Shabbat 110

בר קשא דפומבדיתא דטרקיה חיויא הוה תליסר חמרי חיורתא בפומבדיתא קרעינהו לכולהו ואישתכחו טריפה הואי חדא בההוא גיסא דפומבדיתא עד דאזלי מייתי לה אכלה אריה אמר להו אביי דילמא חיויא דרבנן טרקיה דלית ליה אסותא דכתיב ופרץ גדר ישכנו נחש אמרו ליה אין רבי דכי נח נפשיה דרב גזר רב יצחק בר ביסנא דליכא דלימטייה אסא וגידמי לבי הילולא [בטבלא] ואזל איהו אמטי אסא וגידמי לבי הילולא בטבלא טרקיה חיויא ומית

Jewish official in Pumbedita that was bitten by a snake. There were thirteen white donkeys in Pumbedita and they tore them all open and they were found to be tereifot. There was one donkey on the other side of Pumbedita, and until they went to bring it, a lion ate it. Abaye said to them: Since all of these things have happened, perhaps a snake of the Rabbis bit him, for which there is no cure, as it is written: “One that digs a pit will fall into it, and one who breaches a fence will be bitten by a snake” (Ecclesiastes 10:8). Perhaps this person violated a rabbinic decree, also known as a fence, and was bitten by a snake as punishment. That bite has no cure. They said to him: Yes, my teacher, it is so, as when Rav died Rav Yitzḥak bar Bisna ruled that one may not bring myrtle and palm branches to a wedding hall to accompany bells, and he went and brought myrtle and palm branches to the wedding hall with bells. Therefore, a snake bit him. And it is reported that ultimately the official died.

האי מאן דכרכיה חיויא לינחות למיא וליסחוף דיקולא ארישא ולהדקיה מיניה וכי סליק עילויה לישדיה למיא וליסלוק וליתי האי מאן דמיקני ביה חיויא אי איכא חבריה בהדיה לירכביה ארבע גרמידי ואי לא לישואר נגרא ואי לא ליעבר נהרא ובליליא לותביה לפוריא אארבעה חביתא וניגני בי כוכבי ולייתי ארבעה שונרי וליסרינהו בארבעה כרעי דפורייה וליתי שחפי ולישדי התם דכי שמע קלי אכלי ליה האי מאן דרהיט אבתריה לירהיט בי חלתא

The Gemara cites additional information about the dangers posed by snakes and how to deal with them. One whom a snake encircled should descend into water and place a basket on his head and remove the snake slowly from him into the basket. And once the snake goes into the basket, let him throw it into the water and climb and emerge. One at whom a snake is angry and is being pursued by a snake, if he has another with him, let him ride him four cubits. And if not, let him jump over a ditch. And if not, let him cross a river. And at night let him place his bed on four barrels and sleep outside beneath the stars. And let one bring four cats and let one tie them to the four legs of the bed. And let one bring twigs and branches and throw them there so that when the cats hear the sound of the snake crawling they will eat it. One who is being pursued by a snake, let him run in sand because a snake cannot move as quickly in sand as a person can.

האי איתתא דחזיא חיויא ולא ידעה אי יהיב דעתיה עילוה אי לא יהיב דעתיה עילוה תשלח מאנה ונשדייה קמיה אי מכרך בהו דעתיה עילוה ואי לא לא יהיב דעתיה עילוה

A woman who is seen by a snake and does not know whether it has directed his attention toward her or whether it has not directed his attention toward her, she should remove her garment and throw it before the snake. If the snake wraps itself in the garments, it is an indication that it has directed his attention toward her; and if not, it is an indication that it has not directed his attention toward her.

מאי תקנתה תשמש קמיה איכא דאמרי כל שכן דתקיף ליה יצריה אלא תשקול ממזיה ומטופרה ותשדי ביה ותימא דישתנא אנא האי איתתא דעייל בה חיויא ליפסעה ולתבוה אתרתי חביתא וליתי בישרא שמנה ולישדי אגומרי וליתי אגנא דתחלי וחמרא ריחתנא ולותבו התם וליטרוקינהו בהדי הדדי ולינקוט צבתא בידה דכי מירח ריחא נפיק ואתי ולישקליה וליקלייה בנורא דאי לא הדר עילוה:

What is her remedy so the snake will leave her alone? She should have relations with her husband before the snake. Some say: If she has relations in front of the snake, all the more so that its desire will become stronger. Rather, she should take from her hair and her nails and throw them at the snake, and say the following to it as an incantation: I am a menstruating woman [dishtana]. A woman whom a snake has entered, let them spread her legs and place her on two barrels, and let them bring fatty meat and throw it onto coals. And let them bring her a bowl of cress and fragrant wine and place them there and mix them together. And she should take tongs in her hand, as when the snake smells the fragrance it emerges. And then one should take the snake and burn it in the fire, as if it is not burned, it will come back onto her.

כל האוכלין כו׳: כל האוכלין לאיתויי מאי לאיתויי טחול לשינים וכרשינין לבני מעיים כל המשקין לאיתויי מאי לאיתויי מי צלפין בחומץ אמר ליה רבינא לרבא מהו לשתות מי רגלים בשבת אמר ליה תנינא כל המשקין שותה ומי רגלים לא שתו אינשי:

We learned in the mishna: All types of food that healthy people eat may be eaten by one eating them for medicinal purposes on Shabbat. The Gemara asks: The phrase: All foods, what does it come to include? The Gemara answers: It comes to include spleen for healing teeth and vetch for healing intestines, although they are not common foods. We also learned in the mishna: And one may drink all drinks on Shabbat. The Gemara asks: The phrase: All drinks, what does it come to include? The Gemara answers: It comes to include mixing water in which capers have soaked, with vinegar. Ravina said to Rava: What is the ruling with regard to drinking urine on Shabbat? Rava said to him: We already learned in the mishna: One may drink all drinks, and people do not drink urine and is not considered a drink. It is only consumed for medical purposes and is therefore prohibited.

חוץ ממי דקלים: תנא חוץ ממי דקרים מאן דתנא מי דקרים שהם דוקרים את המרה ומאן דאמר מי דקלים שיוצאין מן שני דקלי מאי מי דקלים אמר רבה בר ברונא תרתי תלאי איכא במערבא ונפקא עינא דמיא מבינייהו כסא קמא מרפי אידך משלשל ואידך כי היכי דעיילי הכי נפקי אמר עולא לדידי שתי שיכרא דבבלאי ומעלי מינייהו והוא דלא רגיל ביה ארבעין יומין

We learned in the mishna: One may drink anything on Shabbat except for palm tree water [mei dekalim]. It was taught slightly differently in the Tosefta: Water that stabs [mei dekarim]. The Gemara explains: The one who taught water that stabs means that the waters pierce the gall bladder; and the one who said palm tree water means that they come from two palm trees. In order to explain what palm tree water is, Rabba bar Beruna said: There are two palm trees in Eretz Yisrael, and a spring of water emerges from between them. The first cup one drinks of this water loosens the intestines, another cup causes diarrhea, and another, a third cup, just as it entered as water, so too it emerges. Ulla said: For me, I drink Babylonian beer, and it is more effective than palm tree water in causing diarrhea. The Gemara comments: And this is true. It is effective for the stomach when the person who drinks it has not become accustomed to beer for forty days.

רב יוסף אמר זיתום המצרי תילתא שערי ותילתא קורטמי ותילתא מילחא רב פפא אמר תילתא חיטי ותילתא קורטמי ותילתא מילחא (וכמונא) וסימניך סיסאני ושתי להו בין דבחא לעצרתא דקמיט מרפי ליה ודרפי קמיט ליה:

Rav Yosef said: Water that stabs is Egyptian zitom, which is made from one-third barley, and one-third saffron, and one-third salt. Rav Pappa said: It is one-third wheat, and one-third saffron, and one-third salt and cumin. And this is your mnemonic to remember which said zitom is made from barley: A basket which is called sisanei, a word with two samekhs. This word alludes to the fact that Rav Yosef, who has a samekh in his name, is the one who says that Egyptian zitom is made from barley [se’orim], which has the letter sin. Sin is interchangeable with samekh. And one should drink it between Passover and Shavuot. For one whose intestines are blocked, it will loosen his intestines and cure him; and for one whose bowels are loose, it will block him and cure him as well.

וכוס עקרין: מאי כוס עקרין אמר רבי יוחנן לייתי מתקל זוזא קומא אלכסנדריא ומתקל זוזא גביא גילא ומתקל זוזא כורכמא רישקא ולישחקינהו בהדי הדדי לזבה תלתא בחמרא ולא מיעקרא לירקונא תרין בשיכרא ומיעקר לזבה תלתא בחמרא ולא מיעקרא ואי לא לייתי תלתא

And we also learned about a kos ikarin in the mishna. The Gemara asks: What is a kos ikarin? Rabbi Yoḥanan said: Let one bring the weight of a zuz of Alexandrian gum, and a weight of a zuz of alum, and a weight of a zuz of garden saffron, and let one grind them together. The procedure for treating a zava is that she should drink these three ingredients with wine, and she will be cured of her emission and will not become barren. For treating jaundice one should drink two of these ingredients with beer; however, one will become sterile from it. It was said that for treating a zava, she should drink these three ingredients with wine and she will be healed from her emission and will not become barren. And if it is not effective, let one bring three

קפיזי שמכי פרסאי ונישלוק בחמרא ונשקייה ונימא לה קום מזוביך ואי לא לותבה אפרשת דרכים ולינקטה כסא דחמרא בידה וליתי איניש מאחורה וליבעתה ולימא לה קום מזוביך ואי לא ליתי בונא דכמונא ובונא דמוריקא ובונא דשבלילתא ונישלוק בחמרא ונשקייה ונימא לה קום מזוביך ואי לא ליתי שיתין שיעי דדנא ולשפיה ולימא לה קום מזוביך ואי לא ליתי פשטינא ולישלוק בחמרא ולשפיה ונימא לה קום מזוביך ואי לא ליתי חרנוגא דהיגתא רומיתא וליקלי וליסבה בשחקי דכיתנא בקייטא ובשחקי דעמר גופנא בסיתוא

vessels full of Persian onions, and boil them in wine, and give it to her to drink. And we say to her: Stop emitting your discharge. And if that is not effective, seat her at a crossroads, and she should take a cup of wine in her hand, and let a person come from behind her and frighten her and say to her: Stop emitting your discharge. And if this is also not effective, bring her a fistful [buna] of cumin, and a fistful of saffron, and a fistful of fenugreek, and cook them in wine, and give it to her to drink, and say to her: Stop emitting your discharge. And if this is not effective, let one bring sixty barrel seals, soak them, and then spread it on her and say to her: Stop emitting your discharge. And if this is also does not effective, let one bring pashtina, a type of grass, boil it in wine, and then spread it on her and say to her: Stop emitting your discharge. And if this is not effective, let one bring a thistle that grows on Roman thorns and burn it, and place its ashes in rags from linen clothing in the summer and in rags from cotton clothing in the winter.

ואי לא ליכרי שבע בירי וליקלי בהו שבישתא ילדה דערלה ולינקטה כסא דחמרא בידה ולוקמה מהא ולותבה אהא ולוקמה מהא ולותבה אהא ואכל חדא וחדא לימא לה קום מזוביך ואי לא לייתי סמידא וליסכה מפלגא לתתאי ולימא לה קום מזוביך ואי לא ליתי ביעתא דנעמיתא וליקלי וליסבה בשחקי דכיתנא בקייטא ובשחקי דעמר גופנא בסיתוא ואי לא ליפתח לה חביתא דחמרא לשמה ואי לא לנקיט שערתא דמשתכחת בכפותא דכודנא חיורא אי נקטה חד יומא פסקה תרי יומי ואי נקטה תרי יומי פסקה תלתא יומי ואי נקטה תלתא יומי פסקה לעולם:

And if this is not effective, let one dig seven pits and burn young grape shoots in them from vines that are orla, and place a cup of wine in her hand and raise her up from that pit and sit her in another pit, and raise her from that pit and sit her in this pit, and raise her from that pit and sit her in this other pit. And each and every time say to her: Stop emitting your discharge. And if this is not effective, let one bring fine flour and place it on the bottom half of her body and say to her: Stop emitting your discharge. And if this is not effective, let one bring an ostrich egg and burn it, and place its ashes in linen rags during the summer, and in cotton rags during the winter. And if this is also not effective, let one open a barrel of wine for her, and let her drink it. And if this is not effective, let one hold a barley grain that is found in the dung of a white donkey. If she holds it for one day her discharge will cease for two days; and if she holds it for two days it will cease for three days, and if she holds it for three days it will cease forever.

לירקונא תרין בשיכרא ומעיקר ואי לא לייתי רישא דשיבוטא דמילחא ולישלוק בשיכרא ולישתי ואי לא לייתי מוניני דקמצי ואי ליכא מוניני דקמצי לייתי מוניני דנקירי וליעייליה לבי בני ולישפייה ואי ליכא בי בני לוקמיה בין תנורא לגודא אמר רבי יוחנן הרוצה שיחממנו יקנחנו בסדינו רב אחא בר יוסף חש ביה עבד ליה רב כהנא ואיתסי

The Gemara states: For jaundice, one should drink two of the three ingredients mentioned together with beer, and one becomes sterile from it. The Gemara continues to discuss this remedy: And if one does not have these ingredients, i.e., Alexandrian gum, saffron, and alum, or if the remedy did not work, let one bring the head of a salted shibuta fish and boil it in beer and drink it. And if this is not effective, let one bring grasshopper brine and drink it. And if one does not have grasshopper brine, let one bring brine of small birds, and enter the bathhouse, and smear himself with it. And if there is no bathhouse, have him stand between the oven and the wall and sweat out his disease. Rabbi Yoḥanan said: One who seeks to warm this patient up should wrap him tightly in his sheet. Rav Aḥa bar Yosef was sick with this disease, and Rav Kahana performed this remedy for him and he was healed.

ואי לא ליתי תלתא קפיזי תמרי פרסייתא ותלתא קפיזי דקירא דנישתרופי ותלתא קפיזי אהלא תולענא ולישלוקינהו בשיכרא ולישתי ואי לא ליתי עילא בר חמרא וליגלח מציעתא דרישא ולישביק ליה דמא מאפותיה ולותביה ארישיה וליזהר מעיניה דלא ליסמי להו ואי לא ליתי רישא דברחא דמנח בכיבשא ולישלוק בשיכרא ולישתי ואי לא ליתי דבר אחר חוטרנא וליקרעיה ולותביה אליביה ואי לא ליתי כרתי מכבתותא דמישרי

The Gemara continues: And if this remedy is not effective, let one bring three vessels of Persian dates, and three vessels of dripping wax [kira], and three vessels of red aloe, and boil them in beer and drink it. And if this remedy is not effective, let one bring a donkey foal, and shave the middle of its head, and let blood from the donkey’s forehead, and place it on his own head. And he should take care not to let the blood enter his eyes lest it blind him. And if this is not effective, let one bring a pickled ram’s head and boil it in beer and drink it. And if this is not effective, let him bring a striped something else, i.e., a pig, and tear it open and place it on his heart. And if this is not effective, let him bring leeks from the middle of the row, which are very sharp.

ההוא טייעא דחש ביה אמר ליה לגינאי שקול גלימאי והב לי מישרא דכרתי יהיב ליה ואכלה אמר ליה אושלן גלימיך ואיגני ביה קלי איכרך גנא ביה כד איחמם וקם נפל פורתא פורתא מיניה:

It is reported that a certain Arab was sick with jaundice. He said to the gardener: Take my cloak and give me a row of leeks in exchange. The gardener gave him the row and he ate it. The Arab said to the gardener: Lend me your cloak and I will sleep in it for a short while. The gardener gave it to him and he wrapped himself in it and slept. When he got hot and stood up pieces fell from the cloak bit by bit because the cloak had become very hot from the Arab’s sweat. The Arab tricked the gardener, who ultimately received nothing.

לירקונא תרין בשיכרא ומיעקר ומי שרי והתניא מניין לסירוס באדם שהוא אסור תלמוד לומר ובארצכם לא תעשו בכם לא תעשו דברי רבי חנינא הני מילי היכא דקא מיכוין הכא מעצמו הוא דאמר רבי יוחנן הרוצה שיסרס תרנגול יטול כרבלתו ומסתרס מאליו והאמר רב אשי רמות רוחא הוא דנקיטא ליה אלא בסריס

The Gemara discussed the remedy for jaundice, saying that one should drink two of the ingredients mentioned together with beer, and one becomes sterile from it. The Gemara asks: And is it permitted to cause sterility? Wasn’t it taught in a baraita: From where is it derived that castration of a man is prohibited? The verse states: “Those whose testicles are bruised, or crushed, or torn, or cut, shall not be offered to the Lord, and you shall not do this in your land” (Leviticus 22:24), meaning that you shall not do it to yourselves; this is the statement of Rabbi Ḥanina. Apparently, it is prohibited to castrate a man. The Gemara answers: This prohibition applies only in a case where one intends to castrate. Here, in the cure for jaundice, the sterility happens on its own, incidental to the treatment. Proof is cited from that which Rabbi Yoḥanan said: One who seeks to castrate a rooster should remove its comb and it will become castrated on its own. Incidental castration is permitted. The Gemara rejects the proof. Didn’t Rav Ashi say: It is arrogance that it assumes when it has its comb, and when the comb is removed it becomes depressed and no longer procreates. However, it is not actually castrated. Rather, apparently this remedy for jaundice is permitted only for one who is castrated and for whom causing sterility is not a concern.

והאמר רבי חייא בר אבא אמר רבי יוחנן

The Gemara asks: Didn’t Rabbi Ḥiyya bar Abba say that Rabbi Yoḥanan said: