SIRACH & THE TALMUD
In this post I quote select passages from the Babylonian Talmud where the rabbis affirm the authority of Ecclesiasticus, also known as Ben Sirach, and even quote from it to establish doctrine. The rabbis even placed Sirach in the section called Writings (ketuvim).
כָּתוּב בַּתּוֹרָה – דִּכְתִיב: ״וַיֵּלֶךְ עֵשָׂו אֶל יִשְׁמָעֵאל״. שָׁנוּי בַּנְּבִיאִים – דִּכְתִיב: ״וַיִּתְלַקְּטוּ אֶל יִפְתָּח אֲנָשִׁים רֵקִים, וַיִּהְיוּ עִמּוֹ״. וּמְשׁוּלָּשׁ בַּכְּתוּבִים – דִּכְתִיב: ״כׇּל עוֹף לְמִינוֹ יִשְׁכּוֹן, (וּבְנֵי) [וּבֶן] אָדָם לַדּוֹמֶה לוֹ״. תְּנַן בְּמַתְנִיתִין – כׇּל הַמְחוּבָּר לַטָּמֵא, טָמֵא; כׇּל הַמְחוּבָּר לַטָּהוֹר, טָהוֹר. וּתְנֵינָא בְּבָרַיְיתָא – רַבִּי אֱלִיעֶזֶר אוֹמֵר: לֹא לְחִנָּם הָלַךְ זַרְזִיר אֵצֶל עוֹרֵב, אֶלָּא מִפְּנֵי שֶׁהוּא מִינוֹ.
Rabba bar Mari explains each of the sources. It is written in the Torah, as it is written: “And so Esau went to Ishmael” (Genesis 28:9). It is repeated in the Prophets, as it is written: “And there were gathered vain fellows to Yiftah, and they went out with him” (Judges 11:3). And it is triplicated in the Writings, as it is written: All fowl will live with its kind, and men with those like him (Book of Ben Sira 13:17). We learned it in a mishna (Kelim 12:2): All that is attached to that which is ritually impure is ritually impure; all that is attached to that which is ritually pure is ritually pure. And we learned it in a baraita: Rabbi Eliezer says: Not for naught did the starling go to the raven but because it is its kind, as it too is a non-kosher bird. (Bava Kamma 92b)
רַבִּי עֲקִיבָא אוֹמֵר אַף הַקּוֹרֵא בַּסְּפָרִים הַחִיצוֹנִים וְכוּ’ תָּנָא בְּסִפְרֵי מִינִים רַב יוֹסֵף אָמַר בְּסֵפֶר בֶּן סִירָא נָמֵי אָסוּר לְמִיקְרֵי אֲמַר לֵיהּ אַבָּיֵי מַאי טַעְמָא אִילֵּימָא מִשּׁוּם דִּכְתִב [בֵּיהּ] לָא תִּינְטוֹשׁ גִּילְדָּנָא מֵאוּדְנֵיהּ דְּלָא לֵיזִיל מַשְׁכֵיהּ לַחֲבָלָא אֶלָּא צְלִי יָתֵיהּ בְּנוּרָא וְאֵיכוֹל בֵּיהּ תַּרְתֵּין גְּרִיצִים
§ The mishna teaches that Rabbi Akiva says: Also one who reads external literature has no share in the World-to-Come. The Sages taught in a baraita: This is a reference to reading books of heretics. Rav Yosef says: It is also prohibited to read the book of ben Sira, due to its problematic content. Abaye said to Rav Yosef: What is the reason that it is prohibited to read the book of ben Sira? If we say that it is prohibited due to the fact that ben Sira wrote in it: Do not flay the skin of the fish from its ear, so that its skin does not go to ruin, but roast it on the fire and eat with it two loaves of bread, and you believe it to be nonsense, that is not a sufficient reason.
אִי מִפְּשָׁטֵיהּ בְּאוֹרָיְיתָא נָמֵי כְּתִב לֹא תַשְׁחִית אֶת עֵצָהּ אִי מִדְּרָשָׁא אוֹרַח אַרְעָא קָא מַשְׁמַע לַן דְּלָא לִיבְעוֹל שֶׁלֹּא כְּדַרְכָּהּ
If your difficulty is from its literal meaning, that does not pose a difficulty, as in the Torah, God also wrote: “You shall not destroy its trees” (Deuteronomy 20:19). It is prohibited to destroy both trees and fish skin arbitrarily. If your difficulty is from its homiletic interpretation as a euphemism, ben Sira is teaching us proper conduct: A man should not engage in sexual intercourse in an atypical manner, i.e., anal intercourse, with his wife, as it causes her discomfort.
וְאֶלָּא מִשּׁוּם דִּכְתִיב בַּת לְאָבִיהָ מַטְמוֹנֶת שָׁוְא מִפַּחְדָּהּ לֹא יִישַׁן בַּלַּיְלָה בְּקַטְנוּתָהּ שֶׁמָּא תִּתְפַּתֶּה בְּנַעֲרוּתָהּ שֶׁמָּא תִּזְנֶה בָּגְרָה שֶׁמָּא לֹא תִּינָּשֵׂא נִישֵּׂאת שֶׁמָּא לֹא יִהְיוּ לָהּ בָּנִים הִזְקִינָה שֶׁמָּא תַּעֲשֶׂה כְּשָׁפִים הָא רַבָּנַן נָמֵי אַמְרוּהָ אִי אֶפְשָׁר לְעוֹלָם בְּלֹא זְכָרִים וּבְלֹא נְקֵבוֹת אַשְׁרֵי מִי שֶׁבָּנָיו זְכָרִים אוֹי לוֹ לְמִי שֶׁבָּנָיו נְקֵבוֹת
Rather, perhaps the book poses a difficulty because it is written there: A daughter is for her father false treasure; due to fear for her he will not sleep at night: During her minority, lest she be seduced; during her young womanhood lest she engage in licentiousness; once she has reached her majority, lest she not marry; once she marries, lest she have no children; once she grows old, lest she engage in witchcraft (Ben Sira 42:11–14). Perhaps you believe that one should not say this to the father of daughters. Didn’t the Sages also say it with regard to women? They said: It is impossible for the world to exist without males and without females; nevertheless, happy is one whose children are males and woe unto him whose children are females.
אֶלָּא מִשּׁוּם דִּכְתִיב לָא תַּעֵיל דְּוָיָא בְּלִבָּךְ דְּגַבְרֵי גִּיבָּרִין קְטַל דְּוָיָא הָא שְׁלֹמֹה אַמְרַהּ דְּאָגָה בְלֶב אִישׁ יַשְׁחֶנָּה רַבִּי אַמֵּי וְרַבִּי אַסִּי חַד אָמַר יַשִּׂיחֶנָּה מִדַּעְתּוֹ וְחַד אָמַר יְשִׂיחֶנָּה לַאֲחֵרִים
Rather, perhaps the book poses a difficulty because it is written there: Do not introduce anxiety into your heart, as anxiety has killed mighty men (Ben Sira 14:1; 30:29). Didn’t Solomon already say it in the verse: “Anxiety in a man’s heart dejects him [yashḥena]” (Proverbs 12:25)? Rabbi Ami and Rabbi Asi interpret the term homiletically and read it as yesiḥenna. One says that it means: He shall remove it [yesiḥenna] from his mind, and that will ease his anxiety. And one says: He shall tell it [yesiḥenna] to others, and that will ease his anxiety. Both agree with the statement of ben Sira.
וְאֶלָּא מִשּׁוּם דִּכְתִיב מְנַע רַבִּים מִתּוֹךְ בֵּיתֶךָ וְלֹא הַכֹּל תָּבִיא אֶל בֵּיתֶךָ וְהָא רַבִּי נָמֵי אַמְרַהּ דְּתַנְיָא רַבִּי אוֹמֵר לְעוֹלָם לֹא יַרְבֶּה אָדָם רֵעִים בְּתוֹךְ בֵּיתוֹ שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר ‘אִישׁ רֵעִים לְהִתְרוֹעֵעַ’
Rather, perhaps the book poses a difficulty because it is written there: Prevent the multitudes from inside your house, and do not bring everyone into your house (Ben Sira 11:37). But didn’t Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi also say it, as it is taught in a baraita that Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi says: A person should never have many friends inside his house, as it is stated: “There are friends that one has to his own detriment” (Proverbs 18:24), as through his association with them he will become weak and be ruined.
אֶלָּא מִשּׁוּם דִּכְתִיב זַלְדְּקַן קוּרְטְמָן עַבְדְּקַן סִכְסָן דְּנָפַח בְּכָסֵיהּ לָא צָחֵי אָמַר ‘בְּמַאי אֵיכוֹל לַחְמָא’ לַחְמָא סַב מִינֵּיהּ מַאן דְּאִית לֵיהּ מַעְבַּרְתָּא בְּדִיקְנֵיהּ כּוּלֵּי עָלְמָא לָא יָכְלִי לֵיהּ
Rather, perhaps the book poses a difficulty because it is written there: A sparse-bearded man is clever; a thick-bearded man is a fool. One who blows on his cup is not thirsty. One who said: With what will I eat bread, take the bread from him. One who has a passage in his beard, the entire world is unable to overcome him. Abaye suggests: Due to all this nonsense, it is not appropriate to read this book.
אָמַר רַב יוֹסֵף מִילֵּי מְעַלַּיְיתָא דְּאִית בֵּיהּ דָּרְשִׁינַן לְהוּ אִשָּׁה טוֹבָה מַתָּנָה טוֹבָה בְּחֵיק יְרֵא אֱלֹהִים תִּנָּתֵן אִשָּׁה רָעָה צָרַעַת לְבַעְלָהּ מַאי תַּקַּנְתֵּיהּ יְגָרְשֶׁנָּה מִבֵּיתוֹ וְיִתְרַפֵּא מִצָּרַעְתּוֹ אִשָּׁה יָפָה אַשְׁרֵי בַּעְלָהּ מִסְפַּר יָמָיו כִּפְלַיִם
Rav Yosef says: Even though there are passages in the book that are inappropriate, we teach the superior matters that are in it even in public. A good wife is a good gift; she will be given into the bosom of a God-fearing man (Ben Sira 26:3). A bad wife is leprosy for her husband. What is his remedy? He shall chase her from his house and will be healed from his leprosy (Ben Sira 25:30). A beautiful wife, happy is her husband; the number of his days is doubled (Ben Sira 26:1). Due to his happiness, it is as though his life is twice as long.
הַעְלֵם עֵינֶיךָ מֵאֵשֶׁת חֵן פֶּן תִּלָּכֵד בִּמְצוּדָתָהּ אַל תֵּט אֵצֶל בַּעְלָהּ לִמְסוֹךְ עִמּוֹ יַיִן וְשֵׁכָר כִּי בְּתוֹאַר אִשָּׁה יָפָה רַבִּים הוּשְׁחָתוּ וַעֲצוּמִים כׇּל הֲרוּגֶיהָ רַבִּים הָיוּ פִּצְעֵי רוֹכֵל הַמַּרְגִּילִים לִדְבַר עֶרְוָה כְּנִיצוֹץ מַבְעִיר גַּחֶלֶת כִּכְלוּב מָלֵא עוֹף כֵּן בָּתֵּיהֶם מְלֵאִים מִרְמָה מְנַע רַבִּים מִתּוֹךְ בֵּיתֶךָ וְלֹא הַכֹּל תָּבִיא בֵּיתֶךָ רַבִּים יִהְיוּ דּוֹרְשֵׁי שְׁלוֹמֶךָ גַּלֵּה סוֹדְךָ לְאֶחָד מֵאָלֶף מִשּׁוֹכֶבֶת חֵיקֶךָ שְׁמוֹר פִּתְחֵי פִיךָ אַל תֵּצַר צָרַת מָחָר כִּי לֹא תֵדַע מַה יֵּלֶד יוֹם שֶׁמָּא לְמָחָר אֵינֶנּוּ וְנִמְצָא מִצְטַעֵר עַל עוֹלָם שֶׁאֵינוֹ שֶׁלּוֹ
We also teach what it states there: Avert your eyes from a woman of grace, lest you be trapped in her snare. Turn not to her husband to mix wine and strong drink with him, as many have been corrupted by the beauty of the beautiful woman, and mighty are all her fatalities (Ben Sira 9:9–11). Many are the wounds of a peddler (Ben Sira 11:36), which in this context is referring to those who accustom others to matters of forbidden sexual relations. Like a spark ignites a coal (Ben Sira 11:43), like a cage full of birds, so too, their houses are filled with deceit (Ben Sira 11:36–37). Prevent the multitudes from inside your house, and do not bring everyone into your house (Ben Sira 11:37). Let many be those who greet you; reveal your secrets to one in a thousand. From she who lies in your bosom guard the openings of your mouth, i.e., do not tell her everything. Grieve not about tomorrow’s trouble, because you know not what a day may bring; perhaps tomorrow you will no longer be, and one will have worried about a world that is not his.
כׇּל יְמֵי עָנִי רָעִים בֶּן סִירָא אוֹמֵר אַף לֵילוֹת בִּשְׁפַל גַּגִּים גַּגּוֹ וּבִמְרוֹם הָרִים כַּרְמוֹ מִמְּטַר גַּגִּים לְגַגּוֹ וּמֵעֲפַר כַּרְמוֹ לִכְרָמִים
The verse states: “All the days of the poor are terrible” (Proverbs 15:15). The book of ben Sira says: Also the nights are terrible, as then the poor person worries. The poor person’s roof is among the lowest roofs in the city, and in the elevation of the hills is his vineyard, at the highest point, as those are of the lowest quality and consequently the least expensive places for each. From the rain on the roofs of the entire city, water will flow down to his roof and dampen it, and the soil of his vineyard is eroded by the rain and swept down to other vineyards. (Sanhedrin 100b)
FURTHER READING