Author Topic: The Humility of Baba B. Buta  (Read 2189 times)

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Offline edu

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The Humility of Baba B. Buta
« on: May 12, 2016, 01:29:29 AM »
In the Talmud Nedarim 66b
A certain Babylonian Husband got married to a woman in the land of Israel and they had language communication problems.
The husband told his new wife break 2 candles (alt. translation mellons) over the gate (alt. translation, threshold). She misunderstood his dialect and broke the candles (or mellons) over the head of the Baba B. Buta (one of the major Rabbinical Judges at that time).
Instead of getting angry, Baba B. Buta, inquired why did she do this?
She said, "thus did my husband command me".
"Thou hast performed thy husband's will," he rejoined; "may the Almighty bring forth from thee two sons like Baba b. Buta"

Offline edu

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Re: The Humility of Baba B. Buta
« Reply #1 on: May 12, 2016, 02:12:24 AM »
Elsewhere the Talmud tells us that the tyrant Hurdus {Herod} killed most of the sages of Israel and blinded Baba B. Buta.
When the tyrant later asked Baba B. Buta how to rectify his sins, he could have just remained silent.
Instead for the benefit of the Jewish people and G-d's Temple, he gave Hurdus good advice, how to repair and rebuild the Temple in Jerusalem without getting the Roman Empire upset about it enough to stop it.

I personally think this was only a minor rectification for all the sins of Hurdus, but it still must have done some spiritual good for the tyrant. After all the modern day Kotel or Western Wall which is currently a point for religious inspiration of many Jews, was probably built by Hurdus and sons.
The architecture at the wall matches Herodian architecture elsewhere. In addition, under the wall they found at the foundations, coins in a filled in mikva, from the period of the sons of Hurdus/Herod. Thus indicating the time when the wall was built.