Shabbat 151b — the Talmud in English

And

they remove the pillow from beneath him and place it on the sand, so that ![](pamud.bmp "

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it will wait [that it will remain in its state] and not become foul because of the heat of the sheet and the pillows. For by pulling the pillow out from beneath him, it is automatically lying on the sand; but to move it from its place and place it on the ground is forbidden.

For it is forbidden to move the dead. [Maimonides’ Commentary on the Mishna].

And

they bind the jaw

of the dead, so that he will not open his mouth.

And

they do not

do this in order

that it should rise

and close the opening that has already opened in his mouth,

but

only in order

that it should not add

and open further.

And likewise, a beam that broke, they support it

on Shabbat

with a bench or with the legs of a bed.

For they have the status of vessels, and are permitted to be moved.

And

they do not

do this in order

that it should rise

and the broken place in it should become joined. For this is forbidden on account of building.

But

they support it only in order

that it should not add

and break further.

Gemara:

We learned in the Mishna: One may anoint and wash it.

And we raise an objection:

But did Rav Yehuda not say in the name of Shmuel: There was an incident involving a student of Rabbi Meir, who entered the bathhouse after him. He wished

—the student—

to wash

the

ground

with water.

He said to him,

Rabbi Meir:

One does not wash

the ground on Shabbat.

He wished

the student

to anoint

the ground.

He said to him,

Rabbi Meir: Even

one does not anoint.

And it entered our minds that because it is forbidden to move the ground, it is also forbidden to wash it and anoint it.

It follows that every object that is forbidden to move is forbidden to anoint and wash, even without moving it. And this is difficult: Why, then, may one anoint and wash the dead? After all, it is forbidden to move him.

And we answer: Rabbi Meir did not forbid anointing and washing the ground because of the prohibition of moving. Rather, it was because of the prohibition of leveling hollows, which is a derivative of “plowing.”

And although this prohibition applies only to a ground of earth, whereas with the stone floor of the bathhouse there is no concern of this sort, they nevertheless decreed with regard to it because of a ground of earth, because

one ground is confused with another ground.

But with regard to a dead person, there is no need to decree. For

a dead person is not confused with ground.

We learned in the Mishna: One performs all the needs of the dead.

And we considered this:

What does “all” come to include?

And we answer:

It comes to include that which the Sages taught in a beraita: One brings cooling vessels [vessels that bring coolness, such as glass vessels],

and metal vessels, and places them on his belly

of the dead,

so that he will not become swollen [so that he will not bloat].

And one plugs his orifices so that air will not enter them,

and thereby cause him to swell.

And King Solomon too said in his wisdom,

that the belly of the dead swells and bursts.

As it is written: “Before the silver cord is snapped, and the golden bowl is broken, and the pitcher is shattered at the spring, and the wheel is broken into the pit.”

And this is its explanation:

“Before the silver cord is snapped” —

this is the spinal cord.

For it is like a cord, and it is white like silver.

“And the golden bowl is broken” —

this is the rectum.

For a “bowl” is a spring of water, and the rectum too is the spring of the products of man.

“And the pitcher is shattered at the spring” —

this is the belly.

For after death it bursts.

“And the wheel is broken into the pit” —

this is excrement.

For “wheel” is an expression of “excrement.” And “pit” means the mouth. For the excrement falls into the mouth of the dead.

And likewise it says: “And I will spread dung upon your faces, the dung of your festivals.”

And this refers to after death.

What is “the dung of your festivals”?

Rav Haga said: These are people who abandon words of Torah and spend all their days

in pleasures,

like festivals.

Rabbi Levi said in the name of Rav Pappi in the name of Rabbi Yehoshua: After three days

from death,

his belly

of the dead

bursts, falls upon his face, and says to him: Take what you placed in me.

That is, take back the excrement of the foods that you put into me.

Mishna:

One does not close the

eyes of

the dead on Shabbat.

Because it is forbidden to move a limb in him.

And not even on a weekday

does one close his eyes

at the departure of the soul.

For as long as he has not yet died, if one moves a limb in him, he thereby brings his death nearer. Rather, one closes his eyes after his soul has departed.

And one who closes

the eyes of a person who is tending toward death,

at the departure of the soul,

before he dies,

behold, this is shedding blood.

Gemara:

The Sages taught: One who closes his eyes at the departure of the soul,

before he dies,

behold, this is shedding blood.

A parable

to what is this matter comparable? —

To a lamp that is going out.

For if

a person places his finger upon it, immediately it goes out.

For once it is tending to go out, it is extinguished with little effort. And so it is with the human soul.

It was taught: Rabbi Shimon ben Gamliel says: One who wishes that the eyes of a dead person should close

on Shabbat does not do so with his hands. For it is forbidden to move the dead. Rather,

he blows wine into his nostril, places oil between his eyelashes, and holds both his big toes,

and they [his eyes]

close by themselves.

It was taught: Rabbi Shimon ben Gamliel says: A living infant who is one day old—one desecrates Shabbat for him

for the purpose of saving a life. But not for the dead. And even if he is as great as

David, king of Israel,

since

he has died, one does not desecrate Shabbat for him.

A living infant who is one day old—one desecrates Shabbat for him,

because

the Torah said: Desecrate one Shabbat for him, so that he

may live and

observe many Shabbatot.

But

David, king of Israel, if

he has died, one does not desecrate Shabbat for him.

For

once a person has died,

he is

removed from the mitzvot.

And this is what Rabbi Yohanan said:

It is written:

“Among the dead, free.”

And we expound:

Once a person has died, he becomes free of the mitzvot.

And it was taught: Rabbi Shimon ben Elazar says: A living infant who is one day old does not need to be guarded from the weasel and the mice

so that they should not eat him. But even

Og, king of Bashan,

since

he has died, needs to be guarded from the weasel and the mice

so that they should not eat him.

As it is stated

to Noah and his sons:

“And your fear and your dread shall be

upon every beast of the earth.”

And “your dread” is an expression of living creatures. It teaches that

as long as a person is alive, his fear lies upon the creatures; once he has died, his fear is removed.

Rav Pappa said: We have received,

that

a lion, [when there are] two people

together,

does not pounce [attack] to kill them. For it is written “your fear,” in the plural: that the beast of the earth should fear any two of you.

And we object:

But we see that it pounces

—a lion even upon two people together.

And we answer:

That one

that we see pouncing

is when

Rami bar Abba

said it.

For Rami bar Abba said: No beast rules over a person until the person appears to it

like a beast,

like an animal. As it is stated: “Yet man abides not in honor; he is compared to the beasts that perish.”

For if a person is compared to and ruled over by a beast, it is known that he appears to it like an animal.

Rabbi Hanina said: It is forbidden to sleep in a house alone. And anyone who sleeps in a house alone is seized by Lilith.

And it was taught: Rabbi Shimon ben Elazar says: Perform

charity

until [as long as]

you find

poor people with whom to perform charity,

and

as long as

it is available to you

money to give them,

and

as long as

you are still in your hands

to perform charity—that is, before you die.

And Solomon too said in his wisdom: “And remember your Creator in the days of your youth, before the evil days come,”

and years arrive concerning which you will say: I have no desire in them. “

The evil days” —

these are the days of old age.

“And years arrive concerning which you will say: I have no desire in them” —

these are the days of the Messiah, in which there is neither merit nor liability.

For it is impossible to acquire merit through the mitzva of charity in them. And likewise it is impossible to transgress in them the prohibition “Do not harden your heart and do not close your hand from your poor brother,” for everyone will be wealthy at that time.

And this is what Rabbi Shimon ben Elazar said: Perform charity as long as it is in your hands to perform it.

And it disagrees

with Shmuel,

for Shmuel said: There is no difference between this world and the days of the Messiah except subjugation to kingdoms.

For in the days of the Messiah we will be redeemed from the subjugation of the kingdoms of the nations, but not everyone will be wealthy.

For

indeed

it is stated: “For the poor shall never cease from the midst of the land.”

It follows that even in the days of the Messiah the mitzva of charity will exist, and this is unlike what was taught above.

It was taught: Rabbi Elazar HaKappar says: A person should always request mercy concerning this measure

of poverty, that he should not come to it, since it is something constantly prepared to come.

For if he does not come

to poverty,

his son comes

to it. And if his son does not come

to poverty,

his grandson comes

to it.

As it is stated

with regard to the mitzva of charity for the poor:

“For because of this thing

the Lord your God will bless you in all your work and in all the undertaking of your hand.”

And the school of Rabbi Ishmael taught: “Because of” is an expression of “wheel” ,

for

it is a wheel that revolves in the world.

And one who is wealthy today may himself or his descendants become poor after some time.

concerning the commandment of charity to the poor:

“Because of this matter

the Lord your God will bless you in all your deeds and in all your undertakings.”

And the school of Rabbi Yishmael taught: The word “because” is related to the word “wheel” .

For

it is a wheel that turns throughout the world.

Someone who is wealthy today, or his descendants, may become poor later.

Rav Yosef said: We have received: This Torah scholar will not become poor [will not become poor].

And we object:

But we see that

even a Torah scholar

becomes poor.

And we explain: This is what Rabbi Yosef is saying: Even

if it is so that

a Torah scholar

becomes poor,

but

regarding returning to the doorway,

going around to the doors—

he does not return.

Rather, he makes do with little and does not demean himself by asking at the doors.

Alternatively, he has many compassionate people who give to him, and he does not need to go around to the doors. Maharsha.

Rav Hiyya said to his wife: When a poor person comes, hurry to give him bread, so that they may hurry to give bread to your children

if they become poor.

She said to him:

But are you

cursing

them,

that you are cursing them

so that they will be poor?

He said to her,

Rav Hiyya:

A verse is written

concerning charity:

“For because of this thing.”

And the school

of Rabbi Ishmael

taught concerning it: It is a wheel that revolves in the world.

It was taught: Rabbi Gamliel son of Rabbi says:

It is written:

“And He will give you mercy and have mercy upon you and multiply you.”

And the meaning of “And He will give you mercy” is that you should be merciful. From here,

whoever has mercy upon creatures, they have mercy upon him from Heaven,

as it is written: “And have mercy upon you.”

And whoever does not have mercy upon creatures, they do not have mercy upon him from Heaven.

And now he expounds the verses in Ecclesiastes that are stated concerning “the evil days,” namely, the days of old age.

It is written there: “Before the sun and the light and the moon and the stars are darkened, and the clouds return after the rain.”

“Before the sun and the light are darkened” —

this is the forehead [brow]

and the nose.

For the forehead is smoother and more radiant than every part of a person’s face, and the nose is the form of a person’s face. In old age they develop wrinkles and do not shine.

“And the moon” —

this is the soul.

As it is written: “The lamp of God is the soul of man.”

“And the stars” —

these are the jaws [cheeks].

“And the clouds return after the rain” —

this is the light of a person’s eyes, which comes after weeping.

For in old age the light of the eyes becomes dark like the darkness of clouds, because of weeping. For then he weeps much because of the weakening of his strength and the troubles that multiply and come upon him.

Shmuel said: This tear, until forty years, returns

the sight and is healed from the damage that the tears caused it

. From then onward it does not return.

And Rav Naḥman said: This eye-paint [paint placed in the eyes for healing], for a person who is

until

the age of

forty years,

it

widens [widens] the light of his eyes.

From then onward [after he has completed forty years],

even if he

fills his eyes with eye-paint with a large brush

like the weight of a weaver’s heavy weight,

it merely restores it

so that the light of his eyes will not become any darker. But

it does not widen

it for him, so that his sight should improve.

And we consider this:

What does this teach us

Rav Naḥman by what he said, “Even if he fills it like a weaver’s heavy weight”?

And we answer: It teaches us

that the more powerful [thicker]

the eye-paint [the brush]

the more

beneficial

it is for healing the eye.

Rabbi Hanina’s

daughter

died [passed away], and

he was not weeping over her.

His wife said to him: Why do you not weep over her? After all,

a hen has left your house.

He said to her,

Rabbi Hanina: If I weep,

two

evils will come upon me: both

bereavement [loss of children],

and also

blindness [blindness], for weeping darkens the light of the eyes.

Rabbi Hanina held

like that which Rabbi Yohanan said in the name of Rabbi Yosei ben Ketzarta:

There are six

kinds of

tears. Three

of them are

beneficial

for the eyes, and

three

of them are

harmful

for the eyes.

also

blindness [

loss of sight], because weeping darkens the light of the eyes.

Rabbi Hanina held

that

this was like what Rabbi Yohanan said in the name of Rabbi Yosei ben Ketzarta: There are six

types of

tears. Three

of them

are beneficial

to the eyes,

and three

of them

are harmful

to the eyes.