Babylonian Talmud

Rodkinson 1918 — source 7, scan section 24

One must not measure barley to give it to cattle ; but one may nevertheless take a Kab full, or two Kabs, and give it to the cat- tle without fear. But the baker (cook) may measure the quantity of spices for putting into the pots, lest he spoil the flavors. R. Jeremiah bar Abba in the name of Rabh said : A woman may measure the flour on a festival for her dough, for the pur- pose of separating a due share of the first dough. Samuel, how- ever, prohibited to do so. But did not the disciples of Samuel teach in his name that it is allowed ? Said Abayi : Now, when the disciples declared in his name that it is permitted, and from himself it was heard that it is not, we may assume that he re- tracted his decision in order to teach us how to act. The rabbis taught : One must not resieve flour on the festi- val ; but R. Papias and R. Jehudah b. Bthera both permit it. All agree, however, that if some dust or a chip fell into the flour, that may be done. One disciple taught in the presence of Rabina that if a chip has fallen into it, he shall remove it with the hand. And Rabina rejoined that this is by an a fortiori argument, not allowed, because it looks as though he sifts it. Rabha bar R. Huna the Minor lectured at the gate of Nehar- dai : One may resieve flour on the festival. Said R. Na'hman to the people of Nehardai : Go and tell Abba, Take thy favor and put it on the thorns {i.e.^ he did not any good with his lecture). Go and see how many sieves are used in Nehardai on the festi- val (even before his lecture). The wife of R. Joseph has sifted flour on the back of a sieve, and he said to her : See, I want to have good bread (it means, you should not make any change). The wife of R. Ashi sifted the flour on the back of the table (to show a change from the week-days). Said R. Ashi : My wife is the daughter of Rami bar Hama, who was very particular in his deeds, and if she had not seen it done in the house of her father, she would not do it, MISHNA: One may go to a shopkeeper with whom one is used to deal, and say to him : "■ Give me so many eggs or nuts," because the master of a house is used to count similar articles by numbers. GEMARA : The rabbis taught : One may go to his shepherd who is an acquaintance, and ask him for one goat or one sheep ; to his butcher, to ask him for a shoulder or leg; to the bird- seller, and ask him for one old or young pigeon, to his baker, and TRACT BETZAH (YOM TOB). 59 ask him for a loaf or roll ; and to his grocer, and ask him for twenty eggs or fifty nuts or ten peaches or five pomegranates or one lemon — provided one does not mention any numbers of measures. R. Simeon b. Elazar said : Provided one does not mention the prices. CHAPTER IV. REGULATIONS CONCERNING THE CARRYING AND HANDLING OF THINGS ON THE FESTIVAL. MISHNA: If one has to transport jars of wine from one place to another (on a festival) he must not carry them in a bas- ket or a case, but on the shoulder, or in his hand in front of his person. The same is the case when he has to carry straw ; he must not put the bundle on the shoulder behind, but must carry it in his hand. One may commence to take a heap of straw (for fuel), but not of stacks of wood in an unused yard behind the house. GEMARA : A Boraitha taught : If it is impossible to change the manner usual on week-days, it may be done as ordinarily. Rabha has ordered in Mehuzah as follows : '' A heavy burden which a man carries on a week-day with great trouble, if he has to bear it on a festival, he may carry it with the help of a Rtg/a (a long, crooked pole for bearing burdens), and though it is also heavy and a trouble, it is a change of the manner, on week- days. And what one man carries on week-days with the help of a Rt^/a, two men shall carry. The burden which two men carry on a pole on their shoulders, they shall carry on a festival with the hand, and what is carried with the hand, shall on the festi- val be carried with a cloth." All this shall be done, if possible ; but if it is impossible, it shall be carried as usually, because the Master said : If it is impossible to change the manner it is allowed. Rabha bar R. Hanin said to Abayi : A Mishna teaches : It is prohibited to clap with the hands, strike on the hips, and to dance on a festival. And in our time we see people do so, and we do not say to them anything. And he answered : And according to your theory, come and see the women who take their cans and go and stand at the gates of the entry, which is also prohibited, and we say nothing to them (would you also blame us for this ?). This is not so (because it is a rule). I.ct TRACT BETZAH (YOM TOB). 6i Israel do things unintentionally rather than intentionally {i.e„ they were sure that if it was told to them, they would not listen, and to preserve them from conscious transgression, they keep silence). And there is no difference in such a case between a biblical and a rabbinical prohibition. Because the adding from the eve of the Day of Atonement to the Day of Atonement (about half an hour) is biblical, nevertheless we see women eating and drinking till dark, and we say nothing. '' But not of stacks of wood,'' etc. R. Kahana said : From this it may be inferred that we must not commence to take of a whole store (stock storehouse), because it is '' designated." Then it would be according to R. Jehudah, who holds the theory of Muktzah. How then would be explained the beginning of the Mishna, that one may begin to take of a heap of straw, that would be according to R. Simeon, who does not hold the theory of Muktzah? The Mishna refers to spoiled straw (which is no longer fit for food of animals). But it may yet be used for bricks ? It refers to a case when there were thistles (or thorns) in the straw. MISHNA : Wood may not be taken from a booth, but the pieces lying by may be used. GEMARA : R. Hyya bar Joseph taught before R. Johanan the following Boraitha : Wood must not be taken from a booth, but only the pieces lying near it. R. Simeon, however, permits it. But all agree that from a booth made for the Festival of Tabernacles it must not be taken then. If the booth was made conditionally, all must be done according to the condition. It has been said : R. Simeon permits it. But did he not de- molish a tent ? Said R. Na'hman bar Itz'hak : The case is when the tent is already demolished, or so weak as to fall down soon, so that even on the preceding day he had the intention to take wood of it. The Boraitha states : If the booth was made conditionally, etc. Can then a condition affect it ? Did we not learn in Succah (p. lo), that R. Shesheth said in the name of R. Aqiba : that the wood