and he says, "God grant that my wife may bring forth a male child." Such prayer is vain. Or if one on the road hear the voice of lamentation in the city, and say, "God grant that it may not be my son, my house," etc., such prayer

is vain.

4. Whoever enters a fortified town must say two prayers, one at his entrance, and one at his departure. Ben Azai says, "four, two at his entrance, and two at his departure; he returns thanks for the past, and supplicates for the future."

5. Man is bound to bless God for evil, as he is bound to bless him for good. For it is said, "And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might." 25 "With all thy heart" means, with both thy inclinations, the evil as well as the good. "With all thy soul" means, even should he deprive thee of life; and "with all thy might" means, with all thy wealth. Another opinion is, that "with all thy might" means whatever measure he metes out unto thee, do thou thank him with thy entire might. No man is to be irreverent opposite the eastern gate of the Temple, for it is opposite the Holy of Holies. No man is to go on the mountain of the house with his staff, shoes, or purse, nor with dust on his feet, nor is he to make it a short cut, nor is he to spit at all. All the seals of the blessings in the sanctuary used to say, “from eternity." But since the Epicureans perversely taught there is but one world, it was directed that men should say, “from eternity to eternity." It was also directed that every man should greet his friend in The Name, as it is said, "And behold Boaz came from Bethlehem, and said unto the reapers, The Lord be with you: and they answered him, The Lord bless thee." 26 And it is also said, "The Lord is with thee, thou mighty man of valor." 27 And it is said, "Despise not thy mother when she is old." 28 And it is also said, "It is time for thee, Lord, to work, for they have made void thy law." 29 R. Nathan says, "They have made void thy law because it is time for thee, Lord, to work.”

25 Deut. vi. 5.

26 Ruth ii. 4.

27 Judges vi. 12.

29 Psalm cxix. 126.

28 Prov. xxiii. 22.

THE TALMUD

BOOK II, TREATISE I

ON THE SABBATH

CHAPTER I

1. Removals 1 on the Sabbath are two. These removals may be reckoned as four inside a place, and four outside a place.2 How?" "A beggar stands without, and the master of the house within. The beggar reached his hand within, and gave something into the hand of the master of the house, or took something from it and brought it out?" "The beggar is guilty, and the master of the house is free." "The master of the house reached his hand outside and gave something into the hand of the beggar, or took something from it and brought it in?" "The master of the house is guilty, but the beggar is free." "The beggar reached his hand within, and the master of the house took something from it, or gave something into it, and the beggar brought it out?" 66 Both are free." "The master of the house reached his hand without, and the beggar took something from it, or gave something into it, and the master brought it in?" "Both are free."

2. A man must not sit before the barber near to evening prayer, until he has prayed. He must not enter a bath, nor a tannery, nor eat, nor judge. "But if they began?" "They need not cease." They may cease to read the "Hear," but they must not cease to pray.

,, 5 etc.,

3. A tailor must not go out with his needle near dusk,* lest he forget and go afterward. Nor a scribe go out with his pen. Nor may one search his garments. Nor shall one.

1 A "removal" means the transferring of things from one estate or property to another. This is forbidden, by the Bible, on the Sabbath. (Jer. xvii. 21, 28.)

2 That is, rabbinical ordinances thus consider and analyze them. 3 Of death. 4 On Friday evening. 5 Deut. vi. 4.

read at the light of the lamp. In truth they said, "the teacher may overlook when children are reading, but he himself shall not read." Similar to him, one with an issue shall not eat with her who has an issue, because of the custom of transgression.

4. And these following are from the decisions which they mentioned of the upper chamber of Hananiah, the son of Hezekiah, the son of Gorion, when the Sages went up to visit him. The school of Shammai were counted, and were more numerous than the school of Hillel. And eighteen matters were determined on that day.

5. The school of Shammai said, "they must not soak ink, nor paints, nor vetches, unless they be sufficiently soaked while it is yet day." But the school of Hillel allow it.

6. The school of Shammai said, "they must not put bundles of flax inside the oven, except it be sufficiently steamed while it is yet day, nor wool into the boiler except it imbibe sufficient dye in the eye of day." But the school of Hillel allow it. The school of Shammai said, "they must not spread nets for beasts, nor birds, nor fishes, except they be netted while it is yet day." But the school of Hillel allow it.

7. The school of Shammai said, "they must not sell to a stranger, and they must not lade his ass with him, and they must not load on him, except they have sufficient time to reach a near place before the Sabbath." But the school of Hillel allow it.

8. The school of Shammai said, "they must not give skins to a tanner, nor articles to a strange laundress; except they can be sufficiently done while it is yet day." But all of them the school of Hillel allow "with the sun."

9. Said Rabbi Simon, the son of Gamaliel, "the house of my father used to give white articles to a strange laundress three days before the Sabbath." But both schools agree that they may carry 6 beams to the oil-press and logs to the wine-press.

10. "They must not fry flesh, onions, and eggs; except

• Though by their weight they continue to press out oil or wine on the Sabbath.

they be sufficiently fried while it is yet day. They must not put bread in the oven at dusk, nor a cake on coals, except its face be sufficiently crusted while it is yet day." Rabbi Eliezer said," that its under side be sufficiently crusted."

8

7

11. "They may hang up the passover offering in an oven at dusk." And they may take a light from the woodpile in the house of burning. And in the suburbs "when the fire has sufficiently lighted the greater part." Rabbi Judah says, "from the coals, however little" (kindled before the Sabbath).

CHAPTER II

1. "With what may they light lamps on the Sabbath?" "And with what may they not light?" "They may not light with cedar moss, nor with unhackled flax, nor with floss silk, nor with a wick of willow, nor with a wick of nettles, nor with weeds from the surface of water, nor with pitch, nor with wax, nor with castor oil, nor with the defiled oil of heave-offering, nor with the tail, nor with the fat." Nahum the Median said, "they may light with cooked fat." But the Sages say, "whether cooked or uncooked, they must not light with it."

2. They must not light with the defiled oil of the heaveoffering on a holiday. Rabbi Ishmael said, "they must not light with pitch dregs for the honor of the Sabbath." But the Sages allow all oils, "with sesame oil, with nut oil, with radish oil, with fish oil, with colocynth oil, with pitch dregs and naphtha." Rabbi Tarphon said, "they must only light with olive oil."

3. "They must not light with anything that grows from wood, except flax. And all that grows from wood does not contract the uncleanness of tents, except flax. "A wick of cloth folded but not singed?" Rabbi Eliezer says, “it contracts uncleanness, and they must not light it." says, "it is clean, and they may light it."

Rabbi Akiba

7 When the eve of the passover and the eve of the Sabbath coincided.

8 In the temple.

9 Numb. xix. 18.

4. A man must not penetrate an eggshell, and fill it with oil, and put it on the mouth of the lamp, because it drops, even though it be of pottery. But Rabbi Judah "allows it." "But if the potter joined it at first?" "It is allowed, since it is one vessel." A man must not fill a bowl of oil, and put it by the side of the lamp, and put the end of the wick into it because it imbibes. But Rabbi Judah "allows it."

5. "Whoever extinguishes the lamp because he fears the Gentiles, or robbers, or a bad spirit, or that the sick may sleep?" "He is free." "He spares the lamp?" "He spares the oil?" "He spares the wick?" "He is guilty." But Rabbi José frees in all cases except the wick, because "it makes coal."

10

6. For three transgressions women die in the hour of childbirth: when they neglect times, and the dough-offering, and lighting the Sabbath lamp.

7. Three things are necessary for a man to say in his house on the eve of the Sabbath at dusk. "Have you taken tithes?" Have you prepared erub?" 11 Light the lamp." "It is doubtful if it be dark or not?" 12 "They must not tithe that which is certainly untithed, and they must not baptize vessels, and they must not light the lamps. But they may take tithes of the doubtful heave-offering, and prepare erub, and cover up hot water.”

CHAPTER III

1. "A cooking-oven which was heated with stubble or brushwood?" "They may place on it cookery." "With oildregs and with wood?" "They must not place it, till the coals are raked out, or ashes put in." The school of Shammai say, "hot water, but not cookery." But the school of Hillel say, "hot water and cookery." The school of Sham

10 Numb. xv. 20.

11 I.e., "Have you so joined houses that are apart that they may be counted as one on the Sabbath for carrying articles?" etc. It is done by persons blessing a piece of dough which is common property. 12 When three stars are seen, it is dark.