Gittin 68b (סח:) — the Talmud in English

He went out [the widow came out],

and pleaded with him

she pleaded with him [she begged him] not to rub against the hut and knock it down.

so that he would not brush against the hut and knock it down.

He bent his stature away from it [he bent his body away from the hut] to the other side, and his shoulder-width distanced him from the house.

turning to the other side, and moved his broad shoulders away from the house.

A bone in him broke [a bone of Ashmedai broke].

a bone of Ashmedai was broken.

Ashmedai said:

Ashmedai:

This is what is written: “And a soft tongue breaks a bone”

(Proverbs 25:15),

because through the soft tongue with which she pleaded with him and gave a gentle reply, my bone was broken.

for through the soft tongue with which she pleaded with him, offering a gentle response, my bone was broken.

He saw a blind man who was going astray on the road, and he set him on the proper road [Ashmedai saw a blind man who was lost on the road and put him on the right path].

Ashmedai saw a blind man who was straying on the road and set him on the correct road.

He saw a drunkard who was going astray on the road, and he set him on the proper road [Ashmedai saw a drunkard who was lost on the road and put him on the right path].

Ashmedai saw a drunk man who was straying on the road and set him on the correct road.

He saw a wedding celebration at which people were rejoicing [Ashmedai saw a wedding celebration at which they were rejoicing],

and he cried.

and he cried.

He heard a certain man saying to a shoemaker: Make me shoes that will last seven years [He heard a man saying to a shoemaker: Make me shoes that will be good for seven years],

and he laughed.

and he laughed [he laughed].

.

He saw a certain magician performing magic [He saw a magician performing magic],

and he laughed.

and he laughed [he laughed].

.

When they arrived there, they did not bring him in to Solomon until three days had passed [When they reached Jerusalem, they did not bring him before King Solomon until after three days].

when they reached Jerusalem, they did not bring him in before King Solomon until after three days.

On the first day [the first day]

the first day,

he said to them: Why does the king not want me to come before him [Why does the king not want me to come to him]?

?”

They said to him: He is prevented by drinking [He is unable to see you because of his drinking], for he drank excessively.

Ashmedai took one brick and placed it on top of another.

He took one brick and placed it on top of another.

Ashmedai took a brick and placed it on top of another brick.

They came [they came] and

they came

told Solomon what Ashmedai had done.

what Ashmedai had done.

King Solomon said to them,

,

This is what he meant to hint to you [This is what he hinted to you]:

:

Go back and give him more to drink [Go back and give the king more to drink].

The next day,

The next day Ashmedai said to them:

Ashmedai

And why does the king not want me to come before him [And why does the king not want me to come to him]?

?”

They said to him: He is prevented by food,

for he ate excessively.

He took the brick that had been resting on another brick and placed it on the ground [Ashmedai took a brick that had been lying on another brick and lowered it to the ground].

Ashmedai took a brick that had been lying on top of another brick and brought it down to the ground.

They came [they came] and

they came

told Solomon what Ashmedai had done.

what Ashmedai had done.

King Solomon said to them:

:

This is what he meant to hint to you [This is what he hinted to you]:

:

Remove his food from him [Keep food away from him].

At the end of three days,

At the end of three days [three days],

three days

they brought him before him [they brought Ashmedai before the king].

Ashmedai took a reed, measured four cubits with it, and threw it before him.

He took a reed, measured four cubits with it, and threw it before him [Ashmedai took a reed, measured four cubits with it, and threw it before him].

Ashmedai took a reed, measured four cubits with it, and threw it before him.

He said to

King Solomon:

Since, when that man dies, he has nothing in this world but four cubits,

of a grave,

now you have conquered the entire world, yet you were not satisfied until you also conquered me [Now you have already conquered the entire world, and you were not satisfied until you conquered me as well]!?

!?

King Solomon said to him:

:

I want nothing from you [I do not want anything from you];

,

I want to build the Temple, and I need

the shamir [I only want to build the Temple, and I need a shamir worm].

.

Ashmedai said to him:

:

It is not entrusted to me [The shamir is not entrusted to me personally];

it was entrusted to the minister of the sea the shamir,

it is entrusted to the minister of the sea [The shamir is entrusted to the minister of the sea],

the shamir is entrusted to the minister of the sea,

and he gives it only to the wild rooster, who is trusted by him on the basis of his oath [and he gives the shamir only to the wild rooster, who is trusted by him because of the rooster’s oath] to return it to him.

And what does the wild rooster do with it the wild rooster?

And what does

the wild rooster

do with it? He brings it to mountains in which there is no

he brings it to mountains in which there is no

settlement

of crops and trees from which to sustain oneself there.

He places it on the mountain’s summit, and the mountain splits [He places the shamir on the mountain’s peak, and the mountain splits] slightly, like a groove.

and it gathers and brings seeds from trees and throws them there, and trees grow there And this is what we translate

He gathers and brings seeds from trees and throws them there, and a settlement comes into being [He takes seeds from trees and throws them into the groove, and trees grow there from which to sustain oneself].

and he takes and brings seeds from trees and throws them into the fissure, and trees grow there from which to make a livelihood.

And this is what we translate [And this is what we render in the Aramaic translation]: “

: “

dukhifat” —

one who cuts through mountains [one who cuts mountains]

[Leviticus 11:19].

Solomon’s agents investigated

until they knew precisely where there was a nest of a dukhifat, which is the wild rooster, and they found

the nest of a wild rooster that had young [a nest that had chicks],

, and

and they covered its nest with clear glass [and covered the nest with transparent glass].

.

When it came, it wanted to enter, but it could not [When the rooster came, it wanted to enter its nest but was unable to].

.

It went and brought the shamir and placed it upon it [It went and brought the shamir and placed it on the glass] so that the glass would split.

Solomon’s agent raised his voice at it, dropped it

Solomon’s agent raised his voice at it [Solomon’s agent called out loudly at the rooster], and the rooster became frightened and

Solomon’s agent raised his voice against the rooster, and the rooster was frightened and

threw it down [dropped the shamir].

.

He took it [The agent took the shamir].

.

The rooster went away [The rooster went away] when it saw that they had taken the shamir,

strangled itself Benayahu said to Ashmedai

and strangled itself because of its oath [it strangled itself for not fulfilling its oath] to return the shamir to the minister of the sea.

it strangled itself because it had not fulfilled its oath to return the shamir to the minister of the sea.

Benaiah said to

:

Ashmedai: Why, when you saw that blind man who was going astray on the road, did you set him on the proper road [Why, when you saw that blind man who was lost on the road, did you put him on the right path]?

?”

He said to him: Because

because

they proclaim concerning him in Heaven [they proclaim concerning him in Heaven]

they proclaim concerning him in Heaven

that he is completely righteous, and whoever gives him satisfaction merits the World-to-Come [and whoever does something pleasing for him merits life in the World-to-Come].

.

They asked him further:

And why, when you saw that drunkard who was going astray on the road, did you set him on the proper road [And why, when you saw that drunkard who was lost on the road, did you put him on the right path]?

?”

He said to him: Because

because

they proclaim concerning him in Heaven [they proclaim concerning him in Heaven]

they proclaim concerning him in Heaven

that he is completely wicked, and I gave him satisfaction so that he would consume his World-to-Come [and I gave him satisfaction so that he would consume his reward in the World-to-Come] in this world.

“Why, when you saw that wedding celebration, did you cry

Why, when you saw that wedding celebration, did you cry [Why, when you saw the wedding celebration, did you cry]?

?”

He said to him: Because

Because

I knew that the man was destined to die within thirty days [I knew that the groom would have to die within thirty days],

,

and she would have to wait for a minor levir for thirteen years [and the woman would have to wait thirteen years until her husband’s younger brother, the minor levir, grew up and reached the age of thirteen, when he could perform ḥalitza for her and permit her to marry].

.

Why, when you heard that man say to the shoemaker, “Make me shoes for seven years,” did you laugh [Why, when you heard that man say to the shoemaker, “Make me shoes for seven years,” did you laugh]?

?”

He said to him: Because

Because

that man does not have even seven days, yet he wants shoes for seven years [That man will not live even seven days, and he wants shoes for seven years].

.

Why, when you saw that magician performing magic, did you laugh [Why, when you saw that magician performing magic, did you laugh]?

?”

He said to him: Because

Because

he was sitting atop the king’s treasury [he was sitting above the king’s treasury], where much gold and silver was hidden,

, where much gold and silver were hidden,

and he could have performed magic to discover what was beneath him [so that he could perform magic to find out what was beneath him], but he did not do so.

to perform sorcery to discover what was beneath him, but he did not do so.

He kept Ashmedai with him until he completed building

King Solomon detained Ashmedai with him until he finished building

the Temple.

One day he was standing alone with him [One day King Solomon was standing alone with Ashmedai].

.

He said to

:

Ashmedai:

It is written: “The one who takes him out of Egypt has the likeness of the lofty horns of a wild ox” [Numbers 24:8], for the Holy One, blessed be He, has lofty horns as His emissaries, to exact punishment as His agents.

he has the might of a wild ox”

And we say: “Toafot” —

And we say: “The lofty horns” —

these are the ministering angels; “the wild ox” —

these are the demons.

What is your greatness over ours [What greatness do you possess over us], that the Holy One, blessed be He, praised Himself through you?

, that the Almighty praised Himself through you?”

Ashmedai said to him:

:

Remove the chain from me, give me your ring, and I will show you my greatness [Take the chain off me, give me your ring, and I will show you my power].

.

He removed the chain from him and gave him his ring [King Solomon removed the chain from him and gave him his ring].

.

He swallowed it [Ashmedai swallowed the ring],

, and

placed one of his wings in Heaven and one of his wings on earth [he placed one wing in Heaven and one wing on earth].

.

He flung him [He threw King Solomon from there] a distance of

four hundred parasangs.

four hundred parasangs.

At that time [At that moment]

at that time

King Solomon said

in Ecclesiastes:

“What profit has a person from all his labor with which he labors beneath the sun?”

(Ecclesiastes 1:3),

“And this was my portion from all my labor”

(Ecclesiastes 2:10).

What does “and this”

mean as his portion?

Rav and Shmuel

disagreed about this matter.

One said: “This” is

“This” means

his staff,

which remained in his hand.

And one said: His gundo [his garment].

,his garment.

King Solomon

King Solomon

would go around knocking on doors. Wherever he arrived, he would say [At every place he reached, he would say]:

:

“I, Ecclesiastes, was king over Israel in Jerusalem.”

[Ecclesiastes 1:12].

When he reached [When he came to]

Sanhedrin, the Sages said: “After all, a madman does not cling to one statement alone what is this matter that this man keeps saying, ‘I was king,’ and does not say any other foolish thing? Perhaps there is truth in his words.

the Sanhedrin, the Sages said: Since a madman does not persist in one statement [A madman does not keep repeating the same foolish statement]. And if so,

for a madman does not persist in saying the same foolish thing all the time. Therefore,

what is this matter [What is the meaning of this], that this man continually says, “I was king,” and says nothing else foolish? Perhaps there is substance to his words?

what is the meaning of this, that this man keeps saying “I was king” and says no other foolish thing? Perhaps there is substance to his words.

They said to

the Sanhedrin said to Benayahu:

Benaiah:

Has the king asked for you to come before him [Did the king request you]?

He said to them: No.

They sent word to the queens [the king’s wives]:

:

Is the king coming to you [Is the king coming to you]?

?”

They sent word to them: Yes, he is coming [Yes, he is here].

.

The Sanhedrin sent word

the Sanhedrin

to them [to the women]:

:

Examine his feet [his legs], to determine whether they are human feet, or whether they are the feet of a demon, as a demon’s feet resemble the feet of a rooster.

to see whether they are human feet, or the feet of a demon, since the feet of a demon resemble the feet of a rooster.

They sent word to them: He does not come barefoot; rather,

He does not come barefoot, but

he comes wearing socks [in felt footwear],

,

and he demands that they have intercourse with him during their menstruation [and he demands that they come to him during their period],

,

and he also demands this of Bathsheba, his mother [and he also demands that his mother Bathsheba come to him].

.

Since this was so, they understood that he was not King Solomon but Ashmedai, king of the demons,

they brought Solomon and gave him a ring and a chain engraved with

they brought King Solomon and gave him a ring and a chain on which was engraved

the Explicit Name [the Name].

.

When he entered and saw him, he fled [When King Solomon entered, Ashmedai saw him and fled].

.

Even so,

although Ashmedai had fled from him,

he still had [King Solomon still had]

was afraid of him

fear of him [he was afraid of him].

.

And this is what is written: “Behold, Solomon’s bed, surrounded by sixty mighty men, of the mighty men of Israel; all of them grasping the sword, trained in war, each man with his sword upon his thigh, because of fear in the nights”

(Song of Songs 3:7–8).

Rav and Shmuel

disagreed as to whether King Solomon returned to reign afterward.

One said: He reigned, and

afterward he became

a commoner,

and did not return to reign.

And one said: He reigned, and

became

a commoner, and

afterward he again

reigned.

The Gemara returns to discuss various remedies and segulot:

For blood of the head [For blood in the head], a headache caused by blood,

that is, a headache caused by blood,

its remedy is:

Let him bring [Let him take]

let him take

cedar [a cedar branch]

a cedar,

and willow [and a willow branch]

and a willow,

and fresh myrtle [and fresh myrtle]

and fresh myrtle,

and olive [and an olive branch]

and an olive,

and poplar [and a poplar branch]

and a poplar,

and sea willows [and sea willows]

and sea willows,

and yivla —

a type of grass,

and boil them together [and cook them together],

,

and pour three hundred cups on this side of the head and three hundred cups on that side of the head [and pour three hundred cups of this mixture over one side of the head and three hundred cups over the other side].

.

And if not

possible to do so,

let him bring a pale rose that grows in a single row [Let him take a light-colored rose whose leaves grow only on one side], one above the other,

and boil it

and boil it [and cook it],

,

and pour sixty cups on this side of the head and sixty cups on that side of the head [and pour sixty cups over one side of the head and sixty cups over the other side].

.

For a half-headache [For pain in half the head], its remedy is:

, its remedy is:

let him bring a wild rooster [let him take a wild rooster],

,

and slaughter it with a white zuz [and slaughter it with a coin of pure silver], so that the blood from the place of slaughter flows

, so that the blood from the place of slaughter flows

onto that side where he feels pain [onto the painful side of his head].

.

And he must be careful with its blood, lest it blind his eyes [and he must beware that the blood does not enter his eyes and blind him],

,

and hang it on the doorpost [and hang the slaughtered rooster on the doorposts of the entrance],

,

so that when he enters he rubs against it, and when he leaves he rubs against it [so that when he enters he rubs against it, and when he leaves he rubs against it].

.