Pesachim 42b — the Talmud in English

Clean bread -

bread

of samida

[made of fine flour].

Fatty meat -

it is meat

of a young goat that has not

opened

[a she-goat that has not yet given birth].

Old wine -

it is wine

very ancient.

Wine that has stood for three years.

Everything that is beneficial

[that is effective]

for

healing

this

illness,

is difficult

for

this

other illness.

And

everything that

is difficult for this

illness,

is beneficial for this

other illness. A remedy that heals an eye illness is difficult for a heart illness, and similarly in other cases.

Except

[for]

fresh ginger, long pepper, clean bread, fatty meat, and old wine. For

all these

are beneficial

[effective]

for

healing

the entire body.

We learned in the Mishna:

Median beer.

And we explain: Ordinary beer in their time was made from dates. But “Median beer” is beer

into which barley was put

[barley was added to it during the process of making the beer in order to give it flavor], and therefore it is hametz in a mixture.

And it is called Median beer because in Media they made beer in this manner.

We learned in the Mishna:

and Idumean vinegar.

And we explain: This is vinegar made from wine

into which barley was cast;

barley was put into it in order to turn it into vinegar, and they caused it to become vinegar.

And it is called Idumean vinegar because the wine that comes from the land of Edom is superior, and it does not become vinegar except through barley.

And it is forbidden on Passover because of the taste of the fermented barley in it, according to the law of a mixture of hametz.

Rav Naḥman said: At first, when

the Temple was standing,

they would bring

wine

for libations

to the altar

from

the wine of

Judea,

because it was superior wine. And

the wine of Judea would not become vinegar until they put barley into it.

And

the vinegar that was made from wine that became vinegar through barley

they would call it

“vinegar”

without qualification.

But now,

the wine of Judea no longer possesses this quality; rather, it becomes vinegar on its own.

In the present time,

the wine of the Idumeans does not become vinegar

because of its quality,

until they put barley into it.

Therefore nowadays, wine that became vinegar through barley is not called simply “vinegar”; rather,

they call it Idumean vinegar.

For now this quality exists only in Idumean wine.

And the cause of the improvement in the quality of the wine of Edom, corresponding to the decline in the quality of the wine of Judea, is in order

to fulfill

the

that which was said: “Because Tyre said concerning Jerusalem, ‘Aha, she is broken, the gates of the peoples have turned toward me;

I shall be filled from her desolation.’”

I shall be filled from her ruins.’”

For Tyre said: I shall be filled from the desolation of Jerusalem! From here,

if this one is filled

[Jerusalem],

that one is desolate

[Tyre].

And if this one is filled, that one is desolate!

And Tyre belongs to the kingdom of Edom.

Rav Naḥman bar Yitzḥak said: From here

we derive that the rise of Edom depends on the decline of Judea, for it is written:

“And one people shall be stronger than the other.”

When Esau prevails, Jacob weakens, and likewise in the opposite direction. The kingdoms of both of them cannot exist simultaneously.

It was taught in a beraita: Rabbi Judah said: In Judea, at first

[when the Temple was standing], everyone

who purchased vinegar from an am ha-aretz did not need to tithe

it.

Even though produce purchased from an am ha-aretz is rabbinically obligated in tithing. This is the decree of demai.

For vinegar purchased from an am ha-aretz in Judea did not involve the prohibition of demai,

because it was presumed

that it

came only from tamed

[water in which grape skins and pits had been soaked]. And tamed is exempt from tithing.

And the vinegar was not made from the wine itself. For during the time of the Temple, the wine of Judea was superior and did not become vinegar.

But now, one who purchases vinegar from an am ha-aretz must tithe

it, because of the decree of demai. Because

it is presumed

that it

comes only from wine!

For now the wine of Judea is not so superior, and ultimately it becomes vinegar. And vinegar made from wine is obligated in tithing.

And we raise an objection:

And

does

Rabbi Judah hold

that

“tamed is not subject to tithing”?

But we learned: One who makes tamed

[one who soaks grape refuse in water],

and puts water

into a vessel

with a measure

of a specified quantity,

and

after straining it from the refuse

finds

that there is in the vessel water

according to its measure

[according to the measure of the water that he initially put in], he is

exempt

from tithing! Since nothing was added to the water, although it has the taste and appearance of wine, only the mere sharpness of fruit was mixed into it. And since it contains nothing of the substance of the grapes themselves, it is not subject to tithing.

And Rabbi Judah obligates

the tamed, even though the measure of the water in it remained as it had been. Rabbi Judah follows the taste and the appearance.

And this is difficult: How did Rabbi Judah say above that vinegar coming from tamed does not involve demai?

And we answer: Rabbi Judah did not exempt this vinegar when it was certainly tevel. Rather,

this is what he said: When one purchases it from an am ha-aretz, he does not need to tithe it, because

When one purchases it from an am ha-aretz, he need not tithe it, because

the ammei ha-aretz were not suspected regarding

tithing

of tamed. Since they regard it as insignificant, we rely on them that they certainly tithed it.

Since they do not consider it significant, we rely on them that they certainly tithed it.

Alternatively,

in fact, they

were suspected

even regarding the tithing of an insignificant item. And indeed, Rabbi Judah exempted tamed. Rather, there are two types of tamed.

This

one for which Rabbi Judah obligates is speaking

of

tamed made from

wine sediment

[wine lees]! For we assume that, as a matter of course, some of the substance of the sediment became mixed into the water. And since it is the substance of grapes, one must tithe it.

And the fact that nothing was added to the water is because a small amount of it was absorbed into the sediment. And in the same measure as it diminished, sediment became mixed into it. Therefore it remained at the same measure.

And

this

one that Rabbi Judah exempts is speaking

of

tamed made from

grape pits

[grape seeds]! For the water in which grape pits were soaked eventually ferments and becomes vinegar. The pits themselves, however, do not become mixed into the water; they merely give it their taste and appearance. And since they are not the substance of fruit, they are exempt from tithing.

And at first, the presumption regarding the wine was that it came from tamed made from grape pits, which is exempt from tithing. It did not come from tamed made from wine sediment. For that tamed is as superior as wine itself, and it too does not become vinegar.

Tosafot.

We learned in the Mishna:

And Egyptian zītom, etc.!

And we inquire:

What

is “Egyptian zītom”?

Rav Yosef taught:

This is a beverage made from

three

measures of

barley,

[barley], and

three

measures of

saffron,

[crocus],

and three

measures of

salt,

[salt].

Rav Pappa removes

[takes out] the

barley

from the ingredients of the zītom,

and inserts

[puts in] in its place

wheat.

And so that you will not err among these opinions,

there shall be

your mnemonic:

“Sisnei”

[a certain vessel]. Just as there are two samekh letters in it, so it is in this matter. Rav Yosef, whose name contains a samekh, is the one who says that zītom is composed of something containing a samekh, namely “barley” [for a left-facing shin is interchanged with a samekh].

And Rav Yosef continues to explain how the zītom is prepared:

They soak them

[they soak the barley, saffron, and salt],

and roast them

[they burn them],

and grind them. And they drink them from Passover until Shavuot

[from Passover until Shavuot].

And it is a remedy both for diarrhea and for constipation. One who

is constipated

[is blocked in his orifices], the zītom

loosens him

[gives him diarrhea].

And

one who

has diarrhea

[has diarrhea], the zītom

constipates him

[stops him].

And

for a sick person and a pregnant woman,

the zītom is

dangerous.

For it gives them excessive diarrhea.

We learned in the Mishna:

And the bran-water of dyers, etc.

And we explain:

Here they interpreted it

[its interpretation is]

white water with which they dye leather

[water of bran, which they use for dyeing red leather]. And the bran of grain ferments in the water. And although it is unfit for human consumption, it is forbidden on Passover, according to the law of hametz nuksheh.

We learned in the Mishna:

And the starch of cooks.

And we explain: It is

bread

of

grain that had not reached one-third

[that had not reached one-third of its growth].

That

the cook

places upon the mouth of

the

pot,

so that it will

draw

into it the

filth

of the cooking.

And it is visible hametz, but it is hametz nuksheh. That is, hametz unfit for human consumption. And its law is like that of a mixture of hametz: it is forbidden because of “it shall not be seen,” and there is a negative commandment for eating it, but not karet.

We learned in the Mishna:

And the kulan of scribes, etc.!

And we explain:

Here they interpreted it: the glue of shoemakers

[the glue of leatherworkers], with which they glue leather that has torn, or with which they join two layers of leather one upon the other. And they put into it rye flour, which is one of the species of grain, and it becomes fermented. And this too is hametz nuksheh.

Rav Shimi of Meḥoz said:

“Kulan” —

this

is

the treatment of the daughters of the wealthy, which they leave for the daughters of the poor.

For wealthy women customarily make a paste from fine flour and spread it on their flesh in order to remove the hair from it [“tippul” is from the language of attachment and adhesion].

And as for that which it teaches, “the kulan of scribes” — “scribes” means teachers of young children, who are poor. And although the daughters of the poor do not make this treatment from fine flour but from lime, nevertheless they use the kulan of the daughters of the wealthy, who leave some of it for them. And we raise an objection:

Is that so? But Rabbi Ḥiyya taught:

All the types of hametz mentioned in our Mishna,

four

of them are

types of the country.

And these are they: Babylonian kutah, Median beer, Idumean vinegar, and Egyptian zītom. For all four are made for the needs of all the people of the country, and not for craftsmen alone.

And three

of them are

types of craftsmanship.

And these are they: bran-water of dyers, starch of cooks, and kulan of scribes. For all three are made for the use of craftsmen alone.

And if you say

that the kulan of scribes is

the treatment of the daughters of the wealthy,

then it has no connection to a type of craftsmanship.

And what

three

types of craftsmanship are there?

And we answer:

But rather, what

is its meaning? If you say according to its interpretation, that it is

the glue of shoemakers,

this too is difficult.

Why did he call this

the glue of leatherworkers

“the kulan of scribes”?

After all,

“the kulan of leatherworkers”

he should have said

.

Rav Oshaya said: In fact,

its meaning is

“the glue of shoemakers.”

And as for what is difficult for you,

why did he call it

“the kulan of scribes,”

that is not difficult. Because

the

scribes

also glue their papers with it

. For they made paper from grasses joined by means of this kulan, which the leatherworkers use.

We learned in the Mishna:

Rabbi Eliezer says: Even the cosmetics of

the

women

are forbidden on Passover.

And we inquire: And would

the cosmetics of the women occur to you

as being forbidden? They are merely rouge and eye makeup with which they color themselves, and perfumes that they hang around their necks in order to smell them. There is no hametz in them at all.

And we answer:

Rather, say: Even the treatments of

the

women

are forbidden. For they contain fine flour, and it becomes fermented.

is forbidden. Because it contains fine flour, and it ferments.