Talmud zu Mischlej 12:29

Rebbi Simeon ben Laqish provided an opening: If you had known that one who makes a vow is as if he put a neck-iron¹⁹Cf. Berakhot 7:5, Note 116. on his neck, would you have made the vow? It is as if a gang of prisoners²⁰Reading with Jastrow and Krauss קֻסְטוֹדִייָה for קֻסְטוֹרִייָה, Latin custodia “watch, guard; gang of prisoners”. was passing by, he saw that there was one unused neck-iron and put his head into it! “To bind a prohibition onto himself²¹Num. 30:3.”, as you say²²Jer. 40:1., “he was bound with chains.” Rebbi Jonathan²³In the Babli, 22a, R. Nathan. provided an opening: If you had known that one who makes a vow is like one who builds an idolatrous altar and one who continues in it is like one who sacrifices there, would you have made the vow? That is difficult to understand. Idolatry is a capital crime but vows are a simple prohibition; how can you say that? You have only what Rebbi Yannai said, one who listens to his urges is as if he worshipped idols. Rebbi Isaac provided an opening: If you had known that one who makes a vow is like one who takes a sword and sticks it in his heart, would you have made the vow? “Some talk bluntly like sword piercings.²⁴Prov. 12:18.” Rebbi Ḥanina from Sepphoris in the name of Rebbi Phineas: It does not say “piercing” but “sword piercings”. For example, one who made a vow not to eat a loaf. Woe if he eats, woe if he does not eat. If he eats he transgresses his vow. If he does not eat he sins against himself²⁵Since a person who mortifies himself is called a sinner, Sifry Num.30, Nazir 1:5 (51c, 1. 58).. What can he do? He goes to a Sage who will dissolve his vow, “but the speech of Sages is healing²⁴Prov. 12:18.. Rebbi Eudaimon in the name of Rebbi Isaac: Is it not enough what the Torah forbade you that you want to forbid other things for yourself? “To forbid a prohibition²¹Num. 30:3.”.

It was stated²⁶¹This baraita is also quoted in Babli Ketubot 5b, where it is determined that “others” means R. Simeon who states that an action not expressly intended is not forbidden on the Sabbath. It is explained there, that even though R. Simeon forbids actions which automatically imply some other action that desecrates the Sabbath, here he allows a first sex act on Sabbath since splitting the hymen is not a necessary consequence if the male partner is considerate (and, consequently, an intact hymen is no guarantee of virginity.) Since we decide on the Sabbath according to the opinion of Rebbi Simeon and since the medical statement is by Samuel, the greatest medical authority in the Babli, it is clear that the Babli decides that first sex relations on Friday night are permitted. (In the Middle Ages, poor people married on Friday afternoon in order to save expenses for a separate wedding meal.) It is seen here that the Yerushalmi is strictly of the opposite opinion; hence, the identity of “others” is not determined here.: “A man should not have first sexual relations on the Sabbath because he makes a wound; but others allow it.” Rebbi Yose bar Abun said: The reason of the others is that he is intent on his job; the wound results automatically²⁶²Hence, the act is permitted according to R. Simeon.. Assi²⁶³His alter ego, Ammi, is quoted in the Babli as the first authority who allows it. said, it is forbidden. Benjamin from Ginzak²⁶⁴Ginzak (“city of the treasury”) is the capital of Media, called Gazaka by Ptolemy. Another version is told in the Babli, Niddah 65a. According to the version which allows first sex acts on the Sabbath, Benjamin, called there “from Saqasan”, tried to follow a ruling attributed to Rav to the effect that a second sex act would be permitted even without waiting the seven days of a cleansing period regularly required of a menstruating women, and applied to the newlyweds since blood from the breaking of the hymen is indistinguishable from menstrual blood, as discussed in the following section. In the Babylonian version, Benjamin tried to act according to this ruling but he died before he could do so. went out and said in the name of Rab, it is allowed. Samuel heard it and resented it, he [Benjamin] died, he [Samuel] recited for him: praised be He Who smote him²⁶⁵“קרי” means “recited a Biblical verse”. There is no such verse but its intent is close to 1Sam. 25:39.. About Rav, he [Samuel] recited: (Prov. 12:21) “The just will cause no wrong.”

BARAITHA. He who looks to the earnings of his ass or to the earnings of his wife¹²⁰Pes. loc. cit. (Sonc. ed., p. 245). does not see a sign of blessing.
GEMARA. What is the reason? Because it is written, A righteous man regardeth the life of his beast:¹²¹Prov. 12, 10. a beast does regard the life of a righteous man. ‘The earnings of his wife’: for it is written, [And there will be goat’s milk enough] for thy food, for the food of thy household; and maintenance for thy maidens.¹²²ibid. XXVII, 27. The Torah teaches that your food comes before the food of your household,¹²³In Rabbinic phraseology the Biblical term ‘house’ is equated with one’s wife; cf. Yoma 2a (Sonc. ed., p. 1). and then comes the food of your maidens. Raba said: Whoever compels his wife or his household to work, the evil inclination departs from them;¹²⁴Being fully occupied, they will have no time to indulge in wrong. as it is stated, The wicked flee when no man pursueth; but the righteous are secure as a young lion.¹²⁵Prov. 28, 1. This conforms to what we learnt:¹²⁶Keth. 59b (Sonc. ed., p. 353). Rabban Simeon b. Gamaliel said: If a man forbade his wife under a vow to do any work, he must divorce her and give her her kethubah, because idleness leads to idiocy.

Ten entities are considered truly “alive.” 1. The Holy Blessed One, as it says (Jeremiah 10:10), “The Eternal is truly God; He is a living God.” 2. The Torah is called a Living Torah, as it says (Proverbs 3:18), “It is a Tree of Life for those who hold fast to it, and all its supporters are happy.” 3. Israel are called Alive, as it says (Deuteronomy 4:41), “And you, who cling to the Eternal your God, you are all alive today.” 4. A righteous person is called Life, as it says (Proverbs 11:30), “The fruit of the righteous is the Tree of Life.” 5. The Garden of Eden is called Living, ([as it says (Psalms 116:9), “I will walk before the Eternal in the land of the living.” 6. One of the trees in the Garden was called the Tree of Life,]) as it says (Genesis 2:9), “and the Tree of Life in the midst of the Garden. 7. The Land of Israel is called the Land of the Living, as it says (Ezekiel 26:20), “I will place radiance in the land of the living.” (Jerusalem is called Living, as it says [Psalms 116:9)], “I will walk before the Eternal in the land of the living.”) 8. Acts of kindness are called Life, as it says (Psalms 63:4), “For Your kindness is better than life; my lips will praise You.” 9. A wise person is called Life, as it says (Proverbs 13:14), “The Torah of the wise is the source of life.” 10. Water is called Living, as it says (Zechariah 14:8), “On that day, living waters will come forth from Jerusalem.”

There are seven realms: the upper realm, the lower realm, the air of the world, and the four upper areas. Rabbi Meir says: There are seven skies: Vilon, Rakia, Shekhakim, Zevul, Ma’on, Machon, and Aravot. The land, likewise, is called by seven names: Eretz, Adama, Arka, Haravah, Yabasha, Tevel, and Heled. And why is it called Tevel? Because it is seasoned (metubelet) with everything. Another interpretation: Because its nature is to bring in and not to take out.³It outlasts all, because it consumes but does not withdraw.
There are seven distinctions between one righteous person and another: One has a more pleasant wife than the other; one has more pleasant children than the other; both eat from one bowl, but this one tastes according to what he has done and that one tastes according to what he has done; both of them dye cloth with the same kettle, but this one’s comes out lovely and that one’s comes out ugly; one’s wisdom is greater; one’s understanding is greater; and one’s knowledge is greater (and one is taller), as it says (Proverbs 12:26), “The greater one guides the righteous.”