Off the Daf and Into Israel

Cistern or Spring? Eruvin 18 The Mishnah brings a discussion about how to enclose a water source so that it can be used on Shabbat without carrying. Our daf discusses if the leniency of “ פסים ” can be used for a בור or only for a באר . This brings us to the interesting disctinction between the two. Although the words “bor” and “be’er” are almost identical in Hebrew, in English they are  easier to distinguish. A bor is a cistern: And a be’er is a well: The cistern is a plastered hole in the ground, meant to gather rainwater. Cisterns were essential for getting through the dry summer months and have been used from time immemorial, until very recently. Many homes in the older neighborhoods of Jerusalem give their owners a surprise basement when the underground cistern is discovered. A well on the other hand is a natural water source, usually from groundwater. These are harder to find but are invaluable for providing fresh clean water. The prophet Jeremiah

Eiruvin Daf 15 What does Pesach have to do with Eiruvin? And where can we find יציאת מצרים in our daf learning on this erev chag? Interestingly, the gemara goes on a slight tangent from discussing קורה  and לחי on Shabbat, and introduces the idea of divorce. Rabbi Yossi Hagalilee says that you can't write a 'get' on something live, rather it has to be inanimate, basing himself on the phrase 'v'ktav la' - write it like a book. Others argue, defining 'sefer kritut' not as the  book but as sefer, or sippur, a document that tells the story of their separation. Our Pesach holiday is one of freedom, of spring, of new beginnings. But it starts as a tale of separation - the painful lengthy departing of the Jewish nation from Egypt. And it is a written story - one that we read inside the Haggadah and retell each year, each generation. It would seem that G-d wants us to remember not just the rebirth but the first separation - as He takes us out of Egypt,

DAF 1 Welcome to Eruvin. With Massechet Shabbat behind us, we look ahead to.... more on the laws of carrying. But this time the view is from the vantage point of the public, and private, streets and sections of town. Talmudic town, that is.  As we delve together into the next volume, we invite you to join us on this journey through spaces; to share your thoughts and photos of relevant materials that will enlighten us as we go. A typical Roman-style street, Talmudic times.  No Eruv visible.  But where is it necessary? Stay tuned.

“The fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars but in ourselves . . .” Julius Caesar   Shabbat 156 Today few of us take astrology seriously.  Sure, you might be familiar with the sign of the zodiac that your birthday falls on or glance at your horoscope in the newspaper.  But to say that the stars and planets rule our lives? Unlikely. In the ancient world however, this was the prevalent concept. Practically everyone believed that the star you were born under influenced your personality and affected the events of your life. The Babylonians were famous for their astrology and the ancient Greek practice continued on in Rome . But what of the Jews? Doesn’t a belief in astrology negate the concept of free choice and of God’s omnipotence? That is part of the discussion on our daf. After an exhaustive catalogue of how one’s personality is influenced by when he is born, we have the general statement of Rabbi Hanina that יש מזל לישראל , Israel is under the influence of the planets.

Just a few more posts, out of order, before we say goodbye to Masechet Shabbat for this cycle. The Sweet Smell of Afarsemon Shabbat 62 In today’s daf we have a few mentions of perfume, specifically the “balsama” as Rashi calls it, or the Apharsemon Oil. We learn that one of the things that a woman cannot carry on Shabbat is a צלוחית של פלייטון , a small perfume vial. Later on, we have a statement by Rabbi Ami that the women of Jerusalem would go out with אפרסמון in their shoes and when they would meet boys in the market, they would step on the apharsemon and release a scent so strong that it would make the evil inclination enter them “like a poisonous snake.” Powerful stuff! What was it? The Gemara and other sources of the time are familiar with the apharsemon plant (not the persimmon of today) that was grown in the Ein Gedi region and was used to make perfume. It was a valuable item that made those who grew it rich. Apharsemon is usually translated as “balsam” and some

The Writing on the Wall Shabbat 149 The Gemara here discusses the Mishnah about not reading from a written guest list or menu on Shabbat. Is the concern that you might come to erase something from the list, or that it might lead you to reading material that is inappropiate for Shabbat? In this context, the Gemara discusses a case where the list is written on a wall, and how high the wall is, i.e., whether it will be difficult to erase. Those of us who regularly write out Shabbat menus and guest lists may find this Gemara somewhat strange to say the least. In what civilized home would you write your lists directly on the wall? In this situation, it is helpful to compare our case to one of the few places in the ancient world where the walls and everything on them survived completely intact: Pompeii . The volcanic eruption that buried Pompeii in the year 79 CE preserved the city and all its contents, including those people unlucky enough to not escape in time. As such, Pompeii

The Caper Caper   Shabbat 150b Our daf today mentions a plant we have come across before in rabbinic literature, the caper or צלף . We remember it from Masechet Berakhot where there were discussions about which part is good to eat, what blessing is said over it and are you required to take terumah from it (Berakhot 36). Here the caper stars in a story where it is the reward for a righteous man who does not mend his fence on Shabbat. A miracle happens and a caper bush grows in the open space, not only keeping the area fenced in but also providing a livelihood for the righteous man. What’s so great about a caper bush? Well, first it has many edible parts: today we eat only the buds (pickled) but in ancient times they ate the flowers and perhaps even the leaves. A profession that we hear about in the Gemara is that of a kapar קפר , i.e. someone who pickles capers. We’ll be meeting up with Rabbi Elazar HaKapar on the next daf. Another quality a caper bush has are its very sha