Translation:Talmud/Seder Moed/Tractate Shabbat/145b
with the exception of a case where he testifies to having heard that a woman's husband had died."
They queried: "Can a witness that testifies from hearsay be accredited concerning a firstborn?" R. Ammi forbade and R. Assi permited. Said R. Ammi to R. Assi: "Why, the disciples of Menasseh have taught: a witness that testifies from hearsay must not be accredited, with the exception of a case where he testifies to having heard that a woman's husband had died." Say: with the exception of a testimony for which a woman is valid. R. Yemar permitted a witness that testifies from hearsay concerning a firstborn. Maremar called upon him: Yemar permitted a firstborn. And the halacha is: A witness that testifies from hearsay may be accredited concerning a firstborn.
"[If] honeycombs [be broken on the eve of Sabbath]."
When R. Hosea came from Neherdai, he came and brought a new Boraitha; viz.: "Olives and grapes which were crushed before the Sabbath, and [the juice] oozed out by itself, it must not be drunk; but R. Eliezer and R. Simeon both permit it." Said R. Joseph: "He just tells us of another man [in addition to R. Eliezer]!" Said Abayi to him: "He taught us a great deal; for from our Mishna I would say, that [honeycombs] were eatables before [being crushed] and eatables also afterwards; [therefore R. Eliezer permits the use of the honey], but in the case of [olives and grapes] which were previously eatables and subsequently became beverages, it might be presumed that [even R. Eliezer] would not permit their use. Hence we were instructed [by R. Hosea to the contrary]."
MISHNA: Whatever has been dressed with hot water on the eve of Sabbath, may be soaked in hot water on the Sabbath; and whatever has not been dressed with hot water on the eve of Sabbath, must only be passed through hot water on the Sabbath: excepting only stale salt fish and Spanish kolias (a kind of fish which was generally cured to make it eatable), for passing these through hot water is all the dressing required for them.
GEMARA: What does [the Mishna] refer to? Said R. Safra: "For instance, the hen of R. Aba!" [He would cook a hen, then soak it in water, and when it would fall to pieces he would eat it.] And R. Safra said: "I was there at one time and he served us with some of that dish, and had R. Aba not given three-year-old wine immediately after it, I would have been forced to vomit."
R. Johanan would spit every time be was reminded of Babylonian Kutach (a dish made of small salt fish boiled in milk). Said R. Joseph: "Yea, and let us spit when we think of R. Aba's hen." And R. Gaza said: "I was there at one time, and made that same dish (Babylonian kutach); so they begged me to give them some for all the sick in The West."
"Whatever has not been dressed with hot water," etc.
What is the law concerning one who had passed [kolias or stale salt fish] through hot water? Said R. Joseph: "One who had passed these through hot water is liable for a sin-offering." Said Mar the son of Rabhina: "We have understood it so from the Mishna, [because the last clause is:] 'excepting only stale salt fish and Spanish kolias, for passing these through hot water is all the dressing required for them,' [and the finishing of a certain kind of labor is equivalent to hammering]. Hear from it.
R. Hyya bar Aba and R. Assi once sat in the presence of R. Johanan, and R. Johanan sat and dozed off. So R. Hyya bar Aba asked R. Assi why the fowls of Babylon are fat. [R. Assi] answered: "Go to the desert of Aza, and I will show thee fatter ones." "Why are the Babylonians so merry during the festivals?," [asked R. Hyya again]. "Because they are poor (and during the entire year they have no pleasures, so they take advantage of the festivals)," was the answer. "Why are the scholars of Babylon so well dressed?" [queried R. Hyya]. "Because they are ignorami" (and must wear good clothes in order to command respect), [answered R. Assi]. "Why are the star-worshippers contaminated?" "Because they eat execrations and insects." At that moment R. Johanan awoke, and said to them: "Youngsters! Did I not tell you, [that it is written] [Proverbs vii. 4]: 'Say unto wisdom, Thou art my sister,' [which means:] If [a thing] is as certain to thee as [the fact] that thou canst not marry thy own sister, then say it? And otherwise, thou shalt not say it. (Then why speak such foolishness?)" Then said they to him: "Let Master tell some things (which would benefit us)!" [Said R. Johanan:] "Why are the fowls of Babylon fat? because they were never driven away [from home], as it is written [Jeremiah xlviii. 11]: 'Moab was ever at ease from his youth, and he was resting on his lees, and had not gone into exile.' And here, whence do we know that they were driven? For we have learned: R. Judah says: For 52 years a man has not passed by Judah, as it says [ibid. ix. 9]: 'On the mountains will I take up a weeping and wailing etc., both the fowls of the heavens and the beasts are fled; they are gone away.' The numerical value of בהמ"ה (beasts) is 52. R. Jacob said in the name of R. Johanan, that they all came back with the exception of the Spanish kolias, for Rabh said: These slopes of Babylon return the water to the Spring of Etam, and this one, because its spine is not hard, it cannot go up. 'Why are the Babylonians merry during the festivals?' Because they were not included in that curse that is written [Hosea ii. 13]: 'And I will cause to cease all her mirth, her festival, her new moon, and her Sabbath, and all her appointed feasts.' And it is written [Isaiah i. 14]: 'My soul has hated your new moons and your appointed feasts; they were unto Me for a burden'." What does it mean "they were unto Me for a burden"? Said R. Eleazar: "Said the Holy One, Blessed is He: 'Isn't it enough for Israel that they sin before Me, but they burden Me to know which harsh decree I will bring upon them'."
Said R. Itz'hak: "[Indeed it was so.] There was not a single feast that the military did not come to Sephoris"; and R. Hanina said: "There was not a single feast that captains, guards, and supervisors did not come to Tiberias."--"Why are the scholars of Babylon so well dressed?" "Because they are all strangers. As the people say: In a city [where a man is known], he may wear whatever he chooses; but not in the city, [where he is not sufficiently known], he should dress well."
[Isaiah xxvii. 6]: "In the future shall Jacob yet take root: Israel shall bud and blossom." R. Joseph taught: These are the scholars of Babylon, who wind blossoms and wreaths around the Thorah.
"Why are the star-worshippers contaminated? Because they did not stand at Mount Sinai. For at the time