Shabbat 152a — the Talmud in English

Tears

of smoke, and of weeping, and

tears that come from suffering -

those of the lavatory -

are bad

are.

And tears

of a drug, and of laughter, and of

the smell of

sharp

fruits [such as the smell of mustard] -

are good

are.

It is written there, later in the passage,

“On the day when the guardians of the house tremble and

the men of valor are bent, and the grinders cease because they have become few, and those who see through the windows grow dark.”

“On the day when the guardians of the house tremble” -

these are the flanks and the ribs,

which guard the heart and the intestines of a person. For in the days of old age they tremble and shudder.

“And the men of valor are bent” -

these are the legs,

upon which the body leans.

“And the grinders cease” -

these are the teeth.

these are the teeth.

“And those who see through the windows grow dark” -

—

these are the eyes.

For all this happens to a person at the time of his old age.

The emperor said to Rabbi Joshua ben Hananiah: Why did you not come to the house of debate? [A0030]The place of the dispute between Israel and the Sadducees and Boethusians?

[the place of debate between the Jews and the Sadducees and Boethusians]?

He said to him: The mountain is snow-white [A0032]the mountain, meaning my head, has become white as snow.

[that is, my head has turned white like snow].

And its surroundings are icy [A0034]the surroundings of the mountain have filled with ice. That is, my mustache and beard have also become white.

[the area around the mountain has filled with ice; that is, my mustache and beard have also turned white].

Its dogs do not bark [A0036]my voice is no longer heard.

[my voice is no longer heard].

Its grinders do not grind [A0038]my teeth no longer grind. And once I have grown old, my strength is no longer suitable for debates.

[my teeth no longer grind]. Since I have grown old, I no longer have the strength for debates.

In the house of Rav they said

in the days of their old age:

“Until I have lost something, I search.”

That is, I am searching for something that I have not lost. For I walk bent over and swaying, and appear like one who is searching for something that he has lost.

It was taught: Rabbi Yose ben Kisma says: Better two than three.

For in the days of youth a person walks on two legs. And they are better than the three legs on which he walks in the days of his old age, namely, his two legs and his staff.

Woe to it, one thing, which goes and does not return

again.

And

what is it

that goes and does not return?

Rav Hisda said: Youth [A0051]childhood.

[childhood].

When Rav Dimi came, he said:

Youth

is compared to

a garland of roses [A0056]a canopy of roses.

[a canopy of roses].

And old age [A0058]old age is compared to

is compared to a

a garland of thorns [A0060]a type of thistle. For the rose is a valuable thing, but it does not endure for long. So too is youth. And the thorn is not valuable, but it endures for a long time. So too is old age [Maharsha].

[a type of thorn]. A rose is valuable, but does not last long; so too, youth. A thorn is not valuable, but lasts a long time; so too, old age [Maharsha].

A tanna taught in the name of Rabbi Meir: Examine the jaws, and you will find it in the footsteps.

For if you pound and grind food with your teeth and eat much, the power of eating will be revealed in your steps. For through eating you will become especially strong.

As it is stated, “And we shall be satisfied with bread and be well, and we saw no evil.”

Samuel said to Rav Judah: Sharp one [A0065]sharp,

[clever one],

loosen your sack [A0067]open your mouth

[open your mouth]

and bring in [A0069]eat

[eat]

your bread.

Because

until the age of forty, food is beneficial

to a person.

From then onward,

after he has completed forty years,

drinking is beneficial

to him.

A certain eunuch [A0080]a eunuch who was a Sadducee

[who was a Sadducee]

said to Rabbi Joshua ben Karha: From here to the bald place [A0082]to the place of baldness

[to the bald place]

how

many days’ journey

is it?

And he intended to taunt Rabbi Joshua about his baldness.

He said to him,

Rabbi Joshua ben Karha answered him:

L

ike the journey that there is

from here to Eunuchia.

For he returned and taunted him about his eunuchhood. For “Eunuchia” is an expression of eunuchhood.

And further

he said to him,

that

Sadducee: A goat [A0097]a goat

[a she-goat]

is sold for four.

And he intended to taunt him about his baldness. Therefore he mentioned a goat, which is bald and has no wool like sheep.

He said to him: A castrated ram [A0101]a sheep whose testicles have been removed

[a sheep whose testicles have been removed] is sold

is sold for eight.

And he again taunted him about his eunuchhood.

He saw him,

the Sadducee saw Rabbi Joshua ben Karha,

that he had not put on his shoes [A0107]he had not put on his shoes.

.

The Sadducee mocked him

and said to him: H

e who rides

a horse

is,

a king.

And

h

e who rides

a donkey

is,

a free man. And

a person

who has shoes on his feet is an ordinary person. And he

is ordinary. But one

w

ho does not have

either this or that,

and does not even have shoes, is not on the level of a person at all.

And one who is buried and covered [A0128]a dead person buried in the earth

[a dead person buried in the ground] is

is better than him.

Rabbi Joshua ben Karha said to him:

Eunuch, eunuch [A0132]eunuch,

Eunuch, eunuch

you said three things to me.

And three

things I shall answer you, and

you will

hear.

The majesty of the face -

this is

an old man.

The joy of the heart -

this is

a woman.

The inheritance of the Lord -

these are

children.

As it is written, “Behold, children are the inheritance of the Lord, the fruit of the womb is a reward.”

Blessed is the Omnipresent

who castrated you,

so that

through this

He prevented you from all of them.

The Sadducee said to him: You are

a bald man [A0155]the bald one,

bald one

a fighter [A0157]an expression of quarrel? Did you come to quarrel with me?

are you looking for a quarrel

[a word referring to dispute]? Have you come to quarrel with me?

Rabbi Joshua ben Karha said to him: Did you,

the one who is

a castrated ram [A0162]a eunuch, come to taunt me and say to me

[eunuch], come to mock me and offer me

a rebuke?

Rabbi said to Rabbi Simeon ben Halafta: Why did we not receive your face on the Festival, as my fathers received the faces of your fathers?

And because of humility Rabbi reversed his wording. He intended to ask: Why did you not receive my face on the Festival?

Rabbi Simeon ben Halafta said to him:

:

Rocks

that were small

have become high. Near places have become distant.

For I have grown old, and I do not have the strength to come to you. And a place that was considered near to me now appears distant.

And two

legs on which I used to walk

have become three

legs. For I need a support in addition to my two legs.

And the one who makes peace in the home [A0177]the organ of marital intercourse

[the organ of marital relations]

has ceased

from its strength.

And again he returned to expounding the verses of Ecclesiastes stated concerning old age.

It is written, “And the doors are shut in the marketplace, when the sound of the grinder is low; and he rises at the sound of the bird, and all the daughters of song are bowed down.”

“And the doors are shut in the marketplace” -

—

these are a person’s orifices

which are closed,

“when the sound of the grinder is low” -

because of

the

gizzard, which

again

does not grind

the food properly.

“And he rises at the sound of the bird” -

for

when a person is old,

even a bird

with its chirping

rouses him from his sleep.

“And all the daughters of song are bowed down” -

for even the voices of singers and female singers seem to him like a conversation [A0200]like ordinary speech. Because the ears of the old are heavy.

even the voices of male and female singers seem to him like mere conversation, because the hearing of the elderly has become impaired.

And Barzillai the Gileadite also said to David: “I am eighty years old today; can I know between good and evil?”

From here [we learn] that the opinions [A0203]their opinions

it follows

of the old change.

And he further said to David:

“Can your servant taste what I eat and what I drink?”

From here [we learn] that the lips of the old become chapped [A0208]split.

[split].

And he further said:

“Can I hear the voice of singers and female singers again?”

From here [we learn] that the ears of the old become heavy,

and their hearing is impaired.

Rav said: Barzillai the Gileadite was called [A0214]a liar

[a liar]

indeed.

For old age is not a reason that he should be unable to taste food and drink.

F

or

that maidservant who was in the house of Rabbi,

who was

ninety-two years old, and she would taste the pot.

Rava said: Barzillai the Gileadite was steeped in licentiousness.

And for that reason he said what he said. For

anyone steeped in licentiousness is overtaken by old age.

It was taught: Rabbi Ishmael son of Rabbi Yose says: Torah scholars, as long as they grow older, wisdom is added to them. As it is stated, “With the aged is wisdom, and with length of days is understanding.”

And ignorant people, as long as they grow older, foolishness is added to them. As it is stated, “He removes speech from the trustworthy, and takes away the taste of the aged.”

It is further written there: “They will also fear the high, and there will be terrors on the road; the almond tree will blossom, the grasshopper will drag itself along, and the caperberry will fail, for a person goes to his eternal home, and the mourners will go around in the marketplace.”

“They will also fear the high” -

for

in a person’s old age,

even a small mound

on the roads

seems to him like mountains,

and he is afraid of it.

“And there will be terrors on the road” -

for when he walks on the road, his heart becomes “doubtful.”

For his heart is afraid of everything.

“And the almond tree will blossom [A0239]will bud

[will flower]

” -

—

this is the hip socket.

For it is the bone into which the thigh is inserted. And in old age that bone protrudes and comes out, like the shoot of a tree, which protrudes.

“The grasshopper will drag itself along” -

—

these are the buttocks.

For his buttocks seem to him like a porter carrying a heavy load.

“And the caperberry will fail” -

—

this is desire.

For at that time the desire and lust for intercourse cease.

Rav Kahana was arranging the order [A0250]arranging the sections of the verses

[arranging the verses of the passage]

before Rav. When he reached this verse

of “And the caperberry will fail,”

Rav drew out and sighed [A0254]sighed.

[sighed].

Rav Kahana said:

Since Rav sighed,

conclude from this: his desire has ceased [A0258]his lust

[his longing]

for Rav.

Rav Kahana said: What is written, “For He said, and it came to be” -

this

is

a woman.

For had it not been for the decree of the Holy One, blessed be He, she would not have been worthy of being desired. For she is like a pitcher filled with repulsiveness.

“He commanded, and it stood” -

these are children.

these are children.

A tanna taught: A woman

is

a pitcher filled with excrement, and her mouth is filled with blood. And

despite this,

everyone runs after her.

What is written there:

“For a person goes to his eternal home” -

?

Rabbi Isaac said: This teaches that each and every righteous person is given a dwelling according to his honor. It is analogous to a king who enters a city, he and his servants: when they all enter, they enter through one gate; when they lodge, each and every one is given a dwelling according to his honor.

For since it is not written “to an eternal home,” but “to his eternal home,” conclude from this that each and every one has a dwelling for himself.

And Rabbi Isaac said: What is written, “For youth and blackness are vanity” -

teaches that

the things that a person does in his youth are

indeed

blackening his face in his old age.

For excessive intercourse in the days of his youth weakens his strength in old age.

And Rabbi Isaac said: The worm is as difficult for the dead as a needle in living flesh

as it is stated, “Indeed, his flesh upon him shall hurt.”

Rav Hisda said: A person’s soul mourns for him all seven

days following his death.

As it is stated, “And his soul shall mourn over him.”

And mourning is seven days,

as it is written, “And he made mourning for his father seven days.”

Rav Judah said: A dead person who has no comforters [A0291]relatives who will mourn for him and receive consolation for him,

[relatives who will mourn for him and receive condolences for him],

ten people go and sit in his place

where he died, and receive condolences for him.

There was a certain man who died in the neighborhood [A0295]in the neighborhood

[in the vicinity]

of Rav Judah, and he had no comforters.