Pesachim

your spices be scattered, the wind carry off the new saffron which ye are holding, ye sorceresses; as long as He showed grace to me and to you, I had not come among [you]; how that I have come among you, your grace and my grace have cooled.’1 In the West [Palestine] they were not particular about ‘pairs. R. Dimi of Nehardea was particular even about the marks on a [wine-] barrel:2 it once happened that a barrel burst.3 This is the position in general: when one is particular, they [the demons] are particular about him,4 while when one is not particular,5 they are not particular about him. Nevertheless one should take heed. When R. Dimi came,6 he said: Two eggs, two nuts, two cucumbers and something else — [these are] halachah from Moses at Sinai;7 but the Rabbis were doubtful what this something else was, and so the Rabbis forbid a ‘pairs’ on account of the ‘something else.’ And as to what we have said, Ten, eight, six and four are not subject to ‘pairs,’ that was said only in respect to the harmful spirits [mazzikin], but where witchcraft is concerned we fear even many.8 As [it once happened in] the case of a certain man who divorced his wife, [whereupon] she went and married a shopkeeper. Every day he [her first husband] used to go and drink wine, [and though] she exercised her witchcraft against him, she could avail nought, because he was heedful of ‘pairs.’ One day he drank to excess and did not know how much he drank; until sixteen [cups] he was clear-headed and on is guard; after that he was not clear-headed and took no care, [and] she turned him out at an even [number of drinks]. As he was going along an Arab met him and observed to him: A corpse is walking here!9 He went and clasped a palm tree; the palm tree cried out10 and he burst. R. ‘Awira said: Plates and loaves are not subject to even numbers. This is the general rule: That which is completed by man is not subject to even numbers; [but in the case of] that which is completed by Heaven, such as various kinds of eatables, we fear [even numbers]. A shop is not subject to even numbers.11 If a man changes his mind,12 it is not subject to even numbers. A guest is not subject to even numbers.13 A woman is not subject to even numbers; but if she is an important woman, we take heed. R. Hinena son of R. Joshua said: Asparagus [-wine] combines [with other liquors] for good, but does not combine for harm.14 Rabina said in Raba's name: [A doubt concerning] even numbers [is resolved] stringently;15 others state: [A doubt concerning] even numbers [is resolved] leniently.16 R. Joseph said: Two [cups] of wine and one of beer do not combine; two of beer and one of wine combine, and your token [is this]: ‘This is the general principle: Whatever is joined thereto of a material more stringent than itself is unclean; of a material more lenient than itself, is clean.’ 17 R. Nahman said in Rab's name: Two [cups] before the meal18 and one during the meal combine; one before the meal and two during the meal do not combine. R. Mesharsheya demurred: Do we then desire to effect a remedy for the meal: we desire to effect a remedy for the person, and surely the person stands remedied!19 Yet all agree that two during the meal and one after the meal do not combine, in accordance with the story of Rabbah b. Nahmani.20 Rab Judah said in Samuel's name: All mixed drinks combine,21 home only. The incident related above, however, took place in a tavern. number into odd, not an odd into even, because in the latter case this glass represents a fresh decision (cf. p. 568, n. 8), and does not combine with the others. material: the greater the value, the more stringent it is, i.e., the smaller its minimum. If the material is less than the minimum and a piece of another material is joined to it, making it up to the minimum, the rule is as stated. Thus here too, wine, being more valuable than beer, combines with it; beer being less valuable than wine, it is disregarded.