116 Perek XII . 104a . ט י״ב דב דד

The Gemara answers: Rav Ĥisda stated his opinion in accordance with the opinion of this tanna, as it was taught in a baraita that Rabbi Ye-huda ben Beteira says: While on the rest of the days of Sukkot the verse employs the phrase: “And its libation [veniska],” on the second day it is stated: “And their libations [veniskeihem]” (Numbers 29:19) with an extra letter mem; on the sixth day, it is stated: “And its libations [unsakhe’ah]” (Numbers 29:31) with an extra letter yod. On the seventh day, instead of “according to the law [kamishpat]” employed on the other days, it is stated: “According to their laws [kemishpatam]” (Numbers 29:33) with an extra letter mem. Together these additional letters, mem, yod, and mem, form the word mayim, which means water. This is an allusion to the water libation from the Torah.N On Sukkot, a water libation was poured onto the altar in addition to the wine liba-tion that accompanied sacrifices throughout the year. However, here, the closed mem at the end of the word veniskeihem is interpreted as if it were an open mem and used as the first mem in mayim.

And from the fact that an open letter that one rendered closed is valid, in the case of a closed letter, too, a closed letter that one rendered open is valid. This homiletic interpretation supports Rav Ĥisda’s opinion.

The Gemara rejects this comparison: Is it similar? If one rendered an open letter closed,

he elevates its status, as Rav Ĥisda said: The letters mem and samekh that were in the tablets were standing miraculously. Each letter was chiseled all the way through the tablets. In that case, the segment of the tablets at the center of the samekh and final mem, letters that are com-pletely closed, should have fallen. Miraculously, they remained in place. Consequently, rendering an open mem closed elevates its status. How-ever, if one rendered a closed letter open, he diminishes its status, as Rabbi Yirmeya said, and some say that it was Rabbi Ĥiyya bar Abba who said: The prophets instituted the difference between the open and closed forms of the letters mem, nun, tzadi, peh, kaf.N Since the closed letters date back to the Ten Commandments, apparently the prophets introduced the open versions of the letters, which are therefore less significant.

The Gemara rejects this: And is that reasonable? Isn’t it written: “These are the commandments that the Lord commanded Moses to tell the children of Israel at Mount Sinai” (Leviticus 27:34). The word

“these” underscores that a prophet is not permitted to introduce any new element related to the Torah and its mitzvot from here on. Rath-er, the prophets did not innovate these forms. Both the open and closed versions existed before then. However, people did not know which form appeared in the middle of a word and which form at the end of a word. And the prophets came and instituted their set positions. The Gemara asks: And still the question remains: Didn’t the Sages derive from the verse: “These are the commandments,” that a prophet is not permitted to introduce any new element from here on? How could they institute the position of the letters? Rather, over the course of time, the people forgot their positions in the words and the prophets then reestablished their positions. Apparently, closed letters are no more significant than the open ones.

The Gemara returns to discuss the matter itself. Rav Ĥisda said: The letters mem and samekh that were in the tabletsN were standing mi-raculously. And furthermore, Rav Ĥisda said: The writing on the tablets was read from the inside, from one side of the tablets, and read from the outside, the other side of the tablets, in reverse order. The Gemara cites words that appear elsewhere in the Bible: Nevuv was read as bet, vav, bet, nun; rahav as beit, heh, reish; and saru as vav, reish, samekh.

י טב תניא, ד א, נ ת האי י כ – אמט ד הוא ני ש ב נאמט אומט: תיטה ב ן ב יהודה ביעי ש ב ‘ונסכיהפ, י ש ש ב יהםפ, ‘ונסכטםפ – הטי מ״ם יו״ד מ״ם – ‘מיםפ מש ‘כ

אן טמז לניסוך מים מן התוטהד מכ

סתום ט, ש כ – סתום או ועש תוח ומדטד ש תוח – כ או נמי, סתום ועש

או סתום תוח ועש מי? מי ד

NOTES Due the prohibition of marking – ם ום טוש -In the Jerusalem Tal :משmud there is an expansion of this topic explaining that these marks were made to indicate the designated place of each beam in the Tabernacle. Even though all the beams were of equal size, it was not appropriate to align them randomly. It is also explained there that according to Rabbi Yosei they would draw diagonal lines on the two beams, which were aligned when the beams were placed together. Ac-cording to the Rambam, the halakhic difference between writing and marking is that Rabbi Yosei enumerates marking as an independent primary category of labor, and says that one who makes two marks is liable for violating a primary category of labor. Others explain that if the prohibition itself is marking, then one would be liable even when no actual letters are written (Me’iri).

It appears in standard amulets – גלטוטי איתיה ב The ge’onim explain :דthat various letters that come in pairs appear in the Act of the Divine Chariot, among them the double alef.

An alef as an ayin – אל ין עיינין: According to Rashi and others, the reason that these letters might be mistaken for each other is because they have similar pronunciations. However, according to most early commentaries, it is because their written forms are similar. This is why the Gemara stresses that one must make certain to write them differ-ently (Ramban; and see Rashba and others).

One wrote it following the format for poetry – יטה ש תבה כ Poetry :כin the Bible, such as the Song at the Sea and the Song of Deborah, is written in a special format of a brick supported by two half bricks. There are some examples written in two columns, e.g., Ha’azinu (Deu-teronomy 32).

If one wrote the mentions of God’s names in gold – תב את כ שזהב טות ב The halakha is that any word written in gold invalidates :האזכa Torah scroll. In this context, the Gemara specifies the names of God because some people thought that it was acceptable to honor God’s name in that fashion. Some commentaries explain that while it is permitted to scrape other words written in gold off the parchment, the names of God may not be scraped away or erased. Therefore, any scroll with God’s name written in gold must be suppressed and never used (Melo HaRo’im).

This is an allusion to the water libation from the Torah – אן טמז מכים מן התוטה According to the majority of the Sages, the water :לניסוך המlibation was a halakha transmitted to Moses from Sinai and has no written source in the Bible. Other Sages sought to discover an allusion to this mitzva in the Torah.

HALAKHAEven if he wrote only two letters – י אותיות ת א ש תב אל One :א ילו לא כwho writes two letters on Shabbat is liable, even if they are identical letters. However, if one wrote two letters that cannot be combined to form an actual word then he is not liable, as stated by Rabbi Yehuda (Maggid Mishne; Rambam Sefer Zemanim, Hilkhot Shabbat 11:10).

One who tans – ד One who tans enough leather on Shabbat :המעבto fashion an amulet is liable. The Gemara states that one is liable for tanning any quantity in order to express the fact that Rabbi Shimon’s opinion should not be followed (Tosafot; Rambam Sefer Zemanim, Hilkhot Shabbat 11:5).

One who draws any size form on a vessel –ל כלי צוטה כ ב הצר הוא One who forms any figure, even a partial one, on a vessel is liable :שfor the primary category of labor of striking a blow with a hammer to complete the production process of a vessel (Rambam Sefer Zemanim, Hilkhot Shabbat 10:16).

Subcategories – תולדות: One who performs an action that is a subcat-egory of a primary category is liable just as if he had violated the pri-mary category of labor (Rambam Sefer Zemanim, Hilkhot Shabbat 7:7).

Perfect writing – ה מ תיבה ת ,The text of a Torah scroll must be perfect :כwith no parts missing from the letters. The letters should also contain all of their decorative crowns or other adorning features (Rambam Sefer Ahava, Hilkhot Tefillin 1:19; Shulĥan Arukh, Oraĥ Ĥayyim 32:4 and Yoreh De’a 274:3, 5).

One should not write an alef as an ayin – לא יכתוב אל ין עיינין When :שwriting the letters of a Torah scroll, one must take care not to switch similar looking letters. However, the text is only invalid if the letters are indecipherable (Rema; Rambam Sefer Ahava, Hilkhot Tefillin 1:19; Shulĥan Arukh, Oraĥ Ĥayyim 36:1 and Yoreh De’a 274:5).

An open paragraph one may not render it closed – תוחה לא ה טש ה סתומה נ ,An open paragraph may not be written as a closed one :יעשnor may a closed paragraph be written as an open one. If such an error was made, the scroll must be stored away and not used. The Rambam writes that such a Torah scroll is invalid and lacks the sanctity of a Torah, and is rather like a printed Torah book used to teach children. Some authorities rule that one is permitted to repair such a scroll if possible (Rosh; Rashba), and this is the common practice (Rambam Sefer Ahava, Hilkhot Tefillin 7:11; Shulĥan Arukh, Yoreh De’a 275:1).

One wrote it following the format for poetry – יטה ש תבה כ If one :כwrote a passage of the Torah in the format of a poetic song, or a poetic song in the regular format, the Torah scroll is invalid. Some authorities permit its use as long as the song was written differently than the rest of the text, even if its structure does not follow the tradition (Tur; Rambam Sefer Ahava Hilkhot Tefillin 7:11; Shulĥan Arukh, Yoreh De’a 275:3).

If one wrote without ink – דיו לא ב תב ש Holy scrolls are only written :כwith black ink, and are invalid if even a single letter is written in a dif-ferent color. This rule even applies to the tip of the letter yod (Mishna Berura). In addition, if one wrote any part of the Torah in gold, such as God’s name, the scroll is invalid (Rambam Sefer Ahava, Hilkhot Tefillin 1:5; Shulĥan Arukh, Oraĥ Ĥayyim 32:3 and Yoreh De’a 271:6, 276:5).

LANGUAGEAmulets [gelatorei] – לטוטי The origin and meaning of this word :גare unclear and are debated by the commentaries. Some authorities indicate that its origin is the Latin glossarium, meaning a dictionary or a collection of difficult words, from the Greek γλῶσσα, glossa, mean-ing tongue. Other linguists state that it comes from the Latin caelatura, meaning a carving or engraving. Still other commentaries assert that it is a shortened version of the Latin sigillatura, meaning embossed, fur-nished or adorned with little images or figures. According to an ancient explanation, sigillatura is an abbreviation of the phrase singulae literae, meaning single letters, and was later contracted further into sigla.

BACKGROUNDSimilar letters – האותיות הדומות: A table of letters with similar forms. The letters here are written as they appear in the Dead Sea Scrolls.

Letters with similar forms

Open and closed paragraphs – תוחות וסתומות : The paragraphs are depicted here as they appear in a Torah scroll. When a paragraph ends and a new paragraph begins on the same line, it is a closed paragraph [setuma]. When a paragraph ends and the rest of the line is left blank, it is an open paragraph [petuĥa].

Closed paragraph

Open paragraph

Poetry – יטה :ש

A portion from the Song at the Sea written in the special format similar to the way bricks are placed, with one brick covering part of the two bricks below it. This is called ariaĥ al gabei levena.

דד

Perek XIIDaf 104 Amud a

א: אמט טב חסד י ליה; ד – עלויי א מעלעומדיןד היו נס ב לוחות ב ש וסמ״ך מ״ם טועי א מגטע תוח, ג או א סתום ועש אלי טב ואיתימא יטמיה, י טב אמט ד ליה; א: מנצ ״ך צו ים אמטוםד ט אב חייא ב

– צות״ המ ה “אל והכתיב: טא? ותיסבה! מעת בט ד ש לחד אי טש ביא הנ אין שא: מיהוה הואי, מידע לא הוה ידעין אלואתו יבה, ת סוב ב הי יבה ת אמצע ב הי צות״ – ה המ י, “אל ת נינהוד ואכ צו ים תה! מעת בט ד ש לחד אי טש ביא הנ אין ש

כחום וחזטו ויסדוםד א: ש אל

וסמ״ך מ״ם א: חסד טב אמט גו א, טב ואמט עומדיןד היו נס ב לוחות ב ש נים מב נ טא לוחות ב ש תב כ א: חסדבובן, – “נבוב״ גון כ חוץ, מב ונ טא

)טהב – בהט( סטו – וטסד

This is an allusion to the water libation from the Torah – ים מן התוטה אן טמז לניסוך המ According :מכto the majority of the Sages, the water libation was a halakha transmitted to Moses from Sinai and has no written source in the Bible. Other Sages sought to discover an allusion to this mitzva in the Torah.

NOTES

Mem, nun, tzadi, peh, kaf – מנצ ״ך: The ge’onim ask why these letters are not listed in alphabetical order, i.e., kaf, mem, nun, peh, tzadi. One answer is that the order alludes to the words: From Your prophets [min tzofayikh].

The letters mem and samekh that were in the tablets – לוחות ב ש וסמ״ך In the Jerusalem :מ״ם Talmud there is an opinion that even according to the opinion that the tablets were written in ancient Hebrew script, different from the pres-ent Hebrew alphabet, there were letters whose centers would have floated miraculously, e.g., the ayin, which resembles a circle.

NOTES

Perek XII . 104a 117 . ט י״ב דב דד

The Sages said to Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi: Young students came today to the study hall and said things the likes of which were not said even in the days of Joshua bin Nun.N These children who only knew the Hebrew alphabet interpreted the letters homiletically.

Alef beit means learn [elaf] the wisdom [bina] of the Torah.Gimmel dalet means give to the poor [gemol dalim]. Why is the leg

of the gimmel extended toward the dalet?B Because it is the man-ner of one who bestows loving-kindness to pursue the poor. And why is the leg of the dalet extended toward the gimmel? It is so that a poor person will make himself available to him who wants to give him charity. And why does the dalet face away from the gimmel? It is to teach that one should give charity discreetly so that the poor person will not be embarrassed by him.

The children continued to interpret the letters.Heh vav: That is the principal name of the Holy One, Blessed be He.Zayin ĥet, tet yod, kaf lamed: And if you do so, the Holy One,

Blessed be He, feeds [zan] you, and shows you favor [ĥan], and bestows goodness [meitiv] upon you, and gives you an inheri-tance [yerusha], and ties a crown [keter] for you in the World to Come [la’olam haba].

The open mem and closed mem indicate that the Torah contains an open statement, understood by all, and an esoteric statement.

The bent nun and the straight nun at the end of a word refer to a faith-ful person who is bent [ne’eman kafuf] and is modest now, who will ultimately become a well-known faithful person [ne’eman pashut].N

Samekh ayin: Support the poor [semokh aniyyim] to prevent them from falling further. Another version: Make mnemonic signs [simanim aseh] to remember the Torah and acquire it.

The bent peh and the straight peh: Sometimes one needs to have an open mouth [peh patuaĥ] and speak, and sometimes one needs to have a closed mouth [peh satum].

The bent tzadi and the straight tzadi indicate that a righteous per-son who is bent and humble [tzaddik kafuf] now will ultimately become a well-known righteous person [tzaddik pashut] whose righteousness is apparent to all. The Gemara asks: That is identical to the interpretation of the bent and straight nun: Ne’eman kafuf, ne’eman pashut. The Gemara explains: The verse added the bend-ing of the righteous person to the bending of the faithful person. From here it is derived that the Torah was given in an atmosphere of gravity. One must receive the Torah with a sense of awe and extreme humility.

The children continued:Kuf: Holy [kadosh], referring to God.Reish: A wicked person [rasha]. Why is the kuf facing away from

the reish?B This question was phrased euphemistically, as it is the reish that is facing away from the kuf. The Holy One, Blessed be He, said: I am unable look at a wicked person, i.e., the wicked person does not want to look toward God. And why is the crown of the letter kuf turned toward the reish? The Holy One, Blessed be He, said: If the wicked person repents his evil ways I will tie a crown for him like My own. And why is the leg of the kuf suspended and not connected to the roof of the letter? Because if the wicked person repents he can enter through this opening if he so desires.

ן לוי: אתו ע ב י יהוש נן לטב אמטי ליה טבי א ואמטו מיל נא לבי מדטש י האיד טד דמט אית לא נון ן ב ע יהוש ימי ב א ילו דימ״ל ינה, ג י״ת – אלב ב וותייהו: אל״ב ב כשוטה ים, מאי טעמא ל ד מול ג ל״ת – דטכו ד ן כ ש – ל״ת ד י לגב גימ״ל ד טעיה כיםד ומאי ל ד ל גומל חסדים לטוץ אחט שי לגב דל״ת ד טעיה כ שוטה טעמא יהד ומאי טעמא לימציה ליה נ ש ימ״ל – ד גן ליה לית ימ״ל – ד דל״ת מג יה ד ט א מהד

יהד לא ליכסיב מינ י היכי ד צינעה, כ ב

טוך הוא, ז״ח דוש ב ל ה מו ש ה״ו – זה שדוש ה ן, כ ה עוש ה את ואם – כ״ל ט״י טוך הוא זן אותך, וחן אותך, ומטיב לך, בלעולם תט כ לך ט ו וש ה, יטוש לך ונותן תוחה מ״ם סתומה – מאמט אד מ״ם הבנו״ן כ ו ה נו״ן סתום, מאמט תוח

שוטד שוטה – נאמן כ וב נאמן

– אחטינא נא ליש עניים, סמוך – ס״ע תוטה ו נה אותהד פ כ ו ה ה ב סימנין עשצד״י סתום, ה תוח ה – שוטה פ י י כ וב צד שוטה – צד כ ו ה וצד״י שוט! הוסיב שוטד היינו נאמן כ וב נאמן אן מכ י תו, כ על י ה כ תוב הכ לך

מנוד טאשד נה התוטה ב ת נ ש

עד מאי טעמא ו״ב – דוש, טי״ש – טשדוש יה ד ו״ב מטי״ש? אמט ה ט א מהדעד טש ל ב כ טוך הוא: אין אני יכול להסת בי לגב ד ו״ב גיה ת טה מהד טעמא ומאי אם הוא: טוך ב דוש ה אמט – טי״ש ומאי מותיד כ תט כ לו ט אני וש בו חוזט הדט אי ד – לויה ת ד ו״ב טעיה כ טעמא

יה ליעיילד ב

In the days of Joshua bin Nun – ן נון ע ב ימי יהוש -Several commen :בtaries state that the Gemara mentions this era because it marked the beginning of midrash, when people began to interpret the Torah (Maharsha). Others maintain that Joshua is used as a defining point because the Torah describes Moses’ disciple: “Joshua, the son of Nun, a young man, departed not out of the Tent” (Exodus 33:13). Nevertheless, there were teachings that were unknown in his time. The Gemara does not say that these did not exist during the time of

Moses because the Sages asserted that Moses received all of Torah knowledge from God, including all the innovative ideas of future students (Ein Ya’akov).

A faithful person who is bent…a well-known faithful person – שוט ,In the Jerusalem Talmud and in Bereshit Rabba :נאמן כ וב נאמן a midrash from Eretz Yisrael, it is taught that the two faithful ones [ne’emanim] are God and Moses. The Torah was given from one faithful one [ne’eman] to the other.

NOTES

The letters gimmel and dalet – צוטת האותיות גפ-דפ כתב סת״ם The shape of the Hebrew letters gimmel :בand dalet in the script used for Torah scrolls, mezuzot, and tefillin [ketav stam]. The details that the Gemara mentions in its midrashim are easily apparent in this script.

Gimmel and dalet

The letters kuf and reish – אותיות פ-טפ: The letters kuf and reish as they are written in the Sephardic script used for Torah scrolls [ketav stam]. These forms include the details mentioned in the midrash in our Gemara, such as the way they stand, their shape, and the crown on top of the letter kuf.

Kuf and reish

BACKGROUND

118 Perek XII . 104a . ט י״ב דב דד

The Gemara asks: Let him enter through that opening, as the kuf is open on both sides at the bottom.N The Gemara answers: This sup-ports the statement of Reish Lakish, as Reish Lakish said: What is the meaning of that which is written: “If it concerns the scorners, He scorns them, and unto the humble He gives grace” (Proverbs 3:34)? One who comes in order to become impure, i.e., to sin, they, in Heaven, provide him with an opening to do so, and he is not prevented from sinning. However, if he comes in order to become purified, not only is he allowed to do so, but they, in Heaven, assist him.

They further taught:Shin: Falsehood [sheker]. Tav: Truth [emet].B

Why are the letters of the word sheker adjacent to one another in the alphabet, while the letters of emet are distant from one another? That is because while falsehood is easily found, truth is found only with great difficulty. And why do the letters that comprise the word sheker all stand on one foot, and the letters that comprise the word emet stand on bases that are wide like bricks? Because the truth stands eternal and falsehood does not stand eternal.

The Gemara cites another midrash that also deals with the letters of the alphabet.N This one uses a code in which the first letter is paired with the last letter, the second letter with the penultimate one, and so on [alef tav, beit shin].B Alef tav, God said: If he despised Me [oti ti’ev] would I desire [etaveh] him? Beit shin: If he does not desire to wor-ship Me [bi], shall My name [shemi] rest upon him? Gimmel reish: He defiled his body [gufo]; shall I have mercy [araĥem] on him? The word comprised of the letters gimmel and reish in Aramaic means licentiousness. Dalet kuf: He locked My doors [daltotai], shall I not cut off his horns [karnav]? To this point, the Gemara interpreted the letters as referring to the attribute of the wicked.

However, with regard to the attribute of the righteous it is taught differently. Alef tav, beit shin: If you have shame [ata bosh], gimmel reish, dalet kuf: If you do so, you will reside [gur] in the heavens [bedok], as the verse says: “Who stretches out the Heavens like a curtain [dok]” (Isaiah 40:22). Heh tzadi, vav peh: There is a partition [ĥatzitza havei] between you and anger [af]. Zayin ayin, ĥet samekh, tet nun: And you will not be shaken [mizdaze’a] by the Satan. Yod mem, kaf lamed: The minister of Gehenna said before the Holy One, Blessed be He: Master of the Universe, send the righteous as well into the sea to which all go [yam kol], Gehenna.

The interpretation of the alphabet continues with other combinations of letters. The Holy One, Blessed be He, said: Alef ĥet samekh, bet tet ayin, gimmel yod peh: I have mercy on them [Ani ĥas aleihem] because they spurned [ba’atu] adultery [gif]. The Gemara continues with this combination of the letters: Dalet kaf tzadi: They are pure [dakkim], they are honest [kenim], they are righteous [tzaddikim]. Heh lamed kuf: You have no portion [ĥelek] with them, based on the interchange of the letters ĥet and heh. Vav mem reish zayin nun, shin tav: The minister of Gehenna said [amar], based on vav mem reish, before Him: Master of the Universe, my Master [Mari], sus-tain me [zaneini] with the seed of Seth [Shet], which refers to all humankind, including the Jewish people.

The Holy One, Blessed be He, said to him using another configuration of the alphabet: Alef lamed, beit mem: Not with them [al bam], i.e., you will have no portion of them. Gimmel nun, dalet samekh: To where will I lead them? I will lead them to the garden of myrtle [gan hadas], i.e., the Garden of Eden. Heh ayin, vav peh: The minister of Gehenna said before the Holy One, Blessed be He: Master of the Universe, I am tired [ayef anokhi] and thirsty and need people to care for me. The Holy One, Blessed be He, responded: Zayin tzadi, ĥet kuf: These are the descendants [zaro] of Isaac [Yitzĥak]. Tet reish, yod shin, kaf tav: Wait [tar], I have groups upon groups [yesh li kittot kittot] of other nations that I will give you instead.

הך?! מסייע ליה לטיש ל יש, וליעול ב“אם כתיב ד מאי ל יש: טיש אמט דא ן חן״, ב צים הוא יליץ ולענוים ית לל – הט ליט א ב לו, ותחין – א מ ליט

מסייעים אותוד

י״ו – אמתד מאי טעמא ט, ת י״ן – ש שמטח א אמת יה, מיל מ טבן ט ש – טא כיח, וש ש – י טא ש יה? מילא י טא אחד כיח, ומאי טעמא ש לא שלבוניה? ן מלב ואמת אי, טעיה כי טא – לא איד טא – אי, ש וש

לו? ה אתאו עב, ת אותי – א״ת ב״ש עליו? יחול מי ש חש , לא י ב – ב״ש א, אטחם עליו? ד״ – גו ו טימ ג״ט – אן ע? עד כ לתותי נעל, טניו לא אגד ד

עים; ת טש מד

אם – ב״ש י ים: א״ת צד ת מד אבל ה ה עוש ה בוש, ג״ט ד״ – אם את אתינך דו , ה״ץ ו״ב – חציצה הוי ב ן גוט ב כעזע ה מזד לאב, ז״ע ח״ס ט״ן – ואין אתל[ ש ט ]ש טן – י״ם כ״ל – אמט הש מן טבונו הוא: טוך ב דוש ה ל ני ם יהנ ג

ל עולם, לים כל! ש

טוך הוא: אח״ס בט״ע דוש ב אמט ה עטו ב ש ני מ עליהם חס אני – גי״ב הם, נים כ הם, ים כ ד – דכ״ץ גי״ב, בהן, י ים הם, הל״ – אין לך חל ב צדם ל ניו: טבונו יהנ ומטז״ן ש״ת – אמט גת! ל ש ל עולם, מטי, זניני מזטעו ש ש

להיכן ד״ס, ג״ן ״ם, ב א״ל לו: אמט אמט – ו״ב ה״ע הדס, לגן – אוליכן טבונו הוא: טוך ב דוש ה ל ני ם יהנ גלו ל עולם, עיב אנכי, ז״ץ ח״ – הל שטט, – כ״ת י״ש ט״ט יצח , ל ש זטעו אני ש גוים ל ש יתות כ יתות כ לי יש

נותן לךד

NOTESMem, nun, tzadi, peh, kaf – מנצ ״ך: The ge’onim ask why these letters are not listed in alphabetical order, i.e., kaf, mem, nun, peh, tzadi. One answer is that the order alludes to the words: From Your prophets [min tzofayikh].

The letters mem and samekh that were in the tablets – מ״ם וסמ״ך לוחות ב -In the Jerusalem Talmud there is an opinion that even ac :שcording to the opinion that the tablets were written in ancient Hebrew script, different from the present Hebrew alphabet, there were letters whose centers would have floated miraculously, e.g., the ayin, which resembles a circle.

In the days of Joshua bin Nun – ן נון ע ב ימי יהוש -Several commen :בtaries state that the Gemara mentions this era because it marked the beginning of midrash, when people began to interpret the Torah (Maharsha). Others maintain that Joshua is used as a defining point because the Torah describes Moses’ disciple: “Joshua, the son of Nun, a young man, departed not out of the Tent” (Exodus 33:13). Neverthe-less, there were teachings that were unknown in his time. The Gemara does not say that these did not exist during the time of Moses because the Sages asserted that Moses received all of Torah knowledge from God, including all the innovative ideas of future students (Ein Ya’akov).

A faithful person who is bent…a well-known faithful person – שוט ,In the Jerusalem Talmud and in Bereshit Rabba :נאמן כ וב נאמן a midrash from Eretz Yisrael, it is taught that the two faithful ones [ne’emanim] are God and Moses. The Torah was given from one faithful one [ne’eman] to the other.

The opening in the kuf – תח ב ו״ב -The statement that God pro :ה vides an opening for the wicked person means that he need not exert himself in order to repent. That is Reish Lakish’s explanation of the phrase: They support him (Etz Yosef).

The midrash on the letters – י האותיות Apart from their value :מדטשas the aggadic sections of the Talmud, these interpretations served as proof for the Sages with regard to the appropriate manner to form the letters. See the Rashba and the Me’iri, who discuss this at length.

BACKGROUNDThe letters gimmel and dalet – כתב סת״ם ב The :צוטת האותיות גפ-דפ shape of the Hebrew letters gimmel and dalet in the script used for Torah scrolls, mezuzot, and tefillin [ketav stam]. The details that the Gemara mentions in its midrashim are easily apparent in this script.

Gimmel and dalet

The letters kuf and reish – אותיות פ-טפ: The letters kuf and reish as they are written in the Sephardic script used for Torah scrolls [ketav stam]. These forms include the details mentioned in the midrash in our Gemara, such as the way they stand, their shape, and the crown on top of the letter kuf.

Kuf and reish

Truth [emet] and falsehood [sheker] – ט וש The words truth :אמת [emet] and falsehood [sheker] as they are written in script used for Torah scrolls [ktav stam]. As is seen here, each of the letters in the word emet contains two legs or a base, whereas the letters of the word sheker each stand on a single leg.

Emet and sheker

Different orderings of the alphabet – יתות שונות -These vari :אל א בous permutations of the alphabet were used, to some degree, in writ-ing secret manuscripts of different kinds. They are alluded to in the Bible, and the Sages added to them and offered interpretations based on them. Still, their main function was as learning tools for children. Through these different letter combinations students were able to learn the proper letter shapes and not just their sequence.

The opening in the kuf – תח ב ו״ב The statement :ה that God provides an opening for the wicked person means that he need not exert himself in order to repent. That is Reish Lakish’s explanation of the phrase: They support him (Etz Yosef).

The midrash on the letters – י האותיות Apart :מדטשfrom their value as the aggadic sections of the Talmud, these interpretations served as proof for the Sages with regard to the appropriate manner to form the letters. See the Rashba and the Me’iri, who discuss this at length.

NOTES

Truth [emet] and falsehood [sheker] – ט The :אמת ושwords truth [emet] and falsehood [sheker] as they are written in script used for Torah scrolls [ktav stam]. As is seen here, each of the letters in the word emet contains two legs or a base, whereas the letters of the word sheker each stand on a single leg.

Emet and sheker

Different orderings of the alphabet – יתות ב אל א These various permutations of the alphabet were :שונותused, to some degree, in writing secret manuscripts of different kinds. They are alluded to in the Bible, and the Sages added to them and offered interpretations based on them. Still, their main function was as learn-ing tools for children. Through these different letter combinations students were able to learn the proper letter shapes and not just their sequence.

BACKGROUND

Perek XII . 104b 119 . ט י״ב דב ד:

mishna One who writes two letters on Shabbat during one lapse of awareness is liable.

The following substances used as ink are explained in the Gemara. One is liable if he wrote with deyo, with sam, with sikra, with gum [komos],L or with copper sulfate [kankantom]L or with any sub-stance that makes a mark.NH If one wrote on two walls of a house that form a corner,H or on two parts of a writing tablet, and the two items are read together, he is liable. One who writes on his flesh on Shabbat is liable. If one unwittingly scratchesH letters on his flesh on Shabbat, Rabbi Eliezer deems him liable to bring a sin-offering and the Sages deem him exempt.

If one wrote with liquids or with fruit juice, or if one drew letters with road dust, with scribes’ dust that they use to dry the ink, or with any substance with which the writing does not endure, he is exempt. Similarly, if one wrote by holding the pen on the back of his hand,H with his foot, with his mouth, or with his elbow; if one wrote only a single letter, even if it was adjacent to other preexisting writing; or if one wrote over other writing;H if one meant to write the letter ĥet and instead wrote the two halves of the ĥet as two instances of the letter zayin; if one wrote one letter on the ground and one on a rafter; if one wrote one letter on two walls of a house, or on two parts of a writing tablet that are not read together, he is exempt. If one wrote one letter as an abbre-viationH representing an entire word, Rabbi Yehoshua ben Beteira deems him liable to bring a sin-offering, and the Rabbis deem him exempt.

gemara The Gemara defines the terms used in the mishna. Deyo is deyota made from soot.

Sam is samma, which is yellow-tinged arsenic. Sikra, Rabba bar bar Ĥana said: It is called sikreta in Aramaic and is a lead-based red paint. Komos is koma in Aramaic, and it is an ink made with gum Arabic from the sap of a tree. Kankantom, Rabba bar bar Ĥana said that Shmuel said: This is the black substance used by cobblers, copper sulfate.

And we learned in the mishna that one who writes with any sub-stance that makes a mark is liable. The Gemara asks: What does this statement come to include? The Gemara answers: It comes to include that which Rabbi Ĥananya taught with regard to writ-ing a bill of divorce:H If one wrote it with the juice of the fruit called teriya, or with gallnut juice instead of ink, it is valid. Simi-larly, Rabbi Ĥiyya taught: If one wrote a bill of divorce with lead, with soot (ge’onim), or with shoeblack, it is valid. Since those substances leave a permanent mark, one who writes with them on Shabbat is liable.

ד:

Perek XIIDaf 104 Amud b

העלם י אותיות ב ת מתניפ הכותב שסם, ב דיו, ב תב כ חייבד – אחד ובכל וב נ נתום, ב ומוס, סי טא, בני כותלי זויות, ם, על ש הוא טוש בט ש דין זה עם ינ ס והן נהג ני לווחי ועל שחייבד – טו ש ב על הכותב חייבד – זה י אליעזט מחייב טו – טב ש המסטט על ב

את, וחכמים וטטיןד חט

אב ב יטות, מי ב ין, מש ב תב כבט ד ובכל הסו טים, אב ב טכים, דידו, לאחט טוטד – מת יים אינו שאות תב כ י ו; ובמט יו, ב טגלו, בתב, י כ ב תב, וכתב על ג אחת סמוך לכזיינין, י ת ון לכתוב חי״ת וכתב ש ו נתכעל תב כ וטה, ב ואחת אטץ ב אחת נ ס י ד ני ש על ית, הב כותלי ני שתב אות טוטד כ ין זה עם זה – ואין נהגתיטא ן ב ע ב י יהוש אחת נוטטי ון – טב

מחייב, וחכמים וטטיןד

א, ס טא – יותא, סם – סמ יו – ד גמפ דמהד ט חנה: ס טתא ש ט ב ה ב אמט טבאמט – נ נתום – ומא, ומוס מואל: חטתא ט חנה אמט ש ט ב ה ב טב

יד כ אוש ד

םד לאתויי מאי? הוא טוש בט ש ובכל דמי תבו ב י חנניא: כ תני טב לאתויי הא דחייא: י טב ני ת טד ש כ – צא וא טטיא – יחוט ובש חוט, ש ב אבט, ב תבו כ

טד ש כ

Gum [komos] – ומוס : From the Greek κόμμι, komi, and its genitive form κόμμεως, komaos, meaning tree sap. It spe-cifically refers to gum arabic from the acacia tree known as acacia arabica. This sap is used to make strong inks, among other things.

Copper sulfate [kankantom] – נ נתום : This word appears in other sources as kalkantom or kalkantos. It is from the Greek word χάλκανθος, kalkanthos, meaning copper sul-fate (CuSO4). It is used to make ink and shoe polish.

LANGUAGE

Any substance that makes a mark – ם הוא טוש בט ש In :דthe Jerusalem Talmud an additional requirement is cited, according to which the surface upon which one writes must be one that endures. However, one who wrote on a surface that does not endure, e.g., on vegetable leaves and the like, is not liable.

NOTES

Substances used for writing on Shabbat – ת ב ש תיבה ב :חומטי כOne is only liable to bring a sin-offering for writing on Shabbat if one uses an ink or material that leaves a lasting mark. However, if one uses a substance that erases or disappears, such as fruit juice, one is not liable. Nevertheless, such writing is still prohib-ited (Rambam Sefer Zemanim, Hilkhot Shabbat 11:15).

On two walls that form a corner – זויות ני כותלי One is :על שliable to bring a sin-offering for writing two letters only if the letters are written in a way that they can be read together. If one writes them on two different surfaces such that they cannot be read together, one is not liable (Rambam Sefer Zemanim, Hilkhot Shabbat 11:11).

One who writes on his flesh…if one scratches – הכותב על

טו…המסטט ש One who writes on his own flesh on Shabbat is :בliable, even though the writing will eventually be erased. One is not liable for scratching letters into one’s own flesh (Rambam Sefer Zemanim, Hilkhot Shabbat 11:16).

On the back of his hand – לאחט ידו: One who writes on Shab-bat using his mouth, elbow, or any other unusual method, is not liable (Rambam Sefer Zemanim, Hilkhot Shabbat 11:14).

If one wrote over other writing – תב ב כ One who :וכתב על גwrites on top of existing writing on Shabbat is liable if he wrote with black ink over red ink [sikra]. However, if it is black ink on top of black ink, or red ink on top of red ink, or red ink on top of black ink, he is not liable. This is stated in the mishna here

and in the Gemara in tractate Gittin (Rambam Sefer Zemanim, Hilkhot Shabbat 11:16).

If one wrote one letter as an abbreviation – תב אות אחת כ ,If one wrote a single letter on Shabbat, he is not liable :נוטטי וןeven if it is clearly an abbreviation for an entire word (Rambam Sefer Zemanim, Hilkhot Shabbat 11:13).

Writing a bill of divorce – ט תיבת ג -If one wrote a bill of di :כvorce [get] using lead, soot, or kankantom, it is valid after the fact. One may use gallnut juice ab initio on a hide that was not tanned. Preferably, one should write a bill of divorce using only black ink (Rambam Sefer Nashim, Hilkhot Gerushin 4:1–2; Shulĥan Arukh, Even HaEzer 125:1–3).

HALAKHA

120 Perek XII . 104b . :ט י״ב דב ד

We learned in the mishna: If one unwittingly scratches letters on his flesh on Shabbat, Rabbi Eliezer deems him liable to bring a sin-of-fering and the Sages deem him exempt. It was taught in a baraita that Rabbi Eliezer said to the Rabbis: Didn’t the infamous ben StadaP take magic spells out of Egypt in a scratch on his flesh? They said to him: He was a fool, and you cannot cite proof from a fool. That is not the way that most people write. Incidentally, the Gemara asks: Why did they call him ben Stada, when he was the son of Pandeira?L Rav Ĥisda said: His mother’s husband, who acted as his father, was named Stada, but the one who had relations with his mother and fathered him was named Pandeira. The Gemara asks: Wasn’t his mother’s husband Pappos ben Yehuda? Rather, his mother was named Stada and he was named ben Stada after her. The Gemara asks: But wasn’t his mother Miriam, who braided women’s hair? The Gemara explains: That is not a contradiction. Rather, Stada was merely a nickname, as they say in Pumbedita: This one strayed [setat da] from her husband.

We learned in the mishna: If one wrote only a single letter, even if it was adjacent to other preexisting writing, he is exempt. The Ge-mara asks: Who is the tanna whose opinion is cited in the mishna? Rava bar Rav Huna said: This halakha is not in accordance with the opinion of Rabbi Eliezer, as if it were in accordance with the opinion of Rabbi Eliezer, didn’t he say: One who adds a single thread to a previously woven fabric is liable for weaving? In his opinion, although a single thread or letter is insignificant in and of itself, one is liable because adding even a small measure to existing material is significant.

We learned in the mishna: If one wrote over other writing he is ex-empt. The Gemara asks: Who is the tanna whose opinion is cited in the mishna? Rav Ĥisda said: This halakha is not in accordance with the opinion of Rabbi Yehuda, as it was taught in a baraita: If one needed to write the Tetragrammaton, the name of God, in a Torah scroll, and became confused and intended instead to write the name Yehuda,H and while intending to write Yehuda he erred and omitted the letter dalet, thereby writing the name of God, he should do the following. He passes a quill with more ink over the name and sanc-tifies it, i.e., he writes it with the intention required when writing a holy name. This is the statement of Rabbi Yehuda. And the Rabbis say: Even if he adds ink over what he wrote, this writing of God’s name is not ideal.N Apparently, according to Rabbi Yehuda, writing over other writing is considered writing anew.

A tanna taught in a baraita: If one wrote a single letter and thereby completed a book,H or if one wove a single thread and thereby completed an entire garment, he is liable. The Gemara asks: Who is the tanna whose opinion is cited in the baraita? Rava bar Rav Huna said: It is the opinion of Rabbi Eliezer, who said: One who adds a single thread to a previously woven fabric is liable for weav-ing. Rav Ashi said: Even if you say that in accordance with the opinion of the Rabbis, one who does so to complete a garment is different. Even if he is not liable for weaving, he is liable at least for striking a blow with a hammer to complete the production process of a vessel.

אמט ניא, ת טו״ד ש ב על “המסטט והלא לחכמים: אליעזט י טב להן צטים ממ ים ש כ הוציא סטדא ן בטו! אמטו לו: שוטה ש על ב טיטה ש ס בוטיםד היה, ואין מביאין טאיה מן השיטא הוא! אמט טב נד ן ן סטדא? ב ביטאד נד על-סטדא, בועל- א: ב חסדא, אמו ן יהודה הוא! אל וס ב על ביא עט נש לא ש סטדאד אמו מטים מגדדיתא ב ומב דאמטי כ א, אל הואי!

עלהד א מב סטת ד

תב״ד מאן תב אות אחת סמוך לכ “כלא ד ט טב הונא: ב א? אמט טבא נ ת – אליעזט י טב אי ד אליעזט, י טב כ

האמט: “אחת על האטיג חייב״ד

א? אמט נ תב״ד מאן ת י כ ב תב על ג “כתניא: י יהודה, ד טב לא כ א: ד טב חסדם הש את לכתוב צטיך היה ש הטי ולא וטעה יהודה, לכתוב ין ו ונתכל״ת – מעביט עליו ולמוס יל בו ד הטוחכמים יהודהד י טב בטי ד שו, ומ ד

ם מן המובחטד אומטים: אין הש

לימה והש אחת אות תב כ נא: תלימה והש אחד חוט אטג ט, לסא? אמט טבא נ גד – חייבד מאן ת לבאמט: י אליעזט היא, ד ט טב הונא: טב בי אש טב חייבד – האטיג על אחת לים להש נן, טב ימא ת א ילו אמט:

אניד ש

Ben Stada – ן סטדא Many scholars have attempted to :בidentify the ben Stada mentioned here. For a number of reasons, including the censorship that removed this passage from the Talmud, many people thought that this referred to Jesus of Nazareth. Yeshu Panaturi and Mary Magdala are mentioned in the Jerusalem Talmud. How-ever, Tosafot has pointed out that chronologically this is impossible, because Pappos ben Yehuda was a well-known personality and interacted with Rabbi Akiva during his later years. The Gemara also relates his great jealousy of Rabbi Akiva’s wife, which came to nothing. Therefore, according to these sources, ben Stada cannot be Jesus. It is also worth noting that in various places in uncensored editions of the Talmud, Jesus is mentioned by name, and there is no reason that he would not be named if he was indeed be-ing referred to in this context. For these reasons, it seems that the ben Stada was one of the so-called prophets and leaders of one of the many breakaway sects of those times.

PERSONALITIES

Ben Stada, the son of Pandeira – יטא נד ן ן סטדא ב -At :בtempts have been made to interpret the term stada, but no clear source for the word has been found. It seems that Pandeira comes from the Greek name Pandaros.

LANGUAGE

One who needed to write the name of God and intended instead to write Yehuda – ין ו ם ונתכ היה צטיך לכתוב את הש הטי שיהודה -If one needed to write God’s name and acci :לכתוב dentally wrote the name Yehuda instead, he should turn the dalet into a hey and erase the final letter (Shulĥan Arukh, Yoreh De’a 276:12).

If one wrote a single letter and completed a book – תב אות כ ט לימה לס One who wrote a single letter and thereby :אחת והשcompleted an entire book, or wove a single thread that com-pleted a garment, is liable for striking a blow with a hammer to complete the production process of a vessel (Rambam Sefer Zemanim, Hilkhot Shabbat 11:9, 9:18).

HALAKHA

This name is not ideal – המובחט מן ם הש -The Rab :אין bis made this statement only according to the opinion of Rabbi Yehuda, as in their opinion, writing over existing let-ters does not constitute writing. However, even according to Rabbi Yehuda this is not a preferred manner of writing. This explanation appears in the Jerusalem Talmud (Rashba).

NOTES

Perek XII . 105a 121 . ט י״ב דב הד

Rabbi Ami said: If one wrote one letter on paper in Tiberias and one letter on paper in Tzippori,NH he is liable because he performed a full-fledged act of writing that is lacking only in proximity. When the two pieces of paper are brought together he will have written two associated letters. The Gemara asks: Didn’t we learn in the mishna: If one wrote one letter on two walls of a house, or on two parts of a writing tablet that are not read together, he is exempt? All the more so that this is the halakha with regard to one who wrote in two different cities. The Gemara answers: There, in the case of the parts of a tablet, there is the lack of an additional act of cutting or tearing to facilitate bringing the letters together. However, here, in the case of two cities, even though they are distant from one another, there is no lack of an additional act to facilitate bringing them together.

A tanna taught in the Tosefta: If one emended a single letter on Shabbat, he is liable. The Gemara wonders: Now, if one wrote a single letter on Shabbat he is exempt; is it possible that if one emends a single letter he is liable? Rav Sheshet said: With what are we dealing here? We are dealing with a case where one removed the roof of a ĥetB and transformed it into two instances of the letter zayin,H effectively writing two letters with a single correction. Rava said: It is not necessarily referring to that specific case. It could even be referring to a case where one removed the protrusion from the back of a dalet and trans-formed it into a reish,N thereby emending the written text. One who did so is liable for performing the prohibited labor of strik-ing a blow with a hammer to complete the production process of a vessel.

A tanna taught: If one intended to write one letter on Shabbat

and managed to write two letters,N he is liable. The Gemara asks: Didn’t we learn in the mishna that one is exempt in that case? The Gemara answers: This is not difficult: That case where we learned that he is exempt is referring to a case where the letters require crowns.N This is referring to a case where they do not require crowns, and he is liable. If the letters al-ready had their requisite ornamentation and an individual separated them, it is as if he wrote two letters.

אחת אות תב כ אמי: י טב אמט חייב, – צי וטי ב ואחת טיא טב בט טיבהד חוס מ א ש תיבה היא אל כית, ועל ני כותלי הב תב על ש והתנן: כין זה עם זה – י נ ס ואין נהג ני ד ש טיבה, ה ד ט מעש טוט! התם מחוס טיבהד ה ד ט מעש הכא – לא מחוס

א ת יה אות אחת – חייבד הש נא: הג תיה אות טוט, הג תב אות אחת – כהכא ת: ש ש טב אמט חייב!? אחת לגגו טלו נ ש גון כ – עס ינן מאי בטבא זיינ״יןד ני ש או ועש חי״ת ל של״ת ד ל ש לתגו טלו נ ש גון כ אמט:

או טי״שד ועש

ין לכתוב אות אחת ו נא: נתכ ת

NOTESAny substance that makes a mark – ם הוא טוש בט ש In the Jerusalem :דTalmud an additional requirement is cited, according to which the surface upon which one writes must be one that endures. However, one who wrote on a surface that does not endure, e.g., on vegetable leaves and the like, is not liable.

This name is not ideal – ם מן המובחט The Rabbis made this :אין השstatement only according to the opinion of Rabbi Yehuda, as in their opinion, writing over existing letters does not constitute writing. How-ever, even according to Rabbi Yehuda this is not a preferred manner of writing. This explanation appears in the Jerusalem Talmud (Rashba).

One letter in Tiberias and one in Tzippori – טיא ואחת טב אות אחת בצי וטי ,Rav Hai Gaon explains, in the name of earlier commentaries :בthat Tiberias and Tzippori are adjacent cities and that one can walk from one to the other on Shabbat. The Gemara refers to one who wrote a large letter on the gate of Tiberias and another large letter on the gate of Tzippori, so that one who sees one letter after the other will understand that they are connected. In that case, it is as if the letters are read together and nothing further is necessary to bring them together.

One removed the protrusion from the back of a dalet and trans-formed it into a reish – או טי״ש ל״ת ועש ל ד טלו לתגו ש נ In this case :שonly a single letter is created; nevertheless, it is stated in the Jerusalem Talmud that one who does so is liable for erasing one letter, dalet, and writing another, reish.

HALAKHASubstances used for writing on Shabbat – ת ב ש תיבה ב One :חומטי כis only liable to bring a sin-offering for writing on Shabbat if one uses an ink or material that leaves a lasting mark. However, if one uses a substance that erases or disappears, such as fruit juice, one is not liable. Nevertheless, such writing is still prohibited (Rambam Sefer Zemanim, Hilkhot Shabbat 11:15).

On two walls that form a corner – ני כותלי זויות One is liable to :על שbring a sin-offering for writing two letters only if the letters are written in a way that they can be read together. If one writes them on two different surfaces such that they cannot be read together, one is not liable (Rambam Sefer Zemanim, Hilkhot Shabbat 11:11).

One who writes on one’s flesh…if one scratches – …טו ש הכותב על ב One who writes on his own flesh on Shabbat is liable, even :המסטטthough the writing will eventually be erased. One is not liable for scratching letters into one’s own flesh (Rambam Sefer Zemanim, Hilkhot Shabbat 11:16).

On the back of his hand – לאחט ידו: One who writes on Shabbat using his mouth, elbow, or any other unusual method, is not liable (Rambam Sefer Zemanim, Hilkhot Shabbat 11:14).

If one wrote over other writing – תב ב כ One who writes :וכתב על גon top of existing writing on Shabbat is liable if he wrote with black ink over red ink [sikra]. However, if it is black ink on top of black ink, or red ink on top of red ink, or red ink on top of black ink, he is not liable.

This is stated in the mishna here and in the Gemara in tractate Gittin (Rambam Sefer Zemanim, Hilkhot Shabbat 11:16).

One who wrote a single letter as an abbreviation – תב אות אחת כ If one wrote a single letter on Shabbat, he is not liable, even if :נוטטי וןit is clearly an abbreviation for an entire word (Rambam Sefer Zemanim, Hilkhot Shabbat 11:13).

Writing a bill of divorce – ט ג תיבת If one wrote a bill of divorce :כ[get] using lead, soot, or kankantom, it is valid after the fact. One may use gallnut juice ab initio on a hide that was not tanned. Preferably, one should write a bill of divorce using only black ink (Rambam Sefer Nashim, Hilkhot Gerushin 4:1–2; Shulĥan Arukh, Even HaEzer 125:1–3).

One who needed to write the name of God and intended instead to write Yehuda – ין לכתוב יהודה ו ם ונתכ היה צטיך לכתוב את הש :הטי שIf one needed to write God’s name and accidentally wrote the name Yehuda instead, he should turn the dalet into a hey and erase the final letter (Shulĥan Arukh, Yoreh De’a 276:12).

One who wrote a single letter and completed a book – תב אות אחת כ ט לימה לס One who wrote a single letter and thereby completed :והשan entire book, or wove a single thread that completed a garment, is liable for striking a blow with a hammer to complete the production process of a vessel (Rambam Sefer Zemanim, Hilkhot Shabbat 11:9, 9:18).

One who wrote one letter in Tiberias and one letter in Tzippori – צי וטי טיא ואחת ב טב תב אות אחת ב One who wrote a single letter in :כone location on something that can be moved on Shabbat and went that same day to another location where he wrote a second letter on a different object that can be moved on Shabbat is liable. This is be-cause these two letters can be combined without performing another prohibited labor, as stated by Rabbi Ami (Rambam Sefer Zemanim, Hilkhot Shabbat 11:12).

One who removed the roof of a ĥet and transformed it into two instances of the letter zayin – זיינ״ין ני ש או ועש ל חי״ת If one :לגגו שdivided the roof of the letter ĥet on Shabbat and thereby turned it into two instances of the letter zayin, or turned one letter into two in any other way, is liable (Rambam Sefer Zemanim, Hilkhot Shabbat 11:13).

LANGUAGEGum [komos] – ומוס : From the Greek κόμμι, komi, and its genitive form κόμμεως, komaos, meaning tree sap. It specifically refers to gum arabic from the acacia tree known as acacia arabica. This sap is used to make strong inks, among other things.

Copper sulfate [kankantom] – נ נתום : This word appears in other sources as kalkantom or kalkantos. It is from the Greek word χάλκανθος, kalkanthos, meaning copper sulfate (CuSO4). It is used to make ink and shoe polish.

Ben Stada, the son of Pandeira – יטא נד ן ן סטדא ב Attempts have :בbeen made to interpret the term stada, but no clear source for the word has been found. It seems that Pandeira comes from the Greek name Pandaros.

BACKGROUND

The letter ĥet in Torah script – כתיבת סת״ם This Torah script :אות חפ בform of the letter ĥet clearly illustrates the Talmud’s point about divid-ing the letter into two letters.

Ĥet that can be divided into two instances of the letter zayin

PERSONALITIESBen Stada – ן סטדא Many scholars have attempted to identify the :בben Stada mentioned here. For a number of reasons, including the censorship that removed this passage from the Talmud, many people thought that this referred to Jesus of Nazareth. Yeshu Panaturi and Mary Magdala are mentioned in the Jerusalem Talmud. However, Tosafot has pointed out that chronologically this is impossible, because Pappos ben Yehuda was a well-known personality and interacted with Rabbi Akiva during his later years. The Gemara also relates his great jealousy of Rabbi Akiva’s wife, which came to nothing. Therefore, according to these sources, ben Stada cannot be Jesus. It is also worth noting that in various places in uncensored editions of the Talmud, Jesus is men-tioned by name and there is no reason that he would not be named if he was indeed being referred to in this context. For these reasons, it seems that the ben Stada was one of the so-called prophets and lead-ers of one of the many breakaway sects of those times.

הד

Perek XIIDaf 105 Amud a

והתנן: חייבד – ים ת ש ידו ב ועלו זיוני, בעי ד – הא יא, ש לא טוט!

עי זיוניד לא ב הא – ד

One letter in Tiberias and one in Tzippori – טיא טב ב אות אחת צי וטי -Rav Hai Gaon explains, in the name of earlier com :ואחת בmentaries, that Tiberias and Tzippori are adjacent cities and that one can walk from one to the other on Shabbat. The Gemara refers to one who wrote a large letter on the gate of Tiberias and another large letter on the gate of Tzippori, so that one who sees one letter after the other will understand that they are connected. In that case, it is as if the letters are read together and nothing further is necessary to bring them together.

One removed the protrusion from the back of a dalet and transformed it into a reish – או טי״ש ל״ת ועש ל ד טלו לתגו ש נ In :שthis case only a single letter is created; nevertheless, it is stated in the Jerusalem Talmud that one who does so is liable for erasing one letter, dalet, and writing another, reish.

NOTES

If one wrote one letter in Tiberias and one letter in Tzippori – צי וטי טיא ואחת ב טב תב אות אחת ב One who wrote a single letter :כin one location on something that can be moved on Shabbat and went that same day to another location where he wrote a second letter on a different object that can be moved on Shab-bat is liable. This is because these two letters can be combined without performing another prohibited labor, as stated by Rabbi Ami (Rambam Sefer Zemanim, Hilkhot Shabbat 11:12).

One removed the roof of a ĥet and transformed it into two instances of the letter zayin – ני זיינ״ין או ש ל חי״ת ועש If one :לגגו שdivided the roof of the letter ĥet on Shabbat and thereby turned it into two instances of the letter zayin, or turned one letter into two in any other way, is liable (Rambam Sefer Zemanim, Hilkhot Shabbat 11:13).

HALAKHA

The letter ĥet in Torah script – כתיבת סת״ם This Torah :אות חפ בscript form of the letter ĥet clearly illustrates the Talmud’s point about dividing the letter into two letters.

Ĥet that can be divided into two instances of the letter zayin

BACKGROUND

Managed to write two letters – ים ת ידו ש The question :ועלו בarises: Since he did not initially intend to perform the labor with a measure that determines liability, shouldn’t he be exempt? It can be answered as follows: When one writes a single letter, it is fit to join another letter that may be written subsequently. Therefore, it is possible that he will be liable if that letter turns into two letters. That would not be the case if one throws an object less than the legal distance in the public domain. In that case, one is exempt for throwing an object less than the legal distance any number of times, and thus if one intended to throw such a distance he will always be exempt.

The letters require crowns – זיוני עי The commentaries :בencountered difficulties in understanding this halakha. In addition to other problematic issues, the failure to include

crowns on the letters in a Torah scroll does not invalidate the scroll. Some explained that the Gemara is referring to one who wrote one letter that looks like two letters, but those two letters comprise the correct form. If further work is needed to render the letters legible, he is exempt. If they are complete, he is liable (Rabbeinu Ĥananel). Others explained that if the writer did not add the crowns, he is obviously not overly concerned with the letters. However, if one created two letters and then added the crowns, he is liable (Tosefot Rid). Yet others explained that in this context the word ba’ei does not mean require, but rather want. If the scribe wants to add ornamentation, he is not considered to have performed the complete labor of writing until he adds the crowns. However, the prohibited labor is not considered complete as long as that has not been done (Maharshal in the name of Sefer Mitzvot Gadol).

NOTES