Jerusalem Talmud Yevamot 16.3

משנה: אֵין מְעִידִין אֶלָּא עַל פַּרְצוּף פָּנִים עִם הַחוֹטֶם אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁיֵּשׁ סִימָנִין בְּגוּפוֹ וּבְכֵלָיו. אֵין מְעִידִין אֶלָּא עַד שְׁלֹשָׁה יָמִים. וַאֲפִילוּ רָאוּהוּ מְגוּיָיד וְצָלוּב עַל הַצְּלִיב וְהַחַיָּה אוֹכֶלֶת בּוֹ אֵין מְעִידִין אֶלָּא עַד שֶׁתֵּצֵא נַפְשׁוֹ. רִבִּי יוּדָה בֶן בָּבָא אוֹמֵר. לֹא כָל הָאָדָם וְלֹא כָל הַמְּקוֹמוֹת וְלֹא כָל הַשָּׁעוֹת שָׁווֹת.

MISHNAH: One testifies only on the appearance of the face with the nose, even though there may be marks on his body and his clothing. One testifies only up to three days. Even if one saw him cut up or crucified on the cross, or an animal eating of him, one testifies only after he has stopped breathing. Rebbi Judah ben Baba says, not all people nor all places nor all times are the same.

הלכה: אֵין מְעִידִין אֶלָּא עַל פַּרְצוּף פָּנִים וכו׳. רַב יְהוּדָה אָמַר. הַחוֹטֶם עִם הַלְּסָתוֹת. וְאַתְיָא דָמַר רִבִּי יִרְמְיָה בְשֵׁם רַב. הַכָּרַת פְּנֵיהֶם עָנְתָה בָם. זֶה הַחוֹטֶם. אָמַר רִבִּי חִיָיא בַּר בָּא. מָאן דְבָעֵי דְלָא מִתְחַכְּמָא יְהִיב אִיסְפְּלָנִי עַל נְחִירֵיהּ וְלָא מִתְחַכֵּם. כְּהָדָה. בְּיוֹמֵי דְאֻרְסִקִּינָס מַלְכָּא הַוְיָין צִיפּוֹרָאֵי מִתְבָּעִין וַהֲווֹן יְהָבִין אִיסְפְּלָנִי עַל נְחִירֵיהוֹן וְאִינּוּן לָא מִתְחַכְּמִין. וּבְסֵיפָא אִיתְמָר עֲלֵיהוֹן לִישָׁן בִּישּׁ וְאִיתְצַיְּדוֹן כּוּלְּהוֹן מִן בִּידוֹ.

HALAKHAH: “One testifies only on the appearance of the face,” etc. Rav Jehudah said, the nose with the mandibles. This follows what Rebbi Jeremiah said in the name of Rav: “The recognition of their faces testified about them,” that is the nose. Rebbi Ḥiyya bar Abba said, if somebody does not want to be recognized, he should put a patch on his nostrils, then he will not be recognized. As in the following: In the times of king Ursicinus, some people from Sepphoris were under arrest warrants. They put patches on their nostrils and were not recognized. Finally they were denunciated and all caught because of lies.

כְּתִיב. וַיַכּוּ בָהֶם אֲבִיָּה וְעַמּוֹ מַכָּה גְדוֹלָה מְאֹד. אָמַר רִבִּי אַבָּא בַּר כַּהֲנָא. שֶּׁהֶעֱבִיר הַכָּרַת פְּנֵיהֶם שֶׁל יִשְׂרָאֵל. הָדָא הִיא דִכְתִיב הַכָּרַת פְּנֵיהֶם עָנְתָה בָם וגו׳. זֶה הַחוֹטֶם. רִבִּי אִמִּי אָמַר. שֶׁהוֹשִׁיב עֲלֵיהֶם מִשְׁמָרוֹת שְׁלֹשָׁה יָמִים עַד שֶׁנִּתְקַלְקֵל צוּרָתָן. הָדָא הִיא דִכְתִיב עָצְמוּ לִי אַלְמְנוֹתָיִךְ מֵחוֹל יַמִּים. וְתַנֵּי כֵן אֵין מְעִידִין אֶלָּא עַל פַּרְצוּף פָּנִים עִם הַחוֹטֶם. כְּתִיב וְלֹא עָצַר כֹּחַ יָרָבְעַם עוֹד בִּימֵי אֲבִיָּה [וַיִגְּפֵהוּ] יי וַיָּמוֹת. אָמַר רִבִּי שְׁמוּאֵל. אַתְ סָבוּר שֶׁהוּא יָרָבְעַם. אֵינָהּ אֶלָּא אֲבִיָּה. וְלָמָּה נִיגַּף. רִבִּי יוֹחָנָן אָמַר. עַל שֶׁחִישֵּׂד אֶת יָרָבְעַם בְּרַבִּים. הָדָא הִיא דִכְתִיב וְאַתֶּם הֲמוֹן רָב וְעִמָּכֶם עֶגְלֵי הַזָּהָב אֲשֶּׁר עָשָׂה לָכֶם יָרָבְעַם לֵאלֹהִים. רִבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן בֶּן לָקִישׁ אָמַר. עַל שֶׁבִּיזֶּה אֶת אֲחִיָּה הַשִּׁילוֹנִי רַבֵּיהּ. וְדָה הִיא דִכְתִיב וַיִּקָּבְצוּ אֵלָיו אֲנָשִׁים בְּנֵי בְלִיַּעַל עַל דְּצַוָוח לַאֲחִיָּה הַשִּׁילוֹנִי [בְּלִיַּעַל]. וְרַבָּנִין אָמְרִין. עַל יְדֵי שֶׁבָּאת עֲבוֹדָה זָרָה לְיָדוֹ וְלֹא בִיעֲרָהּ. הָדָא הִיא דִכְתִיב וַיִּרְדּוֹף אֲבִיָּה אֲחַרֵי יָרָבְעַם וַיִּלְכֹּד מִמֶּנּוּ עָרִים אֶת בֵּיתְאֵל וְאֶת בְּנוֹתֶיהָ. וּכְתִיב וַיָּשֶׂם אֶת הָאֶחָד בְבֵיתאֵל וְאֶת הָאֶחָד נָתַן בְּדָן.

It is written: “Abijah and his people inflicted a very great slaughter on them.” Rebbi Abba bar Cahana said, he destroyed the face recognition of the men of Israel. That is what is written, “the recognition of their faces testified about them,” etc. That refers to the nose. Rebbi Immi said, he put up guards for three days until appearance was disfigured. That is what is written: “Your widows are more for me than the sand of the oceans.” It was stated in this respect: One testifies only on the appearance of the face with the nose. It is written: “Jeroboam was powerless for the rest of Aijah’s days; the Eternal smote him and he died.” Rebbi Samuel said, you think that this refers to Jeroboam, but it is Abijah. Why was he smitten? Rebbi Joḥanan said, because he insulted Jeroboam in public. That is what is written: “You are a great multitude and with you are the golden calves that Jeroboam made for you as gods.” Rebbi Simeon ben Laqish said, because he denigrated his teacher Aḥijah from Shiloh. That is what is written: “And men, rascals, joined him,” that he called Aḥijah from Shiloh a rascal. But the rabbis say, because an idol fell into his hand and he did not destroy it, that is what is written: “Abijah pursued Jeroboam and took from him cities, Beth El and its dependencies …” and it is written: “He set up one in Beth El and one he dedicated in Dan.”

אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁיֵּשׁ בְּגוּפוֹ וּבְכֵלָיו. וְלֹא כֵן תַּנֵּי. מְנַיִן לְאָחִיךָ שֶׁטָּעָה אַתָּה מַחֲזִירוֹ בֵּין בְּגוּפוֹ בֵּין בְּכֵילָיו. שַׁנְיָיא הִיא שֶׁהַסִּימָנִין דַּרְכָּן לְהִשְׁתַּנּוֹת.

“Even though there are [marks] on his body and his clothing.” Did one not state: From where that if your fellow man is lost, you return him both body and property? There is a difference, because marks are apt to change.

כֵּינִי מַתְנִיתָא. אֵין מְעִידִין אֶלָּא עַד לְאַחַר שְׁלֹשָׁה יָמִים. רִבִּי בָּא בְשֵׁם רַב פַּפַּי רִבִּי יְהוֹשֻּׁעַ דְּסוּכְנִין בְּשֵׁם רִבִּי לֵוִי. כָּל תְּלָתָא יוֹמִין נַפְשָׁא טַיְיסָא עַל גּוּפָהּ. סָבְרָא דְהִיא חָזְרָה לְגַוָוהּ. כֵּיוָן דְּהִיא חָמִית לֵיהּ דְּאִישְׁתַּנֵּי זִיוְוהוֹן דְּאַפּוֹי הִיא שָׁבְקָא לֵיהּ וְאָזְלָה. וּמִן תְּלָתָא יוֹמִין וּלְהַלָּן הַכֶּרֶס נִבְקָעַת עַל פָּנָיו וְאוֹמֶרֶת לוֹ. הֵילָךְ מַה שֶׁגָּזַלְתָּ וְחָמַסְתָּ. רִבִּי חַגַּי בְשֵׁם רִבִּי יֹאשִׁיָּה מַיְיתֵי לָהּ מֵהָדָא קְרָא וְזֵירֵתִי פֶרֶשׁ עַל פְּנֵיכֶם וַאֲפִילוּ פֶּרֶשׁ חַגֵּיכֶם. בְּאוֹתָהּ שָׁעָה אַךְ בְּשָׂרוֹ עָלָיו יִכְאָב וְנַפְשׁוֹ עָלָיו תֶּאֱבָל.

So is the Mishnah: “One testifies only up to after three days.” Rebbi Abba in the name of Rav Pappai, Rebbi Joshua from Suknin in the name of Rebbi Levi: During the first three days, the soul hovers over the body because she thinks that she will return to it. Once she sees that the splendor of his face changes after three days, she abandons him and goes away. After three days, the belly breaks open in his face and says to him, there is what you have robbed and extorted. Rebbi Ḥaggai in the name of Rebbi Joshia brings it from that verse: “I shall scatter your stomachs’ contents in your faces,” even “your holidays’ stomach contents.” At that moment, “but his flesh will hurt him, his soul will mourn for him.”

מתניתין. אֲפִילוּ רָאוּהוּ מְגוּיָיד. אֲנִי אוֹמֵר. בְּחֶרֶב מְלוּבֶּנֶת נִכְוָוה וְחָיָה. וְצָלוּב עַל הַצְּלִיבָה. אוֹמֵר אֲנִי. מַטְרוֹנָא עָבְרָה עָלָיו וּפְדָאָתוֹ. וְהַחַיָּה אוֹכֶלֶת בּוֹ. אֲנִי אוֹמֵר. נִתְרָחֲמוּ עָלָיו מִן הַשָּׁמַיִם. נָפַל לְבוֹר אֲרָיוֹת אֵין מֵעִידִין עָלָיו. אוֹמֵר אֲנִי. נַעֲשֶׂה לוֹ נִיסִּים כְּדָנִיֵּאל. נָפַל לְכִבְשָׁן הָאֵשׁ אֵין מֵעִידִין עָלָיו. אוֹמֵר אֲנִי. נַעֲשֶׂה לוֹ נִיסִּין כַּחֲנַנְיָה מִישָׁאֵל וַעֲזַרְיָה. נָפַל לְבוֹר מָלֵא נְחָשִׁים וְעַקְרַבִּים אֵין מֵעִידִין עָלָיו. רִבִּי יְהוּדָה בֶּן בָּבָא אוֹמֵר. אוֹמֵר אֲנִי. חַבָּר הָיָה. נָפַל לְיוֹרֶה בֵּין שֶׁל מַיִם וּבֵין שֶׁל שֶׁמֶן אֵין מֵעִידִין עָלָיו. רִבִּי אַבָּא אָמַר. שֶׁל שֶׁמֶן מֵעִידִין עָלָיו. שֶׁל מַיִם אֵין מֵעִידִין עָלָיו.

“Even if one saw him cut up,” I say he was burned by a red hot lance and survived. “Or crucified on the cross,” I say a noble lady passed by and redeemed him. “Or an animal was eating of him,” I say that in Heaven they had mercy on him. If he fell into a lion’s den one does not testify about him, I say that miracles happened for him as they did for Daniel. If he fell into a fiery oven one does not testify about him, I say that miracles happened for him as they did for Ḥanaiah, Mishael and Azariah. If he fell into a cistern full of snakes and scorpions one does not testify about him; Rebbi Jehudah ben Baba said, I say he was a snake charmer. If he fell into a boiling vat of water or oil, one does not testify about him. Rebbi Abba said, of oil one testifies, of water one does not testify.

רִבִּי יוּדָה בֶן בָּבָא. רִבִּי זְעִירָא רִבִּי חֲנַנְאֵל בְשֵּׁם רַב. הֲלָכָה כְרִבִּי יְהוּדָה בֶן בָּבָא. מִילֵּיהוֹן דְּרַבָּנִין פְלִיגִין. דָּמַר רִבִּי יִרְמְיָה. מַעֲשֶׂה בְאֶחָד שֶׁנָּפַל לְיַרְדֵּן וְעָלָה לְאַחַר שִׁבְעָה עָשָׂר יוֹם. וְהִכִּירוּ שֶׁצְּפָרְתוֹ הַצִּינָּה וְהִשִּׂיאוּ אֶת אִשְׁתּוֹ.

“Rebbi Judah ben Baba.” Rebbi Ze‘ira, Rebbi Ḥananel in the name of Rav: Practice follows Rebbi Judah ben Baba. The words of the rabbis disagree, since Rebbi Jeremiah said that it happened that someone fell into the Jordan and surfaced after seventeen days when he was recognized because the cold had shrunk him so that they permitted his wife to remarry.