Eruvin

where no direct transgression is committed,1 but here where a direct transgression is committed2 he may also agree that the man may climb down! One [Baraitha] taught, ‘The same prohibition3 applies to a green tree and to a dry tree’; and another [Baraitha] taught: ‘This prohibition3 applies only to a green tree whereas in the case of a dry one4 no prohibition exists’!5 — Rab Judah replied: This is no difficulty, since the former refers to a tree whose stump grows afresh whereas the latter refers to one whose stump does not grow afresh. But if its stump ‘grows afresh’, would you describe it as ‘dry’? — Rather say: There is no difficulty since the latter refers to the hot season6 whereas the former refers to the rainy season.7 [You say] in the not season? Surely the fruit8 falls of?9 — This is a case where it bore no fruit. But do not some chips10 fall off?9 — This is a case where the tree was stripped.11 But, surely, this cannot be right? For did not Rab once visit Afsatia12 where he forbade the use of a stripped tree? — Rab found an open field and put up a fence round it.13 Rami b. Hama,14 citing R. Assi, ruled: A man is forbidden to walk on grass on the Sabbath, because it is said in Scripture: And he that hasteth with his feet sinneth.15 One [Baraitha] taught: It is permitted to walk on grass on the Sabbath; and another [Baraitha] taught that this was forbidden! — This is no difficulty. Since the latter refers to fresh grass whereas the former refers to dry grass.16 And if you prefer I might say: Both [Baraithas] refer to fresh grass, and yet there is no difficulty since the latter refers to the hot season17 whereas the former refers to the rainy season. And if you prefer I might reply: Both deal with the hot season, and yet there is no difficulty, since the former deals with a person who wears his shoes whereas the latter deals with one who is barefooted.18 And if you prefer I might reply: Both deal with a person who wears his shoes, but there is no difficulty since the latter refers to shoes that have nails19 whereas the former refers to such as have no nails. And if you prefer I might reply: Both deal with shoes that have nails, but the latter refers to long and tangled grass20 whereas the former refers to one that is not tangled.21 Nowadays, however, since we have it as an established rule that the law is in agreement with R. Simeon,22 it is permitted to walk on grass] in all the cases mentioned.23 Rami b. Hama citing R. Assi further ruled: A man is forbidden to compel his wife to the [marital] obligation, since it is said in Scripture: And he that hasteth with his feet 24 sinneth.25 R. Joshua b. Levi similarly stated: Whosoever compels his wife to the [marital] obligation will have unworthy children. Said R. Ika b. Hinena: What is the Scriptural proof? ‘Also without consent26 the soul27 is hot good.’25 So it was also taught: Also without consent26 the soul is not good,25 refers to a man who compels his wife to the [marital] obligation: And he that hasteth with his feet sinneth,25 refers to the man who has intercourse twice in succession. But, surely, this cannot be right! For did not Raba state, ‘He who desires all his children to be males should cohabit twice in succession’? — This is no difficulty, since the latter deals with the woman's] consent; whereas the former, without her consent. R. Samuel b. Nahmani citing R. Johanan28 stated: A woman who solicits her husband to the [marital] obligation will have children the like of whom did not exist even in the generation of Moses. For of the generation of Moses it is written: Get you from each one of your tribes, wise men and understanding, and full of knowledge,29 and then it follows: So I took the heads of your tribes, wise men and full of knowledge.30 while men of ‘understanding’ he could not find, whereas in the case of Leah it is written in Scripture, ‘And Leah went out to meet him, and said: Thou must come unto me, for I have surely hired thee,’31 and subsequently it is written, ‘And of the children of Issachar,32 men that had understanding33 of the times, to know what Israel ought to do, the heads of them were two hundred, and all their brethren were at their commandment.’34 But can that be right?35 seeing that R. Isaac b. Abdimi stated: Eve was cursed with ten curses, since it is written: Unto the woman He said, and I will greatly multiply,36 which refers to the two drops of blood, one being that of menstruation and the other that of virginity, ‘thy pain’36 refers to the pain of bringing up children, ‘and thy travail’36 refers to the pain of conceptions ‘in pain thou shalt bring forth children’36 is to be understood in its literal meaning, ‘and thy desire shall be to thy husband’36 teaches that a woman yearns for her husband when he is about to set out on a journey, ‘and he shall rule over thee’36 teaches that while the wife solicits with her heart the husband does so with his mouth, this being a fine trait of character among women?37 — What was meant is38 that she ingratiates herself with him.39 But are not these40 only seven? When R. Dimi came41 he explained: She is wrapped up like a mourner,42 banished from the company of all men43 and confined within a prison.44 What is meant by ‘banished from the company of all men’? If it be suggested: That she is forbidden to meet a man in privacy, is not the man also but could be retorted.] forbidden to meet a woman in privacy? — The meaning rather is that she is forbidden to marry two men. In a Baraitha it was taught: She grows long hair like Lilith,45 sits when making water like a beast, and serves as a bolster for her husband. And the other?46 — These, he holds, are rather complimentary to her, R. Hiyya having made the following statement: What is meant by the Scriptural text: Who teacheth us by47 the beasts of the earth and maketh us wise by48 the fowls of the heaven?49 ‘Who teacheth us by the beasts’ refers to the mule which kneels when it makes water, ‘and maketh us wise by the fowls of the heaven’ refers to the cock which first coaxes and then mates. R. Johanan observed: If the Torah had not been given we could have learnt modesty from the cat, honesty50 from the ant, chastity51 from the dove, and good manners from the cock who first coaxes and then mates. And how52 does he coax his mate? — Rab Judah citing Rab replied. He tells her this: ‘I will buy you a cloak that win reach to your feet’.53 After the event he tells her,54 ‘May the cat55 tear off my56 crest if I have57 any money and do not buy you one’. from the precepts. possibility of actual plucking? Rab imposed upon them additional restrictions in order to keep them away thereby from further transgressions. the grass he is forbidden to walk on it because he unintentionally tears it with his feet. where it results in the unintentional act of tearing up the grass which when intentional is forbidden on the Sabbath. introduction to the second part, ‘And he that hasteth with the feet’ etc. quoted and expounded Supra.