Babylonian Talmud

Rodkinson 1918 — source 2, scan section 12

Emeth so far from one another (being the first, middle, and last letters of the alphabet) ? Because lies are very frequent, while truth is very scarce. Why have the letters in Sheqer but one foot while those in Emeth have so many ? Because lies will finally totter, while truth will stand supreme. MISHNA: One who through forgetfulness at one time wrote two letters is culpable. He may have written with ink, paint, dye, gum, or vitriol, or with anything making a permanent mark. Further, one who wrote on two walls forming a corner, or on two covers of an arithmetical book, so that the two letters can be read together, is culpable. One who writes on his own body is culpable. One who tattooes letters in his flesh R. Eliezer holds him culpable for a sin-offering, and R. Jehoshua holds him to be free. If one write with dark liquids, with fruit- juice, or in road-dust, in fine sand, or in anything that does not retain the writing, he is free. If one write with the back of his hand, with his feet, with his mouth, with his elbow; or if one write one letter to another letter (that had already been written), or writes over letters that had been written before; or when one's intention was to write a Cheth and wrote two Zayins ; or if one write one letter on the ground and another on the wall, or on two separate walls, or on two separate pages of a book, when the two letters cannot be read together, he is free. If one wrote one abbreviated letter, R. Jehudah ben Bethyra holds him culpable and the sages hold him free. GEMARA: " Or with anything makiftg a permajtent mark," etc. What other additional things does the Mishna mean to express by this ? R. Hananyah taught : It means if one wrote with berry-juice or with gall-nuts, he is also culpable. R. Hyya taught: " If one wrote with graphite, soot, or black ink, he is culpable." One who tattooes two letters on his flesh" etc. We have learned in a Boraitha: Said R. Eliezer to the sages: " Did not the son of Sattadai * bring witchcraft out of Egypt, through tattooing on his flesh ? " Answered the sages: " He was a fool and we do not cite single instances of fools." " If one write one letter to another letter" etc. According to which Tana's opinion is this? Said Rabba bar R. Huna: " This is not according to the opinion of R. Eliezer, for R. Eliezer said that if one add another thread to one already * As to who Ben Sattadai was, see the works of Prof. Derenbourg. TRACT SABBATH. an woven, he is culpable." We have learned in a Boraitha: " If one wrote one letter at the end of any scriptural book, thereby- finishing that particular book, or if one added another thread to one already woven, he is culpable." According to which Tana's opinion is this? Said Rabba bar R. Huna: " This is in accord- ance with the opinion of R. EHezer, who said that if one add another thread to one already woven he is culpable." R. Ashi said : We may assume that the opinion of the sages does not conflict with this opinion, because the case of finishing a book differs from that of adding another thread ; hence, according to their opinion, one is also culpable (for finishing a book by add- ing one letter). We have learned in a Boraitha: " If one corrected one letter in the Scroll of laws, he is culpable." How can this be ? One is not held culpable for writing one letter; how can the Boraitha hold one culpable for merely correcting one letter ? Said R. Shesheth : " Here a special case is treated of; i.e., if one take off the top bar of the Cheth and make two Zayins out of it." Rabha said: The same is the case if, for instance, one remove the square portion of a Daled and form a Resh there- from. " If one wrote one abbreviated letter,'' etc. R. Johanan said in the name of R. Jose ben Zimra: " Whence do we know that there are abbreviated letters in the Scriptures ? As it is written [in Gen. xvii, 5] : Khi Ab Hamaun Goyim Nsathicha (For the father of a multitude of nations have I made thee). In the word Ab the Aleph is the abbreviation of Ab — father, and the Beth stands for bachur — selected ; Hamaun stands for haviv — lovely, Melech — king, vathig — modest, neamon — upright. All this I have made thee among the nations." R. Johanan declares of his own accord : " The ten commandments commence with Anauchi when it could be Ani (meaning I am). The Anauchi is an abbreviation for Ano (I), Naphshi (my soul), Kthovith (I have written), Yehovith (and have given)." MISHNA: If one, through forgetfulness at two different times, write two letters, say one in the morning and the other toward evening, R. Gamaliel holds him to be culpable and the sages declare him free. GEMARA : On what point do R. Gamaliel and the sages differ ? R. Gamaliel does not consider the consciousness (of its being Sabbath) during the time intervening between the perpe- tration of the two acts (each of which executed only half the 212 THE BABYLONIAN TALMUD. prescribed deed) as being of any consequence (but considers the two unfinished acts as one prolonged act done unintentionally and making the perpetrator culpable). The sages, however, con- sider the consciousness (of Sabbath) during the period interven- ing between the two unfinished acts as a neutralization of the unintentional character of the unfinished acts and thus make the perpetrator not culpable. CHAPTER XIII. REGULATIONS CONCERNING WEAVING, TEARING, HUNTING, ETC, ON THE SABBATH. MISHNA: R. Eliezer said : One who weaves (on the Sab- bath) is culpable, as soon as he has woven three threads at the beginning of the web, and with a web already begun the addi- tion of one thread sufifices to make him culpable. The sages said : Both at the commencement of a new web, as well as at the continuation of one already begun, the prescribed quantity (making one culpable) is two threads. One who attaches two threads to the web, either to the warp or to the shoot, to the fine or to the coarse sieve, or to the basket, is culpable. Also one who sews two stitches, or tears asunder, in order to sew (together with) two stitches. GEMARA: When R. Itz'hak came to Babylon, he taught that R. EHezer said " two threads and not three," as stated in the Mishna. But we learned three! This is no contradiction. R. Itz'hak refers to thick threads and the Mishna to thin. " One who attaches two threads,'' etc. Said Abayi: This means, one who attached two threads to the web and one in the web. " One who sews two stitches,'' etc. Was this not taught in the Mishna treating of the principal acts of labor ? Because in the succeeding Mishna the rule is taught concerning one, who tears while in a rage, or through grief at the death of a near rela- tive, sewing and tearing is repeated in this Mishna. ' ' Or tears asunder in order to sew together with tivo stitches.