פסחים 53 — Soncino English Talmud

¹from when they form kernels; olive trees, from when they blossom; and all other trees, from when they bring forth. Now R. Assi said thereon: Boser [half-ripe fruit], girua’ [formation of kernels], and the white bean are identical. ‘The white bean can you think so! — Rather, say, its size is that of the white bean. Now, whom do you know to maintain that boser is fruit, but not semadar? The Rabbis. Yet it is stated, ‘and all other trees, from when they bring forth?’ — Rather, R. Ilai cut down nishane. Our Rabbis taught: One may eat grapes [of the Sabbatical year] until the espalier branches of okel are finished. If there are later ones than these, one may eat [in reliance] on them. One may eat olives until the last of Tekoa is finished. R. Eliezer said: Until the last of Gush-Heleb is finished, so that a poor man should go out and not find a quarter either on the branches or on the stem. One may eat dried figs until the unripe figs [pagge] of Beth Hini are finished. Said R. Judah: The unripe figs of Beth Hini were not mentioned except in connection with tithe, for we learned, The unripe figs of Beth Hini and the dates of Tobanya are subject to tithe. ‘One may eat dates until the last in Zoar is finished; R. Simeon b. Gamaliel said: One may eat [in reliance] on those that are among the upper [overarching] branches, but you may not eat [in reliance] on those that are among the single prickly branches.’ But the following contradicts this: One may eat grapes until Passover; olives until Pentecost; dried figs until Hanukkah; [and] dates until Purim. Now R. Bibi said, R. Johanan transposes the last two! — Both are one [the same] limit. Alternatively, surely it is explicitly taught, ‘If there are later ones than these, one may eat [in reliance] on them.’ It was taught, R. Simeon b. Gamaliel said: An indication of mountainous country is [the presence of] millin; an indication of valleys is palm trees; an indication of streams is reeds; an indication of lowlands is the sycamore tree. And though there is no proof of the matter, there is an allusion to the matter, for it is said, And the king made silver to be in Jerusalem as stones, and cedars made he to be as the sycamore trees that are in the lowland, for abundance. ‘An indication of mountainous country is [the presence of] millin; an indication of valleys is palm trees.’ The practical difference is in respect of first fruits. For we learned: First fruits are not brought of any save the seven species, nor of the palm trees in the highlands nor of the fruits in the valleys. ‘An indication of streams is reeds.’ The practical difference is in respect of the rough valley’ [nahal ethan]. ‘An indication of lowlands is the sycamore tree.’ The practical difference is in respect of buying and selling. Now that you have arrived at this, all the [others] too are in respect of buying and selling. MISHNAH. WHERE IT IS THE PRACTICE TO SELL SMALL CATTLE TO HEATHENS, ONE MAY SELL; WHERE IT IS THE PRACTICE NOT TO SELL, ONE MAY NOT SELL. AND IN ALL PLACES ONE MAY NOT SELL LARGE CATTLE TO THEM, [NOR] CALVES OR FOALS, WHETHER SOUND OR MAIMED. R. JUDAH PERMITS IN THE CASE OF A MAIMED [ONE]. THE SON OF BATHYRA PERMITTED IT IN THE CASE OF A HORSE. WHERE IT IS THE CUSTOM TO EAT ROAST [MEAT] ON THE NIGHT OF PASSOVER, ONE MAY EAT[IT]; WHERE IT IS THE CUSTOM NOT TO EAT [IT], ONE MAY NOT EAT [IT]. GEMARA. Rab Judah said in Rab's name: A man is forbidden to say, ‘This meat shall be for Passover,’ because it looks as though he is sanctifying his animal and eating sacred flesh without [the Temple]. Said R. Papa: This applies only to meat, but not to wheat, because he means, It is to be guarded [from fermenting] for Passover. But not ‘meat’? An objection is raised: R. Jose said, Thaddeus of Rome accustomed the Roman [Jews] to eat helmeted goats on the nights of Passover. [Thereupon] they [the Sages] sent [a message] to him: If you were not Thaddeus, we would proclaim the ban against you, because you make Israel eat sacred flesh without [the Temple]. ‘Sacred flesh’ — can you think so? — Rather say,^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

^ᵃnote:Or, ovules containing moisture (v. Jast. s.v. grd II).
^ᵇnote:I.e., when their blossoms, a calyx-like growth, come forth.
^ᶜnote:Lit., ‘that is boser, that is’ etc. I.e., the three terms indicate the same stage. The Mishnah often speaks of these.
^ᵈnote:We are discussing the vine!
^ᵉnote:For R. Jose maintains that even semadar, which denotes an earlier stage, is fruit.
^ᶠnote:Thus they agree with R. Jose in respect to other trees.
^ᵍnote:Stunted dates of palms whose fruit never matures.
^ʰnote:Cur. ed. ‘Ar. (also quoted by Rashi) reads: Abel, i.e., the branches of Abel Cheramim (lit., ‘the palm of the vine-yards’ — v. Jud. XI, 33), situate six or seven Roman miles from Philadelphia (Rabbath-Ammon), and as its name implies, famous for its vineyards; v. J.E. s.v.
^ⁱnote:I.e., as long as they are yet on the branches.
^ʲnote:A city of southern Judea often mentioned in the Bible (e.g., II Sam. XIV, 2f; Amos I, 1; II Chron. XI, 6), and famous for the abundance of its olives, v. Men. 85b.
^ᵏnote:Lit., ‘fat ground’, (Gush-heleb) or Giscala in Galilee, not far from Tyre (Neub. Geogr. p. 230), was rich in oil; Josephus, Vita, 13; Men. 85b; v. J.E. s.v. Giscala.
^ˡnote:I.e., a log.
^ᵐnote:Bethania, near Jerusalem; v. Neub. op. cit., 149f. Pagge are probably a species of figs that never reach full maturity, but are nevertheless fit for eating.
^ⁿnote:‘We learned’ is absent in this passage as quoted in ‘Er. 28b. [It is a Baraitha (Tosef. Sheb. VII) and not a Mishnah.]
^ᵒnote:Ahina (pl. ahini) is a species of late and inferior dates.
^ᵖnote:Name of a certain place.
^ᵠnote:But these figs do not determine the time for the removal of figs.
^ʳnote:The Feast of Lights, commencing on the twenty-fifth of Kislev and lasting for eight days. It generally fails in the latter half of December.
^ˢnote:‘Lots’ — the minor Festival in celebration of Haman's downfall. It is held on the fourteenth of Adar, and generally occurs in March.
^ᵗnote:I.e., dried figs until Purim, and dates until Hanukkah. By then the various kinds mentioned have disappeared from the field; thus this conflicts with the previous statement.
^ᵘnote:Thus even if these are different time-limits, the later one is stated in accordance with this teaching.
^ᵛnote:Milla pl. millin, a species of oak from which the gall-nut is collected (quercus infectoria). Jast.
^ʷnote:I Kings X, 27.
^ˣnote:Enumerated in Deut. VIII, 8; a land of wheat and barley, and vines and fig trees and pomegranates; a land of olive trees and honey.
^ʸnote:Because these are of inferior quality. The same idea is expressed by R. Simeon b. Gamaliel when he says that palm trees are an indication of valleys, i.e., the best grow in the valleys. His other statements bear a similar meaning.
^ᶻnote:V. Deut. XXI,4 . Nahal is a stream which in summer dries up and leaves a valley bed. The presence of reeds along the margin of the valley indicates that this is a fitting place for the purpose.
^ᵃᵃnote:If a man sells a lowland estate it must contain sycamores (Rashi). Or, if a man sells sycamore trees, guaranteeing them to be of the best quality, they must be from lowland country.
^ᵃᵇnote:E.g., sheep and goats.
^ᵃᶜnote:For fear that large cattle too may be sold to them; v. n. 5.
^ᵃᵈnote:Large cattle, because they are thereby deprived of the Sabbath rest (v. A.Z. 15a); calves or foals, being the young of large cattle, as a preventive measure; maimed, likewise as a preventive measure on account of whole animals.
^ᵃᵉnote:Because it is unfit for work and will immediately be killed for food. Therefore the few will not see it in the heathen's possession, and so will not come to sell him others too.
^ᵃᶠnote:The main use of a horse is for riding, and riding on the Sabbath, even by a Jew, is not regarded as Scripturally forbidden but merely as a shebuth (v. Glos.).
^ᵃᵍnote:This means after the destruction of the Temple. While the Temple stood the Passover sacrifice was eaten roast (Ex. XII, 8). Consequently, when the Temple was no more it became the practice to refrain from eating roast meat on the night of Passover, so that it should not appear that a sacrifice was brought without the Temple, which is forbidden.
^ᵃʰnote:Lit., ‘a man of Rome’.
^ᵃⁱnote:Goats roasted whole with the entrails and the legs on the head, like a helmet (the verb kalas denotes to put on a helmet). That is how the Passover sacrifice was roasted, v. infra 74a.
^ᵃʲnote:Surely the goats were not dedicated as sacrifices.

²It is near to making Israel eat sacred flesh without [the Temple]. [Thus,] only a ‘helmeted’ goat, but not if it is not ‘helmeted’? — I will tell you: if it is ‘helmeted’, there is no difference whether he stated or he did not state; [but] if it is not ‘helmeted’, if he specified, it is [forbidden]; if he did not specify, it is not [forbidden]. R. Aha learned this Baraitha as [the statement of] R. Simeon. To this R. Shesheth demurred: It is well according to him who learns it as [the statement of] R. Jose; then it is correct. But according to him who learns it as [the statement of] R. Simeon, is it correct?, Surely we learned, R. Simeon declares him exempt, because he did not make the offering in the way which people make [this] offering! Said Rabina to R. Ashi: And is it correct [even] according to him who learns it as [the statement of] R. Jose? Surely Raba said: R. Simeon stated this according to the view of R. Jose, who maintained: A man is held responsible for his last words too. Surely then, since R. Simeon agrees with R. Jose, R. Jose also agrees with R. Simeon? — No: R. Simeon agrees with R. Jose, but R. Jose does not agree with R. Simeon. The scholars asked: Was Thaddeus, the man of Rome, a great man or a powerful man? — Come and hear: This too did Thaddeus of Rome teach: What [reason] did Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah see that they delivered themselves, for the sanctification of the [Divine] Name, to the fiery furnace? They argued a minori to themselves: if frogs, which are not commanded concerning the sanctification of the [Divine] Name, yet it is written of them, and they shall come up and go into thy house . . . and into thine ovens, and into thy kneading troughs: when are the kneading troughs to be found near the oven? When the oven is hot. We, who are commanded concerning the sanctification of the Name, how much the more so. R. Jose b. Abin said: He cast merchandise into the Passover-sacrifice at the time of roasting, this is not the way in which people consecrate animals: therefore his words are invalid. pockets of scholars. For R. Johanan said: Whoever casts merchandise into the pockets of scholars will be privileged to sit in the Heavenly Academy, for it is said, for wisdom is a defence even as money is a defence. MISHNAH. WHERE IT IS THE PRACTICE TO LIGHT A LAMP [AT HOME] ON THE NIGHT OF THE DAY OF ATONEMENT, ONE MUST LIGHT [ONE]; WHERE IT IS THE PRACTICE NOT TO LIGHT [A LAMP], ONE MUST NOT LIGHT [ONE]. AND WE LIGHT [LAMPS] IN SYNAGOGUES, SCHOOL-HOUSES, AND DARK ALLEYS, AND FOR THE SAKE OF INVALIDS. GEMARA. It was taught: Whether they maintained that we should light [lamps] or they maintained that we should not light [them], both intended [it] for the same purpose. R. Joshua said, Raba lectured: Thy people also shall all be righteous, they shall inherit the land for ever: etc. whether they maintained that we should light [lamps] or they maintained that we should not light [them], both intended nought but the same purpose. Rab Judah said in Samuel's name: We do not recite a blessing over light except at the termination of the Sabbath, since it was then created for the first time. Said a certain old man to him-others state, Rabbah b. Bar Hanah — ‘Well spoken! and thus [too] did R. Johanan say. ‘Ulla was going along, riding an ass, while R. Abba proceeded at his right and Rabbah b. Bar Hanah at his left. Said R. Abba to ‘Ulla: Do you indeed say in R. Johanan's name: We do not recite a blessing over light except at the termination of the Sabbath, since it was then created for the first time? ‘Ulla turned round and looked at Rabbah b. Bar Hanah with displeasure. Said he to him, I said it not in reference to that but in reference to this. For a tanna recited before R. Johanan, R. Simeon b. Eleazar said: When the Day of Atonement falls on the Sabbath, even where they maintain that we must not light [a lamp], we do light [it] in honour of the Sabbath; which R. Johanan followed with the remark, But the Sages forbid it. Said he to him, Let it be this. R. Jose applied to this the verse, Counsel in the heart of man is like deep water’;^ᵃᵏ^ᵃˡ^ᵃᵐ^ᵃⁿ^ᵃᵒ^ᵃᵖ^ᵃᵠ^ᵃʳ^ᵃˢ^ᵃᵗ^ᵃᵘ^ᵃᵛ^ᵃʷ^ᵃˣ^ᵃʸ^ᵃᶻ^ᵇᵃ^ᵇᵇ^ᵇᶜ^ᵇᵈ^ᵇᵉ^ᵇᶠ^ᵇᵍ

^ᵃᵏnote:I.e., it is similar to sacrifices,
^ᵃˡnote:Should be forbidden.
^ᵃᵐnote:That it was for Passover.
^ᵃⁿnote:Not R. Jose.
^ᵃᵒnote:V. Men. 103a. If a man declares, ‘I vow a meal-offering of barley’, the first Tanna rules that he must bring a meal-offering of wheat. For a man's liabilities are determined by his first words only, where these contradict his last words. Thus, when he declared, ‘I vow a meal-offering’, this is a binding vow; when he adds ‘of barley’, this is impossible, since only wheat is permitted; therefore his first words are binding. But R. Simeon maintains that he must be judged by his last words too: hence he really meant a meal-offering of barley, thinking that this is permitted; consequently his entire statement is invalid, and he is exempt. Now, in this case, how could it be regarded as near to sacred flesh? He did not consecrate the animal whilst alive, and even if he designated it a
^ᵃᵖnote:Lit., ‘seized’.
^ᵃᵠnote:That a vow made in an unusual manner is not binding. Hence the same difficulty arises according to R. Jose.
^ᵃʳnote:He maintains that even when a vow is not made in a usual manner it must be taken into account, because no man speaks without a purpose. Hence though R. Simeon bases his ruling on R. Jose's view, R. Jose himself does indeed hold that a man is held responsible for his last words too, but only when both his first words and his last can take effect (v. Tem. 25b); but where his last words would completely nullify his statement, as here, they are disregarded; hence the vower is liable to a wheat meal-offering (Maharsha). So here too, if he declared at the roasting, ‘This be for a Passover sacrifice’, though such a vow is unusual, I would say that he means that a sacrifice shall be bought with its monetary value. Thus it is ‘near to sacred flesh’ on R. Jose's view. But according to R. Simeon this is a real difficulty, which remains unanswered.
^ᵃˢnote:Lit., ‘a man of fists’. — On what grounds did they refrain from imposing the ban?
^ᵃᵗnote:This is one of the great principles of Judaism: a man must by his actions sanctify the Divine Name, i.e., prove his deep conviction of the truth of Judaism even to the extent of suffering for it, and thereby shed lustre and glory upon it.
^ᵃᵘnote:Ex. VII, 28.
^ᵃᵛnote:And yet at God's command they entered them.
^ᵃʷnote:This quotation shows that he was a great scholar.
^ᵃˣnote:I.e., he gave them opportunities for trading.
^ᵃʸnote:Eccl. VII, 12. R. Johanan translates: he will enter within the precincts (lit., ‘shadow’) of wisdom, who brings a scholar within the protection of his wealth.
^ᵃᶻnote:I.e., before it commences, so that it should burn through the night.
^ᵇᵃnote:viz., to curb their desire for sexual indulgence. The former argued that this would be the better effected by the presence of a lamp, because darkness is generally required; while the latter held that a lamp would strengthen his desire, as he could see his wife by the light.
^ᵇᵇnote:Isa. LX, 21.
^ᵇᶜnote:Lit., ‘that was the beginning of its creation’ on the evening of the first day.
^ᵇᵈnote:For misrepresenting R. Johanan's view.
^ᵇᵉnote:[MS. M.: I did not say this but that.]
^ᵇᶠnote:Lit., ‘and R. Johanan answered after him’.
^ᵇᵍnote:I admit this to be right.