Beitzah

merely teaches us good manners, as it was taught:1 A man should not begin to eat leek or onion from the top side, but from the leaves; and if he did eat, he is a glutton.2 Likewise, a man should not drink his cup of wine in one draught; and if he did so drink, he is a swiller. Our Rabbis taught: He who drinks his beaker in one draught is greedy, in two [draughts] is well-mannered, in three [draughts] is haughty. Rami b. Abba further said: The ivy3 cuts off the feet4 of criminals;5 the [law concerning] young trees6 cuts off the feet of butchers7 and of those cohabiting with menstruous women;8 the lupine9 will cut off the feet of the enemies10 of Israel, for it is said: ‘And the children of Israel again did that which has evil in the sight of the Lord, and served the Baalim, and the Ashtaroth, and the gods of Aram, and the gods of Zidon, and the gods of Moab, and the gods of the children of Ammon, and the gods of the Philistines, and they forsook the Lord, and served him not.’11 From the implication of ‘and they forsook the Lord’, do I not know that ‘they served Him not’? Then why does the text say, ‘and they served him not’? Said R. Eleazar: The Holy One, blessed be He, said: My children have not even treated Me like the lupine12 which is boiled seven times and eaten as a dessert. A Tanna taught in the name of R. Meir: Why was the Torah given to Israel? Because they are impetuous.13 The School of R. Ishmael taught: ‘At His right hand was a fiery law unto them’;14 the Holy One, blessed be He, said: These are worthy to be given the fiery law. Some say: The laws of these are like fire, for had not the Law been given to Israel no nation or tongue could withstand them. And this is what R. Simeon b. Lakish said: There are three distinguished in strength [fierce]: Israel among the nations,15 the dog among animals, [and] the cock among birds. Some say: Also the goat among small cattle. And some say: Also the caper-bush16 among shrubs. IF HE SLAUGHTERED IT IN THE FIELD, HE MAY NOT BRING IT IN ON A POLE. Our Rabbis taught: A blind man may not go out [on a Festival] with his staff,17 nor a shepherd with his wallet, neither may a man or a woman go out in a palanquin. But it is not so! For R. Jacob b. Idi sent [word]: In our neighbourhood was an old man who was carried in his sedan-chair, and when they came and asked R. Joshua b. Levi [about this], he said: When a number of people need him it is permitted. And our Teachers relied on the words of Ahi Shakia who related: I brought18 R. Huna from Hini to Shili19 and from Shili to Hini; and R. Nahman b. Isaac narrated: I carried Mar Samuel from the sun into the shade and from the shade into the sun? — There it is as the reason stated: When a number of people need him it is permitted. R. Nahman said to Hanna b. Adda, Zion's messenger:20 When you go hither make a circuit and go over the Promontory of Tyre21 and visit R. Jacob b. Idi and ask him: What do you say with respect to a palanquin? Before he came there, R. Jacob b. Idi departed this life. When he arrived, he found R. Zerika. He asked him: How do you rule with respect to a palanquin? — He replied: Thus did R. Ammi say: [It is permissible] provided that he is not carried on the shoulders. What means ‘provided that he is not carried on the shoulders’? — Said R. Joseph the son of Raba: By means of alanki.22 But it is not so, for R. Nahman permitted [his wife] Jaltha to be carried in a sedan-chair by means of alanki? — It is different with Jaltha for she was nervous.23 Amemar and Mar Zutra were carried on the shoulders24 on the Sabbath [preceding] the Festival25 on account of nervousness, and some say, on account of troubling the public.26 MISHNAH. IF A FIRSTLING27 FELL INTO A PIT,28 R. JUDAH SAYS: LET AN EXPERT GO DOWN AND INSPECT [IT]; neighbouring land. so We are to have patience and wait until the proper time before enjoying meat or conjugal privilege. idols mentioned in the following verse and was seven times chastened without amending. rebel and make me bitter towards them again. jkuan Palestine at this time was in a decaying state and needed support from abroad. But by being carried shoulder high (or by means of alanki) they were quickly carried through the gathering; cf., however, Sanh., Sonc. ed. p. 30, n. 4. disqualify it for the altar. V. Deut. XV, 19-22.