EIRUVIN - 054a – כיצד מעברין – פרק חמישי – עירובין, נד ע”א

She kicked him, and said to him: Is it not written thus (Shmuel II 23:5): Ordered in all things and secured?^[1]

בטשה ביה - she kicked him.

If it is ordered in all your 248 limbs, it is secured; and if not, it is not secured.

It was taught: Rabbi Eliezer had a student who would learn in a whisper; after three years he forgot his learning.

It was taught: Rabbi Eliezer had a student who became liable to burning at the hands of Heaven; they said: Leave him — he served a great man.^[2]

Shmuel said to Rav Yehudah: Sharp one, open your mouth and read, open your mouth and learn, so that it endures in you and you live long,^[3]

תוריך חיי - that you will lengthen your days.

as it is said (Mishlei 4:22): For they are life to those who find them, and healing to all his flesh — do not read to those who find them (lemotzeihem) but to those who bring them out (lemotzi'eihem) with the mouth.

Shmuel said to Rav Yehudah: Sharp one, grab and eat, grab and drink, for the world we are leaving is like a wedding feast.

חטוף אכול - if you have money to enjoy yourself, do not wait until tomorrow, lest you die and no longer have enjoyment.

דעלמא דאזלינן מיניה - this is the reading.

כהלולא דמי - here today and gone tomorrow, like a wedding feast that passes quickly.

Rav said to Rav Hamnuna: My son, if you have, do good for yourself, for there is no pleasure in the grave, and death does not delay.

אם יש לך - money.

ואין למות התמהמה - delay — for a person dies suddenly.

And if you say: I will leave a portion for my children — who will tell you in the grave?

חוק - food.

מי יגיד לך - whether it remains in their hands; perhaps they will lose it.

People are like the grasses of the field: these blossom and those wither.

הללו נוצצין - that is, when they grow up, their livelihood and wealth are with them, and you need not worry about them.

והללו נובלין - die, as in and the leaf withers.

Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi said: One who travels on the road without an escort should occupy himself with Torah, as it is said (Mishlei 1:9): For they are an escort of grace.^[4]

If his head hurts, he should occupy himself with Torah, as it is said: For they are an escort of grace for your head.

If his throat hurts, he should occupy himself with Torah, as it is said: And a necklace for your throat.

If his innards hurt, he should occupy himself with Torah, as it is said: It will be healing for your navel.

If his bones hurt, he should occupy himself with Torah, as it is said: And marrow for your bones.

If his whole body hurts, he should occupy himself with Torah, as it is said: And healing for all his flesh.

Rav Yehudah son of Rabbi Chiya said: Come and see that the way of flesh and blood is not like the way of the Holy One, Blessed is He.

The way of flesh and blood: a person gives a medicine to his fellow — good for this, harmful for that.

יפה - for this illness, and harmful for that illness: good for the heart and bad for the eyes.

But the Holy One, Blessed is He, is not so: He gave the Torah to Israel, a medicine of life for the whole body, as it is said: And healing for all his flesh.

Rabbi Ami said: What is the meaning of that which is written (Mishlei 22:18): For it is pleasant if you keep them within you; let them be firmly together on your lips?

When are words of Torah pleasant? When you keep them within you.

שתשמרם בבטנך - that they are kept in your hand, that they are not forgotten by you.

And when do you keep them within you? When they are firmly together on your lips.

יכונו יחד - that you arrange them and bring them out with the mouth, not stammering and not in a whisper.

Rabbi Zeira said: From here (Mishlei 15:23): A man has joy in the answer of his mouth, and a word in its time, how good it is.

When does a man have joy? When there is an answer in his mouth.

אימתי שמחה וכו' בזמן - when he knows how to expound the laws of a festival on the festival. Another explanation: when does a man have joy — when is a person happy in his learning? When he has an answer when asked a matter of halachah.

Another version: When does a man have joy in the answer of his mouth? When a word in its time — how good it is.

Rabbi Yitzchak said: From here (Devarim 30:14): For the thing is very near to you, in your mouth and in your heart, to do it.

When is it near to you? When it is in your mouth and in your heart to do it.

Rava said: From here (Tehillim 21:3): You have given him his heart's desire, and the request of his lips You have not withheld, Selah.

When have You given him his heart's desire? When the request of his lips You have not withheld, Selah.

שארשת - the speech of his lips You have not withheld, Selah — when You gave him understanding to bring it out with his lips.

Rava pointed out a contradiction: It is written: You have given him his heart's desire, and it is written: and the request of his lips You have not withheld, Selah!

If he is worthy — You have given him his heart's desire; if he is not worthy — the request of his lips You have not withheld, Selah.

זכה - if he has good fortune, You have given him his heart's desire: while he still desires it, his desire comes to him before he asks for it.

לא זכה - he must yearn and suffer.

The school of Rabbi Eliezer ben Yaakov taught: Wherever it says netzach, selah, or va'ed, it has no end forever.^[5]

Netzach — as it is written (Yeshayahu 57:16): For I will not contend forever, nor be angry eternally (lanetzach).

כי לא לעולם אריב ולא לנצח אקצוף - so lanetzach means forever, since it is placed next to it; and likewise ad olam selah — so selah means forever.

Selah — as it is written (Tehillim 48:9): As we have heard, so have we seen, in the city of Hashem of Hosts, in the city of our G‑d; G‑d will establish it forever, Selah.

Va'ed — as it is written (Shemos 15:18): Hashem will reign forever and ever (va'ed).

Rabbi [Elazar] said: What is the meaning of that which is written (Mishlei 1:9): And a necklace for your throat?

If a person makes himself like this necklace, which hangs loose on the neck and is seen yet not seen — his learning endures in his hand; and if not, his learning does not endure in his hand.

שרף לצואר - that is not tight around the neck but hangs loose; so he is pleasant and accepted by people.

ונראה ואינו נראה - when he raises his neck it is seen beneath his beard, and most of the time his chin and beard cover it; so if he is a Torah scholar, he does not chase after going out and about in the marketplace, but sits and reviews his learning — it endures in his hand.

And Rabbi Elazar said: What is the meaning of that which is written (Shir Hashirim 5:13): His cheeks are like a bed of spices?

If a person makes himself like this bed on which all tread, and like this spice with which all perfume themselves — his learning endures; and if not, his learning does not endure.

שהכל דשין אותו - that he has no arrogance.

שהכל מתבשמין ממנו - that he teaches Torah to students.

And Rabbi [Elazar] said: What is the meaning of that which is written (Shemos 31:18): Tablets of stone?

If a person makes his cheeks like this stone, which is not worn away — his learning endures in his hand; and if not, his learning does not endure in his hand.

כאבן זו שאינה נמחת - by the trampling of people's feet; so his cheeks do not tire of reviewing his learning and teaching others.

And Rabbi [Elazar] said: What is the meaning of that which is written (Shemos 32:16): Engraved on the tablets?

על הלוחות - because of the tablets, Israel were free men.

Had the first tablets not been broken, the Torah would never have been forgotten from Israel.

לא נשתכחה - charus means engraved, never erased; through the tablets the Torah would have been engraved upon Israel, never to be forgotten by them.

Rav Acha bar Yaakov said: No nation or tongue would have ruled over them, as it is said: engraved (charus) — do not read charus but cheirus, freedom.

Rav Masnah said: What is the meaning of that which is written (Bamidbar 21:18): And from the wilderness, Matanah?

ממדבר מתנה - if he is like a wilderness, the Torah is given to him as a gift (matanah), and he will not forget.

If a person makes himself like this wilderness, on which all tread — his learning endures in his hand; and if not, his learning does not endure in his hand.

Rava the son of Rav Yosef bar Chama had a grievance against Rav Yosef.

מילתא - anger.

When Erev Yom Kippur arrived, he said: I will go and appease him.^[6]

אמר - Rava: I will go and appease Rav Yosef.

He went, and found Rav Yosef's attendant mixing a cup for him. He said to him: Give it to me and I will mix it.

He gave it to him, and he mixed it. When Rav Yosef tasted it, he said: This mixing is like the mixing of Rava the son of Rav Yosef bar Chama.

מזוג - with water. Rav Yosef was blind and did not see him, and he recognized him by the taste of the wine he had mixed, for Rav Yosef knew Rava's mixing from before, that he was expert at adding water in the right measure.

He said to him: I am he.

He said to him: You will not sit on your knees until you explain these verses to me: What is the meaning of that which is written (Bamidbar 21:18): And from the wilderness, Matanah; and from Matanah, Nachaliel; and from Nachaliel, Bamos; and from Bamos, the valley?

He said to him: If a person makes himself like this wilderness, on which all tread, the Torah is given to him as a gift.

And once it is given to him as a gift, G‑d makes it his inheritance (nechalo El), as it is said: and from Matanah, Nachaliel.

And once G‑d makes it his inheritance, he rises to greatness, as it is said: and from Nachaliel, Bamos (heights).

And if he becomes haughty, the Holy One, Blessed is He, lowers him, as it is said: and from Bamos, the valley.

And if he repents, the Holy One, Blessed is He, raises him, as it is said (Yeshayahu 40:4): Every valley shall be lifted up.

כל גיא ינשא - even though it is not written next to these verses, they expound it: one who came down to the valley, who was lowered, rises again.

Rav Huna said: What is the meaning of that which is written (Tehillim 68:11): Your living creatures dwelt there; You prepare in Your goodness for the poor, O G‑d?

If a person makes himself like this beast, which tramples and eats — and some say, which soils itself and eats — his learning endures in his hand; and if not, his learning does not endure in his hand.

שדורסת ואוכלת - immediately after killing it — that he is not particular about delicacies, but eats meat without spices; and likewise other pleasures.

שמסרחת - in mud — that is, one who does not go after haughtiness, to be disgusted with his food if it is not fully cooked. Another explanation: tramples and eats — after killing it, it eats at once; so a Torah scholar reviews his learning immediately when he receives it from his teacher. Soils itself — he lowers himself for words of Torah. This explanation seems right to me, for we find throughout the Talmud that it is the way of Torah scholars to be particular about their food, as a matter of greatness and honor, and about their clothing, as it is written (Mishlei 8:36): all who hate me love death.

And if he does so, the Holy One, Blessed is He, Himself makes him a feast, as it is said: You prepare in Your goodness for the poor, O G‑d.

לעני - for the one who makes himself like a poor man; and according to the second version, who makes himself like a poor man to go after it.

Rabbi Chiya bar Abba said in the name of Rabbi Yochanan: What is the meaning of that which is written (Mishlei 27:18): He who guards the fig tree will eat its fruit?

Why are words of Torah compared to a fig tree? Just as this fig tree^[7]

תאנה - the tree.

Notes

1. 1. Beruriah, the wife of Rabbi Meir, kicked a student who was learning in a whisper (Eruvin 53b).
2. 2. He was liable to death by burning at the hands of Heaven, but they said: leave him, for he served a great man.
3. 3. Shinena — sharp one; this is what Shmuel called Rav Yehudah.
4. 4. Levayah — an escort, a companion for the road.
5. 5. Wherever these words appear, they express eternity.
6. 6. Erev Yom Kippur is a time to appease one's fellow.
7. 7. The text continues on 54b.