Shabbat 156a — the Talmud in English

Rav Hisda said: ![](pamud.bmp "

precise folio location")

It is Rabbi Yose bar Judah.

And it deals with a case where he kneads by means of a deviation [as he explains it shortly]. And since he is liable only for kneading, once the kneading is done by means of a deviation, there is no prohibition of kneading in it. But according to Rabbi, who holds him liable for the mere placing of the water, what he changes in the kneading is not effective. For even without any kneading at all he is liable.

And this matter

is permitted

only

specifically where

he deviates

and kneads unlike the manner in which he does so on a weekday. And since he does not perform it in the manner of kneading, it is permitted.

And we raised the question:

How does he deviate?

Rav Hisda said:

He kneads

little by little

[a small amount at a time].

And everyone agrees

all agree, and they concede

that one stirs

with a spoon

the shatit

[a mixture of flour, water, oil, and salt] in vinegar

on Shabbat.

And even Rabbi, who holds him liable for placing the water alone, permits it in this manner, since he makes a deviation in the very placing of the water, as will be explained below.

And

everyone agrees

that they drink Egyptian zitom

on Shabbat. And it is not forbidden because of the decree concerning healing, for even without healing it is also a beverage. And we learned: “All beverages a person drinks for healing on Shabbat.”

And we challenge this: How is it permitted to stir the shatit? Is it not kneading,

yet you said

that according to Rabbi

“one may not knead”?

And we answer:

It is not difficult. This

where one may not knead is

in

dough

that is thick.

And

this

where one stirs the shatit means

in

dough

that is soft.

And in a soft mixture there is no prohibition of kneading. [

And this is so according to Rabbi as well. But according to Rabbi Yose bar Judah, it is permitted even when it is thick, by means of a deviation . ]

And this matter

is permitted

only

specifically where

he deviates,

and stirs unlike his usual manner.

And we raised the question:

How does he deviate?

Rav Yosef said: On a weekday

his manner is that he

places the vinegar, and afterward places the shatit. And on Shabbat

he changes this, and

places the shatit, and afterward places the vinegar.

Levi, the son of Rav Huna bar Hiyya, encountered

on Shabbat

the kneader of the house of the prince

[his father’s herdsman, who kneaded their food],

who was kneading

bran in water by means of a deviation,

and fed

[gave food]

it to his ox

[to his ox].

Levi struck

[rebuked]

him.

Levi.

Rav Huna, his father, came

Rav Huna,

his father

of Levi,

and found him

while he was rebuking the kneader.

He said to him: Indeed, your mother’s father said in the name of Rav—

and who is it?

Levi’s mother’s father,

Rabbi Yirmeya bar Abba—

he said:

one may knead

the bran on Shabbat, but

one may not feed

the animal with it. And as we learned in the Mishna: “One may not force-feed calves.”

And

a small calf

that

has not yet learned to eat by itself and

does not gather

the food with its tongue,

they force-feed

[force-feed]

it.

And this matter

that one may knead the bran

is

specifically where

he deviates

in the kneading.

How does he deviate?

Rav Yemar bar Shelamya said in the name of Abaye:

He kneads it

[with movements] lengthwise and crosswise.

For one time he moves the stick lengthwise, and one time crosswise.

And we raise a difficulty:

but it does not mix

the bran

well

in this manner.

Rather,

Rav Judah said: He shakes it in a vessel.

And it mixes on its own, without his kneading it with his hands. And this is its deviation.

It was written in Ze’iri’s notebook: I asked

I asked

before Rabbi—

and who is it?

Ze’iri’s teacher,

Rabbi Hiyya—

and I asked him:

What is the law regarding kneading

on Shabbat?

And

Rabbi Hiyya

said to me: It is forbidden .

It is prohibited.

And again I asked him:

What is the law regarding unloading

on Shabbat food from a vessel that is before this animal and placing it before another animal?

And

he said

to me: It is permitted.

And we do not say that it is handling something that is unsuitable, but certainly it is suitable, since an animal is not disgusted by food taken from before its fellow animal.

Rav Manshya said:

One

measure

that they ordinarily place before one animal on a weekday, they may place before one animal even on Shabbat,

before one

animal. And likewise,

two

measures

before two

animals,

it is properly fitting

and they may place this even on Shabbat. But to place

three

measures

before two

animals is

forbidden.

Since even on a weekday they do not place so much, it is unnecessary exertion, and it is forbidden on Shabbat. And all the more so, two measures before one animal are forbidden.

Rav Yosef said:

It is permitted to increase the measure of the food and place before the animal

a kav, and even two kavs.

Ulla said:

It is permitted to place before it even

a kor, and even two kors.

It was written in Levi’s notebook: I asked before Rabbi—

and who is it?

his teacher,

Rabbeinu HaKadosh—

and I asked him

about

what

people were kneading

in

Babylonia, shatit.

And

Rabbi cried out—

and who is it? Rabbeinu HaKadosh—

because they were kneading shatit,

and he rebuked them for this.

But there was no

one

who listened to him,

and they did not accept his words.

And he did not have the power to prohibit

[he did not have the power to prohibit it entirely] the kneading of shatit,

because of

the fact that

Rabbi Yose bar Judah

permitted it. For he permitted kneading even a thick mixture by means of a deviation. And all the more so shatit, which is soft.

It was written in the notebook of Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi: This

one who

is born

on the first day of the week

[on Sunday],

will be a man, and there will not be one quality in him.

That is, he will be a complete person in one quality, and there will not be in him even one other quality.

And we raised the question:

What does “and there will not be one quality in him” mean?

If you say

that he will be entirely evil and

not

have even

one

quality

for the good

[any good quality]—this cannot be said.

For

Rav Ashi said: I was born on the first day of the week

[I was born], and he certainly possessed many good qualities.

Rather, is it not

that he will be entirely good and will not have even

one

quality

for evil

[for the worse]? This too cannot be said.

For

Rav Ashi said: Dimi bar Kakuzta and I were born

[we were born]

on the first day of the week. I

became

a king

[head of the academy],

and he

[bar Kakuzta]

was the head of thieves.

For whoever is born on the first day becomes a head, just as this day is the head of the act of Creation. Learn from this that righteous people and wicked people are born on it.

Rather

this is what he is saying: One who is born on the first day of the week,

if

[either]

all

his qualities are

for the good

[good qualities],

or all

his qualities are

for evil

[evil qualities]. [

And what is the reason?

—because

in him were created

on this day

light and darkness.

And this is an allusion to righteous people and wicked people. Maharshal does not have this version.]

This one who

is born

on the second day

[on Monday]

will be an angry man.

What is the reason?

Because the waters were divided in him.

For on the second day of the act of Creation, God separated the upper waters from the lower waters. And likewise, a person born on it will separate himself from the society of people.

This one who

is born

on the third day

[on Tuesday]

will be a wealthy man

[rich],

and he will be promiscuous

a fornicator

he will be.

What is the reason?

Because in him were created

on this day

the grasses.

And it is written concerning it, “Let the earth bring forth vegetation.” And the grasses reproduce and multiply greatly, and hasten to grow. And this is an aspect of wealth and also an aspect of promiscuity. [

And furthermore, “according to its kind” was not written concerning the grasses. Rather, they emerge in confusion and draw nourishment from one another.]

This one who

is born

on the fourth day will be wise and radiant

[bright, whose face shines. And Arukh explained that he will be one who possesses memory].

What is the reason?

Because the luminaries were suspended in it

on this day. And it is written: “And Torah is light.”

This one who

is born

on the fifth day will be a man who performs acts of kindness.

What is the reason?

Because fish and birds were created in it.

And they do not trouble themselves over their food. Rather, they are nourished through the kindness of the Holy One, blessed is He.

This one who

is born

on the eve of Shabbat

[on Friday]

will be a diligent man.

Rav Nahman bar Yitzhak said:

What is

“diligent”?

He seeks out

mitzvot.

For such is the practice of people on the eve of Shabbat, to seek out the mitzvot of Shabbat.

This one who

is born

on Shabbat—

he will

in the end

die on Shabbat, because

of the fact that

they profaned

[violated]

upon him

at his birth

the great day of Shabbat.

Rava bar Rav Shila said: And

that person

will be called a great holy one.

He will be abstinent and holy. As it is written concerning the day of Shabbat: “And He sanctified it.”

Rabbi Hanina said to them

to the students who saw all this in Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi’s notebook:

Go out

[go out] and

tell the son of Levi

[Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi]:

It is not the constellation of the day

on which he was born

that causes

a person’s future,

but the constellation of the hour

in which he was born causes it.

For there are seven constellations in the celestial sphere that serve one after another, each one for one hour, and then repeat in a cycle. They are: the sun, Venus, Mercury, the moon, Saturn, Jupiter, and Mars. And in each hour another constellation begins to serve.

And

this one who

is born

in

the hour of the constellation of

the sun will be a radiant man.

His face will shine as the sun shines upon the world.

And he will eat from his own, and drink from his own,

and he will not require others, like the sun, which shines only during the hours designated for it and does not encroach upon the boundary of the night.

And his secrets will be revealed

[all his secrets will be revealed]. Like the sun, which is public to all. Therefore,

if he is a thief, he will not succeed

in concealing his act of theft.

This one who

is born

in

the hour of

the constellation of Mercury and Venus will be a wealthy man, and he will be promiscuous.

What is the reason?—

because he depends

[was born]

in it

under the constellation of Venus,

fire

[fire]. Therefore, the inclination toward sexual relations burns within him like an oven.

This one who

is born

in

the hour of the constellation

of Mercury will be radiant and wise. Because

Mercury

is the scribe of the sun.

For “Mercury” is the planet closest to the sun, and it circles it in only eighty-eight days.

And therefore, he is considered as though he were the scribe of the sun’s mazal, to write its course and its periods, since it is always found with him.

This one who

was born

at

the hour of the mazal of

the moon, let the man be

one who suffers illnesses

[one who suffers troubles]. Like this moon, which continually diminishes.

And let him be

a builder and a destroyer, a destroyer and a builder [he will build and destroy, and destroy and build again]. Like this moon, which grows and diminishes and returns in turn.

[he will build and demolish, and demolish and build again]. Like the moon, which grows and diminishes, repeatedly.

And let him be

one who eats

from what is

not his and drinks what is not his,

but from that of others. Like this moon, which encroaches upon the boundary of the sun, to rule even during the day.

And his secrets are concealed.

For he will succeed in concealing his secrets, like the moon, which does not illuminate so much. Therefore,

if he is a thief, he succeeds

in this, because his deeds will not be revealed.

This one who

was born

at

the hour of the mazal of

Saturn, let the man be one whose thoughts are nullified.

Because “Saturn” serves at the beginning of the day of Shabbat. And it is appointed over the destruction and cessation of every thing. For work is forbidden on Shabbat [Maharsha].

And there are those who say: every

thought

that

others

think about him

will be

nullified.

This one who

was born

at

the hour of the mazal of

Jupiter, let the man be righteous.

Rav Nahman bar Yitzhak said:

And “righteous” means

righteous in mitzvot.

That is, in the mitzva of charity for the poor.

This one who

was born

at

the hour of the mazal of

Mars, let the man be one who spills blood

one who sheds blood].

Rav Ashi said:

What is “one who sheds blood”? —

Either

or]

a bloodletter,

one who lets blood,

or a thief,

one who kills people,

or a slaughterer [one who slaughters],

[one who slaughters animals],

or a circumciser.

For it was decreed upon him only that he should spill blood. And the choice is in his hands whether he will use this power for mitzvot or for a prohibition [Maharsha].

Rabba said: I was under the mazal of Mars [

I was born]. And am I one who sheds blood?

He

said

to him, Abaye:

No. For

you too punish and kill

people who transgress your words.

It was stated: Rabbi Hanina says: a mazal makes one wise; a mazal makes one wealthy.

For according to the mazal of one’s birth, a person’s wisdom and wealth are determined.

And there is a mazal

also

for Israel.

And prayer and charity do not change the mazal.

Rabbi Yohanan said: there is no mazal for Israel.

For through prayer and merits, the mazal of an Israelite changes for the good.

And Rabbi Yohanan proceeded according to his own reasoning. For Rabbi Yohanan said: From where is it established that there is no mazal for Israel? —

As it is stated: “So said the Lord: Do not learn the way of the nations, and do not be terrified by the signs of the heavens, for the nations are terrified by them.”

This teaches,

they,

the nations,

are terrified [

they fear] by the mazalot of the heavens. But

not

are they terrified by them,

Israel.

And Rav too held: there is no mazal for Israel.

For Rav Yehuda said in the name of Rav: From where is it established that there is no mazal for Israel? —

As it is stated

concerning Abraham:

“And He took him outside,

and He said, ‘Look now toward the heavens, and count the stars, if you are able to count them,’ and He said to him, ‘So shall your seed be.”

What is “and He took him outside”? [For according to its plain meaning—that He took him outside—this is difficult. For it was in a vision, and why was it necessary to take him outside? He could have shown it to him even inside his tent. Maharsha.]

For Abraham said before the Holy One, blessed is He: Master of the universe, the member of my household

Eliezer]

will inherit me?

He said to him: No.

“Rather, the one who will emerge from your innards

will inherit you.”

Abraham

Abraham

said

before Him: Master of the universe,

I have looked into my astrology

the wisdom of the mazalot]

of mine, and

I saw that according to my mazal

I am not fit to father a son.

The Holy One, blessed is He, said to him: Leave your astrology.

For

there is no mazal for Israel.

For “Abram” has no son, but “Abraham” has a son. “Sarai” will not give birth, but “Sarah” will give birth. Rashi, Genesis 15:1.