Shabbat 110a (קי.) — the Talmud in English

A certain

Bar Kasha,

a Jew appointed by the king,

of Pumbedita who was in Tarka,

was bitten by a

snake,

a serpent.

There were thirteen white female donkeys in Pumbedita. They slaughtered all of them, and they were found to be tereifa. There was one

donkey

on the other side

of Pumbedita,

and while they were going to bring it

when they reached there to bring it,

a lion ate it!

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

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

which has no remedy,

as it has no cure.

As it is written: “And one who breaches a fence shall be bitten by a snake.”

They said to him,

the people of Pumbedita:

No, our master!

That is indeed what happened.

For when Rav died, Rav Yitzḥak bar Bisna decreed

that they should reduce their rejoicing that year,

so that no one should bring myrtle and palm branches to the wedding house with the accompaniment of drums

as they were accustomed to bring myrtle and palm branches before the bride and groom, 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 the accompaniment of drums,

and because of this

the snake bit him and he died.

One whom a snake has coiled itself around

when the snake coils around him—

he should descend into the water

and go down into the water,

and overturn a basket over its head

turning a basket over the snake’s head.

And he should draw it toward him

bringing the basket closer, little by little, toward the snake and placing it over the snake.

And when it climbs onto it

when the snake climbs onto the basket—

he should cast it

into the water and escape,

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

One whom a snake is pursuing

the snake is angry with him and pursues him by following his scent—

if he has a companion with him,

if his companion is beside him,

he should have him carry him four cubits

having him carry him four cubits on his shoulders, in order to interrupt the trail.

And if not,

if he has no companion beside him,

he should leap over a water channel

and jump over a ditch containing water.

And if not, he should cross a river,

as the water interrupts the trail.

At night, he should place his bed on four barrels,

placing his bed on four barrels so that the snake will not immediately detect his scent,

and he should sleep beneath the open sky,

sleeping beneath the canopy of the heavens so that the snake cannot come through the roof and drop down upon him.

And he should bring four cats

cats

and tie them to the four legs of the bed,

tying them to the four legs of the bed.

And he should bring branches of thorns

branches, twigs, or anything that makes a rattling sound,

and throw them there

beside the cats,

so that when it hears the 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—

he should run into the sand dunes

and flee to sandy ground, where the snake cannot run.

In the case of a woman who sees a snake and does not know whether it has taken an interest in her,

whether the snake desires intercourse with her—

she should remove one of her garments and throw it before it,

taking off her clothes and throwing them before it.

If it coils itself around them,

if it coils itself around her garments,

it has taken an interest in her. And if not, it has not taken an interest in her.

What is her remedy

if it has taken an interest in her?

She should have 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 be strengthened

of the snake.

Rather, she should take some of her hair and fingernails

taking hair from her head and clippings from her nails,

and throw them at it

throwing them onto it,

and say: “I am menstruating!”

I have my menstrual flow [and this is merely an incantation, Rashi].

In the case of a woman into whom a snake has entered

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

they should spread her legs apart,

separating her legs from one another,

and seat her on two barrels,

placing one leg on each barrel, so that her womb will open.

And they should bring fatty meat and place it on hot coals,

placing it on the coals so that its scent will rise,

and bring a basket of cress

a basket filled with cress,

and fragrant wine,

wine with a strong fragrance,

and place them there

placing them beneath where she is seated.

And they should strike them against each other,

striking the wine and the cress against each other so that the scent will rise,

and hold tongs in her hand,

standing ready with tongs,

so that when it smells,

the snake,

the scent will emerge and it will come. And she should take it and burn it

in fire,

burning it in the 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 medicinal purposes. And we explain:

“All foods”—

what does this come to include?

It comes to include spleen,

which benefits

the teeth

but harms the intestines.

And leeks,

leeks, which benefit

the intestines

but harm the teeth.

And we might have thought that since they are harmful, people eat them only for medicinal purposes, and therefore it should be prohibited to eat them on Shabbat. It therefore teaches us that they are food for healthy people and are permitted. And concerning that which it teaches:

“All beverages”

a person may drink for medicinal purposes,

what does this come to include?

It comes to include caper water

the liquid of the fruit called a caper,

in vinegar.

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

He said to him,

Rava:

We learned

in the Mishna:

“All beverages a person may drink,”

but people do not drink urine!

We learned in the Mishna:

“Except for palm water.”

A tanna taught: “Except for spear water.”

And we explain:

The one who taught “spear water”

did so because

it pierces the gallbladder.

And the one who said “palm water”

did so because

it emerges from two palms.

And as he explains:

What is palm water?

Rabba bar barona said: There are two date palms

date palms

in the West, and a spring of water emerges

a spring

between them.

The first cup

of this water

loosens

the excrement in the intestines somewhat for one who drinks it.

The next,

the second cup,

acts as a powerful purgative

very strongly.

And the next,

the third cup,

just as it enters,

so it exits!

The water emerges clear, just as it entered, because the intestines have already been completely cleansed.

Ulla said: As for me, I drink Babylonian beer, and it benefits me more than this water

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

And this is only when one has not been accustomed to drinking it for forty days!

The beer is effective only when he has not drunk any during the preceding forty days.

Rav Yosef said:

The spear water is

Egyptian zitum

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

And what is Egyptian zitum? They soak together

one-third barley

one-third of the mixture consisting of barley,

one-third saffron

crocus,

and one-third salt.

Rav Pappa said: One-third wheat, one-third saffron, and one-third salt.

And your mnemonic

for remembering who said wheat and who said barley:

Sיסani

a vessel in which dates are placed, whose name is sisani; this is the mnemonic, as it contains two samekhs, and Rav Yosef and barley both contain a samekh [the letter shin is interchangeable with samekh].

And one drinks it between Passover and Shavuot,

between Passover and Shavuot, and its medicinal effect is as follows:

one who is constipated

one who suffers from constipation

is loosened by it. And one who is loosened

one who suffers from diarrhea

is constipated by it

it causes constipation.

We learned in the Mishna:

“And a cup of ikarin.”

And we explain:

What is a cup of ikarin?

Rabbi Yoḥanan said: Let him bring a zuz-weight of Alexandrian gum

the sap of trees from Alexandria, weighing one zuz,

a zuz-weight of galbanum, and a zuz-weight of garden saffron

garden saffron,

and grind them together.

For a zavah,

so that she will be cured of her discharge, she should drink

three

of these three substances

in wine, and she will not become barren,

she will not become sterile, because the wine weakens the potency of the ingredients.

For jaundice,

one who is ill with jaundice should drink

two

two of the three ingredients

in beer, and she will become sterile,

unable to give birth, although she is cured of the illness.

And we return to what we said:

For a zavah, three in wine, and she will not become barren.