Babylonian Talmud

Rodkinson 1918 — source 1, scan section 71

sinned before Thee? Let us see; what is the duration of a man's life ? Only seventy years. Take off the twenty years that Thou dost not punish for sin and only fifty remain. Take off the nights and only twenty-five full years remain. Deduct again twelve years and six months spent in praying, eating, and in the performance of other necessities, only twelve and one-half years remain. If Thou wilt bear the whole it is well, but if not let me bear half and Thou the other half. If Thou wilt say that I must bear the whole, did I not sacrifice myself for Thee ?" i68 THE BABYLONIAN TALMUD. Then Israel said (unto Isaac) : " For thou (alone) art our father." Said Isaac unto them: " Instead of praising me, praise ye the Holy One, blessed be He," and he pointed them on high with his finger. " There is the Lord!" Then they lifted up their eyes unto Heaven and said : Thou, O Lord, art our Father, our Redeemer from everlasting is Thy name. R. Hyya b. Aba said in the name of R.. Johanan: " Jacob deserved to go down into Egypt in. iron shackles (because that is the usual way of going into exile), but his merits precluded such a thing, as it is v/ritten: " With human cords I ever drew them forward, with leading-strings of love; and I was to them as those that lift off the yoke from their jaws, and I held out unto them food " [Hosea, xi. 4]. MISHNA V. : The prescribed quantity for wood is as much as suffices to cook an (easily boiled) egg; for spices as much as would sufifice to spice such an egg — and the different spices are counted together; nut-shells, pomegranate peel, isatis, and cochineal, as much as suffices to dye the edge of a small piece of cloth ; alum, native carbonate of soda, Cimolia chalk, vege- table soap, as much as sufifices to wash the edge of a small piece of cloth. R. Jehudah says as much as will suffice to remove a blood stain. GEMARA : Have we not learned this already ? Reeds, split, as much as will suffice to cook an egg ? In that case we must assume that the reeds could not be used for any other purpose, but wood which can be put to a multitude of uses, as, for instance, to make the handle for a key, (should be limited to a smaller quantity). He comes to teach us that the same quantity also applies in this case. " Nut-sJiells,'' etc. Is this not a contradiction to what we have learned elsewhere, that dyes may not be carried in quan- tities sufficient to exhibit a sample of the color in the market ? Said R. Na'hman in the name of Rabba b. Abuhu: " Because one will not take the trouble to make dye sufficient only for a sample." "Native carbonate," etc. A Boraitha in addition to this states, that coming from Alexandria but not from Anphantrin. " Vegetable soap " (Ashleg). Said Samuel: " I have inquired of a number of seafaring men and they have told me that the name for it is Ashalgoh ; it is found in the shells of a pearl-oyster and it is extracted with iron needles." MISHNA VI. : The prescribed quantity for (aromatic) pepper TRACT SABBATH. 169 (pimento) is the least possible amount; for tar it is the same; for different kinds of spices and metals it is also the same; for the stone and the earth of the altar, torn pieces of the scroll of laws or its cover, it is also the same, because such things are generally preserved by men. R. Jehudah said : The same quan- tity applies to everything pertaining to the worship of idols, because it is written [Deut. xiii. 18]: " And there shall not cleave to thy hand aught of the devoted things." GEMARA : To what use can such a small quantity of pepper be put ? It may be used by one whose breath is foul. " For tar.'' For what purpose can tar in so small a quantity be used ? It may be used by one who has the sickness Tzilcha- thah (an illness where only one-half of the head aches). ''For different kinds of spices.'' The rabbis taught: Thr prescribed quantity both for aromatic spices as well as for ill smelling oils is the same (least possible quantity) ; for purple dy< also the same, and for roses only one rosebud. " And metals." Of what use are they ? We have learned, R. Simon b. Elazar said: They can be used to make a goad. The torn pieces of the scroll of laws." Said R. Jehudah: Book-worms, silk-worms, vine-worms, date-worms, and pome- granate-worms are all dangerous to human life. There was a disciple sitting before R. Johanan eating dates, and the disciple said to him: " Rabbi, there are thorns in the dates." Said the rabbi: " The date- worm (Pah) has killed this man." MISHNA VII. : One who carries the chest of a spice dealer is liable for one sin-offering only, although there may be many spices in the chest. The prescribed quantity for garden seeds is the equivalent in size to a dried fig. R. Jehudah b. Bathyra said : Five different seeds. The prescribed quantity for cucumber seeds are two, for pumpkin seeds the same, for Egyptian beans the same; a living locust (which maybe eaten), be it ever so small, must not be carried, but dead locusts may be carried in quantities less than a dried fig. The prescribed quantity for vineyard birds* living or dead is the smallest possible quantity, because they were preserved for medicinal purposes. R. Jehudah said : One must not carry out a living locust, (which must not be eaten), be it ever so small, because such locusts were kept as playthings for small children. GEMARA: "Cucumber seeds." The rabbis taught: The * None of the commentators can explain what kind of birds is meant. lyo THE BABYLONIAN TALMUD. prescribed quantity for seeds used for planting is two, but for seeds used for food it is the equivalent of a pig's mouthful. How much is a pig's mouthful ? The seeds of one cucumber. For cucumber seeds used as fuel the prescrbed quantity is as much as will suffice to cook an egg; for cucumber seeds used as counters (for figures) only two. Anonymous teachers say five. The rabbis taught: One who carries two hairs from the tail of a horse or a cow is culpable, because the hairs are always preserved for making nets. The prescribed quantity for hog bristles is only one ; for willows (used for wickerwork) two ; for tree-bark * one strip. " R. Jehudah says : A locust {which must not be eaten),'" etc. Why did not the first Tana of the Mishna mention this ? Because in his opinion it is forbidden to carry it even on week-days, lest one eat it. If such is the case, why should an eatable locust be allowed to be carried ? Did not R. Kahana stand before Rabh and a small locust lighted on his lips: Rabh said to him. (R. Kahana), Take it away, lest people say that thou hast eaten it and thou hast violated the commandment [Leviticus, xi. 43]: "Ye shall not make yourselves abominable with any creeping thing that creepeth " ? Nay; there was no fear that the locust