Ketubot 62a (סב.) — the Talmud in English

And the Gemara answers: The question was

the ordinary practice

[the proper conduct]

how much?

What period of time is appropriate for a student to ask his wife to permit him to leave for his teacher without incurring sin?

Rav said:

He should remain

one month here

with his teacher,

and one month at home.

This is similar to the arrangement of the servants of the house of David: one month in the house of David and one month in their own homes—

As it is stated: “

And the children of Israel according to their number, the heads of the fathers’ houses and the officers of the thousands and hundreds, and their officers who served the king

in every matter.

The division that came and went, month by month, for all the months of the year.

The first division was twenty-four thousand.”

The plain meaning of the verse is that there were twelve divisions. Each division served the king for one month, and for eleven months the members of the division were at home. However, since the verse says “that came and went,” which is superfluous, Rav derived from it that there were two additional divisions, which served together with the other divisions, each in turn.

One division served [together with an additional division] for one month and then returned home for a month. During that month, the second division served [together with another division]. The first division then again returned to serve for a month [with another division]. It follows that those two additional divisions were one month in the king’s house and one month in their own homes.

And Rabbi Yohanan said: One month here and two

months

at home,

as was the arrangement of the woodcutters in Lebanon, whom King Solomon sent to cut cedars for the construction of the Temple—

As it is stated: “

And Solomon sent to Hiram, saying: You know that David my father could not build a house for the name of the Lord his God. But now the Lord my God has given me rest on every side. And behold, I intend to build a house for the name of the Lord. And now, command that they cut cedars for me from Lebanon, and my servants shall be with your servants. And King Solomon levied a tax from all Israel, and the levy was thirty thousand men. And he sent them to Lebanon, ten thousand a month, in shifts,

one month they shall be in Lebanon and two months at home.”

And the Gemara raises a difficulty:

But Rav as well,

who said that there is one month at home—

for what reason did he not say

why did he not derive

from that

verse concerning Lebanon, which indicates that one should remain two months at home?

And we answer: Rav holds that

the construction of the Temple is different,

since

it can be done by others,

and therefore one must be at home for two months.

The Gemara raises another difficulty:

But Rabbi Yohanan,

who holds that one should remain two months at home—

for what reason did he not derive it from that

verse concerning the divisions, which indicates that one month at home is sufficient?

And we answer: Rabbi Yohanan holds that

there it is different,

since

they have ample compensation.

Because they received generous wages from the royal house, the wife accepted that her husband would be in the royal house for one month and at home for only one month, since this provided her with abundant food and jewelry. But when a student leaves for his teacher’s house, his wife gains nothing from it; it is merely her husband’s mitzva.

And since the Gemara cited one dispute between Rav and Rabbi Yohanan concerning interpretations of verses, it cites another dispute between them:

Rav said: A sigh—

breaks half of a person’s body

[half his strength]

as it is stated: “

And the word of the Lord came to me, saying: Son of man [Ezekiel], set your face toward Jerusalem and preach [and prophesy] against the sanctuaries [the destruction of the two Temples].

And you, son of man, sigh with breaking of the loins,

and sigh with bitterness

before their eyes.” The loins are in the middle of the body.

And Rabbi Yohanan said:

A sigh

breaks even a person’s entire body;

it breaks it,

as it is stated

[in the following verse]:

“And it shall be, when they say to you: Why are you sighing?

And you shall say: Because of the report that has come, and every heart shall melt,

and all hands shall be feeble, and every spirit shall grow faint, and all knees

shall flow with water,”

so the entire body is included.

And the Gemara wonders:

But Rabbi Yohanan too—does it not say, “with breaking of the loins

?” This indicates, in accordance with Rav’s statement, that it breaks only half of a person’s body!?

And we answer: Rabbi Yohanan maintains that

that

verse, “with breaking of the loins,” comes to teach

that when it begins,

the breaking,

it begins with the loins

[the breaking of the entire body begins with the loins].

The Gemara raises another difficulty:

But Rav as well,

who holds that a sigh breaks only half of a person’s body—does it not say,

“and every heart shall melt, and all hands shall grow feeble, and

every spirit

?” This indicates that a sigh breaks a person’s entire body!? And we answer: Rav holds that no proof can be brought from the second verse. This is the meaning of the verse: “And you, son of man, sigh today,” before the destruction of the Temple, with a sigh that breaks half of a person’s body. But when the Temple is destroyed, then “every heart shall melt.”

Therefore, no proof can be brought from the second verse, because

the report of the destruction of the Temple is different,

which was destroyed,

for it is exceedingly severe;

it is an extremely grievous report, and only such a report breaks a person’s entire body.

The Gemara relates:

There was an Israelite and a gentile who were traveling along the road together

[an Israelite and a gentile were walking on the road together].

The gentile was unable to keep pace with the Israelite

[the gentile could not match the pace of the Israelite’s walking].

He reminded him,

the gentile reminded the Israelite of the

destruction of the Temple.

He groaned,

the Israelite groaned,

and sighed

[he sighed].

Even so, the gentile was still unable to keep pace with him

[the gentile nevertheless could not catch up with him and walk together with the Israelite].

He said to him,

the gentile said to the Israelite: Is it not so that

you say

[is it not a saying familiar to you]

“A sigh breaks half of a person’s body”? How is it, then, that after your sigh I am still lagging behind you!?

He said to him,

the Israelite said to the gentile:

The Israelite said to the gentile:

This applies

when a sigh over a bad report breaks half of a person’s body—

to a new matter

[a new report].

But this,

the report concerning the destruction of the Temple,

which we have become accustomed to,

because we have grown accustomed to it,

does not

break us!

This is similar to

what people say: “One who is accustomed to bereavement is not startled by it”

[a woman accustomed to losing her children and burying them is neither surprised nor frightened when one of them dies], since she has already become accustomed to it.

We learned in the Mishna: The conjugal obligation stated in the Torah—

those who enjoy leisure, every day:

And we inquire about it:

What are “those who enjoy leisure”?

Rava said: Members of the study group.

Students whose teacher is available to them in their city, and who study their chapter with him until they return home at night, and therefore their conjugal obligation is every day.

He said,

he objected,

Abaye to him:

Is it so that

one about whom it is written

[is it so that the students who are “members of the study group,” concerning whom it is said, in contrast to craftsmen]:

“It is futile for you,

craftsmen, that you

rise early

and

sit up late, eating the bread of toil

[eating your bread with sorrow]!

So He gives

[the Holy One, blessed be He,]

to His beloved,

to one who loses sleep for His sake and for the sake of His mitzva,

sleep,

meaning: all your sustenance, for which you toil and suffer, rising early and sitting up late—I [the Holy One, blessed be He] will give it without suffering to one who loses sleep from his eyes.

And Rav Yitzḥak said:

Who are those who lose their sleep for His sake and for the sake of His mitzva?

They are the wives of Torah scholars, who lose sleep from their eyes in this world and merit the life of the World to Come —

We have thus learned that while they are sleeping, their husbands are still in their teacher’s house—

and

if

you were to say

that

members of the study group

have a conjugal obligation every night, would they have time for this!?

Rather, Abaye said:

The “those who enjoy leisure” that we learned in our Mishna are

as Rav said!

As Rav said: For example, Rav Shmuel bar Sheilat

[the name of his mother], who was a teacher of children and earned his livelihood from this,

who eats from his own and drinks from his own

[he is self-sufficient, eating and drinking what is his],

and sleeps in the shade of his mansion

[he sleeps in the “shade of his home” every night],

and the king’s messenger does not pass by his door

[a messenger of the Persian king does not pass by his house to take him for royal service], because in the king’s eyes he is not considered wealthy.

When Ravin came

[when Ravin came from Eretz Yisrael to Babylonia]

he said:

This is how we should interpret what we learned in our Mishna, “those who enjoy leisure, every day”—

for example, the pampered people of the West,

the residents of Eretz Yisrael, who are pampered with food and drink and are therefore healthy and strong for conjugal relations.

And since the Gemara mentioned that the residents of Eretz Yisrael are physically strong, it relates an incident involving two amoraim from Eretz Yisrael who were strong:

1.

Rabbi Abbahu was standing in the bathhouse

[Rabbi Abbahu was standing in the bathhouse],

and two servants were supporting him

[two servants were supporting him],

the bathhouse floor collapsed beneath him

[the bathhouse collapsed beneath him], and he and his servants fell into the hollow beneath it.

A pillar happened to be available to him; he climbed up and brought them up

the servants [a pillar happened to be available to Rabbi Abbahu; he climbed it and brought the servants up with him], because he was physically strong.

2. A similar incident occurred with

Rabbi Yohanan,

who

was going up the stairs

[he was ascending stairs],

and was being supported

[one on either side] by

Rav Ami and Rav Asi.

The stairs collapsed beneath him

[the stairs beneath Rabbi Yohanan collapsed].

He climbed up

[Rabbi Yohanan climbed up from the place into which he had fallen],

and brought them up

[he brought Rav Ami and Rav Asi up with him], because he was physically strong.

The Sages said to him,

to Rabbi Yohanan:

But since this is the case

[since you possess such great strength],

why do you need to be supported

[why do you need them to support you]!?

He said to them,

Rabbi Yohanan said to the Sages:

If

I do not support myself now, but use my strength already now,

what will I leave

of my strength

for old age!?

We learned in the Mishna: The conjugal obligation stated in the Torah,

and laborers, twice a week:

And the Gemara raises a difficulty:

But wasn’t it taught

in a baraita: The conjugal obligation of

laborers is once a week!?

Rabbi Yosei, son of Rabbi Ḥanina, said: It is not difficult!

Here—

in our Mishna, which states that the conjugal obligation of laborers is twice a week—

it is referring to those who perform

labor

in their own city.

Here—

in the baraita—

it is referring to those who perform labor in another city,

and therefore their conjugal obligation is only once a week.

It was taught likewise

in accordance with Rabbi Yosei, son of Rabbi Ḥanina’s resolution: For it was taught: The conjugal obligation of

laborers is twice a week.

When are these words said? When they perform labor in their own city. But

when they perform labor in another city,

their conjugal obligation is only

once a week.

We learned in the Mishna: One who vows to prohibit his wife from marital relations, Beit Hillel say: One week. The conjugal obligation stated in the Torah,

donkey drivers—

once a week:

Rabba bar Rav Ḥanan thought that if one prohibited his wife by a vow for a period shorter than the interval of his conjugal obligation, there was no reason that he should divorce her and give her the payment of her ketuba.

It necessarily follows that the opening clause of the Mishna, which requires a husband who prohibited his wife by a vow for only one week to divorce his wife, cannot be referring to camel drivers and sailors, since their conjugal obligation is longer than one week.

Likewise, it necessarily cannot be referring to donkey drivers, since their conjugal obligation is once a week, and there is no reason that because he has prevented conjugal relations for one day he should divorce her and give her the payment of her ketuba. Therefore:

He said,

he objected,

Rabba bar Rav Ḥanan to Abaye:

Is it so that

the tanna went to the trouble of teaching us only about one who enjoys leisure and a laborer?

Is it reasonable that the opening clause of the Mishna refers only to one who enjoys leisure and to a laborer, whose conjugal obligation is less frequent than once a week, and therefore, when he prohibits his wife by a vow for one week, he must divorce her and give her the payment of her ketuba!?

He said to him,

Abaye said to Rabba bar Rav Ḥanan:

No,

not as you think, that the opening clause of the Mishna refers only to one who enjoys leisure and to a laborer—