Hebrew Literature. Various

it be of an expert, nor with a coat of mail, nor with a helmet, nor with greaves; but, if he go out, he is not guilty of a sin-offering.

      3. “A woman must not go out with an eyed needle, nor with a signet ring, nor with a spiral head-dress, nor with a scent-box, nor with a bottle of musk; and if she go out she is guilty of a sin-offering.” The words of Rabbi Meier. But the Sages “absolve the scent-box and the bottle of musk.”

      4. The man must not go out with sword, nor bow, nor shield, nor sling, nor lance; and if he go out he is guilty of a sin-offering. Rabbi Eleazar said, “they are his ornaments.” But the Sages say, “they are only for shame, as is said, ‘And they shall beat their swords into ploughshares, and their spears [pg 082] into pruning hooks: nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more.’ ”112 Garters are clean, and they may go forth in them on Sabbath. Anklets113 contract uncleanness, and they must not go out in them on Sabbath.

      5. A woman may go out with plaits of hair whether they be her own, or her companion's, or a beast's hair, with frontlets and temple fillets, when they are sewn to her cap, with a headband or a stranger's curl into the courtyard, with wool in her ear, and wool in her shoe, and wool prepared for her separation, with pepper, or with a grain of salt,114 or with anything which she will put inside her mouth, except that she shall not put it in for the first time on the Sabbath, and if it fall out she must not put it back. “A false tooth or a tooth of gold?” Rabbi “allows it.” But the Sages “forbid it.”

      6. A woman may go out with a coin on a sore foot. Little girls may go out with plaits and even splinters in their ears. Arab women go out veiled, and Median women with mantillas; and so may any one, but, as the Sages have said, “according to their custom.”

      7. A mantilla may be folded over a stone, or a nut, or money, save only that it be not expressly folded for the Sabbath.

      8. “The cripple may go out on his wooden leg.” The words of Rabbi Meier. But Rabbi José forbids it. “But if it have a place for receiving rags?” “It is unclean.” His crutches cause uncleanness by treading. But they may go out with them on the Sabbath, and they may enter with them into the Temple court. The chair and crutches (of a paralytic) cause uncleanness by treading, and they must not go out with them on the Sabbath, and they must not enter with them into the Temple court. Stilts115 are clean, but they must not go out with them.

      9. The sons may go out with their (father's) girdles. And sons of kings with little bells; and so may anyone, but, as the Sages have said, “according to their custom.”

      10. “They may go out with an egg of a locust,116 and a tooth of a fox,117 and a nail of one crucified, as medicine.”118 The words [pg 083] of Rabbi Meier. But the Sages say (others read the words of Rabbi José and Rabbi Meier) “it is forbidden even on a week day, because of the ways of the Amorites.”119

Chapter VII

       Table of Contents

      1. The Sages laid down a great rule for the Sabbath: “Everyone who forgets the principle of Sabbath, and did many works on many Sabbaths, is only responsible for one sin-offering. Everyone who knows the principle of Sabbath, and did many works on many Sabbaths, is responsible for every Sabbath. Everyone who knows that there is Sabbath, and did many works on many Sabbaths, is responsible for every principal work.120 Everyone who has done many works, springing from one principal work, is only responsible for one sin-offering.”

      2. The principal works are forty, less one—sowing, ploughing, reaping, binding sheaves, threshing, winnowing, sifting, grinding, riddling, kneading, baking, shearing wool, whitening, carding, dyeing, spinning, warping, making two spools, weaving two threads, taking out two threads, twisting, loosing, sewing two stitches, tearing thread for two sewings, hunting the gazelle, slaughtering, skinning, salting, curing its skin, tanning, cutting up, writing two letters, erasing to write two letters, building, demolishing, quenching, kindling, hammering, carrying from private to public property. Lo, these are principal works—forty, less one.

      3. And another rule the Sages laid down: “All that is worthy of reservation, and they reserve its like—if they carry it out on the Sabbath, they are responsible for a sin-offering; and everything which is not worthy of reservation, and they do not reserve its like—if they carry it out on the Sabbath, none is responsible but the reserver.”

      4. Whoever brings out straw—a heifer's mouthful; hay—a camel's mouthful; chaff—a lamb's mouthful; herbs—a kid's mouthful; garlic leaves and onion leaves—if fresh, the size of [pg 084] a dried fig—if dry, a kid's mouthful; but they must not add one with the other, for they are not equal in their measures. Whoever carries out food the size of a dried fig, is guilty of death. And victuals, they may add one to another as they are equal in their measures, excepting their peels and their kernels, and their stalks and the fine and coarse bran. Rabbi Judah says, “excepting the peels of lentils, as they may cook them with them.”

Chapter VIII

       Table of Contents

      1. One may bring out wine sufficient for the cup,121 milk sufficient for a gulp, honey sufficient for a bruise, oil sufficient to anoint a small member, water sufficient to moisten the eye-salve, and the rest of all beverages a quarter of a log, and whatever can be poured out122 a quarter of a log. Rabbi Simeon says, “all of them by the quarter log.” And they did not mention these measures save for those who reserve them.

      2. “Whoever brings out cord sufficient to make an ear for a tub, bulrush sufficient to hang the sieve and the riddle?” Rabbi Judah said, “sufficient to take from it the measure of a child's shoe; paper sufficient to write on it the signature of the taxgatherers; erased paper sufficient to wrap round a small bottle of balm—is guilty” (of death).

      3. Leather sufficient for an amulet; parchment polished on both sides, sufficient to write a sign for a door-post; vellum sufficient to write on it a small portion, which is in phylacteries, that is, “Hear, O Israel;” ink sufficient to write two letters; kohl123 sufficient to paint one eye.

      4. Bird-lime sufficient to put on the top of a perch; pitch or sulphur to fill a hole; wax sufficient to fill the mouth of a small hole; brick-clay sufficient to make a mouth of a crucible bellows for goldsmiths—Rabbi Judah says, “sufficient to make a crucible stand;” bran sufficient to put on the mouth of a crucible blow-pipe for goldsmiths; ointment sufficient to anoint the little finger of girls—Rabbi Judah says, “sufficient to make the hair grow;” Rabbi Nehemiah says, “to freshen the temple.”

      [pg 085]

      5. Red earth “as the seal of merchants”—the words of R. Akiba; but the Sages say, “as the seal of letters;” dung and fine sand, “sufficient to manure a cabbage stalk,”—the words of Rabbi Akiba; but the Sages say, “sufficient to manure a leek;” coarse sand sufficient to put on a full lime-hod; a reed sufficient to make a pen. “But if it be thick or split?” “sufficient to boil with it a hen's egg easy (to be cooked) among eggs, mixed with oil and put in a pan.”

      6. A bone sufficient to make a spoon—Rabbi Judah said, “sufficient to make the ward of a key;” glass sufficient to scrape the top of a shuttle; a lump of earth or a stone sufficient to fling at a bird; Rabbi Eliezer said, “sufficient to fling at a beast.”

      7. “A potsherd?” “Sufficient to put between two beans,”—the words of Rabbi Judah; Rabbi Meier says, “sufficient to take away fire with it;” Rabbi José says, “sufficient to receive in it the fourth of a log.” Said Rabbi Meier, “Although there is no visible proof of the matter, there is an indication of the matter, as is said, ‘there shall not be found in the bursting of it a sherd to take fire from the hearth.’ ”124 Rabbi José said to him, “thence is the visible proof, ‘or to take water out of the pit.’ ”125

      [pg 086]