Sanhedrin 101a (קא.) — the Talmud in English

Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi said: “All the days of a poor man are evil” —

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refers to one whose mind is constricted.

He takes to heart all of his fellow’s worries and worries about everything that will happen to him.

“But one of good heart has a continual feast” —

this refers to one whose mind is broad,

who does not take worries so much to heart.

And Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi said:

It is written:

“All the days of a poor man are evil.”

And one may wonder:

But there are Shabbatot and Festivals,

when even a truly destitute poor person eats delicacies!

Rather, the reason that even his Shabbatot and Festivals are evil is

in accordance with the

words of

Shmuel.

For Shmuel said: A change in one’s accustomed regimen

[the practice of eating more than one is accustomed to] —

is the beginning of intestinal illness

because this change causes him to become ill in his intestines.

Therefore, the poor man’s Shabbatot are also evil, because eating delicacies, to which he is unaccustomed on weekdays, causes him intestinal illness.

The Sages taught: One who recites a verse from the Song of Songs and makes it into a sort of song ,

that is, he does not read the verse according to its cantillation, but with a different melody. And although its essence is song, it is forbidden to make it into an ordinary song

. And

likewise,

one who recites a verse at a drinking party out of its proper time,

that is, he holds an ordinary feast and recites verses aloud in order to amuse himself with them together with the participants—

brings evil to the world.

[But if on a Festival one recites verses over the cup that concern the day, he brings good to the world.]

The reason is

that the Torah girds herself with sackcloth

552 and stands before the Holy One, blessed be He, and says

to Him: “Master of the Universe! Your children have made me like a harp upon which jesters play!”

The Holy One, blessed be He, said to her

the Torah:

“My daughter, when

Israel

eat and drink,

with what shall they occupy themselves?”

She said before Him: “Master of the Universe! If they are masters of Scripture,

let them engage in Torah, Prophets, and Writings.

If they are masters of Mishna,

let them engage in Mishna, halakhot, and aggadot.

And if they are masters of Talmud,

let them engage in halakhot.

Let them study

the halakhot of

the Festival of

Passover on Passover, the halakhot of Shavuot on Shavuot,

and

the halakhot of a Festival on the Festival.”

Rabbi Shimon ben Elazar testified in the name of Rabbi Shimon ben Ḥananya: Anyone who recites a verse at its proper time,

that is, as we said above, he recites and studies verses and matters concerning Passover on Passover and the like —

brings good to the world. As it is stated: “And a word in its season, how good!”

We learned in our Mishna:

“And one who whispers over a wound, and so on.”

Rabbi Yoḥanan said:

What we learned—that one who whispers over a wound has no share in the World to Come—refers specifically to one who whispers over a wound

and spits on it,

as this is the practice of those who whisper incantations, to spit before the incantation. One who does so has no share in the World to Come,

because the Name of Heaven is not mentioned over spittle .

It was stated: Rav said: Even if

he spits and whispers the verse

“The mark of leprosy

that will be in a person and he shall be brought to the koen” for the purpose of healing, even though no Divine Name is mentioned over the spittle, he has no share in the World to Come .

Rabbi Ḥanina said: Even if

he spits and whispers the verse

“And He called to Moses,”

which contains no Divine Name, and he does not even mention it for the purpose of healing, but thinks he will be saved by the merit of the words of Torah that he mentions, it is forbidden to whisper it.

The Sages taught: One may massage and handle the intestines

of a sick person

on Shabbat,

and this does not constitute healing, because massage was equated with drinking, and this is therefore permitted like drinking.

And

likewise,

one may whisper an incantation over snakes and scorpions on Shabbat

so that they will not cause harm, and this does not constitute trapping.

And

likewise,

one may pass a utensil over the eye

that is painful

on Shabbat,

as it is customary to place a metal utensil on a sick eye in order to cool it .

Rabban Shimon ben Gamliel said:

What we learned—that one may pass a utensil over the eye—

when does this statement apply?

To a utensil that may be moved

on Shabbat, such as a key, knife, or ring.

But with a utensil that may not be moved,

that is, a utensil that is muktzeh—

it is forbidden.

And one may not inquire of demons on Shabbat.

For it is customary, when something is lost, to inquire through the agency of demons, and they tell him where it is. It is forbidden to do so on Shabbat because of the prohibition of “seeking your own affairs.”

Rabbi Yosei says: It is forbidden even on a weekday

to inquire of demons, because of the danger—as follows.

Rav Huna said: The halakha is in accordance with Rabbi Yosei,

that it is forbidden even on a weekday.

And Rabbi Yosei stated it

[that it is forbidden even on a weekday]—

only because of the danger.

As in the case of Rav Yitzḥak bar Yosef, who

used to inquire of demons, and the demon sought to harm him. A miracle occurred for him, and he

was swallowed by a cedar

[he was swallowed by a cedar],

and

afterward

another miracle was performed for him,

[a miracle occurred for him],

the cedar split open and expelled him

[the cedar split open and expelled him].

The Sages taught: One may massage and handle the intestines on Shabbat, provided that he does not do so in the manner in which he does it on a weekday.

How should he do it?

Rabbi Ḥama, son of Rabbi Ḥanina, said:

He changes from the manner to which he is accustomed on a weekday. On a weekday, the practice is to massage and then apply oil; therefore, on Shabbat he changes the order, and he

applies oil —

and then massages.

Rabbi Yoḥanan said: He applies oil and massages simultaneously.

The Sages taught: The demons of

oil

[a demonic practice in which one inquires through oil],

and the demons of eggs

[a demonic practice in which one inquires through an eggshell tube]—

it is permitted to inquire through them.

Rather,

they refrained from inquiring through them

because they lie

in their answers .

It is the practice of those who perform demonic rites that they

whisper over

oil that is in a utensil, but they do not whisper over oil that is in one’s hand,

because it is ineffective.

Therefore, one may apply oil from oil in one’s hand,

because there is no concern that a demonic rite was performed with it, and there is no danger.

But one may not apply oil from oil in a utensil,

because of concern for a demonic rite.

Rav Yitzḥak bar Shmuel bar Marta happened to come to a certain inn.

They brought him oil in a vessel.

He rubbed it

[he applied oil to his face] —

boils emerged on his face

[blisters emerged on his face], as a result of sorcery.

He went out

[Rav Yitzḥak bar Shmuel went out]

to the marketplace.

A certain woman saw him

[one woman saw him],

and said: “A spirit of Ḥamat

[a demon’s spirit whose name was Ḥamat]

do I see here

[on your face].”

She performed a ritual for him and he was healed

[that woman did something to him, and he was healed].

Rabbi Abba said to Rabbah bar Mari: It is written: “Every illness that I placed upon Egypt I will not place upon you, for I am the Lord who heals you.” But since He did not place

the Holy One, blessed be He, illness upon Israel—

why is healing needed?

What need is there for healing?

He said to him: This is how Rabbi Yoḥanan said: This verse

expounds itself. As it is stated

at the beginning of the verse:

“And He said: If you diligently heed the voice of the Lord your God.”

That is,

if you heed

the voice of the Lord—

I will not place

illness upon you.

But if you do not heed

the voice of the Lord—

I will place

illness upon you. And this is what is stated at the end of the verse, that

even so,

even if I place illness upon you—

“for I am the Lord who heals you,”

you will have healing .

Rabbah bar bar Ḥana said: When Rabbi Eliezer fell ill, his students entered to visit him.

He said to them: There is intense heat in the world

[he was referring to himself, saying that the Holy One, blessed be He, was angry with him and had made his illness severe ].

They

the students

began to weep, while Rabbi Akiva laughed

[smiled].

They said to him: Why are you laughing?

He said to them: Why are you weeping?

They said to him: Is it possible that a Torah scroll

[they called their teacher Rabbi Eliezer this]

is suffering and we should not weep?

He said to them: That is why I am laughing. As long as I see

my

master whose wine does not turn sour, whose flax does not spoil, whose oil does not become rancid, and whose honey does not become watery

[become spoiled and liquefied due to heat], meaning that all his endeavors were successful,

I said: Perhaps, Heaven forbid, my master has received his world

[all his reward] during his lifetime.

But now that I see

my

master suffering —

I rejoice,

because this is proof that he did not receive all his reward in this world; rather, his reward is reserved for him in the World to Come.

Rabbi Eliezer said to him

to Rabbi Akiva:

“Akiva!”

How can you say that I am suffering because of my sins?

Have I omitted anything from the entire Torah?!

Rabbi Akiva said to him

Rabbi Akiva:

“Our teacher, you taught us: ‘For there is no righteous person on earth who does good and does not sin.’”

The Sages taught: When Rabbi Eliezer fell ill, four elders entered

to visit him. They were:

Rabbi Tarfon, Rabbi Yehoshua, Rabbi Elazar ben Azarya, and Rabbi Akiva.

Rabbi Tarfon responded and said

to Rabbi Eliezer:

“You are better for Israel than a drop of rain. For a drop of rain

benefits them in this world. But my master, in this world

and in the World to Come” .

Rabbi Yehoshua responded and said: “You are better for Israel than the orb of the sun. For the orb of the sun

benefits them in this world

[but in the future the luminaries will be renewed].

But my master, in this world

and in the World to Come.”

Rabbi Elazar ben Azarya responded and said: “You are better for Israel than a father and mother. For a father and mother

benefit them in this world. But my master, in this world

and in the World to Come” .

Rabbi Akiva responded and said: “Suffering is beloved,”

because it atones for sins.

Rabbi Eliezer said to them

to his students:

“Support me, and I shall hear the words of my student Akiva, who said that suffering is beloved.”

He said to him

to Rabbi Akiva:

“Akiva, this,

this matter, that suffering is beloved,

from where do you know it?”

He said: “I expound a verse: ‘Manasseh was twelve years old when he became king, and he reigned fifty-five years in Jerusalem, and so on; and he did what was evil in the eyes of the Lord.’”