Eruvin 54b (נד:) — the Talmud in English

What is the fig tree

the fig tree

like this?

As long as a person feels among it

he

finds figs,

because they do not ripen all at once, but little by little

so too with words of Torah: as long as a person studies them, he finds

taste in them.

Rabbi Shmuel bar Naḥmani said: What is the meaning of that which is written: “A lovely hind and a graceful doe

“Her breasts will satisfy you at all times; with her love you shall be continually intoxicated”

—why were words of Torah compared to a hind?

To tell you:

Just as a hind’s womb is narrow, and she is beloved by her mate at every moment

as at the first moment, so too are words of Torah beloved by those who study them at every moment as at the first moment.

“And a graceful doe”—

because she bestows grace upon those who study her.

For everyone praises him on account of his Torah.

“Her breasts will satisfy you at all times”—

why were words of Torah compared to breasts?

Just as with a breast, whenever a baby feels it, he finds milk in it, so too with words of Torah: whenever a person studies them, he finds taste in them.

“With her love you shall be continually intoxicated”—

that one should make himself appear foolish and simple-minded for the sake of Torah; that he should leave his business and run to discuss a matter of halakha,

as in the case of Rabbi Elazar ben Pedat—

They said about Rabbi Elazar

ben Pedat

that he would sit and study Torah in the lower marketplace of Tzippori, while his cloak

his upper garment

lay in the upper marketplace of Tzippori,

for he had forgotten it there because he was so immersed in Torah.

Rabbi Yitzḥak ben Elazar said: Once a man came to take it,

to steal his cloak,

and found a serpent

a snake

. The tanna of the school of Rav Anan said: What is the meaning of that which is written

in the book of Judges, in Deborah’s song: “My heart is with the legislators of Israel [to love the Sages of Israel] ...

riders of white donkeys, sitting in judgment, and walking on the road, speaking”—

“Riders of donkeys”—

these are Torah scholars who travel from city to city and from country to country to study Torah.

“White”—

because they make it

clear

as midday.

“Sitting in judgment”—

because they judge a true judgment in accordance with truth.

“And walking”—

these are masters of Scripture,

who proceed through Torah.

“On the road”—

these are masters of Mishna,

which is the path to Torah.

“Speaking”—

these are masters of Talmud, whose every conversation consists of words of Torah.

Rabbi Shizvi said in the name of Rabbi Elazar ben Azarya: What is the meaning of that which is written: “The deceitful one will not roast his catch” -

We expound this as a notarikon:

“The deceitful hunter will neither live nor enjoy long days.”

This refers to one who studies much but does not review his learning, and deceives people by displaying how wise he is and how much he knows.

Rav Sheshet said:

One who acts in this manner is not deceitful but foolish. Rather, the verse speaks in praise: one who studies a little and immediately reviews it until he remembers it well, and only afterward continues studying, is the deceitful one—that is, he is wise in this matter, like

the deceitful hunter,

as it will be explained below—and he

will roast it,

that is, his learning will endure in his possession.

When Rav Dimi came, he said: This is analogous to a hunter who hunts birds: if, as soon as he catches each one, he first

immediately after catching it

breaks its wings

so that it will not escape,

it is secured. But if not, it is not secured,

because the first bird escapes from him while he is occupied hunting the second.

And this is the explanation of the verse: Is it that he will not roast—that is, that he will not roast and eat birds—whose catch is deceitfully obtained?

Rav Seḥora said in the name of Rav Huna: What is the meaning of that which is written: “Wealth gained from vanity dwindles, but one who gathers little by little increases”?—

If a person makes his Torah into bundles of bundles,

studying a great deal at once,

his learning diminishes,

his knowledge of it.

but if not,

rather, he

gathers it little by little,

studying a little at a time and reviewing it,

he increases.

Rava said: The Sages know this matter, and

nevertheless

transgress it.

Rav Naḥman bar Yitzḥak said: I acted accordingly—

I did so—

and it endured in my possession!

The Sages taught: What was the order of teaching Mishna?

How did Israel learn the Oral Torah from Moses our Teacher?—

Moses learned Torah from the mouth of the Almighty.

a.

Aaron entered, and Moses taught him his lesson.

Aaron withdrew

from before Moses after Moses finished teaching him—for during his study he had been sitting facing Moses, as it is written: “Your eyes shall see your teacher,” and so too all of them during their study—

and sat to Moses’ left,

because proper conduct dictates that the greater person should be on the right.

b.

Aaron’s sons entered,

his sons,

and Moses taught them their lesson,

the very lesson that he had taught Aaron.

His sons withdrew

from before Moses.

Elazar,

who was the elder,

sat to Moses’ right, and Itamar sat to Aaron’s left.

Rabbi Yehuda says: Aaron always returns to Moses’ right.

For now that someone was sitting to Moses’ left, it was an honor for Moses and Aaron that Aaron, the elder, should sit to Moses’ right .

c.

The Elders entered, and Moses taught them their lesson.

The Elders withdrew.

d.

All the people entered, and Moses taught them their lesson.

It follows:

a.

Aaron had it four

times .

b.

His sons had it three times.

c.

The Elders had it twice.

d.

And all the people had it once.

Moses withdrew, and Aaron taught them their lesson,

to his sons, the Elders, and all the people.

Aaron withdrew, and his sons taught them their lesson,

to the Elders and all the people.

His sons withdrew, and the Elders taught them their lesson,

to all the people.

Thus everyone had it four times.

From here Rabbi Eliezer said: A person is obligated to teach his student four times.

And this is a kal va-chomer

argument:

If Aaron, who learned from Moses, and Moses from the mouth of the Almighty,

which gives one the ability to understand quickly,

nevertheless

had to do so,

a layman

who studies

from a layman—

all the more so

must he teach it four times.

Rabbi Akiva says: From where is it derived that a person is obligated to teach his student until he has learned it,

that is, until he understands it thoroughly, and four repetitions are not sufficient?

As it is stated: “And teach it to the children of Israel” .

And from where

is it derived that one is obligated to teach them

until it is arranged in their mouths,

so that they remember it well?

As it is stated: “Place it in their mouths.”

And from where is it derived that he is obligated to show him the reasoning

to explain to him the reason for the matter, rather than say to him, “This is what I heard; understand the reason for the matter yourself”?

As it is stated: “And these are the ordinances that you shall place before them”,

and it is not written, “that you shall teach them.” This indicates that you must arrange and place before them the rationale of the matters.

We raise an objection:

Let them all enter

at once—Aaron, his sons, the Elders, and all the people—

and let them all learn the entire teaching from Moses

four times?

And we answer:

In order to accord honor to Aaron,

who heard it before everyone else,

and to his sons,

who heard it before the Elders and the people,

and honor to the Elders,

who heard it before all the people.

We raise an objection:

Let Aaron enter and learn from Moses

by himself four times,

then let his sons enter and learn from Aaron

four times,

then let the Elders enter and learn

learn

from his sons

four times,

and let them go

the Elders

and teach all Israel

four times?

And we answer:

Since Moses learned from the mouth of the Almighty,

his teaching is more effective,

so that they will succeed more in their learning if they all hear it directly from Moses.

The Master said: Rabbi Yehuda says: Aaron always

returns to Moses’ right.

We raise an objection:

In accordance with whose opinion is this teaching stated: “If three people were walking on the road, the teacher

walks

in the middle, the greater person to his right, and the lesser person to his left”?

Let us say that it is Rabbi Yehuda’s opinion and not that of the Rabbis,

because according to the Rabbis Aaron remained to Moses’ left, despite being the greater person.

And we answer:

You may even say that it is the opinion of the Rabbis.

Indeed, ideally the greater person should be to the teacher’s right.

However,

because of Aaron’s exertion,

since he had already sat to Moses’ left when he was alone with Moses, they did not require him to leave his place and go sit to Moses’ right.

Rabbi Perida had a certain student whom he taught four hundred times, and he learned it.

That is, he taught him four hundred times, until the student understood.

One day, they needed him for a mitzva matter,

they asked Rabbi Perida to attend to a mitzva matter outside the bейт-mидраш.

He taught him

four hundred times, as was his custom,

but he did not learn it,

and still did not manage to understand.

He said to him,

Rabbi Perida

: Today

now

—what is different

that you do not understand?

His student said to him:

His student

: From the moment

that

they said to the Master: “There is a mitzva matter

to attend to”

, I diverted my attention,

I took my mind off my studies,

and every moment I thought,

thinking to myself at every moment:

“Now the Master is standing; now the Master is standing.”

Therefore I was unable to understand.

He said to him,

Rabbi Perida

: Give me your attention, and I will teach you

again.

He taught him another four hundred times!

A Divine Voice emerged and said to him,

to Rabbi Perida: What do you prefer as your reward?

Would you prefer that they add

to you

four hundred years, or that you and your generation merit

that you and your entire generation merit

the World to Come

the World to Come?

Rabbi

Perida said: I prefer

that I and my generations merit

and all my generations

the World to Come!

The Almighty said to them: Give him

also

this and

also

that!

Rav Ḥisda said: Torah is acquired only through mnemonic devices,

as there are in the Talmud mnemonic signs before consecutive statements dealing with one subject, or based on the names of the Sages who said those statements. All this is so that they will not be forgotten.

As it is stated: “Place it in their mouths”—

do not read “place it,” but “its sign”!

Rav Taḥlifa heard this from the West,

the Land of Israel.

He went and stated it before Rabbi Abbahu,

in the Land of Israel.

He said

to him:

You,

in Babylonia,

derive it from there,

from “Place it in their mouths.”

We derive it from here:

as it is written,

“Set up markers for yourself; place for yourself

signposts

” —make markers

mnemonic signs

for Torah.

And from where is it evident that this “marker”

is the language of “sign”

?

As it is written: “And when one sees a human bone, he shall build a marker beside it”,

to mark that there is a dead person’s bone here, so that passersby will not become impure.

Rabbi Elazar said: From here

we learn that one should make mnemonic signs in Torah, as it is written:

“Say to wisdom: You are my sister, and call understanding your intimate acquaintance.” Make

acquaintances

mnemonic signs

for Torah.

Rava said: This is what the verse is saying:

Set appointed times,

establish fixed times,

for Torah.