Talmud. Various Authors

not put on a woman's garment."

      We have learned in a Boraitha, R. Simeon b. Elazar said: "If a finger-nail become separated from the finger of its own accord, a man may remove the adhering part, providing the greater part of the nail was separated. He may do this with his fingers, but not with an instrument. If he did it, however, with an instrument, he is not liable for a sin-offering. If the smaller part only was separated, he may not remove it. If he did so, however, with his fingers, he is not culpable, but with an instrument he is. Said R. Jehudah: "The Halakha prevails in accordance with R. Simeon b. Elazar." Said Rabba b. b. Hana in the name of R. Johanan "Provided the nail was bent upward and was troublesome."

"Also a woman who braids her hair," etc. In what category can her work be counted? Said R. Abuhu: "It was explained to me by R. Jossi b. Hanina: 'Painting the eyebrows comes in the class of work enumerated as dyeing, braiding, and parting the hair in the class of building.'" Is this the manner of building? Yea; as R. Simeon b. Menassia taught: It is written [Gen. ii. 22] "And the Lord God formed 1 the rib which he had taken from the man." From this maybe adduced that the Holy One, blessed be He, braided the hair of Eve and brought her to Adam. For in the seaports hair braiding and dressing is called building.

      We have learned in a Boraitha, R. Simeon b. Elazar said: "Braiding the hair, painting the eyebrows, and parting the hair, if done for herself, does not make her culpable (because it cannot be properly termed building); but if done for another it does make her culpable." Furthermore, R. Simeon b. Elazar said in the name of R. Eliezer: "A woman shall not put red dye on her face, because that constitutes painting."

      The rabbis taught: If one milked a cow and then made cheese of the milk to the size of a dried fig; if he swept a floor or dampened a floor (to lay the dust); or if he removed honeycombs from a beehive, his case is as follows: If he performed these acts unintentionally on Sabbath, he is bound to bring a sin-offering, and if he did all this intentionally on a biblical feast-day, he shall receive forty stripes. Such is the opinion of R. Eliezer, but the sages said: "All this is only prohibited by rabbinical law as a precautionary measure." (Says the Gemara:) Now the ordinance having prevailed according to the opinion of R. Simeon, all these acts are not prohibited at all.

      MISHNA VIII.: One who plucks something from a perforated flower-pot is culpable; from a flower-pot that is not perforated he is not culpable. R. Simeon held him not culpable in both cases.

      Abayi put a contradictory question to Rabha, according to others R. Hyya b. Rabh to his father Rabh: "The Mishna states that R. Simeon holds one not culpable in either case. From this we see well that to R. Simeon a perforated or a solid flower-pot is one and the same thing. We have learned in another Boraitha: R. Simeon said that there is no difference between a perforated and a solid flower-pot except to make the seeds grown in the flower-pot subject to defilement (i.e., in a solid flower-pot the seeds are not accounted as seeds). Hence there is a difference between the pots in the opinion of R. Simeon." The answer was: In all cases except defilement R. Simeon regards seeds in either a perforated or a solid flower-pot as loose (i.e., detached from the ground). In the case of defilement, however, it is different, because the Scriptures themselves added a special provision regarding defilement of seeds, as it is written [Lev. xi. 37]: "And if any part of their carcass fall upon any sowing-seed which hath been sown, it shall be clean."

      END OF VOLUME I.

      Footnotes

1 The Talmudical term for" support" is "Agad," literally "bind." In the above the sense demands its rendition by "support."

1 Numb. iv.

1 The text reads Vaidon; Luria corrects this to read Zaidon, as we have adopted, which means a falconer's horse. Hai, the Gaon, however corrects it Bazaidon, because a falconer in the Persian language is Baz, and one who occupies himself by hunting for birds is called Bazaidon.

2 Name of a city.

1 The Hebrew word for "formed" is "Vayiven," literally "built."

      SYNOPSIS OF SUBJECTS OF VOLUME II.--TRACT SABBATH

       Table of Contents

      CHAPTER XI.

      MISHNAS I., II., III., IV., and V. Throwing from private into private by way of public ground. What constituted the sin of the wood-gatherer. The mysterious scrolls found by Rabh in the house of his uncle R. Hyya concerning the principal acts of labor. What was the name of the wood-gatherer. Arraignment of R. Aqiba by Jehudah ben Bathyra for slandering Zelophchad, by naming him as the wood-gatherer, and for slandering Aaron, by stating that he had been punished by leprosy. Reward for merit comes more quickly than retribution for wickedness. Regulations concerning pits in public ground for the Sabbath. Throwing from a distance of four ells against a wall. Throwing within four ells, when the object thrown rolled to a greater distance. Throwing at sea for a distance of four ells, and throwing from the sea to land, or from one ship to another. Throwing a thing on Sabbath and recollecting that it was Sabbath immediately afterwards. If the thing thrown was caught by another. The rule concerning what constitutes committing an act through error, involving the liability for a sin-offering, 189-203

      CHAPTER XII.

      MISHNAS I., II., III., and IV. Concerning building. The amount of building involving liability for a sin-offering; the amount of ploughing. The writing of how many letters make one liable for a sin-offering; with which hand that is to be done. The wonderful statement of some young men at the schoolhouse, which was not heard of even in the time of Joshua the son of Nun. Why the letters of the word Sheqer (lie) are so close together (in the order of sequence of the alphabet) and the letters of Emeth (truth) so far apart? Because lies are very frequent and truth very scarce. Tattooing. Ben Sattadai, being a fool, cannot be cited as an instance, 204-212

      CHAPTER XIII.

      MISHNAS I., II., III., and IV. Concerning weaving. How many threads one must weave to become culpable. One who tears an article or breaks a vessel on the Sabbath in a moment of fury is regarded as one who practises idolatry. Concerning one who rends his garments upon being advised of the death of a relative on Sabbath. Reward for shedding tears over the death of a righteous man. Fate of those who fail to mourn the death of a scholar. If one member of the community die, let the entire community beware. Rules pertaining to hunting and trapping. May the door be closed on a stag who seeks refuge in a dwelling? 213-218

      CHAPTER XIV.

      MISHNA I. Concerning the eight kinds of vermin mentioned in the Thorah. On what material the Phylacteries may be written. Samuel's and Karna's experience with Rabh upon the arrival of the latter in Babylon from Palestine. Questions put to Rabh by Karna. Samuel's remedies given Rabh during the latter's illness. Questions put to R. Joshua of Garthi by a Bathusee, and R. Joshua's replies, 219-222

      MISHNA II. Concerning the preparation of salt water on Sabbath. A drop of water the best remedy for sore eyes. Which parts of the body must not be touched by the hand immediately after arising and before performing the morning ablutions. The comparison of the eye to a princess, who should not be touched by a hand that had not been washed three times. Is it permitted to bathe a sore hand in wine or vinegar on Sabbath? 222-225

      MISHNAS III. and IV. Concerning foods and beverages which may be partaken of on Sabbath for medicinal purposes. Definition of the tree-water mentioned in the Mishna. The aptitude of Babylonian beer as a remedy. The