1. Hebrew Bible, Psalms, 25.14 (9th cent. BCE - 3rd cent. BCE)
| 25.14. סוֹד יְהוָה לִירֵאָיו וּבְרִיתוֹ לְהוֹדִיעָם׃ | 25.14. The counsel of the LORD is with them that fear Him; And His covet, to make them know it." |
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2. Hebrew Bible, Ruth, 1.4 (9th cent. BCE - 3rd cent. BCE)
| 1.4. וַיִּשְׂאוּ לָהֶם נָשִׁים מֹאֲבִיּוֹת שֵׁם הָאַחַת עָרְפָּה וְשֵׁם הַשֵּׁנִית רוּת וַיֵּשְׁבוּ שָׁם כְּעֶשֶׂר שָׁנִים׃ | 1.4. And they took them wives of the women of Moab: the name of the one was Orpah, and the name of the other Ruth; and they dwelt there about ten years." |
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3. Hebrew Bible, Ecclesiastes, 4.9 (5th cent. BCE - 2nd cent. BCE)
| 4.9. טוֹבִים הַשְּׁנַיִם מִן־הָאֶחָד אֲשֶׁר יֵשׁ־לָהֶם שָׂכָר טוֹב בַּעֲמָלָם׃ | 4.9. Two are better than one; because they have a good reward for their labour." |
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4. Septuagint, 1 Maccabees, 7.16 (2nd cent. BCE - 2nd cent. BCE)
| 7.16. So they trusted him; but he seized sixty of them and killed them in one day, in accordance with the word which was written |
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5. Mishnah, Avot, 1.1-1.4, 1.6-1.16, 2.4, 2.8, 2.10, 5.15 (1st cent. CE - 3rd cent. CE)
| 1.1. Moses received the torah at Sinai and transmitted it to Joshua, Joshua to the elders, and the elders to the prophets, and the prophets to the Men of the Great Assembly. They said three things: Be patient in [the administration of] justice, raise many disciples and make a fence round the Torah." 1.2. Shimon the Righteous was one of the last of the men of the great assembly. He used to say: the world stands upon three things: the Torah, the Temple service, and the practice of acts of piety." 1.3. Antigonus a man of Socho received [the oral tradition] from Shimon the Righteous. He used to say: do not be like servants who serve the master in the expectation of receiving a reward, but be like servants who serve the master without the expectation of receiving a reward, and let the fear of Heaven be upon you." 1.4. Yose ben Yoezer (a man) of Zeredah and Yose ben Yoha [a man] of Jerusalem received [the oral tradition] from them [i.e. Shimon the Righteous and Antigonus]. Yose ben Yoezer used to say: let thy house be a house of meeting for the Sages and sit in the very dust of their feet, and drink in their words with thirst." 1.6. Joshua ben Perahiah and Nittai the Arbelite received [the oral tradition] from them. Joshua ben Perahiah used to say: appoint for thyself a teacher, and acquire for thyself a companion and judge all men with the scale weighted in his favor." 1.7. Nittai the Arbelite used to say: keep a distance from an evil neighbor, do not become attached to the wicked, and do not abandon faith in [divine] retribution." 1.8. Judah ben Tabbai and Shimon ben Shetach received [the oral tradition] from them. Judah ben Tabbai said: do not [as a judge] play the part of an advocate; and when the litigants are standing before you, look upon them as if they were [both] guilty; and when they leave your presence, look upon them as if they were [both] innocent, when they have accepted the judgement." 1.9. Shimon ben Shetach used to say: be thorough in the interrogation of witnesses, and be careful with your words, lest from them they learn to lie." 1.10. Shemaiah and Abtalion received [the oral tradition] from them. Shemaiah used to say: love work, hate acting the superior, and do not attempt to draw near to the ruling authority." 1.11. Abtalion used to say: Sages be careful with your words, lest you incur the penalty of exile, and be carried off to a place of evil waters, and the disciples who follow you drink and die, and thus the name of heaven becomes profaned." 1.12. Hillel and Shammai received [the oral tradition] from them. Hillel used to say: be of the disciples of Aaron, loving peace and pursuing peace, loving mankind and drawing them close to the Torah." 1.13. He [also] used to say: one who makes his name great causes his name to be destroyed; one who does not add [to his knowledge] causes [it] to cease; one who does not study [the Torah] deserves death; on who makes [unworthy] use of the crown [of learning] shall pass away." 1.14. He [also] used to say: If I am not for myself, who is for me? But if I am for my own self [only], what am I? And if not now, when?" 1.15. Shammai used to say: make your [study of the] Torah a fixed practice; speak little, but do much; and receive all men with a pleasant countece." 1.16. Rabban Gamaliel used to say: appoint for thyself a teacher, avoid doubt, and do not make a habit of tithing by guesswork." 2.4. He used to say: do His will as though it were your will, so that He will do your will as though it were His. Set aside your will in the face of His will, so that he may set aside the will of others for the sake of your will. Hillel said: do not separate yourself from the community, Do not trust in yourself until the day of your death, Do not judge not your fellow man until you have reached his place. Do not say something that cannot be understood [trusting] that in the end it will be understood. Say not: ‘when I shall have leisure I shall study;’ perhaps you will not have leisure." 2.8. Rabban Yoha ben Zakkai received [the oral tradition] from Hillel and Shammai.He used to say: if you have learned much torah, do not claim credit for yourself, because for such a purpose were you created. Rabban Yoha ben Zakkai had five disciples and they were these: Rabbi Eliezer ben Hyrcanus, Rabbi Joshua ben Haiah, Rabbi Yose, the priest, Rabbi Shimon ben Nethaneel and Rabbi Eleazar ben Arach. He [Rabbi Joha] used to list their outstanding virtues: Rabbi Eliezer ben Hyrcanus is a plastered cistern which loses not a drop; Rabbi Joshua ben Haiah happy is the woman that gave birth to him; Rabbi Yose, the priest, is a pious man; Rabbi Simeon ben Nethaneel is one that fears sin, And Rabbi Eleazar ben Arach is like a spring that [ever] gathers force. He [Rabbi Yoha] used to say: if all the sages of Israel were on one scale of the balance and Rabbi Eliezer ben Hyrcanus on the other scale, he would outweigh them all. Abba Shaul said in his name: if all the sages of Israel were on one scale of the balance, and Rabbi Eliezer ben Hyrcanus also with them, and Rabbi Eleazar ben Arach on the other scale, he would outweigh them all." 2.10. They [each] said three things:Rabbi Eliezer said: Let the honor of your friend be as dear to you as your own; And be not easily provoked to anger; And repent one day before your death. And [he also said:] warm yourself before the fire of the wise, but beware of being singed by their glowing coals, for their bite is the bite of a fox, and their sting is the sting of a scorpion, and their hiss is the hiss of a serpent, and all their words are like coals of fire." 5.15. There are four types among those who sit before the sages: a sponge, a funnel, a strainer and a sieve.A sponge, soaks up everything; A funnel, takes in at one end and lets out at the other; A strainer, which lets out the wine and retains the lees; A sieve, which lets out the coarse meal and retains the choice flour." |
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6. Mishnah, Beitzah, 2.6-2.7 (1st cent. CE - 3rd cent. CE)
| 2.6. In three cases Rabban Gamaliel was strict like the words of Beth Shammai.One may not cover up hot food on Yom Tov for Shabbat; And one may not join together a lamp on a festival; And one may not bake [on Yom] thick loaves but only wafer-cakes. Rabban Gamaliel said: “In all their days, my father’s house never baked large loaves but only wafer-cakes.” They said to him: “What can we do with regards to your father’s house, for they were strict in respect to themselves but were lenient towards Israel to let them bake both large loaves and even charcoal-roasted loaves.”" 2.7. Also he declared three decisions of a lenient character:One may sweep up [on a festival] between the couches, And put spices [on the coals] on a festival; And roast a kid whole on the night of Passover. But the sages forbid them." |
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7. Mishnah, Berachot, 5.5 (1st cent. CE - 3rd cent. CE)
| 5.5. One who is praying and makes a mistake, it is a bad sign for him. And if he is the messenger of the congregation (the prayer leader) it is a bad sign for those who have sent him, because one’s messenger is equivalent to one’s self. They said about Rabbi Hanina ben Dosa that he used to pray for the sick and say, “This one will die, this one will live.” They said to him: “How do you know?” He replied: “If my prayer comes out fluently, I know that he is accepted, but if not, then I know that he is rejected.”" |
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8. Mishnah, Hagigah, 2.2, 2.7 (1st cent. CE - 3rd cent. CE)
| 2.2. Yose ben Yoezer says that [on a festival] the laying of the hands [on the head of a sacrifice] may not be performed. Yosef ben Joha says that it may be performed. Joshua ben Perahia says that it may not be performed. Nittai the Arbelite says that it may be performed. Judah ben Tabai says that it may not be performed. Shimon ben Shetah says that it may be performed. Shamayah says that it may be performed. Avtalyon says that it may not be performed. Hillel and Menahem did not dispute. Menahem went out, Shammai entered. Shammai says that it may not be performed. Hillel says that it may be performed. The former [of each] pair were patriarchs and the latter were heads of the court." 2.7. The garments of an am haaretz possess midras-impurity for Pharisees. The garments of Pharisees possess midras-impurity for those who eat terumah. The garments of those who eat terumah possess midras-impurity for [those who eat] sacred things. The garments of [those who eat] sacred things possess midras-impurity for [those who occupy themselves with the waters of] purification. Yose ben Yoezer was the most pious in the priesthood, yet his apron was [considered to possess] midras-impurity for [those who ate] sacred things. Yoha ben Gudgada all his life used to eat [unconsecrated food] in accordance with the purity required for sacred things, yet his apron was [considered to possess] midras-impurity for [those who occupied themselves with the water of] purification." |
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9. Mishnah, Megillah, 3.5 (1st cent. CE - 3rd cent. CE)
| 3.5. On Pesah we read from the portion of the festivals in Leviticus (Torat Kohanim) (Leviticus 23:4). On Shavuot, “Seven weeks” (Deuteronomy 16:9). On Rosh Hashanah “On the seventh day on the first of the month” (Leviticus 23:2. On Yom Hakippurim, “After the death” (Leviticus. On the first day of the Festival [of Sukkot] they read from the portion of the festivals in Leviticus, and on the other days of the Festival [of Sukkot] the [sections] on the offerings of the Festival." |
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10. Mishnah, Peah, 2.5-2.6 (1st cent. CE - 3rd cent. CE)
| 2.5. He who plants his field with one kind of seed, even though he makes up of it two threshing-floors, he gives only one peah [for the lot]. If he plants it of two kinds, even though he makes up of it one threshing-floor, he must give two peahs. One who plants his field with two species of wheat: If he makes up of it one threshing-floor, he gives only one peah; But if two threshing-floors, he gives two peahs." 2.6. It happened that Rabbi Shimon of Mitzpah planted his field [with two different kinds] and came before Rabban Gamaliel. They both went up to the Chamber of Hewn Stone and asked [about the law]. Nahum the scribe said: I have a tradition from Rabbi Meyasha, who received it from Abba, who received it from the pairs [of sage], who received it from the prophets, a halakhah of Moses from Sinai, that one who plants his field with two species of wheat, if he makes up of it one threshing-floor, he gives only one peah, but if two threshing-floors, he gives two peahs." |
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11. Mishnah, Sotah, 3.4 (1st cent. CE - 3rd cent. CE)
| 3.4. She had barely finished drinking when her face turns yellow, her eyes protrude and her veins swell. And [those who see her] exclaim, “Remove her! Remove her, so that the temple-court should not be defiled”. If she had merit, it [causes the water] to suspend its effect upon her. Some merit suspends the effect for one year, some merit suspends the effects for two years, and some merit suspends the effect for three years. Hence Ben Azzai said: a person must teach his daughter Torah, so that if she has to drink [the water of bitterness], she should know that the merit suspends its effect. Rabbi Eliezer says: whoever teaches his daughter Torah teaches her lasciviousness. Rabbi Joshua says: a woman prefers one kav (of food) and sexual indulgence to nine kav and sexual separation. He used to say, a foolish pietist, a cunning wicked person, a female separatist, and the blows of separatists bring destruction upon the world." |
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12. Mishnah, Yadayim, 4.3 (1st cent. CE - 3rd cent. CE)
| 4.3. On that day they said: what is the law applying to Ammon and Moab in the seventh year? Rabbi Tarfon decreed tithe for the poor. And Rabbi Elazar ben Azariah decreed second tithe. Rabbi Ishmael said: Elazar ben Azariah, you must produce your proof because you are expressing the stricter view and whoever expresses a stricter view has the burden to produce the proof. Rabbi Elazar ben Azariah said to him: Ishmael, my brother, I have not deviated from the sequence of years, Tarfon, my brother, has deviated from it and the burden is upon him to produce the proof. Rabbi Tarfon answered: Egypt is outside the land of Israel, Ammon and Moab are outside the land of Israel: just as Egypt must give tithe for the poor in the seventh year, so must Ammon and Moab give tithe for the poor in the seventh year. Rabbi Elazar ben Azariah answered: Babylon is outside the land of Israel, Ammon and Moab are outside the land of Israel: just as Babylon must give second tithe in the seventh year, so must Ammon and Moab give second tithe in the seventh year. Rabbi Tarfon said: on Egypt which is near, they imposed tithe for the poor so that the poor of Israel might be supported by it during the seventh year; so on Ammon and Moab which are near, we should impose tithe for the poor so that the poor of Israel may be supported by it during the seventh year. Rabbi Elazar ben Azariah said to him: Behold, you are like one who would benefit them with gain, yet you are really as one who causes them to perish. Would you rob the heavens so that dew or rain should not descend? As it is said, \"Will a man rob God? Yet you rob me. But you: How have we robbed You? In tithes and heave-offerings\" (Malakhi 3:8). Rabbi Joshua said: Behold, I shall be as one who replies on behalf of Tarfon, my brother, but not in accordance with the substance of his arguments. The law regarding Egypt is a new act and the law regarding Babylon is an old act, and the law which is being argued before us is a new act. A new act should be argued from [another] new act, but a new act should not be argued from an old act. The law regarding Egypt is the act of the elders and the law regarding Babylon is the act of the prophets, and the law which is being argued before us is the act of the elders. Let one act of the elders be argued from [another] act of the elders, but let not an act of the elders be argued from an act of the prophets. The votes were counted and they decided that Ammon and Moab should give tithe for the poor in the seventh year. And when Rabbi Yose ben Durmaskit visited Rabbi Eliezer in Lod he said to him: what new thing did you have in the house of study today? He said to him: their votes were counted and they decided that Ammon and Moab must give tithe for the poor in the seventh year. Rabbi Eliezer wept and said: \"The counsel of the Lord is with them that fear him: and his covet, to make them know it\" (Psalms 25:14). Go and tell them: Don't worry about your voting. I received a tradition from Rabbi Yoha ben Zakkai who heard it from his teacher, and his teacher from his teacher, and so back to a halachah given to Moses from Sinai, that Ammon and Moab must give tithe for the poor in the seventh year." |
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13. New Testament, 1 Corinthians, 11.17-11.34 (1st cent. CE - 1st cent. CE)
| 11.17. But in giving you this command, I don't praise you, that youcome together not for the better but for the worse. 11.18. For firstof all, when you come together in the assembly, I hear that divisionsexist among you, and I partly believe it. 11.19. For there also mustbe factions among you, that those who are approved may be revealedamong you. 11.20. When therefore you assemble yourselves together, itis not possible to eat the Lord's supper. 11.21. For in your eatingeach one takes his own supper before others. One is hungry, and anotheris drunken. 11.22. What, don't you have houses to eat and to drink in?Or do you despise God's assembly, and put them to shame who don't have?What shall I tell you? Shall I praise you? In this I don't praise you. 11.23. For I received from the Lord that which also I delivered toyou, that the Lord Jesus on the night in which he was betrayed tookbread. 11.24. When he had given thanks, he broke it, and said, "Take,eat. This is my body, which is broken for you. Do this in memory ofme. 11.25. In the same way he also took the cup, after supper,saying, "This cup is the new covet in my blood. Do this, as often asyou drink, in memory of me. 11.26. For as often as you eat this breadand drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes. 11.27. Therefore whoever eats this bread or drinks the Lord's cup i unworthy manner will be guilty of the body and the blood of theLord. 11.28. But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of thebread, and drink of the cup. 11.29. For he who eats and drinks in anunworthy manner eats and drinks judgment to himself, if he doesn'tdiscern the Lord's body. 11.30. For this cause many among you are weakand sickly, and not a few sleep. 11.31. For if we discerned ourselves,we wouldn't be judged. 11.32. But when we are judged, we are punishedby the Lord, that we may not be condemned with the world. 11.33. Therefore, my brothers, when you come together to eat, wait one foranother. 11.34. But if anyone is hungry, let him eat at home, lestyour coming together be for judgment. The rest I will set in orderwhenever I come. |
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14. New Testament, Galatians, 3.28 (1st cent. CE - 1st cent. CE)
| 3.28. There is neither Jewnor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is neither malenor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. |
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15. New Testament, Luke, 22.19 (1st cent. CE - 1st cent. CE)
| 22.19. He took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it, and gave to them, saying, "This is my body which is given for you. Do this in memory of me. |
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16. New Testament, Mark, 9 (1st cent. CE - 1st cent. CE)
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17. Tosefta, Ketuvot, 7.6 (1st cent. CE - 2nd cent. CE)
| 7.6. All of these women that transgressed custom need [a formal, legal] warning [in order to] go out without the ketubah. If they were not warned, he sends her out and pays her ketubah—and they don't need to [this about] say 200 for a virgin or 100 for a non-virgin [that of course if she leaves without her ketubah she doesn't get this money], but even more than this, even if her ketubah is 100 maneh, she can lose it all and receive only the rags that she can find in front of her." |
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18. Tosefta, Sukkah, 3.1 (1st cent. CE - 2nd cent. CE)
| 3.1. The lulav suspends the Sabbath in the beginning of its duty, and the willow in the end of its duty. There is a story that some Boethusians once hid the willows under some great stones on the Sabbath eve; but when this had become known to the common people they came and dragged them out from under the stones on the Sabbath, for the Boethusians do not acknowledge that the beating of the willow suspends the Sabbath." |
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19. Babylonian Talmud, Berachot, 24a (3rd cent. CE - 6th cent. CE)
| 24a. כל לנטורינהו טפי עדיף והיכא מנח להו אמר ר' ירמיה בין כר לכסת שלא כנגד ראשו,והא תני רבי חייא מניחן בכובע תחת מראשותיו דמפיק ליה למורשא דכובע לבר,בר קפרא צייר להו בכילתא ומפיק למורשהון לבר רב שישא בריה דרב אידי מנח להו אשרשיפא ופריס סודרא עלוייהו,אמר רב המנונא בריה דרב יוסף זימנא חדא הוה קאימנא קמיה דרבא ואמר לי זיל אייתי לי תפילין ואשכחתינהו בין כר לכסת שלא כנגד ראשו והוה ידענא דיום טבילה הוה ולאגמורן הלכה למעשה הוא דעבד,בעי מיניה רב יוסף בריה דרב נחוניא מרב יהודה שנים שישנים במטה אחת מהו שזה יחזיר פניו ויקרא ק"ש וזה יחזיר פניו ויקרא ק"ש א"ל הכי אמר שמואל ואפילו אשתו עמו,מתקיף לה רב יוסף אשתו ולא מיבעיא אחר אדרבה אשתו כגופו אחר לאו כגופו,מיתיבי שנים שישנים במטה אחת זה מחזיר פניו וקורא וזה מחזיר פניו וקורא ותניא אחריתי הישן במטה ובניו ובני ביתו בצדו הרי זה לא יקרא ק"ש אא"כ היתה טלית מפסקת ביניהן ואם היו בניו ובני ביתו קטנים מותר,בשלמא לרב יוסף לא קשיא הא באשתו הא באחר אלא לשמואל קשיא,אמר לך שמואל לרב יוסף מי ניחא והתניא היה ישן במטה ובניו ובני ביתו במטה לא יקרא ק"ש אא"כ היתה טליתו מפסקת ביניהן אלא מאי אית לך למימר אשתו לרב יוסף תנאי היא לדידי נמי תנאי היא:,אמר מר זה מחזיר פניו וקורא ק"ש והא איכא עגבות מסייע ליה לרב הונא דא"ר הונא עגבות אין בהם משום ערוה לימא מסייע ליה לרב הונא האשה יושבת וקוצה לה חלתה ערומה מפני שיכולה לכסות פניה בקרקע אבל לא האיש,תרגמה רב נחמן בר יצחק כגון שהיו פניה טוחות בקרקע:,אמר מר אם היו בניו ובני ביתו קטנים מותר ועד כמה אמר רב חסדא תינוקת בת שלש שנים ויום אחד ותינוק בן ט' שנים ויום אחד איכא דאמרי תינוקת בת י"א שנה ויום אחד ותינוק בן שתים עשרה שנה ויום אחד אידי ואידי עד כדי (יחזקאל טז, ז) שדים נכונו ושערך צמח,א"ל רב כהנא לרב אשי התם אמר רבא אע"ג דתיובתא דשמואל הלכתא כוותיה דשמואל הכא מאי אמר ליה אטו כולהו בחדא מחתא מחתינהו אלא היכא דאיתמר איתמר והיכא דלא איתמר לא איתמר,א"ל רב מרי לרב פפא שער יוצא בבגדו מהו קרא עליה שער שער:,א"ר יצחק טפח באשה ערוה למאי אילימא לאסתכולי בה והא א"ר ששת למה מנה הכתוב תכשיטין שבחוץ עם תכשיטין שבפנים לומר לך כל המסתכל באצבע קטנה של אשה כאילו מסתכל במקום התורף,אלא באשתו ולק"ש,אמר רב חסדא שוק באשה ערוה שנאמר (ישעיהו מז, ב) גלי שוק עברי נהרות וכתיב (ישעיהו מז, ג) תגל ערותך וגם תראה חרפתך אמר שמואל קול באשה ערוה שנא' (שיר השירים ב, יד) כי קולך ערב ומראך נאוה אמר רב ששת שער באשה ערוה שנא' (שיר השירים ד, א) שערך כעדר העזים:,אמר ר' חנינא אני ראיתי את רבי שתלה תפיליו מיתיבי התולה תפיליו יתלו לו חייו,דורשי חמורות אמרו (דברים כח, סו) והיו חייך תלואים לך מנגד זה התולה תפיליו,לא קשיא הא ברצועה הא בקציצה,ואיבעית אימא לא שנא רצועה ולא שנא קציצה אסור וכי תלה רבי בכיסתא תלה,אי הכי מאי למימרא מהו דתימא תיבעי הנחה כספר תורה קמ"ל:,ואמר ר' חנינא אני ראיתי את רבי שגיהק ופיהק ונתעטש ורק | 24a. Because bwhateveroffers more bprotection is preferableeven at the cost of deprecation. bAnd whereunder his head bdoes he place them? Rabbi Yirmeya said:He places them bbetween the pillow and the mattress, notdirectly baligned with his headbut rather a bit to the side.,The Gemara asks: bDidn’t Rabbi Ḥiyya teach a ibaraitathat in that case bhe places them in a pouchused for phylacteries, directly bunder his head?The Gemara replies: He does so in a manner bthat the bulgein the bpouch,where the phylacteries are, bprotrudes outand is not beneath his head.,On this note, the Gemara relates that bBar Kappara would tie them inhis bbed curtain and project their bulge outward. Rav Sheisha, son of Rav Idi, would place them on a bench and spread a cloth over them. /b, bRav Hamnuna, son of Rav Yosef, said: I was once standing before Rava and he told me: Goand bbring memy bphylacteries. And I found themin his bed, bbetween the mattress and the pillow, not aligned with his head. And I knewthat bit was the day ofhis wife’s bimmersionin the ritual bath for purification from the ritual impurity of a menstruating woman, and he certainly engaged in marital relations in order to fulfill the mitzva, band he did so,he sent me to bring him his phylacteries, bto teach us the practical ihalakha /iin that case., bRav Yosef, son of Rav Neḥunya,who raised a dilemma above, braised a dilemma before Rav Yehuda: Two individuals sleeping in a single bed,given that it was standard practice to sleep without clothing, bwhat isthe ihalakha /i; is it permissible bfor thisone bto turn his headaside band recite iShemaand for thatone bturns his head and recites iShema /i;or is it prohibited because they are unclothed and are considered unfit to recite iShemaeven though they are covered with a blanket? bHe said to him: Shmuel said as follows:This is permitted bevenif bhis wifeis in bed bwith him. /b, bRav Yosef strongly objects tothis response: You say that he is permitted to recite iShemain bed with bhis wife, and needless to sayhe is permitted to do so when in bed with banother. On the contrary,since bhis wife is like his own flesh,and he will not have lustful thoughts of her, it is permitted; banother is not like his own fleshand it is prohibited.,The Gemara braises an objectionto this from the resolution of an apparent contradiction between two ibaraitot /i. It was taught in one ibaraita /i: bTwounclothed bindividuals who are sleeping in a single bed, thisone bturns his headaside band recites iShema band thatone bturns his headaside band recites iShema /i. bAnd it was taught in another ibaraita /i: bOne who is sleeping in bed and hisunclothed bchildren and members of his household are beside him, may not recite iShemaunless a garment separates between them. If his children and the members of his household were minors, it is permittedto recite iShemaeven without a garment separating between them., bGranted, according to Rav Yosef,the apparent contradiction between the two ibaraitot bis not difficult,as bthis ibaraitais referring to a case bwhere his wifeis in the bed with him, bwhile thisother ibaraitais referring to a case bwhere anotherperson is in bed with him and there is concern lest he will have lustful thoughts. bHowever, according to Shmuel,who permits one to recite iShemaregardless of who is in bed with him, bit isindeed bdifficult.How would he interpret the ibaraitathat prohibits?,The Gemara replies: bShmuelcould have bsaid to you: And according to Rav Yosef’sopinion, bdoes itwork out bwell? Wasn’t it taughtin that same ibaraitathat bone who is sleeping in bed and his children and members of his household are beside him, may not recite iShemaunless a garment separates between them?Doesn’t Rav Yosef hold that his wife is like his own flesh and no separation is necessary? bRather, what have you to sayin response? bRav Yosef holds that there is a tannaiticdispute in the case of bone’s wife; I, too, hold that it is a tannaiticdispute, and I accept the ruling of one of the ibaraitot /i.,The Gemara reverts to clarify something mentioned above. bThe Master saidin a ibaraita /i: bThisone bturns his headaside band recites iShema. /iThe Gemara notes a difficulty: bAren’t therebare bbuttocks?This bsupportsthe opinion of bRav Huna, as Rav Huna said: Buttocks do not constitute nakedness. Let us saythat the following mishna bsupports Rav Huna’sopinion: bA woman sits and separates her iḥallanaked,despite the fact that she must recite a blessing over the separation of the iḥalla /i, bbecause she can cover her face,a euphemism for her genitals, bin the ground, but a male,whose genitals are not covered when he sits, may bnotdo so. The mishna teaches that exposed buttocks do not constitute nakedness., bRav Naḥman bar Yitzḥak interpretedthe mishna as referring to ba case where her face,genitals, bwas completely covered in the groundsuch that her posterior was covered by the ground. Therefore, proof for Rav Huna’s opinion cannot be brought from this mishna., bThe Master saidin a ibaraita /i: bIf his children and the members of his household were minors,even though they are unclothed, bit is permittedto recite iShemaeven without a garment separating between them. The Gemara asks: bUntil whatage is one still considered a minor? bRav Ḥisda said: A girluntil she is bthree years and one day old, and a boyuntil bhe is nine years and one day old,for these are the ages from which a sexual act in which they participate is considered a sexual act. bSome say: A girl eleven years and one day old and a boy of twelve years and one day old,as that is the age at which they are considered adults in this regard. This age is only approximate, as the age of majority for both bthis,the boy, band that,the girl, is batthe onset of puberty in accordance with the verse: b“Your breasts were formed and your hair was grown”(Ezekiel 16:7)., bRav Kahana said to Rav Ashi: There,with regard to the law of phylacteries, bRava said: Despite a conclusive refutationof the opinion bof Shmuel, the ihalakhais in accordance withthe opinion bof Shmuel. Here, whatis the ruling? bHe said to him: Were all of them woven in the sameact of bweaving?Are there no distinctions between different cases? bRather, where it is stated, it is stated, and where it is not stated, it is not stated,and there is no comparison., bRav Mari said to Rav Pappa:Does it constitute nakedness bif one’spubic bhair protruded from his garment?Rav Pappa said babout him: A hair, a hair.You are splitting hairs and being pedantic over trivialities., bRabbi Yitzḥak stated: Anexposed bhandbreadth in a womanconstitutes bnakedness.The Gemara asks: Regarding bwhich ihalakhawas this said? bIf you saythat it comes to prohibit blooking atan exposed handbreadth in bher, didn’t Rav Sheshet say: Why did the verse enumerate“anklets and bracelets, rings, earrings and girdles” (Numbers 31:50), bjewelry that isworn bexternally,over her clothing, e.g., bracelets, btogether with jewelryworn binternally,beneath her clothing, near her nakedness, e.g., girdles? This was bto tell you: Anyone who gazes upon a woman’s little fingeris considered bas if he gazed upon hernaked bgenitals,for if his intentions are impure, it makes no difference where he looks or how much is exposed; even less than a handbreadth., bRather,it is referring even to bhis wife, with regard tothe brecitation of iShema /i.One may not recite iShemabefore an exposed handbreadth of his wife.,Along these lines, bRav Ḥisda said:Even ba woman’sexposed blegis considered bnakedness, as it is stated: “Uncover the leg and pass through the rivers”(Isaiah 47:2), band it is writtenin the following verse: b“Your nakedness shall be revealed and your shame shall be seen”(Isaiah 47:3). bShmuelfurther bstated: A woman’ssinging bvoice isconsidered bnakedness,which he derives from the praise accorded a woman’s voice, bas it is stated: “Sweet is your voice and your countece is alluring”(Song of Songs 2:14). Similarly, bRav Sheshet stated:Even ba woman’s hair isconsidered bnakedness,for it too is praised, bas it is written: “Your hair is like a flock of goats,trailing down from Mount Gilead” (Song of Songs 4:1).,The Gemara resumes its discussion of phylacteries. bRabbi Ḥanina said: I saw RabbiYehuda HaNasi bhang his phylacteries.The Gemara braises an objection:It was taught in a ibaraitathat bone who hangs his phylacteries will have his life hangin the balance.,Moreover, bthe Symbolic Interpretersof the Torah bsaidthat the verse: b“And your life shall hang in doubt before you [ iminneged /i]”(Deuteronomy 28:66), that is the punishment of bone who hangs his phylacteries. /b,The Gemara replies: This apparent contradiction bis not difficult, as this ibaraita /i, which condemns one who hangs his phylacteries, refers to one who hangs them bby the strap,allowing the leather boxes into which the parchment is placed to dangle in a deprecating way, which is certainly prohibited. bThat ibaraita /i, which relates that Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi would hang his phylacteries and that it is clearly permitted, refers to when one hangs them bfrom the boxwith the straps dangling., bAnd if you wish, sayanother explanation instead: bThere is no differencewhether he hangs the phylacteries from the bstrap and there is no differencewhether he hangs the phylacteries from bthe box;both bare prohibited. And when RabbiYehuda HaNasi bhunghis phylacteries, bhe hung them intheir bpouch. /b,The Gemara asks: bIf so, whatis the purpose bto relatethat incident? The Gemara replies: bLest you saythat phylacteries bwould require placementatop a surface, basis the custom with ba Torah scroll.Therefore, bit teaches usthat this is unnecessary.,Since Rabbi Ḥanina related a story involving Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi, the Gemara cites another such story. bRabbi Ḥanina said: I saw RabbiYehuda HaNasi, while he was praying, bbelch, yawn, sneeze, spit, /b |
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20. Anon., Avot Derabbi Nathan A, 40, 3 (6th cent. CE - 8th cent. CE)
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21. Anon., Avot Derabbi Nathan B, 24, 29, 23 (6th cent. CE - 8th cent. CE)
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