SATURDAY PRAYER: GEVURAH-YESHIVAT HAVERIM יְשִׁיבָה חברים – BABYLONIAN TALMUD p96

READING: BETWEEN AFTER MIDNIGHT AND DAWN SATURDAY

The rabbis taught “It happened once that a man wedded a woman with a mutilated hand, and did
not discover it until she died.” Said Rabh: “Behold how chaste this woman must have been, for
even her husband did not discover it.” R. Hyya retorted: “This is nothing! It is natural with
women to hide their defects, but note the modesty of the man, who did not discover it in his
wife.”
“Rams may go out with (leather) bands around their privates.” What kind of bands? Said R.
Huna: “Hobbles.” Ulla said they were leather bands tied around their breasts to prevent them
from the attack of wolves. Do wolves attack only the males and never the females? It is because
the males always go ahead of the flocks. Do wolves attack only the advance of a flock and never
the rear? It is because the males are usually fat. Are there no fat sheep among the females?
Moreover, how can the wolves know which is which? It is because the males generally lift their
heads and look around cautiously. R. Na’hman b. Itz’hak said they wore leather bands tied
around their privates to prevent them from having coition with the females. Whence this
inference? From the last clause of the Mishna, “The sheep may go out with their tails tied up,” in
order that the males may have coition with them; hence we infer that the first clause is for the
purpose of preventing them.
“She-goats may go out with a bag tied around their udders.” It was taught: Rabh said that the
Halakha prevails in accordance with R. Jehudah; and Samuel held it to be in accordance with R.
Jossi. Others taught: Rabh and Samuel did not directly cite the opinions of the Tanaim just
mentioned, but they themselves decreed as follows: Rabh held that she-goats may go out with
their udders tied up for the purpose of preventing lactation, but not to save the milk. Samuel,
however, prohibited this in both cases. Others again say: R. Jehudah b. Bathyra long ago
decided the same as Rabh, but added that on account of the impossibility of determining what
purpose the tying up of the udders would serve, it is entirely prohibited. Thereupon Samuel
decided that the Halakha prevails with him. Rabbin upon his arrival in Babylon said that R.
Johanan said that the Halakha prevails in accordance with the first Tana.