2,711 pages of Talmud. A gem a day.

Avodah Zarah 33

How do you make something kosher? We have learned that metal can be put into fire. But what of other materials?

Clay: Rabbi Yoḥanan says: With regard to jugs belonging to gentiles that one returned to the furnace, once their tar has disintegrated they are permitted.

But what of wine skins? They can’t be put into a furnace!

The Gemara relates a relevant incident. Bar Adi the Arab seized certain wineskins from Rav Yitzḥak bar Yosef, placed wine in them for an extended period of time, and then returned them to him. Rav Yitzḥak bar Yosef came and asked in the study hall what course of action he should take. Rabbi Yirmeya said to him: This is what Rabbi Ami instructed me to do in terms of practical halakha: One fills the skins with water for three days, so that the water will absorb the flavor of the wine, and then pours the water out. And Rava says: In addition, one must pour out the water in them every twenty-four-hour period and then refill them. Once this has been performed, the wineskins will be permitted.

Our predecessor for soaking things! I feel like i do this with dishes and with stained clothes . . . Now I know when to do it to re-kasher.

Avodah Zarah 32

Two great short gems today. The first is magic pottery from the Hadrianic monarchy that so absorbed wine that it can be used like a tea bag to produce wine that tastes better than any the rabbis had in their day.

The mishna teaches: And Hadrianic earthenware is prohibited. The Gemara asks: What is Hadrianic earthenware? Rav Yehuda says that Shmuel says: It is earthenware of Emperor Hadrian. When Rav Dimi came, he said: There was an expanse of virgin soil that no man had ever tilled before, and Hadrian tilled it and planted grapevines in it, which yielded wine of the highest quality. And they placed this wine in white jugs, and the jugs absorbed the wine. And they would break the jugs into shards and carry the shards with them, and anywhere that they stopped, they soaked these shards in water and drank the water. The Gemara notes that Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi says: And our first-rate wine is like the wine produced by the third usage of their Hadrianic earthenware.

Of course I want to try it – but it’s forbidden! (Can you imagine people seeping pottery shards in water to drink? I guess people do stranger things.)

The second gem is a fabulous one. Why do we have to know who said what? Did anyone disagree? Why not just tell us the final answer? Well, because there is a big difference between understanding and simply parroting. We can all follow rules (well, technically we can even if we don’t), but what’s more important is to really understand.

Abaye said to Rav Yosef: If one rules that the halakha is in accordance with the opinion of Rabban Shimon ben Gamliel, does that mean by inference that the Rabbis disagree, or perhaps there is no dispute and everyone accepts the opinion of Rabban Shimon ben Gamliel? Rav Yosef said to him: What difference is there to you whether or not the Rabbis disagree? In either case the halakha is in accordance with the opinion of Rabban Shimon ben Gamliel. Abaye said to him, invoking a folk expression with regard to one who learns without achieving understanding: Is it simply learn the lesson; let it be like a song? In other words, is it sufficient to simply parrot the halakhic ruling? No; it is necessary to examine an issue to understand it even if it does not yield a practical halakhic difference.

Now, if only we used that in school . . . we often learn the right answers, but not how to think.

Avodah Zarah 31

Know the book, If you give a mouse a cookie . . .

It was stated: For what reason did the Sages prohibit the beer of gentiles? Rami bar Ḥama says that Rabbi Yitzḥak says: It is due to the concern that Jews will befriend gentiles while drinking with them, which might lead to marriage with gentiles.

Don’t drink beers with non-Jews, or you will end up marrying them. By the way, what’s the problem with marrying them? They will make you bow down to their idols.

Talk about reading a lot into something little!

But not all rabbis think you can’t drink with them because you’ll end up marrying them.

Rav Naḥman said: It is due to the concern of exposure.

So, we learn two things: 1) cover your drinks so things (specifically snake venom) don’t fall into the drink, and 2) be careful who you get drinks with, you never know where it will lead.

Avodah Zarah 30

When my grandfather was older and declining, nothing would give him more energy then asking him a halakhic question (a question about Jewish law). This seen on today’s daf made me think of him.

When Rabbi Yannai bar Yishmael became ill, Rabbi Yishmael ben Zeirud and other Sages went to him to inquire about his health. They were seated, and this very dilemma was raised before them: With regard to cooked wine, is it subject to the halakha of exposure, or is it not subject to the halakha of exposure? Rabbi Yishmael ben Zeirud said to them: This is what Rabbi Shimon ben Lakish says in the name of a great man. Parenthetically, the Gemara asks: And who is this great man? He is Rabbi Ḥiyya. He said: Cooked wine is not subject to the halakha of exposure. The Sages said to Rabbi Yishmael ben Zeirud: Shall we rely on this claim? Rabbi Yannai bar Yishmael motioned to them: Upon me and upon my neck, i.e., you can certainly rely on this claim.

I love this, the sick rabbi is not only included in the conversation, he has the final answer and the final say. It reminds us that people want to be themselves, not just patients, even when they’re sick.

Avodah Zarah 29

A great gift my parents gave me was taking me to shows as a child. I remember watching the musical Sweeney Todd as an elementary school student. If you don’t know the story, a barber wants revenge on a judge and so makes a deal with a baker where he will kill the judge and the baker will use the meat for meat pies. It’s super dark and I remember people laughing. I was too young and too shocked to find it amusing. But it certainly stuck. And it came ot mind reading today’s daf.

The mishna teaches: And one may not have his hair cut by gentiles anywhere. The Sages taught in a baraita: A Jew who has his hair cut by a gentile should observe the gentile’s actions in a mirror while he cuts his hair.

Why? Because he might get murdered. As we see with this story:

The Gemara relates a relevant incident: Rav Ḥana bar Bizna was having his hair cut by a gentile in one of the side streets of Neharde’a. The barber said to him: Ḥana, Ḥana; Your throat is appealing to the razor. Rav Ḥana bar Bizna said: I have this coming to me, as I violated the ruling of Rabbi Meir, who stated that one may not have his hair cut by a gentile in any location.

So, what do we do if we can only go to a gentile barber?

The Master said: A Jew who has his hair cut by a gentile should observe the gentile’s actions in a mirror. (Implying the mirror will enable him to see what the barber is doing.) The Gemara asks: What are the circumstances of this case? If it is referring to a haircut performed in a public domain, why do I need a mirror? After all, the gentile will not harm a Jew in public. And if it occurs in a private domain, even if the Jews observes the gentile’s actions, what of it? How does the fact that the Jew is watching prevent the gentile barber from harming him? The Gemara explains: Actually, this is referring to a haircut in a private domain, but since there is a mirror in place, the Jew appears as an important person whom the gentile will hesitate to attack.

Apparently, mirrors were a sign of wealth and importance. If the barber murdered an important person, surely others would find out!

Tell that to Sweeney Todd whose first victim was quite important indeed.

I may go watch the made for TV version. I haven’t seen this since childhood and yet the story is still right there . . .

Avodah Zarah 28

Today’s daf gives a lot or “cures” for illnesses (and makes me so grateful for our current healthcare system). One of them some still swear by today! You may not guess what it is at first, but the daf give three methods of the “cure” for ear troubles.

The Gemara adds: And if this is not possible, he should bring the fat of a large beetle and melt it and apply it to the ear. And if not, he should fill his ear with oil and prepare seven wicks made of alfalfa [aspasta] and bring dried garlic ends, and tie the ends to the wicks with a strip of hair at one end, and set the wicks aflame. And he should place the other end of each wick in his ear one at a time, and place his ear opposite the flame. Parenthetically, the Gemara notes: And he should be cautious of drafts and avoid them, as they will harm his ear. The Gemara continues: And he should take one wick and remove one wick, i.e., replace each wick as it is consumed until all seven have been used.

The Gemara presents another version of this remedy: And if not, he should bring seven wicks of wax tapers and smear them with alfalfa oil, and place one end of each wick in the flame and one end in his ear, and take one wick and remove one wick. And again he should be cautious of drafts.

And if this is not possible, he should bring fiber that was dried but not combed and place it in his ear, and then bring his ear opposite the flame. And he should be cautious of drafts. And if not, he should bring the tube of an aged reed that is one hundred years old, i.e., that has been detached from the ground for a century, and salt it with rock salt and then burn it and stick it in his ear.

What are these all describing? Ear candling! It’s kinda gross, not scientifically backed, but a tradition that goes back to Talmudic times. And some still like it today. I’ll stick with plain old hygiene. If I get an ear infection? I will see the doctor. Thanks.

Avodah Zarah 27

As a rabbi, I get rare insights into the lives of others. In my congregation, I have seem a woman in her early 60s forgo any breast cancer treatment because she didn’t want to suffer the effects of treatment while a woman in her 90s just had surgery and and is in treatment to fight hers.

While doctors certainly have recommendations, it’s ultimately up to us where, when, and what treatment we may seek for our ailments.

Yesterday, the daf was discussing the dangers of visiting a non-Jewish midwife. Today, they worry about non-Jewish physicians. Clearly, the rabbis were living in a time of Jewish persecution and, therefor, distrust that they could put their lives into the hands of the non-Jewish majority that saw them as less than. But what if you’re going to die if nothing is done. What then?

The Gemara analyzes a situation in which one may receive medical attention from gentiles. Rava says that Rabbi Yoḥanan says, and some say that it was Rav Ḥisda who says that Rabbi Yoḥanan says: If there is uncertainty as to whether a patient will live through his ailment or die from it, the patient may not be treated by gentile doctors, due to the concern that a gentile doctor may kill him. But if it is certain that he will die from his affliction if he does not receive medical attention, the patient is treated by them, as it is possible that a gentile physician will save him.

The Gemara challenges: Even if it is certain that the patient will die if he is not treated, nevertheless, there is value in temporal life, i.e., it is preferable for the Jew to live as long as his ailment permits rather than risking a premature death at the hands of a gentile physician. The Gemara explains: We are not concerned with the value of temporal life when there is a possibility of permanent recovery, and therefore it is preferable to receive medical attention from a gentile despite the risk involved.

Temporal life . . . that’s the debate. Sometimes (not always, but sometimes) treatment is a gamble. Sometimes surgery is a gamble. It’s a long shot for a shot at recovery or more life. But we do risk that “temporal life” being cut short or worsening with treatment. Our daf really struggles with the right thing to do. So so so many who receive tough diagnosis. Even I didn’t know if I really needed to have radiation, and then if I really had to be on tamoxifen, after my cancer treatment. In my case, I suffered the temporal drawbacks of all those side effects for the hope that I was extending my life, curing my cancer.

I do hope that in the world to come I will find out if I made the right gamble. In the mean time, here I am, almost 13 years after diagnosis. So far so good.

Avodah Zarah 26

My father’s parents were survivors of the Holocaust. They lost their homes, their lives . . . in the case of my grandpa, he lost his first wife and daughter. They met in a DP (Displaced Persons) camp, married, and my grandmother became pregnant. When it was time to deliver the baby, she was taken to the hospital in Regensburg. While delivering the baby, who had been kicking and moving before birth, the baby boy died. When my grandfather looked at his body, he saw the neck had been stretched and contorted. The German nurse had pulled the baby from my grandmother’s womb by pulling it’s head, a malicious act.

Which leads to today’s daf.

GEMARA: The Gemara cites a dispute related to the ruling of the mishna. The Sages taught: A Jewish woman may not deliver the child of a gentile woman because in doing so she is delivering a child who will engage in idol worship. And one may not allow a gentile woman to deliver the child of a Jewish woman because gentiles are suspected of bloodshed; this is the statement of Rabbi Meir.

And the Rabbis say: One may allow a gentile woman to deliver the child of a Jewish woman when other women are standing over her watching her actions, but not when they are alone together. And Rabbi Meir says: Even when other women are standing over her one may not allow a gentile woman to deliver the child of a Jewish woman, because there are times when the midwife places her hand on the infant’s temple and kills him by applying pressure to the area, and the act is not seen.

This is like that incident involving a certain gentile woman who said to her fellow gentile: You are the midwife of Jewish women, the daughter of a midwife of Jewish women. This was meant as an insult. In response, the other gentile said to her: May as many evils befall that woman, i.e., you, as the number of Jewish infants that I have killed, as I extract blood from them like the foam [ufeya] of a river. This gentile midwife claimed to have caused the deaths of many Jewish children.

Makes my heart break.

My grandfather asked around after the incident that happened to them, with the death of their son. They learned 150 babies had been murdered this way. Even after the Holocaust, Germans were still disgusted by Jews and figuring out how to kill us.

Today is a different day. May we never return to such times, times when someone was able to look into the innocent eyes of a baby and see no humanity.

Avodah Zarah 25

In the Book of Joshua 10:13 we read: And the sun stood still
And the moon halted,
While a nation wreaked judgment on its foes
—as is written in the Book of Jashar. Thus the sun halted in midheaven, and did not press on to set, for a whole day;

And in II Samuel 1:18 we read: … It is recorded in the Book of Jashar.

What is this book of Jashar? (Pronounced in Hebrew, “Yashar”.)

It seems to be a lost ancient book that our ancestors Joshua and Samuel knew and referred to. Many forgeries have claimed to be the “found” book of Jashar. Today, our daf gives another theory.

The Gemara asks: What is the book of Yashar? Rabbi Ḥiyya bar Abba says that Rabbi Yoḥanan says: This is Genesis, which is the book of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, who were called righteous [yesharim], as it is stated: “Let me die the death of the righteous [yesharim]” (Numbers 23:10).

Could this be the answer to the mystery? The book of Yashar simply refers to the book of the Yesharim, the upright: Abraham, Isaac and Jacob a.k.a. Genesis.

It’s possible. Unlike the other books of the Torah, Genesis is not about law, it is about people who tried to live righteous lives in a corrupt world.

Most of me believes the daf. But there is that part of me that wants to be the one to discover this lost book. I can only imagine how it would change the world.

Avodah Zarah 24

Today’s Torah reading was parshat Balak, where Bilam is hired to curse the Israelites and on his way his donkey opens up her mouth and speaks, saying an angel of the Lord is in their path. This makes today’s gem a little less surprising . . .

The Gemara further analyzes the episode involving the cows sent by the Philistines. The verse states: “And the cattle took the straight [vayyisharna] way, on the way to Beit Shemesh; they went along the highway, lowing as they went” (I Samuel 6:12). The Gemara asks: What is the meaning of the word vayyisharna? Rabbi Yoḥanan says in the name of Rabbi Meir: It means that they recited a song [shira]. And Rav Zutra bar Toviyya says that Rav says: It means that they straightened [yishru] their faces so that they were opposite the Ark and recited a song.

Okay, let’s unpack what’s happening. This little gem is a midrash based on the Bible’s telling of how the Ark of The Covenant was returned to the Israelites. The Philistines brought the Ark which was pulled by cows as they headed towards Bet Shemesh where they returned it to the Israelites. The word “vayisharnah” literally means went straight but they’re playing on it’s similarity to shir – sing. So the rabbis take it to mean that the cows sang on their way to Bet Shemesh.

What did they sing? They debate that next.

What a wonderful fit with our Torah reading. And what a wonderful thought – that animals sing, we just might not understand their lyrics.