Gittin 31b — the Talmud in English

He is concerned retroactively until

the twenty-four-hour period from the time of placing, that is: everything he did from twelve hours after he placed the produce and the money is doubtful, lest the untithed produce was not permitted and lest the second tithe was not redeemed.

, meaning: everything he did from twelve hours after he set aside the produce and the money is uncertain, since perhaps the untithed produce was not permitted and perhaps the second tithe was not redeemed.

We learned

in our Mishna: “

if they were lost, he is concerned for a twenty-four-hour period”—

But

granted, according to the one who says: “

the twenty-four-hour period from the time of the examination”—

it is

properly in agreement with

the wording of the Mishna.

But according to the one who says: “

the twenty-four-hour period from the time of placing”—

the difficulty is: Is it so that

this “

twenty-four-hour period” [should the

tannai have said: “he is concerned for a twenty-four-hour period”]!? Yet “he is concerned

until a twenty-four-hour period”

he ought to have said.

.

And we conclude:

It is difficult!

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

the words of Rabbi Elazar

ben Shammua:

Rabbi Elazar

ben Pedat said:

His colleagues disagree with Rabbi Elazar

ben Shammua in our Mishna;

for

for

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 retroactively on its basis [all terumot and ritual purities that were touched by vessels and people who immersed 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 an uncertainty of impurity in this place renders it impure], and

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

whether

the ritual bath was

in a public domain [where an uncertainty of impurity in this place renders it pure],

they are

impure.

And likewise, concerning the law of our Mishna, we must say, according to the tannai of Mikvaot, that all the terumot performed on the basis of these produce—and even before the twenty-four-hour period—are not terumot, and he must again separate teruma.

And we object to Rabbi Elazar ben Pedat: But

it is obvious that they disagree;

what has he taught us by this!?

And we answer:

What might you say: What is

“retroactively”—

which we learned in the Mishna of Mikvaot—

a twenty-four-hour period

only, and their opinion is like that of Rabbi Elazar ben Shammua 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 examination.

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 examine the wine at the advance time of the conclusion of the Festival:

A tannai taught

in a beraita: At three periods, etc.,

at the advance time of the conclusion of the Festival of the season, that is: if the season of Tishrei has already entered; but if the season of Tammuz continued until the conclusion of the Festival, the wine does not require examination.

that is, if the month of Tishrei has already begun. But if the Tammuz season continued until the end of the festival, the wine does not require inspection:

It was taught in a beraita: Rabbi Yehuda says:

At

At three

periods they sell the grain, at these times is the time for selling grain:

, since these are the times for selling grain:

.

Before the sowing

of the new grain.

.

And at the time of its sowing, that is: at the end of sowing, when they have already sown everything they had and lack seed in order to continue sowing.

it, meaning: at the end of the sowing, when they have already sown everything they had and lack seed with which to continue sowing.

.

And at the half-period before Passover, fifteen days before Passover.

, fifteen days before Passover.

And at three periods they sell the wine:

.

At the half-period before Passover.

.

And at the half-period before Shavuot [Shavuot].

[the Festival of Weeks].

.

And at the half-period before the Festival [Sukkot].

[Sukkot].

And oil

they sell

from Shavuot [Shavuot]

[the Festival of Weeks]

onward.

And we explain:

For what halakhic purpose—

what halakhic difference is there in this, that the tannai taught us when the time for selling grain and wine is?

Rava said, and some say

and some say

Rav Pappa

was the one who said this:

The practical difference is

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

: One partner may sell property without the knowledge of the other only during these three periods, and even if the market price rises afterward, his partner has no claim against him.

We further explain:

From here onward—

after the third time has passed—

what

is the time for selling it?

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

[its time is every day].

The following matter is explained here incidentally to the east wind mentioned in our Mishna.

It is written in the Book of Jonah: “And the Lord God appointed a kikayon over Jonah, to be shade over his head, to save him from his distress, and Jonah rejoiced over the kikayon with great joy. And God appointed a worm at the rising of the dawn on the next day, and it struck the kikayon and it dried up.

And it came to pass when the sun rose, that 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 for his life, to die, and he said: My death is better than my life”:

, and the sun beat down on Jonah’s head, and he fainted. He asked that his life be taken and said: My death is better than my life.”

And we explain:

What is “

silent”?

Rav Yehuda said:

It is an expression of plowing, for an easterly wind is strong, and

when it blows

it

makes furrows upon furrows [as a plow makes]

[like a plow]

in the sea.

He said,

astonished

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 comes to say that following the wind the world became hot, whereas according to your explanation the verse comes to say that it is strong, and to recount the force of its storms—and not so!?

,” which implies that the verse is saying that the world became hot as a result of the wind? According to your explanation, however, the verse is saying that the wind was strong and describing the force of its storms!

Rather, Rabba said:

It is an expression of “deafness and silence,” for an easterly wind

when it blows

at a time of heat is exceedingly hot and

silences

the coolness of

all the winds before it.

And this is what is written: “

When your garments are hot, when He makes the earth quiet from the south.”

And

And Rabbi Tahlifa bar Rav Hisda said: When are your garments hot? When He makes the earth quiet from the south [when the coolness of the southern wind has been silenced], and who silences it? The easterly wind,

[when the coolness of the southern wind has been silenced]. And what silences it? The easterly wind,

for when it blows

the easterly wind

silences all the winds before it.

Rav Huna and Rav Hisda were sitting, and Geniva passed and walked by 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 said

of the amoraim

to his fellow: Let us rise before him, for he is a man of Torah [let us rise before him, because he is a son of Torah].

[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 [is it so that we should rise before a person of dispute]!?

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

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

[in the interim, Ganiva reached the amoraim].

He said to them

Geniva to the Sages:

With what are you occupied [what are you engaged in]?

[what are you engaged in]?

They said to him: With winds.

He said to them

Geniva:

Thus said Rav Hanan bar Rava in the name of Rav:

Four winds blow every day, and the northern wind—

which is temperate, neither hot nor cold—

blows with all of them

and sweetens them,

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

[an angel shaped like a hawk]

who holds it back,

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 shall ask you, and you inform Me. Where were you when I founded the earth? Tell, if you know understanding. Who set its measurements, for you know? Or who stretched a line over it?” And thus the Holy One, blessed be He, enumerates the wonders of creation. And there [39:26] God further 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 from your understanding [is it from your understanding]

[through your understanding] that

that the

hawk [will the son of a hawk raise

its wings and]

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

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

Rava and Rav Nahman bar Yitzhak were sitting, and there passed and walked by [he passed before them]

[he passed before them]

Rav Aha bar Yaakov, who was sitting in a golden carriage, with a turquoise-colored cloak spread over it [he was sitting in a golden carriage over which was spread a turquoise-colored canopy, and 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 Nahman bar Yitzhak did not go to him.

For when

Rav Nahman bar Yitzhak said:

Perhaps he is one of the people of the Exilarch

Perhaps they are from the household of the Exilarch [perhaps he is from the people of the Exilarch], and therefore I will not go, for

and therefore I will not go, because

Rava needs them and therefore went, but

and therefore went, but

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

[I have no need of them].

When

Rav Nahman bar Yitzhak realized

that it was Rav Aha bar Yaakov, he went to him [Rav Nahman went to him].

[Rav Naḥman went to him].

Rav Aha bar Yaakov uncovered

Rav Aha bar Yaakov

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

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

Rav Aha said:

:

A demon is blowing [the demon is blowing], and he intended the easterly wind—which is exceedingly hot—which blew 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: Thus said Rav: A woman miscarries because of it,

with the easterly wind when it blows.

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

Rabbi Yohanan said: Even semen in a woman’s womb [within three days of intercourse, before it putrefies on its own]

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

putrefies because of it.

Rav Nahman bar Yitzhak said:

And all three of them—

Rav, Shmuel, and Rabbi Yohanan—

expounded one verse:

For it is written: “

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

rising from the wilderness, and his source shall dry up

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

His source shall dry up”:

This is a woman’s source

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 the exposition of the people of Sura [this exposition is from the people of Sura],

[this exposition comes from the people of Sura],

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

[who analyze the wording of the verses precisely]!

We further explain:

What is “

For he” —

the east wind—

shall be fruitful among brothers”?

Rava

explained

:

When that east wind blows, then even things tightly wedged on both sides of the hole in which they are placed [“among brothers”] become loosened [“shall be fruitful”], because they contract on account of the heat;