Gittin 120

ופרשת שתויי יין ופרשת נרות ופרשת פרה אדומה

the section dealing with the drinking of wine [by priests],<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Ibid. X, 8-11. ');">¹</span>

א"ר אלעזר תורה רוב בכתב ומיעוט על פה שנא' (הושע ח, יב) אכתוב לו רובי תורתי כמו זר נחשבו ור' יוחנן אמר רוב על פה ומיעוט בכתב שנא' (שמות לד, כז) כי על פי הדברים האלה

the section of the lights<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Num. VIII, 1-4. ');">²</span>

ואידך נמי הכתיב אכתוב לו רובי תורתי ההוא אתמוהי קא מתמה אכתוב לו רובי תורתי הלא כמו זר נחשבו

[of the candlestick], and the section of the red heifer.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Ibid. XIX. These last three injunctions came into force as soon as the Tabernacle was set up. ');">³</span>

ואידך נמי הכתיב כי על פי הדברים האלה ההוא משום דתקיפי למיגמרינהו

R. Eleazar said: The greater portion of the Torah is contained in the written Law<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Either explicitly or implicitly. ');">⁴</span>

דרש רבי יהודה בר נחמני מתורגמניה דרבי שמעון בן לקיש כתיב (שמות לד, כז) כתוב לך את הדברים האלה וכתיב (שמות לד, כז) כי ע"פ הדברים האלה הא כיצד דברים שבכתב אי אתה רשאי לאומרן על פה דברים שבעל פה אי אתה רשאי לאומרן בכתב דבי רבי ישמעאל תנא אלה אלה אתה כותב ואי אתה כותב הלכות

and only the smaller portion was transmitted orally,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I.e., as a pure tradition, without any basis in the written law. ');">⁵</span>

א"ר יוחנן לא כרת הקב"ה ברית עם ישראל אלא בשביל דברים שבעל פה שנאמר (שמות לד, כז) כי על פי הדברים האלה כרתי אתך ברית ואת ישראל:

as it says, Though I wrote for him the major portion of [the precepts of] my law, they were counted a strange thing.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Hos. VIII, 12. ');">⁶</span>

מערבין בבית ישן מפני דרכי שלום: מאי טעמא אילימא משום כבוד והא ההוא שיפורא דהוה מעיקרא בי רב יהודה ולבסוף בי רבה ולבסוף בי רב יוסף ולבסוף בי אביי ולבסוף בי רבא

R. Johanan. on the other hand, said that the greater part was transmitted orally and only the smaller part is contained in the written law, as it says, For by the mouth of these words.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Ex. XXXIV, 27. E.V. 'for by the tenor of these words.' ');">⁷</span>

אלא משום חשדא:

But what does he make of the words, 'Though I write for him the major portion of my law'? — This is a rhetorical question: Should I have written for him the major portion of my law? [Even now] is it not accounted a strange thing for him? And what does the other make of the words, '<i>For by the</i> &nbsp; &nbsp; <i>mouth of these words</i>'? — That implies that they are difficult to master.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' As if they had not been written down. ');">⁸</span>

בור שהוא קרוב לאמה וכו': איתמר בני נהרא רב אמר תתאי שתו מיא ברישא ושמואל אמר עילאי שתו מיא ברישא

R. Judah b. Nahmani the public orator<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The so-called meturgeman. V. Glos. ');">⁹</span>

בדמיזל כולי עלמא לא פליגי כי פליגי במיסכר ואשקויי שמואל אמר עילאי שתו מיא ברישא דאמרי אנן מקרבינן טפי ורב אמר תתאי שתו מיא ברישא דאמרי נהרא כפשטיה ליזיל

of R. Simeon b. Lakish discoursed as follows: It is written, <i>Write thou these words</i>,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Ex. XXXIV, 27. ');">¹⁰</span>

תנן בור הקרוב לאמה מתמלא ראשון מפני דרכי שלום תרגמה שמואל אליבא דרב באמה המתהלכת ע"פ בורו

and it is written, <i>For according to the mouth of these words</i>.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Ibid. ');">¹¹</span>

אי הכי מאי למימרא מהו דתימא מצי אמרי ליה סכר מיסכר ואשקי בהינדזא קמ"ל

'What are we to make of this? — It means: The words which are written thou art not at liberty to say by heart, and the words transmitted orally thou art not at liberty to recite from writing. A Tanna of the school of R. Ishmael taught: [It is written] <i>These</i>:<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Ibid. ');">¹²</span>

אמר רב הונא בר תחליפא השתא דלא איתמר הלכתא לא כמר ולא כמר כל דאלים גבר

these thou mayest write, but thou mayest not write <i>halachoth</i>.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I.e., the Oral Law. ');">¹³</span>

רב שימי בר אשי אתא לקמיה דאביי אמר ליה לותבן מר בעידנא אמר ליה אית לי עידנא לדידי ולותבן מר בליליא א"ל אית לי מיא לאשקויי א"ל אנא משקינא ליה למר מיא ביממא ולותבן מר בליליא א"ל לחיי

R. Johanan said: <font>God made a covenant with Israel only for the sake of that which was transmitted orally</font>, as it says, <i>For by the mouth of these words I have made a covenant with thee and with Israel</i>.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Ex. XXXIV, 27. ');">¹⁴</span>

אזל לעילאי אמר להו תתאי שתו מיא ברישא אזל לתתאי אמר להו עילאי שתו מיא ברישא אדהכי סכר מיסכר ואשקי כי אתא לקמיה דאביי אמר ליה כבי תרי עבדת לי ולא טעמינהו אביי לפירי דההיא שתא

AN 'ERUB SHOULD BE PLACED IN THE ROOM WHERE IT HAS ALWAYS BEEN PLACED, IN THE INTERESTS OF PEACE. 'What is the precise reason?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I.e., what reason have we for thinking that this promotes peace and good fellowship? ');">¹⁵</span>

הנהו בני בי חרמך דאזול כרו ברישא דשנוותא ואהדרוה ושדיוה בשילהי נהרא אתו עילאי לקמיה דאביי אמרו ליה קא מתקיל לנהרין אמר להו כרו בהדייהו טפי פורתא אמרו ליה קא יבשי פירין אמר להו זילו סליקו נפשייכו מהתם:

Shall we say it is out of respect for the owner of the room? Then what of the <i>shofar</i><span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Which was used for announcing the advent of the Sabbath. According to another explanation it was a receptacle in which were placed the contributions sent on behalf of the students of the Yeshibah. ');">¹⁶</span>

מצודות חיה ועופות ודגי' יש בהן וכו': באוזלי ואוהרי

which at first was in the house of Rab Judah and later in that of Rabbah and then in the house of R. Joseph and then in the house of Abaye and finally in the house of Raba? — The real reason is, so as not to excite suspicion.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lest, if people come into the room where they have been used to see the 'erub and miss it, they will think that the residents of the court have neglected to make an 'erub. ');">¹⁷</span> THE PIT WHICH IS NEAREST THE HEAD OF THE WATERCOURSE. It has been stated: ['Where fields] adjoin a river, Rab says that the owners lower down have the right to draw off water first, while Samuel says that the owners higher up have the right to draw off water first. So long as the water is allowed to flow, both agree that no problem arises.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' All having an equal right to draw at any time. ');">¹⁸</span> Where they differ is on the question of damming for the purpose of watering. Samuel says that those above can draw off water first, for they can say 'We are nearer to the source', while Rab holds that those below can draw off first, for they can say 'The river should be allowed to take its natural course'.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Till they have drawn off the water they require. ');">¹⁹</span> 'We have learnt: THE PIT WHICH IS NEAREST TO THE HEAD OF THE WATERCOURSE MAY BE FILLED FROM IT FIRST, IN THE INTERESTS OF PEACE!<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Which seems to support the opinion of Samuel. ');">²⁰</span> — Samuel explained this on behalf of Rab to refer to a watercourse which passes close to a man's pit.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' So that he could fill it without damming. ');">²¹</span> If so, what is the point of the remark? — You might think that the others can say to him, 'Close up the mouth of your pit so as to take in water only in due proportion'; we are therefore told [that this is not so]. R. Huna b. Tahalifa said: Seeing that the law has not been determined one way or the other, each must fend for himself.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'Whoever is stronger (whether by argument or force) prevails.' V. B.B. 34b. ');">²²</span> R. Shimi b. Ashi presented himself before Abaye with a request that he should give him lessons.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'let the Master allow' me to sit for awhile.' ');">²³</span> He replied: I use my time for my own studies. Then, he said, would your honour teach me at night. He said: I have to do some irrigation. Said the other: I will irrigate for your honour by day, and do you teach me by night. Very well, he said. So he went to the people higher up and said to them: The people lower down have the right to draw water first. Then he went to those lower down and said, The people higher up have the right to draw water first. Meanwhile he had dammed the watercourse and irrigated Abaye's fields. 'When he presented himself before Abaye, the latter said to him: You have acted on my behalf according to two contradictory authorities;<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Rab and Samuel. ');">²⁴</span> and Abaye would not taste of the produce of that year. Certain peasants in Be Harmah<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' [Near Pumbeditha. v. Aruch, s.v. [H], in name of Hai Gaon.] ');">²⁵</span> went and dug a trench from the upper waters of the canal Shanwatha and brought it round [their fields] to the lower waters. Those higher up came and complained to Abaye, saying, They are spoiling our river.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Owing to its longer course, the current of the river was now slower, and the waters above the trench were not carried off and overflowed the adjoining fields. ');">²⁶</span> He said to them: Deepen the bed a little [before it reaches them]. They said to him: If we do this, our trenches will be dry.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' If there was not much water, the level of the river would fall and it would not flow into the trenches. ');">²⁷</span> He then said to the first set: Leave the river alone.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'depart from there.' ');">²⁸</span> [THE TAKING OF] BEASTS, BIRDS AND FISHES. If loose or close nets are used,