Babylonian Talmud: Tractate Nedarim

Folio 41a

[And thou shalt serve thine enemies …] in want of all things.²  R. Ammi said in Rab's name: This means without a lamp or table. R. Hisda said: Without a wife; R. Shesheth said: Without an attendant; R. Nahman said: Without knowledge. A Tanna taught: Without salt or fat. Abaye said: We have it on tradition that no one is poor save he who lacks knowledge. In the West [palestine] there is a proverb: He who has this, has everything; he who lacks this, what has he? Has one acquired this, what does he lack? Has he not acquired this, what does he possess?

R. Alexandri said in the name of R. Hiyya b. Abba: A sick man does not recover from his sickness until all his sins are forgiven him, as it is written, Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases.³  R. Hamnuna said: He [then] returns to the days of his youth, for it is written, His flesh shall be fresher than a child's: he shall return to the days of his youth.⁴

Thou host turned his bed in his sickness.'⁵  R. Joseph said: This means that he forgets his learning. R. Joseph fell ill and forgot his learning; but Abaye restored it to him. Hence it is frequently stated that R. Joseph said, 'I have not heard this law,' and Abaye reminded him, 'You yourself did teach it to us and did deduce it from this particular Baraitha.'

When Rabbi had studied his teaching in thirteen different interpretations, he taught R. Hiyya only seven of them. Eventually Rabbi fell sick [and forgot his learning]. Thereupon R. Hiyya restored to him the seven versions which he had taught him, but the other six were lost. Now, there was a certain fuller who had overheard Rabbi when he was studying them himself; so R. Hiyya went and learned them from the fuller, and then repeated these before Rabbi. When Rabbi met him, he said to him, 'Thou hast taught⁶  both R. Hiyya and myself'. Others say that he spoke thus to him: 'Thou hast taught R. Hiyya, and he has taught me.

R. Alexandri also said in the name of R. Hiyya b. Abba: Greater is the miracle wrought for the sick than for Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah. [For] that of Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah [concerned] a fire kindled by man, which all can extinguish; whilst that of a sick person is [in connection with] a heavenly fire,⁷  and who can extinguish that?

R. Alexandri also said in the name of R. Hiyya b. Abba, — others state, R. Joshua b. Levi said: When a man's end has come, all have dominion over him, for it is written, And it will be that whosoever findeth me will slay me.⁸  Rab deduced it from this verse: They stand forth this day to receive thy judgments: for all are thy servants.⁹

Rabbah b. Shila was told that a tall man had died. [Now it happened thus:] This man was riding on a little mule and when he came to a bridge, the mule shied and threw the man, and he was killed. Thereupon Rabbah applied to him the verse, They stand forth this day to receive thy judgments etc.

Samuel saw a scorpion borne by a frog across a river, and then stung a man, so that he died. Thereupon Samuel quoted, They stand forth this day to receive thy judgments etc.¹⁰

Samuel said: Only a sick person who is feverish¹¹  may be visited. What does this exclude? It excludes those concerning whom it has been taught by R. Jose b. Parta in R. Eliezer's name, viz., One must not visit those suffering with bowel [trouble], or with eye disease, or from headaches. Now the first is well, the reason being through embarrassment;¹²  but what is the reason of the other two? — On account of Rab Judah's dictum, viz., Speech is injurious to the eyes and to [people suffering from] headaches.¹³

Raba said: Feverishness, were it not a forerunner of the angel of death,¹⁴  it would be as salutary

1. These are the minimum requisites of a wanderer.
2. Deut. XXVIII, 48.
3. Ps. CIII, 3.
4. Job XXXIII, 25.
5. Ps. XLI, 4.
6. Lit., 'made'.
7. I.e., his temperature rises.
8. Gen. IV, 14; thus Cain, thinking that his end had arrived, recognised that everything would have power to slay him.
9. Ps. CXIX, 91. I.e., all become servants to carry out God's judgment of doom.
10. Though a scorpion cannot swim, he was carried across by the frog, in order to fulfil God's judgment.
11. Lit., 'when he is wrapped in heat'.
12. He has his bowels frequently moved.
13. This is the reading of Asheri; cur. edd. add, 'and is good for fever' and Wilna Gaon amends likewise.
14. Both in the Bible and in the Talmud death is regarded as coming to man through an angel. Thus we find mention of the 'angel of the Lord' destroying 185,000 men in the Assyrian camp (II Kings XIX, 35); the destroying angel (II Sam. XXIV, 15); 'the angel of the Lord' whom David saw standing 'between the earth and the heaven, having a drawn sword in his hand stretched out over Jerusalem' (I Chron. XXI, 15). In the Talmud this angel is frequently referred to, and he was conceived as causing death by dropping gall into the mouth of the victim; 'A.Z. 20b; v. J.E. IV, 480ff.

Rabbah b. Jonathan said in R. Jehiel's name: 'Arsan is beneficial for healing the sick. What is 'arsan? — Said R. Jonathan: Old peeled barley which sticks to the sieve.³  Abaye observed: They require boiling as the flesh of an ox. R. Joseph said: It is fine barley flour which sticks to the sieve; [whereupon] Abaye remarked: It needs as much boiling as the flesh of an ox.

R. Johanan said: We must not visit one afflicted with burdam,⁴  nor mention its [real] name. What is the reason? — R. Eleazar said: Because it is like a gushing well.⁵  R. Eleazar also said: Why is it called burdam? Because it is a gushing well.⁶

THE LATTER MAY AFFORD HIM A CURE OF LIFE BUT NOT A CURE OF MONEY. What does this mean? Shall we say that 'A CURE OF LIFE means without payment, and 'A CURE OF MONEY' is for a fee?⁷  Then let him [the Tanna] state: He may heal him without payment, but not for a fee? — But by 'A CURE OF LIFE' his own person is meant: whilst 'A CURE OF MONEY' refers to his cattle.⁸  R. Zutra b. Tobiah said in Rab's name: Nevertheless he may tell him: this drug is beneficial for it, that drug is injurious for it.

MISHNAH. HE MAY BATHE TOGETHER WITH HIM IN A LARGE BATH, BUT NOT IN A SMALL ONE,⁹  HE MAY SLEEP IN A BED WITH HIM. R. JUDAH SAID: [ONLY] IN SUMMER, BUT NOT IN WINTER, BECAUSE HE [THEREBY] BENEFITS HIM.¹⁰  HE MAY RECLINE ON A COUCH¹¹  OR EAT AT THE SAME TABLE WITH HIM¹²  BUT NOT OUT OF THE SAME DISH;¹³  BUT HE MAY DINE WITH HIM OUT OF A BOWL WHICH RETURNS.¹⁴

GEMARA. It was taught: He may not bathe together with him in a bath, or sleep in a bed with him, whether large or small: this is R. Meir's ruling. R. Judah said: A large one in winter, and a small one in summer are permitted.¹⁵  He may bathe with him in a large bath, and may take a hot air bath with him [even] in a small one.¹⁶  He may recline on a couch with him, and eat at the same table, but not out of the same dish. Yet he may eat out of the same bowl that returns. R. Jose b. Hanina said: that means the bowl that returns to the host.¹⁷

MISHNAH. HE MAY NOT EAT WITH HIM OUT OF THE BOWL PUT BEFORE WORKMEN,¹⁸  NOR MAY HE WORK WITH HIM ON THE SAME FURROW: THIS IS R. MEIR'S VIEW. BUT THE SAGES SAY: HE MAY WORK, PROVIDED HE IS AT A DISTANCE.

GEMARA. There is no dispute at all that they may not work near [each other]. They differ only in reference to [working at] a distance. R. Meir maintains: We forbid at a distance as a preventive measure on account of nearby, for he [the maddir] softens the ground before him; while the Rabbis hold: We do not enact a preventive measure.

1. A certain compound believed to be an antidote against poisonous bites.
2. I.e., the fever has a purging and purifying effect on the body.
3. On account of its fatness. Lit., 'of the top of the sieve'.
4. Dysentery, bloody flux; Rashi quotes a version burdas.
5. Not to shame the one afflicted with it.
6. The word is a compound; bor dam, a well of blood.
7. LIFE, Heb. nefesh. will then be the equivalent of desire (nefesh in Heb. sometimes bears that meaning, c.g., Gen. XXIII, 8: If it be your desire, Heb. nafshekem), i.e., of his own free will. The Mishnah then will refer to the doctor being a muddar (v. Glos.), who may not accept a fee from the invalid.
8. Hence, nefesh in the Mishnah is translated 'his soul', i.e., himself, whilst mamon (money) refers to his chattels. According to this interpretation the invalid is the muddar; nevertheless, the saving of life overrules other considerations. This is so, even if another doctor is available, for the skill of the first may be greater. In fact, the prohibition to heal his cattle holds good only if another doctor can he obtained, — Ran.
9. In a small one his own body perceptibly raises the level of the water, and also adds to its heat; he thereby benefits him.
10. By adding warmth.
11. Even in winter, as no benefit is gained.
12. This is not forbidden lest he eat of the other's portion.
13. A large bowl was sometimes placed on the table, from which all ate. The maddir and the muddar may not eat out of the same bowl, lest the former take too little from it and thereby benefit the latter.
14. This is explained in the Gemara.
15. In the first case the warmth is not appreciably increased, whilst in the second the increase is of no advantage.
16. The addition of heat there being of no benefit.
17. I.e., there is so much in it that it goes back to the host unemptied. Another meaning: that continually goes back to the host to be replenished. In that case the maddir does not benefit the muddar by taking a small portion.
18. The employer used to provide a large bowl of food for his workmen, out of which they all ate.