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

Oh today’s daf is wild! We have necromancers with ghosts speaking from their armpits and sorcerers rising the dead. But nothing lives up to the magic of the rabbis which makes today’s gem: the origin of the Golem story and creating a calf to eat out of thin air.

Rava created a man, a golem, using forces of sanctity. Rava sent his creation before Rabbi Zeira. Rabbi Zeira would speak to him but he would not reply. Rabbi Zeira said to him: You were created by one of the members of the group, one of the Sages. Return to your dust. The Gemara relates another fact substantiating the statement that the righteous could create a world if they so desired: Rav Ḥanina and Rav Oshaya would sit every Shabbat eve and engage in the study of Sefer Yetzira, and a third-born calf [igla tilta] would be created for them, and they would eat it in honor of Shabbat.

Magic is forbidden . . . unless it’s rabbinic magic.

The story of the Golem of Prague is a famous and beautiful one. Many have written versions of the story including Berthold Auerbach, Spinoza, Franz Klutschak, Leopold Weisel, and others – the story is one where Rabbi Loew (the Maharal of Prague) uses secret Torah knowledge to create a Golem from clay (like God creating man from clay) and brings it to life. The Golem defends the Jewish people, but has no mercy and has to be stopped (in other versions it falls in love, or needs to be stopped to rest on Shabbat). The legend is that Rabbi Loew’s Golem still lies in the attic of the Old/New Synagogue in Prague.

What do we worship? What do we give our time? Our money? Our faith? There are many wonderful passages on our daf today, but our gem reminds us of the futility of idol worship like we experience it today.

What is the meaning when the verse states: “Which brought you up” in the plural? The verse teaches that the Jewish people desired many gods; they were not satisfied with the golden calf alone.

Most of us do not bow down to idols, but that’s not really what idolatry is all about. We do put our faith, our money, our time, our focus, into false gods, and, like our ancestors above, we still feel emptiness inside and so we want more and more. We think beauty will make us feel loved, so we starve ourselves or mold ourselves to some kind of ideal (maybe through exercise, make up, skin treatments) but we are never satisfied. We think things will give us joy, so we buy and shop but it’s never enough. We think travel will fill us but it’s never enough. Drinking, drugs – they’re never enough. These things we fill in our lives in search of meaning, in search of love – they’re empty.

Only faith can fill us.

I was just with 24 teens volunteering in Guatemala. At a gift shop on the way out of the country, we were invited to look up our Mayan “signs” (link your Zodiac sign). One of the boys wanted to buy a charm of his mom’s sign as a gift, but first, he came and asked me if buying one was avodah zarah, idol worship. It was so amazing to tell him that I had just been reading about what defines idol worship on the daf! I was able to tell him that, as long as he doesn’t worship the stone, or put meaning into it, then it’s jewelry and not idolatry.

Today, the conversation continues! This time, it discusses Priests who accidentally perform idolatry. If you’re like me, you may wonder how you can you accidentally perform idolatry?! The daf tells us about other violations that may happen accidentally, from accidentally uprooting a plant on Shabbat, to accidentally having forbidden sexual relationships. And guess what, only one of those two required you to bring a sin offering.

As, for example, one who intended to lift a plant that was detached from the ground and mistakenly severed a plant still attached to the ground is exempt. One is not liable for an unintentional act of labor on Shabbat.

This person does NOT need to bring a sin offering.

Rav Naḥman says that Shmuel says, as he says: One who acts unawares with forbidden fats or with those with whom sexual relations are forbidden, i.e., one who accidentally consumed forbidden fat or engaged in forbidden sexual intercourse, without intending to perform the act at all (see Yevamot 54a), is obligated to bring a sin-offering, since he derived pleasure from the transgression. But one who acts unawares on Shabbat, performing forbidden labor, is exempt, as the Torah prohibits only planned labor.

Now, how might we have accidental forbidden sex? Well, the Talmud (elsewhere) does come up with some interesting scenarios. (One that might be helpful is that the Tamud forbids having sex with your wide when she is menstruating. So, it might be that she started and didn’t realize. )

For this sexual action, one does have to bring a sin offering. Why? What’s different? Well, pulling a plant on accident is not as pleasurable as sex . . . at least not according to the daf.

So, back to the question, how do we accidentally perform idol worship?

And if he did not accept that person upon himself as a god, but rather bowed to the statue in order to honor the person, e.g., the king, what he did is nothing. So it can’t mean this. If the transgressor thought that a certain building was a synagogue and bowed to it, and he then realized that it is a house of idol worship, he is certainly exempt, as his heart was directed toward Heaven. So it can’t mean this either! Rather, according to Rava, unawareness with regard to idol worship can be explained as referring to a case where the transgressor says to himself that idol worship is permitted in general. I have trouble imagining that one.

So, what do we learn? It’s not actually idol worship unless we know what we are doing, are aware that it’s forbidden, and we do it anyway and in the particular way that that particular god is worshipped.

So, I think it’s okay to buy the necklace.

Our daf is discussing what counts as idol worship. It highlights that we can bow to people, but not idols. So, you may remember the Purim story. Mordecai refuses to bow down to Hanan. Why? We are allowed to bow to people! So, today we learn.

As it is taught in a baraita with regard to the verse: “You shall not bow to them nor worship them” (Exodus 20:5): “To them,” to idols, you may not bow, but you may bow to a person like yourself; bowing to a person is merely the acceptance of authority. One might have thought that it is permitted to bow even to a person who is worshipped like a god, like Haman; therefore, the verse states: “Nor worship them,” i.e., any form of pagan worship is prohibited.

So, the issue was that Haman was worshipped like a god. Therefore bowing to him was tantamount to idolatry.

Not a bad lesson about a month away from Purim!

What does it mean to take God’s name in vein? On our daf today, we learn that it has to be a specific name of God (or two).

There are those who say that Rav Aḥa bar Ya’akov says as follows: Conclude from the mishna that the Tetragrammaton is also a name for which one is liable, and he is liable not only for cursing the forty-two-letter name of God. The Gemara asks: Isn’t that obvious? We learned in the mishna that the expression used in court is let Yosei smite Yosei. The Gemara answers: Lest you say that one is not liable unless there is a grand name that he curses, i.e., the forty-two-letter name, and the tanna mentions this statement as a mere example, Rav Aḥa bar Ya’akov teaches us that one is liable even for cursing the Tetragrammaton.

So we cannot pronounce the 42 letter or the 4 letter name of God. What’s the 42 letter name? No one knows anymore! The High Priest used to say it once a year. Now, it’s lost.

As to the 4 letter name of God, the Jehovas Witnesses think they know it (Jehova). I had a high school teacher write it on the chalk board!!! I freaked out. Like the rabbis who tear their clothes when they hear someone curse Gods name – I was shocked! He said he wanted to teach about the Hod of the Jews. I explained that Jews would never write the name, especially not on a chalkboard. That when you write God‘s name, it has to be buried like a person. And then, of course, he attempted to pronounce it. Oy vey.

But we also learn in today’s daf: Rav Yehuda says that Shmuel says: One who hears a mention of God’s name in a blasphemous manner from a gentile is not obligated to make a tear in his garments. 

Why? Because they don’t know how to pronounce the Name properly.

Today’s gem: God intended us to be vegetarian. No surprise, since we failed and got permission to eat meat after the flood, we have become attached to eating meat, so some rabbis try to argue that God is fine with meat eating. (But they’re wrong!)

Rav Yehuda says that Rav says: Meat was not permitted to Adam, the first man, for consumption, as it is written:“And God said: Behold, I have given you every herb that brings forth seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in which is the fruit of a tree that gives forth seed; for you it shall be for food, and for every animal of the earth, and for every fowl of the air, and for everything that creeps upon the earth, in which there is a living soul, every green herb for food. And it was so” (Genesis 1:29–30). It is derived God told Adam: Eating vegetation is permitted to people and animals, but eating the animals of the earth is not permitted to you. But when the children of Noah came,God permitted them to eat meat; as it is stated: “Every moving thing that lives shall be for food for you; as the green herb I have given you all” (Genesis 9:3).

Okay! So we were originally created to be vegetarian.

The Gemara raises an objection to the assertion that eating meat was prohibited to Adam, from the verse: “And have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that creeps upon the land” (Genesis 1:28). What, is it not stated with regard to consumption, i.e., doesn’t this verse mean that people may eat the meat of animals? The Gemara answers: No, the verse is referring to using animals for labor. 

Rejected, let’s try again

Come and hear a proof that it was permitted for Adam to eat meat, from the phrase in the aforementioned verse: “And have dominion…and over the fowl of the air.” What, is it not stated with regard to consumption? The Gemara answers: No, it is referring to labor.

Rejected, try again.

Come and hear a proof from the phrase: “And have dominion…and over every living thing that creeps upon the land.” Creeping animals certainly cannot be used for labor. Apparently, the verse is referring to eating them. The Gemara answers: That phrase comes to include the snake,which was capable of performing labor when it was created. 

Rejected, try again.

The Gemara raises an objectionfrom a baraita to the assertion that eating meat was prohibited to Adam: Rabbi Yehuda ben Teima would say: Adam, the first man, would dine in the Garden of Eden, and the ministering angels would roast meat for him and strain wine for him. The snake glanced at him and saw his glory, and was jealous of him, and for that reason the snake incited him to sin and caused his banishment from the Garden. According to this, evidently Adam would eat meat.

Adam ate meat!! (Guess what, this is also rejected.)

The Gemara answers: There the reference is to meat that descended from heaven, which was created by a miracle and was not the meat of animals at all.

The Gemara asks: Is there such a thing as meat that descends from heaven? 

Okay, love this question as we have lab created meat now! And I absolutely love the story that follows:

The Gemara answers: Yes, it is like this incident: As Rabbi Shimon ben Ḥalafta was walking along the way, he encountered those lions that were roaring at him, intending to eat him. He said: “The young lions roar after their prey, and seek their food from God” (Psalms 104:21), and they deserve to receive food. Two thighs of an animal descended from heaven for him. The lions ate one of these thighs, and they left the other one. He took it and entered the study hall, and inquired about it: Is this thigh a kosher item or a non-kosher item? The Sages said to him: Certainly it is kosher, as a non-kosher item does not descend from heaven. 

Amazing. So many gems. And, eat less meat 😉

When do you know a relationship is official? How do you know it’s over?

Today people have DTR conversations (defining the relationship) and talk before they go social media official.

In terms of breakups…

I had a song that I would always rock out to after a break up, Return on the Mack (which is having a resurgence). So many friends have gotten hair cuts, some have gotten work done, and it’s a thing to go on vacation a la “Stella Gets her Groove Back.”

On our daf today we see how a relationship is defined and we get a move that women of the time of the Talmud might do to show their newly single status.

The Gemara asks: From when is she considered the slave’s mate? Rav Naḥman says: From the time that she is called so-and-so’s girl. The Gemara asks: From when is she released from her relationship with the slave? Rav Huna says: From the time that she exposes her head in the marketplace. Since married women would cover their hair, even among the gentiles, by exposing her hair she proves that she no longer wishes to remain with him.

That’s right girl, let your hair down and rock that market.

Reminds me of two songs, “Jesse’s Girl” and “Good as Hell” with that hair toss.

I live in Florida where we have “Stand Your Ground” laws. This means home owners can shoot people who attempt to rob them as well as trespassers. Unbelievably, a few years ago the courts sided with a man who shot someone who was blasting music at a gas station because he felt “intimidated.” He used the Stand Your Ground law.

I am not the only person who finds this completely crazy. The daf does as well:

As it is taught in a baraita that Rabbi Yonatan ben Shaul says: If a person pursues another to kill him, and the one being pursued can save himself by injuring one of the limbs of the pursuer, but he does not save himself in this manner and instead kills the pursuer, he is executed for killing him even though he acted in self-defense, and a descendant of Noah is also killed for this.

That’s right! Self defense is important. You can hurt someone or even kill someone in self-defense. But, if you could have just scared someone off, or shot them in the knee, and instead you shot to kill? Well, that’s murder.

Maybe I should go to Tallahassee and teach some Talmud. Lord knows they could use it.