Moed Katan 35

הלכה כרבי יוסי במועד ובאבל דאמר שמואל הלכה כדברי המיקל באבל

that the Halachah follows the opinion of R'Jose [both] in regard to the festival [week] and to mourning. For Samuel said that in [questions appertaining to] mourning, the halachah follows the authority of the more lenient view. Phineas, Mar Samuel's brother, suffered a bereavement<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'something befell him'.');">¹</span>

פנחס אחוה דמר שמואל איתרע ביה מילתא על שמואל למישאל טעמא מיניה חזנהו לטופרי דהוו נפישן אמר ליה אמאי לא שקלת להו אמר ליה אי בדידיה הוה מי מזלזלת ביה כולי האי

and Samuel called on him to ask him the cause of it.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Rashi: to console him.');">²</span> Noticing that his nails were long, he asked him why he had not cut them. He replied: Had this happened to you, would you have been so regardless of it [as to cut them]?

הואי (קהלת י, ה) כשגגה שיוצא מלפני השליט ואיתרע ביה מילתא בשמואל על פנחס אחוה למישאל טעמא מיניה שקלינהו לטופריה חבטינהו לאפיה אמר ליה לית לך ברית כרותה לשפתים

This was [inauspicious], 'like an error which proceedeth from a ruler;<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Eccl. X, 5.');">³</span> and Samuel [later] suffered a bereavement himself. When his brother [Phineas] called on him to ask the cause of it, Samuel took his cut nails and cast them down in front of his brother, saying, 'Do you not hold that a covenant has been made with the lips? '<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I.e., the way in which a thing is expressed may contain a prognostication for the future.');">⁴</span>

דאמר ר' יוחנן מנין שברית כרותה לשפתים שנאמר (בראשית כב, ה) ויאמר אברהם אל נעריו שבו לכם פה עם החמור ואני והנער נלכה עד כה ונשתחוה ונשובה אליכם ואיסתייעא מלתא דהדור תרוייהו

For R'Johanan said: Whence is derived the notion that the lips are subject to a covenant? From what is said: And Abraham said unto his young men: 'Abide ye here with the ass, and I and the lad will go yonder; and we will worship and [we will] come back to you';<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Gen. XXII, 5.');">⁵</span> and the words came true<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'the thing was furthered'.');">⁶</span>

סבור מיניה דיד אין דרגל לא אמר רב ענן בר תחליפא לדידי מפרשא לי מיניה דשמואל לא שנא דיד ולא שנא דרגל

so that they both came back. Some argued from the above [incident] that [only] the fingernails may [be cut],<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Because they are visible.');">⁷</span> but not the toe-nails.

אמר רב חייא בר אשי אמר רב ובגנוסטרא אסור אמר רב שמן בר אבא הוה קאימנא קמיה דר' יוחנן בי מדרשא בחולו של מועד ושקלינהו לטופריה בשיניה וזרקינהו

But R''Anan B'Tahlifa said, 'I myself had it explained to me by Samuel, that there was no distinction made between the finger-nails and the toe-nails'. R'Hiyya B'Ashi citing Rab said: But with a nail-cutter it is forbidden. Said R'Shaman B'Abba: 'I was once standing before R'Johanan<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Waiting on him.');">⁸</span>

שמע מינה תלת שמע מינה מותר ליטול צפרנים בחולו של מועד ושמע מינה אין בהן משום מיאוס ושמע מינה מותר לזורקן

at the College during the festival week when R'Johanan bit off his nails and threw them away. Learn from this [incident] three points: Learn that it is allowed to take off nails during the festival week; that [doing it with the teeth] was not considered objectionable, and that [nails] may be thrown away'. But this [deduction] is not [correct]?

איני והתניא שלשה דברים נאמרו בצפרנים הקוברן צדיק שורפן חסיד זורקן רשע טעמא מאי שמא תעבור עליהן אשה עוברה ותפיל

as surely it is taught.' Three things were said in reference to nails: One who buries them is righteous;<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' By justly removing a stumbling block, a believed cause for injury,');">⁹</span> one who burns them is pious<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' By going to greater trouble in disposing of the injurious matter effectively, beyond recovery. Cf. B. K. 30a; 50b.');">¹⁰</span>

אשה בי מדרשא לא שכיחא וכי תימא זימנין דמיכנשי להו ושדי להו אבראי כיון דאשתני אשתני

and one who throws them away is a villain'! What is the reason? Lest a pregnant woman should step over them and miscarry; [but then], women do not 'often come to the College. And should you say that sometimes the nails are gathered and thrown away outside, once they have been shifted their spell has been lifted.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I.e., they are quite harmless once the nails have been shifted from their first place.');">¹¹</span>

אמר רב יהודה אמר רב זוג בא מחמתן לפני רבי ומר זוטרא מתני זוג בא מחמתן לפני רבי ובקשו ממנו צפרנים והתיר להם ואם בקשו ממנו שפה התיר להם ושמואל אמר אף בקשו ממנו שפה והתיר להם

Rab Judah. as citing Rab, said: 'A pair [of scholars] came from Hammathan<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Ancient Emmaus, a famous spa about a mile from Tiberias. Hanimatha (n) means 'Hot Springs'.');">¹²</span> before Rabbi.' , and Mar Zutra taught [the same as a Baraitha].'

אמר אביטול ספרא משמיה דרב (פפא) שפה מזוית לזוית אמר רבי אמי ובשפה המעכבת א"ר נחמן בר יצחק לדידי כשפה המעכבת דמי לי

A pair [of scholars] came from Hammathan before Rabbi, and asked him about [paring] the nails [during mourning]; and he permitted it to them. And if they had asked him about [trimming] the upper lip. he would<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Judging by his attitude.');">¹³</span>

ואמר אביטול ספרא משמיה דרב (פפא) פרעה שהיה בימי משה הוא אמה וזקנו אמה ופרמשתקו אמה וזרת לקיים מה שנאמר (דניאל ד, יד) ושפל אנשים יקים עליה

have permitted it to them likewise'. And Samuel stated that they did ask him also about the upper lip and that he permitted them. Abitol the hair-dresser<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Hardly 'scribe', as his observation shows. He is otherwise unknown; he may have consulted Rab professionally.');">¹⁴</span>

ואמר אביטול ספרא משמיה דרב (פפא) פרעה שהיה בימי משה אמגושי היה שנאמר (שמות ז, טו) הנה יוצא המימה וגו':

said in the name of Rab that [trimming the] upper lip means from corner<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Of the mouth.');">¹⁵</span> to corner; [and of the drooping ends<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' So Rabad and SBH (p. 92) . Cf. Asheri (section 20) and Ritba.');">¹⁶</span> too, all that causes inconvenience].

ואלו מכבסין במועד הבא ממדינת הים: אמר רב אסי א"ר יוחנן מי שאין לו אלא חלוק אחד מותר לכבסו בחולו של מועד

Said R'Ammi, And as regards the upper lip [it also means only] whatever part causes inconvenience. Said R'Nahman B'Isaac, And to me [all of it]<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' So D.S.');">¹⁷</span> is like the [end of the] upper lip causing inconvenience.

מתיב ר' ירמיה אלו מכבסין במועד הבא ממדינת הים כו' הני אין מי שאין לו אלא חלוק אחד לא

And Abitol the hair-dresser, citing Rab, said [also this]: Pharaoh<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Under Pharoah, Rab alluded veiledly to the new Persian rulers as may be gathered from the following description of the Parthians (or Persians) . Two Palestinian Rabbis had visited Nehardea and had there an awkward experience. R. Jose b. Kippar, on his return, explained his timidity, thus: 'Those people are a cubit (in height) with a cap a cubit high, speaking as ventriloquists, bearing formidable names (such as) Arda (shir) and Arta (xerxes) and having a shock of hair on their head. If they say, " fetter"="" they="" put="" on="" fetters;="" if="" say="" "kill"="" kill="" .="" and="" were="" related="" to="" royalty',="" git.="" 14b.="" 'surena="" (a="" parthian="" grandee)="" had="" his="" face="" painted="" hair="" parted="" after="" the="" fashion="" of="" medes,="" whereas="" parthians="" (whom="" he="" led="" against="" crassus="" 53="" b.c.e.)="" made="" a="" more="" terrible="" appearance="" with="" their="" shaggy="" gathered="" in="" mass="" upon="" forehead="" scythian="" manner'.="" plutarch's="" lives,="" (everyman's="" library,="" vol.="" ii,="" pp.="" 292-293)="" 'but="" describe="" persons="" customs="" (says="" ammianus="" marcellus)="" are="" nearly="" all="" slight="" figure,="" swarthy...="" fierce-looking="" goat-like="" eyes,="" eyebrows="" arched="" semi-circle="" joined,="" handsome="" beards="" long="" hair'.="" amm.="" marcell.="" chapter="" xxiii,="" vi,="" 75="" (bohn's="" ed.="" 343ff="" expedition="" julian="" 363="" c.e.)="" ue,anrp');"="">¹⁸</span> the contemporary of Moses, was [a puny fellow] a cubit [in height] with a beard a cubit long and his shock of hair<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Adopting J. Perles' suggested etymology cited in (Ar. Compl. s.v. 430b) as more likely correct, ** meaning here not the side whiskers but the other hair, the shock of hair on top of the head.');">¹⁹</span> a cubit and a span, justifying what is said: And He setteth up over it [the kingdom of men] the lowest of men.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Dan. IV, 14, in reference to Nebuchadnezzar who turned beast, with hair grown like eagles' feathers (v. 30) . Cf. Kid. ');">²⁰</span>

אמר ליה ר' יעקב לר' ירמיה אסברה לך מתני' אע"ג דאית ליה תרי ומטנפי

And [furthermore] said Abitol the hair-dresser, as citing Rab, Pharaoh, the contemporary of Moses, was a Magus,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I.e., a priest of the Zoroastrian religion, who adored Ahura-Mazda (Ormuzd) 'the Lord of Light' who would vanquish Angra-Mainyus,');">²¹</span> because it is said: [Get thee unto Pharaoh in the morning,] lo he goeth out unto the water.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Ex. VII, 15. It is the reference to the light of morning which is the emphatic part of this quotation. Rab undoubtedly referred to the then national revival of Zoroastrianism on the defeat of Artaban IV and the overthrow of the Parthian, Arsacid dynasty by Ardashir I - (Artaxerxes) and the establishment of the Sassanid dynasty in 226 C.E. Artaban (who is said to have been friendly disposed towards Rab) was captured, held a prisoner and finally put to death in 233. i.e., at the time when Alexander Severus repelled the Persian attacks on the Roman outposts in Northern Mesopotamia. Ardashir 'was an ardent devotee of the Zoroastrian doctrine and closely connected with the Priesthood and in his royal style assumed the designation Mazdayasman' (i.e., devotee of Ahura-Mazda) and depicted himself on rock-reliefs as King and Ormuzd both on horseback, i.e., King and god as Pharaoh did of old. Shapur I, his son and successor, was more liberal and friendly to Samuel. Hence the discussion between Rab and Samuel (Shab. 75a) as to what is a magus, a sorcerer (a muttering quack-priest) or a blasphemer, reviler of God? On the historical facts cf. Enc. Brit. II (1911) Art. Peria, VIII, p. 219a-b.');">²²</span> AND THESE [MAY] WASH [THEIR CLOTHES] DURING THE FESTIVAL [WEEK], ONE ARRIVING FROM ABROAD.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'from a maritime province'.');">²³</span>

שלח רב יצחק בר יעקב בר גיורי משמיה דר' יוחנן כלי פשתן מותר לכבסן בחולו של מועד מתיב רבא מטפחות הידים מטפחות

R'Assi, as citing R'Johanan said that one who has but one tunic is allowed to wash it during the festival week. Thereupon R'Jeremiah put an objection to him: 'AND THESE [MAY] WASH [THEIR CLOTHES] DURING THE FESTIVAL [WEEK]. ONE ARRIVING FROM ABROAD etc.' [which enumeration implies that only] those here mentioned may [wash] but one who has but one tunic<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Or shirt.');">²⁴</span> [may] not? - Said R'Jacob to R'Jeremiah [b. Tahlifa],<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' So MS.M.');">²⁵</span> I will explain that to you: Our Mishnah [permits to wash] even if he has two garments if they be soiled.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Bit where he has only one tunic he may in all circumstances wash it.');">²⁶</span> R'Isaac son of R'Jacob B'Giyora sent [a message] in the name of R'Johanan that garments made of flax<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Linen, in contrast to woollens that require more skill and exertion in cleaning.');">²⁷</span> one may wash during the festival week. Raba raised an objection: HAND-TOWELS, BARBERS'-WRAPS AND BATHTOWELS [MAY BE WASHED].