Babylonian Talmud

Rodkinson 1918 — source 5, scan section 87

for this offence, while R. Simeon ben Jochai (the calf) stood yet in danger of being detected). Whereupon R, Aqiba told him the five things, viz. : If thou wouldst hang thyself, select at least a stout tree (meaning, that if thou wouldst have thy words lis- tened to, quote them in the name of some great authority). If thou wouldst teach thy child, teach it from books free of errors. [What is meant thereby ? Said Rabha, and according to others R. Mesharshia: " If a child is taught incorrectly to commence with, it is next to impossible to correct it subsequently."] Do TRACT PESACHIM (PASSOVER). 231 not cook in the same pot that thy neighbor once used. [What is meant thereby ? A divorced woman whose husband is still living; because the Master said, that if a divorced man marry a divorced woman there are four different minds in one bed, and others say, that R. Aqiba even referred to a widow.] If thou wouldst do an act of charity or perform a rehgious duty, and incidentally derive material benefit therefrom, thou shouldst lend thy money to the husbandman and eat of the fruit of his land, in which case thou wilt do an act of charity and also derive material benefit. If thou wouldst perform a religious duty and keep thy body clean, thou shouldst take a wife and have children. Four things our holy Rabbi commanded his children, viz. : Do not live in the city of Shakantzib (because the inhabitants are scorners). Do not sit on the bed of a Syrian woman. [What is meant thereby ? Some say, that one should not lie down to sleep without reciting the Shema prayer; and others say, that one should not marry a proselyte ; while still others say, that the literal meaning is to be accepted on account of what happened to R. Papa.*] Do not try to avoid taxation (for aside from the fact that it is a duty to pay taxes, should it be known that ye desire to avoid them, your property is in danger of being confiscated). Lastly, do not stand in front of an ox just emerg- ing from the swamps, for at that time he is so wild that it seems as if Satan were moving between his horns. R. Samuel said : " This refers only to a black ox in the month of Nissan." R. Oshiya taught : An ox that had attempted to gore a per- son once should not be approached for a distance of fifty ells, and one that had done so three times should be avoided as long as he is in sight. It was taught in the name of R. Meir: If thou hast perceived an ox so vicious, even if he still have his head in his crib, climb up an elevation and draw thy ladder after thee immediately. Three things R. Ishmael bar R. Jose commanded Rabbi, viz. : Thou shalt not cause a blemish on thyself [t.e., thou shalt not deal with three men, one of whom will sue thee in a court of law and the other two will serve as witnesses against thee; for then thou wilt surely lose thy case]. Thou shalt not haggle * There is a legend that R. Papa had lent a Syrian woman money, and when- ever he would call on her to collect the debt, she would invite him to sit on a bed. One day she strangled a child and threw it upon the bed where R. Papa sate. She then accused him of strangling the babe, and he was compelled to flee for his life. 232 THE BABYLONIAN TALMUD. , over the price of a thing if thou hast not the wherewithal to purchase it with thee ; and on the night when thy wife has returned from the bath thou shalt have nothing to do with her. Said Rabh: " This refers to a woman who had been ritually un- clean according to biblical law but not to one who had been unclean according to rabbinical law ; for in the former case, hav- ing been unclean only seven days, there is danger of a recurrence of her uncleanness, while in the latter, where she had been unclean fourteen days, there is no such danger." Three things R. Jose bar R. Jehudah also commanded Rabbi, viz. : Thou shalt not go out at night alone. Thou shalt not stand naked before a light ; and thou shalt not enter a new bath- house, lest it be imperfectly constructed and breakdown. [How long is a bath-house considered new ? Said R. Jehoshua ben Levi: " For twelve months." Why should not a man stand naked before a light ? Because we have learned in a Boraitha: '* One who stands naked before a light is liable to be seized with epilepsy, and one who has sexual intercourse before a light may produce epileptic children."] The rabbis taught: " One who has intercourse with his wife in a bed where a child sleeps may cause the child to be epileptic, but this is the case only if the child is less than six years old. If it is over six years old, or even if it be less than six years old but sleeps at the foot or at the head of the bed, it does not matter. If the man, however, put his hand on the child, no matter where it sleeps, there will be no evil consequences." Why should not a man go out alone at night ? For we have learned in a Boraitha: " A man should not go out alone on the night following the fourth day or on the night following the Sabbath, because an evil spirit called Agrath, the daughter of Ma'hlath, together with one hundred and eighty thousand other evil spirits, go forth into the world and have the right to injure anyone they should chance to meet." In former times this spirit would go forth every day. Once she met with R. Hanina ben Dosa and said to him: " If I had not heard it proclaimed in the heavens, ' Hanina and his knowl- edge must be respected,' I would inflict some injury upon thee," and he answered: " If I am esteemed in the heavens above, I command thee never to appear where men dwell," and she pleaded: " I must obey thy command, but leave me some free- dom," whereupon he allowed the night following the fourth day and the night following the Sabbath. TRACT PESACHIM (PASSOVER). 233 At another time this same evil spirit met Abayi, and she also said to him: "Had I not heard it proclaimed above, ' Respect Na'hmeni (another name for Abayi) and his knowledge,' I would do thee harm " ; and he answered: " If I am respected above, I command thee never to appear where men dwell." Rabh said to R. Assi : " Do not live in a city where thou canst not hear a horse neigh or a dog bark, and do not live in a city whose (executive) head is a physician. Do not take unto thee two wives, because they might conspire against thee to do thee wrong. If thou, however, already hast two wives, take a third (and should two conspire against thee the third will betray them to thee)." Rabh said to R. Kahana: " It were better that thou shouldst occupy thyself with carrion (for a livelihood) than that thou shouldst break thy word (promise). Rather skin carrion in the market for pay than say that thou art a priest or an important person and above such work ; for all honest labor is preferable to