Babylonian Talmud

Rodkinson 1918 — source 9, scan section 59

he knows that he would not do so. One should also not offer presents to his neighbor, knowing that he would not accept them, for the same reason. One should not serve his neighbor with new wine, telling him that it is old wine, because it is equivalent to robbery (if he takes money from him, and even if he does not take money from him he deceives him). For the same reason, when one serves wine to ass-drivers, he shall not say : '* Take it away from this one (whom he does not like), and give it to the other one." When one is in the grain-market and has no intention of buying, he should not ask for the prices, for he misleads the sellers. CHAPTER IX. One should not use a slice of bread to cover there- with a dish. One should not wipe the dish with a piece of bread and lay it on the table, for he disturbs the mind of his neighbor. For the same reason, one shall not bite off a piece of bread and place the remainder in the dish intended for another person. One should also not drink from a goblet and give the balance to another one to drink, for it may cause danger to life. It happened that R. Aqiba stopped at the inn of a certain person, who offered him a goblet, first tasting its contents, and R. Aqiba told him to drink the whole of it. He offered him another one, first having tasted it. R. Aqiba told him to drink it all, until Ben Azai said to him : " How long TRACT DERECH ERETZ— RABBA. 15 wilt thou continue doing so?" It again happened that R. Aqiba was lodging with a certain person, and he placed a piece of bread underneath the dish to support it, and R. Aqiba took hold of it and swallowed it. Said the man to R. Aqiba : ** Rabbi, had you no other bread to eat than that piece with which I supported the dish ? " And he answered : ** First, I thought that you could burn yourself with lukewarm water {i.e., you will understand a slight hint). Now I see that you cannot burn yourself even with boiling water." One shall also not empty his cup and then place it on the table, but he shall keep it in his hand until taken away by the waiter. Five things said Rabbi in regard to bread, namely : Raw meat must not be placed on bread, nor shall a cup or dish be placed on bread, nor shall bread be used to support a dish, nor shall it be thrown from place to place ; nor shall one sit at the table when others are eating, for he disturbs their appetite. One who comes to the table to take his meal shall not take his portion and give it to the waiter, for the reason that some unforeseen thing may happen during the meal (and his portion may be needed) ; but he shall place it in front of him until the end of the meal, and then give it to him. Guests must not give anything to the son of the host, nor to his ser- vant or messenger, without the permission of the host. It happened once with a man who invited three guests in years of famine, that he served them three eggs. The son of the host then came and stood in front of them, and the first guest took his portion and gave it to him, and so did the second and third. When the host returned, and found his son holding one in his mouth and one in each hand, he raised him full height and struck him to the ground, and he died. The mother, hearing of what hap- pened when standing on the roof, was so shocked that she fell down dead. When the father heard this, he also threw himself from the roof, and died. Then R. Elazar said : " Three human beings were killed on account of this." i6 THE BABYLONIAN TALMUD. CHAPTER X. One who enters the bath-house may say : " Let it be thy will, God my Lord, that thou cause me to come in and go out in peace, that thou cause me to return to my place in peace, and save me from this and from similar peril in the world to come." How should one conduct himself before bathing ? Thus: He shall first remove his shoes, take off his hat, remove his overcoat, take off his girdle, then take off his shirt, and after all the drawers. After bathing, when a towl is brought to him, he first wipes his head and then the other parts of his body. When the oil is brought to him, he shall first anoint his head and then other mem- bers of his body, and then he shall put on first his draw- ers, then his shirt, the girdle, then he shall wrap himself in his mantle, and then he shall put on his hat, and then his shoes. And if he has his son, his slave, or bonds- man, they shall do it for him. Always shall the right shoe be put on first, and then the left one ; and when taking off the shoes, the left one shall be taken off first. One who enters a bath-house must not fatigue himself, nor excite himself, but let him be in every respect care- ful. Said R. Simeon b. Gamaliel: "One who is not careful is an ass*s equal ; one who eats in the market is a dog's equal " ; and according to others, he is ineligible to be a witness. In the toilet-room the one who enters must not hurry the one who is sitting there, and the same is in a bath-house. One shall not bring oil into a bath-house in a glass vessel (for it may break and cause injury). One must not spit in the presence of his neigh- bor, even in a bath-house. The law relating to a bath- house and toilet may be discussed in the respective places, but other things must not be discussed, not alone in the bathing-room but in the dressing-room, and even TRACT DERECH ERETZ— RABBA. 17 when the majority of the persons were dressed as well, because when even a few are undressed all are considered undressed. One shall not greet his neighbor when he is washing himself ; and if he does so, the other may answer him that it is a bath-house. According to others, he may answer the greeting, and there is nothing in it. One should not put his foot in a bath-tub when another one is sitting in it, for it is a disgrace for the one bathing. CHAPTER XI. He who walks the road, etc. (See the whole Boraitha in Yomah, pages 27, 28, paragraph : "We have learned according to R. Shila "). One who, soon after returning from the road, takes a bath, gets intoxicated, sleeps on the bare floor, and indulges in congressu femincB, his blood is on his head (it is equivalent to suicide).* He who sells his books, or his daughter, etc. (See Megilla, p. 73.) R. Itzhak says : " A common informer is con- sidered a murderer, as it is written [Lev. xix. 16] : * Thou shalt not go up and down as a tale-bearer among thy people.'" R. Eliezer said: ''He who hates his neigh- bor without cause is also considered such, as it is written [Deut. xix. 11]: 'But if any man be an enemy to his neighbor,' etc. {i.e,, if he is so, he is capable of doing what is further written in the verse)." Ben Azai says : ** He who hates his wife is also considered such, as it is