Good Ethics: Yoma 19b

Rabbi Joshua Ben Levi said: Anyone who incorrectly suspects someone of wrongdoing merits lashes.

Married for a Day: Yoma 18b

After a number of pages from the Talmud that didn't inspire me to write, I've come to Yoma 18 through 21. Yoma deals with matters related to Yom Kippur, although in typical gemara fashion there are many digressions. These few pages are full of strange, gross, and beautiful things.

The central part of Yom Kippur while the Temple still stood in Jerusalem was the High Priest's performance of multiple rituals. It was very important for him to remain qualified for this duty. If he had a nocturnal emission, he would become ritually disqualified. In order to avoid such a circumstance, rabbis would keep him up all night learning Torah. He would also avoid eating eggs, which were believed to make men more vulnerable to excitement. This inspires the following discussion:

Rav Gidel taught in the name of Rav: Guests at a inn should not eat eggs or sleep in the innkeeper's clothing [as eggs bring on nocturnal emissions, and sleeping in the innkeeper's clothing makes nocturnal emissions more embarrassing for all.]

Rav, when traveling to Darshish, would announce: 'Who will be my wife for a day?' Rav Nachman, when traveling to Scachnetziv, would announce: 'Who would be my wife for a day?' [Note that polygamy was not banned until approximately 1000 c.e. Interestingly, this ban has expired in the last few years! Nonetheless, the Gemara then objects to such a practice. ] It been taught by Rabbi Elizer Ben Yaakov: A man should not have wives in different cities, lest we find a brother unknowingly marry his sister or a father unwittingly marry his own daughter, and we find the whole world populated by offspring of incestuous relationships...

[The Gemara responds to this objection.] Rabbis are famous [and thus their children will identify themselves readily as the offspring of Rabbi so-and-so, and thus not fall unwittingly into incestuous relationships.]

[The Gemara raises a second objection.] A woman must have seven days without menstrual bleeding [before consummation of a marriage]. [Thus how could the traveling Rabbi meet, marry, and consummate a relationship with a woman all on the same day? The woman should carefully check herself for seven days, requiring advance preparation]

[The Gemara presents two responses] The Rabbis would sent messengers ahead to seek out women who could prepare for the seven days before the Rabbi's arrival. As an alternate answer, the Rabbis perhaps simply wanted the company of a woman, without consummating the relationship, for one who has bread in the basket is not like someone without it. [It was forbidden to be alone with women other than relatives, and this permitted perhaps some company without actual relations, perhaps making nocturnal emissions less likely.]

Live by Them: Mishneh Torah Hilchot Shabat 2:

It is permitted to violate the sabbath in order to save a life. Maimonides, himself a physician, has a lovely comment on this.

It is forbidden to hesitate before transgressing the Sabbath [laws] on behalf of a person who is dangerously ill, as is reflected in Leviticus 18:5,] "[The laws] which a person shall perform to live through them; " one must live through them, and not die because of them. This teaches that the judgments of the Torah are only sustained through mercy, kindness, and peace in the world.

The Highest Praise: Pesachim 117a

Rabbi Yehoshua Ben Levi said: The book of Psalms was recited using ten words of praise... and Hallelu-yah is greater than the rest, for it simultaneously includes praise and G-d's name.

Where Does the Divine Dwell? Pesachim 117a

The Divine Presence does not dwell in the midst of laziness, nor sadness, nor sillness, nor a lack of seriousness, nor in the midst of things that are a waste of time. The Divine Presence only dwells in the the midst of words of joy in divine service... Rav Yehuda said in the name of Rav - 'The Divine Presence also dwells in words of Jewish Law.' Rav Nachman said, 'Also in good dreams.'

"Group" sex: Pesachim 112a

When a divorced man marries a divorced woman, there are four opinions in the bed.

The danger of pairs: Pesachim 110b

I learned part of an extremely long section on superstitions regarding pairs. Things in twos (for example, having two beers rather than one or three) was considered dangerous. It made you vulnerable to both demons and witchcraft. That's right, the Rabbis of the Talmud believed in both.

I found the length and detail of this section a bit tedious (and, well, embarassing), but found it worthwhile when I came upon this statement. 'The general rule is, anyone who is strict [about the superstitions related to pairs], they [the demons and witches] will be strict with him. For anyone who is not strict, they [the demons and witches] with not be strict with him.' Essentially, these things have only the power you give them, or as a someone I know used to say, you live in the world you create.