Although the primary discussion is on the minimum amount of certain liquids which constitutes illegal carrying on Shabbat (a swallow of milk, the amount of wine mixed with water - as was done in those days), there is a sweet digression into a kind of "Natural History." It includes a series of "just so" tales: why do goats go in herds before sheep? The dark herd is followed by the light one, just like the beginning of creation. Why do camels have short tails? Because they eat thorns and a long tail would get caught in the brambles, etc.
But it begins with the ways that animals are used for cures - particularly for the stings and bites of other animals:
"Rab Judah said in Rab's name: Of all that the Holy One, blessed be He, created in His world, He did not create a single thing without purpose."
What follows is a series of folk remedies - like a crushed spider for a scorpion sting.
That is to say, G-d sends the disease, and the cure! Both in the forms of nature.
No comments:
Post a Comment