PASSAGES RELATING TO JESUS
57 1
thy dwelling
[means] ' that thou mayst not
have a son or a disciple who
burns his food
in
public like Jeshu the Nazarene.'
[The concluding phrase is found in another
connexion, b. Ber. 17b, see below, p. 61.]
Commentary.-This passage is Gemara, and the R.
Hisda who cites the exposition of the Psalm is the
same as the one mentioned in (1) above. He was a
Babylonian, and lived A.D. 217-309. R. Jeremiah
bar Abba, from whom he quoted, was his contem-
porary, and apparently of much about the same age.
The point of interest in the above extract is the
phrase which I have translated literally, ' burns his
food, like Jesus the Nazarene.' What did Jesus do
that could be so described? It is clear that as
applied to him, it must have a figurative meaning.
It is sometimes, however, intended quite literally.
Thus, b. Betz. 29&: "The cook measures spices and
puts them into his dish, that they may not burn
[i.e.
spoil] his food." This is evidently literal, except
that in English we should not use the word ' burn'
in this connexion. The phrase occurs in the
Mishnah, Gitt. ix.
10, and the question has often
been discussed, whether there it is intended literally
or figuratively. The words are, "The School of
Shammai say that a man may not divorce his wife
unless he find in her a matter of shame, for it is
said [Deut. xxiv. 1],
because he hath found in her
a
shameful matter.
The School of Hillel say [he may
divorce her] even if she burn his food, for it is said,
and R. Aqiba says, Even if he have found another
[woman] more beautiful than she, for it is said,
If
she shall not find favour in thine eyes."
This
passage
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