Rabbinic JudaismJerusalem Talmud Berakhot 3.5HOLYMAP · SACRED TEXTS
The Jerusalem TalmudJerusalem Talmud Berakhot 3.5

The Jerusalem Talmud

Jerusalem Talmud Berakhot 3.5

1
English · Heinrich W. Guggenheimer

MISHNAH: If someone was standing and praying when he remembered that he had qeri, he should not stop but shorten his prayer. If he descended to immerse himself, if he can ascend, get dressed, and recite by the time of sunrise he should ascend, get dressed, and recite; otherwise, he should cover himself with water and recite. He should cover himself neither with stinking water nor with steeping water unless he diluted them with water. How much does one have to remove oneself from these and excrement? Four cubits.

2
English · Heinrich W. Guggenheimer

HALAKHAH: The Mishnah refers to someone in public, but if he is alone he interrupts following Rebbi Meïr. But following Rebbi Yehudah he does not interrupt even when alone, on condition that he have no water to immerse himself. But if he has water to immerse himself even Rebbi Yehudah agrees that he must interrupt.

3
English · Heinrich W. Guggenheimer

About a sick person who had intercourse, Rebbi Ammi said: If he caused it by himself, let him immerse himself and die; if it was forced upon him one does not bother him. Rebbi Ḥaggai in the name of Rebbi Abba bar Zavda: One does not bother him in any case. A sick person who does it habitually needs nine qab, a healthy person who does it habitually needs 40 sĕah. A sick person forced, one does not bother him. A healthy person forced needs nine qab.

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English · Heinrich W. Guggenheimer

Rebbi Zevadiah, the son of Rebbi Jacob bar Zavdi, in the name of Rebbi Jonah: In a city whose well is far away, he may recite the Shema‘, then descends and immerses himself, ascends and prays. If he is blind they made him like a far-away well.

5
English · Heinrich W. Guggenheimer

New Section. “Otherwise, he should cover himself with water and recite.” The Mishnah deals with opaque water, but in clear water it is forbidden. And if he is able to make it opaque by stirring with his feet he may make it opaque.

6
English · Heinrich W. Guggenheimer

It is stated: One removes himself from human excrement four cubits and from dog’s excrement four cubits, the latter when it is given on skins. Rebbi Jeremiah in the name of Rebbi Zeïra: One must remove hinself four cubits from a stinking carcass. Rebbi Avina said: Does not the Mishnah say all this : “How much does one have to remove himself from these and excrement? Four cubits.” Rebbi Ammi in the name of Rebbi Shammai: Explain it by steeping water of launderers. Rebbi Mani said to him: About steeping waters of launderers, we have stated: “neither with stinking water nor with steeping water.”

7
English · Heinrich W. Guggenheimer

It is stated: One removes himself four cubits from excrement and urine of a toddler who can eat grain the volume of an olive, but if he cannot yet eat grain the volume of an olive one does not need to remove himself four cubits either from his excrement or from his urine. They asked before Rebbi Abbahu: Why does one separate himself from his excrement and urine? He said to them, because his thoughts are evil. They said to him: But is not he too young? He said to them, is it not written (Gen. 8:21): “For the inclination of man’s heart is evil from his youth?” Rebbi Yudan said, it is written “from his awakening”, from the moment that the awakes and enters the world.

8
English · Heinrich W. Guggenheimer

Rebbi Yose bar Ḥanina said: One removes himself four cubits from animal dung. Rebbi Samuel bar Rav Isaac said, if it is soft, but only from donkeys. Rebbi Ḥiyya bar Abba said, if it arrived from a trip. Levi said, one removes himself four cubits from the excrement of a pig. And it was stated: One removes himself four cubits from the excrement of a pig, four cubits from the excrement of a marten, four cubits from the excrement of chickens. Rebbi Yose ben Rebbi Abun in the name of Rav Huna: Only from red ones.

9
English · Heinrich W. Guggenheimer

It is stated: One removes himself four cubits from a bad smell. Rebbi Ammi said, four cubits from the end of the bad smell. That means behind his back, but in front of him until he can no longer see it. Like that of Rebbi Lia and his colleagues who were sitting in front of a hostelry in the night. They said, may one say words of Torah? He said to them: If it were daytime, we would see what is before us. But like that it is forbidden.

10
English · Heinrich W. Guggenheimer

It is stated: One must remove himself four cubits from a chamberpot, be it used for excrement or for urine. If it is before the bed, if he put some water in the pot he may recite, otherwise he may not recite. Rebbi Zakkai said, if he put a quartarius of water in, he may recite; otherwise, he may not recite. How many corresponding quartarii? One quartarius, corresponding to one quartarius, be the vessel small or large. Rabban Simeon ben Gamliel said, if it stands behind the bed he may recite, before the bed he may not recite. Rebbi Simeon ben Eleazar said, even in a dining hall large ten-by-ten he may not recite until he covers it up or until he puts it under the couch. Rebbi Jacob bar Aḥa in the name of Rebbi Ḥiyya bar Abba: Rebbi Ḥanina Tortayya ruled following Rebbi Simeon ben Eleazar.

11
English · Heinrich W. Guggenheimer

Rebbi Benjamin ben Yephet in the name of Rebbi Yoḥanan: A minute amount of excrement can be eliminated by spit. Rebbi Zeïra and Rebbi Jacob bar Zavdi were sitting; they saw some excrement. Rebbi Jacob bar Zavdi got up and spat on it. Rebbi Zeïra said to him: From the sea to the pan!

12
English · Heinrich W. Guggenheimer

A chest full of scrolls one may put under the head of the bed but one may not put it under the foot end of the bed. Rebbi Abun in the name of Rebbi Ḥuna: But only if the bed is 10 hand-breadths high, and only if the ropes of the bed do not touch the chest. Rebbi Yasa taught the ruling of Rebbi Ḥuna in the town of Rebbi Samuel bar Rav Isaac.

13
English · Heinrich W. Guggenheimer

A person should not have sexual intercourse when there is a Torah scroll with him in the room. Rebbi Jeremiah in the name of Rebbi Abbahu: it is permitted if it was wrapped in a wrapper or if it was in a window opening that is ten hand-breadths above the ground. Rebbi Joshua ben Levi made a small curtain for it.

14
English · Heinrich W. Guggenheimer

A person should not sit on a low bench on which a Torah scroll was placed. It happened that Rebbi Eliezer sat down on a low bench on which a Torah scroll was placed and he recoiled from it as one recoils before a snake. If it was placed on something other, it is permitted. How far? Rebbi Abba in the name of Rebbi Ḥuna: One handbreadth. Rebbi Jeremiah in the name of Rebbi Zeïra: Anything.

15
English · Heinrich W. Guggenheimer

A double sack full of scrolls or if there were in it bones of a dead person, one carries it on his back and rides.

16
English · Heinrich W. Guggenheimer

Tefillin one may hang on the headboard of the bed but one may not hang them at the foot end of the bed. Rebbi Samuel, Rebbi Abbahu, Rebbi Eleazar in the name of Rebbi Ḥanina: Rebbi did hang his tefillin on the headboard of his bed. Rebbi Ḥizqiah in the name of Rebbi Abbahu: But only that he should not do in the way of makers of palm leaf baskets but tefillin on top and the straps on the bottom.

17
English · Heinrich W. Guggenheimer

Rebbi Ḥalaphta ben Shaul stated: It is a bad sign if one lets wind during one’s prayer. That means on one’s bottom, but not on one’s top. This parallels what Rebbi Ḥanina said: I saw Rebbi yawning, belching, putting his hand on his mouth, but not spitting. Rebbi Yoḥanan said, one may even spit so that one’s cup should be clean; forward is forbidden, behind oneself is permitted. To one’s right is forbidden, to one’s left is permitted; that is what is written (Ps. 91: 7): “On your left hand side will fall a thousand.” Everybody agrees about one who spits toward the stele, that he is forbidden to do so. Rebbi Joshua ben Levi says, he who spits in the synagogue is like one who spits into his own eye. Rebbi Jonah spat and rubbed out. Rebbi Jeremiah, Rebbi Samuel bar Ḥalaphta in the name of Rav Ada bar Aḥava: He who prayed should not spit until he walked four cubits. Rebbi Yose bar Rebbi Abun said, similarly he who spat should not pray until he walked four cubits.

18
English · Heinrich W. Guggenheimer

Similarly, he who urinates should not pray until he walks four cubits. Rebbi Jacob bar Aḥa said: not only that he walks four cubits but even if he waits corresponding to a walk of four cubits. Rebbi Ammi said, if you say that he is forbidden until he removes himself four cubits, I say that maybe somebody else came and urinated there.

19
English · Heinrich W. Guggenheimer

Rebbi Abba in the name of Rav: Excrement until it is hardened like bone, urine all the time it makes moist. Ganiva said: All the time that its impression is visible. Samuel said: Until its surface is hardened. Simeon bar Abba in the name of Rebbi Yoḥanan: Until its surface is hardened. Rebbi Jeremiah, Rebbi Zeïra in the name of Rav: Excrement is forbidden even if it is hard like bone. Samuel said: Until its surface is hardened. Simeon bar Abba in the name of Rebbi Yoḥanan: Until its surface is hardened. Ḥizqiah said: Rebbi Abba is more restrictive for urine than for excrement? Rebbi Mana said to him: From that of Ganiva; he said to him: Even if it is hard like bone it is forbidden because its matter exists; urine’s matter no longer exists

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Jerusalem Talmud Berakhot 3.5English
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Jerusalem Talmud Berakhot 3.50%

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The Jerusalem Talmud, edition, translation and commentary by Heinrich W. Guggenheimer (Berlin: De Gruyter, 1999–2015). CC BY. Text from Sefaria (sefaria.org); commentary notes omitted. · Source ↗

Hebrew/Aramaic text: The Jerusalem Talmud, edition by Heinrich W. Guggenheimer (Berlin: De Gruyter, 1999–2015), via Sefaria (sefaria.org). Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/). Changes: footnotes and HTML formatting removed.

The Jerusalem Talmud, edition, translation and commentary by Heinrich W. Guggenheimer (Berlin: De Gruyter, 1999–2015). CC BY. Text from Sefaria (sefaria.org); commentary notes omitted. · Source ↗

English translation: The Jerusalem Talmud, translation and commentary by Heinrich W. Guggenheimer (Berlin: De Gruyter, 1999–2015); commentary notes omitted, via Sefaria (sefaria.org). Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/). Changes: footnotes and HTML formatting removed.

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