Beitzah 25b — the Talmud in English

Rather, Rami bar Abba![](pamud.bmp "

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the way of the world

proper conduct

teaches us this,

that he should not eat from the house of slaughter and appear like a starving person who cannot wait until the animal is skinned. And he did not teach us the laws of a tereifa.

And we find that the tannaim in a beraita taught us ways of life such as these.

As it was taught: A person should not eat garlic or onion from

the

top

before removing its leaves,

but

he should eat it

from

the

leaves

after the leaves have been removed.

And if he ate—

he is a starving person.

Similarly, a person should not drink his cup all at once.

And if he drank—

he is a greedy person.

The Sages taught: One who drinks his cup all at once—

he is a greedy person.

And if he sips it in

two

sips—

proper conduct.

In

three—

he is among the arrogant.

And Rami bar Abba said: The hatzov,

which is a plant whose roots descend straight into the earth beneath them, without deviating to the sides, and with which they marked the boundaries of the area belonging to each person—

cuts off the feet of the wicked.

As though it cuts off the feet of the wicked, so that they will be unable to stand on the day of judgment, because it is an example that even a plant stands straight and does not deviate from its place to acquire another’s property.

A planting

of orla, which is an example given by the Torah of waiting and restraining oneself—

cuts off the feet of the butchers,

who hurry to sell the animal they slaughtered before skinning and dissecting it, and sometimes the animal is found to be a tereifa after the skinning.

And

also cuts off their feet,

of those who have intercourse with menstruating women,

who cannot wait until she immerses herself for her purification.

The lupine,

a type of legume that must be boiled seven times until its bitterness leaves it—

cuts off the feet of Israel’s haters [A0048]][in euphemistic language], who do not repent even after seven times that God brings punishments upon them.

[in euphemistic language], who do not repent even after seven times that God brings calamity upon them.

As it is stated [A0050]][Judges 10]:

[Judges 10]:

“And the children of Israel again did evil in the eyes of the Lord, and they served the Baals,

and the Ashtaroth, and the gods of Aram, and the gods of

Sidon and the gods of Moab, and the gods of the children of Ammon,

and the gods of the Philistines. And they forsook the Lord, and they did not

serve Him.”

From the implication of what is stated, “And they forsook the Lord,”—

and

do I not know that they did not serve Him?

And what does “and they did not serve Him” teach?

Rabbi Elazar said: The Holy One, blessed is He, said: These people are fit to be given a fiery law, just like this lupine, which is boiled seven times and eaten as the conclusion of the meal

when it is sweet—

My children did not make Me.

For after they provoked Me seven times, like the boiling of the lupine, I was still not considered by them worthy of returning to Me.

A tannaitic teaching was taught in the name of Rabbi Meir: For what reason was the Torah given to Israel—

because they are brazen.

And the Torah in which they engage weakens their strength and moves their hearts.

A tannaitic teaching from the school of Rabbi Ishmael:

What is the meaning of that which the verse says [A0069]]“From His right hand, a fiery law for them”?

“From His right hand, a fiery law for them”

The Holy One, blessed is He, said: These people are fit for a fiery law to be given to them.

Some say: Their laws,

their practices,

of these people

[Israel] are like

fire.

For they are as brazen as it.

For had the Torah not been given to Israel

and weakened them through their engagement in it—

no nation or tongue could withstand them.

And this is what Rabbi Shimon ben Lakish said: Three are brazen

[difficult to defeat]:

Israel among the nations, a dog among animals, and a rooster among birds.

And some say: Also a goat among small cattle.

And some say: Also a caper among trees.

We learned in the Mishna:

If he slaughtered it in the field—

he may not bring it on a pole.

The Sages taught: A blind person does not go out

on a Festival

with his staff,

because this is weekday conduct, and it is contempt for the Festival,

and

for the same reason

not

does

the shepherd

go out on a Festival

with his pouch.

And neither man nor woman may go out in a chair,

with which he is transferred from one place to another—

whether the man or whether the woman.

And we objected:

Is that so? But Rabbi Yaakov bar Idi sent to the Sages: There was an old man in our neighborhood, and he would go out in a galdoki

in his special chair

belonging to him.

And they came and asked Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi

whether this was not weekday conduct.

And he said: If many people need him

for the beit-midrash, where he lectures while sitting on this chair—

it is permitted.

And our Rabbis relied on the statement of Aḥi of Shekiah, who said: I brought Rav Huna out

together with his chair

from Hini to Shili and from Shili to Hini.

And Rav Naḥman bar Yitzḥak said: I brought Mar Shmuel out

with his chair

from the sun to the shade

to the shade,

and from the shade to the sun.

And it is proven that it is permitted to take out the chair.

And we resolve:

There,

where they permitted it, it is

as Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi said

the reason:

if many people need him—

it is permitted.

Rav Naḥman said to Ḥama bar Adda, the agent of Zion

[who was accustomed to go up to Jerusalem]:

When you go up there, go around

make a circuit on your way,

and go

and go

by the ladder of Tyre, and go to Rabbi Yaakov bar Idi, and ask him:

Taking out a

chair

on a Festival—

what do you say

say

about it?

As he was going

until he went

there—

Rabbi Yaakov bar Idi died.

When he went up, he found Rabbi Zerika.

He said to him: A chair—

what do you say about it?

He said to him: This is what Rabbi Ami said:

it is permitted to take it out,

provided that he does not have it carried on the shoulders.

And

what is “provided that he does not have it carried on the shoulders”?

Rav Yosef, son of Rava, said:

that he should not take it out

on an alunki.

Two people place their arms, one on the other’s shoulder and one on the other’s shoulder, and upon them they place a chair intended for carrying over distances,

Is that so? But Rav Naḥman permitted Yalta to go out on an alunki!

Yalta was different, because she was afraid.

Ameimar and Mar Zutra had them carried on their shoulders on the Shabbat of the Festival, because of fear; and some say, because of the crowding of the public.

Mishna:

A firstborn animal that fell into a pit, Rabbi Yehuda says: An expert should descend and inspect it![](pamud.bmp "

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if

the expert said that

it has a blemish

that is permanent—that is, the blemish that it already had yesterday is a permanent blemish, by virtue of which it is permitted to eat the firstborn animal—

he may bring it up

from the pit,

and slaughter it,

and eat it.

But if not,

that it is not a permanent blemish—

he may not slaughter it.