פסחים 49 — Soncino English Talmud

¹MISHNAH. IF THE FOURTEENTH [OF NISAN] FALLS ON THE SABBATH, EVERYTHING MUST BE REMOVED BEFORE THE SABBATH: THIS IS R. MEIR'S VIEW; WHILE THE SAGES MAINTAIN: [IT MUST BE REMOVED] AT ITS [USUAL] TIME; R. ELEAZAR B. ZADOK SAID: TERUMAH [MUST BE REMOVED] BEFORE THE SABBATH, AND HULLIN AT ITS [USUAL] TIME. GEMARA. It was taught, R. Eleazar b. Zadok said: My father once spent a week in Yabneh, when the fourteenth fell on the Sabbath, and there came Zonin, R. Gamaliel's deputy, and announced: ‘The time has come to remove the leaven’, and I followed my father and we removed the leaven. MISHNAH.HE WHO ON HIS WAY TO SLAUGHTER HIS PASSOVER SACRIFICE OR TO CIRCUMCISE HIS SON OR TO DINE AT A BETROTHAL FEAST AT THE HOUSE OF HIS FATHER-IN-LAW, AND RECOLLECTS THAT HE HAS LEAVEN AT HOME, IF HE IS ABLE TO GO BACK, REMOVE [IT], AND [THEN] RETURN TO HIS RELIGIOUS DUTY, HE MUST GO BACK AND REMOVE [IT]; BUT IF NOT, HE ANNULS IT IN HIS HEART. [IF HE IS ON HIS WAY] TO SAVE [PEOPLE] FROM HEATHENS OR FROM A RIVER OR FROM BRIGANDS OR FROM A FIRE OR FROM A COLLAPSE [OF A BUILDING], HE ANNULS IT IN HIS HEART. [BUT IF] TO APPOINT A SABBATH STATION FOR A VOLUNTARY [SECULAR] PURPOSE, HE MUST RETURN IMMEDIATELY. SIMILARLY, HE WHO WENT OUT OF JERUSALEM AND RECOLLECTED THAT HE HAD HOLY FLESH WITH HIM, IF HE HAS PASSED SCOPUS, HE BURNS IT WHERE HE IS; BUT IF NOT, HE RETURNS AND BURNS IT IN FRONT OF THE TEMPLE WITH THE WOOD OF THE [ALTAR] PILE. AND FOR WHAT [QUANTITY] MUST THEY RETURN? R. MEIR SAID: FOR BOTH, WHEN THERE IS AS MUCH AS AN EGG; R. JUDAH SAID: FOR BOTH, WHEN THERE IS AS MUCH AS AN OLIVE; BUT THE SAGES RULE: HOLY FLESH, [THE STANDARD IS] AS MUCH AS AN OLIVE; WHILE LEAVEN, [THE STANDARD IS] AS MUCH AS AN EGG. GEMARA. But the following contradicts it: He who is on his way to partake of a betrothal feast in his father-in-law's house or to appoint a Sabbath station for a voluntary purpose must return immediately? Said R. Johanan, There is no difficulty: one is [according to] R. Judah: the other is [according to] R. Jose. For it was taught: The betrothal feast is a voluntary [function]; this is R. Judah's view. R. Jose said: It is a religious [function]. But now that R. Hisda said: The controversy is in respect of the second feast, but in respect to the first feast all agree that it is a religious [function], you may even say [that] both are [according to] R. Judah, yet there is no difficulty; one refers to the first feast, while the other refers to the second feast. It was taught, R. Judah said: I have heard only of the betrothal feast, but not of [the feast in connection with] espousal gifts. Said R. Jose to him: I have heard of [both] the feast of betrothal and [that] of espousal gifts. It was taught, R. Simeon said: Every feast which is not in connection with a religious deed, a scholar must derive no enjoyment thereof. What, for instance? — Said R. Johanan: E.g., [the feast at the betrothal of] the daughter of a priest to an Israelite, or the daughter of a scholar to an ignoramus. For R. Johanan said: If the daughter of a priest [marries] an Israelite, their union will not be auspicious. What is it? Said R. Hisda: [She will be] either a widow or a divorced woman, or she will have no seed [children]. In a Baraitha it was taught: He will bury her or she will bury him, or she will reduce him to poverty. But that is not so, for R. Johanan said: he who desires to become wealthy, let him cleave to the seed of Aaron, [for it is all the more] that the Torah and the priesthood will enrich them? — There is no difficulty: one refers to a scholar; the other refers to an ‘am ha-arez. R. Joshua married a priest's daughter. Falling sick, he said, Aaron is not pleased that I should cleave to his seed [and] possess a son-an-law like myself. R. Idi b Abin married a priest's daughter, and there came forth from him two ordained sons — R. Shesheth the son of R. Idi and R. Joshua the son of R. Idi. R. Papa said: Had I not married a priest's daughter, I would not have become wealthy. R. Kahana said: Had I not married a priest's daughter, I had not gone into exile. Said they to him, But you were exiled to a place of learning! — I was not exiled as people are [generally] exiled. R. Isaac said: Whoever partakes of a secular feast eventually goes into exile, for it is said, and [ye that] eat the lambs out of the flock, and the calves out of the midst of the stall; and it is written, therefore now shall they go captive at the head of them that go captive. Our Rabbis taught: Every scholar who feasts much in every place eventually destroys his home, widows his wife, orphans his young, forgets his learning, and becomes involved in many quarrels; his words are unheeded, and he desecrates the Name of Heaven and the name of his teacher and the name of his father, and he causes an evil name for himself, his children, and his childrens’ children until the end of time. What is it? Said Abaye: He is called, a heater of ovens. Raba said: A tavern dancer! R. Papa said: A plate licker. R. Sheimaiah said: A folder [of garments] and a man who lies down [to sleep]. Our Rabbis taught: Let a man always sell all he has and marry the daughter of a scholar, for if he dies or goes into exile, he is assured that his children will be scholars. But let him not marry the daughter of an ‘am ha-arez, for if he dies or goes into exile, his children will be ‘amme ha-arez. Our Rabbis taught: Let a man always sell all he has and marry the daughter of a scholar, and marry his daughter to a scholar. This may be compared to [the grafting of] grapes of a vine with grapes of a vine, [which is] a seemly and acceptable thing. But let him not marry the daughter of an ‘am ha-arez; this may be compared to [the grafting of] grapes of a vine with berries of a thorn bush, [which is] a repulsive^ᵃ^ᵇ^ᶜ^ᵈ^ᵉ^ᶠ^ᵍ^ʰ^ⁱ^ʲ^ᵏ^ˡ^ᵐ^ⁿ^ᵒ^ᵖ^ᵠ^ʳ^ˢ^ᵗ^ᵘ^ᵛ^ʷ^ˣ^ʸ^ᶻ^ᵃᵃ^ᵃᵇ^ᵃᶜ^ᵃᵈ^ᵃᵉ^ᵃᶠ^ᵃᵍ^ᵃʰ^ᵃⁱ^ᵃʲ^ᵃᵏ^ᵃˡ^ᵃᵐ^ᵃⁿ

^ᵃnote:I.e., destroyed.
^ᵇnote:Save what is required for the Sabbath itself.
^ᶜnote:On the morning of the fourteenth.
^ᵈnote:Because if any is left over none can eat it; neither zarim nor cattle.
^ᵉnote:Because it is easy to find eaters for it.
^ᶠnote:The famous town to the north-west of Jerusalem, seat of R. Johanan b. Zakkai's academy and Sanhedrin after the destruction of Jerusalem.
^ᵍnote:The superintendent of the Academy.
^ʰnote:Lit., ‘is going’.
^ⁱnote:In ancient days and until comparatively recently this was done in the Synagogue.
^ʲnote:Erusin denotes the first stage of marriage, v. Glos.
^ᵏnote:He himself being the bridegroom. A ‘betrothal feast’ is considered a religious duty, v. Gemara.
^ˡnote:Rashi: Jews who are being pursued.
^ᵐnote:Var. lec.: a robber band.
^ⁿnote:If ‘robber band’ is read before, this must be deleted. Even if there is time to return, he must not go back.
^ᵒnote:On the Sabbath a man must not go more than two thousand cubits beyond the town boundary; this outside limit is called the tehum. But before the Sabbath commences he can appoint any spot within the tehum as the station where he will spend the Sabbath, and then he may proceed two thousand cubits beyond that spot; he does that by taking some food to the place, which he will eat on the Sabbath.
^ᵖnote:Holy flesh, if taken without Jerusalem, becomes unfit and must be burnt.
^ᵠnote:An eminence northeast of Jerusalem, whence the Temple can be seen. To-day it is the site of the Hebrew University.
^ʳnote:And need not return to Jerusalem.
^ˢnote:[Birah. This is variously explained in Zeb. 104b as the Temple Mount itself’, a place in the Temple Mount, and a tower in the Temple Mount.]
^ᵗnote:I.e., wood arranged in a pile for use on the altar. — V. Supra 24a.
^ᵘnote:Sc. leaven and sacred flesh.
^ᵛnote:These are the minima for which one must return.
^ʷnote:After the betrothal the bridegroom (arus) sent gifts to his bride, in connection with which there was a second feast at the father-in-law's house.
^ˣnote:As being a religious function.
^ʸnote:Siblonoth.
^ᶻnote:I.e., must not partake of it.
^ᵃᵃnote:I.e., a non-priest. She blemishes her family by marrying beneath her.
^ᵃᵇnote:In what respect will it be unfortunate?
^ᵃᶜnote:Rashi: because it is written, And if a priest's daughter be married unto a common man, which is followed by, But if a priest's daughter be a widow, or divorced, and have no child (Lev. XXII, 12f). — Hence such a union was looked upon with disfavour, and R. Johanan maintains that the feast is not a true religious one.
^ᵃᵈnote:If a scholar marries into a priestly family he brings honour upon it.
^ᵃᵉnote:V. Glos.
^ᵃᶠnote:He was a wealthy brewer.
^ᵃᵍnote:From my home in Babylonia to Palestine; v. B.K. 117a.
^ᵃʰnote:Voluntarily; but I had to flee.
^ᵃⁱnote:Amos VI, 4, 7.
^ᵃʲnote:Lit., ‘his learning is forgotten from him’.
^ᵃᵏnote:Lit., ‘come upon him’.
^ᵃˡnote:Lit., ‘until the end of all generations’. — His fondness for feasting elsewhere leads him to do the same in his own home, and to make it possible he must sell his furniture, etc. Seeing himself on the road to ruin, he wanders into exile, leaving his wife and children, widowed and orphaned, he wastes his time, so forgets his learning. This involves him in disputes on learning. Or, his poverty involves him in disputes with tradesmen because he cannot settle his bills. Again, the banqueting table itself is a fruitful source of quarrels (Rashi and Maharsha).
^ᵃᵐnote:How does he bring his name etc., into contempt?
^ᵃⁿnote:Where he is, being too drunk to go home. — Or, the son of a heater of ovens etc., with reference to his children. The translation follows Maharsha, bar (rc) being understood as ‘a man who’. The alternative is Rashi's.

²and unacceptable thing. Our Rabbis taught: Let a man always sell all he has and marry the daughter of a scholar. If he does not find the daughter of a scholar, let him marry the daughter of [one of] the great men of the generation. If he does not find the daughter of [one of] the great men of the generation, let him marry the daughter of the head of synagogues. If he does not find the daughter of the head of synagogues, let him marry the daughter of a charity treasurer. If he does not find the daughter of a charity treasurer, let him marry the daughter of an elementary school-teacher, but let him not marry the daughter of an ‘am ha-arez, because they are detestable and their wives are vermin, and of their daughters it is said, Cursed be he that lieth with any manner of beast. It was taught, Rabbi said: An ‘am ha-arez may not eat the flesh of cattle, for it is said, This is the law [Torah] of the beast, and of the fowl; whoever engages in [the study of] the Torah may eat the flesh of beast and fowl, but he who does not engage in [the study of] the Torah may not eat the flesh of beast and fowl. R. Eleazar said: An ‘am ha-arez, it is permitted to stab him [even] on the Day of Atonement which falls on the Sabbath. Said his disciples to him, Master, say to slaughter him [ritually]? He replied: This [ritual slaughter] requires a benediction, whereas that [stabbing] does not require a benediction. R. Eleazar said: One must not join company with an ‘am ha-arez on the road, because it is said, for that [the Torah] is thy life, and the length of thy days: [seeing that] he has no care [pity] for his own life, how much the more for the life of his companions! R. Samuel b. Nahmani said in R. Johanan's name: One may tear an ‘am haarez like a fish! Said R. Samuel b. Isaac: And [this means] along his back. It was taught, R. Akiba said: When I was an ‘am ha-arez I said: I would that I had a scholar [before me], and I would maul him like an ass. Said his disciples to him, Rabbi, say like a dog! The former bites and breaks the bones, while the latter bites but does not break the bones, he answered them. It was taught, R. Meir used to say: Whoever marries his daughter to an ‘am ha-arez, is as though he bound and laid her before a lion: just as a lion tears [his prey] and devours it and has no shame, so an ‘am ha-arez strikes and cohabits and has no shame. It was taught, R. Eliezer said: But that we are necessary to them for trade, they would kill us. R. Hiyya taught: Whoever studies the Torah in front of an ‘am ha-arez, is as though he cohabited with his betrothed in his presence, for it is said, Moses commanded us a law, an inheritance [morashah] of the congregation of Jacob: read not morashah but me'orasah [the betrothed]. Greater is the hatred wherewith the ‘amme ha-arez, hate the scholar than the hatred wherewith the heathens hate Israel, and their wives [hate even] more than they. It was taught: He who has studied and then abandoned [the Torah] [hates the scholar] more than all of them. Our Rabbis taught: Six things were said of the ‘amme ha-arez’: We do not commit testimony to them; we do not accept testimony from them; we do not reveal a secret to them; we do not appoint them as guardians for orphans; we do not appoint them stewards over charity funds; and we must not join their company on the road. Some say, We do not proclaim their losses too. And the first Tanna? — Virtuous seed may sometimes issue from him, and they will enjoy it, as it is said, He will prepare it, and the just shall put it on. SIMILARLY, HE WHO WENT OUT OF etc. Shall we say that R. Meir holds, only as much as an egg is of importance, whereas R. Judah holds, Even as much as an olive too is of importance? But the following contradicts it: For what [minimum] quantity must they recite grace in common? Until as much as an olive. R. Judah said: Until as much as an egg! — Said R. Johanan: The discussion must be reversed. Abaye said, After all you need not reverse [it]: there they differ in [the interpretation of Scriptural] verses, [whereas] here they differ in a matter of logic. ‘There they differ in [the interpretation of] verses’:R. Meir holds: And thou shalt eat, this refers to eating; and be satisfied, this means drinking, and eating is [constituted] by as much as an olive. While R. Judah holds: ‘And thou shalt eat and be satisfied’ [implies] eating in which there is satisfaction [of one's hunger], and what is that? As much as an egg. ‘Here they differ in a matter of logic’, for R. Meir holds: Its return is like its defilement: just as its defilement requires as much as an egg, so does its return require as much as an egg. While R. Judah holds, its return^ᵃᵒ^ᵃᵖ^ᵃᵠ^ᵃʳ^ᵃˢ^ᵃᵗ^ᵃᵘ^ᵃᵛ^ᵃʷ^ᵃˣ^ᵃʸ^ᵃᶻ^ᵇᵃ^ᵇᵇ^ᵇᶜ^ᵇᵈ^ᵇᵉ^ᵇᶠ^ᵇᵍ^ᵇʰ^ᵇⁱ^ᵇʲ^ᵇᵏ^ᵇˡ^ᵇᵐ^ᵇⁿ

^ᵃᵒnote:I.e., cannot obtain.
^ᵃᵖnote:Gedole ha-dor, title probably designating the civil leaders of the community. v. Buchler, Sepphoris, p. 9.
^ᵃᵠnote:[The archi synagogos, the supreme authority over the synagogues in the town; v. Git., Sonc. ed. p. 202, n. 5.]
^ᵃʳnote:Deut. XXVII, 21.
^ᵃˢnote:Lev. XI, 46.
^ᵃᵗnote:Deut. XXX, 20.
^ᵃᵘnote:In that he forsakes the Torah.
^ᵃᵛnote:R. Akiba was a poor, illiterate shepherd before he became a scholar; v. Ned. 50a.
^ᵃʷnote:Lit., ‘engages in’.
^ᵃˣnote:So great is the affront which the ‘am ha-arez feels when Torah is studied in his presence, v. Rashi.
^ᵃʸnote:Ibid. XXXIII, 4.
^ᵃᶻnote:Thus the Torah is as the bride of the whole of Israel.
^ᵇᵃnote:More than any ‘am ha-arez hates the scholar.
^ᵇᵇnote:The Heb. is the same as in the previous phrase. Epitropos is a steward who looks after another person's estates, etc.
^ᵇᶜnote:He who finds lost property is bound to proclaim it; if the owner is an ‘am ha-arez, he is not bound to proclaim it.
^ᵇᵈnote:Why does he omit this?
^ᵇᵉnote:Lit., ‘eat’.
^ᵇᶠnote:Job XXVII, 17.
^ᵇᵍnote:I.e., worthy of being taken into account.
^ᵇʰnote:Lit., ‘how far?’
^ᵇⁱnote:When three or more people dine together they must recite grace in common, prefacing it with the statement, ‘Let us say grace’, and they must not separate before this is done, even if each intends reciting grace alone. Here the question is: what is the minimum meal for which this is necessary?
^ᵇʲnote:That is the minimum. Until (‘ad) is meant in a diminishing sense.
^ᵇᵏnote:I.e., the opinions,
^ᵇˡnote:Deut. VIII, 10.
^ᵇᵐnote:This is the minimum called eating, e.g.. for eating this quantity of forbidden food liability is incurred; the command to eat unleavened bread on the first night of Passover means at least as much as an olive. The verse continues: and thou shalt bless the Lord thy God — i.e., recite grace.
^ᵇⁿnote:I.e., the same quantity of leaven which is subject to defilement as an eatable necessitates returning in order to remove it.