Shabbat 110a — the Talmud in English

A certain ![](pamud.bmp "

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son of Kasha,

a Jew appointed by the king,

of Pumbedita of Tarka,

whom

a snake

bit.

There were thirteen white donkeys in Pumbedita; they tore open all of them, and they were found to be tereifa. There was one

she-donkey

on the other side

on the other side

of Pumbedita; while they went to bring it,

until they arrived there to bring it,

a lion ate it!

Abaye said to them: Perhaps the snake of the Sages bit him,

because he violated the ban of the Sages and therefore a snake bit him,

which has no remedy,

for which there is no remedy.

As it is written: “And whoever breaks through a fence, a snake will bite him.”

They said to him,

the people of Pumbedita:

“No, our master!”

Indeed, that is what happened.

For when Rav died, Rav Yitzhak bar Bisna decreed

that they should reduce rejoicing that year,

that no one should bring myrtle and palm branches to the wedding house with drums,

for they were accustomed to bring myrtle and palm branches before the bridegroom and bride accompanied by drums and bells, and he decreed that they should bring them without the accompaniment of drums and bells.

But he went and brought myrtle and palm branches to the wedding house with drums,

and because of this

a snake bit him and he died.

One whom a snake has coiled itself around

the snake has coiled itself around him—

let him descend into the water

let him go down into the water,

and let him overturn a basket over its head

turn a basket over the snake’s head.

And let him draw it toward him

let him bring the basket gradually toward the snake and place it over it.

And when it climbs onto it,

when the snake climbs onto the basket—

let him throw it

into the water and escape,

hurry to throw it into the water and flee from it [for if he detaches the snake from himself with his hands, it will become angry and bite him].

One whom a snake is angry with

the snake is angry with him and pursues him by smelling his tracks—

if he has a companion with him,

his companion is beside him,

let him have him ride four cubits

let him carry him four cubits on his shoulder in order to interrupt the tracks.

And if not,

if he does not have a companion beside him,

let him jump over a water channel,

let him jump over a water ditch.

And if not, let him cross a river,

for the water interrupts the tracks.

And at night let him place his bed upon four barrels,

let him put his bed on four barrels so that the snake will not immediately smell his scent,

and let him sleep beneath the stars,

let him sleep under the open sky so that the snake will not come through the roof and throw itself upon him.

And let him bring four cats,

cats,

and tie them to the four legs of the bed,

let him tie them to the four legs of the bed,

and let him bring branches that make a sound,

branches and twigs and anything that rattles,

and throw them there,

beside the cats,

so that when it hears a sound,

when the snake comes, the cats will sense it through the rattling and

eat it.

One whom it is pursuing,

the snake is pursuing him—

let him run in the sand,

let him flee to the sands, where the snake cannot run.

A woman who sees a snake and does not know whether it has set its mind upon her

whether the snake desires intercourse with her—

let her send out her garment and throw it before it.

let her remove her clothes and throw them before it.

If it coils itself around them,

if it coils itself around her garments,

it has set its mind upon her. And if not, it has not set its mind upon her.

What is her remedy

if it has set its mind upon her?

Let her engage in intercourse before it,

with her husband, and thereby make herself repulsive to it.

Some say:

Do not do this, for

all the more will its inclination become stronger against it,

that of the snake.

Rather, let her take some of her hair and fingernails

let her take from her hair and nails

and throw them at it,

throw them upon it,

and say: “I am menstruating!”

I have the way of women [and this is merely an incantation, Rashi].

A woman into whom a snake has entered

because of its great desire, it has entered entirely into that place,

let them spread her legs apart

let them separate her legs from one another

and seat her upon two barrels,

let them seat her upon two barrels, one leg on each, so that her womb will open.

And let them bring fatty meat and place it upon hot coals

let them place it on coals so that a scent will rise,

and let them bring a basket of cress

a basket full of cress

and fragrant wine,

aromatic wine,

and place them there

let them place them beneath her seat.

And let them knock them against one another,

let them knock the wine and the cress against one another so that the scent will rise,

and let him hold tongs in his hand,

let him stand ready with tongs,

so that when it smells,

the snake,

the scent will emerge and come. And let him take it and burn it

in fire,

burn it in fire.

For if not, it will return to her,

it will return to her. We learned in the Mishna:

“All foods”

a person may eat for healing. And we explain:

“All foods”—

to include what?

To include spleen,

which is beneficial

for the teeth

and harmful to the intestines.

And karshinim,

leeks, which are beneficial

for the intestines

and harmful to the teeth.

And it might enter your mind that since they are harmful, the manner of eating them is only for healing, and it should be forbidden to eat them on Shabbat; it teaches us that they are food of healthy people and are permitted. And that which it teaches:

“All beverages”

a person drinks for healing,

to include what?

To include caper water

the fruit called a caper

in vinegar.

Ravina said to Rava: What is the ruling on drinking urine on Shabbat?

He said to him,

Rava:

We learned

in the Mishna

“All beverages a person drinks.”

But people do not drink urine!

We learned in the Mishna:

“Except for palm water.”

A tanna taught: “Except for dagger water.”

And we explain:

The one who taught “dagger water”

because

they pierce the gallbladder.

And the one who said “palm water”

because

they emerge from two palms.

And as he explains:

What is palm water?

Rabba bar baruna said: There are two palm trees

date palms

in the West, and an eye of water emerges

a spring

between them.

The first cup

of these waters

loosens

the waste in the intestines somewhat for one who drinks from them.

The next one,

the second cup,

causes diarrhea

greatly.

And the next one,

the third cup,

just as they enter—

so do they leave!

the waters emerge clear as they entered, because the intestines are already completely clean.

Ulla said: As for me, I drink Babylonian beer, and it is more beneficial than they are

it is more beneficial for cleansing the intestines than palm water.

And this is when he has not been accustomed to it for forty days!

The beer is beneficial only when he has not drunk it during the preceding forty days.

Rav Yosef said:

It is

Egyptian zitom [

and it is called this because it pierces the illness].

And what is Egyptian zitom? They soak together

a third of barley,

one-third barley,

a third of saffron,

turmeric,

and a third of salt.

Rav Pappa said: A third of wheat, a third of saffron, and a third of salt.

And your sign

to remember who said wheat and who said barley is:

sisansai,

a vessel in which dates are placed, whose name is the sign that it contains two samekhs; Rav Yosef and barley both contain a samekh [the letter shin is exchanged for samekh].

And they drink it between Passover and Shavuot,

between Passover and Shavuot, and its healing is:

one who is constipated

one who suffers from constipation

it loosens him. And one who is loose

one who suffers from diarrhea

it constipates him

it causes constipation.

We learned in the Mishna:

“And a cup of akarin.”

And we explain:

What is a cup of akarin?

Rabbi Yohanan said: Let him bring a zuz-weight of Alexandrian kuma

the resin of Alexandrian trees, weighing a zuz,

and a zuz-weight of gevia gila, and a zuz-weight of garden saffron,

garden saffron,

and let him grind them together.

For a woman with a flux

so that she will be healed of the flux, she should drink

three

of these three substances

in wine, and she will not become barren,

she does not become barren because the wine weakens the strength of the ingredients.

For jaundice

a person ill with jaundice should drink

two

two of the three

in beer, and he becomes barren,

unable to beget children, even though he is healed of the illness.

And we return to what we said:

For a woman with a flux, three in wine, and she will not become barren.