Two items are among those discussed on this page:
Kachol – (enough) to paint
one eye
Lime – (enough) to smear the
smallest of girls
Kachol is an eye makeup. Perhaps Stibium (the mineral
Antimony [Sb if you must
know]) which was used as mascara in
the ancient world. And yet, it is curious that the minimum should be sufficient
to paint only one eye? Don’t most women have two? And the minimums which have
been presented have had to do with usefulness. What use is mascara for only one
eye?
Ah, says R. Huna: “Because modest women paint [only] one
eye.” That is, they are usually veiled with only one eye revealed. And made up.
Or another solution – perhaps it was used for medicinal purposes,
in which case one eye would be a reasonable minimum. And if as makeup, the
minimum would be sufficient for two eyes.
Or yet another explanation:
Hillel son of R. Samuel b. Nahmani
explained it: This was taught in reference to villagers.
Presumably women living in the small towns were safer from
prowling men and could afford to have both eyes revealed. (!)
As to Lime (CaO if you must know) –
it was used as a depilatory.
But best to let the rabbis speak for themselves:
Rab Judah said in Rab's name: When
maidens of Israel attain puberty before the proper age: poor maidens plaster it
[the unwanted hair] with lime; rich maidens plaster it with fine flour; whilst
royal princesses plaster it with oil of myrrh, as it is said, “six months with
oil of myrrh.” (Esth. 2:12)
After a tragic story about the dangerous overuse of such
materials, the text continues:
As for R. Bibi who drank strong
liquor, his daughter required pasting over; [but] as for us, who do not drink
strong liquor, our daughters do not require such treatment.
So. . .don’t drink too much, or you will have hairy
daughters! But if you do, their's always cosmetics.
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