What is Talmud Tweets?

What is Talmud Tweets? A short, personal take on a page of Talmud - every day!

For several years now, I have been following the tradition of "Daf Yomi" - reading a set page of Talmud daily. With the start of a new 7 1/2 year cycle, I thought I would share a taste of what the Talmud offers, with a bit of personal commentary included. The idea is not to give a scholarly explanation. Rather, it is for those new to Talmud to give a little taste - a tweet, as it were - of the richness of this text and dialogue it contains. The Talmud is a window into a style of thinking as well as the world as it changed over the centuries of its compilation.

These are not literal "tweets" - I don't limit myself to 140 characters. Rather, these are intended to be short, quick takes - focusing in on one part of a much richer discussion. Hopefully, I will pique your interest. As Hillel says: "Go and study it!" (Shabbat 31a)

Saturday, June 15, 2013

Eruvin 99 – Taking Water, Making Water

Boundaries are tricky things. Standing on the edge of one domain (public or private) on Shabbat, one may be tempted to reach across – particularly for something essential like water:

A MAN MUST NOT STAND IN A PRIVATE DOMAIN AND DRINK IN THE PUBLIC DOMAIN OR STAND IN A PUBLIC DOMAIN AND DRINK IN A PRIVATE DOMAIN UNLESS HE PUT HIS HEAD AND THE GREATER PART OF HIS BODY INTO THE DOMAIN IN WHICH HE DRINKS.

Now it is not only the water that that’s the problem, but the accidental carrying of a vessel from one domain to another.

And, it’s not just about drawing water towards you – but movement in the opposite direction can be a problem as well:

A MAN MAY NOT STAND IN A PRIVATE DOMAIN AND MAKE WATER IN A PUBLIC DOMAIN OR IN A PUBLIC DOMAIN AND MAKE WATER IN A PRIVATE DOMAIN, AND THE SAME APPLIES TO SPITTING

This can be similar to throwing an object from one domain to another. Even that which comes from the body. Of course where the body ends can be a bit uncertain:

Raba inquired: What is the legal position where a man stood in a private domain and the orifice of the organ projected into a public domain? Are we guided by the source or by the point of exit? — This remains undecided.


Inquiring minds do want to know! Actually, no so much.

No comments:

Post a Comment