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

Amazing gems on the daf!

Rav Mari said: One who is haughty is not accepted even by the members of his household, as it is stated: “The haughty man abides not” (Habakkuk 2:5). What does the phrase “abides [yinveh] not” mean? It means that even in his abode [naveh], he is not accepted.

Don’t be so full of yourself that there is no room for anyone else – even your family! But the gems keep coming. This next passage comes from this ancient book of wisdom that was lost but is referred to often in rabbinic literature.

Support for this is as it is written in the book of ben Sira: I have weighed everything in the pan of a balance scale and I have not found anything inferior to bran; but inferior to bran is a son-in-law who lives in his father-in-law’s house; and inferior to a son-in-law is a guest who brings in a guest; and inferior to a guest is one who answers a matter before he listens. As it is stated: “He that gives an answer before he listens, it is folly for him and a disgrace” (Proverbs 18:13).

Snap! Bran is the cheapest of grains, but worse than that is a son in law who is a mooch; but still worse then that is someone who is a guest who invites other guests (love this, make yourself at home does not mean that now you’re master of the house and can invite whomever you want – be polite and respect others and receive with grace). But worst of all? Those who answer before they even listen, who give their opinions before they even have learned about the topic.

Hello internet? Social media? Do you hear? Don’t talk without knowing. It is the worst of the worst and we all suffer for it.

Todays gem is that, just like you wouldn’t bring a king or someone you would want to impress a subpar bottle of wine – don’t bring watered down dregs to the Temple as an offering to God.

Makes me think of when I was in high school and I thought of a friend was working at a restaurant that I didn’t have to tip them. In reality – I should have tipped them more. God deserves the best and so do others.

I once did a very small wedding in my office: bride, groom, two parents, two witnesses. They said they would bring the wine. When they showed up they were proud to have brought Manischewitz. But it was blackberry wine. Today’s daf tells us why this might be a problem:

The Sages taught in a baraita: Whether one drinks date wine, or barley wine (technically it says barley alcohol), or a beverage made from soaking pomace from the production of wine in water, known as tamad, one recites over them the blessing: By Whose word all things came to be.

These alcoholic beverages are not made from grapes! Therefor we cannot say the kiddish that says, “fruit of the vine” while imbibing them. So it is with blackberry wine. We don’t say “borei p’rie hagafen.” So, the prayers I would say to consecrate the marriage using wine would not be valid.

Luckily, you can always find wine made from grapes somewhere in the synagogue.

From that day on I have always specified with couples that we need to have wine, made from grapes, at the wedding.

Curious about what blessings are said over what food? Here is a great resource:

Berachos

We always say blessings before we eat or drink. It reminds us how lucky we are. We stop to give thanks to God and/or others. But… what if the food has spoiled… but you’re still eating it?

It is taught in a baraita: Over bread that has become moldy, and over wine that has formed a film, and over a cooked dish that has spoiled, one recites the blessing: By Whose word all things came to be.

So, we still say a blessing, just not the regular blessing. We don’t bless bread form the earth, or fruit of the vine – we bless God who has made all things.

I love this. It acknowledges that – hey, this kinda sucks. While still saying – hey, there is still what to be grateful for.

Finding the good הקרת הטוב is an orientation we, as spiritual beings, aspire to.

Nothing in life is perfect. I love my job but it’s too much sometimes. Same with people I love! Our daf teaches:

With regard to one who sells produce to another, if he sells him wheat, the buyer accepts upon himself that a quarter-kav of legumes may be present in each se’a of wheat purchased. When purchasing barley, he accepts upon himself that a quarter-kav of chaff may be present in each se’a purchased. When purchasing lentils, he accepts upon himself that a quarter-kav of dirt may be present in each se’a purchased.

We want one thing – but that thing might come with some things we didn’t want. But hey – that’s life. . . Up to a point. We only put up with so much dirt before we void the sale…

Today’s gem are two “great customs” from Jerusalem that went above and beyond the law.

And similarly, Rabban Shimon ben Gamliel would say: There was a great custom in Jerusalem that if one gives raw materials for a meal to another to prepare the meal for him, and that person spoils it, that person gives the former compensation for his humiliation and compensation for the humiliation of his guests. 

Here they not only reimburse the cost of the meat but pay for the loss of the meal and embarrassment of the hosts and guests! Talk about good service.

And the second:

The baraita continues: Another great custom that was followed in Jerusalem was that when one made a feast, there would be a cloth [mappa] spread over the entrance to the hall. As long as the cloth was spread, the guests would enter, as the presence of the cloth indicated that there was food for more guests. When the cloth was removed, the guests would not enter any more.

How wonderful! Can you imagine signs in doors: come and eat! All guests welcome! And that sign being there until the food runs out? Truly a holy city 😉

The amazing comedian Mitch Hedberg z”l had a joke where he said, “An escalator can never break: it can only become stairs. You should never see an Escalator Temporarily Out Of Order sign, just Escalator Temporarily Stairs.”

On our daf today, someone purchases an item that can serve two purposes – the example given is seeds that can either be planted or eaten. The buyer wants them for one purpose but they are only good for the second purpose, so the question becomes: Is this a mistaken transaction? Can the buyer get his money back?

MISHNA: With regard to one who sells produce to another that is sometimes purchased for consumption and sometimes for planting, and the buyer planted it and it did not sprout, and even if he had sold flaxseeds, which are only occasionally eaten, the seller does not bear financial responsibility for them, i.e., he is not required to compensate the buyer. Since the buyer did not specify that he purchased the produce in order to plant it, the seller can claim that he assumed the buyer intended to eat it. Rabban Shimon ben Gamliel says: If he had sold seeds for garden plants, which are not eaten at all, then the seller bears financial responsibility for them, as they were certainly purchased for planting.

I didn’t buy stairs, I bought an escalator.

Anyway, that’s not the gem. The gem is in the Gemara where they discus someone who bought an ox that, unbenounced to him, was a goring ox, but the seller insists they thought they bought the ox for meat (so it would be killed anyway), not for plowing.

Rav says: This is a mistaken transaction, as in cases of uncertainty we follow the majority, and since the majority of people purchase oxen for plowing, it is presumed that this buyer also purchased the ox for plowing. Accordingly, since the ox he received was not suitable for plowing, the sale is void. And Shmuel could have said to you: When we follow the majority, that is only with regard to ritual matters, but with regard to monetary matters, such as this, we do not follow the majority. Accordingly, there is no basis for voiding the sale.

I love this. When we are doing rituals, the majority of what people are doing holds sway. Why? Well, I would guess that the people doing the rituals would be referring to observant Jews, while the entire world functions through money and commerce, and certainly the majority of the world would not be religious Jews, or Jews at all.

The lesson? The majority isn’t always right. What’s right is right, not might.

Such a great daf! So many beautiful gems. The one I will focus on fills in a blank that many of us have: What are the names of the women in the bible? We learn the names of Abraham’s mom, Haman’s mom (and how to not confuse them), David’s mom, Samson’s mom and his sister!

And Rav Ḥanan bar Rava says that Rav says: The mother of Abraham was called Amatlai bat Karnevo. The mother of Haman was called Amatlai bat Orevati. And your mnemonic, to ensure that the two are not confused for one another, is that a raven [orev] is impure, and in this manner one remembers that Orevati is the grandmother of the impure Haman, while a sheep [kar] is pure, which indicates that Karnevo is the grandmother of the pure Abraham. Rav Ḥanan bar Rava continues: The mother of David was named Natzvat bat Ada’el. The mother of Samson was named Tzelelponit, and his sister was called Nashyan.

Yes women!!! Feminist rabbis? Well, maybe not, as the Gemara asks: What is the difference ? Meaning: who cares? The Gemara answers: It is important with regard to an answer for heretics who inquire into the names of these women, which are not stated in the Bible. One can reply that there is a tradition handed down concerning their names.

Well, I care too!

I love this passage. Throughout history, women have been known by their relationship to men. Mrs. Man’s-name (sometimes just the last name and sometimes first and last as in “Mrs. Edward Smith” barf). My mom took my dad’s last name. She said to herself – either I have one guys last name (i.e. her dad) or another (i.e. my dad), but she refused to use Mrs. and preferred Ms.

Here – sister’s are doing it for themselves. We get the women’s names, these women who played huge roles in the history of our people. By the way – other women get names in the Talmud as well. Lot’s wife who turns to salt? Edith. Noah’s wife? Naama. Pharaoh’s daughter/Moses’ adoptive mom? Batya.

The gem? Women have their own names, so, remember and use them.

My friend Stuart was telling me that he is going to have a sandwich named after him at a local deli. He is so excited. It has me thinking about things named for people, like when I was in middle school and Friends was popular, people would get “the Rachel” haircut to look like Jennifer Aniston. Or Ruth Bader Ginsberg and her necklaces. . .

On our daf today, one of our rabbis gets something named for him!

The Gemara relates: Rav Pappa bar Shmuel instituted a new measure of three kefiza, which is equal to three log. The Sages said to him: But doesn’t Shmuel say that one may not increase the measures by more than one-sixth? You have added one-third, as there already exists a measure of a half-kav, which is the equivalent of two log. Rav Pappa bar Shmuel said to them: I instituted a new measure. He sent the measure to Pumbedita, and they did not accept it; he sent it to the city of Paphunya, and they accepted it and called it the measure of Pappa.

And so it is. In one place it’ll be a Philly with cheese (not so kosher) and in another place it will be called steak and cheese, and at this particular place it will be called “the Stuart.” A Haircut might be a long fringe or “the Rachel.” So, in Pumbedita it’s a half-kav while in Paphunya it’s the Pappa.

As a previous chemical engineering major – I gotta love the daf today!! It’s straight from an old chemistry textbook.

The daf is talking about being fair in measurements so we do not over or under sell times that need to be measured. Our measurements have to be “perfect” and “just.” Which means fair weights . . . and:

The Sages taught: One may not prepare weights of tin [ba’atz], nor of lead, nor of a metal alloy [gisteron], nor of any other types of metal. But one may prepare weights of hard rock and of glass. . . one may not cover his weights in salt.

Yay chemistry! Why can’t we use tin? Lead? Alloys? or add salt? It’s all chemistry my dear.

From Wikepedia, “Tin has 31 unstable isotopes, ranging in mass number from 99 to 139. The unstable tin isotopes have half-lives of less than a year except for tin-126, which has a half-life of about 230,000 years.” That means in 6 months, the weight you made of tin (unless it’s tin-126) will weight half as much as it did originally! You would be ripping buyers off! Lead’s half-life is about 21.7 years. All metals have rates of decay – which means that over time they get lighter! (Is it sad I am so excited?)

What about salt? Think rust. Rusting is caused by a chemical process called as oxidation, in which metal atoms lose electrons and produce ions. Salt, or more particularly, salt solution, can hasten the rusting process by acting as an electrolyte, allowing the metal to lose electrons more quickly.

Who says science and religion don’t overlap? I never have.