Tuesday, December 7, 2021

Were the Amoraim/Tannaim paragons of virtue? Part 8

 The Gemara in Taanis 24a has the following story about Rav Yosi from Yokrat:

בְּרַתֵּיה מַאי הִיא? הַוְיָא לֵיהּ בְּרַתָּא בַּעֲלַת יוֹפִי, יוֹמָא חַד חַזְיֵאּ לְהָהוּא גַּבְרָא דַּהֲוָה כָּרֵיא בְּהוּצָא וְקָא חָזֵי לַהּ. אָמַר לוֹ: מַאי הַאי? אֲמַר לֵיהּ: רַבִּי, אִם לְלוֹקְחָהּ לֹא זָכִיתִי — לִרְאוֹתָהּ לֹא אֶזְכֶּה? אֲמַר לַהּ: בִּתִּי, קָא מְצַעֲרַתְּ לְהוּ לִבְרִיָּיתָא, שׁוּבִי לְעַפְרִיךְ וְאַל יִכָּשְׁלוּ בִּיךְ בְּנֵי אָדָם. The Gemara asks: What is the incident involving his daughter? He had a very beautiful daughter. One day Rabbi Yosei from Yokrat saw a certain man piercing a hole in the hedge surrounding his property and looking at his daughter. Rabbi Yosei said to him: What is this? The man said to him: My teacher, if I have not merited taking her in marriage, shall I not at least merit to look at her? Rabbi Yosei said to her: My daughter, you are causing people distress. Return to your dust, and let people no longer stumble into sin due to you.

Imagine he killed his own daughter because she was too beautiful and men were looking at her. Talk about blaming the victim!



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