Bava Batra 9b — the Talmud in English

called

Ulla ![](pamud.bmp "

exact page-location")

“the one who confuses his mother’s ways.”

A child who confuses his mother’s ways, because he caused his mother to become disgraced and behave crazily, as explained below in the Gemara,

in the name of Rabbi Elazar:

What is the meaning of that which is written, “

And he donned righteousness like a coat of mail,”

to tell you: Just as this coat of mail,

built from layer upon layer,

each and every layer joins together into a large coat of mail, so too charity: each and every peruta joins together into a great account .

Rabbi Chanina said,

This teaching is learned

from here:

as it is stated, “

And all our righteous deeds are like a soiled garment.”

Charity is compared to a garment ;

just as this garment, each and every fiber

each and every woolen thread

joins together into a large garment, so too charity: each and every peruta joins together into a great account.

And now the Gemara explains why Rav Sheshet was called “Ulla, the one who confuses his mother’s ways.”

Why did they call him “Ulla, the one who confuses his mother’s ways”?

Because of an incident that occurred:

Rav Aḥadboi bar Ami asked Rav Sheshet: From where is it established that a leper during his counting days imparts impurity to a person—

A leper, before he is healed of his affliction, is impure like a corpse, and anyone who touches him becomes impure .

After he is healed of his affliction, he brings two live birds; the koen slaughters one bird and sprinkles its blood upon the leper, while he sends away one bird, according to the order explained at the beginning of the section of the leper.

After he brings the two birds, the leper sits outside his tent for seven days. On the seventh day he shaves all his hair, immerses his garments in water, immerses himself in water, and becomes pure. On the eighth day he brings his offerings.

Rav Aḥadboi asked Rav Sheshet about those seven days between bringing the birds and bringing the offerings: From where is it established that even then every person who touches the leper becomes impure?

He said to him: Since he imparts impurity to garments

even during those seven days, since at the end of those seven days he must launder his garments, as explained in the verse; from this one can learn that he

imparts impurity to

also

a person.

He said to him: Perhaps impurity through attachment is different!

Perhaps what causes him to impart impurity to his garments is only that his garments are attached to his body, but through mere touching he does not impart impurity; in truth, he does not impart impurity to other garments that he touches, nor does he impart impurity to a person who touches him.

And there is proof for this,

for

if a pure person

moved a carcass,

and became impure, the law is

that he imparts impurity to

through moving the carcass even to the

garments

that he is wearing

, and

nevertheless

he does not impart impurity to a person

nor to other garments that he touches, but only to his own garments, which are attached to his body.

He said to him: But if so,

according to your words, that there is no proof from the fact that a person imparts impurity to the garments he is wearing that he also imparts impurity to a person and to other garments, then a piece of

a creeping creature, which imparts impurity to a person—from where do we know it?

Is it

not because it imparts impurity to

the piece of the creeping creature

garments?

For the Torah did not state impurity for a person who touches a piece of a creeping creature, but only for a whole creeping creature [see the note below]; if so, we see that the impurity of garments constitutes proof that it also imparts impurity to a person.

He said to him,

Rav Aḥadboi to Rav Sheshet: The law that a piece of

a creeping creature

renders a person impure is not learned from the fact that it renders garments impure. Rather,

it is explicitly written concerning it,

with regard to the creeping creature!

As it is stated, “

Or a person who touches any creeping creature.”

If so, there is again no source that one who renders his garments impure also renders a person impure.

Rav Sheshet said to him:

But if so,

according to your words, that there is no proof from the fact that a person renders his garments impure that he also renders a person impure, then

semen, which renders a person impure—from where do we know it?

Is it

not because

since it renders garments impure,

as explicitly stated in the verse, from this they learned that it

renders a person impure?

He said to him,

Rav Aḥadboi: The law that

semen

renders a person impure is not learned from the fact that it also renders garments impure. Rather,

it too is explicitly written concerning it,

as it is stated, “

Or a person

from whom semen issues,” and they expounded from here

to include one who touches it!

Again, we have no source that one who renders his garments impure also renders a person impure—

Rav Aḥadboi replied to him

that all Rav Sheshet’s proofs were answered

jocularly,

in jest, because Rav Sheshet was failing in his answers, and Rav Aḥadboi immediately rejected each answer.

Rav Sheshet’s mind was weakened,

and because of his grievance

he fell silent;

he became mute,

and Rav Aḥadboi bar Ami became incapacitated

and forgot all his

learning.

His mother came,

Rav Sheshet’s mother,

and wept before him,

before Rav Sheshet.

She cried out and cried out,

asking him to pray for Rav Aḥadboi’s recovery,

but

he paid no attention to her,

Rav Sheshet.

She said to him,

Rav Sheshet’s mother:

Look at these breasts,

look at the breasts,

from which you suckled,

from them you nursed; and have compassion on Rav Aḥadboi.

Since this was so, he

asked for mercy

praying for mercy

upon him,

upon Rav Aḥadboi,

and he was healed

and Rav Aḥadboi recovered—

And since Rav Sheshet caused his mother to become disgraced and behave crazily in an unbecoming manner for women, since she showed him her breasts, he was called “Ulla, the one who confuses his mother’s ways.”

The Gemara continues to discuss the question that Rav Aḥadboi asked Rav Sheshet—

And as for the matter upon which we have arrived,

after this question has come before us, in truth

from where do we know

that the leper renders a person impure throughout all those seven days?

And the Gemara explains:

As it was taught: Rabbi Shimon ben Yohai says, it is stated

concerning the leper that he requires

washing of

garments during his counting days,

at the end of the seven days that he counts between bringing the birds and bringing the offerings, as it is stated, “And it shall be on the seventh day, and he shall wash his garments.”

And washing of garments is stated concerning the days of his confirmed status,

on the day when he is healed of the affliction and brings birds, as it is stated, “And the one who purifies himself shall wash his garments.” This implies that beforehand, when he was “confirmed,” isolated as a leper, his garments rendered impure, and therefore he must wash them when the affliction is healed and he brings the birds.

Just as there,

before he counts seven days,

he renders a person impure,

for the leper was made analogous to a corpse,

so too here,

during those seven days between bringing the birds and the offerings,

he renders a person impure.

Rabbi Elazar said: One who performs charity in secret is greater than Moses our teacher.

That is, he has the power to assuage the anger of the Holy One, blessed be He, more than the prayer of Moses our teacher.

For concerning Moses our teacher it is written, “

For I was afraid of the anger and the wrath,”

“anger” and

“wrath”

are two harsh legions of the Holy One, blessed be He, designated to punish sinners .

But concerning one who performs charity it is written, “

A gift in secret subdues anger

and a bribe in the bosom,

charity that he performs in secret, subdues

fierce wrath.”

Thus, charity removes anger and wrath.

And

in this teaching

Rabbi Yitzchak disagrees,

for he expounded the verse differently—

For Rabbi Yitzchak said:

Charity only

“anger”

does it

subdue, as explicitly stated in the verse, “A gift in secret subdues anger,” but

“wrath”—it does not subdue!

“wrath,” it does not subdue!

As it is stated, “

And a bribe in the bosom—fierce wrath.”

And Rabbi Yitzchak expounded that the meaning of the verse is:

Even though there is a bribe in the bosom,

which one gives as charity [called in the verse “a bribe in the bosom”], there is still

fierce wrath.

From here it follows that charity does not remove wrath. But Rabbi Elazar held that “a bribe in the bosom—fierce wrath” refers back to the beginning of the verse, to say: Just as a gift in secret subdues anger, so too “a bribe in the bosom” subdues wrath.

There are those who say,

Rabbi Yitzchak expounded the verse differently:

Rabbi Yitzchak said: Any judge who accepts a bribe brings fierce wrath into the world

as it is stated, “And a bribe in the bosom.”

One who accepts a bribe causes “fierce wrath.”

And Rabbi Yitzchak said: Anyone who gives a peruta to a poor person is blessed with six blessings, while one who appeases him with words is blessed with eleven blessings.

And the Gemara explains:

One who gives a peruta to a poor person is blessed with six blessings, as it is written, “

Is it not to break

your bread for the hungry

and bring the wretched poor into your house; when you see one naked

and cover him?”

And

concerning one who performs all these acts of charity

it is written

in the verse the blessings: (a)

“Then your light will break forth like the dawn,” (b)

“

and your healing will quickly sprout forth,” (c)

“

and your righteousness will go before you,” (d)

“

the glory of the Lord will gather you in, and it is written,” (e)

“

then you will call and the Lord will answer,” (f)

“

you will cry out and He will say: Here I am!’” —

these are six blessings.

And one who appeases him

the poor man

with words is blessed with eleven blessings.

As it is stated, ‘

And you draw out your soul for the hungry,

if you speak with the hungry man words of consolation,

and satisfy the afflicted soul

with words, then you will be blessed with the following blessings: (a

And your light shall shine in the darkness (

b

and your darkness shall be as noonday, (

c

and the Lord shall guide you continually, (

d

and satisfy your soul with brightness, (e) and your bones shall recover, (f) and you shall be like a watered garden, (g) and like a spring of water whose waters do not fail, (h

and they shall build from you the ancient ruins, (

i

the foundations of generation after generation you shall raise up, (j) and you shall be called the repairer of the breach, (k) the restorer of paths to dwell in’ \-

These are eleven blessings.

And Rabbi Yitzhak said: What is the meaning of that which is written

in Proverbs, ‘

One who pursues charity and kindness will find life, charity, and honor’?

And this verse requires explanation: Is it

because he pursues charity that he will find charity!?

That is, the verse implies that one who pursues charity will ultimately himself require charity, and this is not possible.

Rather, it comes to teach you: anyone who pursues charity, the Holy One, blessed be He, provides him with money, and he performs charity with it.

Rav Nahman bar Yitzhak said:

The intention of the verse is that one who pursues the mitzva of charity,

the Holy One, blessed be He, provides him with suitable people to whom he can give charity, in order to receive his reward for them.

And the Gemara discusses:

To exclude what?

To exclude that which Rabbah expounded:

For Rabbah expounded: What is the meaning of that which is written,

Jeremiah prayed concerning the men of Anatot, who sought his life, ‘

And let them be made to stumble before You; at the time of Your anger, deal with them,’

and the Gemara explains the verse:

Jeremiah said before the Holy One, blessed be He, Master of the Universe,

even

at the time when

the men of Anatot

restrain their inclination and seek to perform charity before You,

even then

make them stumble through people who are unsuitable,

provide them with poor people who are unsuitable,

so that they will not receive reward for them.

Rabbi Joshua ben Levi said: Anyone who is accustomed to perform charity merits

that

he will have children who possess wisdom, who possess wealth, and who possess aggada.