Babylonian Talmud

Rodkinson 1918 — source 20, scan section 87

on a document died, etc 93-ioS CHAPTER VIIL MiSHNA 7. There are four kinds of bailees, gratuitous, on hire, borrower and hirer, etc. This is the rule: "Whoever tends to commutate, by his oath liability to liability, unliability to unability, or unability to liability is free, etc Appendix, 106-108 SYNOPSIS OF SUBJECTS OF TRACT ABUDA ZARA (IDOLATRY). CHAPTER. I. MiSHNA /. Three days before the festival of the heathen, it is for- bidden to have any business with them. In the future the Lord will take the Holy Scroll in hand, saying, "He who was occupied with it shall appear and receive his reward." The kingdom of Rome will then enter first, etc. After Rome has departed, Persia enters, etc. We have constructed many bridges, conquered many great cities, we were engaged in many wars, all for the sake of Israel to enable them to study the law, etc. "Have we then accepted the Torah, and not fulfilled its commandments?" A Gentile who is occupied with the study of the law is likened to a High-priest, etc. " Lord of the Universe, has then Israel, who has accepted the Torah, observed it?" " Men of ye nations may come and testify that Israel has observed the Torah. Nimrod may testify, etc. There are twelve hours in a day, three hours of which the Lord is occupied with the Torah, etc. There is no smiling by the Lord, since the temple was destroyed. But in the fourth three hours He teaches, etc. There is no Gehenna in the future. But the Lord will take out the sun from its sheath, etc. If not for the fear for government the stronger would swallow the weaker, etc. Concerning the explanation of (Amos, iii. 2) said R. Abuhuh, I will do it in the form of a parable. There was once a creditor of two persons, one a friend and the other an enemy of his. It is advisable for one not to pray singly the addi- tional benediction in the first three hours at the first day of new year. When one performs a meritorious act in this world it precedes him in the world to come. " Three days," etc. Is such a long time needed? is this forbidden because a Jew must not interfere with the idols, or because " Thou shalt not put a stone for the blind " ? The prohibition to do business with them refers only to a thing which can be kept in good order until the festival day. It is advisable for one to always arrange the praises of the Ominipotent first, and thereafter to recite the daily eighteen benedictions. The following are the festivals of the heathens: Kalends, Saturnalia, Kratsin, etc. Adam the first, on the first day of his creation, when he saw the sun set, cried: " Woe is to me, the world is to be returned to chaos, etc." Thirty-two battles the Romans fought with the Greeks, etc. Twenty-six years the Romans kept their vi SYNOPSIS OF SUBJECTS. promise to Israel, and thereafter they failed. The twenty-six years are not counted. The world will continue for six thousand years, the first two thousand of which were a chaos (Tahu), etc. It happened with Antoninus (the Caesar of Rome), who said to Rabbi, etc. (See the whole legend, pp. 16-18). Unklus b. Klenimus embraced Judaism, and the Caesar sent militia to take him, etc. (See the legend, pp. 18-19). There was still another festi- val in Rome which occurs once in seventy years, on which they would make a well man ride on a lame man, etc 1-21 MiSHNA IV. In a city where the idol is placed, interfering is forbidden inside, but not outside. If, during an idol festival in the city, some stores were there decorated, one must not buy, etc. The following are for- bidden to be sold to the heathens; Fir-cones, etc. We have a tradition that the tract Aboda Zara of Abraham the patriarch contained four hundred chap- ters, etc. Where it is customary to sell small cattle to heathens it is lawful to do so, etc. One must not sell to them bears, lions, and all such things, by which the people can be injured, etc. I walked in the upper market of Ciporas, and I met one of the minim, named Jacob, of the village of Sac- hania. So taught Josa B. Southyra, etc. (See foot-note, p. 27.) The legend of Eliazer ben Durdaya (28). The leech hath two daughters (crying), " Give, give," i.e. minunism — and the government, which are never satisfied, etc. Raba sold an ass to an Israelite who was suspected of selling it to a heathen, etc. He who occupies himself with the Torah, but does not observe bestowing of favors, is similar to him who denies God. The Legend of Eliezer b. Sarta and Chanina b. Tradion when captured by government, p. 29, 30. How Chanina was burned together with the holy scrolls, and what became of his wife and daughter, p. 31, 32. The redeeming of latter by R. Mair (Baal Hanes), p. 33. Happy is he who conquers his evil spirit, as a heroic man, etc. It is advisable to divide one's years into three parts: one-third for the study of Scripture, the second Mishna, and the third Tal- mud, etc. R. Aqiba when he saw the wife of Tornus Rupers, he laughed and wept, etc. Houses must not be rented to the heathens in Palestine, etc. One must not rent his bath-house to a heathen, but how is it to a Samaritan? etc 21-40 CHAPTER II. Mishna /. Cattle must not be placed in the inns of the heathens. (See foot-note, p. 41.) "And the cows went straight forward," etc. What does this expression mean? It reads (Jos. x. 13): "And the sun stood still, written in the book of Yasher." What is the book of Yasher? One must not stay alone even with two women. If an Israelite while on the road, happened to be accompanied by a heathen, etc. One must not confine a heathen because she brought up a person to idolatry, etc. A city in which there is no Jewish physician, but a Samaritan and a heathen, the heathen shall circumcise and not the Samaritan. One may employ their (the heathens') services for curing his personal property, etc. Ben Dama was bitten by a snake, Jacob come to heal him with the name of Jesus, but R. Ismael did not allow. With R. Johanan it is different, as he himself was an established physician. Medicines and other remedies for different sickness by different men and women, on pp. 50-53. The following things of the SYNOPSIS OF SUBJECTS. vii heathens are prohibited, and the prohibition extends even to the deriving of any benefit therefrom — viz: wine, vinegar, etc. No benefit is to be derived from the dead. Samuel and Ablat, the latter who was a heathen, were sitting together, and cooked wine was brought for them, etc. To fermenting wine no uncovery applies. One must not pour water which has been uncovered, in the public streets, and also not water cattle with it. The sages forbid date-beer of the heathens, as a safeguard against inter- marriage. The sick heathens who become swollen, and whom uncovered water does not harm, surely ate reptiles, so thati their bodies contain