Eruvin 36

אוצר מה אוצר זה רחב מלמטה וקצר מלמעלה כדי לקבל את הפירות אף האשה רחבה מלמטה וקצרה מלמעלה כדי לקבל את הולד

of a storehouse. As a storehouse is [made] wide below and narrow above so that it may contain the produce,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Were its shape to be reversed the heavy weight of the stored produce would weigh down the walls. ,ubhcaua');">¹</span> so was [the womb of] a woman [made] wide below and narrow above so that it may contain the embryo.'

ויביאה אל האדם מלמד שעשה הקב"ה שושבינות לאדם הראשון מכאן לגדול שיעשה שושבינות לקטן ואל ירע לו

And brought her to Adam' teaches that the Holy One, blessed be He, acted as groomsman<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' , cf. B.B., Sonc. ed., p. 618, n. 10.');">²</span> for the first man. From here [you may infer] that a great man should act as groomsman for a minor person and feel no regrets about it.

ולמאן דאמר פרצוף הי מינייהו סגי ברישא אמר רב נחמן בר יצחק מסתברא דזכר סגי ברישא דתניא לא יהלך אדם אחורי אשה בדרך ואפי' היא אשתו נזדמנה על הגשר יסלקנה לצדדין וכל העובר אחורי אשה בנהר אין לו חלק לעולם הבא:

With reference to the view of him who explained: 'A full face'<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Supra 18a.');">³</span> which of them<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The male or female.');">⁴</span> walked first? - R'Nahman B'Isaac replied: It is reasonable to assume that the male walked first; for it was taught: No man should walk on a road behind a woman, even if she is his own wife.

תנו רבנן המרצה מעות לאשה מידו לידה או מידה לידו בשביל שיסתכל בה אפילו דומה למשה רבינו שקיבל תורה מהר סיני לא ינקה מדינה של גיהנם ועליו הכתוב אומר (משלי יא, כא) יד ליד לא ינקה רע לא ינקה מדינה של גיהנם

If she happened [to be in front of] him on a bridge he should leave her on one side;<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' And pass her (Rashi) .');">⁵</span> and whosoever crosses a river behind a [married]<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' So Rashi.');">⁶</span> woman has no share in the world to come.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' He is guilty of immorality.');">⁷</span>

אמר רב נחמן מנוח עם הארץ היה שנאמר (שופטים יג, יא) ויקם וילך מנוח אחרי אשתו

Our Rabbis taught: A man who counts out money for a woman from his hand into hers or from her hand into his, in order that he might look at her, will not be free from the judgment of Gehenna even if he is [in other respects] like our Master Moses who received the law at Mount Sinai; and concerning him Scripture said: Hand to hand,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Sc. one who counts money from his hand into a woman's hand or vice versa, even if he is as great as Moses who received the Law in his hand from God's hand.');">⁸</span> he will not be free from evil<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Prov. XI, 21. E.V. give different renderings.');">⁹</span> [which means,] he will not be free from the judgment of Gehenna.

מתקיף לה רב נחמן בר יצחק אלא מעתה גבי אלקנה דכתיב וילך אלקנה אחרי אשתו הכי נמי וגבי אלישע דכתיב (מלכים ב ד, ל) ויקם וילך אחריה הכי נמי

R'Nahman said: Manoah was an ignorant man,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' 'Am ha-arez. (v. Glos.) .');">¹⁰</span> since it is said: And Manoah arose, and went after his wife.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Judg. XIII, 11. Had he been learned, he would have known that it was improper to walk behind a woman. tkt');">¹¹</span> R'Nahman B'Isaac demurred: Now then, since in the case of Elkanah it is written 'And Elkanah went after his wife',<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' This text is found nowhere in M.T. (cf. Tosaf. Ber. 61a, s.v.) .');">¹²</span>

אלא אחרי דבריה ועצתה הכא נמי אחרי דבריה ועצתה

was he<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'thus'.');">¹³</span> also [an ignorant man]?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' But the fact is that he was a prophet (as stated in Seder 'Olam) who could not possibly be an ignorant man.');">¹⁴</span> Or in the case of Elisha, since it is written in Scriptur And he arose, and followed her,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' II Kings IV, 30.');">¹⁵</span>

אמר רב אשי ולמאי דאמר רב נחמן מנוח עם הארץ היה אפילו בי רב נמי לא קרא דכתיב (בראשית כד, סא) ותקם רבקה ונערותיה ותרכבנה על הגמלים ותלכנה אחרי האיש ולא לפני האיש

was he<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'thus'.');">¹³</span> also an ignorant man?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Cf. supra n. 7.');">¹⁶</span> But [the meaning is] 'after her words and her counsel' so here also<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The case of Manoah,');">¹⁷</span>

אמר רבי יוחנן אחרי ארי ולא אחרי אשה אחרי אשה ולא אחרי עבודת כוכבים אחורי עבודת כוכבים ולא אחורי בית הכנסת בשעה שמתפללין

[could it not be explained:] 'After her words and her counsel'?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Of course it could. An objection against R. Nahman.');">¹⁸</span> Said R'Ashi: On R'Nahman's assumption that<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'and to what R. Nahman said'.');">¹⁹</span> Manoah was an ignorant man,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Taking 'after' in its literal sense.');">²⁰</span>

ואמר ר' ירמיה בן אלעזר כל אותן השנים שהיה אדם הראשון בנידוי הוליד רוחין ושידין ולילין שנאמר (בראשית ה, ג) ויחי אדם שלשים ומאת שנה ויולד בדמותו כצלמו מכלל דעד האידנא לאו כצלמו אוליד

he did not attend even a school for Scripture, for it is written: And Rebekah arose, and her damsels, and they rode upon the camels, and followed the man,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Gen. XXIV, 61.');">²¹</span> but they did not precede the man. R'Johanan remarked: [Let one walk] behind a lion but not behind a [married] woman; behind a [married] woman but not behind an idol,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The risk of idolatry is greater.');">²²</span>

מיתיבי היה ר' מאיר אומר אדם הראשון חסיד גדול היה כיון שראה שנקנסה מיתה על ידו ישב בתענית מאה ושלשים שנה ופירש מן האשה מאה ושלשים שנה והעלה זרזי תאנים על בשרו מאה ושלשים שנה

behind an idol but not behind a synagogue at the time the congregation<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' So Bah. Absent from cur. edd.');">²³</span> is praying.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' If at such a time a man fails to join in prayer and passes on his way behind the place of worship he publicly declares himself cut off from the congregation of Israel.');">²⁴</span> R'Jeremiah B'Eleazar further stated: In all those years<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Hundred and thirty years after his expulsion from the Garden of Eden (v. infra) .');">²⁵</span>

כי קאמרינן ההוא בשכבת זרע דחזא לאונסיה

during which Adam<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'the first man'.');">²⁶</span> was under the ban he begot ghosts and male demons and female demons,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Or 'night demons'.');">²⁷</span> for it is said in Scripture: And Adam lived a hundred and thirty years and begot a son in his own likeness, after his own image,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Gen. V, 3.');">²⁸</span>

ואמר רבי ירמיה בן אלעזר מקצת שבחו של אדם אומרים בפניו וכולו שלא בפניו מקצת שבחו בפניו דכתיב (בראשית ז, א) כי אותך ראיתי צדיק לפני בדור הזה

from which it follows that until that time he did not beget after his own image. An objection was raised: R'Meir said: Adam was a great saint. When he saw that through him death was ordained as a punishment he spent a hundred and thirty years in fasting, severed connection with his wife for a hundred and thirty years, and wore clothes of fig [leaves] on his body for a hundred and thirty years.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' How in view of this statement could R. Jeremiah b. Eleazar maintain his?');">²⁹</span>

כולו שלא בפניו דכתיב (בראשית ו, ט) נח איש צדיק תמים היה בדורותיו

- That statement<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Of R. Jeremiah.');">³⁰</span> was made in reference to the semen which he emitted accidentally. R'Jeremiah B'Eleazar further stated: Only a part of a man's praise may be said in his presence, but all of in his absence.'

וא"ר ירמיה בן אלעזר מאי דכתיב (בראשית ח, יא) והנה עלה זית טרף בפיה אמרה יונה לפני הקב"ה רבש"ע יהיו מזונותי מרורין כזית ומסורין בידך ואל יהיו מתוקין כדבש ותלוין ביד בשר ודם כתיב הכא טרף וכתיב התם (משלי ל, ח) הטריפני לחם חוקי

Only a part of a man's praise. in his presence', for it is written in Scripture: For thee seen righteous before Me in this generation;<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Gen. VII, 1. In speaking to Noah, God describes him as 'righteous' only.');">³¹</span> 'but all of it in his absence', for it is written in Scripture: was in his generations a man righteous and wholehearted.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Ibid. VI, 9. In his absence he is described as both 'righteous and wholehearted'.');">³²</span>

וא"ר ירמיה בן אלעזר כל בית שנשמעין בו דברי תורה בלילה שוב אינו נחרב שנאמר (איוב לה, י) ולא אמר איה אלוה עושי נותן זמירות בלילה

R'Jeremiah B'Eleazar further stated: What [was signified] when it was written: And lo in her mouth an olive-leaf freshly plucked?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Ibid. VIII, 11.');">³³</span> The dove said to the Holy One, blessed be He, 'May my food be as bitter as the olive but entrusted to your hand rather than sweet as honey and dependent on a mortal';<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Noah. Lit., 'flesh and blood'. ;ry');">³⁴</span> for here<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Ibid. VIII, 11.');">³³</span>

ואמר רבי ירמיה בן אלעזר מיום שחרב בית המקדש דיו לעולם שישתמש בשתי אותיות שנאמר (תהלים קנ, ו) כל הנשמה תהלל יה הללויה

it is written 'freshly plucked'<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' . hbphryv ;ry');">³⁵</span> and elsewhere it is written: Feed me<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' , of the same rt. as supra.');">³⁶</span> with mine allotted bread.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Prov. XXX, 8.');">³⁷</span>

ואמר רבי ירמיה בן אלעזר נתקללה בבל נתקללו שכיניה נתקללה שומרון נתברכו שכיניה נתקללה בבל נתקללו שכיניה דכתיב (ישעיהו יד, כג) ושמתיה למורש קיפוד ואגמי מים נתקללה שומרון נתברכו שכיניה דכתיב (מיכה א, ו) ושמתי שומרון לעי השדה

R'Jeremiah B'Eleazar further stated: Any house in which the words of the Torah are heard at night<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' When the voice is carried far.');">³⁸</span> will never be destroyed; for it is said in Scripture: But none saith: 'Where is God my Maker<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Sc. he has no need to complain of God's neglect of him.');">³⁹</span> who<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I.e., 'the man who'.');">⁴⁰</span> giveth songs<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The words of the Torah.');">⁴¹</span> in the night'.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Job XXXV, 10.');">⁴²</span> R'Jeremiah B'Eleazar further stated: Since the Sanctuary was destroyed<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' And the priests discontinued the use of the Tetragrammaton (cf. Hag. 16a) .');">⁴³</span> it is enough for the world<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' MS.M., man.');">⁴⁴</span> to use<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' In extolling the Deity or in greeting a fellow-man. vh');">⁴⁵</span> only two letters<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' . vuvh');">⁴⁶</span> [of the Tetragrammaton],<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' .');">⁴⁷</span> for it is said in Scripture: Let every thing<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Emphasis on 'everything', sc. all the world or all man.');">⁴⁸</span> that hath breath praise the Lord,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' . vuvh');">⁴⁶</span> praise ye the Lord.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Ps. CL, 6.');">⁴⁹</span> R'Jeremiah B'Eleazar further stated: When Babylon was cursed, her neighbours also were cursed,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' As a consequence of its curse.');">⁵⁰</span> but when Samaria was cursed her neighbours were blessed.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' As a consequence of its curse.');">⁵⁰</span> 'When Babylon was cursed her neighbours also were cursed', for it is written: I will also make it a possession for the bittern, and pools of water;<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Isa. XIV, 23; such a curse is also a bane to the neighbourhood.');">⁵¹</span> 'but when Samaria was cursed her neighbours were blessed', for it is written: Therefore I will make Samaria a heap in the field,