Eruvin

that are first-ripe, and the other basket had very bad figs, which could not be eaten, they were so bad?1 ‘Good figs’ are an allusion to those who are righteous in every respect; ‘bad figs’ are an allusion to those who are wicked in every respect. But in case you should imagine that their hope is lost and their prospect is frustrated, it was explicitly stated: The baskets2 give forth fragrance,3 both4 will in time to come give forth fragrance. Raba made the following exposition: The Scriptural text:5 The mandrakes give forth fragrance3 is an allusion to the young men of Israel who never felt the taste of sin; and at our doors are all manner of precious fruits3 is an allusion to the daughters of Israel who tell their husbands about their doors.6 Another reading: Who close7 their doors for their husbands.8 New and old, which I have laid up for thee, O my beloved;3 the congregation of Israel said to the Holy One, blessed be He, ‘Lord of the universe: I have imposed upon myself more restrictions than Thou hast imposed upon me, and I have observed them.’ R. Hisda asked one of the young Rabbis who was reciting aggadoth in his presence in a certain order: ‘Did you hear what [was the purport of the expression,] ‘New and old’?9 — ‘The former’10 the other replied: ‘are the minor, and the latter10 are the major commandments’. ‘Was then the Torah,’ the former asked: ‘given on two different occasions?11 But the latter12 [are those derived] from the words of the Torah while the former are those derived from the words of the Scribes.’ Raba made the following exposition: What is the purport of the Scriptural text: And, furthermore my son, be admonished: Of making many books etc.?13 My son, be more careful14 in [the observance of] the words of the Scribes than in the words of the Torah, for in the laws of the Torah there are positive and negative precepts;15 but, as to the laws of the Scribes, whoever transgresses any of the enactments of the Scribes incurs the penalty of death. In case you should object: If they are of real value why were they not recorded [in the Torah]? Scripture stated: ‘Of making many books there is no end’.13 And much study is a weariness of flesh.13 R. Papa son of R. Aha b. Adda stated in the name of R. Aha b. Ulla: This16 teaches that he who scoffs at the words of the Sages will be condemned to boiling excrements. Raba demurred: Is it written: ‘scoffing’? The expression is ‘study’!17 Rather this is the exposition: He who studies them feels the taste of meat.18 Our Rabbis taught: R. Akiba was once confined in a prison-house and R. Joshua the grits-maker19 was attending on him. Every day, a certain quantity of water was brought in to him. On one occasion he20 was met by the prison keeper who said to him, ‘Your water to-day is rather much; do you perhaps require it for undermining the prison?’ He poured out a half of it and handed to him the other half. When he21 came to R. Akiba the latter said to him, ‘Joshua, do you not know that I am an old man and my life depends on yours?’22 When the latter told him all that had happened [R. Akiba] said to him, ‘Give me some water to wash my hands’. ‘It will not suffice for drinking’, the other complained, ‘will it suffice for washing your hands?’ ‘What can I do’, the former replied: ‘when for [neglecting] the words of the Rabbis23 one deserves death? It is better that I myself should die than that I should transgress against the opinion of my colleagues’.24 It was related that he tasted nothing until the other had brought him water wherewith to wash his hands. When the Sages heard of this incident they remarked: ‘If he was so [scrupulous] in his old age how much more must he have been so in his youth; and if he so [behaved] in a prison-house how much more [must he have behaved in such a manner] when not in a prison-house’. Rab Judah stated in the name of Samuel: When Solomon ordained the laws of ‘erub25 and the washing of the hands a bath kol26 issued and proclaimed: My son, if thy heart be wise, my heart will be glad, even mine;27 and, furthermore, it is said in Scripture: My son, be wise, and make my heart glad, that I may answer him that taunteth me.28 Raba made the following exposition: What [are the allusions] in the Scriptural text: Come, my beloved, let us go forth into the field; let us lodge in the villages, let its get up early to the vineyards; let us see whether the vine hath budded, whether the vine-blossom be opened and the pomegranates be in flower; there will I give thee my love?29 ‘Come, my beloved, let its go forth in to the field’; the congregation of Israel spoke before the Holy One, blessed be He: Lord of the universe, do not judge me as [thou wouldst] those who reside in large towns who indulge in robbery, in adultery, and in vain and false oaths; ‘let us go forth into the field’, come, and I will show Thee scholars who study the Torah in poverty; ‘let us lodge in the villages’ read not, ‘in the villages’30 but ‘among the disbelievers’,31 come and I will show Thee those upon whom Thou hast bestowed much bounty and they disbelieve in Thee; ‘let us get up early in the vineyards’ is an allusion to the synagogues and schoolhouses; ‘let us see whether the vine hath budded’ is an allusion to the students of Scripture; ‘whether the vine-blossom be opened’ alludes to the students of the Mishnah; ‘and the pomegranates be in flower’ alludes to the students of the Gemara; ‘there will I give thee my love’, I will show Thee my glory and my greatness, the praise of my sons and my daughters. R. Hamnuna said: What [are the allusions in what was written in Scripture: And he spoke three thousand proverbs; and his songs were a thousand and five?32 This teaches that Solomon uttered three thousand proverbs for every single word of the Torah and one thousand and five reasons for every single word of the Scribes. Raba made this exposition: What [are the implications of] what was written in Scripture: And besides that Koheleth was wise, he also taught the people knowledge; yea, he pondered, and sought out, and set in order many proverbs?33 ‘He [also] taught the people knowledge implies that he taught it with notes of accentuation and illustrated it by simile;34 ‘Yea, he pondered, and sought out, and set in order many proverbs’ [alludes to the fact], said Ulla in the name of R. Eleazar,35 that the Torah was at first like a basket which had no handles, and when36 Solomon came he affixed handles37 to it. His locks are curled.38 This, said R. Hisda in the name of Mar ‘Ukba, teaches that it is possible to pile up mounds of expositions on every single stroke [of the letters of the Torah];39 and black as a raven:38 With whom do you find these? With him interchange suggests ogy ‘taste’. made handles’, i.e., added restrictions. Cf. Yeb., Sonc. ed., p. 123, n. 13. and that of ‘curled’, ohk,k, as being identical with that of ‘mound’ k,, and the reduplication. ohk,k, is rendered, ‘many mounds or piles’.