Mishnah
Mishnah

Talmud for Eduyot 1:3

הִלֵּל אוֹמֵר, מְלֹא הִין מַיִם שְׁאוּבִין פּוֹסְלִין אֶת הַמִּקְוֶה, אֶלָּא שֶׁאָדָם חַיָּב לוֹמַר בִּלְשׁוֹן רַבּוֹ. וְשַׁמַּאי אוֹמֵר, תִּשְׁעָה קַבִּין. וַחֲכָמִים אוֹמְרִים, לֹא כְדִבְרֵי זֶה וְלֹא כְדִבְרֵי זֶה, אֶלָּא עַד שֶׁבָּאוּ שְׁנֵי גַרְדִּיִּים מִשַּׁעַר הָאַשְׁפּוֹת שֶׁבִּירוּשָׁלַיִם וְהֵעִידוּ מִשּׁוּם שְׁמַעְיָה וְאַבְטַלְיוֹן, שְׁלֹשֶׁת לֻגִּין מַיִם שְׁאוּבִין פּוֹסְלִין אֶת הַמִּקְוֶה, וְקִיְּמוּ חֲכָמִים אֶת דִּבְרֵיהֶם:

Hillel says a whole hin [twelve logs] of drawn water invalidates a mikveh [if they fall into it before its shiur (its minimum amount of non-drawn water) has been completed. But after it has been completed, even if he threw into it all the drawn water in the world, it is not invalidated.] One must use the terminology of his teacher [i.e., "hin" is not Mishnah terminology but Torah terminology. But this is what he heard from his teachers, Shemayah and Avtalyon. And the Rambam received it from his father, of blessed memory, that Shemayah and Avtalyon, being righteous converts (gerei tzedek) could not pronounce "hin" and said "in" instead, (like [many] people today, who cannot enunciate aleph, cheth, heh, and ayin), so that Hillel also said "in," as his teachers, the gerei tzedek, Shemayah and Avtalyon did.] Shammai says nine kavin. And the sages say: Neither like the one nor like the other; but until there came two weavers from the Dung Gate in Jerusalem and testified in the name of Shemayah and Avtalyon that three logs of drawn water invalidate the mikveh, and the sages substantiated their words. ["the Dung Gate": The Tanna mentioned their occupation and their locality to teach that one should not keep himself from the house of study. For there is no trade more menial than that of a weaver, who is not appointed a king or a high-priest. And there is no gate in Jerusalem inferior to the Dung Gate, and yet, they outweighed in their testimony all the sages of Israel.]

Jerusalem Talmud Yevamot

Rebbi Benjamin ben Gidal and Rebbi Aḥa were sitting together. Rebbi Aḥa mentioned the statement of Rebbi Yose ben Ḥanina. Rebbi Benjamin bar Gidal said to him: Or maybe: Since with respect to “in addition” which was said there43Lev. 18:18: “Do not take a woman in addition to her sister to be ‘bundle’ together, to uncover her genitals in addition [to the sister’s] in her lifetime.” Cf. also Note 51., the verse speaks about one who is not a sister-in-law, so with respect to “in addition” which was said here44Deut. 25:5., does the verse speak about one who is not a sister-in-law47Since an argument based on the invariable meaning of words in legal texts must work both ways and Lev.18:18 obviously includes the prohibition of a sister-in-law who is not a brother’s wife, R. Yose ben Ḥanina’s argument seems illogical.? Rebbi Aḥa said to him: The Torah mentions44Deut. 25:5. the brother’s wife and you say, the verse speaks about one who is not a sister-in-law! Rebbi Benjamin bar Gidal said to him: The Torah mentions43Lev. 18:18: “Do not take a woman in addition to her sister to be ‘bundle’ together, to uncover her genitals in addition [to the sister’s] in her lifetime.” Cf. also Note 51. one who is not a sister-in-law and you say a sister-in-law48The implication from Deut. to Lev. would restrict the prohibition of the sister-in-law to a brother’s widow!! Rebbi Aḥa was offended by him. Rebbi Yose said, not that Rebbi Aḥa disagreed but he insisted on the formulation he had heard from his teacher. What about it? Since “in addition” mentioned there44Deut. 25:5. is about a brother’s widow, so “in addition” here43Lev. 18:18: “Do not take a woman in addition to her sister to be ‘bundle’ together, to uncover her genitals in addition [to the sister’s] in her lifetime.” Cf. also Note 51. is even about a brother’s widow49The correct implication, parallel to the argument of R. Yose ben Ḥanina, is that Lev. 18:18 applies even to the widow of the childless brother as claimed in the Mishnah..
Ask RabbiBookmarkShareCopy
Previous VerseFull ChapterNext Verse