daf bit: Avodah Zarah 18

[cellio]

Under Roman rule the study of torah was forbidden. Rabbi Chanina ben Teradion was arrested for publicly teaching torah. They sentenced him to death by burning, and also sentenced his wife to death and his daughter to be consigned to a brothel. Why was he condemned by Heaven? Because he pronounced the divine name of God. Why was his wife condemned? Because she did not stop him; from this we learn that anyone who has the power to prevent one from doing wrong and does not prevent it is punished for him. (The g'mara seems to take it as given that she had the power to stop him but doesn't say how.) Why was his daughter sentenced? Rabbi Yochanan said that she was once walking in front of some great men of Rome and they ogled her, and she responded to tempt them. (I am summarizing.) But all three, after being sentenced, declared their submission to divine justice and were thus deemed righteous. (18a)

Comments

[talvinamarich.livejournal.com]

At the risk of seeming flippant, I have always had difficulty with the concept that "the [Romans, Egyptians, etc.] are God's justice upon us." Perhaps I misunderstand?

However, and this is the flippant part, what does that say about the Picts? If the Roman Legions were God's justice upon someone else, then the Picts must have been God's justice upon the Romans.

And I have a problem with the idea of Justice coming in the form of a screaming naked smurf with a spear.