Gittin 31b (לא:) — the Talmud in English

he is concerned retroactively until

the twenty-four-hour period from the time of placing them,

that is: everything he did from twenty-four hours after he placed the produce and the money is subject to uncertainty, lest the tevel was not rendered permitted and lest the second tithe was not redeemed.

We learned

in our Mishna: "

if they were lost, he is concerned for the twenty-four-hour period"—

and yet,

granted, according to the one who says: "

the twenty-four-hour period from the time of the inspection"—

indeed,

it is quite

consistent with the wording of the Mishna.

But according to the one who says: "

the twenty-four-hour period from the time of placing them"—

the difficulty is: is

this "

twenty-four-hour period" [what, should the tanna have said: "he is concerned for a twenty-four-hour period"]!? For

"he is concerned

until a twenty-four-hour period"

he should have needed

the tanna to say.

And we conclude:

the difficulty remains!

We learned in the Mishna: if they were lost, he is concerned for a twenty-four-hour period

these are the words of Rabbi Elazar

ben Shamua:

Rabbi Elazar

ben Pedat said:

His colleagues disagree with Rabbi Elazar

ben Shamua in our Mishna;

for

this is what

we learned

in tractate Mikvaot:

A ritual bath that was measured and found deficient

of forty se’a, which is the measure of a ritual bath for immersion—

then

all

the

ritual purities performed on its basis retroactively [all terumot and pure items that were touched by vessels and people who immersed to purify themselves from their impurity in that ritual bath at any time],

[all offerings and ritually pure items that were touched by vessels and people who had immersed in that ritual bath to purify themselves from ritual impurity at any time],

whether

the ritual bath was

in a private domain [where a doubtful impurity renders the item impure], and

[where a doubt concerning ritual impurity renders the item impure],

whether

the ritual bath was

in a public domain [where a doubtful impurity renders the item pure],

they are

impure.

And likewise, regarding the law of our Mishna, we must say according to the tanna of Mikvaot that all the terumot designated on the basis of this produce—even before the twenty-four-hour period—are not terumot, and he must designate teruma again.

And we challenge Rabbi Elazar ben Pedat: but

it is obvious that they disagree;

what, then, is he teaching us by stating this!?

And we answer:

lest you say: what is the meaning of "

retroactively"—

which we learned in the Mishna of Mikvaot—

a twenty-four-hour period

only, and their view is like that of Rabbi Elazar ben Shamua in our Mishna—

therefore

he teaches us Rabbi Elazar ben Pedat that his colleagues disagree with him, for “retroactively” means all the ritual purities performed from the previous inspection.

only? Their view would then agree with the view of Rabbi Elazar ben Shamua, who is mentioned in our Mishna.

We learned in the Mishna:

Rabbi Yehuda says: at three periods

they inspect the wine at the early part of the period following the festival:

The tanna taught

in a beraita: at three periods, etc.,

at the early part of the period following the festival of the season,

that is: if the season of Tishrei has already begun; but if the season of Tammuz continued until after the festival, the wine does not require inspection.

It was taught in a beraita: Rabbi Yehuda says:

At

three

periods are times when grain is sold,

these are the times for selling grain:

a.

before the sowing

of the new grain.

b.

and at the time of sowing

of the grain—that is: at the end of the sowing, when they have already sown everything they had and lack seed with which to continue sowing.

c.

and fifteen days before Pesaḥ,

fifteen days before Pesaḥ.

And at three periods wine is sold:

a.

fifteen days before Pesaḥ.

b.

and fifteen days before Shavuot [Shavuot].

[the Festival of Weeks].

c.

and fifteen days before the festival [Sukkot].

[Sukkot].

And oil

is sold

from Shavuot [Shavuot]

[the Festival of Weeks]

onward.

And we explain:

for what halakhic purpose

what halakhic consequence is there in the tanna teaching us when the time for selling grain and wine is?

Rava said, and some say

some say

Rav Pappa

was the one who said this:

There is a practical difference

for partners,

for one of them may sell without his partner’s knowledge only during these three periods, and even if the market price rises afterward, his partner has no claim against him.

We further explain:

from this point onward—

after the third period has passed—

what

is the time for selling it?

Rava said: every day is its proper time [every day is its time].

[its time is every day].

The following matter is explained here incidentally, in connection with the east wind mentioned in our Mishna.

It is written in the Book of Jonah: “And the Lord God appointed a kikayon, and it rose up over Jonah to be a shade over his head, to save him from his distress, and Jonah rejoiced greatly over the kikayon. And God appointed a worm at the dawning of the next day, and it struck the kikayon and it withered.

And when the sun rose, God appointed an east wind [an easterly wind]

[an easterly wind]

silent,

and the sun struck Jonah’s head, and he fainted. And he asked that his soul should die, and said: “Better is my death than my life.”:

And we explain:

what is the meaning of "

silent"?

Rav Yehuda said:

it is an expression related to plowing, for the east wind is strong, and

when it blows

it

makes furrows upon furrows [like a plow makes]

[like a plow]

in the sea.

Rav

wondered

Rabba:

If so,

what

is the meaning of what is written

there: “

And the sun struck Jonah’s head, and he fainted,”

which implies that the verse is saying that the world became hot as a result of the wind, whereas according to your interpretation the verse is saying that it was strong, describing the power of its storms

!? Rather, Rabba said:

it is an expression of “deafness and silence,” for the east wind

when it blows

during hot weather is exceedingly hot and

silences

the coolness of

all the winds before it.

And this is what is written: "

Your garments are hot when He quiets the earth from the south."

And

Rabbi Taḥlifa bar Rav Ḥisda said: When are your garments hot? When He quiets the earth from the south [when the coolness of the southerly wind has been silenced],

and what silences it? The east wind,

which, when it blows,

the east wind

silences all the winds before it.

Rav Huna and Rav Ḥisda were sitting, and Geniva passed before them [they were sitting, and a Torah scholar named Geniva passed before them].

[they were sitting, and a Torah scholar named Ganiva passed before them].

One

of the amoraim

said to his colleague: Let us rise before him, for he is a man of Torah [let us rise before him, for he is a Torah scholar].

[let us rise before him, because he is a scholar].

The other said to him:

is it so that

we should rise before a contentious person [should we rise before one who engages in disputes]!?

[should we rise before one who causes disputes]!?

Meanwhile, he himself came to them [in the interim, Geniva arrived at the amoraim].

[in the interim, Ganiva reached the amoraim].

Geniva said to them

Geniva said to the Sages:

What are you occupied with [what are you discussing]?

[what are you engaged in]?

They said to him: Winds.

He said to them

Geniva:

This is what Rav Ḥanan bar Rava said in the name of Rav:

Four winds blow every day, and the northern wind—

which is temperate, neither hot nor cold—

blows together with all of them

and moderates them,

for were it not so, the world could not endure even for one hour; and the southern wind is harsher than all of them, and were it not for the son of a hawk [an angel formed like a hawk]

[an angel shaped like a hawk]

who restrains it,

it would

destroy

the

entire world before it.

As it is stated in God’s words to Job [35:3]: “Gird your loins now like a man, and I will ask you, and you shall inform Me. Where were you when I founded the earth? Tell, if you know understanding. Who determined its dimensions, if you know, or who stretched a measuring line over it?” And so the Holy One, blessed be He, enumerates the wonders of creation. And there [39:26] God adds and says to Job: "

in God’s words to Job [35:3]: “Gird your loins now like a man; I will ask you, and you inform Me. Where were you when I founded the earth? Declare it, if you have understanding. Who determined its dimensions, for you know? Or who stretched a measuring line over it?” In this way, the Holy One, blessed be He, enumerates the wonders of creation. And there [39:26], God further says to Job: “

Is it by your understanding [is it from your understanding]

[through your understanding] that

that the

hawk [will raise the son of a hawk

its wings and]

spread its wings toward the south [toward the southern wind, to restrain it by spreading its wings]."

[toward the southern wind, to hold it back by spreading its wings].”

Rava and Rav Naḥman bar Yitzḥak were sitting, and there passed before them [he passed before them]

[he passed before them]

Rav Aḥa bar Ya’akov, who was sitting in a golden carriage with a sky-blue canopy spread over it [it was a royal carriage], and the Sages did not recognize who was sitting inside it.

Rava went over to him

Rava went to him [Rava went to him], whereas

Rav Naḥman bar Yitzḥak did not go over to him.

Rav Naḥman bar Yitzḥak did not go to him.

For when

Rav Naḥman bar Yitzḥak said:

Perhaps he is one of the people of the Exilarch

Perhaps he is one of the members of the household of the Exilarch [perhaps he is one of the Exilarch’s men],

and therefore I will not go, for

Rava needs them

and therefore he went, but

I do not need them [I do not need them].

[I have no need of them].

When

Rav Naḥman bar Yitzḥak saw

that it was Rav Aḥa bar Ya’akov, he went to him [Rav Naḥman went to him].

[Rav Naḥman went to him].

Rav Aḥa bar Ya’akov uncovered

Rav Aḥa bar Ya’akov

his arm [he uncovered his arm] because he was hot, and

[he exposed his arm because he was hot], and

Rav Aḥa said:

:

A demon is blowing [the she-demon is blowing], and he intended the east wind—which is exceedingly hot—that was blowing at that time.

[the demon is blowing]. He was referring to the easterly wind, which is exceedingly hot and was blowing at that time.

Rava said: This is what Rav said: A woman miscarries because of it

when the east wind blows.

And Shmuel said: Even a pearl in the sea rots because of it.

Rabbi Yoḥanan said: Even semen in a woman’s womb [within three days of intercourse, before it naturally putrefies]

[within three days of intercourse, before it naturally becomes putrid]

putrefies because of it.

Rav Naḥman bar Yitzḥak said:

And all three of them—

Rav, Shmuel, and Rabbi Yoḥanan—

expounded one verse:

For it is written: "

For he is fruitful among brothers; an east wind shall come, the wind of the Lord

rising from the wilderness, and his spring shall dry up

and his source shall dry up; he shall plunder the treasury of every precious vessel”: "

His spring shall dry up":

this is the source of a woman,

that is: the fetus in her womb. "

And his spring shall dry up":

this is semen in a woman’s womb. "

He shall plunder the treasury of every precious vessel":

this is a pearl in the sea.

Rava said: This is a Sura interpretation [this exposition is from the people of Sura],

for this interpretation is from the people of Sura,

who are precise with the verses [who analyze the verses precisely]!

[who analyze the wording of the verses precisely]!

We further explain:

what is the meaning of "

for he" —

the east wind—

is fruitful among brothers"?

Rava

explained:

Rava:

when that east wind blows, even things tightly wedged between the two sides of the opening in which they are placed [“among brothers”] become loosened [“is fruitful”], because they contract from the heat;