Pesachim 220

איבדור תבלונייכי פרחא זיקא למוריקא חדתא דנקטיתו נשים כשפניות אדחנני וחננכי לא אתיתי לגו השתא דאתיתי לגו קרחנני וחננכי

your spices be scattered, the wind carry off the new saffron which ye are holding, ye sorceresses; as long as He showed grace to me and to you, I had not come among [you]; how that I have come among you, your grace and my grace have cooled.'<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I have not taken sufficient care of myself.');">¹</span> In the West [Palestine] they were not particular about 'pairs.

במערבא לא קפדי אזוגי רב דימי מנהרדעא קפיד אפילו ארושמא דחביתא הוה עובדא ופקע חביתא כללא דמילתא כל דקפיד קפדי בהדיה ודלא קפיד לא קפדי בהדיה ומיהו למיחש מיבעי

R'Dimi of Nehardea was particular even about the marks on a [wine-] barrel:<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Indicating the quantities sold. He took care that there should not be an even number of these.');">²</span> it once happened that a barrel burst.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' When an even number of marks had bee made on it.');">³</span>

כי אתא רב דימי אמר שתי ביצים ושתי אגוזין שתי קישואין ודבר אחר הלכה למשה מסיני ומסתפקא להו לרבנן מאי ניהו דבר אחר וגזור רבנן בכולהו זוגי משום דבר אחר

This is the position in general: when one is particular, they [the demons] are particular about him,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' They are more anxious to injure him.');">⁴</span> while when one is not particular,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Takes no great pains to save himself from demons.');">⁵</span>

והא דאמרן עשרה תמניא שיתא ארבעה אין בהן משום זוגי לא אמרן אלא לענין מזיקין אבל לענין כשפים אפילו טובא נמי חיישינן

they are not particular about him. Nevertheless one should take heed.

כי הא דההוא גברא דגרשה לדביתהו (אזיל) אינסבה לחנואה כל יומא הוה אזיל ושתי חמרא הוה קא עבדא ליה כשפים ולא קא מהניא לה ביה משום דהוה מזדהר בנפשיה בזוגא

When R'Dimi came,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' From Palestine to Babylonia.');">⁶</span> he said: Two eggs, two nuts, two cucumbers and something else - [these are] halachah from Moses at Sinai;<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' It is a tradition dating back from Moses that even numbers of these and of another unnamed commodity are harmful.');">⁷</span>

יומא חד אשתי טובא ולא הוה ידע כמה שתי עד שיתסר הוה צייל ואיזדהר בנפשיה מכאן ואילך לא הוה צייל ולא איזדהר בנפשיה אפיקתיה בזוגא כי הוה אזיל גס ביה ההוא טייעא א"ל גברא קטילא הוא דאזיל הכא אזיל חבקיה לדיקלא צווח דיקלא ופקע הוא

but the Rabbis were doubtful what this something else was, and so the Rabbis forbid a 'pairs' on account of the 'something else.' And as to what we have said, Ten, eight, six and four are not subject to 'pairs,' that was said only in respect to the harmful spirits [mazzikin], but where witchcraft is concerned we fear even many.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' A large multiple of two, such as six, eight, etc.');">⁸</span>

אמר רב עוירא קערות וככרות אין בהם משום זוגות כללא דמילתא כל שגמרו בידי אדם אין בהן משום זוגות גמרו בידי שמים במילי מיני דמיכל חיישינן

As [it once happened in] the case of a certain man who divorced his wife, [whereupon] she went and married a shopkeeper. Every day he [her first husband] used to go and drink wine, [and though] she exercised her witchcraft against him, she could avail nought, because he was heedful of 'pairs.'

חנות אין בהן משום זוגות נמלך אין בהן משום זוגות אורח אין בו משום זוגות אשה אין בה משום זוגות ואי אשה חשובה חיישינן

One day he drank to excess and did not know how much he drank; until sixteen [cups] he was clear-headed and on is guard; after that he was not clear-headed and took no care, [and] she turned him out at an even [number of drinks]. As he was going along an Arab met him and observed to him: A corpse is walking here!<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' He recognized that he was doomed.');">⁹</span>

אמר רב חיננא בריה דרבי יהושע איספרגוס מצטרף לטובה ואין מצטרף לרעה

He went and clasped a palm tree; the palm tree cried out<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Probably, made a rustling noise. [Var. lec., 'withered']');">¹⁰</span> and he burst.

אמר רבינא משמיה דרבא זוגי לחומרא ואמרי ליה זוגי לקולא אמר רב יוסף תרי דחמרא וחד דשיכרא לא מצטרף תרי דשיכרא וחד דחמרא מצטרף

R''Awira said: Plates and loaves are not subject to even numbers. This is the general rule: That which is completed by man is not subject to even numbers; [but in the case of] that which is completed by Heaven, such as various kinds of eatables, we fear [even numbers].

וסימניך זה הכלל כל המחובר לו מן החמור ממנו טמא מן הקל ממנו טהור

A shop is not subject to even numbers.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I.e., if one drinks in two shops. Others: if one drinks an even number of glasses in one shop, for these are harmful at home only. The incident related above, however, took place in a tavern.');">¹¹</span> If a man changes his mind,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' He drank one glass, not intending to drink more; then decided to drink another.');">¹²</span>

אמר רב נחמן אמר רב תרי קמא תכא וחד אתכא מצטרפי חד מקמי תכא ותרי אתכא לא מצטרפין

it is not subject to even numbers. A guest is not subject to even numbers.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' He does not know how much will be offered him, therefore at each he is regarded as having decided afresh.');">¹³</span>

מתקיף לה רב משרשיא אטו אנן לתקוני תכא קא בעינן לתקוני גברא בעינן וגברא קא מיתקן וקאי

A woman is not subject to even numbers; but if she is an important woman, we take heed. R'Hinena son of R'Joshua said: Asparagus [-wine] combines [with other liquors] for good, but does not combine for harm.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Cf. p. 565, n. 5.');">¹⁴</span>

(אלא א"ר משרשיא) דכולי עלמא תרי אתכא וחד לבתר תכא לא מצטרפי ההיא מעשה דרבה בר נחמני

Rabina said in Raba's name: [A doubt concerning] even numbers [is resolved] stringently;<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' If a man does not know whether he has drunk an even number or not, he Should drink another. This turns an even number into odd, not an odd into even, because in the latter case this glass represents a fresh decision (cf. p. 568, n. 8) , and does not combine with the others.');">¹⁵</span> others state: [A doubt concerning] even numbers [is resolved] leniently.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Thus showing that he is not particular about it and thereby removing the hostility of the demons (cf. supra) .');">¹⁶</span>

אמר רב יהודה אמר שמואל כל המזוג מצטרף

R'Joseph said: Two [cups] of wine and one of beer do not combine; two of beer and one of wine combine, and your token [is this]: 'This is the general principle: Whatever is joined thereto of a material more stringent than itself is unclean; of a material more lenient than itself, is clean.'<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Materials, to become unclean, must be of a certain minimum size, which varies according to the value of the material: the greater the value, the more stringent it is, i.e., the smaller its minimum. If the material is less than the minimum and a piece of another material is joined to it, making it up to the minimum, the rule is as stated. Thus here too, wine, being more valuable than beer, combines with it; beer being less valuable than wine, it is disregarded.');">¹⁷</span> R'Nahman said in Rab's name: Two [cups] before the meal<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'tray.'');">¹⁸</span> and one during the meal combine; one before the meal and two during the meal do not combine. R'Mesharsheya demurred: Do we then desire to effect a remedy for the meal: we desire to effect a remedy for the person, and surely the person stands remedied!<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Since he has drunk three.');">¹⁹</span> Yet all agree that two during the meal and one after the meal do not combine, in accordance with the story of Rabbah B'Nahmani.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' V. B.M. 86a.');">²⁰</span> Rab Judah said in Samuel's name: All mixed drinks combine,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' If a man drinks mixed (i.e., diluted) wine and then any other mixed drink (so Rashbam) , they combine.');">²¹</span>