Eruvin 21b — the Talmud in English

“The beloved”

“One basket of very good figs, like the figs”

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[important figs that ripen quickly; literally: first fruits]

“and the basket”

“one basket of very bad figs, which cannot be eaten because of their badness?”

And Mar explains the verse:

“The good figs: these are completely righteous people,”

Jeconiah, and the craftsmen and the smiths, who were exiled to Babylon.

“The bad figs: these are completely wicked people,”

the remnant of Israel who were with Zedekiah, who were not exiled!

And

perhaps you will say: their hope has perished [תקותם]

[their expectation]

and the prospect of the wicked has ceased

of the wicked

the verse says

in the Song of Songs:

[we expound this as referring to the copper mandrakes that Jeremiah saw]

“gave forth their fragrance!”

And “mandrakes” is written in the plural, to teach:

these and those are destined to give forth their fragrance, [נתבאר על פי מהרש"א].

[This has been explained according to the Maharsha].

And since we have brought the verse, “the mandrakes gave forth their fragrance,” we bring what Rava expounded concerning it:

Rava expounded: What is the meaning of that which is written: “The mandrakes [מין עשב שיש לו ריח טוב]

[a type of grass that has a pleasant fragrance]

gave forth their fragrance” [טוב]:

[a good fragrance]:

these are the young men of Israel who have not tasted the taste of sin

].

“And at our openings are all precious fruits” —

these are the daughters of Israel, who bind [קושרות - רש"י]

[tie — Rashi]

their openings

from being possessed by others —

for

the sake of

for the sake of their husbands.

Another version: that they declare their openings

when menstrual blood comes out from them,

to their husbands

so that they will separate from them! [According to Rashi’s version].

“New things as well as old things, my beloved, I have hidden for you”: The Assembly of Israel said before the Holy One, blessed is He: Master of the Universe, many decrees “

new”

I have imposed upon myself [גזירות שגזרו חז"ל],

[the restrictions that the Sages instituted],

more than what You decreed

“old” decrees

upon me

in Your Torah,

and

and all of them

I fulfilled,

I concealed and guarded all these for You, for Your Name!

Rav Chisda said to that one of the Sages who was arranging aggadic teachings before him [שהיה מסדר דברי אגדה לפניו]:

[who was arranging words of aggada before him]:

Have you heard what “new things as well as old things” means?

He said to him

that one of the Sages said to Rav Chisda: The “new things

[the prohibition against going beyond the Shabbat boundary and the prohibition against seclusion with those forbidden sexually, which were certainly given after the basic prohibitions of Shabbat and the basic prohibitions of forbidden sexual relations — Maharsha],

and

and the “old things

[the basic prohibitions of Shabbat and forbidden sexual relations — Maharsha].

He said to him

Rav Chisda:

Is the Torah given in stages

and not all at one time,

these should be “new” and those “old”?! [Since all of them were given at Sinai, it is not appropriate to call some new and others old — Maharsha].

Rather,

this is the meaning of the verse:

these

the “old things”

are from the words of Torah, and these

the “new things”

are from the words of the Scribes,

which they “renewed” in every generation in order to make a fence and a safeguard!

Rava expounded: What is the meaning of that which is written:

the words of “Sages” [these are words of Torah transmitted orally to Moses, concerning which the “Sages of Israel” disagreed after hearts diminished and they forgot them], are like goads and like planted stakes, the masters of assemblies gave them from one shepherd [Moses]

and beyond these, my son, be warned: making many books

there is no end, and much study is weariness of the flesh?

And Rava explains it:

“And beyond these”: beyond what was given at Sinai in writing, which is the principal matter.

“My son, be warned”: concerning the words of the Sages, which are the Oral Torah [mentioned above in the verse]. And it teaches:

My son, be warned concerning the words of the Scribes

the Oral Torah,

more than concerning the words of Torah

that is written!

For in the words of Torah there are

cases in which there is no liability for death, but

a positive commandment and not [או לא]

[or not]

a prohibition.

But the words of the Scribes

are not so, for

whoever transgresses the words of the Scribes is liable for death,

as it is written: “One who breaks through a fence, a snake will bite him”; and therefore be more careful concerning them!

Perhaps

you will wonder and

say: If there is substance in them, why were they not written

in the Torah?!

The verse says:

for this reason they were not written, because

making many books

for the Oral Torah

has no end

to them!

And since we have explained the beginning of the verse, we explain its end:

“And much study is weariness of the flesh”:

Rav Pappa, son of Rav Aḥa bar Adda, said in the name of Rav Aḥa bar Ulla: This teaches that everyone who mocks [“

much study”]

the “words of the Sages” [שנזכרו בהנך קראי]

[mentioned in these verses]

is judged with

weariness of the flesh, which is

boiling excrement!

Rava objected to this: Is “mockery” written

that we should say that the verse comes only concerning one who mocks the words of the Sages?! But

“study” is written,

to teach also the matter below — Rabbeinu Peretz!

Rather,

to teach that

[all the words of the Torah — the Torah of life, according to Rashi’s understanding],

tastes the taste of meat,

for whenever a person searches through the words of Torah, he finds taste in them! [And see further in the Maharsha and in Torat Chaim].

The Sages taught: There was an incident involving Rabbi Akiva, who was imprisoned, and Rabbi Yehoshua HaGarsi

after the name of his place [and some explain: because he ground groats]

was his attendant; every single day they would bring him

the attendants of Rabbi Akiva

water by measure

which contained enough for washing the hands and water for the meal only [Maharsha].

One day, the prison guard found

Rabbi Yehoshua HaGarsi when he was bringing water to Rabbi Akiva,

he said to him

the guard [and he brought a pretext against him, for the measure had not changed that day, Maharsha, see there]:

Today your water is abundant; perhaps you need it to tunnel out of the prison. [חוששני, שהבאת הרבה מים, על מנת לרכך הטיט ולבני הקיר - יעב"ץ, כדי לברוח]!

[I am concerned that you brought much water in order to soften the mortar and the bricks of the wall — Yaavetz, so that you could escape]!

The guard poured out

the guard

half of it

of the water,

and gave him

to Rabbi Yehoshua

half of it. When

Rabbi Yehoshua

came to Rabbi Akiva

with half of his water in his hand,

Rabbi Akiva said to him

Rabbi Akiva:

“Yehoshua! Do you not know that I am old and my life depends upon your life [אין לי אלא מה שאתה נותן ומזמן לי] and how have you brought me so little water?

[I have only what you give and arrange for me]? How could you bring me so little water?

He related to him

Rabbi Yehoshua

that entire incident

with the guard.

Rabbi Akiva said to him

Rabbi Akiva to Rabbi Yehoshua:

“Give me water so that I may wash my hands!” He said to him

Rabbi Yehoshua:

“There is not enough to drink [מספיקין המים]

[the water is insufficient]

and there is enough to wash your hands?!”

Rabbi Akiva said to him

Rabbi Akiva:

“What shall I do, for concerning them one is liable [על נטילת ידים במים]

[for washing the hands with water]

for death,

as the law is: whoever transgresses the words of the Sages

it is better that I die my own death

through lacking water for drinking,

and not transgress my fellow’s opinion,

and become liable for death at the hands of Heaven!

They said: Rabbi Akiva tasted nothing

Rabbi Akiva

at all, until he brought him water and washed

Rabbi Akiva

his hands!

When the Sages heard of the matter, they said: If in his old age

of Rabbi Akiva

he was thus

afflicting himself so as not to transgress the words of the Sages,

in his youth

when he was able to endure hardship and affliction

all the more so,

that he afflicted himself so as not to transgress the words of the Sages!

And if in prison it was so,

outside prison, all the more so!

Rav Yehuda said in the name of Shmuel: At the time when Solomon enacted the eruvin

of courtyards [when he decreed that one may not carry from his private domain to his fellow’s private domain until they make an eruv, in order to make a fence and distance from a Torah prohibition, lest they come to permit carrying from the public domain to the private domain]

[washing the hands as a safeguard for ritual purity]

A Divine voice went forth and said: My son, if your heart is wise [לעשות גדר לאיסור הוצאה בשבת - מהרש"א שבת דף יד]:

[to establish a safeguard against the prohibition of transferring on Shabbat — Maharsha, Shabbat 14]:

[that the Shabbat commandment will be fulfilled through observing the Torah prohibition — there].

[corresponding to washing the hands — there]

“Be wise, my son, and gladden my heart” [ותהא לבי שמח בך - רש"י משלי]

and

“I shall answer my reproachers” [המחרפים אותי - מצודות משלי]

[those who]

[corresponding to those who treat washing the hands contemptuously, as explained in several places — there].

Rava expounded: What is the meaning of that which is written: “Come, my beloved, let us go out to the field; let us lodge in the villages; let us rise early to the vineyards; let us see whether the vine has flowered, whether the blossom has opened, whether the pomegranates have budded; there I will give my loves to you.

“The mandrakes have given forth their fragrance, and at our openings are all precious fruits”?

“Come, my beloved” [כינוי לקב"ה]

[a designation for the Holy One, blessed be He]

“Let us go out to the field”: The Assembly of Israel said before the Holy One, blessed is He: Master of the Universe, do not judge me like the inhabitants of cities

where there are marketplaces, a large population, and many peddlers and merchants

for they have

because of this

robbery, forbidden sexual relations, a vain oath, and a false oath!

Rather

“let us go out to the field”,

and judge me like those who work the soil, and

come and I will show You

there

Torah scholars who engage in Torah amid hardship.

“Let us lodge in the villages”: Do not read “in the villages,” but “among deniers”

the descendants of Esau [Rashi — Song of Songs],

come and I will show them to You

the descendants of Esau

to whom You bestowed goodness, and they denied You.

“Let us rise early to the vineyards”: These are synagogues and houses of study,

in which they sit row upon row like a vineyard — Maharsha.

“Let us see whether the vine has flowered” [הוציאה פרחים]:

[produced flowers]:

these are masters of Scripture

who are compared to flowers, when the grapes are not yet recognizable; so too Scripture is not so explicit!

“The blossom has opened” [ענבים בתחלת בישולן]:

[the grapes at the beginning of their ripening]:

these are masters of Mishna,

which is more explicit than Scripture, just as the blossom is larger than the flower!

“The pomegranates have budded” [גדלו כל צרכן, וכבר הנץ גדל סביבותיו כעין שומר שיש לאגוזים קטנים]they have grown to their full measure, and the husk has already grown around them, like the protective covering that small nuts have.

[have grown to their full size, and the blossom has already grown around them like the protective covering around small nuts]

“The pomegranates”: These are masters of Gemara.

“There I will give my loves to you”: I will show You My honor and My greatness, and the praise of My sons [אלו הבחורים שלא טעמו טעם חטא, כדלעיל בגמרא - מהרש"א]

[these are the young men who have never tasted the taste of sin, as stated above in the Gemara — Maharsha]

[these are the daughters of Israel who inform their husbands of their openings, as stated above. This is why the verse continues: “The mandrakes have given their fragrance, and at our doors are all kinds of choice fruit,” as expounded above concerning the sons and daughters of Israel — Maharsha].

Rav Hamnuna said: What is the meaning of that which is written

concerning Solomon:

“And he spoke three thousand proverbs, and his song was one thousand and five”?

This teaches that Solomon said concerning every matter

and

matter of Torah, three thousand proverbs [טעם על פי משל - עץ יוסף]!

[an explanation by means of a parable — Etz Yosef], and

concerning every matter of the Scribes

[the words of the Scribes]

one thousand and five explanations

[without a parable — Etz Yosef]!

Rava expounded: What is the meaning of that which is written: “And besides being a wise man, Kohelet

[Solomon]

also taught the people knowledge,”

And

concerning every single matter of the Scribes [דברי סופרים] one thousand and five reasons [בלי משל - עץ יוסף]! Rava expounded: What is the meaning of that which is written: “And besides being a Kohelet [שלמה] a wise man, he still taught knowledge to the people” and

“he weighed, investigated, and arranged many proverbs”?

And Rava explains:

“He taught knowledge to the people”: He taught it

to the people

with indications of reasons,

he established for it a tradition and signs, both among the words of Scripture and in the wording of the Mishna,

and explained it through what it resembles, [ראה רשב"ם בבא בתרא קל: ד"ה הא כל, ובמהרש"א כאן].

[see Rashbam, Bava Batra 130, s.v. “ha kol,” and the Maharsha here].

“And he weighed, investigated, and arranged many proverbs”: Ulla said in the name of Rabbi Elazar: At first the Torah was like a basket [מין כלי]

[a type of vessel]

that has no handles [בית יד לאחוז אותו בו]

[a handle by which to hold it]

until Solomon came

and

made “handles” for it,

through his enacting eruvin and hands [washing the hands — according to Rashi], and his decreeing concerning secondary relations for forbidden sexual relations [relatives of a second degree whom the Sages prohibited]; and through this Israel hold onto the mitzvot, distancing themselves from transgression, just as it is easier to hold a utensil that has a handle than one that has no handle.

What is the meaning of that which is written: “My beloved is radiant and ruddy, etc. His head is fine gold,”

“his locks are curled”

black like a raven [Song of Songs 5]’:

Rav Chisda said in the name of Mar Ukva: This teaches that one must expound concerning every thorn [“

his locks”]

mounds upon mounds [“

curls”]

of halakhot,

for the halakhot renewed in every generation were already stated at Sinai by allusion in the thorns of the letters — Maharsha.

“Black like a raven: In whom do you find them

who will expound these interpretations?