disciples: Mattai, Nakai,
Netzer, Buni, and Toda. They brought Mattai in to stand
trial. Mattai said to the judges: Shall Mattai be executed? But
isn’t it written: “When [matai] shall I come and appear
before God?” (Psalms 42:3). Mattai claimed that this verse
alludes to the fact he is righteous. They said to him: Yes,
Mattai shall be executed, as it is written: “When [matai]
shall he die, and his name perish?” (Psalms 41:6). Then they
brought Nakai in to stand trial. Nakai said to the judges: Shall
Nakai be executed? But isn’t it written: “And the innocent
[naki] and righteous you shall not slay” (Exodus 23:7)? They
said to him: Yes, Nakai shall be executed, as it is written:
“In secret places he kills the innocent [naki]” (Psalms 10:8).
Then they brought Netzer in to stand trial. He said to the
judges: Shall Netzer be executed? But isn’t it written: “And a

4. branch [netzer] shall grow out of his roots” (Isaiah 11:1)?
They said to him: Yes, Netzer shall be executed, as it is
written: “But you are cast out of your grave like an
abhorred branch [netzer]” (Isaiah 14:19). Then they brought
Buni in to stand trial. Buni said to the judges: Shall Buni be
executed? But isn’t it written: “My firstborn son [beni] is
Israel” (Exodus 4:22)? They said to him: Yes, Buni shall be
executed, as it is written: “Behold, I shall kill your firstborn
son [binkha]” (Exodus 4:23). Then they brought Toda in to
stand trial. Toda said to the judges: Shall Toda be executed?
But isn’t it written: “A psalm of thanksgiving [toda]”
(Psalms 100:1)? They said to him: Yes, Toda shall be
executed, as it is written: “Whoever slaughters a thanks-
offering [toda] honors Me” (Psalms 50:23).
‫גיטין‬ ‫נ״ז‬ ‫א‬:‫ג׳‬
‫אזל‬ ‫אסקיה‬ [‫]ו"ליש‬ ‫בנגידא‬ (‫לפושעי‬ ‫)ישראל‬ ‫ל"א‬ ‫מאן‬ ‫חשיב‬
‫בההוא‬ ‫עלמא‬ ‫ל"א‬ ‫ישראל‬ ‫מהו‬ ‫לאדבוקי‬ ‫בהו‬ ‫ל"א‬ ‫טובתם‬ ‫דרוש‬
‫רעתם‬ ‫לא‬ ‫תדרוש‬ ‫כל‬ ‫הנוגע‬ ‫בהן‬ ‫כאילו‬ ‫נוגע‬ ‫בבבת‬ ‫עינו‬
Gittin 57a:3
Onkelos then went and raised Jesus the Nazarene from the
grave through necromancy. Onkelos said to him: Who is
most important in that world where you are now? Jesus said
to him: The Jewish people. Onkelos asked him: Should I then
attach myself to them in this world? Jesus said to him: Their
welfare you shall seek, their misfortune you shall not seek,
for anyone who touches them is regarded as if he were
touching the apple of his eye (see Zechariah 2:12).
‫גיטין‬ ‫נ״ז‬ ‫א‬:‫ד׳‬

5. ‫ל"א‬ ‫דיניה‬ ‫דההוא‬ ‫גברא‬ ‫במאי‬ ‫ל"א‬ ‫בצואה‬ ‫רותחת‬ ‫דאמר‬ ‫מר‬ ‫כל‬
‫המלעיג‬ ‫על‬ ‫דברי‬ ‫חכמים‬ ‫נידון‬ ‫בצואה‬ ‫רותחת‬ ‫תא‬ ‫חזי‬ ‫מה‬ ‫בין‬
‫פושעי‬ ‫ישראל‬ ‫לנביאי‬ ‫אומות‬ ‫העולם‬ ‫עובדי‬ ‫ז"ע‬
Gittin 57a:4
Onkelos said to him: What is the punishment of that man, a
euphemism for Jesus himself, in the next world? Jesus said to
him: He is punished with boiling excrement. As the Master
said: Anyone who mocks the words of the Sages will be
sentenced to boiling excrement. And this was his sin, as he
mocked the words of the Sages. The Gemara comments: Come
and see the difference between the sinners of Israel and the
prophets of the nations of the world. As Balaam, who was a
prophet, wished Israel harm, whereas Jesus the Nazarene, who
was an Jewish sinner, sought their well-being.
‫סוטה‬ ‫מ״ז‬ ‫א‬:‫י״ג‬-‫י״ד‬
‫כי‬ ‫אתא‬ ‫אקלע‬ ‫לההוא‬ ‫אושפיזא‬ ‫קם‬ ‫קמייהו‬ ‫ביקרא‬ ‫שפיר‬ ‫עבדי‬ ‫ליה‬
‫יקרא‬ ‫טובא‬ ‫יתיב‬ ‫וקא‬ ‫משתבח‬ ‫כמה‬ ‫נאה‬ ‫אכסניא‬ ‫זו‬ ‫ל"א‬ (‫אחד‬
‫)מתלמידיו‬ ‫רבי‬ ‫עיניה‬ ‫טרוטות‬ ‫ל"א‬ ‫רשע‬ ‫בכך‬ ‫אתה‬ ‫עוסק‬ ‫אפיק‬
‫ארבע‬ ‫מאה‬ ‫שפורי‬ ‫ושמתיה‬ ‫כל‬ ‫יומא‬ ‫אתא‬ ‫לקמיה‬ ‫ולא‬ ‫קבליה‬ ‫יומא‬
‫חד‬ ‫הוה‬ ‫קרי‬ ‫קרית‬ ‫שמע‬ ‫אתא‬ ‫לקמיה‬ ‫הוה‬ ‫בדעתיה‬ ‫לקבוליה‬ ‫אחוי‬
‫ליה‬ ‫בידיה‬ ‫סבר‬ ‫מדחא‬ ‫דחי‬ ‫ליה‬ ‫אזל‬ ‫זקף‬ ‫לבינתא‬ ‫פלחא‬ ‫אמר‬ ‫ליה‬
‫חזור‬ ‫בך‬ ‫ל"א‬ ‫כך‬ ‫מקובלני‬ ‫ממך‬ ‫כל‬ ‫החוטא‬ ‫ומחטיא‬ ‫את‬ ‫הרבים‬ ‫אין‬
‫מספיקין‬ ‫בידו‬ ‫לעשות‬ ‫תשובה‬ ‫דאמר‬ ‫מר‬ [‫]ו"יש‬ ‫כישף‬ ‫והסית‬ ‫והדיח‬
‫והחטיא‬ ‫את‬ ‫ישראל‬
Sotah 47a:13-14

6. When he came back to Eretz Yisrael, Rabbi Yehoshua arrived
at a certain inn. The innkeeper stood before him, honoring
him considerably, and overall they accorded him great
honor. Rabbi Yehoshua ben Peraḥya then sat and was praising
them by saying: How beautiful is this inn. Jesus the
Nazarene, one of his students, said to him: My teacher, but
the eyes of the innkeeper’s wife are narrow [terutot]. Rabbi
Yehoshua ben Peraḥya said to him: Wicked one, is this what
you are engaged in, gazing at women? He brought out four
hundred shofarot and excommunicated him. Every day Jesus
would come before him, but he would not accept his wish to
return. One day, Rabbi Yehoshua ben Peraḥya was reciting
Shema when Jesus came before him. He intended to accept
him on this occasion, so he signaled to him with his hand to
wait. Jesus thought he was rejecting him entirely. He therefore
went and stood up a brick and worshipped it as an idol.
Rabbi Yehoshua ben Peraḥya said to him: Return from your
sins. Jesus said to him: This is the tradition that I received
from you: Anyone who sins and causes the masses to sin is
not given the opportunity to repent. The Gemara explains
how he caused the masses to sin: For the Master said: Jesus
the Nazarene performed sorcery, and he incited the masses,
and subverted the masses, and caused the Jewish people to
sin.
‫סנהדרין‬ ‫ק״ז‬ ‫ב‬:‫ח׳‬
‫תנו‬ ‫רבנן‬ ‫לעולם‬ ‫תהא‬ ‫שמאל‬ ‫דוחה‬ ‫וימין‬ ‫מקרבת‬ ‫לא‬ ‫כאלישע‬
‫שדחפו‬ ‫לגחזי‬ ‫בשתי‬ ‫ידים‬ [‫ולא‬ ‫כרבי‬ ‫יהושע‬ ‫בן‬ ‫פרחיה‬ ‫שדחפו‬ ‫ו"ליש‬
‫בשתי‬ ‫]ידים‬

7. Sanhedrin 107b:8
The Sages taught: Always have the left hand drive sinners
away and the right draw them near, so that the sinner will not
totally despair of atonement. This is unlike Elisha, who pushed
away Gehazi with his two hands and caused him to lose his
share in the World-to-Come, and unlike Yehoshua ben
Peraḥya, who pushed away Jesus the Nazarene with his two
hands.
‫ברכות‬ ‫י״ז‬ ‫ב‬:‫א׳‬
‫אין‬ ‫פרץ‬ ‫שלא‬ ‫תהא‬ ‫סיעתנו‬ ‫כסיעתו‬ ‫של‬ ‫דוד‬ ‫שיצא‬ ‫ממנו‬ ‫אחיתופל‬
‫ואין‬ ‫יוצאת‬ ‫שלא‬ ‫תהא‬ ‫סיעתנו‬ ‫כסיעתו‬ ‫של‬ ‫שאול‬ ‫שיצא‬ ‫ממנו‬ ‫דואג‬
‫האדומי‬ ‫ואין‬ ‫צוחה‬ ‫שלא‬ ‫תהא‬ ‫סיעתנו‬ ‫כסיעתו‬ ‫של‬ ‫אלישע‬ ‫שיצא‬
‫ממנו‬ ‫גחזי‬ ‫ברחובותינו‬ ‫שלא‬ ‫יהא‬ ‫לנו‬ ‫בן‬ ‫או‬ ‫תלמיד‬ ‫שמקדיח‬ ‫תבשילו‬
‫ברבים‬ ‫כגון‬ ‫ישו‬ ‫הנוצרי‬:
Berakhot 17b:1
“There is no breach”; that our faction of Sages should not
be like the faction of David, from which Ahitophel emerged,
who caused a breach in the kingdom of David.
“And no going forth”; that our faction should not be like the
faction of Saul, from which Doeg the Edomite emerged, who
set forth on an evil path.
“And no outcry”; that our faction should not be like the
faction of Elisha, from which Geihazi emerged.
“In our open places”; that we should not have a child or
student who overcooks his food in public, i.e., who sins in
public and causes others to sin, as in the well-known case of
Jesus the Nazarene.
‫סנהדרין‬ ‫ק״ג‬ ‫א‬:‫י״ד‬

8. ‫דבר‬ ‫אחר‬ ‫לא‬ ‫תאונה‬ ‫אליך‬ ‫רעה‬ ‫שלא‬ ‫יבעתוך‬ ‫חלומות‬ ‫רעים‬
‫והרהורים‬ ‫רעים‬ ‫ונגע‬ ‫לא‬ ‫יקרב‬ ‫באהלך‬ ‫שלא‬ ‫יהא‬ ‫לך‬ ‫בן‬ ‫או‬ ‫תלמיד‬
‫שמקדיח‬ ‫תבשילו‬ ‫ברבים‬ [‫כגון‬ ‫ישו‬ ‫]הנוצרי‬
Sanhedrin 103a:14
Alternatively, the phrase “no evil shall befall you” means that
you will be frightened neither by bad dreams nor by evil
thoughts. “Nor shall any plague come near your tent” means
that you will not have a child or student who overcooks his
food in public, i.e., sins in public and causes others to sin, such
as in the well-known case of Jesus the Nazarene.
‫עבודה‬ ‫זרה‬ ‫י״ז‬ ‫א‬:‫א׳‬
‫והנאך‬ ‫ועליו‬ ‫נתפסת‬ ‫אמר‬ ‫לו‬ ‫עקיבא‬ ‫הזכרתני‬ ‫פעם‬ ‫אחת‬ ‫הייתי‬
‫מהלך‬ ‫בשוק‬ ‫העליון‬ ‫של‬ ‫ציפורי‬ ‫ומצאתי‬ ‫אחד‬ ‫ומתלמידי‬ ‫ישו‬ ‫הנוצרי‬
‫ויעקב‬ ‫איש‬ ‫כפר‬ ‫סכניא‬ ‫שמו‬ ‫אמר‬ ‫לי‬ ‫כתוב‬ ‫בתורתכם‬ (‫דברים‬ ‫כג‬, ‫)יט‬
‫לא‬ ‫תביא‬ ‫אתנן‬ ‫זונה‬ [‫]'וגו‬ ‫מהו‬ ‫לעשות‬ ‫הימנו‬ ‫ס"בהכ‬ ‫ג"לכ‬ ‫ולא‬
‫אמרתי‬ ‫לו‬ ‫כלום‬
Avodah Zarah 17a:1
and you derived pleasure from it, and because of this you
were held responsible by Heaven. Rabbi Eliezer said to him:
Akiva, you are right, as you have reminded me that once I
was walking in the upper marketplace of Tzippori, and I
found a man who was one of the students of Jesus the
Nazarene, and his name was Ya’akov of Kefar Sekhanya.
He said to me: It is written in your Torah: “You shall not
bring the payment to a prostitute, or the price of a dog, into
the house of the Lord your God” (Deuteronomy 23:19). What is
the halakha: Is it permitted to make from the payment to a
prostitute for services rendered a bathroom for a High Priest
in the Temple? And I said nothing to him in response.

9. ‫עבודה‬ ‫זרה‬ ‫י״ז‬ ‫א‬:‫ב׳‬-‫ג׳‬
‫אמר‬ ‫לי‬ ‫כך‬ ‫לימדני‬ ‫ישו‬ ‫הנוצרי‬ (‫מיכה‬ ‫א‬, ‫)ז‬ ‫כי‬ ‫מאתנן‬ ‫זונה‬ ‫קבצה‬
‫ועד‬ ‫אתנן‬ ‫זונה‬ ‫ישובו‬ ‫ממקום‬ ‫הטנופת‬ ‫באו‬ ‫למקום‬ ‫הטנופת‬ ‫ילכו‬
‫והנאני‬ ‫הדבר‬ ‫על‬ ‫ידי‬ ‫זה‬ ‫נתפסתי‬ ‫למינות‬ ‫ועברתי‬ ‫על‬ ‫מה‬ ‫שכתוב‬
‫בתורה‬ (‫משלי‬ ‫ה‬, ‫)ח‬ ‫הרחק‬ ‫מעליה‬ ‫דרכך‬ ‫זו‬ ‫מינות‬ ‫ואל‬ ‫תקרב‬ ‫אל‬
‫פתח‬ ‫ביתה‬ ‫זו‬ ‫הרשות‬ ‫ואיכא‬ ‫דאמרי‬ ‫הרחק‬ ‫מעליה‬ ‫דרכך‬ ‫זו‬ ‫מינות‬
‫והרשות‬ ‫ואל‬ ‫תקרב‬ ‫אל‬ ‫פתח‬ ‫ביתה‬ ‫זו‬ ‫זונה‬ ‫וכמה‬ ‫אמר‬ ‫רב‬ ‫חסדא‬
‫ארבע‬ ‫אמות‬
Avodah Zarah 17a:2-3
He said to me: Jesus the Nazarene taught me the following:
It is permitted, as derived from the verse: “For of the payment
to a prostitute she has gathered them, and to the payment to
a prostitute they shall return” (Micah 1:7). Since the coins
came from a place of filth, let them go to a place of filth and
be used to build a bathroom. And I derived pleasure from the
statement, and due to this, I was arrested for heresy by the
authorities, because I transgressed that which is written in
the Torah: “Remove your way far from her, and do not come
near the entrance of her house” (Proverbs 5:8). “Remove your
way far from her,” this is a reference to heresy; “and do not
come near the entrance of her house,” this is a reference to
the ruling authority. The Gemara notes: And there are those
who say a different interpretation: “Remove your way far
from her,” this is a reference to heresy and the ruling
authority; “and do not come near the entrance of her
house,” this is a reference to a prostitute. And how much
distance must one maintain from a prostitute? Rav Ḥisda said:
Four cubits.