The Oral Talmud with Benay Lappe and Dan Libenson Episode 79

Rabbi Yoḥanan ben Dahabai said: The ministering angels told me four things: People with a mobility disability--on account of what is their disability? Because they overturn their tables. Mute people--on account of what is their disability? Because they kiss that place. Deaf people--on account of what is their disability? Because they converse at the time of sex. Blind people--on account of what is their disability? Because they look at that place.

They threw this against that: They asked Imma Shalom, the wife of Rabbi Eliezer ben Hyrcanus: On account of what

are your children so exceedingly beautiful? She said to them: He does not converse with me either at the beginning of the night or at the end of the night, but rather at midnight. And when he converses, he reveals a handbreadth and he covers a handbreadth, and it appears as though he were being forced by a demon. And I said to him: What is the reason? And he said to me: In order that I will not set my eyes upon another woman and his children find themselves practically mamzers.

There is no contradiction. Here, with words of sex, there with other kinds of words.

Rabbi Yoḥanan said: These are just Yoḥanan ben Dahabai's words. But the Sages said the halakha is not like Yoḥanan ben Dahabai. Rather, all that a man wants to do with his wife he can do, analogous to meat from a butcher: if he wants to eat it salted, he eats it; roasted, he eats it; cooked, he eats is; boiled, he eats it. And similarly, a fish that comes from the fishmonger.

Ameimar said: Who are these "ministering angels"? The Rabbis--for if you say actual ministering angels, why would Rabbi Yoḥanan say that the halakha is not like Yoḥanan ben Dahabai? After all, they are the most expert in the formation of the fetus! So why did they call them "ministering angels"? Because they stand out like ministering angels.

There was a certain woman that came before Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi. She said to him: "Rabbi, I set the table for him, and he overturned it." He said to her: "My daughter, the Torah permits you, and I--what can I do for you?

There was a certain woman who came before Rav said to him: "Rabbi, I set the table for him, and he overturned it. He said, "What is the difference between this situation and that of a bonita fish?"

The Torah says: “And do not stray after your hearts” (Numbers 15:39). From here, Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi said a man should not drink from this cup and set his eyes on another cup. Ravina said: This verse was only needed to teach that this is the rule even if a man has two wives.

The Torah says: “And I will purge from among you the rebels, and those that transgress against Me” (Ezekiel 20:38). Rabbi Levi said: Those are the children of the nine types--the acronym for which is children of ASNaT MiShGe'AKh: children of fear [eima]; children of force [anusa]; children of the hated woman [senua]; children of banishment [niddui]; children of substitution [temura]; children of strife [meriva]; children of drunkenness [shikhrut]; children of divorce of the heart [gerushat halev]; children of mixture [irbuveya]; children of the brazen woman [ḥatzufa].

Really? But didn’t Rabbi Shmuel bar Naḥmani say that Rabbi Yonatan said: Any man whose wife initiates--he will have children the likes of whom did not exist even in the generation of Moses our teacher. As it is said in the Torah: “Get you wise and understanding men, well known, from each one of your tribes, and I will make them head over you” (Deuteronomy 1:13); and it is written subsequently: “So I took the heads of your tribes, wise men, and well known” (Deuteronomy 1:15). And it does not say that they were understanding. Evidently, even Moses could not find understanding men in his generation. And by contrast, it is written: “Issachar is a large-boned donkey” (Genesis 49:14). The Sages transmitted a tradition that this is an allusion to the incident when Jacob came in from the field riding on a donkey, and Leah went out to greet him, saying: “You must come in to me; for I have hired you with my son’s mandrakes” (Genesis 30:16). Issachar was conceived from their subsequent sexual intercourse. And it is written: “And of the children of Issachar, men that had understanding of the times” (I Chronicles 12:33). The descendants of Issachar were understanding men. It is derived from here that a woman who demands from her husband that he engage in sexual intercourse with her has a positive effect on their children. The Gemara answers: That baraita is not referring to a woman who demands intercourse explicitly, but rather to one who entices her husband, so that he understands that she wants to engage in sexual intercourse with him. They consequently have excellent children.

(12) "...How can I bear unaided the trouble of you, and the burden, and the bickering! (13) Get you wise and understanding men, well known, from each one of your tribes, and I will make them head over you.” (14) You answered me and said, “What you propose to do is good.” (15) So I took the heads of your tribes, wise men and well known, and appointed them heads over you: chiefs of thousands, chiefs of hundreds, chiefs of fifties, and chiefs of tens, and officials for your tribes.

(1) And Jacob called his sons and said, “Come together that I may tell you what is to befall you in days to come. (2) Assemble and hearken, O sons of Jacob;
Hearken to Israel your father...

(14) Issachar is a large-boned donkey,
Crouching among the sheepfolds. (15) When he saw how good was security,
And how pleasant was the country,
He bent his shoulder to the burden,
And became a toiling serf.

(14) Once, at the time of the wheat harvest, Reuben came upon some mandrakes in the field and brought them to his mother Leah. Rachel said to Leah, “Please give me some of your son’s mandrakes.” (15) But she said to her, “Was it not enough for you to take away my husband, that you would also take my son’s mandrakes?” Rachel replied, “I promise, he shall lie with you tonight, in return for your son’s mandrakes.” (16) When Jacob came home from the field in the evening, Leah went out to meet him and said, “You must come in to me; for I have hired you with my son’s mandrakes.” And he lay with her that night. (17) God heeded Leah, and she conceived and bore him a fifth son. (18) And Leah said, “God has given me my reward for having given my maid to my husband.” So she named him Issachar.

(1) The following joined David at Ziklag while he was still in hiding from Saul son of Kish; these were the warriors who gave support in battle; (2) they were armed with the bow and could use both right hand and left hand to sling stones or shoot arrows with the bow; they were kinsmen of Saul from Benjamin. (3) At the head were Ahiezer and Joash, sons of Shemaah of Gibeah; and Jeziel and Pelet, sons of Azmaveth; and Beracah and Jehu of Anathoth; (4) Ishmaiah of Gibeon, a warrior among the thirty, leading the thirty; (5) Jeremiah, Jahaziel, Johanan, and Jozabad of Gederah; (6) Eluzai, Jerimoth, Bealiah, Shemariah, and Shephatiah the Hariphite; (7) Elkanah, Isshiah, Azarel, Joezer, and Jashobeam the Korahites; (8) Joelah and Zebadiah, sons of Jeroham of Gedor. (9) Of the Gadites, there withdrew to follow David to the wilderness stronghold valiant men, fighters fit for battle, armed with shield and spear; they had the appearance of lions, and were as swift as gazelles upon the mountains: (10) Ezer the chief, Obadiah the second, Eliab the third, (11) Mashmannah the fourth, Jeremiah the fifth, (12) Attai the sixth, Eliel the seventh, (13) Johanan the eighth, Elzabad the ninth, (14) Jeremiah the tenth, Machbannai the eleventh. (15) Those were the Gadites, heads of the army. The least was equal to a hundred, the greatest to a thousand. (16) These were the ones who crossed the Jordan in the first month, when it was at its crest, and they put to flight all the lowlanders to the east and west. (17) Some of the Benjaminites and Judahites came to the stronghold to David, (18) and David went out to meet them, saying to them, “If you come on a peaceful errand, to support me, then I will make common cause with you, but if to betray me to my foes, for no injustice on my part, then let the God of our fathers take notice and give judgment.” (19) Then the spirit seized Amasai, chief of the captains:
“We are yours, David,
On your side, son of Jesse;
At peace, at peace with you,
And at peace with him who supports you,
For your God supports you.”
So David accepted them, and placed them at the head of his band. (20) Some Manassites went over to David’s side when he came with the Philistines to make war against Saul, but they were of no help to them, because the lords of the Philistines in council dismissed him, saying, “He will go over to the side of his lord, Saul, and it will cost us our heads”; (21) when he went to Ziklag, these Manassites went over to his side—Adnah, Jozabad, Jediael, Michael, Jozabad, Elihu, and Zillethai, chiefs of the clans of Manasseh. (22) It was they who gave support to David against the band, for all were valiant men; and they were officers of the force. (23) Day in day out, people came to David to give him support, until there was an army as vast as the army of God. (24) These are the numbers of the [men of the] armed bands who joined David at Hebron to transfer Saul’s kingdom to him, in accordance with the word of the LORD: (25) Judahites, equipped with shield and spear—6,800 armed men; (26) Simeonites, valiant men, fighting troops—7,100; (27) of the Levites—4,600; (28) Jehoiada, chief officer of the Aaronides; with him, 3,700; (29) Zadok, a young valiant man, with his clan—22 officers; (30) of the Benjaminites, kinsmen of Saul, 3,000 in their great numbers, hitherto protecting the interests of the house of Saul; (31) of the Ephraimites, 20,800 valiant men, famous in their clans; (32) of the half-tribe of Manasseh, 18,000, who were designated by name to come and make David king; (33) of the Issacharites, men who knew how to interpret the signs of the times, to determine how Israel should act; their chiefs were 200, and all their kinsmen followed them; (34) of Zebulun, those ready for service, able to man a battle line with all kinds of weapons, 50,000, giving support wholeheartedly; (35) of Naphtali, 1,000 chieftains with their shields and lances—37,000; (36) of the Danites, able to man the battle line—28,600; (37) of Asher, those ready for service to man the battle line—40,000; (38) from beyond the Jordan, of the Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh, together with all kinds of military weapons—120,000. (39) All these, fighting men, manning the battle line with whole heart, came to Hebron to make David king over all Israel. Likewise, all the rest of Israel was of one mind to make David king. (40) They were there with David three days, eating and drinking, for their kinsmen had provided for them. (41) And also, their relatives as far away as Issachar, Zebulun, and Naphtali brought food by ass, camel, mule, and ox—provisions of flour, cakes of figs, raisin cakes, wine, oil, cattle, and sheep in abundance, for there was joy in Israel.