Beitzah 18b — the Talmud in English

Rav Naḥman bar Yitzḥak said: At times a person comes ![](pamud.bmp "

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in scorching heat, and washes even in flax-soaking water

of flax.

And we challenge it:

That is understandable in the summer.

In the winter—

what is there to say?

Rav Naḥman bar Yitzḥak said: At times a person comes from the field soiled with mud and excrement, and washes even in the winter

in foul water.

And we challenge it:

That is understandable with regard to Shabbat; on Yom Kippur,

when one does not wash on it—

what is there to say,

how does one perform immersion for a mitzva on it?

Rava said: Is there anything that is permitted on Shabbat and forbidden on Yom Kippur?

Rather, since it is permitted on Shabbat—

on Yom Kippur as well it is permitted.

And we challenge it:

And does Rava have “since

” such as this?

For we learned: One who has pain in his teeth

on Shabbat—

may not rinse with vinegar.

Since it is a medicinal practice.

But he may dip

his bread in vinegar and eat

in his usual manner. And if he is healed—

he is healed.

And it follows that rinsing with vinegar is forbidden in every circumstance.

And we raise an objection against it

from that which was taught:

He may not rinse and spit it out, but he may rinse and swallow!

And Abaye said: When we also learned

that he may not rinse in

the Mishna—

it must not be that

we learned: He may rinse and spit it out.

But he may rinse and swallow.

And Rava said: Even if you say

that the tanna in the Mishna forbids

rinsing and swallowing,

it is not difficult.

Here—

before dipping,

before he began dipping his food, this does not appear as a medicinal practice.

Here—

after dipping,

when he has already finished eating, this appears as a medicinal practice.

And if it is so,

that we say “since,”

let us say: Since it is permitted before dipping—

after dipping as well it should be permitted!

And we answer:

He retracted

and withdrew

from that

concerning vinegar, and he stated the reasoning of “since” after he retracted.

And we inquire about it:

And from where

with regard to that

concerning vinegar did he retract?

Perhaps from this

concerning “since”

he retracted!

And we answer:

It does not enter your mind

that he retracted from the reasoning of “since.”

For

that

it was taught: All those obligated in immersions immerse in their usual manner, both on Tisha be-Av and on Yom Kippur.

And necessarily, it is on account of “since”!

We learned in the Mishna:

And they agree that one may connect the water in a stone vessel, and so on.

And we inquire about it:

What does “but one may not immerse

” mean?

Shmuel said: One may not immerse the vessel

that is impure

on account of

the connecting

of its water

that is impure

in order to purify it

also as a vessel

on a Festival.

And we inquire about it:

Whose Mishna is this?

It is

not Rabbi

and

not the Rabbis.

For it was taught: One may not immerse the vessel on account of its water in order to purify it, and one may not connect the water in a stone vessel in order to purify it, the words of Rabbi.

And the Sages say: One may immerse a vessel on account of its water in order to purify it, and one may connect the water in a stone vessel in order to purify it.

And in light of this beraita it is difficult:

Whose

Mishna is this—according to whose view does our Mishna proceed?

If it is Rabbi—

the connecting is difficult,

for Rabbi does not permit connecting water, whereas our Mishna permits it:

If it is the Rabbis—

the immersing is difficult,

for the beraita permits immersing a vessel on account of its water, whereas the Mishna here forbids it.

And we answer:

If you wish, say

that our

Mishna

is his, that is, Rabbi’s.

If you wish, say

that our

Mishna

is theirs, that is, the Rabbis’.

And the Gemara explains:

If you wish, say: It is Rabbi,

and we will establish it as follows:

a.

The first part of the beraita,

which says that one may not immerse an impure vessel on account of its water, speaks

of a Festival,

on which connecting is permitted, whereas immersing is forbidden.

b.

And the latter part

of the beraita, which says that one may not connect water in order to purify it, according to Rabbi, speaks

of Shabbat.

c.

And

if

the entire Mishna

of ours speaks

of a Festival,

and according to Rabbi, on a Festival connecting is permitted and immersing is forbidden.