Friday, April 24, 2009

Good thing he had his own tailor! Shabat 149b

This is perhaps the strangest thing I've read so far in the Gemara, and that is saying something!  Nebuchadnezzar was a very, very bad king in the Rabbi's eyes as he was responsible for the destruction of the First Temple.  Here is a tale about him:


"Rabah the son of Rav Huna teaches, "We learn that he [Nebuchadnezzar] would throw a lot to determine which king [under his dominion] he would rape each day."  ...Rav Yehudah teaches in the name of Rav: "When that evil one [Nebuchadnezzar] tried to do this [rape] that righteous one [Tzedkeyah, a captive Jewish king], [Nebuchadnezzar's] foreskin was pulled so that it extended 300 cubits (about 300 yards).