Babylonian Talmud

Rodkinson 1918 — source 1, scan section 36

bathing altogether, but bathing in cold water was allowed. See- ing that people could not stand the last prohibition, it was there- fore revoked, and bathing in the hot spring water of Tiberias was allowed. The prohibition of the sweating bath, however, remained. The rabbis taught : One may warm himself by a hearth-fire and afterwards rinse himself with cold water, but not bathe first in cold water and then warm himself by a hearth-fire, because he warms the water that is on him. The rabbis taught : One may warm a sponging-cloth and put it upon his bowels (on the Sabbath), but he must not do so with a boiling hot vessel, for this is dangerous even on week days. The rabbis taught : One may put a pitcher of water before a blazing fire, not to warm it, but to temper the coldness of the water. R. Judah said: A woman may put an oil flask before a blazing fire, not to boil it, but merely to temper it. R. Simeon b. Gamaliel says: A woman may unhesitatingly put oil on her hand, warm it before the fire, and anoint her little son with it without any fear. Said R. Judah in the name of Samuel: Whether it be oil or water, if the hand is spontaneously withdrawn from it (feeling the scald) it is prohibited, but not otherwise. And what extent of heat is meant by it ? Said Rabba: If the belly of a child is scalded by it. TRACT SABBATH. 71 R. Itz'hak b. Abhdimi said: " I once followed Rabbi into the bath-house (on the Sabbath). I wanted to put a bottle of oil for him into the tank (that contained hot spring water). Said he unto me: " Take out some warm water from the tank and put it into another vessel (to warm the oil in). From this we have inferred three things— viz. : First, that oil improves by warming, and it is a prohibited act; second, that if anything is put into a second vessel (not directly into the boiling vessel) it is not considered cooking; third, that the mere tempering of oil is analogous to cooking it. Said Rabhina: From this story it may be inferred that if one cooks in the hot spring water of Tiberias on the Sabbath he is culpable, for the case happened after the rabbis had im- posed the precautionary measure, and yet Rabbi would not allow him (R. Itz'hak) to put the oil directly into the tank. Is that so ? Did not R. Hisda say that he who has cooked in the hot spring water of Tiberias is not culpable ? The culpability to be inferred (from the case of Rabbi) extends only as far as blows of correction * are concerned. R. Zera said: " I have seen R. Abuhu swimming in a tank, and I know not whether he raised (his feet from the ground) or not. Is it not self-evident that he did not raise them, as there is a Boraitha: One shall not swim about in a pond, even if (that pond) is stationed in a yard. This presents no dif^culty. In a pond it is prohibited, because it is similar to a river, while in a tank it is allowed, because it is similar to a vessel. f R. Zera once found R. Jehudah in the bath. He (R. Jehu- dah) ordered his servant (in the Hebrew Aramaic tongue): " Bring me the comb; hand me the soap; open your mouths, and exhale the warm air from within you ; drink of the (warm) water of the bath." Said R. Zera: " If I had not come but to hear this, it were enough for me." It is correct that he ordered things in the Hebrew language, as private affairs may be said in the same language. The same is with the second order, for Samuel said that heat (from with- out) drives out heat (from within). But what good is in the order, " Drink of the water of the bath " ? It is also correct, as we have learned in the following Boraitha: " If one washed * " Blows of correction" were inflicted by the rabbis not for an actual sin, but for disobedience to the laws enacted. t We have translated in accordance with Rashi's second view, as it seems to us to be correct. 72 THE BABYLONIAN TALMUD. himself with warm water and did not drink of it, he is like an oven that was heated from without but not from within." MISHNA IV.: The hot water contained in a " Muliar " (caldron), the live coals of which have been cleared away before the Sabbath set in, may be used on the Sabbath ; but the hot water contained in an " Antikhi " (another kind of kettle), even if cleared of live coals, is not to be used on the Sabbath. GEMARA: What is a Muliar ? A Boraitha states: "It is a vessel provided with an attachment for live coals, used for keeping water"; as for an Antikhi, Rabba says it is a Bekiri (a vessel similar to a Muliar, but of heavier construction and continually in use). R. Na'hman b. Itz'hak says: It is a Bedude (a large kettle with an attachment underneath for live coals). There is a Boraitha in support of the opinion of R. Na'hman: " The hot water in an Antikhi, even if the coals thereof are cleared away or damped, is not permitted to be used, for the heavy bottom keeps the heat." MISHNA V. : Into a kettle, the hot water of which has been spilt out and which has been removed from the fire, cold water is not permitted to be poured, for the purpose of heating; but it is permitted to pour water into the kettle, or into a cup, for the purpose of making such water lukewarm. GEMARA: How is this to be understood ? Said Abayi: It means thus : " Into a kettle, the fire of which has been removed, which still contains hot water, a small quantity of cold water may not be poured, for the purpose of warming; but a large quantity, to make the hot water lukewarm is, however, per- mitted. Into a kettle, the hot water of which has been entirely removed, no cold water at all may be poured, because it tem- pers the vessel. And it is in accordance with R. Jehudah, who holds that an act which pleases one, if done even unintentionally, is prohibited. Said Rabh: " Even the above-mentioned large quantity is allowed only to make the water lukewarm ; but not such a quan- tity as will entirely neutralize the hot water and tend to temper the vessel." Samuel, however, permits any quantity. Shall we assume that Samuel is in accordance with R. Simeon (who opposes the above theory of R. Jehudah), but did he not say that it is permitted to extinguish live dross on public ground (to prevent injury), but not charcoal ? And if he agrees with R. Simeon, this also should be permitted ? As regards labor tending to the accomplishment of a work (prohibited on the TRACT SABBATH. 73 Sabbath), he holds with R. Simeon ; but as to the performance of labor, not for its own sake, he sides with R. Jehudah. Said Rabina: " Since it is permitted to perform labor (prohibited by- rabbinical law), in order to prevent injury, it is also permitted to remove thorns from public ground, little by little, in dis- tances of less than four ells at a time (in order to prevent