Language Studies

Aramaic Thoughts

Aramaic Literature - Part 5 - The Talmud on the Sabbath

Following the discussion of what labor is or is not permitted on the Sabbath, the Talmud moves on to discuss quantities of food and drink that may be carried about on the Sabbath. According to the Midrash, from which the Talmudic discussion springs, the liquids discussed are wine, honey, oil, milk and water. The quantities in question are a quarter of a lug of wine (about a quart—it is not clear from the comment in the translation whether the amount “quart” refers to a lug or to a quarter of a lug), the quantity of a mouthful of milk, enough honey to cover a wound, oil sufficient to anoint a small limb, and enough water for a medical wash for the eyes.

It is not clear where the Mishnah derives these quantities, nor why they vary so much. Even assuming that a lug is a quart and a quarter of a lug is thus about half a pint, the amount of honey could hardly exceed a teaspoon or so, and the mouthful of milk probably a couple of tablespoons. However, the Talmudic discussion does not deal with the source of these measures, but primarily with more precise definition of them. Nor does it deal with the question as to what constitutes “carrying about.” In other words, does “carrying about” refer to any movement of the material from one place to another, or does it refer to moving the material from one house to another? Let’s say, for example, that after the Sabbath meal, the family moves into the living room. Would it be prohibited for someone to carry a half gallon pitcher of wine into the living room from the kitchen? Would the family and guests have to each get their own glass, and make certain they did not exceed the precise amount?

Suppose a child managed to cut his leg. Would his mother have to move him to the kitchen in order to put honey on the wound, or would she be allowed to carry the honey pot to where the child was? Among other things this illustrates the problem facing anyone dealing with ancient literature. The writer, or compiler in the case of the Talmud, comes to the task with a certain mindset, with a certain cultural context, and with certain intellectual issues open to debate. Those elements are usually not the same as those of the modern reader. Just as an example, students often read Luther’s commentary on Galatians, and conclude that they learned far more about Luther than they did about Galatians. That may be true, but often they fail to ask themselves what questions Luther is putting to the text, and they then fail to see how he brings the text to bear on those issues.

In a similar fashion, the questions I have asked regarding this section of the Talmud are those coming from my own background, and a lifetime of study not devoted to the Talmud. Presumably, the Talmudic rabbis knew, or assumed, the answers to the questions I have raised, and for their context, their discussion is more relevant. It is also worth noting that the discussion moves far beyond carrying materials on the Sabbath, even in the context of the discussion. For example, under “honey sufficient to cover a wound with,” we read, “Said R. Jehudah in the name of Rabh: The Holy One, blessed be He, has created nothing useless in the world. He created the snail as a remedy for a sore, the fly for the sting of a wasp, the mosquito for the bite of a serpent, the serpent for the mange, and the lizard for the bite of a scorpion.

The rabbis taught: There are five terrors through which the strong succumb to the weak. The Maphgia terrorizes the lion, the mosquito the elephant, the lizard the scorpion, the swallow the eagle, and the kilbith (a small fish) the whale.” (Cited from http://www.sacred-texts.com/jud/t01/t0116.htm) This certainly moves beyond the realm of honey and wounds.

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