Berakhot 43b — the Talmud in English

Rav Gidel said in the name of Rav: This samlak

a species of herb that has three rows of leaves, one above the other, and three leaves in each row

one recites over it: “Who creates fragrant trees”

because it is a species of “tree.”

Rav Hananel said in the name of Rav: These halfei de-yama,

an herb made like stalks of flax

—one recites over them: “Who creates fragrant trees.”

For it too is a species of tree.

Mar Zutra said: What is the verse?

What is the source from which it can be learned that these herbs are called “tree”? As it is stated: [Joshua 2:6

“And she had brought them up to the roof, and concealed them with the stalks of the tree-flax.”

And it is evident that although flax is not called a tree, nevertheless it is called “tree” in the language of Scripture

. Rav Mesharsheya said: This narkom de-ganunita

[the Sharon lily that grows in a garden

one recites

over it: “Who creates fragrant trees.”

But over the fragrance of the Sharon lily that grows

in the wilderness

—in the desert, one must recite

“Who creates fragrant herbs.”

Rav Sheshet said: These sigalei,

a species of herb

—one recites over them

when one comes to smell them

“Who creates fragrant herbs.”

Mar Zutra said: One who smells

an etrog or a quince [one who smells the fruit of an etrog or the fruit of a quince

says: “Blessed

is He who gave

good fragrance to fruits.”

Rav Yehuda said: One who goes out

during the days of Nisan,

and sees

trees

blossoming,

[one who goes out during the days of Nisan and sees blossoming trees

says: “Blessed is He who did not leave anything lacking in His world,

and created in it good creatures and good trees

for human beings to take pleasure

in them.”

Rav Zutra bar Tuvya said in the name of Rav: From where is it known that one recites a blessing over fragrance? As it is stated:

[Psalms 150:6

“Let every soul praise the Lord.”

What is a thing

that the soul enjoys, but the body does not enjoy? You must say: This is fragrance.

And Rav Zutra bar Tuvya said in the name of Rav: The young men of Israel will eventually

who have not tasted the taste of sin

give forth a good fragrance like

the forest

of Lebanon,

whose leaves and blossoms give forth their good fragrance over Israel, as it is stated: [Hosea 14:7

“His young shoots shall spread,”

[these are the young men of Israel

“and his splendor shall be like an olive tree, and his fragrance like Lebanon.”

And Rav Zutra bar Tuvya said in the name of Rav: What is the meaning of that which is written:

[Ecclesiastes 3:11

“He has made everything beautiful in its time”?

It teaches that each and every one

of the craftsmen

the Holy One, blessed is He, makes his craft beautiful in his eyes.

For even for one whose craft is not beautiful, the Holy One, blessed is He, makes the craft beautiful in his eyes, so that it finds favor in his eyes and he performs it, so that this craft should not be lacking from the world.

Rav Pappa said: This is what people say

[a proverb that people are accustomed to say

“Hang for him a date-palm shoot for another thing, and he

will do his own!”

He hung for the pig around its neck the soft branch [called kura] that grows on the date palm, so that it would eat it while it was clean, and it would do its own—it would roll it in the refuse heap! For this is the craft of the pig: to roll every thing in refuse, and it sees no deficiency in this.

And Rav Zutra bar Tuvya said in the name of Rav:

Although the Master said that a person should not go out alone at night, nevertheless he is permitted to go out when he has in his hand

a torch,

because it is considered

like two, and

if

the moon

is shining, this is considered

like three. [The difference between them will be explained below.]

[The difference between these cases will be explained below.]

It was asked of them:

Does

a torch

count

like two together with him

[together with him

or perhaps a torch

counts

like two apart from him

[without him], and it follows that together with him there are three

? Come and hear:

from the conclusion of Rav’s words, who said

“and the moon

—like three.”

Granted, if you say

that a torch counts like two, this means

together with him, it is well,

Rav’s words, who said, “the moon is like three,” are understood.

But if you say

that a torch is considered like two, this means

apart from him.

If so, it follows that “the moon is like three” also means apart from him. Then it is difficult:

four—

why do I need it?

What benefit is there from the fact that together with the moon they are considered four?

But did the Master not say: With one

the demon

is seen and causes harm; with two

the demon

is seen but does not cause harm. With three it is not seen at all.

If so, what benefit is there in counting them as four, when already with three the demon is not seen at all?

Rather, is it not so? Learn from this

that what we say,

“a torch is like two,”

as Rav said, means

together with him.

Learn from this!

And Rav Zutra bar Tuvya said in the name of Rav—and some say that Rav Hana bar Bizna said in the name of Rabbi Shimon Hasida—and some say that Rabbi Yohanan said in the name of Rabbi Shimon ben Yohai: It is preferable for a person to throw himself into a furnace of fire rather than whiten the face of his fellow in public,

From where do we know this? From Tamar. For it is stated:

[Genesis 38:25

“She was being brought out,”

for although they were bringing her out to be burned, she did not reveal that she was pregnant by Judah, so as not to whiten his face. Rather, she sent him the identifying objects so that he would confess on his own, and she said: If he confesses, he will confess; and if not, I will be burned, but I will not whiten his face.

The Sages taught: They brought before him

at the end of the meal

oil

to anoint his hands, to remove the filth of the food ,

and myrtle

to smell it,

The tannaim disagreed concerning the order of precedence of the blessings.

Beit Shammai say:

At first

he recites a blessing over the oil

“Who creates fragrant oil,”

and afterward he recites a blessing over the myrtle

“Who creates fragrant trees.”

And Beit Hillel say:

Conversely: at first

he recites a blessing over the myrtle and afterward he recites a blessing over the oil .

Rabban Gamliel said: I will decide

the halakha according to Beit Shammai, since

oil

was given for two enjoyments, for

we have merited its fragrance and we have merited its anointing,

whereas

myrtle

was given for only one enjoyment, for

we have merited its fragrance, but we have not merited its anointing.

Rabbi Yohanan said: The halakha is according to the words of the decisive authority

who decided according to the method of Beit Shammai, that is, according to the words of Rabban Gamliel .

Rav Pappa happened to arrive [

by chance ]

at the house of [

at the home of ]

Rav Huna, son of Rav Ika. They brought before them [

they brought before them ]

oil and myrtle. Rav Pappa took them, recited the blessing over the myrtle first, and afterward recited the blessing over the oil,

according to the view of Beit Hillel.

He said to him

Rav Huna: Is it so that

the Master does not hold

with that which Rabbi Yohanan said,

“The halakha is according to the words of the decisive authority,”

according to the view of Beit Shammai, that at first one recites a blessing over the oil and afterward over the myrtle?

He said to him

Rav Pappa:

Thus said Rava: The halakha is according to Beit Hillel,

that one recites a blessing over the myrtle and afterward over the oil. Therefore I too acted according to Beit Hillel, not according to Rabbi Yohanan.

The Gemara adds:

But it is not so!

Rava never said that the halakha is according to Beit Hillel. And Rav Pappa, who attributed his own reasoning to Rava—

he did this merely to extricate himself .

The Sages taught: They brought before them oil

to smell it

and wine

to drink it —

Beit Shammai say:

He holds the oil in his right hand,

because anything over which one recites a blessing in order to eat it or smell it should preferably be held in one’s right hand at the time of the blessing, so that he will properly direct his attention to what he is blessing over.

And the wine in his left,

because he is not presently reciting a blessing over it.

At first

he recites a blessing over the oil

the blessing “Who creates fragrant oil,”

and

afterward

he again takes

the wine in his right hand

and recites a blessing over the wine.

And

Beit Hillel say: He holds the wine in his right hand,

because he precedes the blessing over the wine.

And the oil

he holds

in his left,

because at present he is not reciting a blessing over it .

At first

he recites a blessing over the wine and again

takes the oil in his right hand

and recites a blessing over the oil.

And

if the diner is a Torah scholar,

he smears [

wipes ] the oil remaining on his hands

on the head of the attendant.

And if even

the

attendant is a Torah scholar—

he smears

the remaining oil

on the wall.

And the reason for the wiping is

because it is disgraceful for a Torah scholar to go out to the marketplace while fragrant,

as will be explained nearby.

The Sages taught: Six things are disgraceful for a Torah scholar: He should not go out while fragrant to the marketplace, he should not go out alone at night, and he should not go out in

patched

that contain patches ],

shoes, he should not converse with a woman in the marketplace, he should not recline in a gathering of common people, and he should not enter last

[last]

into the beit-midrash. And some say: He should also not take a large stride, and he should not walk with an upright posture.

The Gemara clarifies these laws one by one:

“He should not go out while fragrant to the marketplace”

what is its reason?

Rabbi Abba, son of Rabbi Chiyya bar Abba, said in the name of Rabbi Yohanan:

This law

was stated in a place where they are suspected of male intercourse,

for those suspected of this perfume themselves so that others will desire them.

Rav Sheshet said: We said

that it is forbidden to go out to the marketplace while fragrant

only

when the fragrance is

in his garment, but

when the fragrance is

on his body

it is permitted, since the

sweat removes it

from the fragrance .

Rav Pappa said: And his hair—

is considered like his garment.

Since sweat is not common in it, it is forbidden to put fragrance in it.

And some say

that there are those who say it is permitted to put fragrance in his hair, since his hair, with regard to fragrance,

is considered like his body,

because sweat is also common in the hair.

The second law brought in the beraita:

“And he should not go out alone at night,”

what is its reason?

Because of suspicion,

that they will suspect him of prostitution.

And we said this only when no fixed time was established for him [

and they said this only when no fixed time was established for him ] to study with his teacher at night,

but

if

a fixed time was established for him,

that he has a fixed time to go to study at night, it is permitted for him to go out alone, because

it is known

to everyone

that he is going for his appointed time,

and they will not come to suspect him.

The third law brought in the beraita:

“And he should not go out in patched shoes”—this supports Rabbi Chiyya bar Abba. For Rabbi Chiyya bar Abba said: It is disgraceful for a Torah scholar to go out in patched shoes,

because he must be important and befitting the honor of his Torah .

The Gemara raises a difficulty:

Is that so? But Rabbi Chiyya bar Abba

himself

went out [

went out ] in patched shoes!?

Mar Zutra, son of Rav Nachman, said:

They said that this is disgraceful only

when there is a patch over a patch.

And we said

that it is disgraceful

only in the upper,

when the patch is on the back of the shoe,

but in the sole [

in the sandal sole ]

we have no concern,

and it is permitted.

And

even

in the upper

also

we said this only

to go out in it

on the road [

on the way ],

but in the house—

we have no concern.

And we said

that it is disgraceful

only in the summer,

because the patch is visible,

but in the rainy season,

when the mud on the shoe covers it—

we have no concern,

and it is permitted.

The fourth law brought in the beraita:

“And he should not converse with a woman in the marketplace.”—

Rav Chisda said: Even if she is his wife,

because not everyone recognizes her, and they will come to suspect him.

It was also taught here:

He should not converse with a woman in the marketplace

even if she is his wife, and even if she is his daughter, and even if she is his sister, because not everyone is familiar with his relatives.

The fifth law brought in the beraita:

“And he should not recline in a gathering of common people,”—

what is the reason?

Perhaps he will come to be drawn after them [

lest he be drawn after them ].

The sixth law brought in the beraita:

“And he should not enter last into the beit-midrash”—

what is its reason?

Because they call him negligent [

lazy ] .

The additional law brought in the beraita:

“And some say: He should also not take a large stride,”—

what is its reason?

For the Master said: A large stride—

removes one five-hundredth of a person’s light of the eyes .

What is his remedy

for one who takes a large stride?

He should restore it [

return it ] to his light of the eyes

through the sanctification of the day of the eve of Shabbat,

by drinking a cup of Kiddush on the night of Shabbat .

The final law brought in the beraita:

“And he should not walk with an upright posture,”—

what is its reason?

For the Master said: One who walks with an upright posture, even

four cubits, is as though he pushes aside the feet of the Divine Presence. For it is written: [

Isaiah 6:3 ]

“The whole earth is full of His glory” .