Babylonian Talmud

Rodkinson 1918 — source 2, scan section 58

340 THE BABYLONIAN TALMUD. " The stomach may be rubbed and anointed on the Sabbath, provided it is not done the same as on week-days." How should it be done ? R. Hama bar Hanina said: " He should first anoint it and then rub it"; but R. Johanan said, that he might do both at the same time. " But so as not to cause fatigue,'* etc. Said R. Hyya bar Aba in the name of R. Johanan: " It is not allowed to stand on the bed of Lake Deumseth, because the loam at the bottom is saline and immersion in the lake causes fatigue," Said R. Jehudah in the name of Rabh: " The days on which a cure in that lake (for bodily ills) may be effected are only twenty-one, and Pentecost occurs during those twenty-one days." The school-men asked: " Does Pentecost fall at the beginning of the twenty-one days or at the end ? " Come and hear: Samuel said, that all waters taken for a cure are effective only from Passover to Pentecost. As for waters taken internally, Samuel may be right (because during cool weather one takes more exer- cise and thus the waters are effective), but for bathing it would seem that Pentecost should be the commencement. Said R. Helbo: " The wine of the land of Purgaitha and the waters of the lake Deumseth robbed Israel of ten tribes (be- cause indulgence in these pleasures are detrimental to spiritual welfare)." R. Elazar ben Aroch happened to be there, and in- dulged in those luxuries to such an extent that he forgot his learning, and afterwards the sages had to pray for his return unto the Law. This is as we have learned elsewhere (Aboth): R. Nehurai said: " Go into exile only in a place of learning and think not that the Law will follow thee, or that thy comrades will preserve it in thy hands, and do not depend upon thy ac- quired knowledge." This R. Nehurai is, according to some, the same Elazar ben Aroch, and he was called Nehurai, because this signifies (in Hebrew) " light of the eyes"; for he enlight- ened the eyes of many scholars with his interpretations. One must not brush the body,'' etc. The rabbis taught: One must not brush the body with a flesh-brush on Sabbath. R. Simeon ben Gamaliel said: " If one's feet were soiled, he might brush them the same as on week-days unhesitatingly." The mother of Samuel the son of Jehudah made her son a silver brush. " Or descend into a kurdima." Why so ? Because the bot- tom of a kurdima is slippery (and one might fall and wet his clothes, and thus be tempted to wring them). TRACT SABBATH. 341 One must not take an emetic.'" Said Rabba bar bar Hana in the name of R. Johanan: " One must not take a medica- ment as an emetic, but may thrust his finger down his throat and thus cause vomiting." ' ' Or stretch the limbs of an infafit. ' ' Said Rabba bar bar Hana in the name of R. Johanan: " To swathe a child on Sabbath is allowed." ''Or put back a rupture.'' Said R. Hana of Bagdad in the name of Samuel: " The Halakha prevails, that it may be done." (Samuel learns in the Mishna, instead of "it is not allowed," " it is allowed.") Rabba bar bar Hana once came to Pumbaditha, but did not go into the college of R. Jehudah. So R, Jehudah sent for Ada, the officer of the college, and said to him: " Go and take a pledge of Rabba bar bar Hana." The officer went and did so. Afterwards Rabba bar bar Hana came to the college. When he came he heard R. Jehudah teach, that a rupture must not be put back on the Sabbath. Said he to him: " So said R. Hana of Bagdad in the name of Samuel, that the Halakha prevails permitting this to be done." Answered R. Jehudah: "It is our Hana and our Samuel. Yet we never heard of this before. Now thou canst see that I was right in demanding a pledge for thy appearance. Hadst thou not come, we would never have heard this." One who has strained his hand or foot,'' etc. R. Ivia sat in the presence of R. Joseph, and he dislocated his hand. Said he to R. Joseph, making a motion to replace it: " May I replace it thus?" "Nay," said R. Joseph. "And thus may I ? " asked R. Ivia, making another motion. " Nay," was the answer again. Thus questioning, he finally succeeded in replacing his hand. Said R. Joseph to him: " What didst thou ask me for ? It is expressly stated in our Mishna, that if one strained his hand or his foot, he must not pour cold water on it, but he may bathe it in the usual way. If he thereby becomes cured, it is well." " Did Ave not learn in the same Mishna that a rupture must not be put back, and still Samuel permitted it to be done ? " asked R. Ivia. Answered R. Joseph: " Canst thou weave every- thing into one garment ? What we have learned, we may fol- low; but what we have not learned, we cannot." CHAPTER XXIII. REGULATIONS CONCERNING BORROWING, CASTING LOTS, WAITING FOR THE CLOSE OF THE SABBATH, AND ATTENDING TO A CORPSE. MISHNA: A man may borrow of an acquaintance jugs of wine or oil (on Sabbath), provided he does not say to him: " Lend (them to) me." A woman may also borrow bread from her acquaintance. If the man is refused (by his acquaintance), he may leave his upper garment (as a pledge) with the lender, and settle his account after Sabbath. Thus, also, in Jerusalem, the custom was, if the eve of Passover fell on a Sabbath, a man might leave his upper garment with the vender, take his paschal lamb, and settle his account after the holiday. GEMARA: Rabha bar R. Hanan said to Abayi: " What is the difference between saying: ' I want to borrow' and ' Lend me' ?" Answered Abayi: " The difference is, if a man says, ' I want to borrow,' he usually returns what he has borrowed and the lender will not be compelled to write it down ; but if he says, 'Lend (trust) me,' the lender generally writes down what he has lent." Said Rabha again: " During the week it makes no difference, the lender is not particular whether one says, ' I want to borrow,' or ' Lend me.' He writes it down just the same; then why should a distinction be made on Sabbath?" And Abayi answered: " The saying of ' I want to borrow,' on Sab- bath, is a reminder to the lender that the sages said, that one must not say ' lend me,' and thus prevents him from writing it down." The same said again to Abayi : " Let us see ! The sages said, that everything done on a festival which can be done in a differ- ent manner from that on a week-day should so be done. Now, why do we not see women, who go for water with jugs, perform that work differently from their manner on a week-day ?" He answered: "Because that would be impossible! For how should they do ? Shall we say, that one who carries a large jug should carry a small one ? That would necessitate her going twice. Or that one who carries a small jug should carry a larger 342