Pesachim

and he took the aftergrowth of the cabbage1 and ate it, and he gave [some] to me and said to me, ‘My son, in my presence you may eat,2 when not in my presence, you may not eat [it]. I who saw R. Simeon b. Yohai eat [it], — R. Simeon B. Yohai is [great] enough to rely upon in his presence and not in his presence; [but] you may eat in my presence, but do not eat [when] not in my presence’.3 What is [this reference to] R. Simeon? For it was taught, R. Simeon said: All aftergrowths are forbidden,4 except the aftergrowth of the cabbage, because there is none like them among the vegetables of the field;5 but the Sages maintain, All aftergrowths are forbidden. Now, both [state their views] on the basis of R. Akiba. For it was taught: Behold, we may not sow, nor gather in our increase.6 R. Akiba said: Now, since they do not sow, whence can they gather?7 Hence it follows that the aftergrowth is forbidden.8 Wherein do they differ? The Rabbis hold, We preventively forbid the aftergrowth of cabbage on account of other aftergrowths in general; whereas R. Simeon holds: We do not preventively forbid the aftergrowth of cabbage on account of [other] aftergrowths in general.9 HE WHO GOES FROM A PLACE etc. As for [teaching], HE WHO GOES FROM A PLACE WHERE THEY DO WORK TO A PLACE WHERE THEY DO NOT WORK . . . WE LAY UPON HIM THE RESTRICTIONS OF THE PLACE WHITHER HE HAS GONE, AND A MAN MUST NOT ACT DIFFERENTLY, ON ACCOUNT OF THE QUARRELS, that is well, and he must not work. But [if he goes] FROM A PLACE WHERE THEY DO NOT WORK TO A PLACE WHERE THEY DO WORK . . . A MAN MUST NOT ACT DIFFERENTLY, BECAUSE OF THE QUARRELS — [that is] he is to work? But you say, WE LAY UPON HIM THE RESTRICTION OR THE PLACE WHITHER HE HAS GONE AND THE RESTRICTIONS OF THE Place WHENCE HE HAS DEPARTED! — Said Abaye: It refers to the first clause.10 Raba said: After all it refers to the second clause, but this is its meaning: This does not come within [the scope of] differences which cause quarrels. What will you say: He who sees will say, ‘[He regards] work as forbidden?’11 [No:] they will indeed say, ‘How many unemployed are there in the market place!’12 R. Safra said to R. Abba:13 For instance I,14 who know [the art] of fixing the New Moon,15 1. Tosaf. maintains that ‘and he took’ implies that he pulled it out of the earth; thus it was still available for cattle, and therefore it was before the time of removal. cabbages remain in the ground right through winter, whereas the aftergrowths of other vegetables are consumed earlier: hence we are more lenient with cabbages, because we can never apply to them the principle, ‘when it ceases for the beasts in the field, it must cease — (i.e., be removed from) the man in the house’. V. p. 251, n. 1, for a different interpretation. the aftergrowth is Scripturally forbidden, but only that aftergrowth which is similar to sowing (seeds), for the verse, ‘we may not sow, nor gather in our increase, implies that ‘our increase,’ which refers to the aftergrowth, is similar to what ‘we may not sow’; but the cabbage plant has more affinity to trees then to seeds (v. Keth. 111b), hence it is not forbidden by Biblical law. This view is held by both, and they differ whether the cabbage aftergrowth is Rabbinically forbidden as a preventive measure or not. Another explanation is given in Tosaf. on quite different lines. PLACE WHERE THEY DO NOT WORK. PLACE WHERE THEY WORK . . . WE IMPOSE UPON HIM THE RESTRICTION OF THE PLACE WHENCE HE HAS DEPARTED. For the general principle that a man MUST NOT ACT DIFFERENTLY from the rest of the people was only ON ACCOUNT OF THE QUARRELS, whereas here we have no fear. to uncertainty in early time about the exact day of New Moon, i.e., when the month began, it became a binding practice in the Diaspora to observe two days instead of one, and this remained binding even when New Moon was ascertained by mathematical calculation, which obviated all doubt.