Shabbat 77b — the Talmud in English

It was asked of them:

the matter taught above in our Mishna, “except for their peels and their pits,” how do we read it:

“grainein” or “gar’einin”?

Rava bar Ulla said:

it is stated

“and it shall be deducted from your valuation”

with an ayin, and gar’einin is from the language of deduction, for they throw them away, and they are deducted from the food.

Again

it was asked of them:

that which we say [in Pesachim 75b], “dim coals,” how do we read it:

“umamot” or “omemot”?

Rav Yitzhak bar Avdimi said:

it is stated in Ezekiel’s prophecy concerning Assyria,

“Cedars

did not darken it in the garden of God.”

And this means that even the cedars did not darken the appearance of Assyria. That is, there was no cedar in the world more beautiful than it. And it is written amemohu with an ayin. And dim coals, likewise, are from the language of darkness, when they gradually go out.

Again

it was asked of them:

that which we learned below [151b], “One does not close the eyes of the dead on Shabbat,” meaning that one does not shut his eyes. Is

“ma’amtzin” what we learned, or “ma’amtzin”?

Rabbi Hiyya bar Abba said in the name of Rabbi Yohanan:

it is stated

“and he closes his eyes from seeing evil”

with an ayin [and although here the mem precedes the ayin, there is nothing in this, Ritba].

The Sages taught: One who carries the milk of an animal,

its measure is

enough for one swallow.

One who carries

a woman’s milk, or the white of an egg,

its measure is

enough to place

it

in a mishifa,

in the medication that heals the eye. For they are accustomed to rub, to dissolve, the medication that heals the eye in a woman’s milk and the white of an egg, and therefore it is called mishifa, from the language of rubbing.

One who carries

eye salve,

an eye medication

enough to rub with water,

for he carries an amount of medication sufficient—after dissolving it in water—to place on both eyes.

Rav Ashi asked:

Is the measure of the eye salve

enough to rub

alone,

or enough for taking and rubbing,

so that one must add to the measure that which sticks from the eye salve to his fingers?

And we conclude:

It stands unresolved!

We learned in the Mishna:

Honey: enough to place on a sore.

A tanna taught: enough to place on the mouth of a sore.

Rav Ashi asked:

What is the intention of the tanna in the beraita? Does he intend to say that what we learned,

“on a sore,”

that is

on the mouth of the entire sore,

that which one places on the entire wound, since the entire wound is called “a mouth”?

Or perhaps

it is sufficient with honey that one places on

the first protuberance of the sore,

on the upper part of the wound [at the place from which the abscess protrudes, Ritba].

And

to exclude

the place of

the hodrana [

a mark made around the opening, Ritba],

which is not

included in the measure of placing the honey?

And we conclude:

It stands unresolved!

Rav Yehuda said in the name of Rav: Everything that the Holy One, blessed be He, created in His world—

He did not create a single thing without purpose.

He created a snail—

for a sore.

For from the snail they make a remedy for a sore, as is explained below.

He created a fly—

for a wasp.

One whom a wasp stung crushes a fly and places it on the sting.

A mosquito—

for

a remedy for the bite of a

snake.

And a snake—

for hafafit,

a type of boil.

And a gecko,

a spider—one crushes it and places it on the sting of a

scorpion.

A snail for a sore:

how does one make use of it? [According to the Ritba]

[According to the explanation of the Ritba,]

He brings one black one and one white one,

one black snail and one white one,

and boils them, and rubs it,

applying it to the sore.

The Sages taught:

There are

five fears,

fears that

are the fear of the weak before the strong—

1.

The fear of the mapgi’a,

a small animal that has a powerful voice,

before a lion,

which fears it when it hears its voice, because it seems to it that it is a large animal, and it flees.

2.

The fear of a mosquito—

before an elephant,

when it enters its trunk.

3.

The fear of a gecko—

before a scorpion,

when it enters its ear.

4.

The fear of a swallow—

before an eagle,

when it enters beneath the eagle’s wings and prevents it from spreading its wings.

5.

The fear of a kilbit,

a small creeping creature,

before a leviathan,

when it enters its ear.

And all of these, because of their smallness, the large ones cannot save themselves from them [Ritba].

Rav Yehuda said in the name of Rav: What is the verse?

As it is written,

“Who makes the despoiled prevail over the mighty,”

who makes the despoiled [weak] prevail over the strong.

Rabbi Zeira encountered

met

Rav Yehuda, who was standing at the entrance of his father-in-law’s house,

as he stood at the entrance of his father-in-law’s house,

and saw him

and saw

that his mind was cheerful,

that his mind was cheerful,

and if he were to ask him about all the empty spaces of the world,

and if he were to ask him about everything that takes place in the space of the world,

he would answer him,

he would reply to him.

He said to him,

Rabbi Zeira asked Rav Yehuda:

What

is the reason that goats go first,

the goats are the ones that go at the head of the flock,

and afterward the ewes,

and only afterward do the ewes go?

He said to him,

Rav Yehuda:

Like the creation of the world.

For at first

there was

darkness, and afterward light.

For at first there was darkness and afterward light. So too the goats, which are generally black, precede the ewes, which are generally light-colored.

They asked him again:

What is the reason that these,

the ewes,

are covered,

they have a tail that covers them,

while these,

the goats,

are exposed,

they have no tail?

And he answered:

These,

the ewes,

which we cover ourselves with,

for we cover ourselves with clothing made from their wool,

are covered,

they too are covered.

And

those

these,

goats,

from which we do not cover ourselves—

are exposed.

What is the reason that a camel—

its tail is short,

its tail is short?

Because it eats thorns.

Since the camel eats thorns, its tail is short so that it will not be scratched by the thorns.

What is the reason that an ox,

an ox,

has a long tail?

Because it dwells in marshes,

in grazing places,

and it needs to wave

to move its tail in order to drive away

gnats,

mosquitoes.

What is the reason that the horn of a locust,

the horn of the locust [another interpretation: the ant],

is soft,

soft?

Because it dwells among willows,

for it grows among willow trees,

and if

it were

hard,

the horn

would be shaken,

it would sway as a result of striking the trees and break,

and it would become blind,

and the locust would become blind, because its sight is connected with its horns.

For Shmuel said: One who wishes to blind

a locust,

the locust—

let him pull out its horns,

and through this it will become blind. For without its horns it does not see.

What is the reason that this lower eyelid of a hen rises upward,

the lower eyelid rises over the upper one when it closes its eyes, unlike the other creatures, whose upper eyelid lies over the lower one?

Because

they dwell on rafters,

when it goes to sleep it ascends to a high place on the boards and beams.

And if smoke enters,

if smoke enters its eyes [for smoke rises upward],

it becomes blind.

“Dasha”,

whose meaning is a door, what is the derivation of this word?—

“the way there”,

for by way of the door one reaches there.

“Darga”,

a ladder—

“the way to the roof”,

by way of it one reaches the roof.

“Mitkulita”,

a food made for dipping—one says about it

“When will this be finished?”

When it is finished, what will we eat?

Another interpretation: because it is eaten only little by little, it is preserved for a long time, and people say: When will it be finished?

“Beita”—

“Come and sit”,

I shall sit

in it.

For the usual manner is to sit in a house.

“Bikta”—

“a house of distress”,

a house that is narrow and small.

“Kufta”,

a mortar [another interpretation: a measure with which wheat is measured. Another interpretation: a log made for sitting]—

“Bend and sit.”

Bend it and sit upon it.

“Livnei”,

bricks—

“for the sons of my sons.”

Through the building of the bricks, the house endures for generations.

“Hutza”,

a fence of thorns or palm branches—

“a partition”,

which is not lasting, but merely a partition.

“Hatzava”,

an earthenware jug—

“which he hews water from the river.”

“Kuza”,

a small earthenware vessel—

“like this”,

that is, a small vessel like this one you are able to fill from your wine and give to me as a gift.

“Shutita”,

a myrtle cloth—

“foolishness.”

For they dance with it before the bride, and the dancer appears like a fool.

“Mishikhla”,

a large basin from which many wash their hands and feet—

“it washes everyone”,

it washes everyone.

“Mashkilta”,

a small and attractive basin—

“it serves a bride”,

it is designated for important people, like a bride who is important, to wash from it.

“Asita”,

the vessel in which one crushes—

“a deficient one”,

for it is hollow and carved inside.

“Bukhna”,

the pestle with which one crushes—

“Come, and I shall make a handle.”

“Levusha”,

an upper robe—

“not shame”,

it prevents shame, for it covers all the torn lower garments.

“Glima”—

“in which one is made like an unformed mass”,

like one who has no delineation of limbs, because of the length and width of the robe.

“Gulta”,

a fine garment—

“reveal and sit.”

When he sits, he uncovers himself so that he will not sit on it and soil and tear it.

“Furya”,

a bed—

“they become beautiful and multiply upon it.”

“A pit of dryness”,

a pit in which there is no water—

“this pit is clean”

of water.

“Sudra”,

the garment of Torah scholars—

“The secret of the Lord is for those who fear Him.”

“Apadna”,

a palace of kings—

“at this entrance.”

Everyone will come to this entrance, whether for judgment or to serve the king.

The Sages taught: There are three that, the longer they age, the more strength they acquire. And these are: a fish, a snake,

and a pig.

We learned in the Mishna:

Oil—

enough to anoint a small limb.

They said in the school of Rabbi Yannai: Oil enough to anoint

it

a small limb

one joint of the little finger

of a one-day-old infant.

He objected:

it was taught in a beraita:

Oil—

enough to anoint a small limb, and a one-day-old infant.

And we analyzed:

Is it not

this is what it is saying:

a small limb of

a

grown person,

or

a large limb of a one-day-old infant?

But for oil with which one anoints a small limb of a one-day-old infant, one is exempt for carrying it out, and this is difficult for Rabbi Yannai!?

And we answer:

The school of Rabbi Yannai can say to you: No!

Rather,

this is what it is saying: Oil—

enough to anoint a small limb of a one-day-old infant.

Shall we say that it is a dispute between tannaim:

as it was taught:

Oil: enough to anoint a small limb, and a one-day-old infant, the words of Rabbi Shimon ben

Elazar.

Rabbi Natan says: Enough to anoint a small limb.

Is it not that they disagree about this: Rabbi Shimon ben Elazar holds: a small limb of a small child.

For this is what his words imply, that there must be two small things, both the limb and the body.

And Rabbi Natan holds,

that we speak of only one small thing. That is,

a small limb of an adult, or a large limb of a small child.

But

two small things, namely oil sufficient to anoint

a small limb of a one-day-old infant—

no,

one is not liable for it!