Hebrew Literature Part 9

Chapter VI

1. "With what may a woman go out?" And "with what may she not go out?" "A woman may not go out with laces of wool, nor with laces of flax, nor with straps on her head, and she cannot baptize herself in them till she unloose them; nor with frontlets, nor temple fillets, unless sewn to her cap, nor with a headband, into the public street, nor with a golden crown in the form of Jerusalem, nor with a necklace, nor with nose-rings, nor with a ring without a seal, nor with a needle without an eye; but, if she go out, she is not guilty of a sin-offering."

2. A man must not go out with hobnailed sandals,(111) nor with one sandal when there is no sore on his other foot, nor with phylacteries, nor with an amulet unless it be of an expert, nor with a coat of mail, nor with a helmet, nor with greaves; but, if he go out, he is not guilty of a sin-offering.

3. "A woman must not go out with an eyed needle, nor with a signet ring, nor with a spiral head-dress, nor with a scent-box, nor with a bottle of musk; and if she go out she is guilty of a sin-offering." The words of Rabbi Meier. But the Sages "absolve the scent-box and the bottle of musk."

4. The man must not go out with sword, nor bow, nor shield, nor sling, nor lance; and if he go out he is guilty of a sin-offering. Rabbi Eleazar said, "they are his ornaments." But the Sages say, "they are only for shame, as is said, 'And they shall beat their swords into ploughshares, and their spears into pruning hooks: nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more.' "(112) Garters are clean, and they may go forth in them on Sabbath. Anklets(113) contract uncleanness, and they must not go out in them on Sabbath.

5. A woman may go out with plaits of hair whether they be her own, or her companion's, or a beast's hair, with frontlets and temple fillets, when they are sewn to her cap, with a headband or a stranger's curl into the courtyard, with wool in her ear, and wool in her shoe, and wool prepared for her separation, with pepper, or with a grain of salt,(114) or with anything which she will put inside her mouth, except that she shall not put it in for the first time on the Sabbath, and if it fall out she must not put it back. "A false tooth or a tooth of gold?" Rabbi "allows it."

But the Sages "forbid it."

6. A woman may go out with a coin on a sore foot. Little girls may go out with plaits and even splinters in their ears. Arab women go out veiled, and Median women with mantillas; and so may any one, but, as the Sages have said, "according to their custom."

7. A mantilla may be folded over a stone, or a nut, or money, save only that it be not expressly folded for the Sabbath.

8. "The cripple may go out on his wooden leg." The words of Rabbi Meier.

But Rabbi Jose forbids it. "But if it have a place for receiving rags?"

"It is unclean." His crutches cause uncleanness by treading. But they may go out with them on the Sabbath, and they may enter with them into the Temple court. The chair and crutches (of a paralytic) cause uncleanness by treading, and they must not go out with them on the Sabbath, and they must not enter with them into the Temple court. Stilts(115) are clean, but they must not go out with them.

9. The sons may go out with their (father's) girdles. And sons of kings with little bells; and so may anyone, but, as the Sages have said, "according to their custom."

10. "They may go out with an egg of a locust,(116) and a tooth of a fox,(117) and a nail of one crucified, as medicine."(118) The words of Rabbi Meier. But the Sages say (others read the words of Rabbi Jose and Rabbi Meier) "it is forbidden even on a week day, because of the ways of the Amorites."(119)

Chapter VII

1. The Sages laid down a great rule for the Sabbath: "Everyone who forgets the principle of Sabbath, and did many works on many Sabbaths, is only responsible for one sin-offering. Everyone who knows the principle of Sabbath, and did many works on many Sabbaths, is responsible for every Sabbath. Everyone who knows that there is Sabbath, and did many works on many Sabbaths, is responsible for every princ.i.p.al work.(120) Everyone who has done many works, springing from one princ.i.p.al work, is only responsible for one sin-offering."

2. The princ.i.p.al works are forty, less one-sowing, ploughing, reaping, binding sheaves, threshing, winnowing, sifting, grinding, riddling, kneading, baking, shearing wool, whitening, carding, dyeing, spinning, warping, making two spools, weaving two threads, taking out two threads, twisting, loosing, sewing two st.i.tches, tearing thread for two sewings, hunting the gazelle, slaughtering, skinning, salting, curing its skin, tanning, cutting up, writing two letters, erasing to write two letters, building, demolishing, quenching, kindling, hammering, carrying from private to public property. Lo, these are princ.i.p.al works-forty, less one.

3. And another rule the Sages laid down: "All that is worthy of reservation, and they reserve its like-if they carry it out on the Sabbath, they are responsible for a sin-offering; and everything which is not worthy of reservation, and they do not reserve its like-if they carry it out on the Sabbath, none is responsible but the reserver."

4. Whoever brings out straw-a heifer's mouthful; hay-a camel's mouthful; chaff-a lamb's mouthful; herbs-a kid's mouthful; garlic leaves and onion leaves-if fresh, the size of a dried fig-if dry, a kid's mouthful; but they must not add one with the other, for they are not equal in their measures. Whoever carries out food the size of a dried fig, is guilty of death. And victuals, they may add one to another as they are equal in their measures, excepting their peels and their kernels, and their stalks and the fine and coa.r.s.e bran. Rabbi Judah says, "excepting the peels of lentils, as they may cook them with them."

Chapter VIII

1. One may bring out wine sufficient for the cup,(121) milk sufficient for a gulp, honey sufficient for a bruise, oil sufficient to anoint a small member, water sufficient to moisten the eye-salve, and the rest of all beverages a quarter of a log, and whatever can be poured out(122) a quarter of a log. Rabbi Simeon says, "all of them by the quarter log." And they did not mention these measures save for those who reserve them.

2. "Whoever brings out cord sufficient to make an ear for a tub, bulrush sufficient to hang the sieve and the riddle?" Rabbi Judah said, "sufficient to take from it the measure of a child's shoe; paper sufficient to write on it the signature of the taxgatherers; erased paper sufficient to wrap round a small bottle of balm-is guilty" (of death).

3. Leather sufficient for an amulet; parchment polished on both sides, sufficient to write a sign for a door-post; vellum sufficient to write on it a small portion, which is in phylacteries, that is, "Hear, O Israel;"

ink sufficient to write two letters; kohl(123) sufficient to paint one eye.

4. Bird-lime sufficient to put on the top of a perch; pitch or sulphur to fill a hole; wax sufficient to fill the mouth of a small hole; brick-clay sufficient to make a mouth of a crucible bellows for goldsmiths-Rabbi Judah says, "sufficient to make a crucible stand;" bran sufficient to put on the mouth of a crucible blow-pipe for goldsmiths; ointment sufficient to anoint the little finger of girls-Rabbi Judah says, "sufficient to make the hair grow;" Rabbi Nehemiah says, "to freshen the temple."

5. Red earth "as the seal of merchants"-the words of R. Akiba; but the Sages say, "as the seal of letters;" dung and fine sand, "sufficient to manure a cabbage stalk,"-the words of Rabbi Akiba; but the Sages say, "sufficient to manure a leek;" coa.r.s.e sand sufficient to put on a full lime-hod; a reed sufficient to make a pen. "But if it be thick or split?"

"sufficient to boil with it a hen's egg easy (to be cooked) among eggs, mixed with oil and put in a pan."

6. A bone sufficient to make a spoon,-Rabbi Judah said, "sufficient to make the ward of a key;" gla.s.s sufficient to sc.r.a.pe the top of a shuttle; a lump of earth or a stone sufficient to fling at a bird; Rabbi Eliezer said, "sufficient to fling at a beast."

7. "A potsherd?" "Sufficient to put between two beans,"-the words of Rabbi Judah; Rabbi Meier says, "sufficient to take away fire with it;" Rabbi Jose says, "sufficient to receive in it the fourth of a log." Said Rabbi Meier, "Although there is no visible proof of the matter, there is an indication of the matter, as is said, 'there shall not be found in the bursting of it a sherd to take fire from the hearth.' "(124) Rabbi Jose said to him, "thence is the visible proof, 'or to take water out of the pit.' "(125)

On The Pa.s.sover

Searching for Leaven-How Leaven Is to be Put Away-Restrictions with Regard to It-What Things Make Leaven-Leavening-Work on the Eve of the Pa.s.sover-Trades Allowed-Men of Jericho-Hezekiah-The Daily Offering-Intention-Slaughter of Pa.s.sover Offering-Mode of Proceeding-The Pa.s.sover on a Sabbath-Discussion Between R. Akiba and R. Eleazar-Roasting the Pa.s.sover-Various Contingencies-Hindrances-Rules and Directions-How the Pa.s.sover Is to be Eaten-Praise and Thanksgiving.

Chapter I

1. On the eve of the fourteenth day of Nisan(126) men search for leaven by candlelight. Every place where men do not bring in leaven, there is no need of search. "And wherefore do they say, two lines of barrels in the wine cellar?" "The place is meant into which persons bring leaven." The school of Shammai say, "two rows in front of the whole cellar." But the school of Hillel say, "the two outer lines on the top."

2. People need not suspect, lest perchance the weasel have slipped (with leaven) from house to house or from place to place. If so, from court to court, from city to city, there is no end to the matter.

3. Rabbi Judah said, "men search on the eve of the fourteenth and on the morning of the fourteenth day, and at the time of burning it." But the Sages say, "if one did not search on the eve of the fourteenth, he must search on the fourteenth; if he did not search on the fourteenth, he must search during the feast; if he did not search during the feast, he must search after the feast; and whatever remains, he shall leave well concealed, that there be no further need of search after it."

4. Rabbi Meier said, "men may eat it till five o'clock,(127) and burn it at the beginning of six." Rabbi Judah said, "they may eat it till four, and they are in suspense about five, but they burn it at the beginning of six."

5. And again said R. Judah, "two loaves of the disallowed praise-offering were placed on the portico of the Temple inclosure; whilst they were placed there, all the people might eat leaven. If one were taken down they were in suspense; they neither ate nor burned it. When both were taken down they began to burn it." Rabban Gamaliel said, "men may eat ordinary food till four o'clock, and the heave-offering till five o'clock, but they burned the leaven at six o'clock."

6. Rabbi Chanina, the deputy of the priesthood, said, "from the (first) days of the priesthood the priests did not object to burn the flesh rendered legally unclean(128) with the second degree of uncleanness, with the flesh rendered legally unclean with the first degree of uncleanness.

Even though they should add legal uncleanness to legal uncleanness." Rabbi Akiba went further and said, "from the (first) days of the priesthood the priests did not object to light the oil which was disallowed on the day of a man's baptism (who had been legally unclean), with a candle which was unclean with the uncleanness of the dead, even though they should add legal uncleanness to legal uncleanness."

7. Said R. Meier, "from their words we learn that men may burn the clean heave-offering of leaven, with that which is unclean, on account of the pa.s.sover." To him replied Rabbi Jose, "this is not the conclusion." But Rabbi Eliezer and Rabbi Joshua confess "that men should burn each by itself." And the contention is with regard to what is doubtful, and what is unclean. Because Rabbi Eliezer said, "thou shalt burn each by itself."

But R. Joshua said, "both at once."

Chapter II

1. The whole time that it is allowed to eat leaven, men may feed beasts with it, and wild animals and fowls, and they may sell it to a stranger.

And they are allowed to enjoy it in every way. When that season has pa.s.sed over its enjoyment is disallowed, and they must not heat with it an oven or a stove. Rabbi Judah said, "there is no riddance of leaven but by burning." But the Sages say, "also by powdering and scattering it to the wind, or casting it into the sea."