PREVIEW OF THE DAFCAST WEBSITE FOR CYCLE 13

Please do not forward this link around yet! This is still in development and will be "released", God willing, on August 1, in time for the thirteenth cycle of Daf Yomi.

Disclaimers, Copyright, and Credits

Disclaimers

This is an early draft. I haven't proofread; there are plenty of typos and probably some more significant errors as well.

Most pages on this site are currently auto-translated. The autotranslations are intended as a starting point for my manual translations. At best, they are awkward stringing-togethers of words and phrases in the corpus database that can benefit from cleaning up. At worst, they are picking the wrong homograph. Auto-translations are indicated by italics.

I am not a rabbi or an expert. These are my translations, and in some cases I am certainly misunderstanding things.

The Talmud is a document of its time. While the Talmud is a foundational document of Judaism, it must be read in its historical context. There are passages that are xenophobic, sexist, and irreconcilable with modern science. Not everything in these pages represents contemporary Judaism.

Copyright

This translation is protected by copyright. I'm putting a lot of effort into this project. Please respect that by only copying with my permission.

I intend to provide free licenses for most uses. I plan to use a Creative Commons CC-NC-BY-SA license, which will allow you to re-use my translations as long as you don't charge money for them (NC), as long as you give me credit (BY), and as long as you make your derived work available under the same terms (SA). But I'm not ready to do that yet because this is still a very rough work-in-progress.

In the meantime, if you want to re-use this, please contact me. I am willing to discuss re-use on an ad hoc basis. Perhaps the one page you want to use is actually ready for re-use. Ask. I'll probably work out a way to say "yes."

Credits

I need to clean up this section. But for now, I'll note that I've made use of the Hebrew/Aramaic text of the Bavli at Mechon Mamre; Jastrow's dictionary; "The Practical Talmud Dictionary" by Yitzchak Frank. I've also used the big three translations of the Talmud --- Soncino (English), Artscroll (English), and Steinsaltz (Hebrew) --- and the Kehati (English) edition of the Mishna, to help me understand passages before translating them.

Go to daf 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64

Or set your preferences to change how Hebrew/Aramaic is displayed.

דף ג,א גמרא

it is a problem for Rabbi Meir against Rabbi Meir i.e., these two teachings in the name of Rabbi Meir contradict each other. it is a case of two different Tanaaim who follow the reasoning ??? of Rabbi Meir it is a problem for R' Eliezer against R' Eliezer it is a case of two different Tanaaim who follow the reasoning ??? of Rabbi Eliezer And if you wish, I could say But the beginning of the teaching, This is not Rabbi Eliezer until the end of the watch-period. What then is the reasoning of R' Eliezer If his reasoning is there are three watch-periods in the night Let us say, until four hours And if his reasoning is there are four watch-periods in th night Let us say, until three hours. In reality lit: In the world his reasoning is there are three watch-periods in the night But hey, come and learn from this. That there are watch-periods in the heavens and there are watch-periods on earth. as it is taught: R' Eliezer says: there are three watch-periods in the night And for each and every watch-period The Holy One, Who is Blessed, sits and roars like a lion as it is said (Jer. 25) "Hashem from on high shall roar from the seat of His holiness He shall give His voice a roar He shall roar about his fold so Sonc" and the sign of the matter for each watch-period: the first a donkey brays, the second dogs bark, the third the infant sucks from the breasts of its mother and the woman converses with her husband How does he account the meaning of the word "watch-period"? -- i.e., R' Eliezer ? If the beginning of the watches is how he accounts for it the beginning of the first watch-period the signs that were given for what purpose do I have them? Twilight is what it is. If the end of the watch-periods is how he accounts for it the end of the last watch-period for what purpose do I have the signs that we given? Daytime is what it is. Rather: He accounts for the end of the first watch-period and the beginning of the last watch-period and the middle of the middle one. And if you wish, I could say regarding all of them the end of the watch-periods is what he comes to account. And if you say the last one it is not necessary, for what practical distinction can it serve? We could reply: For the reading of the recitation of Shema for one who is sleeping in the house of darkness and he does not know when the time for the recitation of Shema begins. Immediately that a woman converses with her husband and the infant sucks from the breasts of its mother he shall arise and he shall recite it.

Rav Yitzchak bar Shmuel said in the name of Rav: there are three watch-periods in the night And for each and every watch-period The Holy One, Who is Blessed, sits and roars like a lion And it is said: Woe to the children that, through their sins, I destroyed my house and burned my palace and exiled them to among the nations of the world.

It was taught: R' Yosi said One time I was walking on the way and I entered to a ruin -- one of the ruins of Jerusalem -- to pray Elijah came may he be remembered for good and waited lit: watched for me by the opening ??? until I had completed my prayer after I had completed my prayer He said to me: Peace upon you my Rabbi and I said to him: Peace upon you my Rabbi and my teacher. And he said to me My son, on account of what did you enter to this ruin? I said to him: to pray. And he said to me You should have prayed on the road. And I said to him: I was afraid lest they interrupt me -- those who were passing over along the road. And he said to me You should have prayed a shortened prayer At that very hour I learned from him three things. I learned that one does not enter a ruin and I learned that one may pray on the road and I learned that one who prays on the road prays a shortened prayer. And he said to me My son, What voice do you hear in this ruin? And I said to him I hear a heavenly voice that coos like a dove and she says Woe to the children that, through their sins, I destroyed my house and burned my palace and exiled them to among the nations. And he said to me By your life and the life of your head! Not only at this hour alone this is said. But rather, each and every day three times this is said. And not only this, but rather, In the hour when Israel enters to the Houses of Assembly i.e., synagogues and to the Houses of Study and they answer "May God's Great Name be Blessed" the response to the Kaddish the Holy One, Who is Blessed shakes His head And He says: Fortunate is the king that they praise him in his house thus! What is for him to a father who has exiled his children and woe to them to the children who are exiled from by the table of their father.

The Rabbis taught: On account of three things one does not enter a ruin because of suspicion of immoral behavior because of the risk of collapse, and because of the demons. because of suspicion of immoral behavior Did we need this case? Is it not enough for him to say it is because of this: a ruin

דף ג,ב גמרא

In the case where it was new. Is it not enough for him to say it is because of demons? It is dealing with a case where there are two And demons don't attack people when there are an even number of people. If it is dealing with a case where there are two then suspicion of immoral behavior also there is not in this case. It is dealing with a case where there are two and they are known to be sexually immoral Further, it offered as a reason on account of the risk of collapse, Is it not enough for him to say it is because of suspicion of immoral behavior and demons it is dealing with a case where there are two and they are kosher i.e., known to be law-abiding Further, it offered as a reason on account of the demons. Is it not enough for him to say it is because of suspicion of immoral behavior and a ruin in a case where its destruction is new, and it is dealing with a case where there are two and they are kosher i.e., known to be law-abiding If it is dealing with a case where there are two people, demons also there are not. But when we are dealing with their location i.e., a place where demons are known to frequent, then even when there are two people, there is a fear of them. And if you wish, I could say In reality lit: In the world it is dealing with a case where there is only one. and in a ruin that is new and it was standing in the fields for in that place because of suspicion of immoral behavior there is none, for it is the case that a woman in the fields is not found. but on account of demons there is danger. The Rabbis taught there are four watch-periods in the night these are the words of Rabbi R' Natan says: three What is the reason מאי טעמא of R' Natan? As it is written (Judges 7) And Gid'on came and one hundred men who they came to the edge of the camp the beginning lit. the head of the watch-period at the middle. a Tanna taught: There is no meaning to the word "middle" except a thing in which there is before it and after it. And Rabbi -- according to him, What then does it mean when it says "middle"? One from the middle that are the middle ones. And R' Natan? Is it written "a middle one from among the middle ones"? No, it is not. Instead: "middle" is what is written. What is the reason מאי טעמא of Rabbi Thus said Rabbi Zerika Rav Ami said R' Yehoshua ben Levi said: One writing says (Ps. 119) At midnight I arise to give thanks to you for the statutes of Your righteousness." and one writing says (Ps. 119) My eyes come before the watch-periods. How so? There are four watch-periods in th night And R' Natan derives it like Rabbi Yehoshua For it was taught in a baraita R' Yehoshua says Shema in the morning may be read until three hours. because this is the way of kings to arise at the third hour Six hours of the night and two of the day they are two watch-periods. Rav Ashi said: a watch-period and a fraction are also called "watch-periods" in the plural. And Rabbi Zereika said Rabbi Ami said Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi said: They do not say before the dead except matters of the dead. Thus said Rabbi Abba bar Kahana They did not say that except in a case of words of Torah but words of the world we do not have an objection to it. and there are those who say thus said Rabbi Abba bar Kahana They did not say that except in a case some texts read: even in words of Torah and how much more so words of the world!

And David, in the middle of the night he arose? From twilight he arose! As it is written (Ps. 119) I arose with the "neshef" and I cried And from where do you have it that "neshef" twilight it is? for it is written: (Prov. 7) In the "neshef", in the evening of day in the blackness of night and the darkness" Rav Oshai'ah said Thus said Rabbi Acha thus he comes to say i.e., what he really means is: some texts read: -- David did -- Always, midnight did not cross over me in sleep Rabbi Zeira said until midnight he was sleeping like a horse; from here and onwards he was strengthened like a lion Rav Ashi said: until midnight he was involved in words of Torah from here and onwards in songs and praises. And you continue to assert that "neshef" is twilight? Hey, "neshef" daybreak it is! As it is written: (I Sam 30) "And David slew them from the "neshef" and until the evening of the next day" Is this not from daybreak and until the night? No. From twilight and until twilight of the next day. If so, let it write "from the neshef" and until the "neshef" or "from the evening and until the evening" Rather: Rabba said: two different meanings of "neshef" are they. when disappears the night and comes the daytime; when disappears the daytime and comes the night.

And David, is it the case that he was one who knows when a fraction of the night begins? Now Moses our rabbi, he did not know As it is written (Ex. 11) "Like half of the night. I will take out from the midst of Egypt" What then does it mean when it says "Like half"? Shall I say that The Holy One Who is Blessed said to him "About midnight?" Who would suggest that it is possible for there to be doubt in the presence of heaven? Rather, it must be that he said to him i.e., God said to Moshe specifically some texts read: on the morrow, At midnight, some texts read: for at that time and he came ??? and he said Moshe said to Pharaoh About midnight We can thus say from doubt ???

And David would know? David, signs there were for him. For thus said Rav Acha bar Beizna Thus said Rabbi Shimon the Chasid: a lyre was suspended above his bed of David, And immediately when arrived midnight, came wind of the north and it blew upon it and it made music upon it. Ommediately He would stand and involve himself in the Torah until ascended the rising of the dawn immediately that the rising of the dawn ascended they would enter -- the wise one of Israel -- opposite him. They said to him: Our lord, the king Your nation Israel they all require livelihood. He said to them: Let them go and derive livelihood this one from that one. They said to him: It is not the case that a fistful of grain can satisfy the lion, nor is it the case that the pit can be filled from its own dirt. He said to them: Let them go ??? immediately they took counsel from Achitophel and they consulted to the Sanhedrin and they asked of the Urim and Tumim. Rav Yosef said What does the reading mean: some texts read: as it is written: (I Chron. 27) "And after Achitophel his son, son of Yehodia, and Avitar and the captain of the host of the king was Yoav." Achitophel this refers to the counsellor. And thus was it said: v'kach haya omer (II Sam 16) And the counsel of who counseled in those days so that if a man were to ask of the word of God