SATURDAY PRAYER: YESOD-YESHIVAT HAVERIM יְשִׁיבָה חברים – BABYLONIAN TALMUD p120

READING: BETWEEN MIDNIGHT AND DAWN OF SATURDAY

Once a woman went into a certain house to bake, and a dog, through barking at her, caused her
to have a miscarriage. Said the landlord of the house “Fear him not, I have deprived him of his
teeth and claws”; but the woman answered: “Throw thy favors to the dogs, the child is already
gone!”
Said R. Huna: It is written [Eccl. xi. 9]: “Rejoice, oh young man, in thy childhood, and let thy
heart cheer thee in the days of thy youthful vigor, and walk firmly in the ways of thy heart and
in the direction in which thy eyes see; but know thou that concerning all these things God will
bring thee into judgment.” (Does not this passage contradict itself? Nay.) Up to the words “and
know” are words of the misleader, and from there on are words of the good leader. Resh Lakish
said up to “(and) know” the theoretical part of the law is meant, and from there on it speaks of
good acts.
“Knee-buckles are clean,” etc. Said R. Jehudah: This (birith) means arm-bandages. To this R.
Joseph objected: “We have learned that a birith is (virtually) clean, and one may go out with it
on the Sabbath. If it is an arm-band, how can that be? The latter is subject to defilement.” It
means that the birith is worn on the same part of the leg as the arm-bandage on the arm.
Rabbin and R. Huna sat before R. Jeremiah, who slumbered, and Rabbin said: “A birith is worn
on one of the thighs and kebalim on both shins.” But R. Huna said both are worn on both shins,
but the chain attached to the birith on both shins is called kebalim, and the chain makes them a
perfect vessel. At this point of the argument R. Jeremiah awoke and said: “I thank you. Even so
I heard R. Johanan say. “When R. Dimi came to Neherdai, he sent to tell the sages: My former
information in the name of R. Johanan that the Tzitz was a woven thing was an error, as so was
said in his name. Whence the adduction that any ornament is subject to becoming defiled? From
the Tzitz, the golden plate on the forehead of the High Priest. And whence the adduction that textile fabrics are also subject to becoming defiled? From the passage [Lev. xi. 32], “or” raiment, which includes any textile fabrics whatsoever.