Off the Daf and Into Israel

If the Shoe Fits . . . Shabbat 60 In the Mishnah’s list of forbidden items for a man on Shabbat is the סנדל מסומר , a nailed sandal. The Gemara explains that this type of sandal caused a panic resulting in death during the time of the שמד , religious persecution. It is unclear why that would result in the sandal being forbidden on Shabbat and both the Bavli and the Yerushalmi try to explain the issue. What is a סנדל מסומר ? It seems to be the same as another rabbinic footwear term, the קלגס . Both of them refer to a type of shoe worn by Roman soldiers called a caliga . This was a boot with vents and a thick sole studded with hobnails: Our sources emphasize the nails: the impressions they make in the ground as well as their clattering sound: Sandals like these, as well as the nails alone, were found at Masada and at other sites around Israel . At Masada , a pay slip for a Roman soldier was found, with the price of his caligae deducted from his salary! What is

Ruth Lieberman and Shulie Mishkin are tour guides who study the Daf Yomi. We have noticed that so many discussions in the Gemara hinge on an understanding of the realia of the time. Our generation is fortunate to live in an era when we know more about archaeology and the ancient world than we ever did before. Our return to the land of Israel has opened our eyes to the world of our ancestors. This blog is a modest attempt to show Torat Eretz Yisrael, the knowledge that we have from living in the land of the Tannaim and Amoraim. We stand on the shoulders of giants: Professor Yehuda Felix, Professor Noga HaReuveni, the Safrai family and many others who have showed us the way. We welcome any and all contributions to this attempt to learn with "Eretz Yisrael eyes."