Shabbat 63

ראשית קראתי אתכם על עסקי ראשית הזהרתי אתכם נשמה שנתתי בכם קרויה נר על עסקי נר הזהרתי אתכם אם אתם מקיימים אותם מוטב ואם לאו הריני נוטל נשמתכם

I designated you the first;<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Jer. II, 3: Israel was holiness unto the Lord, the first-fruits of his increase. ');">¹</span> wherefore I commanded you concerning the first.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Sc. the first portion of the dough, which is hallah; Num. XV, 20. ');">²</span>

ומ"ש בשעת לידתן אמר רבא נפל תורא חדד לסכינא אביי אמר תפיש תירוס אמתא בחד מחטרא ליהוי רב חסדא אמר שבקיה לרויא דמנפשיה נפיל מר עוקבא אמר רעיא חגרא ועיזי ריהטן אבב חוטרא מילי ואבי דרי חושבנא רב פפא אמר אבב חנואתא נפישי אחי ומרחמי אבב בזיוני לא אחי ולא מרחמי

The soul which I placed in you is called a lamp, wherefore I commanded you concerning the lamp.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Sc. the Sabbath lights. ');">³</span> If ye fulfil them, 'tis well; but if not, I will take your souls.

וגברי היכא מיבדקי אמר ריש לקיש בשעה שעוברים על הגשר גשר ותו לא אימא כעין גשר רב לא עבר במברא דיתיב ביה עכו"ם אמר דילמא מיפקיד ליה דינא עליה ומתפיסנא בהדיה שמואל לא עבר אלא במברא דאית ביה עכו"ם אמר שטנא בתרי אומי לא שליט

And why particularly in childbirth? — Raba said, When the ox is fallen, sharpen the knife. Abaye said, Let the bondmaid increase her rebellion: it will all be punished by the same rod. R. Hisda said, Leave the drunkard alone: he will fall of himself. Mar 'Ukba said, When the shepherd is lame, and the goats are fleet, at the gate of the fold are words, and in the fold there is the account. R. Papa said, At the gate of the shop there are many brothers and friends; at the gate of loss<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Rashi. Levi, Worterbuch s.v. [H] conjectures that [H] should be read instead of [H]: he translates as Rashi: where there is loss. Jast.: at the prison gate, Krauss in T.A. II, p. 699, n. 435 appears to translate: at the toll-gate, and this is a reference to the severity with which tolls were exacted. ');">⁴</span> there are neither brothers nor friends.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' These are a series of proverbs, the general tenor of which is that when danger is near, one's faults are remembered and punished. Childbirth is dangerous, and that is when a woman is punished for her transgressions. — Mar 'Ukba's proverb means: the shepherd waits until the goats are by the gate of the fold or pen, and then rebukes and punishes them. ');">⁵</span>

ר' ינאי בדיק ועבר ר' ינאי לטעמיה דאמר לעולם אל יעמוד אדם במקום סכנה לומר שעושין לו נס שמא אין עושים לו נס ואם עושין לו נס מנכין לו מזכיותיו אמר רבי חנין מאי קראה (בראשית לב, יא) קטנתי מכל החסדים ומכל האמת רבי זירא ביומא דשותא לא נפיק לביני דיקלא

And when are men examined? — Said Resh Lakish: When they pass over a bridge.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' That involves danger, and then they are liable to be punished for their misdeeds, ');">⁶</span> A bridge and nothing else? — Say, that which is similar to a bridge. Rab would not cross a bridge where a heathen was sitting; said he, Lest judgment be visited upon him, and I be seized together with him. Samuel would cross a bridge only when a heathen was upon it, saying, Satan has no power over two nations [simultaneously]. R. Jannai examined [the bridge] and then crossed over. R. Jannai [acted] upon his views, for he said, A man should never stand in a place of danger and say that a miracle will be wrought for him, lest it is not. And if a miracle is wrought for him, it is deducted from his merits.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The miracle is a reward for some of his merits, and so he has now less to his credit. ');">⁷</span>

אמר ר' יצחק בריה דרב יהודה לעולם יבקש אדם רחמים שלא יחלה שאם יחלה אומרים לו הבא זכות והפטר אמר מר עוקבא מאי קראה (דברים כב, ח) כי יפול הנופל ממנו ממנו להביא ראיה תנא דבי רבי ישמעאל כי יפול הנופל ממנו (ממנו) ראוי זה ליפול מששת ימי בראשית שהרי לא נפל והכתוב קראו נופל אלא שמגלגלין זכות על ידי זכאי וחובה על ידי חייב.

R. Hanin said, Which verse [teaches this]? I am become diminished<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I.e., I have less merit to my credit. ');">⁸</span> by reason of all the deeds of kindness and all the truth.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Gen, XXXII, 10. ');">⁹</span>

ת"ר מי שחלה ונטה למות אומרים לו התודה שכן כל המומתין מתודין אדם יוצא לשוק יהי דומה בעיניו כמי שנמסר לסרדיוט חש בראשו יהי דומה בעיניו כמי שנתנוהו בקולר עלה למטה ונפל יהי דומה בעיניו כמו שהעלוהו לגרדום לידון שכל העולה לגרדום לידון אם יש לו פרקליטין גדולים ניצול ואם לאו אינו ניצול

R. Zera would not go out among the palm-trees on a day of the strong south wind.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Aruch: east wind. ');">¹⁰</span> R. Isaac the son of Rab Judah said: Let one always pray for mercy not to fall sick; for the falls sick he is told, Show thy merits [rights] and be quit.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I.e., he must prove by what merit he is entitled to regain his health. ');">¹¹</span>

ואלו הן פרקליטין של אדם תשובה ומעשים טובים ואפי' תשע מאות ותשעים ותשעה מלמדים עליו חובה ואחד מלמד עליו זכות ניצול שנאמר (איוב לג, כג) אם יש עליו מלאך מליץ אחד מני אלף להגיד לאדם ישרו ויחננו ויאמר פדעהו מרדת שחת וגו': ר' אליעזר בנו של ר' יוסי הגלילי אומר אפילו תשע מאות ותשעים ותשעה באותו מלאך לחובה ואחד לזכות ניצול שנאמר מליץ אחד מני אלף:

Said Mar 'Ukba, Which verse [teaches this]? If any man fall mimmenu;<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Deut. XXII, 8. ');">¹²</span> It is from him [mimmenu] that proof must be brought.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Of merit, that he is entitled to recover from his injuries. ');">¹³</span>

תנו רבנן על שלש עבירות נשים מתות יולדות רבי אלעזר אומר נשים מתות ילדות ר' אחא אומר בעון שמכבסות צואת בניהם בשבת וי"א על שקורין לארון הקודש ארנא.

The School of R. Ishmael taught: 'If any man [hanofel] fall from thence': this man was predestined to fall since the six days of Creation, for lo! he has not [yet] fallen, and the Writ [already] calls him nofel [a faller].<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The lit. translation of the verse is: if the faller falls. But before he starts falling he should not be designated the faller. ');">¹⁴</span> But reward [zekut] is brought about through a person of merit [zakkai], and punishment [hobah] through a person of- guilt.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' And this man who builds a house without a parapet is guilty therein, and he is used as the Divine instrument for fulfilling the other man's destiny to fall as a punishment. ');">¹⁵</span>

תניא ר' ישמעאל בן אלעזר אומר בעון שני דברים עמי . הארצות מתים על שקורין לארון הקודש ארנא ועל שקורין לבית הכנסת בית עם תניא ר' יוסי אומר שלשה בדקי מיתה נבראו באשה ואמרי לה שלשה דבקי מיתה נדה וחלה והדלקת הנר חדא כר' אלעזר וחדא כרבנן

Our Rabbis taught: if one falls sick and his life is in danger,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'inclines to death'. ');">¹⁶</span> he is told, Make confession, for all who are sentenced to death make confession. When a man goes out into the street, let him imagine that he is given in charge of an officer;<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' To be bought to trial. ');">¹⁷</span>

תניא רשב"ג אומר הלכות הקדש תרומות ומעשרות הן הן גופי תורה

when he has a headache, let him imagine that he is put in irons; when he takes to bed, let him imagine that he ascended the scaffold to be punished. For whoever ascends the scaffold to be punished, if he has great advocates he is saved, but if not he is not saved. And these are man's advocates: repentance and good deeds. And even if nine hundred and ninety-nine argue for his guilt, while one argues in his favour, he is saved, for it is said, If there be with him an angel, an advocate, one among a thousand, To shew unto man what is right for him; Then he is gracious unto him, and saith, Deliver him from going down to the pit, etc.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Job. XXXIII, 23f. ');">¹⁸</span> R. Eliezer the son of R. Jose the Galilean said: Even if nine hundred and ninety-nine parts of that angel are in his disfavour and one part is in his favour, be is saved, for it is said, 'an advocate, one part in a thousand'. Our Rabbis taught: For three sins women die in childbirth. R. Eleazar said: women die young.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' For these three sins. The variants involve but a change of vocalization in the Hebrew text. ');">¹⁹</span> R. Aha said, As a punishment for washing their children's napkins<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'excrement'. ');">²⁰</span> on the Sabbath. Others say, Because they call the holy ark a chest. It was taught, R. Ishmael b. Eleazar said: On account of two sins 'amme ha-arez<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Pl. of 'am ha-arez, q.v. Glos, ');">²¹</span> die: because they call the holy ark a chest, and because they call a synagogue beth-'am.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'house of the people'-a contemptuous designation. ');">²²</span> It was taught, R. Jose said: Three death scrutineers were created in woman; others state: Three causes<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Cf. n. 2.. ');">²³</span> of death: <i>niddah</i>, <i>hallah</i>, and the kindling of the [Sabbath] lights. One agrees with R. Eleazar, and the other with the Rabbi's.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' 'Death scrutineers' connotes sins which scrutinize a woman when she is in danger, sc. at childbirth; thus this agrees with the Rabbis, 'Causes' implies avenues to premature death, thus agreeing with R. Eleazar's dictum, 'women die young'-The translation of the first follows Rashi. last.: breaches through which death enters, i.e., sins for which one is visited with death. ');">²⁴</span> It was taught, R. Simeon b. Gamaliel said: The laws of hekdesh, terumoth<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' V. Glos. ');">²⁵</span> and tithes are indeed essential parts of the law,