Babylonian Talmud: Tractate Berakoth

Folio 20a

but he does defile himself for a meth mizwah. But why should this be? Let us apply the rule, 'There is no wisdom nor understanding nor counsel against the Lord?¹  — The case is different there, because it is written, 'And for his sister'. Let us then derive a ruling from this [for mixed kinds]? — Where it is a case of 'sit still and do nothing', it is different.²

Said R. Papa to Abaye: How is it that for the former generations miracles were performed and for us miracles are not performed? It cannot be because of their [superiority in] study, because in the years of Rab Judah the whole of their studies was confined to Nezikin, and we study all six Orders, and when Rab Judah came in [the tractate] 'Ukzin [to the law], 'If a woman presses vegetables in a pot'³  (or, according to others, 'olives pressed with their leaves are clean'),⁴  he used to say, I see all the difficulties of Rab and Samuel here.⁵  and we have thirteen versions of Ukzin.⁶  And yet when Rab Judah drew off one shoe,⁷  rain used to come, whereas we torment ourselves and cry loudly, and no notice is taken of us!⁸  He replied: The former generations used to be ready to sacrifice their lives for the sanctity of [God's] name; we do not sacrifice our lives for the sanctity of [God's] name. There was the case of R. Adda b. Ahaba who saw a heathen woman wearing a red head-dress⁹  in the street, and thinking that she was an Israelite woman, he rose and tore it from her. It turned out that she was a heathen woman, and they fined him four hundred zuz. He said to her: What is your name. She replied: Mathun. Mathun, he said to her: that makes four hundred zuz.¹⁰

R. Giddal was accustomed to go and sit at the gates of the bathing-place.¹¹  He used to say to the women [who came to bathe]: Bathe thus, or bathe thus. The Rabbis said to him: Is not the Master afraid lest his passion get the better of him? — He replied: They look to me like so many white geese. R. Johanan was accustomed to go and sit at the gates of the bathing place. He said: When the daughters of Israel come up from bathing they look at me and they have children as handsome as I am.¹²  Said the Rabbis to him: Is not the Master afraid of the evil eye? — He replied: I come from the seed of Joseph, over whom the evil eye has no power, as it is written, Joseph is a fruitful vine, a fruitful vine above the eye,¹³  and R. Abbahu said with regard to this, do not read 'ale 'ayin, but 'ole 'ayin'.¹⁴  R. Judah son of R. Hanina derived it from this text: And let them multiply like fishes [we-yidgu] in the midst of the earth.¹⁵  Just as the fishes [dagim] in the sea are covered by water and the evil eye has no power over them, so the evil eye has no power over the seed of Joseph. Or, if you prefer I can say: The evil eye has no power over the eye which refused to feed itself on what did not belong to it.¹⁶

MISHNAH. WOMEN, SLAVES AND MINORS ARE EXEMPT FROM RECITING THE SHEMA'

1. For notes V. Sanh. (Sonc. ed.) 35a.
2. Wearing mixed kinds is certainly an active breaking of a rule, but it is not clear how attending to a meth mizwah comes under the head of 'sit and do nothing'. V. Rashi and Tosaf. ad loc.
3. 'Ukzin, II, 1.
4. Ibid.
5. I.e., this Mishnah itself presents as many difficulties to me as all the rest of the Gemara.
6. I.e., the Mishnah and the various Baraithas and Toseftas. Aliter: We have thirteen colleges which are well versed in it.
7. In preparation for fasting.
8. For fuller notes on the passage, v. Sanh. (Sonc. ed.) p. 728.
9. Aliter: 'mantle'.
10. The Aramaic for two hundred is mathan. Mathun also means 'deliberate'; had he been less rash he would have saved himself 400 zuz; there is here a double play on words.
11. Where the women took their ritual bath.
12. R. Johanan was famous for his beauty. V. supra 5b.
13. Gen. XLIX, 22.
14. Lit., 'rising above the (power of the) eye'. I.e., superior to the evil eye.
15. So lit. E.V. 'grow into a multitude'. Ibid. XLVIII, 16.
16. Sc. Potiphar's wife.

AND FROM PUTTING ON TEFILLIN. BUT THEY ARE SUBJECT TO THE OBLIGATIONS OF TEFILLAH AND MEZUZAH¹  AND GRACE AFTER MEALS.

GEMARA. That they are exempt from the Shema' is self-evident — It is a positive precept for which there is a fixed time?²  You might say that because it mentions the kingship of heaven it is different. We are therefore told that this is not so.

AND FROM PUTTING ON THE TEFILLIN. This also is self-evident?³  You might say that because it is put on a level with the mezuzah⁴  [therefore women should be subject to it]. Therefore we are told that this is not so.

THEY ARE SUBJECT TO THE OBLIGATION OF TEFILLAH. Because this [is supplication for Divine] mercy. You might [however] think that because it is written in connection therewith, Evening and morning and at noonday,⁵  therefore it is like a positive precept for which there is a fixed time. Therefore we are told [that this is not so].

AND MEZUZAH. This is self-evident?⁶  You might say that because it is put on a level with the study of the Torah,⁷  [therefore women are exempt]. Therefore it tells us [that this is not so].

AND GRACE AFTER MEALS. This is self-evident? — You might think that because it is written, When the Lord shall give you in the evening flesh to eat and in the morning bread to the full,⁸  therefore it is like a positive precept for which there is a definite time. Therefore it tells us [that this is not so].

R. Adda b. Ahabah said: Women are under obligation to sanctify the [Sabbath] day⁹  by ordinance of the Torah. But why should this be? It is a positive precept for which there is a definite time, and women are exempt from all positive precepts for which there is a definite time? — Abaye said: The obligation is only Rabbinical. Said Raba to him: But it says, 'By an ordinance of the Torah'? And further, on this ground we could subject them to all positive precepts by Rabbinical authority? Rather, said Raba. The text says Remember and Observe.¹⁰  Whoever has to 'observe' has to 'remember'; and since these women have to 'observe',¹¹  they also have to 'remember'.¹²

Rabina said to Raba: Is the obligation of women to say grace after meals Rabbinical or Scriptural? — What difference does it make in practice which it is? — For deciding whether they can perform the duty on behalf of others. If you say the obligation is Scriptural, then one who is bound by Scripture can come and perform the duty on behalf of another who is bound by Scripture. But if you say the obligation is only Rabbinical, then [a woman] is not strictly bound to do this, and whoever is not strictly bound to do a thing cannot perform the obligation on behalf of others. What [do we decide]? — Come and hear: 'In truth they did say: A son¹³  may say grace on behalf of his father and a slave may say grace on behalf of his master and a woman may say grace on behalf of her husband. But the Sages said: A curse light on the man whose wife or children have to say grace for him.'¹⁴  If now you say that [the obligation of these others] is Scriptural, then there is no difficulty: one who is bound by the Scripture comes and performs the duty on behalf of one who is bound by the Scripture. But if you say that the obligation is Rabbinic, can one who is bound only Rabbinically come and perform the duty on behalf of one who is bound Scripturally? — But even accepting your reasoning, is a minor subject to obligation [Scripturally]?¹⁵  Nay. With what case are we dealing here? If, for instance, he ate a quantity for which he is only Rabbinically bound [to say grace],¹⁶  in which case one who is Rabbinically bound¹⁷  comes and performs the duty on behalf of one who is only Rabbinically bound.¹⁸

R. 'Awira discoursed — sometimes in the name of R. Ammi, and sometimes in the name of R. Assi — as follows: The ministering angels said before the Holy One, blessed be He: Sovereign of the Universe, it is written in Thy law, Who regardeth not persons¹⁹  nor taketh reward,²⁰  and dost Thou not regard the person of Israel, as it is written, The Lord lift up His countenance upon thee?²¹  He replied to them: And shall I not lift up My countenance for Israel, seeing that I wrote for them in the Torah, And thou shalt eat and be satisfied and bless the Lord thy God,²²  and they are particular [to say the grace] if the quantity is but an olive or an egg.²³

MISHNAH. A BA'AL KERI²⁴  SAYS THE WORDS [OF THE SHEMA']²⁵  MENTALLY²⁶  WITHOUT SAYING A BLESSING EITHER BEFORE OR AFTER. AT MEALS HE SAYS THE GRACE AFTER, BUT NOT THE GRACE BEFORE. R. JUDAH SAYS: HE SAYS THE GRACE BOTH BEFORE AND AFTER.

GEMARA. Said Rabina: This would show that saying mentally is equivalent to actual saying.²⁷  For if you assume that it is not equivalent to actual saying, why should he say mentally?²⁸  What then? [You say that] saying mentally is equivalent to actual saying. Then let him utter the words with his lips! — We do as we find it was done at Sinai.²⁹  R. Hisda said: Saying mentally is not equivalent to actual saying. For if you assume that saying mentally is equivalent to actual saying, then let him utter the words with his lips! What then? [You say that] saying mentally is not equivalent to actual saying? Why then should he say mentally? — R. Eleazar replied: So that he should not have to sit saying nothing while everyone else is engaged saying the Shema'. Then let him read some other section? — R. Adda b. Ahaba said: [He must attend to that] with which the congregation is engaged.

1. V. Glos.
2. And women are exempt from such precepts. V. infra.
3. For the same reason.
4. Since it is written, and thou shalt bind them, and thou shalt write them.
5. Ps. LV, 18.
6. For what reason is there for exempting them?
7. As it says, And ye shall teach them to your sons, and ye shall write them; and the obligation of teaching applies only to the males.
8. Ex. XVI, 8.
9. Over wine. V. P.B. p. 124.
10. In the two versions of the Fourth Commandment, viz., Ex. XX, 8 and Deut. V, 12 respectively.
11. I.e., abstain from work.
12. I.e., say sanctification. (Kiddush). V. Glos.
13. I.e., a minor.
14. Because he cannot say it himself; v. Suk. 38a.
15. As would be presupposed in your argument.
16. Viz., the quantity of an olive according to R. Meir and an egg according to R. Judah. Infra 45a.
17. A minor.
18. The father who had less than the minimum quantity. And it is only in such a case that a woman may say grace on behalf of her husband.
19. Lit., 'Who lifteth not up the countenance'.
20. Deut. X, 17.
21. Num. VI, 26.
22. Deut. VIII, 10.
23. Cf. supra n. 2.
24. V. Glos.
25. When the hour arrives for reciting it.
26. Lit., 'in his heart'.
27. Lit., 'thinking is like speech'.
28. What religious act does he perform thereby?
29. Moses ordered the Israelites to keep away from woman before receiving the Torah, but those who were unclean could still accept mentally.