Babylonian Talmud

Rodkinson 1918 — source 7, scan section 7

and some on the top, to cover with, as it is written [Lev. xvii. 13] : '' Then shall he pour out the blood thereof, and cover it up with (or iri) earth " ? "* It is not said "to place earth on it," but to '' cover it in earth." From this we infer that there must be earth underneath and earth on the top. Now, the Master agrees with R. Zera (and therefore he must be told to dig first), but Rabha * The Hebrew term is 1DJ/3, vvhich signifies both /// and 7vith, TRACT BETZAH (YOM TOB). 13 does riot agree with R. Zera (therefore in his opinion he must be told to slaughter first and dig after). Rejoined R. Joseph : We both agree with the dictum of R. Zera, and we differ on another point, namely, Rabha holds if there is already earth underneath, he may slaughter, but he must not dig first, for it may happen that he should afterwards reconsider the matter and not slaughter at all (then he will have dug for nothing), but I hold it is better to permit him to dig first, else it may be that he would not slaughter at all, and not enjoy the festival as becomes it. *' Both colleges agree^' etc. R. Zriqa said in the name of R. Jehudah : The case is when one had a spade sticking in the ground from the preceding day. But he pounds the earth ? (reduces the earth to powder). Said R. Hyya bar Ashi in the name of Rabh : It is meant that the spade was already in pow- dered earth. *' As ihe ashes from the hearth'' etc. Where are the ashes mentioned? Said Rabha: The Mishna means to say, that the ashes from the hearth may be considered as always prepared. Said R. Jehudah in the name of Rabh : The case is when the hearth had been heated on the preceding day, but when the fire was made on the festival, it is not so. When the ashes, however, are hot enough for roasting an ^%^y they are considered as pre- pared. We have learned the same in a Boraitha, with the addi- tion, that if one has brought loose earth for his garden or for a ruin, he may cover the blood with it. R. Jehudah said again : One may bring a basketful of earth, and do with it all that he needs. Lectured Mar Zutra in the name of Mar Zutra the great : The case is when he has separated a corner for it. An objection was raised : We have learned elsewhere : A kui * must not be slaughtered on a festival, and when it is, its blood must not be covered. Now, if it be so, let him cover it as R. Jehudah said above? What question is it — he could also cover it with the ashes of the hearth, or with a spade in powdered earth ? We must say, then, that they were not available ; and it is the same with the basketful of earth mentioned above, that he has not any. If such is the case, why a kui, of which it is doubtful whether his blood must be covered or not ? Even an animal of which it is certain that his blood must be covered, the same is the case ? The Mishna means to say, that not only an * Cross between a he-goat and a hind. 14 TH^ BABYLONIAN TALMUD. animal of which it is certain that his blood must be covered must not be slaughtered, unless he has prepared a covering ; but even an animal which is doubtful, lest one say that because of the enjoyment of the festival it shall be slaughtered without covering, it comes to teach us that he must not. But did not the latter part of the Mishna state, that If it was slaughtered the blood must not be covered, from which we must infer that the first part of the Mishna means, even when he has a prepared covering for it ? Therefore said Rabha : The ashes of the hearth are only con- sidered to be prepared when the animal is of a species whose blood must be certainly covered ; but when the animal is of a kind about the covering of whose blood there is a doubt, it is not so {i.e., the ashes must not be handled for this purpose, as they are Muktzah). And this is in accordance with his theory elsewhere, that if one has brought earth to cover with it dung, he may cover with it the blood of a fowl, but not vice versa. The sages of Neharbelai, however, said that even if he has brought the earth for the pur- pose of covering with it the blood of a fowl, he may cover with it dung also. In the West R. Joseph bar Hama, and according to others Rabha the son of R. Joseph bar Hama, and R. Zera differed on this point. According to one a kui (about which it is doubted whether it is a wild or domestic animal) is regarded as dung, and according to the other it is not so (but who enter- tained either of these two opinions it was not known). Now, from the above teaching of Rabha, who said that earth prepared for a fowl must not be used for dung, we infer that Rabha is the one in whose opinion a kui is regarded as dung. Rami the son of R. Jebha, however, said that the reason that we do not cover a kui on a festival is as a precautionary measure, lest one think the use of its tallow permissible. If so, let it not be covered even on a week-day ? Nay, on a week-day one (who sees the blood covered) may think it is done for the purpose of cleaning the yard. But what shall be the reply to him who comes to ask (whether he should cover the blood) ? Therefore we must say, that the reason is this : On a week-day, when it is doubtful, the sages decree that nevertheless he should trouble himself to cover it, but on a festival day the sages do not wish to put him to perhaps unnecessary work. R. Zera taught : Not the blood of a kui only is it prohibited to cover on a festival day, but even when a slaughtered domestic animal's and fowl's blood were mixed together, it must not be TRACT BETZAH (YOM TOB). 15 covered either. Said R. Jose bar Jasiniah : The case is when one cannot cover the whole blood with one (shovelful) stroke of the spade, but if he can, he must cover it. Is this not self-evident? One might say that we should prohibit this as a precautionary measure to prevent him from making two strokes. Therefore he comes to teach us that such precautionary measures are not nec- essary. Rabha said : If one has slaughtered a fowl on the eve of a festival, the blood must not be covered on the festival ; but if he kneaded dough on the eve of a festival, he must separate the *' first dough " on the festival. The father of Samuel, however, said that even this is prohibited. MISHNA: Beth Shammai say: It is prohibited to remove a ladder from one dove-cote to another ; it may, however, be inclined from one opening to another (of the same dove-cote). But Beth Hillel allow both. GEMARA: R. Hanan bar Ammi said: Both schools differ only when it is done in public ground : According to Beth Sham- mai one who will see him carrying a ladder may think he is going to repair his roof; but Beth Hillel do not care for that, for they