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)

Wednesday, November 14, 2012

Shabbat 42 - Unintended Consequence

Disagreements about mixing hot and cold water on Shabbat.

The School of Shammai says that one can pour hot water in to cold water, but not cold into hot. Hillel says either way is permitted - in a cup, but that Shammai's rule holds for a bath. Others forbid both for a bath.

Perhaps the issue is that a bath needs to be kept warm for washing (unlike drinking). If one cools it down, one may be tempted to heat it up!

Similar to the end of the last page which states that water cannot be pourend into a hot but empty pot on Shabbat, because it tempers (hardens) the metal.

Got to watch out for those uninteded consequences!
Posted by at

No comments:

Post a Comment

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)